The Blond Swordsman
Ch. 3 Traveling
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I've been on my extended errand run for a while now. It was such an easy trip at first. All I had to do was head over to the next village. I even followed those bloody signs. Darn things must be backwards because I've only gotten farther away from home. I'm further to the southwest of Sanus now.
Along the way I picked up some jobs by exterminating Grimm near villages. Most villagers were hesitant at first to trust that I could even kill a Grimm, let alone an entire pack. I suppose it didn't help that I'm 14 years old. That quickly changed when I cut down several Beowolves in a single strike.
The pay was fair for the most part. Helped buy me new clothes when my old ones got torn. Now I wear a short-sleeved hoodie with my bandana wrapped around my right bicep and a simple pair of loose fitting blue pants. Also bought myself some cleaning equipment from a general store to do maintenance on my swords. A good swordsman always takes care of his swords after all.
Some of the villages along the way had girls my age in them that tried to get me to stay. They were kinda weird about it too, getting really close to me and promising something good if I stayed. The way they got close to me reminded me of how Marron started to act after the accident, which seemed odd but I didn't say anything.
The last village I was at had a map with the villages location compared to the rest of the world. I'm now somehow closer Vacuo than Vale at this point. I'm sure my families worried about me, so I should try and get somewhere to contact them soon.
One of the good things that came with this side trip was the experience I was getting from all the Grimm I was killing. Before I could only fight the stray Beowolf or Ursa that came close to the village, so at least something good's coming out of this. Even came up with a couple new moves with it.
Right now, I'm continuing to try and get back home. I've given up on following the signs and have started relying on my natural sense of direction. It shouldn't be too hard to find my way home using that, the only reason I ever get lost is because someone gives me bad directions anyways.
While walking down the road I hear screams from up ahead. I break into a sprint and come across a large vehicle under attack from a mixed group of Beowolves and Ursa. There looks to be 7 Beowolves and 4 Ursa. A young woman with short black hair and tanned skin stands at the back of the car, holding a spear to keep the monsters at bay.
"Back! Get back you monsters!" The woman thrusts forward as a Beowolf swipes at her. Another Beowolf uses the opening to knock away her weapon, causing it to go sailing towards me. With nothing left to defend herself with she'll easily be picked off by the next attack. As if on que one of the Ursa from the back charge in, preparing to crush the poor woman.
"Three sword style
Covering the distance between myself and the group I pull my swords out and bring the swords in my hand behind my back. I appear between the defenseless woman and the attacking Ursa, preparing my own attack.
Tiger Hunt!"
When the Ursa gets close enough I slash down with the swords behind my back, cutting the beast down. The corpse of my defeated foe sails behind us and splits on either side of the vehicle. The rest of the Grimm take notice of my appearance and prepare to avenge their fallen comrade.
The first to fall's a Beowolf that tried to flank me from my left. I quickly cut its head off before moving on to the two charging me from the front. A swift horizontal swing of my blade bisects the two, along with a hidden Beowolf behind them. Now it's 3 Beowolf's and Ursa each.
This time it's an Ursa that tries its hand, or paw I suppose, at taking me down. It swings down with a tremendous force. I cut off the offending paw before it lands and move on to the Ursa itself. Jumping up I cut right into the mask of the demonic bear, bringing down the number of Grimm from 6 to 5.
I need to finish this fast, or else I risk one of them attacking the woman. Sheathing Wado and gripping the two swords in my hands I charge at the remaining Grimm.
With a quick spin and a few slashes, I cut through the beasts like a hot knife to butter.
"Two Sword Style: Hawk Wave!"
They stand there for a moment before they explode in a burst of black mist. They soon dissipate into nothingness, as if they were never here in the first place. As I sheath my swords and check on the woman. "You alright ma'am?"
"Uh…?" She seems dumbfounded by what just happened. She looks up at me with a confused expression before realizing I asked a question. "Oh, yes! I'm fine. Just a little weak in the knees."
Offering my hand, she takes it and stands up. She has slight trouble standing at first, but soon gathers her bearings. "Thank you for helping me. Those Grimm came out of nowhere and caught me off guard. If you hadn't come along when you did I don't know what would've happened."
