((A/N: Nvm I had a bit of time.))

My interpretation of Remnant may be off or odd, I'm going to deviate from canon a bit just to make the world a little more flavorful))

The trip, from then on, had been one that was surprisingly peaceful. There were no other obstacles nor roadblocks in our path to Vale. The sleep long left my body by the time that the walls of Vale had come into view, instead I'd focused on simply enjoying the view of the foreign terrain and the warmth of the sun upon my armor.

I didn't really account for the fact that metal gets hot under the mighty sun.

But I still refused to take off my coal black cloak and my armor, even if the trip had been peaceful. There was no telling on whether or not there would be a sudden Grimm attack, and to be unprepared back home would mean immediate death. As peaceful as this world is, it's clear that it shares at least a little bit of danger with my home.

As of right now, however, I find myself still sitting on top of the car. It is slowly approaching an entrance to the city, looking somewhat like a gate and a garage door. There's guards on top of the wall, calling out to others, very obviously pointing us out.

"Hm." I hum curiously, seeing them so wary of us. Perhaps they have an issue with raiders?

The car comes to a stop in front of the gate, the engine shutting off. Though I feel the itch to jump off the vehicle and just walk brazenly to the gates for entry, I know that would not really end well. The guards seem jumpy, on-edge. Perhaps the vehicles are recognized as the bandits'?

I watch on in silent contentment as Bill slowly gets out of the driver seat, hands up.

"Whoa, now, don't shoot!" He shouts up to the guards. Hm, they didn't shoot on-sight. That is good. A few minutes of silence go by as the guards on the wall discuss who to send down. It is quickly decided with a game of rock papers scissors, one of them descending to meet us.

He looks decently young, not really armored, like the rest of the huntsmen I'd seen. Though clearly somewhat apprehensive, I applaud his bravery at coming down to talk with Bill. "Who are you?" He asks, weapon in the ready position. It looks like a simple revolver, though the seams and odd bits show the truth about it…

I shudder, just slightly.

"I'm- I'm Bill. Bill Marin."

The guard pauses, frowning. "Bill Marin..? You've been missing for 3 days." He sighs, lowering his weapon.

"Yeah, we have. I'm not the only one, we, uh… there's a bunch of missing people in the cars." He gestures back. The guard looks up at me, pointing me out with a little upwards nod.

"And them?"

He looks back at me, sighing. "That's some guy that saved us. Took down the whole kidnapper camp by himself." I give a slight wave, and the guard nods.

"Alright… sure. What's your name?"

I sit up, focusing on him. "I don't have one."

"You don't have one?" A puzzled look washes over his face. "Er… do you have identification I could see?" I shake my head. "A birth certificate?" Another shake. "Huh…"

Bill chuckles, patting the guard on the back. "Real weird guy, huh? But he means right, trust me. My guess?" He leans down to whisper into the guard's ear. "He's probably from some Podunk town that got burnt down before he could be registered."

The guard smacks his lips, nodding. "Aaaah, yeah, that makes sense." He clears his throat. "Alright, sir, all of you can come through." He turns to look at me. "Not you, though. You lack identification, meaning that we'll need to reprocess you into the system."

"I understand." I nod, hopping off of the car.

Bill comes up to me, sighing. "Well, buddy, this is probably goodbye. Thanks for saving us, man, really. If I ever see you again, I'm taking you out to dinner." He pats my shoulder, giving me a smile. "Take care."

"Thank you, Bill." I return the gesture, giving him a pat back.

The guard comes up to me as Bill gets back into the liberated car, starting the engine with a rumble. "If you could come with me, sir. This won't take 15 minutes."

Without really waiting for an answer, the guard walks off through the now-open gate. I follow, of course.

I hadn't been ready to see the city behind the wall, a truly thriving metropolis in full swing. The buildings, while not nearly as tall as the ones back home, are still quite tall, filling my sight with towering buildings. There's cars in the street, people peacefully and happily going about their business in the streets, lounging at restaurants or shops, just… existing. Happily.

