A king's return
Chapter 3 plans for the future.
Arthur sat on the roof of his house watching as the girls set up tables and chairs in the backyard for a party while their father was out buying groceries. It seems it was Jaune's birthday today and he was turning seventeen and his sisters wanted to throw a huge party for him saying they were going to bake him a giant cake as well as give in presents all day. Arthur did his best to seem happy about the party but he couldn't help but feel like a thief steeling away such a sweet moment from the real Jaune.
As he sat on the roof watching them set up he thought about the time he has spent here. He has been Jaune Arc for little over half a year now and he has begun to really enjoy his time here with the Arc family. Even with his investigation into what had brought him to this world and why he was merged with Jaune.
On that note he began to think about what his next move should be. He had followed the river past the dam to search for the source of the shadow beast as well as the culprit that had killed the towns watch men. In his search he found nothing as the river ended at ocean about a half a day's walk from the dam. He had hoped of finding a lake that might have been used to create the shadow beast by infusing it with mana and dark magic to birth them but instead he found the ocean reaching out far and wide.
He had truly hoped he would find something to help him in figuring out what was happening. It has been about a month and a half since he first found the dam and he was only one step in the right direction and ten steps behind whoever was pulling the strings. The thought of that made him angry seeing as he had hoped to at least be farther into his investigation of matter.
He just let out a tired sigh as laid back against the roof and looked up at the sky watching as the clouds moved over head. It was the beginning of a new year and spring was just another two months off and the weather would start to warm up. Arthur has spent the last month and a half searching all over the village and surrounding woods of Eden for anything that might help him with his investigation only to come up with dead ends and more questions.
In this past half month he has run into twelve of those shadow beast while he was searching for clues. Each time the beast had been stalking someone who traveled off the beaten path and into the woods to hunt or some lone traveler. Each time he had been forced to kill the east before it could kill anyone. He had hoped he would be able to find one that was alone and he could follow it back to where ever it came from only to always be forced to dispose of the beasts.
With that thought he let out another tired sigh and lifted his arms over his head and stretched them. He then folded them behind his head and rested on them as he stared up at the sky. He was in a bit of a bind with things as they were. He needed more information and clues as to what was happening but that wasn't all he also needed to stay focused with his reason for staying with the Arc family. It wasn't to take Jaune Arcs place it was to bring him back, and he can't really do that when he is busy pretending to be Jaune.
Arthur let his thoughts wonder as he thought about his plans and what he had to do. He was then pulled from his thoughts at the sound of the ladder shaking. He turned to his right to see Lily lifting herself up the last bit of the ladder and onto the roof. She smiled at him as she moved over and took a seat next to him. He didn't mind the action as he just smiled and gave a nod to the young girl. She leaned back looking up at the sky with him watching as the clouds flew overhead in a content silence.
The two sat for a good half an hour in silence not wanting to break the peaceful air that passed over them as they watched the clouds. The two were more than happy to continue on in silence but Arthur had figured it would be better to talk with Lily. She was the closet of the seven of Jaune's sisters and the one that spent most of her time with him so Arthur figured if he planned on bringing Jaune back he would have to at least let her know that someday he would change. He lifted himself up to speak only to stop when Lilly spoke first.
"So are you still planning on heading to Beacon to become and Huntsman?"
The question had caught Arthur off guard before he looked into Jaune's memories to find what Lily was referring to. After a second he found what he was looking for and indeed Jaune had been planning on going to an academy called Beacon to train to become a Huntsman like his father. Jaune had planned on becoming a Huntsman to honor his family an admirable desire, but Arthur wondered if he should follow through with that desire.
He took a second to reply as he thought about what to say carefully. "I don't know, I would like to but after everything that has happened I feel it would be wrong to just up and abandon you all like that."
As he spoke he was surprised to see Lily's shoulders sag slightly at his reply as she than turned back to look at him with sad eyes. The action had caught him off guard and he had no idea what to do or say as he tried to figure out what he sad to make her so sad. 'What did I do?' He thought as he looked into Lily's sad eyes.
After a second of silence she finally spoke again. "Are you really going to give on your dream than?"
