Pre-note: Surprise chapter. I was on a spree.
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"I had no idea how much I needed that. Thank you." Jaune said as soon he woke up in the dream the following night. Walking with a freshness he hadn't felt since first waking up in Yharnam.
It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say he felt like a completely different person. He felt that way at least. Invisible weights he wasn't aware of thrown aside. The jitters he usually had were also mostly gone. Not to mention his paranoia hadn't acted up nearly been as much as it usually was. Just making him aware of most in the cafeteria, not making him think that everyone was out to get him.
"We sleep for a reason, lad." Gehrman replied with his usual apathy.
Humming nonchalantly, he tried getting Violet off him. Not able to sit down and talk plans with her hanging of his back like a koala. How she could still sleep peacefully while he moved still boggled his mind. But he wasn't so easily fooled.
Carefully prying her fingers up Violet whimpered, doing her best not to lose her grip.
"Come on now Violet. I know you are awake." Jaune sighed, feeling Violet freeze up. "Now, please be a good girl and let go."
Reluctantly she complied, letting go and sliding down his back. Mary janes clacking against the wooden floor as she pouted at him. Taking off his coat he hung over the arm of his chair, sitting down and lifting her up into his lap. A giggle escaping her.
"Now that you are settled, we can properly begin." Gehrman said dryly. Wheeling himself over to the other side of the desk. Jaune having moved one of the writing desks by the bookshelves towards the fireplace. Giving them a makeshift planning area. Knowing how much it could help, instead of just sitting around willy-nilly.
With a grim nod, he explained in grizzly detail his failed hunt inside the grand cathedral. Violet freezing up when he come to how the Vicar and her guards had transformed into beasts. A soft cry of disbelief escaping her when he came to how he died.
"I never told you, did I?" Jaune asked more to himself than to Violet. "But our workshop is special. As long as you are a hunter of the dream, death is of no consequence. There is of course a toll that must be paid. One I will pay for you the seven first times, as per our contract. I tried making it so I would pay for you all the way until puberty, but the dream wouldn't budge."
"Then I just won't die!" Violet declared with confidence only a child could have when told something was impossible. Blue eyes shining with determination.
"Be that as it may, let us get back on track." Gehrman insisted softly. Turning to give him a long look. "From what I surmised, you have two choices, three if you are pig-headed enough to try and brute force it. With some extra goals you should strive to complete to the side."
Feeling heat creep up his cheek, his last encounter with a cleric beast came to the forefront of his mind. He still wasn't sure how he really won. Everything had just been a haze of pain with him throwing eggs at a wall hopping something eventually would stick. In all honesty, he shouldn't have won as he did.
"The first would be to take the Hemwick lane down and get the rune workshop tool. If you don't feel confident in your chances after that, I would recommend you accept the invitation from Cainhurst. The second would be to delve deeper into the tomb, the deeper you go the more you will find of gems and other challenges that makes it a worthwhile endeavour." Laying both cards at the table, Gehrman dryly explained what further options he had.
Mentally removing the third option, Jaune hummed as his mind worked. He could be stubborn at times, he knew that. But the dream had taken what he remembered of his mother's face. Leaving her a faceless silhouette in all his memories. He didn't want to lose more of her. So he couldn't afford to die, again.
"Of course both options help with the core problem you are facing, you and your tools not being up to par. The rune tool gives you permanent enchantments depending on what runes you choose and how many your soul can hold. Whereas in the tomb you will find gems you can slot to make your weapon have unique properties together with just making it better in general. Both options will also give you ample blood echoes and blood stone allowing you to improve yourself and your weapon." Gherman finished. Giving him two directions that while different, served the same purpose.
"So the problem circles back to me either being under prepared or simply not in the right mind." Jaune summarised, cringing slightly. It hurt to say, but Yharnam didn't allow him to mince words if he wanted to find a way out of the dream with his sanity intact.
"Then why did you stop me from using my transmutation ritual?" Jaune accused carefully, doing his best to not give away the hurt he felt to Violet. She was young and impressionable, and he didn't want her to pick up on his anger and hate Gherman because of it.
Gehrman gave him a pensive look, carefully laying his hands in his lap while giving him a look. "Both the Arcane and the magic the Blood is capable off are based off sacrifice lad. You should know that better than me. So tell me, in the state you were, what would you have sacrificed? Where would you have drawn the line?"
Jaune didn't have an answer for that. His silence more than telling.
"Can you teach me magic, master?" Violet asked nervously, siting and twiddling her fingers in her lap.
Deciding to humour her a little, he hummed. "That depends, did you feel you did good on your homework?"
"But master." Violet whined. "You already went over it! You said it was good!"
"I guess I did." Jaune answered with a smile. Setting her down before going and getting another chair. "Do you want to join us?" He asked Gehrman as he sat down. Violet almost vibrating in place with excitement.
