Wow, such positive feedback from everyone on the intro chapter. I'm genuinely surprised that it was so well received. Well, that only leads me to wanting to write more and get more to you all so let's get going! Nothing to really go over here.
Chapter 2: Purpose
The rain had subsided hours ago but Jaune remained rooted to the spot in the center of the pavilion. He couldn't bring himself to pry his eyes from his father's motionless form. His eyes felt heavy, the weight of the world baring down on him.
Something stirred in him, his mind coming back as he lifted his head and looked around his home with deadened eyes. Everything was destroyed. Buildings were scorched black, what blood wasn't washed away by the rain stained the streets. Then there were the bodies. Most of these people he knew, he had seen them every day of his life, living their lives in happiness. Now they were nothing, much like he felt.
A strong gust of wind sent chills through his body, reminding him that he was soaked to the bone from the rainfall. His body shivered, his teeth beginning to clatter as he tried to keep any warmth that he could. His muscles groaned and his bones creaked as he finally pushed himself onto his feet. With a shudder, he moved away from the massacre and walked through the blood and mud that had flooded his village.
His movements were sluggish and his body fought him every step of the way, his stiff muscles refusing to work the way he wanted them to. Despite the pain and discomfort, he pushed forward, not truly feeling anything other than the pounding in his head and the agony in his heart.
Everywhere he went was the same, black buildings, motionless bodies, and broken weapons. The village itself was quiet, apart from a broken building collapsing here and there, no longer capable of supporting the weight of their structures. It looked like one of the scenes from that movie his parents had tried to stop him watching. How he wished this was only a movie…
Another gust nearly brought him to his knees. It wasn't the strength of the wind but the chilling effect it had on him. His entire body refused to stop shivering while at the same time he had lost all feeling in his arms and legs. His clothes clung to his small body, stealing away any and all heat it could produce.
He needed to get out of these clothes, that he was sure of. His legs moved faster as he staggered forward with a new purpose, if only a temporary one. He ignored the feeling of wanting to lay on the ground to sleep and he ran through what remained of his village, not even bothering to look at the random bodies strewn about.
His breath caught as his eyes landed on his house, the building practically pristine compared to those around it. Light scorch marks kissed the walls but it was in far better condition than anything else he had seen so far. Hope swelled within him and he pumped his limbs harder, reaching the front door in a matter of seconds.
That hope quickly plunged as he reached for the doorknob only to find it destroyed, bashed in by a large weapon that took a significant part of the door with it. He pushed against the wooden frame of what remained of the door regardless and it gave way with little resistance.
He steeled himself, eyes clenched tightly as he desperately tried to will away the thoughts that plagued his mind. He was afraid, afraid to find the same scenes from the pavilion. With a raspy breath, he finally pushed through the opening. His throat clenched as his lungs hitched, eyes spilling a few tears that he didn't know he had left.
His eyes roved over the room as he took in everything he could. The furniture was damaged, the house a complete mess but that was it. A cautious hope returned to him as he slowly stumbled through the room. There was no blood, no bodies strewn about carelessly. He moved with careful steps, afraid that if he moved to fast everything would morph into what it was like outside.
The living room was completely upended, as if those that had broken in hadn't wanted anything other than to destroy. His fists clenched at the thought of those monsters, those things! That was all that they wanted, he had known, he had always known. If only his father would have listened, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened.
With a shake of his head he pushed those thoughts aside. It didn't matter anymore. Honestly, nothing seemed to matter. He pushed on to the kitchen, but found it in the same disheveled state that the living room was in. The only saving grace being that there were no bodies, no blood, just like before.
He moved from room to room, the same picture being played over and over, only with different pieces. Everything was destroyed but there were no signs of his family, there weren't any signs of anything. Anxiety filled him as he stepped out of his parents' room, the room in tatters but nothing he hadn't expected.
His body shivered, reminding him of his current state of dress. He rubbed his arms as he turned towards his room. He noticed the tracks of mud that went in the same direction. He pushed them out of his mind however, those were nothing new. They were all over the house.
His room was much the same as the rest of the house. His bed ripped up, clothes thrown haphazardly about. His dresser in the corner had a long gash in it, almost as if they took a sword to it simply because they could. It didn't surprise him though. Not much could at this point. It didn't fill him with joy either, it simply was.
He quickly changed, finding a pair of black shorts and a navy-blue shirt. What was most important was that it was dry. Besides that, the clothes were devoid of any indication of his family. He had heard those beasts talking during the attack, they were targeting his family for some reason. The reason didn't matter anyway. He knew they were after him, that was all that mattered.
But did it? He paused in his steps, and gripped the railing at the bottom of the stairs. Did it actually matter if they caught him now? What did it matter if they found and killed him? He would just be another corpse on the side of the road, just like everyone else, just like Thomas, just like his Dad.
His heart pounded in his chest as he heaved. His chest hurt, the pounding only getting worse as his mind raced with thoughts of creatures in white masks running him down, just like they had tried yesterday. He could see them, smiling at him with a viciousness that only a monster could produce. The sound of steel being wretched from their sheathes echoed for all to hear. Their hands enclosed around his neck while hot breath washed over his face. Dirty fingers clenched and pushed into his skin, robbing him of air as they laughed. All he could do was stare wide eyed at the thing that was now pushing him into the ground. Red hair filled his vision followed by an intricately designed mask with protruding horns. The monster's murderous intent enveloped him as gloved hands tightened their hold.