I'm frozen, almost literally, at the sight of all these people simply living their lives, all of the beautiful and vibrant colors flooding my mind that's so used to gray, white, and perhaps the occasional blood red. I can't take my eyes off of… well, anything.

I'm snapped out of my reverie by a rough shake. I turn to look at my side, seeing the guard's hand on my shoulder. "You alright?" He asks, sounding a little more annoyed than concerned.

I nod, sighing. "I am. I am." I mutter the second one, mostly reassuring myself than anything.

"Right… come on, then." He continues walking. I spare one last glance at the thriving city, not wanting to pry my eyes off of it lest it disappear or something. Though I do eventually follow, albeit reluctantly.

The man leads me to a smaller building, seemingly part of the wall itself. "Here we are." He mutters, opening the door for me. "Go ahead, you'll be seen in a few."

"Thank you." I reply, stepping into the decently small hall. There's chairs, all of them empty and leading up to a door. I can vaguely recognize this as a waiting room. So, I sit down on the one closest to the door, which is labeled as 'ID reprocessing'. Perhaps it'll be easier than I thought to just… get an identification.

…

…

"Hmh. I'm bored already…" I mutter, crossing my arms and legs.

Finally, after what feels like a proper eternity, the door to the office opens, a woman peeking out. "Next!" She exclaims, looking directly at me.

I'd been in a half-awake state, almost going back to sleep, but her sudden exit snaps me right back into lucidity. I quickly stand up, looking down at her, silently. There's a second of awkward silence…

"Er, right- come in, come in." She retreats into the office, leaving the door open.

I follow, relieved that I'll finally get my identification. The office itself is very big, the walls painted in generic but warm sandy tones, a large cloth hung up on one of the walls, surrounded by photography equipment. I softly shut the door behind me, properly stepping into the room.

She's sitting at a large desk, decorated brightly with plants and many pencil holders, a mug or two between the veritably cluttered jungle of the desk, filled with some steaming liquid. She clears her throat, beckoning me to sit with one hand. I take up her offer, sitting on the cozy wooden chair in front of the desk.

"Good evening. What is the purpose of your visit?"

I freeze for a second, thinking of why I may be here… after a second, I decide to just come out with it. "I've lost my identification."

She nods, typing something down on her Scroll, extended into a tablet. "Alright, sir, we can get you a new ID. Do you have your Scroll on you?"

I shake my head, causing her to sigh.

"Well… I guess it's the old fashioned way." She reaches down, opening a drawer and pulling out a form. "Here you go." She sets it and a pen in front of me. I lean forward, reading the document. It's asking for things such as my name, place of origin, which… oddly, has a 'Destroyed Village' option. It is convenient, of course, but that does not fix the fact that I have no name. I'll have to come up with one…

…

'I'm sure Eidolon wouldn't mind…' I jot down the name 'Aaruth Eidolon' in the name section. It's not exactly a name I see myself using forever, but it will certainly do for now… until I change my name. I write down the rest of the details to the best of my memory. My eye color, my hair color and its description, everything.

Once done, I slide the paper and pen back to her. She takes it, taking a second to read it. "Huh… Aaruth Eidolon… that's a, er… that's a nice name! Now, if you could please take your armor and cloak off, we'll take your picture." She stands, putting the pen back into one of the holders. She turns, putting the paper into some machine that I don't recognize.

I sigh, standing. With a flick of my fingers, my armor and cloak are both gone, leaving me in my pajamas. Why bother changing when that's literally everything you have?

She turns around. "Sir, please ta-"She pauses, seemingly surprised at me suddenly being changed. She looks me up and down, seemingly judging my clothing. "Oh. Uh… alright then…" She clears her throat, going around the desk and toward the camera setup. "Please step in front of the camera."

I do as she says, looking directly at the lens.

The woman steps up to the camera, looking down at it. "Mmm… step a little to the right."

