Hello, everyone! We're back with our favorite Werewolf AU today. I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and supporting this fic so much. You guys are awesome! Stuff gets real in this chapter, so enjoy!
Jaune grunted as he dragged a long, carved beam from the edge of the forest, where the woodsmen were hard at work. Perspiration shone on his face and soaked through his clothes as he made the trek from the forest to where Velvet's home sat in the Faunus District. With a groan, he set it down in a pile with the others. "How…" He paused to pant before continuing. "How's it coming along?"
Velvet quickly ran the pump, filling a tin cup with some water and handing it to Jaune. "It's going very well, especially with Yatsu leading the project. Thank you again for your help."
"No problem." Jaune took a drink of water before dumping the rest on his steaming head. "I'm just mad that there aren't more people helping out."
"Well, these fires weren't set by werewolves or Grimm," Velvet muttered sadly. "I still hear whispers blaming the Faunus for the attacks."
"That's just stupid. The attack was concentrated here because this part of town is badly-guarded and right next to the forest!" Jaune shook his head. "It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. I bet the builders of Vale did this on purpose."
Yang walked by, effortlessly carrying several beams over one shoulder. "It wouldn't surprise me. I'd love to drag their racist asses from the grave and shove some wooden stakes where the sun don't shine." She threw the beams onto the pile before walking off again.
Velvet made a sympathetic noise once Yang was out of hearing range. "I hear that she's been drinking a lot lately. I wish I could do something to help."
"Well, the physical labor seems to be good for her," Jaune said. "I tried getting Weiss out here, but she said her dad would make things miserable for her if she was seen helping out."
He grimaced as he thought of Mister Schnee. How did someone like him end up with two such amazing daughters? Jaune may or may not have had a crush on Weiss in the past, before finding out that the young woman had feelings for Ruby.
Ruby… Thoughts of his best friend still filled Jaune with pain. He still couldn't believe that he'd never hear that chipper laugh or feel her sudden, speedy hugs again. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and took a shuddering breath.
"Do you want to sit down, Jaune?" Velvet asked, her ears twitching with concern.
"Nah, I'm fine," Jaune muttered. "The physical labor is good for me too. Speaking of which, are you going on the hunt tonight?" It would be a full moon, and most of the Huntsmen were itching for a new werewolf hide to hang on their walls, especially Yang and Weiss.
"Not me," Velvet murmured, shaking her head sadly. "I need to help with repairs. Besides, I wouldn't want to 'jinx' the hunt or anything."
Jaune couldn't think of anything to say to that, so he just nodded his head and continued hauling beams. Until the Elders started to see reason, it was all anyone could really do.
….
Before the hunt, the Huntsmen gathered in the center of town, as was tradition. The Council of Elders stood before them. There was Mister Schnee, Weiss's father and the richest man in town. There was General Ironwood, a former general in the capital city of Remnant before losing his arm and leg in a battle and requiring metal prosthetics. Mister Winchester was Cardin's father and a devoted worshiper of God and the Maidens, going to the Church every day. There was Glynda Goodwitch, a master wielder of Dust and a supervisor of the training of younger Huntsmen. Finally, there was Ozpin, a man who had been in Vale for as long as anyone could remember.
Out of the Elders, Glynda and Ozpin were the only ones who ever showed an open mind toward Faunus relations. Sadly, Schnee and Winchester were adamant in their prejudiced beliefs and Ironwood only cared about military tactics and the training of Huntsmen.
It was Mister Schnee who stepped forward and addressed the gathering. "Good Huntsmen of Vale, the full moon is rising tonight. With it comes the swarm of ungodly creatures that attacked our town days ago and killed several of our own! They think they can storm our homes and sully our Maiden-blessed lands with their filth. Let us prove them wrong tonight. Tonight, we will line our floors with wolf pelts! We will scatter their fangs to the wind! We will have justice for their crimes!"
The Huntsmen brandished their weapons and let out wordless cries of fury before splitting into groups and leaving Vale. Citizens waved to them from their doors and windows. Children shouted encouragement while playing with wooden weapons and toy Grimm.
Jaune used to love this part of the hunt, when the entire town treated him and his companions liked heroes. He truly felt like part of a group and a member of a truly noble cause. Now, all he could feel was the painful awareness that his hunting party would be two members short tonight.
Yang was feeling particularly bloodthirsty, armed with her favorite spiked gauntlets and sword. In the darkening shadows of the forest, her lavender eyes seemed to take on a reddish hue. Her blood was boiling and her belly was burning with the brief sip she had taken from her uncle's flask before Schnee's speech.
She was ready to find any werewolf she could and rip its head off personally. She wouldn't even bother keeping the pelt. It would be much more satisfying to just tear the creature limb from limb.
Weiss paused as they left the town. Winter was standing by the border between Vale and the forest, clad in the green robes of the Spring Maiden, murmuring prayers for the departing Huntsmen. Their eyes met briefly and Weiss felt a sense of calm clarity go through her. She wasn't sure if it came from her sister, or if perhaps the Maidens really were watching her in that moment.
Ren scouted ahead, looking for tracks or broken branches. The group would be heading northwest. There were rumors of werewolves living in that part of the forest, even though the attacks usually came from the northeast. On the night of the most recent attack, several Huntsmen had seen werewolves fleeing in both directions.
Nora stayed at the back of the group, keeping a watchful eye over her shoulder for any werewolves or Grimm. She brandished her hammer at anything that moved, her face devoid of its usual good humor.