Spasms raced through his body as he bucked to try and remove the creature. He felt his life fading with each passing moment. Small fists landed uselessly against the beast's chest, the feeble attack not even registering to his would be killer. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to do anything to get away. He punched, kicked and finally, he screamed.
His hands shot up to his neck only to find nothing there. Above him there was no monster, no otherworldly demon or murderer, only the familiar ceiling of his family's home. Breath returned to him in the form of deep, ragged gasps of air, his entire body shaking from head to toe. He realized it wasn't from the cold this time as more tears streamed out of his eyes. He uselessly tried to force back a sob as his frame was wracked with another fit of spasms.
Forcing himself off the floor, desperately fighting the tears that refused to stop. He didn't want to die. He didn't know anything else but he knew he didn't want to die.
He dragged his body from the house despite how exhausted he felt. He needed to get out of there, he needed to leave this god forsaken place. He pushed his body to move through his ruined home, forcing his eyes to ignore everything around him.
Unsteady legs carried him back to the pavilion. Nothing had changed as bodies were still strewn about haphazardly. The only real difference was the smell, the entire area was drenched in the smell of death and rot.
He did his best to not retch at the smell, his eyes hardening as he made his way through the bloodbath. He stopped at his dad's feet. He took in his father's visage one last time, strong and proud, even in death. There was no look of fear or anguish, merely the look of a strong man. But even strong men could fall.
All huntsmen deserved a final burial if it could be granted. He remembered his father telling him this after one particularly savage attack where they had lost many fighters. He wanted to give his father that same proper burial, one that his village always gave the warriors that fell during battle with Grimm or bandits. He tried to pull his dad but struggled against the man's overwhelming weight. It wasn't just his dad's size but the fact that he still wore his combat armor and was soaked through the bone, the body becoming completely waterlogged.
He gave up on the idea, quickly realizing that he had no hope of moving the body. Instead he grabbed onto his father's weapons. Crocea Mors was clenched tightly within his grip and it took everything he had to remove the death grip that was kept on the ancient weapons. With one final shout, he ripped them free, the sword splashing in a pool of mud while the shield rested in the soft earth nearby, stuck in the mud from where it had fallen the day before.
He pulled the shield free first and hefted it up with both hands. The metal was heavy and it nearly tipped him over as he tried to compensate for the weight. While heavy, he was strong enough to carry the shield, using it would be all but impossible in any legitimate way but that was fine, he didn't need to use it, he just needed to get it out of here.
His father had shown him before how to use the shield's other function. Putting a small bit of his aura into the shield, the piece collapsed into a white sheath with a golden trim, and more importantly, no sign of the Arc family symbol. He moved to grab Crocea Mors next, the weight less than the shield itself but still more than he was capable of lifting in any meaningful way.
Again, that didn't matter. He wasn't going to be fighting anything, he just needed to get as far away as possible. The blade slipped seamlessly into the sheath and Jaune held onto it with both hands, clutching it close to his chest as he tried to keep his balance with the added weight.
His eyes landed back on his father's form one last time. There were so many things he wanted to say to him. Too many questions, too many regrets. Instead he just closed his eyes. "Bye, Dad…"
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Jaune panted as he stopped next to a large tree, the shade it offered being the only solace he had received so far. His body dripped with sweat as the hot fall day continued to bake him. The heat from the sun pelted his skin as he took in deep breaths. Normally hiking in the fall wasn't such a chore for the young Arc. In fact, he usually enjoyed such trips with his family.
It was one of their favorite things to do as a family. Camping in the woods was something they regularly did. With little to fear from Grimm due to his father's presence, they were able to enjoy the wilderness every year. He learned a lot from his family about camping and just surviving in the wild in general. But that was never the real reason behind the trips, they were just meant to be fun. And they were, it was honestly one of the best memories he had.
He buried that thought just like he had every time his mind wandered to his family. Those happy memories wouldn't help him right now. All he could hope to do was focus on surviving.
Now however, with Crocea Mors strapped to his side, the tip dragging painfully across the ground like an anchor and with a large pack on his back, the mere activity of hiking was more arduous than any training he had done before to prepare for his life as a huntsman.
The idea brought him no happiness as it once had a week ago. Back then he had thought everything was finally really beginning for him. He had turned ten years old and his father was going to begin training him how to become a huntsman, just like every Arc heir in history. How quickly had that world been stripped from him, without warning or remorse.
Jaune heaved the heavy pack off his back and placed it on the ground, quickly undoing the straps to get to the contents inside. The pack was filled with what little food he could find and his family's tome that previously rested in their family bunker. Aside from his father's weapons, this was the last remaining object of the Arc family, he couldn't have left it behind.
It was a symbol of his family, of what they had accomplished through the ages. Every Arc had written inside of this tome, expanding, and sharing their knowledge of their fighting style. Somewhere in this book he was sure his father had written his own passages. This book contained what could be the last remnants of his father's words and wisdom. He would cherish this book, just as he cherished his family.
Shifting past the book, he grabbed at a piece of fruit that he had managed to salvage from his village. He frowned as his fingers squished into the now rotting food, the skin already turning a sick brownish color. His stomach growled loudly as he dropped the food item on the ground and dug into the sack for something hopefully more appetizing.
His frown deepened as he took out his family's book and turned the bag upside down. He watched as only crumbs fell to the earth. Had he already eaten everything? But that wasn't possible, he was rationing what he had, just like his dad had taught him. He hadn't even eaten anything today!
