Chapter XIV
The Temple of Farewell
"Ten. I took ten of my students. You remember how many came back, right? Three". Roberto said. Anger, sorrow, regret, all could be heard with every single word coming from his mouth.
"Do you know what happened to the six people who made it out that night? One was found dead a year after, the other two survived a few years more before meeting the same fate, hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Calavera was rotting in a ditch as we speak…That leaves just you and me, pal". Roberto said.
Don sat there in shock, the memories of that night still gave him nightmares, but in Roberto's eyes, he could see that those ghosts had been torturing him far worse than he could've ever imagined.
"They were just children; they had their lives ahead of them and I killed them…It wasn't the first time either". A bandit tried to help Roberto breathe from his mask but he simply threw it away. "I spent decades training innocent children, filling their heads with fantasies of glory and honor, telling them of the pride they should feel of being called huntsmen…and then I sent them to die in a pointless, endless war, wasting their lives, robbing them of any future and FOR WHAT?! A world that will never remember their names!? Where is the honor in that? Where is the glory? Where are all those values? They mean nothing!".
Don looked with tears in his eyes how the noble knight that once taught him the honor of being a huntsman, had become a cynical shadow of his former self, too broken from all his regrets.
"They deserved better. They deserved a better teacher, a better world, and a better future but they didn't get them. No one will. We live in a world of hopelessness, of apathy and cruelty…and if their suffering doesn't matter, then who cares about the suffering of others? Who cares about the people?".
"Heroes do!".
"Heroes are a joke! Tell me you didn't waste your life! Tell me you aren't wasting that boy's life! He is going to get himself killed one day and nothing you taught him is going to matter anyway!".
Don saw him straight in the eyes, "I don't believe you….".
"You stupid…".
"I don't believe this is the future you want for your grandson, and I don't believe these are the values you taught him because those weren't the ones you taught me!".
Roberto was shocked by those words.
"Roberto, you know this isn't right. Your grandson, this is what you want him to become? Yet another monster in this world?".
"You know nothing about Reinaldo".
"I failed Amatista, I'm failing Jaune. Please don't fail your grandson. Please be better than I've been!". For Don it wasn't just his ghosts haunting him what hurt his already broken heart, it was seeing those ghosts taint even the smallest joyful memory of the past with a dark present.
Roberto was starting to shake in anger and indignation. He hated Don…but he also hated himself. He grabbed his cane and smacked Don once more.
"Do not. Tell me. Who the disgrace is here!", He struggled to breathe, a bandit quickly handing him his mask, "You don't have the right! You don't get to come here and tell ME I'm the one who brings suffering to the ones I love. Not after what you did to your niece. You…You…Have no right….". Roberto began to cry and Don looked at him with sorrow. That doubt and self-hatred, he knew it far too well. They were both failures, relics of a past far gone who destroyed their own lives and kept doing just that. Worthless.
The commotion outside finally caught everyone's attention.
Dawn had arrived and in the White Moon tribe's camp, a battle was about to start.
"What's going on?" Roberto's assistant asked a guard outside the tent.
"Reinaldo challenged a prisoner to a duel".
"A prisoner?".
"Yeah, the blonde guy that was with the old man".
Don got goosebumps at hearing that, "Jaune…Jaune!". He was quickly grabbed by the bandits who tried to subdue him as he moved wildly trying to rush to his student's side.
"Let me go! Please! Jaune!".
"Get us to the balcony". Roberto instructed, much to everyone's surprise.
The old man gave a malicious smile to his old rival.
The bandits had prepared an arena and they were all cheering in anticipation for the match.
Reinaldo was stretching, reading himself for his duel. He grabbed his shield, Azulejo's Talon, a kite shield with a reflective blueish surface. He raised his weapon proudly and he roared at the crowd to get the blood pumping.
On the other side of the arena, Jaune was pushed to the floor by his bandit captors, his sword was soon tossed in front of him.
"Come on, Squire! Let's get the show goin….Grandpa?". Reinaldo was shocked at the sight of his grandfather in the balcony of his tent.
Jaune stood up with his sword in hand, he turned at the balcony and saw how Don was being held in place by more bandits.
"Don!".
"Jaune! Roberto, please let him go, whatever you are going to do, do it to me instead!".
"Shut up. Just sit tight. I want to see what you taught that boy of yours", Roberto replied, leaving Don terrified at the fate of his mentee.
Roberto stared at Reinaldo, the once cheerful and confident bandit now was silent and serious. Knowing that his grandfather would be watching his match put a great deal of pressure on him to prove himself to the man he admired so much.
"Get ready, pal".
"We don't have to do this".
"Oh, yes we DO!". Reinaldo responded, a shimmer came from his mirror shield, blinding momentarily everyone around him.
Once Jaune's eyes adjusted, he saw in shock…at himself.
Reinaldo's semblance, Mirror Minion, had created a replica of Jaune. An aura construct with his sword in hand and even his exact same stance.
"Now…bring it on, SQUIRE!".
The minion launched an attack at high speed. Jaune was able to pull out his shield in time to block it and the subsequent slashes. The minion was as strong as Jaune himself, pushing him back with every slash, but Jaune managed to make an opening, pushing the minion with a shield bash and stabbing it through the chest.
The minion shattered like glass, but Jaune didn't get a chance to recover before a new minion spawned, this one held both a sword and shield just like Jaune did.
