The break was useful, both to rest and recover, but also to plan each chapter of this fic for the nest 16, as well as planning the "books" up until the end of the story. It really let me sit down and think everything through, and I'm excited to get going!
First, however, we have to bring Book 2 to a close.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Dishwasher1910
Book 2: Chapter 15
"I see," the headmaster rested his chin atop the back of his hand. He laid down the scroll he'd been reading on the desk with his other. "While the report from my good friend Ironwood points at the Quest being a success, there was one thing I wanted to ask you, if you are willing?"
"Yes, sir," I said. It wasn't like I had any room to argue with him. Bad enough he was the headmaster, but with Miss Goodwitch and her magical curses behind me? Yeah, I'd be answering any questions he had.
"The Archmage makes mention of an unusual figure that was summoned as part of a ritual atop the mountain. While there is information contained in here, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
It wasn't the question I wanted, and even less the question I'd expected. My skin crawled from the memory of her, and this must have shown, for Ozpin looked at me quizzically. I swallowed and tried to calm myself, looking to the Warlock behind me. We'd found her awaiting us after the journey back to Kingsport, and after a quick check to make sure we were unharmed she whisked us back to Beacon with a portal. She nodded now, perhaps in encouragement. It wasn't very encouraging. Nothing involving that thing was.
"She called herself Salem," I began, knowing I couldn't delay forever. Perhaps it would be best to get it over with. Even saying her name made me remember her face, those veins, the eyes... I clenched mine shut and continued on. "The ritual to summon her involved sacrifices, a lot of them, but I got the feeling it was more about the negativity than the blood. She… she said she could feel the lingering despair, and even pick out the worst emotions among them. Betrayal, grief, loss..."
Miss Goodwitch placed a hand on my shoulder. I was glad for it, even if I'd never admit that.
"I understand this may be difficult, Mr Arc," she said. "If you need a break, we can have this discussion another time, I'm sure."
The headmaster nodded his head, but I shook mine. No. This wouldn't get any easier if I kept putting it off. "It's fine. I'm fine. When the woman appeared from the ritual, she didn't walk on the ground. She floated, instead. She claimed she couldn't hurt Merlot because he successfully completed the ritual and she was bound to his will, but she ended up causing his death anyway."
"How did that happen?"
"He wanted to become a God, but she claimed she didn't have that power," I explained. My hands itched, and I scratched one with the other nervously. "She said she could only grant him something within her ability, and then said her power was controlling and creating the Grimm."
Miss Goodwitch gasped, but the Sage, Ozpin, remained infallibly calm. "A statement designed to mislead," he said. "I suppose after that, he made a request related to the Grimm… one that she could purposefully misunderstand and use against him. It is a common technique used by those summoned, particularly in ancient legend and myth. I'm surprised one of his calibre fell for it."
I didn't know about Merlot's character, nothing more than the disdain I felt, but Ozpin wasn't wrong in his guess and I nodded. "He asked for the power of the Grimm, and she said she absorbed all the Grimm on the mountain at that time – hundreds of them – and then gave it to him. It transformed him into a monster… even if he turned back when he was dead."
"Grimm fade to nothing when killed, Mr Arc. It would stand to reason that whatever possessed him would have faded as well, leaving naught behind but his broken body." Ozpin sighed and placed his glasses down upon the table. "You said you were the only one able to move when she looked at you?"
"Yes… well, no." I sighed and tried to explain when the headmaster raised an eyebrow. "I was as pinned as everyone else was. It was… it was like a hundred weights, tied onto every muscle in my body. Even staying on my knees was hard, but I guess I managed it because I had my sword to prop me up. As for moving…" I shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, sir. I got angry. She was about to do something to Ruby and I just moved."
"I see… a commendable reaction, Mr Arc. Miss Rose should feel comforted to have you nearby. This creature, this Salem… she left once the Mage was transformed?"
"Pretty much straight after." It was difficult to remember if anything else happened, and I'd been a little focused on the whole mutating monster bringing the temple down. The whole affair after that was a blur in my memory. "We were focused on Merlot after that. My memory might be a little patchy." I shrugged apologetically.
"Your memory is good enough. Hmm… one who can control the Grimm." Ozpin steepled his hands on the desk before him. "This is worrying."
"Um, may I ask-?"