His anger was only met with pain as his stomach sounded off again, more forceful than before as he gripped his abdomen in pain. His eyes wandered back to the piece of damaged fruit that lay now dirty on the ground. His mother always told him when the fruit turned brown and squishy that it wasn't good to eat. But he was so hungry and it had been fine yesterday…
A howl in the distance ripped his attention away, his blue orbs widening in fear at the distinct sound. Grimm. He swallowed large gasps of air as he pushed down his own fear of the creatures. He had seen Grimm of course, they had attacked Aerilon more than once over the years. Creatures devoid of emotion, their only purpose to destroy humans.
The howls were still a fair bit off but with every day they seemed to get closer, as if the monsters were slowly gaining on him with each passing moment. He shook his head, doing his best to throw that idea away. They weren't following him, how could they? There weren't any Grimm near his home before the attack and it had only been a week since he had left, it took the Grimm much longer to return than that, at least they had before.
His stomach rumbled again and his eyes found the discarded fruit once more. His lip quivered while picking it up, he tried wiping away any dirt but all that managed to do was bruise it further, pieces of the skin coming off and leaving a slimy coating all over it.
Reluctantly he took a small bite out of the side and nearly spit it out. Only through sheer force of will was he able to keep it in and chew, eventually swallowing the very off tasting item. His eyes watered as he took another bite, bigger this time. The texture alone was enough to make him retch but he kept at it, refusing to leave anything behind. He needed to eat, if he didn't eat he would die and that was something he wasn't willing to let happen. He wouldn't let his father's sacrifice be in vain, not after everything that had happened. He didn't care what he had to do, no matter how much it disgusted him or how much it hurt. He would survive.
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Leaves crunched beneath his feet as he rounded on another tree, throwing his arms against the rough bark as he greedily gulped down as much air as he could. Sweat dripped down his brow while his muscles screamed at him to stop. The weight of his pack and Crocea Mors seemed to be heavier than they ever were before.
A series of howls cut through the night air, destroying the calm of the night. Panicked eyes turned towards where he came but saw nothing in the darkness. It didn't matter if he couldn't see them, he could hear them coming, coming for him.
He pushed off the tree he had been using for support and forced his legs to run once more. The burning in his muscles were drowned out by the pounding in his heart as another howl tore into his core. They were closer than before, so close that he could practically feel the monsters that were hunting him with reckless abandon.
He had first heard the sound of the Grimm a few days ago, very faint, and almost unrecognizable if it weren't for his father teaching him how to listen for them. They were so far off that he hadn't even bothered to worry about them. As long as he kept moving away from them the chances they would follow him were nearly zero.
Then the howls continued to get closer, day after day, and soon he realized that he couldn't ignore them anymore. Ever since he had been running as far as his body would take him, falling into sweet unconsciousness due to exhaustion until those horrible roars woke him. Every time he woke they were closer and the panic would return full force.
He gasped for breath but kept pushed on, the only thing aiding him in his escape being the clear night sky illuminated by Remnant's shattered moon. It wasn't perfect by any means but it allowed him to run and at least see where he was going.
He hit the trunk of another tree hard as his body nearly collapsed against the thick wood, only keeping himself standing by digging his nails into the tree. More than sweat poured off his face as his lungs threatened to explode. He just couldn't take in enough air to make the pain stop.
Another roar reverberated through the forest and he pushed off the tree once more, determined to put as much distance as he could between himself and the beasts hunting him. He was too exhausted to run properly, his feet dragging against the coarse forest floor. His foot caught one of the many roots belonging to the tree he had taken a short reprieve on and he tumbled to the unforgiving ground.
He tried to scream but nothing came out as he rolled on the ground. His lungs still burned as they begged him for rest. It wasn't the only part of him asking for it as his leg screamed at him with pain. Managing to sit up, he could barely make out his now swelling ankle. He couldn't even shout out in pain due to his lungs demanding every moment be dedicated to taking in as much air as possible.
Tears swelled in his eyes as he tried to push himself to his feet, only for his body to fail him as he collapsed back onto the ground. The howls were still getting closer but he couldn't move a muscle at this point, nothing was listening to him anymore.
Maybe, just maybe if he caught his breath for a moment he could run again. It would only be for a few seconds, a minute at most. He would shut his eyes and once he was breathing normally again he would go. He couldn't afford to sleep; the Grimm were too close… if they caught him it would be over… only… a few… more seconds…
The deep rumblings of a growl were the next thing he heard as Jaune's eyes bolted open. He instantly regretted it as the sun's harsh light only hurt his eyes, not adjusted to the morning light quite yet.
Another growl reached his ears as panic began to set in. Morning? The sun? But he had only closed his eyes for a few seconds at the most! He slowly forced his eyes open only to confirm his own fears. The meadow he had rested in was now bathed in the light of the sun, the grass wet with the dew from the early morning.
Standing in the meadow only a few yards away was his unofficial alarm clock. The Beowolf was crouched over on four legs and looked every bit as frightening as he had imagined they would up close. This one seemed to be smaller than the one's he had read about but that did nothing to remove the fear that was gripping his heart.
Even a small Beowolf was more than enough to end him. He couldn't fight, he didn't have even the tiniest of clues as to how to properly fight a Grimm. And even if he did, he had nothing to fight it with. Crocea Mors was almost too heavy to carry, let alone use as a weapon.