This new minion had a better defense. While Jaune was able to recover some ground, the minion had his same defensive prowess and soon enough, he began to see himself on the side of his first fight, only now he was the one being blocked, shield bashed, and stabbed.
The minion not only copied his look and weapon, but it also copied his fighting style perfectly. Jaune could barely dodge the stab. But he couldn't avoid the shield bash that followed, nor the slash that came after.
Driven back, Jaune swapped to his greatsword, needing extra damage to go through the minion's shield. He charged towards it, ready to deliver a powerful blow, but from his side, Reinaldo responded with a dropkick, catching him off guard.
Azulejo's Talon split into twin arm blades, allowing the blue bandit to slash viciously at his opponent.
Jaune managed to recover balance before charging at Reinaldo. The bandit had a malicious grin when the shield minion stepped in front of him and blocked the strike for its master.
Before Jaune could react, Reinaldo shot through his own minion with the hidden shotguns from Azulejo's Talon. The shot sent Jaune flying backward, only stopping when a greatsword minion slashed him on the back.
"Jaune!".
"Hahahah!" Roberto laughed while the crowd cheered for Reinaldo.
Reinaldo vowed and savored his glory and the cheers of his bandit tribe, an opportunity Jaune took to recover some ground.
Thankfully, his aura and his armor saved his life from that blast. He kicked the minion's leg, bringing it to the ground, before taking his sword back and charging at Reinaldo.
Jaune returned to his sword and shield mode, getting ready to take some shotgun blasts. Reinaldo summoned a new shield minion, thinking the same trick would work twice, but Jaune was quick to kick the minion as hard as he could, dropping it to the ground. Jaune's sword met Reinaldo's blades, the two traded blows for a moment, Reinaldo managed to slash Jaune's shield many times at high speed.
Jaune responded with slashes of his own, none could break Reinaldo's defense, especially not when he swapped back to his mirror shield. Jaune locked his sword on Reinaldo's shield but was quickly attacked from the side by the greatsword minion, followed soon after by a shield bash from the shield minion.
Now outnumbered 3 to 1, Jaune decided to take his master's teachings to heart and changed to his spear.
"Oh. The legacy of the Raging Wind continues. Eh? Cervantes?". Roberto remarked with a sarcastic and mocking tone.
Don felt the insult to his brother like a stab to the heart, but he had bigger concerns, his student's life was in danger and he blamed himself for every drop of blood he spilled.
Jaune waited for his opponents to strike. Reinaldo stayed behind with his shield risen, while his minions charged together, ready for the kill.
Jaune didn't let them get too close. Like his master taught him, his spear let him apply distance between him and his opponents. He thrusted towards the shield minion, stopping it on its tracks before spinning to evade a strike from the greatsword minion and slashing. The minion blocked with its weapon while its partner charged shield first, but Jaune managed to evade the trampling shield by swiftly spinning behind it, hitting it with the blunt end of his spear before blocking a slash from the greatsword minion.
Don just couldn't take, "Roberto!".
"I said, Shut up! You are his mentor, aren't you? If the kid fails and dies, you are the one responsible! Sit down and watch!". Roberto responded with anger…and regret.
Jaune tried to thrust once more, this time aiming to impale the greatsword minion, but the shield minion stepped in and took the hit directly. To his surprise, the shield actually began to crack. With the opportunity in sight, Jaune rapidly spun hitting the shield hard twice with the blunt end of the spear before slashing with force and breaking it. As soon as the shield shattered, Jaune impaled the shield minion and rushed to the greatsword minion behind it, but the minion delivered a powerful strike that Jaune barely managed to avoid before stepping back to catch a breath.
"Not bad, Squire. But the fun, has just begun". Reinaldo said, a new shimmer spawned a spear-wielding minion and soon enough, a second one appeared next to it.
The crowd cheered.
Jaune was now outnumbered 4 to 1. He was being outmatched by his opponent and by his own self. His mentor was held prisoner and innocent people depended on him. Failure was lurking closer and closer…but he had to try.
The spear minions charged. Jaune had no other option but to evade them and try to avoid them as much as he could, a feat easier said than done.
The spears moved and spun fast. Each minion moved as if dancing, the same movements Don had taught Jaune were now being used against him. He managed to evade a stab and deflect a slash, but spinning staves hit him multiple times and their blade slashed his legs, arms, and torso.
"Ah!". Jaune's pained screams were torture for Don.
Spears were flying and spinning and slashing. Jaune managed to hit a minion on the chin before blocking a slash of another one, kicking it back to gain some ground, but the young huntsman forgot about the greatsword minion that launched another strike he could barely evade in time.
He struggled to maintain balance, and as soon as lifted his gaze he saw a javelin flying towards him. He barely had time to detach his sword from the spear to release his shield and block the javelin that immediately shattered upon contact with the steel.
"Useless, prick" Reinaldo said before shooting the now weaponless minion and spawning a new shield one.
Jaune couldn't continue like this. He needed to figure out a plan, quick, or else he wouldn't be able to make it out of this battle.
The greatsword minion charged once more, Jaune blocked the strike but didn't get a chance to respond before a flurry of spear stabs began to drive him back. Jaune dodge-rolled to the side, trying to recover, but the shield minion was waiting for him, slashing with its sword that Jaune managed to parry twice before kicking it back.
The greatsword minion leaped for a strike, but Jaune saw the opportunity and shield bashed it, hitting it with his shield and swinging it over him, making it lose its copied greatsword and sending it crashing headfirst on the ground, shattering it.
