Chapter VIII
The Book of Shadows
"Everyone! Back off!" Cardin kept yelling, mace in hand he started smashing the ice imprisoning a guard with all his strength. It took him several strikes to fully break it but soon enough the guard was free and Cardin moved along for his next rescue.
The citizens of Sevillana were in a panic. The witches they had feared for months had finally revealed themselves and proved not even the guards could keep them save from them.
"Citizens, please. Calm down, we…" The major tried to plead, but the crowd wasn't having any of it.
"Calm down?! Are you kidding me?!".
"There are guards trapped in ice! Who is to say what they will do to us?!".
"Maybe we should hand you over! That's what they want!". The terrified and angry citizens kept saying.
"WHAT?! No! wait! I can fix this! I promise!" Responded the Major nervously. He was losing the support of the people at every second. His own panic grew more and more as the crowd's fear started to make them more aggressive.
"OK! THAT'S IT! SHOW IS OVER EVERYONE!" Don intervened, standing between the angry and scared crowd and the panicking major. Don covered the major with his own cape and walked him away from the crowd as they shouted at the two men.
"Th…thank you so much!".
"Yeah, yeah. This is just getting started, buddy. And you and I need to have serious talk later" Don replied, much to the major's shame. As they walked back to city hall, the few guards that managed to be released from the witches' ice were trying their best to get the doors open. Don approached them to deliver their major safely.
"Sir! Are you alright?! Create a perimeter around the major! Now!" A guard instructed her subordinates, who promptly mobilized to protect the major.
"I'm ok, I'm ok. Just get this damn door open before something else happENNN!" The major said, getting startled by the crashing sound of a section of the ice wall falling to the ground.
Bulldozers from the constructions sides nearby were being used to get rid of all traces of the wall. Soon enough, the guards outside the wall rushed in to help the people get out.
Don stood in front of the city hall, observing the situation. How the people were in terror, how the major wasn't competent enough to deal with this matter. He was worried that this city would fall into chaos soon, but at the time, his worries were also placed on the safety of his young apprentice.
Cardin approached Don, mace in hand and placed over his should. His team were following him as always. "You see?! THIS is why we need a witch hunt. You stupid old man!".
"Did your mom never slap you with a sandal when you said crap like that, boy?!" Don replied, pissed off at this kid's attitude.
"The witches are going to burn this city to the ground, and I will be the one to stop them because I'm willing to do what is necessary! Unlike you and Jaune, you useless fucks!" Cardin said, pushing Don to the edge.
Don quickly and angrily pulled Cardin by the neck of his armor "Now you listen to me, you little brat!" He started to threaten him, but his attention was quickly caught by the sight of his apprentice approaching city hall, holding his left side and limping a little. "JAUNE!".
Don rushed to his apprentice's side to help him walk. "Kid! Are you ok?!".
"I just took a bomb to the face, but sure, I'm ok, let's go with that" He jokingly responded, although he was clearly still in pain.
"Running away from the party, I see" Cardin said, taunting Jaune with a smug face.
Jaune stood up and walked away from Don and towards Cardin. "I followed and fought a witch while you were sitting here shaking your knees, Cardin". He replied, much to Cardin's annoyance.
"You fought a witch?! Excellent! Then where is she?" The major said excitingly while covered in a blanket. Cardin however didn't share his excitement and took the chance to push Jaune down a peg.
"Yeah. Where is she, oh mighty hero?"
Jaune was starting to get mad, but he knew his answer wasn't going to do him any favors, he looked down in shame before replying, "She…escaped".
"So, she beat you and you let her run away. Haha. Classic Jaune" Cardin said mockingly.
The major was disappointed and worried, "There has to be something! A clue, a lead, anything! We have 24hrs before they end us! We have to stop them at any cost!".
At any cost, Jaune knew what those words meant. The major was more than willing to follow Cardin into this witch hunt. They were getting ready to trample the witches and leave nothing but blood and ashes on their path.
"I saw where they went". Jaune said, catching the attention of Don, the major and team CRDL. "They flew north. Towards the coast. Maybe they are hiding there, I don't know, but that's where they went".
"Wonderful! Guards! Organize every officer you have; we are heading north! Don't let a single rock unturned! Find them! FIND THEM I TELL YOU!". The major instructed to his men, eager to follow the lead.
Cardin gave Jaune an angry look, he stared at him for a few seconds, but Jaune stared back, standing his ground. "The witches are mine. Let's go, guys. We have a hunt". Cardin said, him and his team headed north with the guards, all ready for battle.
As the troops ran pass them and their rival huntsmen were far enough, Don was getting ready to run north and join the search, but suddenly, Jaune grabbed his arms and started pulling him on the opposite direction.
"Hey! Wait, wait. What are you doing, kid?! Where are we going?".
"South".
"But you said…"
"I know what I said, just hurry up, we don't have much time".
Steadfast, Jaune and Don managed to avoid detection through the city and made it into the south mountain forest. The full moon gave them a bit of light to transverse the woods, but even then, they were walking blindly, uncertain if they were even on the right path.
"How are you holding up, kid?". Don asked, worried for his student's health, but Jaune was walking with more confidence, his aura helped him heal but it was his determination what kept pushing him forward.
"I'm fine. I'll be better when we find them. Ugh! If only I had seen where they landed!".
Don noticed Jaune's attitude, he was actually very proud of his student giving it his all, but he also noticed how clearly upset he was. "You aren't doing anything by getting mad, lad. Don't let Mr. Douche Face get under your skin".
Jaune stopped and tried to calm down a bit. "It's not Cardin, although he doesn't help either" He said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "It's…Remember when I told you I got distracted today?".
"Sure".
"Well…I spent all day helping a sister of the cathedral".
"The same ones that were at City Hall?". Don asked.
"Yeah. Her name was Violet. She needed some help and I gave her a hand" Jaune continued, "It was with her that I saw what the major has been doing. She is a kind person…and she…".
"Oh…The witch you chased was…". Don asked
"I…Yeah…It was Violet" Jaune replied.
Don rubbed the back of his head "Arg, so that's how they ambushed us. The sisters were at City Hall. They must have been the ones organizing the attack. The major invited the witches to his own house and he didn't even notice it".
"Probably".
"Nice work, lad. Now if we can capture one and take her to the guards, we can…" Don tried to argue but Jaune stopped him almost immediately.
"We are not handing them over" Jaune said, much to Don's surprise. "I…just want to know what is going on and stop it…And I also want to know if Violet is ok" He continued, his tone ever so serious.
Don approached his student "Ah…I see how it is…I was afraid of this…" He said, he then put his hands on Jaune's shoulders before continuing "She bewitched you! Don't fall for her love charm, my boy! Fight those impulses! Sure, she looks gorgeous now, but in 20 years she will get all saggy and take the kids!".
"IT'S NOT THAT!".
Don laughed and messed with Jaune's hair. Whether he realized it or not, Jaune needed to lighten up a little, and Don was really good at doing so.
"Well, we won't be helping anyone standing here", Don said.
"I know. I just saw them heading in this direction, but I lost track of them" Jaune replied, growing a bit frustrated, "It's too dark and there isn't a clear road".
Don looked behind Jaune and noticed something that may just had been the lead they were looking for. "That's not entirely true". He walked past Jaune towards what seemed to be a small section of an old stone wall on the side of the mountain. "You see this? Stone walls like this usually were used for roads. This city is very old so maybe there use to be something up the mountain. We just have to look for whatever sections of the road are left and follow them".
"We can't be sure there is something there nor if that's where they went".
"It's the best we got, kid".
Jaune gave it a quick thought, this really wasn't much, but Don was right, it was the only lead they had, "Alright. Let's go then".
Jaune and Don walked for over an hour, getting ever so deep into the woods as they followed the old road up the mountain. The darkness of the forest made it difficult to find the remains of the old road, but They were able to remain on path. As they walked up the mountain, they started to find stone steps as well as some clearings in the forest that definitely looked like resting areas for travelers. From those clearings, the city could be seen entirely and as they walked up eventually, they could even see the sea.
It took them around 2 hours from the city, but they finally reached what seemed to be the end of the path. A big clearing in the forest, a plateau with some patches of grass and standing in the middle and covered in vines, there were the ruins of an old temple.
