Chapter Three: Son?!

Honestly, the DLC of Elden Ring was amazing. My favorite fight in the whole game was Messmer's, and I just love using his spear and incantations man.

I've been fucking people up in PVP with Messmer/Dragon incantations, Messmer's spear, and a Godskin Peeler. Add in Death Knight's lighting boost, Winged Serpent incantation boost, and Rakshasa's overall damage boost: And I only die to some bitch ass spamming magic or swift slice user (╯°□°）╯

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Glynda's heels click against the floor as she approaches Ruby and Mael, the two young fighters standing under a single spotlight. Her stern expression surveys the pair, before silently nodding to herself. 

"You two," she begins, her voice clipped and authoritative, "What you did back there was reckless and irresponsible. Your actions tonight, will not be taken lightly" 

Ruby's shoulders slumped, as Glynda walked behind them. Mael didn't disagree with her, to an extent. Reckless, and irresponsible, yes. But in the face of danger, you can't blame them.

"You both put yourselves and others in danger" Her voice softened a bit, she was worried. After all, they were only kids. 

"But they started it." Ruby protested, as Mael, leaning his chair back with his arms folded, nodded in agreement. Ignoring her plea for innocence, Glyanda forces Mael's chair back onto all four legs. Cutting off his attempt to appear nonchalant. 

"What she said, I didn't go looking for a fight" Mael lied. 

Glynda's expression shifts "If it were up to me," she says, her voice laced with a tinge of weariness, "both of you would be sent home with a pat on the back" Ruby's hope to perk up, with a smile before a ridding crop hit the table. 

"eep!" Ruby flinched, hiding behind Mael, peeking over his shoulder. Cayde, who was perched on Mael's other shoulder, let out a soft almost laughing caw. 

His beady eyes gleamed with amusement. "Ooh, looks like someone's got a type, huh, partner?" the crow teases, nudging Mael with his beak. "Bow Chicka Bow Wow" 

Mael forcefully closes his beak with his fingers, clearing his throat. He wouldn't lie, and say he didn't have a thing for bossy women. 

Glynda's brow raised, her eyes lingering on the crow's caws, he looked almost familiar to her, but the eyes were the only difference. The drunk crow she knew, had pale red ones, quite similar to the boy's eyes now that she thought about it. Tearing her eyes away, she looked at the door. "But, someone here would like to meet you." 

From another poorly lit doorway, emerged, a a middle-aged man with silver hair, and glasses that covered his brown eyes. In his hand, he held a cup of infinite coffee and a plate of cookies. [Image] 

 "Ruby Rose" Ozpin says, a gentle smile on his face as he sets the plate of cookies down in front of Ruby. Leaning in close, he looks at her eyes "You have sliver eyes" Ruby backs away slightly, confused by it. 

Cayde lets out a low caw, muttering to Mael. "Creepy"

"A pet... crow?" Ozpin's eyes gaze shifts to Mael, his eyes widening slightly as he looks at the young man. "And you, young man...Are a person I don't know." His hand scratches his chin. "And you have striking pale red eyes" 

Right, Mael wasn't reborn per se, he was more transmigrated. Even if he was reborn, he only woke up six months ago.

Mael met Ozpin's curious gaze evenly, not at all unsettled by the professor's observant nature. "I only recently arrived in the kingdoms," he explained. "Grew up outside of the kingdom's reach with my mother."

"Ah..." Ozpin nods, his expression thoughtful. "That's not entirely uncommon," he remarked, his tone diplomatic. "The kingdoms can be... rather tumultuous at times."

The Headmaster takes a sip of his coffee, his gaze still fixed on Mael. While he doesn't outright challenge the young man's story, there's a hint of skepticism in Ozpin's eyes that suggests he's not entirely convinced by Mael's explanation. "May I know your name?" 

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" He countered with sass. After all, in his cover story, he's an isolated kid just arriving in the kingdoms. 

"Right, I'm Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy" He nods as he lifts his hand to introduce Glynda. "and this is Glynda Goodwitch, one of our esteemed professors."

