Ok, here's the long awaited pilgrimage. Oh yea I'm on a discord, check my profile


"..." Jaune sighed as he saw smoke rising in the distance. He was in Vacuo again, having just traversed the treacherous mountain ranges that separated the desert kingdom from Vale. It had been a long time, with the journey really testing his limits. He was low on medical supplies (most of his body was wrapped in gauze) and low on food (he hunted and foraged quite a bit, praying whatever knowledge he had was applicable to the new environment).

He took a pit stop at a small town nearby the mountains, but that was a while ago. Now? He was a bit hungry. His fault for just wandering about the Vacuan desert, he supposed. At least he wasn't thirsty, though that was cold comfort considering consumption.

"Well, let's hope they have food." The smoke could only come from so many things. He dragged himself up the dunes, cursing his armor for making his fingers burn with every glancing touch. He'd have to lace them with ice dust one day. Eventually, he got a good view of what was burning.

Jaune took an inhale and immediately recognized the smell of impure fire dust and flesh burning. After smell came sound, as his ears caught the crackling of flames against old wood and the occasional wheeze. Finally, there was sight. Jaune saw the sight of a destroyed caravan.

Unlike other caravans he'd seen, this one was an old style. It was made up of a chain of camels with sacks, though the ones that stayed had been slaughtered. Two camels carrying impure fire dust were now flaming corpses in the sand. The other camels had been slaughtered as well, with a mixture of bullets and slash marks causing their end. The blood seeping into the sand partially painted it red.

By the side of one of the dead camels, kneeling before it in prayer, was an old man. Jaune's heart skipped a beat when he realized there was a survivor and he bumbled down the dune, his own weight causing him to fumble.

When he reached the bottom, he could hear what the old man was mumbling, at least in part.

"Oh gracious lady please-" He continued on and on. "-grace thee with a simple-" Without pause he spoke, his voice becoming weaker and weaker. "-may I-"

"Hello?" Jaune's voice broke the track and caused the old man to be shaken of his prayers. He turned around to see the nomadic knight and his eyes widened in shock. Now that he turned to face Jaune, he could get a good look at the survivor.

"You-" He had skin like twisted oak and hair covered by his cloak. His beard was long and scraggly while his clothes were rough cloaks that covered his body. They were stained in blood, both old and new. "You must be a sign." He was awestruck by the appearance and soon his lips, cracked from the heat, curled into an exuberant smile. "A sign, yes! A sign from her! Haha! This old man has something left, I see." He laughed some more, at least until his dry throat scratched itself and he began wheezing.

"Woah, take it easy." Jaune rushed over and put his canteen in the old man's mouth. After a few minutes of drinking, the old man's thirst was quenched and he was taking deep breaths with new life put in him. "Are you good?"

"Yes, yes." The old man nodded appreciatively towards Jaune, his smile never ceasing. Beady eyes stared up at him as the old man said, "Boy, what's your name?" His voice, even with water, was dry and coarse, yet kind and warm.

"Jaune Arc."

"Jaune, yes, Jaune, that's a good name, a very good name." He nodded and laughed. "Yes, yes. My name is Abu ibn Ali ibn Amin Abdallah, an old man of the old ways who walks the old earth waiting to die." He laughed fondly at the grim promise. "I was ready to die, but I suppose the lady had other ideas."

"Hmm?"

"You see, I was wandering the old earth when those worshippers of the dead idiot ambushed me. But as I awaited my fate as my camels were ransacked, the old beasts appeared! The bandits abandoned me, but all of my camels were slaughtered before they all left. I was here, awaiting death, until you arrived!" He slowly got up, picking up a dusty old cane to help him, his arm shaking through the entire effort. Jaune noticed partway through and helped him out.

"I didn't do much, I just gave you water." Jaune deflected, really feeling unworthy of such praise.

"No, no! You're a sign, a sign!" He had a bright and very excited smile. "A sign from the lady herself! A final task for her final servant!"

"Lady?" Jaune wasn't very well versed in the faiths of Vacuo. At least, he didn't see any signs that Ali was any that he knew of.

"Yes, yes, Uriel! The Blissful Storm, the Lady of Sand, the Dune Mother! Uriel!" He said her name with reverence and utter awe as Jaune remembered May's words.

"You're a Fulgurite?" Jaune found himself stunned.

"Yes!" He nodded enthusiastically.

"I thought you guys were dead." He heard that they had been wiped out. Then again, May didn't say for sure that they were totally gone.

"That's because I'm the only one left, the last of her faithful. I can feel it in my soul." He held a hand to his heavy heart, weak from age yet extremely strong. "But feel no sorrow in such an end. In all conclusions, there are new beginnings. Just as her end made her immortal, so will the end of even that life change the world forever." How?

"Ok?" Jaune was kind of confused, what was going on and how was he getting involved. "So, uh, do you want me to drop you off somewhere?"

"Yes, yes." Ali nodded. "I beseech you, Mr. Arc, for your assistance in a final trip! Lend a pitiful old man aid in his final days, if you will." He got on his knees once more, begging Jaune for help as if requesting Lien.

"Huh? Oh, yea, sure." It was what a huntsman did, right? Help people in need.

"Magnificent!" He got up with the help of his cane, a sudden joyful spring of strength that seemingly came out of nowhere. "Now, young man, would you please assist me in giving my long-time companions a proper funeral?" He looked towards the camels with a soft gaze of sympathy. He would not join them for a while, but in death time mattered little.

"Yeah, sure." Jaune agreed. It was the least he could do, after all.


"Find rest in the oasis of bliss, goodbye." The funeral took a few hours. They did the proper preparations and ended it by burning all the camels before burying the bones. All the while, Ali had been muttering prayers as the dirty work was done. "They were good companions on the long and weary road."

"I'd imagine." Amber once said that Albus had been her greatest companion. While a dog may be man's best friend, it seemed that any animal could be a loyal friend. "You've survived this long as a merchant, right?"

"Yes, yes." Ali and Jaune had taken to walking, with them lacking a stead to ride on. Even then, they stuck to the roads, bearing through the heat with the help of an occasional soak using the canteen's water. "I've been trading dust wherever I go. The sands are still blessed by Uriel, you know, so I can make my livelihood sifting through the sands."

"You mean the dust deposits?"

"Yes." Ali wore heavy clothes that covered practically his entire body, with the only bit Jaune could see being his feet, which were clad in sandals. "Uriel's bounty blessing me with prosperity." The two of them continued to walk ahead, despite the blinding heat.

"Say, Abu?" The man insisted on dropping the formalities, as for saving him, Jaune was essentially family now. The old man's attention was piqued, with a hum being enough to confirm his attention. "Where are we going?" Ali hadn't given any directions or told Jaune anything.

"Why, the site where Uriel ascended into heaven, accepted by the Seeing Sun into the clouds of the divines."

"Wait, what?" That sounded rather fantastical.

"Ah, you don't know the story." He clicked his tongue. "I'll tell you when we make camp. In short, we're going to Genesis Dunes. It is where the Seeing Sun birthed the world and where Uriel chose for her final spot to dwell." Abu spoke as if in a trance, his eyes glassy and smiling excitedly. "It's a land of myth, one even I have never been to."

"Wait, then why are you going?"

"Because Uriel gave me a task and a guide!" He pointed at Jaune, making clear who he thought the latter was. "A guide who saved me when it seemed my cinders were about to be snuffed out! But enough of that, I know what you're wondering. Directions, I assume?"

"If you don't mind giving them."

"It's of no trouble. While I know nobody who has been to Genesis Dunes themselves, I've received a vision from Uriel herself! Directions to the palace on the highest dune." By his side, carried by a hook, was a kettle. In various other pockets, Jaune could see myriad other items. "I now see the final path she took, the very pilgrimage she underwent before creating the holy city.

"First, we shall pray at Shalih Temple, the location of her first home. It's Northward at the moment. Then, we shall head East towards Mezam palace, where once stood a destitute hole which was then blessed by her with fertile waters, in order to find a certain relic. Then, we head to the mythical capital of Minah, which was once a humble land that soon became the heart of the devil, in order to find the key. Finally, we shall use the key to dive into Genesis Dunes itself, where we shall traverse the lands to find the Palace of Ends itself, Zehd." The explanation was long and winding, with Jaune knowing precisely none of those locations.

"How long is this trip going to be?"

"Well, the locations are all across the sandy lands."

Jaune paled, which was quite the feat considering how freaking hot it was at the moment. "Can we get camels?" He eventually muttered feeling the heat ever more now that he realized what he'd just committed himself to. Sure, he didn't exactly give his word, but he gave it in spirit and he sure as hell wasn't going to abandon Abu to the sands.

"Yes, yes, very well. We'll make a pit stop in order to hire the aid of two reliable companions." He added that into the plan and sighed. "That is likely for the best. I'm old, you see, and my bones are weary and my muscles weak. Life has a way of doing that and I fear I've run out of time."

"How old are you?"

"I've lived 106 Summers by now."

"One hund-One hundred and six!?" Jaune paled again. Even for someone with aura, of which Abu's was weak, that was absolutely insane! He was also a nomad with what Jaune assumed to be frequent shortages of food. Forget about weary bones and weak muscles, he shouldn't be able to survive a one foot fall!

"Yes, yes. A life of faith, kindness, and perseverance has allowed me to live this far. Though in the last twenty years, I've begun to suspect that Uriel herself has been keeping me by. Perhaps it was for this task, for this moment." Ali shrugged, a good natured laugh trickling out of him. "Pray we find respite soon, boy, for I fear neither of us have food on hand."

"Oh boy."


The good news was that they found a town, which meant that they wouldn't starve to death. The bad news? Camels apparently cost a lot of Lien, which meant that the two of them were stuck there until they could afford one. Technically, they could've just set out walking, but even Abu wasn't too keen on testing his strength any longer.

So the two of them had taken to living in the small town of Tafim for a while. Jaune got a job doing huntsman work alongside the local one, getting paid meager amounts of Lien, half of which was used to feed him and Abu. Meanwhile, the old man insisted on getting a job. Jaune, who was very aware of how freaking old the guy was, insisted he didn't.

He did, in the end, doing what he had been doing for many years now, sifting for dust. Tafim had a colored hill nearby which Abu took full advantage of, sifting through the sands in search for a crystal that had popped up in the surface. Jaune was never too far from him, as the local governor gave him the job of protecting the sand sifters from Grimm.

