Chance Encounter
"Ah! There you are, dear viewers!" Frank the Historian faked a gasp when the cameraman resumed recording. It was quite a short break for everyone present. They had needed to attend such as food, drink, restrooms, and preparation for future editing. The old man himself still wore his dull suit but was complemented by pink fuzzy bunny slippers since he went off to refill his cup of orange juice. But before he resumed the film, Frank had to give one more input for his audience.
"I may have forgotten but I think I will appear in this film…" he scratched his head, searching for that memory. "I think I do...maybe..."
With that in mind, the medieval historian resumed the movie, and much to his surprise, he really was in the film. In fact, he was in the very next scene after the meeting between Qrow and Ozpin.
"I'm not that bald." Frank bemoaned as he looked at the skillfully animated rendition of himself in the medium of RWBY. No wonder he didn't remember being part of the movie, the company sent him a script for him to read aloud.
"Frank the Historian" popped up as a title card in front of said RWBY Frank who was standing in what seemed to be the Emerald Forest. A lone Grimm was prowling in the background as he spoke.
"The Legend of King Arthur, one of the most recognizable mythos in history that fused with modern popular culture, has a grain of truth to it. Like the tales of Robin Hood, this story has been retold and embellished for over nine centuries! Any trace of reality slowly rubbed away by the passages of time. But what we do know is that the legend was born out of the decline of the Western Roman Empire of which the island of Great Britain was primarily inhabited by Celtic Britons. If Arthur ever existed, he would've been Roman, Celtic, or both since "Roman" was defined by citizenship rather than heritage or culture (So long Arthur wasn't born or made a slave). And if either of those were true, he would've fought against the Anglo-Saxons who were invading after the Roman government of Britain had collapsed. As history can show, the Anglo-Saxons would inevitably triumph over the Celts due to the existence of England yet some historical records have pointed out that their conquest was delayed by one or two generations at the Battle of Mount Badon in the 6th Century AD. That's right, my friends, it's where we see King Arthur be known. Except that he was not mentioned in one of the earliest sources detailing the battle. De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, or "On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain" was written by a 6th-century monk named Gildas. The British leader was Ambr-"
"GET ON WITH IT!" shouted the peasants caked with mud and filth, waving their pitchforks and torches.
"GET ON WITH IT!" yelled an old gray-haired man with goat horns around his head.
"GET ON WITH IT!" cried the short wild-haired bridgekeeper.
"WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?" Nora asks, looking at what seemed to be the dirtiest looking people that she had ever laid her eyes upon.
"Miss Valkyrie! What are you doing here?!" Ozpin rushed in and chastised her for disrupting the scene. "You're not supposed to show up this early! Get back into your scene with Ren!"
"But-" she protested, bringing forth her cutest puppy eyes.
"No!" The Headmaster immediately shot down any of her ideas. "I'm serious, return to your scene!"
He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to move back to where she belonged. All the while, Nora was quickly coming up with excuses on why she would stay, her mouth jabbering faster than lightning bolts in a storm.
With a light shove, the tomboy found herself seated inside the transport ship flying her to Albion. Pouting in place, Nora simply folded her arms and looked outside the window. Everyone was asleep save for Ruby who looked like she saw a ghost.
She was sipping on a carton of milk but had eyes as wide as dinner plates. For a second, she didn't say anything out of sheer shock.
"Hey, Nora?" Ruby asked, her voice trembling in bewilderment.
"Yeah, Rubes?" Nora replied.
"Did I just see Headmaster Ozpin come through that door?" she inquired.
"Nope." The orange-haired girl smiled, "You should sleep now, dear Ruby, your eyes need a break."
Nodding slowly, Ruby finished her drink before closing her eyes to get some rest. She'll need it for the expedition.
"Winter!" Weiss cried out in joy as soon as her shoes hit the dirt of Albion. Screwing the formalities and the reputation of a princess, she ran over to give her older sister one of the biggest hugs in her life. "I'm so glad you get to be part of our journey!"
"Ahem! Well, yes!" Winter coughed, trying to send the message to ease up. She quickly cast a glare to her crew of surveyors, biologists, and robot escorts to get them to divert their gaze away from the familial bonding session. "General Ironwood has granted me the honor to lead this expedition into Albion. He was very persuasive in only allowing one Specialist to command."