Ozpin hums thoughtfully, his gaze slightly narrowed. Glynda nods in acknowledgment, her gaze steady. Mael inclines his head slightly. "Mael Quinn. It's...a pleasure to meet you both."

Glynda nods her head, as she pulls out a scroll, playing a video of the fights. "Remarkable," he murmurs. Turning to Ruby and Mael, he asks, "Where did you two learn to fight like that?"

"S....Signal Acadamey?" She wondered if it was the right answer. Ozpin knew this to be semi-true. "Only person, I've seen move like that, is a dusty old crow" 

"Das mu uncle" She exclaimed through a mouthful of cookies, snatching another handful from the plate.

Mael tried to sneak in and nab a cookie, only to suddenly have Ruby's hand dart out and nearly claw his own away. He recoiled, holding his hand protectively as he stared at the petite girl in stunned silence.

Ruby swallows the cookie in her mouth, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Sorry. That's my uncle Qrow. He's a teacher at Signal. He's the one who really helped me get good with this." She demonstrates with a few dramatic karate chops and sound effects. Mael leaned back slightly, narrowly dodging Ruby's flailing limbs.

"Sorry, sorry!" Ruby exclaims. "But yeah, Uncle Qrow's the best. I was pretty garbage before he started training me, but now I'm awesome!" She punctuates her statement with another series of karate chops, nearly hitting Mael again.

Ozpin chuckles, raising a hand to stop Ruby's enthusiastic display. "Well, it looks like he was an excellent teacher. And what about you, Mr. Quinn? Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Mael scratched his cheek as he thought to himself, meeting Ozpin's gaze evenly. "My mom mainly. She taught me the basics, and such" He pauses for a bit of dramatic effect. "But as I got older, things got a bit rough, and I picked up some skills." 

Glynda steps forward, her expression stern. "Yes, your fighting style is certainly...effective. The assailants you encountered suffered quite the injuries - a fractured skull, cracked septum, broken collar bone..." She shakes her head slightly.

Mael's lips thin into a tight line, but he doesn't back down from Glynda's scrutiny. Ozpin holds up a hand, his gaze thoughtful. "Be that as it may, Mr. Quinn, the fact that you were able to do all that and hold back a Bullhead with your semblance, is quite remarkable" 

Mael's head tilts as he questions them: "Semblance?" but he quickly nods, as he shuts them down. "my semblance isn't exactly combat-focused. It's more of a... utility type, I guess you could say."

Ozpin's brow furrows as Mael's words sink in. "So you... held a Bullhead with your raw strength?" he asks, a hint of disbelief in his tone. Glynda's eyes widened slightly, as she looked at Ozpin in almost disbelief. He leans forward, intrigued. "Remarkable. I don't believe I've ever seen such incredible raw strength from a young man your age." 

Glynda nods, her gaze fixed on Mael, her expression thoughtful. "If I may ask, how did you get this incredible strength?"

Mael held a bored expression. "My mom always said if I ate my greens, I'd grow big and strong" Ruby fully believing him, had stars in her eyes. Glynda's eyes narrowed at his behavior, but ultimately let it go. 

 "Well, Mr. Quinn, you certainly ate a lot." Ozpin hums a small chuckle, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. "However, I must ask what is your semblance then? I don't think I've heard of anyone who describes their semblance as 'Utility-type'"

"Essentially, I can create these portals - kind of like gateways, you know?" Mael explained. "I can put them anywhere, but I'm only allowed to have two open at a time." He held up two fingers, before gesturing to the crow that sat snuggly on his shoulder. "And I thought why have it on a bag that could get stolen? When I can attach it to Cayde here" 

Ozpin's eyebrows rose slightly, a spark of intrigue in his eyes as he listened to Mael's explanation. "Fascinating. So you can essentially transport items through these portals of yours?" he asked, leaning forward with keen interest.

Suddenly, Cayde let out a soft cough, and the hilt of a Bokken sword started to poke out from the mouth. Mael quickly reached in and grasped the hilt, pulling the wooden sword out and holding it up for everyone to see.

Ruby's eyes widened with wonder, a curious gleam in her silver eyes. "That's so cool! Can you, like, put anything through the portals? Even huge stuff?" she asked excitedly.

