RWBY: Destiny of Remnant

by UGX7

In the wake of the fall Team RNJR sets out to bring Cinder Fall to justice while the new Fall Maiden overlooks her master's plan in Haven City. Meanwhile Weiss tries to help a friend, Yang struggles with the loss of her arm, and Blake deals with guilt over the White Fang. Meanwhile someone from Cinder's past returns and Salem's newest pawn rises. Arkos, WhiteRose, SunnyBees, Renora

107. Tintagel

In loving memory of Britt Allcroft, Gene Hackman, David Johansen and George Lowe

Chapter 106: Tintagel

In the twenty-four minutes since the Andromeda had left the Schnee estate, Pyrrha had managed to lull the Wyvern to sleep with her Grimm Commander powers. Up above on the catwalks that hugged the walls of the stealth prowler's cargo hold, Ren and Nora looked down on the huge slumbering beast.

"There, sleeping like a baby. A giant fire-breathing, flying, capable-of-leveling-an-entire-city baby, but still!" Nora remarked, trying her best to be cheerful after the previous day's events.

Pyrrha gave her team partner a smile as she gently caressed the sleeping dragon Grimm's snout, "I don't know how long he'll be out, but it should be enough to make a call to my parents," She mentioned as she stood up, stretching a little before looking up at Nora and asking, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Nora knew that Pyrrha was referring to Odinson's murder, so she slowly nodded and admitted, "It's weird, I hadn't seen Papa Ody for so many years and even though I know he had a hand in a lot of evil, like what happened to my parents…but if it wasn't for him I might never have been born! And then he goes and gives his own life to protect me from being killed by that scary Son of Salem, despite the agony he was already in from his serious wounds. I feel really bad for him, even though I probably shouldn't."

Pyrrha listened as she climbed up the ladder to the catwalk, and she knew that Nora was saddened by Odinson's passing despite the crime lord's damning actions. She rested a hand on the bouncy hammer-wielding Huntress's shoulder and said, "While it's true that Odinson did many terrible things in his life, but since he was willing to die for you that meant he couldn't have been a completely evil person. It's obvious that he cared about you and your parents, as well as having deep regrets over what has happened."
She sighed gently as she stood beside Nora, then continued speaking, "I've learned that there are some people we can't simply label as good or bad, like Trooper and Ilia. Who knows what could have been different if Odinson chose not to follow Salem? Maybe if he had the chance, he could have sided with the Guardians of Remnant instead and perhaps done some good in the process despite his questionable ethics. Sadly, we'll never know for sure how much good he was truly capable of due to his death, but we can at least find some comfort in the fact that he died doing something good for once. I, for one, will always be grateful that you're still with us because of Odinson's final act, Nora."

Nora smiled, fresh tears forming in her jade eyes as she hugged the female Spartan, who was all too happy to return the affection. Ren said nothing, he just smiled at the sight.

Elsewhere on the stealth prowler, Jaune was sitting at a terminal in the communication suite with Spirit Dreamer, helping the young Prognosticator establish a secure connection to his mother's scroll after plugging in Jaune's scroll into an open port and getting the other connections ready so Pyrrha could speak to her parents.

"All right, I have established a secure connection. The system is calling your mother now," Spirit Dreamer said as she got up from her seat, "I'll give you some privacy." She then tapped a button on the control panel and the suite's lights changed from green to blue, activating a privacy field.

Jaune thanked the prognosticator as she left the suite, but briefly paused as he noticed the military rucksack containing the damaged remains of Crocea Mors. It wouldn't be an easy task to restore the family's ancestral weapon, but he would do his best if the Remnant Knights allowed him to use the weapon forges within Tintagel to reforge the legendary sword.
The blond took in a deep breath to calm his nerves, reminding himself to take things one step at a time. He just managed to compose himself into a reasonably cheerful expression just as his mother answered the call, her face appearing on the terminal's main screen.

"Hel-Jaune! Thank the Brothers and Sisters! We saw-" Joanna Arc let out a cry of shock upon seeing Jaune's bandaged form, "Oh Gods… what happened?! Did you lose an eye?!"

"Mom, it's okay! I'm fine! I just have to keep this over a new scar." Jaune assured his mother even as his father's face entered the screen from behind Joanna, who was on the verge of hysterics, "The medic assured me I won't lose my vision either, I'll be okay."

"Jaune, thank Oum you're alive! We saw reports of the attack on the Schnee's estate on the news! What happened?" Andre Arc asked his son.

Jaune told them a condensed version of what had happened during the battle at the Schnee Manor before concluding with, "Thanks to Pyrrha I made it out of there alive and uncaptured, though I've got some new souvenir scars."

"Thank goodness for Pyrrha. Is she all right? What about Nora and Ren and everyone else?" Joanna asked.

"Team Beacon made it out just fine, though we lost some really good people," Jaune told his parents, pausing briefly as images of Snow Blade and Klein flashed in his mind, "But we're okay. The refugees are all safe as well."

"That's good news, but I'm sorry to hear that not everyone survived," Joanna said, "So where are you right now?"

"On board an airship belonging to the Remnant Knights, en route to their headquarters." The Arc son answered, "Uh…well, you know that Grimm Wyvern that Pyrrha was riding on before I managed to restore her mind to free her from Salem's control?"

"Not an easy thing to forget," His father answered.

"Well…to cut a long story short, Cinder brought it to the battle at Schnee Manor," Jaune revealed to them, "It gave us some trouble at first, but Pyrrha used her Grimm Commander powers to turn it against Salem's agents."

His parents were briefly stunned silent by what they were told. Andre managed to recover first and asked, "Are you seriously telling us that you have a tamed Wyvern on your side now?"

Jaune gave a nod, "Pretty much, dad, and it turns out that the Wyvern isn't a full-blooded Grimm! It's a long shot, but the Remnant Knights are taking us to their headquarters because they might have a way of purging the Wyvern's Grimm side and restoring it back to a normal dragon. Well, as normal as a dragon can be, anyway."

"Well, I…certainly hope it all works out," Joanna replied, "And are you sure you're not in pain?"

"I'm gonna be okay, mom," Jaune assured his mother, "Besides, I've had way closer calls than this before, remember?"

Joanna shuddered at the memory of the first time she saw the scar left by Cinder's arrow that had torn through Jaune's torso, and how close her son had come to death, "Don't remind me, please!"

Jaune sighed, trying to give her a warm smile before he realized that there was no way to put off what he needed to tell them about Crocea Mors. Finally deciding to get it over with, he said, "Dad, Mom…there's something else I need to tell you. It's about Crocea Mors…it was shattered in my fight against Cinder."

There was silence for several moments but Jaune could see the widening of eyes on his parents' faces. His mother covered her mouth to conceal her shock while his father's jaw had dropped more than a bit. "Sh-she's that powerful?" Andre asked, struggling with his own disbelief that Cinder was strong enough to break the Arc family's ancestral weapon.

"Yeah, unfortunately. Like I said, I'd be dead if Pyrrha hadn't intervened," Jaune said softly, not meeting their gazes, "I'm sorry that I got Crocea Mors broken. I just wish that I had been faster or stronger, then maybe I-"

"Jaune," Andre cut him off, "If you're about to put yourself down again, you can forget it. We initially doubted that you would make it at Beacon, but you've proved both of us wrong."

"Very wrong," Joanna added, "We thought you'd be seriously hurt or killed, and while you have gotten yourself hurt, you did it to protect people you care about. You've made us all incredibly proud of you, so don't you dare go about calling yourself helpless or a failure just because you were beaten by someone strong enough to defeat Pyrrha!"

Jaune was briefly rendered silent by their well-intentioned scolding before his father asked, "Do you have all the pieces of Crocea Mors?"

He nodded and gestured at the military rucksack set beside him, "Yes, Ren and Nora were able to recover all the fragments. The Remnant Knights have offered their assistance in helping me reforge it-"

"Then take up on their offer. While Crocea Mors had been passed down throughout generations of our family, it's just as repairable as any other weapon. You're not," Andre told Jaune in a careful tone, "You're more important than any legendary sword, son."

Jaune felt tears welling up in his eyes, as he was feeling so relieved and comforted by his parents' words, "Dang it, I probably shouldn't be crying right now with this patch!"
The image of his parents smiled encouragingly at him from the communication suite's screen. "Don't forget that you're not, and never will be, an embarrassment to the Arc family, Jaune. You may have lost to Cinder Fall this time, but next time will be different." Andre told the Arc son.

"We have faith in you, honey. We all do," Joanna added, "So go fix that sword, and keep training to get stronger. Next time you face that awful woman, you and your friends will make her sorry for even meeting you."

Jaune's smile widened, "Thanks Mom, Dad…I really needed to hear that. I promise I'll reforge Crocea Mors, and hopefully make it better than before."

"We'll call up your sisters and tell them that you, Pyrrha and the rest of your friends are all right. Stay safe, honey." Joanna said as the familiar furry white form of the Arc family's cat Singer came into view on the screen, purring softly as he looked at Jaune's image on the screen and licked at it.

"Oh, looks like he heard your voice!" Joanna laughed as she gently took the cat into her lap and petted its back affectionately, "I swear, he misses you more than we do."

"Speaking of the Remnant Knights, I have a small favor to ask." Andre spoke up again.

"Sure Dad, what is it?" Jaune said as he leaned forward a little.

"If you can, try to put in a request to the Remnant Knights if I can have an interview with any of them…or at least if they can lend me a historical tome or two from their archives about the history of their Order. I know it's probably asking a lot, but being a historian my fellow colleagues would never forgive me if I didn't at least try. Due to the mythical nature of the Remnant Knights there are many people all over Remnant who are either curious or even suspicious about them, since there's very little concrete information about whether they really existed or not," Andre explained, his inner historian showing through his aged expression, "Perhaps it would be a positive course of action for them to try to be a little more open."

Jaune rested his chin in his hand, slowly rubbing it, "I'll have to ask Argentius and Soul Seer, since they're pretty reasonable when dealing with outsiders and they also rank highly in the Order. So if I were to pitch that idea to anyone, it would be them."

"You have my gratitude, son," Andre's face slowly smiled, which was also mirrored by his wife, "Even if they reject the request, it was still worth a shot. And tell everyone in Team Beacon that Joanna and I said hello as well."

"Can do, Dad." Jaune replied with a smile.

"And try to get us a picture of the Wyvern's true form, once the Knights manage to do…whatever they plan to do to save it. I'm sure it's both ferocious and majestic, like the dragons of legend," His mother added with an amused wink, "And give our love to Pyrrha, Nora and Ren too."

"I will, mom. Love you all, bye!" Jaune said.

"We love you too, Jaune. Goodbye and good luck, we also hope that everyone stays safe!" Joanna said before the transmission finally ended.

Jaune sat back in his seat, feeling much better now that the conversation was over, and had gone better than he had expected, since he had expected an earful of harsh scoldings. He glanced down at the rucksack containing the fragments of the sword as he opened the top again to see the various shards within.

"I'm going to reforge you into a new blade that's as good as before, maybe even better. I promise." Jaune murmured to himself before gazing for a few seconds and closing the rucksack's top.

He got up and walked over to the door just as it slid open to reveal his female partner who was right outside the communication suite, with Spirit Dreamer casually standing a short distance away, "I spoke to my parents; they're not angry about me getting Crocea Mors broken and are just relieved that I'm still alive."

"To be honest, anyone could have told you that's how they would react," Pyrrha replied with a smile.

Jaune returned her smile and said, "I guess you're right. My parents send their regards, and would love a picture of the Wyvern once we get its Grimm half fully purged."

Nodding, the redhead spartan remarked, "That won't be a problem, Jaune. Besides, my parents are going to want some pictures too." Her face suddenly grew pale as an unpleasant thought occurred to her, "Speaking of which, do you think Salem will try to retaliate by attacking our families?"

"If she does try, Salem's agents won't find it so easy," Spirit Dreamer spoke up as Jaune and Pyrrha turned to face her, "The Guardians of Remnant have assigned covert guards to protect your families as well as those of Team Beacon's after the Haven City incident. Grand Knight Master Seraph has also assigned some of the Knight Order's agents to keep a careful watch on them as well."

Pyrrha sighed in relief, "That's good to hear, thank you. Jaune, could you please help Ren and Nora keep watch over the Wyvern until I'm done? Just in case it wakes up."
"Sure thing," Jaune said before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek and then walking off to the Andromeda's cargo hold.

Spirit Dreamer led Pyrrha inside of the communications suite, and quickly established connections to the scrolls of both Hera and Zeus Nikos. After a few moments, their heads and shoulders appeared on the screen, going from looking visibly worried to instantly relieved.

"Pyrrha!" They both cried.

"Oh thank the Brothers and Sisters! I saw the reports on the news that the Schnee Manor had been attacked! Is everybody okay?" Hera asked as Spirit Dreamer stepped out again.

Pyrrha filled her parents in on what had happened, watching their reactions. Zeus looked away, shaking his head as Hera sadly looked at her daughter and said, "I'm sorry to hear about Klein, it sounds like he was a good, very dutiful man."

"He was," Pyrrha replied sadly, with a nod of agreement before looking at her father's image and asking, "Are you enjoying your new job, dad?"

