EDIT: Format fix
"Kalé sent you, did he?" The wolf-man muttered, lowering his sword and planting it into the grass. Jaune lowered his weapons, too, relaxing as the other man took his hand off his blade to cross his arms. A huff escaped the wolf-man's feral lips, sounding almost amused. "Ever the bloody busybody. Hmm… Perhaps to him, you don't seem so strange. Very well, I am the man you're looking for. Blaidd, half-wolven warrior."
Jaune nodded in greeting. "Jaune, wandering Tarnished."
"Tarnished, eh?" Blaidd mused. "Not seen much of your lot recently. You new to these parts?"
"I… suppose you could say that," Jaune shrugged. "though, to be honest, I'm not quite sure if that's true or not."
Blaidd tilted his head in confusion. Were the circumstances different, were Blaidd a regular wolf, the gesture would've been cute. The fact that he stood head and shoulders above Jaune really detracted from that charm, though. "Hell's that supposed to mean?"
Jaune's face scrunched in thought. "I have no recollection of how I got here. No memory of who I am, or what I'm doing here. The only thing I know is my name, and that I'm meant to be doing something right now." His fist clenched in frustration, the leather of gloves creaking under the pressure. "I just… I don't know what."
"Heh, not so uncommon, that. Least you admit it." Blaidd leaned against a nearby section of broken wall, his brow raised questioningly. The fingers of his armored gauntlet drummed idly against the metal on his arm, a steady staccato. "So? What is it you need of me? I'll at least hear you out, but no promises."
The shift in tone surprised Jaune. Despite the guarded language of his body, Blaidd spoke warmly, his voice questioning but not uncaring. It was unexpected, given the hostilities Jaune faced from most other people he met; the guards at the Stormfront Gate, the Tree Sentinel that sometimes patrolled near the church, even the condescending Varré. Blaidd's kindness was a stark contrast to it all.
"I am not strong," Jaune admitted abashedly as he realized he'd been quiet for a tad too long. His hand came up to rub at the back of his neck awkwardly. "Already, I have died due to my lacking ability. Were it not for this world's unfortunate case of widespread immortality, I fear my journey would have ended long ago."
"Fortunate for you, then," Blaidd grinned. "And so? What am I to do about that? I cannot offer the strength of Runes, if that is what you're asking. If you couldn't tell, I'm a far cry from a Maiden."
Jaune smiled at the joke. "Kalé only said that you might give me guidance."
Blaidd cupped his chin and stroked the fur underneath, a contemplative hum on his lips. "Guidance, huh…? Not entirely sure what he means by that, but… I think I have a grasp of it."
"You do?"
A small huff, perhaps a chuckle, escaped from Blaidd in a rush of air. His lips pulled back in a feral grin, and he kicked off the wall to stand directly in front of Jaune. Nervously, Jaune fought down the urge to step away as the other man loomed over him.
"If you're inclined to get stronger the old-fashioned way, then I bid you join me," Blaidd offered. "I'm on the hunt for a man, goes by the name Darriwil. A traitorous sort, that one; he's fled somewhere nearby, or so I've heard."
He turned away and went to retrieve his blade, still stabbed into the grass. With an expert twirl and a ring of metal as he brushed its surface against a nearby stone, he lifted it onto his shoulder with such ease that the gargantuan blade might as well have been made from paper.
"It's not likely to be easy, and amongst all of history, experience has proven to be the best teacher of all," Blaidd explained with a grin. "Along the way I'll teach you how to wield that sword of yours. Who knows? You might not even die that often."
The words weren't very comforting, but Jaune supposed that was the point. It was an offer of strength through hardship, and should he accept Blaidd would not hold his hand, but rather guide him down that path. It was a better alternative than blindly stumbling about like he's been doing, and for the time being he would have a goal: the hunt for this Darriwil character. However long or short this quest may take, he would make the most of it.
Jaune nodded firmly. "When do we begin?"
If it was possible, Blaidd's grin stretched wider. Effortlessly, he pointed off to the side with his sword. Curiously, Jaune walked over to see what he was pointing at, only to be pinned in place by the snarl of a truly titanic bear. He turned to warn Blaidd but found that he was no longer beside him. A whistle from above made him look up, only to see Blaidd sitting leisurely atop the spire where Jaune first found him.
