Salem's Servant: Chapter 2
Dried out leaves and sticks crinkled and crumpled under his brown leather boots. The familiar smell of the forest wafted through the air as soft winds flew on by from above. Thankfully, it wasn't as cold as the night before, so Jaune had no worries about staying warm. Though it didn't mean it was likely it would stay that way for long, nor did it mean it was warm enough to commend not wearing or bringing a coat. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Jaune continued to traverse through the dense trees, his eyes shifting between where he was going and the small map on the flyer in his hands, but still sharp for anything standing out or potentially dangerous. Hours had passed since he had started the trek towards the manor – towards his hopefully new job.
And by hours, he meant a whole half-a-morning and an entire afternoon worth of hours.
He had woken up first thing in the morning, right as the sun was blaring its wake up call to all of Remnant. He just couldn't wait for today. The amount of tossing and turning and thinking about his answers to the questions his new employers would inevitably give was enough to keep him awake at night in both excitement and anxiety. It left him a bit drowsy in the morning, sure, but the thrill that the day had finally come had been enough to kick him into full gear like a pot of the finest coffee in the city.
And so, after packing up the little stuff he had and saying goodbye to the decrepit building he once called a crappy home, he had finally left his short bum life and begun his trip to the manor!
…Right before he got some breakfast. As some had said, a man with a hungry stomach was a man with a… well, a hungry stomach. He actually had no idea if there was saying like that. But basically, Jaune was starving, and there was no way he was going to go on a long walk with no food in his belly. He'd probably die not far from the city's main gate otherwise, and if he indeed survived without a meal, then he would for sure not be able to focus his meeting with his employers.
So after spending a few gold he had on some warm buttered bread and a glass of refreshing milk, he had finally set out on his journey to his hopefully new job!
…Right after he got a bath, realizing he absolutely smelled. There was no way he was going to show up at the manor smelling and looking like a popular tavern after a Friday night. The family would probably mistake him for some wild animal and beat him with a broomstick until he ran away.
And he definitely did not want to experience something like for the fourth time in his life.
And so, after taking a trip to the nearest bath house (which was thankfully cheap), he finally, finally made his way to the threshold of Vale's main gate, and after taking a deep breath that must have made the nearby guards roll their eyes at him (not that he actually noticed), Jaune took his first step and set off into the journey leading to a new chapter of his life.
And what a journey it was.
A long, tiring, outstandingly confusing journey.
He must have miscalculated the distance it took to reach the branching path that supposedly led to the manor, because mother of all that was holy was the main road as long as Remnant's history books combined. It felt like he had just traveled from the city all the way to the farthest end of Vacuo. There was no doubting blisters had already riddled his poor, aching feet.
Sure, he could have asked for a ride from the many horse riders that passed by, but his brain hadn't suggested the thought before the branching path was already in sight, making the idea totally worthless.
Unfortunately, the dirt path that supposedly led straight to the manor suffered the same miscalculated farness as the main road. At first, Jaune didn't really mind the lengthy walk. Walking through a quiet and peaceful forest where there's nothing but the sounds of birds chirping and the faint rustling of the trees was somewhat of a pastime of his. He could probably do it all day if he wanted to. Just him and nature, existing in serenity…
Well, it was just like that, right before nature's serenity started to slowly devolve into nature's nightmare. He couldn't pinpoint when it started, but after a while of walking and rewinding today's unfortunate events, he noticed trees started to lose their leaves, calming sounds starting fading into non-existence, and the overall atmosphere became a whole lot creepier the further he went down the path, especially with how dusk started to settle in. It was like a dream slowly transforming into some horrific nightmare. Sanity deteriorating into insanity.
Most people would have probably stopped and turned back by now. He couldn't blame them. A smart person would want to run at the first sign of impending danger.
But Jaune was not a smart person – he was a determined one.
Despite it frightening him and kicking his flight response into action, being alone and defenseless in a creepy forest wasn't going to stop him from getting that sweet one thousand gold per week salary.
And so he trudged on, a bit scared out of his socks but dead-set nonetheless.
Which now led him to here… still walking…
Jaune squinted his eyes and tried his best to look through the dark, thick trees. It was hard though. The lantern he brought with him could only manage to light a few feet in front of him. It was a cheap one he got from a retired traveler who had been kind enough to give it to him for a much lower price. But it was broken to all hell, and the numerous cracks on the glass made the flame flicker a lot and almost die out at a few points. He may as well be carrying a single match with how weak the flame was.
But Jaune wouldn't let that stop him, even if it resulted in the creepiness factor of the forest to shoot all the way up to the moon.
The blonde checked the small map again. He had been walking along this dirt path for hours now. He must be getting near, right? After all, he had been following the map right down to the little curves and skews. Surely, he must be.
