Merry Christmas and a happy new year everyone.
I am currently publishing this chapter at a lovely location that I'm quite fond of. No, it's not a pleasant coffee café, nor a quiet place down the city, but, it is, however, one of my relatives. One week of vacation. Away from all the stress back home is, without a doubt, one of my cherished endeavors in this thing called life. But alas, nothing last forever, for next week I shall be returning to old sweet home and prepare myself for another round of scholarly dues. Still though... it was an enjoyable week and I hope that you had a pleasant one as well.
Now, back to work.
Shall we begin?
_- A Place To Call Home -_
It was night.
"They're here." Jaune heard someone spoke, a man's voice, from his right. Hearing the news, Jaune panicked, looked afar, and squinted his eyes- but, saw nothing, as it was only the shadows of trees and lurking shadows that greeted him. He was about to ask the older man on where exactly did he saw them, when, Jaune paused, noticed the extra wolfish ear, and approach his query at a different angle," How close are they?" Jaune asked instead.
"Well, kid," The Faunus begun, voice rasping, and, from the smell of it, the man reeks of alcohol. "Far enough that the arrows won't hit 'em." The wolf Faunus answered.
"Arrows? That's it?" Jaune cried out.
"Ah, well, ever since those damn Schnees close themselves from the rest of the world and disappeared to brother gods know where, they took away most of the dust with 'em and left us with nothing. Weaponries that run on dust are a rare sight these days. But, don't you worry, we may be back to primitives, but you could still do more with just that." He explained.
"How exactly can you do more with no dust?" Jaune asked, skeptically.
"Well, you could- "Suddenly, the man cut off, paused, and narrowed his eyes. Confused, Jaune was about to open his mouth when the Faunus raised his hand, then as Jaune watch the man's eyes grew narrower, he slowly realized, with great despair, as it hit him. First, it was the howls. Howls that made Jaune's hand gripped his wooden spear a bit more excessive as he froze. Then, it was the demented laughter that made his very soul shudder. The haunting chorus was far away. Unfortunately, it did nothing to its sheer intensity. It painfully reminded him of the nights spent alone, hoping for the beasts to leave him alone, as he curled up, sobbed, waited for someone to rescue him-
"Hey," Jaune felt a hand on his shoulder, snapping him back to reality.
"Stay strong. We'll be fine." The man firmly said.
"W-will we?" Jaune whispered.
"This is not the Bastion's first dance with a horde, kid." Not soon after the Faunus's words, Jaune heard a voice, a strong order shouted out loud from the surface area below. Afterwards, the skies were alighted as Jaune watched in awe as burning arrows soared under the broken moon's gaze. They were countless. It was like witnessing the Bastion's retaliation given manifestation through the efforts of its hundred populaces. Then it hit. Screams. Jaune heard Pig-like screams that almost felt like someone took a blazing hot knife through the skin of an animal. It was uncomfortable, but, Jaune took it as a silver lining that it wasn't the people here screaming their lungs out.
Moreover, another good thing made by the flaming arrows were that he can now see (but not enough to witness their full figure) where they are. Jaune then took a breath, one given by relief, as he saw them a hundred feet away from the Bastion. The abominations, as from what he can hear, and what little he could discern from the crackling fires over the wide distance, were writhing in scorching agony across the far forest and have only taken a few steps in the wide plains across his position. They were far away, comfortably so.
"D-do you have a name for what those things are called?" Jaune asked in an attempt to distract himself.
"Ghouls." The Faunus responded, as he noticed the man watching the burning creatures with a distinct satisfied smile. "I always like this part of the siege." Jaune heard him absently spoke, after a while, the older Faunus regained his composure and begun to explain, "Any hunter worth their salt can destroy a pack. A trained group of individuals could exterminate a small hive. However, even if I can destroy one in my sleep, underestimating them will be your last mistake. Especially a horde." He strongly stated, voice and tone hinted a level of experience in teaching as Jaune listened. "Don't be fooled by their maddened state, kid, they're quite the nasty bugger when you let your guard down around 'em. So, don't." He later added.
Then, as Jaune grew more and more worried at the beating seconds, eventually, the man who ordered the flying of arrows earlier shouted once more as the sound of flaming projectiles from above flung afar again and announced the second valley of arrows. Jaune tensed himself as he witnesses another session of nightly pyre- however, to his discomfort, it was closer to the Bastion when it hit, he morbidly thought.