His presence alleviated most concerns. Though some eyed the Valean warily, most were given fair amounts of confidence by the presence of a huntsman, even if he was far younger than most of them. So, Jaune stood under the beating sun. He'd found some ice dust and laced the insides of his clothes with it, which helped quite a bit.

Unfortunately, his face had to continue enduring it. He bought some sunblock in order to make the hours under the light less unbearable after the fact.

"Yes, yes, this is good." Abu had been sifting through the sand and had found a miniscule electricity dust crystal. It was barely bigger than a hair, but it shone like a gem. It was incredibly pure for a natural crystal, though its small size meant that it was only a day's worth of pay instead of several. At least, a day's worth of pay in Vacuo. "Perhaps this is-"

"..." A stomach growled from afar and Abu looked to the side to see a family. A father and son were both sifting through the sands, emaciated and dirty. Their eyes were red and their clothes ragged, they had been looking through the sands for a while.

Abu sighed and walked over. Jaune gave him a brief glance and saw how he kneeled down and placed the crystal in their hands. He could see the joy in their faces and how they hugged Abu, which he returned warmly. In the end, he walked back, with a content smile on his face.

"I don't like staying here much longer, but it was good that you did that." Jaune couldn't exactly disapprove, now could he?

"Yes, yes, it is. It is a lesson Uriel herself taught, a lesson the first listeners never forgot. It was one of kindness. As a child, she was alone on a hill, until a kindly stranger took her in. Later, she would repeat that same kindness. To all the people of the world, mere children in comparison to the sands, she would give whatever she could to ensure their happiness." Give what can be given to those who need it, essentially. "I fear I had forgotten that lesson as a young man, only to remember it in full force later."

"Yeah?" Jaune kept an eye on the horizon. They were in a flat part of the desert, which was good since it was hard for Grimm to sneak up on someone where there was no cover. Even if there was something like a sand shark, they'd noticed the sand being displaced.

"Yes, yes. I was once a foolish idiot. It all started when I was young. You see, Jaune, once I was born to a caravan family of the old ways, who traveled the old earth, living according to Uriel's wisdom. We had many people and lived simple, but good lives. We were one of a handful, all of whom still lived according to her guidance." Abu was beside Jaune, sifting through the sands again. He'd find smaller and less pure crystals, of which would give them some lien (but not enough to afford anything).

"That sounds nice." A close knit family on the road. Though Jaune definitely would rather have plumbing.

"Yes, yes. It was. But I had an uncle, a man of faith, yet one who didn't understand her words. But at the time I longed for adventure, for something, and I ate up his tales of Malik like a gullible bird." Abu sighed. "I listened to his stories of heroic fighting, of epic wars, of places with so much danger that even the hardiest of soldiers would fall quickly. I hungered for it."

"And then you left?"

"And then I left. I left with my uncle into the sands. What I didn't know was that he was a bandit, one who had been a terror to the sands for years. He sought refuge with family, the one he had abandoned. As any good family ought to, they took him back without hesitation. But it seems he never truly gave up his desires." Abu sighed, muttering a prayer for the long deceased man who was now dust on the wind. "But that's a story for another time."

"Alright." Jaune nodded. "So, how's sifting for dust?"

"It's tiresome work, as always. The bounty of the sands is constant in both abundance and rarity. It never truly runs out, but it is always hard to find. I suppose such is necessary, or else the dunes themselves would be lit ablaze." Abu chuckled a bit. "I prefer to use a pan. Though I bear no water, it's useful." He was going through the cycle of picking up some sand, picking up a handful, letting it flow through his fingers, and eying the falling grains for glowing bits. Eventually, if he could let it all flow from the pan without seeing anything, he'd move on to another batch.

"I thought there were dust mines as well?"

"Large crystalline deposits, yes. Nature's bounty, which had sprouted from the earth when called upon by the Seeing Sun. But those are rare. In the many years I've lived, I've seen great fixtures of the sand be mined away for the sake of Lien. For those it feeds, I hold no grudge, but I can't help but feel sorrow when seeing them fall." Abu had gotten lost a few times due to landmarks being torn down when he was gone. "Despite how it seems, Vacuo actually provides a lot of Dust. Much of it is necessary for Atlas, as the SDC knows."

"Really?" Though Atlesian colonies in Vacuo had been pushed out, SDC holdings were still heavy.

"Yes, yes. The old earth bears a bounty. Where Atlas is plentiful in void, light, and fire, Vacuo has more than enough electricity, ice, and wind. Atlas needs electricity to power their fancy, of which Vacuo has the most." Just for show, Abu pulled out a slightly larger, but far less pure crystal of electricity dust. It'd probably be shipped out to be processed into a pure granular form.

"Huh." That made a bit of sense, actually. "You know, I heard a story about Uriel." From May. "It was how Fulgurism got its name, I think."

"Ah, yes, the feat she's best known for. I'll tell you when we reach Mezam." Now that Jaune looked, he could see how among the entire group of sifters, there was actually quite a bit of electricity dust. Hell, a lot of it was actually pure. It was just that the prices for electricity dust around Vacuo was rather low.

"Well, let's hope we can afford a ride soon enough."


After a week of staying there, with Jaune affording food with his shifts (he got into scuffles with plenty of Grimm) and Abu saving up for camels, the two of them had worked up enough money to afford a ride and some food for their travels. They set off without much fanfare, leaving Tafim about as well as it was when they first came.

While the light Abu let his camel carry both him and their luggage, Jaune went without such things. He didn't want to burden his camel any more than he already was, what with him wearing plate armor. Even if it was made to be relatively light, the combined weight was probably putting a strain on the beast of burden.

Anyways, the two of them were heading through the sands. Jaune had taken to wearing his hoodie, which he also laced with ice dust. Though the head was still grating on his face, at the very least the back of his head wouldn't feel like it was on fire under the continued gaze of the sun.

"Ah, how beautiful." They had made it over a dune and now had a good view over a chunk of the Vacuan desert, the wind kicking up and giving Jaune's face a moment of respite from the heat.

"I always thought it was more beautiful from the view of a resort," Jaune joked. He couldn't help but admire the majesty of the view as well. Though, he'd seen similar sights for the entire time he'd been in Vacuo.

"I suppose, but there's a simple joy in wandering the sands, seeing this sight every day. It makes moments when it's gone all the more disconcerting." Jaune could get that, he didn't really last very long in cities. Hell, even their stay in Tafim was wearing on him by the third day they were staying.

"Hey, Abu?"

"Yes?"

"How'd you deal with Grimm?" Wandering the sands guaranteed at least some Grimm. He was just a bit curious over how they dealt with the shadowy monsters.

"Ah, yes, yes, a good question." Abu pulled out his cane, softly waving it in the air. "I remember learning how when I was younger, far younger. They're horrid things, the stuff of nightmares." Abu began to weave a tale, a short insight into his long light.


"Baba?" Abu was but a young child, having just turned eight and barely able to reach his father's waist in height. "Baba?" His skin wasn't as wrinkled, it was clean and smooth like the untrampled dunes. "Baba?" He was wearing loose clothes, small enough to fit him but large enough to do so for a while. "Baba?" He was tugging at his father's side, the father who had woken him up in the middle of the night.

"My son." Ali ibn Amin ibn Adem Abdallah stood stalwart in the dark, with the fires only allowing his son to see a fraction of his face and the glimmer of his unshaking eyes. "Look forth, see it." Abu did as told, looking forward to the night. "You are a child still, yet age is but the seeing of new sights. You have done well and not left the tents at night, correct?"

"Y-yes, baba." Abu was lying, he had gone out with his uncle before, but that wasn't to do anything but use the restroom or see the moon. During the nights, the sands were illuminated by the bright and broken celestial body, but not tonight.

No, it was dark, pitch black. Abu couldn't see a thing past the torchlight. He thought he could see two stars, but surely they weren't in front of him, and stars weren't yellow, were they?

Lightning struck. In a second, a terrifying image was imprinted into Abu's mind, one that would instill the fear of death in him. Light came and he could see why the sands were so dark: The stormy sky. The heavens themselves were roiling, the pitch black clouds swirling. In the distance, a bolt of lightning pierced the ground, shooting down from the sky before branching once, then twice, then several more times.

Small branches fizzled out in the sky while the main bolt had made its way down to the sands itself, striking the grain and making its way through it. But the lightning, whose power was nigh unparalleled, brought with it more than fulgurite. No, it brought something more.

It brought a bright flash that briefly illuminated the nearby dunes, one that let Abu see the terrifying beast that stalked the night. The thing that prowled the sands without making as much as a sound.

It was a hulking being, one larger than Abu, his father, and maybe even the largest camel of their caravan. It was a defilement of a goat, a beast taking its features. Its black fur had splotches where blood was dry, its yellow eyes glowing bright like horrific stars, its claws sharp and dragging across the sand. Most notable of all would be its horns, gnarled and twisted, brambly like branches yet harder than steel.

It was a devil, plain and simple. A prowler of the night, slaughterer of young, old, and everything it could get its hands on. A horrid monster that everyone wandering the sands knew about, something that could seemingly disappear into the shadows. Its reign was legendary, with records of its existence beginning a hundred years prior.

It was a monster.

And Abu knew it. His mind was overloaded as the glow of its eyes registered in his own, its lack of pupils making him shiver as he feared being seen by the beast. Every single thought was interrupted and converted, with the quickening of his pulse ensuring he thought of nothing else but how many ways the monster in front of him could slaughter him.

"..." Abu knew death at that moment.

"You've seen it." That moment lasted an hour and the following time passed like sand through the hands. Ali kneeled down to firmly hold his son by the shoulders, a warm and stern look in his eyes. The lightning had passed and the shadows returned, though not seeing it anymore only made Abu fear it more. "That is a devil, son. A devil created by the Seeing Sun."

"W-why? Didn't God make great things?""Yes. But God is more than that. He made the ground we stand on and the food we eat. But he also made the blights that plague and demons that slaughter. All are instruments in his will, good and evil."

"How do we survive against them?"

"We do not. God made them as a test. And we are just a few of God's many creations, you need not fear the monsters. Know this, they shall not harm you if you simply repeat what I say." Ali spoke in the old tongue, language long forgotten by all but historians and those who lived by the old ways.

At first, Abu's speech was steady, but his breaths grew faint and airy as he saw the golden eyes of death inch closer and closer, the outline of the beast coming forward as it came near the torchlight.

"Repeat what I say, my son." Ali was calm, but it was a forced neutrality, one born from experience and age. "Repeat it." He continued to say the prayer, staring down the beast without fear. Abu did as told, faith in his father overcoming fear as he continued to speak.