Because if after all this time he had been nothing but completely lost, having took the wrong path or something, then by gods, somebody jump out of a bush and stab him in the back of his neck now.
Actually, no. Don't do that.
Jaune sighed and retired the flyer into his coat pocket, continuing down the dim path.
I wonder what the manor looks like… He wondered in his head. Growing up in Ansel, he had never really seen any grand and large houses as a kid, at least real ones. The closest to a manor he could get was the old large orphanage somewhere in town, but even then it was quite standard. Vale didn't help much either. Sure he would wander through the richer areas of the city during his days there as a young, struggling homeless man, but they were all just fancy businesses and inns – not a whole of residential housing around those parts.
Hmm. Maybe it could be like that one manor in that children's book I saw once. His mind started to form the image.It was wide and large one. Pristine limestone walls and high, bronze-framed windows. A wide staircase leading to the grand entrance, and a large garden full of colorful flowers that would make florists faint in joy and euphoria.
Or maybe it could look like that old one in that other book. Four stories of quaint, cobblestone walls and white-framed square windows that looked as old as a dying grandmother but still retained its homey feeling. A beaten path cutting through neatly cut plains of grass leading towards the front double doors, with perfectly trimmed hedges flanking both sides. And on top of the roof was a closed gazebo, clearly intended to hold any roof top activities.
Jaune continued to ponder on the looks as more possibilities popped in his head. Some were more simple in design, while some were grander and even a bit bizarre and unrealistic. To be frank, he wouldn't mind having a manor of his own. Nothing too grand; just something simple and able to make him feel right at home. Gods, it would be nice sitting in front of a fireplace while sipping a cup of hot, delicious in the middle of a cold, winter ni–
"Ow!" Jaune cried out, bumping his forehead into something metallic. It looked like he may have pondered a bit too much, for he was too busy in dreamland to notice the large, black metal gate right in front him, clear as day, and walked right into it like the bumbling fool that he was.
Wincing at the pain, Jaune nursed his forehead, now noticing the metal gate in front of him, long stretches of tall, worn out brick walls at either sides of it. It looked like something straight out of a horror story. Sharp top ends on the bars, a dark gothic design, and a creepy symbol he couldn't make out right between the two sides of the gates that would send the weak-minded straight on home at a glimpse. The fact that the flickering light of his lantern gave the gate an ominous look to it didn't help much either.
Jaune gulped nervously at the sight, but he didn't let the idea of instantly running away get to him. He pulled out the flyer from his coat and checked the map, comparing his darkened surroundings. Sure enough, this was the end of the path.
He brought his head forward and tried to see beyond the gate, but all he could gather that it was pitch black as a cold-blooded murderer's soul. He tried directing his lantern's light towards the dark, but the failed as well. The only way he could make anything out was if he…
…went inside.
Jaune gulped at the idea. Trespassing onto a stranger's property without proper permission was bad enough on his moral code, let alone trespassing onto a stranger's property that looked like something straight out of a horror tale people would spread around, and could likely even get himself murdered if he stepped one foot into the place.
A large part of his mind screamed that this was a bad idea, and that he should bail and never come back to this spine-chilling place. His body was just itching to follow his instincts, feeling his feet fidget slightly, already wanting to take a step back and run.
But he ignored his instincts and steeled himself, planting his feet firmly on the ground. He had come this far in his travels, and had endured many blisters and aching feet. Many hours of walking and praying to the gods he was nearing the manor led him to this moment. No way was he going to waste all of that effort away now and jump ship, no matter how much his instincts would like to do otherwise.
Be brave, Jaune. You've made it this far; there's no turning back. You are going to open this gate and you are going to walk straight on in there. Into the dark… creepy… darkness… that probably has some crazed murderer hiding in the shadows… Jaune shook his head, dispelling the pessimistic thoughts. No, be brave! You can do this, Jaune. You're going to go in there, get that house servant job and you're going to get that one thousand gold per week salary! Yeah! Gold! Money! Not being a homeless bum!
Filled up to his eyeballs in tenacity, Jaune took a deep breath and grabbed a bar on one of the gates, pushing it open as it made a horrible screeching noise that instantly made him want to cover his ears.
At least it wasn't locked. He really didn't want to put in the effort of scaling and climbing over the walls, not with his feet practically killing him and making him vulnerable and off his guard if he did so.
After closing the gate and listening to the god awful screeching noise once more, Jaune began making his way forward. Fortunately, a convenient gravel path followed right after the gate, so at least he didn't have to wander aimlessly in the dark in search of this manor.