"First I need to see just what I'm working with," Blaidd called down. "This rune bear should prove to be a fine measure!"
Before Jaune could even utter a curse a giant paw slammed him into a nearby section of ruined wall, hard enough to crack the stone. Pain exploded across his back and raced through his body, a weak groan falling pitifully from his lips as he struggled to rise to his feet.
As the rune bear let out a feral roar and charged forward with its gnashing maw, Jaune only had one thought.
He was going to kick Blaidd in the bollocks later.
"Welcome to the Armitorum, milord. Are you here to see the Master today?"
Jaune shook his head with a gentle smile as the attendant greeted him. "No, not today. Though, I would ask how he is doing, if you know?"
The attendant, an Omenkin woman, smiled and nodded. "The Master fares fine, according to the Oracle," she answered, a hint of adoration in her voice. "She works tirelessly to treat him well, you know how it is. Are you here to see her?"
With a nod from Jaune, the attendant dutifully led him through the halls of the Armitorum, Leyndell's master forge and the heart of the city's growing manufacturing structure. Though the technology of the Lands Between was severely behind that of Remnant's, magics in the form of incantations and sorceries easily helped towards closing that gap. Soon enough, with the materials and tools refined in these halls, all the Lands Between would be connected on a level hitherto undreamt of.
Still under construction, walking through these halls was task in itself; bustling with activity and alive with noise the work of the citizens was clear for all to witness, another testament to progress that allowed pride to swell within Jaune's chest. Occasionally he would assist those he saw struggle, his magic and powers making quick work of the labor of a dozen men and women. As he walked, some citizens went out of there way to kneel before him, and with as much grace as he could he urged them to return to their work. The attendant smiled at the scene, continuing to lead him through the Armitorum and to a pair of doors that lead towards the rear sanctum. Stepping forward, Jaune held the door open for her.
"How goes construction?" he asked as she passed him, letting the door swing shut with a resounding thud of heavy wood.
"According to schedule, milord," she reported. "There was a small issue regarding a material transport last week. A group of bandits robbed a convoy carrying stone and ore on the passage to the Grand Lift of Dectus. Thankfully, Silver Knights from the Royal Academy were able to respond and retrieve the supplies after receiving support from a squad of Tempestus Knights in the region."
Jaune raised an eyebrow at that. The Tempestus Knights were the first company of Nephelli's Storm Walkers, each of them an elite knight well-versed in magic and combat straight from the capital itself. As far as he was aware, they should have been deployed in Caelid, stemming the Servants of Rot and maintaining dialogue with the Redmane remnants. Nephelli hadn't told him of anything happening in Liurnia, so there should be no reason for the Tempestus Knights to be so far from Caelid.
He would have to ask her when possible.
"You'll find the Oracle here, milord," the attendant nodded toward a nearby door. "Recently, when she is free from tending to the Master, she has been spending time here, no one else allowed in. A few of the cleaning staff are concerned for her, as am I. Hopefully hearing from you will do her some good."
The attendant knocked on the door firmly, and after a moment a soft voice could barely be heard from behind the wood. She went to knock again but Jaune laid a hand gently on her shoulder. He knocked on the door himself.
"Roderika? It's Jaune. Are you free?"
Suddenly, there was the sound of clattering metal and scraping wood, and not a moment later the door swung open. The woman that jumped out was ragged in appearance, at least in comparison to when he last saw her; guiltily, he recalled that was some time ago, akin to a month or two. Roderika, no longer a mere spirit tuner and recognized as a true Oracle, looked as if she'd just stepped out of a fire, her white dress spotted with soot and sweat clinging to her face. Her normally pristine hair was at odds with itself, strands frizzed and ends sticking up this way and that; her eyes were lined with pronounced bags and bloodshot with exhaustion.
"...Attendant, you are dismissed," Jaune murmured. "Thank you for your guidance."
The attendant glanced between him and Roderika warily, evidently warring with herself. The concern on her features for her charge was clear–and admirable–but Jaune knew there was a reason Roderika had restricted the number of people able to enter this room. Eventually, with a reassuring nod from him, the attendant sighed softly and bowed, turning back the way she came with the occasional glance back at the two.