I scoot to the right, just slightly.

"Perfect. Look at the camera…" I do as she asks, the camera quickly taking a photo, dazing me a little with the flash. I blink the spots out of my vision. "Lovely. Your ID will be ready in about 30 minutes."

It's that easy, is it? I nod, already turning to leave. "Thank you for your time." I softly thank her, reaching for the doorknob.

"Oh, of course!" She answers, chipper. She's already back at her desk, typing away at something.

That was truly easy.

I sigh deeply, arms and legs crossed. I put my armor back on quite a while ago… it's at times like these I wished I made a clock. It's been fairly long since I'd left the office, and I just wonder if the woman's fallen asleep or something.

The waiting room is insanely quiet, leaving me alone with my thoughts. It has been a surprisingly boring time. Perhaps it's simply the fact that there isn't even a constant raging blizzard to keep my ears entertained, or even something to look forward to.

'Hmph… Idfir?' I call out to my child, wondering if the mental connection still works. '… Idfir.' I repeat, a little firmer now.

I hear a tired chirrup, followed by an equally tired voice. 'Father…' he whines out, yawning audibly. 'Nhhh… what do you need?'

I snicker a little, amused at his whiny voice. 'Were you asleep, Idfir?'

'No, father, I was flying in the snow… of course I was asleep. I was having pleasant dreams, mind you!' He retorts, quite annoyed at his little cat nap being interrupted. 'Did you need anything?'

'Hmh. No, no, I'm simply bored.' There's a startled silence in the connection. '…Idfir?'

'I-I'm sorry, father, I do not think I understood you correctly. May you repeat that?'

'I'm bored.' I repeat, sporting a small smirk on my face. I had a feeling he'd react like that… Again there's silence, making it harder and harder for me to hold in my laughter.

'You're… you're bored. You are bored, father? Truly?'

I can't help it. I start laughing uncontrollably. Of course, uncontrollably only means a low and constant chuckle, but it's far more than I have laughed in a long time. 'Father, please, this is worrying.' He whines again, only adding fuel to the fire that is my laugh.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I pat my chest plate. 'Ah, Idfir…' I breathe out, letting one last chuckle pass my lips. 'Yes, I was bored. Having no roaring blizzard is dull to the senses.'

'Of course it is…' He sighs. I have the feeling he's got one of his claws on his face, in his own version of a facepalm. 'I'm glad you are having fun, at least. I only had my nap interrupted…'

I lean back on my seat, my armor making a bit of noise. 'Oh, shush Idfir. You can keep napping.'

'I'm no longer tired.' His tone of voice conveys so much annoyance. I find it equal parts amusing and adorable.

'That's a shame, isn't it? Perhaps you could try anyway.' Before our conversation can keep going, the door to the office opens, the woman inside coming out almost fully stained in black, holding a little piece of plastic.

"Ha… here's your ID, sir…" She mutters out, her voice sounding defeated. She extends it toward me, and I take it.

I inspect the little thing for a second, before putting it into my inventory. "Thank you… what happened?"

"The, er… the… the ink cartridge. Said it was empty, but when I tried changing it, the cartridge burst." She sighs deeply. "At least I got your ID done…"

"Mn. You'll be fine?"

She nods, wiping some ink off of her cheek. "Yeah, I'll be fine… but my clothes won't be. Urghh… thank you for coming to ID reprocessing, have a nice day…" She grumbles out, walking back into the office.

I'm left in silence for a second. I stand up, sighing a small breath of relief. 'Thank the goddess I won't be here any longer.' Finally having my ID, I exit the building, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air outside. "So warm…" I mutter, looking up at the sun. Then I immediately look away, because ow the sun is angry. I'm left blinking spots out of my vision. It's so bright! Though once my vision recovers, I see the caravan of refugees at the entrance, all of them happy and being checked by people dressed in white... doctors, most likely.