"No, you may not." Ozpin smiled to show he meant no ill-will. "Mr Arc, I believe this is a matter you ought not to concern yourself with. For your own piece of mind, allow those older and more powerful to deal with this. I believe you and your Guild have reason to celebrate, and I wouldn't want to rob you of that." He nodded his head with a small smile. "Few complete their Annual Quest so early. In fact, this might even be a record. You are all to be congratulated."
I managed a smile, even if my heart was only slightly in it. His words about that woman, not to mention the way he acted, had my nerves wound tight. There was something more to it, I could tell. What were we to do, though? Like he said, we were just teenagers. Even if I'd gained a bunch of levels over the course of the quest, it still didn't put me on the level of people like Kaedin or Viktor. Ozpin was probably stronger than both of them combined. "I understand, sir," I said. "Also, thank you. Do you know where we have to go for the reward?"
"Once you are out of Beacon, you would need to head to the nearest Questing House," Miss Goodwitch interrupted, her tone slipping into the lecturing one she used in class. "You would need a signed missive from the Quest Giver stating its success, as well as a pre-approved signal from them. This will often be included on the scroll, and prevents unscrupulous Heroes from pressuring innocent people into signing the Quest as having been completed."
"This would be the Archmage's," Ozpin said, holding up the scroll. He pointed to one corner, and to a tiny squiggle that might have resembled some kind of rune if I really squinted at it. I hadn't even noticed it. Then again, we'd not opened the scroll. It was for Ozpin, not us.
"You would not know what it was in advance," Goodwitch said. "If you ever tried to pressure someone, they would likely write down a fake one, and you would be detained when trying to redeem it at a Questing House." She must have noticed my worried face, for the normally stern woman smiled. "I am only explaining this for the sake of your education, Mr Arc. You can calm down."
"Right. Sorry."
"Either way," Ozpin said, "Things are different when you are still at Beacon. We are licensed to act as a Questing House of our own, albeit only to our students. As such, I have your reward right here and there's nothing more you need do." He reached under his desk and opened a drawer, before placing a hefty pouch down on the table.
I swallowed as it jingled. My hand reached out, hesitated, and then continued when the headmaster nodded for me to continue. I pulled it open and looked inside, feeling a little faint at the glimmering coins within.
Thirty-two thousand lien… or I assumed it was. I wasn't going to insult the headmaster by counting it in front of him. It came in an assortment of coins, bronze for denominations of one, silver for tens, gold and silver for a hundred and pure gold for a thousand. How they could have formed from the bodies of dead Grimm, I had no idea, but it was just one of the mysteries of life no one had ever been able to answer. No one would even mint or make more, since the actual value of the materials was higher than what it took to make the coins. Meanwhile, much like the Grimm themselves, the coins would disappear if melted or significantly tampered with. I doubted there was a Blacksmith alive who hadn't at least once though about milking lien for gold and making their fortune. All of that was to no avail. They couldn't be copied.
The pouch was mostly filled with gold coins, and more than I'd ever handled before. It left me feeling light-headed, and also paranoid that someone might attack and rob me the moment I left the room. I had to remind myself how unlikely that was.
"You may return to your companions if you wish, Mr Arc. I believe I have enough information here to begin our own investigations."
I wanted so badly to ask what those would yield, or to ask that he let us know some of it. He would never agree, though. I knew that. Whatever that woman was, whatever Salem was, it wasn't for us to know. Maybe it was best that way. "Yes, sir." I bowed and stepped back. "And thank you, sir, for the opportunity to do this."
"Not a problem, Mr Arc." The Sage lifted a mug of coffee towards him. "Oh, and before you go…"
I paused at the door, looking back.
"Welcome home."
Home… it wasn't, but the words brought an unconscious smile to my lips. "It's good to be home, sir," I said, stepping out of the door and letting it close behind me. It did feel good to be back… to be home.
"You took your time."
The voice startled me. I flinched back, actually banging into the wooden door frame in my panic. I wondered if the headmaster heard it, and winced as I imagined him calling out. He didn't, luckily. Instead, that let me glare at the person who'd spoken.
Blake raised an eyebrow in return. "I see you're still a little jumpy."
"Well of course I'll be if you sneak up on me."