The question had come as a shock to Arthur. He had expected something else to be asked but instead Lily was here worrying about his dreams for him. While Arthur didn't have the same desires as Jaune he still felt sad at refusing Jaune the chase to fulfil his dreams seeing as he had taken his life from him. Here Arthur was playing himself off to be someone he's not and now he was taking away that persons dreams throwing them to the side like they were nothing.
Such a cruel act should be punished but he didn't know what to do. He wanted to bring Jaune back to return the life he had taken but now he was destroying that life's purpose by discarding his dreams. He lowered his head guiltily as he thought of what he should say to Lily. He wanted to tell her he was staying so he could protect her and the others. A he looked into Jaune's memories he could tell that Jaune had wanted nothing more than to be a Huntsman so he could protect them and had said so more than once to them all.
So if he was to say he was staying to protect them he would be discarding Jaune's dream even more. He just lowered his head more as he tried to think of what to say next. As he continued to try and think of an answer he was pulled from his thoughts when Lily wrapped her arms around his head pulling him into a hug.
"It's ok Jaune, you don't have to give up on your dream for us. I and the others know how much it means to you to become a Huntsman so we don't want to ever take that opportunity away from you."
She just patted the back of his head as she hugged him as she did her best to cheer him up. Arthur let he do so as he thought of what to say. He took a deep breath and reached up pulling Lily's arms away from his head breaking the embrace and looked into her eyes.
"I won't I will become a Huntsman."
As he said this he could see a smile forming on Lily's lips as she than hugged him and buried her face in his chest as she did so. She was happy but sad as well seeing as she had just convinced Jaune to leave but she never wanted to take anything from her brother so if she could help him fulfill his dreams she would do so. Even if it meant he would leave her and go somewhere far away.
Arthur could only think about what he was going to do now. Over the past few months he found himself becoming more and more attached to the Arc family as he started to believe he could have a place here with them. Still though no matter how much he was enjoying his stay with them he couldn't bring himself to truly feel like one of them as he always felt like he could never match Jaune.
From all of the memories he had it seemed Jaune was the person in the family holding them all together. In all the memories Jaune was the one who would act first to take care of his sisters and would never let them cry. It was nice to think someone as childish and naive as Jaune existed, but Arthur knew he could never be Jaune so he would do everything in his power to bring him back for Lily and the others.
The two just sat for a minute holding onto one another not wanting to break the embrace only for a scream to pull them from their moment. Arthur shot into a crouched position looking down to see Clarisse and the others backing away into the house at the sight of several shadow beast coming out from the tree line behind the house. He turned to look at Lily who was now cowering behind him shacking in fear at the sight of the beasts that had once tried to kill her.
He cursed himself for letting his guard down and went to move only to stop when he thought about what he was going to do. He couldn't just jump down there calling out his armor for them all to see. They would end up asking questions he knew he couldn't answer without revealing the truth. So instead he decided he would just use the "invisible air" and his sword. If he kept the sword hidden with the "invisible air" he would be able to play it off as a new way he had learned to control his semblance.
With that thought he turned around wrapped one of his arms around Lily's waist and then lifted her.
"Hold on." He told her as she then wrapped her arms around his neck and he jumped from the roof down to the others. He softened the landing with the "invisible air so not to hurt Lily and gave her off to her mother and turned back to the shadow beasts putting himself between them and the Arc family.
"Get inside now!" He ordered to which they complied all though Lily protested her older sisters pulled her inside the house and ran down towards their basement leaving the beasts with their brother. Arthur summoned up his sword and took his stance as he eyed the beasts that had decided to throw their lives away. There were four of them all ready to charge growling in hatred towards the former king ready to kill.
There was a silence in the air for a second before everything fell and Arthur and the beasts charged one another. The former king easily dispatched the first two beast with one clean strike splitting them in two. He then dodge a lunge from the third while he also blocked a swipe from the forth as he spun on his heels to throw the beast back as he then turned and cut down the third beast. He turned to kill the last beast only for his senses to warn him of an attack from behind forcing him to dive to the side as he dodged the attack.