"Now, dear sister, can you please release me? I do need to meet with Vale's representatives."
"Oh, right." Weiss blushed as she quickly let go of her older sister. Ruby and Yang were snickering under their breath while Blake looked on with amusement. Team JNPR, meanwhile, was captivated by the scenery of Albion.
When Professor Oobleck inferred that the island had virgin soil waiting to be cultivated, he was right on the money. Even though the transport landed on a cliffside overlooking the ocean, the whole area seemed untouched by human hands. The grass was greener, the sand was smoother, and the rocky cliffs were as white as marble and just as shiny. If the mining business failed, the beautiful beaches of Albion guaranteed a thriving tourist industry.
The forests, though far ahead from the Vale-Atlas group, were lush with bright green leaves and dark brown bark. It seemed that no human axe had ever fallen those trees yet, much to the curiosity of Oobleck and the amusement of Port.
While Specialist Schnee held an impromptu conference with the Beacon professors, RWBY and JNPR resumed unloading their luggage and supplies all while admiring the deep blue shores that graced the Albion coast. For the first time in their lives, the students came across a beach free of pollution and littering with the ocean stretching across the horizon. Immediately, everyone brought out their scrolls and snapped pictures of the area.
"I can't wait to show these to dad!" Ruby grinned as she sorted out the best pictures to save.
"Same here," Jaune grunted, trying to take a picture of the white cliffs they were standing on. "Good thing my sisters aren't here with me. They'll be begging to be playing in the sand right now." Suddenly, the knight looked particularly displeased with himself before facepalming.
"I forgot my swim shorts." he groaned.
"It's okay." Nora consoled the blonde. "We can always take off our clothes and swim in our underwear. Right, Ren?"
"Not answering that." her partner responded, turning away to place his luggage bag on the pile.
"I don't think we'll have the time to swim given the purpose of our mission here," Pyrrha remarked ruefully.
"I'm sure we do have the time." Yang muttered as she stretched her arms and legs, "All we have to do is find a few new shiny rocks and maybe a Grimm to punch, and we get the rest of the time here to relax. Don't you see how clean the sand is? It's a waste not to go down there."
"You assume as if Specialist Schnee would allow us to R&R so quickly." Weiss retorted, looking back to see her sister debating with her professors over directions and locations.
"It's not her we need to beg to," Yang answered with a roll of her eyes, "It's Professor Port and Oobleck that are in charge of us."
As all of this was going on, Ruby was having an orgasm seeing some of the latest Atlas weapons being used for this expedition. A new model assault rifle, the two Atlesian Knight VIs, and...was that the rumored railgun that the Atlas Navy was experimenting with? So the rumors were true then. That only prompted Ruby to gather up the courage to ask Winter for a closer look.
However, "classified" is the only word in the Specialist's vocabulary as she was quick to shoot down any inquiries by the professors over the technology the Atlas team was bringing. Much to the redhead's mild disappointment.
Yet, that sorrow was short-lived when the Atlesian transport unloaded three very large humvees. One for the Atlas team, one for the Vale counterpart, and the third for the miscellaneous supplies storage of future discoveries. While most Atlesian vehicles were given a winter camouflage paint job, this humvee was forest colored. From the cargo hold, more Atlas tech was brought forth. This time, it's drones. Though not the ones that Atlas uses for transcontinental recon since they were too small for high altitudes, Ruby guessed that these must be for more intermediate ranges; scanning the countryside for Grimm ambushes.
Of course, Blake, being the only Faunus in the expedition, stayed as far away from the Atlas team and as close to RWBY and JNPR as possible. If any Grimm showed up, the cat Faunus feared they would shoot her first before turning the guns on the beasts of darkness. Weiss assures her that her older sister is the most egalitarian Specialist for the job. When Winter was sending scowls and glaring daggers that bore into Blake's head for being intimate with Weiss, the faunus feared it was true.