With an exhale that left him feeling more weary than he'd felt in a long time, Jaune stepped into the room, his arm gently guiding Roderika in with him.
"...milord, I apologize for my unsightl-"
"Just… just Jaune, Roderika."
Roderika bit her lip. "Right, Jaune. I'm… sorry for my appearance. I didn't know you would be coming today."
Jaune clicked his teeth. "I don't care for your appearance, Rika. I care for why you appear to me so. Have you even slept?"
The way she refused to meet Jaune's gaze told him the answer to that particular question. Taking stock of the room, he surmised that it was likely her personal quarters. Lining the walls of half the room were a series of shelves, some of them filled with tomes and books while others were adorned with some kind of equipment he wasn't privy to. Centering the wall was a desk, scattered with papers, quills, numerous inkpots and withered candlesticks. On the other side of the room was a fireplace in the center of the wall, and sitting in the corner was a bed, its sheets unkempt with a wooden trunk at its foot. The entire room was a mess, though. Where the floor was dressed with a crimson rug, it could only be seen beneath the plethora of items that littered the ground: books and papers mostly, but there was some other items like a crystal ball. But what caught his eye was a small device sat in the middle of the room, of which the mess was centered around.
"What were you even doing here?" Jaune asked as he led her over to her bed, careful with his steps. Roderika had no such concerns however, her boots brushing aside papers and books without a care as she shuffled beside him.
"Research," Roderika answered softly, her voice rugged with exhaustion. "Your story of the iron giants, the ones that float upon metal wings… I've been thinking of them lately."
Jaune hummed as he recalled the story she spoke of. It was ages ago, back when she was still trying to find her purpose in the Roundtable Hold; his memories at that point had been dripping back into his mind slowly, and among the first were the airfields of Ansel, the place where his mother worked–though he didn't yet know that at the time. All he could recall were huge machines that could fly, with speed surpassing that even of Glintstone pebbles. His dreams seemed fantastical back then, but he hadn't expected Roderika to remember even that. It was just passing conversation at the time, a question she'd asked about his amnesia and what he could remember.
"If we could make them a reality," Roderika continued, "much of our current issues could be resolved."
"If you took to the skies with these machines, the dragons would swat them out of the sky," Jaune rebuked.
"But-"
"Enough, Roderika."
At the use of her name, her protests quickly died. She was in no condition right now to be winding herself up. Sighing, Jaune shifted himself onto the bed beside her, the wood creaking under their combined weight. Pulling off his gloves, he gently turned her so that her back was facing him, and he went to work smoothing out her hair. Taking her golden strands into his fingers, he found himself humming. This little routine of theirs stretched as far back as their first meeting; back when their first words to each other were of pain and loss. It was a comfort for the two of them both, and some could say it was the basis for their bond. It wasn't long before he could visibly see the sway of Roderika's body as she struggled to stay awake. Leaving her for a moment, he left the room to flag down one of the maids. He came back in with a tub of water and a towel, and he set both of them down at the foot of the bed.
"C'mon Rika, stay awake for me," he urged. "You can't go to bed filthy like this."
She nodded sleepily, turning so that she was facing him and allowing Jaune to wipe away the soot and sweat on her face. Honestly, times like these, Jaune easily forgot that she wasn't his sister. Yet, from the moment they'd met, something about her had lit a sort of familial instinct in him. Now, he understood just why her blonde hair and blue eyes evoked such feelings in him, and in reality, it didn't quite matter that they weren't family by blood. As he helped her out of her clothes and wiped her body with nothing but a cursory glance, he was her brother in all but name.
Wringing the water for the final time, he shifted over to the trunk and pulled out a pale nightdress. Slipping it over her head, he tugged it down and helped her wear it properly, (a task not helped by how unwilling she was to lift her arms). In short order, she was soon tucked beneath her blanket, and Jaune watched her for a moment with her hand held in his as she began to properly nod off to sleep.
