Jacen strode toward the window where Skipper had positioned himself to recharge.
Lucky for Jacen, he installed a solar charging function on Skipper, which substituted the standard plug-in system.
However, it tended to be a bit slower, but it still provided Skipper with a means to charge whenever on low power.
Loud snoring made him turn toward the sleeping form of Rowan.
He was lying on his back without a shirt; Jacen could see how pronounced his muscles were, as well as the number of scars Rowan himself had.
His tail twitched slightly, though Jacen was careful not to wake him.
Not so much because he'd out-drunk Yang, who once again, despite Jacen's efforts, went overboard and had to drag her back to her room.
Instead, Rowan had stated that one of his oaths, known as a Gaes, was that he was not to be awakened by anyone, that he must awaken on his own.
Jacen turned his gaze to the collection of trophies that Rowan had on display on his side of the room.
Tournament championships and a collection of trophies from various Grimm that he'd won.
Claws of Beowolves, Ursa, and tusks from a Boarbatusk showing that Rowan had experience in fighting Grimm, though it was clear from the fight with the Elder Death Stalker, that Rowan still had room for improvement.
Then Jacen turned his attention to the sash that Rowan typically wore.
Looking at it, he received an echo through the Force that spoke of its importance.
He was about to lay a hand on it when a knife flew inches away from his hand.
"No one touches the Emerald Sash that hasn't earned the right to wear it," Rowan's voice showed authority and warning.
With a breath, Jacen lowered his hand and turned toward Rowan, "As I recall, anyone wanting to become a member of the Cú Warriors had to undergo harrowing trials and then undergo a final test of worth," Jacen said thoughtfully.
"Exactly," Rowan said, leaping out of bed, grabbed the sash along with his uniform, and then made ready to change in the bathroom.
Jacen's eyes fell upon a framed photo of a younger Rowan, about 12 or 13 years old, wearing the sash that he typically wore, looking incredibly proud while also being in the company of an older woman with long fiery red hair wearing a headpiece reminiscent of a tiara, a sash matching the one Rowan was wearing was around her chest with a matching skirt or kilt.
The woman had the makings of a great warrior with well-defined muscles and a few scars on her arm.
A slight resemblance could be seen between Rowan and the woman, but before Jacen could grasp it, Rowan had finished changing into his Beacon school uniform with his sash over his shoulder.
"For the record, I hate wearing this," Rowan said, quickly adjusting his sash.
"I presume you mean the uniform that the first years have to wear?" Jacen asked; though he meant it rhetorically, Rowan felt obligated to answer regardless.
"If I ever die in battle, this will be one thing I never wish to be seen dead in," Rowan said gruffly.
Jacen indicated the photo, "Who's that with you in the picture?" He asked.
Rowan seemed to pause as he regarded the photo, "Rowena," he eventually said.
For a second, Jacen thought he sensed a ripple of sadness from Rowan, but it was quickly replaced by a strong competitive spirit, "Hope you enjoyed your victory, 'cause I'll make it my goal to beat you next time we fight," he declared.
"Here I thought we were friends," Jacen said, adding a bit of mock hurt in his voice.
Rowan snorted, "We're not even close to being that, Jedi," he said.
Jacen sighed, "Are you still fuming over how I saved your life during our battle yesterday?"
Rowan aimed an almost accusatory finger at him, "I didn't ask for your help," he said in a low voice filled with anger.
"You were about to get killed," Jacen said squarely.
"I told you I wasn't going to watch someone die in front of me."
Rowan waved dismissively, "I'm not some pup that needs protection," he said.
"If I die, it will be on my own two feet, and it will be the result of me having fought an epic battle worthy of a member of the Cú Warriors," he wrapped his fist across his chest where his heart was.
Jacen had earned Rowan's respect during their duel, but respect didn't necessarily mean that Rowan had wholly warmed up to him.
Jacen could sense that, in saving Rowan, he'd wounded Rowan's pride.
From Jacen's talk with Gray regarding the Cú Warriors, they often fought alongside their fellow warriors and repeatedly refused to be helped by anyone outside of their circle.
Additionally, he sensed that Rowan was also jealous that Jacen had been made the leader rather than Rowan himself.
It was also a similar situation to what Ruby must be feeling over being made leader of her team; only Jacen was used to filling the role of leader, while Ruby was likely overwhelmed.
Weiss likely wasn't going to help the situation, considering she was just as dissatisfied with her station as Rowan was.
