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Chapter 15 Matters of Perspective
Giant sewer-dwelling rats.
As if the disease-ridden dogs, insane inhabitants, bestial humans, mutated ogres, and the giant screaming Cleric Beast were not sufficient to bring one to the brink of madness.
Yharnam also was home to giant sewer-dwelling rats as large as any grown man.
This thought continued to plague Jaune even as he faced yet another foe in the darkened depths of the 'aqueduct'.
Jaune backstepped again, the rancid water about his feet splashing across his trousers as the large scourge-addled man before him swung what looked like a piece of some great fence. The heavy makeshift spear clanged as it smashed against the stonework instead of Jaune's soft guts.
The larger infected were honestly terrifying in two ways. The first was that they had begun transforming into the horrid scourge beasts that had proved to be some of the harshest enemies Yharnam had yet thrown at Jaune. Second, they retained enough thought despite their transformation to wield weapons.
Makeshift spears, torches, and giant saws were all wielded by individuals whose strength and speed had been enhanced by their plagued morphing.
And still, strangely, it was the giant rats that plagued his mind.
His distraction cost him as the sizeable makeshift spear of the beast found purchase in his upper thigh, just below his hip. The metal punctured his leg's flesh easily and sent Jaune to his knee with a guttural cry, sewer water soaking into his open wound and lower waist.
In revenge, he lashed out with his looted torch, burying the light source in the matted fur about the fiend's face. Its screams were intermixed with growls as the flames bit hungrily at its flesh and eyes. It tried to escape the burning, its backward flailing tearing its heavy weapon from Jaune's leg painfully.
Jaune would not let it go so quickly.
With the metal shaft still close to his person Jaune unfurled his Saw Cleaver and swung upwards, severing the screaming bestial man's hand. Then with a lunge powered solely by his left leg, he brought his cleaver back down into the exposed clavicle of the infected before him.
The plagued man's screams turned to gurgles as their strength fled with great haste, and they slowly slumped to the floor, their life already forfeited.
Jaune let his weapon remain buried in the plagued man even as it was pulled from his grip, far more focused on the heavily bleeding divot in his leg. Then, with one hand now free and the other holding his light source, he quickly injected yet another blood vial into the soaking meat of his thigh, noting as he did the diminishing number he had in his possession.
The Cleric Beast had been a difficult opponent, to be sure.
As the wound on his thigh sealed itself shut with unnatural speed, Jaune hobbled over to his saw cleaver and pulled it from the partially transformed victim. The body twitched and gave a final spurt of diseased blood as he freed his blade from its shoulder but otherwise remained unmoving.
With a flick of his wrist, he closed the Saw Cleaver back up and let out a belaboured sigh, his body slumping as he felt the tension of the last fight leave him. He had already met his end in this aqueduct thanks to the damnable rats.
It had taught him to appreciate the importance of a light source.
Hence, this time upon his reconstitution at the lantern, he had immediately decided to loot a torch at his earliest convenience.
Luckily those above had no more need of it after he and his Saw Cleaver had bled them dry.
But that first death in the depths had reminded him that he was not invincible.
He had been riding high honestly; after vanquishing the colossal Cleric Beast, he felt truly accomplished. It seemed, however, that Yharnam would not allow such a foolish emotion to take grasp in Jaune as he was swiftly brought low.
He had perhaps been spoiled in Central Yharnam. His time there and his deaths had left him with a sense of familiarity or maybe even comfort. But the aqueducts were new, the foes were fresh, and the danger was different. Jaune had not considered this upon his descent.
But he very much was so now.
Walking normally again, he moved to the edge of the waterway and back into a glimmer of the pale moonlight, or at least whatever stray rays could reach this low into the city. Before him was yet another drop into what looked like a catchment. Even from up here and with the blessing of the stray light from above, he could see the gathering of corpses that filled it.
A grimace befell his face as he scrunched his nose in disgust. It seemed this was the true source of the foulness that permeated the air here, the gathering of decay spoiling the air.
"What foolishness saw to this wretched vision," Jaune uttered, his mind already drawing connections to the human-sized rats and the maddened pogroms that roamed the streets. Yet, even as he looked about, noting a few lanterns that hung near what looked like some scaffolding, he surrendered to the fact that he would have to wade through the rotting dead.
But before he could even begin descending, he spotted something far closer to his person.
It was a corpse.
There was nothing notable about it at first glance. And it was precisely for this reason that Jaune was drawn to it because, in the expanse of Yharnam, the presence of unmolested 'clean' corpses was not expected. As he moved closer with his torch in hand, the flickering light of the flame revealed more of the corpse.
The figure was laid out on their side with no indication of what may have killed him at first glance, but whatever caused it did not cause any considerable blood loss. Their attire was indeed the most curious thing, a tricorn hat that remained atop their scalp, a cape over a thick coat that protected most of their lifeless form down to the knees, where Jaune spotted rugged protective trousers and sturdy quality boots.
