Alright I'm trying a new formatting. This should be the last time you'll see Olivia for a while. Sorry for the lateness, this chapter kicked my ass six ways till sunday. Still I did manage to finish the next chapter so thats a bit of good news.
-Edited 27NOV2016-
-Monsters of Remnants-
Olivia IV
Talks passed in a blur after that and before she knew it, Olivia found herself sitting on the pavilion that the King was on when they walked in, dead brother by her side. Well I guess he couldn't be considered dead now can he, her brain shot at her snidely. Shut up me, she fired back as she turned to speak to Jaune.
"It's good to see you Olivia," He spoke up, stopping her dead in her tracks. Divines it had been so long since she had seen him. He was older now, with long hair that she was so going to tease him about later, but he was alive and he was here and that was all that she cared about.
"How have you been?" he asked, either not noticing or ignoring her staring.
An incredulous snort escaped from her lips. "Really?" she snarked, fighting the tears back. "Damn near eight years and the first thing you ask is how have you been?"
Her little shit of a brother just smirked at her, propping himself up with a hand as he looked at her. They were silent for a moment as Olivia collected her thoughts.
"I'm sure you have quite a few questions for me," He stated more than asked, shifting so that he was facing the pit she noticed when she walked in. Out of the corner of her eyes Olivia could see that soldiers were beginning to congregate around it again.
She had to suppress a second snort. "No shit. But they can wait till we get home." Jaune was silent and Olivia felt her gut clench painfully but she waited for him to respond.
Finally, he spoke up. "I'm staying here Olivia, in Rome."
The cavern they were in was warm but Olivia felt a chill sink into her bones.
"Why?"
Jaune faced her, sky blue eyes meeting sky blue ringed with gold in a look that was a solemn as it was steady. "Do you know what the word Legate means?" he asked instead, gesturing towards the soldiers below them.
Olivia shook her head. That's what they called him before, she thought, remembering what the soldiers at the entrance had said to Mothra.
"It means to command a Legion," he continued seeing her silence. "When I first arrived in these lands, I had nothing but the clothes on my back, and an old sword I could barely use," Jaune placed a hand on Crocea Mors where it rested beside him. "Now I hold one of the highest military and political offices within the Republic, giving me power and influence never before held by a man born outside of Rome."
His voice grew hard and firm. "I will use this power to protect my new home, to guide my new people to a bright future. They have placed their lives in my hands, and I will not take such trust lightly. I gave my word Olivia," left unspoken was the family motto.
She wanted to be indignant, to rail against his words. But when she opened her mouth all that came out was a soft voice asking if he was cutting ties with their family.
He shook his head, grinning ruefully. "If you had been paying attention, dear sister, you wouldn't be asking that question," the younger blond said in a chiding tone.
Olivia wanted to groan. Why in the name of the Divines did he have to grow into a smartass?
Apparently the younger blond noticed her reaction because he rolled his eyes and continued. "Reuniting with our family is sixty percent of the reason why I pushed for us to enter the world stage again."
"And the other forty percent?" Olivia played along, a relieved smile sliding across her face.
A secretive smile stole across his face. "That's a secret," he said before turning to gesture towards the gathering soldiers. "For now just enjoy the show, after all it is a prelude of what is to come."
Curiosity piqued, Olivia focused on the pit that the soldiers were circling around. Their elevation made looking into the pit rather easy in spite of the growing crowd.
Dmm dmm dmm
She felt herself jump as the primal beat started up again, the soldiers slamming their shields into the ground in unison. Inside the pit she could see a single soldier.
Dmm dmm dmm
The soldier stood in the center of the pit, unarmed and clad in only a pair of pants. He turned to face the podium and raised a fist. The crowd fell silent.
"Saluto qui praecesserunt me! Ave legatus, salve rex magnus!" he cried out to the uproarious applause of the soldiers. The beat started again, this time carried by a set of drums that were set off to the side. As he lowered his arm Olivia leaned towards her brother.
Dmm dmm dmm
"What did he say?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of the scene.
Jaune murmured back a reply that she could barely hear over the clamor. "I salute those who have gone before me. Hail Legate, Hail High King. It's a formal declaration given before a gladiatorial match when only a single fighter takes part."
Dmm dmm dmm
Then who is he going to fight? She wanted to ask but he question was answered before she could focus. One of the pits walls fell away, some unseen mechanism or ability causing the stone to shift and move, revealing a familiar and chilling sight. You have got to be shitting me.
Dmm dmm dmm
Stepping out into the pit was quite possibly the most vicious looking Beowolf that Olivia had ever seen. It wasn't as big as an Alpha but it was close with scars and cracks lining its bone plates.
With a roar that belied its size the Beowolf charged forward, aiming to tackle the unarmed man to the ground and consume him. So lost in its bloodlust, the Beowolf was not prepared for the man to charge back.
Dmm dmm dmm
Olivia felt her jaw slowly drop as the unarmed, unarmored man wrestled the Grimm to the ground and began to land hammer blows on its skull, deftly avoiding the beasts flailing claws and gnashing teeth. The crowd roared its approval, nearly drowning out the booming drums.
"For too long Rome has been concerned with problems at home," Jaune spoke, his voice rising above the growing clamor. "Unrest from the common man, factions amongst the Senate vying against one another for power, oppression from the High King, and raids from the other kingdoms are only a few of the troubles plaguing Rome."
Dmm dmm dmm
Down in the pit the gladiator maneuvered himself so that he had one arm wrapped around the Beowolf's neck. The Huntress could tell the moment he started to squeeze, seeing as how the monster's struggles increased exponentially. Despite the violence before her, or perhaps because of it, Olivia just sat still even as her teammates and fellow huntsmen went wild. Some of them were concerned, asking their guides about what was happening, others were swept along with the crowds enthusiasm. Olivia however was held spellbound by the sight in front of her and her brothers words.
Dmm dmm dmm
"Now that our affairs on the homefront have been taken care of, I intend to take a new direction," Jaune continued without pause. "The Servants of Nox, the Grimm have laid claim to this planet for too long. The people of Remnant are not winning this war, they're not even fighting it. They cower behind their walls and their Huntsmen, consigning themselves to a hollow existence."
Dmm dmm dmm
There was another roar as the gladiator crushed the monster's throat and with a violent heave, tore its head from its body. Ripping her eyes from the bloody spectacle, Olivia found herself meeting her brothers gaze once more.
Dmm dmm dmm
"I'm going to forge a new age," he said, eyes burning with absolute confidence. "One where we will no longer have to fear the dark, where the Grimm shall run from us. I will create a new Golden Era. Not just for Rome but for all of Remnant. And this," he gestured towards the pit where the gladiator was parading the severed Grimms head, "Is merely the beginning."
-Monsters of Remnant-
Let me know what you think! Bye now.