"Greetings." - Dialogue

'Where am I?' - Thoughts

"Ad mortem inimicus." (Death to my enemy) - Dialogue in foreign language (translation)

Finding Lie Ren had been a surprisingly easy endeavor. Glynda had a hunch regarding his whereabouts as she patrolled the halls of the academy to search for the runaway. Her suspicion was proven true when she saw the unmasked Samurai staring at the door that once belonged to team JNPR.

The last time she saw him, his youthful face was the epitome of emotional control amongst his peers. Like Blake Belladonna, the only times he would show any outward reaction are so far in between that one needed to learn how to study their eyes for glints of emotion. After a month, or twenty four years in Imeria, she could see that he still remained wholly the same despite the new goatee that he sported. As he stood in front of his former dorm room, there was no sign of tension or distress.

To the untrained eye, at least.

In all her years of experience, in Remnant and Imeria, she learned to read the stoic and disciplined. There was a slight tremor in his visible hand, his breaths were coming out quicker than normal and it seemed that he was trying to keep in under control. However, like with all of those who claimed to have mastered their emotions, his eyes were the greatest source of evidence regarding his emotional turmoil.

They were slightly covered by his hair, which was unleashed from his chonmage, but she saw enough. His magenta irises were dull from experience that was unbefitting his young face. And yet, they were wild. Almost manic as they took in every detail regarding every nook and cranny of the door that beheld him as if he was contemplating its existence. There was agony behind those eyes, one borne of knowledge that cannot be unlearned. When he saw her, a spark of fury erupted from those dull amethysts.

"Anatadare?!"(Who are you?!) He growled out, all of the Samurai's legendary discipline lost in the hurricane of emotions he surely must be going through. He faced her, but his stance indicated that he considered her a threat. "Koko wa doko?!"(Where am I?!)

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, a professor of this academy. I understand that you are confused, and I am here to help you." The headmistress of Beacon kept her voice level and calm, not wanting to agitate a warrior of his caliber. Her familiarity of aura's nuances and her semblance may be key advantages against the Imerians, but they too seem to have access to their own auras and semblances. If they had been able to use these abilities in Imeria as she had many years ago, then her caution was warranted.

She had been a bit more cavalier with Nora as she knew how Vikings thought and which buttons to press. Samurai warriors were the expertise of an accomplice of hers and there were very few instances in Imerian history when the Samurai and Vikings were considered allies. If old grudges were passed onto this generation of Imerians, then revealing her Viking history would be bad news for her.

"Help me?" Ren asked warily, his voice accented. "How are you going to help me?! I remember things from a life that is not mine!"

"As did I, when I came back from Imeria." As soon as the last word escaped her mouth, Ren blinked from existence. Glynda instinctively brought her hands up in a loose guard and was able to stop Ren from stabbing her in the throat with a small dagger by deflecting it and redirecting his momentum. The samurai was wide-eyed at her reaction time. His shock left him momentarily vulnerable, which was enough of an opening for Glynda to headbutt the warrior. As he stumbled backwards, Glynda pumped some aura into her left arm before unleashing a devastating uppercut into his abdomen.

She did not pour too much aura into the blow as she ran the risk of running him through with her fist, but enough to put him down for the count as she did not want to spend too much time neutralizing him. However, despite the pain he surely felt from the devastating blow, Ren kicked her in the face and backpedalled groggily to gain some distance from her.

'I underestimated the strength of his aura.' She thought, and was surprised at the revelation. Ren always had a weaker aura than most of his peers, but compensated by being a very agile fighter. 'Or perhaps, it grew stronger during his time in Imeria?'

"How do you know of Imeria?" He wheezed out, his form swaying slightly as he tried to center himself.

"I was there. I am a survivor of that hellhole's many wars." The both of them cringed at the reminder of the sheer amount of conflict that occurs in Imeria. Ever since The Cataclysm, there has never been a moment when the entirety of the realm experienced peace.