The hands were before them limp and empty, and their face was entirely unnotable, covered by a cloth that concealed much. They possessed no unusual objects or items, and despite his scrutiny, Jaune could find nothing particular about this forlorn corpse before him.
Which made it all the more peculiar that he knew this figure.
Of course, he did not know their name, history, past, or anything of real note about the individual's character. But he knew their occupation, and he knew their work.
He knew their burden.
He knew that this was the body of a Hunter.
Hooking his Saw Cleaver to his belt, Jaune pulled free the hat of the fallen Hunter and held it before him. It was well worn, the leather on it scratched and bent, and the cap appeared to have been beaten up but all the more beloved for it.
Placing it upon his head, he noted that it fit with a remarkable degree of comfort, his filthy blonde hair tucked beneath it and his face obscured by the pointed brim. Jaune was halted from examining the apparel any further by a soft familiar groan from his feet.
"Oh… evening," Jaune greeted the illuminating figure at his feet. The creature waved at him whimsically, and before long, two more of its kind emerged, the trio of little ones peering about curiously.
Jaune, for his part, wasn't particularly sure what brought about this most curious get-together as, for the most part, he rarely interacted with the 'Little Ones' outside of dream or near one of the mysterious lanterns. But it was hard to feel uncomfortable around them as the pale fleshed creatures were the furthest thing from hostile and were endearing… in their own way.
"Can I help you?" Jaune asked softly, kneeling before the trio, their soft moaning voices humming as they gestured towards him. A brief bout of silent charades made Jaune realise what the little guys were after. "The… the hat?" Jaune queried to notable groans of confirmation.
With a shrug, Jaune removed the dead man's cap and presented it to the Little Ones, who grasped it, eagerly pulling it from his grip and groaning excitedly. Then, with as much fanfare as they had appeared, they departed the hat in their grasp and faded into the mist, pooling about their thin midsections.
Jaune was once again left alone in the sewer, the body of the dead Hunter still just a corpse, only now bereft of a hat. "Huh…" getting back to his feet, Jaune bowed, wishing the fallen Hunter peace before returning to his hunt.
Standing at the ledge of the catchment, he began his descent into the fetid, corpse-riddled waters. Clambering down big beams that jutted between the slick stone wall with care, his torch held aloft so as not to blind him. With a final hop, he landed amidst the shallow water, the scent of rot thick and pungent in the cloying mist that drifted across the calm waters.
Unperturbed by the sight of decaying dead, he walked towards the lantern opposite where he dropped.
He had not walked three steps when something hooked around his foot.
Looking down, he beheld an elongated bony limb locked securely about his ankle.
A gurgled hiss was soon echoed by Jaune's Saw Cleaver singing through the air to behead the undead thing clawing at his leg as the hunt resumed anew.
YVYVYVYVY
The time until Jaune would depart was closing rapidly. Hence, the Arc household was thrust into a flurry of activity. Cloud and Jaune spent what little time remained going over a few final stages of preparation, such as plotting Jaune's path and some situational stratagems.
Hella watched with an approving gaze, her training of Jaune having stopped at the start of the week as she did not wish to have Jaune depart injured. She wanted dearly to provide help but thought it not her place as she had been obstinate against this, thoroughly thrashing her son in training to try and impart the harshness of the wilds.
But she could not deny her Jaune.
He was stubborn… perhaps driven was a better adjective to describe her only son, as he did not act out of refusal but with an insatiable drive. When he had first propositioned the trial, Hella had outright refused.
Jaune refused her refusal and got it into his head to prove to her that he could handle the trial.
That led to him pushing himself further in training. He went through every weapon they had and kept pace with Hella much as he had when they began their training. He kept pace with her with everything from spears to whips, his skill with the weapons downright enviable. At one point, she thought she had him beat with him wielding an ultra greatsword like his father and her pair of sai.
Cloud had never looked prouder than when Jaune landed a blow using his preferred weapon and never minding his wife now sporting a massive bruise on her cheek.
When Hella finally found a weakness in her son's prolific fighting abilities, it was a surprise, to be sure. After he ran through nearly every weapon in their household aside from firearms, Hella had thrown down her staff and demanded her come at her bare-handed.
Finally, she struck Dust.
Jaune's footwork was solid, his stance akin to a boxer or a grappler, but it was apparent he did not carry nearly the same talent with his bare hands as he did when they were filled with a weapon. She had laid him out quickly, a single kick leaving him on his back, his lip split and his brain rocked.
She thought this defeat might finally provide a purchase for her to argue against his leaving. She was wrong. Jaune had pulled himself to his feet, ready and raring to go again, a bloodied smirk on his features as he egged his mother on.
And so Hella's ruthless training of Jaune's hand-to-hand combat abilities began, and their hidden battle of wills commenced.
But Jaune won, and Scarlett won the bet for how long it would take.
Following her son's victory, Hella had instead trained Jaune in what he recommended. The two of them focusing on knife, staff and spear combat. With a weapon in hand, it was less training and more sparring, but Hella secretly loved it.