"I'm sure you would've given them a run for their money. I saw you put up a decent fight against them when I got here."
Her cheeks are dusted a light red now. Probably embarrassed from my complement. "That might be too much of a complement. I may be a woman, but I don't have my Aura unlocked. Unlike someone like you of course."
"Um… I'm actually a man." This is usually the reaction I get when people see me fight for the first time. Some were harder to convince than others. Once I almost had to pull down my pants to get them to believe me.
She stares at me with that same confused expression from before. "A-a man? But how can that be? You took out those Grimm like they were nothing!"
At first it was embarrassing to hear their surprise at my strength. Now it's starting to get annoying. "Just because I'm a man doesn't mean I can't be strong too."
"Yes, well… I suppose that could be true. Though it's kinda hard to believe given that men can't wield Aura." She's one of the polite ones at least. Some laugh at my stance on men and strength. Not that I don't see where they're coming from, but it's still enough to cause me a mild annoyance.
"I get that a lot. So, what're you doing out here by yourself? Seems kinda reckless to travel like this."
She walks over to the back of her wagon and rummages through some boxes. "I'm actually a merchant. I'm on my way to Vacuo to sell what I've got on me right now. Recently there's been a fad of Huntresses in training wanting to embroider their equipment with their emblems and I have a surplus of sowing equipment."
Humming in understanding I look through some of the wares she has in sight. Aside from the sewing equipment and fabric there's also some vases, pots, cups, bowls, and other household accessories. They seem like they're in good condition and made from quality material. Should fetch for a good price if she finds the right buyer.
She covers her wares again and closes the tail gate of the wagon before turning back to me. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you out here? You're strong, sure, but it still seems odd for you to be out here for no reason."
Now it's my turn to be embarrassed. Telling someone that you got lost and have been wandering the continent isn't the best way to start a conversation. "Actually, I got lost on the when I went out to run some errands. I've been trying to get back home ever since."
"Oh, that's horrible. Where do you live? Maybe I can help you find your way back?" She pulls out a map from her pocket and opens it up. "Why don't you point out where your village is? I should be able to help you get back then."
Looking over the map for the area my home should be I point to it on the map. "Right there."
"You live there!?" She raises her voice in surprise after finding out where I live. "That's all the way near Vale! How on Remnant did you end up all the way down here!? How long have you been lost!?"
"What day is today?"
She stares dumbfounded for a moment before responding. "I-it's Thursday."
"I've been lost for six months."
"SIX MONTHS!?" Ow, the yelling's back. I feel like I should ask her to quiet down so we don't attract more Grimm, but after living with 8 women for 14 years I've come to notice that they don't like being told what to do. "How have you been lost for six months? Wouldn't someone come looking for you?"
I scratch the back in frustration. "I kept following the signs on how to get back home, but every time I did it just sent me further away. Someone must've mess with them or something." That or they just had a terrible sense of direction in the first place.
"That sounds… terrible." She puts on an awkward smile. Putting the map back in her pocket she walks over to the front of the car. "Well, I can't take you all the way back. Maybe I can offer you a ride to Vacuo? That way you can call you family and let them know you're okay. It should only take a couple of weeks to reach it from here."
That doesn't sound too bad. I'm already all the way down here. Might as well go all the way and see what Vacuo's like. Plus, I could get a look at what the Huntresses are like around here. Maybe find a good fight.
"Are you sure though? You just met me. For all you know I could be a bandit." Mom said strangers are just friends you haven't met yet, but she seems almost too trusting.
Her reply is a sweet smile and a pat on the shoulder. "If you were a bandit it would've made more sense to let the Grimm eat me before taking the contents of my wagon. Plus, someone as cute as you can't be a scary bandit."
My face heats up at her rather open opinion of me. "We-well! Either way, it's not good to trust someone when you don't even know their name." After a deep breath I try to compose myself before extending my hand. "My name's Jaune D. Arc. It's nice to meet you."