"Legionnaire?" Ren ventured, slightly lowering his guard. Anyone who survived Imeria deserved a modicum of his respect. The average age of the fallen was nineteen. The woman looked like she was in her late thirties. If what she claimed was true, then she was like him and his compatriots. If her Latin proclamation from yesterday was any indication, then she was a warrior of the Knight Legions.

"No, I was an Apothecary. A member of The Convent of the Healing Flame." She told him a half-truth, as she truly was a healer for the Knights at the final years of her time in Imeria. That did not mean she became one willingly, as they had to beat out the Viking in her. Even then, they had to let her maintain some of her heritage as the casualties increased and her skill was invaluable.

"Only penitent prisoners were members of that convent." Ren pointed out, his shoulders slumping as if some unseen weight was dropped onto his back. Glynda's eyes widened, shocked that someone outside of the Legions' High Council knew one of the Knight's greater secrets. "That makes you either a Legion criminal or a prisoner of war."

"How do you know that?" She all but whispered, confusion lacing her voice.

"Please understand that the largest war ever since the Fall of Yoshinaru the Opulent's Empire was taking place and we had to find a means to make peace with each other." Ren tried to reason, but Glynda would not listen to the 'why', as the 'how' was immensely more important at the moment.

"Imeria's always at war, the size of the conflict only tells me that it took longer to end and that more young warriors lost their lives for nothing! Now tell me, how did you know about the Convent's secret." She knew that she was being irrational and brash, but she had the right to know of her Convent's fate. Her sisters in arms' fates. She had been away from them for far too long.

"Raguel is a very open man, both of heart and mind. When the Convent fell, he felt that it was his responsibility to reveal its secret to Legion Puritans who refused to take up arms alongside my people and Thorsdottir's people." The samurai faced her, and he could see the anguish in her eyes. He sighed in resignation at the duty that was unwillingly placed upon him by fate. "I am sorry to be the one who reveal its demise to you. It should have been Raguel or someone of your heritage."

"How? How does he know that it fell? We had Apothecaries all over the frontiers. As long as one Apothecary of the Convent does their duty, the Convent never truly falls." She recited one of the credos of her order without noticing, and it had a modicum of truth to it. The Convent had a small portion of its members positioned within a ride's distance from multiple frontier towns in order to aid civilians as well as garrisoned troops.

"Unless a special occasion requires everyone to be at the Sancta Ignis." Ren quietly told her, and her heart skipped a beat in surprise.

"You don't mean…" Horror crept into her heart as she understood what Ren was implying.

"It would be on Saint Josephine's Day that your entire Convent is gathered in one place. Raguel told me that the Sancta Ignis was razed to the ground and every single member inside was slaughtered."

"Why?" She took in a shaky breath to calm herself.

"The warlord we fought, Apollyon, had a commander who found out about the Convent's secret. After Apollyon's demise, she had a 'kill switch' of sorts to cause even more strife between the nations. Mercenaries attacked religious and medical facilities under the guise of soldiers from a different nation. The attacks would have lengthened the war for years if it was not for Raguel's revelations." He explained, a little regretful at the downcast look on her face. He could empathize with her, being the sole survivor of a brotherhood after it was culled to the last. "For all it's worth, nobody died unarmed."

"That means a lot to me." A small smile grew on her face, knowing that nobody died without a fight. "You seem to speak highly of Raguel."

"As I have said, he is of open mind and heart. Something rare in the bloody lands of Imeria. Without him, I am certain that making peace between all four nations would have been a harder endeavour." There was something akin to pride in Ren's eyes when he praised the Knight.

"I wouldn't doubt it." A sullen look grew on her face as she remembered what Jaune was like before he disappeared. An awkward lad with no skills and no knowledge in the ways of the Huntsman. What he had was a heart of gold and the mind of a tactician. "So Imeria has finally found peace, I take it?"

"For now. I fear that once word breaks out regarding our disappearances, war would break loose again. Peace always seems like a fleeting certainty on Imeria, and that is something we have tried so hard to disprove. However, you still did not answer my question as to how you are going to help me with these memories of someone else's life."