"No thank you. I will leave you to it." Gehrman answered before wheeling himself away. Glassy eyes looking at someone else instead of him.
Leaving his mentor to his memories, he instead turned to Violet. His apprentice waiting patiently with stars in her eyes. Bringing out a chalk stick from a pocket he placed it innocently at the table.
"Now, what I'm about to teach you can't be told to someone else. That includes Nora, Ren and Pyrrha. No one. If you try, the contract will activate making what you say incomprehensible." Jaune started. An eager nod from Violet. "Then we will start with the simplest, if not most important thing in blood-based magic, the boundary. Also called ritual circle, magic circle, and all that. But I call it boundary because it serves as the rituals boundary."
Violet sat eagerly in her seat with a giddy smile. Nodding once at him.
"The boundary is one of the simplest, but most complicated things to master. It serves a supplementary purpose to all other rituals, allowing rituals that should only affect a single target to affect the area designated by the boundary while also acting as a boundary between what we want to affect and the rest of the world. But I won't bore you with the theorical aspects to much. Just know that the boundary serves two purposes, making it possible to affect an area or to establish a magical boundary, as its name." He explained, Violet hanging onto his every word. Deciding to give her a quick example he grabbed the chalk, drawing his transmutation ritual.
"In this rite, the boundary makes sure only what I want to transmute gets affected." He explained. "Even if something else, say I get sloppy and forget to move my chalk. It won't destroy the ritual because it isn't in one of the boundary's where I lay what I want to transmute."
"Are there any limits to boundaries?" Violet asked, rolling the word around in her mount, tasting it.
"No, there are no hard limits beside that it must be a circle. It doesn't matter what it's drawn with, or on what. Of course if you use subpar materials, your boundary will of course be weaker than say if you used something like your own blood. But as long as it is possible to visually distinguish that something is separate from the world by the circle, then you have succeeded."
"So I can cast a ritual over all of Yharnam if my boundary is big enough?" Violet asked gleefully. Stars shining in her eyes. Most of his lecture flying straight over her head.
"Well, yes." He replied matter-of-factly. "While it would be a time-consuming endeavour, should you succeed to make a boundary around all of Yharnam, you can in theory affect the entire city with your ritual. And should you want to go larger, surrounding an entire continent with a boundary, it is possible. Maybe not doable, but theoretically possible."
"But." He started, making sure to dampen some of his apprentices excitement before she bit of more than she could chew. "The boundary uses the caster as a medium to separate what is inside and what is outside of the boundary. So should they die, the boundary will instantly fall apart. Whatever magical effect produced collapsing with it."
Violet looked pensive, nodding as if she understood at least a hint of what he said.
"Tonight, I want you to start drawing boundaries. And who knows, if you make it good enough maybe I will perform a beneficial ritual for you." Jaune said. It was something he had thought about a lot. Only he never found a time to properly bring it up, wanting her to settle into her new normal to not didn't overwhelm her. He mostly wanted to give her an extra layer of protection should something happen or go wrong. That it served as a great incentive, well that was just a bonus.
"What?! Rituals?!" Violet beamed excitedly.
"Well, I am bouncing between three rituals. But as it is your reward should you succeed; you will get to choose." He started. Violet eagerly looking at him. Clearly wanting him to tell her about them. Seeing no harm in it he started with a little chuckle.
"The first ritual is called 'Death Wish.' And it is completely different from what you are imagining." He chuckled at the blank stare she gave him. "In broad terms without giving an in-depth explanation of how it works, it simply makes it so you can only die in a violent event. It doesn't mean you will be fated to die in one, it simply means that all other possibilities are scratched out. A house can fall on you, and you will miraculously survive unscratched. Should you do a ritual wrong you won't be harmed by backlash. It lasts for one year, but if you chose it, we could discuss the logistics behind it at a later date."
"The second ritual is called 'Bloodline Entomb'. And it's purpose is to give you a new talent or trait. Giving you an innate mystical ability. Something to help you in your hunts or just in your everyday life."
"Why don't you cast it on yourself?" Violet interrupted, nervously twiddling her thumbs. Not daring to meet his eyes. "Wouldn't it be better if you didn't waste a ritual on me?"
"The answer to that is simple, I'm seventeen. And it would never be wasted on you." Jaune smiled gently. "It's simply that the effort it would take to prepare the ritual is immensely less for you, who have yet to properly begin puberty, than it is for me. From the top of my head, it would take me two months, maybe three, to just calculate everything before even thinking of beginning the preparations for the ritual. For Gherman that could be years, maybe decades. Depending on how old he is really."
Nodding uncertainty, she sat eagerly and waited for him to explain the third ritual.