The beast came closer and closer, sniffing the slowly diminishing races of fear. It looked so much larger up close, so much scarier, so much more terrifying. It was a monster, a devil, a demon who slaughtered caravans and small armies single handedly. A beast of the night.

Abu continued to speak, the words reverberating through his head with every repeated prayer. Once, twice, then thrice they repeated it, watching as the monster slowly crept forward.

Then, it turned back. Perhaps it truly was god protecting them, perhaps it was some ancient magic touching their souls, or perhaps it was just conditioning helping them calm their souls on command, making it hard for the Grimm to perceive them.

Whatever the case, it was how they'd survive.


"So, you survived by avoiding them?" Jaune knew a few people like that. They had a variety of methods, from simply running to traps. But a constant in all of it was calmness. There was a saying: Fear was death in the wild. For fear shook the eyes, for fear blurred the mind, for fear irritated the reflexes.

It made people jumpy. It made them irrational. It made them prime targets for the Grimm.

Mythos told of how the monsters grew more powerful the more the fighter feared them, but as far as anyone knew, the Grimm weren't. No, it was just that people were far worse in fighting the more fearful they were. The Grimm were predators, experts in fighting fearful prey. Those fleeing or those desperately fighting were easy to slay.

"Yes." Abu had a small smile. It was hard to be cheery when it came to topics like that. "Of course, when we had no choice, we did fight back. We bore weapons, large ones. My father and mother together weld a large shotgun, one which used to be used for hunting ducks. It wasn't the best weapon, but Grimm were often lonesome beasts. In conjunction with the weapons the rest of the family had, we were more than capable of surviving."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"Cause there's a Beowolf right over there."

"Oh." There was a pause. "I suppose it's time for you to show why you have a sword."

"Yep."


While the Vacuan sun was a testy thing, delivering upon wanderers of the sands long periods of heat and aimlessness, the moon was a far kinder being. The broken body loomed in the air, illuminating the desert with a soft silver glow.

It was between dunes where Jaune and Abu made their camp. The Grimm of Vacuo all ventured to small homes in the night, knowing better than to sleep out in the open. Some buried themselves in the sands, waking up when tread upon to maul the unlucky fools who woke the sleeping beasts.

Their camp was small. Part of Abu's supplies was some firewood, which he used to create a campfire to cook on.

"Finally." Jaune had taken off his armor and hoodie, finally letting his skin breathe free as his bare back laid against the Vacuan sands.

"That's why you don't wear such clothes in Vacuo, young man. At least, you don't if you're traveling for long." Abu laughed as he sat upright, poking at the flames with his staff. It didn't light aflame when touched, only going as far as being slightly charred by the flickering hearth.

"Yeah?" Jaune sighed in content. Though the ice dust was nice, in the interest of not burning through his aura it only kept his blood from boiling. It was still uncomfortably warm underneath and his armor was still blazing hot. "Well this makes it worth it." As it had gone dark, the sands were now cold, colder than Jaune at least.

"I suppose, I suppose." Abu opened the kettle and placed a bag of tea in it. Immediately, an aroma swirled around them. It was subtle and made Jaune slightly drowsy, the fatigue created by the heat hitting him. "Dreamwood Tea, it's a wonderful thing. Haven't had a hard night for many years now."

"I can see, well, smell that." Jaune felt light as he laid in the sand, his will to sit up slowly eroding like his conscious mind. "By the way, what are we going to do about that?" Jaune pointed upwards, where they could see the outline of a Ravager, swirling in the air around them.

"Nothing." Abu pulled out a ceramic cup and poured himself some tea, taking care not to burn himself on the kettle or the drink itself. "It is a test. If we simply wait, it will go away."

"Yeah?" Grimm usually didn't do that. Then again, he didn't deal with Ravagers very often.

"It's docile. The sun agitates the demons. The moon's light is less intense, it lets them relax." Abu poked at the fires, with the fuel crackling from a single touch. "Do you wish to hear a story as you drift slowly to slumber?"

"Sure." He hadn't had bedtime stories for a while. The last one he remembered was Darling's at Vytal, but the tea was making him sleepy, so might as well indulge.

"Night didn't used to be a thing. Once upon a time, the moon was whole, and its luster was so bright that it blanketed the entire world in a glow that was only outdone by the day. The moon was an angel of the Seeing Sun. The Sun is a stern creator, why else would he give us such a harsh land to live in? But he provided regardless, giving us fertile waters and sands.

"The moon had power once before, but it was far kinder. It gave the creations of its creator what it could: Light. It reflected the radiance of the Seeing Sun, providing the world with illumination so few may go without sight. Back when it was whole, it gave more. It blessed the needy with riches and the hungry with feasts.

"Of course, god could not have that. The purpose of the moon was to reside in the sky, not to venture down below. As punishment, the Seeing Sun shattered the moon, preventing it from ever descending, lest it fall permanently." Abu sighed.

"That sounds unnecessarily harsh."

"I thought so too." The old man shrugged. "My father told me this, however. As all the coin and food given to the poor and hungry were used wisely, but as the moon descended to bless these gifts, the world in the night went without light. With every gift it gave, the shine it had was lost. The growing dark allowed demons to roam freely without fear. They say those who find one of its tears soon find prosperity, as the moon sends pieces of itself to help even if it cannot do anything itself." Abu shrugged. "I myself find it perplexing, but in the end that is what happened."

"I see." Jaune felt oddly introspective as he stared up. "Is that the fate of those who rush to help the few?"

"That's one way of thinking about it. I prefer to see it in a different way." Abu sipped on his tea and his eyes went glassy. "When I was young, I saw a goat with a broken leg stuck in a ravine. I tried to rush to save it, but my father kept me back. He told me that dying saves nobody. With every selfless act the moon took, it gave more and more of itself. While selfless, it forgot that others relied on it. And slowly bleeding to serve others only deprived others of its light, of which kept the demons at bay." Abu shrugged. "Ultimately, it's up to interpretation. The tales tell of what happened, but the Seeing Sun refused to comment on why it did it."

"Huh." Jaune could see both points. On one hand, the moon was slowly killing itself even as others depended on its survival. Meanwhile, it felt horrible to just ignore people in need. He wondered what he'd do, when told by someone to stop being a hero. "I'll take the first watch," Jaune said, powering through the fatigue as Abu slowly drifted to sleep. "Good night, Abu."

"Good night, Jaune."


"Once, there was a girl on a dune. She was told by her mother that she was a monster, something born to die alone. At a young age, she was left on top of a dune far away with only a mat to sit on and ragged clothes to protect her from the elements." Abu spoke as Shalih temple came into view. It was an old city, one that used to be home to trade and farms, but ever since the waters changed it had been abandoned. Many areas had been wrecked, with the only place still standing being the center, the temple itself.

"She listened to her mother, content to die. She thought herself only a monster, something only capable of destruction." A long trail of prints were made in the sands, prints that slowly faded with time and winds. "That was, until a stranger walked up, and asked her what she was doing up on that hill.

"She told him that she was there to die. A sandstorm was approaching and she was to be swallowed by it, consumed by the storm. Not even an army could stand up to it, so it was sure to kill her for good. The stranger tilted his head before sitting down, facing the storm. She asked him what he was doing.

"He told her that he was going to weather it with her and make sure she came out alive.

"She told him to leave, to let her die. She told him that this was how things were meant to be. She told him that it was for everyone's good.

"He told her no. He stayed on that hill, refusing to budge. And when the sands came, they were harsh, unrelenting. The demons hid in the storm and were drawn to the stranger, attacking him without pause. The stranger could've run, leaving the girl to die, but he didn't. No, he stood still and fought relentlessly. The girl looked at him wordlessly, confused as to why a stranger would do something so foolish.

"She found herself moved by the act. Then she found herself furious with herself as she saw him bleed. Here he was, protecting someone like her, and she was just sitting still and letting it happen. So, for the first time in that girl's life, she used the unrelenting power that resided within her to help someone.

"In a single second, the sands broke, and the skies were clear. In a single second, the demons fell, incinerated, becoming but ash in the wind. In a single second, there was silence sans the heavy breathing of the girl and the stranger, as they recovered from the fight.

"The stranger, feeling indebted to the girl, swore that he would protect her. The two of them left the dune, with the girl now knowing that she could use her powers to help people. Their first stop was the city of Shalih. In twenty years time, a temple dedicated to the words of Uriel would be erected." Abu's tale filled the silence as they finally reached the city.

"Hey, do you guys worship the Seeing Sun or-"

"We do not worship Uriel. Though she is the Seeing Sun's agent and the one who has done the most for us, she is not the object or our worship." Abu mumbled something about a horrid man before sighing. "Even then, she still acts from above, giving us small kindnesses like fertile waters or peaceful days. And when she was alive, she did much to help the people around her."

"Sounds nice." Sounds like why he even became a hunter in the first place. Or, well, sounds like why he continued being a hunter.

"She was." Abu's kettle, which had been hung on his staff, began whistling as it reached a boil. The aroma of coffee was strong as he began pouring two cups. "Here." He handed one to Jaune, who took it without hesitation. Abu had woken him up early and the watch meant Jaune didn't get much sleep, which meant that he needed some caffeine.

"..." Jaune resisted the urge to spit it out as he drank it in one long sip. "What was that?" He tried not to wince as he felt the aftertaste stick to the back of his throat. It was coffee, yes, but the beans were stale. Still, it got the job done and gave his heart a kick, waking him up in full as the caffeine worked its magic.

"Some coffee beans. The last time I was able to buy some was a few months ago." That explained a lot. Too much, actually. "Now, welcome to Shalih." Where there used to be rows upon rows of mud brick houses that created a sort of labyrinth on the way to the central temple, now there was but crumbling ruins, barely able to stop a child from traversing through it to the big building in the center.

While it still retained its grandeur, it was now a shadow of its former self. The temple was a large building with many domes, though many had collapsed with age. They dismounted nearby the temple, walking the rest of the distance. Their camels stayed in place, eating at the sand, filtering through it on their own in order to find water dust to sate their thirst.

Meanwhile, Jaune and Abu entered the temple, with light conversation being made as they walked.

"Have you been here before?" Jaune wondered because Abu seemed to know what he was doing.

