Chapter XIII
The Devil's Cantata
Past midnight, the bandit camp was still raging with drinking and celebration. Some of the tribe's members were passed out drunk on the ground but there were still too many active. The bandits were rejoiced with their hunt of the day, money was coming their way and they couldn't wait to receive their pay, no matter how blood tainted it was.
The same joy wasn't shared by their terrified prisoners. From the faunus filled cages could be heard the whimpers of scared villagers. Innocent men, women, and children were taken away from their homes and about to be sold as slaves.
Every minute that passed, Jaune heard more and more cries. It filled him with frustration. These innocent people were suffering, their captors were drinking to their horrible deed, his mentor was taken away from him and he was now sitting there, tied, beaten, unable to lift a finger to protect the people that needed him. For a while, he wondered if his mentor was right. Maybe he was just a stupid kid playing hero. These people needed someone brave and strong that could stand for them. They needed someone like Ruby, a true hero that inspired everyone to be better and rise against adversity. She always inspired him, he admired her dearly. Had she been there, all these people could have rested assured that they would be saved because Ruby would never give up until they were all free, she always strived to do what was right.
Sadly, these people didn't have Ruby around, no, they were stuck with Jaune. The boy who faked his way into Beacon Academy, the selfish idiot who put Weiss in danger and mistreated Pyrrha when she just wanted to help him. Maybe Don was right, maybe these people didn't need Jaune…But they had him, and he was not going to fail them.
In his journey, Jaune had learned from his mistakes, he had a dream and a goal. These people didn't need Jaune the self-doubting kid, they needed Jaune the huntsman, the hero who would fight for them. Ruby would give it her all to save these innocent people, and so would he.
Jaune took a look at his surroundings again, trying to find a way out of his prison. Climbing out would be impossible, but the floor was simply dirt, digging his way out was an option but the dirt was tough and his hands were tied, it would have taken too much time and it would be harder with the guards around.
If only his mentor was there, his semblance would have been useful to distract the guards for an escape, that is if Don was willing to try, the old man had lost his will to fight.
There had to be a way out, he kept thinking of different scenarios, different options, all with their own risks and none with enough chances of success. He found himself trapped in more ways than just the cage, he was doubtful, he was tired, he was stressed, and he was alone…or so he thought.
On the other side of the cage, a young boy was sitting. The boy was sobbing, terrified. The day had started with him by his mother's side and ended with him far from home.
Jaune knew the situation was hopeless, but at the very least he could comfort the boy.
"Hey, what's your name?". Jaune asked.
The boy didn't respond, too afraid to do so. He took a quick glance at Jaune with his teary eyes. When Jaune tried to approach him, the boy immediately flinched and hid his face behind his knees.
"It's ok, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you". Jaune awkwardly reassured the young boy.
With a bit of hesitation, the boy peeked his head once more, looking at Jaune still with his red teary eyes.
"Everything is going to be ok".
The boy's eyes showed his own frustration, "How do you know?! We can't get out and they are going to kill us, I know it, I just know it! I…I want to go home... I want my mom…". The boy shivered, he couldn't take this fear anymore, but a glimmer of hope came to him when he saw that small smile in Jaune's face.
"I know. Things are looking dark right now. But hey, the sun comes out every morning, right? I'm scared too, but things will be better, I promise. I'll keep you safe, after all, that's what huntsmen do".
"Y-You are a huntsman?".
Jaune's smile grew bigger, and the boy's tears stopped running. "Yep. The best of the best".
"But you are trapped too".
"Well, yeah, that's a good point. But I'll come up with something".
"Are you sure you are a huntsman? You really don't look like one".
"Of course, I am! Why do people keep saying that?!".
"You are wearing a hoodie. Hoodies are for dorks".
"Hoodies aren't for dorks! They are comfy!...and I had a cool jacket but my sister shrunk it in the drier".
"You sound like a dork to me".
"It's a limited-edition Pumpkin Pete hoodie! That's cool!".
"Hahahah", the boy let out a laugh. For a moment there, all his fears disappeared and a genuine feeling of joy made his heart brighter even if just for a brief moment.
A true hero brings smiles to the people around them. A smile is like a fire, once ignited it grows into others. Jaune wanted to become the type of hero who could replace frowns with smiles, that was the path of a Knight Errant, the path his mentor had taught him.
"My name is Jaune".
The boy felt more comfortable, "Cardo".
Jaune recognized the name instantly, "Wait, Cardo? I-I know your mom!".
"You do?!".
"Yes. I helped her in the village. She has…" an idea came to Jaune. "Your hands. Are they like your mom's?" He asked.
"I…Yeah. Mole hands. It's embarrassing…". Cardo answered, behind his back were tied the hands he had been bullied for all his life.
Jaune's eyes flared up. "No, they are perfect. Cardo, listen to me. I made a promise to your mom, that I would get you out of here, but I need your help. If we work together, we can save all the villagers. You will see your mom again. What do you say?".
Cardo was hesitant, but his fear had diminished and a spark of hope had returned to his heart. "How can I help?".
"Gulp, gulp, Ahh! That's a good wine…Sure you don't want a drink?". Roberto asked before taking a bite from a turkey leg.
Don couldn't look at him in the eyes. He was still in shock. Of all people, he never thought he would see his former trainer and rival again, let alone this far from home and as the leader of a bandit tribe.
What happened to the noble Roberto? Don couldn't even recognize him.
"Uh…No…I'm good".
"Meh, your loss. But I guess you are used to being a loser, eh, Cervantes?".
Don had no pride at this point and still, that comment stung. But his will to fight was extinguished, and his shame overpowered him.
"To think I would find you this far away from home. Who's the kid? Son? Grandson? Nah, who would be crazy enough to date you, haha. So?
"He…He's my squire" Don answered shamefully, fully aware of how stupid it made him sound.
"Hahahahahah! A knight until the end!" Roberto said mockingly.
Don was shaking, the laugh of his ghosts felt like stab wounds all around his body. "How…how did you know?...about what I did".
Roberto finished his drink and signaled one of his bandits to bring him some more. "I still got some contacts in Castañuela. Honestly, when I heard you were gone, I assumed you got yourself killed poking a nest of wasps or doing some other dumb shit like that. Then I heard what you did…and I honestly couldn't believe you'll be that pathetic".
Don didn't respond, his eyes simply drifted back at the burning windmill on his shield.
"How long has it been? Four, five years?".
"Six". Don responded.
Roberto finally got his wine and drank it completely in one swing. "Ah…That's a long time running from your past. Guess Miguel should have spent less time training you to run and more time teaching you not to be a disgraceful moron".
Don immediately stood up; his pride might have been gone but his love for his brother would never die. The mere mention of Miguel enraged him and he rushed to strike Roberto, but he was far too slow. A bandit quickly beat him with a rifle, making him fall to the ground once more.
"Hahaha. So, there IS still a bit of fire in you. Good to know".
Don spat some blood, struggling to recover. It was hopeless. His ghosts had reached him and there was no running from them anymore.
"Brothers, you are pathetic. Unbelievable".
Don's dirt-covered face couldn't hide his anger. He might not have liked Roberto before but he respected the man. He was noble, he was passionate. A proud huntsman. What happened to him?
"The brave knight heard stories of the horrifying beast. The Nuckelavee was a Grimm like no other. A bringer of death and a collector of trophies. After every battle, the beast would end with the weapons of its victims piercing its back…and filled it with pride. Every blade was a reminder of the souls it had destroyed."
The kids around Don were getting goosebumps as he kept reading his book.
