The streets of Snowmire were hazy with smoke. During the panic the previous night, people had begun to riot as most of the militia was focused on mobilising against the potential dragon threat, not maintaining law and order as they usually do. Some had taken advantage of the chaos to pillage and plunder. Some had done worse, judging from some of the bodies that lay in alley's and how gallows set up in the market square were filled with swaying corpses.
Jaune felt sick at the smell and the sight, but his resolve quickly hardened when he saw the list of crimes those men had committed, pinned to the post near where they hung. It was a good thing they were dead. To do such monstrous crimes, let alone during a possible dragon attack, was a god's damned atrocity. It was men like them that made him want the dragons to win and just burn everything to the ground already.
"Jaune!"
He blinked and turned away from the swaying bodies. Blake was tugging at his arm, her face twisted with concern.
"I was yelling at you for five minutes." She teased half-heartedly. "You got me worried."
He smiled reassuringly, turning away from the swaying bodies and giving her his full attention.
"Sorry. I was just wondering how people could do such things when a fire-breathing monster could be about to murder them all."
Blake narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the list of crimes the men had committed, then she shrugged.
"Good riddance to them. It's a time of crisis that brings out the worst of mankind, not the best Jaune."
"It's when there's a crisis people rally together to survive. Like the people rebuilding Nördliche Burg, or when there's been a forest fire or flood."
"It's sweet that you think that Jaune." Blake replied, smiling in an almost condescending way. "Let's hurry up and get your armour shall we?"
Before he could reply she turned and dragged him across the square. It was beginning to get busy again as families returned to their homes and foreign merchants took the opportunity to flee whilst they could. He couldn't blame them for being rattled. Due to its colder temperament, Atlas wasn't too popular to most dragons and was spared the worst of their ravaging compared to Mistral or Vale or Vacuo. Nördliche Burg had been an outlier but Snowmire too? That made it seem more like a pattern.
"Will any blacksmiths still be open?" He asked, trying not to get irritated at Blake's blatant dismissal and the air of superiority she seemed to radiate whenever she tried telling him the world was nothing but doom and gloom.
"Although the dragon hasn't attacked yet, everyone's still on edge. Most blacksmiths will be giving out weapons and armour to those who fight for free. Afterwards they'll expect it back or receive compensation, so they're fine acting like a charity for a bit. If they refuse they seem greedy and people will be less likely to use them for business for not helping the community when it was needed."
"I still have some of my supplies." Jaune told her, patting the pouch he'd picked up when they had dropped in at Tukson's to check on the supplies they'd left. The innkeep had looked haggard and tired, but he'd welcomed them warmly and assured them their rooms were theirs for as long as they needed. They told him where Ruby was and asked him to bring her there, feeling guilty they'd just left her behind at a stranger's house. Then they'd picked up Jaune's pouch of riches and set off for the market. "So I doubt pay will be a problem. Just the equipment itself."
"We don't have the time to get you something custom sized and whatnot, so you'll be slightly disadvantaged. But at the very least some armour will give you some protection and we'll make sure to get you a nice, sharp sword so you can stab stuff. We can get some better gear once we've killed this dragon."
"If we kill the dragon, does that mean I can go straight to the Order of Drachentöter and get immunity from the Inquisition?" Jaune asked, feeling hope, true hope, rise in his chest for the first time in forever.
"I don't know much about them." Blake mused, folding her arms across her chest and cupping her chin whilst she thought. "But considering you need to kill a dragon to even be considered as an initiate I suppose there'll be some sort of initiation ceremony. But yeah."
He grinned at her and only just stopped himself from hugging her. This damned nightmare might finally end soon! He could go back to Nördliche Burg, or even Ansel!
"Jaune." Blake said tentatively, a worried expression on her face. "You…You'll still help me on my quest won't you? Even if you gain immunity from the Inquisition?"
Jaune almost swore. He was angry at himself for getting his hopes up. But he was even more angry at himself for being so self-centred and forgetting about his promise to help her.
"Of course! I…I just got carried away for the moment." He replied earnestly, and she seemed to relax minutely. It made him relax too. Despite the circumstances of their first meeting and the relatively short amount of time they'd spent together, he'd come to truly count Blake as one of his friends, one of his true friends that was.
"I'm sorry Blake." He murmured after a few moments of silence. "I just…I just miss home."
Her neutral gaze fell into a sympathetic look. Whatever tension she felt from him forgetting to aid her faded quickly and she nodded at him.
