Hey all, I'm alive and back and finally writing again, yay. Thank you all for being patient and ready for this next chapter, it's a pleasure to finally return to my writing. I hope it shows.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Magic: The Gathering. RWBY is property of Rooster Teeth and the amazing mind of Monty Oum (RIP), MtG is property of Wizards of the coast
Beta reader: CelticsPuppy
Will led Hazel further into the castle away from the cells and while moving through the halls he heard what sounded almost like an argument which roused him from his own inner thoughts about what the soldiers said. Moving towards the voices he found Rowan in one of the armory store rooms with two others. Rowan sat on a crate drawing a whetstone down her blade as their friend Titus stood in front of her, arms crossed and an imposing frown crossing his face. The other occupant Cerise draped herself over a bench while she slowly wove a peach-colored flame around her fingers. Cerise took her eyes away from the pair and acknowledged Will's arrival with a small wave to him and Hazel but otherwise looked bored. As the new arrivals walked into the room Will spoke up, breaking whatever tension was rising "Hazel found a pair of Blue faeries in the Gallery and followed one into the dungeons."
Cerise rose from her lying position with great interest, "They'd never dare if the High King wasn't missing."
"Let's see it." Said Titus in his usual bossy, skeptical way. Will pulled out a sharpened key from his pocket and showed them, and once in the open Titus looked startled at the item before focusing on Hazel "Did you kill them both with your sling?"
Hazel smiled before declaring "I got the first one in the Gallery, but the other one got away. Don't worry my friends and I will go hunting for any others that got into the castle!"
The small girl gained a triumphant look as she declared her intent especially as Rowan came over and inspected the small 'sword' "Good work Sapling."
Hazel grinned widely at the praise from her elder sister before the grin faltered as Rowan's expression darkened "The Wilds are growing bolder by the moment, but with Father gone the courts aren't coordinating their efforts to stem the tide as they should be."
"The other courts don't respect the Queen as they ought to with her accomplishments," Will spoke up "But that means none of this will end until we find Father."
"If only they could of gotten information out that nut job." Titus spoke up before Will and Rowan both said, "He's not a nutjob."
Cerise stood up, "Well how do you both know? He claims to not know anything about the Realms, the Wilds, or magic? What are we supposed to think?"
Titus nodded in agreement with Cerise while Hazel spoke up "he doesn't seem crazy to me."
"You need to stay away from him little one," Titus kneeled next to the young princess "even if we want to believe Ro and Will, that man is still a criminal it's not safe."
"But he said he wanted to help." Hazel said innocently before Titus stood up and looked at Rowan and Will as Rowan said "Then let's see if he can help us when we go."
"Go where?" Hazel turned her head curiously as Titus rolled his eyes and Will said "But Ro—"
"Did you forget today is our Birthday? Who's stopping us? And we can recruit for quests." Rowan spoke with a fiery grin while Will sighed thinking about what the soldier's spoke about, he didn't want his birth or its circumstances brought up as he said "That's all very well, but there's a proper ceremony to follow when a youth leaves on their first quest. Not to mention do you think Mother will allow us to take Jaune out of the dungeons?"
"Do you really care about some hidebound ceremony? All these rules are made to control us." Rowan spoke back vehemently.
Will rubbed his forehead thinking back over the past few months since their father's disappearance, Rowan had made a great many comments and complaints about "The Rules." He did think that sometimes people cared more about what looked just and right than what actually brought justice and peace.
"This is our quest," Rowan said. "We are going to find father."
"Plenty of others have been looking for months now," Titus remarked. "What do you think you have that all those experienced knights don't?"
"Knights like you?" Rowan snipped with a sardonic smile as a challenge.
Titus took a rough, angry breath glaring at Rowan before Cerise tsked "Temper, Titus. Anyway, she's right."
Titus let out an exasperated exhale "Very well."
"Very well, what?" Demanded Will.