Zeus managed a smile, "Oh yes, I arrived here at Beacon just a few days ago. Even though I enjoy training these kids, some of these first year students need to be toughened up for what's coming, if the past few weeks are any indication. With regards to my new co-workers, Port's a blast to be around and Goodwitch…well, she's a little strict but I think she and I will get along for the most part. Still, I can't help but miss a certain special woman in my life."

Hera blushed, "It is a little lonely without you darling, but Joanne and Andre's door is always open if I need some company. Just don't get too carried away."

Their daughter chuckled and quipped, "Yeah, take it easy on the first-year students, but I suppose you can go all out on the seniors."

"Right. They'll see where you get a little of your strength and skill from," Zeus joked, before he noticed his wife's expression changing slightly. She looked nervous, even ashamed. Zeus had seen that look on his wife's face before, and there was no hiding it from Pyrrha.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Their daughter inquired.

Hera's image looked at her husband for a moment before sighing and said, "I've been thinking a lot lately, honey. It's been on my mind ever since…well, ever since the Vytal disaster. When we got you back I was so happy that I put off talking about it, but it was still there at the back of my mind. Then the attacks on Vacuo and Atlas happened and now this…so I don't think I can ignore it anymore."

"Perhaps it is time we address this," Zeus said with a heavy voice. Pyrrha grew worried, wondering what possibly could have had her parents so upset.

"Pyrrha, I'm sorry about everything that's happened to you. I can't help but feel like it's our fault," Hera said, obviously trying very hard not to cry, "Now looking back at all that has happened, I feel that we should've given you more chances to have a normal life."

Pyrrha gave her mother a sad, sympathetic look, as she knew what Hera meant. Her road to becoming the Mistral Champion had begun when her father agreed to train her in various martial arts. Sometime later, when she was about seven, she participated in a martial arts tournament her father had hosted and naturally she had won, even managing to defeat skilled opponents several years older than her. A talent scout for a renowned sports agency happened to be there and immediately took an interest in the young Nikos, approaching the family and telling them that Pyrrha could become a star if she dedicated herself to her craft, which would naturally earn them millions if they agreed.

While her parents were intrigued by the offer, the idea of their daughter becoming a world-renowned champion and even a role model for young girls naturally appealed to them but it would also put a lot of pressure on Pyrrha. Finally, after a few days of careful consideration, Pyrrha agreed and thus began her long, difficult journey that would lead to her fame, occasional modeling and acting, ultimately earning the title of Champion of Mistral before she decided to attend Beacon Academy in Vale. Even though the Nikos family had made quite a lot of lien thanks to Pyrrha's fame and endorsements, they only kept enough for themselves and chose to donate the majority of Pyrrha's earnings to various charities for the sick and the poor.

Zeus sighed as he tried not to rest his face in his hands, "We began discussing this after…well, after we thought we lost you. We managed to put them aside when you returned, since it was just…too uncomfortable for us to really discuss. We also didn't want to bring it up with you because of the emotionally-vulnerable state you were in at the time."

Pyrrha nodded, thinking that her parents were probably right to avoid the subject given her own fragile mental state given her occasional hallucinations of Fotia Drakos after her return. She looked at her mother's image and gently began, "Mama, please don't blame yourself for-"

"No Pyrrha, if I had cared more about what you had really wanted, if I had thought more about the repercussions that it would have on your life, you wouldn't have been so alone for so long," Hera said, taking off her glasses and burying her face in one hand, "I'm so sorry that we took advantage of you-"

"You didn't!" Pyrrha said firmly, while trying not to cry herself, "Neither of you pressured me into anything, it was my choice. I didn't understand how much it would ruin my social life until much later, but by then I felt obligated to continue since I had put in too much effort to stop! Obligation to my fans, to the sporting agency, to the many kids who looked up to me…and to you both."

Hera clinched her eyes shut, "But I'm so sorry, Pyrrha…" She offered, her voice dripping with guilt.

"We both are." Zeus added dully.

"Don't be, please. If you're to blame for my loneliness, then so am I," Pyrrha told them as she wiped at her own tears before finally managing a warm smile, "Besides, my career wasn't all bad. I made a difference to a lot of people, inspired so many children…and it led me to Beacon, to my true friends, Team JNPR, and even m-my Jaune."
Yes, he was hers, just as much as she was his.

"So please, don't blame yourselves or think that you're responsible for the unhappiness I experienced. I did go through some tough times, but it was all worth it in the end for the people I have in my life now, and that includes both of you. Ruby, Yang and Weiss lost their mother and Nora, Ren, Blake, Scarlet and Sharp Strike have all lost their parents, so I count myself lucky that I still have you both, because if it wasn't for your support and the training you gave me, I wouldn't be here with all these wonderful people." Pyrrha told them.

"Oh Pyrrha, I wish you were here right now so I could just hold you," Hera said, smiling as she looked at her daughter with the love and affection of a true mother. It looked as though a great weight lifted from her shoulders.

"And I'd love nothing more than to just hug both of you and never let go," Zeus added, managing to put on a proud smile for his daughter.

"I wish I could hold you too…" Pyrrha said while smiling brightly, that perfect smile that warmed Hera's heart so much, "I love you mom, I love you dad, I always will. Nothing can ever change that, not even Salem's brainwashing."

Speaking of which…

Sniffling a little, Hera still managed a smile, "I know that face, it's when you've got to tell me something important. What is it?"

Plucking up her considerable courage, Pyrrha took a deep breath before telling her parents about the Wyvern. The redhead gave them the short version, knowing that she wouldn't be able to put into words how her Grimm Commander powers actually worked.

Hera's eyes were wide and her jaw was slightly dropped when her daughter had finished her retelling, "You mean…you actually managed to turn a Grimm that big against them?"

"Well, it's still a juvenile," Pyrrha reminded her mother, "So it's not as big as the one that attacked Beacon, but it's still a large creature."

Zeus smiled as he acknowledged the unusual feat, "That's my girl. Only you could have tamed a Grimm Wyvern and turned it against its own kind. You've made our ancestors extraordinarily proud, I think old Kronos himself would say you're the best of the family line."

Pyrrha smiled, remembering her great-grandfather Kronos, who had died when she was young but was a well-regarded Huntsman in his day. "Well, the Grimm aren't really its kind, but that's a discussion for another time. Trust me, it's a long story." She said.

Hera leaned back in her seat, while showing astonishment, "I knew you were very talented, but this…" She chuckled a bit, "You never cease to impress."

Pyrrha blushed, "Thank you. Anyway, I'm with the rest of Team JNPR and we're currently on an airship belonging to the Remnant Knights, en route to their headquarters. They believe they may have a way of purging the Grimm half from its body and restoring it to a true Wyvern."

Hera nodded, still amazed by what she was being told, "So what are they going to do?"

"I don't think I'm at liberty to say what it is, since the Knights want some secrets to stay that way." Pyrrha replied.

Giving another nod, Hera answered, "Of course, I understand. Well, just send some pictures if you can, please?"

"And once you have the time, try to get permission to fill in the blanks for us because I for one look forward to hearing this particular story," Zeus added, "Knowing the adventures you and your friends get up to, it's bound to be a good one."

Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle, "Jaune's parents asked for pictures too. Don't worry, we'll be sure to send some."

"Thank you. You're sure everyone's holding up all right?" Hera asked concernedly.

"Team RWBY had it really rough so I feel a little bad about leaving them, but I think they'll be okay given who they're with. Jaune got some new scars and Nora…well, Nora's situation is quite complicated. We'll explain later when I have more time." Pyrrha promised.

"Hmm, I hope they'll be all right. Please tell them they'll be in my prayers." Hera told her daughter.

"And mine. We won't keep you much longer, Pyrrha. Just know that you're never far from my thoughts and I have every confidence that whatever this Salem throws at you next, you and your friends will conquer it together. We love you, our brave little warrior." Zeus said.

"I will, and they'll be happy to hear that. I love you both, mom, dad." Pyrrha answered, smiling brightly, "Give my best regards to the other teachers and have a good day too."

"I will. Goodbye." Zeus said before looking at his wife with care and concern, "I think I'll stick around for a while more and talk to your mother, since I think we both need some comfort right now."

"And we love you, Pyrrha. We always will." Hera said before reluctantly ending the transmission.

Pyrrha looked at the black screen on the terminal for a few moments, before taking a breath to calm herself and getting up to vacant the communications suite. She found Spirit Dreamer waiting patiently for her outside once the door slid open, mentally wondering how long the latter had been standing there in vigil.

"I'm done," She informed the prognosticator, "Thank you for the assistance, Spirit Dreamer."

"It was my pleasure, Pyrrha," Spirit Dreamer said, "You and Jaune are very fortunate to have such loving families. There are times when I struggle to even remember my own parents' faces and voices."

Pyrrha gave her a sympathetic look while placing a compassionate hand on Spirit Dreamer's shoulder pauldron, "I'm very sorry to hear that, I've witnessed the grief that comes from the loss of family. If you don't mind me asking, how did you come to be part of the Order?"

The prognosticator gestured for Pyrrha to follow her to the nearest viewport, where they stood at either side and watched the white clouds move by slowly for a few moments. Eventually, she spoke, "I was born and raised in an Atlesian mountain town named Rykene, close to the outskirts of Arendal. My family was attacked by a streak of Grimm Sabers during a supply trip to the larger cities and in the madness my family perished. I ran with a few other survivors onto a large outcropping of rocks in the middle of a frozen river, and the ice broke under the weight of the stragglers and Sabers which sank to their deaths. We were trapped for nearly a day before a small group of Knights from the Winter Templars came to our rescue. It turned out that a lone Knight Errant had been tracking the streak of Sabers in order to find their lair; unfortunately he was killed in the chaos, but thankfully he sent out a message to the nearest detachment."

Spirit Dreamer adjusted her gloved hand on her force staff, the diamond-shaped piece of white crystal at its top shimmering a little, and then continued, "I had heard tales from my parents that had mentioned armored warriors killing Grimm, but the people in our village dismissed them as just odd Hunters. At that time I wasn't fully aware of my…gifts, but I had had dreams before, dreams about a lone Ursa that strayed into town during the night and a tall tree that endangered a neighbor's house because of the wind and weight of the accumulated snow upon it. And my dreams foresaw the arrival of the Winter Templars several days earlier as well, but I never told anyone. A sleek grey airship came out of nowhere, its weapons wiping out most of the Sabers before deploying a small group of Winter Templars that eliminated the stragglers. The Knights used the Ice Dust to freeze a section of the river solid before walking across to rescue the survivors. When they were checking over us, a female prognosticator in that detachment quietly took me aside and asked me two questions no one has ever asked me before; whether I had any peculiar dreams since young and any of my dreams came to pass. I told her yes, and after she had spoken to the Knight Vanguard the prognosticator extended to me an offer to join the Knight Order. Since I was an orphan and there was nowhere else for me to go, I agreed and they took me in. As for the survivors, the prognosticator used her memory manipulation Semblance to make them think that I had died before the knights brought them to the nearest town's outskirts."

"I can't imagine what it would be like to live through something so terrible," Pyrrha said, "Did you ever return to Rykene?"

Spirit Dreamer shook her head, "I left my old life behind when I became one of the Knight Order. It's not an easy life, but it's mine now. Though I will be honest with you; a part of me wants to go back, but I fear the memories would be too painful. Thankfully, Rykene was spared from the recent Grimm attacks, so hopefully, one day."

"It's never too late to go home, Spirit Dreamer," Pyrrha told her softly, "Maybe one day, when this is all over and Remnant is safe from Salem and the Grimm, you'll be able to go back."

"Perhaps, we'll have to see what else life has in store for us," The young prognosticator replied, "For now, it would be in our best interests to get you back to the cargo hold. We wouldn't want the Wyvern to wake up in your absence."

Pyrrha nodded and followed the armored form of Spirit Dreamer back to the Andromeda's cargo hold.

---

"An interview, you say?" Argentius remarked as he and Soul Seer sat in the Andromeda's lounge with Jaune sometime later.

The lounge was similar to that of the Hyperion One's, except that Jaune had the impression that the Remnant Knights prioritized practicality over comfort. Seated opposite the silver-eyed knight and golden-eyed prognosticator with an emblem-covered round table between them in the lounge, Jaune explained the proposal while the two listened carefully.

"Yeah, I mean…why not?" Jaune gestured with his hands, "It's not like the Remnant Knights are a secret anymore, and let's face it; there are plenty of people who are really curious about you guys, and just as many who are suspicious of you. I'm just saying that it could be a good way to convince the people that you're here to protect them."

Soul Seer looked pensive, while Argentius had an apprehensive expression for a few brief moments as he brought up his right hand to touch his chin in thought. A moment later the Chief Prognosticator turned to speak to her elder brother, "Jaune raises a valid point; if the Knight Order are to have the trust of the people, then perhaps a little openness will go a long way to earn a measure of that trust."

Argentius silently mulled over it before he replied with, "On one hand I understand the benefits of an interview, as it would help to assuage the citizens of the Kingdoms that we are allies to the Councils and not a private army." He then raised a finger before Jaune could say anything else and continued speaking, "However, there are still many within our Order that prefer the advantages of staying hidden as it allows us to have complete autonomy when it comes to operating unseen. Furthermore it's not as straightforward as you think, as I'd have to speak with the Grand Knight Master as well as the rest of the Round Table before such a weighty decision can be agreed upon."

"I understand, and thanks for hearing me out. I'll wait for you and Master Seraph to make your decision before I tell my dad anything." Jaune said, bowing in gratitude, "And with regards to his request to loan a historical tome about the Knight Order's origins?"