My Knight is still with the children, looking on defensively as the children are cared for, checked for diseases or other ails. I let out a small, satisfied breath. That knight will keep them safe… I hope. Viktor turns his head toward me, then excitedly points me out to his sister, who then turns to look at me too. I've barely a second to react before they're upon me, looking up at me.

"Hi mister knight!" Viktor eagerly greets, almost on the tips of his toes. "Where did you go? We thought you left!"

I sigh. "I needed a new ID." I pull out the little plastic card, showing it to them. They both let out some… honestly somewhat cute gasps.

"Whoooa, you look so cool!" Viktor squeals out. "You look like an actual knight!" He looks up at me with a truly beaming smile.

Jay, on the other hand, has a far more subdued reaction. "You, um… you have a l-lot of scars." She mutters out, putting a hand on her mouth. "A lot…"

"Yeah! And it's still super cool!" Viktor cuts back in, giggling. "I didn't know you had a name, though! It's really cool, too!" If I didn't know any better, I'd think everything was 'cool' to Viktor. I look down at the credential, seeing my own tired, bright— nearly glowing blue eyes looking back at me. I hadn't really realized just how little beard I actually have. It's little more than a scruffy layer of stiff grizzled black hair.

"Thank you, child." I put it away again.

"Oh, um, right. Here's your robot back. Thank you for letting us play with it!" Jay motions to the Knight, who kneels when prompted. Its core is… different, from when it had just recently been made. Its mana is pinker. It looks more like a fireball, like a warm hearth… if so little human interaction has changed the core so much, perhaps it'd be wise to allow it to remain with the children.

They are orphans… I doubt they have someone to care for them. Maybe an orphanage?

"You may keep it." At my words, both of their eyes go wide.

"Whaaat?! Really?!" Viktor all but shouts out, hopping in place like an unstable enchanted slimeball. "You mean it!?"

I nod. Jay looks between me and the Knight, looking somewhat concerned. "B-But, mister, isn't this expensive? I-I dunn- don't know if we could take it!" I shake my head, waving my hand dismissively.

"Don't worry of the cost, child. It is a gift." I look at the Knight. "Iron Knight, rise." In a smooth, effortless way, it gets up, looking at me. Raising my open hand at it, the sigil engraved upon my palm begins shining a pale blue. "Iron Knight, protector beloved, thy duty finished, no doubt about it." The Knight lifts its head, the slits on its helmet letting out a dim blue glow. "Become a bulwark for another, sharpen thine blade for another, and accompany another until their death." As I finish speaking the words, the Knight's chestplate opens, showing its glowing, burning core. Even from here, it feels warmer than any other Iron Knight… perhaps in exception for the Dragon Knights. The children are looking on curiously, though Jay seems a little frightened about it.

I look at them, then gesture forward. "Touch it. It will be yours then." They both look up at me, though Viktor is the first to rush towards it, plunging his little hand into the fireball-like core.

"V-Viktor!" Jay cries out, sounding concerned. Though after a second, she sighs heavily. "D-Don't do that! You sc-scared me!" She stomps towards Viktor, her annoyance far overriding her apprehension. Viktor, for his part, is just giggling to himself.

"Whaaat? He said it would be ours if we touched it!" She buries her face in her hands, letting out a muffled groan, prompting another giggle from the boy. "Hey, come on! Touch it! It feels super weird!"

After just a heartbeat of silence, she mindlessly puts her hand into the twisting fireball, tensing up the second it goes in. "A-Aaaahhh! Oh, that's so t-tingly!" She shudders, clearly doing her best to just soldier through it.

I nod, pleased. "Heed my final command, knight of iron, bind thy soul, discard your loyalty and forge a new one." Just like that, the Knight bows its head, the core changing color from the cold dull blue it had been to a more… cheery shade of yellow.

Jay is the first to pull her arm out, vigorously shaking it. Viktor follows suit, though he clenches and unclenches his hand. "Whoa…" He whispers out, looking up at the Knight.