Then, as the light of the flames projected a certain unease, Jaune saw a shadow and two- three, four and, to his dismay, eventually too many figures to count that blistered out from the fiery carnage, their inhuman bodies running towards the Bastion at an unnatural speed- "LAST VOLLEY!" A shout, louder than the rest, boomed. Then, immediately, Jaune felt the nightly air around him shifted as he watched the Bastion's defenses engaged the encroaching abominations outside.
The barrages of arrows were significantly vast in numbers then the rest this time, he noticed- "Take that, you ugly fucks!" Jaune heard the Faunus besides him shouted as Jaune heard the people around him begin to start jeering at the burning creatures and cheered at their protectors. Feeling good at the turn of events, Jaune joined the ride as well. The attack was halted, not fully stopped, but, as Jaune witness the charging horde diminished to scattered numbers, he let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding.
"SKIRMISHERS!" The loud voice announced again, afterwards, he saw from the surface below him, groups of huntsman and huntresses charging outside the now open gate as they challenged the staggered nightmares with no hesitation and, with great relief, Jaune saw them decimated the abominations in extreme prejudice.
The hordes, as many as they are, terrifying in numbers, they were without a doubt no match to experienced hunters that exterminated grimm on a daily basis. He watched as the separated packs of monsters were utterly annihilated by armored groups of man and women, witness the living nightmares tried (and failed) to catch the occasional lone huntsman off guard, and, strangely, amidst the infighting below, Jaune saw individuals, wearing darker gear, and a gas mask, of all things, strapped on their faces as they passively watched the battle from the back ends.
"Night prowlers." Jaune guessed.
"Aye," The man responded, eyes narrowing as he looked from Jaune's direction." Nobody knows what Raven's faction really does, but-" They both took a pause as they took sight of a stranded huntress, clothed in red robes, momentarily swarmed by a lucky pack, before, as the hunter glowed red, she exploded, taking the creatures with her, emerged unscathed from the ashen smoke then immediately dived right back into the fray. Afterwards, the Faunus continued," As I was 'sayin, they are awfully quite the secretive bunch, however, they do have the Founder's favor." He explained. "But I don't trust em'. You shouldn't as well." The older Faunus advised.
"Why?" Jaune asked.
"In all my years serving the white fang, the ones who hide the most within your family, always, have a secret to bury." He answered.
"Based on experience?" Jaune asked, paused, then, "Wait, you're a terrorist." He pointed out.
"And?" The man responded; an eyebrow raised.
"W-well…" Jaune stuttered.
"The past," The Faunus begun, "all of it, along with who we once were, it all doesn't fucking matter now. It's now a world ruled by abominations." He then scoffed, "Can't believe I miss the days were its just us and the grimm." Jaune saw the man pulled a flask, alcohol- he identified from the smell, "My fight, our cause, was destroyed and forgotten alongside the old world. Now, most of us, especially the ones who really believed in the cause, have either killed themselves or just waiting for them to kill us." He ended.
"Which one are you?" Jaune asked after a silence.
"What do you think?" He answered.
Jaune paused, reflected, and, honestly, he really doesn't know how to help a man, terrorist or not, who have been fighting all his life then waking up knowing that it doesn't matter anymore, after all, he's just a huntsman in training whose sole experience in fighting for something was forging a transcript instead of training the rest of his life before the time came to enter Beacon. A small explosion then took Jaune's attention to a small fight between a large huntsman and the red robed huntress from earlier, he realized, against what must have been the last pack of the horde. It was an underwhelming match, for, not a minute later, the ghouls were all wiped out from the sheer might and skill of both hunters. What was left afterwards, Jaune noticed, was the few scattered ghouls being taken out one by one.
"Jaune. Jaune Arc. Huntsman in training." he begun, pausing for a moment, before continuing," Now, I'm just a guy who wants to see his family again." Jaune said as they both took a contemplative silence under the bustling chaos outside.
Eventually, the older man spoke, "Well, Jaune, call me Kelly, former white fang operative, and, now, just someone who plans to drink himself to death in this fuck up world. Speaking of which," He offered his flask, to which, Jaune declined, so he shrugged and continued," Well, suit yourself cause the only way to get this stuff is to join the scavenging party- which, shamefully, is now put on hold due to this fucking horde." Kelly complained.
"Scavenging party?" Jaune queried.
"Ah, it's one of the ways where this place gets their supplies. Bastion sends one every week- "Kelly suddenly paused, Jaune too, as they then noticed the hunters, after another ordering shout from the man from earlier, returned abruptly. Well, most of them, Jaune noticed, as the few stopped and collected something that he couldn't discern from the corpses of the dead ghouls.
"Is… is it over?" Jaune anxiously asked.
"That's just the first wave."