Knowing her son was a capable fighter gave a sense of security that would have made her the envy of many a Huntress who was also a mother. Knowing her son could match her blow for blow; she could sleep that bit easier.
While they were practising with a bow, she had brought up the possibility of unlocking his Aura so that he would have another layer of protection out in the wilds.
Jaune had shot her down with a stalwart defence. He even brought her a paper he had written back in school describing the hazards and risks of Aura for the uninitiated citing statistics from the Great War and the Faunus Uprising.
He did so to remind Hella of one crucial fact.
The Grimm were drawn to Aura.
Just as the soulless spawn could somehow sense negative emotions, they could also detect those who had their Aura unlocked. And like negative emotions, the Grimm were just as drawn to Aura, perhaps even more, but the data regarding that was inconclusive. Nevertheless, this phenomenon led to numerous casualties in the great war on Mantle's side as they forced many recruits to have their Aura unlocked without the training to go with it.
Jaune argued that without Aura, it would be much easier to hide from the Grimm out in the wilds and thus avoid conflict altogether. Hella and him had the discussion several times, but in the end, she had to agree with Jaune that avoiding conflict was the best way to prevent injury.
Unbeknownst to Hella, it was for this reason that Jaune had never asked for Aura before either, having no desire to have his presence endanger his family.
Any more than he already believed it too, at least.
So it was that Hella sat on the veranda, the twins playing in her lap as she watched over the Arc Males, unknowingly smiling as she watched the two enjoy their time together.
YVYVYVYVY
Tami knew as well as any support staff did that Huntsman were a bizarre breed.
She accepted this as a part of their nature as, at the end of the day, how could they not be? To be a Huntsman was to wield incredible strength, speed and durability. It meant you could heal massive trauma in moments with sufficient Aura. It meant you wielded a Semblance and all the chaotic power such a thing wrought.
It also meant facing your own and others' mortality. It meant going out to halt the endless tide of Grimm that sought nothing but the utter destruction of every sapient life on earth. It meant fighting not to win but to survive. Finally, it meant knowing that your life could end suddenly and without warning.
This lifestyle wore on a person extensively, and it was because of this that Huntsman, under the employ of the Valean government, that were tasked with settlement defence, were handled carefully. Shifts were managed with a firm hand, time off wasn't offered; it was ordered, and regular checkups were made to ensure fitness to work.
This was the same for even the highest-ranking Huntsman under the Valean government's employ.
Even for the likes of Cloud Arc.
As the Hunter Commander of Reach, Cloud was the highest-ranked Valean Sponsored Huntsman in the town and one of the highest ranked in the country to boot. This meant he had absolute authority over any Huntsman under the Reach Guild and quite a lot of political pull over the town itself. He had the ultimate power to command those Hunters under the guild employ and dictate actions concerning the security of Reach.
But he was not exempt from rest.
Tami was the one who had reminded him of this during the period in which his son was being held before his trial. At that time, Cloud had indeed taken the mandated time off, but Tami could see that Cloud was by no means rested.
But there was not a whole lot she could do.
Cloud's position in Reach was matched internally only by the Guild Master. It was their job to manage the upkeep of the Huntsman, the guild and the relationship between the people and the Huntsman who protected them. Essentially, while the Guild Master handled the maintenance of the guild and its Huntsman, it was the Hunter Commander who led them into battle.
Externally Cloud's position was matched by two others regarding authority over Reach. First was the Sheriff, tasked with maintaining law and order in Reach. The second was the mayor, who was charged with the town's governance.
This was the way of things on paper.
In reality, it differed significantly.
Despite its significant size, many still considered Reach a frontier town; this idea was primarily held by those who inhabited it. With this frontier position came a frontier mindset. A certain clarity one attains only by maintaining a certain proximity to the Grimm.
The Huntsman were the ones in charge.
Huntsman wielded great physical power and immense sway over the people. They symbolised to many security, strength, safety and hope.
And it all stemmed down to an inscrutable fact.
Society existed because of Huntsman.
It was for this reason that many politicians hated Huntsman.
They would never carry the raw sway a Huntsman could, the pure charisma and draw that a Huntsman wielded like second nature. So it was natural that people would move towards those that could protect them. It was a biological necessity in a world like Remnant.
Tami loved that such a thing was a non-issue in Reach. Unlike in larger cities, Reach had its priorities in order and a mayor who was a massive Huntsman fanboy. Following Hella and Cloud's warpath, the mayor put forward that they should take some time off to be with their family.
The mayor also conceded that such a thing wouldn't be possible with all the negativity present at the time. So instead, the man had thrown his office into hurrying along the clusterfuck of a performance that was the investigation into Jaune and those other bastards. Tami had even seen the mayor and the Guild Master on a video call in the same room.
Watching the two rip into the Council had been a sight to behold. She had even recorded it on her Scroll and shown it about HQ. In the end, she had sent it to the mayor's office, and to say the reception was positive would be an understatement. The support staff, be they for the mayor or the guild, might not always get noticed, but the fact was that they got things done.