Mael chuckled, nodding. "Well, it has its limits, but yeah, I can pretty much move anything small enough to fit through the portals," 

Glynda's expression remained thoughtful, she failed to hide the interest she had in his semblance. "An unusual semblance, but one that could certainly prove useful in the right circumstances."

"This brings me to my next question" The Wizard of Oz's gaze turned to the cookie eater, with a question, as he changed the topic again. "This brings me to my next question: with these abilities, do you both intend on becoming Huntsmen, and Huntresses?" 

"umu, I only have two more years at Signal before I apply to Beacon" Her words were heartfelt, as she continued to describe her goal of becoming a huntress, how her sister has the same goal, and how her family raised her to help people. Finally, she ends her tangent by fangirling over the huntresses, as the others in the room simply stare at her blankly. 

Ozpin's eyes then turned to Mael, silently prompting him for his response.

"U'know, apparently, my dad was a huntsman too. Never met the bastard, but being one doesn't sound too bad" Mael leaned back in his chair, agreeing with Ruby's take. After all, he does have a quest to complete. A purple aura surrounded the chair forcing it back onto the ground. 

"You're dad was a huntsman?! Mine too, that's soooo cool!!" Ruby was gitty, as she didn't fully hear what Mael meant by 'never meet the bastard'. He didn't dread it, it was just a detail about his 'backstory'. Lucky for him, he had a companion who would keep all the fine details for him. 

Mael looked at his shoulder, asking the bird. "Wanna become a Huntsman?" Cayde eagerly nodded, as he cawed. "Then that settles it, I'll become a Huntsman." 

Ruby let out a squeal as she believed she convinced someone to become a huntress with her, Ozpin's smile widened a bit. "Well, in that case," Ozpin began, his gaze thoughtful, "would the two of you be interested in attending my school, Beacon Academy?"

Ruby's eyes light up, and she nods emphatically, barely containing her excitement. "More than anything."

Ozpin's attention then turns to Mael, who simply nods, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Well, since you're twisting my arm, suppose I could give it a shot."

At this, Glynda clears her throat, a slight frown on her face. "Professor, are you sure about this? These two are... quite unconventional candidates."

Ozpin raises a hand, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'm aware, Glynda. But I believe they both have the potential to be remarkable students." He turns back to Ruby and Mael. "Well ok, then. You're both invited to Beacon Academy"

After a few more moments of discussion, Ruby practically vibrated with excitement, skipping out of the room. Mael, however, lingered in the doorway, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Ah, actually, there's just one thing," he began, sliding backward slightly to face Ozpin once more. "See, I don't really have money. I mean, I've just never really had a use for it, so..."

He trailed off, the unspoken question hanging in the air. Ozpin's lips curved into a faint smile as he reached into his pocket, producing a sleek, black credit card. He held it out towards Mael, his expression one of patient amusement. "I think we can arrange something,"

Mael's eyes widened, and he stared at the card for a moment, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Soooo... does this mean you're gonna be, like, my sugar daddy or something?" he quipped, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I am not into men." Crossing his arms into an 'X' he denied it. 

Glynda coughed a bit, catching her spit in her throat by accident. Ozpin chuckled, shaking his head. "Consider it a scholarship, if you will." 

As soon as Ozpin's words finished, Mael as well as the card were gone. As Glynda straightened herself, she looked at the headmaster with concern. "Are you sure that was wise, Headmaster?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism.

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee, a serene expression on his face. "Tax write-off," he replied, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in a faint smile.

Glynda opened her mouth, then closed it again, shaking her head in exasperation. "Sometimes, I wonder about your methods, Ozpin," she sighed, though a hint of amusement could be detected in her voice.

Ozpin merely chuckled, his gaze fixed on the doorway where Mael had disappeared. "Trust me, Glynda," he said, his tone confident. "I have a good feeling about those two."

"As do I" The witch agreed, as she came through the footage of the fight. "Though I must admit, I'm particularly intrigued by young Mr. Quinn."