Even so, he pushed himself to his feet, his eyes never leaving the soulless reddish yellow of the monster in front of him. He ignored the searing pain coming from his ankle and grasped Crocea Mors in his grip. The beast in front of him seemed to take the action for what it was and let out a roar before bounding over to him.
Jaune tried to pull the sword from its sheath only to panic when the sword would not come free. He pulled harder but only managed to move the blade a few inches before it slammed back into place. Of course, he couldn't draw Crocea Mors. He could barely lift it with both hands! Even if he had the strength he wouldn't have been able to do it. The sword was too long for his small reach to fully extend it out, he could never wield it like this, he wasn't his father.
At the last second, he dove to the side, his movements unbalanced and frantic as he felt the Beowolf narrowly miss him. He fumbled with Crocea Mors at his waist as he wrenched the weapon free just in time to hold it before him as the Beowolf crashed against him. His defense, if one could even call it that, broke immediately upon contact with the Grimm's claws.
His aura flared to life as he was sent tumbling across the meadow. More than his ankle burned painfully as he scrambled to his feet, using the still sheathed sword as a crutch to push himself up. The Beowolf moved with all the elegance of a freight train as it bore down upon him again, it's black tongue hanging freely from its mouth as it fell upon him at full speed.
Remembering what little his father had taught him, Jaune pushed his aura into Crocea Mors, willing it to come to his defense. And so, it did as the sheath expanded into his forefather's vanguard, taking the brunt of the Beowolf's attack but still sending him reeling through the air until his back painfully impacted against the trunk of another tree.
The world seemed to spin as he hacked up a number of indiscernible liquids. The Beowolf's howl was the only thing that kept Jaune focused on the task at hand, surviving. Not even bothering to look at the monster, he raised his shield just in time to feel the beast strike him again. Claws ripped and screeched at his family's shield but the metal held true and refused to be torn asunder by the juvenile Beowolf's assault.
The attacks were endless as the monster continued to hammer away at the shield. His arms screamed in agony with every strike, his frail limbs vibrating painfully with every strike. He needed to stop the attacks before his arms broke under the pressure. Waiting for a small gap in the strikes, Jaune lunged forward with all his might.
Using the shield as a battering ram, Jaune crashed into the small Beowolf and gave a cry of victory as he felt the creature lose its balance and fall backwards. He fell with the beast, the shield crashing into the beast's chest as Jaune put all of his weight into it, trying to cave in the monster's ribcage.
Sadly, it's bones held and all he received for his troubles was a long claw flying up his side and ripping down his arm. His aura protected him from the damage but he felt the excruciating pain as if the claw had pierced his flesh and tore his arm open.
Jaune fought back tears as the Beowolf continued to tear at him from below as the beast tried to dislodge him. Luckily, the added weight of Crocea Mors allowed him to avoid being bucked off right away. He raised the shield to his side to block a claw before having to lean back to avoid the snapping maw that was previously being held back by the shield.
On instinct, he brought the shield back, the upper edge catching the Beowolf across its snout. The action left a nasty gash on its bone-white mask as blood seeped freely from the fresh wound. Jaune's eyes widened at the sight before they darted to the edges of his shield. He didn't need his sword to kill the Beowolf, he just needed something sharp.
Raising the shield above his head, he brought it down with all his might, bringing the bottom point of the shield down squarely on the Grimm's head. Blood gushed from the wound but Jaune paid it no mind as he raised the shield up again and drove the point into the same spot, only harder. He ignored the wails of pain from the Beowolf as he raised the shield again and slammed it down once more. Again and again he repeated the action, ignoring everything else in the process. Slowly the howls ceased as the creature's limbs fell uselessly to the side, completely lifeless.
Still he hacked at the Grimm's face with his shield, refusing to let the monster have even a second's reprieve. It wasn't until black wisps of smoke started forming that he stopped. He rolled off the now decaying body and lay flat on his back, taking in deep breaths as he tried to process what had just happened.
He, he had actually killed a Beowolf, all by himself! His head rolled to the side just to confirm it again and there it was, nearly completely gone, the rotting carcass of his first Grimm kill. Only trained huntsmen were capable of killing Grimm, and yet here he was, only ten years old and he had just done it!
A series of howls cut his euphoria down just as quickly as he had the Beowolf next to him. There were more of them? He growled to himself as he pushed himself up to his feet. He had to keep moving, he wouldn't let them catch him. He pushed his aura into his shield once more and it collapsed into its sheath form. Strapping it to his side once more, Jaune started running away from the sounds of the Grimm chasing him.
He wouldn't let them get to him, he would survive.
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Surviving proved more difficult a task than he had ever expected. He had run the majority of the day but judging by the constant howling the Grimm were gaining on him. He had seen them a few times now, their large towering forms rushing past him as they hunted for their prey.
He wasn't sure what had allowed him to avoid them for so long now that they were essentially on top of him. He knew Grimm could use their other senses such as sight, smell, and hearing. They should have found him hours ago but they hadn't.
Every time it looked like one was going to find him, something would draw its attention away and he would be saved. Such strokes of luck were bound to run out however, and he knew it. He needed to escape them, find a village or maybe even a huntsman.
He had entertained the idea of fighting them as well and even now the thought tempted him. His fingers curled around the hilt of Crocea Mors as he slowly worked his way through a bush.