She takes my hand with a firm grip and gives it a hard shake. "Names Ebony, Ebony Traverse. I hope we get along." She lets go of my hand and hopes up into the driving. "I may be giving you a ride, but don't think it's for free. I'll leave the safety of my wares, and me, up to you."
That seems like a fair deal. She's already seen that I'm capable so she might as well get a free bodyguard out of it. I walk to the back of the car again and hop in. The car sets off and we begin our travel to Vacuo.
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The gates of the city of Vacuo are coming into view. After stopping by one of the security checkpoints to get the car and sales permit we continue into the city. It's been almost a month since I joined Ebony on her trip to Vacuo. Originally it should've only have taken a month, but the front axle of the car broke and we need to stop in a town to fix it.
After we fixed the axel a storm settled in, so Ebony decided to stay in the village until it passed. The storm caused trouble on the road even after it passed. Tree's had fallen on the path and caused us to go around them. Or it would've if I hadn't cut every one of them into logs for us to use as fire wood.
Ebony tried to apologize for the set back, but I brushed them aside. If I had decided to walk to Vacuo myself it would've taken much longer than a month by myself.
The security gate passes over the vehicle as we make our way through the city towards the area where we can park it. The entire outer part of the city is bustling with people. Stalls line our path with different merchants selling their products. Some are more forceful than others.
"It's pretty loud, isn't it?" Ebony speaks up from beside me. She's directing the car while trying to avoid running into anyone. "It's a lot to take in, but I'm sure you'll get used to it."
Humming in agreement I continue to look at my surroundings. Another 20 minutes pass until we get to the parking area for the car. I help Ebony unload her products before heading off. "Thanks for getting me here. Hopefully next time I hitch a ride with you it's in something that doesn't breakdown every 5 miles."
I think I can see the actual tick mark on her head. After the axel broke on the way here she threw a fit. Threatening to shove her foot in certain places that shouldn't be placed. "Well, next time you can just walk if it's that much of an inconvenience. No need to bother riding in my rickety clunker."
Seems I upset her. Oh well, she'll get over it… hopefully. The trip here was nice overall. It would be rude of me not to at least show my appreciation. "Still, you helped me out. It probably would've taken longer without you."
She stops fuming after giving her my thanks. Her face turns a bit red from embarrassment. "Well, at least your showing some respect. Good to see your parents raised to treat your elders right. Which reminds me."
Ebony looks through a small strong box that was kept under the driver seat. She pulls out a small piece of parchment along with a stamp. Pressing the stamp on the sheet of paper she hands it over to with a smile. "That's a small bonus for protecting me along the way."
The sheet of paper is rather plan with only a few words on it. The stamp's logo is that of a wagon wheel on a road. "What's this?" Nothing seems that special about the paper, though I'm sure it must be if she left a stamp on it.
The slight arrogant look on the young merchant's face says that she's about to impart her wise words onto this ignorant boy. "That there is an official signature for the merchant guild in the city. You said you worked some small security guard jobs before you met me. With that you should be able to get in the door on the guild and see if anyone needs a bodyguard right now. Figured you'd need some money to get back home."
I look at the important piece of paper with a rather… passive view. "It's nice that you're giving this to me, but I doubt I'd need it. All I gotta do is call my family and they'll wire me some money to spend on a ride home. If they don't come and get me themselves that is." Mom might very well storm all the way to Vacuo by herself just to yell my ear off for believing those stupid signs.
"Hmmm, either way it's yours to use as you see fit. I don't have a say in what you do with it. You can burn it up for all I care." She seems rather nonchalant about me turning down her gift. I suppose that's just how she is. I don't know her very well after all.
"Well, I'm gonna be heading out then. Thanks again for the ride." Pocketing the paper, I grab my bag of belongings and throw them over my shoulder. Strapping my swords to my hip I get ready to set out to the CCT to call my family.
"Remember to follow the map I made for you! Don't get lost on the way!" Ebony calls out one last time as I wave goodbye. She seemed insistent on making a map for me after a few weeks of traveling with her. Even spent long hours into the night making sure I memorized the map.