"Maybe this is i…" Jaune started to say before Don covered his mouth and pulled him behind a tree.
To their surprise, confirmation arrived in the form of a group of 4 witches. They seemed to come from a different road. One of them noticed a sound that caught her attention, much to Don and Jaune's worry, but luckily, she didn't give it much thought and just followed her sisters towards the temple. The witches were all wielding their staves on one hand but they were also carrying bags, it was hard to distinguish what they had inside but some had different shapes than others, as if their contends were different in size.
The witches headed inside the ruined temple, closing the wooden door behind them.
Jaune and Don stood close to each other as they picked their heads out from behind the tree. "That was a close one. But now we know this is the spot! Come on, lad! Let's step into the mouth of hell itself and face our destiny!".
"…Did you cut your beard?".
"I don't want to talk about it…".
The two huntsmen waited a minute before carefully making their approach to the temple. As Jaune went for the door, Don noticed something curious. A side wall was down and in fact the temple had many open ways, there really was no need for the door in the first place. From outside, the interior of the temple looked even more abandoned than the exterior, with grass growing on the floor and rubble all around. Jaune and Don entered the temple through the wall´s hole and slowly and carefully walked its corridors.
Inside the temple, everything was covered with plants and dust. Spider webs were in every corner. It took them a little bit to make their way to the middle of the temple, the main ceremonial hall, curiously enough, there were no signs of the witches yet. The broken walls and roof allowed the place to be fully illuminated by the moon light itself, which allowed them to see the architecture of the ruins. Jaune and Don started to feel unsettle at the many sights of Grimm depictions. Statues and old paintings of Beowolves, Ursas, Nevermores and many other species of Grimm. The details on them made their skins crawl…But interestingly, Jaune noticed that many of the art pieces also depicted humans in their small details, not being butchered by these beasts, but rather confronting them.
Jaune was quite creeped out but he soon got goosebumps when he saw his master standing still and looking up as if a ghost had walked out of its grave and stared at them.
"Don?" Jaune tried to reach his master who stood there in shock. He took a look at whatever had terrified his master that much and just like Don, his face became pale with terror at the sight.
It was a large statue of a massive demonic dragon like creature pointing in their direction, a skull for a head and spiral horns, behind him a broken stained glass depicted a humanoid figure with the same horns, twisting his head as Grimm worshiped him. It was clear now why they felt so uneasy, this was a temple to the God of Darkness.
"Don…Maybe this wasn't a good idea…"
"It…It's fine, lad…there is nothing to be afraid of…" Don replied, but right afterwards, the silence of the ruined temple was broken by the faint sound of a ghostly chant.
Don jumped to hug Jaune in fear "What was that?!".
"It…it sounds like singing…." Jaune said.
The two released each other and Jaune carefully tried to follow the sound. It was faint but clear enough that it must had been coming from nearby. Yet Jaune and Don couldn't see where it came from. Jaune was puzzled, they saw 4 witches coming inside the temple, yet there was no sign of them at all. Where did they go?
Jaune took a look around and turned back at the statue of the God of Darkness. He noticed how it seemed to be pointing at him…or was it really at him? He turned around and looked in the direction the statue was pointing to. He saw a wooden circle door on the floor of the main hall that they missed upon entering.
"This way". He said as he ran towards the door. Unlike the rest of the ruins, the door had barely any dirt on it. Not much dust around it either. Jaune placed his head on it and the sound of the chanty became clearer. "This has to be it, Don".
Don inspected the door and realized how to open it, he grabbed a rope ball that was in a socket on the door and pulled it, the rope extended and allowed him to get the door open. Once it was, the sound of chanties blasted from the hole, the two huntsmen saw a spiral staircase going deep underground and banishing in the darkness.
"Sure you want to do this, kid?".
"No…But there is no going back now".
The two of them stepped down the abyss with nothing to guide them but the sound of the witches' chant becoming louder. The staircase was long and dark, they both almost fell off a couple of times, but eventually they managed to reach the end and a faint flaming light coming from under a door lead them to their destination. They carefully entered the door and fund a massive underground hall. They were standing on a balcony upper level and bellow them, there was a ceremonial hall with an altar and another statue of the God of Darkness, this one had his hand presenting a book placed open on its palm. The Witches' Coven was singing a harmonious yet eerie melody as they stood in front of the altar. The scene made Jaune and Don even more creeped out.
Soon enough a robed woman stepped into the altar as the song faded and eventually ended. The woman took her hood off, revealing herself Mother Emilia, the headmistress of the Cathedral of Saint Agnes.
"My dear sisters. I welcome you all to tonight's ceremony. On this moon light night, we present our lord with the precious memories of our dear departed. Sister Carmen, please present the tributes gathered in your team's harvest" Mother Emilia instructed.
The four Witches Jaune and Don saw entering the temple stepped on the altar carrying baskets. In them, many items were placed alongside some flowers. Toys, pictures, pieces of clothing, Jaune immediately realized these were the things the witches had on their bags earlier, and Don noted how they must the stolen personal items the witches were accused of taking.
The baskets were placed around the statue and once the sisters left the altar, Mother Emilia approached it, she bowed before the God of Darkness and carefully took the book from the statue's hand. She walked away from the statue and towards her speech stand. She opened the book and extend her arms, reading from it her preach.
"Oh lord of Darkness. Herald of death. We present you on this your night tokens of the lost souls that wonder this land. The last remnants of their legacy, of their memories, of the love their families had for them. We, your loyal servants, implore you to search for these lost souls and guide them on their journey to the afterlife"
"We, the devote daughters of Saint Aradia, have sown this harvest in your name. May it aid you in your eternal quest".
"Oh, bringer of death, guardian of the departed, we beg for your kindness towards these innocent souls".
"May your shadows protect them from the void and guide them towards your brother's light".
The Witches approached the altar and with a swift motion, they used their fire dust to ignite the baskets, burning the items within them. The flames illuminated the statue, making the shadow behind it grow larger and imponent.
"Your word is will. Your shadows are a shield. And we your followers are vessels of them".
"Our lifes belong to the words of the Book of Shadows and our spirits will always belong to your eternal embrace".
"And so, it is written in our sacred texts".
"And spoken by our devoted voices".
Mother Emilia closed the book, signaling the end of the ceremony. She carefully walked past the flaming baskets to return the sacred text to the hand of their God. She then went back to her stand to address her sisters.
A group of witches stepped to the altar next to Mother Emilia. Don noted that those looked like the witches responsible for the ambush, and among them, Jaune recognized the red fox tail of their leader.
"Sisters. Tonight, we took a big step for the future of Sevillana. Thanks to the efforts of Sister Victoria and her squad, we have delivered our ultimatum to the heretic Major Cornsilk and the ignorant and passive masses that either support him… or standby in compliance".
The witches applauded.
"The next 24hrs are crucial now. We must be ready for the people's choice. Either they rise up and free themselves from their chains. Or remain passive and face the consequences".
"Consequences?" Jaune whispered.
"Yeah, they said something about the souls of the dead destroying the city". Don replied.
"What?!".
"Ssshhhhh. They'll hear you!" Don said, right before hearing steps coming on their direction.
Mother Emilia continued, "Rest my dear sisters, for tomorrow our fate will be decided, and the souls of the departed will get their peace and justice!".
The witches applauded and after a short bit, they were all dismissed.
"Where do we hide!?" Don asked, panicking as two witches walked on their direction.
Jaune looked around and quickly signaled Don to walk fast towards a dark tunnel and away from the witches. The two huntsmen were quick and silent but as they approached the tunnel, a cloaked shadow stood up in front of Jaune, startling him. The shadow quickly covered his mouth and pushed the boy and his master through a wooden door, shutting it close behind them before the other witches noticed the intruders.
Jaune and Don fell to the floor, accelerated for having been discovered, but soon Jaune was shocked when he saw the face of the witch that aid them.
"Why, why, why are you here?! I told you not to get involved!" Violet reproached him.
"Violet! It's so good to see you! Are you alright?".
"No, I'm not alright! You shouldn't be here! How did you even find this place? and…Why did you bring an old man?!". Violet freaked out in anger.
