Chapter 1
Jaune Arc
Flames, smoke and the scent of burning flesh. The screams of pain, despair and fear. He watched helplessly as everyone he knew and loved were cut down to pieces. His hand tried to reach out to his youngest sister but just as she was within arm's reach, a Beowolf snatched her and once again, he was forced to watch as it mercilessly tore the young girl to shreds. Her screams melded with several others as his was forced to gaze at the endless cycle of death.
His azure blue eyes widened with horror as he witnessed a pair of Ursa slowly devour his mother who tried to defend his two other younger sisters. Her bronze sword clanged as it hit the ground followed by grunts of pain then silence. His father hefted his broadsword only to for his head to be crushed by a Beringel, his blonde hair melted with the red and white of his flesh and skull. His four older sisters were in a tight circle, axes, spears, rifles and pistols all drawn and stained with the Grimm's black blood. They fought but all fell as the numbers overwhelmed them.
He struggled to break free, to save those that he had cared and to stop the madness. But to no avail. Stars fell on his cheeks as he felt his mind slowly descend into madness. He screamed, threatened and pleaded whatever unseen force that held him.
"Fear not young knight." A sinister voice told him.
"Such tragedy shall not befall you if you pledge your allegiance to me." Something began to materialize in front of him.
It didn't take long for the terrified and angered knight to come face to face with a pale skinned being. Her hair was as white as the bones of the Grimm and her eyes were as red as the blood that had spilled before him. Red and purple veins stretched on the edges of her features and along her arms. The black and red robe that she wore fluttered as she slowly strode towards him. But what terrified him most was not of her clothing or her deathly complexion, it was her eyes. As red as the surrounding area was, black pupils, as dark as the Grimm itself bore onto his blue eyes.
"I shall give you power, fame, glory and treasures amongst many other things." Her hand caressed his tear stained cheeks.
The young warrior tried to back away but the stubborn grip planted him firmly onto the ground. He watched as the diamond on her forehead glowed faintly. He squirmed to liberate himself from the unnerving touch of the being. He felt something stir within him, something dark, a thing that he had not known that existed within him. The being smiled warmly as she cupped his cheeks.
"As such, be mine knight."
Jaune's eyes snapped open at the sound of his scroll's alarm. His hand darted on the bedside table as to where it lay and silenced the pestering noise. He closed his eyes and rested his hands on his sheets, scroll still in hand. Droplets of sweat collected on his forehead which he wiped away with his free hand.
"Damn it, not again." He muttered as he controlled his labored breathing.
Just as his heart was slowly returning to its normal rhythm, he felt his stomach churn as he was temporarily sent onto the air only to crash back onto his bunk bed. Jaune cupped his mouth, discarding the scroll onto his bed and rushed to the bathroom of his assigned quarters. He slammed his shoulders onto the mahogany door and quickly knelt in front of the pristine white throne. His head hanged low as his nearly digested dinner was released as if it was water from an overflowing dam. He hugged the toiled as if it was the girl of his dreams, his hands trembled yet firmly gripped the rim.
"Stupid mo-" His annoyed monologue was disrupted as another wave reminded where the toilet was.
After much gagging, whizzing and grunting, Jaune Arc walked out of the small bathroom accompanied by the flush of the throne. He nursed his burnt throat as his wobbly feet led him to his bed. His head still circled as he slowly remembered where he was and what he was doing. He fell back on his bed and stared blankly onto the tortoise colored ceiling with bronze linings on its edges. A look on the windows beside his bed confirmed his memories.
"That's right. I was accepted into Beacon Academy."
Jaune sighed and slowly sat back up, careful not to rekindle the flames of his pesky condition. His mind began to wander to his most recent nightmare. He had such nightmares since he was a child, a fact that he had hidden from his family and his main reason for training to become a huntsman. He had not had such twisted dreams since he had killed his first Grim, a Boarbatusk. But for some reason, an attack occurred just as he was on his way to Beacon Academy.
"Today of all days." He silently mumbled as his instincts screamed something bad was about to happen.
"Hope they are all safe." He mumbled hopeful that his entire family and village were safe.
The only male Arc shrugged the thought out of his mind and moved to get dressed for the day. He swapped his blue shirt and boxers for his usual pants and black hoodie along with a pair of white snickers. He fluidly wore the little armor that fit him, a simple chest plate that also protected his back along with a pair of simple shoulder guards. All were white with edges of grey. He donned the brown leather gloves that protected his hands and much of his arms. After fixing his bedhead, he clipped Crocea Mors on his waist.
"Alright, time to impress." Jaune moved to exit the room.
Thanks to his training, he was able to suppress the urge to hurl what little remains of his last meal. But at the cost that he must not move around that much and that he has to pass on breakfast to avoid stoking the wild flame in his stomach. He sat by the window, cross-legged on the floor as he silently meditated to avoid repeating a shameful history.
In the middle of his forced meditation, the news broadcast was switched to that of a holographic projection of a blonde woman. She wore a white long-sleeved, pleated top that has a wide keyhole neckline and gauntlet cuffs that flare in pleats at the wrist. She had a black high-waist pencil skirt with bronze buttons and a violet cape that hung behind her. Her light blonde hair was tied to a bun but had a curl dangling on the right side of her face. Her emerald green eyes spoke of confidence and experience behind her thin eyeglasses.
"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." The projection announced which was broadcasted throughout the ships heading to the academy.
"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." Jaune noticed the rather unorthodox clothing that the woman had.
He had often thought why he was that knowledgeable in terms of clothing only to be struck by a dreadful memory. The specific memory of being forced to chaperone his sisters through their shopping struck him. He shuddered at the thought, he had once provoked his oldest sister when she asked for his opinion with her choice of clothes. Since then, he made it a point to learn as much as he can about fashion to avoid another brutal fate as he had narrowly escaped.
"You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy." She continued.
"Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." The projection faded followed by gasps.
Jaune looked behind him, slowly so that not to disturb his own being. He saw what he could only describe as a castle sitting near a cliff. He could see large towers and the main campus, an amphitheater and the docks where several other airships have already unloaded its passengers.
"I guess home is not too far after all." Jaune's head swiveled only to be greeted by a pair of girls staring into the distant academy.
A blonde with a body that most boys of his age, if not all would die for stood beside him. Her purple eyes transfixed with the view before them. Her clothes mainly consisted of yellow and brown which complimented her hair. Her companion however had a red cloak that stood out in a crowd even with the diversity of colors in clothing.
"Beacon is our home now." The blonde of the pair told her much smaller companion.
Jaune noted that the smaller girl's hair chopped hair witch gradated to dark red at the tips from the black roots. But what caught his attention were her silver eyes. For some reason, he felt as if she was a bit too young to attend Beacon but suppressed the urge to ask as he concentrated back to his own dilemma. The blonde knight felt his stomach churn once more as the airship encountered a slight turbulence.
This is going to be one heck of an experience. He thought to himself as his instincts called out to him along with his rising motion sickness.