Jaune trod on forward down the path, stretching his lantern ahead to try to get a somewhat better view of where he was going. It was incredibly silent here. Like dead silent. Save for the crunching of rocks beneath his boots as he walked, every other sound that would have accompanied this creepy place was absent. There were no distant caws of crows, no soft rustles of trees (not that it was actually possible for leafless trees to make rustling noises), not even small crickets chirping away. Just complete, dead silence.
It was a bit ironic. Most nights, Jaune would have killed for a silent night like this. His little sisters always liked to stay up most nights. But now that he was here alone, he wanted nothing more than noise all around him to wade away the fear and eeriness of this place.
As Jaune continued following the path to gods know where, he tried to pierce his eyes through the darkness to see if there was anything in the distance. Much to his chagrin and rapidly growing claustrophobia, he could barely see anything past a few feet. The darkness was just too thick. It was as if someone had taken some dense fog, put it all around him and painted them black. There weren't even any stars nor the bright moon he was familiar with up in the sky – just pure black. He wasn't even sure if he was even looking at the sk–
Jaune jumped in fear and stopped to a halt, frantically whipping his body around. Something made a noise from far behind him. The sudden sound was softened by the distance, but it sounded like something had fallen. Like an echo of hammer falling onto a pile of nails and scrap metal.
"H-Hello…?" He quietly called out. The blonde scanned the darkness for anything that could jump at him, scared out of his very mind. His shaky hands rattled his lantern, his heart was beating fast and hard, and he could barely keep his breathing under control. He was completely alone. Sure he was, r-right…? It was dead silent; there was no way someone could be in here with him right now. He surely would have heard something before.
Frightful, blue eyes scanned the darkness a few more times. Minutes passed by, and after seeing and hearing nothing more, Jaune gradually relaxed before letting out a small sigh in relief. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with a shaky hand. He could feel his heart slowing down.
Probably just my mind… well, hopefully… After a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Jaune regained his fragile composure and moved on forward, a bit more relaxed but still had his guard up in case something else happened.
It took a couple more minutes, but after a while, the gravel path finally diverged, surrounding an old and crumbling fountain in a giant roundabout, which he almost ran into if not for the small light from his lantern. It was certainly something that a rich family would have, what with the intricate designs and engraving and the marble statues of creatures and animals sitting atop the fountain.
One thing that boggled him though was the look of pure abandonment.
It looked like it hadn't been touched by another human for years. There were vines growing everywhere, crawling up the sides from the ground and even dipping into the waterless pit itself. The marble and stone was old and falling to ruin. Looking down, the pit that would have contained clear water now held nothing but old mold, leaves and twigs. There were a couple of gold coins down there he could spot, but they were so dirty and old that he doubted he could even use them as currency anymore.
The family must have forgot this fountain ever existed, because wow, this is as filthy as Emerald's mind. Jaune thought, his mind going back to the numerous times his older sister happily shared inappropriate jokes at the dinner table. He still had no idea how she got away doing that without even a single warning.
He continued to eye the muck and dirt. It was strange. This family was rich enough to afford paying a servant one thousand gold a week, right? Surely, they must have had some other servants that were dedicated to cleaning the fountain.
Hmm… He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. Now that he thought about it, it was quite strange how a rich family would dip so low from their high social status as to pin up a barely readable flyer at Vale's official job board looking for a house servant, when they could just easily find someone reputable and skilled enough hailing from the higher class parts of the city and not just some random guy off the street. And judging from the details on the flyer, they were more than rich enough to afford someone like that.
So… why the flyer?
Jaune pondered at the oddness of it all for one moment, feeling that something was up with this so-called "high-class family". Something awfully suspicious. As if… this family wasn't rich at all… or that this family… never even existed in the first place…
"Hmm… strange…" Jaune muttered, but then shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well, that's a mystery I'll cross when I get there. Not like it'll brutally murder me and dump my body somewhere where no one could find me or anything."
Jaune moved onwards, forgetting the little mystery he had come up in his head and continuing on to get his new job.
It wasn't long until the path eventually ended, which then led up to the front of the supposed manor.
Finally, I'm here. Jaune happily thought, almost racing up the steps towards the grand double doors. He couldn't really see much of the outside manor due to the thick darkness and low light, but he could tell the manor itself wasn't in good shape either. Like the fountain, vines practically riddled the broken down brick walls like the Mistrali Dark Flu. Years old mold (he had no idea how old they were, but they might as well be) grew in between the nooks and crannies of every brick, and what were probably once clear and spotless windows at one point were now shattered and broken into practically nothing.
This manor was more fit to be a haunted house for people to drum up tales and rumors than an actual home.
And it sure didn't help quell Jaune's fear one bit.
Ignoring the haunting feeling of the place, Jaune continued onwards towards the large, dark oak doors. As expected, they were broken and worn down like everything else around him. But was weird to him were the locks on the doors – or rather, lack thereof. It looked like the locks and doorknobs were ripped straight out of their places, leaving nothing but moldy spots of missing wood. It was as if someone had kicked the locked doors open once – someone like a house burglar.