Don dusted off himself before addressing the less than eager sister in front of him," Wow, she is a feisty one, I see why you like her so much, lad. Dominique Cervantes, my lady. I'm Jaune's mentor. Pleasure to meet you".
"So, another huntsman!? Oh, this can't be happening, no, no, no!" Violet continued rambling, mad and confused. She was extremely worried. If the other witches found them, they would all be in serious trouble. "Please leave! I'm not asking again!".
Jaune looked at her in the eyes, his expression was serious, he was not backing down. "I am not leaving without answers, Violet".
Violet calmed down a little, still extremely upset though, "Why are you so stubborn?!" she said while clenching her fists in frustration.
"Because there are people I want to help" Jaune answered, much to Violet's surprise.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, looking at her side with a bit of shame, "What do you want to know?".
"Let's start with the beginning. What is this place?".
Violet walked slowly to the back of the room, she stood in front of a tapestry depicting two women, one giving flowers to people during the day, and another putting flowers on the ground during the night.
She then started to tell the tale. "Many years before the Great War, Sevillana was a small city with a devoted following to the Faith of the Two Brothers. Among the followers, two twin sisters rose to prominence, they were loved for their kindness to the town folk, through their devotion they became co-leaders of the congregation and eventually they were granted the title of saints. Saint Agnes was a devote of the God of Light, she showed her kindness by helping the people ease the pain of their life, she was a healer and a teacher. Saint Aradia was a devote of the God of Darkness, she was well loved for her care of the decease, she helped people cope with their losses, her followers use to tend for the graveyard and she developed rituals to help the spirits of the dead find peace".
"But something happened" Don added. "The Cathedral of Saint Agnes is famous now…But this place…".
Violet continued, "Yes. This is the Temple of Saint Aradia. The tensions prior to the Great War brought confusion amongst the people. Suddenly, followers of the God of Darkness were being accused of causing the rise in power of Grimm, and Saint Aradia herself was accused of witchcraft for her rituals. The citizens of Sevillana, in their fear and anger, hunted down all followers of the Dark Brother, and Saint Aradia was burned at the stake…right in front of her sister. The city became devoted exclusively to the God of Light…But Saint Agnes left them behind, she couldn't cope with the loss of her beloved sister…and banished never to be heard from again".
Jaune was in awe at this tragic tale. "The sisters are devoted to the God of Light…But you were never taught to hate the God of Darkness".
"Our faith is the faith of the Two Brothers, not just one. We had to follow a tradition because the city wanted us to. But when we saw how much the dead were being disrespected…We had to do something; our belief was compelling us to. Even if that meant stealing people's mementos of their loved ones. We had to help but they weren't going to let us!".
Jaune kept thinking about all the information they had, "So, the ritual. You are not stealing things to send Grimm after people?".
"What? No! The ritual is to help dead souls find their way to the afterlife. It is our belief that the God of Darkness protects souls and helps them reach eternity while The God of Light safeguards the passing souls in the afterlife".
Don was intrigued, this tale was fascinating to him but there were still things that didn't add up. "Wait, then what about the Grimm? They attack people after you show up. And that threat you gave today? The whole, give us the major or the souls of the dead will consume the city? What's up with that?!"
"What? Give us the major? No…I…We just wanted to scare the major away, that was the plan! We don't want to hurt anyone! Victoria was supposed to deliver the speech…She wouldn't have said that!". Violet replied, getting even more scared at these accusations.
"That's what she said, I was there. And if she meant that, who is to say she didn't mean the second part too?" Don added.
"No. No!…Why would she?".
"Because those were Mother Emilia's orders" A voice came from behind Jaune and Don. In front of the door, Victoria stood with an angry expression as she stared directly at Jaune, beside her, two of her fellow witches pointed their staves at the two huntsmen. "I thought I told you to leave" She said to Jaune.
"Victoria! I was just….".
"Putting yourself and the mission in danger for this pretty boy? After the stupid stunt you pulled today, I'm not surprised at all".
"Victo…"
"SHUT UP! I'm trying to keep you safe, why do you always have to make it so difficult?!".
Don tried to take advantage of this sisters' quarrel. He tried to pull out his sword but one of the witches put her flaming stave right in front of her face.
"Don't even think about it, old man".
Jaune immediately intervened "Victoria, just think of what you are doing. The city. Hundreds of people could…".
Victoria scoffed at Jaune "Spare me the sermon, huntsman. As if you gave a damn about the city. We know the major called you here to exterminate us. You are just as much of a brute dog as the guards themselves".
"We are here to help!"
"By hunting us all? Gee what a hero".
"Don't put words in my mouth!".
"Then shut it! Listen up, both of you!" Victoria said as she walked closer to the two huntsmen. "This city is our home and its citizen are my family. I will do ANYTHING to protect my family. If that means going through the guards, the major or even you, so be it".
"Victoria!" Violet yelled as she ran to her sister and stood between her and Jaune, "They have nothing to do with this!".
"I think they are pretty involved already".
Jaune couldn't keep quite anymore, he still wanted answers, "You want to protect Violet and the city? Then why are you doing this?! Why do you want to kill the major?! What are you planning to do with the city if they don't comply?!".
Victoria pushed Violet aside and walked to put her face close to Jaune's. "I do not question Mother Emilia's judgment. I want to save the city from that tyrant. I'm sure they'll make the right choice".
"What should we do with them?" One of the witches asked.
Violet desperately pleaded to her sister, "Victoria please! Just let them go!".
"I told you to shut up! Why did you have to bring them here?!" Victoria asked in frustration.
"Let them go…I owe it to him".
"Huh! For caring some potatoes?!".
"For saving my life!" Violet firmly declared, much to Victoria's surprise. Violet stepped closer to her sister and looked her in the eyes with a serious yet scared expression of plead. She grabbed her sister's hands before continuing "You saw it. If it wasn't for him the bricks would have killed me. Please…Just let them go".
Victoria clenched her teeth, frustrated and conflicted. "I swear you do this on purpose to make me mad, Violet". She then took a deep breath, which Violet answered with a soft smile.
Victoria took a small brown leather bag from under her robe and walked towards Jaune and Don. "Jaune, was it? I should have you two handed over to Mother Emilia herself…But, if I do, Violet would be in trouble too. I can't let that happen". She poured a strange white powder from the bag into her hand. "You saved Violet's life…I do thank you for that. So, I'll give you one last chance" She tossed the bag on the floor. "Walk away from this…and never come back" She said before blowing the white powder on Jaune's face and then proceeding to do the same to Don.
Jaune and Don started coughing and almost immediately fell to the ground. Their minds started to fade in and out of consciousness until quickly everything went dark.
From behind the door, a person watching the whole thing ran away as fast as he could, rushing through the staircase, he managed to make it out of the temple undetected and soon enough managed to reach the woods.
"Please…Don't make me go in there again…That place gives me the creeps!" Sky said, terrified of the witches' hide out.
Cardin stepped out from the shadows. "Did you get the pictures?".
Sky smiled and showed his scroll "Pictures, videos, it's all here".
Cardin's serious expression turned to a mad grin when he saw pictures of Jaune and the witches…together. "Good job, Jauny. Maybe you aren't that useless after all".
"Ja…Jaun….Jaune….JAUNE!"
"AHH!" Jaune woke up startled, his eyes being hit by the midday light. He was laying on the dirt right at the edge of the forest and the city. His head was killing him and he was disorientated.
"Wake up, lad! We have a situation!" Don said, he was kneeled next to his apprentice and handed him a bottle of water.
Jaune quickly drank from it before continuing "Arg. Why do we always wake up like this!? Where are we now?".
"There is no time! Stand up! We need to hurry!".
Don pulled Jaune across the city, they ran as fast as they could. Jaune had no idea where his mentor was taking him…But as they got closer, he started to realize the gravity of the matter. Many buildings were destroyed, craters on the streets still smoking. Firefighters were doing their best to extinguish the flames while ambulances and many volunteers gave aid to the many injured…and the guards took care of some bodies.
"No…" Jaune said in shock. "No, no, no!" he yelled in anger and frustration as he grabbed his face enraged and confused.
The sound of a nearby growl caught their attention. A cloud of black smoke coming out from behind a corner. Jaune ran as fast as he could towards it and Don followed soon after. When they finally reached the street, Dove, Sky and Russel were standing there, weapons in hand and the dusting corpse of a Grimm laying on the floor.