"The third ritual you can choose between is called 'Black Blood', and it makes you unfit for all rituals where you don't willingly partake. The same is true for your blood, it can't be forcibly taken." Seeing her confusion, a sigh escaped him. Speaking softly he gently laid and arm around her. Giving her all the comfort he could as he spoke hurtful words. "There are many rituals that require something to be 'forcefully taken' for the ritual to succeed. It has something to do with the blood of female virgins being 'pure'. The same is true for boys, but because many dark rituals are more focused on the 'nurturing' aspect instead of 'giving', so you are more at risk than if you had been a boy."
The words tasted like ash, but it was a cold hard truth. And Violet needed to be aware of it. She deserved to know. If only to know what she was up against.
"But… why?" Violet mumbled, not understanding.
"Because the world is an unforgiving place, and there are many cruel people willing to take from others to strengthen themselves." Jaune said quietly. Softly enveloping his apprentice in a warm hug. "But why don't you get started on drawing some circles. I will be here to help you."
Breaking from the hug his apprentice gave him a nod. Still looking oddly vulnerable, but not stopping her from grabbing the chalk and starting.
Her first attempt was horrendous to put it mildly. Looking closer to what the child of an oval and a rectangle would look like. Expect a large pout when he rubbed it away, she took to it like a champ. Trying again and again. Her circles were slowly becoming better. She was making steady progress. While not perfect circles they could be used as boundaries for weak rituals. Blood mist level weak.
Looking away from his apprentices work, he turned back to his journal. Having written down all the traits he was confident he could grant Violet. He wasn't sure she would choose it, but it never hurt to be prepared. 'Never be unprepared', an ethos Yharnam had carved into his soul.
Time passed by in comfortable silence. Only the crackling of the fire, and the sound of chalk gliding over a wooden desk breaking the gentle warmth of the workshop.
Closing his journal, he saw chalk dust all over Violet's fingers and forehead. Looking over at her work he smiled slightly.
"Would you kindly try and drawn one last boundary for me?" Jaune called out, lifting Violet into his lap. Giving her both some extra comfort and extra expectations. Wanting to see if she could keep up her cool under pressure.
Violet gave a determined nod, lifting her chalk and drawing painstakingly slow. Sweat racing down her brow as she focused. Laying the bit of chalk down and giving him an expectant look.
Humming to himself, he looked over what his apprentice had created. While it was small and mostly oval. It was serviceable. There were room for a lot of improvement, there always was in life, but for a bit over an hour of straight practice, it was more than enough. He wasn't expecting Violet to draw prefect circles anytime yet.
"Have you given any thought of what ritual you want." He asked softly. Gently humming a little tune as he heard the gears in her mind turn.
"The second one." She mumbled softly. A soft determination burning in her eyes. "If… if I'm strong, then I don't need to be protected. If I'm strong… I can protect you…"
"A good enough reason as any." He smiled, ruffling her hair. "Here, pick two."
Pushing his journal to her chest, Violet grabbed it with glee. Jumping out of his lap with gusto and sitting down before the cackling fireplace with a bright smile. Knees tucked to her chest as she read. For her sake he had, not dumbed it down, but written with smaller words and in a language she could easer understand.
Violet hummed along, frowning when the pages wouldn't turn. Pouting at him as he gave a little smile. "Don't try, you won't understand most of what I have written even if you do read it. Save yourself the headache."
"She's going to take that as a challenge lad." Gehrman muttered from the side, almost giving him a heart attack at how silent he was. Like Eileen, he hadn't heard him arrive. Something that was doubly impressive given he was wheelchair bound.
"She is a child, of course she is going to try something, especially if told not to." He said, grumbling slightly under his breath. "Let her be a child here, where she is safe. Her childhood is going to be painted red. She needs to be allowed to simply be herself."
"Maybe… maybe." Gehrman replied wispily. "I will leave how you raise your apprentice to you. It's not my business involving myself."
"Why is there no trait for being more beautiful…" Violet mumbled under her breath. Making him roll his eyes. Shaking his head with an exasperated smile.
"Even if I could, I wouldn't give you such a trait." Jaune called out, ignoring Violet's petulant pout. "Beauty is all well and good, but it's not something you should bother with for at least another five, six years."
"What about 'Chiselled Form' then? Isn't that about a type of beauty thing?" Violet asked expectantly.
"Another I forgot to strike from the list." Jaune sighed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. Not liking how hasty he had been with his preparations. "It freezes your form as you are. I'm not letting you stay a nine-year-old for the rest of your life."
"Ughhh. Fine." Violet huffed. Going back to look through what traits he could add. They were mostly basic, even if some were on the rarer spectrum. The list would more than double, maybe even triple if he spent a good month just gathering material for the rituals. It just wasn't something that was in the cards right now.
"This, and this." Violet eventually said, marching over and pointing at the two icons he had drawn.
"Persistent blood and … Witches' Proof?" He asked, levelling her a careful look. "Are you sure about it? I will respect your wishes, but it will change your appearance. All your hair will lose colour and become completely white. There is no way back from that."