Or a giant, blood-thirsty monster spawned from the depths of the Underworld.
Dispelling the horrific images popping up in his head that suggested even more horrific stuff, Jaune furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He could get behind the out-of-control vines and the overall broken down look of the manor making some sense. Perhaps these people liked having their home look quaint and old. He could see the charm of it. But even then, surely they couldn't just leave a broken door like this, especially if it's the main entrance into the manor. Being rich, you'd think the family would be the least bit of concerned about what their visitors and guests thought of their home.
Maybe this family just really likes broken stuff. Jaune thought and left it at that. He wasn't going to judge a family's taste in aesthetics and design choices, not when he wasn't swimming in gold himself and practically had no right to form an opinion on them.
He lightly pushed one lock-busted door, nudging it open just enough to where he could see inside. As expected from an ominous manor, it was incredibly dark.. The only thing he could see was the blanket of dust covering the red, lavish carpet leading from the main entrance to the unknown – everything else was shrouded in black.
Jaune gulped, a bead of sweat running down his temple. Okay… waaay darker than I wanted it to be. But that's okay. Just keep calm and pretend that there isn't some guy with a dagger or horrible monster roaming around in there and you'll be fine… yeah… totally fine…
After a few tries of trying to peer through the darkness, Jaune cleared his throat. "H-Hello…?' He called out, his voice coming out much squeakier than he would have liked.
He waited for an answer – a friendly "Oh, hello!" or "Come in!" that would told him someone sane was in there. But nothing came up. All he got was more deafening silence. He tried again, this time asking if anyone was there. His voice echoed eerily around inside, but once again, no response came.
Dammit. Looks like he was going to have to head inside himself – right into the dark and (he hoped to the gods) empty manor where he could barely see a thing.
"Here goes…" He slowly pushed the door open, cringing as it made a creaking sound so loud and drawn out there was no way no one inside the manor wouldn't have heard that. He was pretty sure even a deaf person would have heard it.
Taking a hesitant step inside and leaving the door open in case there was some guy with a dagger in here with him, Jaune reached his lantern out, trying to light more of the area in front of him. Thankfully, it seemed that the manor hadn't suffered the same curse-like eternal darkness as the yard outside and he could actually see more than a few feet. The room seemed to be some kind of parlor. Fancy but worn and old sofas and tea tables were grouped up at the center of the room, dust having already made its nigh permanent home upon them. To the side of the rooms, along with some antique paintings so torn up they could barely be considered paintings at all, were a couple of bookshelves and display cases respectively containing a few dusted books, fancy plates and other collectibles.
He assumed the expensive-looking stuff were just replicas. After all, you would have to be the dumbest person on Remnant to happily display real, precious items right by the entrance of your home.
Jaune began proceeding to the center of the room. As he did, he took notice of the two wide staircases hugging the side walls, leading up to an interior balcony stretching from side to side, overlooking the entire paror. There was large set of opened doors right at the center of the wall by the balcony, and there were two corridors leading off to the sides.
If fancy couldn't describe what he was seeing, then he didn't know what would.
Coming down from his awe, he walked up to the oak table at the center of a bunch of sofas. Books were scattered haphazardly across the table top, though their mucky covers were so incomprehensible, it was impossible to know what type they were. Old parchment also covered the table, and some took the floor as their new home for gods know how long. None of them had any writing. There was also a vase at the center, but the flowers it held were so decayed, Jaune was a bit surprised they hadn't turned into complete dust by now.
"Wow, these are old as Remnant itself…" He muttered to himself, poking a book. He cringed when the muck stuck to his finger, shaking it off and wiping his finger on a nearby sofa. "Okay, either this family just really, reeeeaaally, likes old and broken stuff, or… something happened…"
More and more thoughts piled into Jaune's mind, some of which sent blizzards down his spine at the implications. He tried to believe those ones weren't possible – he was afraid enough standing here alone as it is. But it was practically impossible to ignore them. Everything was so old, dusty and run down here that it was unlikely this 'family' was anything but fine. He may not be rich, but he knew not a single rich person on Remnant would leave their humble abode this decrepit.
Hell, no one would, regardless of financial status. Especially when they worked so hard to get it.
Which… could only lead to one thing…
"All these old, abandoned things, the run-down manor, and the fact no one is here… There… is no family…" He muttered, eyes widening in way-too-belated realization.
His body went stiff and his hands shook in fear. If what he thought was true in every word, then the job offering was nothing but a ruse. A bait to lure in unsuspecting idiots looking for an easy, high-paying job into a trap.
And Jaune had taken the bait without a single thought.