Reinaldo had an angry glare at the sight of another minion being destroyed. He took a quick glance at his grandfather who only gave him a cold look, something that only served to make the young bandit more frustrated.
Jaune's shield blocked another flurry of spear strikes with precision, ending with him kicking the spear minion before changing into his greatsword mode for a killing blow. The shield minion, however, smashed its shield on his stomach with force, sending him flying backward and losing his greatsword in the process.
Jaune was beaten and growing tired. There had to be a weakness, there had to be away, he just needed to find it.
The minions approached menacingly, Jaune's greatsword was out of his reach, but right next to him there was the copied greatsword from one of the defeated minions. The spear minion leaped for a stab. With no other options, Jaune grabbed the copied greatsword and swung it against the minion, evading the spear and cutting it in half, shattering it.
Jaune engaged in battle with the shield minion which blocked his strikes one after the other, eventually, the minion tried to go for a stab, but Jaune evade it and locked its arm under his armpit, bashing the minion's head with the blunt end of his greatsword and shattering its skull.
As the minion crumbled, Jaune was tackled from the side and pinned to the ground by a new minion. Jaune tried to reach his copied greatsword but the minion kept punching him, forcing him to block and protect his head. Jaune managed to grab the minion's wrist, that's when he noticed, this minion was different from all the ones he had been fighting. All previous minions also copied his weapon, but this one? It was fighting him with its bare hands.
Jaune pushed the minion off of him, quickly grabbed the copied greatsword, and decapitate it, shattering both the minion and the greatsword.
He stood there, breathing heavily, spitting a bit of blood. But he was not going to give up. He stumbled toward his greatsword and stood ready for the next wave.
"He is as stubborn as you are, Cervantes" Roberto said mockingly.
Reinaldo was visibly frustrated. "Don't think you are top shit! Squire!". He shouted, summoning a new greatsword minion.
Jaune swapped to his sword and shield to block the greatsword, but soon a new shield minion appeared. In order to take both at once, he swapped to his spear but that was just responded by another spear minion showing up.
Once again, Jaune was overwhelmed by strikes coming from all directions. Spear to the legs, greatsword to the arms and chest, and a final shield bash that sent him rolling backward, much to the delight of the crowd.
"Hehehe. He is giving a good fight, I'm impressed. But if he is smart, he will just give up". Roberto said.
Don couldn't take it anymore. "That's enough!" the old man stood frenetically, he was about to let out a whistle, the hardest he could with a dry mouth but Roberto was prepared, he immediately had two of his bandits hold him, cover his mouth and gag him to stop him from using his semblance.
Roberto grabbed Don's head. "I told you. His death is your responsibility. I want you to see what I saw for decades. I want you to see what happens when you fill a child's mind with stupid dreams in a world that will crush him! Now, sit down and watch!".
The minions continued their assault and Jaune could barely keep up with them. His aura was struggling to hold up. Spears, greatswords, sword and shield, Jaune couldn't respond to all of them at once, for every strike he blocked two more hit him, and every opening he saw was lost within seconds.
Jaune had resorted to evade and run, he was out of options, but even then, the minions were still catching up to him.
He blocked a spear strike and a sword slash, but the power of them made him lose balance and a final greatsword strike sent him to the ground once more.
The crowd cheered while Don could do nothing but shake and try to yell, his eyes getting teary at the sight of his apprentice in such peril.
Reinaldo gloated on his opponent's sad state, "Is that really all you got? I mean, I knew I was going to kick your ass, but I wasn't expecting you to be this pathetic. I've been calling you a squire this whole time and you just act like some random pampered princess? What a disappointment….Give up".
Jaune could barely stand, his face covered in dirt and his body in bruises and cuts, too many for his aura to heal all quickly.
"4v1, pal. Imma give you a deal. Give up now, kiss my boots, and maybe, just maybe I'll let you be my squire. I'll even give you a cute nickname. How does princess sparklytooshie sound? Hahah".
Jaune stood and cracked his back before beginning to walk towards the center of the arena.
"Oh, quick on the boot kissing, aren't you?".
As soon as Jaune stepped in the middle of the battlefield, the minions surrounded him.
Reinaldo and the crowd laughed mockingly, but soon their laughs ended with confused whispers when Jaune stowed his sword.
Don was just praying for everything to end, for his student to be saved and for this nightmare to come to an end…Roberto saw that stance and thought differently though.
When Jaune raised his fists, Roberto's eyes got wide…he knew that stance.
The crowd burst into even louder laughter. But Reinaldo didn't laugh, not when he saw that Jaune's expression had changed. The young man was bitten, covered in dirt and wounds…and he was smiling.
"You…are mocking me, punk?!". Reinaldo was infuriated by that smile, but Jaune just stayed silent, determined to give it his all on one last stand.
"Kill him!" Reinaldo enraged ordered his minions which all charged from different directions.
Jaune didn't start his journey as a hero. He started from the bottom, he started as the weak link in his team. When he started this journey, life kicked him down until he hit rock bottom…and then he climbed up, with nothing but a dream, determination, a good teacher…and his bare hands.