"I was standing right here… in the open." Blake gestured to the window beside her, which the midday sun cut beams of dust-filled light through. She was silhouetted against it, fairly obvious but for the fact I hadn't even looked. "What has you so nervous?" she asked. "You seemed fine when we arrived." She paused, and then added. "Well, apart from the sea sickness. I'm surprised you managed that again."
My cheeks darkened. "It's not my fault boats don't agree with me. Besides, I just got the Quest Reward. I'm not used to walking around with this much lien on me. I guess I was worried you were going to rob me or something."
"Well, you're not wrong," Blake said.
I stared at her aghast for a few seconds, before the meaning of her words – and her presence – filtered into my mind. "Oh right, you're here for your share."
"I thought it best to take it out before Torchwick demanded it for your debt," she said. "Not that I thought you would give it to him, but things will be easier this way." She took the coins I offered, then closed her hand and twisted it a little to the side. Once it opened again, the four gold coins were gone.
I stared at her empty palm, unable to understand how or where she'd hidden them. I was forced to look away when I heard a tiny, amused huff from her, however. She'd caught my shock, it seemed, and found it funny. I coughed to try and hide the moment. "So, what are you going to do with yours?" I asked, aiming for a distraction. "Are you going to upgrade your private room again?"
"I think twice in two months might be a little much, even for me. I'd have the most luxurious room of any first year." Blake's ears perked up a little as she laughed. "I'll hold off on spending it, to be honest. It's not like I can expect to earn this much every month. I guess I'll just look forward to a few months where I don't have to worry over every bit of lien."
"Sounds nice…"
She realised her mistake instantly. "I didn't mean to remind you-"
"No, no, it's fine. We got ourselves into this, and we'll get ourselves out as well. You should enjoy that," I nodded towards her hand. "You earned it. Not to mention how much you helped us out. We'd be dead if it wasn't for you."
She'd saved me in the ice tunnels, after all. Not only that, but the constant fights, against Grimm, Glenn and Merlot… she'd been a constant presence in each of them, ridiculously strong in her own right. We were lucky she'd agreed to come with us. Very lucky.
She knew it too, for all that she pretended otherwise. "I'm sure you would have found a way without me," she demurred. "Either way, I have my payment so you needn't feel indebted to me."
"I wouldn't if it was the money you'd been after. I seem to recall you saying you did this to keep me alive… because you knew I'd be too weak to look after myself." I tried to meet her eyes, but the Assassin had come down with a sudden bout of nerves, for she wouldn't look my way. "Thank you, Blake. I know I said it before, but I'll say it again. Thank you."
"It's nothing."
"You know that isn't true."
Blake's eyes widened. Like golden moons, they flicked my way for a moment, before glancing toward the floor, the wall, the window, anything that wasn't my face. "You should get back to the others," she whispered. "The sooner you can begin those repairs, the sooner Weiss won't have to sleep on a couch that's falling apart."
"She told you about that, did she?" I laughed. If Blake wanted to create some space, I wouldn't push the issue. I owed her more than that, no matter her words. "I'll see you around, Blake. Don't be a stranger."
"Would you let me if I tried?"
"Not a chance." I grinned, especially when she sighed and turned away, hair flicking behind her. My eyes followed her as she left, dipping a little lower as she rounded a corner. Had her hips always swayed like that when she moved? I didn't realise I'd stopped breathing until my chest started to burn. Calm down, boy, I told myself, taking a deep breath. You've got enough problems on your plate without going there.
Those problems could wait for tomorrow, however. For now…? Well, Yang had said something about celebrating our return.
I wasn't sure if I dreaded finding out what that was or not.
/-/
It was like a scene from one of my dreams, and not the heart-warming ones, either. It was one of those dreams you didn't mention, that Ren would share a look with me at in the morning, but neither of us would admit to any other. How could I be blamed, though? It wasn't every day a bunny girl dressed in a tight white and black outfit opened the door for you, smiled a wide smile filled with white teeth. The words, though… the words were what nearly killed me.
"Welcome home, master."
"Ah…" It wasn't my most eloquent moment, but I thought it conveyed all that needed to be said, really. Oh, apart for the one thing. "Master…?"
"You are the Guild Master," she said, straightening up. "Technically, you're also my employer. I know you said to call you Jaune, but I thought the moment was important enough for a little formality." She giggled, and I heard Yang holler something from inside.