What he saw surprised him as he saw a black knife fly past where he used to be piercing into the shadow beast he had planned on killing. The blade had pierced the beast clean between the eyes killing it for him. Arthur turned to in the direction the knife had come from letting his eyes sweep over the tree line to find his new attacker. As his eyes scanned the tree line his senses flared again as he dived away from another attack.
He dodged three more daggers that came flying at him from the side lodging themselves into the ground where he had been crouched. He turned his gaze over the trees again trying to find his attacker only to see nothing but shadows and forest. 'Damn it who is attacking!?' He thought angrily as he continued to scan the tree line.
As he scanned the trees a voice rang out. "Well, you are quite the special one aren't to?"
The voice was sickening like that of a dying old man splitting the silence like the sound of dying animals. Arthur looked around to find the source of the voice hopping if they kept talking he would be able to find them.
"I would never say I am special, just well trained." He said hopping he could get a response.
He waited a second before a sick laughter began to fill the air. It was like the sound of rattling bones.
"Hahaha, don't think you can fool me, I know what you are." The voice came again shocking Arthur as he looked around still trying to pinpoint the source. He cursed when he found nothing as he then lifted his sword to keep his guard up as he responded to the attackers claims.
"Oh and what am I than!?"
He waited expecting to be met with more daggers only to instead watch as shadows took form before him seven yards ahead in the tree line. As the shadows formed he came to the sight of a cloaked figure wearing half of a bone mask being the only identification of his attackers face. The figure was hunched with a long tattered black cloak hiding his body. More than likely hiding how many knives he had left.
"You are a false existence someone who shouldn't have been summoned."
The figure spoke catching Arthur off guard at its words. 'It knows I was summoned.' He thought as he tightened his grip on his sword as he watched the figure warily.
"So if you know I was summoned that must mean you are the one who is controlling those shadow beast?"
He questioned hopping to finally find some answers from this strange figure before him. Instead his remark was met with that same bone clattering laughter.
"Oh, no I am not the one who controls the hounds I am but a servant to their master."
At this Arthur grit his teeth as he thought over the man's words. 'If what he says is true than that means someone else is pulling the strings and he is but a puppet in this play.' With that thought he also just learned he wasn't supposed to be summoned meaning his presence here, his merging with Jaune hadn't been planned. It so than that meant he could return this body back to Jaune. He had to continue speaking with this man for more answers.
"So than your master has sent you to kill me than?"
He questioned as he watched for any movements from the assassin. His question got another set of laughter again as the assassin lifted its left hand up and held its face its arm was silky thin with pitch black skin. When the laughter finally died the assassin spoke.
"No I was sent to watch and test you as well as inform you of a request my master would like to make to you."
That didn't sit right with Arthur but he had to keep this talk going to find his answers.
"And what is this request?"
He asked preparing himself for whatever might happen. The assassin seemed to smile behind his mask from the way it tilted its head before it spoke again.
"My master would like for you to join us."
That was not what Arthur had expected. He had thought this assassins master would request his removal from their play not a seat in it. But the assassin wasn't finished as he began to speak again.
"You see, my master finds your existence a problem a variable my master can't predict so I was given three options. One I kill you and remove that unpredictable variable from play. Two I keep watch on you to prevent you from getting in the way of my masters plans. Finally for the third option my master had asked me to make a request to you to join us."
Arthur thought about this as he watched the assassin carefully. 'This man's master is quite careful if only one unpredictable variable is something he would go so far to remove.' The former king thought on the options trying to find reason behind them. The first was a simple not wanting any problems option taking out any threat he could find as quickly as possible. The second was a bit of a stretch but still a feasible plan if he wanted to keep Arthur around in case he became of use.
While the third option as an even better plan by taking that unpredictable variable out of play by making it one of his pawns to use when the time was right. Whoever was pulling the strings was quite a careful one if this is how they were playing it.
"So what if I refuse and killed you?"
Arthur asked as he readied himself for a fight only to be met with laughter from the assassin.
"Hahahaha, you don't seem to understand the situation you are in." The assassin spoke cryptically as he then began to move along the tree line. As the assassin moved Arthur followed not wanting him to break his line of sight. As they moved the assassin spoke again.