As her breathing deepened, and her grip weakened, he was left to his own devices. He slid the basin of water and the towel outside the door for the maids to retrieve, then went about cleaning the mess in the room. It might've been comical from an outsider's perspective, seeing the most powerful individual in all the Lands Between doing something so mundane as cleaning, but one of the reasons he gathered the papers was that he was admittedly curious about Roderika's work. Many of the papers were sketches; carefully drawn designs of what looked to be some kind magic cylinder, embedded with an indentation upon which laid a magic crest of some sort. One of the pages revealed the crest to be an activation trigger for a gravity sorcery, specifically a repulsion spell. Looking further revealed that a small Glintstone crystal was designed to be housed within the cylinder. His brow scrunched as he tried to piece together what it was he was looking at, but suddenly he recalled the story of the flying iron giants, and the roar of their engines.
It was a thruster.
With wide eyes, he turned to the small device in the center of the room: an open ended cylinder, no bigger than a thermos from Remnant. His magic sense confirmed the presence of a Glintstone crystal hidden within, and a quick glance saw the magic crest from the sketches engraved into the metal material. He debated on testing the thruster himself, but–his gaze flicking over to Roderika's sleeping form–decided against it. Were the device faulty, the repercussions of activating it could be… explosive, given the type of sorcery that crest triggered.
Sighing, he picked it up carefully, as well as a stack of the papers he'd gathered, and delivered them to the desk. As he continued to tidy up the room, his thoughts wandered. Was it wise for him to expose the Lands Between to the technologies of Remnant? If he were being honest, that was the main hangup that he had with Roderika's research. Her words were true, that flying transports would solve many of their logistical problems, but to carelessly claim the skies brought several problems he wasn't sure the denizens of the Lands Between were prepared for. Dragons be damned, it would not take long for someone to put weapons on those flying vehicles, and a new age of warfare would begin. That kind of strife was not something this world needed right now, not when its wounds were so fresh and its people were still reeling from the shift he'd taken on his reign.
Idly, he wondered whether he should call Marika to him to advise on what to do, but she was busy at the moment, reconnecting with Godfrey and familiarizing him with the new structure of the capitol. Besides, she would find out eventually once she returned to him later in the day. Once he finished cleaning the floor of paper and books, he gave a parting glance to Roderika before he slipped out of the room.
Outside the door, standing dutifully where the water basin had been, was the attendant from before. She turned to him eagerly as he came out of the room, her mouth creased in a concerned frown as she tried to peer into the room past his frame.
"Is she well?" She asked.
Jaune considered her for a moment, seeing the plain emotion on the Omenkin woman's face and searching for any form of deceit. Before today, he'd seen her a handful of times, and only talked to her fewer than that. Reaching out with his mind, he touched upon the attendant's intentions, searching for contempt, but was pleasantly surprised to find only adoration and worry for the other woman resting behind the door. If the attendant was bothered by his probing, she didn't show it.
"...what is your name?" He asked quietly. Seemingly startled, the attendant's mouth worked to form words but no sound came out. Smiling gently, Jaune laid a shoulder on her hand and gave a soft squeeze. "I see the care you hold for Roderika, and I am glad for it. It warms my heart to know that she is loved by others outside my company."
The attendant nodded slowly. "My name… my name is Rakna, milord."
Nodding along with her, Jaune gestured with his chin to Roderika's door. "Then, Rakna, your lady is fine, merely engrossed in her research. I am reinforcing her order that no one be allowed in her room, but please ensure that she eats once she awakes, and let her know that I am ordering her to take regular breaks."
"Yes milord. Will you be seeing the Master, now?"
Jaune thought about it for a moment, but ultimately shook his head. As much as he wished to see Hewg, it was ill-advised to re-introduce himself and risk jeopardizing Roderika's efforts to stabilize his mind. Metalwork was the only constant in that man's life, and that is all that Jaune expected of him for the time being. Hopefully he'd finished that project…
"I'll be returning to the Elden Throne for the time being. Please remember to pass only my message."
Rakna bowed. "It will be done, milord."
Glynda walked through the halls of Beacon with purpose. At this hour, students from the upper years were already up and about, some heading to the cafeteria for breakfast while others went about their morning workouts. As she passed, many of them nodded to her in greeting–a few of the more gregarious students enthusiastically waving at her—which she returned curtly. It pleased her to see many of them using their time productively, despite the fact their classes began next week.