He had done it once, he knew he could kill a Grimm if he had to. If he could just kill the Grimm around him… No. He savagely beat that idea out of his head. He had barely survived the first Beowolf and that one had been small. The ones he had seen since then were anything but. These were fully grown Grimm; easily larger than any man he had ever seen. He had as much chance of killing these Beowolves as he did growing wings and flying away.
No, he would just sneak past them and hopefully find help. He had to be close to the nearest town. His family had visited it once or twice in the past and it usually only took them a week to get there. Just a little more, he was sure of it.
A nearby growl forced him to stop moving, his body felt frozen as blood red eyes came out the bush in front of him. They glared at him with an unyielding hatred that he had never seen before. The beast slowly marched towards him, each footfall thundering in his ears as it inched nearer.
It came to a stop in front of him, so close that he could feel the beast's hot breath blow across his face. Before the beast could take the final step and rip him to shreds the strangest feeling took over. Not the rising panic he had been feeling all day. Nor was it an instinctual rage at finally being cornered.
No, the strangest sense of calm flowed through his body instead. His fear vanished, despite the fact the largest Beowolf he had ever seen was mere inches from him.
The Grimm too went through a change. Its tense body seemed to relax as its head tilted to the side before sniffing Jaune. He felt the intake of breath and it even brushed his hair. Still he didn't move and with a muffled amazement the Grimm snorted at him and turned away, lumbering in another direction and heading into the forest.
The surreal feeling faded almost as quickly as it had come on and it took all he had to not scream. The panic set in like a crashing wave of water from a broken dam. He took large gulps of air as he held his pounding heart. Eyes wide, Jaune scanned the area for anything, anything that could explain what had just happened.
There! Something out of place, something that didn't belong. Hiding behind a tree a fair distance away was a mop of unruly orange hair and vibrant turquoise eyes that locked with his the moment he found them. The owner of those eyes revealed the rest of themselves from behind their tree and glanced around the field anxiously.
Finally! Someone was trying to help him. It didn't matter in the slightest that they looked to be about his age. All that mattered was he had found someone. Without even thinking about it, he left his hiding spot and started running to his savior.
He was forced to stop with the panic look on her face and her waving arms begging him to stop. He did so without hesitation and not a moment too soon as two more Beowolves sprinted through the space between them. His heart hammered at the near miss and looked at the girl with pleading eyes, as if begging for instructions.
Said girl looked around again and nodded to herself before she pointed to his right before disappearing into the bush and out of sight. A different kind of panic set in as he sprinted in the general direction the girl had pointed, stopping only at a large rock he could use as cover.
His eyes roved the field for any sign of the girl but he couldn't find the girl anywhere. He strained his eyes but could only make out the large outlines of the Grimm that prowled the field. Where was she? Had she abandoned him too?
"Ow." he whispered to himself as he held the side of his head. He looked down at the small pebble that was now rolling at his feet. Turning his head to the left, relief filled him as he was greeted to the same tuff of orange hair. He wanted nothing more than to run to the girl but bit back the urge, waiting on whatever signal she would give.
He stared into her turquoise eyes unblinking as he waited. What felt like an eternity was in reality only a few seconds before she ushered him towards her. Never in his life had he moved as quickly as he did just now as he cleared the distance between them.
Unfortunately, his frantic movements garnered the attention of the surrounding Grimm as howls echoed from all around as the thunderous sound of padded footfalls filled the forest. As he reached the girl he saw her extended hand and reached for it, clasping her hand like his life depended on it. With a strength very unbefitting of a girl her size, he was yanked off his feet and flung into the bushes as the Beowolves finally converged on their location.
He turned just in time to see the massive skull of a Beowolf push through the bush as trepidation rushed through him. The beast was bigger than anything he had seen before as it slowly lumbered through the bush, each second revealing more of its massive frame.
As the beast grew nearer he felt a firm hand land on his shoulder and grip it tightly. A sense of calm washed over him moments later. It was hard to explain the feeling, despite seeing certain death in front of him he couldn't even manage the slightest feeling of panic or fear. It was almost as if he had been… not quite numbed but more like a strong sense of tranquility filled him.
The Beowolf seemed to notice the change as well as it tilted its head in his direction. Almost as if it was confused, the monster took a few more paces forward and swept at the ground at his feet. Its large paws tore away at the earth and left deep grooves in the ground but did little else. Snorting much like the one before, the Beowolf turned on his hunches and bounded out of the bush in search for more prey.
Not quite believing his eyes, Jaune stared at the place the Beowolf had fled, waiting for the Grimm to return and finish the job. When it became clear that it was going to do no such thing Jaune turned to the hand that was still resting on his shoulder.
Instead of the orange haired girl he had been expecting, he was met with a fair skinned boy around his age with nearly shoulder length black hair with a magenta stripe running down the left side of his head. His eyes matched said streak of hair as they were also a light shade of magenta. His clothes consisted of a very worn out green tunic top and what he could only assumed used to be white pants, now they were just a mix of different shades of brown and mismatched patches.
"Renny, I think we're good now, the Grimm are gone."
The slightly high-pitched voice made him nearly jump as he finally found the orange haired girl he had seen earlier. Crouched next to both of them, he idly noticed that the boy was also holding onto the girl. She wore a pair of equally dirty pink pants that were curled up to just below her knees and a stained white tank top with a dull green jacket that seemed one or two sizes too small for her. Despite her ragged appearance, her smile was bright and comforting. How she could radiate such joy while being surrounded by Grimm he had no idea.