"Say, goodfellows…" Sir Robin opened up as he nibbled on pieces of roasted rabbit and deer meat. The party of King Arthur has set up camp off to the road and head recently hunted for wild game to serve for lunch. The King himself was having a private discussion with Sir Bedivere in the distance while the rest of the knights and entourage were left to discuss their own matters. "What do you think God meant by 'evil'? He said that the world is plagued by it but what exactly is it we are to purge?"
"The answer is obvious, Sir Robin." Sir Lancelot chuckled as he cleaned his longsword. "Evil is evil. You know...the opposite of good? Anyone who opposes the will of the Lord is evil for it is the Lord who defines what is good."
"Good answer." Brother Maynard praised the knight, "The Lord's work is never done for demons lurk at every corner to bring forth temptation and darkness upon God's children. The pagans and the heretics and the heathens are evil by nature for their rejection of our heavenly father's love and peace."
"And that's why we are chosen..." Sir Galahad munched on a deer rib. "To put them all to the sword and flame. Right?"
The clergymen nodded in reply feeling honored to be part of such a pious band of God's warriors.
"That sounds quite the daunting task." Sir Robin murmured as he moved his body to lean comfortably against the trunk of the tree. "What do these evildoers even look like?"
"Ummmm…" Brother Maynard was lost for a moment before quickly turning around to dig up the holy texts in order to find the answer.
'Witches, of course." Sir Lancelot stated his response as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Ugly, long hair, wear black clothes, affinity with dark magic, and occasionally a long nose but not always."
"Are witches pagans?" Sir Galahad asked, now also pondering how they were supposed to locate their enemies.
"No, they're heretics." Sir Lancelot retorted.
"I thought they were heathens." Sir Robin said, feeling confused.
"They're heretics!" Sir Lancelot replied.
"I'm pretty sure they're pagans." Sir Galahad tapped his chin.
"This entire time I thought they were heathens." Sir Robin shook his head sadly.
"Heretics!"
"Pagans!"
"Heathens?"
"And that, my liege, is why we should let geese make a nest in our homes for extra security." Sir Bedievere concluded as he and King Arthur finally returned to the campfire.
"You are truly a repository of knowledge, my good knight." The Bryton King complimented most earnestly before realizing how quiet the party had gotten. "My honorable companions, after a lengthy discussion, we have reached the conclusion that we are closer to the coastline. We just need to follow the road."
"My king," Sir Robin spoke as he quickly sat up straight, "What do you think God was referring to as the 'evil' that we need to purge from this world?"
King Arthur stroked his beard as he remembered that moment when the glory of God spoke directly to him. "It's quite simple really: we need to find the main source for all the corruption, destroy that, and all of the evilness of the world will cease. After all, I can't defend my kingdom and the world at the same time."
"Now," the ruler sat down to be among his men, "What's this argument about heretics, heathens, and pagans?"
"This is oddly fascinating…" Professor Oobleck meticulously examined a blade of grass, a petal of a flower and the bark of a tree. "They are almost indistinguishable to the native flora in Vale! Dare I say we've come across vegetation that is exactly the same as our home!"
Professor Port half chuckled, half sighed as he, like the students, were lodging around at camp located in the least dense area of the forest. The army trucks were arranged in a way to act as a makeshift wall for any possible Grimm ambush. The Atlesian personnel was already at work getting their drones and scanners operational as well as sending the first message back to Atlesian High Command. But with the complete lack of Grimm in the immediate area was the source of strenuous boredom for the aging professor. At this point, Professor Port would rather take the time to hunt rabbits and deer to stave off idleness in his joints. Given the virgin land was rife with wild game, he had wished he brought his father's hunting rifle instead of his own. Old Man Port would never leave the forest if he was alive and here.
"That's really good, right?" Ruby asked Professor Oobleck as she was wiping Crescent Rose clean for the fourth time in an hour.
"For survival and camping purposes, YES!" he confirmed, with the widest smile the huntress-in-training ever saw. The green-haired huntsman quite literally zoomed across the trees once more, ripping off branches and picking up rocks to throw under a microscope or next to a botany book. "We are perfectly capable of foraging for food since the flora in this region is most likely safe for consumption since there is little deviation from the Albion's plants to the ones in Vale."