"The Nuckelavee was fear itself, but its existence had brought too much death and suffering to innocent people. Someone had to do something. And that someone was the knight and his brave companions".
"The huntsmen!" a kid said.
"That's right! The four huntsmen. The hopeful reaper, the brave knight, the strong barbarian and the serene ninja. They searched for the beast for days, and when they finally found it…".
"Hey, Dominique. It's closing time".
"Awwww".
"Boss, I was getting to the good part!".
The book store manager knew how much the kids enjoyed sitting around listening to Don's stories, normally she just let him have his fun if he had done his job, but the man tended to lose track of time as he got lost in his fantasy worlds.
"You can continue tomorrow. Don. I gotta go home and so do you. Come on, kids, the store is closed".
"Awww. Not fair". The kids grunted in disappointment.
This was a typical day at Castañuela. Don had gotten a nice comfortable job at the book store he had spent his childhood in. Every morning after leaving his beloved niece in school, he headed to work, dusted off some books, helped new customers, and lost himself in yet another fantasy story. He knew every heroic tale living in the pages of that book store and was always eager to dive into the new ones they would get every now and then.
After a long day at work, Don tended to head to the market, he wasn't much of a cook but he tried to give his niece a healthy meal everyday…and a tiny sweet treat, of course, he wasn't a monster.
"I'm home!".
"Uncle Don!" it filled his heart with so much joy hearing those tiny footsteps running down the stairs to greet him. "What did you get me?".
"Is that a way to greet your dear uncle?".
"….So…".
"Muffins".
"Yay!".
Amatista was just 8 years old but from a young age, she was Don's kitchen assistant. She had talent; Don couldn't deny that. Their beef stew was delicious, but no matter how much he tried, Don just couldn't get Margarita's recipe right.
After supper, it was time for a nice bath and then homework.
"And then you carry the 1".
"But that's not right, uncle Don".
"Sure, it is".
"No. My teacher says it's done like this".
"But the result is the same!".
"No. Yours is wrong".
"When did you become so smart?! Come here" Amatista hated being tickled but Don just loved to make her a bit mad.
"Stop, haha. It's not my fault you are a dummy".
"Hey, as long as you are smarter than me, everything is right in the world, haha". Don replied, before kissing her forehead.
Don loved Amatista as if she was his own daughter. She was his treasure.
"I think we are done here".
"Oh, are you going to train tonight?". The little girl asked.
Don was taken aback for a moment, his eyes locking on his sword and shield leaning against a wall next to the door that leads to the backyard. He saw the weapon his brother had given him with nostalgia. The burning windmill that he himself drew to remember what he was fighting for. Don had made a promise to his dear brother to always protect his niece, to always be by her side. It was a promise he was determined to keep…yet at the same time.
"Uncle Don?".
"Uh…Oh, hehe. It's getting late, maybe another time".
"But it's so cool!".
"It's the coolest! But you have school tomorrow and I know how cranky you get, haha".
"It's not fair, bedtime is for babies".
"Hey! Bedtime is great! It means it's also storytime!".
Amatista's eye glowed bright like a star, "Gasp. The Knight Princess?!".
"We are getting close to the end of book 3. Why don't you go get ready? I'll be up in a moment".
"Ok! Yay! Storytime!" Amatista ran upstairs with joy in her steps as each got her closer to her favorite book.
Don just looked at her with love in his eyes. He loved his niece…then why did it felt like something was missing?
After turning off the lights in the house, he decided to check the mail before heading upstairs for storytime. That was when a grim reminder pained his heart. Between the bills and pamphlets, there was a letter. "Dominique Cervantes, Letter of Recommendation," it said.
Don loved his niece, but he would be lying if he had said he was happy. He had a mission and a promise to keep but he still felt trapped. His dream to become a huntsman drifted farther away from his grasp with every minute he spent in this boring town working a boring job in the same boring routine.
There was something missing in Don's life. That adventure he always wanted to experience. That unfulfilled dream he so desperately wanted to make true. He wanted to become a hero, he wanted to be a true huntsman and become the main character of his own story!
"I'm ready, uncle Don!".
…But the reality of things was….that he lost his chance.
Don opened a drawer in his desk and put the Huntsmen Academy letter with the other ones he received annually. A reminder of his dead dream he just couldn't bury.
"Uncle Don!".
"I'm coming".
As the night grew late, the guards began to become clumsier. Jaune kept noticing how the number of rounds was starting to decrease. The guards that didn't fall asleep were being grabbed by their friends for a couple of drinks that soon became far too many. If they wanted to act, they needed to do it now.
"Ok, go". Jaune whispered.
He and Cardo managed to crawl to one another and push their backs against each other. Jaune was right, those mole claws were perfect, they were sharp and sturdy. It was hard to figure out where the rope was but Cardo quickly began to cut through Jaune's bonds.
"Ow".
"Sorry!".
"Shh. It's ok, just hurry up and keep it…wait", voices were approaching their cell. "Stop, stop! Move back, quickly!". Jaune instructed and the two quickly separated once again to avoid suspicion from their captors.
Jaune was praying for the guards to not have noticed and for them to move fast, every second counted and for their plan to work, they needed the night sky as dark as possible.
Cardo was starting to shake nervously as the bandits got closer, but Jaune whispered at him reassuring him that everything would be ok.
To his surprise, Jaune noticed that the bandits weren't actually guards, it was just a few drunks laughing and cheering, one of them he recognized as the blue-eyed bandit who took Don away from him.
"I'm just saying, wine is for rich assholes! Why doesn't this camp have more beer?!" a female bandit said, barely being able to walk.
"Not this again. Who cares!? It's booze!" Reinaldo answered before emptying his glass and tossing it on the floor. "See? You drink it and get drunk, who gives a crap?!".
"I do! Why would I want to pretend to be a fancy Atlasian snub?! Plus, that garbage is so soft. Nah, Vacuan Ale! Now that's the stuff!".
Their other drinking buddy stepped in, "We aren't getting that. Grandpa is one of those fancy type dorks, haha. But don't worry. When the old geezer dies, Reinaldo will rule this place and we won't have to deal withAHH!".
The bandit couldn't finish his sentence before Reinaldo slammed him against a cell and started to punch his face repeatedly.
"Reinaldo! Stop!" the female bandit pleaded, barely managing to pull the angered man, she stopped him and their companion slid to the ground, Reinaldo kicked him in the face until blood came out of his nose.
"Who the hell you think you are?! Don't you DARE speak of my grandfather like that!" Reinaldo grabbed the man by the collar, "The day he dies, you'll be the first one I'm going to hang for daring to DISRESPECT him! You hear me?!".
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!".
As Reinaldo was getting ready to deliver another punch, his attention was caught by the prisoner in front of him. He recognized Jaune as the guy who tried to defend Don. He let go of the bandit's collar and dropped him to the ground before leaning against the cell.
"You, blonde guy". Reinaldo asked. Jaune didn't answer, just gave stared at him waiting to see if he would just leave, but Reinaldo was insistent.
"You tried to defend Cervantes. Is he something to you?".
Jaune was surprised by the question. "I..".
"Give me an answer" Reinaldo demanded in a serious but calm tone. Jaune realized that unless he did as told, the bandits would make the situation worse for them. If his plan was going to work, he had to humor him to avoid any conflict.
"He is my mentor" Jaune answered.
Reinaldo got a big smile on his face, "You are his squire, aren't you?".
Jaune wasn't expecting that response at all.
Reinaldo continued, "That's how grandpa used to call me when he trained me. A knight in shining armor and his squire. Haha. Then you must understand why I did this".
Jaune looked back at the beaten bandit, it was horrifying how prompt to violence Reinaldo was…but at the same time, Jaune felt he did understand where the man was coming from.
