It has been a long time since I have tried to write, but I have been in a RWBY mood. I have to say "A Little Push" by Kensarto, "Erranty" by Twisted Fate MK 2 and "The Arcana Craftsman" by The White Wulf have been a great inspiration for me. So if you are so inclined to give them a read, I would recommend doing has also taken elements and ideas from D&D as well as Sword Art Online and Log Horizon. Feedback is always appreciated and if you would like me clarify everything please let me know.

Jaune heaved the axe in an overhead swing, splitting the log cleanly. The sun beat down on his back as he tossed the pieces into the growing pile beside him. The old courtyard offered little shade as he couldn't but frown at the crumbling stone walls of his home. The old castle had seen better days. The cobblestones were cracked, the parapets overgrown and the roofs of several buildings collapsed under years of harsh winters. But it was a little tucked away corner all his own. Figuring he had taken enough of a break he went back to it.

Turning back to the old stump in the center of the yard, he set up the next log. He brought the axe down on log after log, his shoulder muscles straining as he pushed himself. His arms begged for him to stop the next log split in twine. A small ping rang in his ears as a small notification popped up in front of him.

Level Up, Level 5 to Level 5. Prerequisite required to progress

Jaune growled at the same old message that popped up time and again before throwing his hands up in frustration. "What Prerequisite?! I have tried everything, why can't I level up!?"

He slumped to his knees in defeat, leaving the axe embedded in the stump. He had tried everything, training his stats, manual labor, studying, everything and anything he could think of to try and level up.

"Seventh time today, I think that is a new record." Jaune winced as his eldest sister Blanche huffed. "How many times are you going to beat your head against that wall before you realize, it isn't going to happen Fiver?"

Jaune hadn't noticed her take a seat on the low wall next to the woodshed. But then again, his sisters had a habit of sneaking up on him. Jaune's muscles ached as he pulled himself up, grabbing the last log he had split and added it to the pile. She was perched on the wall as if it were a throne built with her in mind. It was clear that the two were siblings, the same blonde hair and blue eyes. But for all their similarity, they couldn't be more different.

"Until sometime happens, I can't be stuck at level 5 forever." He spat, glancing over his shoulder as he wrenched the axe out of the stump.

Blanche Arc: Level 27, Mage/Lord

Blanche stood arms crossed, leaning against the archway that led back to the house. Even half bathed in shadow, she was every bit imposing and regal as ever. Shoulder length blonde hair framed a dispassionate smirk and cold blue eyes perfectly. She was tall and slender, beautiful without being overstated, but to Jaune she always seemed like a coiled snake. Even her simple outfit, a pair of black tights and a blouse styled in the colors of the house of Arc, seems regal.

"Is that so?" She asked, her words dripping with honeyed venom as she pushed herself off the stone arch. Jaune eyed her as she strolled into his space, her hand resting on the pommel of the saber at her waist.

"Yes, I just have to keep putting myself. If I can't figure out what my prerequisite is, I will just power through it." Jaune growled, the axe resting on his shoulder as she circled him. Her smirk dropped into an ugly grimace.

She stared down her nose at him as he did his best not to shrink under her gaze. "Is that what you think, that with enough hard work you can surpass your limit. The strong are born strong and the weak are born weak. You are cursed Jaune, the gods cursed you. No amount of praying or hard work can change their design."

"I don't care if I am cursed, if I have to defy the gods I will. I will be a hero like dad and every other Arc that has come before me. The gods be damned." He said in a low voice as he finally turned to face her.

Jaune Arc: Level 5, Fighter/Butler

"That is blasphemy, Jaune! Do you want the gods to smite you?" She hissed. Jaune had heard it before and he was really too tired to care. A smirk crossed her face as her eyes flashed and a skill activated. "Commanding Force!" He broke eye contact immediately as a great weight wrapped around him."I am the heir apparent and your future lord. You would do well to know your place and heed my wisdom. Now why don't you go level up your Career Class and go polish something."

He stood there as he waited for the effect of her career to wear off. Unlike Combat Classes, you weren't born with a Career Class, it was something that could be learned and taught, within reason. Being the oldest, Blanche had been trained as a Lord, as was her birthright. Now, one could learn up to four Career Classes and change which one was active. Porter, Woodsman, Carpenter even Wanderer was a career you could pick up and typically were geared toward crafting, hobbies or life long careers. Very few careers offered any benefit in combat, Lord happened to be one of them.

A Lord had ways of boosting surrounding allies with stat buffs or even compelling compliance. As far as Jaune was concerned, the Lord career was bullshit. Butler was something Jaune had picked up helping around the house by accident. He had been helping sweep when it activated. He was so overjoyed when the notification popped up, he nearly dropped his broom. His mother looked like she had had a heart attack and his sisters were trying not to laugh. It would be years later he would come to find they weren't laughing at his mother's reaction.