It resonated with the sound of my dreams shattering. "Oh right, yeah, formality. I get it."
"Hm? Did you think it was something else?"
"No, no, no," I laughed it off and strode into the hallway, fondly looking over the fractured tiles and broken staircase. Ah, it was good to be home. "What are the others up to?" I asked.
"Ren is cooking at the moment," Velvet said. "Nora went to help him." Which meant she was throwing random things into a pot while he desperately tried to slap away the food that wasn't part of the recipe. "Weiss and Yang fought over the shower, before Pyrrha stole it while they were arguing. I think everyone else is relaxing in the lounge. Would you care for a drink?"
"You don't have to get me anything," I said.
Velvet shook her head. "You've all been gone for weeks. I've had nothing to do but clean, knit, and try my hand at repairs."
"Ah, I thought those curtains looked a little too new to be something Torchwick left us." I glanced over to them, a rich blue and draped down from the ceiling like tapestries. They had golden scrolling on them, depicting odd signs and symbols I couldn't recognise. "I like them. They look great."
"I-It was just something I put together." She looked away with flushed cheeks. "A-Anyway, you should go and sit down with the others. I'll bring some drinks out and help Ren once he's finished with the food."
"You'll join us, right?"
"Once everyone is served and seated," Velvet smiled, slipping away. She looked happy to see us back, and for that I felt relieved. She was fitting in well, opening up, and no one seemed bothered at having a `mere NPC` among us. Maybe they'd all learned how little that meant in Atlas. Either way, I couldn't complain.
The lounge was alive with noise and movement when I entered. Weiss sat on a couch, one leg crossed over the other as she read from a book. Ruby sat beside her, reading over the girl's shoulder and occasionally asking Weiss to slow down or not turn the page. The Mage sighed each time, but always acquiesced, no matter how much she complained.
Pyrrha sat in the single seated, leaning forward with damp hair that she ran a comb through. Her eyes were closed, face set in a relaxed smile as she indulged in something that hadn't ever been possible on our latest mission. Of Nora and Ren there was no sign, of course, but I could hear raucous laughter from the direction of the kitchen, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who that was.
"Hey Jaune," Yang yelled. "Check these out!"
What I was supposed to check out, I wasn't sure – but something struck me in the face regardless. It was soft and warm. I pulled it off and looked down. "A cushion…?"
"Velv made them," Yang said. She was laid on the floor, which was odd enough when there were couches remaining, but the veritable mount of cushions her body was splayed across made her look like some kind of pampered princess. She stretched her arms above her and fell back with a sigh, multi-coloured fabric giving way beneath her. "Oh my god, she's the best thing about this Guild. I could so get used to this."
"You'll give us some of those back before we go to bed," Weiss threatened. "If you think you get to sleep on a bed of cushions while we have these couches, you have another thing coming."
"You going to take these off me yourself, Weiss? I'd like to see you try."
The two glared at one another.
I shook my head and took one of the empty seats. I did keep the cushion Yang threw, however. It was soft and plump – and totally mine now. As my head rested back on it, propped between the high-backed lounge seat and my body, I couldn't help but trace the battered and marked wooden walls, the frayed carpet and peeling paint on the ceiling.
The place was a mess, but it was our mess. It felt comfortable and used. If it were brand new, I wasn't sure I could have relaxed as easily as I did, nor that we would all spend our time together so communally. We'd have independent rooms, and doubtless Weiss would read in there, as would Pyrrha do her hair and Yang rest. Things felt good like this, even if anyone else would have complained.
I decided not to tell them about what Ozpin said, or what he didn't say to be more specific. Salem's appearance had been a traumatic experience for all of us, and this was a moment to celebrate, not to think of some terrifying monster on the horizon. Besides, we were done with those things. We were done with Atlas, the ritual, Merlot and whatever beast he'd summoned. We were back in Beacon, and that was all that mattered.
"Dinner's ready~" Nora cheered, kicking open the door. It banged loudly against the wall, cracking slightly. Well, it was already cracked, but now it was worse. It probably didn't matter. The whole thing needed replacing anyway.
"I'll apologise in advance for whatever I failed to stop Nora putting in," Ren sighed. He pushed in a rattling tray with a metal pan balanced atop. Velvet followed with a stack of earthenware plates and bowls, along with several loaves of bread. I doubted Ren had the time to make those, so she must have gone shopping once she found out we were coming home. Yang was right. Velvet definitely was the best acquisition we'd made.