"You see I have been watching you since your visit to the dam."
As soon as Arthur heard this he paused in surprise before quickly pushing it aside. 'So he is the one who killed the watchmen.' He thought as he felt his anger building. When the assassin finally stopped it spoke again.
"You see I originally was going to kill you but my master had other plans so he asked me to watch you to see what it is you do and why you are here, but from what I have seen you don't even know why you are here yourself."
The assassin said amused by the prospect as he laughed at Arthur some before continued on talking.
"You are lost unsure of why you were brought back. My master would like to give you a reason for being brought back. My master believes you may be of use to him. So when I was sent to make this request to you I was told to tell you this. Refusal is a fine option we will just watch you to keep you from impeding our plans but if you decide to make us your enemy we will not just kill you but we will kill that family you are trying to protect."
As soon as the assassin said this Arthur charged forward slashing out to split the man in two only for his blade to strike nothing at the assassin faded into a shadow. Arthur started to dart his head around looking for the assassin. As he did he was met with laughter again as the assassin spoke.
"Hahaha, no need to be so hasty you don't have to decide now, you will have a month before I return. Make your decision carefully you wouldn't want those sweet girls to become my next meal."
With that the assassin faded completely. Arthur balled his hands into fists as he dispersed his sword. "Damn it!"
He cursed himself for being so foolish he had let his guard down and been followed watch for over a month now and he had not once noticed. Such a blunder was disgraceful, but what was worse was the fact now that he put Lily and the other all in danger. 'Damn it how could I let this happen?' He thought bitterly as he turned to look at the house.
Inside Lily and her sisters where sitting in the basement hiding from the shadow beast that threatened them, but now they had an even worse threat looming over head. He cursed himself again before he went inside to tell them it was safe to come out. As he made his way to the basement door he couldn't help but berate himself for letting this happen. As he walked to the door all he could do was mentally beat himself up for being so foolish for not even trying to check if he was being followed.
When he reached the door to the basement he knocked several times before calling down to let them know it was safe to come out. As soon as he did he was met by Isabel opening to door looking out worriedly as she checked over Arthur to make sure he was ok. When she finished that she pulled him into a tight embrace. Any other time he would have been more than fine to let the embrace last, but now all he felt was the need to break free of her hold and run.
He let the embrace continue till she broke it and the other seven girls replaced her and all hugged him saying how glad they were to see him ok and how lucky they were he was there, but as they said this he felt nothing but guilt at the fact that he was the one that brought the beasts to them. He simply let the embraces continue till the girls finally let go and gave the girls a small smile that he hoped hid his guilt and concerns.
As he did he was met with a varying set of responses some of the girls simply gave a concerned look while others looked ready to question him but before they could he spoke up.
"Why don't we continue setting up? You all went through so much trouble to try and prepare this party for me so it would be wrong to put all that hard work to waste and stop now."
As he said this he turned ready to head out hoping they would not question him. As he moved he felt Lily grab onto his arm and move with him before she spoke herself.
"He's right lets through a party for our hero."
She cheered making all the other girls smile as they began to move and finish up setting up for the party. Arthur moved off with Lily heading into the kitchen to help Isabel and her. As he did Lily watched him closely. She knew something was wrong they all did but she knew if she tried and ask about it he would dodge the questions. It hurt to think he was hiding something but Lily just let it be.
Arthur moved over to the counter and began collecting plates and forks to take outside. As he did he thought about his next move. He was at a disadvantage with almost no options to choice from. He could either join the Assassin and serve his master or refuse and risk the chance that the assassin will go after Lily and the others. Even if he didn't make them his enemy if he refused he had no guaranty that Lily and the others would be safe.
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place with no plan of attack. 'Damn it what have I done?' he thought bitterly as he passed a glance out over the girls as they all cleaned up the yard and finished setting up for the party. He had to choice carefully or he was going to get them killed. 'I will protect them I have to.' He thought as he began to plan what to do next.
End.
AN/ Yea new chapter. Please leave a review really leave one. Also follow and fav if you wish.