Jaune ate the food vendor's stock as he thought further of his situation, the young man had taken the time to buy a map and was plotting areas that he last pinged Cinder's scroll.
The ping had stopped about forty miles from his location, and he knew the general direction that they had flown in. Jaune stood and looked for an open inn, he needed rest if he was going to survive out there. The past days had been hard, as the pervasive thought of sleep forced the aches and pains of his body to the forefront of his mind. Blood had seeped into his clothes from the various wounds he had sustained, his mind was growing cloudy.
He stepped into the 'Drunken Huntsman' inn and his eyes found the innkeeper. Jaune stepped close to the counter, and he spoke, his words were detached, and he sounded as if he hadn't slept in years.
"Could I get a room for the night?" He asked as he set two groschen on the counter and looked at the older man, azure catlike eyes met the other men.
"The price is six groschen, faunus." The man said as his eyes glared at Jaune.
Jaune's mind went to his eyes, and he nodded and dropped the money on the counter and the man waved him to his door as he tossed the key at him.
Jaune's feet struggled to carry him, and he slowly entered the room and dropped his items as he made his way to his bed, then he fell atop the soft mattress. Sleep came quickly, dreamless relief flooded Jaune.
When Jaune awoke, it was to the sound of gunfire, the chaos outside had finally broken into the serenity of the room he was asleep in. His eyes snapped open and he dropped from the bed, his brain now going back to survival.
He rolled off the bed and gripped Crocea Mors, slinging the blade over his shoulder. The weapon settled in like an old friend, the sheathe fit perfectly across the young hunter's back. Jaune's eyes fixed out the window, his eyes finding three men in relatively familiar uniforms.
The White Fang soldiers strode comfortably through the town, their guns roving over the civilians and the leader of the group, a bigger man who wore a dark overcoat. His red hair and horns were noticeable as he turned to an older man.
The older man, Will Huxley, was scared. His knees shook slightly but he kept his posture. The struggle came from the man before him, Adam Taurus.
"Mayor, nice town, you know I said that the next time I came here you needed to be ready to work. After all we need people for building the world for us after we show you humans what subservience is like." The terrorist said, Jaune's eyes squinted as he heard the conversation between the scared mayor and the radical.
"Please, we don't have many fit for work, we have mostly older folks as we're a small community, we only have the militia as the only really fit people in the town." The mayor said in a low tone, a tone that conveyed great fear to the bull faunus.
Jaune could feel his teeth on his lip, he could feel the tension around him.
"Is this you refusing? Mayor, I thought you understood. Kill two of the kids." The Terrorist said and one of the soldiers pointed at two kids hiding behind their parents, their wide eyes shone through the crowd. Jaune knew he had to act, but without any hesitation. The soldiers fired and four bodies fell to the floor.
Gut wrenching hate fell into Jaune's gut, he could feel the burning coming up his throat. Bile climbed his esophagus, and he stared in ghastly horror at the scene as men and women fell to their knees, completely crestfallen.
Jaune's mind was twisted up and bent, he could feel that deep within him the naivety that allowed the dream of being a brave valiant huntsman falter, and instead he could feel the injustice bringing about rage.
Something in Jaune at this time broke, the breath steam as he moved through the inn and toward the door as Taurus spoke.
"Round them up, these humans will work for us, just as we did for them." The faunus said and Jaune drew his sword, the blade sang as he ripped it from its sheathe and he blew through the door of the inn.
His weapon held aloft, he swung at a White Fang soldier.
Blood splashed Jaune as he fought, no more was the proper stance that Pyrrha had shown him, now there was a dirty style that centered around as much damage as possible.
Jaune kicked up dirt in front of himself as he spun and stabbed through a soldier, the blade was ripped out of the man harshly as he spun to meet the rest of them. Blood now coated the young hunter, and he could still feel the bile in his throat as he stared through the blood toward Adam who stared back.
"Look what we have here, little huntsman has come to play. Tell me, do you fear revolution too? Are you not ready to find yourself beneath the heel of a faunus?" He said and Jaune's teeth grit as he looked at the townspeople that stared in fright at the scene as they cradled the bodies of their fallen.
"You killed innocent people, children. What sort of fucked up monster are you?" Jaune asked bluntly, Adam only laughed refusing to answer. He drew his weapon and Jaune readied his. Then they charged.
Steel clashed and the two were sent flying from the impact, Jaune could feel a deep gash through his gut and Adam felt a rough slice through his shoulder.
Jaune spit some blood as his wound kept bleeding down his front, then he spun to meet the charging bull, his weapon clashed and he screamed in rage as he forced the killer back.