"I-I think so. You look up to your grandfather, of course hearing others disrespect him would make you mad. I mean, if your mentor was there for you, of course, you'll be there for him as well".
Reinaldo's aggressive smile became a bit calmer and softer, "You do get it. I'm glad. Name is Reinaldo".
"Jaune".
"It's something special, don't you think? The bond of mentor and mentee. Of course, I admire my grandfather, he was there in my darkest times and helped me grow as a man".
"Sometimes you need help to go through difficulties, and having someone there having your back and believing you can build a better future…yeah…You are right, it is something special". Jaune answered. It was odd. Reinaldo was a cruel criminal yet Jaune felt such an odd feeling of kinship with him, a sentiment Reinaldo shared as well.
"Then again, sometimes you feel like you are the adult and the old fart is the kid, haha".
"Right?! I once got beaten up because Don didn't want to pay for milk".
"Hahaha! Why are they so cheap!? I once got attacked by a swarm of bees because the old man thinks honey is a scam!".
Jaune and Reinaldo shared a laugh. It was strange, but it felt comfortable.
After a small pause, Jaune's smile vanished as he once again came back to the grim reality of the situation.
"Can I ask you something?...Is this really the future your grandfather wants for you?".
Reinaldo kept his smile but it didn't feel joyful anymore, "Who knows what the old man is thinking. I just follow his lead".
"You can't seriously think this right. Look around, these people are suffering!".
Reinaldo kicked the cell hard, startling Jaune and Cardo inside. "….Do you know the history between Cervantes and my Grandfather?".
Jaune didn't respond, but his face said it all. He looked up to Don but the truth was that he barely knew anything about him. And Reinaldo quickly picked up on that.
"Oh really? Guess you can't tell what's in your mentor's mind either. Grandpa has very few good things to say about him. Long story short, they are old rivals from their hometown…I wonder what that makes you and me".
Reinaldo stepped back and helped his beaten comrade stand up; the female bandit quickly stepped in to help.
"My grandfather has plenty of demons haunting him. I want to help him overcome them before it's too late…I'm sure you can relate. Squire". With those words, Reinaldo and his bandits walked away, leaving Jaune reflecting for a bit, but he didn't have much time to dwell in his thoughts, he needed to act.
"Ok, now" he instructed Cardo and the two resumed their escape plan.
As the years passed, that empty void in Don's heart just kept growing. The fantasy books he held so dear became his only escape from that feeling of imprisonment he had.
Tales of brave knights and great adventures, daydreaming about them gave Don a sense of relief and a bit of hope that maybe he could still make his dream come true one day. He was still young after all, well, maybe not as young anymore but he still felt in his prime.
There were times in which he thought of simply going for it, take the time to apply for a huntsman license, and live his life free of the chains that didn't let him fly. To hell with this boring village and this boring life!...no, he couldn't do that, Amatista needed him…Amatista needed him.
"Hey, Uncle Don" a now 13 years old Amatista walked outside to meet her uncle as he trained. He kept doing it claiming he wanted to be ready in case Grimm came to the village, in reality, it was part of his escapist fantasy, he still held that hope, and taking his sword and shield felt liberating.
Amatista always thought it was cool, but the older she got, she mainly was glad her uncle was doing some exercise rather than spending all day reading and eating.
"Yeah? What's wrong?".
"Nothing, it's just…I just found these in your desk". In Amatista's hands were the letters, all those tempting letters Don just couldn't get himself to throw away.
He was stunned for a moment like a kid who just got found out by his mother. "Oh…those. It's nothing, sweetie".
"Are you sure?". She pressed on.
Don was starting to get nervous. "Yeah, they really are just junk mail nothing else".
"You get one yearly…You aren't even attending Combat School".
"Roberto must have forgotten to take me off the list. I'm telling you, it's not a big deal".
"Then we should tell him so that he stops sending them".
"No!" Don's response startled Amatista a little. Don immediately regretted his reaction..but those letters. It was silly, but they were the last sliver of hope he had left of his now-defunct ambition.
"It-it's no problem, I don't want to bother him with something lik…".
"Are you…planning on becoming a huntsman?" Amatista asked.
Don was shocked by the question, he certainly had been thinking about it, but, how could he? He had his niece to take care of, he couldn't just take the exam. "I…no, not really, but please don't throw them away, I'll talk to Roberto, I promise".
"Uncle Don, if this is what you want, then why haven't you taken the exam? You use that sword every now and then, I'm sure you'll do great. I mean, it's not like you'll lose anything, right? Just take the exam, get a license, and come back home". Amatista's words were kind and her heart was in the right place, but she sadly wasn't getting it.
It wasn't a matter of getting the title, Don wanted to live a life of adventure, a huntsman license was meaningless if he still had to stay in this gods forsaken town…taking care of his niece.
"It's…complicated, sweetie".
Amatista was a gentle soul, she just didn't understand how hard her words could hit her dear uncle, "It doesn't hurt to try, I mean, you are not getting any younger".
She was trying to encourage him…Don didn't take it as such. It was true, the clock was ticking, every day that passed his dream drifted farther away from his grasp, but he couldn't get out of this cage.
"Hey, should we make pancakes for dinner?...uncle Don?".
"Eh…yeah, sure".
Was it a lost cause? Was it really impossible to reach the stars? Were the bars in his cage that unbreakable? …No. There had to be hope, any hope…and hope arrived.
It was a few months after that night. The book store had to close early and with Amatista at school, Don had the day for himself and his fantasy novels. But the calm day of peace and quiet took an unexpected turn.
"Grimm!".
They had arrived, the beasts from the woods. The sound of roars and screams of innocent villagers sent the town of Castañuela into a panic.
Grimm attacks weren't uncommon but they were still a threat to the daily life beyond the Kingdom's walls.
What sounded like a nightmare to anyone else, was a conflicting call for Don. On the one hand, there were innocent people in danger, for what he knew his niece could be in peril…on the other hand, Grimm meant one thing, adventure!
Of course, he was worried, of course, he was taking the threat seriously. But when Don took his sword and his shield and ran towards the Grimm horde, he couldn't help but smile in anticipation. His heart was rising, adrenaline ran through his veins. He had been feeling miserable for a long time now and finally, he got a call to thrills and heroism.
"Help me!".
"Eat that! You furry sack of crap!" He shouted as his blade sliced a Beowolf's head, he quickly blocked a strike from another Grimm and stabbed it in a shift move.
"Thank you!".
"A day in the life of a hero! Run!", Don was having so much fun while he fought the Grimm horde.
The creatures were being driven back by Roberto and his students. "Don't break formation! Push them out of our town!". The knight with his mirror shield proved why he was in charge of Castañuela's training camp. He used every bit of experience he gathered over the years to lead his students with precision. The Grimm were pushed to the open fields outside of the town, where the huntsmen in-training were free to show their skills and slay them.
"Do not lower your guard! Fight until they are all gon…".
"Excuse me, coming through!". Don said as he rushed past Roberto, taking down an Ursa with a shield bash and decapitating it.
"Cervantes?!"
"Roberto! How've you been? You are getting fat".
"Get back to town, we'll handle this!".
"Nah! I'll give you a hand, it's no problem".
"This is serious, you moron!" Roberto slammed an Alpha Beowolf and crushed its head with his shield, he then blocked a rolling Boarbatusk that was sent flying as soon as it met Roberto's semblance.
"I won't say it aga…Cervantes!".
"Can't hear you! Too busy being a badass! Sorry ~". Don just winked at Roberto and ran to partake in the action. He felt freer than he had in years.