It looks back down at him, its chestplate closing with a heavy metal noise. Viktor smiles, then abruptly points at it. "Stand up!" It stands, still looking down at him. "Sit down!" It sits, its gaze still locked onto the child. "Stand up on one leg!" It obeys again, balancing perfectly, without effort.

I can't help but chuckle slightly at Viktor's giddy happiness. "Don't say so many commands at once." I approach, putting a hand on his head. "It would go into hibernation."

"Oh. Awwww! Darnit!" He whines out, crossing his arms. "I knew it was too good to be true!"

Jay, now recovered from her numb arm, speaks up again. "Um, well… isn't it just like a battery draining?" I nod. "Can we charge it manually?"

I go to speak, though I pause. I put my hand on my chin, thinking about it. Well, I had done that once, though it was somewhat of a dangerous process… "Hmph. Perhaps. I do not recommend it, though."

"Why?" Jay asks simply.

"The Knight may explode."

She looks at me, then the knight, then back at me. "…oh."

…

I clear my throat. "Well… enjoy your Iron Knight."

"Wuh- oh! Yes, thank you, mister!" She quickly blurts out, seemingly caught a little off-balance due to the awkward silence. "We'll, um, take good care of it!"

Viktor nods. "Yeah! We promise!" He gives me an eager grin. "He'll be safe with us!"

I nod, patting both of their heads. Jay shies away from my touch while Viktor just keeps grinning. "I will hold you to that."

He chuckles. Though he looks past me, then gasps. "Oh, crap! Thanks for the robot, mister Aaruth! We gotta go, though!"

"We do?" Jay asks. Viktor just points past me, prompting her to gasp as well. "Oh, we do!"

I glance behind me, wondering if there's some threat I hadn't perceived. As it stands, though, it's only their vehicles leaving. Viktor and Jay both run right past me, the Knight following after its new masters.

The boy waves at me, still smiling. "See you, mister!" He shouts out, already gone quite far in spite of his small stature. Jay, for her part, is basically just being dragged behind him. I wave back, sighing.

I adore this world already…

'Father, I'm hungry.' And then there's Idfir. I sigh, reaching my hand under my helmet to rub at my eyes.

'Yes, yes, I will make you a meal soon…'

'No, father, I wish to taste the local food.' I stumble a little, my hand upon my chestplate. It feels like I've just been stabbed by the coldest wraith. 'It must have so much more flavor...' I feel my legs weaken, my will wounded by this utter betrayal. It's clear by his voice alone that he's salivating about eating new food.

'… Fine. I… I will find a way to get this world's currency.' I breathe in, and let it out in a large exhale to regain my composure. I stop, however, when Idfir snickers.

'I'm joking, father. I would never give up one of your meals.' I nod slightly, feeling somewhat slighted by this joke of his, though the relief I feel at him confessing he doesn't mean it is… big, to say the least. '… You are not mad, are you?'

'No. No, I'm not mad.' Though I wish I had him out to give him a 'stern talking to'.

He chitters. 'Sorry, father.'

'It's alright, Idfir. It was just a joke.' I walk away from the wall and the little building carved into it, slowly walking to the road. The outskirts of the city proper seem to have smaller buildings, but it's still bustling all the same. From the massive fields of crops, I can assume this part is the agricultural section. Aside from that, I can see people walking around. A lot of people. So many of them simply existing, walking around the city aimlessly, or commuting to work or… just… being.

There are so many new sounds, so many new smells and so many colors I'd forgotten even existed that I find this all somewhat overwhelming. I take a deep breath… and find that it's not even polluted. One glance at the cars tells me why. They are using fire mana crystals as fuel, not gasoline. It's… brilliant. I wonder why the bygone people of my own world didn't do as these people do.

Soon enough, I find myself in the city itself, walking slowly, glancing up and around, noticing how everyone steers themselves out of my way, only to stare oddly at me once they think they're out of my sight. 'These people… they have no mana, father?'