Things had been going well! They had been on track to wrap things up and settle the matter, see the trials done and hopefully put the anxiety amongst the populace to rest. Tami hoped to do so quickly enough that Cloud and Hella could finally get off the front lines as Grimm numbers were beginning to climb.
Then VSIC got involved.
Tami knew her friends, she had known both Hella and Cloud for over a decade, and she knew the stress was getting to them. Tami worried that things were on track to get a lot worse, and the frightening thing was that her fear was shared by many. The Hunters were starting to feel the wear of the constant Grimm numbers, and the agents had all but stalled the proceedings of the trials.
It all came to a head when the agents went and ordered yet another unnecessary Aura test for Jaune despite the already existing ones proving he did not have his unlocked. Tami will never forget the sight of Cloud, his gut still wrapped with bloodied bandages storming out of the HQ with Dr Kaiser. Nor will she forget how quickly the agent's investigation moved after the confrontation.
After that, the trials had gone through, and she thanked whatever gods were listening that things fell their way. Even with three teams of lawyers working together, Tami could not rid herself of the pervasive nervousness that had inflicted her since she had sent Jaune and Scarlett off with their promise not to kill. So, when it was all finally laid to rest, she unabashedly burst into tears and hugged an ecstatic Hella to her side.
She might have been the most emotional person in the courtroom, but she could not bring herself to care.
It took a while for things to settle, but without outside influences negatively affecting things, Reach came back into order quite swiftly. Order was reinstated, and the Huntsman, both local and those called to reinforce their numbers, pushed back that gathering tide of Grimm. Cloud was present for it all. His spirit renewed with his son's safety ensured he threw himself into the town's defence.
Even Hella, who had rarely gone further than the walls during the chaotic months, departed for the occasional sortie with her son finally home. Although only Tami knew it was because she was eager to burn off some pent-up stress.
Strange breed, indeed.
But even with the town's safety secured once more and the people's worries put to rest Cloud did not relent. It got to the point that even the other Huntsman were beginning to voice their concerns, and as such, it felt to the Guild Master and the support staff to perform their duties.
When everything was said and done, the Guild Master, the mayor and all the senior support staff, herself included, gathered to present a united front. Their mission was to order Cloud Arc to take some mandatory time off. So they had their arguments prepped, they had coffee and doughnuts with which to bribe the man, they had incentives, and they had a dope slideshow.
But as if to spite her- their efforts, Cloud decided to be the opposite of difficult.
On the day of the intervention, Cloud marched into the HQ and said he was taking a month off and not to bother him unless Reach was at risk of exploding.
Despite months of nervousness, stress, and worry, Tami was still slightly disappointed at such an anticlimactic end.
She had worked hard on that slideshow.
YVYVYVYVY
Saphron missed her smile.
She couldn't remember what it looked like, or what it felt like or how to do it, and every time she tried, she only succeeded in perpetuating her frustration. It was stupid, she was stupid for thinking it, but it felt true.
She had lost her smile.
This was not the first time she had lost herself in thought about this particular subject, far from it. But it was a point she found herself coming back to on numerous occasions. It happened the most around mirrors naturally, like in the bathroom, with the mirror's edges cloaked in fog.
Even now, she was trying to smile like she used to, moving her lips about, showing teeth, not showing teeth, but despite her numerous alterations, none of them was correct.
Sighing in defeat, she let her head fall forward to thump listlessly against the mirror; her eyes closed as she fought off another wave of bleak thoughts. But, unfortunately, this had also happened numerous times, the wave of dissatisfaction that followed on the tail of her failed attempt to smile like she used to.
She was so stupid.
Casting aside her efforts, she dressed and headed downstairs; the house was empty, all her other family members having gone out for the weekend. Her mum had taken the younger Arcs to the park, while her dad had departed early in the morning with Jaune. Scarlett was the other odd duck being forced to go to work as something had come up that required her personal attention.
Saphron still thought it was weird that she said it with a smile.
With the house to herself, she should have been excited. It was rare for her to have such freedom with all her siblings. She could have had the whole loungeroom to herself, taken a bath in the quiet, tried being a nerd for a change, and loafed about the library.
She felt none of that.
She felt… empty.
She sat at the kitchen table and pulled out her Scroll, pulling open her social feed only to close it as she immediately saw her old profile pic. Seeing her old self smiling made her want to throw her Scroll across the room. It was tempting if only to try and feel something other than the suffocating disappointment that clung to her, but reason won out, and she just slid her Scroll away instead.
She hated this.
It was stupid.
She was stupid.
She hated herself for being this stupid.
Unbidden, the quiet almost seemed to creep about her until it felt like it was leaking into her, her thoughts became an echo of negativity, and her body was racked with foreign tiredness. Finally, she laid her head on the table, her eyes heavy as she wished for nothing more than for her brain to turn itself off for a moment.
Just a moment to rid herself of the aggravating echo.
Just a moment of peace.