"We'll all go," said Titus. "Loyal friends forever, just as we pledged that day we fell into the moat and never told anyone."
"Children aren't allowed to climb the moat wall!" announced Hazel with a look of alarm followed by a pinched look of her eyes contemplating what all the twins had gotten away with before.
"Have you really not climbed it yet?" Rowan asked teasingly.
"Hazel don't listen to her because it's very dangerous and we were fortunate not to of drowned," said Will while shooting Rowan a look. "Anyway, we can't leave because of the storm."
"All the better to go now since no one will be expecting us to leave," Rowan grinned. "Will, you have to come. I need you, and you need me. We can find him. I know it."
"Do you have a plan?" Cerise would speak up while letting the pearl like flame dance down her fingers and into her palm, before Will spoke up, "We go to Vantress first."
Titus would speak up, "Do you really think a hundred other knights have not thought of offering a secret to The Magic Mirror? All of them have been rejected. What do you think you can do to not be?"
Will gave his friend a smirk, "I have a better secret."
Cerise let the fire in her hand go out before placing the hand onto Will's shoulder saying , "Do you? What is it?"
"That would be telling." Rowan spoke up with a growing grin before gesturing to two sets of gear, "I already packed for you Will."
"Just me?" Will said eyeing the second pack of gear which was only met with a grin from his twin as she said, "we're going to grab Jaune as well. I have a feeling he could be helpful. If we move quick, we can go while the court is preoccupied with the latest disasters. Hazel can let Mother know we've left so she won't worry."
"She will always worry because worry is a burden mothers carry with every breath of every day."
All of them turned startled by the new voice. Looking at the doorway they were greeted by the queen as she stepped into the chamber. Cerise and Titus saluted to Linden while Will gazed at his mother with slight worry, yet Rowan remained defiant in her gaze. While Linden assessed the assembled gear and occupants Rowan noticed Linden was alone, no courtiers on her heels.
"You can't stop us from going!" Rowan said with her chin raised in defiance of anything her mother would say. The Queen simply smiled wryly before saying , "I won't stop you from going, no more then I stopped myself from going when I was your age. The day I turned eighteen is the day I left my village to test myself. To prove myself. I expect nothing different from you two. But I am sad you would have left without allowing me to say farewell."
Rowan stood frozen for several breaths, then embraced her mother. Will heard a few telltale sniffles-from Rowan, of course, not the queen. He held back, allowing the queen to give Titus and Cerise her blessing. Only when they left the chamber did he say in a low voice, "Before I go, I want to warn you I've heard people talking about you."
"My dear Will, do you think I don't know what they say? But it is so like you to be worried about me." Linden took Will's hand and tucked it between both of hers. "Now. Cado is waiting at the Postern Gate. Please allow him to accompany you at least as far as Vantress."
Will looked confused, "Didn't he just return from searching? Is he not going to rest even for a day?"
Gaining a solemn expression Linden says , "He feels responsible for not being with your father that night."
"It wasn't his fault." Will spoke up.
Linden looked at Will with a sad smile, "Nor do I believe so. But he and your father have ridden many leagues together. They are loyal friends. Cado feels the weight of Algenius's disappearance most especially because it's clear a mage or a witch stole his shape to fool your father. Let him accompany you for his sake. Maybe a little also for mine so I know an experienced eye scouts your path. Not that I think you and Rowan aren't ready to go, because you are ready."
She kissed him on the forehead in the comforting way she had done when he was little and feared nightmares. Then she stepped aside, with Hazel stifling tears beside their mother, so he could step out of the chamber and towards Rowan before she said, "And Will."
Turning to face his mother she held out a key, "tell Jaune that this will be his trial to prove his innocence."
Will nodded before taking the key and with Rowan the four friends made their way into the dungeons where they heard voices coming from around Jaune's cell. "Why have we had to waste good food on this lout."