"Ahhh! I hate that stupid idiot!" Another skull crushed by Roberto's shield; this one was a bit therapeutic though.
His spear flew like the wind, his battle spirit raged like it hadn't in years. The Grimm horde was a nightmare yet to Don it was a much-needed breath of fresh air.
"I feel alive! HA!" Another Grimm met his spear and went down, Don's smile was the last thing that creature ever saw.
The battle was looking well for a moment, the number of Grimm dwelled and the inexperienced students could finally catch a break. They were exhausted and injured but they drew the Grimm wave back…the first one that is.
"Why are you all sitting?!".
"Master…we just…need a moment".
"Are you telling me this is all the endurance you have?! Bunch of worthless dirtbags!".
"We won, the Grimm are dead, what's the big deal?!".
Roberto looked at his students in anger, "If you lower your guard, you'll be dead meat! Stand upright now before…" The trees nearby began to shake violently, enough to send shivers to every one of Roberto's students. They didn't understand, the battle was not over until the last Grimm was gone.
"…Stand up…".
"Master".
"Stand up!"
"Grrrraaaaa!".
Don was still euphoric…but that roar, it was enough to make him shake and lose his smile.
The Grimm wave was just the beginning, a larger swarm approached, led by the biggest Death Stalker Castañula had seen.
"Uhhhh…that's not good".
"Stand up and form up!" Roberto instructed his students, but the confidence they showed earlier was long gone. The students were tired, weakened, and terrified. Roberto could see the terror in their eyes.
"We are huntsmen! This is our duty! Stand up and fight!". It was futile, the students were panicking, some even tried to run away, but the Lancers arrived first.
"Take cover!".
The Lancers attacked the panicking students, some managed to fend them off, others weren't so lucky. Roberto struggled to calm down his students and protect them.
"Form up! Form up!"
"Ahhh!" A student's yell caught Roberto's attention, a Lancer's stinger had stabbed his leg and was pulling him to the sky.
"No!".
"GIVE HIM BACK!" Don's spear flew like a rocket, piercing the Lancer and freeing the student, Roberto rushed to his aid and barely managed to catch him before he hit the ground.
"Is the boy ok?"
"Not his leg. But he is alive…thank you", Roberto said.
"No problem, hehe, take him to safety".
"They are still swarming us; we aren't organized and are outnumbered!".
"I know right?! This is awesome! Get moving! Your hero will proteAHHHH!" Don was immediately hit by a Boarbatusk and rolled downhill, right towards the bulk of the Grimm swarm.
"Ouch. Stupid rolling ba…..con".
Cold sweat ran down Don's neck, he was in the eye of the storm. The Grimm swarm ran and crawled around him…but that's because he had become the queen's prey.
"Ah hehe, hey, how is it going?". Don said awkwardly. He couldn't do much at the sight of the massive Death Stalker approaching him.
He tried to reach for his spear, but the weapon had landed downhill out of his reach and the imponent creature was approaching fast.
In a desperate attempt, Don tried to rush towards his spear, the Death Stalker rapidly running towards its prey.
"Screeeeeccchhhhh!".
Don managed to get a hold of his spear, but it was far too late, the Death Stalker's stinger was about to impale him. At that moment, Don's mind went straight to his beloved niece, her face was everything he could think of…was that really the last time he would see her?
A slash of steel as fast as a flash of light hooked the stinger and pulled away from its victim.
As the Death Stalker pulled its stinger back, it immediately tried to cut the hooded figure with its left pincer, but she was way too fast. The hooded huntress leaped over the pincer, parring a second strike with her scythes. As the creature tried to cut her in half with both pincers at once, the hooded huntress leaped and evaded the strike. As if dancing, she evaded a stab from the stinger and immediately rushed towards the beast, hooking herself to the stinger which was lifted with speed.
As she flew in the sky, her hood pulled back, revealing beautiful dark hair, and a mysterious skull mask. The hooded huntress landed straight on the Death Stalker's head, slashing its eyes and blinding the creature.
"Screeeeecccchhhh!". The beast screeched in pain.
The hooded huntress jumped back on the ground as the beast wailed and shook wildly.
The Grimm horde came to its queen's aid, Lancer stingers flew towards the hooded huntress, but she simply evaded them, and cut them. Firing shots of gravity dust, no Grimm could go near her.
She threw one of her scythes at a Lancer and used the gravity dust on the other to fly towards the bug Grimm, slashing it upon arrival, and with swiftness she repeated the move, jumping from Lancer to Lancer until none were left.
From the distance, Roberto and his students looked in disbelief how in a matter of seconds, the Lancer swarm was taken down as slashes shined and dust was fired until the sky was clear and only the ground Grimm remained.
The hooded huntress landed and with a shift move, she took her stance and got ready for the battle. She was growing tired though, and the creatures' numbers were still too high.
As the Grimm rushed towards her, she fired some shots and slashed the Beowolves that launched themselves at high speed. Her agility was unparalleled, she flipped and slashed and tore apart every beast foolish enough to cross her.
Eventually, the swarm began to prove too much for her. She managed to kill a couple of Ursa before detecting an Ursa Mayor coming right behind her, she was about to slice its head off when the creature's claws met a shield.
"Would you like some help?". Don said with a smile, barely managing to hold the beast.
The hooded huntress immediately shot the beast in the head. "Sure, why not?".
Don's smile just grew bigger and brighter.
The hooded huntress and the dreamer knight stood back to back against the Grimm horde, slashing, blocking stabbing as many as they could.
"Not bad".
"Really?! I mean…yeah, you aren't half bad eiTHER!". A scythe flew right in front of Don's face and straight between the eyes of a Grimm before returning to the huntress's hand.
"Try to focus, handsome".
"…would you marry me?".
"No, but this is a hell of a first date, buddy, I'll give you that!". The hooded huntress rushed and jumped, using Don's shoulder to boost herself, she cut four Grimm in half as she landed.
Don couldn't believe his eyes. This woman…she was incredible.
His bewitchment had to wait though; the queen Death Stalker had returned. The blind beast was striking wildly, killing many of its allies in its frenzy.
"That's…"
"If you want to run…".
"AWESOME!".
The hooded huntress was a bit shocked, but she liked that attitude, it wasn't every day that she got to see a crazy guy who got a big smile as a massive beast approached. "Huh. Guess that's a good way to die".
The two got ready to strike the beast when suddenly, the swarm around them began to vanish.
"Keep pushing!".
"Roberto!".
Roberto and his remaining students were finally back in action. The students were inspired by the reaper's incredible performance. If she was fighting that hard to protect their village, they couldn't do less.
The horde's numbers decreased, until only a few Grimm and the queen stood.
The hooded huntress rushed towards the beast. The creature's wild strikes were hard to evade, but she managed to predict all its moves with the use of her semblance.
"We got to stop it!".
"Shield guy! Handsome! Go for its legs!".
"On it!". Roberto said.
"…She thinks I'm handsome?".
"Cervantes!".
"Right, giant angry monster, on it!".
As the reaper faced the Death Stalker, she managed to hook her scythe on one of its arms, firing a couple of rounds to weaken it and slicing it right off.
"Screeeeeechhhh".
As the hooded huntress took down the pincers, Don and Roberto charged against its legs. Don slashed them off one by one, while Roberto used his full strength to charge through the beast's legs.
The hooded huntress quickly managed to cut off the second pincer, and as her two allies brough the creature down, she climbed on top of it and began to slash its head. The hide was too thick for her to do more than scratch it…and then she got an idea.