…
"Urrrrrghuuuer."
A soft groan sent a vicious lance of fear through Saphron until all traces of the suffocating quiet were wholly obliterated. Then, with a speed that would have impressed her parents, Saphron was out of her chair with a kitchen knife in her hand.
The groan had been close. It had instilled absolute terror in her for reasons she wasn't entirely sure of. But what she did know was that it had come from the fridge. A small piece of her wanted to play it off as just a noise of the machinery, but a more fundamental part, a primal part, knew it sounded too organic.
The knife held at the ready, she moved next to the machine, checking the sides for any signs of what creature could have made such a noise. But she found nothing.
Cautiously she lifted her hand to the handle, her grip on the door becoming unnaturally tight as she hyped herself up.
She wrenched back on the door.
It swung open, and she hopped back the knife in front of her.
But nothing happened.
Slowly but surely, the fear left her, as did the tension in her shoulders until the knife she had held aloft dropped to her side. Saphron let out a grating sigh as she realised the noise must have just been in her head. As if to make matters worse, she was now hearing things.
"Stupid," she spat venomously, moving to look inside the fridge for anything to eat.
Dear Saphy
"Huh?" she vocalised as she pulled out a covered plate with a letter written atop it. Then, kicking the fridge door close with her foot, she moved back over to the table, plopping the plate down and righting her chair before taking hold of the note.
Dear Saphy,
Sorry to leave you all alone today, but I have to review a few more things with Jaune before he heads off for his trial.
I tried to wake you this morning, but you were pretty out of it and didn't seem up for breakfast.
So I figured instead I would make you some of these.
I will see you when I get home, Saph.
Enjoy the food.
Love Dad
P.S. Flip the page.
Saphron, already feeling the stirring of an inexplicable warmth around her heart, was swift to follow the instruction, flipping the page over to behold more writing.
Salutations sister,
I hope this missive finds you in good health, I wanted to do something to brighten your day, but alas, father would not let me help him cook.
He is pretty stubborn.
So instead, I did your washing. I know you hate doing it.
Have a wonderful day, dear sister.
Love Jaune.
Saphron could not hope to stop the giggles that slipped out of her mouth as she finished reading the letter left by her brother. She knew all too well how territorial their father could get when he was cooking, sometimes denying anyone else access to the kitchen altogether.
It was nice of Jaune to do her laundry for her. She hoped he hung it out right. Putting the letter down, she pulled the covering off the plate to see what her father had made for her.
The warmth in her chest grew.
"Quiche!"
Saphron loved quiche. It was one of her all-time favourite breakfast foods. Plucking one of the neat little slices off the pile, Saphron took an enthusiastic bite and enjoyed the immediate burst of flavour as spinach, cheese, ham and a collage of other flavours erupted in her mouth.
Closing her eyes in enjoyment, she stretched her arms out wide as an exquisite sense of something ran along the length of her limbs. Finishing off the piece in her hand Saphron moved to grab herself a drink to accompany her breakfast treat when her Scroll caught her eye.
It was face up and somehow on the camera app.
She must have turned it on when she slid it away earlier. Reaching to turn it off, she accidentally took a terribly angled selfie of herself. Then, knowing she couldn't afford to waste the storage space, she grabbed her Scroll and flicked to her gallery, intent on deleting the picture.
But upon seeing the photo, she froze.
Then she smiled, beautifully, wonderfully, with all her teeth in a euphoric display of joy as she caught sight of herself, and most importantly, she caught sight of her smile.
It was her smile.
It was relaxed and natural; it didn't look strained, fake, or practised. On the contrary, it looked like all the happiness she had been searching for ever since…
It doesn't matter.
Instead of deleting the photo, she took another and another and two more after that.
Then like the euphoric, overjoyed fool she was, she took more while she danced about the kitchen like a lunatic.
All while eating some quiche.
YVYVYVYVY
Ozpin, as a rule of thumb, tried to present himself as affable, favouring the numerous benefits of a friendly countenance. After all, one truly does catch more flies with honey than they do with vinegar, and Ozpin had become quite the adept entomologist.
It had been a hobby once upon a time. One needed to stay sharp, after all.
But there were times he found the flaws in a friendly reputation. After all, if one was seen as friendly, it was a sour note that they could also be perceived as weak or foolish. Naturally, those of lesser character would take note of this and try to take advantage of such 'prominent failings'.
Now was one of those times.
"I can not in good conscience allow this farce to continue! This is ridiculous, are you all so taken with his minuscule fame that you would let such obvious abuse be overlooked?" A blusterous voice bellowed in the council chambers, spittle painting the desk in front of the man.
Ozpin firmly bit back the desire to tell the man to 'say it, not spray it,' knowing it would only rile the man further.
"Councilman Vhek, your concerns have been heard, but-"
"But nothing! Nothing councilwoman! Reach is still a territory under this kingdom and is beholden to our rule of law. Cloud Arc's actions spit on them!" the blusterous council member ranted. The woman he cut off visibly curled her lips in frustration at the rabid man cutting her off, or perhaps it was in disgust at his saliva painting the chamber table.