For a long time, all was silent. Jaune began to wonder if this hunt would be just like their unauthorized one a few days ago. He hoped not, for Yang's sake.
Then, less than a mile north of their position, came a sound that caused gooseflesh to rise on all of the young Huntsmen: a long, piercing, unearthly howl. It rang through the air, into the sky, and across the trees. Its haunting sound went up in pitch before gradually going lower and lower, finally fading into silence. The echoes of that sound remained in the heads of all of the Huntsmen.
Yang's eyes flashed and she clenched her fists. "That one's mine," she growled. Taunting us, are you? We'll just see about that! Abandoning caution, she let out a roar of challenge and rushed in the direction of the howl.
"Yang, what are you doing?!" Weiss gasped before rushing after her. "Don't break formation!"
Jaune cursed inwardly before turning to Nora and Ren. "Ren, do you know a clear path toward the north?"
Ren nodded, already guessing at Jaune's plan. Yang was haphazardly crashing through the trees and bramble. While she was strong, this would definitely slow her down. "If we move quickly, we should be able to cut her off before she gets too far."
"Good. I'll take point." Drawing his sword, Jaune led his small group down the path Ren pointed to.
Yang couldn't see anything but darkness and trees. She didn't care. She knew right where that howl had come from, and she was going to make that wolf regret uttering a sound. I'll rip its damn tongue out! she thought, thinking back to only a few nights ago, when she had found those twin pools of blood in Blake's home. There had been more redness besides the blood. Scraps of Ruby's precious cloak had also been scattered through the destroyed house.
"Come on out, you murderers!" she shouted, barely noticing the tears streaming from her bloodshot eyes. "I'll kill every single one of you!"
"Yang!" Weiss shouted, darting around trees while trying to keep her Dust vials from falling. The stupid, reckless dunce! Is she trying to follow in Ruby and Blake's footsteps?! If she gets eaten by a werewolf, I'm going to kill her!
Jaune, meanwhile, was just at the end of the path, clearing some brambles with his sword. He heard loud rustling to his right before two large forms nearly barreled into him, stopping short mere yards away. He jumped back, eyes wide.
Two werewolves were standing right there in the shadows, staring right at him, eyes glowing spookily. The ragged sound of their pants seemed unnaturally loud in the relative silence of the forest. Instinctively, he raised his sword. He sensed Ren and Nora doing the same.
The larger wolf growled and stepped into the moonlight, red fur bristling. Its green eyes flashed as it showed its pure white fangs. Then, it froze. Its eyes locked on Jaune's and it took a step back, ears flicking in agitation.
Jaune felt his mouth drop open as he looked at the creature. All at once, he was a little boy in the woods, nose to nose with a terrified werewolf pup. He blinked, his arm starting to shake.
"Jaune, what's- By the Maidens…" Ren's voice became hushed.
Jaune was about to ask what Ren had seen, but the answer became clear when the smaller werewolf stepped into the light. It was a tiny, lithe creature with brown fur and shining silver eyes. Jaune had only ever seen eyes like that once before.
"Ruby?" he gasped.
The silver-eyed wolf whined softly. The red wolf started to relax its posture, a decision it probably regretted when loud crashes in the distance signaled Yang's approach.
Nora looked desperately at Jaune. "Jaune, what do we do?!"
Jaune froze. He couldn't think. All his life, he had been told exactly what to believe about werewolves. Yet, right in front of him was his best friend in wolf form alongside the creature he had saved years ago. He couldn't just attack them.
He couldn't just let them go, either! The Church said that bitten people had to be killed out of mercy.
Yang and Weiss were coming. What would they do? What would Jaune do about them? What could anyone-?
With a roar of anger, Yang burst from the trees. Her eyes locked on the larger wolf and she lunged forward, brandishing her gauntlets without hesitation. Before she could strike, however, there was a blur of movement followed by a feeling similar to being punched in the stomach. She staggered backward, clutching her midsection as she glared at the smaller wolf. The little jerk headbutted me!
The tiny creature was crouched down, ears flattened, fangs bared. It took a menacing step forward, slashing with one of its front paws.
"Ruby, no!" Jaune shouted, just as Weiss emerged from the trees.
All was silent. The small wolf blinked, shaking its head in supposed confusion.
Yang, for once, didn't move. She just stared, noticing the silver of the monster's eyes for the first time. "Ruby?" The word came out as a choked gasp. Her heart sank as her whole body began to tremble.
Hearing Yang seemed to be the final straw. The small wolf shook its head once more before a surprisingly-vivid expression of horror came to its face. It stared at Yang, Weiss, Jaune, Ren, and Nora in turn before spinning around and tearing into the trees at a blinding speed.
The red wolf looked at Jaune, and he was almost positive that there was sadness in the creature's eyes. Then, it too was gone, leaving a group of stunned Huntsmen alone with their thoughts.
Dun dun DUN! What will happen next? You'll have to stay tuned until next Friday to find out! I'm having so much fun with this world and am really looking forward to posting the other chapters I have saved up. This is where the plot really begins.
In other news, commissions are officially closed. Doing them was a lot of fun and pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit (while lining my wallet for my Europe trip), but I need to focus on some of my own stuff now, such as other fanfic ideas, some original WattPad stories I'm gonna post, my P~a~t~r~e~o~n, and figuring out what route I want to take in publishing my novel. I'll make sure to update my readers concerning all of the above.
Peace out!