"Oh, hey! Look who finally decided to show up!" Russel said, trying to taunt Jaune.
"Wha…what happened here? What are you guys doing?". Jaune asked, he knew exactly what happened but a part of him refused to believe it.
"Well isn't obvious? We are doing our job. The Grimm came at dawn. It took us all morning to deal with them" Russel responded with a mocking and arrogant expression. "How about you? Oh, let me guess, hiding like a little sissy?".
"Oh, for the love of, are we really going to waste time in stupid insults?!" Don replied, upset at the childish behavior of this punks.
Team CRDL just chuckled a bit and with an arrogant look started to walk pass the two of them "Yeah, you are right. We don't have time to waste. Come on guys, the city is waiting for its real heroes" Russel replied.
As team walked away, Jaune and Don stood there in frustration, partly with these bullies but mostly with themselves. Neither could help but blame themselves for this tragedy, they were doing what they could…and still.
Team CRDL didn't walk too far when Dove turned his head a little to catch a view of Jaune behind him. He then turned to his teammates, "Uh, guys? I'll catch you up in a bit, I saw a bakery and kind of want to get lunch, hehe".
"Why do you always think with your stomach, dude?". Sky replied. "Ok, hurry up, you know how Cardin gets when we are late".
"Yeah, I know. It'll take just a minute" He answered. Russel and Sky shrugged it off and just kept on their way. After they got far enough Dove's fake innocent smile changed to a serious expression as he turned around and ran.
"What should we do know?" Jaune asked.
"We have to speak with the major" Don replied.
"And tell him what? I don't trust him, Don, and even if I did, we don't know if the witches did this or not. Violet doesn't believe so but you heard Victoria, we don't know what Mother Emilia…" Jaune continued, but he soon stopped at the sight of Dove running towards him.
"Jaune!" Dove said, stopping for a bit to recover his breath.
"Dove? What do wa…" He started saying but Dove quickly interrupted him.
"Just listed, I don't have much time!" He said, much to Jaune and Don's surprise. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Jaune, you have to leave the city! Now!".
"What? Look if you came here to threaten us…".
"YOU ARE NOT LISTENING!" Dove yelled. Jaune and Don were taken by surprise by this. His expression, Dove didn't have a malicious vibe, he sounded scared. "Cardin… He is not ok; I'm worry about him! He hasn't been fine for almost a year now. Ever since the Fall". He looked at Jaune, his eyes showed worry, the mere mention of the Fall was enough to give shivers to Jaune…to anyone that experienced it really. "We spent months fighting the Grimm at Vale. And when people started leaving, he got pissed. He has been dragging us through Anima ever since. Jaune, he is after you, you have to go, you don't know what he is capable of".
"I…I can't do that".
Dove pressed on, "He is not going to stop!".
"I can't just abandon this people!" Jaune said, startling Dove. Don looked at his student with a faint smile on his face.
Dove let out a sigh. "Then don't say I didn't warn you", he started to walk away but stopped in his tracks. He turned once more and faced the two huntsmen, "You two should at least beware of the Major. Just trust me on that", he said before quickly running away.
"The Major…" Jaune wondered what Dove meant. As if his distrust of him wasn't big enough, now he pretty much had confirmation, they had to be cautious.
Don let out a sigh and scratched his head, "Well, guess you were on point, kid. If he is telling the truth, we better not get near City Hall".
"No" Jaune replied, much to Don's confusion, "You were right. We have to talk to the Major". He declared. Don could tell by Jaune's expression that his young apprentice was already working on plan, and he loved when he had that look on his face.
Security at City Hall was reinforced, the Witches' appearance, the Grimm attack and a large number of protestors surrounding the place had every guard on high alert. Riots started to spawn across the city due to the Grimm attack, many calling for the Major to handover himself, others protesting for the guards inefficient in protecting them from the witches.
The building suffered some damage from the Grimm, nothing too significant but enough to require heavy construction equipment. City Hall was surrounded by guards and cranes the construction crew left unattended to go on lunch break.
Jaune and Don were led in by security and escorted to the Major's office in the second floor. Something didn't feel right. The security ring was well organized but if what Dove said was true, then why would the Major let them in so easily? Was he lying? Or should they trust Dove even though they had no reason to?
They stood right in front of two big wooden doors and the guards stationed there opened it for them. The office was a big square room, it had bookcases extending across the entire left wall and windows covering the right wall all the way to the back of the room where the Major's desk was.
The Major had a serious expression, he was extremely focused on some papers he was signing, all the while Cardin stood with his back against the bookcase and his arms crossed, he smiled with a sarcastic attitude at the sight of Jaune walking in, it was as if he was waiting for him to show up.
"Major Cornsilk…." Don said trying to get the Major's attention. "It's time we have that serious talk I mentioned last night".
"Yes, indeed" The Major replied with a serious tone, not lifting his head and just finishing to sign his papers.
Jaune and Don shared a look of confusion and suspicion. Don decided to continue, "We spent all night looking for the witches and found out what they are doing with the stolen objects. We believe they may have nothing to do with the attack".
The Major put the quill back in the ink jar before grabbing his hands and resting his head on them, "You know. When I decided to run for major, I had people asking me if I was doing it for the money. They asked if it was for business or fame…and I always said no. I always said, all I wanted was to protect my home, this city, I want it to be a place in which everyone could be happy to live in, those are the riches I'm looking for". The Major stood up and faced the window behind him with his hands in the back, "I've worked day and night towards that goal. People don't like my decisions? I don't care. They think I'm being mean? I don't care. I know I´m right, I know that what I'm doing is what must be done to PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!".
The Major turned around with nothing but fury in his eyes. "I never should have listened to you! If we had rounded up the faunus we would have found them earlier! We could have prevented deaths!".
"The faunus have nothing to do with this! Listen to us, we spoke with the witches and…" Jaune tried to explain, but the Major was reluctant to hear what he had to say.
"Oh really? You heard that, Cardin?" The Major asked sarcastically with a mocking laugh.
"Yes, I did, Major. It sounded like a confession to me". Cardin replied, he then put his scroll on a socket in the Major's desk, connecting it to a holographic projector. The images showed Don and Jaune entering the witches' temple, it showed them watching the ritual and it showed them speaking with the witches, it even clearly showed Violet and Victoria's faces as well as Victoria's distinctive tail.
Don walked carefully towards the right wall and calmly opened a window, letting fresh air come inside the office.
Jaune was in shock, "You…You followed us!" he said incredulous.
"I was doing my duty. But let's not talk about me, why don't we talk about you? Huh? Traitor?" Cardin replied, taunting Jaune.
The Major addressed Jaune in anger, "You two were in conspiracy with them all along. You gave us the wrong direction on purpose! You told us not to round up the faunus! All tricks to protect those sisters!".
"Sis…sisters?" Jaune's eyes got wide opened with the realization.
Cardin played a recording of Jaune saying "The sisters are devoted to the God of Light…But you were never taught to hate the God of Darkness". He then chuckled at Jaune's expression of regret, shock and fear, "Isn't it sad? How even the holiest and purest people are as rotten as the rest of us?".
This was bad, Cardin and the Major were more in the know than they were expecting. If they knew the sisters were the witches, how far would they be willing to go?
"Listen, we can talk to them, no one has to get hurt!" Jaune tried to reason, but Cardin and the Major were one step ahead of him.
"It's a little too late for that, pal" Cardin said.
The Major continued, "The guards already raided the Cathedral and arrested all the sisters they could find. Some got away, and we are still looking for their headmistress".
Jaune got chills, but he had to press on, there was something he needed to get out of this conversation and he was determined to get it "It's over then. You arrested them. You saved the city, there is no need to take this further. Or…Is there something else you want?" Jaune asked trying to lead the conversation in the direction he wanted.
The Major laughed while walking towards Jaune, "Oh, kid, it's not over yet". He stood right in front of him, "I want the Book" he said.
"The Book?".
"Oh yes, I know about it. I'm sure, that book is the source of their dark powers and I won't rest until it is nothing but ash".