"Those memories are truly yours, Lie Ren." She saw him tense up at the mention of his real name. "You were once a student here in this very academy."

"An academy for what?"

"Warriors, but of a different kind. We are in a war as well, but is nothing like an Imerian War. Granted, no war can come close to brutality that Imeria's battlefields can achieve. The children we teach here are the guardians of our civilization. They are our blades against the creatures of Grimm, and you were once one of them."

"Grimm?" Ren asked before clutching his head in pain. In his mind, he saw the image of a demonic looking horse covered in black fur with bonelike protrusions galloping towards something. It's rider was a horned humanoid monstrosity with disproportionate arms that was fused to the horse. The rider locked eyes with him and let loose a terrifying roar.

"A memory?" Glynda asked when she saw him stiffen up and his complexion paled.

"I saw a monster. It looked like a centaur, like the ones in Legion mythology, but it was black and covered in bone. It was an oni."

"A nuckelavee. It is one of the many creatures of Grimm that we train our students to face in the foreseeable future."

"You teach children to fight those demons?" Ren was aghast. He thought that the creatures he fought were over-sized wild animals gone feral. Now that he thought about, it certainly was odd that they did not bleed, and that they dissipated when they died.

"They may appear as demons, but think of them as wild animals with an unquenchable bloodlust. At times they can be crafty and cunning, but most of the time they are predictable. Auras and semblances are also a key advantage that we have against the Grimm."

"Two of the women I fought with mentioned those terms. I am unfamiliar with the term 'semblance', but I do know what Aura is." Ren confessed, remembering Mauve and Blake's words from the previous battle.

"Semblances are aspects of your personality and soul made manifest as supernatural abilities. For example, my semblance is a form of telekinesis as an aspect of my personality is that of control." Glynda explained.

"So my Shadow-walking is a semblance?"

"Pardon?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"During my time in Imeria, I had an ability to render myself invisible to the eyes of anybody despite my body being completely visible."

"Yes… It would." She slowly responded, but was very confused. When applicants had no formal training, they were required to do a test against Grimm and huntsman. During his test, Ren had showcased his semblance which allowed him to become invisible to the eyes of the Grimm. 'Does this mean that his semblance evolved?'

"Interesting. So these semblances, they require aura?"

"Yes, aura is what powers a semblance."

"Then, how was I able to use my abilities in Imeria. As Mauve explained to me, it is also a shield of sorts."

"I am not entirely too sure about that. In Imeria, I was only able to use my semblance when my aura was unleashed." They fell into silence as both warriors contemplated the implications of being able to use a semblance without Aura. "Would you want to enter?"

Ren look longingly at the door, weighing his options before smiling sadly. "For another time. I believe that the others must also be present when this door opens."

"Then, I'm afraid I would have to escort you back to the med bay." Glynda gestured to the way she came from and Ren followed her without complaint. The trip back to the medical bay was in comfortable silence as Ren found his peace. When they approached his room, the nurses made their way towards him with intent to keep him from escaping. One legendary Goodwitch glare later, they backed off with their heads down.

"This was a good conversation." Ren bowed before entering the room and closing the door between him and Goodwitch.

"Any idea why we're here?" Blake asked her partner, who was reclining on one of the many seats that littered the edges of the Combat Arena. Blake's usual pocketbook was nowhere to be seen as she was distressed when they were prohibited from visiting team JNPR. Something about a quarantine.

"Dunno, Professor Goodwitch just told us to come to the combat arena." Yang shrugged, but her eyes were trained on her sister. The youngest of the four marched back and forth along the seats. She was muttering to herself and her silver eyes were trained on the ground, a sign that she was deep in thought. Yang always thought that it was cute when Ruby stared at the floor when she was thinking deeply, but now it was a little worrisome as she has been pacing ever since they arrived.

"Ruby, cease it with your pacing!" Weiss scolded the young reaper, but those who knew her noticed that she too was getting a little nervous.