"Yes. Years back, my family and a few others had made a pilgrimage here every year. Our numbers are not strong enough to return it to its proper glory, but we could still appreciate it for what it is. Even if it withered away into nothing, I suspect we would've simply held prayer where the temple and city used to be." Quickly, they found their way to the prayer room, where Jaune followed Abu's example and left his shoes outside. Jaune also took off his armor, as it would make a racket with every step.

Jaune stood in the back as Abu made his way near the front, muttering prayers as he bowed. Meanwhile, Jaune stood at the door, sensing a presence. As soon as he stepped out of the room, his hand went to his sword, and he closed the door.

Grimm had come.

They likely had followed them through the sands, finally deciding to encroach in closed spaces. Though the Grimm were oddly silent, if Jaune focused he could hear the soft pitter patter as their feet touched the floor.

It was the Ravager from before, the claws on its wings creating chips as it forced itself through the door.

"Ok, let's do this." Jaune muttered as he pulled out Crocea Mors before extending the sheath, holding the shield up as the fight began in earnest with a loud noise.

The Ravager screamed, the sonic boom shot towards him and hit his shield. He had braced himself, however, and managed to stay on his feet, though the force of it gave the Ravager room to lunge forward, trying to scrape at him while he was still reeling.

Jaune rolled to the side, regretting taking off his armor as he went farther than he was used to. Sure, that was technically a good thing, but he'd much rather fight in a way he was used to. Oh well, it wasn't like the Ravager was going to give him a break.

Jaune had rolled through its swings and had ended up opposite to the Ravager. Jaune's eyes widened as he realized it might go towards Abu and rushed forward, hastily trying to stab the beast, only for it to avoid by momentarily taking flight.

Jaune quickly jumped back before the Ravager fell, slamming the floor and creating a crater. He deflected two more strikes, the ridiculous strength the Ravager was outputting causing Jaune to grunt in pain. Then, it screamed, and a blast ripped across his shield, digging into his aura and finally pushing him off balance. He was thrown back, both Crocea Mors and its sheath flying to his sides while he hit a wall.

He had no time to recuperate as he peeled himself off and blasted away, the Ravager running at him to try and capitalize on his fallen state. When given the choice between the sword or the shield, Jaune went after Crocea Mors.

"Alright, let's do this." Jaune held the blade with two hands, gripping tightly so it wouldn't be knocked out this time. He kept his stance wide, but was ready to move at a moment's notice. He could deflect slashes easily enough, but the screams had to be dodged.

Speaking of, he tried to drive Crocea Mors through its head, but was knocked back by a furious swipe.

"Wow, I suck." Jaune sighed as he switched tactics. He held Crocea Mors with one hand and then pulled out his trusty flare gun. It'd make some noise, but the Ravager was already making quite a bit of a mess. He popped it open and managed to load it one-handed with an ice dust flare. It was half full due to him using it to lace his clothes, but it would still work. "Let's do this."

He slowly stepped forward, dodging the Ravager's sonic screeches and slashes. Eventually, he found an opening after a misplaced attack and sprung, firing the flare at its wing and creating a large chunk of ice around it, weighing it down and causing it to lose even more of its balance.

"Here we go." He ducked as the extra weight caused the Ravager's swing to be overdone, letting the bat beast's other wing fly over him as he sprung up. Crocea Mors rose with him, cutting through the flesh of the bat, until it pointed skyward.

A large gash had opened up, but Jaune wasn't done. He then swung downwards, angling the slash so that he could the head.

Jaune's blade found flesh and ripped through, leaving the Ravager a headless body that began to disintegrate.

Jaune was left breathing heavily after the fight, his aura recovering from the minor beating. He went to pick up his shield and put on his armor. As he did, he cringed at how much damage the Ravager caused. At the very least, it was entirely cosmetic, with few areas of structural importance (though Jaune didn't know enough about architecture to spot any) being hit.

"I am done." Abu came out of the room and dully noted the damages.

"Uh-" Jaune felt quite horrid for inadvertently causing such a thing.

"Worry not, Jaune. I am the last of the faithful. That and you didn't cause such a thing with malicious intent. The fault lies in the demon, who ignored the sanctity of the holy ground by treading on it with its evil claws."

"Got it." Jaune decided to switch topics. "So, did you finish what you were doing?"

"Yes. I've made the final pilgrimage and said my final prayers here." Abu made to exit the temple, with Jaune following soon after.

"Cool." There was a bit of an awkward silence that Jaune sought to instinctively fill. "So, any more stories about your childhood?"

Abu gave Jaune a surprised look, a distant look, as if Jaune wasn't Jaune but a different person in a different place in a different time. That look lasted for but a second as the delusion wore off easily. No longer was Abu looking at someone who wasn't there, no, it was Jaune who was asking.

"My, my, asking an old man such as I?" Abu laughed a bit. "I have plenty of stories to tell. It's what I gained for giving up my youth and strength. Perhaps a tale of my foolish days as a boy would entertain?"

"Sure." Jaune had to admit, he was curious to learn about the old man he was accompanying. Might as well learn a bit.


The next few days had been spent continuing on the road, with Jaune's primary source of entertainment being Abu's seemingly endless anecdotes about his youth. He had started from his earliest memories, from when he was but a young boy that had yet to shape himself, to when he clamored for adventure.

Jaune had enjoyed it throughout, listening enraptured as Abu showcased his storytelling ability. There was little else to do on the road except share those little snippets. He weaved the scenes and immersed Jaune in the experience.

But all merriment came to an end as they saw smoke in the distance. Both Jaune and Abu paused as they saw it. It wasn't a singular cloud of smoke rising, signaling a campfire, it was a thick pillar of smoke that rose endlessly into the air in the distance. They could see something ruined on the horizon.

"Is that the town we were going to?" Jaune muttered.

"Yes." Abu grimly nodded, looking at the map. "Yes it is." They sped up their camels, caring little if something non-essential fell to the sands. None did, anyways, as Abu was experienced enough for the luggage to be firmly secured on the sides. Jaune's was faster, as regardless of how heavy Jaune was with his armor, the luggage Abu's camel carried held it back.

Jaune forced calm into his breathing as he came closer to the town. Its name was Amam. It was one of the villages near fertile waters and was mostly a farming settlement, one that provided quite a bit of nourishment for both surrounding villages and for those residing behind Vacuo's kingdom walls.

They were within the territory of a local governor, so this couldn't be a raid, which left few options for Jaune to consider. The farms were burning as well, which threw out the idea of it being a civil conflict. Even if the governor had sent troops to quell some sort of rebellion, they wouldn't touch the fields. It'd be needlessly wasteful, after all.

Likewise, the villagers wouldn't do it either. They relied on their crop production for food and torching it was liable to screw them over in the long run.

"..." His thoughts ceased as he came close enough to see corpses. Corpses and puddles of blood painted large parts of the village red, a deep shade which blended with the pitch black of charred areas and contrasted with the bright orange of the fires. Corpses young and old were in the streets.

Jaune made for the camel to stay still before dismounting and bolting on foot. His aura burned as the jets activated giving him a speed boost that let him zip into the village. He burst through doors and searched for survivors, shouting all the while.

"Is anyone alive!? Anyone!?" He found corpses, all of which had marks of being disturbed. Not by Grimm, no, Grimm mauled and destroyed. These corpses were ransacked. He saw outstretched hands with fingers broken as someone forcefully yanked a ring off. He saw chests with broken locks by their side.

It was a raid.

He heard coughing. His blood chilled, but then his muscles tensed and he jumped like a coiled spring.

It was only then did he realize it wasn't a survivor, but Abu, who had arrived and saw Jaune with a desperate and despondent look on his face, fingers stained with blood.

"I found a few who lived. They said they had already looked." Abu refused to meet Jaune's eyes. "The attackers left hours ago and the survivors have been focused on recovering from their wounds."

"I can heal them." His semblance instinctively kicked in, blanketing his fingers with a soft glow that burned aura.

"And you will. Follow me." Abu turned back, all joviality and eccentricity subdued as the grim task came up. They walked through bloodied streets and past homes and storehouses made fuel for flames. They were made of mud brick, but the things inside were still flammable, and the attackers had thrown what seemed to be fire dust bombs to make the fires last for a while.

"Who did it?" Jaune had to know.

"Crown." The name was familiar and Jaune felt a weary sigh escape his mouth, while Abu scowled. "They've come and done as they have and will done: Pillage." Abu's hands were clenched tightly, shaking fists powerless to do a thing. "Here, do as you do." A small building remained untouched and Jaune could sense signs of life.

The next hour or so was long as Jaune tended to the survivors, who had packed themselves tightly into the building. He went through the process of assessing damages, taking out shrapnel, and using his aura to heal them. It was long and he frequently changed patients as emergency dictated, but in the end he managed to save all who survived.

But many didn't.

"Forty-five survivors out of a village of hundreds." Jaune stood outside with Abu, who had brought both of their camels. "Forty five." Around 90% of the villagers had been slaughtered. "Why?"

"For funds, for food, for fear." Abu bitterly spat out the motives. He noticed his own tone and sighed. "Sorry, a weary old man like me continues to hold a grudge. The Crown still prowls around, an insipid blight upon the earth that wishes for nothing but to continue the ways of their foolish lord." If Jaune remembered correctly, the Crown was an insurrectionist group that had been terrorizing Vacuo for a while.

Jaune remembered what May said and the plot they stopped. "I can see it." He really could.

"So you're not unfamiliar." Abu was neither positive nor negative about the fact. "Then you know by now they're long gone." Having scurried away with their pilfered goods, absolutely drenched in blood. (Jaune wondered how they justified it to themselves. He wondered how they could slaughter and maim without restraint so easily.)

"Yes." They were glorified bandits, numbers large with a good amount of hunters to torch small villages but small enough to need to run in the face of any decent opposition. "And I know we can't track them down." He got lucky once, as the band he followed weren't actively pillaging. But seeking this group would be a foolish pursuit. They were long gone, with a few hours head-start and likely a vehicle to ride on.

Plus, there were more pressing matters.

"What are the damages?" Jaune wasn't about to leave this village without making sure it'd stay standing (or at the very least, the people there evacuated). Luckily, Abu wasn't objecting.

"The Crown was relentless. The fields had been scorched and the Grimm agitated. Those who live may have been healed by you, but they lack the numbers. That's something we can't fix." Abu sighed, looking as a few survivors came out of the safehouse and began counting corpses. "It might delay our journey by a week, but we can help them rebuild."

"Yeah, let's do it." They had already spent a few days in Tafim, what was a week in Amam?