The spear minion charged for a stab. Don braced himself for the impalement of his student…and everyone was shocked when Jaune's aura glowed bright and the spear shattered against his guarding arms. Jaune had used his semblance for a small bit, increasing his defenses for a small second to conserve what little aura he had left, but it was enough. He immediately responded with a strong fist to the face of the minion, shattering it with all his strength before spinning and evading the slash from the greatsword minion, grabbing its weapon, kicking its leg, and making it lose balance enough to move him on the path of the shield minion's blade and with a shift move, Jaune used the copied greatsword to decapitate the last minion.
The crowd was in shock, Reinaldo couldn't believe his eyes. Jaune in a swift move managed to shatter all three minions, with nothing but his bare hands.
Don himself was in awe at the feat…But Roberto? No. Roberto was mainly filled with nostalgia, for he knew that move far too well.
"Hehe. You taught him well, Cervantes".
Reinaldo was furious. He quickly summoned more minions, only two this time though and to everyone's surprise, neither of them wielded weapons, they had their swords stowed, just like Jaune.
Jaune's smile just grew bigger and Reinaldo just became madder. "Rip that smile from his face!".
The minions, charged at Jaune but he quickly shattered both with the copied greatsword. Reinaldo just kept summoning continuously, and just like before, every minion fought with only their bare hands.
Eventually, Jaune's copied greatsword broke, but not before he managed to steal a sword from one of the minion's side.
Reinaldo could only keep summoning minions two at a time, always staying on the back lines and letting his minions do the job.
A quick slash, and a stab, and the minions just crumbled. Without their weapons, the minions were no longer a threat, Jaune was able to do quick work of them and that just infuriated Reinaldo by the second.
A minion tried to punch Jaune repeatedly, but he evaded its punches before grabbing its arm and hitting its stomach multiple times with the hilt of his copied sword. He then took the sword from its side and slashed it. When the second minion charged at him, Jaune easily cut both its arms with his two copied swords and slashed its head to bring it down.
Reinaldo's shield shimmered once more…but only one minion was summoned.
The crowd saw in confusion as Reinaldo breath heavily and its lone minion charged with its naked fists, but Jaune shattered in seconds and as soon as he did, the two copied blades on his hands became dust as well.
Reinaldo was sweating and was clearly exhausted.
"How?" A bandit asked.
Roberto smiled "The kid is smarter than he looks".
Jaune had been analyzing his opponent throughout the entire fight, always searching, always studying until he finally understood. "You know? Your semblance is…so unfair!", he said, struggling to breathe as well.
Reinaldo stood there in shock and fatigue.
Jaune struggled to speak himself, but he needed the break…and he needed some time. "You send people their own reflection to fight for you. Super brave…arg…but it does the job….Of course, you can only make three at the time though".
Reinaldo's frustration was evident, Jaune had him figured out.
"You can't copy your copies and their weapons count as copies, that's why you couldn't make more when I stole their swords".
The crowd began to murmur and Roberto simply chuckled.
"You fought alongside them at first…but then you ran away and hid behind them? I thought you were a brave knight!".
Reinaldo got pissed off at that comment.
"Why didn't you keep fighting? Why hide? Fear? You were winning, why were you afraid?...Oh, I know why". Jaune smiled mockingly. "Making copies takes a lot of aura…and you just ran out".
Reinaldo's eyes widen. This boy played him, lured him into anger to make him spawn more and more minions. The tables had turned.
Roberto let out a laugh, "Hahaha! Nice one! Kid!".
"G-grandpa…".
"You got yourself a good one, Cervantes….but aura doesn't win fights" Roberto turned at his grandson. "Are you going to give up? Are you going to take this humiliation?! Are you just another coward?!".
"NO, SIR!".
"Then, strike!" Roberto ordered and Reinaldo didn't hesitate.
The blue bandit rushed with his twin blades in hand. Jaune managed to block the strikes with his shield and push him back, swiftly changing to his spear.
As their mentors before them, the squires clashed on the battlefield. Spear met mirror shield once more like all those years ago.
Reinaldo was basically out of aura, Jaune's strikes weren't even getting healed at that point but he didn't care, he was not going to go down a failure, not in front of his grandfather.
Reinaldo brought his blade down but Jaune blocked it with his staff and slid behind him, swinging his spear to slash his back.
Jaune returned with a thrust but Reinaldo swapped to his shield and quickly back to his blades.
Jaune's strikes were precise and quick. Spinning his spear, he forced Reinaldo on the defense, making him block the strikes of the spear with each blade and driving him back.
Reinaldo and Jaune locked their weapons and their eyes.
"I'll rip that dumb smile off your face!".
"Not going to happen!".
Jaune headbutted Reinaldo right on the nose causing it to bleed before resuming his assault, his slashes were effective now that his opponent was dazed. A quick spin and low sweep and Reinaldo were on the ground, Jaune's spear right on his face.
"It's over", Jaune said, breathing heavily, wounded, exhausted, but still standing.
Reinaldo dropped his head, his aura was broken, his nose might have been as well…and his defeated eyes met those of his grandfather.
Roberto sat there, seeing the blood on his grandson's face. It wasn't the first time he saw those eyes. The bloody face of one of his students. His life wasted, his path leading him to nothing but death and suffering…a path he walked him into.
Roberto's hands began to shake as the sight of his grandson injured made him realize just how much of a failure he truly was.
Reinaldo saw the look of regret on his grandfather's eyes. He feared it was a look of disappointment. That fear, that horror, it just filled him with hatred and rage.
"AHHHHHH!" Reinaldo stroke Jaune's spear to the side and quickly stood up and tackled him to the ground.