His weapon rose back up and struck Adam's aura.
'He's using his aura with that strike. It penetrates aura at the cost of his, I can use that.' Jaune thought as he kicked the man and created some space and saw Taurus ready another slashing strike.
Jaune bit his lip, knowing that this was incredibly risky.
The bull dashed, then Jaune did too.
One step, then two, then Jaune stepped left and pointed his blade.
The tip sank through the man's gut harshly as his blade ripped into Jaune's leg. Blood coated them both as the men clashed.
Jaune roared in pain and anger and lifted his sword and slammed Adam into the ground, blood and spittle flew from the man's mouth as he landed. Jaune felt bullets strike his aura, then an explosion hit him.
His body went flying, blood soaking the grass and dirt as he landed. Jaune was bloodied, his body was failing him. He could barely see the soldiers as they pulled their leader back and Jaune smiled a sickly red smile.
His hands pushed off the ground with all the might and he yelled.
"I'll kill you, Taurus! I don't care when or how, but I'll be there when your soul flees your hollow husk, all so I can shatter the stained soul you have!" Jaune yelled as he forced himself to stand on his shaky legs and looked at the civilians.
"Get out of here, now. Pack your things, I have to get you to Vale. That bastard will come back for you, from what a friend of mine said about him, he holds a grudge." Jaune used his sword and sheath as a cane and slowly hobbled to the end of the town then collapsed. Barely standing back up he forced his aura to flare, the burning sensation helped to heal his wounds faster but burned through almost all of his remaining aura.
The half-dead huntsman stumbled to the ruined edge of the village, he stared into the trees of the forest, the blood that had stained his body had not left marks only on the body, but upon the soul. He could feel it in his aura, as it being a manifestation of his soul. He was changing, faster than he could believe. And where he went his aura followed. The white aura of the man now was spotted red and black. The purity and luster lost as he stared out to the death that was knocking beyond the wall.
"Master Huntsman, we need time to pack, please." Jaune turned and in a moment of lost control he spoke.
"We have no time, you dying will not help those already fallen. Get your shit together, coddle your crying children, we must move. Your misery and suffering are drawing the grimm, so resolve yourselves. You have little choice, I am a huntsman, I will protect you, but you need to help yourself, too." Jaune said to the cordial older man of the village, he was the oldest he could see so now he thought the man the new alderman.
"Draw your weapons, line the sides of the caravan of those men of fighting age, assign your archers to sit forward of the wagon, and your weak within the wagon." Jaune said quickly as he heard the noise of the forest go silent.
The man bit his lip, he nodded and lifted his chin. The walk back to his people was brisk, he could sense the danger as well as Jaune could. He could feel the rising tension to the horror.
"We need to go, now! Everyone in the wagon, ready or not! Those that fall behind will be left behind!" Jaune said in a cruel yell that didn't befit him. But he could feel the wave that was coming, he was sure everyone could and he needed to make it clear.
No matter what happened, whoever fell behind or died, Jaune couldn't leave the caravan, if he did much more would die.
"Those who can fight, get ready! Ride at full haul, do not slow!" Jaune yelled and jumped onto a carriage and snapped the reigns. The horses pulling the wagon stampeded forward and raced through the dirt road, two other carriages followed.
"Grimm! At the rear!" A man yelled from the third carriage, Jaune looked behind and saw the oncoming wave or monsters of all shapes and sizes.
Blood feeling like ice, he spoke.
"Fire your arrows! Try to target the the largest so they bowl the smaller targets! Aim for the legs! If they get to close from behind, then scuttle cargo to hit them! Anyone with guns focus on kill shots!" He said and drew his blade.
Jaune's hands shook, his fingers were numb from the anxiousness, and he could feel the fear in his heart, but just as swiftly, he pushed it down.
The grimm advanced as the archers and sharpshooters fired, Jaune could hear the cries of the children behind him, in the wagon bed and he turned to the rider next to him.
"No matter what happens you keep riding! Don't stop till you hit the wall, we have to last ten minutes!" Jaune yelled and he turned back to the last carriage, it was the sick, the infirm in that wagon.
His brain said it when he didn't mean it, but he still understood.
'Acceptable losses for the able and the children.' Jaune said and he could feel the hate he quelled boiling up again.
"Give me your bow!" Jaune yelled and the man handed him the bow and Jaune drew an arrow from the man's quiver. The man took the reins and Jaune pulled a small dust crystal he had gotten from Weiss out and he started using a binding to tie them together.