Ultimately, the most pressing matter came first: The Grimm. The raid bred negativity like nothing else, causing all Grimm to zero in on Amam. Luckily, Grimm in Vacuo were spread out, so instead of an unstoppable wave, Jaune was tasked with facing off against a long marathon of battles against Various Grimm. Various townsfolk who had rifles also helped, unloading explosive shells into the approaching Grimm.

Most of the time, that worked, but when it didn't they retreated and he'd come in to fight back.

While the villagers could tend to the scorched lands and rebuild their broken homes without his intervention, the Grimm was another problem. It was simply more efficient to put him in battles than in fields.

As for Abu, he was too weak to work the fields, instead he found purpose in bringing dust from the next village over. While enough farming tools had remained untouched, the same couldn't be said for the dust. Things needed cooling, things needed electricity, and things needed fertilizing. Part of the treatment for the soil would be spreading plant dust around it.

Abu went to the next village over with some Lien and managed to bring back plant dust, enough of the stuff to mend a field. It was spread sparingly, but they were assured it'd help.

Anyways, as Jaune walked back from a particularly tough fight with a Deathstalker, he saw a commotion.

"You! How dare you show your face here again after all you've done!" It was an old man's voice, but the accent and pitch was a stark contrast from Abu's. Where even at his angriest it was nothing more than a bitter whisper, this new voice was loud and vitriolic, a raging inferno against Abu's snarling venom.

"Father! Stop it, he's come here to help!" Jaune came over to see a middle aged woman holding back an old and grayed man, whose face was littered with scars. "Father! What has consumed you!?"

"That man!" Her father ignored his daughter, struggling as he tried to weakly press on, trying to bypass the human barrier and attack someone else. Jaune saw someone else as he walked closer and saw Abu, eyes turned away and a face twisted in shame. Noticeably, his cloak was off, revealing his head. Some other villagers were unpacking the camels, awkwardly avoiding the commotion in favor of getting things done.

"Oh, huntsman!" The woman breathed a sigh in relief as she saw him. It was his duty to at least prevent two people from coming to blows. "Please, help my father! Some madness has suddenly been clouding his senses!"

"It's not madness! It was him!" He pointed accusingly at Abu, whose eyes were forced shut. "He did it!"

"Did what?" Jaune helped the woman hold back her father. No matter what, physical fighting wouldn't be good to have. It'd injure two old men and also cause a lot of negativity, which would make his job even harder.

"Everything! He took away my wife! My father! He and his bastard gang!" The woman went slack at the news, leaving Jaune to hold him back in full. Her eyes were wide as she began to mumble to herself. Others too realized what was happening and began to mutter.

"The attack?" Her eyes were distant, she was seeing the past. A great fire, a raid, so many deaths. "It was-"

"Ok, everybody!" Jaune knew what was happening, he could read the situation. "No matter what he did in the past, he's here to help now. I promise you that he is under my watch and will leave when I do. We can't lose any more helping hands!" His plea was timed just right, as the anger of most didn't have the time to grow. Most grumbled and nodded, walking off. The woman was angry, yes, but necessity didn't always comply with emotion. Wordlessly, she walked off, shooting Abu one last dirty look.

That just left Jaune and Abu, the latter of which had tired and regretful eyes boring into Jaune's own.

"I suppose this was bound to have come up." He sighed, making use of the time they had before Jaune was called into duty once more. He walked up to Jaune and said, "I left my family to pursue a life of adventure with my uncle. I was a young man at that time, barely your own age. It was soon that I found out that the life of adventure my uncle promised was one of hedonism and parasitism. He was a bandit and I had just become one myself.

"Of course, my uncle had done a good job and managed to convince me to stay. Then, he showed me the carnal pleasures of the world. Then, he taught me to revel in the brutality of it all." Abu was clearly disgusted with what he had been and what he had done. "Amam was merely one of the villages I and his band of thieves had struck. It was one of the places I had scarred so brutally."

"..." Jaune could of course admonish Abu for his life decisions, but the guy was doing it himself already. Instead, he sighed and said, "Alright then."

"Are you still willing to help a man so soaked in blood such as I? Someone who has taken many lives and made so many others worse?"

"Yes." Jaune shrugged. "I'd help the worst man in the world if he was on death's door." Plus, Jaune had already committed himself to the journey, to leave right now would mean breaking his word. And an Arc never broke his word.

"I see." Abu snorted, but didn't chuckle. "I see. Yes, yes. You're a much better man than I, Jaune, you're a much better man than I."

"Have to be. That's what being a Huntsman is all about."


They stayed in Amam for about a week. Abu got a frosty reception, but Jaune's continued assistance (even though they knew even that was temporary) was appreciated immensely. As Grimm attacks grew less common, Jaune began to help out in the fields more and more, tilling, planting, tending, and doing all of that. He also helped in doing funerals, reckoning that he'd need the experience in burial rites.

Anyways, when all was said and done Jaune and Abu departed Amam on relatively good terms. Abu had taken to putting his cloak up again while Jaune put up his hoodie as they rode on their camels. They were heading to Mezam, which Abu talked about at great length on the ride.

"Uriel departed Amam with praise and gifts, heading Westward towards Mezam. It was a pitiful place, a destitute city that rotted as water dwindled. Uriel came upon the town and blessed it with fertile springs, establishing rivers on her lonesome that gave the city with bountiful harvests." Abu had regained his mood after a few days. The regret never truly left him, it was always there to begin with, but he continued to live with that weight without wallowing in it. "She refused to speak with the King of Mezam, instead living in peace in the slums. She was content to simply give and give to the people, blessing whoever came upon her. This is where worship started, the downtrodden and pariahs came to her, wondering if they could even have a place in the world."

"Sounds nice." Able to do much more to help than he could ever hope to do. Then again, not everybody could have mythical powers capable of summoning storms with a snap. As far as Jaune knew, only Amber and the SDC had that sort of power.

"Yes, it was. Uriel grew up into a young woman in Mezam. She began teaching the word of the Seeing Sun. For the infertile farmers, she gave flowing water. For the regretful and ashamed, she gave absolution and unconditional support. For the outcast, she gave community and love." That sounded almost fictional, which it probably was. Then again, myths always had a nugget of truth hidden in them.

Perhaps Uriel did bless Mezam with new fertility, it'd be pretty hard for that to be faked. Perhaps that just happened naturally while she came and began growing a community in the slums. Perhaps all of it was the work of various individuals, none of which were related to each other in the slightest. Perhaps it was all allegorical, but still incredibly meaningful as light was found in a darker time.

Whatever the case, one thing couldn't be denied: Mezam existed. It wasn't an apocryphal location of legend like Minah, Genesis Dunes, or Zehd, no, it was a real place.

"Though, since Uriel's departure from the living world, Mezam's good luck had ceased. The rivers that once flowed freely from it, flooding the plains with fertile water, had run dry. Its people had evacuated it. It's now a husk of its former self, still standing still despite it all." Indeed, Mezam was but a hollow shell. Its buildings had fallen, with only the large palace remaining intact.

"Wow." Jaune saw how the walls of Mezam had fallen. Jaune noticed how the walls had holes in them, at least near the base.

"Mezam was a city that used to have a sewer system. It once spewed out waste that was avoided like the plague, but with Uriel's arrival she made it so the cisterns freely dispensed clean and fresh water, what was once a pitiful trickle of muck became an overwhelming flow of fertile fluids." They weren't entering the city, however, no. They were instead outside of it, facing the dunes. Abu eyed it with a nostalgic air for some reason, a reason Jaune would find out soon.

"Good boy." Jaune affectionately rubbed the side of the camel, feeling he owed them something for the continued burden. "So, what are we doing here?"

"Seeing the pivotal moment of Uriel's life. It is where she turned from the Child of Miracles to the Lady of the Sands. It was when everything changed, the point where it was decided Vacuo would never be the same." Abu had picked up some dry wood from fallen trees at the edges of the city and brought them forth to form a small campfire. On that campfire was his kettle, which he held up with his cane.

As it began to boil, he popped it open and then tossed in a bag of tea that radiated an odd aura. Jaune realized that he must've gotten it at Shalih, while Jaune was fighting the Ravager and he was praying. He didn't take the kettle off of the fire, however, he simply let it boil and broil and toil and roil. The abnormally thick clouds of steam began to rise from the neck, choking the sky with a thin rod of purple haze.

"It was a clear day when it happened. A great number of nobles in the court of the king were feasting in Mezam. They had brought with them their armies, of which the bountiful harvest allowed the people to feed them." The haze suddenly consumed them, transporting them to a different realm. Suddenly, they could see it: A large dining room where a great many resplendently dressed ancient Vacuan nobles were. There was no sound, but Abu gladly made up for the fact.

"It was here that a great many plots occurred. Each noble had their own ambitions that all collided on that fateful day. And when they did, it was a civil war. Yes, yes, many died, far too many.

"It was when that war spilled when things became tough." Then the scene shifted to show barren streets with piles of corpses. "Uriel sheltered those she could, but many civilians were caught up in the crossfire. When word reached her of what happened, she snapped. Kindness and generosity could not solve things here. No, the rod had to be used." They were then shown Uriel herself.

At the moment, she was but a teenage girl, a few years younger than himself, but Jaune could see why people would ignore that. She had skin the color of almonds and flowing hair that looked like looming thunderclouds. Her eyes were blazing fire, reminding him of Amber's powers, and her clothes concealed a scrawny figure. She was floating in the air, the sands themselves swirling beneath her.

She looked upon the armies battling, trampling innocents and each other for the whims of their petty lords who watched from afar, duking it out only with regard as to their own self-betterment. She had seen what happened to the people who were caught by the armies.

"She saw the sight and exclaimed in fury, those who slaughter innocents shall feel the wrath of nature." As she spoke, a storm brewed. The sky had gone dark with her proclamation and everybody present heard her. Every single person fighting in that foolish war heard her statement and saw how everyplace had become engulfed in darkness. They saw as lightning storms struck nearby every person involved. They saw that lightning did not become dirty bolts, but crystal clear ones of Uriel's Fulgurite. Legends tell one nine, but Uriel was so much more powerful than that. She summoned hundreds of bolts that hit the ground."

The scene showed, with a storm striking the desert, creating a day beneath stormy nights with the overwhelming power of lightning. They saw as some extracted the created Fulgurite, noticing how it was practically glass instead of the normal metal.

Jaune saw it and blinked. To think someone could use so much power. To think anyone could do such a thing. It was almost inconceivable.