'No, Idfir. They do not. Yet, the world is overflowing.' I glance at a passing woman, seeing that she doesn't even make an indent in the mana of the world. 'No mana fields, either…'

Idfir lets out a guttural chatter, a noise of displeasure. 'They must be weak, then.'

'They fight the scourge of the Grimm. Yet they are thriving. They are not weak, they are hardy.'

'Hmph. But father, to not even be able to use the flare spell— that is weakness.' He adds, getting a little annoyed. 'Physicality is nothing if you can be destroyed from any angle, at any time.'

'Idfir. Please, child. They must have their own specialty. Guns carry you quite far alone.' I cross my arms, humming in thought. 'Though it's curious… not a singular person has had a manaspark. Besides Crow.'

'Hmph, fine… but even that Crow guy had a very weak manaspark.'

'He did. But it was a spark. Not a void, like everyone else.' I stop walking, looking back. I do not recognize the path back. It seems I was so immersed in my conversation with Idfir that I've wandered more than I should have. I believe that even I would have trouble going back to the walls.

It's not like I wish to leave just yet, anyways. There is so much to explore here. I look around, taking in the beautiful, lively view, noticing a little something that somewhat piques my interest. There's a book store here, and a rather nice-looking one, at that. "Tukon's Book Trade", the sign out front says. 'Hm. How would you feel about reading?'

'Mmmm… very well. I'm bored enough.' I can almost feel him mentally shrugging.

'Good.' I start towards the book store, though I notice the windows dimming in a very odd way. They become totally opaque after a second. 'Hm. That's odd.' I mutter as I reach the door.

With a hand and a little effort, I push the door open. It makes a somewhat rough crack, but I'm sure it's nothing. The inside is dark, though there's still some light coming in.

There are three people inside, all of them staring at me… though two of them- one a man with gray hair and pale skin, the other a woman with bright green hair and tanned skin look like I just intruded on something deeply important to them.

There is a minute of tense, nearly murderous silence. Then the man with the gray hair pats the woman's shoulder. "C'mon, Emerald. We can come back later…" He finishes the sentence with another glare, already coming my way.

The woman— Emerald, I suppose, gives him an annoyed huff in response. She turns back to the man, a dangerous smile parting her face. "We'll be back for my copy of the Third Crusade, Tukson. Make sure to have it." Even though I've been isolated for Eidolon-knows how long, I can recognize a threat when I hear it. I step out of their way when they come toward me, letting them leave.

The gray-haired man looks me up and down, scoffing. "Weeb." He spits out, following Emerald outside. That word sounds familiar, but I can't really remember what it meant right now. With a shake of my head, I step further inside, taking the chance to view the books in store.

I hear Tukson sigh, relieved. Turning to look, I see him leaning on the counter, a hand on his forehead. "Thank the Brothers someone got here…" He raises his face, looking me up and down. I notice a slight difference in his… non-mana field. It just feels different, though I cannot exactly tell why from a mere glance. He takes a deep breath, straightening himself out. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to… almost every book under the sun." He emphasizes the almost.

'That guy feels weird.' Idfir quips, unprompted.

'I noticed, Idfir.' I clear my throat, approaching the counter. "Hello, Tukson."

He tenses a little, furrowing his brow. He opens his mouth to speak, but he seems to realize something. "Right… yeah, good evening, sir." He rubs the bridge of his nose, looking quite tired.

"If I may pry, what was that?" I glance behind me, half-expecting the duo to be back, cautious about a coward's strike. Thankfully, neither have grown bold enough to come back.

Tukson sighs, shaking his head. "Just a couple of criminals trying to rob me… I wouldn't look into it if I were you." That came out less of a threat, more of a warning. "They'll be back, anyway… Damnit, if I wasn't waiting on my friend, I would've already been the hell out of here." Sighing, he leans on the counter. "In any case, how may I help you?"

"Currently, I need no help." I approach the counter, my steps muted on the carpeted interior. "However, I believe you need help."