Though, they weren't why Glynda was out and about at the moment. Initiation was just around the corner–two hours from now, to be precise–and she needed to deliver Jaune his new scroll, which was clutched in her hand. It was one of her own personal spares–the previous model to the current one that she now used–now wiped of her all of her personal effects and reset to factory standard. Fortunate that she had the foresight to keep a spare, rather than simply trade it in. Now to find Jaune…
He was in Beacon, that was for certain. He'd been present at last night's roll-call, and the airstation wasn't due to open for a few hours. Unless he scaled the cliffside himself, he had to still be on school grounds. In retrospect, it was silly that she'd imagine him anywhere else, but given his circumstances she felt she could be forgiven for her paranoia. That boy was different now, and she knew not the full breadth of his capabilities. For all she knew he could teleport.
Shaking her head, she entered the ballroom where the Initiates slept. To her pleasant surprise, quite a few of them were already awake and preparing for the day, dressed in their combat gear and idly mingling with potential teammates. They were scouting, pure and simple, and Glynda inwardly smirked at the futility of it. A few of them noticed her, but fewer were brave enough to greet her. She returned those greetings, but her focus was on finding Jaune. It wasn't hard, really. Mostly on account that he found her first.
Glynda jumped, startled, as Jaune settled against the wall directly next to her, leaning against it casually as if he hadn't just snuck up on her with unnerving ease. He was even wearing his armor, too; not the lighter, leather armor that he wore the day before, but the heavier plate armor wrapped in rags that he wore on the night of his return; all the stranger how she didn't notice the rankling of his gear. His helmet was at his side, tucked beneath his arm though he still wore the hood.
His gaze flicked her way with an amused glint, and she knew that Jaune was fully aware of his antics. "Good morning, Glynda," he greeted casually.
Sighing, she gave him a small smile. "Good morning, Jaune. Did you sleep well?"
"As well as anyone can in a room full of snoring teenagers," Jaune groused good-naturedly.
"Saying that makes you sound like an old man, you know," Glynda quipped, her smile curling into a smirk when he rolled his eyes.
"If I'm an old man, then you must be ancient," Jaune shot back with a grin. "Must say, you look good for your age. Family secret?"
Glynda's hand slapped the side of his arm as she scoffed in mock-offense. Honestly, where was the nervous boy she helped raise? Never would her Jaune think to trade barbs with her, playful though it was. Oddly enough, it didn't feel like she was talking to her god-son, but rather as if she were speaking with someone her age, an equal peer. Still, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing right now. Seeing the mirth plastered across his features was good enough for her; it was a sight better than the stone-carved stoicism she'd seen the past two days.
She handed over the scroll, reminding herself what she was here for. "Here," she said, "before I forget. You'll need this for Initiation."
Jaune took it into his hands like he'd never seen the like, turning it over with his fingers in curiosity. Glynda waited for him to at least open it, but he didn't, instead silently tucking it away into one of his pouches. "Thank you, Glynda. I'll take care of this one."
She nodded. "Don't lose it." Then she paused. "Have you eaten yet?"
Jaune shook his head. "No. I'd planned to eat after Initiation."
Glynda narrowed her eyes at him. "You have about two hours before Initiation, Jaune. You have plenty of time to eat."
"It's not for lack of time," Jaune assured with a small smile. He then reached behind his back and procured a bundle of cloth. Peaking over curiously, Glynda was surprised to see that within the bundle was a handful of meat strips, dried and seasoned to a dark red color. "I've something to tide myself over until then. Want one?"
He tore off and offered a small piece to her, and she took it carefully between two fingers. She looked it over, seeing the grains of presumably salt or pepper, along with the flakes of perhaps chili. She popped the piece into her mouth, and nearly coughed the piece out as spice flooded her taste buds, heat the likes of which she didn't know existed burning her tongue like hellfire itself. She sputtered and struggled to keep her mouth closed, all the while glaring at Jaune who was doubled over in open laughter. The other students were now glancing there way, much to Glynda's horror, and she quickly swallowed–a herculean effort in its own right–and beat a hasty retreat out the doors, Jaune's laughter following her up until the doors shut themselves behind her.
Wiping the sweat on her brow, she made a beeline straight for the teacher's lounge to wash the remaining heat down with some milk. As she stormed away, she couldn't suppress the smile that crawled over her features.
Brat.