The Major walked back to his desk. "I'm a reasonable man. I will not execute the Witches we captured just yet. Nah. First, I'm going to hunt every single one of them, then I'll burn their dark magic book and their headmistress at the stake, and ONLY THEN will I execute them, after everything they held dear is gone. THAT'S the justice they deserve!".
"YOU ARE KILLING DOZENS OF PEOPLE!"
"THEY ARE GOING TO KILL HUNDREDS!". The Major replied, angry. His breath was accelerated.
Cardin walked over to Jaune. "You never were the smartest guy at Beacon, but come on Jaune, don't pick the wrong the side".
Jaune saw him with mad eyes, "And which is the right side then?! This one?! The one that wants to slaughter people out of fear?!".
"If it gets results, so be it! THEY DESERVE IT for what they did to this city and to her!" Cardin said in anger.
"…Her?" Jaune was shocked and confused by this answer, what did he mean?
The Major stepped in once more, "Don't waste your time with traitors and cowards, Cardin" he said before pressing a bottom on his desk.
Jaune looked at the Major with anger in his eyes. "Cowards?! Says the man hiding in his office while we spent all night trying to solve this! The only coward I see is you! You are so afraid of the witches you'll pay anyone to kill them whether they are innocent or not! No wonder the people outside hates you. No one will respect a leader so afraid it wouldn't even deal with his issues himself!".
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The major yelled in anger. "I will not hear another word coming from your mouth. If you won't fight for our city, I'll treat you just like I'll treat the witches. You are my enemy and I will NOT show mercy, was I clear, boy?!".
Don smiled as he looked through the window, "You know you are wrong, don't you?".
"Oh, so you aren´t our enemies?".
"No, I guess we are now. But I wasn't talking to you" Don said before turning around and staring at Cardin, he then pointed with his head at Jaune "That kid? He is smarter than you give him credit for…after all…Now we know your target".
Cardin's face showed shock as he realized Jaune's true goal. He was trying to figure out their objective. In a single conversation, Jaune managed to get an edge over them, knowledge of their next move.
The room was soon filled with guards and the rest of team CRDL accompanied them. They quickly surrounded Jaune and Don.
"Guards! Arrest the traitors!".
Jaune and Don stood next to each other with their backs towards the windows, the guards pointed their rifles at them. CDRL had big smiles at seeing Jaune in this situation, all except Dove who was giving a look to him as if he was saying "I told you so".
Don and Jaune had their hands raised and their faces had a worried expression. But to the Major and CRDL's surprise…. that expression was soon replaced with big smiles.
"Oh! What cruel fate! What unfortunate turn of events!" Don started saying with an overly dramatic tone
"Master! What are we going to do now? Is this really the end of the road?" Jaune continued with an equally dramatic expression as he put his backhand against his forehead.
"I'm afraid so, my dear squire. The old Johnny Law has caught up to us! I'm sorry my boy, I've failed you". Don said as he padded Jaune in the back and then covered his fake tears with his writs.
The guards started to exchange looks weirded out at what they were seeing.
"OH, CRUEL DESTINY! I was but a boy, innocent and pure! It was all those video games and the internet! All that violence and indecency corrupted MY MIND!" Jaune continued, grabbing a guard's shoulders and shaking him repeatedly.
Some guards started to put down their guns, they were really confused.
"Fear not, my boy. If we must leave this world, we'll do it in our own terms!".
"You don't mean?".
"Yes, lad. Come with me. Let us leap to our ultimate demise".
"Goodbye cruel world! Please remember me for who I once was!" Jaune said before the two ran quickly and jumped out the window Don had opened earlier.
"NO! WAIT!" The guards tried to stop them, but they were too late. They rushed towards the window expecting to see the bodies of the young man and his master…needless to say they were surprised at the sight of the two fugitives bowing to them from outside the window.
Jaune and Don jumped to a platform held by a construction crane. Thanks to Dove's warning, Jaune realized they needed an escape plan just in case, so when they saw the cranes were left unattended, they set one up outside the Major's window as a precaution. They rigged the crane so that it would move away from the window when they jumped through inertia, swinging them in an arc to the building next to City Hall.
"Thank you, thank you!". They said mockingly as they bowed after their spectacular performance.
"GODDAMNIT!" Cardin yelled as he punched the frame of the window in anger.
"SO LONG! SUCKERS! HAHAH! YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR OUR CUNNING…AHHH!" Don tried to say but was cut off by the guards shooting at them.
The initial shots missed them and Don quickly pulled out his shield to block the following ones, but as they kept moving to try to evade the gun fire, the platform started to move from left to right uncontrollably making it unstable, to make matters worst, the inertia they thought would take them to freedom was too weak to make the crane move too far.
"CAN'T THIS THING GO FASTER?!" Don yelled as bullets kept hitting his shield.
"ON IT!" Jaune said before grabbing Don's sword and quickly slicing 3 of the 4 wires holding the platform, making it collapse. As they fell, Jaune managed to get a hold of a cut wire and Don grabbed Jaune's leg. The momentum made them swing away from the City Hall, flying over the protestors who saw their escape in awe while the two of them yelled in panic "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!".
Jaune and Don landed on a tree in the main plaza and breaking some branches they fell painfully but safely on the floor.
"Perfect…Landing" Don said with his face pasted on the ground.
"GUARDS! ARREST THEM!". The Major yelled. The guards followed his instructions but the crowd of protestors became a road block that slowed them down, allowing Jaune and Don to escape in the commotion.
"ARGH! FIND THEM! DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!" The Major yelling in frustration, "CARDIN!". Cardin rushed to him, "I want you and your team ready for the assault just as planned, I'll double your troops!".
"He knows we are after the book, if he goes to them, they could move it. How long until the troops are ready!?".
A chief guard approached the two, "Sir! The Grimm attack left more injured than expected. The riots are getting worst and they are cutting our supply lines!".
"GIVE ME A TIME FRAME!".
"If we deal with the riots, we might be able to give you 30 men by sunset, reinforcements could go later".
"That's less than what I was promised!". Cardin reproached.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but all my guards are trying to bring the city back under control. Rioters are becoming more aggressive by the minute".
"Are they?... I see…" The Major started to think. The people of Sevillana were divided on their opinion of him, he was well aware of that…but, there was one thing that could unite them and if he was going to win this war, he needed them on his side. There was something Cardin said the night before, something that he saw the crowd was fully on board with, something that could give him strength, and even if he didn't want to admit it, Jaune also said something that stuck with him. It was time for the city to have a leader. "Very well. Cardin, you heard the Captain. Get ready by sunset, the guards will supply you with as much dust as you can hold".
"You can't be serious!".
"Do as I say! I have to go now. The public needs to hear their Major's words". The Major left, ready to address the people, and leaving a frustrated and impatient Cardin behind.
The City of Sevillana was in chaos, rioters were in almost every corner and guards were deployed on every street. Running through the crowds and avoiding the guards was a difficult task but Jaune and Don managed to run as fast as they could and avoid being caught.
After their successful escape, they managed to hide momentarily in an alleyway to catch their breath.
"I can't believe that worked!" Jaune celebrated with a big smile, the adrenaline flowing through his body made him jump of happiness.
"Marvelous plan, my boy! Spectacular escape! I'm so glad you didn't ask me to use my semblance!" Don replied.
Jaune's happiness froze for a second and his big smile slowly became…. a frustrated frown.
"I mean, it would have been way easier, and probably safer as well. But I love your spirit, lad!". Don continued before realizing his student had his head against a wall, "What's wro….Oh…you forgot didn't you?".
"You. Just. Couldn't. Let me. Have. This!" Jaune kept saying while punching the wall in anger.
Their attention was quickly caught by the sound of guards running by which prompted them to hide behind some trash cans.
Once they passed by, Jaune walked to the end of the alley and picked his head to make sure the coast was clear.
"Making it to the forest is going to be hard. How are we going to cross the city without being seen?!" Jaune asked, his attention was caught by Don's immediate response.
"Way ahead of you, my boy" He said with a big smile while holding two old lady dresses he stole from a drying clothe line.
"…No!".
"Oh, come on! You said you wore dresses before! Plus, I already put on the grandma underwear and it's surprisingly comfy".
"But why did you…How….Sigh. Just give me the dress…".