_- A Place To Call Home -_
It felt like hours.
They were on the fourth wave. The horde had thin down but Brother gods were they persistent. They kept coming and coming that it was a blessing that when Jaune asked the older residence of the Bastion about their ammo expenditure- "Yes." Kelly responded as the Faunus gaze over the body filled plains with a hint of pride.
That's a lot of trees…
Jaune paused as he saw the skirmishers, yet again, came out as he watched them annihilate down waves in continuous ease. No hunters were taken down but the constant invading ghouls refuse to dissipate. All in all, it was going well. However, during the moment where Jaune conceded to a night where the people of Bastion would receive no problems in dealing with the current horde, "Shit." Kelly swore, making Jaune tense as he tightens his grip on his spear. Looking ahead, Jaune saw a bright light that ascended from the forest afar and unto the nightly skies. Flares. They were flares as Jaune questioned who in their right mind would send one in the middle of the horde-
"They're one of the missing night prowlers sent for some great hunt." The Faunus answered, voice now sober as he narrowed his eyes on the dark plains ahead as he then continued," but were considered dead when they haven't checked in with their scheduled confirmation two weeks ago." Kelly said as Jaune gaze afar, not long after, something burst out of the forest.
It was an armored truck. A Heavily modified armored truck with a menacing sled on the front, bloodied spikes on the sides, and a person manning the hatch whilst firing at the creatures behind. Then Jaune felt the entire fortress forgo its apparent ease of constant barrage as he witnesses the huge gates of the Bastion opened and released man and women garbed in matching armor that marched outside with a certain disciplined haste.
"They're not hunters." Jaune pointed out.
"Aye." Kelly confirmed, leaning forwards as he spoke," They are the Bastion's militia. Most of em' are civilian survivors trained by the few Atlas soldiers that got their asses stuck on Vale. Not hunter quality. But when you're not dead, after a year and a half within the apocalypse, you tend to have experience, valuable experience," He firmly stated," and if said experience can be honed with the right nudge, you'll have an army." Kelly continued as Jaune took a moment to gaze at the Bastion's militia with a certain appease tone.
"CATAPULTS!" A loud voice suddenly shouted once more as, not a minute later, Jaune witness fiery molds of fire went far above him and descended on the edges of the forest outside- cutting off the sizable horde already inside as they pursue the charging vehicle. However, as Jaune morbidly noticed, they may have stopped the rest of the horde from coming through, but it was still plenty inside the ring of fire, and said plenty were all barging in on the encroaching armored truck while a group of retreating hunters from a recently finished skirmish came inside. And one of them, Jaune recognized-
"N-nora!"
Jaune moved.
"Hey kid! Get back here!"
_- A Place To Call Home -_
It was a long ride down, but fueled with the chance to see an old face again, Jaune continued to run towards the active battle, injured state be damned. It wasn't until a man in light armor and a woman in a brown hooded cloak halted him from his momentum that Jaune realized that he finally reached his destination.
"Boy! What are you doing here?! Get back to the infirmary zone!" The man barked whilst raising a solid hand, blocking him from his path, as the women next to him only raised her eyebrows above her crossed arms.
"I need to see someone!" Jaune demanded.
"Then go see them after the battle!" He rebuked.
"But I really need to see her." Jaune replied.
"Do you have a death wish or something boy?" The man asked, voice tempered, as Jaune look behind and saw the Bastion's defenses manifested in the frequent march of militias going outside, civilian helpers doing their own work by delivering supplies and ammo, and the retreating huntsman and huntresses from their recent skirmish- to which, Jaune eventually saw her running inside.
"Nora! Damnit let me in!" Jaune gritted his teeth as he tried to force his way inside, however, his injured arm brought nothing but hindered efforts as the guardsman managed to find a solid grip and pulled him back from his abrupt entry. Throwing him unto the ground in the process. Grunting, Jaune pushed himself to get back up but failed as a boot landed on his chest. Trialing the owner, Jaune saw the man giving him a nasty glare.
"P-please, let me in." Jaune begged.
"No. If I let you in, you'll only get yourself hurt."
"T-then I'll just be quick!"
"For the last time, boy, the answer's no. Now, get out- "
"He's with me. Guardsman." A familiar voice responded. Jaune turned his head around and saw Kelly walking towards them. Stance straight and, surprisingly, walking straighter. However, what confuses Jaune even more is that the man that barred his entry suddenly panicked and saluted-
"S-sir! I'm sorry I didn't know." The guardsman responded as Jaune blinked.
"It's fine. Release the Kid and allow him entry." Kelly spoke.