With Glynda gone, Jaune slipped into the locker room, quietly searching for any stragglers lingering about. Thankfully, the locker room was empty, having observed the other students a few moments prior he estimated he had at least a few minutes of isolation. Reaching out with his senses, he began looking for certain types of Dust for Initiation. The lightning Dust crystal he'd stolen the day before was still in his possession, in fact, he'd brought it back to the Lands Between to have it carved and refined to fit into his gauntlet. Speaking of, the Carian knight gauntlet that he wore on his right hand–the one that contained the Glintstone crystal he used as a catalyst for his sorceries–had been modified to fit more crystals courtesy of Hewg. Slots for those crystals were now present on each knuckle of the backplate, with the lightning crystal embedded into the socket on his index knuckle; that left three extra slots for him to fill.
The entire point of using Dust as opposed to standard Glintstone for the catalyst was to hide as much of his magic capabilities as possible. Ozpin was likely already aware of his powers, but not the full breadth of them. While he was confident in his ability to fight the man should the situation call for it, avoiding conflict with him would be more ideal. Not only that, but Jaune would likely run into more mages in the future, given he'd already run into three of them, though two of them were a bit more ambiguous.
Therefore, fire was an easy choice. Sorceries were severely lacking in fire affinities, and while he could just as easily make magma projectiles to supplement, he wasn't really familiar with the school, hence, his control was unfortunately lacking. Given that Initiation was going to be held in the Emerald Forest, it would probably be prudent to not burn the entire forest down because he got careless with molten rock. And while he was well-versed in a variety of different Incantation schools, chief among them the school of the Godslayer's Black Flame, throwing balls of fire or streams of flame seemed a tad flashy for the objective at hand. Still, the benefits of being able to inflict fire upon his opponents were numerous, especially since he could form a blade of fire with Dust as the catalyst.
His second choice was ice, primarily to amplify his ice sorceries. To be frank, he was mostly curious to see what would happen if he casted an ice sorcery using an ice Dust crystal. Would its potency be magnified, would casting it be easier or quicker? For something like Adula's Moonblade, either of those bonuses would be immensely beneficial to its efficiency.
The last one was gravity Dust. While it might amplify his gravity sorceries, his main focus was its synergy with Loretta's Greatbow. The arrows from the Greatbow were designed to be volatile, exploding upon impact. Depending on the effect gravity arrows had upon impact, they could be used to great effect in controlling enemy movement.
Retrieving those crystals was easy, his telekinesis proving the task less than trivial, though the fire Dust crystal he retrieved was a little larger than he really needed. Oh well, once he had it cut he would have plenty of spare material to experiment with. He slipped the three crystals into his pouch and made to leave when footsteps caught his attention. He was mildly surprised to meet the emerald eyes of the girl from the night before; though, rather than the flannel pajamas she wore then, she was dressed in… well, it was an interesting set of armor, to be sure. Its focus was obviously more on spectacle, rather than any serious protection–were those heels?–but given the outfits he'd seen before that seemed to be the norm. Team CFVY's leader, one Coco Adel, came to mind.
The girl's eyes quickly scanned him from the bottom up, then lit up in recognition. "It's you!" She exclaimed.
"Well met, miss," he greeted casually.
"Oh! Um, yes, it's good to see you again," she replied a bit awkwardly, her smile a little crooked. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name last time. I'm Pyrrha Nikos."
Jaune bowed his head slightly. "Jaune Arc, a pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha."
"Right…"
The two of them stood in awkward silence as the conversation trailed off, neither of them knowing what to say. Internally, Jaune wondered about this Pyrrha Nikos. Her words from the night prior alluded to fame of a sort, but what form that renown took was unknown to him. Given the ornateness of her armor, perhaps she was a decorated fighter? Maybe a model of some sort, given her beauty? He had a scroll now, courtesy of Glynda, so maybe he'd look her up sometime in the near future.
But right now he had more pressing matters.
Nodding once to her, he made to leave. "Good luck today, miss Nikos. May your fortunes prove fruitful."
"Um!"
He stopped when he saw Pyrrha move towards him, her mouth opening but the words seemingly getting caught on her tongue. He quirked a brow at her, urging her to continue, and she cleared her throat.
"Would you… er… that is to say, would you like to be partners?"