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It's been probably an hour now since I left Ebony to head to the CCT. The long, complicated, streets of the city caused me slight confusion at first. The tower could be seen above the roof tops. Even considered just making a straight path by destroying any wall in my way, but that was quickly brushed aside when I considered how much it'd cost for repairs.
Right now, I'm walking a back road and trying to follow the map the best I can. Any directions I ask for just lead to some random building or a dead end. Which brings me to my current predicament.
"Hand over everything you've got. And those pretty swords while you're at it." A small gang of women and men are currently trying to ask me for my belongings. There's about 4 women and 2 men that look around their early 20's, each with either a blade or handgun.
I scratch the back of my head as I look them over. "Excuse me, can I ask you girls for directions?" Not like that's helped until now, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
The woman closest to me that previously asked me for my stuff seems more irritated now for some reason. "Shut up! Just hand over your money and we'll let you go. Though if you give us anymore lip we may just have to rough you up some."
She flashes me a vicious grin. The rest behind her look like they're about ready to fight someone and begin to block the exit from the alley.
"Hold up there!" A voice calls out suddenly from above. Looking up I notice a figure standing on top of one of the roof tops. The figure jumps down, grabbing onto any ledges and fire escapes on the side of buildings to help get down. Landing on the ground, the figure reveals itself to be a short blond girl with a matching colored monkey tail.
The new arrivals back is facing me so I can't see her face. She puts her hand up in a stopping motion. "If you're gonna try and rob someone at least don't do it in broad daylight where everyone can see it."
I cocked my head to the side as a sudden realization comes to mind. "They're trying to mug me?" I suppose it makes sense now that I look at it. Explains why they have guns and swords.
The new arrival stumbles at my question and turns to me slowly. Now that I look at her, she has deep blue eyes and a tan complexion. She's wearing a plain white button up shirt with only two buttons in the middle to hold the shirt together. Her pants are jeans with scratches and holes in them, whether they're there on purpose or not I don't know.
Her expression looks like a mixture of confused and dumfounded. "Did you… just realize that?" I give her a slow nod. She looks like she's about to collapse from exhaustion, even though she hasn't done much. "Wow, you're not the smartest guy are ya?"
"Hey, I'll have you know I get very high grades in school. I'm even the top of my class." Or I was. Missing several months of school probably did a number on my GPA. Before that I did fairly well. Mom wouldn't let me train unless I did my homework so I had the right motivation at least.
A gun shot rings out in the alley. The leader of the small gang points the still smoking revolver up into the air. Her face is bright red. I think she's about to blow a blood vessel. "Stop ignoring us! There may be one more of you, but that just means there's more to steal. I'm giving you one more chance before we kill you."
Geez, she's really ticked off now. The rest of her group looks more confused than anything, but they follow their bosses lead and level their weapons at us. The blond girl slow inches towards me and stops to my right.
"Psst. You know how to use those swords? Cause it looks like you might need to use them." She bends over and grabs a long stick from the ground to use as an impromptu staff. "I don't think they have Aura, so it should be easy to make a break for it and run."
I grip the handle of my swords and get into a stance. "Run? Why run? If they don't have Aura we can just knock them out." Shouldn't be too hard since they're not Huntresses, especially the men in the back.
"You must be crazy." She looks like she's starting to sweat a bit from the pressure of the situation. "They still outnumber us. Plus, they got guns, no way can we take them on."
Sounds more like a challenge to me. The monkey girl prepares to make her move as the gang begins to get more anxious. "Fine then! Get'em!" Seems the boss finally had enough. Two of the women charge at us with short swords from both sides. Blondie uses the pole to jump into the air and step on the face of the woman on the right. Using the woman as a spring board she jumps onto the wall and over the group towards the back where the two men wait.
The other woman still charges at me, not knowing the condition of her comrade. She swings at me in a sloppy overhead strike. In a quick draw motion, I cut the sword she's wielding and deliver a strike to the back of her neck with the back of the sword. She falls to the ground unconscious with a thud.