"But I become fireproof." Violet replied petulantly.
"I'm not saying it's a bad choice. And you become non-flammable. You can't get burned. This doesn't completely make you immune to heat, neither does it make you immune to magical flames, it just makes you more resistant to them. Are you still sure you want this trait?"
Violet gave him a nod, and that was that.
"Good." Gehrman called out from the side. "A hunter has no time for hesitation. When you make a decision, you must be willing to follow through. That's not me saying you should ignore others counsel, no one is perfect after all, but it's something to have in mind."
Violet threw him a nervous look, giving her a little nod, she gave a small thankful nod to Gherman. Still a bit unnerved by the old hunter. Not that he didn't understand her. Gehrman came of a bit unnerving and creepy.
"Persistent blood is a solid choice. Your blood will replenish and clot faster, both valuable traits to have if you want to delve into blood rites without your hands getting littered with scars. As an added bonus you get some conscious control off your blood. Just promise me you won't recklessly experiment with it." He said solemnly, not needing to wake up to his apprentice accidentally having killed herself because she couldn't control her excitement. "You will also notice your blood boiling and hissing slightly against the air. But that is all. Solid choices both."
To say Violet was happy at his praise would be an understatement. She threw herself at him. Eagerly grabbing his arm while jumping excitedly.
"Lad, a word of caution. Find a secure location where you know no one can disturb you while doing the ritual. I don't recommend you doing large rituals in the dream either… the etherealness of the dream can easily infect any ritual." Gehrman warned him. Eyes flickering with something haunting.
Not wanting to press the old man, he decided to take his word for it.
"I already have another place in mind." He replied, fighting through a little shiver. Not at all wanting to return, but knowing all it well it was probably the best place.
Carefully freeing his hand from his apprentice's surprisingly strong claws. He threw his coat over his shoulders. "Go get ready, we are heading out." He called to Violet as he quickly did inventory. Grabbing another molotov to replace the one he used. Throwing a look over his shoulder he saw Violet already having finished up. Having hastily thrown her coat on, saw cleaver in hand and an eager smile on her lips.
"We are not going hunting… mostly not going hunting." He quickly amended. Wanting to take another look at what was down there. Not having been in the right of mind last time he had been there. Shaking of a shiver that raced down his spine, he prepared himself. "Maybe if we stumble over a crow or two, I will let you fight. To only get a taste of what's to come."
Violet was far from ready. Her attributes were still low, and her combat skills were mostly non-existent. But crows were maybe the weakest prey that existent, more ankle bitters than anything. Only dangerous if you allowed them to get the jump on you or they boxed you in.
Eagerness and trepidation warred in her eyes as she gave a soft nod.
"Are you sure about that, lad? She still has a long way to go before she is ready." Gehrman warned, clearly not supportive of his idea.
"I wasn't ready. You weren't ready. No one is ever ready for what being a hunter entails." Jaune started, placing a supportive hand on Violet's shoulder. "But she will never be ready if I constantly hold her hand. I will be there to support and protect her, but she will be the one to do the deed."
"I hope you know what you are doing lad. For both of your sakes." Gehrman said with a shake of his head, knowing when a fight was lost.
Patting down Violet one last time to make sure she had everything, he did the same for himself. Knowing he was going to check his inventory again after waking up in Yharnam. When they were both ready, he took her hand. Stepping out of the workshop, he sent a grateful smile towards the doll. Thankful that she had agreed to playing along. Finding her alive was after all a surprise for another day.
"Lad, before you wake. Two little titbits of advice." Gehrman called out, stopping him before he laid hand on the headstone. "Find a headquarters of sort. A place where you know you will be safe, or alone should you desire it. The dream holds many miracles, but sometimes having a place you can call your own makes all the difference. And do try to incorporate more of your Arcane abilities into your fighting style. You want to be familiar with them, and not throwing them out willy-nilly when you panic."
Giving Gherman a nod, he touched the headstone and felt the word shift. Gentle moonlight replaced with soft darkness. The sound of dancing flowers replaced with the branches of dead trees dancing.
Opening his eyes to the abandoned workshop, he sighed. The air was as stale as he remembered. Taking of his coat, he absentmindedly threw it over a chair. Strecthig slightly and giving Violet a curious smile.
"Well, here we are, the workshop." Jaune said, going over to light some of the old candles. Wanting some semblance of life here. Old floorboards creaking as he moved. "Would you mind helping me pick up the scattered papers please?" He called out to Violet, already beginning.
"Why are we here?" Violet asked, voice shivering slightly. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her looking at the doll.
"To hold the ritual, and to explore further down the line." He answered, already having a good stack of papers in his hands. Looking over the desperate scribbles, he sighed. He knew Gehrman wasn't the sanest of individuals. But seeing the window into the madness and desperation that consumed Gehrman not something he could say he found himself enjoying.