With incredible precision, she threw one of her scythes right at the beast's stinger, using the other one to fly towards the beast's tail. As soon as she reached the handle, she threw her scythe back at the creature's head, sticking it in its hide.
Don and Roberto saw in awe as the hooded huntress swung with the tail until the right moment and activated the gravity dust in her scythes, forcing the stinger down and stabbing the beast with its own tail.
"Screeeeeee….".
As the dust settled, only the hooded huntress stood, her skull scythes in hand.
Roberto could barely speak, "You…You are the Grimm Reaper".
Maria Calavera took off her skull mask, showing her beautiful face and those gorgeous Silver Eyes that immediately stole Don's heart.
"…Wow…" he said, with the dumbest smile he ever had.
That night, Don invited Maria for dinner at his home. She didn't use to accept invitations like that one, but the guy seemed harmless enough and she could really use a warm homemade meal.
"And here you go, my very own Cervantes Sangria…trademarked".
"Let's see if it lives up to expectation….mhm, not bad, guess you are better with booze than Grimm".
"I'm the best at both! Thank you very much".
"No offense, ballerina, but you really need to work on your footwork. You got spaghetti legs, haha".
"Oh really, but tell me, do you like pastAHHH!".
Amatista was not having any of her uncle's attempts at flirting.
"My ear! Let go, please! Mercy! Mercy!".
"You deserve that".
Maria chuckled and took another sip of her sangria, "You really do. Work on your legs, then on your game, handsome".
The group shared a laugh, it wasn't common for Don to bring visits, but Amatista and Maria got along really easily. Don hadn't been so happy in months, and his niece noticed. Maria was someone Don admired instantly, her strength, her kindness, her beauty, she was a true hero and Don saw that the moment he laid eyes on her for the first time. She was exactly the kind of hero he would read about in his books; it was as if she was ripped straight out of those pages.
"So, what brings you here?".
Maria finished her glass, enjoying every single drop of the sangria, "Ah, that hit the spot. I'm just passing by. I've been traveling across the Kingdoms trying to help out as much as I can".
"You are a wandering huntress!? That's so amazing!" Don couldn't hide his excitement.
"I guess you can call me that".
"Well I really thank you for what you did today. You saved the village and my uncle; I'll always be in debt to you".
Maria chuckled, it wasn't just the alcohol, she was genuinely enjoying herself, it had been a long time since she last sat down and had a happy family meal. "You don't owe me anything. It's a day in the life of a huntress. You know what I mean, right?".
Don was taken aback for a moment, realizing what was happening, "Oh, of course. Huntsmen and Huntresses dedicate their lives to save the people of Remnant! Our heroic deeds are everything that stands between the innocent and a gruesome death!", he said, trying really hard to impress his guest.
"Spoken like a true fanboy. Haha. No, uncle Don is not a huntsman".
"Amatista!" Don's eyes became teary, his niece didn't need to call him out like that.
"Oh really? Gotta say, your moves fooled me back then".
"Re…Really?" He felt such warmth in his heart. To hear her say that, it meant way more to him than Maria realized.
"Yeah. You are just a bit of a dumbass, but I've met worse. You know how to fight, seem to like huntsmanship. Ever wanted to get a license?".
Don was silent for a moment, "I…I did, at some point. But guess it's too late for me".
"I don't see why. You are still young; the village could use some good huntsmen around. It's never too late to make a dream come true".
"It's…not that simple".
Don's reply changed the mood of the room, Maria could feel it in his voice, that regret and doubt. "Well, you do you. I don't blame you either. It's not an easy profession…it demands plenty of sacrifices".
Don noticed the sorrow in Maria's voice. He knew nothing about it and still, he felt like he could relate with her struggles. He too had experienced the depths of sorrow, but if someone as amazing as Maria could rise up, maybe he could try too?...could he though?
"Oh! The casserole is ready!". Amatista broke the awkward silence and both Don and Maria felt the tension slowly fading.
"Oh, you are going to love this. Amatista and I have been trying to figure out her mom's secret recipe. Oh, that beef stew was a thing of heaven!".
"It's not beef stew", Amatista replied, much to her uncle's surprise.
"What do you mean?".
"I gave up".
"What?! Cervantes don't give up, young lady!". Don was offended by that response. Not that his niece took him that seriously.
"I decided to change my goal. Instead of trying to match mom, I decided to make an even better dish". Amatista put down a rabbit casserole, the aroma of the meal captivated Don and Maria, they had never smelled something as delicious in their lives.
"So?".
"This…This is…" Don couldn't find words.
"Amazing!" Maria couldn't stop eating, her eyes teary, she almost choked with how fast she was eating.
"Hahaha. Guess it was a success!".
Cervantes didn't give up, they adapted. Amatista was without a doubt her father's daughter…Don, on the other hand, was starting to get astray from his brother's path.
"Come on, Come on…There" Jaune finally got his hands free, he quickly untied Cardo's and the two moved on with their plan.
"Ok, calm down. Here is what we'll do. Dig, run to the cavern. I dropped a flare gun somewhere there. I need you to find it, get to the river and fire it. Hide and wait for the guards, they'll need your help to find this place. Do you understand?".
Cardo was scared, but a quick look at Jaune's eye gave him the confidence to keep going. "Yes".
"Good. Hurry, I'll make a distraction, get the guards here as soon as possible, I'll keep them busy".
With that Cardo quickly followed Jaune's instructions, using his mole claws, he managed to quickly dig a small hole and crawl under the cell, running away free. Jaune sat on the hole with his hands on his back.
It took about fifteen minutes until a patrolling bandit passed in front of Jaune's cell.
"Hey! Where did the other go?!".
"Other? I don't know what you are talking about" Jaune responded with a silly smirk and an innocent whistle.
"No. There was another one here!".
"Oh, yeah, the old man, but you guys took him".
"Don't mess with me!".
"I'm not messing with you. I'm just here. Hey, is there a bathroom? I really need to go".
The guard was getting annoyed, "There was another one here!".
"Look, I don't know what to tell you. I got this cell for myself, I honestly thought that you guys liked me".
The guard had enough of dumb chatting, he opened the cell to investigate himself. "Where is the other one?!".
"Ohhhh, the other one. I got him right HERE!" A sucker punch brought the bandit to the ground. Jaune took his keys and locked him inside the cell before running away.
Now free, Jaune was determined to rescue his mentor. His plan was to sneak around the camp to find Don, but he had to ditch the sneaking part when the bandit stood up faster than he expected.
"Prisoner out! Prisoner out!".
Many bandits were blackout drunk, but this didn't make things easier for Jaune. As he ran across the camp, bandits began to show up and attack him.
"Over here!" One yelled before Jaune tackled him to the ground and continued running.
Gunshots and blades were in his patch. The imprisoned faunus all woke up from the commotion to see how a young man ran between cells and tents to avoid recapture.
"Don, where are you?!".
"End of the line, pal!" A bandit aimed a rifle at him, but Jaune couldn't stop his legs even if he wanted to. He ended up crashing on her and bringing both down.
"Ow, my head!". Jaune said before realizing he had landed on top of the pretty bandit lady.
"Bonnie!?" A man said.
"Clyde!".
"It's not what it looks like!".
"I'LL KILL YOU!".
"I'm so sorry, ma'am!" Jaune stood quickly, barely avoiding the hammer of jealousy that was about to smash his head.
"Don! Where are you!".
Jaune continued running, causing mayhem everywhere he went. Going through tents, making things fall. Dropping barrels of water and wine. He caused as much chaos as possible in his path to rescue his mentor. Stealth was out of the window…good. Jaune was now drawing as much attention as he could, anything to make the bandits mad and focused on him.