"Sorry! It's just that… Don't you think it's weird that Jaune's under quarantine? They didn't seem sick to me when they were fighting the Grimm."

"Maybe it's a slow-acting sickness?" Yang put in her two cents, calming her sister down a bit.

"I guess, but I find it odd. I keep asked why, but they wouldn't tell me." The small huntress huffed and plopped down on the seat beside her partner, her energy spent from the pacing and worrying. From behind them, the doors opened and more people entered the combat arena.

"Hi, everyone!" Mauve piped up as her family entered the combat arena, but she was the only one who was in good spirits. Like Ruby and her friends, the Arcs were distressed when they were told that their son was under quarantine. Behind them were the Nikoses. Leonidas looked like he was about to blow up while Thetis looked like she aged twenty years.

"Where's Mister Arc?" Ruby asked the gathered group, noticing that the Arc Patriarch was missing.

"He had to make a quick phone call. Also, don't let him hear you call him that. Remember what happened last time." Jeanne whispered to Ruby and the young lass felt a shiver go up her spine as she reminisced. She didn't know how, but Richard Arc had made some very intimidating shapes from cigar smoke. Ruby had nightmares that night.

As if on cue, the doors opened again and Richard walked in. He looked a little miffed about something, but schooled his features to reassure that there was nothing to worry about. At the same time, Glynda Goodwitch emerged from one of the doors near the arena floor. She carried a satchel of leather with intricate designs on them, but were too small to be seen from a distance.

"I know you are wondering why you are here. I know you all are wondering why you weren't allowed to visit your friends and loved ones." She paused, bracing herself for the chaos that will follow "For starters, I am the one who gave the order to quarantine team JNPR for a few days."

"They're not sick!" The Nikos patriarch finally blew up, the rage he was holding it found something to direct itself. "My daughter is not sick, you have no right to keep her from us. The same goes for the Arcs."

"No they are not, but they are a danger. To you and themselves." Oh, how Glynda hated this truth that she had to share. Imerians were a violent and suspicious lot, it was a wonder that she managed to talk down two of them.

"Explain." Leonidas growled out in barely constrained rage and it was understandable. His only child, who was proclaimed dead a month ago, was being kept away from him and his wife. In fact, it was his wife who was preventing him from jumping into the arena and beating Goodwitch senseless.

"Although team JNPR appears to be the same, they are not who you remember they were. Team RWBY, you were there since their arrival. Did you not find it odd that none of them recognized you?"

"I suppose." Weiss vocalized the thoughts of her team, looking a little unsure of herself.

"As such, treat them as if they are dangerous strangers as all of you are dangerous strangers to them. At least, for a while." That brought another uproar from the gathered, this time everyone joined in.

"Dangerous?! Why?" Team RWBY exclaimed, except for Ruby. Her eyes were wide as she processed what Glynda said and what Raguel had told her.

"Jaune would never hurt us!" Mauve and Jeanne hollered in defiance. The rest of the Arc family also threw in their support to Mauve and Jeanne's claim.

"Neither will Pyrrha." Leonidas huffed, with Thetis nodding beside him.

"Jaune and Pyrrha won't hurt any of you intentionally. Nora and Ren would not either." Glynda continued as they quieted down, never raising her voice. "But they are not Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren anymore. They are Raguel, Minerva, Thorsdottir and Masamune now. Strangers who wear the faces of friends."

"She has a point." All eyes turned to Ruby. "Jaune had blood stains on his armor. He told me that he was in a war. A very long one."

"But there's a chance that they will remember us. I mean, Jaune called your name before he collapsed after the Breach." Jeanne pointed out, and Glynda nodded.

"Doctor Periwinkle, the head of Beacon's medical department, found that a great deal of aura is coalesced around their brains. As if their bodies subconsciously are trying to repair their minds. He believes that this amnesia of theirs will fade in time and their memories will return, slowly but surely."

"Glynda." The Arc Matriarch called out to the professor. "There's something else. We have been friends for a long time and you would not keep my son from me for such a simple reason."