"I will consider your father's request, and see what I can do back at Tintagel's archives. Will that be satisfactory?" Soul Seer answered.

"Yes, it is. My thanks." The leader of Team JNPR nodded with a smile, "Please excuse me, I need to go check up on my team and get some rest before we reach Tintagel."

"We'll inform you when we're nearing our destination." The Chief Prognosticator smiled as she watched Jaune turn and left the lounge, the door sliding shut behind him.

"An interview with the Kingdoms' media authorities," Argentius murmured to himself as his face frowned briefly, "Do you really think it would be a wise course of action?"

"I do, and I didn't come to such a conclusion lightly," Soul Seer said as she turned her head to look at her elder brother, "Many knights were witnessed in combat by both civilians and the Kingdom's armed forces during the battle of Vacuo City and the Grimm attacks all across Atlas. While there are a great many things we obviously can't reveal to the public, it would still be prudent to assure the people of Remnant that we're their allies in this crisis. Furthermore, if the Order doesn't put up a public face of sorts, distrust and paranoia towards us will gradually take root among the masses, which is exactly what Salem wants. If there's an opportunity to further divide and weaken us she'll certainly take advantage of it, so we need to deny her of it by taking the necessary actions first."

Argentius took a breath and eventually nodded, "You're right. Once we arrive at Tintagel I'll speak with Seraph about this matter at the earliest opportunity, although it's possible he might call a meeting with the other members of the Round Table. Hopefully they'll see the same potential advantages that you do."

"I'm sure they will," Soul Seer told her brother, before briefly glancing at the closed door. While her face was hidden behind her mask, her body language shifted into what Argentius recognized as a posture of contemplation and melancholy.

"What's wrong?" He asked, becoming very concerned after she released a soft, sad sigh.

Knowing that she couldn't hide anything from her elder brother, Soul Seer faced Argentius, removing her mask to show him her golden eyes as she said, "I have concerns about Team Beacon…more specifically about their participation in the upcoming Relic missions. While I don't doubt their abilities or their commitment to depriving Salem of those artifacts, I can't help but have scruples about putting them in even greater danger after all they have been through. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora, Ren, and especially Jaune and Pyrrha…they've all had numerous close calls ever since they began their training and today was especially taxing on all of them. Most of them have lost loved ones, and not everyone can handle that kind of crushing grief. I caught a glimpse of Team Beacon's path ahead during my meditation session back at the Schnee Manor, and it's one fraught with difficult choices and incredible danger every step of the way. It pains me to see them all drawn into this war, because what right do we and the Guardians have to put them in even further risk?"

The lounge was silent for several moments before Argentius extended his left hand to hold his younger sister's free one. It was a simple comforting gesture between siblings, and one that he had done since they were young children, even before the Knight Order recruited them after that tormented night of ash and fire. He felt her gloved fingers instinctively tighten onto his gauntlet-covered hand, and removed the visor section of his helmet so that her sparkling golden eyes met his deep silver ones.

"I know what you mean," Argentius sighed, feeling the weariness that wore at his body underneath his Aegis armor which reminded him of his age, "But Team Beacon have proven themselves more than capable of holding their own against Salem's agents. At this point they know the enemy better than we do and have just as much right as us to fight for the future of Remnant. The battles may be hard on them, but each time they have managed to emerge mostly victorious thanks to their teamwork, or at least in a stalemate. That's already more than what we could hope for, and Ruby Rose's natural gifts make her a target for Salem regardless. It's safe to say that Ruby and the rest of Team Beacon won't back down from such a challenge, not with so much at stake. Especially not when she has so much of Summer Rose in her. As for the others I doubt they'd want to pull out of the fight either, and I think that they'll do their best to see this through to the end."

Soul Seer sighed as her head lowered a little, "They've been through so much hardship and pain, and some of them have suffered greatly for their heroics. When I first saw Team Beacon in the manor's main hall, their physical and psychological pains practically smacked me in the face; Yang's robotic arm, Sun's prosthetic tail, Fox's arm scars, Nora's personal worries and Pyrrha's deep-seated fears about losing herself to the darkness within her again. That's not even getting into how much Sharp Strike lost after we rescued him from Salem's agents, even though he chose to become a Remnant Knight when presented with the choice. Ruby and Weiss each suffered the loss of a friend today…how much more do they have to lose before this war finally ends? They shouldn't have to bear such terrible burdens, and that also includes Amethyst and Heliosia who have been fighting since they became the Spring and Summer Maidens respectively."

"I've asked myself the same questions, but I don't have the answers to them either," Argentius's silver eyes looked down for a moment, then back up at his sister, "But I can say this; they've come so far because they've willingly chosen to fight for the future they want to live in. However, they won't face these trials alone, not with the Spring and Summer Maidens, Sharp Strike, Qrow, Winter, N1CK3L, the whole of the Order, and the Guardians of Remnant being there to support them in the coming battles ahead. What the Grimm Queen fears is all of Remnant united against her, and that vivid portent you saw during the time when I was struck by a rare disease many years ago; an army of light that battles against the coming darkness…I have faith that it will come to pass. And remember, 'If one candle is enough to hold back the darkness…'"

"'Then a thousand candles can render the darkness into thin shadows'," Soul Seer finished the proverb, smiling at her elder sibling, "Thank you, my brother. You're right. Regardless of what the future holds for Team Beacon, we will help them face it."

"Exactly, and hopefully we can also convince the people of Remnant that the Knight Order will be just as steadfast in our protection of them." Argentius remarked, as they released each other's hand.

---

Jaune returned to the Andromeda's cargo hold to see Pyrrha sitting on a grey blanket, leaning lightly against the side of the Wyvern's head as it slept, the Grimm dragon's large body curled up like a big dog or cat. Nora and Ren were off to the side, sitting in two of the seats that had unfolded from the metallic walls and slowly eating some food packs that contained both ramen and fresh fruit. Since Spirit Dreamer was standing close by the hold's main entrance, it was likely her that had provided the meal.

Nora sucked some ramen noodles down her throat, before making a somewhat disappointed hum before saying, "Eh, kinda bland…even though I added four packets of seasoning. Guess I'm spoiled by your cooking, Renny."

"I had thought about asking if I could make something in their onboard gallery, but I changed my mind since I'm just not really in a cooking mood after what's happened," Ren remarked while handing Nora a napkin, "Luckily the knights had a variety of food packs available to choose from, even though they resemble army ration packs."

Nora nodded as she wiped her mouth, "I understand and besides, it's not like this ramen is terrible or anything," She said before turning her head to see Jaune climbing down into the cargo hold, "Want some?"

"Sure." Jaune replied while holding out his hand. Nora tossed him two cup-like food packs and a packet of sliced mangoes, Jaune nodded in thanks before walking over to sit next to Pyrrha on the grey blanket. Even though he knew Pyrrha had some measure of control over the Wyvern, Jaune hesitantly propped his back against the Wyvern's huge body.

"How are you feeling?" Pyrrha asked gently as her partner passed her one and then opened up his cup, while tearing off the plastic chopsticks attached to its side.

"All things considered, I'm good," The blond replied with a smile before he began chowing down the gently steaming ramen noodles. It tasted pretty good to him, and after swallowing his first mouthful of noodles he asked, "What about you?"

Pyrrha placed her hand on the Wyvern's muzzle, affectionately caressing it while hearing the Grimm dragon breathe slowly in its sleep, for a few moments and answered, "Honestly? I'm doing good so far. I just had a rather emotional discussion with my parents," And she told them all about it.

Jaune looked at her, "The fact that they were worried about taking advantage of you shows that she does indeed care deeply about you. Personally I think they're wonderful, just like mine." He said quietly, and Pyrrha's response was a nod with a warm smile.

After he had finished his ramen Jaune let out a yawn. It came out louder than he had thought, so he was briefly worried that he may accidentally wake up the Wyvern, but thankfully its loud breaths meant that it was still asleep. "That fight with Cinder took a lot out of me," He answered, when he saw his partner raise an eyebrow.

"You need rest," Pyrrha said, one hand patting her lap, "Lay your head on me."

Jaune didn't hesitate to take his girlfriend up on the offer, so he shifted his sore body around so that he was lying on his back with his head and shoulders resting soundly on her lap. He looked up at Pyrrha, feeling himself smile and said, "Now this is a position and view I could get used to."

Pyrrha blushed a little as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. "You're sure your eye feels all right? That was quite the close call."

"It'll be sensitive for a few days, so I'll have to keep it covered," Jaune replied while reaching up to caress her cheek, "I guess looking at you with one eye will have to do for now."

Pyrrha giggled as she slowly caressed his blonde hair in return. Jaune's uncovered eye closed as he allowed himself to drift off for a nap, despite the subtle humming vibration of the Andromeda's deck plates beneath them.

A short distance away, Ren and Nora felt happy for their fellow team partners who had quite a loving relationship that was as strong as theirs. After a while, Nora mentioned, "We all had some close calls today, huh? Next time we encounter Cinder and her fellow baddies again, let's be sure to give them a real good thrashing."

"Actually, I think Ruby already left Callows with some wounds he'll never forget." Ren commented as Nora finished her ramen.

"Yeah, but I mean all of 'em. Especially Cinder, The Son and Thorn," Nora said sadly. Ren placed an arm around her and hugged her close.

"Then Thorn will have to use her teleportation powers more wisely, because she'll have to work hard and escape from you next time," He replied, feeling Nora smile as she returned the hug.

Eventually Nora, drained by the hectic day, fell asleep while sitting on Ren's lap, her arms wrapped around him and her face cuddled into the crook of his neck. The green ninja draped a thermal blanket provided by Spirit Dreamer over both of them, his movements slow and careful as he didn't want to wake Nora up. Ren looked over at Pyrrha and remarked, "We're very lucky to have these two."

Pyrrha looked up at him and nodded, "I couldn't agree more. When we first met you and Nora seemed like such an odd duo, but now I can see how perfect you two are together. I honestly can't imagine you spending much time apart from her, and vice versa."

"After Nora and I survived Kuroyuri, it was only natural that we stuck together. After a few years of being together, we have become so dependent on one another that going our separate ways just wasn't an option and besides, we both made a promise to look out and protect each other," Ren remarked, "I would like to keep that promise, and I suppose that's how it will be for you and Jaune as well for the foreseeable future."

The Spartan blushed deeply at the thought, but she also knew she would like nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with her blond knight. Pyrrha honestly couldn't imagine sharing a bed or making love to anyone else. "You're right, I-" She paused when she felt the Wyvern slowly shifting.

The dragon Grimm opened one eye and glanced between her and Ren, silently watching them. There was a tense moment of uncertainty in the cargo hold, but it just gazed at them. Spirit Dreamer watched them intently but made no move for her weapon.

Pyrrha smiled a little before placing her right hand back onto the Wyvern's gently breathing snout, "It's okay, you're safe. They're friends, remember? We're all friends here." Her gentle voice seemed to soothe the beast's emotions and eventually it settled back to sleep once more.

"Have you thought about what you're going to name it?" Ren queried, "If I don't ask this, Nora will. Since it would be a little awkward to just keep calling it 'the dragon' or 'the Wyvern' all the time."

"I've been thinking about that," Pyrrha admitted with a nod, "But I need time to come up with something decent, something the Wyvern will accept."

Ren nodded, and then a polite cough from Spirit Dreamer caught their attention. "I apologize for the interruption, but we will be reaching Tintagel in a few hours. Perhaps it would be advisable that you follow your partners' example and get some rest. There's no need to worry, I'll keep watch."

"Good idea," Pyrrha agreed, stifling a yawn as her exhaustion finally caught up to her, "Thank you."

"Have a good rest." The young prognosticator nodded to both Ren and Pyrrha. Ren gently wrapped one arm around Nora, holding her close to him as he took out his scroll to read.

Pyrrha smiled at the other couple, then looked down at Jaune's handsome yet scarred face. She remembered the photos of Jaune as a little boy his mother and sisters had shown her; he had been such a cute, skinny little boy, and while he had gained fairly muscular by now, which she very much appreciated, his bright blue eyes and warm smile never changed. She leaned down to kiss his forehead gently before leaning against the Wyvern's head. Sitting here with her teammates, her draconic steed and the boy she loved so much, Pyrrha felt very grateful to be alive. While her life hadn't been an easy one, the happiness she had gained made all her trials and tribulations worth it.

The redhead took hold of Jaune's hand, squeezing it affectionately as she closed her own eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

---

Even to the general Knight Order, there were places within Tintagel known only to a handful of Knights. The purposes of these places could only be guessed at, but the knowledge of one particular location was privy only to the Round Table's twelve members.

Grand Knight Master Seraph's armored boots echoed along the spiral staircase of one of Tintagel's tallest spires, the interior rarely even seen by most Knights, let alone walked in. From the outside the spire looked no different than the dozens of others around Tintagel aside from its towering height, and as the leader of the Knights he knew things that most didn't.

The doors leading from other hallways to the spire were always heavily guarded by a variety of unseen powerful magic spells that would either sound alarms or subdue would-be intruders for the responding knights to apprehend. A trusted group of servants would take turns to bring food and other essential supplies for the needs of the individual who lived in the spire, though none of them had ever seen his face.

Seraph himself would come at least once a week to visit and speak with his old acquaintance, although there were times he had to postpone some visits due to pressing matters that concerned the safety of Remnant's Kingdoms and its people.