Titus raised an eyebrow before they all heard a blow land and a cough making the four move faster. "We'll figure out exactly where you took the high king boy and when we do, I'm gonna enjoy- "
"Enjoy what Sira" Rowan spoke up as they saw into the cell where Jaune was chained to the wall by his wrists and looking roughed up, a tray of food strewn across the ground in front of him, and two guards in his cell in front of the man. The guards quickly straightened themselves saying , "Prince Will, Princess Rowan. What are you doing down here?"
Will stepped up and unlocking the door he said, "We are here to collect the prisoner."
"But your highness we can't let him go without consent of the queen." The younger guard spoke up before Will retorted, "and who do you think sent us buffoon."
The two guards grit their teeth before moving aside. Will undid Jaune's chains as the blonde huntsman collapsed into Will as Rowan growled at the guards, "Since when has beating prisoners become practice!?"
Cerise moved forward to the two boys to check on Jaune but saw the boy was uninjured, the roughness of his appearance being from the grunge of prison life and food splatter. The guards were trying to find words before Rowan said, "You are both a disgrace. Get out!"
And the two guards rushed out before Will let Jaune stand on his own. As Jaune spoke up dusting himself off, "Not that I don't appreciate this. But what's going on?"
"You're coming with us to find our father." Rowan said with a grin that would rival Nora's own. Jaune looked between the prince, princess, and who he could assume were their friends before asking, "I-I'm being let out?"
"Not exactly…" Will said as Titus grumbled by the cell door, "this is to be your trial of sorts. Help us find our father to be found innocent."
Jaune was flattened by that but quickly smiled hopeful to be seen as innocent finally letting out, "when do we go?"
Titus finally spoke up saying in his gruffness, "After you get dressed in better clothes and wash your face."
Blushing at the comment he nodded, "Well thing is, I don't know where my armor is nor do I have a basin."
Will nodded saying , "Follow us. We'll take you to get armored and cleaned."
After a walk through the dungeons and into a more well-lit area Jaune was given a fresh set of clothes and given a restroom to clean himself, which he didn't take long. After fifteen minutes or so he was cleaned, and dressed in a white linen shirt, blue pants, and boots that fit him well enough. Coming out he found the larger boy holding his own nap sack and glaring at Jaune as Rowan came up and handed Jaune Crocea Mors, "This is a very interesting sword Jaune. The mechanisms aren't like anything the smiths have seen before."
Jaune couldn't stop the nostalgic smile from spreading over his face as he took his family's blade and drew it. The blade was oiled and well taken care of despite it being taken away from him months ago. He would click the mechanism and startle Titus and Cerise as they saw the white heater shield expand. Jaune then sheathed the blade and retracted the shield saying, "it's very simple compared to my friends."
His voice tinged with sadness and nostalgia before Will patted his shoulder, "we'll find a way to get you home Jaune."
Jaune smiled before taking some pauldrons, Faulds, greaves, a chest plate, and bracers from the assembled armor as Titus spoke up, "don't you want more armor? You'll be crushed without more."
The Huntsman in training shook his head saying , "it's alright. I'm training to be a huntsman, this is plenty."
Titus simply shrugged, "so long as you are prepared."
Will would tap Rowan on the arm as the twins nodded to each other before Will spoke up, "Let's get going, Syr Cado is waiting for us at the postern gate."
The five companions nodded and picked up their nap sacks and made their way outside, Jaune feeling the rush of mana from outside the prison fill him with new energy again. Looking at the four friends thinking back to Remnant and his friends and internally told himself, 'I will make it back guys. Just wait a little longer.'
The story finally continues, how will Jaune react to a true quest and adventure without the threat of Grimm around every corner? well there are plenty of scary things in the multiverse, you never know.
Review Shoutouts:
CelticsPuppy: My editor is very well paid I will have you know, and they put up with my BS in person as well.
Zander22122: Thank you for the suggestion, I hopefully did a better job and won't make the same mistake in the future.
Firetrail: I know right? well I hope you continue to enjoy my story as it progresses.
Until next time all, this Celt is out.