Suddenly, the view faded away, and they were back on a dune beside Mezam overlooking the desert that Jaune now knew was the punching bag of thousands of bolts of lightning. He shuddered just thinking about it.

"Now, let one final bolt fall." As if he could see the future, lightning struck the sands before them, an awe inspiring pillar of pure power struck the sands, overwhelming it with its essence. Suddenly, the kettle ran out of water to boil, and the fire went out with a snap. Wordlessly, the two of them walked down the dune without their camels, and approached the scorched spot lightning had just struck.

Abu's gentle grasp slowly pulled out a rather sizable chunk of Fulgurite, clear like the highest quality of glass.


"So, what happened after she made her promise?" Jaune looked to Abu. After retrieving the Fulgurite, they had immediately departed from Mezam. They were seemingly wandering at random, but Jaune was confident that Abu had at least an idea as to where they were going. Well, at least had an idea on how to get where they were going. In the meantime, Jaune was content to listen to the story of Uriel.

"She brought unity back, making herself a pariah and sole enemy. Unfortunately, a great many of her followers, who had taken the shards of holy glass from the sands, had been made targets of purges. Many were sent to die the most painful death possible: drowning in a sandstorm, dying to the Grimm." Both Abu and Jaune winced at the thought. Vacuan sandstorms were no joke. Jaune had been lucky enough to avoid those, with the only times he'd had to deal with them being when he was in the company of May, whose Semblance helped quite a bit.

"Say, did Uriel win?"

"You mean conquer." There was a difference, a crucial difference. "No, there was no point in conquering those lands. But her people, the people she swore to protect, they were being persecuted. So she'd appear to those followers and tell them to gather their belongings, for she'd give them safety in the promised land of Minah."

"Minah?" Jaune knew it was their destination, but he didn't know of any promised land.

"Old legends say of a floating land, the place closest to the heavens. One where the air is fresh and the soil is rich. Uriel led her faithful to Minah. Even without her, many held her sacred glass tight to their chests as they braved the storm, praying it'd protect them." There were a lot of implications that Jaune picked up almost immediately.

"Wait, we're going through a sandstorm?" Jaune paled. While he had endurance, he could confidently say that fighting in a sandstorm wasn't exactly the best of ideas.

"I am confident Uriel will protect us."

"Ok, you know what? Sure." Jaune went along with it for now, instead deciding to tackle something else that had been nagging at him. "But there are quite a few Fulgurite shards. Wouldn't more people know of Minah? Or at least see it?"

"No, no. When Uriel ascended from this world, Malik the Sunderer claimed Minah and cast a spell. He changed the keys and made it so only his chosen few could enter the sacred capital. And ever since a great war started by his children, Minah had been lost to legend, time, and the sand." Abu was slightly hunched over, leaning just a bit more on his camel for balance. It was almost imperceivable, but a keen eye and notice of Abu's tired voice caught the detail. "Ah, it's here. Let us depart, Jaune, as the last visitors to Minah."

Indeed, there it was before them. Where a looming tsunami was a daunting thing, the sandstorm put even that to shame. It was a large wall of roaring catastrophe that had millions of bright yellow eyes staring out at the unconsumed lands. It swallowed the sun and engulfed the world, blinding all who entered.

Jaune forced his rapidly beating heart to still. He was scared, so very scared, but he controlled it.

They were eaten by the raging beast of the dunes in a second, waves of harsh winds slamming pounds of dust into them. Jaune could hear the Grimm come, but their camels continued on, used to the harsh weather from their life of travel. Jaune's grip on Crocea Mors tightened as they persevered, waiting to spring out to protect Abu and the camels.

Then the Grimm disappeared. He couldn't sense them anymore. Confused, his grip loosened and he looked to the sides, eyes thin to avoid getting dust in them. After a minute of walking, Jaune felt his stomach lurch and lungs clench. The dust departed to reveal not the Vacuan dunes, but a large island.

One in the sky, a promised land indeed. With rivers that flowed off the edge to a primordial sea, rich soil that was now wildland, and a large city that had been abandoned with time, Minah definitely didn't lose its luster with age. Even with the vines that grew over it and the years gone by without repair, Jaune could see the shine of golden statues in the streets.

This grandeur, the sheer size and enormity of the ancient mystical metropolis, did not go appreciated by Abu, who scowled.

"Pompous fool." He whispered under his breath before muttering a prayer, apologizing for his lapse into wrath. "Don't let appearances fool you, Minah was once a much better place. It used to just be a simple village full of Uriel's children, given new respite in this land. But ever since he conquered it, it had never been the same."

"..." Jaune looked around and asked, "Hey, Abu? What was Uriel's relation to Malik, anyways?"

"..." Abu looked Jaune in the eye and sighed. "Yes, yes, that man. Malik the Sunderer was not always the grand conqueror of Vacuo. No. He used to be but a child Uriel found, abandoned on the dune much like she herself was. Seeing similarities, she of course took the child in, and raised him as her own. While all the children in Minah were hers in some way, she took a special liking to the small child.

"She was kind, so very kind. She gave him everything. One day, however, the boy learned of something." The two of them were traveling through the overgrown streets of Minah, which were entirely free of Grimm, so they could go uninterrupted. They did leave the camels, though, because the greenery made traversing quite difficult. Abu in particular was having difficulties scaling large roots or pieces of rubble, with Jaune having to help him up.

"What was it?"

"That he was the prince of a deposed king. Yes, yes, it was quite the shock. He learned of such a thing and pleaded with his mother. He wished to leave and claim his birthright, to conquer the sands. She of course tried to dissuade him from such a notion, but he of course won out. Uriel sighed and gave the boy two gifts given to her from the Seeing Sun. One, a ring which would protect him from harm. Two, eyes that could see through to the hearts of others. She didn't want her son, who wasn't trained in the art of court politics, to be duped and to lose his head.

"So, the boy departed Minah for the kingdom he wanted to claim as his own. Using Uriel's gifts and his own talents, of which were undeniable, he claimed the throne and became Sultan of his own dynasty. Of course, the boy grew arrogant and began conquering more and more of Vacuo. It came to the point where his wars were threatening to consume the sands, a small ocean of blood forming. Uriel appeared in his chambers and pleaded with him to please cease his ambitions. But her child was no longer there, it was only Malik, who ordered her execution. She fled back to Minah, but Malik sent armies after her. And Malik knew of the trick and invaded Minah, his armies destroying it. Once she realized defense was futile, Uriel opened a portal to Genesis Dunes for her followers to escape in, a final place to reside as their home was burnt to the ground."

"Oh." Jaune felt his heart sink as he saw Minah's rebuilt state, erected over the corpse of a trampled village.

"Yes, yes, Malik had forever doomed his immortal soul by that point. But with his mortal life he'd dedicate himself to defiling Uriel's legacy. These statues of gold painted Uriel as a conqueror, a tool to convince others of their divine right to make war. It is a disfigurement of her image and her beliefs, one that I am glad has been torn down and forgotten." But not totally, because Abu immediately scowled and spat out, "Of course, some still cling to that which should be left to rot. Yes, yes, some are that foolish in this day."

"The Crown?" Jaune could guess.

"Yes, yes. The Crown, who worship the man who bastardized everything his mother stood for." Venom seeped into Abu's tone before he let out a long sigh. "My, my. It seems I can't let go of my anger. I know Uriel would've forgiven him and I should follow her example. I am the last of her faithful, what sort of parting note am I setting?" He let out a light and hollow laugh, one made in a deliberate attempt of forced levity rather than genuine mirth.

"So, the Crown?" Jaune was curious about them. He'd heard quite a bit from May and Abu, but never in much detail. They'd mention things as they came up, but Jaune never got a clear picture as to their end goal. "What do they want?"

"What do they want?" The question gave Abu pause for but a second. "They want as Malik did: Conquest. For they saw that under his reign was a golden age. They saw his bloodshed, his ruthless slaughter and subjugation of tribes, and his continued destruction of the land itself as aspirational qualities."

"So are they monarchists or something?"

"Yes, yes. They have a king and queen, both descended from the Sun King himself. For many years they've led the Crown, the supposed rightful heirs. Fools who cling to long forgotten things pretending as if they hold any importance." Abu chuckled. "I know how my words could be turned against myself. I hold my faith integral to myself, but others may live as they do. It's why me and my family lived in a caravan instead of preaching in the streets."

"Huh." Pragmatically speaking, he could see why the Crown did as they did. Even if they were lying about their lineage and knew it, it served as a convenient bit of propaganda. Even if nobody in power would bow to such a thing, to those who longed for the days of Vacuan strength, seeing the heirs of the harbinger of a golden age would inspire. "What happened to Fulgurism after Uriel was cast out?"

"Well, Malik at first tried to make peace with them. He wanted to use Fulgurism to make himself a god-chosen warrior lord. A few distant sects gave in to the temptation, but many didn't. It was at that point when the persecution began. He started hunting all of those who refused to endorse him as the rightful heir of the prophet. He was powerful as well, his ring making him impervious to assassination and his eyes making him impossible to fool. His golden age was still soaked in blood, too much blood. Entire tribes were ensnared, forced to send their own as slaves to fuel the capitol and mines. It was brutal, plain and simple."

"Huh."

"Yes, yes. It seemed that he lived far longer than any man had right to as well. For two centuries Malik reigned, until finally a civil war amongst his children put an end to that accursed man." Abu sighed, history blurred from that point on as Malik's kingdom became a disjointed mess that left little in the way of documentation.

"That sounds impossible."

"It does, it does." They then made it to the center, where the grand palace was. "Malik's final resting spot. The war started by his children began with the loosing of an arrow that killed Malik, shooting him through the heart.

"Wow." They made their way through a gate that had crumbled with time and Abu led Jaune through the massive halls of Malik's palace. They went through a courtyard, a garden, and even a room with coffee making equipment. Finally, Abu found a stairway to the basement, where with a quickly made torch they saw was a catacomb. "Are we looking for something here?"

"Yes, yes. Malik's corpse."

"What?" Wasn't this place hundreds of years old?

"Jaune, Malik was buried with his eyes and ring. We must return Uriel's gifts to her in order to end it all. Plus, there is a risk one of Malik's worshippers will seek this place out. There's a risk, no matter how miniscule, that one of them will find the eyes and ring."

"Yeah, yeah, got it." Jaune sighed. Oh well, looting corpses wasn't anything new to him, at the very least. A part of Jaune was excited as they delved into the ancient catacombs of Minah, waiting for some trap to spring. It was only after one did trigger before immediately snapping did Jaune remember that it had been quite a few years since they'd been properly maintained.