Jaune was barely able to defend himself from the slashes with his spear, but Reinaldo's strikes were vicious.
Don struggled and shook. His terror for the safety of his student was breaking him.
Jaune and Reinaldo locked their weapons again, but things were taking a turn for the worse when Reinaldo slowly moved the barrel of his shotgun until it was aimed straight at Jaune's head.
"End of the line, squire. You really thought you could beat me?! You are nothing but a worthless moron! You pathetic….".
At that moment, Reinaldo's hatred simply turned into incredulity. He had a gun to his head…and the idiot was smiling.
"I didn't need to win…I just needed to stall".
"W-what?".
"CHHHARRRGGEEE!".
The battle served as the best distraction Jaune could have hoped for. All bandits gathered in a single place, too focused on the fight to notice the arrival of Captain Ludmila and the Gaviota Guard.
Roberto and Reinaldo saw in shock how the guards quickly dispatched the frenetic bandits.
His world was crumbling around him, Reinaldo let go of Jaune and simply stood up stunned, seeing how everything came down in a matter of seconds.
Jaune stood up. He was rejoiced for the arrival of the calvary…but a side of him felt but sympathy for Reinaldo. An apprentice who took the wrong path and now was about to pay the price.
Roberto saw how his decisions; his cynicism had finally caught him. His crimes lead not only to the end of his road but saddest of all, to yet another future, stolen, this time the one of his grandson.
His bandits quickly abandoned their ruler and soon guards arrived to aid Don and arrest the boss of the White Moon Tribe.
Don stood next to his former mentor, disillusion and sorrow in his eyes as the old man just sat there with an empty gaze towards his grandson, now in chains.
"You know? The role of the elders is pretty straightforward, not that it's easy but it's simple in nature…We are responsible for passing the torch. It is our responsibility to guide, to teach, and to care for them. The next generation, the future of this world…I failed so many of them…I failed my grandson the most, walked him into a path he might never walk back from…". Roberto said with a broken heart.
Don stood tearfully. "We say we love them and then we cause them so much pain. What happened to us, Roberto?".
"Hehe. We put ourselves before their future. We should have protected that…instead we killed our dreams and theirs in the process".
Don couldn't even see Roberto in the eyes. But he soon raised his gaze, when the old man grabbed his hand.
"It was good to see you, old friend….I'm sorry I failed you". Roberto said.
"…I'm sorry I failed you too". Don replied.
Jaune could barely stand, he almost tripped and fell but Captain Ludmila herself caught him and helped him.
"Nicely done, huntsman, you didn't have to get this beaten up though". Ludmila said.
Jaune chuckled a bit "I needed to buy you time. I even had to monologue, hehe, Arg!", the pain of his injuries began to show from his confident façade.
"Easy, easy. Sorry for the delay. It took us a while to find your little accomplice".
"Is he ok?".
"Already at the camp, that little guy was braver than any soldier I've met".
Jaune was relieved of hearing that Cardo was safe, he felt warm in his heart knowing he had fulfilled his promise.
As the guards continued rounding up the bandit tribe and freeing the innocent faunus. Jaune noticed how Don silently walked away from the camp without saying a word.
"Thanks for everything, Captain".
"Wait, where are you going?..kid?".
Jaune followed Don all the way back to the forest until he finally was able to catch up to him.
"Don! Where are you going?!"
"Far away from here".
Jaune kept chasing his mentor, but the man was broken to no repair. "Don! Wait!
"Kid, stop".
"Just talk to me!".
Don took off his hat, he didn't deserve to wear it, not the last memento of his dear brother, not at that moment. "…I lied.".
"What?".
"I lied…about everything…about who I am," Don said.
Jaune was confused by the answer, "Wh…Is this about?…Don, I know you are not a legendary huntsman, I've known for months, that doesn't…..".
"I'm not a huntsman! Period!".
The forest fell silent, not even the birds, bugs, and river dared to make a sound.
"I'm not a hero…I'm not a knight…I didn't…cut a King Taijitus' head off. I didn't ride on the back of a Kelpie. I didn't save millions, fight thousands, rescue beautiful princesses, or slay horrible beasts. Lies, it was all lies!".
Jaune was surprised at his words. But it made no difference to him, not after everything he did for him, not after everything he taught him and how much he helped him. He tried to approach his mentor. "Don…I know those were just stories. That doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter if you aren't a huntsman, you are still a hero and a good man".
"A good man?..haha" Don slapped Jaune's hand off of his shoulder, "A good man? No. You wanna know the sort of man I am? Who and what I truly am?...let me tell you a story".
After that nightmarish night, Amatista put her foot on the ground. It was over, she forbade her uncle from even grabbing his sword again, locking it in the basement. She didn't want to hear anything else about huntsmen. She even threw away Don's letters, the last slivers of his dead dream. Who could have blamed her? She lost her father and her mother, now her uncle was throwing himself to the mouth of beasts as if it was a game? She couldn't bear the thought of losing him too.
Don tried to make her understand but he really wasn't in a position to discuss anything. He had betrayed her trust; he had seen first-hand the horrors that hid in the darkness of Remnant. Had he continued on that path, he would have ended up as dead as his dream…still, his heart pained, for the future he wanted to build for himself was completely out of reach now. All his ambition, all of his hopes, gone.
The final nail on his dream's coffin arrived a few years later.