His run ended though when he got a surprise hit from a shiny blue shield.
Jaune laid on his back dizzy after the shield bashed his face. He was disorientated for a moment, but a voice far too familiar was heard approaching him.
"Not bad, squire" Reinaldo said, putting his mirror shield on his back. "You got guts. Not much brain but I like your spirit". Reinaldo grabbed Jaune by the collar and headbutted him. "You are just so much fun! You want to fight your way out of here? Eh, moron? Well guess what, there is something I wanted to do the moment I met you, squire".
Jaune received another punch to the face before Reinaldo stood up. "Get him his sword".
"What?" a bandit asked.
Reinaldo quickly yelled at him with a sadistic smile on his face, "Did I stutter?! Bring him his sword!" He turned once more towards Jaune who had struggled to stand up while leaning on a cell.
"Duel me. Let's end what our mentors started. Let's see who is a squire, and who is a knight".
"Six years. I really didn't think you'll be that much of a coward. Disgraceful". Roberto took a deep breath from his oxygen tank while Don was on his knees before him.
"I gotta say, it feels good to see you like this. That stupid smile of yours finally gone. You see it now, don't you? The crude reality of this world? How all the values books tell you to hold dear are nothing but empty fantasies?" Roberto kept on breathing from his tank, only stopping to resume his conversation. "Glory, honor, heroism, nothing but fairy tales that you decided to chase like a dumb idiot. What a disgrace".
Don couldn't take it anymore. "Am I the disgrace here?! What the hell do you call this then?!". Don began to stand, his indignation forced him to, "What happened to you?! Bandits? Slaves? You used to be one of the noblest and honorable huntsman I've ever known. Bringing dishonor to all Huntsmen was a sin to you! You call ME a disgrace?! Take a look at that mirror of yours and tell me who the real DISGRACE IS!".
He finally was brought to the ground again when Roberto hit him with his cane on the side of the head.
"I don't want to hear it from you!". Roberto said, coughing a little before taking a deep breath from his tank again.
"What happened? What happened?! Let me tell you what happened. I saw the cruel unavoidable reality of this world. I saw what reality truly is. Merciless, apathetic, honorless. All of those values were taken away from me…that night".
That night….the mere mention of it sent chills to Don. The blood running from the side of his head gave him a terrifying reminder…of the night a dream became a nightmare.
Some years passed and a now 19 years old Amatista arrived home with a big smile on her face. Don was glad of seeing her like that, he was of course a bit uncomfortable with her getting a boyfriend, but Santiago was a good kid from a nice kind family. Still, it was his fatherly duty to scare the little brat just in case. Not that it ever worked of course.
"I'm home, Uncle Don!".
"Amatista! My princess, my treasure…and you…".
"Hey, Mr. Cervantes".
"Hey, Mr. Cervantes. Is that a way to address me?! Boy!".
Amatista of course was annoyed, "He called you Mr, how else do you want him to call you?".
"How about, Sir General Lord Cervantes for a start?".
"Understood, Sir General Lord Cervantes!". Santiago answered while saluting. He then let out a chuckle, the lad was already used to Don's antics and he found it so much fun.
"Amatistaaaaa!" Don said with watery eyes.
"Oh, no! Don't come in crying because you lost again.". Amatista answered.
Don's frustration was short-lived though when the beautiful voice of his perfect woman came through the door.
"Defeated by a younger model. Come on, Donny, I expected just a bit more from you". Maria said, taking off her mask to greet her old friend.
"My beautiful orchid! You grace me with your gorgeous presence!".
"It's good to see you too, dumbass".
Maria had made a habit of stopping by Don and Amatista's home every time she was around, it wasn't often though, her duty as a huntress had her traveling the entire world most of the time. She had very few home bases, sort of speak, but every time she got to one, she felt at peace. Nowhere did she feel more at home than at that tiny house in Castañuela.
At dinner time, Don got to do his favorite thing, share a sangria with the most beautiful woman he had ever met.
"Donny, you are doing it again".
"I just can't help but get lost in your eyes".
"Well, get lost somewhere else, would you?"
"Sure, would you go with me?".
"You aren't that lucky, handsome, haha".
Laughter could be heard coming from the kitchen as the young couple enjoyed themselves while cooking together.
"Aww, young love. He seems like a nice guy". Maria noted. She was being honest but a side of her only said that to annoy Don.
"He is a good lad. Nobody is good enough for my Amastista, but he gets pretty close".
"Oh please, if I was a bit younger…"
"Don't end that sentence! My heart won't take it!".
"Hahaha! Relax, handsome, I'm just messing with you". Maria enjoyed teasing Don from time to time. It was her own way of showing affection for her old friend.
Amatista and Santiago finally came out of the kitchen and the family enjoyed a delicious meal in peace, harmony, and joy.
"Gods, that was good. I haven't had a meal like that in so long" Maria said with so much satisfaction.
"Well, you know you are always welcome. You haven't come by in a while, aunt Maria. You are passing through?" Amatista asked, always eager to hear stories from the legendary huntress.
"Not this time, sweetie. I came here for work".
Don's eyes shined like diamonds, work? A business trip was a boring thing, but to a huntress like Maria? It only meant one thing, adventure! "Work? You mean...a hunt? An important one? One full of dangers and thrills and action?!".
"Calm down, handsome, would you? You are gonna get a heart attack". Maria finished her drink before taking a piece of paper from her hood's pocket.
"Yeah, a hunt, but not just any hunt. There have been reports of a very elusive target being spotted nearby. The Kingdoms have been after this thing for years, no one has been able to bring it down". She put the picture of her bounty on the table, the mere image gave goosebumps to Amatista and Santiago.
"Wh-what is that?" Don said in awe.
The picture was of a shade, not much could be made off of it, just the vague feathery shape of what seemed like a farmer's hat on its head, and yellow sunken eyes staring back from a dark abyss.
Maria continued, "A Whistler. An extremely dangerous Grimm.".
Don couldn't take his eyes away from the creature in the picture, it looked as if it was staring back at him.
"They are extremely rare Grimm only seen in some places in Anima and Sanus so far. Only a few have been able to see one and live to tell the tale. Humanoid-bird-like creatures that use sound as a weapon. They are said to be really smart, brutal, and merciless. Some even say that they don't forget a face. Once they see a target, they'll chase it to the end of the world. Never sleeping, never resting, always chasing. Old folks say that if you encounter a Whistler, you better pray for a swift death because they never stop hunting their prey".
The room felt cold as Maria told the tale of the Whistler. Amatista was horrified…Don, however.
"I'm in!".
"No, you are not!". Amatista answered. "Didn't you hear? That thing is super dangerous!".
"Exactly! It sounds aweso…I mean, far too dangerous to let Maria do this alone. I'll give her a hand, it'll be safer that way" Don argued, he did want to help…but he also wasn't about to let the chance of this adventure slip from his fingers.
Maria and Amatista were not having it though, "I already requested Roberto and his students for help".
"The more the merrier! I'll go get my sword and…."
"No! Sit down!".
"Amatista…" Santiago tried to calm down Amatista, but she was far too afraid for her uncles' safety.
"Uncle Don, this is not a game. Leave this to the professionals".
"I've fought Grimm before. I'm not some useless idiot and if I can do some good, what's the problem?".
"The problem is that you just want to play huntsman in the woods not knowing what you are going against. You are just going to get yourself killed!". Amatista was not going to sit around and let her only family die in vain. "Promise me you won't go".
"I used to be a huntsman in-training, I've defended this town before, why is it wrong that I want to do it again?!".