As guards ran back and forth on the street, Jaune and Don walked out of the alleyway slowly, dressed on pink and white dresses and wearing big cloth hats that helped hide their faces. From the trash, Don even got a fan to cover his beard with and a big old straw bag to carry his shield around.
Armed with their inconspicuous disguises, the two heroes traveled around town avoiding as many guards as they could. It was difficult though. Many streets were completely blocked off either by riot control or by the rioters themselves. They opted for traveling through alleyways to avoid detection, but many guard outposts thought of that as well and started to patrol them.
They walked trying to find an actual path for over an hour in relative safety until they were forced to hide from a group or rioters walking by. Curiously enough, another rioter came in running towards the group.
"Guys! They say the Major is gonna give a speech!".
"He better give himself up!".
"They say he wants to fight the witches himself!".
"The witches!? I gotta see this! Haha!".
The rioters ran off to the Major's speech, much to Jaune and Don relief, but also wonder.
"What is he planning now?" Jaune pondered, before realizing where he was standing. The flowers on the building they were hiding next to made him notice this was the house of the old lady that he helped with Violet the day before. He couldn't stop thinking about the sisters, about the Major, about the city as a whole. The Major told them what he did and what he wanted to do to the sisters. Doubt and guilt plagued Jaune's mind. If the Major was right, then he was actually saving the city, but if he was wrong, there would be nothing but senseless pain and suffering. Either way many would die and Jaune feared that at least the blood of the sisters might be in his hands as well.
"Don, I want to make a short stop. Follow me". Jaune said.
"Where are we going?". Don asked but his student had already stepped out to the street.
The closer they walked to the place Jaune had in mind the more guards they encountered and the more careful they had to be. With all streets closed, they navigated the maze of alleyways as quickly as they could and as silently as possible to avoid detection.
"Kid, this isn't a good idea!" Don tried to argue, he didn't know where his student was taking him, but for it to have so much security meant it was a risk.
They eventually managed to go through the guard's blockade by finding an alleyway path that was missed by their security. Walking to the end of the alleyway, Jaune and Don could clearly see an open garden plaza and in the middle, it stood what Jaune was trying to see, the Cathedral of Saint Agnes.
It was ravaged, broken windows and doors. The ancient Cathedral that stood generations had been assaulted by the guard's forces. The once beautiful building was now hurt, it was covered in wounds and its devoted sisters were now gone.
"It was true…They raided it" Jaune said to himself, he didn't want to believe it, he didn't want to believe a simple comment from him had caused so much pain, "It was my fault".
Don put his hand on Jaune's shoulder "You won't be saving anyone by standing here blaming yourself".
"Then how am I supposed to do it?...and Who am I supposed to safe?" Jaune asked much to Don's surprise. Jaune's heart was split. He noticed how the Cathedral had both bullet and dust damage. The witched fought back. He was turned, did the guards do the right thing or were the witches truly innocent? Who was he supposed to side with? "Don…I don't know who is right and who is wrong. And I don't want my choice to cause more deaths!… it scares me".
"Jaune…" Don tried to talk to his apprentice, but was soon interrupted by two approaching guards.
"Ladies. We must ask you to go back to your home; this is a restricted area".
Don covered his face with his fan before talking with a high pitch voice, "Oh! Thank you, young and handsome man! Me and my little sister here were just going to buy medicine for her cough" He said before pocking Jaune with his elbow.
Jaune let out a fake cough, covering his mouth with his hand, "Cough, cough".
"See? There is nothing to worry, sir, I'll take care of her".
The guards weren't buying it that much. "There are no pharmacies open, ma'am. I'm afraid you are going to have to come with us".
Don continued his act "Oh, no, no, no. We really don't want any trouble".
"Check for weapons, they might be witches". The guard instructed his partner.
The second guard started to pat Don checking for any suspicious item. "Oh, this is so embarrassing, but I can assure you that you won't find HEY!" Don yelled with a manly voice as he punched the guard in the face for getting a bit too handsy with his butt. "THERE ARE NO GENTLEMEN ANYMORE!".
"THE FUGITIVES!".
"RUN, DON!" Jaune yelled as he pushed the guard to the ground and the two ran back into the alleyway.
The guard immediately reported the sight and called for backup before lifting his partner and running after the fugitives.
Jaune and Don ran as fast as they could, but the dresses weren't helping at all, they had to lift them to be able to run properly. The two guards started to catch up quickly. Jaune was about to turn to another alleyway but another group of guards were running from that direction. Don pulled his student by the collar and dragged him to a third path.
They managed to reach the street but lost their cloth hats in the process. Another group of guards joined the chase as Jaune and Don ran in the middle of the street desperately.
Gun shots started to be fired which prompted them to make a sharp turn to the left into another alleyway for cover, giving Don a bit of time to throw away the straw bag and put his shield on his back. They kept running, struggling with the dresses. Don saw how another group of guards came from the end of the alleyway and with a quick turn of his head realized they were surrounded. Thinking quickly, Jaune tackled a door open and the two of them ran through a building. A scared family took cover as Jaune and Don ran across their kitchen to their living room knocking things down in their panic.
They managed to break the front door open and soon enough they were in the main street again. Their relief didn't last when gun shots came from their right and they had to resume their escape right before the guards from the alleyway came out of the building.
The chase continued as Jaune and Don ran straight to a crowd of rioters.
"The guards are oppressors! Down with the Major and the Witches!". They yelled to get the rioters to react and cheer. When the rioters saw the approaching guards, they immediately confronted them, giving Jaune and Don a brief chance to escape into another alleyway.
They kept on running and took another sharp turn to the right, taking a small break to get rid of the dresses. They ripped them apart and threw them in a trash can before stealing a trench coat and a poncho.
They ran back to the street until they saw a restaurant with a balcony view of the city and decided to hide as costumers. The place was closed due to the riots, but luckily, they left some menus on a table that the two fugitives quickly used to hide their faces as they grabbed a sit. They let out a massive sigh of relief with the guards ran past them.
"Oh, thank the gods. That was a close one".
"You had to blow it, didn't you?!".
"Hey! I'm a classy lady and won't take disrespect!". Don tried to defend himself before the two of them were forced to hide behind the menus again when another group of guards ran pass them.
They put the menus down in relief once more which made Don chuckle a little. "Haha. What an exciting day. Come on kid, the sooner we make it to the forest the better".
"Don…should we really?" Jaune asked, he couldn't even see his master in the eyes when he said that.
"What do you mean? Of course, we should!".
"You don't understand". Jaune tried to replied but his master was reluctant to let him give up.
"You can't be thinking of actually staying out of this. What happened with not abandoning this people?!".
"I WON'T!" Jaune answered, his eyes locked in defiance to his mentor. "I can't abandon them but I told you, I don't know whose side is the right side!" He said.
Jaune grabbed his head in frustration and shortly after slammed his arms against the table. "Siding with the Major will mean the Witches will be slaughtered. Violet…I can't let them do that to her, to any of the sisters…But". He grabbed his hands and pressed them tightly, "Siding with the Coven might mean the Grimm will destroy the city. So many have died already and I don't know if they did it or not".
"Kid…" Don wanted to step in, but he also knew it was important for his student to let everything out of his chest.
"The Major might be saving the city, or he might be killing innocent people. Or what if the witches are the ones saving the city and this was just a misunderstanding? Then who is sending the Grimm? Who caused this?!".
"Jaune, calm down" Don tried to plead but Jaune didn't listen.
"Don, I don't know who is right and who is wrong. I don't know who brought the Grimm in the first place. I don't know who the good guys and the bad guys are!...How am I supposed to tell?!". Jaune finished, he was breathing hard and fast out of sheer frustrated.
Don took a look at his apprentice, he saw how split he was, how his heart was in the right place, but also how much fear he had of making a mistake he would regret the rest of his life. After a short pause, Don took a deep breath and started to talk.
"You can't really tell for sure, kid. But I mean, such is life after all". Don said with a faint smile and sad eyes.
Jaune turned at him and listened carefully as Don continued, "Kid, when Violet told us the history of the God of Darkness, it got me thinking. What kind of person you think he is?".
"What?".
"Come on, you are the god guy. What do you think? Is The god of destruction itself a benevolent guy? Does he really protect the souls of the dead?".