For the first time in the student's lives, they saw Glynda Goodwitch flinch and hesitate.

"Is this about the time you disappeared too?"

"Yes." Glynda was barely audible, and was hesitant before she continued. "Team JNPR did not simply die and reincarnate. What I am going to share from you is so ludicrous and unbelievable that you would think I was insane. I assure you, I am not. I have three more people coming to help me reintegrate your friends and family to society that will confirm what I am about to say."

Glynda unbuttoned the sleeves of her blouse, then began to unbutton her blouse. The men averted their eyes, but were relieved to see Glynda with a white tank top underneath her blouse. When her blouse was completely off, everyone gathered couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

Hidden underneath the sleeves of the blouse were muscles that radiated strength, with scars littering her pale flesh. Richard noticed scars near her wrists that told of a time when she was manacled. However, it was not the muscles or the scars that surprised them. Rather, it was the tattoos that decorated parts of her arm that were untouched by battle scars.

"Those look like the tats that Nora has." Yang said, eyeing the weirdly shaped runes that danced around her professor's arms.

"That's because Miss Valkyrie and I came from the same place."

"I thought that she was from Mistral and you're from Vale." Weiss said, confused at her professor's statement.

"Here in Remnant, that would be true. However I do not speak of Remnant. I speak of a land where the winters make Mantle look like a summer paradise and where strength of mind and body were the greatest assets sought after by kin. A land where warriors are born and bred through blood and ice. In that land, she is known as the daughter of a thunder god. In that land, I was known as a messenger of gods."

"What?" Thetis whispered to herself, wondering if Beacon's combat instructor has truly gone mad. The others were entranced as Glynda paced while telling her tale, her hands lightly rubbed the scars on her wrist.

"When we disappeared from Remnant, we were transported to a realm without Grimm. A realm with even worse monsters than the Grimm. Miss Valkyrie and I were transported to a place called Valkenheim, Mister Lie to a place called the Myre. Mister Arc and Miss Nikos were transported to a place called Ashfeld. All of these locations are within the world of Imeria. A world where war is the only occupation."

"I don't believe it." Thetis shouted, her tears flowing hotly down her face. "You expect me to believe this fable will justify your actions of keeping my daughter away from me. Have you no shame!" Pyrrha's mother huffed in fury and sorrow before sitting back down and sobbing. Her husband wrapped his arms around her and whispered soothing words into her ear.

"You don't have to, but it is the truth and knowing the truth will help you understand. I have bled on Imerian soil for nearly thirty years and I have the scars to prove it. All I ask of you is to listen."

"Okay. Tell us everything you know about Imeria. Tell us so that we can help our friends." Ruby spoke, her eyes shone with conviction. For a moment, Glynda saw the specter of Summer in the place of Ruby.

"Where should I start?" Glynda asked loudly to herself, but Ruby was the one who responded to her.

"From the beginning."

"Very well." With a wave of her hand and the activation of her semblance, Glynda summoned a large, aging map from her satchel.

In the beginning, Imeria was a large mass of land in the middle of a great ocean. Its size was almost twice that of Remnant's and its resources were abundant. It was a paradise for all those who lived there. It would be a lie if I were to say that there had been no conflict then, but I am quite certain that they would be a lot less brutal. Part of it was due to the people of the past preferred to keep to themselves. Borders were closely watched and walled, and there had been no reason for one to invade the other unless it was on the whim of a warmonger.

Then disaster struck.

An event known only as 'The Cataclysm' swept through the land and demolished everything. Natural Disasters occurred on a scale never seen before. Mighty earthquakes ruptured the land and caused rifts between large areas. These large chunks of earth that were displaced soon became islands. Tornados and Hurricanes destroyed food storages and killed hundreds in their wake. Volcanoes erupted violently, burying those who dwelt nearby in a wall of ash and lava. When the storms subsided, the volcanoes grew quiet and the earth stilled, the worst drought in history followed.