The sound of Skipper powering on issuing an urgent tone.
Rowan glared at Skipper, "What's that moving trash can saying?" He asked.
Jacen's eyes widened, "Dank Farrik!" Jacen rushed to his closet and took his uniform out.
"We have about thirty minutes before our first classes," Jacen said, shutting the door to the bathroom to change.
Rowan growled inwardly; the memory of that Jedi warrior using whatever that power of his was to pull him back seconds before the Death Stalker's stinger came down on him continued to annoy him.
Unless it was from one of their own ranks, a Cú Warrior accepted aid from no one, even if that warrior was moments from death.
What was it about Jacen that made him worthy of being the leader?
Indeed, Jacen demonstrated skills in strategy when he divided the team on multiple fronts, and he demonstrated incredible skill even when Rowan used his semblance to increase his strength to ten percent.
Still, he wondered if Jacen was actually mocking him in some fashion.
If so, he would make him pay for such an insult.
Yet, he also tried to study him, if only to gauge how best to soundly defeat Jacen in a fight, in the same way he'd been observing Pyrrha Nikkos.
Throughout his time as a rising tournament champion, no one had been much of a challenge, and even when he was nearly pushed toward defeat, he'd been able to use his unorthodox fighting style, which few could defend against.
Yet it seemed like Jacen could block, redirect, or even dodge his every attack, and then there was that surge of telekinetic power that knocked him through those trees and into the cliff wall.
If these Jedi had such power, why wasn't there any mention of them appearing throughout the Great War?
Come to think of it, hadn't he overheard Jacen and that history nerd mentioning that he was probably the last of his kind?
That was perhaps the one thing that Rowan could sympathize with.
The Cú Warriors were once renowned; after the war ended and the King of Vale passed away, many people forgot the role they played, then with the ostracism of the Faunus painting, the King, who'd advocated that humans and Faunus should have equal rights, as a senile old man, ruining the credibility of the Cú Warriors and reducing them into petty thugs.
Now, through his mentor Rowena, who had also died when he was about 15, he was the only remaining member who followed the old code.
Composing himself so he didn't look pathetic, he prepared Jacen to burst out of the door, getting everyone else ready.
The classes were more informative than the collection of lectures Ozpin had put into Skipper's memory banks, which Jacen studied.
For first-year students, the general curriculum involved History, Grimm Studies, Huntsmen Economics, Weaponry, and Combat, among other subjects.
At first glance, Jacen felt he was back in the Jedi Temple studying to become a Jedi.
At least he could focus if the air wasn't thick with tension.
Ruby's team was disorganized, Yang was still recovering from her hangover, Blake wasn't willing to be especially conversational with her teammates, and Ruby herself was still trying to process that she'd been put into an important role while also being the most stressful.
Then, of course, there was Weiss, still cold as Hoth, making it her mission to upstage Ruby.
As the day continued, he noticed Ruby was becoming more timid under Weiss's derision.
Jacen's team, though a bit rough, had a bit of cohesion, though Rowan often tried to make a competition, which, normally, Jacen would accept, having been in a friendly competition between himself and his friend Maru.
However, Rowan's behavior was becoming more confrontational and a lot more disruptive.
The whole thing was beginning to wear on Jacen's patience, and he prayed to the Force that it wouldn't end in violence.
One of the last classes of the day was with Professor Peter Port, whom he'd heard was a bit long-winded and prone to over-exaggerating his tales of how he conquered various Grimm.
However, Jacen also had the sickening feeling that things were about to come to a head.
"The Beowolf was no match for my tenacity," Professor Port's voice was filled with pride as he recounted an exaggerated story about how, as a young boy, he'd actually fought and killed an Alpha Beowolf.
About mid-age with bushy eyebrows and an equally bushy mustache coupled with a portly body type, Jacen found him to be mildly enduring, even if he was a bit long-winded.
Throughout the story, he motioned at a pair of large fangs, which undoubtedly came from the beowolf, as mentioned earlier.
Jacen let a bit of melancholy show on his face, it was unfortunate that the Grimm didn't leave any skeletons when they died, he knew big game hunters that displayed their trophies from reek horns to an entire stuffed Rancor who'd be dismayed over being unable to collect the skins of the Ursa as rugs, or mount the head of a Nevermore over a roaring hearth.
"In the end, I eventually triumphed and collected its enormous fangs as my trophies," Professor Port finished, indicating the fangs.