"I know the feeling Jaune. I just hope we'll all be able to go home once this is all over."
He nodded back at her before he smiled at her. This time she smiled back.
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"Well, well, well. You two are the first to visit today, but after last night it's understandable why business isn't exactly booming. How can I help you youngsters?"
The blacksmith was a stout man with thick arms and a round belly. His hair was black with soot but speckled with grey. He had a great big, bushy beard and warm, fatherly eyes crinkled with lines of both age and laughter.
"Good morning." Jaune smiled politely, put at ease by the warmth of the blacksmith's demeanour. "I'd like a set of armour and a sword please."
"My, my. It's rare for my customers to be so polite. A welcome change! Of course lad, I've got plenty of armour and plenty of swords. Follow me." The blacksmith leaned forward and winked conspiratorially. "I keep the best stuff in the back. Don't want it getting nicked when I'm not looking."
The blacksmith pushed himself to his feet and grabbed a nearby stick, before using it to limp forward. Jaune couldn't help but stare at the stump where his right knee was missing.
"It's rude to stare you know?"
Jaune blushed and began stuttering an apology, whilst Blake seemed to tense slightly, but then the blacksmith began guffawing loudly.
"You shoulda seen your face. I'm just messing with you kid. The fact I don't have a leg's the best part of me, gives me lots o' sympathy from the ladies." The blacksmith chuckled, waggling his eyebrows. Jaune could see Blake roll her eyes in the periphery of his vision. "Lost it in the Rights War ya see. Saved me from doing much fighting."
Jaune glanced nervously at Blake, who had suddenly tensed and let her hand drift to where she kept her katana hidden beneath her cloak. The blacksmith noticed.
"I don't blame ya, don't worry kiddo. Besides, I'd thank the bugger who took my leg if I could. It meant I didn't end up killing anyone and I got all the sympathy of being a war hero."
Blake nodded at the blacksmith and gave him a small smile to show her gratitude at him trying to alleviate the suddenly tense mood. The atmosphere felt friendlier again, and Jaune followed the blacksmith inside his smithy, gaping at the rows of weapons he saw and the stands of resplendent armour.
"It's beautiful." He murmured, staring at an ornate chest plate with tangles of vines sprouting from the shaggy fur of a wolf's head.
"It's nice of you to notice. I try my best with this stuff and at best I get a few extra coppers for a tip. Bah. People have no taste these days." The blacksmith grinned at him. Blake entered silently, though Jaune could see her checking out some of the daggers in the corner. "Now you look like a strong lad and you're plenty tall. I'm guessing you're here cos you're wanting to go hunting for that dragon?"
Jaune nodded. "I'm willing to pay though."
"Music to my ears. Follow me."
Jaune did so, following the blacksmith as he guided him towards a stand of plate armour. It wasn't as detailed as the others in the room, but seemed just as well forged. The helmet was round, with two slots for the eyes and small holes near where his mouth and cheeks would be. The chest plate consisted of a long plate of metal covered in chainmail and a tabard displaying the colours of Snowmire's guard. There were shoulder plates, elbow plates, gauntlets, and armoured boots and protection for his knees.
"This stuff is heavy. Roughly forty-five to fifty-five pounds. But it'll protect you from pretty much anything. I also may or may not have contacted an old friend of mine to provide a minor protection from fire, but don't tell anyone or the Inquisition will be hammering down my door. You can move pretty fast, especially when you get used to it, and from just looking at you I can tell it'll fit decently. I've been saving this for the young adventurer sort, and you fit the bill kid. What do you say?"
Jaune surveyed the grey, shiny armour, and pressed a hand against the cool metal, feeling for indentations. It was smooth and shiny. Brand new. Ready, waiting to be used.
"How much?" Jaune asked, almost hoarsely at the sudden feeling of completeness he felt when he touched it. Armoured up, armed up, he could finally pull his weight, be a help to his friends rather than a burden.
"I like you kid, probably shouldn't since you're a customer and I'm supposed to swindle you, but I do. 2,500 Lien."
"Will this do?" Jaune asked, taking a handful of brooches and other valuables from his bag. The blacksmith took them, feeling their weight and biting the gold ones. Then he shrugged.
"Sure. This stuff will probably be more useful than Lien to be honest. I can melt it down and make some good stuff for my richer clientele. I'm guessing you'll be paying me using more of this stuff for the sword?"
Jaune nodded.