"Are you sure, Nora?"
"Yep! They're long gone. You don't want to tire yourself out, unless you want me to carry you!?"
The girl seemed overly excited about that prospect for some reason but the raven-haired boy didn't seem to mind in the slightest. If anything, he smiled tiredly at the exuberant girl and let go of both of them. "There's no need for that Nora. I can walk fine on my own."
It was almost instantaneous. One second everything seemed serene. As if nothing could bother him, not even the idea of death via Grimm. But the moment this boy, Ren, let go of him that feeling abandoned him. At least the panic he had been feeling before hadn't returned, he just felt, well for a lack of a better word, normal.
"Thank you for saving me. My name in Jaune."
"Hi! My name is Nora! What were you doing out here all by yourself? Were you trying to become one with the Beowolf pack and they ended up turning on you? I thought about doing that too once, but Renny here stopped me. I always wondered what would happen if I tried…"
"Nora please. He just survived a pack of Beowolves. I don't think he's ready for you just yet." Magenta eyes turned to him and the boy gave a short bow. "I apologize for Nora. Try not to take what she says too seriously. My name is Lie Ren."
"But everyone just calls him Renny!"
With an exasperated sigh, the boy merely waved the girl off. "Ren is fine. Most refer to me as that anyway."
Jaune smiled and nodded at the two. One with seemingly endless energy and the other almost as dead on his feet as he felt. A second look however, Jaune could easily see a sheen of sweat across the boy's skin and his breaths were deeper and faster than Nora's.
"Ooooh. Is that a sword!? Can I see it? Please?"
Jaune yelped as the girl appeared at his side, eyes glued onto Crocea Mors with clear curiosity. He gave a small laugh before adjusting it. If Nora was anything like his sisters it wouldn't matter what he said, she'd have her way. And it wasn't like he wanted to say no to begin with. Who was he to say no to the people who saved him?
A loud howl cut through the dimming forest and stopped him in his tracks. A shiver was sent down his spine. Fear started to fill him again before a hand gripped his shoulder. The feeling quickly faded, and he looked into the eyes of his new friend.
"Perhaps we should go to Shion before more of them find us? It's not safe out in the open."
Jaune nodded at the suggestion, pointedly ignoring Nora's pout before she too smiled and nodded along. He hoped that the village was close by, he didn't know how much further he could walk.
/-/
As it turned out, Shion was fairly close. They reached the village walls quickly and just as quickly scolded by the village militia that manned the walls. Apparently, this hadn't been the first time Nora and Ren left the safety of the city walls and judging by the guard's expression while lecturing them he knew it wouldn't be the last.
The three of them made it through the village with little trouble after that. They offered to show him around but this wasn't the first time he had visited Shion. His family would occasionally take vacations in the slightly smaller town when they wanted to get away. It was why he had been trying to reach Shion in the first place, it was the only place he was familiar with.
Though the part of town that Ren and Nora had led him to was something completely foreign to him. The entire area seemed dirtier than the rest of the village, the people in the streets far less kind and welcoming than they were before. All of that was forgotten as they approached a large building.
It was clearly the largest building in the area but was by far the worst off. Windows were broken in several places, the walls looked as if they've never seen a coat of paint besides dirt and even some of the edges appeared to be crumbling.
The sight of such a destroyed building was enough to stop Jaune in his tracks. Flashes of other buildings surrounded it, a lit with flames. His breath quickened as more images flashed before his eyes, bodies, people running, screaming in the distant, fire, so much fire.
And in an instant, it was gone. His breathing returned to normal, his body relaxed and his mind went blank. He turned to the hand on his shoulder and then at its owner. He gave Ren a questioning look, as if to ask what he was doing.
"Are you alright Jaune? You seemed panicked for a moment."
The concern in the boy's eyes were clear and Jaune smiled at one of his saviors before removing his hand. The calm seemed to leave him but the panic did not set in. "I'm fine. What is this place?"
"It's our home!" Nora bounded over to him and jumped on his back, knocking him clear off his feet as he was completely incapable of supporting her added weight. The girl didn't seem bothered in the slightest as she just giggled as he tried to free himself from their now tangled limbs.
Normally such an action would have been highly annoying. Sapphire had done this to him a thousand times, something about needing to do so while she was still bigger than he was. Now however, he welcomed the contact, even when it became painfully apparent that Nora was much stronger than he was.
Somehow Ren managed to peel the hyperactive girl off him before helping him up as well. "This is Shion's orphanage. We've lived here for a few months. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms."
Jaune merely nodded and followed the pair into the run-down building. He was glad that Ren had assumed that he didn't have anywhere else to go. He supposed it wasn't hard to figure out. Alone in the woods, covered in cuts and scrapes, torn clothes, being hunted by Grimm. Now that he thought about it, there really weren't that many options left.
The building seemed to be packed with kids of all ages. Each room he passed had at least five or six crammed in a room that should at best fit four. Most of them looked as dirty as he was and their clothes were for the most part in a worse condition than either Ren or Nora's. A few of them would look up from whatever they were doing to look at the trio as they passed by, some outright pointing while trying to get the attention of the others.
He tried to ignore the stares and whispers but he squirmed nonetheless under all the attention that came their way. They quickly made their way through the cramped halls before they reached a large open common area. It looked similar to the gym at his school back home, if it wasn't for the lack of care and upkeep of course.