"But what about Grimm, professor?!" ("Doctor!" Oobleck immediately corrected) Nora yelled, doing a handstand on top of the truck while Ren was writing in his journal next to her. "I'm SOOO bored here! When are we going to fight one?".
"We'll just have to wait for our Atlesian comrades to find a red blip in their screens to find us or pray." Professor Port answered as he fiddled with his huntsman gun-axe. "Worry not, lass. I'm just as restless as you are."
"My friend, Oobleck, do you have any ideas why Grimm are scarce in this forest?" the grey-haired professor looked towards his colleague.
The green eccentric took a long sip as his brain instantly plot out any possible conclusions. The entire party has already spent one night on this island completely undisturbed in their sleep. Despite having military hardware with huntsmen and huntresses to boot, Dr. Oobleck knew there would always be a Grimm all too eager to attack humans and faunus. But since no alarm ever went off, that could only tell him one thing: either this island is completely empty of all traces of civilization to attract Grimm or that something has been actively repelling Grimm. He couldn't decide which was worse.
"I hypothesize that we just aren't exploring deep enough." Dr. Oobleck suggested, "There's plenty more land to cover. And another thing, a lack of negative energy here is discouraging any possible Grimm attack."
The latter was definitely true. Even though the Atlesians were as hard as nails and the students as restless as a hyperactive dog in a kennel, the excitement of exploring uncharted territory with their names immortalized in history books was like a fire that burned bright in the night sky. Plus, camping in the woods is more relaxing than ever with Grimm being anywhere but here on this island.
Indeed, Weiss used every opportunity on this expedition to bond with her old sister Winter, introducing Team RWBY and JNPR, and sitting by the campfire eating smores, military rations, and roasted rabbit, deer, and boar meat. Last night certainly looked more like a family camping trip than an international team of military specialists and huntsmen. While Winter and Weiss were chatting away on topics like old memories, new friendships, and the latest economic trends, R_BY and JNPR got to know the men sent by Atlas.
The communication and IT specialist was Alexander Carillon, who was in charge of ensuring everyone's scrolls and other electronic devices were in working order. He also managed the humongous computers and hardware installed in one of the trucks that acted as a lifeline to maintain contact with Atlas. His large bushy black beard and warm brown eyes meant that if he was wearing plaid instead of a uniform Alexander would've been mistaken for a humble woodsman.
The two military engineers were Gotthard Wagner and Wilhelm Gotz, trained from building bridges and forts to blowing them up, were assigned for this mission. Atlas trained them to handle maintenance on the drones to assist Alexander. Their demolition skills quickly earned the attention of Nora when she had spent the entire night discussing grenades, charges, and other sorts of explosive devices. Ren, as always, was polite to the company when Nora dragged him into her conversations much to the amusement of the two middle-aged veterans.
The botanist was Dr. Grune, a quiet scientist with a pencil-thin handlebar mustache, who spent the entire time sticking his nose in the books and reports. While he did greet his Valean comrades, that was just it. An act of professional courtesy before resuming his work as if the students weren't even there. Dr. Oobleck was hopeful that he could team up with the Atlesian but he proved to be one tough layer of ice.
Finally, the surveyor was Matthias Hill, who was closer to the students' age group as he was the youngest in the Atlesian party. He had explained he was a fresh graduate and thanks to old-fashioned nepotism and corruption, pulled the strings to land him the position as part of Winter's crew. For such a babyface, Matthias had no qualms being such an opportunist. For that, Blake, Jaune, and Pyrrha had trouble relating to him. Not like he would've cared: the Atlesian didn't bother to acknowledge Blake as nothing more than "that raven-haired faunus."
Oobleck hoped that it would remain that way. A diplomatic incident is the last thing Ozpin wants to come out of this expedition.
The journey to the coastline was a long and tedious task. The road, if a dirt path overgrown with grass and small bushes could be called one, that snaked its way through the forest grounds seemed to go on for eternity. The servants could only bang their two coconuts together to emit the horse trot sound effect for so long. The only blessing was the deep shade provided by the ancient trees looming overhead that shield them from the sun's bright light. After what seemed to be another hour of traveling, King Arthur Pendragon immediately halted the party with a clenched fist raised above his shoulder.