The food was shared out among us, and Velvet took a seat with us once everyone had food and drink before them. It was nothing more than meat broth and fruit juice, but the drink was refreshing and strong, the meat wholesome and warm, and the bread crispy on the outside, doughy in the middle. Dipping it into the meat and biting down on it, I didn't think I'd ever tasted anything so wonderful in my life.
Even if there was sliced apple in it.
"Nora," Ren said by way of explanation.
"Apple is good for you," the Barbarian said.
"I like it," Ruby cheered, running a bit of bread around the inside of her bowl to get the last traces. She popped the meaty bread into her mouth and chewed it with a blissful smile. Once she was done, she turned to me. "Did you find out where we have to go for the reward, Jaune?"
"Nowhere," I said, pulling out the pouch of coins. I tossed it onto the table between us all, where it clinked loudly. "Twenty-eight thousand," I grinned. "Blake already took her share, but the rest is there and ready to be used."
"Sweet!" Yang crawled forward and peeked into it, letting out a whistle as golden light reflected off her face. "Shiny. We giving all of this over to Torchwick and his Guild?"
"I think it would be in our best interests to keep some of it," Weiss said. She laid the bowl down on the table and leaned back with a contented sigh. "Twenty-eight thousand won't be enough to have all the repairs done as it is, and we'll still need some money left over for the monthly rent, not to mention utilities and Velvet's pay."
"Um, well, I suppose…"
"No," the Mage said. "You will be paid. I won't hear otherwise. All I'm suggesting is that we put the majority toward repairs, but keep around five thousand for a buffer."
"We'll still need to earn more to finish up here, though." I said.
"We would anyway. At least with this, we don't run the risk of being kicked out if we can't handle the rent."
"I suppose so." I looked around the room, but none of them seemed prepared to argue. "I suppose we can earn more to finish everything off. We'll have to earn more."
"We're in a good position to," Ren said. All eyes were drawn to the Monk as he leaned forward, holding his hands between his knees. "At the moment, I feel confident in saying we're the only team of first years to have completed our Annual Quest. If you remember what I said before we went, that grants us a provisional Questing License. We can take more."
My stomach dropped to my feet. Suddenly, it felt like the food I'd just eaten might come back up again. Another Quest? We'd only just survived the last, and that was half-luck, half-miracle. I don't think I was the only one who groaned at the thought.
"I'm not suggesting one so dangerous," Ren quickly said. "We needed that initial bulk payment, and an Annual Quest has to be balanced as both difficult and testing for the size of our group. Now that we have more freedom, however, we can pick and choose our Quests." He smiled. "I'd advise little ones. The kind of Quests most students in the older years wouldn't bother taking."
I felt myself relax a little at that. Easy Quests sounded nice.
"They won't pay much, though," Weiss warned.
"No, but they should pay more than farming in the Emerald Forest. You saw how crowded that was before we went."
"It got ridiculous towards the end," Pyrrha sighed. "All the best farming spots were packed, Grimm slain the moment they dared to spawn. I think Ren has a point. At least with these we can spread out and do multiple Quests at once."
"Use our numbers as an advantage," Ren agreed. "Depending on the nature of the task, and the reward, we can send one, two or even three people to attend. Even if the rewards are small, they're bound to be higher than what we could normally earn. We'll also have free pick of the Quests we want."
"Because no one else is licensed to take them," I said, realising his point. "When everyone else gets around to doing their Annual Quests, the list is going to dry up."
"And fast." Ren looked at each of us. "We have a limited opportunity here. I'm not sure how long we'll have before others earn their licenses and start to take Quests."
"Everyone needs the money for their accommodation," Weiss sighed. "I see your point. I, for one, am in favour – so long as we carefully vet each Quest to make sure nothing like our recent one occurs again."
"I think that's a given," Ren chuckled. "We'll make sure they're simple things. I bet a lot of them will just be to kill Grimm around nearby villages and towns."
My confidence returned with every calming word Ren spoke. If it were just Grimm, we wouldn't have many problems. We were all used to killing them in the Emerald Forest, and we were stronger now than we had been before. The more I thought about it, the better our future prospects seemed. This put a time limit on things, sure, but it would still be our right to pick and choose whatever Quest we wanted until everyone else caught up.