The Grand Knight Master eventually reached a door where the steps ended, with a high stone arch with inscribed runes carved deep into its circumference. He removed his right gauntlet and pressed his bare hand onto the imprint mechanism on the door's built-in pad, allowing the security system to not only scan his handprint but also take a miniscule sample of his blood. The runes around the door glowing blue for a moment, the imbued spells checking him over for any disguise or illusion Semblances in ways that would be far more thorough than technology ever could.

With his identity confirmed a small compartment of the grey wall at the door's right side opened up, revealing four small stones with peculiar runes carved into them. Seraph then pushed each of them in the correct sequence. Bolts in the heavy stone door slid back into their recesses as it swung slowly open, revealing the private study and living quarters of the spire's lone occupant. A man who had been with the planet throughout the eons, watching eras and empires rise and fall. Legend was that this wizard was appointed by the King of Vale to bring the founding twelve members of the Knight Order to Tintagel, and had served several Grand Knight Masters before Seraph including the renowned and heroic Lord Emmanuel.

The Grand Master of the Remnant Knights walked inside of the lectorium, his steps echoing through the cavernous space filled with both shelves of books with rune-covered embossed spines and priceless artifacts. Old tomes that were said to have existed before the Great Shattering, time-worn swords and other weapons that were both whole and broken, decorated the walls alongside maps that had turned deep yellow with age, protected behind transparent glass panes and faded banners hanging from poles mounted on plinths. A huge map of what the world had looked like before the moon shattered draped the entirety of one wall, and it was almost completely covered with multi-colored pins, various ancient names and other notations.

"Hello Seraph," The tired voice of a bearded figure clad in long grey robes, who was sitting in the spire's curtained gable, spoke in a considerably deep voice, "What news have you brought me today?"

"I apologize for disturbing your meditations, but there's been some new developments you should know about," The leader of the Remnant Knights informed the ancient-looking man sitting on a circular dais before him, "Another assault instigated by Salem was successfully repulsed, but the victory wasn't won without a heavy price."

The bearded man lowered his head a little but he didn't turn to regard Seraph. Instead he said, "The remaining Maidens?"

"Safe and sound, thankfully. Argentius says they proficiently held their own in combat. There were casualties among the Atlas military forces and several dozen fatalities, but thankfully Team Beacon still stands unbroken," Seraph informed the incredibly old individual, the latter reaching up with one hand to stroke his long white beard as he listened, "Ruby Rose had a very close call with Tyrian Callows, but she managed to emerge victorious and killed the Celaeno, eliminating another Alpha Elder Grimm. The Arc boy fought alongside Sharp Strike and the Summer Maiden against Cinder Fall but suffered injuries as well as getting his sword shattered. In light of these recent developments, I've authorized Argentius and Soul Seer to bring Arc and his team to Tintagel on board the Andromeda."

At this the bearded man slowly got up from the raised dais, his grey robes flowing around him as he turned and regarded Seraph with piercing eyes of deep brown. "Atlas has enough resources to help them heal their wounds and fix their weapons if necessary," He mentioned while slowly pacing around the private study, "And you should have consulted me before making such a consequential decision, but I know you would never expose our sanctum to outsiders without good reason. So why are they being brought here?"

Seraph raised a gauntlet-covered hand and revealed, "Because the Wyvern that Pyrrha Nikos was bonded with while she was under Salem's thrall. She has successfully broken the Grimm Queen's control over the beast, and it would be sensible for us to deny Salem any chance of regaining control over the Wyvern by having our dragon riders purge it of its Grimm taint."

The old bearded man's lips slowly shifted into a bitter smile as he sighed, "Heh, another Wyvern. Shekmir and Skaarvir will be pleased. When I was young - well, younger - dragons were as terrifying and temperamental as they were majestic. I recall the times when they were beasts to be slain, lest they wipe out entire towns or even cities."

The T-shaped visor of Seraph's winged helmet silently followed his acquaintance who stopped at a painting depicting a group of warriors wearing ancient suits of armor about to depart for battle. The old man would sometimes reveal intriguing moments from the world before Remnant while reminiscing about the past, and there were times that the Grand Knight Master wished he could ask about the adventures the old man had experienced.

"Arthur, Tristan and the boys killed quite a few of those mighty beasts before we were able to communicate with them thanks to some last-minute intervention and that's when we realized what wise and noble creatures they truly were. Dangerous yes, but much wiser than any other animal on this planet." The aged individual said.

A few moments of silence passed between the armored knight and the old man before Seraph said, "Everyone makes mistakes, but at least no further bloodshed escalated after you managed to talk to them. However I admit I was shocked to discover that you ever made any, old friend."

"No one's infallible, but what's done is done, and the world I knew before no longer exists," The old man replied with a tired sigh before changing the subject, "So this young team of Hunters coming to Tintagel, I assume you'd like me to meet with them?" Seeing that there was no use in disassembling, the Grand Knight Master simply nodded.

"Why? So I'm confronted with yet another of my mistakes? So that they can see the face of another person responsible for their suffering?" The old man spoke tiredly, "I've seen so many people struggle and die over the centuries, and I remember all of them. Besides, what do you expect I would say to them? Empty compliments and platitudes?"

"I have considered that, but I think it would be beneficial for them to meet a figure of legend such as yourself. To let them know that there's still hope for Remnant," Seraph answered carefully, "Do not assume I ever meant any disrespect, my mentor."

The old wizard sighed before turning to face the large knight, "You've always been honest with me, Seraph, so no disrespect was given nor taken. However, the escalation of the recent conflicts with Salem has caused me to be haunted by a great many of my past mistakes. When I first met the original Maidens and granted them their powers, it was so they could help the people of Remnant to do good not because of any expectation of reward, but because they wished to do so. Even though I had used my powers to ensure that the Maiden's mindscape couldn't be accessed by those with evil in their hearts, some nevertheless coveted those powers. And now two of the wickedest hearts possess the powers of Fall and Winter, upsetting the balance of the seasons."

"Those who came before me and my allies all agreed on the operation that fateful night several centuries ago to eliminate the Grimm Queen, so we have to accept the consequences of their actions…and yours," Seraph remarked to the old man, "Most of those who made the fatal choices regarding that operation are long dead by now anyway, and the remaining few still alive had all been sworn to silence. You and I both know that the past can't be undone, yet I still chose to accept the position of Grand Knight Master and continue the shadow war against Salem. Yet I must ask, can you ever forgive yourself for what you did to her?"

Seraph's mentor slowly walked over to a pair of curtains, opening them and gazed out at the lush emerald lands surrounding Tintagel. Why had he ever thought that such a ruthless attack and sacrifice would permanently vanquish the Darkness' emissary, instead of just them sowing the seeds for another Grimm Queen to take the reins? One filled with despair and hatred caused by his choices.

The consequences that stemmed from that particular operation went so deep even within the Knight Order, Seraph knew that from bitter experience. Even as the Guardians of Remnant healed their wounds after that fateful night, the Remnant Knights also mourned their losses while the Round Table sat in closed session for several days, debating on how best to honor their duties to Remnant despite being significantly reduced in number.

There was a pregnant pause, one that made Seraph briefly wonder if he had overstepped his authority. Eventually the bearded man spoke again, "Salem couldn't. If you were to make such a horrible decision because you were convinced it was the only way, could you?"

"I've asked myself that very same question whenever I sent out the Order's knights on their various perilous assignments," Seraph remarked as he took a step forward, his boots ringing on the private study's tiled floor, "Although I suppose that's how Ozpin feels, especially about his handling of the Fall Maiden crisis."

The old man shook his head slowly once more, "Ozpin. I'd resent the damn fool for that fiasco if I didn't sympathize with him."

"His students have already forgiven him for his mistakes," Seraph said in an empathetic voice, "I trust they'd be willing to forgive you for any you have made, or at least have some sympathy for you and the difficult choices you've had to make and then live with even until today."

Another stretch of silence passed between them before the wizard gave another shake of his head, "No. Perhaps one day, but not today. I'm not yet ready to face this newest generation of heroes, Seraph. Especially not the same ones who have experienced pain because of my actions."

"Very well. Nonetheless, I hope you'll reconsider," Seraph acknowledged with a nod, "Now, perhaps we could take our minds off such matters for a while with our weekly game of Go?" He gestured to a small wooden table with two seats, with a beautifully-crafted Go board.

The Wizard gave a small rueful smile but shook his head again, "Perhaps after Team JNPR leaves."

The Grand Knight Master gave a polite bow, "As you wish. I'll allow you to resume your meditations in peace, and thank you for the conversation." Seraph turned and left through the stone doorway, which automatically sealed itself shut once more.

Merlin stared silently at the entrance for a long time, before he let out a deep, weary, tired sigh.

---

Several hours later, Soul Seer entered the cargo hold. Her gloved hand gripped the railing as she looked down at the rare sight of a Grimm Wyvern sleeping soundly within the Andromeda's hold, with Pyrrha asleep against it and Jaune's head resting on her lap. The draconic beast's tail was curled around the sleeping couple, as if to prevent anyone from getting too close to its rider.

"Strange times call for strange allies, I suppose," The chief prognosticator mused to herself before she slowly descended the metal steps. If she was being honest it reminded her a little of her younger days fighting alongside Team STRQ…though they never had a Grimm on their side. She gazed around, spotting Ren and Nora, the latter was sleeping peacefully, cuddled up against her beloved partner and snoring softly. Her soft footsteps caused Ren to look up from his scroll's softly glowing screen at Soul Seer and acknowledged her with a polite nod.

"Are we about to arrive at Tintagel?" He asked quietly.

"Yes. Do you mind waking your teammates up?" She told him softly, "And be careful when approaching the Wyvern, it would be best if we don't upset it."

Ren gave a small smile, "Understandable," He admitted as he began to rouse his partner, "Nora…Nora, we're almost there. Time to wake up."

"Mmmm…just four more minutes Renny…" Nora whined tiredly as she cuddled against him, her strong arms tightening around his body. Ren smiled lovingly at her, knowing that at times when Nora was sleeping beside him there was no easy way of getting her to let go.

Ren eventually let out a small sigh as he gently pried his girlfriend off of him, rousing her from her slumber in the process. Nora smacked her lips a few times before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, muttering out, "Mornin', everyone,"

"Actually it's almost night, it should be twilight right about now." Ren told Nora as she looked over and took notice of the Wyvern.

Her jade eyes widened in surprise as it all came racing back to her, "Oh yeah. Big scary but kickass dragon is on our side now. And basically Pyrrha's pet. How did I forget that?" Nora asked aloud after yawning.

Ren shrugged, already used to her usual behavior, "Are you okay?"

She nodded before standing up and giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Don't worry Renny, I feel better now."

He smiled at her before he made his way over to Pyrrha and Jaune, carefully stepping over the Wyvern's tail. He looked at the pair; the blond was sleeping soundly, his head resting comfortably on his girlfriend's lap as she kept one of his hands grasped in hers while she laid against her draconic steed.

Ren gently nudged Pyrrha's shoulder, but as she remained asleep he applied a bit more energy into shaking her awake. Her green eyes opened and she stretched out with a yawn before asking, "Ren? Have we arrived at Tintagel yet?"

Ren gave a gentle shake of his head, just as Soul Seer answered from behind him, "We're almost there. You're welcome to join us and see our hidden sanctuary. The view on approach is quite spectacular, I promise you."

"You go on ahead," Pyrrha told them, "I'll stay here and wake Jaune up."

"You sure?" Nora asked, not wanting to leave them behind.

The redhead spartan nodded, "Go on, we'll be okay. Besides, I don't think it would be wise for me to leave anyway," She replied softly, while gesturing to the slowly-stirring Grimm Wyvern.

"There's no need to worry Nora, I'll stay with them," The orange-haired girl turned to see Spirit Dreamer giving her a nod of assurance.

"Okay then, tell Jaune we hope that he's feeling better now!" Nora said before she turned to climb up the ladder. Ren gave his teammates a small smile before following her, but he still looked back as though to assure himself they would be okay. After the incredibly exhausting day they had experienced, he wanted to be sure.

As the other half of Team JNPR followed Soul Seer out of the cargo hold, Pyrrha caressed Jaune's bandaged face and said, "Wake up, beloved. We're almost there."

She felt the Wyvern's head shift and glanced back to see the thick eyelids sliding back from its blood-red eyes while it opened its huge mouth, letting out a slight yawn that echoed around the cargo bay. Pyrrha reached up with her other hand and pressed it on the side of Wyvern's face nearest to her, "There, there. We're okay; you're safe and among friends, and soon you'll be with others like you." She stroked its face a few times as Jaune's eyes opened up. Or at least one eye did, as the other was still covered by a bandage.

He grunted as he sat up, one hand bracing against the cargo hold's steel plating while holding onto Pyrrha for support. Her face softened with concern as she realized he was still sore from the brutal thrashing Cinder had given him.

"How do you feel?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sore as hell. Like I got the crap beat out of me then got rescued by one of the most incredible women I've ever met…oh wait." Jaune answered with a wry grin.

Pyrrha couldn't help but smile back, "Any nightmares?"

"Surprisingly, no. Maybe I've just gotten used to nearly getting killed," Jaune told her.

Pyrrha's smile became a little downcast as she leaned in and gave Jaune a loving kiss, which he eagerly returned, "How about you?"