"Fine by me. The armour's yours kid. I'd offer you a hand putting it on but I only have the one arm to offer, the other's needed for my crutch. Fortunately for you, you have a pretty lady friend over there." The blacksmith grinned and nudged his elbow at Jaune's arm. "Shout me when you're dressed and I'll help you find a sword. Oh, and no sex in my workshop."
The blacksmith limped out of the smithy, humming a jaunty tune, whilst Jaune just stood and stared at his armour with a reddening face.
"Need a hand?" Blake asked suddenly, making Jaune jump. She cocked her head and grinned humoursly at his reaction.
"I…Yeah. Sorry. You startled me. Yes, I need a hand doing the straps when I get it on." Jaune replied, and Blake nodded before leaning against a nearby shelf.
"Get started then. Tell me when you need me."
Jaune nodded and hastily began pulling on the chainmail and tabard and plates of armour. Then he paused. He opened his pouch of valuables and took out one item before tying it up again. It was the ring that marked him out as an Arc, as a member of the nobility. One day, combined with the seal his father used now, it would be a symbol and mark of his authority as Lord of Ansel. If he wasn't killed by a dragon, bandit or inquisitor that was.
He unlooped a thread of string keeping his tunic tied, exposing his neck and part of his chest, and tied the string into a necklace after looping it through the ring. He put it around his neck and tucked the ring down his tunic. Then he nervously unbuckled his belt, from which his pouch of valuables hung. Blake stepped forward and took them both and put them to one side, rolling her eyes bemusedly at his flustered expression, and then helped tie the leather straps that bound the armour to him, grumbling under her breath at the harder, less pliable ones. Before long the only thing left to add was his helmet, which he held in his hands.
"Go on then Jaune." Blake encouraged with a wry smile. "The sooner you get used to being sweaty and stuffy under there the better."
Jaune did so, slotting the helmet over his head. He could see less, but at least the slots gave him a decent view outside the helmet. His breathing was loud and his warm breath bounced back into his face uncomfortably.
"Well?" He asked, giving an awkward twirl, armour jangling together. "What do you think?"
"I'm just so overcome with emotion." Blake deadpanned, wiping a pretend tear from her eye. "You're all grown up!"
"Hardy har har." Jaune replied, rolling his eyes. "But seriously. Do you think this is the right armour?"
Blake pursed her lips for a few moments before she shrugged.
"You could do with a full plate that fits properly, but this is the best we can get at the moment. Besides, if what the blacksmith said about it being partially enchanted is true then that'll definitely come in handy when we face down this dragon."
Jaune nodded before yelling for the blacksmith. The man limped in quickly, a grin on his face.
"You obey the rule kid?" He said, before giving Jaune a once over. "The armour looks like it fits well. Good. Now how about we find you a proper weapon eh?"
Jaune nodded and followed the blacksmith, grateful the helmet hid his blush. They walked down row upon row of weapons, until they finally stopped before a long bastard arming sword with a straight cross guard and a blade designed to slide in and stab an enemy. He picked it up, testing it's weight in each hand, before nodding.
"This is the one." He said, tilting the blade to get a better look at it.
"Not even gonna swish it through the air a few times?" The blacksmith asked, brow raised in curiosity.
"I don't need to. This is the one, I can feel it." He replied confidently, taking a few more trinkets from his pouch and giving it to the blacksmith. The blacksmith took it and nodded.
"Well it was a pleasure doing business with ya."
"Likewise. Thank you." Jaune said, bowing his head in thanks. He didn't have a scabbard, so he just held the sword in his hand as he made to leave the smithy. Before he and Blake left however, the blacksmith called out to them, and limped out of the backroom carrying a leather scabbard and a metal kite shield which was painted in the colour of Atlas-Vale's flag.
"Here. You've been a good customer, and I can write this off easily if you promise to give me a good word to your friends." The blacksmith said, almost sheepishly, as he handed Jaune both the shield and the scabbard. He took them gratefully, tying the scabbard to his belt and sheathing his blade before slinging the shield over his shoulder so it rested on his back.
"Thank you so, so much. I swear on my honour as an Arc I'll tell others of this place." Jaune replied honestly, glancing at the sign and committing the name to his memory. "Thank you again."
"No problem kid." The blacksmith grinned. "Safe travels out there."
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Blake and Jaune quickly returned to the Polite Crane, where they found Ruby at the bar eating from a plate of cookies and drinking a jar of milk. She held up a hand to silence them as they made their way over to them.