The man was shocked which surprised the knights. Their lord was many things: brave, scared, caring but never intimidated. Wherever it was up ahead has made the King of Brytons pale under the shadows of the trees. They followed his gaze and upon the middle of the path, was a tall and imposing knight donned in black armor and surcoat. The sigil of a red boar on the surcoat was clearly seen under a ray of light peeking through the foliage of trees.
"It cannot be…" King Arthur muttered as his grip on his sword pommel tightened.
"Who is this warrior?" Sir Lancelot questioned, already drawing out his blade. "Have you encountered this man before?"
Without answering, his liege immediately rushed forward to engage the Black Knight who was standing still like a statue.
"You there!" King Arthur called out, drawing Excalibur from its sheath. "I defeated you before! How did you come back?"
"NO!" The Black Knight boomed, "You didn't..."
"Yes I did!" The lord pouted, feeling greatly annoyed. "I defeated you in single combat at the crossing of a creek. I chopped off your limbs!"
"NO!" The warrior replied, " You didn't…"
"I did!" King Arthur gritted his teeth, "My servant saw it happen!"
"NO!" the Black Knight denied thrice more, "You didn't. He certainly wasn't witness to my arms and legs getting delimbed before the crossing of the creek."
"How did you even regrow your limbs?" The Bryton Lord demanded, using his legendary sword to point at the knight's arms.
"NO! You-I mean magic of course!" The Black Knight corrected himself, "Wait, no...yes...magic. Anyways, you didn't triumph over me."
"If I didn't win the duel, then how did I pass over the creek?" King Arthur inquired.
"Ummmm...because I wanted to beat you a second time?" he responded, feeling unsure about himself.
"Oh very well," the royal grunted as he raised his sword, "Let's just get this over with!"
"Ok then!" The Black Knight squeaked in amusement, "This time I'll definitely kill you!"
The two warriors immediately clashed blades as either duelist tried to break through each other's guard. But it seemed like the Black Knight didn't learn from the past encounter as he still relied on massive, heavy swings to overpower King Arthur's parries and blocks. When the dark guardian aimed for the noble's wrists, the king parried to strike at his knees. The warrior's sword glanced off of King Arthur's metal gauntlets while Excaliber pierce through the left poleyn and crippled the leg of the Black Knight.
"Concede your defeat." the Bryton lord demanded, "I have triumphed once again."
"No!" The Black Knight winced as he tried to get up but his left leg was failing him. He lunged at his opponent once more trying to pierce his weapon into his neck but King Arthur simply dodged to the side and swept upward to slice off the offending hand.
"Nooo!" the black guardian roared dramatically as he had lost his sword hand. Balling up his other hand into a fist, he tried to punch the Bryton king only to find Excalibur thrust into his chest, piercing through his spine. It was followed up when the blade was quickly brought out and into an overhead position to slice into the Black Knight's neck. Like a butterknife separating two blocks of cheese, King Arthur decapitated his opponent in a mighty swing.
"Excellent performance my liege!" Sir Galahad complimented as the knights and company came out of spectating.
"Outstanding prowess of the blade!" Sir Lancelot congratulated.
"That was a good show!" Sir Robin cheered. "Really nice handiwork."
"We are clear to proceed down the path, my liege." Sir Bedivere reminded everyone, "Let's make haste!"
"Quite right!" King Arthur acknowledged, "We'll celebrate when we reach the coast-"
"NO!" the head of the Black Knight yelled. "I'm still here! You haven't defeated me yet!"
"Not defeated?" the royal shouted back in exasperation, "Your head is separated from your shoulders!"
"TIS BUT A SCRATCH!" the Black Knight denied. "I CAN STILL BITE YOU!"
"Leave him, my king." Brother Maynard suggested, "He is a sore loser."
"AM NOT! COME HERE! I'LL SHOW YOU!" the head screamed pathetically.