From that point onward, it was a fight for survival. Each centimeter of land became a valuable asset, every drop of water became as valuable as a gold crown. Food was scarce, and it was not uncommon for cannibalistic cults to form. Banditry also became commonplace, as criminals of the old lands broke out of their prisons and pillaged unaware travellers. And yet, from the ashes, society was rebuilt. However, it was not what it used to be. It would never achieve the greatness of the past.

Knight Legions were created from the remains of an old Kingdom, its name lost to the annals of history. Ambitious captains and lieutenants became commanders and warlords in the blink of an eye. In the past, a King controlled his military and ensured that they remained loyal to his creeds. With the old Kingdom destroyed, it is the ambitions of like minded warriors that directs a Legion. They are divided due to differing philosophies, but they are united through the most devastating weapon in a millennium of war: Religion. The knights of the Legions are practitioners of the Ignatius Creed. A religion of peace and harmony, revolving around the teachings of a man who was reincarnated in the fires of the largest volcano of Imeria after his crucifixion. Warmongering zealots perverted the holy writings and used them to justify wars against all nations. When divided they are easy prey, but when united under the banner of a holy crusade, they become unstoppable.

The lands under Legion control were abundant with metal, from iron to gold. The Lagions capitalized on this, developing and improving their arms and armor before anyone else could get a hold of their steel. It also gave them an opportunity to become rich. Since everyone was wary of each other and needed weapons, the Legions were the sole suppliers of good quality steel. One iron ingot could have costed a large portion of a fall harvest at the time. Engineers were also held in high regard within the Legions as they created more powerful weapons when given the time. Bombs, catapults, ballistae, and greek fire were examples of the many creations of those who lived long enough to be of use. However, despite their wealth, the Legions are located near the Western Deserts. As such, they are reliant of Samurai lumber and Viking meat as the wastelands do not have either of these crucial resources.

Viking Warbands were gathered from the many survivors of the Great Saga, a vast fleet of warriors who were out at sea when disaster struck. As such, they had the highest population when The Cataclysm had ended. Initially, it was a boon as raids were easier. As time went on, they realized that feeding everyone was an impossibility unless everything was rationed or the populace was culled. It was in the Viking lands where cannibal cults began and grew in popularity. Only the desperate became cannibals, others learned how to live from the land. Those who refused to become cannibals became some of the best hunters and trackers in all of Imeria. These men and women were heeded as leaders by the rest of the populace for their skill and their immense knowledge of the land.

However, surviving in Valkenheim is not an easy endeavor as the Viking homeland was bereft of lumber and metal. The weather there was also atrocious, with short summers and long winters. The only way they could survive was to pillage nearby settlements for the necessary tools and resources. They have also turned to trading furs, meat and alcohol in order to gain a modicum of trust with their neighbours. The one good thing that came out of living in an unforgiving landscape was that each Viking was tough as nails. In spirit and body. It was through their natural strength and not through technological prowess did the Vikings become a menace from the North. One thing that remained from the Cataclysm was their belief of Valhalla, a warrior's paradise. This belief of an afterlife almost ensured that every man, woman and child was a warrior first and foremost before anything else.

Samurai Clans were the product of the only monarch who survived The Cataclysm, whose dying wish demanded that power must be divided amongst many clans. An Emperor must only be chosen in times of dire need and when all the daimyos are in favour. To this day, his edict is still one of the core laws of politics in the land of the Samurai. Nine clans were formed by the command of the last Emperor of old and each one represented an aspect of Bushido. Righteousness, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor, piety, wisdom and loyalty. From these clans came unity of purpose, something that the Knights and Vikings lack due to their infighting for reasons that the Samurai do not wish to comprehend. Each clan watched each other carefully for any signs of disobeying the Emperor's Edict. Those who have attempted to rise to power were quietly dispatched by fellow clans.