"Ma...Maria? MARIA!" Don ran to catch an exhausted Maria who could barely walk. She was using her last scythe as a cane and was covered in dirt and blood. She had been walking for what seemed to be days, crawling from the mountains relying solely on her semblance to guide her path…. her beautiful silver eyes, lost.
Don and Amatista took her to the hospital where she slept for a few days.
The sight of his dear friend, the woman he looked up to so much now blinded and on a hospital bed made his heart shrink and tremble.
"Aunt Maria, you know you can stay with us, please take the time you need to rest".
"Thank you, sweetie. But I really can't stay here for long…I'm afraid I might bring danger to the both of you".
"Those bastards! When I find them I'm gonna…".
"Sit down, please!" Amatista said, pulling Don down to his seat once more. "But how can we help then?".
"I have a friend in Atlas that can help me out with my…this" she pointed at her eyes, heartbroken at the loss of her father's legacy. "If you can help me get there, I would greatly appreciate it".
"Of course, aunt Maria.".
"Thank you, sweetie,…Could you excuse us for a moment?".
"Oh...sure. I'll go with Santiago to prepare the trip then".
"Thank you". Maria smiled as Amatista left the room, her smile immediately fading the moment she heard the door close.
"Don…".
"I won't sit around and just let this go!".
"I already took care of it! Don, just listen to me!". Maria said. She grabbed Don's hand and turned to face him. Don could only see the bandages on her eyes and the melancholic expression on her face.
"I'm done".
"What?".
"I'm done being a huntress. I can't do it anymore." Maria said, her voice cracking but crying was now painful to her.
"I gave my life to this job, to protecting others and now I've lost everything".
"That's not true. Maria, please".
"The Grimm Reaper is dead, do you understand? If anyone asks, that's what you'll tell them".
"You…You are giving up?" Don was heartbroken but he couldn't blame her, not in the state she was, he just hated the mere idea of her stopping to be the greatest hero Remnant had seen.
Maria playfully caressed his hand with her thumb. "Don, you have to let it go. The life of a huntsman is full of sacrifices. You have a good life here with your niece, a peaceful one. You have no idea how much I envy you for that…Don't throw it away for a delusion".
And with those words, Don's dream was buried. Even his hero told him to give up, let the dream die and continue with his life. He knew she meant well; he knew that so did Amatista. He understood they just wanted him to be safe but he was trapped. His wings were cut and he was in chains, never to see the light of the future he so desperately wanted.
Thus, the dream died, and the dreamer laid awake, forced to spend every day wondering what could have been.
The years passed in an instant, the hopeful young man that used to train for a life of adventure, was now an old man trapped behind the counter of a bookstore, reading about the accomplishments of better and more fortunate men.
Amatista and Santiago finally got married, a breath of joy in Don's life. He loved seeing his beloved niece so happy, she deserved every bit of happiness she got. Don at times felt that if he wasn't happy with his own life, at least he could feel happy about Amatista's bright smile.
The family all lived together in the Cervantes household. There were always talks about the bright future the couple was thinking of having. Maybe open a business, maybe a restaurant or a bakery, Amatista loved to cook, she was very passionate about it.
At dinner one night, Don's attention was caught by a comment from his niece. Apparently, she and Santiago were considering moving to the main Kingdom, especially because of a special announcement.
"We are having a baby!".
Don couldn't believe it, the moment he heard that he remembered the joyful eyes of his brother and sister-in-law when they had her and couldn't help but burst out in tears. "Amatista!" Don hugged his niece with so much joy, lifting her and spinning her around the room.
"Uncle Don! Stop it! Haha".
The news gave life to Don once more, his smile had recovered a bit of luster. Something that didn't last long, however.
It turned out that the reason the couple was considering to move, was so that the baby could grow up safe in a Kingdom. The village was a settlement, after all, so Grimm attacks were always a concern.
Don was saddened at the idea, but he had no say in the matter. It wasn't a final decision however but he was sure it was going to be the case. He was happy for their future…but she was going to leave….he would be alone.
As the months passed, that lingering thought kept popping up in Don's mind. He had made a promise to his brother to always stay by his niece's side, to always protect her…but if she was going to leave with her husband, then he really couldn't do anything, right?
Don was sitting one day reading one of his novels, not really paying attention to what he was reading, his mind was far too preoccupied with a million thoughts.
This town, this village, he had been living there all his life. He knew every street, every store, every house, every dumpster, and every villager and it was always the same routine every single day. Wake up, go to work, go back home, go to bed. Rinse and repeat over and over and over and over again until the day he dies.
He was stuck in this cage, now an old useless man. But what tied him now?
He saw an illustration of a brave knight on his noble steed. A true hero and adventurer and he thought to himself "that could have been me". That could have been him…if only…if only what? What tied him? What didn't let him fly?
Every time he asked himself that question the same answer came to him and every time it did it filled him with shame and disgust in himself. "Amatista".
Don tried as much as he could to reject the idea, but aside of him couldn't stop considering that it was true. Had it not been for Amatista, he would have left this town, he would have become a Huntsman and fulfill his dream when he was young and had his entire life ahead of him. Had it not been for that promise he made to his brother, he would have become the knight he always wanted to be, he would have lived many adventures, books would have been written about him. Instead, he stayed locked in this forgotten town, with nothing but books and broken fantasies….but Amatista was now leaving.
If Amatista and Santiago were going to move, there really was nothing tying him anymore. There was no reason for him to stay and waste the few years he had left before old age finally claimed his life. He didn't have to end up a broken man covered in dust and dead fantasies….there was still a chance.