"Amatista is right" Maria answered. "Donny, you aren't a pushover, but you are a civilian and this is a huntsmen mission. You don't know the horrors that are out there, you have no idea the things I have seen….Think of your family first".
Don was crushed to hear those words. It wasn't enough that his dream had died, now he was being reminded that he would never be a huntsman. He hated the look on Amatista and Maria's eyes, how they saw him as helpless, weak, dead weight. He knew he was more than this, he knew he wasn't just a book store clerk…but once again, this cage of a town didn't let him fly….not anymore, he thought.
Don had to swallow his pride and accept Amatista and Maria's words….but he was not about to let anyone step on his dream, no matter how foolish it might seem.
Two nights later, Maria and Roberto began their hunt for the Whistler.
The creature had been spotted near a traveling Grimm horde. Castañula was lucky enough to avoid the massive horde, but with a Whistler around, their luck might have run out. Whistlers tended to hunt around Grimm hordes rather than join them, always in the outskirts, always in the shadows. It was hard to distinguish which victims were slain by a Whistler or their horde, it was one of those things they used to mask their presence.
Roberto was well aware of the danger the creature represented. He couldn't let it get near the village, far too many innocent lives depended on their success. To increase their odds, he brought a squad of 10 of his best students. Huntsmen in-training that had already been selected to join an Academy or take the license exam and become certified huntsmen. This was a trial by fire for sure but nothing they weren't going to face in the path he trained them for.
The woods were an abyssal maze. Not a soul could be heard. It was a windless dark night, the hunting party could barely see in front of them with the light of their torches, but every single step felt like jumping to the void. The huntsmen were alert, ready for any strike of the wandering Grimm, but the deeper they ventured into the woods the clearer it was that they had been swallowed by pure darkness. In the woods, there was no distinction between who was the hunter and who was the prey.
As the troops marched in the abyss, a young student was clearly in distress, breathing heavily with each step until suddenly, a cracking branch startled him.
"Ah!" three shots from his rifle hit only the emptiness of the forest, only scaring off some birds.
Roberto angrily took the rifle off of his student's hands, "What are you doing?! Pull yourself together! You are a huntsman now; you cannot afford to be afraid!".
"I..I'm sorry, master".
"Do not make me regret having recommended you".
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry s…so-something is there!" The student pointed at a nearby shaking bush.
All students readied their weapons, but Roberto signaled them to stay on guard while Maria approached the bush.
Every step she took made the bush shake more and more, her scythes ready for a strike.
"Ah! Ants!".
The scythe barely missed Don's head before hitting a tree. "Gods Damnit, Don!".
"You stupid, fuck! What are you doing here, Cervantes?!", Roberto was mad, but Maria was even angrier.
"I told you to stay out of this! This isn't a game!".
"I don't know what you are talking about. I was minding my own business simply going for a peaceful stroll in this dark, scary, definitely haunted and surprisingly full of poison ivy, beautiful forest".
"Don!".
Don knew he betrayed Maria and Amatitas' trust, but he felt this was something he had to do. Any chance he had to get close to his old dream was a risk he was willing to take…with or without the support of his niece. "I can help, Maria. I know this is not a game".
"You are making a mistake, Dominique".
Don deep down knew she was right, but he honestly didn't care.
Roberto approached the two, "You better get back to the village before….". He stopped when the silence of the dark forest was broken, by a ghostly melody.
"Whistle~". It was a haunting eight-note melody, soft, but menacing. The whistle sounded extremely close, surrounding the hunting party, it felt like the melody traveled across the trees, coming from every direction.
"Whistle~".
"Everyone on your guard!" Roberto instructed. His students formed up, many of them terrified, the whistle filled them with so much horror, so much fear, they couldn't help but start shaking, even Maria felt shivers in her spine. Don could barely draw his sword, his hands shaking with the mere sound of the nearby whistle.
"Whistle~".
"Where is it coming from?" Don asked.
Maria was desperately trying to figure out exactly that. The whistle felt like an entity of its own, toying with them.
Eventually, the sound began to get fainter. The whistle's melody was moving far away from them. A few minutes later, the whistle had become so deem, it could barely be heard anymore.
"Is…Is it gone?".
The students finally felt at ease.
Roberto was sweating, still in a panic. "Do not lower your guard!". His words were supposed to be a warning, but they only served to bring more panic.
"Master…Mas….ter", Those were the last words of that student. The huntsmen saw in horror as his throat was slit. His body fell to reveal, The Whistler.
The Grimm was a humanoid bird-like creature with talons for feet, human-like legs and covered in black feathers with the exception of the talons, arms, and face which were leathery. Its chest was covered with an exposed ribcage. Its leathery arms ended in talon-like hands, and each forearm had a retractable blade-like claw. The Grimm had two wing looking tails that ran from its back like a cape, and its beak was made of bone and resembled a face mask with circular holes across it, the mask only showed its sunken yellow eyes which were barely covered by the beast's feathery crest shaped like a round farmer's hat.
The huntsmen saw in horror as the Grimm stood before them; its claw still bloodstained.
"AHHHH!" Another student entered a frenzy at the sight of his dead classmate. He tried to slash the Grimm with his axe.
"Wait!" Roberto's words fell on deaf ears as the rest of his students opened fire on the creature.
The Whistler simply evaded the student's strike before slashing his arm to make him lose his axe, it then grabbed him by the head and used him as a meat shield to cover himself from the gunfire.
Dragging his victim into the tree line, the huntsmen tried to follow but the Grimm climbed up a tree in a second.
"Ahhhhh!", the huntsmen heard in terror as another victim fell prey to the Whistler. They didn't get a chance to breathe though. Immediately after, the creature leaped from the trees like a bullet, right in the middle of the battlefield, its claws extended and bloodthirsty.
Swords, spears, axes, rifles, pistols, nothing was able to even scratch the creature. The Whistler moved unnaturally fast, at times it seemed as if it could teleport in the blink of an eye. Evading more strikes, the Grimm stood on a student's head, grabbing it with its talon before spinning and breaking her neck.
The beast wasn't just fast, it was extremely strong as well. Able to throw people like they were nothing and leaping many feet in the air as if gravity itself was afraid of its wrath.
It attempted to stab another student in the face, but finally its claw met the steel of Maria's scythe.
The Grimm Reaper could barely keep up with the Whistler's speed, but her agility was unparalleled and the creature noticed. The beast slashed and stabbed but Maria managed to predict all its movements, her semblance let her react to strikes as soon as the Grimm started to move a single muscle.
Other huntsmen tried to strike it as well, some even firing at it which only resulted on the Grimm evading their shoots and Maria having to block them.
Eventually, the Grimm realized the threat Maria represented, a prey for later. The Whistler, disengaged, retreating to the tree line before quickly launching a new attack.
"It's too fast! I can barely see it!".
The Whistler wasn't just fast, it wasn't just strong, there was something more dangerous about it.
As it targeted a new prey, it cut the staff of another student, slashing her multiple times until her aura broke, it then used its massive strength to kick her against a tree, crushing her skull.
The beast climbed another tree and once again leaped towards a prey, but it now met Roberto's mirror shield.
The knight saved one of his students, but now it was face to face with the beast. The Whistler tried to stab with all its strength but Roberto's semblance managed to return the strike.
"Wiaahhhh!" The beast wailed in pain. This only served to make it grow more vicious. It quickly kicked the shield, before slashing it twice. Roberto could barely keep balance, the impact of the strikes had pushed him several feet back, but the huntsman kept standing and his semblance had returned some good hits.
The Whistler looked in pain, cuts on its chest smoked black. Roberto was growing confident, but the beast was growing mad.