The blonde's body refused move, stuck in his place like a frozen statue. Even if he knew he was (hopefully) alone, he couldn't help but feel that after realizing his predicament, someone was now watching him closely. Like a predator watching its prey from the shadows, waiting for it to move so they could jump at him.
Feeling himself starting to hyperventilate, Jaune glanced back at the entrance behind him. It was still there, open and easy to run through. His instincts screamed to turn on his heel and run as fast as he could, blaring like dozens of warning bells ringing at once. If he just kept running and following the path back to the gate, he could hopefully make it out of here before something inevitably gave chase and caught up to him. That something, he didn't know. He didn't want to know.
Agreeing with his instincts one-hundred and ten percent, Jaune made to turn and run, only to stop halfway when he his ears picked up something coming from the further inside the manor. He turned his head back to the darkness, and it was then he heard it again.
"Help…"
The voice was soft and distant, and though it sounded croaky and nothing like it, there was no doubting it was coming from a little girl, somewhere within the same floor. It echoed softly through the empty parlor once more, and this time Jaune could hear faint sobbing joining her voice.
He stared at the darkness as another utter for help resonated, his face contorting in inner conflict. He contemplated whether he should follow his previous instincts or risk his life trying to find this helpless girl. The exit was right behind him. All he needed to do was to turn on his heel and run away, and this would be all over.
But hearing that distant cry for help, his inner knight wanted to take a blind leap and find her. To help her and take her away from this place – just like a knight would.
It was a tough choice. There was a chance that the 'little girl' was also some trap that could cost him his life. One where had no way to escape from. Considering where he was, it was an obvious one, and only a brain dead fool would fall for it.
But then again, there was a small sliver of chance that whoever that was indeed needed help. A helpless, defenseless little girl who had fallen into the same trap as him, and desperately wanted nothing more than to escape and run. And if he were to just ignore her and run away, there was no doubting he would be carrying the guilt of indirectly causing the death of a little girl for the rest of his life. He was already carrying the burden of being a rejected huntsman and a dumb idiot; he didn't need any more guilt and burden in his life.
After a few more seconds of contemplation, Jaune eventually sighed. "Dammit…"
Bolstering himself up, he disregarded his only way of escape behind him and ventured further into the tenebrous manor, the otherwise overwhelming guilt and his moral code having chosen his course of action for him. He didn't care if he wasn't an official knight. It wasn't like a knight to leave a helpless person in this wicked place, where dying was as easy as blinking.
And if his fate was nothing but the end for him, then so be it. At least he'd know he died trying to help someone.
He reached his lantern into the dimness as he reached a side corridor. It was as run down and abandoned as the parlor was, if not even more so. Dust, cobwebs, stains of unknown substances and mold practically covered everything his eyes could lay themselves on. The wooden floor creaked ominously with every step he took, adding more to the creepiness than he'd liked. There were several doors that he passed by and ignored, all dilapidated like his gradually waning courage. He didn't know where they lead to, and he sure would like to not find out.
With the amount of fear running through his veins, he wasn't sure he would be able to keep his stomach in check after seeing something so horrible.
As he turned another corner, the calls for help were getting louder and clearer, and he pinpointed to somewhere down the corridor. It was long, dark and ominous, his lantern's slowly waning light only reaching so far before dark shadows took over. He gulped, and a bead of sweat ran down his temple as he trudged forward, trying his best to ignore and endure the raging winter racing down his spine.
The corridor was just like every other one in the manor – ramshackle and unfit for a home. Only this time he couldn't shake off this feeling of paranoia as he fearfully scuffed as fast as he could. It was like someone was watching him from somewhere, but every time his paranoia got to him and he stopped to look, there was nothing there. It scared him to the bone, and he tried his best not to break down and have a panic attack.
He eventually made it though, right in front of a closed off door at the end of the corridor. If it were possible to be even more decrepit than anything else in this godforsaken manor, then this door definitely proved it. It smelled like a dead body after a week of being left in a pile of pig excrement – absolutely atrocious. Jaune was surprised he hadn't puked right then and there.
He wanted nothing but to leave right now, but as the little girl's voice continued to emanate from behind the door, his knightly instincts heavily discouraged him so.
Putting an arm over his nose to ineffectively block off the smell, Jaune reached out and turned the door knob, slowly pushing it open. As expected, it was dark and he could barely see anything inside. The darkness seemed even more dense than here in the corridor, if that were possible.
He slowly pushed the door open with a drawn out creak and stepped inside, leaving the door open as a form of escape. The room was fairly sized and looked like it was some form of storage room at some point. Barrels and crates stacked on top of one another filled the room like the horrid stench lingering all around him. Most of them were empty, but there were some barrels that contained the moldy remains of apples and oranges and the like. Jaune could only frown at the sight of all this wasted food. He would have probably packed some up if they weren't practically poisonous at this point.