Ozpin would put money on the latter.
"You have said as much. You have said as much on four separate occasions now, and I must ask why the actions of a Hunter Commander doing his job bother you so much. A real answer this time, if you please." Another council member spoke up, his words coming across as caustic as he addressed the irate Vhek.
"Because his actions are downright tyrannical!" Vhek all but screamed.
Ozpin having enough of the performance, spoke in a calm tone, "council man I would like to remind you that one's inside voice will prove more than sufficient to be heard. It is not a large room."
The chorus of agreement from the other council members was the only thing that halted another eruption from the now red-spotted face of the balding man. Then, with the man forced to break in his belligerent yelling, the councilwoman from before took her opportunity to be heard.
"As I tried to mention, this topic has already been handled repeatedly. There is no need to bring it up again; doing so is nothing more than a waste of our time." The woman proclaimed loudly, further reinforcing her point by closing the data package in front of her and sliding her device away, an action that was copied by two others at the table.
Ozpin wanted to join in, but it occasionally paid not to be too opposed, even in the face of something very opposable.
"So we are just going to let this- this Warlord rule over one of our territories. He is a brute, a bully and a-"
"You know," a melodious voice chimed in, "I would have thought you learned your lesson. After Reach's mayor and Franky ripped you a new one."
Councilwoman Triss was young and vibrant and could capture a room just by entering it. Ozpin sometimes wondered what she could have accomplished with Aura. Then he realised she was dangerous enough as is, being one of the youngest Council members ever.
"That proves he has already attained powerful allies to cover his illegal-"
"Careful, councilman, your conspiracies have no place at this table… after all, an investigation has already been made," Councilman Telamon chimed in his baritone voice, asking for silence, but the repressed fury in his tone demanded it.
He was another one Ozpin often wondered about, the height a man with such a strong will and unshakable faith in order could rise to given Aura. What Ozpin wouldn't have done to have had a man like councilman Telamon on his side a couple of centuries back…
"That investigation was not nearly sufficient enough," Vhek argued.
"Oh? Even though it was conducted with such haste?" Telamon argued, his voice gaining some heat and a definite accusatory ring.
"They should have easily found evidence of that man's abuse of power. But, clearly, there was tampering!" Vhek raged, banging his fists on the table.
Telamon was not disturbed by the petulant show, his arms crossing over his bulging chest, his shirt barely restraining his form. "All mere conjecture, and I assure you, Vhek, those agents tried very hard to find any hint of this 'abuse'. After all, they broke procedure and the chain of command to investigate Mr Arc with all due haste… They sacrificed their careers for this case, an intriguing display of drive, don't you think?"
"Oh, so you went and fired them," a now far less caustic voice chirped up, the colourful form of councilman Leaf finally retaking an interest in the discussion.
"Councilman, please, those men lost their jobs! Try to empathise," the young woman Vhek had spoken over before spoke up again.
"Now Fay, don't weep for the stupid, or you'll be crying all day. Everyone, and I do mean everyone knows Telamon here runs a tight ship; those boys have even less of an excuse because they worked for tall, dark and handsome over there." Councilman Leaf admonished lightly, having a soft spot for gentle Fay, even if his words were met with agreement from everyone else.
"In response to your question, councilman, they were indeed dismissed. A necessary action as they broke protocol and forced the agency to send an apology not only to Reach but also their Guild… Thank you for helping out with that councilwoman." Telamon finished bowing his head to Ozpins left.
"Think nothing of it, the agency did no wrong, and those who trespassed have been punished… although Franky would like to remind you that the next time unknown Aura users burst into her Guild, they might not come out in one piece…." Councilwoman Gwynbleidd trailed off her words, flicking to Vhek with barely concealed disdain.
The man was not one to miss an obvious bait, "you see, his associate threatens us even now!"
"Oh. My. Gods. ENOUGH! Vhek, shut up! Fuck this procedural bullshit. You bitched when Arc arrested the pedo, you bitched before the trials, you bitched during the trials, and now you are bitching when the piece of shit has already been dead and buried for over a week! Drop it! A Hunter shot a paedophile, big fucking whoop!" Councilman Lucky exploded from the seat closest to the door. The man wasn't big, he wasn't tall, hell he wasn't all that intimidating at first glance, but everyone who met the man once quickly realised why that wasn't the case.
Lou Lucky was the Chief of Law, the one whom every single sheriff across Vale answered to. He earned his spot, not through politicking or favours or kissing an unfathomable amount of ass but through sheer will. However, the man was still, at heart, a lawman who dedicated his life to ensuring the guilty were punished. He made no attempts to hide this or his distaste for characters like Vhek.
"Why are we even discussing this? Why is this a council fucking matter! An investigation was held, nothing was found, you launched an enquiry, nothing was found, and now you are so butt hurt about it that you are grasping at nothing!" Councilman Lucky snarled.