More children littered about this room, though with the extra space they didn't seem nearly as cramped and he could actually get a good look at a few of them. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of one of the children in front of him. The boy looked to be a few years older than he was, maybe fourteen or fifteen with brown hair and tanned skin. That wasn't what had drawn his attention however, it was the two protruding horns that were coming out of his head. They were small but very noticeable.
Nora was the closest to the boy and he grasped her arm and tried to drag her closer to himself. The girl noticed and gave him a strange look before she smiled and hooked her arm around his and let him draw her closer. His eyes never left the horned boy as they walked past him but he felt relief nonetheless as the boy didn't even seem to pay them any attention.
They worked their way through the run-down gym before they finally made it to the end where a small group of kids no older than five or six sat in a circle as a middle-aged woman with black hair was reading from a book. The woman looked tired and her face seemed to sag lightly but she smiled brightly at the children gathered around her.
Her outfit looked much like the rest of those that lived here, a long gray dress that came down to her ankles that was covered in patches of a variety of colors as well as a dirtied white apron over the top of it. Her brown eyes watched the children with an energy that one wouldn't be able to tell she had if you looked at her face. They danced from child to child, watching their reactions to the story that the woman had clearly memorized as she never even glanced at the book in her hands.
The children ooohed and awed as she delivered the tale, all of them enraptured with the story itself. Jaune didn't dare interrupt until it was finished, not wanting to ruin the moment. He loved stories himself, his mother would read to him all the time about brave heroes saving the day. Those were his favorite, the ones that reminded him of his father, the ones that inspired him to become a hero.
The story ended shortly, much to the displeasure of the children around the woman. In a way that very much reminded him of his own mother, she shooed them away with a gentle practiced ease and rose from her seat. The woman instantly locked eyes with him and made her way over to the three standing ten-year-old's.
"My, my, I was wondering where you two have wandered off to so late in the day. You wouldn't have been in the forest again would you Ren? Nora?"
Ren merely looked down and away from the woman while Nora gave her the biggest grin he had ever seen. The woman merely shook her head with an exasperated shake and sighed to herself. "What will I do with you two? And who is this with you? Did you make a friend?"
Before he could respond, Nora bounded up to the woman and grasped the hem of her dress. His arm still wrapped in hers, Jaune barely kept his feet under him as he was forced to follow. Nora beamed up at the woman as she presented him like some kind of trophy. "Yep! This is Jaune! We found him in the forest running away from some Grimm. We rescued him!"
The woman's eyes widened and he heard gasps from all around him as the children all stopped what they were doing to stare at the three of them. She quickly knelt down to look them in the eyes, not unlike how Thomas had done back home. She gave them a serious look and regarded Ren as she spoke. "Is this true, Lie?"
Instead of giving a verbal answer, Ren merely nodded while meeting the woman's gaze. She gave a soft tut to herself before she stood up quickly and made a motion to someone else in the room before turning back to them. "Well while I wish you would quit leaving the village walls I am glad that you were able to save Jaune here. Why don't you come with me? You all must be tired and hungry after your adventure today, no?"
At that moment Jaune's stomach let loose what could only be described as a ferocious growl which caused him to blush beet red and made Nora giggle next to him. The woman on the other hand laughed softly into her hand before she gestured to follow her. "I'll take that as a yes, come along children."
Jaune followed the still unnamed woman with Ren and Nora at his sides. The children in their way quickly parted and made a path as they walked off into one of the side halls and into an empty room. There was only one chair in the room but at least there were several cushions for them to sit on which Jaune all but collapsed on as his body finally gave out.
Adrenaline could only carry one so far and it was a miracle he hadn't passed out sooner. Somehow, he remained conscious but he knew that he wasn't going to be moving anytime soon, at least not under his own power.
"Is something wrong Miss Angelina?"
The woman sat on the chair and gave Ren a strained smile before she sighed to herself. "As perceptive as always Lie. Nothing is wrong per se. In the future though please try not to talk about Grimm by the other children. All those that live here have lost something, most have lost that something to the creatures of Grimm. There's no need to bring up such memories if we can avoid it."
For the first time he had seen her, Nora looked depressed and she hung her head in shame. It didn't last however as Angelina moved to give the girl a hug, the much smaller girl returning the hug with a muffled hiccup and an apology.
The small but unmistakable sound of plates clattering alerted Jaune to a newcomer to the room. His breath hitched only momentarily as his eyes were drawn to the long dog like ears flopping on either side of this woman's head. She was younger than Angelina but still far older than any of the kids that lived here.
She was dressed similarly to Angelina with the exception of her dress being a light blue instead of gray. Her hair was a dirty blond that went just past her shoulders while her green eyes shone with a vibrant energy that seemed to extrude happiness.
Her happy demeanor did nothing to dissuade the cautiousness he felt as he watched her. Without even trying he moved closer to Ren who was busy accepting a cup of water and a bowl of soup from the gracious woman.
She turned to him and offered him a cup and bowl, a smile on her face as she bent down to speak with him. "Hello there little one, my name is Samantha. May I have your name?"
The words burned in his ears as someone else flashed through his mind. He bit down on his tongue to not say anything as he glared at the woman, refusing to speak, or touch the offered food and water. He watched as her smile faded and replaced with a frown as she regarded him. It didn't break his resolve as he continued to glare at her.
"Samantha, the boy has been through quite a bit today. From what I'm told he was nearly devoured by a Beowolf. It might be best to give him some space. Just leave his food and water next to him, I'm sure he'll get to it eventually."