And if this creepy room didn't make him want to turn tail every second.
He continued further into the room, making his way past numerous crates and barrels. They were so dense and packed together that he could barely see one end of the room, but judging by the girl's gradually loudening voice as he quickly wandered through, he knew he was getting closer.
He stepped aside past some barrels, and it was then he spotted her. The little girl he had possibly risked his life to find and save her. Her small, bony body, covered by a large, torn up tunic, was burrowed into a dingy corner, her thin arms hugging her mucky and bruised legs up to her chest. Her dark, slovenly hair was riddled with dirt and rubble, and her skin was pale and weak-looking. He could easily have mistaken her for a ghost.
Staring at the sobbing girl, Jaune took a deep breath, ignoring all the warning signs in his head. He made it this far to try and help her. She was real and in clear need of help, and he wasn't going to back out on her.
It wouldn't be knightly of him to do so.
"Um… h-hello…?" He called out to her, unconsciously hiding behind the barrels.
He waited for some kind of response from the little girl, but all he got was more sobbing. She didn't even flinch a little at his call.
Feeling antsier by the second, Jaune called out to her again, a little louder this time. "H-Hello…? Are you…" He gulped, "Are you o-okay…?"
She's clearly not, you dummy. Look at her! The voice in his mind told him, but he ignored it.
Despite his louder voice, he got no response from her. Just the same sobbing and crying and 'help…' he had heard for the past few minutes.
Jaune inwardly groaned, knowing what he had to do now. Why must you make this harder for me, mysterious, helpless girl?
He reluctantly took a slow step towards her, fearing that even the footsteps of an ant would scare her or something. Once his foot rested on the floor without a creak, he took another slow step. Then another, and then another, until he finally made to the little girl's feet.
He carefully got down on his knee and scrutinized her. She seemed even more filthy now that he was close, and looking down past the holes of her tunic (without ill intentions, mind you), he noticed just how thin her stomach was. He couldn't see her face though – it was completely obstructed by her messy hair.
Jaune couldn't help but frown at the sight. Poor girl. She must have been here for days without food.
He hunched forward and whispered, "H-Hey… are you okay…?"
He waited for a moment. But once again, she gave nothing except more sobs and soft calls for help. The blonde furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He was already so close. Surely she must have heard that.
He whispered to her once again, but just like every other try, she gave nothing. Had something happened to her ears that made it hard for her to hear? Perhaps the deafening silence of the manor actually made her go deaf. Jaune had no idea. He wasn't an expert when it came to ears, and it was the only plausible theory he could come up with.
Either way, deaf or not, he needed to help this girl. And it looked like talking to her was out the window.
He looked down at his hand, and then at the crying girl, gulping at the thought of getting his hand chopped off by just laying a finger on her. He quickly dispelled them though. It was rude of him to think this little girl could be anything dangerous. Just one look at her would convince someone she was the most innocent person in the entire land of Remnant, and definitely wouldn't hurt a person by a poke on their arm.
Completely ignoring the risk on his very life, Jaune reached out his hand to tap her knee.
But just like with all previous attempts to get her attention, she was completely non-responsive.
Seeing this, he tapped her again and again. "Hey… Hello…?"
Nothing. Jaune furrowed his eyebrows. He could feel the light irritation seeping out through his features, but he controlled them and calmed himself down. He shouldn't be frustrated at such a clearly helpless girl.
He then resorted to shaking her leg, thinking it would finally get her to respond. But as he placed his hand on her knee, his breath hitched when he felt the biting coldness of her skin, and he instantly brought his hand away. It had been like touching cold, icy steel. Like a bar of iron left out to frost in a raging Atlesian snowstorm for days on end.
He reached out his hand again, this time placing it on one of her arms. Sure enough, it was extremely cold, possibly even colder than her leg. The girl did nothing meanwhile. She probably couldn't even feel his hand. Her unresponsiveness and stillness, coupled with her cold skin and starving look, made her seem like a soulless husk.
…Kind of like a dead person.
Jaune's eyes widened, the vibrations of his shaky hand resonating onto the girl's arm. Fear continued to build up inside of him as he brought his eyes up to her obstructed face. All the while, the girl was still sobbing quietly. Reluctantly, he reached his other hand to her face. Slowly, he pushed her grimy hair aside, his breath quickening to a galloping horse's pace.
Soon enough, he completely brought her hair away. Her face now as clear as a cloudless sky, Jaune could only stare at it in utter horror for what felt like forever, before he finally gasped and quickly jumped back, crawling away until his back hit a crate.
The blonde heaved and panted in terror as the little girl slowly fell onto the floor on her side, her black, soulless eyes staring right at him past strands of her grimy hair. Her mouth was agape like a corpse, but all her teeth were missing, and a mysterious black goo slowly trickled down her gray, cold chin.