"I'm feeling just fine, but no I didn't have any, thank goodness." She answered before the Wyvern craned its wide head around to nuzzle the pair.

Jaune chuckled awkwardly as he reached out to pat the Dragon Grimm while saying, "This is weird, but it's the kind of weirdness I can get used to."

"Want to join the others, enjoy the view of Tintagel?" She inquired.

Jaune chuckled as he gave a shrug and said, "Uh…I'm afraid I won't be able to fully enjoy it at the moment," He gestured to the medical patch covering his right eye.

"Oh! Right," Pyrrha said, mentally chiding herself for not realizing that.

"Actually, I think I'll have a better opportunity to see it when we're flying on this big guy," Jaune mentioned while gesturing to the Wyvern before smiling and wrapping one arm around her, "Besides, I got a perfect view already."

Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle as she leaned in to embrace him, before a polite cough caused both of them to look up and see Spirit Dreamer holding out a thin electronic tablet for them, "My apologies for overhearing your conversation, but I have an alternative way for you to see Tintagel for the first time, through the Andromeda's external sensors. I've already connected the tablet to the hull cameras. Like Soul Seer said earlier, it's a sight you don't want to miss."

---

Seated at the navigation controls within the Andromeda's cockpit, Tranquility and Storm Bringer piloted the cloaked stealth prowler over the wide, expansive and foreboding masses of the deep Atlesian mountain range, far beyond any known villages or where even the most courageous of mountaineers dared to thread. On a raised center behind them where the command chair was located stood Argentius, who had a habit of wanting to see Tintagel with his own eyes whenever they returned to the Remnant Knights' fortress headquarters.

"Reading you now inbound, Andromeda. Security codes received and verified. Coordinates to the opening within the cloaking shield will arrive shortly, please stand by," An automated, feminine voice spoke on the open communications channel.

"We read you, Tintagel Control, and have received coordinates. On direct approach now, over and out." Tranquility said as she adjusted the controls before pointing to a green holographic screen over to her right that displayed the Andromeda's current flight path, "Over there, directly above Triplet Peaks. Eclipse Protocol is already in effect."

The landmark was a distinct grouping of peaking rocks jutting outwards from the mountainside and out into the air, almost resembling a trio of huge claws reaching out as though to grasp the sky. Behind it was what looked to be a gargantuan wall of solid ice, like a monumental glacier.

"Making course adjustments now, scanners indicate we're in the clear. Cloaking systems show all green." Storm Bringer replied as he maneuvered the stealth prowler towards Triplet Peaks.

Argentius heard the doors at the back of the cockpit slide open, he turned to see his younger sister entering with Ren and Nora beside her, "You made it just in time. I take it Jaune and Pyrrha needed to stay with our draconic guest?"

"Correct, my brother," The Chief Prognosticator answered as she walked up to the elevated center with the two Hunters-in-training to stand beside him.

"Uh…so where is Tintagel?" Nora asked as she looked out of the cockpit's windows. She held a hand below her forehead while squinting her jade-coloured eyes a little, but they went wide when she saw the massive glacier coming closer and closer.

"Directly in front of us, young valkyrie." Storm Bringer replied.

"Erm…just looks like a whole lot of ice to me. Which you're about to crash us into…" Nora pointed out. Even though Nora trusted the Knights, the sight of what seemed to be an imminent crash honestly had both Hunters-in-training more than a little worried.

"There's no need to worry, Nora. There's no danger," Argentius assured the pair as the Andromeda flew unerringly towards the huge ice dome, "Sometimes, certain things that you perceive aren't what they appear to be at first glance. Besides, do you really think that the Knight Order would have stayed a secret for so long if we were so easy to find?"

Ren frowned as he didn't exactly know what to make of Argentius' comment, but given the Knights' lack of concern he was quite sure that they were relatively safe. However, he could tell that his partner was more than a little nervous, so he gently took hold of her hand and gave it an affectionate and comforting squeeze, a gesture she returned.

Seconds before the Andromeda touched the snow-covered glacier it flickered briefly and opened up, revealing that it was not just a hologram but also an incredibly sophisticated cloaking shield as well, much to Ren and Nora's astonishment. The stealth prowler flew through the circular opening in the shield and slipped through the thick clouds that ran underneath the holographic image. For a few moments the domed viewport at the front of the cockpit as well as the holographic screens were covered with dense white clouds, but as they gradually peeled away from the viewport a stunningly breathtaking sight that neither Ren or Nora had been expecting.

Beyond the mountain was a vast circular lake of crystal blue water many miles long and wide, spreading out into several rivers that flowed through the frigid mountains. At the far end of the massive valley was a large winding river that led back to the upper North Atlesian Ocean at its terminus. In the center of the expansive lake was a considerably large island, though it wasn't one Ren recognized from any map or Atlas he had parsed back in Beacon's library during his studies. In fact, after seeing the look of clear surprise on Nora's face that mirrored his own Ren was quite sure that the island they were currently looking at wouldn't be found in any public historical record within the Four Kingdoms, but perhaps in the oldest tomes telling of various myths and legends.

As the clouds dispersed, they could see that the island was covered with wide swathes of lush green forests, with meandering rivers and even a few waterfalls interspersed among the picturesque woodlands. The circumference of the island boasted long stretches of white beaches, looking almost like they belonged to the luxury beach resorts off the southern coast of Mistral rather than a hidden sanctuary. Even more impressive was the fact that the island was also large enough to have a few huge but intimidating-looking mountains covered with natural vegetation with an even larger one rising up from behind the rest, looking notably darker than the rest. Spread over the western and southern parts of the island were vast fields of carefully-tended lands where various crops had been harvested months before. Beyond the fields were several farms where herds of cattle and other livestock could be seen, and there were even a few scattered herds of horses either grazing leisurely or galloping across the fields as the Andromeda flew above them.

As the hologram within the cockpit panned from left to right, the eastern part of the island came into view for Ren and Nora. A natural curving seawall and an extensive harbor occupied the aforementioned section, where several fishing trawlers as well as patrol ships were docked at its piers and most surprisingly, there was even a sizable fleet of a dozen formidable warships of varying sizes; frigates, destroyers and even a pair of huge battlecruisers belonging to the Order. A few of the piers were empty, possibly meaning that some ships were evidently elsewhere on patrol or assignment. It occurred to Ren upon seeing the warships that the Knights' military might was larger than anyone outside the Order knew.

Not far from the harbor was a substantial and prosperous settlement. It wasn't particularly large, only about half the size of Vale's capital, thick grey stone walls surrounding the settlement with heavy-looking open gates located at the four cardinal points with heavily-armored and armed sentry towers standing guard at forty-meter intervals. All the structures were topped by several grey and white flags bearing the Knight Order's emblem.

The town was made up of numerous buildings of varying sizes with a few large ones standing out amongst them, but what piqued Ren's interest was their architecture; a curious hodgepodge of architecture mainly influenced by Mistralian and Valean styles. Smaller residential buildings were scattered about the town, some on the outer edges were placed haphazardly while others were arranged in neat rows with wide roads that led to a circular plaza at the heart of the settlement. A sizable martial bastion with tall walls made of similar sturdy material as the outer walls could be seen standing within the plaza, and an elevated clocktower with a pointed roof extended proudly from the bastion's top. Ren and Nora observed the settlement's overall size and design of its various buildings, but their eyes were soon drawn to a far more prominent landmark.

The Andromeda curved smoothly as it reached the inner regions of the island, and it dawned on the pair the sheer size of the massive fortress-like structure that the stealth prowler was approaching. Sitting in the exact center of the island was a huge edifice that looked like a cross between an ancient castle and a military stronghold. The gargantuan structure rose almost as high as the island's tallest mountain, its tallest spires almost reaching the lowest of the drifting clouds. The huge grey stone walls reached out on either side of the mountain's flanks, blending in so perfectly that it looked as though the entire fortress was carved from the mountain's skin rather than built onto it.

Like the town it boasted incredibly thick walls and many watchtowers, but those were far grander-looking and resembled smaller forts in their own right. It also had enough daunting barbicans, conical towers and many other grand-looking buildings to make itself look like the capital of a Kingdom. Huge defense turrets that could rival those of Atlas City sat atop heavily-armored battlements alongside what looked like anti-aircraft cannons and missile batteries along the walls, and several of them automatically swivelled on their mounts to track the incoming Andromeda until the proper security codes were sent.

Above the enormous front gates which had a long extendable drawbridge that linked the imposing fortress to the mildly-curved road that snaked down the mountains and through the green forests and sparkling blue rivers to the town, was the gleaming crossed swords and shield grey emblem of the Remnant Knights.

Nora and Ren were astonished by what they saw, as very few structures on Remnant could match the sheer majesty and architectural marvel that was the Order's hidden headquarters.

"Welcome to Tintagel, my friends," Soul Seer told Ren and Nora warmly, before sharing a look with Argentius who smiled behind his mask.

Tintagel's main courtyard was as big as a parade square that could easily fit an army for inspection. The ground was covered in slabs of storm grey-colored stone, each individually cut and set so that it was evenly spaced from the other slabs. High walls enclosed the courtyard on all sides, with huge gates boasting thick doors and strong portcullises that led to other areas of Tintagel.

In the middle of the square was a twenty-foot tall statue of a powerful-looking armored warrior carved from grey stone. The stunning statue stood with its gauntleted hands wrapped around a broadsword that was facing downwards with its tip resting on the courtyard's ground and its helmet-covered face looking outwards at the main gates. Ren, upon seeing the statue on the holographic screens, presumed it was a symbolic representation of a Remnant Knight and the Order's ideals.

They could see patrols of other knights vigilantly patrolling the battlements, weapons clutched in their gauntlets as they walked along the parapets. More knights and their accompanying squires could be seen walking across the length and breadth of the main courtyard, heading to whatever destinations and attending to whatever tasks they needed to see to.

About a dozen landing pads were distributed throughout the barbicans scattered along the outer wall of Tintagel, each with flashing lights to guide incoming airships to a safe landing and anti-aircraft turrets primed to eliminate any hostile airships.

"We've received orders to land at platform eight, taking us down now." Storm Bringer said as he maneuvered the stealth prowler towards a platform that was within one of the inner barbicans. As the Andromeda gradually descended towards the platform, Ren and Nora also noticed another sleek-looking airship rose from a different landing pad, lifting up high into the sky before flying off towards its own destination.

"It seems that the Grand Knight Master himself has come out to greet us," Argentinus said, pointing at a gathering of armored individuals standing before the platform.

The stealth prowler came down and settled gently onto the pad, its landing struts meeting the platform's surface and engines gradually powering down. "Come on, I'm sure you're all eager to get off this ship," Soul Seer said to the two young hunters as Tranquility and Storm Bringer began the post-flight procedures for the Andromeda.

Ren, Nora, Argentius, Soul Seer, Tranquility, and Storm Bringer soon headed down to the cargo bay, where they saw that Jaune and Pyrrha had removed the saddle from the Grimm Wyvern. The Spartan was sitting on its back, gently stroking the Wyvern's neck to soothe it while Jaune and Spirit Dreamer watched.

"Spirit Dreamer helped us see the sights, but how was the view from the cockpit?" Jaune asked as he picked up the Aura Crystal's case.

"Spec-tacular!" Nora declared cheerfully, "It was amazing! It was like seeing Beacon for the first time, but times ten in terms of awesomeness! This whole place is hidden by a huge hologram, that's how the knights have stayed hidden for so long!"

"It's certainly quite impressive," Ren remarked as he turned to look at the Chief Prognosticator, "I'm a little curious though; how exactly does the Order pull off the illusion? Is it really just a hologram or is magic involved?"

"A bit of both actually, if we're being honest. There's something very special about this island, there's very few places on Remnant like it," Soul Seer mentioned as Storm Bringer went over to a panel on the wall that controlled the cargo ramp.

He looked up at Pyrrha who looked back down at him from atop the Grimm Wyvern before asking, "You sure you've got the creat-er, I mean, him under control?" He kept his voice calm and level, careful not to offend her.

Pyrrha managed a smile as she nodded, "Don't worry, there'll be no rampages under my watch.

Storm Bringer glanced at Argentis and Soul Seer briefly before pressing a button on the control panel. The ramp unsealed with a hiss, slowly sliding downwards and allowing the orange glow of the dusk sunlight to pour in through the widening entrance.

Argentius and Soul Seer led Team JNPR down the ramp; they were followed by Ren and Nora, then Pyrrha riding the Grimm Wyvern and Jaune walking beside them with Tranquility, Storm Bringer and Spirit Dreamer.

A squad of twelve knights clad in heavy armor stood waiting for them at the foot of the Andromeda's ramp, large bladed polearms with blue energized blades held in their gauntlets and a circular emblem in the shape of a dragon visible on their left pauldrons. Standing at the front of the gathered group was the unmistakable figure of Grand Knight Master Seraph, and upon seeing the leader of the Knight Order the other knights with the exception of Argentius and Soul Seer clicked their boots together and lifted their gauntlets to their chest plates, bowing respectfully.

Seraph made a small gesture with his gauntlets and the returned knights straightened, before giving polite nods of acknowledgement to the silver-eyed Knight Champion and Chief Prognosticator.