It wasn't long before he was saddled with his siblings' chores as his father began training them for other roles. He would watch as he polished silverware from the balcony as his sisters learned magic, combat and the skills of nobles. He could remember the angry and sorrow as his father passed over him to focus on his younger sisters. When he asked to begin training, at first Lord Arc laughed and shooed him away, as years passed laughing became shouting and finally his father ignored him completely as Jaune begged for something, anything. The Butler career wasn't all bad, being able to spot servant pathways and being noticeable when working around the house came in handy.

Your Combat Class, however, was the base of everything outside of one's Career Class and Elemental Affinity. Stats, aura, combat skills and attacks were based on your Combat Class. And while you couldn't choose your starting Combat Class, it would evolve with you as you gained experience or skills. The title changed as you did, though you could display any title you gained.

She stalked around him in an evertighting circle. "What is wrong little brother, what happened to all that fire from earlier?" She hummed as he stood still at a statue as a pressure much like the depths of the sea prevented him from so much as twitching a finger. "Gods, at least the twins can look me in the eyes. Your pathetic defiance bores me." She said as she turned on a dime and waltzed out of the courtyard. "But please do let me know if you do progress in the slightest."

He waited until she vanished through the side gate to pull up his menu.

Jaune Arc: Human, Level 5, Fighter/Butler Exp: 205,153/50 (Error)

Might: 15, Dexterity: 10, Fortitude: 16, Intelligence: 11, Instinct: 13 Aura: 15/15

His knuckles turned white as the heft of the axe creaked. Flipping to his Combat Class tab, he roared as it was still blank. Normally, especially at such a low level, it would offer up a hint but as usual his level requirements read Exp 50.

"What do I need to do?!" He turned his eyes to the sky as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. "Did you really curse me? Is that why I can't level up? A'anur, Sha'ss, Ygnerr, Thomyntor, Borille, Het, Chandris,...Olymett, please just tell me why?" Tears finally flowed free as no god answered. Trudging to the tool shed, finding he had thrown the axe, as it was now embedded in the door.

"I am going to need to fix that tomorrow." He sighed as he did his best to remove it without widening the cut he had already made. A cold wind chilled him to the bone as he put the axe back on it's peg. He shivered as he watched a stormfront roll in, thunder echoing through the valley. "I better get inside, dinner should be ready soon."

Jogging despite his tired muscles, he slipped through the castle wall and into the main keep with practiced ease. His mother would kill him if he was late for dinner again and running into any of his sisters would guarantee tardiness. Pulling out a hand towel out of his inventory, he neatly draped it over his forearm.

Butler Skill Activated: Help Unseen, Unheard

He grinned as he felt his back straighten and his steps become even and measured. He could practically feel himself blend into the halls as the skill kicked in. Not a moment later, a giggle reached his ears.

"Shhh, Vert!" A voice whispered loudly. "He is going to hear you."

"Sorry Olivier." A second voice replied just as loudly.

Jaune could only shake his head as he rounded a corner. Two poorly hidden blondes crouched behind two vases of either side of the hall with a rope hidden under the carpet between them. His eyes narrowed. "Hm, what are these two vases doing here? Aren't these from mom's garden?" The two giggled. He cautiously approached, peering over one of the vases.

The blank, black eyes of a doll stared up at him. He turned a deathly white as a hand shot out of the dirt and latched onto his collar.

"Gotcha."

Vert Arc: Rogue

The world seemed to slow down as her twin rose from the other pot. She smiled as the dirt clod in her hand morphed into mud. "Keep him still."

Olivier Arc: Rogue

The mud ball when flying as she hurled it in a high arch. That will cause a mess now, won't it. His Butler class went into overdrive. Vert yelped as she found herself pulled free from the dirt as Jaune threw his hand towel in the air. The mud ball collided with the towel before hitting the wall where he had been. The vase tumbled as Jaune gracefully set down and dusted his sister off. He caught it with his ankle. Olivier was stunned as he put the pottery back into place while tilling into a roll. She tried to burrow as he popped to his feet and caught her by her collar.

"Don't even think about it." He was satisfied when her only response was to groan. Smirking he dusted out what dirt he could from his little sister. "You know you can't beat me on my favored terrain."

"A castle doesn't count as terrain."

"It does for me." He gave them both a once over before deciding they were clean enough not to leave a trail of dirt. "Go tidy up for dinner." He hummed as he tilted a lamp fixture and the wall opened. They tried to rush in after him only for the wall to close behind him.

Jaune couldn't help but feel at home in the secret passages of the only home he had ever known. The slight smell of dry, stale air, the stone bricks and wood paneling, to most would be unnerving but to Jaune it was an escape. Even if his passives didn't help him navigate the dark paths, he knew these paths like the back of his hand. He had spent hours and days avoiding his family, here, exploring and discovering hidden rooms and exits.