Out of all of the nations, the Samurai were the least populous after the Cataclysm. To countermand this weakness of theirs, they made their cities in the deepest parts of the Eastern Forests. Each step taken towards a Samurai stronghold is met with poisonous plants, wild animals or traps laid by ghosts long past. Within their hidden strongholds, the Samurai mastered the arts of stealth and espionage. Discipline was paramount in every Samurai warrior, those who failed to uphold the strict teachings of Bushido are unfit to be Samurai. The Samurai are also the only ones who actively pursue the arts, as it connects them to the greatness of the past. Goldsmithing is one such trade that is sought after, to the point that a Samurai clan is willing to trade with a Legion in exchange for schooling in Goldsmithing. With the abundance of trees in the Myre, a Samurai clan need not worry too much of not having enough lumber to trade for lessons.

The whereabouts of the Wu-Lin are a mystery. In fact, little is known about the warriors of the Far East. All that is known about them is that they were the ones who shared knowledge of gunpowder to the Legions and that they have come to Imeria to seek vengeance for transgressions made upon them. As for their martial prowess, it is no question that the warriors of the Wu-Lin can match the Samurai blow for blow in unarmed combat. They are the fine line between the raw strength of Vikings and the nimble speed of the Samurai.

As for their fortresses, it is a closely guarded secret amongst the Wu-Lin. What some suspect is that their fortresses lie on the distant islands that have formed after the Cataclysm.

In these times of turmoil and rebuilding, one thought stood out amongst the many virtues and laws of the nations.

Survival of the Fittest.

And to ensure that their people would be the survivors and not slaughtered, war became the mandate of every trade. Soldiers were prioritized over farmers and miners, blacksmithing and woodworking became the most sought after occupations. Diplomats became obsolete, and assassins took their place. Merchants were treated as turncoats and spies, despite their honest way of making a living. Technological advancements were few and far in between. Visionaries, engineers and alchemists were always the target of assassins as one side never wanted the other to gain an advantage.

For a millennium, this was the way of life in Imeria. A constant tug of war between the four nations to come up on top and be the ones who rule the land. A quick death was a luxury, as the dead did not have to deal with the agony that the living have to experience every day.

In the bloody battlefields of Imeria, War became the meaning of life and to live was to die in battle.

***Omake: Richard Arc's Phone Call***

"Father, it's Richard. I know that we don't really see eye-to-eye and I know that you are angry at me for not training Jaune. I need you to cast aside your anger for a moment listen to me."

"..." The other line was silent, but Richard could feel the impatience and annoyance seeping through the scroll.

"Jaune's alive! By the brothers, he's alive. Granted, my boy's a little banged up from the breach, but he is living and breathing among us."

"There's more to it than that. You wouldn't call me unless it was so." The rich baritone of his father caused a shiver to run up Richard's spine. When he was a boy, Richard enjoyed the sound of his father's voice as it soothed his soul during times of distress. Now, he was uncertain on how long his father was willing to listen to him.

"Remember the stories you once told me when I was a young boy. The same stories you told Jaune when he was a boy. Of a place where warriors of faith fought to protect the innocent and the weak. A place where heroes lived to become icons of courage, justice and peace."

"Where are you going with this?"

"When Jaune came back, he was dressed in armor similar to the knights you described in your stories. You called them 'The Wardens' if I remember correctly. Furthermore, he wore a crest on his back. A shield with a sword branching out into roots against a green and yellow background. Like one of the Legions in your stories. There was a team of girls present when he arrived, and they said that he prayed in a language that they never heard before. I know that I am asking a lot, but it would mean so much if -"

"I will be there in three days, Richard. I will talk to my grandson, face-to-face and without disruption." Matthias Arc hung up the scroll and cut off any protest from his son. He rose from the workbench he was on and approached a golden suit of armor standing upright while clutching a Eleazar poleaxe. He removed the Haldus helmet from the suit and stared into its lifeless grille visor.

"Once more into the breach, old friend."

A/N: Ooooh, the famed granpapi of Jauney-boi. Is he one of the rehabilitators? Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.

The world-building is soon coming to an end. A couple more chapters to go before we got the lives of our Warriors.

Any questions regarding fic, I will answer either on the next chapter or through PM.

Thank you for all the support.