Jaune was a bit confused, but he gave it a quick thought, "I…Don't know. I didn't see him myself. It might just be their belief and nothing else…But…Ruby said he granted Salem's desire without question".
"And why was that?".
Jaune kept thinking before replying "She said that…He was grateful that for once someone didn't hate him and actually wordship him…He even was willing to protect her from his brother himself…But then, when it turned out she tricked him, he took responsibility for his mistake".
Don replied with a chuckle, "Well there you go".
"I don't follow".
Don gave a warm smile to his student, "Jaune, there are no absolute good or bad guys. If the Gods themselves aren't black and white, why should life be? It isn't".
Jaune started to consider these words and his nerves calmed down a little.
Don continued, "The problem really comes when people think and live in extremes. That's when you start repeating that you are right and everyone that says otherwise is wrong. That's when you start to think that those that disagree even slightly with your views are automatically monsters, ignorants and your enemies. You become deft to their words; you start to act against them even if it also hurts you just to be a contrarian. When you see the world in extremes you eventually start to automatically assume the worst in people, you don't see them as people anymore but as walking opposing opinions…It's sad really, how some much rather be right than happy".
Jaune started to reflect on this. It was true, the Major and the Witches, they weren't willing to hear each other out, they didn't care for the other's opinion, their views were absolute and whoever thought otherwise was their enemy. They were being stubborn and no one could tell how far they would go to prove they were right…But that still left a question…Were the Witches really so fixed on proving the Major wrong that they would send a Grimm army to kill innocent people?…Or was there another explanation?
Don stood up and walked behind Jaune, he then covered his eyes with his hands, "Jaune, you don't have to choose a side, follow what you feel is right but always keep others in consideration, even those who disagree with you. Never assume the worst on them and most importantly, don't see the world in extremes. When you travel covered in absolute darkness, you won't be able to see the path, but…" Don said, he then took his hands off Jaune's eyes, the evening light of the sun hurt them, and as it did, Don continued, "When you try to walk in absolute light, it will blind you as well".
Jaune's eyes quickly adjusted to the light as Don finished his words "Only when you live in balance, your eyes will clearly see the road ahead, that is how life works".
Jaune's vision focused, he blinked a couple of times until he managed to see clearly the scenery of the beautiful city of Sevillana, a city of wonders that was in need of help. In the distance, Jaune saw a familiar sight, it was the empty terrain he saw the day before, the removed ground he first thought was a new construction side…He now could see it clearly and just like that, all the pieces of the puzzle connected on his head, "The Graveyard…THAT'S IT! Don, I know what to do!".
The sound of whistles from the guards alerted them that they had been found.
"We have to split!" Jaune said before jumping off the restaurant's balcony to a downward street below.
"Kid! Where are you going?!" Don yelled.
"I need to do something! Meet me at the forest!" Jaune said, the mere mention of the forest was enough for Don to realize his student was back in full determination, and he couldn't do less.
Don ran off distracting the guards as Jaune ran away in a different direction. The riots seemed to be calming down a little with meant Jaune could travel across the city much easier, but not without having a run in with some guards.
Jaune managed to avoid capture as he finally made it back to the market. The place was empty and after a few diversions through some alleyways, Jaune escaped his pursuers and made it to his target. He started to slam the door of the place as hard as he could, checking multiple times in case the guards caught up to him.
The blacksmith ran from the back of his shop, battle axe in hand, he approached his barricaded door. "I told you! You rioters won't get a single weapon from me!".
"Open up! Please!" Jaune kept yelling as he knocked the door aggressively.
The blacksmith opened a small window on the door to see who the person was, "You?!".
"I NEED ME SWORD!".
Sunset was approaching and against all obstacles, Jaune made it to the mountain forest south of Sevillana. He ran the up-hill path following the bits of old abandoned road he had found the night before.
Jaune was quickly getting exhausted, but he had to hurry, he didn't know if Cardin and The Major had already attacked the Temple of Saint Aradia or not. He feared for Violet and Victoria's well-being, not knowing if they had been captured. He ran in the hopes of catching up with Dominique, but the road to the temple was long and difficult to transverse, this didn't dissuade him though, he had a plan and it had to work, people's lives were at risk.
Jaune rushed until he finally made it to the first resting area on the path to the temple. He stopped to catch his breath, and in a minute or so he was ready to keep going, but to his surprise, the people he was looking for found him first.
Jaune was pushed by a wind blow from the side and soon enough ice covered his legs up to his belly. From the woods, a group of witches lead by Victoria and Violet emerged with their staves aimed at him.
"You are as stubborn as you are dumb, you know that?" Victoria said sarcastically.
"Violet! Victoria! You are ok! Oh, you don't know how glad I am".
"Huh! Glad?! I doubt that!" Victoria answered but Violet intervened with a soft voice
"Well, the old man did say he was worry". She said.
"What?" Jaune asked before looking behind the witches and seeing Don tied with ropes and kept held by two sisters.
"Oh, hey, kid! It's ok, I managed to befriend them while you were gone!". Don said right before being hit in the head with a staff.
"Quiet! Prisoner!".
Victoria ignited her staff and put it in front of Jaune's face. "Don't think for a second you are making it out of here. I let you go once already and look what happened! Our beloved Cathedral. Our dear sisters!".
Jaune was scared, but his determination was bigger, especially now that he knew they had a chance. The witches being here meant that Cardin hadn't attack the temple yet. He looked at her in the eyes and moved his head, putting it against the tip of the staff as if daring her to fire. "Do what you think you must. But I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to fight with you".
Victoria was shocked, she wasn't expecting this answer, it surprised her enough to back off a little.
Jaune continued, "I told you, we are not your enemies, we are here to help".
"Why should I believe you?!".
"Because I'm here!" Jaune declared, Violet kept looking at him with sadden eyes. Jaune looked at her and continued, "Violet, you asked me if I was willing to sell my soul if it meant I could bring people peace. If that's what it takes, so be it. I will not run away; I will not leave. I will stand to the last minute if that means I can save you all".
The witches all looked at each other, they didn't know what to think about this man.
Jaune turned once more at Victoria. "Listen to me. The Major is after the Book of Shadows, he knows about it and about the temple, he is sending 4 huntsmen after it, they most likely will bring guards with them". The witches started to talk with each other in fear and worry. "You want to protect your family? Let us help you, Victoria. If I betray you feel free to do whatever you want to me but I promise you, I will fight to the end to protect you".
Victoria backed off, she knew the Major was after them, but the fact that he knew about their sacred book, the fact that he knew about the temple, it was alarming, it meant her sister was at risk. But how could she even trust this man? "I…I can't…You are a huntsman! They sent you here! That's what Mother Emilia said!".
Violet stepped in, "Then Mother Emilia is wrong!" The witches were in shock, but Violet kept going, "If he came here to protect us, it means he is not what Mother Emilia said he is. Victoria look at me, we don't stand a chance you know it. If the guards find the temple is all over".
Victoria closed her eyes, she refused to believe Mother Emilia could be wrong, but their chances looked slimmer and slimmer.
"We need them" a witch said with a shy voice. She awkwardly hid behind her staff before gathering the bravery to keep talking, "We are not fighters. But they are huntsmen, we could use their help".
Don and Jaune were surprised, they had seen what the witches were capable of, they were stronger than a regular civilian. But the faces of the rest of the witches said it all.
"You are not fighters?" Don asked.
Violet turned at Jaune and started to explain, "No. When we started the Coven and the guards began to chase us, we realized we needed to defend ourselves. So, we started using the staves as weapons and had a blacksmith modify them on the pretext that it was for easier use. We took books from the library and started to train but really, we have beginner's level knowledge at best".
Another witch approached him and continued, "We managed to unlock our auras, but really, Victoria is the only one talented enough to actually unlock her semblance".
"Stop it already! Stop talking as if we are working with them!" Victoria replied but the witches didn't stand with her.
"You have a better option? Because I don't think anyone here wants to die" The witch replied in defiance.
Violet looked at Jaune, "Do you have a plan?".
Jaune smiled at her, "I do. But I need you to stand with me".
Violet gave him a smile back before she turned with a serious face at Victoria.