It was rather mundane as they walked through the catacombs before finally finding Malik's tomb. There was a large patch of grass underground, sunlight somehow made to come into it and illuminate the small bit of land. The two of them wordlessly picked up whatever they could find and used them as shovels, digging up the earth slowly.

Soon enough, they had hit wood, and dug out Malik's ornate coffin. Jaune pulled it out, letting Abu take a break, his breathing more ragged than usual. Jaune tore the lid off of the coffin and found a decrepit skeleton clothed in resplendent dress. And, sure enough, on its finger was a ring and in its sockets eyes made of jewels. Noticeably, there was also a dagger in the skeleton's hands, an ornate one of possible ornamental use. He took it anyway, just in case.

Jaune picked them up and handed them to Abu, who took a few more minutes to catch his breath before they left. Jaune gave the old man a worried look, but said nothing.


Jaune and Abu were on their camels again. They departed from Minah, holding the Fulgurite on the way out as a sandstorm suddenly engulfed them once more. As soon as the winds departed to reveal the sky once more, the shard of holy glass shattered into a million harmless specks which mixed with the sand. The storm itself had left them a few miles from Vacuo's city gates. Though still in the old method of sand brick, they stood much higher and were much more refined, with modern weapons mounted on the walls.

Abu could barely move, hanging onto his camel for dear life. Jaune took the lead, taking the reign of Abu's camel while the man himself was still trying to breathe. They slowly made their way to Vacuo itself, with Jaune torn between going slow to make sure Abu didn't fall off and going fast so they got to their destination before he died.

He had a hunch that it was Vacuo they were going towards. Just a hunch.

"Oh, we're in the final stretch." His voice was weak, his aura was fading. He was dying. It was dusk. "Ah, Jaune, I never finished my story."

"Yeah?" Jaune wanted to give Abu something to hold onto, something to continue doing so he wouldn't perish silently. At least, he wouldn't perish without Jaune knowing. Jaune leaned over and gave Abu a quick injection of his own aura, but it would only give Abu a bit more time. It wouldn't solve the problems eating at his very body. Hell, doing so risked Jaune's aura consuming Abu's own, which held a myriad of risks Jaune wasn't willing to entertain.

"One day, I fell in battle. A raid went wrong and my uncle and his band of thieves fled. I was taken out early by a bullet that hit my chest. I was knocked off of my mount and had to inch my way to shelter before I was found. When I next woke up, I was being nursed to health by a woman.

"Her name was Samiya, a beautiful woman who found me bleeding out. She assumed I was a fellow villager and nursed me back to health. I lied and agreed, thinking this to be a lucky break. I'd find my way back to my uncle and continue the life we led. Of course, I couldn't do that with such a grievous wound, so I stayed for a bit. It was only when I attended a funeral did I reconsider. None of the villagers died, no, our raid was poorly planned and done while drunk, so it was one of our own who had perished. But the villagers saw fit to give him a proper funeral. It was there that I heard the words of Uriel.

"It was there I saw the Seeing Sun itself, gazing upon me, judging me for my actions, for my life. I saw it all and broke, the guilt of all my actions finally hitting me, making me realize how pointless my life had been. It was a hollow existence of misery and hurting. I asked Samiya what I should do. To learn that her patient was actually a bandit shocked her, but when seeing the regret on my face she gave me an ultimatum. From that day onwards, I would live in penance. I could never sleep in a bed nor live in a home, no, no. Forever would I have to walk the sands, giving to everyone as I went. Starting with the town I had almost burned to the ground, I would help wherever I went. Of course, to make sure I upheld that, she came along with me."

"..." Jaune had a small smile. While the actions of his youth were deplorable all around, it wasn't Jaune's place to be angry over what he did. In the end, all he could feel was happiness that he found a way to try and repent.

"Samiya became a lot snappier and wouldn't hesitate to argue with me over my lack of knowledge. This was back in the day of the Great War, by the way, so times were a lot more desperate. My upbringing in a caravan left me a bit uneducated in regards to things like farming, which I had to learn in order to work. Truly, those were good days." He had a nostalgic smile on his face. "We bickered quite a bit, but I grew to learn more and more about her.

"I learned how she was already a widow, even at her relatively young age." Twenty five, a year older than Abu at the time. "He perished due to, of all things, a poorly prepared dish that made him sick. I learned that she liked a flower that grew atop mountains just a week before her birthday. When I came back a week later, just in time, she was amazed, having thought I'd forsaken the path of penance in favor of hedonism. I learned that she was a fair woman, who held herself to the same standard as she did I, to earn the food she ate and provide for herself and others."

"You sure spend a lot of time talking about Samiya." They were getting closer to Vacuo, good.

"Of course. As the years went by, she learned more about me as well. She learned how fond I was of board games. She learned the original way of making coffee and argued with me for hours over its quality." Likely a light argument, something silly, if Abu's smile was anything to go by. "She learned of how I was a Fulgurite, pious once more as I called back to all the lessons my father gave. She even converted as she heard the preachings of Uriel, convinced just by my recollection alone."

"Was she your wife?"

"Yes. One day, I had been fending off a bandit attack. I saw the signals and realized that the village we were staying at was going to be the victim of my uncle and his band of thieves and rapists. So I led a defense and managed to fend them off, just in time, without a single casualty. But, I threw myself into the way of a militiaman who was called into the fray, protecting him from what could've been a fatal blow. Next thing I knew, I was awoken by Samiya, crying over my torso.

"Emotions were high and she admitted her affection for me at that moment. She was conflicted, as she still felt loyal to her fallen husband. In that time, I pondered if I even returned those feelings, and finally found that I did right as she resolved to live a happy life for her deceased beloved. Of course, she insisted we go back to my family, who should hear both of our engagement and my apologies for my actions."

"Meeting the family, yikes." Especially in circumstances like that. They had made their way through Vacuo's walls, entering the crowded streets that slowly grew darker and darker. Abu took the lead, still talking as he occasionally steered his camel towards their destination.

"Yes, yes. I agonized over it for a while. But in the end, I had nothing to worry about. Before I made my regrets clear, my entire family embraced me in a hug. Their joy only grew by leaps and bounds when they learned I had found virtue once more, choosing to live a better life. The news of my engagement only made them happier." He smiled, life slowly crawling through his vision. "Our wedding was a humble affair, as all things should be, but it was a joyous one."

"That sounds nice." Jaune couldn't help but smile at the fact that Abu had found happiness, one that didn't rely on misery.

"Yes, yes. And we have arrived." The camels stopped on Abu's command as he tried to dismount. But his ailing health meant he couldn't do even that much. Wordlessly, Jaune gently picked him up, giving him a ride on his back so Abu wouldn't need to exert himself. Luckily, the man was extraordinarily light from a life of frugality and work. "Genesis Dunes and Zehd, the first place created by the Seeing Sun and where Uriel ascended into the sky." He weakly spoke. "It is here."

In front of them was Vacuo's oasis. The body of water that gave its people food and drink. The body of water which provided them with baths. The body of water which even carried small deposits of dust which were siphoned off from the river streams.

Four rivers, all in the cardinal directions, all facing outwards. It was always a mystery to everyone how such a thing could happen, but it seemed that Jaune had an answer now.

"You know what to do."

Indeed. Jaune did.

He threw both of them into the oasis.


They didn't fall unconscious, no. They stayed awake as they fell in the waters. The animal part of Jaune's brain yelled at him, telling him he was going to die as he delved into the deep oasis with heavy armor and a frail old man. But Jaune carried on anyway, he'd seen much more magical things happen in the past few weeks and this was far from the most outlandish.

Indeed, his survival instincts were proven wrong as they were hit by a wave and suddenly washed up on a shore.

Jaune hacked out the water which had invaded his system when the wave knocked the air out of him and as soon as he regained his faculties, yelped. He swerved and looked for Abu, who might've fared much worse in the dive. Luckily, the man had landed without issue, lying face up in the sand.

Except it wasn't sand. It was dust. It was dust, both one color and a multitude of colors. It was dust in every color Jaune could think of. It was dust, but yet not dust. It was what dust used to be, a grainy formless nothing that was the byproduct of creation itself. It was dust and Jaune could sense the sheer power radiating off of it.

"Oh my." He looked up, away from the shore that he realized looked a lot more alive than water could be. He looked up, towards the desert, and saw something magical.

Genesis Dunes stood before him, a large peaceful plains of dust. The floor was made of pure white dust. Not white in the way ice dust sometimes was, for even that had an ever so slight shade of blue. Not white in the way air dust could be, for that was simply transparent. No, Genesis Dune's floor was made of pure white dust. Scattered around the pure white were giant beings of pitch dark that Jaune realized were Grimm. Except these were far more primordial and horrifying. They were giant writhing pitch snakes that were like black holes in an otherwise still world.

The sky was pitch black as well, for it was also made of dust, but instead of a shade so bright it hurt Jaune's eyes, the dust of the sky was so black that it absorbed the light around it. There were large crystalline formations in the endless abyss of the pitch black dust sky that burned against the void, creating stars in the distance.

It was surreal.

It was everything.

There was a palace on a dune on the white sands. There was a palace on a dune on the black sands. Those two palaces were in fact, one in the same, a giant complex that bridged the two deserts together.

Radiating from that palace was aura. Jaune knew what aura could be like. He'd felt strong auras. Though he was still rather strong, Raiden's aura was weak. Qrow's was a bit stronger. Winter, whose semblance necessitated plenty of aura usage, also conveniently had a very strong aura. Many veteran hunters in their prime had auras like raging infernos.

But none of them held a single candle to the aura radiating from the palace. If the strongest one he'd seen before was a raging fire, this was the sun. It was giant, bright, unyielding, and made Jaune feel like an ant beneath someone's heel.

"Ah, Genesis Dunes, Zehd." Using what little strength he had, Abu had twisted to see where they were. "Finally, I see it."

"Yeah." Jaune was speechless. The place itself was mind boggling in of itself, but the power coming from Zehd had short circuited Jaune's brain. It took a moment to process everything that had just happened. It took a moment for Jaune to steel himself, for he still had a promise to uphold.

"Now, would you please carry me to the center of Zehd? Where I may finally rest easy?"

"Yeah, I promise." And an Arc doesn't go back on his word. Jaune picked Abu up and carried him on the knight's back, beginning to walk through the sands. What stunned Jaune the most was how quiet it was. The rivers of primordial water that ran in both the sky and ground was still, its only movement being spitting them out. Now, it was totally silent.