Jaune could only stare at the girl's soulless body with shaky eyes. She was dead. That girl was dead. He had never been so close to a cold, dead body before. The thought of having touched a little girl's dead, rotting body made him want to hurl right then and there.
The fact that she still wept and sob with that unmoving mouth of hers didn't help at all.
He wanted to run. No, he needed to run. Away from that thing, away from this wicked, forsaken place. It was clear she had been dead for a long time. There was no point in staying here any longer.
He moved to get up onto his feet, but before he could start running the hell away from here, he felt something drip onto the back of his hand. The sound echoed emptily throughout the room. He froze, his body locking up into place. His eyes slowly looked down onto his hand.
A drip of the same black goo that had trickled from the girl's mouth now laid on his hand. It was deathly cold, and it smelled just like the horrid smell emanating around him.
Another drop of goo dripped onto the spot right next to the previous one. And then another dripped onto the floor by his hand. Feeling the horror and panic rising up to his eyes, Jaune slowly raised his head and brought his eyes up to the ceiling.
Up there, clinging to the ceiling with mangled arms and smothered in the same black goo, was a horrific creature of nightmares. Blood red eyes stared down at him, and even more thick goo oozed from its horribly deformed mouth, its jagged, pitch-black teeth sharp as dagger. Not even a full grown elephant could survive that monstrosity of a mouth.
Run. His mind told him, but Jaune couldn't move. His body was locked up, stiff as a board from the dread and terror that filled his entire body. The creature slowly lowered from the ceiling, jagged breathing wafting through the horrible teeth of his mouth. All the while those red eyes were locked right on him.
Run… The creature lowered a horribly grotesque and long-clawed leg onto the floor. Stepping into the light, he could see the creature took the form of a wolf of some kind, with its snout and the wolf-like ears on its head.
A nightmarish, horribly mangled wolf with teeth fit for a bloodthirsty shark.
He continued to stare fearfully as the wolf-like amalgamation of horror slowly brought its muzzle up to his face, its cold, putrid breath puffing onto his nose as it smelled him.
Jaune, run!
It pulled back away from him. A gradually loudening growl escaped its mouth at it began staring at him in anger.
Jaune, for the love of the gods, run!
The creature opened its horrifying mouth, its growl vibrating throughout its body.
JAUNE, RUN, GODDAMMIT!
"RUNNING!" He yelped and jumped out of the way as the creature lunged it mouth towards him, thankfully missing and sinking its teeth into the crate that had been behind him. Forgetting about the dead girl and all sense of bravery, Jaune shot up to his feet, picked up his lantern and ran as fast as he could to the door, stepping aside and dodging crate and barrels.
He shot through the doorway (thank gods he left it open) and quickly slammed it closed before sprinting down the corridor. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! His lantern's light flickered wildly as he ran for his life, blazing past every other door there was. The adrenaline and fear completely nulled the fatigue that had plagued his legs from the long journey before, the only thing blaring in his mind was getting the hell out of here.
Behind him, he could hear the slams and loud thuds of the creature trying to burst the door open. It only made him push his legs even more. He reached the corner where he had turned before and drifted around it, his boots kicking up dust. He was about to continue his escape when he caught a glimpse of an explosion of wood back down the corridor, followed by the creature sliding into view and hitting the opposite wall before beginning to chase him down.
Crap! Jaune pushed himself off the wall, giving him a small boost as he ran down the corridor once again. Mold and muck blurred past him as his booted feet thudded repeatedly on the floor. He could hear the growls and rapid footsteps of nightmarish monster behind him. He would look behind time and time, only to notice how close the monster was before whipping his back and quickening his pace.
Eventually, Jaune slid his way into the parlor, out of breath but still adamant to escape. He could still see the doors were open as he had left it. Thank the gods he wasn't dumb enough to shut them.
Hearing the monster's fleeting steps, he looked back to where he came from, and his eyes widened when he saw the monster quickly gaining distance.
Jaune resumed his escape once more, jumping and vaulting over the sofas. As he tried to jump over one though, his foot was caught and it made him face plant onto the dusty floor.
"Ah! Damn!" He said as the pain from his now twisted ankle shot throughout his leg. He turned his body and clutched his broken foot, wincing as it stung from his touch. The monster's footsteps continued to get louder and louder though, and Jaune could only ignore the pain for right now. There was no time to take care of his body. He needed to escape now.
He pushed himself off the floor and onto his feet, trying his best to ignore his twisted ankle. The footsteps were nearing, and Jaune quickly limped his way towards the doors. He fell once more onto the floor when he put too much weight onto his broken ankle, but he endured the pain again and got back up.