Victoria clenched her teeth in frustration. With a swift move, she swung her staff with a charge of earth dust and spawned rocks to break the ice, freeing Jaune's legs. "You better not make me regret it".
The witches untied Don who happily hopped towards his apprentice. "Alright! Let's get down to business! What is the plan, lad?".
Jaune walked up the stairs and addressed his new witch forces. "We are getting attacked from down the mountain. I need every sister available to stand up to them".
"We told you, we are not fighters".
"That's not all you said. You said you had basic training and you have dust. We just need to exploit every advantage we have and we can tip the scale".
"What do you have in mind, lad?".
"No one knows the terrain better than you. You know all the ins and outs. Every hiding spot, every route, I saw it. If we split in groups, we can force them to do the same. Smaller groups mean lower threat. We can take them out in ambushes easier".
The witches were starting to get motivated by Jaune's confidence.
"Haha! Guerrilla warfare! I love it!". Don said enthusiastically.
"There is one more thing" Jaune continued. He walked down the stairs and towards Violet and Victoria. "I know is a lot to ask…But I need the Book".
The sisters saw him in shock. Victoria was distrustful, but Violet grabbed her shoulder and smiled at her, trying her best to ensure her sister, it was what had to be done.
Down in the underground halls of the Temple of Saint Aradia, word was spreading about a counter attack. The remaining witches that escaped capture earlier in the day were being asked to join Jaune's forces, quietly though. Jaune requested that Mother Emilia was not involved in the fight. He claimed that he wanted to keep her safe as the Major specifically targeted her. The witches were under the instruction of not telling her about the fight to come and lock her in her chamber underground. He convinced them that if she knew what was going on, maybe she would surrender herself, and if they wanted to protect her, the witches had to leave her out of this.
Many of the sisters of the Coven decided against joining, too afraid to actually fight. But those that were willing to stand with their sisters were told to meet the forces outside the Temple where Jaune and Don were coordinating the strategy.
Violet and Victoria stepped in the main ceremonial chamber, they nervously walked towards the altar. "This is a bad idea" Victoria said as they got closer to the statue of the God of Darkness that guarded their sacred text, the Book of Shadows.
"Jaune said it was key to the plan, we have to trust him" Violet replied, she couldn't hide she had her doubts, taking the Book was sacrilege, but if it meant it would be kept safe, she had to do it.
"Why?! Why do you trust him so much!? We are talking about someone you met yesterday, for crying out loud!" Victoria asked, she just couldn't understand.
Violet smiled and chuckled a little, much to her sister's confusion. She then gave her a calm and sweet look before responding, "And in that time, you know what I've seen? I've seen him offer his help to a complete stranger just because it was the right thing to do. I saw how desperately he fought to help a dying old man even when there was nothing else to be done. I saw someone who was willing to save the life of a person who minutes before was attacking him".
Victoria was starting to feel a little ashamed. She felt that going against Mother Emilia's back was wrong…But she was also starting to see Violet's point.
Violet smiled while looking at the statue, "When I got to know him…I realized he was in a lot of pain…I think I related a bit too much to him" She then turned back at her sister who was hearing her attentively "Maybe I'm wrong, but I think he is a person that is willing to give it his all if it meant he can prevent others from suffering as much as he has. I think that's a person I can trust".
Victoria gave her sister a smile. Violet always knew what to tell her in moments of doubt. After the loss of their parents, Victoria desired nothing but to be her sister's guardian angel. Even if that meant being mean at times. Her little sister was the most important person in her life. But she couldn't lie to herself, more often than not, it was Violet the one who gave her strength, she was the one who guided her in the right path, and if she trusted this man so much, maybe it was best to trust her on that.
"Sign. You better be right about him then. We are about to do sacrilege for a pretty boy you met at the market. Not a good look for a nun if you ask me". Victoria said jokingly which was followed by Violet's chuckle.
The two sisters were hesitant, but they had a mission and after a second thought they took the Book of Shadows from the God of Darkness' claws and ran outside to meet with the strike forces.
Sunset approached and Jaune and Don stood surrounded by Witches outside the Temple of Saint Aradia. They stationed lookouts at the end of both paths leading to the Temple and using a map from the Temple's library, they were coordinating the forces for the impending assault.
"We have 8 teams, is not much but that'll have to do. I want teams A, B and C spread out and head North, North East and North West respectively. The rest will be spread between those 3 teams". Jaune instructed as the witches acknowledged.
"There is a cave down this path we can use for hiding. Maybe we can stablish it as a meeting spot?" A witch said giving Jaune a better run down of the terrain.
"Perfect, team leaders take note. If your team gets disbanded, regroup at the cave. Remember, your safety comes first. If you are outnumbered, disengage. Do not start a fight you don't know you can win. Only focus on the guards, team G will take care of the huntsmen. If your team makes it to the base of the mountain, blend in the city, if you can, search for your captured sisters. We need all the backup we can get".
Violet and Victoria approached running. "Here it is".
"Great. Mother Emilia?". Jaune immediately asked.
"In her chamber, we locked her there like you asked". Violet answered. She then handed over the book to Jaune. When he was about to grab it though, Victoria quickly grabbed his hand.
"Wait…I want you to look at me in the eyes and promise me…" She said as she locked eyes with Jaune, "Promise me…that you will keep it safe".
Jaune looked at her in the eyes as she requested and without even blinking answered. "I promise, that I will keep it and you safe".
Victoria swallowed her pride and let go of Jaune's hand, allowing him to take the book.
Violet smiled before addressing the meeting, "How are we?".
Don sat down with his legs crossed "Battle plans are ready, come closer we'll go over it again and again until everything is clear", He said.
The sisters gathered with the other team leaders to hear the run down of the plan, not noticing that Jaune stepped away for a minute.
"Victoria, you'll lead team C, you'll take up the North East road" Don instructed.
"Is Violet on that team?" She asked, worried about her sister.
Don looked at her with a serious expression, "I'm afraid not. But don't worry, Violet will be in team G with me. I'll take care of her".
"But…" She tried to plead, ever so overprotective, but she was met with a hand on her shoulder from her dear sister.
"It's ok, focus" She said, reassuring her and bringing her mind back to the mission.
"I…You are right, I'm sorry" Victoria said with regret. The meeting continued as Don went through each step of the plan, down to deployment times and escape procedures.
"What about the book? What's the strategy?". Violet asked.
Jaune approached the meeting to answer the question with the book in hand. "We'll play hot potato" He said much to the witches' confusion. He kept going "The Book is one of their main targets. If they don't know who has it, they won't know who to go after. I'll give it to someone at random and every 20 minutes that person must hand it over to another one. Preferably another team. Avoid any fight as much as possible while holding the book. If they can't find it, they'll stay in the forest longer, giving us time to take them all out".
"Sounds like a good plan" a witch answered while crossing her arms impressed by this tactic.
"If the Major's forces make it to the Temple, the lookouts will send a signal fire to the sky. If that happens, all teams available should rush to the temple".
"What team are you leading?" Violet asked him.
Jaune looked at the ground with sorrowful expression, "Cardin will target me…".
The witches saw him with worry, especially Violet, but Don gave him a reassuring smile, Jaune knew everything would work out. He smiled at his troops giving a confident look to them which helped lift their moral. "I'll distract him to give everyone else a better chance. One last thing…Stay safe. I know I can count on you. Good luck" Jaune finished laying down his plan and dismissed the team leaders. The Witches' were ready for their counter attack.
A scout returned in a hurry, "They are coming!".
With that warning, Jaune deployed the Witches, the battle was about to begin.
Author's notes: Hope you enjoyed. Now, I know what you are thinking, "Another cliffhanger?! Damnit Gladius! You suck!". First of all...How could you? I loved you like a 4th cousing twice removed...sniff. And second! Worry not! Chapter 9 is up right now! That's right, celebrating the premier of RWBY Volume 7, this is a double release! Yep...it's defenitly that and not the fact that I had to split this thing in 2 for how long it was...Nop...Volume 7, that's the reason why...Man, maybe I do suck...
Anyways, Hope you enjoy chapter 8 and 9. As always, thank you for reading and any feedback both positive and negative is welcome. Wish you all a good day and cheers to Volume 7, everyone.