Nodding in agreement, the party resumed the course only for them to stumble upon another band of individuals whose clothes and weapons they have not seen before. Well except the young blond man with his sword and shield and the oranged-haired girl with a massive warhammer with a hole in the head. Two boys and six girls. What a strange troupe of young folk. They certainly didn't look like nobility except the white haired woman wearing a fancy dress and shoes. The blonde man had the makings of a knight, perhaps he had just been knighted for his services. The other youth dressed in green and pink was certainly a curious one for his slanted eyes indicated he was foreign in these lands.
For a few moments, no one said anything as both sides took time to examine each other. King Arthur and the knights were certainly taken back by the lewdness of the clothes worn by the blonde, orange, red haired, and raven haired women as it showed off their thighs, bellies and breasts in the most scandalous way possible. These were certainly not ladies or princesses but they all seemed to be armed. What those weapons were are of a kind that no had encountered before.
"I am Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon of the Castle of Camelot. King of the Brytons, champion of Christ, sovereign of all Albion! Who are you?" the royal introduced himself, breaking the silence. "May you be...whores accompanying a lady who is escorted by a knight?"
The blonde one immediately spoke up in an accent the Brytons have not heard of before.
"Who are you calling a 'whore'?" she spat out, "This is my style and what I like to wear!"
"But my king speaks true!" Sir Bedivere lifted up his visor. "Are those not the words a whore would say to justify selling oneself to clients?"
"Why you….!" the purple eyes of the blondie turned crimson red, causing all the knights to draw out their blades.
"That is not how you speak to my king!" Sir Lancelot fumed, "Show some respect to your betters!"
"Wait! Wait!" The short maiden equipped with an oversized scythe quickly stepped close to be between the blondie and King Arthur. "Let's not kill each other right now! We just heard some screaming, that's all! We only came to check!"
"Oh?" several eyebrows were raised, as King Arthur spoke up, "Well, child-"
"I'm not a child!" The maiden in the red hood interrupted.
"Hold your tongue, wench!" Sir Lancelot hissed, "Who are you to insult our liege?"
"Sorry." the girl quickly apologized, "I mean, forgive me...my...lord? My name is...Ruby Rose...I'm from the island of Patch and she is my sister, Yang." she pointed at the blonde woman who was glaring daggers at the knights.
"Hmm. Lady Ruby Rose of Patch…" The King repeated, "And does your sister dress like that every day?"
"I'm sorry that your sister embarrassed your house name by being a whore." Sir Robin quipped as he hid behind his shield.
"Ok! That's it!" Yang brought up her fists to start pounding Sir Robin into the dirt. But she was held back when four of the girls grabbed her arms and tried to calm her down.
"Can we stop talking about my sister like that?" Ruby blushed until her cheeks went crimson red.
"My apologies." King Arthur bowed his head. "Who are your traveling companions? Is she a noble of some renown?" He pointed at the white haired girl in a blue dress wielding a thin sword of some kind.
"That's Weiss who is my partner and BFF!" Ruby smiled brightly.
"What's a 'BFF'?" King Arthur questioned.
"Uhh...that's Blake, the tall black haired faunus that is currently holding onto Yang. Together we form team RWBY." she explained.
"What's a Faunus?' Sir Bedivere inquired.
"Hey, hello?" The blonde boy walked forward to introduce himself, albeit a bit awkwardly. "My name's Jaune, Jaune Arc and that is my teammate Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha and we are team JNPR."
"What a strange band name…" Sir Galahad muttered.
"Are you a knight?" King Arthur said to Jaune.
"What? No, I'm a huntsman in training."
"A huntsman?" The Bryton lord repeated, "What huntsman wears armor and uses a sword and shield to hunt deer, boars, and bears?"
"Not that kind of huntsman...King Arthur." Ruby spoke up, "We hunt Grimm."
"What is a Grimm?" Sir Bedivere asked her, "Where are you gentlefolk from?"
"A long story," Weiss answered, being the most courteous member of the troupe as she bowed properly to the king. "If you want, you can accompany us to our...camp to hear our story."
"An excellent proposition." The Bryton noble agreed. "Is it near the coastline?"
"Yes, is that a problem?"
"Certainly not. Given your opulent dress, perhaps you know of a magic carpet seller?"
"What?" said the youth who finally stopped arguing and turned to King Arthur.
"I want to fly on a magic carpet!" Nora announced with a massive smile on her face.