The next few days, Don considered the thought more and more. He prepared a backpack, putting things in it and then taking them out just to put them in again later. He had his doubts. What was he doing? It was too late, wasn´t it? No, why would it be? But he was too old now. Age is just a number, he felt like a 20-year-old still! But what about what Maria said? Well she wasn't there now, was she? And Amatista? What about his promise to Miguel?...She had a husband now and she could take care of herself.
One night, Don finally managed to break the lock of the basement while everyone was asleep and got his old dusty sword and shield out. He looked at the burning windmill with nostalgia before hiding the weapon upstairs with the rest of his traveling kit.
He had everything ready for the eventual journey…but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Amatista and Santiago hadn't advanced on their moving plans and in fact, they didn't seem to be considering it anymore. Don was getting frustrated about this.
As the months went by and Amatista's belly kept growing. Don had lost any hope of them leaving for the Kingdoms. It seemed like the baby was going to be born in Castañula and most likely would grow there…yet another chain.
A few times Don considered just leaving. Nobody was going to miss him, nobody needed him. Amatista had Santiago and he could come back to visit. There really was no harm…but he couldn't do it. He couldn't leave, every time he tried, he remembered his brother's face, he remembered holding his niece in his arms and he just hated himself every time. What was he doing? How could he think of her like this? Chains? That's his niece, that's his treasure, what kind of monster would think of her like that?
After a few months, Don just gave up. He regretted even considering the idea. All he was doing was hurting himself, all he was doing was blaming his niece for being born, what was wrong with him?! How could he do such a thing? Don was disgusted at himself and still…he just kept reading his fantasy books and reminiscing of the dream he could have fulfilled.
He decided to let it go, to just accept that in this world dreams do not come true.
Don arrived home one night…and the air felt tense. He walked to the living room and saw his beloved niece…pale, paralyzed in shock.
Amatista turned slowly, "Uncle Don…..Santiago….". She couldn't hold the tears. Santiago had died a victim of a Grimm attack.
Amatista was wrecked. Her heart shattered like glass.
"It's ok, It's ok. I'm here…I'm here". Don held his heartbroken niece in his arms. There was nothing else he could do but being there for her…as he promised.
Loss had come to define the Cervantes family. Amatista was an orphan and now a widow with a baby soon to come. But she felt some relief knowing that her uncle was still there with her, always supporting her.
Don however didn't feel the same way. He gave his life to her…and he wanted it back.
A few days after the funeral. Don had left Amatista in bed and was sitting on the porch with a blank stare in his eyes. If only there were more heroes, this wouldn't have happened. If only he had become a hero maybe Santiago would still be alive, maybe he would still be with his niece and maybe they would have built a beautiful family together…maybe…maybe.
Maybe if he had taken his sword, he could have made a difference. Maybe he couldn't have. Maybe he would have died years ago in some forest in the middle of nowhere….but maybe those years prior to his death he may have had the most amazing adventures no man had experience in a lifetime. Maybe if he had become a huntsman, he would have been able to save hundreds, beloved by thousands, and made a name for himself. Maybe if he had followed his dream he would have seen every corner of this world and mark his legend across every kingdom and settlement in Remnant….Maybe…Maybe if he hadn't had to take care of his niece, he would have been happier.
There it was that thought again and it killed him to have it but he couldn't stop thinking it. What if he didn't have to raise his niece? What if he had nothing to tie him to this village? Could he have made his dream come true?...was it too late? Of course, it was. Amatista was having a baby, she lost her husband, she needed her uncle, her only family more than ever…but the moment that baby was born, another chain would lock him in this town, and by the time he had another chance, he might be too old to even consider it.
At the crack of dawn. Don stared at the stormy morning. He quietly entered Amatistas' room while she slept, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He grabbed his bag, his trusty sword, his flute…and his brother's hat.
He hesitated to step outside…but if he didn't do it now, he was never going to be able to.
"Uncle Don?". He heard from upstairs. "Uncle Don?". Don was tearful and shaken, but he couldn't step back. He ignored his niece's voice….and walked outside, hidden under the stormy veil that covered Castañula that sorrowful day.
"Uncle Don? Are you there?...Uncle Don?".
"You…You just left….She needed you and you…You abandoned her".
Jaune was shocked. He heard the entire story. Roberto, Miguel, Margarita, Maria, Santiago…and Amatista. He listened to every word, every comment no matter how painful it was for Don or how many times he saw his mentor pull back the tears. All those mistakes, all those broken promises and shattered dreams. He always knew there was more to Don than met the eyes, but he wasn't expecting the demons that were hidden behind that smile.
Don couldn't even see him in the eyes. "I'm not a good man…I'm the sort of scum that would abandon a pregnant woman when she needed him the most. I'm the sort of monster that would much rather blame an innocent little girl than accept his own failures and an unborn child for his own stupid frustrations….All because I was afraid…afraid of getting old and dying a nobody. I'm a coward, I'm a liar, I'm a selfish failure…That's the sort of man I am".
Six hours passed and Captain Ludmila's forces had finally taken all the rescued faunus back to their village. It was now time to transport the prisoners back to Gaviota, a task easier said than done. The lack of transports and the sheer number of bandits meant she had to wait at the camp for the ships to return, but finally, they arrived and she could bring the White Moon tribe to justice.