Ozpin nods, a faint smile on his lips. "As am I. There's something... familiar about him, don't you think? Those pale red eyes, and dark hair - not very common in Remnant" Pulling a picture up on his scroll, he handed it to her. "Take a look at this."

The image shows Mael, his hair swept back, revealing his striking pale red eyes and distinctive features. Glynda's eyes widen as she compares the photo to the ones Ozpin now places on the desk - one of Qrow Branwen and another of a younger Raven Branwen. "You see the resemblance, don't you, Glynda?"

"Ozpin, you can't be seriously suggesting..." Glynda's voice trails off, the implication clear.

"It could be a coincidence," He tells her, calming her down a bit, even though he himself didn't believe in them. "But those eyes of his, pale red, and his odd semblance."

While it wasn't odd to have a non-combative semblance, but another portal semblance? It was much like Raven's own semblance. "Even more so he coincidentally had a crow as a companion."

Glynda frowns, her gaze flicking between the photos. Coincidence or not, she didn't like it. "I think we should at least inform Qrow and Taiyang about this. Even if we aren't sure."

Ozpin shushed her, as he sipped his coffee. " I understand your concern, Glynda. But let's not jump to conclusions just yet." He gestures to the photos on the desk. "The resemblance may be striking, but it could be coincidental. And from what we gathered, Mael seems to have had a rather... difficult relationship with his father."

Glynda's lips thin into a tight line. "All the more reason to bring Qrow into the loop. And if I find out that that drunk really is the father, and he left Mael like that... I'll strangle him." She clutched her riding crop, 

Ozpin raises a hand, placating her. "If my deduction is correct... Just don't kill him. Please." Ozpin pleaded with Glynda, after all, he did need Qrow. 

~Interlude

Mael was a hospital-ridden man, cursed with an incurable disease. He had spent most of his life, in and out of doctor's offices, costing his parents millions to keep him alive. 

In the beginning, he grew up like any other kid, playing, running, making friends, and such. Until the age of 12, when he first started to cough an odd green liquid. No doctor knew what was wrong, and so for the next 8 years of his life, he was in and out of hospitals. Different doctors every other month, specialist, after specialist. None knew what was wrong, none could cure him. 

So he stayed, confined to a hospital bed. His friends eventually stopped showing up, and so with nothing to do, he watched TV. He found solace in anime, games, books, and different movies. If it was popular or not, if you named a show, he more than likely watched it. He might not finished some of them, he but still gave them a chance. 

So when a pale-skinned beauty dropped a deal at his feet, he took it. The deal was a new life, one free of this sick and broken body. He didn't choose the specifics, he just agreed after hearing the terms. He just wanted to be free, free of this hospital bed, free of this sickness, free of everything. 

~ End

Mael lay across a huge fluffy bed, he wore only a plush robe, as he flipped through channels on the TV mindlessly. He sipped from a bottle of some champagne he couldn't pronounce, as Cayde was lying next to him on the bed.

Cucumber slices were placed over his eyes. "You know, I could have just hacked the banks and gave you some money, right?" Cayde remarks casually, as he enjoys the fluffiness of the bed. 

Mael grinned, as he glanced at the bird. "Where's the fun in that? It's funnier if Ozpin knows, besides, he's gotta pay up if he wants child soldiers." He waved the bird off, as a knock at the door interrupted their conversation. 

"Room service" A woman yelled out from the other side of the door, the mischievous grin Mael had couldn't get any bigger. "Perfect timing" 

Opening the door, a dozen women poured in with carts filled to the brim with various gourmet dishes and desserts. The smell filled the room, as Mael took one whiff before looking at his companion. "Cayde, This is some serious gourmet shit"

With that most of the staff left, save for two. Why you might ask? Simple, to feed both Mael and Cayde, while they laughed their asses off. 

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Going back to Dark Soul remastered, after beating Elden Ring, and its DLC on NG+3, was like going back to elementary school tbh. I remember DSR being a lot harder before.

The only boss death I've had so far is Seath's naked booty, I was trying for the Moonlight sword and his fat ass smooshed me to death... I'd rather be killed by Gwyndolin's ass, uh I mean, Gwynevere's tits... yeah, yeah Gwynevere I meant to say her.