Placing another stack of papers on a desk, he stepped past the cabinet. Stopping when he saw something twinkling inside. Grabbing the hair ornament, he felt more confused than anything. Not thinking a despairing Gehrman would be in the mind for finery.
Letting his eyes wander over the small hair ornament, he froze. Quickly stepping over to a candle and holding the ornament up to the light. Frowning when he saw a weathered inscription. Only the letter M readable.
Turning towards the doll, he could feel the gears in his mind turning. Feeling Violet's curious gaze, he knelt down before the doll. Muttering a soft apology before gently turning her amulet around. Brows furring when he saw the inscription written on the back. M.C, the same letters from the hair ornament. Holding the pieces of jewellery together, he could make out the weathered C on the hair ornament.
"What are you doing master?" Violet asked curiously, having worked up her courage at seeing the doll lie lifelessly. Cautiously inching up to his side, holding her saw-cleaver out and ready should the doll try something.
"Just wanting to make sure of something." He replied with a hum. Letting go of the amulet, he sighed. Bringing his arms under the doll in a princess carry and lifted her up. Regretting his kindness the second he got a deeper insight into her being.
A strong red filled her entire body, from the tips of her toes to strands of her hair, signifying a healthy vitality. A healthy yellow that slowly turned orange travelled from her stomach, through her intestine and all the way to her butt. Spring green glowed in her chest, rising and falling like the tide. A gentle purple travel along her body, illuminating a healthy nervous system.
Her brain was black. Void of any colour or thought.
A revelation that almost made him loose his grip on her. Thankfully he managed to quickly readjust, gently setting her down in a chair by the empty hearth. Gently laying her hands in her lap and closing her eyes.
Stepping back, he quickly grabbed some firewood from the stack and lit the hearth. The wood lit easily, basking the old workshop with gentle heat. Giving it life that had been absent for so many decades.
"Let's continue, if we clean up a bit, we can get your ritual underway." Jaune said, wanting to have something else to focus on. He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts right now. That was a rabbit hole he wouldn't touch with a five-foot pole. 'Why could I 'see' her body now, and not last time? Did my metamorphosis remove a hidden restriction on my vision? Why? Was Gehrman aware he had created false life? Why did he?'
He had only visited the Old Workshop twice, and he was already regretting not setting it on fire when he first had a chance. Every time he visited it had been followed by revelations he didn't want to know. Following the trend, he was terrified about what he would learn the third time he visited, gods forbid the fourth.
"Try and place the papers neatly in a stack." He absentmindedly called out to Violet when she smacked a bunch of papers on the desk. Papers gliding from her little pyramid, gliding through the air and landing on the floor again. Violet let out a little cry, not wanting for all her work to be wasted, but without her support her entire pyramid crumbled.
"And that's why we do things properly the first time." He lectured, knowing just how much a hypocrite he was. He had been in her shoes more times than he could count. But he had gotten better.
Pouting, Violet huffed and got back to helping him. Two hands made quick work, and it wasn't long before all the paper was placed in neat stacks on the desk. Wanting to try something, he grabbed his journal. Turing to an empty set of pages, he slapped his journal down against the stack of papers. Feeling his spirituality drain into his journal. His journal swallowing the pages before spitting them back out. Copying everything.
"Oh yes. Because of course my journal has something to do with spirituality." Jaune groaned, angry at himself for not having noticed earlier. Quickly moving to copy the rest of the stacks of paper.
Flipping through his journal he whistled, not knowing how he felt. He had all of Gehrman's mad rambling saved, but not knowing if he could bring himself to breach Gehrman's privacy and try and find out what he had done. 'Gherman had created life, false as it was. But he hadn't created a mind, and he hadn't created a soul. Then why is the doll alive in the dream? A creation of his own mind? A dream come alive?'
Shaking the thoughts away, he grabbed a stack of paper, throwing it into the fireplace. The other paper towers following in right after. Impassively watching as the fire consumed the papers.
"Why did you do that master?" Violet asked, not accusingly but briming with curiosity.
"Workshop secrets." He replied, for they technically were. "Something I don't want others to get their hands on… Just like you will inherit my journal when you get older, so am I Gehrman's protégé. And thus his writings belong to me." It felt weird saying it aloud, Gehrman had always been more a cranky old grandfather than a teacher. His apathy leaving him an empty shell of a person. But he had called him his protégé, said he would teach him.
He just hadn't gotten over why he suddenly cared. Gehrman had thrown him out onto the streets off Yharnam without as much as a good luck, not caring when he woke up in the dream screaming from having been burned alive. What had made him suddenly care?
Pushing it to the back of his mind he brough out his sacrifice knife. Cutting his wrist, he angled his hand in a way that made all the blood race towards his index finger. Using it as a brush while drawing a ritual circle. Compared to the simple boundaries Violet drew earlier, the complexity was night and day apart. Placing some candles at the points of the four-pointed star the ritual was ready.