Though clearly reluctant, he nods tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yeah… maybe a little bit." He looks at me somewhat curiously, leaning forwards somewhat. "Why, are you offering?"

'Father, please don't get us involved.' Idfir whines, his voice full of exasperation. 'At least make a meal before we do, I'm starving!'

'Shush, Idfir.' I nod at Tukson, leaning on the counter as I rummage through my inventory. "I have… a friend I would like you to meet."

'…father, don't get me involved, I beg of you.'

"A friend? Last time I heard that, I got involved in something I really didn't want to." He crosses his arms, sighing. "But… I guess I'll hear you out. Just because I'm desperate."

I nod again, pulling out Idfir's gemstone. I hear him scoff, clearly offended by the mere notion. 'Father! Do not!' I softly set the glowing stone down on the counter. Tukson looks at it skeptically, an eyebrow quirked.

'You had said you wished to stretch your legs.'

He sighs, exasperated. 'Wings, father, not legs! I'm perfectly fine staying in here until I'm allowed to fly!'

"Nice piece of Dust. But I don't want to booby-trap my workplace." He gestures around him, at all the books. "The books would get damaged."

I can't help but smirk, especially once Idfir starts fussing and chittering like a petulant little hatchling. "Allow me to introduce you two…"

(POV: Ozpin)

Standing on the balcony of my tower, I think back of yesterday's events, my chocolate long gone cold. Usually I'd make myself a new cup… but in my current sleep-deprived state, I don't even trust myself with a lighter. With a heavy sigh, I take a deep sip of the cold chocolate, running over all the information Qrow had dumped on me.

His messages, the recordings of their… camping trip, basically, are quite astonishing. The idea there is such a powerful being just loose in Remnant, perhaps even in Vale, seemingly so nonchalant about the whole situation is a terrifying thought. I sigh deeply, swirling the expensive cocoa in my favorite mug. Cold chocolate… what a waste.

I lift my head tiredly, looking out over the city beyond Beacon, seeing all the people placidly enjoying their lives, my students in the grounds below going about their day now that school has ended for the day. It's a sight I've fought entire eras to protect.

I rub my eyes tiredly, reaching deep into the ever-drying well of my magic. With considerable strain on both my vision and my soul, I manage to cast a small spell; true vision. It's one I haven't considered using in ages, and one that's seldom been truly useful. But it's worth a shot… especially from my vantage point.

My vision flickers back and forth between true and normal vision, colors coming and going as it does. I squint, tightening my jaw as I draw just a little more magic.

Finally, it focuses, coloring the world in blacks and whites. Once upon a time, every being would have some form of magic within it, something to create a starry field of magical energies… but now, it's all black and white.

Almost all…

I feel my heart drop as I look at the commercial district of Vale. There is a beacon of magic, a gigantic column of pale blue energy nearly reaching the skies in how tall it is, almost touching the very clouds as it twists and swirls chaotically. "So he is close..."

I take a deep sip of the chocolate in my mug, watching as the pillar moves slightly every now and again, likely a product of the mysterious knight's moving. Though seeing such a powerhouse in Vale is… terrifying, I can't let myself be rash. I need to move carefully… and hopefully bring him to my side.

If she got to him first… that would likely end in humanity being truly destroyed. I cannot let that happen. I need to send someone to hopefully intercept him… perhaps one of the teams can do it.

I try and take a deep sip of my mug, only to find it empty. Sighing lightly, I walk back into my office. I'm sure Glynda wouldn't mind if I called her to make chocolate…

((A/N: Don't gemme wrong, kings, I'm going to do my best at portraying the characters themselves as close to canon as I can (exceptions being headcanons or whatnot), but not the world. For example, maybe Beacon accepts students earlier than in canon, letting team RWBY be a thing while Qrow had gone get Amber.

Oh yeah and the kingdom of Vale is walled in now. It isn't a full border-spanning wall, though, they most likely do good with the natural barriers that exist already to save resources and whatever))