"Welcome home, fellow knights. And to you, Team JNPR, the Order welcomes you to our sanctuary. We are honored to receive such brave warriors who have so boldly defied the forces of darkness. Hopefully the rest of Team Beacon will be able to come here as well someday." The Grand Knight Master intoned in his deep voice as Team JNPR looked around, taking in how unseasonably warm it was despite the winter season and the lands outside the huge island being shrouded in absolutely freezing temperatures.

Pyrrha, however, was more preoccupied in keeping the Wyvern calm and as unthreatening as possible due to the prenaturally fierce glare it gave off which unsettled quite a number of the armored knights behind Seraph, their gauntlets tightening on their weapons. It bared its fangs slightly, its sharp claws on all four limbs uneasily scratching the hardened surface of the landing pad as its tail became stiff while its wings folded outwards.

"Is everything alright, Ms. Nikos?" Seraph asked, lifting his head up to look at her.

"I'm sorry, sir, but my Wyvern is getting upset, it can sense the trepidation coming from some of the knights with you," Pyrrha informed the Grand Knight Master as she reached out with her Grimm Hybrid powers to soothe the Wyvern as much as she was able to.

"So can Pyrrha and I, for that matter," Jaune added, reminding the Knight Order's leader of their nature due to Giger's surgeries. It hadn't escaped his notice that a few knights up on the nearby walls were stepping closer to the defense turrets, just in case the Wyvern lashed out. Nor did he miss the subtle movement of Seraph's ornate helmet when the latter briefly glanced at the Aura Crystal's case in his right hand.

The azure T-shaped visor of Seraph's helmet returned to Pyrrha and the Wyvern, as though carefully scrutinizing them. After a moment he raised his right gauntlet and made another gesture, the armored knights behind him relaxing slightly but nonetheless alert, "There's no need to be alarmed. A Grimm this Wyvern may be, but it won't remain one for long. Team JNPR have brought it here for us to help free the beast of its Grimm half and restore it to the magnificent creature it truly is under that tumorous layer of darkness."

"Then we shouldn't delay any further, and escort them to Dragonspire Keep and introduce our guests to the Knight of Dragons and her associates within the Flight." Argentius spoke up as the lenses of his helmet met Seraph's visor, the other knight solemnly nodding in agreement.

"Agreed. Everyone, follow me," Seraph told them before he began walking towards the huge gates that led towards the landing pads. Argentius and Soul Seer walked up smoothly to either side of the Grand Knight Master, presumably enlightening him with additional details about the battle that took place at the Schnee Manor.

Pyrrha gently caressed the side of the Wyvern's head and mentally instructed it to crawl forwards. The draconic Grimm let out a soft growl as it slowly moved after Seraph, Argentius and Soul Seer with Jaune, Nora and Ren walking alongside it. Behind them marched the rest of the knights in two straight lines, except for the ones with the dragon emblem who escorted them at either side with their polearms held diagonally across their chest plates. Through her bond with the Wyvern Pyrrha could sense that it was looking around the serene landscape curiously, having never laid its crimson eyes upon such a peaceful-looking land. From what she had glimpsed from the Wyvern's thoughts, other than the vast cityscape of Haven City and the snow-covered areas around Schnee Manor the Wyvern only saw the desolate wastes that made up the dark lands where Salem reigned.

"You feeling better, Jaune?" Nora asked her leader, who nodded.

"Yeah, I'm still sore, but things could have been a lot worse. How are you holding up?" Jaune replied, still concerned about Nora after what had happened to Odinson.

She gave him a grateful smile before glancing at Ren and sticking a thumb in the direction of the blond and whispering, "Get a load of this guy. He high-fives the reaper again, and he's worried about me."

Nora burst out laughing and Jaune and Pyrrha couldn't help but join in, while Ren simply smiled. The bouncy girl wiped her left eye before she looked at Jaune and added, "Seriously though, I'm fine now. Thanks for asking though, Jaune."

"Just wanted to make sure you're alright," He answered before noticing that Ren was casually looking around, "So, anyone else want to mention how peculiar the climate is here? It feels like summer even though it's snowing like no tomorrow outside the valley."

"I was about to mention it myself," Ren remarked, raising a finger to make his point, "It seems to me that this entire place is hidden from the rest of Remnant by some sort of illusion or hologram, though Soul Seer was rather coy when talking about it."

"It's obviously some kind of magic, Renny. I mean, just look at this whole place! It has 'magic' written all over it!" Nora insisted as she walked beside the slowly crawling Grimm Wyvern while Pyrrha surveyed the stunning landscape from its back, searching for signs of any other dragons.

"This place is indeed enchanted," Seraph told Team JNPR as his winged helmet turned to glance back at them, "We are shielded from the outside world by a series of powerful holographic generators, which are enhanced with magic runes that create most convincing illusions. With regards to the weather you're currently feeling, it's also a result of the influence of both magic and technology working together perfectly, let's just put it at that since the specifics are actually quite complex to comprehend."

"Hey, I was curious, who lives in the town? The Knights?" Jaune inquired.

"No, we reside within the fortress itself. The town is home to a collection of various people, human and Faunus alike, from all over Remnant that the Order has saved over the centuries who have lost their homes and families to the Grimm and have nowhere else to go. Most of the citizens under our care are descendants of both those saved in the past and the pages and servants of the Knights who came long before us. They work to help craft weapons and farm and fish for us and in return we give them protection and friendship. We are honored to have them with us and they live here happily." Seraph explained, pausing before adding, "Jaune Arc, I see you've brought the Aura Crystal with you. It's good to know that despite all that's happened you remain steadfast in your duties as the Crystal's guardians together with your partner. You honor the spirits of your predecessors."

Jaune nodded and simultaneously replied with Pyrrha, "Thank you, sir."

"I'm glad to see that yet again you've deprived Salem of such a powerful relic, and that we have more reason to rejoice than to mourn today," Seraph continued speaking, "However, I also understand that the victory came at a price."

"Yes sir," Pyrrha told him, "We have lost some good people today."

"Among them was Klein Seiban, the head of the Schnee Manor's servants," Argentius told the Grand Knight Master, "Though he proved himself to be more than just a butler with his bravery and honor."

"Indeed, anyone who falls in battle to defend the innocent has indeed proven themselves a hero, and I have informed both Fire Walker and Wind Runner to convey my condolences to the Schnee after I had received their reports along with Argentius and Soul Seer's. Still, it's still a comfort of sorts that our enemy lost more than we did today, and hopefully the presence of this Wyvern is proof enough of that," Seraph answered as he walked, "On another matter, young Arc, Argentius and Soul Seer have also informed me of your request; that your father has suggested that we allow him to interview an individual from the Knight Order, perhaps one of the Knight Castellans."

"Yes sir, my father's a historian by trade so an opportunity like this is quite difficult for him to ignore," Jaune said as they slowly headed into a pass set between a pair of mountains. The cliffs loomed high over the group as they proceeded through the pass, looking both awe-inspiring and somewhat dangerous at the same time.

"What do you think, sir?" Pyrrha inquired from the back of the Grimm Wyvern, its claws gripping the rocky ground as it crawled behind the Remnant Knights, "A simple interview wouldn't hurt, right?"

"Personally, I think it's something to consider," Seraph said as he walked, "However, the Knight Order has remained so hidden from the rest of Remnant for so long for justifiable reasons. You see, even though we work alongside the Kingdoms' Councils our autonomy allows us to move unseen by the people of Remnant while countering various Grimm creatures as well as the operations headed by Salem's associates. There had been harsh lessons learned from the past as well, back when Remnant was still in its infancy before the Kingdoms were even founded. Prior to the formation of the Knight Order, the world was indeed a very different place. The rich and the powerful attempted, and some even succeeded, to conscript certain powerful warriors to fight their personal battles or assign them as personal enforcers. Some good were done but more than a few times those very warriors found themselves on the wrong side of such brutal conflicts. The Vale King secretly sent out his agents to recruit such talented warriors across Remnant's many lands and zones of conflict, offering them a purpose more important and vital to Remnant's future, and those warriors who chose to follow him vowed that they would be no one's thugs or tools ever again."

Team JNPR listened intently, knowing that they are privy to a glimpse of history that they would probably never have been able to know even if they were to look through all the history books in Beacon Academy.

"Then there's also the fact that the Knight Order have many powerful weapons and ancient tomes of knowledge kept inside of Tintagel, obtained from other secret societies or found and recovered on various missions of importance undertaken by various knights across the centuries, which need to be kept from the wrong hands at all costs. Even though the Remnant Knights have mostly kept to the shadows throughout history, sometimes the prognosticators have to use their memory-erasing techniques to keep the Knight Order within the realms of myths and legends. We're the unbreakable shield of Remnant, the valiant warriors who fight in the shadows so the rest of Humanity could live to see another sunrise," Seraph explained, "But now Salem had forced the Knight Order out of hiding when she launched her attacks on both Atlas and Vacuo. Some among the Remnant Knights already felt that we have already exposed ourselves too much, and most likely wouldn't approve of an interview with a civilian for the sake of both safety and secrecy. However this isn't a decision that can be taken lightly, as it will ultimately be up to whatever conclusion I can reach with the Round Table."

"Nonetheless, we hope you consider it," Jaune said to the Grand Knight master, "That's all we ask."

Seraph nodded, before he glanced back and his visor eyed the rucksack carrying the remains of Crocea Mors, "I was also informed that your family's ancestral weapon was shattered in your latest battle with the renegade Fall Maiden."

"It was, Grand Knight Master." Jaune answered almost immediately, "Though we recovered all the pieces and I was wondering if I could-"

"Use Tintagel's weapon forges to mend Crocea Mors? I see no reason to forbid it. After all you've done to fight Salem's agents, young Arc, it's the least we can do for you. Tomorrow, I'll have Forge Smith aid you to the best of his considerable abilities." Seraph told Jaune, who found himself smiling brightly.

"Thank you, sir." Jaune said as Nora gently nudged his ribs with a grin on her face.

"See? Nothing to worry about." She remarked wryly, making Jaune smile back at her as Ren noticed they were heading towards another huge mountain when the pass ended at a bridge that extended over a sizable chasm.

"I take it that's our destination?" He spoke up. The rest of Team JNPR turned their heads to look at the structure that adorned the immense mountain's flank.

A well-defended bridge that was shrouded in mist led to a portcullis gate, behind it was an edifice similar to Tintagel, and though a little smaller than the main fortress it was nonetheless daunting. Much like Tintagel, the structure seemed as though it had been carved from the mountain's very rock, with several manned sentry towers fitted with large cannons and turrets, both ends of the gates were flanked by heavily armored garrison towers. Huge statues of stern-looking armored knights stood along the battlements as well, although their features had been worn down by the elements through the years.

Team JNPR took in the veritable scale of Dragonspire Keep as it towered high above them, and realized that the main gates had been carved to resemble a dragon's head.

Roaring blue flames burned in its 'eyes' and its 'jaws' were wide open to reveal the other end of the bridge that ended with the portcullis gate. It was as though the mountain itself had been shaped to resemble the mythical beasts that dwelled within it, and whoever had carved the gates out of mountain rock must have been a group of supremely patient and talented sculptors.

"Yes," Seraph announced grandly as he gestured at the structure in front of them, "That is Dragonspire Keep, the safe haven for the last dragons of Remnant."

"Oooh! But I don't see any dragons," Nora remarked bluntly as she raised a hand above her eyes and squinted.

"They're all inside the mountain, of course, and they've been told about your arrival in advance," Soul Seer informed the four Hunters, "They're waiting for us now."

"So how many dragons are actually left?" Pyrrha inquired.

"Your Wyvern, once fully purified of its Grimm essence, will raise the number to thirteen," Argentius answered.

"So few…I was hoping there'd be more." Pyrrha's mentioned sadly as she dipped her head, one hand caressing her Wyvern's head comfortingly.

"There were once tens of thousands of dragons in the world before, although no one ever knew how many there actually were. Some of them hid themselves away in the deep mountains and jungles, while others were said to populate a mysterious island somewhere in the northern oceans. Due to their aggressive nature it wasn't uncommon for them to be hunted by humanity, who feared and hated them so," Seraph began solemnly as he walked, "When the first war broke out, the horrible war that shattered the moon now known to us as the Age of Shattering, many were killed as they slept when the nameless island was consumed by magma erupting from a volcanic fissure. The survivors later awoke and emerged into a completely devastated world, one so completely consumed by conflict and disaster that they were both horrified and disgusted by what had transpired. Some of the dragons blamed all of humanity for what befell this planet and sought to eradicate mankind on sight wherever they could be found, but others knew that not all of humanity could be blamed for the breaking of the moon or the countless deaths caused by those mad or foolish in power, and so the latter group dedicated themselves to protecting the remnants of humanity. However, fear and ignorance among humanity caused many of them to assume all dragons were threats to them, regardless of the warnings from those magically-inclined who knew the dragons' true natures, and would seek to kill those noble beasts out of fear and ignorance. As the centuries passed and more technology caches were either found or recovered, mankind managed to eventually build great weapons capable of killing dragons, slowly and gradually driving them towards extinction."

"How awful," Pyrrha commented sadly.

