Chapter 1: Invasion of the Ice Giants.
The armored woman waiting for the batch of students this year was at once, an intimidating and welcoming figure. Her smile to those who passed through bespoke her warmth, the eyepatch spoke of loss. To each, she welcomed by name and kindly though notably, their numbers were few as they got off the airship dock, provided when the party returned to the village(now well fortified, thanks to those who stayed behind and those who came in late).
Finally however, they would all be in the courtyard...All sixteen of them, which might have prompted confusion as the sound of a heavy stick thumping echoed and with a massive wolf by his side, the students got their first glimpse of Kringle as he leaned upon a wooden staff.
He was a bear in stature and build. His shoulders were so broadly proportioned that he made younger men look slender in comparison, despite his age. His forearms were nearly the size of his biceps, and he had the kind of thick neck that you see only in power lifters. There were scars all over his hands, and more on his face, all of them faded away to ancient white lines, each with a tale of their own. He wore a coat of mail openly and it was dull in coloration, the sort of mail one wears for war and not for show.
Over the mail he wore a long, open coat of scarlet, trimmed in white fur. It was held in with a wide black leather belt. He had such a barrel of a chest that even a modest bit of stomach was a considerable mass on his huge frame. His gloves were made of black leather trimmed with more white fur, and they were tucked through the belt, right next to the very plain and functional hilt of an unadorned broadsword. His hair was short, white, and shining clean, and his white beard fell over his chest like the white breaker of a wave. His eyes were clean, winter sky blue.
The courtyard itself was massive, its only decoration a great bonfire in a brazier which provided the warmth as he looked at all and spoke.
"Future Hunters and Huntresses of Erebor, welcome to Valhalla. Formed by a dream I had, of a kingdom strong in word and deed. Though our kingdom of Erebor is new, we survive and we continue to do all we can...But that is not the only reason, important as it is. Outside, the world is growing dark."
He took on a stern expression as he paced, leaning on the staff as the woman watched him keenly. The wolf whined low in its throat as it stared at its master.
"I will not coddle or conceal the facts from any of you- To have come here, tells me more about your spirit then anything. Grimm do not simply appear as the monsters we know, but in the hearts of people who are too consumed by them. It is these Grimm, we must stop as well if we are ever to not only survive, but to grow as one people. Faunus, Human....We are all, people with a soul and dignity that no one must trample. So that is my goal. I will teach you all I know, and hopefully you will take it to heart. I will teach you of the Grimm, regale you with the history of our world and do my best to educate you here."
He tapped the side of his head, before lowering it to tap over his heart.
"...And here. Me and my staff, whom I hope you will respect as they share their own knowledge. But now to tacks of brass!"
He thumped his stick and grinned.
"Normally, we have great ceremony to determine team, but seeing how you handled yourself in emergencies, I think we can skip for tomorrow."
He winked and laughed in a jolly manner as he said throwing up a hand.
"So come inside! There is feast prepared and hot baths with warm beds! You will find team in morning ceremony! Hohohohohohohoho!"
And with a wave of his hand, he led the way. The halls of stone and torchlight throwing up a more primal mood, though it wasn't till they entered the great hall that a blast of warmth and food wafted in their direction. Pine trees, decorated stood at the sides, glittering in many colors like starlight and the food itself would have been a welcome sight.
Though the hall was built for much more folk, it was clear there weren't too many. At the same table, the teachers would be eating with the students, presided over by Kringle whose laugh was warm and his manner jolly, as he played host. Two new faces would likewise be seated, one of them another armored young woman, with white hair tied in a braided bun as she sat down. A shield with a snarling lions face placed to the side. The other bore a passing resemblance to Angus, clad in black and pale. Though his eyes were red to his yellow as they sat down, the latter helping the former.
Altogether, it was a strange dinner party but after the cold, a welcome one. And to top it all off....
"Hohoho! I must say Kringle, your students look mighty fierce!"
Guess who else was on the staff? : |
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