Touching the circle and chanting under his breath. As one the candle's flames sprung to life, burning a spectral blue, an invisible film washing over them.
"There done, now we can get properly started." With that he waved his hand, the ritual circle disappearing into motes of silver. Placing a new set of candles around to a chaotic rhythm, glyphs and sigils were drawn in blood around the centre circle. Cutting his wrist again, he focused, using his knife as a pen to draw a bastardised flower of life. Eight interconnecting circles born from the same point. Ringing his bell, Isolde was a dear as usual and soundlessly filled the flowers petals with the right components. Jaune only needing to do a quick once over to see that everything was in its right place.
The ritual circle had a light red tone and filled almost the entire workshop from side to side, standing clearly out against the dark floorboards. For the next to last step of preparation Jaune gently pushed a little chalice towards Violet. "I will need some drops of blood. Not much, but enough to key the ritual to you before you step in."
Nervously, Violet took the offered chalice. Hesitantly looking at him, seeing him nod, she grew a bit more confident. Still uncertain she placed her thumb over one of her saw-cleavers tooth's and pushed. Tears welling in her eyes, she bit her lips and pushed through the pain. Seven drops of blood landing in the chalice.
"I'm proud of you. Well done." Jaune said gently, quickly taking the chalice and putting it in its rightful spot before bandaging her finger. There was a time and place to use blood vials, and it wasn't now. No matter how uncomfortable seeing Violet hurt made him.
"Now. The last step before I can begin the ritual. I need you to carefully sit in the centre circle." Instantly Violet's pain was washed away by unbridled excitement. Carefully she made her way to the centre. A giddy smile as she sat down.
Giving her a little nod, he went around the ritual circle, double and triple checking that everything was as it should be. He didn't want to accidentally give her another head, remove an arm, or fuck up in more monstrous ways. Finding everything to be as perfect as humanly possible, he breathed out a sigh before kneeling down beside the edge of the ritual circle. Fishing out a thick coldblood, crushing it and absorbing it's echoes. Giving himself a little boost just in case something didn't go as planned and he needed a backup power source.
Then he took out eight chalices, placed at the tips of the flowers 'petals'. Cutting deeply along the vein, lightish pink came pouring out. Slowly filling the chalice.
"Listen, I will teach you more in-depth about this later. But it doesn't hurt to give you a little introduction to sacrifice's." If before he had Violet's interest, now he had her undivided attention.
"There are four steps of sacrifices with different severities and power, and there is a ritual aspect tied to each sacrifice. The weakest of the four is 'intent', and it's aspect of magic is Negation. Maybe one of the most important aspects all things considered and one you will learn intimately." He lectured. Moving to another empty chalice and beginning to fill it.
"Was it that type of ritual you first used?" Violet interrupted, stars in her eyes.
"Yes, it was a little ritual to cleanse the area of any lingering magical effects." He answered. "The third step of sacrifice is 'Humanity', sacrificing ones emotions, thoughts, or feelings of the past. It's related to the aspect of 'Usurpation'. An aspect that focuses on projecting yourself and will over others and forcing the to do your bidding. But it is an aspect that affects the caster as much as the targets, a bit of a double-edged sword if you lose yourself."
If Violet looked put off by his warning, she didn't show it. It wasn't an aspect he had studied most, not even his manifestation gave him that many rituals bound to this aspect. Those few rituals he knew only used to push the caster into a special state of mind. Even if he had some rituals that hinted at more sinister uses.
"Then there is the type of sacrifice I will be performing soon, life. The second step, for this type of sacrifice you can either sacrifice a lot of blood, or you can sacrifice one of your senses or emotions for a long time. It's accompanying aspect is Alteration, focusing on warping flesh, creating false life, and manipulating living mater. The most popular aspect in all of Yharnam." Mulling over his words, he went over the ritual chant one last time in his mind. The blood pouring out of him like a river.
"The last step is the strongest one, but it's sacrifice is 'Creation'. You will need to sacrifice life. Cattle will do to power most spells, but human life will provide the most power. Blood echoes can be used as a substitute; however you won't get the same result. It's aspect is Corruption, the strongest of all aspects. All it's spells are built on twisting the world in some way, producing miracles from impossibilities." Filling up the last chalice, he felt no worse for wear. Having given enough blood to make the average person fit to faint and all he felt was a dull pain from the cut that was already beginning to clot. "It is an aspect that I won't allow you to practice without supervision. You will die, or worse, if you aren't careful."
Violet looked at him with stars in her eyes. Giving the ritual one last look now that the fuel was in place, he stepped out of the circle. Taking a calming breath and mentally preparing himself. It was the first time he performed such a large and complicated ritual, and while it didn't have to be perfect, nothing could be. It needed to be as close to perfect as possible.