'Weiss always said, "Dust needs a catalyst, aura, chemical or mechanical, but something has to release the energy." I hope she was right.' Jaune thought as he pushed his aura into the crystal and he felt the heat on it spike, now a blisteringly hot.
Jaune drew back the bow as his sister had once taught him, as if he were hunting again. He aimed at a charging Ursa Major and fired. The arrow soared through the rushing wind of the caravan, then stabbed the beast. Just as suddenly, an explosion wracked the forest as he had blown a hole in the horde.
"Driver! We're five minutes out, keep pushing! I can see the wall!" Jaune yelled and he drew another arrow and aimed, firing at the horde behind him, the grimm kept charging.
The wall grew closer and Jaune could feel hope in his heart, they were going to-
A crash ripped through the caravan as a behemoth almost the height of the tree, rushing as fast as it could, slammed into the last wagon, destroying the wagon, killing many and sending more flying to be eaten by the grim.
"Fuck! Behemoth!" Jaune screamed with all he could, and he turned to see the distance to the wall. Just a few more seconds.
"Driver, you keep going! Get to the wall! Contact Beacon, tell them that a behemoth is here! I have to hold it off!" Jaune yelled at the driver as he got ready to jump from the wagon.
"Don't you fuckin' die, kid!" Jaune nodded to the man and jumped, tucking into a roll and getting to his feet quickly as the second wagon passed and he readied his blade.
The rampaging Behemoth was different than a goliath, they had a long flail-like tail that could launch spikes at a target.
"Come on, rat bastard! I want to carve my damned name into your flesh!" Jaune yelled and slashed at the oncoming grimm, the blade caught the ankle of the monster and he rolled to avoid damage.
Jaune was slammed into and pinned by a Beowulf and turned to slash at it, the blade cleaved its head from its shoulders, and he spat blood.
His aura was weak, he was weak. No options were left. Jaune imagined everything he had seen, all the horror. The dead children that Taurus killed, the monsters he fought, the friends he had lost, the love he was searching for. He remembered all of it, becoming a beacon of hate, of misery.
Red eyes of dread, of gluttony and evil stared upon him and his naked soul. They judged him and found him fit for a meal and Jaune turned. His feet carried him as fast as he could push. Blood pumped around his body in overdrive, old wounds didn't bother the huntsman as his adrenal gland worked faster. The aches fell away, days of struggle fell away. Only the naked desire to survive remained.
Jaune could remember the Ashen skinned beauty, Cinder. He knew she likely wouldn't feel the same about him, but he cared little for that. Cinder was who he was fighting for, and that was not given up easily.
Jaune climbed through the foliage as the beast tore it from the roots, stampede charging through the forest.
He remembered the deep cliff he had fallen in, the misery he had suffered there, he could feel the pain resurfacing, days of wounds old and new, some healing well, some probably infected. Jaune raced with as much fervor as he could, his feet suffered stress fractures, his shins suffered splintering damage, yet he ran. The pace he kept was untenable but that was okay, he needed only a few moments more.
Above him he saw a bullhead following his path, the side door slid open and there he saw a huntsman, one with grey clothes and dark hair. Not many more details were easily seen besides those.
The bullhead descended into a low flight pattern, its propeller wings blowing treetops away and Jaune could see the approaching canyon. The vehicle rose and then sped up to get ahead of Jaune, racing through the open space of the canyon. Jaune saw the open door and understood the plan.
He sprinted harder than before, his feet bleeding in the soles of his shoes and then as he reached the cliff edge, he leaped with everything he had.
Jaune flew through the air, his hands reaching for the landing gear of the bullhead, finding purchase. Then as he tightened his grip, the vehicle lurched and his grip waned, Jaune could see his hands letting go of the metal of the ship, thinking he would truly die in the valley. That he would be torn apart and eaten.
Then a hand caught his.
"Dammit, gotcha kid." Jaune heard a gruff voice say and hoist him into the bullhead and the man sat him down in one of the seats.
"Jenkins we've got the green light! Deploy guns!" The huntsman yelled and Jaune heard machine guns spinning up and firing on the horde. Grimm fell over the cliff edge, and he watched as they splattered onto the stone of the jagged valley. The windows of the bullhead were crystal clear and Jaune watched as the Behemoth lost its footing, descending into the deadly chasm.
"Shit kid, you have had a pretty shitty day, huh?" The huntsman spoke as he shut the door and the bullhead ascended. The propellers pushing us into a safe distance in the air.
"You have no idea, man." Jaune said and he leaned back in the chair, his eyes finding the roof of the vehicle, then he blacked out. Wounds, exhaustion, dehydration and constant battle had taken its toll.