The Whistler was fast, it was strong, but worst of all…it was smart.
The elder the Grimm the smarter they got and Whistlers were the smartest of all Grimm kind. They were able to observe, they were able to understand…they were able to learn.
A student approached from behind, trying to slash the creature with his sword, but The Whistler quickly evaded with a spin, pushing the poor student towards Roberto's shield. As soon as the blade hit the reflective steel, the Grimm kicked it downwards, causing it to quickly slash the shield.
"Wait!". Roberto was too slow. The swift move of the Whistler was faster than he could stop using his semblance. The slash was reflected on the student's chest, breaking his aura.
Before Roberto could even react, the Whistler grabbed the student's head and threw him against his shield with enough force to make Roberto fall.
As more huntsmen engaged the creature, Roberto sat there, watching the life fade away from his student as his innocent blood stained his shiny mirror shield.
"..A…AAHHHH!".
The Whistler was relentless, it was tireless, it was unmatched. One by one the huntsmen kept falling and Maria and Don struggled to even delay it.
"No, you won't!" Don managed to block one of the creature's strikes, but it didn't take kindly getting a prey stolen. It soon became apparent that Don was outmatched, the Grimm was far too fast for him to keep up.
He managed to block a slash, his shield, and the Whistler's blade locked in a standstill.
"You, ugly bas…" Don couldn't finish. Snarky remarks? Heroic quips? None of that could come out of his mouth, not when his eyes met the empty sunken yellow eyes of the Whistler. The beast stared at him and shivers crawled through Don's spine. He had fought Grimm before, he wanted to be a brave warrior and defeat monsters in his heroic adventures…but the Whistler? Its cold eyes sent a clear message to him. This was not a fantasy, this was not a game, this was not a book or a story about the monsters under your bed. The Whistler was a nightmare incarnate, a true monster.
Maria came in and managed to slash and fire at the creature, saving Don before the two began to fight it together.
Don changed to his spear. The Grimm Reaper and the Dreamer Knight fought the Whistler back. Maria's agility and speed were being complemented by Don's defense and added offensive input. But the Grimm had something they didn't, an endless supply of stamina and soon enough, Don and Maria began to grow tired and slower, exactly what the Grimm needed.
"Ah!" Don was kicked back and hit a tree.
"Don!" Maria yelled before blocking a new barrage of blades. She couldn't deflect them all, one even cut her mask in half to reveal her Silver Eyes.
The surviving students managed to take the Grimm off Maria for enough time for her to recover.
"Don! Don! Stand up!".
Don spat blood. "W-We can't stop it!".
"I need you to buy me sometime" Maria said.
"How?!".
"Figure it out! We have to stop it or everyone at the village is dead!".
Don could barely stand, but he had to give it his all, people needed him, Amatista, he couldn't afford to fail. "I have an idea. Everyone, back off! Cover your ears!".
Maria understood and quickly managed to provide cover fire to the students to fall back. "Cover your ears!".
The survivors did so. Don took a deep breath, put his fingers in his mouth and immediately let out a powerful whistle. His semblance active, the Whistler was swarmed with hallucination which caused it to attack wildly and erratically.
"Wiassssss!".
"Done! Maria, now!". Don said and Maria immediately stood, closing her eyes to focus.
"What are you doing?!".
"Shut up, I need to focus!".
The Whistler was slashing trees left and right, but it suddenly stopped.
"What?".
The creature was disoriented, but it was far too smart. It couldn't really see or hear clearly, but it didn't need to in order to get its prey. Its ribs broke apart and the Grimm took a massive breath of air, inflating its lunges like a massive balloon. The Whistler then let out a powerful sound wave, strong enough to push everyone back, shake the trees and turn off all the torches in the ground.
"WHIIIIIISSSSSSS".
"Ahhhh!". Don, Maria and the rest of the huntsmen fell to the ground, launched backwards by the sound wave. Darkness swallowed the forest once more. Don couldn't stand, blinded by the darkness and deafened by the powerful wail of the Whistler. Don was disorientated, he could only see black and could only hear a whistle in his ears. He could barely make out some movement, it seemed like fighting, it seemed like bodies dropping…then, it looked like something was coming for him.
When the Whistler finally grabbed Don by the neck and readied its blade for the killing blow, Don could only think of how sorry he was for failing Amatista, for failing Miguel and Margarita…The end of his story was going to be this sorrowful? He just wanted to be a hero, he just wanted to make his dream come true…was it true then? Was he really just dead weight?
The blade came down….and Maria's scythe caught it.
The Grimm Reaper didn't need light to fight, her semblance gave her all the information she needed to defeat her enemies. The Whistler dropped Don to the groud as it battled Maria. With a shift move, Maria managed to kick the Grimm back, and soon enough, her eyes began to bring light to the dark abyss of the forest.
"Life is precious…and it must. Be. Protected!".
The silver light of Maria's eyes brightened the forest around them, blinding the survivors and illuminating the area.
The Whistler, however, was a relentless hunter, as soon as it saw her eyes beginning to glow, it ran fast behind the trees, barely being able to make it, but it wasn't fast enough, the silver light managed to destroy one of its claws, dusting it into nothingness.
"Waaaaiiiiiiiiiiiisss!" The Whistler wailed in pain. It fell to its knees but soon vanished into the darkness of the forest.
"Maria! Maria!", Don helped Maria stand, her body collapsing after her Silver Eyes went back to normal.
"It's….it's over…".
"…I…I think so…I don't…" Don responded, shaken, holding the woman in his arms tightly.
All the huntsmen laid on the ground. Some injured, some broken…most lifeless. It was just one Grimm, it was only another monster…that's what they thought. But the monsters the huntsmen were meant to face, were far worse than the darkest nightmares.
Roberto crawled to the still-warm corpse of one of his students. Tears in his eyes, blood on his hands. They were young, Roberto had known them for years, he prepared them for this world…and now they laid dead in front of him. He couldn't protect them, he couldn't save them, he could just watch as their futures were stolen in a single night.
There in the darkness, the sounds of the survivor's tears were soon drowned by the increasingly louder haunting melody…of the Whistler.
With the break of dawn, the light finally came to the forest. But the nightmare didn't fade.
Maria left Don at his home. There Amatista was crushed, seeing her uncle injured, beaten. When she realized he was gone, fear overcame her, she spent all night terrified of what could have happened to him.
She was enraged, and didn't hide it for a second. Amatista didn't even want to see him. "I told you so! I told you!", she said, with tears running on her eyes, Santiago holding her as she broke down crying.
He could have died that night…he could have left her alone again. He could have thrown away his life for a stupid delusion…Don knew it, he wasn't blind to the pain he caused to his beloved niece, let alone the suffering he could have caused her, the same pain he once felt as well….All, to live a stupid dream.
The Cervantes household was pained, but at least there was some relief, at least there was a light at the end of that tunnel….But for Roberto? For the man who had to go house by house telling heartbroken mothers the fate of their children? No, for Roberto, that nightmare would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Author's Notes:
Thank you all for reading. In celebration of Volume 8, the next chapter will be up tomorrow! As always, any feedback is highly appreciated.
A bit of lore. The Whistler is based on the Venezuelan spirit called "El Silbon", a ghost known for its characteristic whistle. Just like the Whistler, El Silbon's whistle can be heard closer when the spirit is far away and far away when the spirit is closer. The Whistler uses this to find its prey, filling them with fear so that it can detect the negative emotions in the distance, then fill them with a false sense of security when it's about to strike. This Grimm is my attempt at making an intelligent Grimm able to fight at the same level as a huntsman.
Hope you enjoyed it and take care.