"Master… is… is there one last type of sacrifice?" Violet asked with a whisper. Voice no louder than a mouse's squeak. Giving her an encouraging gaze, he gestured for her to go on. "It's… you make it sound like a staircase. But there is always something at the top. There have to be. Is there a ze-zero-et? Step?"
"There is." He nodded, choosing to praise her for her insight. "It's a step that doesn't have any direct aspects tied into it. Instead it serves only as fuel, much like my blood will for this ritual. But you are right, the sacrifice's in blood rite's is set up like the stairs in a tower."
"Where does the tower lead?" Violet asked, leaning forward with a downright adorable expression. Eyes twinkling with stars as she waited patiently.
"Well my dear, where else but where man never can go?" He said, looking up through the hole in the roof. The limitless starry sky looking back at him. The moon barely peeking through.
"Whoooooaa." Violet mumbled slacked jawed.
"But that is enough of your impromptu lesson. Are you ready to start the ritual?" He asked. Knowing fully well that rituals can shift if the receiver, or target, of a ritual doesn't consent spiritually or mentally.
"You never told me what the last sacrifice was!" Violet called out with the self-righteousness that only young children were capable of.
"And I won't. After all, there is only one more thing one can sacrifice. You will just have to figure it out in your own." Jaune replied, ignoring her pout. "And neither will I teach you how to do it. At least not until after your apprenticeship. It's dangerous just knowing it." If his eyes wandered over to the 'sleeping' doll by the fireplace, Violet didn't notice.
"I'm ready." Violet eventually said after taking a deep breath. Properly psyching herself up.
Letting out a deep breath, he activated the ritual. Instantly crimson flames sprang to life on the candles. Pinkish blood beginning to boil in the chalices. Violet watched on in marvel as eight tendrils of blood stretched out from their chalices. Creating beautiful arcs in the air that the crimson candles set alight.
Landing in the chalice she held, it mixed with her blood. Turning it into a rising mist. A mist that gently enveloped her.
More and more mist enveloped her, forcing Violet to close her eyes before the mist completely cocooned her.
Furiously focusing, Jaune controlled everything in the ritual. Feeling mental tendrils appear around Violet and diving in. Passing through clothes, skin, muscles, and bone, before finally settling in the deepest recess of her bone marrow. Making absolute care to not change anything, only adding the two pieces that would give her the traits she chose.
A part of him felt bad for having hidden a little titbit of information, that the ritual could add, and edit the targets bloodline. He had to constantly fight the urge to change something. When the had 'slotted' the two traits into the deepest part of her D.N.A. He willed the second part of the ritual to begin.
Crimson fire leaping over to Violet, bathing her cocoon in a crimson glow. The ritual working full tilt to make sure her traits got activated. Fire would no longer hurt her, and her blood would be better for suited for blood rites.
With a sigh of relief he felt the ritual come to an end. His throat sore for chanting for what felt like hours on end. The candles died out, the chalices were empty, and Violet's cocoon beat like an egg. Finally shattering like one too.
Vilet eagerly pushed out of the cocoon, eager to look for any changes. The easiest to spot was how her hair had turned chalk white. Even her eyebrows and eyelashes turned white.
Instead of running to him, Violet rushed past him with a mad giggle of excitement. Running over to the fireplace and sticking her ungloved hand into the fire. A mad cackling escaping her as the fire licked her hand. Remaining completely unharmed.
"Now, now. I get you are eager to test out your new abilities'. But your clothes aren't fireproof." He said, gently pulling her hand out of the fire, and extinguishing the fire on her sleeve.
He didn't get to say more before Violet brough him into a crushing hug. A waterfall of thank you' escaping her as she grinned delightfully. Locks of white hair falling freely by the sides of her face. Strands of pure white, lacking the few shades of light blue that could be found in Weiss's hair. It suited her, he noticed, giving her a pixie like sense of cuteness.
"Think nothing of it." He whispered softly. Breaking the hug and standing up. There were some things he needed to do before they could finish up. "We, or I, really. Need to clean up. You don't need to worry about this now, but remember, while the ritual is important, the before and after preparations are just as, if not more important."
With that said he began cleaning up the ritual, gathering the chalices and candles before having Isolde spirit the rest to his cache in the dream. Grabbing his sacrificial knife, he drew a quick blood circle. "Violet, please stand in the circle." He called out, Violet not asking what it was for, just stepping into it, still carrying her gigawatt smile.
Snapping his fingers the ritual circle lit up and exploded into a thousand silvery motes of dust. "And done."
"What was that ritual for?" Violet asked eagerly.
"It's a simple concealment ritual. Magical, or Arcane, traces can never be properly washed away. But they can be concealed. Say, if some other blood rite user found their way here, or some other arcane attuned hunter. All they would find was 'something magical happened here'. And what use is that?" Jaune relied with a little shrug. "It also washed away most of the magical scent you had on you. It's not required to use per se, but it's simply good practice."