"He blew the man's leg off!" Vhek hollered back but with only a portion of his previous strength.
"Correction, he swiftly disabled a fleeing paedophile who could have been armed and stopped the man from destroying evidence which in turn led to the securing and subsequent destruction of… I can't remember the exact number, but let's just say a fuck load of kiddie porn," councilman Lucky shrugged.
"It does seem like a moot point considering he was found guilty and sentenced to execution," Leaf chimed in, happy to stir the pot and rile Vhek up some more.
"It is not the place of Hunters to take the law into their own hands," Vhek sneered. "I hope you understand that, given your job, councilman Lucky."
Lou's pale flesh gained a vivid red hue as the man's complexion was almost as bright as the russet red colour of his hair. But before he could get a word out of his mouth, another voice cut across the room and inflicted a fresh tension on its occupants.
"Nor is it the place of a mere civilian to question the actions of one of my Hunter Commanders."
If Ozpin had to describe Vhek, it would not be flattering. The man was not well suited to the spotlight, or any light for that matter. But he could not say the man was utterly devoid of common sense as even he was not foolish to continue barking in the face of the Chief Huntsman.
Rust Leman was proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that one should always be wary of the old in a job where most die young. He was private, reserved and quiet, preferring to listen than speak needlessly. He was a Huntsman of the old regime and was Ozpin's senior.
At least in this life.
"I have heard enough of this drivel. You seem to forget your place," Rust grumbled, his voice almost perfectly projecting what Ozpin thought an old wolf would sound like if it could talk.
"I am a councilman!" Vhek exclaimed, his words having merit as it was true that he wasn't just any civilian.
"Yeah, in name," Leaf snorted.
"Excuse me, like you have room to talk!" Vhek rebutted, again not without merit.
"True, unlike the lovely Fay here or even madam Gwynbleidd, I am the lowly councillor of ceremonies. My duties are more sporadic and far less serious. Hence why I have the common bloody decency to keep my nose out of matters that have nothing to do with me," Leaf proclaimed, drawing out his last sentence for emphasis.
"My-"
"Your position is that of speaker of a settlement… you aren't even Reach's, bloody speaker!" Leaf exploded.
"Wait, he isn't?" Fay chimed in.
"No! He's Holdt's speaker, you know, that settlement north of here, the mining one," Lucky spat, his sneer only growing.
"… Why the fuck am I even here right now?" Councilwoman Gwynbleidd groaned, flopping back in her seat, her fingers coming up to run through her long raven-black hair.
"Me and my people's concerns deserve to be heard," Vhek defended.
"your… What the fuck do your people care about what happens in Reach!" Lucky exploded, his rage reaching a peak as he kicked his chair away.
"This is stupid," Councilwoman Triss complained.
"You know we will still have to come in tomorrow for the scheduled meeting… I could have had today off," Leaf conversed with Fay, who seemed to give some thought to the colourful man's words, her shoulders slumping.
"Rouge Huntsman are everyone's concern!" Vhek protested, still trying to defend his point.
"You overstep," Rust warned, the room again quieting as the oldest member there spoke with the strength of a man half his age.
"Agreed," Telamon added, the mountain of muscle rising out of his seat to tower over the outspoken council member.
"Aye, I say we make this real easy. Let us four go have a nice chat about law, huntsman and propriety, eh? Swear on the holy book; yer won't be forgetten it anytime soon." Lucky proposed, his voice slipping back into his home towns thick drawl.
Ozpin seeing the council chambers were about to devolve into what he could only hope to call a possible murder, rapped his cane against the table. Then, with ease, he cast off the friendly visage of a shaper of young minds and assumed the stern features of a man who trained the protectors of civilisation.
"I do believe that will be quite enough. As entertaining as it has been to see that my students are not the rowdiest bunch in all Vale, I don't think this chamber is a place to usurp them." Though his words were light and coloured by jest, his expression was anything but. It was a remarkable indicator of the respect that Ozpin commanded that everyone returned to their seats with only minor grumbles of dissatisfaction, mostly from Lucky.
"Now I believe it is time to put this matter to rest," Ozpin announced.
"But-"
"Now, councilman Vhek I didn't say tabled, shelved, ignored or thrown away, did I? We are going to wrap this up once and for all, and that will be the end of it," Ozpin stated, although his words seemed more like orders to those listening.
"… all right, when shall we schedule th-"
"Now, Mr Vhek, we are wrapping this up now," Ozpin intoned swiftly, leaving no room for argument as he pulled the data packet to him and flicked it open.
He spared the words on the page he opened to only a cursory glance. He only needed to project the illusion of him taking in the slurry of information on the Scroll. This was old news by this point.
"Right… now, council members, let us review this matter for the last time. We are discussing the actions of one Cloud Silver Arc, Hunter Commander of Reach and sponsored Huntsman of Vale. Is that correct, Mr Vhek?" Ozpin intoned his voice genial.