"Indeed so. Many dragons saw humanity as no less savage than the Grimm. At least the Grimm were monsters by their very nature, but what excuse did humans have for such carnage?" Seraph answered as his armored boots met the bridge's stony surface, "But the damage was already done, and so it was the desperation to avoid extinction that drove a flight of dragons to seek an alliance with the first Grimm Queen. Naturally, Salem's predecessor betrayed and corrupted them into another new species of Grimm. She used them to find and wipe out the remaining dragons that weren't tainted by the darkness as well as causing widespread devastation on the slowly recovering world. The predecessors of the Knight Order have engaged in some dangerous battles with the Grimm-corrupted dragons, and the cost had been quite substantial. Nonetheless, a number of surviving dragons eventually gathered and sought out the help of those humans they protected and word eventually reached our organization's ears of their plight. A number of knights and prognosticators agreed to meet the dragons at the Ocean's Spire and after a long and cautious discussion they agreed to come with us to Tintagel, and have stayed with the Knight Order ever since."

The Grand Knight Master gestured at the expanse of Dragonspire Keep before them with an outstretched gauntlet, "The flight of dragons who came with us have been granted sanctuary within the Keep the Order constructed for them, and can come and go as they please. We have not been their masters, but their comrades, and a select number of knights have even become their close friends and partners as well. A relationship not so dissimilar to the one you share with the Grimm Wyvern, Pyrrha Nikos."

"That's amazing. So you have dragon riders within the Order?" Pyrrha asked.

"Indeed we do," Soul Seer replied with a cheerful voice, "And you'll meet them shortly."

As they neared the huge gate, the young Hunters-in-training could make out several armed Knights standing sentry on the battlements on either side of the keep's gates. A few of the heavy turrets rotated on their mounts as though tracking the Grimm Wyvern, no doubt primed and ready to open fire should anything alarming happen.

The thick doors of the dragon-like structure's open mouth slowly groaned open to admit them, but their attention was soon drawn elsewhere when the sound of huge wings flapping through the air reached their ears. The Wyvern's head suddenly jerked upwards as it growled, causing everyone to look up as the form of a vast draconic beast soared overhead through the mists.

"Holy…" Nora muttered in astonishment as the new dragon flew down and landed atop the giant stone dragon's head, which allowed them to get a better look at it.

Its body was easily larger than even the Grimm Wyvern that had attacked Beacon Academy and was a different species, with four powerful-looking limbs that ended with sharp claws and its back was topped with large spikes running down its body and a long thick tail that ended in what looked like a spiked arrow. A trio of white horns emerged from each side of its head, and the dragon gazed down upon them with golden eyes that conveyed its old age and intelligence. Its scales were colored a blend of browns and beiges that ranged from near black to sandy yellow, while its sprawling wings were a dark brick red that gradually lightened as they got closer to the main body that displayed quite a few noticeable scars.

Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly as she took in the formidable-looking dragon, which she recognized from the book about dragons in which she had found in Schnee Manor's library as a Pure West Dragon, supposedly the most skilled and intelligent of all known dragon species. She blinked and then realized that not only was there a saddle on the other dragon, but an armored figure riding upon it, a female figure clad in Aegis Armor that was colored silver and deep red, with a helmet resembling a dragon bearing its fangs. She carried a weapon that looked like a cross between a lance and a spear in one gauntlet, while an exquisitely-detailed sword was belted at her waist.

The Pure West Dragon growled as it looked down at the procession from its perch, and a thin plume of grey smoke escaped from the side of its large muzzle. Seraph held out his right arm in a gesture of greeting, "Hail Hail Purgatio Ignis, Knight of Dragons, leader of the Dragon Riders! And her partner, Vahaemion, the Alpha of the Dragon Flight!" He announced loudly and proudly, while the dozen knights holding large bladed polearms topped with energized blades lifted their weapons into the air in a salute.

"And hail to you, Grand Knight Master Seraph! Knight Champion Argentius and Chief Prognosticator Soul Seer!" Purgatio called down in a voice that was a perfect mixture of a royal's voice and that of a veteran warrior, "And to you as well, Team JNPR and your Wyvern, imprisoned by the darkness."

"Uh…hi," Jaune managed to say.

"Hello there! It's an honor to meet you," Pyrrha called out as she reached out with her Grimm Commander abilities to keep the Wyvern in check, since she could sense that it was itching to fly up and attack the larger dragon. Apparently the Alpha Grimm urge to challenge another Alpha was still strong within it, "We came to Tintagel because we were told you could help us free my Wyvern of the Grimm corruption! Can you help us?"

"Indeed we can, Pyrrha Nikos," Purgatio answered, "Though it will take more fire than Vahaemion alone can summon, we need to call the rest of the Flight to help. We must take you to meet with the rest of the dragons with all haste, before you lose control over the Wyvern. As the Warden of Dragonspire Keep, I hereby grant you permission to enter the dragons' sanctuary."

"Please come with us, and stay close." Soul Seer said softly as the procession began to move again, leading Team JNPR and their large Wyvern inside of the keep's huge courtyard. It was rather barren unlike Tintagel's parade square, and Team JNPR couldn't help but notice the heavily-armed knights stationed at certain bunker-like structures that had cannons mounted on them as well. They were clad in heavily-plated grey armor, and armed with a variety of weapons that included longswords, rifles, lances, heavy crossbows or hybrids of such armaments.

"Security seems rather tight here," Ren commented quietly.

"Don't be alarmed, it's only precautionary." Argentius assured the four members of Team JNPR.

"We know," Pyrrha replied with a nod, understanding the need for such defenses in case she wasn't able to keep her draconic steed under control. She also noticed that those knights were calm and collected, seemingly trusting her ability to keep the Wyvern in line, but she had little doubt they were more than capable of taking swift, decisive action when necessary. Purgatio led the way on Vahaemion, the Pure West Dragon glancing back at the new arrivals and surveying the young Wyvern carefully, as if to make sure it wouldn't suddenly launch into an attack.

On the side of the mountain beyond the Keep's gates was a huge tunnel opening, looking like a strange cross between a natural tunnel and a man-made one. Ren noticed that the stone walls, illuminated by blue flames burning within lamps, were adorned with several claw marks and very faint but noticeable traces of burn marks. Rather large ones. In fact, if what he remembered from geology lessons in past science classes were anything to go by, a lot of this mountain rock had been melted away by extreme heat.

The long tunnel sloped downwards, leading the group further into the mountain, and as they went they noticed the tunnel's sides were flanked by large stone statues of knights and dragons, as well as large elaborate murals, depicting huge cities that had only passing similarities to those seen on Remnant in the present day. Underneath those murals were time-worn plaques that displayed various names; 'New York', 'Tokyo', 'London', 'Shanghai', 'Cairo', 'Moscow', 'Rio De Janeiro', 'Paris', 'Delhi', 'Buenos Aires', 'Singapore', and so on.

"What were these places?" Jaune found himself asking.

"They were some of this world's largest metropolises before the moon was shattered," Purgatio answered as she turned to look at Team JNPR from her dragon's saddle, "It's hard to imagine that while it took hundreds, possibly even thousands of years for such cities to reach their full glory, they were all destroyed in an instant. Billions of lives were extinguished, in less than a single day."

"There are other murals of such cities all around Tintagel's halls and library, as well as key individuals and events from the days before the Age of Shattering, lest we forget the tragedy of the people and the world that was lost." Seraph told the four Hunters-in-training.

"They're beautiful." Pyrrha said.

"Yes, they indeed are." Soul Seer replied as her hooded head turned to look at the female spartan sitting on the Grimm Wyvern's back, "And it saddens me deeply that such wonders were forever lost to us."

They continued through the tunnel until they came to a huge entryway which led into a massive circular cavern, the ceiling far above gradually narrowing until it reached the center where there was a jagged, roughly circular hole at the top. All around the circumference of the cavern were many other tunnel openings, both smaller and much larger than the one they had just emerged from. The ground of the cavern extended far below, cut through with what looked like hundreds of channels covered with copious amounts of gleaming minerals and basalt.

"Wow, are we actually inside of a volcano?" Jaune asked as he looked around, feeling his skin sweating a little.

"Yes, one that's been dead for hundreds of years, though there are still a number of active magma channels in the deeper tunnels. Dragons typically regard volcanoes, be they active, dead or dormant, as safe havens as all other creatures avoid getting too close to such places." Purgatio informed them before Vahaemion lifted his head and began to emit a low, gentle bellowing sound which echoed throughout the caverns.

The Grimm Wyvern hunched down nervously, its red eyes darting around but Pyrrha rested a hand on its head as she sent comforting thoughts through her bond with it into its mind.

"What's he doing?" Jaune looked at Purgatio.

"Summoning his flight," The Knight of Dragons answered before a cacophony of sounds slowly travelled from the other passages; sounds of scuttling, stomping, slithering, claws crunching against hardened stone. Pebbles and small pieces of minerals on the ground shook, bouncing up and down under the weight of the oncoming beasts.

The first dragon to emerge from one of the tunnels on the left came soaring out on large feathery white wings that turned red at the tips. Its long snake-like body was covered with green scales, though its underbelly was a bright shade of yellow, and its back was topped with sharp fins like those of a shark which were colored a dark crimson. Its head was flanked with aqua-colored external gil fins and the tip of its tail resembled that of a tree branch, with feathers in place of leaves. It flew up to a stalactite, wrapping its long body around and gazing down on them with its milky white eyes. Pyrrha covered her mouth as her green eyes widened in amazement, she recognized the snake-like dragon from the illustrations in the book as an Amphithere.

There was a crunch of claws on rock, and then came another Pure West Dragon like Vahaemion from the tunnel nearer to the middle portion of the cavern, though unlike him this one was coloured a stunning midnight blue, slowly changing to indigo and then nearly black along its body. It was noticeably more slender than Vahemion and its face gentler, with clearly more feminine amber eyes and it also moved with the grace of a jungle predator. It shot out and landed heavily in front of Vahaemion, carefully surveying the group of new arrivals before its eyes finally settled on the Grimm Wyvern. It tilted its head to the side and sniffed, before seeming to offer a dragon's version of a smile as it let out a purring coo, and Pyrrha visibly noticed her Wyvern calming down slightly. She looked up at the female dragon and offered a gentle smile in return.

"This is Nightflame, Alpha Female of the Dragon Flight and Vahaemion's mate." Purgatio introduced as two more dragons appeared from a tunnel on the right, which Pyrrha recognized as Yinglongs.

One was colored a stunning gold while the other was a bright emerald, and they had long bodies similar to the Amphithere but slightly longer and their wings lacked feathers, and were of the same fleshy substance as the Pure West's, emerging from behind their shoulders. They had long, flowing manes of dark hair and long whiskers similar to those of a catfish which seemed to fit with their strangely feline yellow eyes and slim facial structure. Emerging from their foreheads each was a single long and jagged horn that was coloured a bright yellow. Their limbs, although thin like the rest of their bodies, nonetheless looked rather strong with powerful-looking claws tipped at the ends.

Nora shifted closer to Ren, who placed a reassuring hand on hers when he felt Nora gripping his left arm tightly. He almost triggered his own Semblance out of concern at the sight of the dragons, but forced himself to remain calm as he knew that the Remnant Knights would ensure their safety.

Then came a sight that made Pyrrha's eyes light up; from out of one of the larger tunnels, emerged a trio of majestic-looking Wyverns!

Sehkmir was at the head of the trio, he was even larger than Vahaemion; colored a bright crimson with stripes of jet black and a white underbelly running from his chin to his tail. His face was as black as night, almost the opposite of the Grimm bone mask Pyrrha's Wyvern had, covered with deep scratches and signs of wounds from fights long past and two long horns rising above its amber eyes. Sehkmir's wings were huge and powerful, and the color shifted along its length from red to an autumn orange with stripes becoming more brown than black. The small hands on its wings were black, as were the Wyvern's legs, the skin of which resembled the podotheca of a bird's legs. All along its back were long wicked-looking spikes, and like Pyrrha's Wyvern its tail was forked but the bone spikes at the end were noticeably much larger.

Skaarvir was, like Nightflame, noticeably thinner than her mate; she was colored a bright slate grey and was decorated with dark green stripes and her wings became more white whereas the stripes were a lime color while her underbelly was an even paler shade of white than her mate's. Her clawed hands and feet were a deep gunmetal shade of grey. Unlike Sehkmir's thick muscular neck, hers was slender and graceful, and her face was adorned with dark grey thick natural scales, with eyes of pale yellow and long, elegant white horns. Her back spikes, while long, were noticeably much smaller than Sehmir's. She gazed down at Pyrrha's Wyvern with a look that could be recognized as sympathy.

Zurli was a hybrid of her parents, with light red skin and silvery-grey stripes, a grey face that shifted to darker hues towards the top and horns. She was only slightly smaller than Pyrrha's Wyvern, which the Spartan assumed was probably something to do with how the Grimm essence had altered the young Wyvern. Zurli looked at the Grimm Wyvern with curiosity just as he stared back at them, seeing what he was supposed to truly look like for the first time. She began moving towards him until Skaarvir gently blocked her path with her extended wing, as if reminding her to wait for everyone else to arrive.

The remaining four dragons quickly arrived, and among their number was a Wyrm, long and pure white, looking like an albino of its species, but the dirt and dust from the volcano and the underground covered its body and added to its color. Its head was vaguely shaped like an axe and its back resembled that of a crocodile and its tail forked out into two sharp ends.

Then there was the Drake, it lacked wings but made up for it with its sheer size, being the second largest of the entire Flight. Most of its body was brown with its back covered in a thick, segmented grey shell and bright yellow highlights shone from in between its thick armored scales, and they almost seemed to glow. Its head, similar in shape to the Pure Wests', had three horns emerging from each side and its fang seemed slightly overgrown, emerging from under its scaly lips and its own thick tail was tipped with numerous spikes that looked strong and deadly.