"Firstly, cool armour Jaune. It looks good." She said, munching on a cookie. "Secondly, screw you guys for just leaving me behind. If it wasn't for Tukson arriving and paying compensation for the food and drink we had, some little old lady would've killed me!"
Jaune stared shamefully at the ground. He hadn't been thinking. How could they've just left Ruby sleeping in someone's house? What if it hadn't been some little old lady? What if it had been someone like those men who hung at the market square? He felt sickened.
"Thirdly, Blake what the hell? I don't think I know anyone who recovered from Silver Sickness as quickly as you did. Fourthly and finally, I'm eating these cookies, drinking this milk, then going to bed. I'm barely awake. I may have used a bit too much magic last night, so I'm sorry if I won't be able to help you guys."
"Don't apologise Ruby!" Jaune blurted. "We should be the ones apologising. Right Blake?"
"Yeah." Blake admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "We shouldn't have left you. I'm sorry. We're sorry."
"Eh. It's fine. I've got these cookies as compensation." Ruby replied, before sipping some of her milk. " And the milk's pretty good too."
She yawned, eyes drooping before she jerked suddenly.
"Woah. I think I'm more tired than I thought. Go kick some scaly ass for me, will you? I think I'm gonna pass out…" She mumbled, before her eyes fell shut and she fell backwards. Jaune quickly caught her, his elder brother senses kicking in, and he lifted her as gently as he could in his arms.
"I'll put her to bed. You should start thinking of a plan." He told Blake, who nodded. He then carried Ruby down the corridor to the bedroom she shared with Blake. He used the key Ruby had wrapped around her neck to unlock the door and he tucked her into her bed, only taking off her cloak and boots before pulling the sheets over her shoulders. She grumbled and wrapped them closer around herself, making a warm cocoon around her. The sight was so cute he couldn't help but smile.
He then left Ruby, trying to be as quiet as he could in loud, jingling armour. He locked the door but slid the key underneath so Ruby could get out if she needed. The man swaying in the market square had reminded him of some of the danger that lurked in the world.
The Polite Crane was surprisingly full and bustling, a sharp contrast to what it had been earlier. Many of the faces present were unfamiliar to him, though he recognised a woman as one of the ladies who had been arguing after someone's waste had been thrown on Ruby's cloak by accident.
"Why's it so busy all of a sudden?" Jaune asked Christine, who was standing away from the bar with the sullen, dejected horror of an introvert suddenly being surrounded by unwanted people.
"People are suddenly a lot more fond of us after we gave them shelter last night." Christine replied, glaring at a particularly drunk couple who were starting to get a bit too handsy in what they must've thought was a secluded corner. "Now they're all willing to eat the slop Tukson calls food and drink his drink as some sort of repayment."
"I'll leave you to it then." Jaune said, sensing the poor woman wasn't adjusting to the sudden change all too well. That sense was quickly proven true when she stormed off to deal with the handsy couple, whose hands were now doing things to one another that you really shouldn't do in public.
Ultimately it was Blake who found him, not the other way round, she asked about his blushing and he waved his hand in the general direction of the couple. Blake scoffed.
"As if she's getting any actual enjoyment from that." She said, before she paused and cocked her head as if in thought. "Unless she's an exhibitionist."
"Ahem." Jaune coughed, wanting to get the conversation back on track before they delved into territory that was very much off track. "Do you have any ideas about what we should do?"
Blake smirked, clearly wanting to tease him by making remarks about the situation, but Christine was jostling the couple out of the Polite Crane and with her ammunition lost she shrugged and guided him to a quiet alcove.
"Not really. For starters no one is really sure the dragon actually exists. It hasn't been confirmed yet. But from what I've heard listening to rumours around the bar there are two main areas we need to check out." Blake explained, raising an empty mug to cover her lips so no one could read them. It was something nobles did to try and limit the amount of information their rivals, or even their ally's, spies could be gathering from them. In this case it was more that Blake believed there was a modicum of truth behind the information she'd heard and she didn't want any potential eavesdroppers knowing. 20,000 was a vast sum of Lien, even if it meant killing a dragon to get it. At least that was what Jaune thought, he may have been wrong and overthinking things.
"Where is it?" He asked. It was an innocuous question, so he didn't need to pretend to take a sip. If they each 'drunk' whilst the other spoke then it would be obvious to anyone watching them.