"B-but Sir! I've been ordered to deny access to anyone not capable enough of contributing to the survival of the Bastion."
"Is it the Founder himself that gave you that order, Guardsman?"
"W-well no, sir."
"Then, as a Faction Leader, I outrank any authority that precedes over your current mission and hereby order you to grant Jaune Arc, that's his name soldier," Kelly stated, giving Jaune a solid nod, as he then continued," to have explicit permission to enter Battle grounds, regardless of state, in the name of conducting Faction quests under my command." Kelly ordered as the Guardsman followed soon after. Giving Jaune a few moments to take his breathe as he begun to stand up. All the while looking at the wolfish Faunus like he has grown a second head.
"Well, Jaune, don't you have places to be?" Kelly inquired, raising his eyebrow.
"R-right. Thank you." Jaune nodded, still confused at the turn of events, but his momentum was now reignited, and unhindered, so he run towards the heat of the siege.
_- A Place To Call Home -_
"FORM RANKS!" The voice from earlier shouted, giving Jaune an uninvited wince to his ears, as he ignored the muscular bald man with the modified axe and proceeded to look for his friend. "SUPPORTING BARRAGE!" The man said again, followed by a release of arrows that came from a group of coordinated man and women carrying bows behind him as Jaune tried to identify his teammate from the masses." DIVIDE! DIVIDE NOW!" The man barked, however, as Jaune was too distracted by his current objective, he almost misses the shaking of the grounds, the panicked faces of the people around him, and the sudden light that washed over him-
"When I told you to drag your sorry ass down here or else, you'll die," A female voice responded as Jaune nursed his aching body again from the sudden snatch and grab that, as he witnesses the passing of the armored truck that entered Bastion grounds from his pale face, certainly saved his life. Unfortunately, life granted him no sit at the bench, for a hand roughly pulled him back to a familiar face-
"I did not mean to literally get your ass down here and die!" Raven Branwen shouted.
"S-sorry." Jaune blurted out, "I was Just trying to find someone- "
"Then find that person while not acting like a headless chicken." She rebuked.
"They're here!" Someone shouted as Jaune gave a sigh of relief, freeing him from what was probably a chastisement from the scariest huntress he ever met as Raven Branwen dropped him and told him to- "Stay and don't get in anyone's way, Sheep, that's the least you can do." She ordered as she continued to march towards the smoking vehicle. Suddenly, one of its doors burst opened and a figure, garbed in the same gear as the night prowlers from before, climbed out of the vehicle and fell on the ground below. He was alive. Everyone that witness the entire thing stopped and grew silent as they watched the injured huntsman twitched and crawled into the ground. Someone barked an order, a call for the medic, Jaune heard, before it was halted by Raven Branwen, who appeared and approached the prowler, whilst her blade, drawn.
"W-we have it," The huntsman in black begun, voice rasping as he writhed the ground and aimed his head towards Raven.
"Good." She responded.
"The others didn't make it… My crew was the only one that survived- "The man abruptly paused. His head, rolling down the grounds, stopping only when it hit Jaune's feet. Everyone was silent and Raven Branwen sheathed her bloodied blade. A moment later, Jaune Arc puked.
"Y-you murdered him." He cried out.
"He's compromised." She responded; voice apathetic.
Someone cursed, interrupting Jaune from the violent reprieve as he turned around then saw his savior, and, apparently, from what the people here called him, the Founder himself, announced his presence and begun to bark out orders left and right with a sudden haste that made Jaune grew fearfully nervous.
"Burn it! Kill anyone that comes out of the truck! Now!" Oscar shouted, voice panicking.
However, before everyone can move, something descended down from the nightly skies and grabbed the deceased night prowler in front of Jaune's eyes. Then, with movement filled with unnatural grace, the huge figure flew above the armored truck and perched on its top as Jaune Arc froze. He and everyone stopped as the smell of rotten flesh assaulted their nose as they watched the figure crouching with its huge black feathered wings stretched out behind it. The abomination tilted its bird-like head as it then examined the deceased huntsman it snatched with its beak. Giving an occasional disturbing squawk that felt like a man imitating an avian animal with its throat all cut up. But, worse, Jaune gave a silent despair as he saw a menacing black scythe being hefted by its right arm as the thing looked at them, no, it felt like it was judging them-
"Apologies for the abrupt inauguration, mongrels." It spoke and Jaune Arc never felt more scared in his entire life.
_- A Place To Call Home -_
Enter the Villain.
Next chapter will be uploaded next week.
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Please leave a review, if you want to.
Criticisms are welcomed.
I hope you have a fine day today!
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