The smallest of the dragons was still a large beast, about as tall as a single-story house and as long as a bus. The Basilisk was very bird-like, not just in appearance but also how it moved, with dark yellow legs and sharp talons. Its underbelly was like that of a lizard but the rest of its body was covered in beautiful feathers ranging from honey brown to dark cerulean, with bright green wings that curiously lacked feathers. Its beak looked razor sharp and its head was crowned by a casque like that of a cassowary's, but surrounded with red combs like those of a chicken. It emerged from its own tunnel, looking at the new arrival and clacking its beak.

And finally, came something that struck fear in Team JNPR and their Wyvern companion. Within the largest tunnel entrance, seven pairs of huge golden eyes shone as they slowly opened. Emerging from the darkness came what was by far the biggest and most fierce-looking of all the dragons witnessed so far. Its body was covered in thick armored scales of blood red and pure gold, with old scars marking them occasionally mixed with lines of large black spikes emerging from the back of its long, slender necks, its shoulders and elbows and all along its back. The lead head, evidently the one in the center of its huge body, was topped with a trio of large horns and was colored differently from the rest with its scales shifting from red to violet and then to blue and black. Two of the heads on the left remained red, while another two shifted to green while the seventh was a clear yellow, while thick scales of gold adorned its underbelly and neck. Its wings were utterly massive, nearly as large as an Atlesian building in terms of width and as dark as the unlit tunnel it emerged from and at the end of its single long tail was a spiked club like an Alpha Grimm Manticore's.

"Uh, what's that?" Nora asked fearfully, clutching tighter onto Ren who swallowed a little as well.

"That's Orochi, the Hydra of the Dragon Flight." Purgatio answered.

"Look at the size of him! Why isn't he the Alpha?" Jaune asked, awed. His comment received a derisive snort from Vahameion, while Nightflame made a soft rumbling sound in her throat that sounded almost like a laugh.

The blonde knight did a double take, "They can understand me?!"

"Indeed they can," Purgation confirmed as she turned her head a little, and after hearing a soft growl from her dragon partner she added, "And don't worry, he doesn't take any offense."

"And you can understand him?" Jaune asked.

"We're partners, it takes time but eventually you learn to tell what they're saying. It's hard to explain what that actually feels like, but it works. As for Orochi…he first came to join the Flight many years ago and it was strictly for survival, not out of kinship. He attempted to assert his dominance and become the new Alpha of the Flight, but Vahaemion was able to defeat Orochi in combat. The Hydra was humbled, and Vahaemion remained the leader of the Dragon Flight. I was very young at the time, but the senior knights and prognosticators described the battle as one of the fiercest they had ever witnessed," The leader of the Dragon Riders explained after she had climbed down from the saddle of the Alpha dragon.

"Indeed, and Orochi is still missing its eighth head from that battle," Seraph added, gesturing so that Team JNPR could see a short stub of a neck that hung limply along the massive dragon's back.

"Wow, Vahameion doesn't screw around, huh?" Nora mentioned, which caused the Alpha Dragon to produce a sound that felt like a deep-throated chuckle. Even though a few of Orochi's heads seethed silently, others did seem less offended or even a little amused by their companions' anger despite the lingering bad blood between it and Vahameion. In truth, the separate heads had different personalities, whereas some were fierce, others were passive.

Vahameion looked back at the Grimm Wyvern and extended one of his front limbs, gesturing for it to come forward. The twelve armored knights carrying the large bladed polearms bowed their helmeted heads, withdrawing several steps from the Grimm Wyvern as Purgatio walked over to look up at Pyrrha, "It is time for us to proceed with the purification rite. Please dismount your Wyvern in order for the Dragon Flight to purge it of its Grimm essence, young Nikos."

Pyrrha nodded and leapt off her Wyvern's back and then walked in front of it. She gently took its huge head into her hands, carefully caressing the hardened ridges of its white bone mask. "It'll be okay, I promise. Your fellow dragons are going to help you…they'll make you feel better, and get rid of this darkness. They'll make you what you were always meant to be. Don't be scared, I'll be here with you." She told it comfortingly, resting her circlet-covered forehead against its gently breathing snout.

The Grimm Wyvern returned her affection, gently nuzzling against Pyrrha while closing its crimson eyes for a moment before she stepped away, allowing her dragon to gingerly follow Vahameion into the the center of the massive cavern where a raised embankment that looked like a circular dais could be seen. Once they reached their destination, the Pure West Alpha looked around at his fellow dragons and opened its huge fanged mouth, slowly speaking to them through a series of growls, grunts and roars.
"What's he saying?" Pyrrha whispered to Purgatio.

"Vahameion's telling the rest of the Flight that for the first time in decades, they once again have a chance to free one of their own from the corrupting poison of the Darkness. Several of these dragons were once engulfed in the dark essence of the Grimm poison themselves, such as Huangjin Shou, one of the Yinglongs and Tyner the Drake. He's telling your Wyvern that it will not be a comfortable process, but once freed the results will speak for themselves." The Knight of Dragons revealed as Vahameion turned towards the young Grimm Wyvern and rumbled out something in their bestial tongue and the Grimm Wyvern replied almost unnaturally softly before glancing back at Pyrrha.

"He asked for the young one's name." Purgatio translated while looking at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha took a careful breath before walking forward so that she could address the gathered dragons, "Vahameion, forgive my intrusion! This young one was born with his Grimm half, his corrupted mother was slumbering when she was awoken by minions of the Grimm Queen and when she was killed in battle those agents stole her egg and hatched it within the bowels of Salem's dark palace." She explained, continuing to elaborate on how she became bonded to the young Wyvern, "I had thought about naming him while I was under Salem's sway, but she forbade it. Now that we're both free…may I have the honor of naming him?"

Nightflame came forward, her head sharing a look with her mate. Such was their size that they could both look down at Pyrrha from above, and the female Pure West Dragon nodded her head while softly vocalizing her assent.

"Nightflame says that anyone who liberates one of their kind from the clutches of evil is an eternal friend to all the flight. We can also tell you are bonded to the young Wyvern, just as I am bonded with Vahameion. Name him what you wish." Purgatio told Pyrrha.

The redhead nodded and gazed at her draconic companion, her mind searching for an appropriate name choice. After a few moments she remembered Kronos Nikos, her great-grandfather and all the incredible stories she was told about his various adventures and heroics. "Kronos, after my ancestor. Would that be an acceptable name?" She asked.

The Grimm Wyvern slowly nodded and Pyrrha could feel happiness radiating from it. "Do you like it?" She asked, reaching out to caress him again, and Kronos agreed, pressing his snout against her hand.

"He accepts," Purgatio stated, "Please, join us so that the Flight can free Kronos."

Pyrrha hugged Kronos's head one last time for support before walking quickly back to Jaune and the others. The blond caught Pyrrha in a supportive hug, quickly joined by Nora and Ren. After they released each other, Purgatio guided them to a raised upper section with waist-high walls a safe distance from the volcano's center that functions like a natural observation post of sorts. Jaune, Nora and Ren stood beside her, as well as Seraph, Argentius, Soul Seer and the rest of the Remnant Knights.

Vahameion and Nightflame directed Kronos to remain in the center as they backed up to join all the other dragons that were forming a wide circle around him. Odd sounds began emitting from the dragons' bodies, the back spikes of certain dragons began to glow, smoke billowed from in between their clenched fangs. In fact, if one looked close enough they could see the faint light of fire, which was building rapidly within the bellies of all the dragons.

The fire kept building up, smoke billowing out from in between their clenched teeth and rising to the circular opening above. Vahameion suddenly released a thunderous growl which signaled to the other dragons to quite literally open fire.

Their mouths shot open and powerful streams of fire erupted from deep within their throats, flowing out of their maws like the most overwhelming flamethrowers imaginable and bathing Kronos from snout to tail.

"Woah!" Nora exclaimed as she and everyone else were forced to shield their eyes from the intense light of the flames.

"Will he be all right?" Pyrrha asked aloud.

"Yeah, this seems like overkill!" Jaune added, his arm raised to shield his unwounded eye.

"This is mandatory," Purgatio told them, "When it comes to purging the corrupting darkness, nothing is too far. Much to our sorrow, the Flight learned that the hard way from previous encounters."

Pyrrha nodded uneasily as she heard Kronos roar in panic, its form reduced to a black silhouette amidst the roaring flames. Jaune didn't need his own Grimm Commander abilities to sense her worry, so he wrapped an arm around his partner while his other hand gently took hold of her own, grasping it comfortingly.

Kronos felt the immense heat sweeping over every inch of its body in waves. While it wasn't exactly comfortable, the pain wasn't scalding like what had happened with Cinder. Perhaps that had something to do with the natural malice the Fall Maiden possessed, but it was still a strange and unpleasant feeling. It was akin to facing a blazing furnace on a blistering summer's day, borderline unbearable but not fatally hot.

However, Kronos felt a strange sensation all over him, especially around his snout and mouth. The slits that caused his large mouth to extend down his neck began to close, sealing up as the accursed black substance that made up the creatures of Grimm was slowly but surely burned away. Chunks of disgusting and sloppy black clumps fell off with wet smacks on the basalt-covered ground, only to be quickly incinerated by the concentrated fire blasts.

As the corruptive black liquid shriveled up and vanished under the incredible burning force of dragon fire, more and more of Kronos' true form was revealed. It wasn't long before all of the tar-like substance was burned away and what had fallen off was soon reduced to nothing but scorch marks on the cavern's floor. Nightflame herself didn't stop until she was sure there wasn't a single piece of Grimm slime left, as she was the sole survivor of her original Flight which had mostly fallen to the Grimm corruption…and the injuries she had suffered from the battle that ensured left more than physical scars.

The twelve dragons gradually stopped spewing fire, with some of them looking exhausted after pouring so much effort into putting up such an extended blast. They crawled back from Kronos's smoke-covered form, allowing the humans present to see its true form. Pyrrha covered her mouth, her emerald eyes watering with tears as she took in the sight of the reborn dragon when the smoke finally cleared enough to reveal it.

Kronos's body was a deep brown that shifted to dark red with shining stripes of gold, with a beige underbelly while his clawed hands and feet were a very dark brown. The slit-mouth had closed up, but the scars left behind were visible while the white bony spikes and mask remained as well, his eyes were no longer blood red, but a bright shade of green akin to Pyrrha's own pair. His wings slowly folded outwards, revealing a considerably wide wingspan of dazzling gold.

Vahameion let out a bellowing, triumphant roar and lifted his head up towards the funnel hole of the volcano high above, joined by the others in a chorus of victorious roars and cries, and even the many heads of Orochi released their own roars in welcoming the newest member of the Flight. Nightflame leaned down and gently nuzzled Kronos before saying something to it in their bestial tongue, no doubt inviting him to join, and it let out its own loud roar of joy at his rebirth.

No more would he be sent into an uncontrollable frenzy over someone's emotions. No more would he be shocked and chained. No more would he be a pawn of the Mistress of Grimm.

He was finally free.

Pyrrha couldn't help herself and dashed down from the raised upper section while dragging Jaune along with her, the blond nearly falling as he struggled to keep up with his excited partner. Nora wasted no time in giving chase, with Ren following closely behind though the idea of being near such clearly dangerous mythical beasts gave him some concern, but upon seeing that the Remnant Knights didn't bar their way and the fact that if Pyrrha felt that they are safe, then they would be.

The dragons made no effort to stop the Hunters-in-training from rushing to Kronos. In fact, there was a distinct sense that the draconic creatures were indeed content about their freeing one of their kind from the Mistress of Grimm, and some of their scale-covered faces had expressions that gave Team JNPR the impression they were smiling with both pride and relief.

Kronos seemingly forgot his size as he leapt up with joy, specks of dust falling from the cavern ceiling above as he came down with a booming thud. He welcomed Pyrrha and her friends warmly, growling softly with affection as she hugged his head while rubbing his chin as the Wyvern nuzzled against her, nearly knocking her down. Jaune, Ren and Nora also joined in to touch Kronos with affectionate strokes on his head.

"Kronos, you're beautiful!" Pyrrha told him, wiping away happy tears as the young Wyvern rubbed its large head against her, desperate to feel more affection, which she and her friends were more than happy to provide.

The Remnant Knights quietly watched the heartwarming sight unfold in front of them, and after a few moments Purgatio turned to face Soul Seer and said, "Thank you for bringing them here, Soul Seer. I had nearly lost all hope that there would ever be another one rescued from the Grimm Queen's clutches."

"'We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope', as a wise old man from the world before had said when he had experienced despair. Never lose hope, for only when you stop believing in something does it become impossible to achieve, and that's what our enemy wants us to feel; hopelessness." Soul Seer reminded the Knight of Dragons warmly before her attention was caught by the sound of Team JNPR laughing. She turned to see that Pyrrha had been playfully licked by Kronos, and his long tongue was now showing affection to Jaune, covering his face with gooey saliva.

"Even after all that I've seen, wonders never seem to cease," Argentius remarked, "I think things will only get more interesting from here on out."

This chapter was edited by Relentless Crusader with thanks to CosmicFiction for help with the dragon names.

I hope you'll check out my upcoming story which isn't related to RWBY; Batman x The Crow: Winged Vengeance. It might take a while, as I have decided to overhaul the first chapter.