Jaune… didn't exactly reel in surprise, but he did blink. Partners? With him? To be fair, he knew that he would have a partner, and furthermore a team that consisted of himself and three others; he'd read as much after talking with her in the first place. But why did she want to partner up with him? If her words last night were to be believed, she was famous. Would it really be alright for her to bind herself to him? Someone who, to her knowledge, was an absolute nobody?
"...why?"
Pyrrha blinked. "Eh?"
"Why ask me?" Jaune pressed, a little suspicious.
A stray thought flashed through his mind, that this girl might be mage in hiding, but he quickly dismissed it. While she had magic, which he could feel even now, it wasn't being concealed in any way. It was barely there, oh so faint like thin cobwebs barely clinging to her form. Maybe he was reading too much into it?
"You… don't want to, then?" Pyrrha asked, disappointment crossing her face. If he wanted to be dramatic, Jaune might even say she looked sad at his words.
Jaune shook his head. "I don't particularly mind, but I am curious," he explained. "Then again, I'm not entirely sure partnership is up for us to decide… Well, in the event we do get to choose, I'm not opposed to the idea."
Pyrrha visibly brightened at that and nodded eagerly.
Seeing her improved mood, Jaune smiled and left.
It took a little patience, but once everyone's eyes were off him Jaune slipped out of Remnant, vision going dark for the briefest of moments before being replaced by the pale light of the Erdtree. He allowed himself to take a deep breath. It was always an adjustment, switching between the two worlds given the time dilation. Whenever he was in Remnant, he felt rushed; every second he spent had to be meaningful. But here, in the Lands Between, he could catch his breath. He still had his duties to attend to as Elden Lord, but somehow those gave him less stress than anything he did in Remnant.
Speaking of, his first stop was the Administratum. Closing his eyes, he slipped through the air once more. Taking a step forward, a cacophony of noise suddenly assaulted his eardrums, and he opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of the Administratum's Logisticaria. People bustled around him, unheeding of his presence as they busied themselves. He weaved his way through the chamber, making his way toward the back where he knew Diallos' office was. Stepping through the doors out of the Logisticaria and into the hallway, a pair of guards turned to him in surprise before immediately dropping to a knee.
"Milord!" One of them exclaimed, her head bowed. "My apologies, we were unaware you were coming."
Jaune smiled and raised his hand placatingly. "Raise yourselves, soldiers. I merely thought to check in on Lord Diallos. Is he here?"
The two guards exchanged glances, before the other guard nodded. "Aye, milord. He is in a discussion with a messenger at the moment."
"A messenger?" Jaune murmured. "From where?"
The guard swallowed, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.
"Farum Azula."
A/N: And that's a wrap!
Once again, thank you for your patience, and I am happy to see the story grow. I only hope that my content continues to entertain you all despite the increased time between chapters.
In regards to teh storeh, we have some mentor/student shenanigans with Blaidd! I'll be honest, he's among my favorite characters in the game, really only outclassed by Malenia and Melina. His voice actor is just too damn good at his job, and fuck if that voice isn't hotter than fresh toast.
Also! Honorary sister, loyal companion, and loving daughter, you know her, you love her! It's Roderika!
I really like the idea of Roderika and Jaune bonding over their shared conflict about their place in the world. Also, blonde hair? Blue eyes? C'mon, it was too easy for me to not take the idea and run with it. If I'm being 100% honest with y'all, she's actually in the running for the pairings. I love her character too, even though she's not as "cool" as the ones above, she's quite compelling. That, and her bond with Hewg is too wholesome for me to not give them a happy ending, though, as you can see it's still a work in progress.
As for her role in this story, she's meant to be one of the connection points between Remnant and the Lands Between. How, you may ask? Well, you're gonna have to wait and see.
Aside from that, Beacon stuff is still being set up, and if you're wondering why the Beacon stuff is treated so slowly, well, it's because of the time dilation. Every second Jaune spends in Remnant is 26 in the Lands Between, as you know. He can't afford to waste any time, so any spare time that he has he spends back in the Lands Between. Don't worry, things'll ramp up soon. BECAUSE
Farum Azula.
Yeah, I'm not even gonna be mysterious about this or play coy. Farum Azula is how Jaune's gonna fix this issue, but I'll leave the how to your imagination.
Anywho, once again, I appreciate y'all for stickin' around. Thanks for checkin' in.
Until next time!