Emerging into his room from behind his dresser, he quickly set about getting himself cleaned. Sweat and grime clung to him as he stripped out of his tunic. A basin of water sat at the foot of his bed with a washcloth folded neatly next to it.

"This is one of those times I wish I could use magic." He shivered as he dipped the cloth in the freezing water. Quickly washed up and donned a simple blue doublet. Giving himself a once over in the mirror and finding his appearance acceptable, he let the safety of his room. He calmly made his way into the dinning room, to find a middle aged woman with graying wings at her temple setting a heavy pot onto the table.

"Jaune love, can you help me set the table?" The woman asked, draping her brow with a handkerchief.

"Of course, mum." He smiled as he beelined it to the kitchen, grabbing a stack of plates.

Butler Skill Activated: Enhanced Footwork

With unnatural grace and balance, he wove his way around the table. The tower of plates and silverware teetered dangerously but never toppled. Vert and Olivier giggled as they took their seats, ever amused by the clumsy, tipsy grace of their brother. Stout Marron, dark haired like their mother, just rolled her eyes from behind her book as she took her own seat. Rouge and Clair stomped in, a heated argument burned between them. His uncle Or, his trademark smirk, ever present on his face winked as he pulled out a chair for his companion. Lady Gris, the elderly matron of the House of Arc, thanked her son as he helped her to her seat.

Jaune nodded as every place was set, forks, knives, plates and napkins all perfectly in place. "Is there anything else you want my help with Mum?"

"No, love, take your seat next to your sisters." She smiled as she set a large basket on bread near the head of the table.

"If only all your children were so helpful."

"Orin." Gris scolded. "All of my darling grandchildren are helpful in their own way."

The blonde man just shook his head, slyly sending Jaune a wink. "Of course, mother."

Orin was much like Jaune in a way, an oddball of the family. His skin was more tan then the rest of his family with a simple beard and a scar on his chin and runs beneath his shirt. His clothes were always ruffled somehow, and carried a sword on his belt. Jaune had first met his uncle when he returned from a long quest when he was seven. Every time Jaune asked, Orin would tell him a wild tale different from the last of his journey. Saving a priestess of Sha'ss with a tower of pure ice in Mantle, slaying a dragon in the deserts of Vacuo or dueling a knight on the shores of Lake Beltear for seven days and nights.

Jaune just grinned back as the doors swung open, Blanche and his father strolled in. He scowled as Blanche's gaze swept over them as the rest of his siblings bowed their heads in submission. Her eyes narrowed at him and he held his own gazes for a moment more.

"Good evening more dear children." Lord Julius Arc rumbled as he took his seat at the head of the table, kissing his wife's cheek on his way. His voice was rich and deep, flowing with authority and strength.

"Good evening father." They all echoed.

He was a well built man, broad and strong, a true incarnation of a noble lord. Neatly cut blonde hair held back by a simple gold circlet graced his head. His face was bare, free of beard or scars. Blue Arc eyes held a cunning and wisdom of long years. A mantle of Arc colours hung from his shoulders, trailing behind him like a mane of blue, white and gold.

He beamed at his children, grabbing his bowl and filling it with stew before passing it down. This was how dinner worked with such a large family, food and drink was passed down the line from the head of the house. "And what have you all been up to today?"

"Me and Olivier played tag and hide and seek." Vert chirped, with her twig bouncing in agreement. "I won."

"No you didn't!"

"Are you two improving your skills and stats?"

"Yes father." They replied in tandem.

"And how are your studies, Marron?" He turned his attention to their older sister who smiled in response.

"They are going well father, the history of the Battle of Supnear Hill is utterly fascinating." She smiled in glee.

"Ah, the Battle of Supnear is a battle of many cunning generals and teaches a valuable lesson to all who will heed it." He chuckled.

"Of course father."

His sister, Rouge, sensing it was her turn, began without prompting. "I hit the 500 meter target."

"Excellent, my dear, I told you training your strength would increase your range. I look forward to our next hunt." The brunette seemed to glow under his praise.

"As do I father, though I hope you can keep up." She smirked as he bellowed a laugh.

"We will see. Clair, how was your training?"

"It was fine." She said off handedly.

"You will progress soon, we all hit a plateau. Be patient, it will come." Jaune grit his teeth as his sisters pointedly ignored him. Clair had the decency to shoot a sad look his way.

"Jaune was busy leveling today." Blanche hummed, shooting him a smirk. A round of laughter echoed around the table and his father, mother and grandmother sighed. He didn't know to turn to know his uncle bore a look of pity.

"Jaune, we have talked about this." He gave his son a hard but tired look.

"No, we haven't. We haven't talked because that would imply you listened at all. You just tell me to give up, do my chores and be happy with my life." He growled. It seems it was going to be one of those days, as his frustration boiled over.