As the bandits were loaded on the Mistralian airships, Reinaldo and a few of his tribemates were handcuffed and waiting inside a tent, two guards making sure they behaved until it was their turn to board the transports.
The tribe had fallen, Roberto had fallen. Reinaldo was frustrated at his own failure, but what was worse to him as having failed his grandfather. He couldn't help to wonder how disappointed he may have been of him. All that training, all that effort, and now everything was gone because of him. He was ashamed and constantly thought to himself how useless he was, how he didn't deserve to look at his grandfather in the eyes, not as a failure.
"Hey, quiet" a guard said to Reinaldo.
"I didn't say anything" he answered.
The guard wasn't buying it, "Yeah right. Just stay quiet, punk". He replied, but a few seconds later he approached him again, "The hell did I just said!?".
"What are you talking about?!".
"Don't play with me, you bandit piece of crap!" The guard grabbed Reinaldo by the collar and lifted him, ready to punch him in the face, when the sound came back and he noticed it didn't come out of Reinaldo.
"Hey, just calm down". His partner said.
The guard let go of Reinaldo but didn't stop seeking for the sound, "Wait, you don't hear it?".
"Hear what?".
"Shh. Listen".
The guards and the bandits paid attention to the sound…a whistle in the distance.
"It's just a whistle. Probably Willems is chilling out the te…" The guard's partner stopped when the whistle became louder…and louder and louder.
"Whistle~".
The soldiers all over the camp looked at their surroundings in dismay and confusion as the sound of the whistle grew closer and engulfed the cave completely.
Ludmila, signaled her soldiers to prepare for combat….but Roberto, sitting on his wheelchair right before being boarded in an airship, started to sweat cold.
"Whistle~".
Back at the tent, Reinaldo couldn't help but get goosebumps at the dismal melody. It only took a few seconds for the sound to deem and become fainter and fainter and fainter…
"…It…It's over?" The guard said.
The camp fell in deep silence. Only the sound of the waterfall outside could be heard faintly.
"What the hell, was that?".
The sound was gone and Ludmila signaled her tropes to return to their duties, a new airship was landing. The soldiers went back to helping Roberto board his ship…but the old man was pale…horrified…"It's here".
The soldier looked at him in confusion…and then they heard it. The landing ship began to spin uncontrollably crashing on top of some tents, crushing everyone inside and setting the camp ablaze.
The shock wave from the crash sent Reinaldo´s tent flying and the soldiers guarding him to the ground. As soon as the dust settled, he took the chance to make his escape.
Reinaldo ran, tackling a soldier in his way, he fell to the ground in the confusion and desperately tried to find a way to cut his handcuffs.
As the blue-eyed bandit crawled for his life, the soldiers opened fire against…something in the smoke cloud. Reinaldo didn't try to see but he could hear the screams of both soldiers and his own men. Gunfire wasn't as horrifying as the agonizing yells of people as they were being slaughtered.
He finally stumbled on his weapon, it was s struggle to aim and fire the shotgun correctly but he managed to blast the chain without losing his hands in the process.
Reinaldo took his shield and stepped into a world of chaos. Flames had consumed half of the camp. Corpses were littered all around, both soldiers and bandits alike, no one was safe.
Reinaldo ran to find his grandfather. He had to run past his fallen tribemates, his former friends, as he marched to take his mentor and flee the scene, even tackling some soldiers on his way.
"Grandpa!", As Reinaldo approached Roberto's ship, another ship exploded and sent him to the ground.
Roberto could only sit there, uncertain of his grandson's fate….but as the smoke and dust settled…the nightmare greeted him once more.
Roberto at first was in shock. He soon got his head down…and after a bit of reflection, he couldn't help but laugh. "Hello, old shade…It's finally my turn, huh?".
"Grandpa! Grandpa!".
The creature turned at Reinaldo for a second, but the kid was crawling…and it had a better pray.
Roberto simply gave his grandson a kind smile. The boy was kneeling and breathing exasperated. Reinaldo had failed his grandfather, he thought he hated him, he thought he was disappointed in him…and the old man just sat there, giving him the same smile, he used to give him when he was a little kid and he read stories to him. Stories of bravery, stories of heroes, stories of bright futures.
"Go, lad. Build a better future for yourself. Don't make my mistakes".
"I won't leave you!".
"It's ok, my son….You still have a future ahead of you. But me? The ghosts of my past have finally caught up to me…It's ok…now GO! GET OUT HERE!". With those words, Roberto gave his grandson his last wishes.
Reinaldo ran away with tears in his eyes.
Roberto sat smiling, greeting the nightmare-like an old friend. The Whistler did it slowly, savoring every single second.
Reinaldo ran as fast as he could, as he made it out of the cave and beyond the waterfall, he tearfully listened to the ever-growing whistle, the chilling and horrifying melody that would haunt his nightmares, for the rest of his life.
"Whistle~".
Author's notes:
Thank you everyone for reading. As always, any feedback is highly appreciated.
We are getting closer to the end of the story. Will be working hard to deliver on it.
For a bit of lore. Not much for this chapter:
Azulejos' Talon translates to Blue Jay's Talon.
Amatista is an allusion to Antonia, Don Quixote's niece, who is both worried about Quixote's safety but also wants him to be happy. Santiago is an allusion to the husband Quixote wants Antonia to get, a good man who doesn't read fantasy books because he doesn't want his niece to suffer from another man that makes his mistakes.