The younger woman glanced at Angelina and then back to him with a hesitant look before sighing and stood up, giving the last cup and bowl to Nora. "As you say Mistress."
The woman stood up and took her place behind Angelina, all the while watching him with a confused expression. He tried to pay her no mind as he focused on the food in front of him before he set it back down.
"Eat my child. You can't argue that you aren't hungry. You look as if you haven't eaten in days. Come now, we don't have much but you're welcome to have as much as we can offer."
He wanted to believe the kind woman's words but his eyes drifted back to the woman who had given him the meal and his eyes hardened. He glared at the dog woman until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a smiling Nora with a spoonful of whatever kind of soup was in her bowl.
"Open up!"
Before he could even respond she had jammed the spoon into his mouth and all but forced him to swallow its contents. The effect was nearly instantaneous as his stomach growled loudly and demanded more food. Fear gave way to hunger as he quickly snatched up the bowl in front of him and devoured everything in the bowl without a second thought. The cup of water was quickly emptied as well as he sighed with satisfaction.
"My, my. What gusto. I believe someone wasn't letting on to how hungry they were. Samantha, would you please fetch another bowl? I do believe he hasn't had his fill yet."
With a silent nod, the faunus exited the room and left the four of them alone. Angelina gave them all a kind smile as she sat back down in her chair, Nora still clutched in her arms as she now took her spot in the woman's lap. "Now Jaune, since Ren brought you here I'm assuming you will be staying with us for some time. Is that right?"
Jaune didn't know how to respond to that as he looked down and played with his hands. His mother did say to always tell the truth. "I don't know. I don't have anywhere else to go."
The woman nodded sadly and barely glanced away as the dog faunus returned to the room with more food. "Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you would like. It seems like you've already made good friends with Ren and Nora here."
Jaune gave a weak smile and accepted the food from Samantha with only a minimal flinch, his hunger overwhelming any mistrust he may have had for the woman. Samantha clearly noticed the flinch but said nothing as she took her place behind Angelina.
"Well if you're going to be staying with us for a while why not tell us a little about yourself so that we can get to know you a little better? Do you know what village you came from?"
He was going to automatically respond but his throat clenched as his eyes landed on the curious face of the faunus in the corner. Words replayed in his mind, they were fuzzy, hard to make out over the pouring rain and explosions but he could still hear them. Hadn't that monster in black and red said something about hurting the Arcs? Wasn't that their goal? He clenched his eyes as he tried to focus on the words, trying to wipe away the fuzz that surrounded them.
"If you can't remember my dear then please don't strain yourself. Do you at least remember what happened to it? Or maybe your parents?"
His lips felt dry as more images flashed through his mind. His home, his friends, destroyed buildings, his father soaked in blood…
"It… it was attacked." He looked up but not at Angelina, instead he focused on the green eyes of Samantha. "It was attacked by monsters, monsters with white masks that killed everyone. Even-" He paused as he tried to fight back a hiccup, fresh tears streaming down his face. "Even my dad."
Another dam broke as he cried again. He tried to wipe away the tears but they refused to give up as more replaced what he got rid of. His shoulders hitched and his body went ridged as he felt two pairs of arms wrap around him. He opened his eyes to see both Ren and Nora holding him.
The tears slowly stopped as he reveled in their embrace. It felt familiar, like the ones his sisters would give him if he hurt himself. It felt warm, it felt safe."
"I think that's enough for one night. Nora, Ren. Why don't you take Jaune with you to get some rest, he can stay in your room."
The three children said nothing at the woman's words but moved nonetheless. Both Ren and Nora led Jaune by the hand as they worked through the maze-like building until they found an empty room with a few mattresses without frames on the floor.
No words were said as they each laid down on an empty mattress. The day's events had taken just as much out of Ren and Nora as it had Jaune. He curled up and tried to get comfortable but the drafty building sent waves of cold air across his exposed skin. The hot fall day had given way to a cold autumn night.
Shivers ran across his skin as his teeth clattered to try and stave off the cold but to no avail. A quiet rustling was his only warning as he felt something warm crawl up behind him. He didn't have time to comment as something landed in front of him and scooted closer to him until it was touching him.
The mop of orange hair was all he needed to see to know that it was Nora who was now curled into him, which meant it was Ren behind him. Nothing was said as the shivers finally stopped and he relaxed into the shared body heat.
Finally, exhaustion hit him as his eyes began to flutter and close. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face, surrounded by friends that would keep him safe. He knew they would without having to ask. And he would protect them in kind. His father told him that an Arc was a guardian, a protector. He couldn't protect his family but he would protect his new one.
With that final thought, he slipped into sweet unconsciousness and for the first time in over a week.
He did not stir once.
And another chapter complete! Now all I want to say is first of all thank you for those that are still sticking with this story and secondly, to apologize for the insanely long wait.
Now I do want to state that a delay such as this one will not happen again due to the circumstances involving the delay should no longer be a factor. Though the silver-lining of this long delay was that I've been able to significantly plan out in detail this entire story with the aid of a friend which should make these chapters comes out much sooner now that the concrete plan is in place.
I don't want to put an upload date until I fully hit my rhythm with this story but I'm aiming for at least once a month. Let's hope for the best there.
As always, leave a review letting me know what you liked, didn't like, suggestions for improvement and everything in between. I love hearing from my audience and take all constructive criticism to heart!