The other assailant whose face was used as a spring board recovers from her surprise and looks for the offender. With no one else in sight she focuses on me with a furious gaze. "Ragh!" She roars at me with a lunge to stab me. An easy parry and another blow to the back of her neck and she joins her friend on the ground.
The remaining two women look on surprised at the events playing out. With two of their comrades down the boss orders the remaining woman to attack. She seems hesitant at first, but when her boss threatens to shoot her instead, she quickly complies. With a more composed stance then her first friend she attacks with an overhead slash. I block it easily and prepare to knock her out like the others.
Before I get the chance, I catch a glimpse of her boss pointing her gun at the two of us. Seems she doesn't care that her friend might get shot in the process. "Crap!" Mom probably wouldn't be too happy to know I said a curse word, but it seemed the most appropriate word in this situation.
Pushing against the woman I'm locked in combat with I force her against the wall. Her head smacks against the stone building, unprepared for the sudden push. Seems that was enough to knock her out as she falls to the ground. All that's left standing is the lone gunwoman and the two men.
The lone remaining woman looks livid now. Her hand holding the gun's shaking now, whether from rage or fear I don't know. "Damn it! You stupid brat! You should've just hand over your stuff, then none of this would've happened!"
"So, I was just supposed to give you my stuff without a fight?" I know that men aren't looked on that highly, but this group isn't that intimidating in the first place. Verte could take them down no problem with or without a weapon, and she's only 12…. or 13. It's been awhile since I've seen them so they probably celebrated her birthday already.
Another cock is heard from the gun. The leader's now trying her best to level the gun at me. "That's right! You're just a man! You're inferior to women in the first place!" The third bullet fires from the gun. It races towards me faster than the speed of sound. In a flash I cut the bullet mid-air when it enters my range.
Two smaller holes appear on the wall behind me from the bullet I just split. It takes a second for the gunwoman to comprehend what just happened. The gun falls from her loose hand. She's trembling now. This time the fear is obvious. Her knee's give out as she crumbles to the ground as the final member of her gang.
"How… how did you… do that?" Shock and fear dominate her now before she falls unconscious. I never had to land a physical strike on her it seems. She was too weak willed to deal with the challenge. Now all that's left to do is deal with the two men in the back.
Is what I wanted to say if one of them didn't just fall to my feet. "She has a point. How did you do that?" Looking down the alley I see the blond Faunus from earlier holding her staff out with the last guy unconscious at her feet. From her expression she seems less confused then the other girl at least.
With the fight done I sheath my sword. "I do a lot of training." That doesn't seem to be enough to convince her. Then again, it never is. I quickly tie-up the assailants with their own shirts before joining my assistant at the entrance to the alley. "Thanks for the help. Not that I needed it, but the thoughts appreciated."
"No problem, and I'm totally sure you had the whole thing under control." From her tone it's obvious she doesn't believe me. She finishes tying up the two guys she took down before holding out her hand. "The name's Mei, Mei Wukong."
I take her hand and give it a shake. "Jaune D. Arc. Nice to meet you."
"D. Why'd you add in the D?"
"It's just something our family does. I'm not sure why, but everyone on my mom's side has the same initial." I don't know many others outside of my direct family, but those I have met have D in their name too. I tried asking once why that was, but mom never gave me a straight answer.
"That's weird. Then again, you seem like a weird guy." Mei puts her hands behind her head in an easy-going manner. Now that I get a better look at her she's probably the same age Verte is, if not a year older. "What were you doing down here anyways?"
Why does everyone keep asking me that? Do they have any idea how difficult it is to always explain to them that someone gave me bad directions? "I got some bad directions to the CCT and ended up in this alley. That's when these girls jumped me."
Mei hums in acceptance and does a quick twirl. "That sucks. Why don't I show you the way? I got time to kill and it's already starting to get late." Sure enough the sun's starting to go down. If I don't hurry the phones may close at the CCT.
"That'd really help, thanks again."
"Alright then! Follow me. While we're walking you can tell me what type of training you did to cut a bullet like that."
I follow my guide along the winding path of the streets of Vacuo. Hopefully this time I'll actually get where I wanna go.
END