"I think we're all cool with this," Yang said. "You want to check it out tomorrow?"
"I need to go and meet Torchwick first," I interrupted. "We might as well get the repairs started. Things will become a little comfier once we have actual beds to sleep in, for instance." There was almost unanimous support for that. "Before we start rushing off, though… how about we just enjoy ourselves for a little bit?"
"Take a holiday?" Pyrrha murmured.
"These Quests are a limited opportunity," Weiss warned.
"Not too limited," Ruby said. "I mean, it's not like people are going to suddenly risk their lives on Quests already. We were forced into it. Everyone else is going to wait until at least half the year has passed."
"We could afford a week or two to relax, certainly," Ren added.
"Yay, holiday!"
"I didn't say a holiday, Nora. Now that we're back in Beacon, we'll need to attend lessons again. It's not as though we can rush off to the beach at a moment's notice." The Monk chuckled. "Then again, I'm not sure Jaune would want to see the ocean again so soon anyway."
Hey, that was unfair… I sent a glare at the traitor, even as the others burst out laughing. There had to be some explanation for why I was useless on boats. Maybe it was related to my Class. I was a Blacksmith, after all. They worked with ore and minerals from the ground… so maybe like an element of earth or something. And the ocean wasn't that… except there was earth underneath the ocean…
Okay, it wasn't a very convincing argument, but it was there.
"Even with lessons, we can still have a break," I argued, trying to bring the topic back on track and away from my disappointing career as a sailor. "Let's face it, we're all exhausted from Atlas, and I don't just mean physically." I let my eyes roam over each of them. They hid it well, but we were all frustrated, stressed and on edge. "Let's take a little time to unwind… to remember why we're doing this."
For a minute or so, all that could be heard was the sound of breathing, and the occasional clack of earthenware plates being laid down.
Eventually, Weiss broke the silence. "You're right," she said. "You're absolutely right."
"I could use a breather," Yang agreed. "I think I'd kill for a week where the closest I come to a Grimm is in one of Port's stories."
"And time to relax too," Ruby sighed. "I want to just sit on the grass and watch the clouds for a bit. I need to oil and look after Crescent Rose too!" She looked at me and smiled. "I think a break is a great idea."
"I'm in," Ren said, and Nora nodded along.
"It sounds grand," Pyrrha agreed.
"Aye," Weiss said.
"You already know my opinion." Yang yawned and fell back onto the pillows, winding her arms among them and letting out a luxuriated sigh. "Wake me up when the week is over. I want to sleep for three days straight."
"We have class tomorrow."
"No…"
"We're expected to slip back into lessons the moment we return from a Quest." Weiss looked almost too happy to burst Yang's bubble. "It's to test our ability to manage time and commitments. We're also behind on quite a few classes. I can't even begin to imagine the work we'll need to catch up on."
"Nooo," Yang whined, and buried herself deeper. "No, no, no…"
"Weiss, don't be mean." Ruby giggled. "And Yang, it's Saturday. We have tomorrow off."
"Spoil all my fun."
"Love you so much right now, Rubes."
The others laughed. Our future planned, our holiday in place, the others quickly fell into loud conversation. Words were tossed across the room, punctuated by the occasional cushion from Yang. Velvet laughed too, mixed in among Heroes without a second thought for her Class or Caste. Through it all, I closed my eyes and listened, feigning sleep so I could sit back and absorb everything without having to speak.
One thing was for sure.
It felt good to be home.
And there is the end of Book 2 of Forged Destiny. The new book structure essentially lets me plan things out a little better and make sure each story is succinct and works on its own. Book 1 and 2 certainly aren't perfect in that regard, mostly since I only made this structure choice two to three weeks ago, but it ought to get better moving on from here. If this chapter felt a little short, then rest assured it's because it couldn't go any further. The events after this would be the intro for the next book, and can't really be tacked on the end here.
Now with their Driving Lic- I mean, Questing Licenses, our favourite group of intrepid adventurers can embark on their true mission.
Earning fat wads of l00t! Capitalism ho!
Gods, maybe Ruby should open up an item shop. Weiss can even be her debt fairy.
Next Chapter: 29th May
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