Violet gave him a little nod. Looking like she did her best to remember everything by heart. Smiling fondly he patter her on the head. He would test her about it on another day and make sure she wrote it down.
"Now, we have one last thing to do tonight." He called out, Violet with stars in her eyes already knowing what he meant. "If you are scared, that is understandable. I would be more surprised if you weren't. But I will be there for you the entire time of the way."
Giving the Old Workshop one last look, a sigh escaped him, before he walked away. Violet hot on his heals. Not noticing how the doll turned to look at him. A fond smile on her lips as she sighed good naturally. Waving her hand the heart died down. Closing her eyes she fell down in the position Jaune left her in.
Walking up the stairs, he lit his hand lantern. Testing the wooden platform. Even with how half rotted it was, it held firm. While not more Arcanely in tuned, he had dabbled more in it than he had while he visited. Having two crystalised flowers born out of his research into both the blood and the Arcana also helping immensely. Something arcane was making the wood stand up to the strain of time, he just didn't know what, yet.
"If I remember right, there is a beast at the bottom. I'm going to take care of it first before you come down." Jaune said before jumping of the ledge, Crocea Mors already out and ready.
There was no beast when he came crashing down. Sending his nerves spiking. Pushing spirituality into his lantern he saw the bottom of the tower completely empty. No place where the beast could hide. The only thing that remained of the beast was a rune lying innocently on the floor. Pocketing it he called out for Violet. "It's clear now. Just keep your aura up at all times and you won't get hurt."
Patiently waiting, he heard something woosh through the air. Burnt orange reminiscent of smouldering embers raced through the tower as Violet brough up her aura. A little scream escaping her as she crashed into him. Grunting slightly he looked down on his apprentice, exhilaration in her eyes as she called out. "Again! Again!"
"Another time. We have work to do." He said as he sat her down. Rolling his shoulders and pushing the door open. Smiling at Violet, glad that she could allow herself to simply be a child. Finding joy and excitement in everything.
Bottling up the guilt he felt, he gently ruffled her hair. "Remember to stay behind me. Don't engage but keep your weapons at the ready should something try to engage you."
Pushing the door open again, he cringed as the memories from last time he had been here came rushing forth. He hadn't died, so he had that going for him. But to say he was in a good head space after his metamorphosis was the understatement of the century. Everything had just been one large all-consuming haze of pain and confusion. A haze that had quickly coloured red by anger and blood.
Having first hand experience with the intoxication of bloodlust sent a shiver down his back. Everything he had learned, thrown to the side in favour for not wanting to feel that way anymore. Letting his bloodlust run rampant.
Stepping back into the ward proper, the sight of buildings made of stone, old barrels, and smoke or incense escaping from what looked to be a sewer lid. Taking a left and walking down the damp alley, he felt Violet tense. Not that he could blame her for what was about to happen. Their footsteps echoing like the toll of a bell.
It didn't take long before the squawks of crows rang out, followed by the unmistakable sound of sharp beaks ripping flesh. Coming around the bend, they got an eyeful of two fat carrion crows gorging themselves on a corpse. An eyeball escaping down a beak followed by delightful cawing. Throwing a stray glance down at Violet he found her face completely blank. As if this was just an everyday occurrence to her. That it wasn't the first time she saw a crow gorge themselves on a corpse.
Before the crows could feast anymore, he stepped forward. Grabbing a crow by it's neck and slamming it against a wall. The crow going limp in his hand. For good measure he crushed it's neck and threw it down the alley. Grabbing the other crow's beak, it violently began to struggle as he dragged it towards Violet.
"Go on. Kill it." He said, cringing slightly at his poor choice of words.
Bringing out her saw-cleaver, the clever sprang out with a sinister clack. Taking a deep breath, Violet raised the cleaver over her head, aura shining gently as she struggles to hold the weapon over her head. Letting her weapon fall, she swung with all her little might. A sharp caw escaping the crow, it's neck hanging crocked. A deep gash going halfway through.
Tearing of the head with a wet squelch he threw it to the side. Ruffling her hair with his clean hand. "You did good." He said with a little smile. A brilliant smile blooming on his apprentices lips as she grinned up at him.
Smiling, down at her. They moved deeper into the alley. The night was still young, and he had a hunt top continue. But that didn't stop a stray little thought from worming its way into his mind.
'How do I explain her hair colour changing to the others?'
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Note: You can think of traits as lesser bloodline limits from Naruto if it helps visualise. They are 'softer' traits, not the spitting fireball kind, but just a useful bonus to have. Jaune's consumption of an Umbilical cord can be seen as the manifestation of a trait/talent.
Note: And you have no idea how fun it was to finally fill out the blood aspect of magic in Yharnam. We get a peak into what Jaune can do, what it costs, some magic aspects.
Note: Violet's semblance colour is burnt orange, close to the colour of dusk.