Rowan yawned from boredom as though the story of killing an Alpha Beowolf wasn't a big thing to brag about.
He heard laughter further down, and he turned to see Ruby, clearly not as captivated by Professor Port's story, drawing a rather poor version of the Professor, he heard Ruby imitating Port's voice, which actually made Weiss laugh a bit.
Even Jacen couldn't hide a laugh, though the Professor took it in stride.
"I suppose if you're bored, you'd be willing to show us how a huntress in training fights, Miss Rose," Professor Port said, making Ruby's earlier humor drop to uncertainty.
While Jacen knew that being a leader fighting against bad people or monsters came with a lot of pressure, which would break people, Ruby felt taught as a wire.
Jacen reached through the Force, and the scene began to mute with the individuals appearing luminous.
Since Yang helped to awaken his aura, he'd acquired a new kind of awareness through the Force regarding one's aura.
Given that aura was the manifestation of one's soul, it also reflected one's emotional and mental state.
Jacen marveled at the fact that everyone's aura also had a unique color.
In Ruby's case, it was as red as her cape and hood, but it was clear from how her aura felt that she wasn't well-balanced.
She was stressed over how she ended up being the leader because of that crazy maneuver she came up with in taking out the Nevermore.
Jacen tried to talk with her between classes, but she was too wrapped up in her uncertainty.
She'd said she didn't want to be seen as unique, but at the same time, she also had a desire to become a great huntress like her mother.
Yet now, she was coming to understand that the path toward that goal was going to be more difficult than she thought.
Ruby looked back at where she'd been sitting beside Weiss, then looked at the shaking cage in front of her.
She just wanted to prove that she was as capable a huntress as her mother, but now she was having doubts about even that.
She glanced at Jacen, who seemed worried, before turning toward the cage with Crescent Rose ready in its scythe configuration.
She shook her head to get focused, "I'm ready," she said.
With a quick motion, Professor Port opened the cage, and a Boarbatusk burst out toward Ruby.
She used her weapon to knock it back, and while she should have been able to kill it, her mind was filled with too much uncertainty.
In that moment of hesitation, the Boarbatusk stomped its hove on the ground and then charged at her, knocking her weapon out of her hands.
She struggled to get up, and she looked over at the gathered students.
Yang had a look of concern on her face, and even Blake seemed worried about how this was going.
The sound of snorting brought her back to the Boarbatusk, which was getting ready for another charge.
After fighting a giant, Nevermore, was she really going to get killed by a smaller Grimm before she could truly prove herself?
Just before the Boarbatusk charged, the sound of a snap-hiss activation followed by a distinct humming noise that changed pitch.
Ruby used her semblance to get clear moments before the familiar form of Jacen's lightsaber flew by in a spinning arch, then struck the Boarbatusk and watched as the blade cleaved it down the middle.
Finally, it arched up and toward Jacen's awaiting hand, then watched him deactivate the blade and rush toward her with Yang coming beside her.
"You alright, Ruby?" Yang asked out of concern.
Ruby was virtually on the verge of tears as Yang embraced her and Jacen examined her for any injuries.
She looked toward where Weiss was sitting, and her eyes were narrowed with disappointment.
How is it you became the leader rather than me? That was what Ruby saw in that look.
Jacen stayed beside Ruby and Yang until they stood up to lead Ruby back to her seat.
Off to the side, he heard Rowan laugh in scorn.
Was this son of a kath hound actually laughing about Ruby being in emotional turmoil?
Clearly, Rowan had a lot of personality quirks that Jacen detested.
Jacen's anger was reaching a dangerous point from Rowan's actions.
He could show Rowan what happens when a Jedi gives in to their anger, but that would never do.
As he'd sensed, today's class had been a critical point.
The last class of the day was tournament battles under Professor Glynda Goodwitch.
During this class, Glynda went over the system for tournament-style duels.
She didn't need to explain much for anyone already familiar with tournaments they'd either witnessed or, in the case of Pyrrha and Rowan, actively participated.
After she finished explaining, she cleared her throat.
"Each student will step onto the dueling ring," she said.
"During these matches, refer to your scroll if you're aura drops below the red zone."
It might have just been the mounting stress that's been building up, but somehow Jacen found himself stepping toward the ring, and then he turned to face the crowd.
If Rowan was so eager for a rematch, Jacen was going to cash in on it sooner than expected.