"One is a shepherd a way's down from Snowmire, on the southern slope. Apparently he saw the dragon, tried warning Snowmire but ended up conveying the message onto a guardsman at an outpost halfway up the mountain because he was too old to finish the climb himself. The second is the western Fang. Apparently a dragon used to call a cave there home until it was killed by members of the Order of." Blake said, before resting the cup on the table. Jaune took a 'sip' from his own.
"We probably aren't going to kill the dragon without Ruby." Jaune replied, thinking out loud. He saw Blake nod in agreement, so he continued. "I've seen her magic in use at Nördliche Burg, it'll cripple the dragon easily. I think we should split up, scout out these two areas then regroup. Hopefully it'll be at one of them. Then we wait for Ruby to recover and go finish it off. Does that sound like an agreeable plan to you?"
"Sure. But there's something else we need to address first." Blake said. "Tyrian."
"I thought you said you wanted to wait for Ruby to get up before you explained?"
"I do. I'm not telling you my story with him just yet, but I want you to know it could be possible he isn't operating alone."
"What do you mean?"
"When I…knew him, Tyrian often worked with two other men. Arthur Watts and Hazel Rainart."
"Wait, did you just say Arthur Watts!? And Hazel Rainart?!"
"Yes."
"Blake, those two are the most wanted men in Atlas-Vale! Do you know what Arthur Watts did?"
"No." Blake replied. She was lying. She was shifting and refused to meet his gaze. Jaune knew better than to demand answers, so he played along for now.
"Arthur Watts killed the Crown Prince and he fatally wounded King Jacques! And don't get me started on Hazel Rainart, the traitor to the Order of Drachentöter and wanted for murdering nearly a dozen of their members! How do you know these people?"
"I...look I already told you I'll tell you with Ruby. I'm not trying to avoid giving you answers," Well that was a straight up lie, he thought to himself. "I just don't want to repeat myself. My memories with…of them aren't very pleasant."
That much was true. Jaune sighed, but he nodded and smiled at her reassuringly.
"It's okay. I understand. Thank you for warning me."
Blake smiled back tentatively.
"It's fine. Jaune…I really do want to tell you. I will. I promise."
"Do you swear on your name as an Arc?" Jaune asked teasingly. Blake rolled her eyes, making him smile more. It was nice to turn the tables for once.
"I'm not an Arc." Blake replied.
"Well I suppose a pinkie promise will have to do." He retorted, holding out his gauntleted pinkie. Blake rolled her eyes again but she was quick to wrap her own pinkie around his and give it a firm tug.
"Now then. How do we decide who climbs up a mountain and who climbs down?"
Blake paused for a moment.
"Rock, paper, scissors?"
Jaune shrugged.
"Sure. But let's clarify what happens first. It'll just lead to arguments over who actually does what."
"Whoever loses climbs the west Fang." Blake replied and Jaune nodded, adopting a stoic expression and readying his fist of his palm.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!" They yelled in tandem, smashing their fists onto their open palms. At the last cry, each formed their chosen weapon. Blake chose rock. Jaune chose paper.
"Damn it." Blake muttered, slumping against her seat.
"I'd say sorry but…" Jaune said and Blake shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you back here in the evening."
Jaune waited for her to leave the Polite Crane before he shook his head. Who knew she'd be such a sore loser?
Jaune slotted his helmet over his head, borrowed a waterskin and some food from Tukson before he left the inn and made his way towards the southern gate of Snowmire. He wanted to his horse, but he wanted to ease it into getting used to him being armoured. Going straight down a mountain and then up again a few hours later probably wasn't the best way to do that.
Seeing him well armed and armoured and clearly stating his intention to hunt for the dragon, the guards quickly let him through and he was out of Snowmire.
It was quiet and peaceful, and the further he travelled the stench of human waste became less and less potent. It was weird being alone for so long, but he shrugged off the feeling and continued on his mission.
Except it wasn't a feeling. It was a primal warning, because Jaune wasn't alone.
The moment he had exited the Polite Crane he had been followed. Rather than try to follow him through the gates, it had snuck through a blind spot in the wall's patrols and trailed after Jaune in the wilderness that lay on either side of the road. If Jaune turned around, for even a brief moment, he would've seen red eyes staring intently at him, body shrouded in a cloak.
It could sense his emotions. The brightness of his soul. It wanted to maim and tear until neither remained. But it stayed its hand. This human had a destiny to fulfil.