Even the pitter patter of his footsteps were muted by the sands. Of course, Abu didn't let there be silence for long.

"My life didn't cease when I was married. No, Samiya insisted that we live with my family. They grew fond of her as did she to them, so it was natural. Life was good. I even had a child, a daughter. I was still a younger man back then, my father somehow hale and hearty and my mother still as lively as ever. In fact, they joined me on their mission of penance. For the crimes of me and my uncle, they would together pay the price with me. Really, it just meant helping others more than they already did. Our food was shared, our labor given with minimal costs, and our humble group freely accommodating people until they got where they needed to be."

"Sounds great." A life Jaune didn't know if he could have. Could he ever settle down? Ignoring the prospect of marriage, which was a can of worms he didn't feel like opening, what would it be like to settle down? He supposed this apprehension was a byproduct of youth, at least he went with that for the time being.

"Yes, it truly was." There was a brief moment of silence as they reached the foot of the dune that held Zehd itself, the palace created as Uriel's final escape. "It couldn't last, of course. It seemed that history repeated in the most tragic way possible.

"The Crown, pretenders of Malik, slaughtering the faithful. It came like that bolt of lightning, all at once, destroying everything. They killed almost everyone. My brothers, my wife, nieces, and nephews. They all were buried, all to eliminate the age- old enemy of Malik the Sunderer." Abu sighed, too tired and weak to hold onto anger. Now he just sounded resigned. "I pity them. So stuck in the past that they can see anything else. So determined to hold onto old grudges that they'll never see the sun without a blinding haze of hate."

"That's why you were alone." Jaune blinked.

"Yes. But that happened twenty years ago. I will never regret the 50 years interim. I've had time to watch my child go from but a little girl asking me to tell her a story, to a young woman with clumsy hands that pouted as I braided her hair, to an adult who found life of her own. Thankfully, she's still alive."

"She is?" Jaune only realized that amongst the casualties, his daughter was never listed.

"Yes, yes, I listened to my own advice. When my daughter wished to leave the caravan to explore the world herself, I listened. I made sure she'd find a good life, and let her be. I visited often. She's taken to the modern world better than I had. In fact, you found me right after I had visited her, which I now realize was the last time." There was a sorrowful expression on his face. "Say, Jaune-?"

"I'll go find her. I'll tell her. Just, say her name and where she lives."

"Thank you, thank you." Abu weakly muttered. "Her name is Rashida. She lives in the city itself, funnily enough, but I don't have enough time to say goodbye. Tell her I'm so sorry for not giving her a chance to say goodbye, for making her experience a sudden departure once more." One last regret.

"I will, I will."

"Thank you, thank you." Abu repeated it as they slowly ascended the dune. Jaune and Abu's combined weight made it slow, but steady. "Ah, Zehd is as marvelous as I imagined. The final act of creation by Uriel, the final thing she gave the world. It is a beautiful thing."

"Yeah." The palace was more of a temple, with stairs on the outside that led upwards to the center of the sun. "It is. Let's get you up there, alright?"

"Yes, yes." Abu's breathing switched between light and ragged with every few steps, worrying Jaune as he slowly trickled his own aura, effectively acting as an impromptu life support. "The creation of Zehd came at a high cost. To even enter Genesis Dunes, Uriel needed a sacrifice. Her caretaker, who had been by her side for so long, gave himself up willingly so that she and so many others could live." Every step was heavy and reaching closer to finality. Jaune felt scared, he felt scared because Abu wasn't, because Abu was calm and ready for the end. "It was there where she realized there was no escape. She gave everyone safe passage out to Vacuo itself, but knew that she herself couldn't go. After all, Malik's target was her. So, she stayed here. She ascended to the realm of the Seeing Sun in spirit, but she left her body.

"Her body, the ring, the eyes, the three gifts of Uriel that had not yet been returned to the Seeing Sun. For everything else was temporary, these three things were born by God itself. These three things must be returned or else Uriel will never truly rest." Silence reigned once more as Abu explained his reasoning.

"..." Jaune felt a need to talk, to say something, anything. "Do you feel scared? Of your faith dying? Of Fulgurism truly perishing? Of it fading away, barely even a footnote in history?"

"Of course not. For Uriel's preachings and the seeing sun need not praise nor worship. Uriel was but a teacher, what she taught is what's important. She taught kindness, but not softness. She was human, undeniably so, if not in body then in mind. As a human, she deserves more than worship, she deserves acknowledgement. For her failing to discipline Malik, for her compassion in helping so many, and in her restraint from trying to abuse her god given gifts.

"What I'm trying to say is that humanity will find itself fine without remembering her or the Seeing Sun. As long as they're virtuous, praise matters little. Even the faithless have a place in the holy kingdom." They were getting closer, step by step. Very close, actually. Just a single flight more.

"I see." Jaune found a bit of comfort in that answer, strangely enough. "I see."

"Heh." Abu chuckled. "Now, let's see what lay in the middle of Zehd, let's see Uriel one last time."

Jaune didn't know what to say when they reached the top. How would a chamber uniting the two temples even work? One with no gravity? Then how come he couldn't see anything on the roof. Then again, he couldn't see anything on the floor. It was one room on both temples, despite the fact they were facing each other as if the line between the dark and light sands was actually a mirror.

But that mattered little, at least in comparison to what lay before them.

On a simple frayed mat, on the floor, was Uriel. Her body was still, eyes closed, yet somehow perfectly preserved. Jaune could sense it, she was alive, she was very alive. But she was old, her aura was extremely old, ancient even. Her eyes were closed, her robes torn and charred, her hair messy, but she was still incredibly beautiful.

She meditated on the floor.

"Let me down, Jaune. I can walk, I've worked up enough strength."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes." With that, Jaune let Abu down. He stumbled for a bit, but managed to catch his feet. Jaune watched with entranced eyes as Abu stumbled forward, walking closer and closer, step by step. "Uriel, you saved me more times than I can count. You saved me from myself, you saved me from perishing like my family, and you saved me from dying alone. I have so much to thank you for.

"You have given the world so much. You have given so many people their lives. But you work tirelessly. I have heard your cries. I have heard your screams. I am sorry, I am sorry, for letting you suffer on for so long. In my hands I have the last gifts from the Seeing Sun, the last things that, when returned, will finally let you be at peace." He placed the ring on her finger and the eyes in her palm. "Finally, I give to you, finality." He then unsheathed the knife retrieved from Malik's tomb, and stabbed her in the heart. "Thank you."

Uriel's eyes opened and she let out a long breath. Her aura immediately reacted. If it was a sun before, it was now a supernova, larger and stronger than ever before, yet it was oddly calm. Awakened once more, Uriel looked between Abu and Jaune, before smiling.

"Thank you." She let out in a raggedy voice, one that hadn't been used in centuries, before perishing, her aura disappearing almost immediately like a star snuffed out by a cosmic giant's hand. She fell to her side, her body breaking down at last in an instant. Her skin and flesh became sand, her destroyed heart a burning fire, her head a mess of flowers, her stomach an urn, and her innards a snake.

"You're welcome. And thank you." Abu weakly let that out before falling to the side himself, perishing like Uriel. Jaune's eyes widened as he saw his cloak move before noticing that it fell, as if nothing was there to begin with. Soon slithered out another snake, much like the one that came from Uriel.

Together, the two snake slithered off into the Genesis Dunes, finally allowed to move on.

As for Jaune, he was left to live, to mourn, and to go forth himself until the day it'd be his turn.


Imo I think I could've used flashback sections more. While I would've justified my current thing in that I wanted jaune to still be there, imo it's mostly exposition from Abu. Whatever, it is as it is.

Also, for some more info on the whole next fic thing, I guess I should explain the world. It's actually just remnant. I'm reusing a lot of stuff, but there'll be quite a few changes. First of all, something something years ago, the gods that had previously left the earth to have war with each other had both ensured a mutual kill, their corpses falling to the ground on a medieval Remnant.

The Elder Brother became a subterrannian complex with entrances scattered about Remnant, which served as portals to an infinite realm of fantastical technology. In fact, this technology is so advanced that it's worth braving the multitudes of incredibly deadly security systems to just get anything. All technology not directly from the complex is actually born of it, derived with a mixture of observation, ingenuiety, and creativity.

On the other hand, the Younger Brother's corpse became part of the earth itself, forming the Grimm Continent. Where as the Elder Brother was the Machine God, the Younger Brother was the Animal God. As it descended, it was flayed and dismembered, its many parts falling to the ground and eventually being picked up by humans. These animal parts, called Charms, have arcane effects that can be used by living creatures, mainly humans, who are called Animists. Some are lucky to be born with these Charms, having them grafted onto their body and granting them innate arcane powers. These people are called Faunus.

Faunus, Animists, and tech straight from the Elder Brother's corpse do not get along. In fact, they cancel each other out, causing Charms to fizzle out and technology to glitch in volatile ways. Between the two, however, there was a shared element. The blood of the two gods spilled out onto Remnant as they fell and continues to leak. That blood is called dust, which is necessary to the functioning both technology and Charms.

Threats still continue to plague the world. Besides the deadliness of the Elder Brother's Corpse, from the endless bile of the Younger Brother was born Grimm, animalistic creatures that feed off of humanity's fear. These abominations of shadow and bone are terrifyingly strong and humanity has been using Charms and technology all the while to keep them at bay. Making most fear are the great calamities, the biggest Grimm that rose from the corpse of the Younger Brother itself, becoming giant unstoppable monsters that spawn more Grimm in the area they reside.

But that's background details. What you care about is the characters. To give you an idea as to who you'll be reading about, I guess I can tell ya. We got Ruby Rose, a weaponsmith in the Valean Republic who will go out of her way to make every single weapon exemplary in some way. Weiss Schnee, the daughter of a great dust company in the Technocracy of Atlas, who is probing around the bureaucracy to make sure everything is up to code. Blake Belladonna, a mysterious faunus dedicated to cataloguing and researching Charms. Yang Xiao Long, half sister to Ruby and on a quest to get vengeance for her mother and father. Jaune Arc, a folk hero of the Valean frontier (where Grimm are far more common) who always saves the day. Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren in the Animist Empire of Mistral, who are just two young hunters who make a living fighting. And Pyrrha Nikos, a Argonian who became a war hero at a very young age.

All of that and far more. If you wanna hear about how a character has changed or even suggest an idea, go to the writer's discord I'm in I guess.

Until next time.