Slowly but surely, he limped and hopped his way to his escape. The door got nearer and nearer. He could already smell the scent of the peaceful forest that would bring him calm. The hustle and bustle of the city that would make him know he was okay. Just a little more, and he's out of he–
But before he could get to the doors, he was quickly stopped in his tracks when a large wooden book shelf crashed right onto the floor, blocking him from his escape. Jaune jumped back to avoid getting crushed by the heavy piece of furniture, sending him falling down onto his bottom. He coughed and tried to wave the dust away from his face. Once it has settled though, he could only stare in heightened despair at the now destroyed book shelf right in front of him, rope twisting around its broken body as it blocked his only known means of evasion.
"Oh no…"
Jaune jumped when a growl emanated behind him. He turned around and saw the wolf-like monster at the other end of the lobby, slowly stalking its way towards him. Its blood red eyes continued to glare at him – it was clear what its intentions with him were.
He crawled away from his chaser until his back hit the mangled book shelf behind him. He grabbed a protruding piece of wood and pulled himself up, leaning back onto the book shelf.
He tried to catch his breath as Death-on-Remnant slowly made its way towards him. The fatigue from all that running was slowly catching up to him, mixing in with the pain of his twisted ankle to create an even more unbearable experience.
Goddammit. He huffed out a breath. Okay, Jaune. Don't worry, you're not going to die. Even though it's obvious you are. You just need a new escape route.
Blue eyes began frantically searching the lobby for a way out. He tried not to freak out as the monster slowly closed in on him. Okay. Wow, my ankle hurts. Alright, past the source of next week's nightmares is out of the window, especially with this broken ankle. Upstairs would mean I probably would have to jump down from a roof. That's a no. I can't reach that window up there. Can't reach that brick hanging and swinging above me either. Can't– Wait, brick?
The last thing he heard was a loud thud, and lots and lots of pain on his face.
Her heels clicked and clacked upon the wooden floor, her dark-colored robe swaying softly in the little bit of flowing air as she made her way around the corner. She reached the stairs and made her way down with a slow grace, all the while eyeing the scene near the entrance with a faint grin.
She walked past a fallen sofa and made her way towards the pile of broken wood of what was once a book shelf. She frowned at the sight. She had hoped she didn't need to use that trick on her victim. Looks like that's one more thing she needed to get cleaned up.
Oh well, whatever. She didn't really use that book shelf anyway. Plus, there was a much more important thing she had to deal with right now.
Seeing her lovely pet still glaring and growling, she laid a veiny hand upon his goo-covered back. "That's enough, Tenebris. You did splendidly today." She said, smiling as she patted his warm, gooey fur.
At his master's touch, Tenebris' anger vanished and he sat down upon the carpeted floor, happily rumbling as he felt his master's soothing pats.
Although she would have loved to spend some more time with her pet, she had other things to do. So she gave one last pat on his head and sent him off. He whined at being dismissed, but obeyed nonetheless, walking back further into the manor and disappearing past a corner, leaving a trail of black goo along the way.
As she turned back to the matter at hand, a black-feathered owl slowly descended from above down to face level, carrying a long, green snake in its talons.
The owl's flapping wings kept them both in the air. "So, are we done?" The green snake asked, somehow adopting a gentlemanly accent.
She nodded. "Yes, you have done well. You will have your reward soon."
"Let's hope you keep your promise this time." The owl uttered in a slightly lazy voice, its large amber eyes half-lidding.
"Don't worry, you will. Now off with you! I have important business to take care of!" She shooed them away with her veiny hands. She watched as they flew away, soaring up to the second floor and disappearing past a corner.
With that out of the way, she turned back to her business, looking down at the unconscious boy that now laid at her feet. A shattered lantern laid near the boy's hand, and the brick the owl and snake had used also laid near his head, droplets of blood dotted about it surface. His gold-like hair was all but disheveled and riddled with dust and splinters, and his poor excuse for clothes were a bit ruined and torn up, likely from his rather pathetic attempt at escaping. Looking down at his feet, his ankle was twisted and out of its socket. His face wasn't doing any better as blood slowly flowed down from his broken nose, cuts, bruises and a visibly large red mark covering just about everything.
She frowned at the boy's injuries. Damn, it looks like I'll have to concoct up some more healing potions for that. It's been a while since she had to make a single bottle of that wretched stuff. It always burned whenever a drop managed to land her pale skin. She had come to despise that stuff the more she made them.
Oh well, whatever. A little sacrifice for such a grand reward isn't too bad. She thought as she took a knee, placing her hand upon his mangled up face. She slowly caressed his bruised and cut cheek with her thumb. It was calloused as she had expected, but there was still some smoothness under all those injuries.
She smirked. Yes… a grand reward indeed…