"Jaune, you cannot level up. It is not possible for you." He held his glare as he knew his son wasn't going to back down.

"That can't be possible, everyone can level so why can't I. There has to be a sage or healer that can find out what is wrong with me." His seat clattered to the ground causing his sisters to jump.

"Jaune, sit down!" His blue eyes burned as a Lord skill hung at the tip of his tongue.

"Why don't you just go sell your soul to the Witchqueen or the Magnus, I am sure they can help you." Marron scoffed.

Jaune felt his blood run cold.

"Marron!" Her mother shouted. Marron shrank into her seat as their parents looked at her in aghast.

"She is right." Jaune was shocked as it was Rouge who spoke. "If he wants to level up so bad, let the Witchqueen turn him into a monster at least his death would bring honor to the family when one of us slays him."

"Or better yet, go to the Magnus so you can sacrifice yourself for the greater good. At least fiver could die believing he was good for something other than cleaning." Blanche said, staring down her nose at him.

Jaune stared at each of them in shock as even the twin were glaring at him.

"I wish you had sent him away instead of Saphron." Vert muttered.

"I didn't send Saphron away, the son of an ally wishes to court her and we thought it was a fine match." His father sighed as he turned his attention to his youngest. Jaune felt the color drain from the world around.

"Why does she have to get courted?!" Olivier shouted.

"You will understand when you are older." Their father rumbled. Jaune just walks toward the door lifeless as his father steers the conversion to the topic of duty and marriage. No one stopped him, his grandmother stared at his retreating form in pity.

"It would have been better if he had never been born." She muttered.

"Don't forget to clean up, fiver!" Blanche shouted with a laugh. He quickened his step as he dashed to the nearest servants entrance, tears threatening to spill over.

The rain pitter pattered off the cobblestones of the courtyard as the storm raged on. A section of wall opened up as Jaune slipped out of the passage clutching a bundle. He glanced around before unwrapping the arming sword he had squirreled away. The rain pinged off the blade as he assumed the warriors stance.

"I was wondering when you would resurface." Jaune didn't even flinch as he moved through the basic motions of swordplay.

"What do you want Uncle Orin?" His uncle pushed off the wall, the rain falling on both of them as the older man slowly circled him.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"You would be the only one then." He growled as he swung his sword in a wide arc.

A sigh escaped him as Orin watched his only nephew over swing and over correct when swinging the blade. He gave him what pointers he could as he could only watch the poor boy vent every ounce of sorrow and rage into his movements.

"We need to find shelter from the storm!" A figure in a hooded cloak shouted as she pulled beside her companion's horse. The other figure merely stared at the small effigy in her palm as it pulsed and glowed. She urged her horse forward as it led her forth.

"I am sure we will find shelter when we reach where Ygnerr is leding us." She consoled her charge as her horse followed the long forgotten trail.

"You put too much faith in a simple statue and the gods in general." She shouted as she called forth a ball of light to light the forest.

"I do not ask you to share in my faith, Weiss. Only to trust me." The woman ahead of her looks back to find the mage shivering. Wiess pulled her hood further up her head to vainly try to ward off the rain. Letting out a sigh, Weiss nodded as she pushed her horse forward.

"There is the abandoned castle of Arcenstone just up ahead. If that isn't our destination, then we can at least escape rain for the night there." She looked up the path as they emerged from the trees.

Her eyes widened in surprise as lights sat in the silhouette of the keep at the top of the hill.

"It would seem it is not so abandoned." The follower of goddess of war hummed as she held up the figure as it shone brighter still. "And it would seem that would in fact be our destination."

I know people are going to ask, so Olivier is pronounced O-liv-ee-ay. It is french so the spelling is weird.

Jaune Arc

Race: Human

Combat Class: Fighter(Level 5), Career Class: Butler(level: 3)

Might: 15, Dexterity: 10, Fortitude: 16, Intelligence: 11, Instinct: 13, Aura: 15/15

Skills

Help Unseen, Unheard

As long as the user is in a manor, castle or house that they have sworn allegiance to, their movements are muffled and their form blurred into the halls and rooms letting work unhindered.

Prerequisite: Butler level 2. The user gains Stealth equal to their Butler level plus their Instinct or Dexterity.

(16% bonus to Stealth within the halls of Arcenstone)

Enhanced Footwork

The user gains unnatural grace and balance when doing manual tasks within the sworn household.

Prerequisite: Butler. The user gains increased dexterity within the halls of Castle Arcenstone.

(Multiple Dexterity by 2 when skill is active.)

Servant's Clairvoyance

Passive

The user gains unnatural insight to where and how to access hidden passages within the walls of the sworn household. When within any hidden passageway, the user cannot become lost and always know where they are in relation to the rest of the household. They also are aware of any who knock on any door, window or entrance seeking entrance.

Sworn to House Arc