"I choose Rowan Conall as my opponent," Jacen said, his voice controlled but noticeably firm.
Rowan seemed taken aback at first, but then he showed that arrogant face he often wore.
When Rowan stood before him, he closed his eyes to reach through the Force to center himself and tune out any unnecessary distractions.
When Jacen opened his eyes, he regarded Rowan with something matching contempt.
If Rowan's behavior was merely petty till now, Rowan scornfully laughing at Ruby's defeat made Jacen's blood boil.
"So you decided you wanted to fight me now?" Rowan inquired.
Jacen's only response was to activate his lightsaber, getting into his standard Ataru-ready form.
"Still gonna rely on that fancy Jedi combat?" Rowan said, getting into his ready stance.
When Glynda gave the okay, Rowan and Jacen began their duel.
As was similar in their other battle, Rowan came at him with his strength enhanced, with Jacen bringing his lightsaber to bear.
The room was filled with the sound of Jacen's lightsaber clashing against Rowan's weapon.
The only other sound was Rowan's derisive words, "It was a mistake for that child even to be here," he said between blows.
"Children don't last long in the world of Huntsmen and Huntresses," he added.
Jacen simply brought his lightsaber down then, rather than the blade locking with Rowan's weapon, quickly deactivated then reactivated the blade, slashing across Rowan's chest, though his aura ensured that there wasn't a lightsaber wound there.
Rowan flipped backward and glared at Jacen angrily, "Arrogant Jedi bastard!"
"If that ain't the quacta calling the stifling slimy," Jacen replied.
Jacen aimed his lightsaber at Rowan, "If I hadn't pulled you away during the Emerald Forest battle, you would have been impaled on the end of a Death Stalker's stinger," he said, then blocked another stronger blow from Rowan.
"You think you're so damned clever, your Jedi tricks and that lightsaber of yours," Rowan practically yelled.
"Meanwhile, you disgrace the Cú Warriors even further," Jacen snapped.
"You know, for all your Jedi tricks, I have to wonder why there aren't more like you," Rowan aimed his spear at Jacen.
Jacen held his lightsaber at the ready, but he had a guarded expression on his face, "Choose your next words carefully," Jacen's voice had a cold resonance to it, but Rowan didn't hear it.
"Perhaps, if you were better, your kind might not be extinct."
That did it!
As Rowan prepared to strike, Jacen reached out his hand and hooked his fingers into claws.
At that instant, Rowan stopped and raised his hands to his throat, but Jacen lifted his arm, and as he did, Rowan was lifted into the air then Jacen brought his hand down, sending Rowan crashing to the floor.
Before Rowan could recover, Jacen had his lightsaber at Rowan's neck.
Inwardly, he reveled in the feeling of shock that Rowan felt.
An irresistible urge seemed to be in possession of his mind and body, then Jacen stopped when he noticed the crowd looking at him with faces filled with anything from surprise to shock.
His eyes caught the sight of Yang looking at him with an expression of shock bordering on horror.
Somehow, that snapped Jacen out of his trance, and he took several steps back before he began trembling slightly.
His anger over how Rowan had insulted Ruby's dream, combined with his insensitive comment regarding his inability to save the Jedi, a blatant insult for Jacen being unable to prevent his master's death during the execution of Order 66, it nearly consumed him to the point he had used the Force to strangle Rowan and almost take off his head.
Jacen, once again, felt the dark side of the Force and was mere seconds away from killing someone in cold blood.
Even if Rowan had brought it down on himself, it would be something Jacen could never undo.
"Mr. Arkos?" Glynda's voice asked in concern.
Jacen didn't even risk a glance when he ran for the back door.
Gray stood silent for a moment after Jacen's dramatic exit.
H-he's like me, he thought.
He turned to see that Yang had gotten over her apparent shock and had run after him, though not before casting an angry look at Rowan, and then she went out the same door.
Jacen's droid, Skipper, was close beside Yang when they left the room.
"It's like, he wasn't in control of himself," Rouge said thoughtfully.
Gray saw Jacen demonstrating acts of nobility and selflessness.
Whatever Rowan said to inspire such wrath in Jacen had to have been something Jacen took very personally.
Gray nodded in Rouge's direction, "We should at least find out what's going on," Gray said.
Rouge raised an eyebrow, "You think it's wise to listen in on a private conversation?"
Gray nodded, "We're still a team, Rouge," he answered as they made their way via a different route.
END