"Yes, I believe his conduct is unacceptable and unbefitting of a sponsored Huntsman, let alone one who possesses the title of Hunter Commander," Vhek quickly voiced.
"Right… now assuming that his actions were indeed found to be reprehensible, what actions would you see taken, either disciplinary or correctional?" Ozpin quickly followed up, his finger sliding across the data packet as he pulled out his Scroll, again all for the illusion of effort.
He was sure some realised it was all a performance, but he was hard-pressed to care. They had run out of coffee fifteen minutes ago, and with it, his patience.
"I believe that Cloud Arc should be stripped of his title and face criminal charges," Vhek announced proudly.
The silence following his statement was profound. It was as if he had just announced his intentions to become the new high king of Vale.
Ozpin seeing the absolute calamity that Mr Vhek had just put in motion, spoke quickly to get ahead of the oncoming disaster. "Noted, now please state for the record, again, what you believe Cloud Arc's trespasses to be."
"During the event in question, Cloud Arc's son-"
"Councilman, I will stop you right there. The actions of one Jaune Arc are not the subject of this meeting," Lucky interjected, his tone one of barely concealed wrath.
"But-"
"I am afraid councilman Lucky is correct. Jaune Arc was tried and already faced punishment for his actions. I believe he was expelled and forced to undergo a psychological evaluation… a shame; the young man had a bright future, and having a stain on his record so early in his life will be a real detriment." Councilwoman Triss pointed out, looking at the image of the young man.
The resemblance between him and his father was uncanny.
"But his son's actions directly correlate to the event," Vhek complained.
"We are not discussing the event either," Ozpin stated, looking over his glasses.
"What, but you said…." The balding man trailed off, seeing the quirked brow of the headmaster, the man looking on apathetically.
"We are discussing the actions of Hunter Commander Cloud Arc, nothing more, nothing less. Now please state for the record what it is about Mr Arcs' actions that you feel invalidate him as both Hunter Commander and a sponsored Huntsman." Ozpin instructed, feeling satisfaction at leaving the obnoxiously loud man silent, if only for a moment.
"Umm, well… I… Here! Mr Arc destroyed a public building that showed no restraint or control." Vhek announced, clicking a remote that brought up the page displaying the destruction to the Reaches central school building on a larger monitor.
"Damages that have already been investigated and covered for by the local guild with the party of one Hunter Commander Cloud Arc and Sponsored Hunter Hellebore Arc being found absence of fault as they were responding to an imminent crisis." Councilwoman Gwynbleidd followed up by changing the monitor to show her own and Reach's Guild Master's seal of approval.
"The school building is already under repair, and the funds were transferred as soon as the investigation ended. Councilman Telamon, did your agents- sorry former agents find anything to contradict this internal investigation into the school damages?" She continued again, displaying the note of transfer.
"The Agency did not find anything to disagree with the guild's findings. The Huntsmen in question were indeed responding to a matter of crisis." Telamon agreed, not changing the monitor as there was no point.
"A crisis caused by their son." Vhek sneered, his frustrations mounting as he was again faced with failure.
"Again, councillor, the actions of one Mr Jaune Arc are not the topic of this meeting please stay on topic," Ozpin spoke up, his words neutral even if the message they carried was anything but.
"Fine, let us move on to the matter of Cloud Arc and his wife threatening the Sheriff of Reach!" Vhek challenged with confidence that he had no right to feel.
This time it was councilman Lucky who spoke up, "as stated in prior discussions, the reason for this matter falls on the Sheriff's department for a failure in procedure to which I have already reprimanded all those involved as well as sent a written apology to the local guild. Furthermore, I have ensured that there will be increased scrutiny of officer awareness concerning the protocol surrounding arrests and the danger of assumptions. There now move the fuck on."
"Councilman Lucky, language, please," councilwoman fay admonished.
"Yeah, sorry, proceed."
"So that's it a Huntsman can just oppose those who enforce the law?" Vhek sneered, trying to taunt the Chief of Law.
"Nope, but sponsored Huntsman given power by this very council can," Lucky explained slowly, spacing his words obnoxiously.
"Sponsored Huntsman have long operated as an arm of the law for Vale, even before the Great War. Their use as a crime deterrent speaks for itself." Councilwoman Gwynbleidd explained, rolling her eyes as she did her best to pay attention to this ridiculous farce.
"I mean, we teach it in schools, 'remember if you are ever lost, you can look for a cop, a fireman or your local friendly Huntsman'… it's like common sense," Leaf groaned, lazily spinning around in his chair.
"It is indeed common knowledge that sponsored Huntsman carry a certain degree of responsibility in ensuring that settlements are lawful. To this end, Huntsman carry many of the same powers officers of the law do. As this 'threatening' was done in direct response to actions seen as unlawful, it fails to display Cloud Arcs' actions as unacceptable or unbefitting, agreed?" Ozpin queried, receiving nods around the table and searing silence from councilman Vhek.
It was now that councilman Vhek realised that this discussion, like all the previous ones, was going differently than he desired. So with far less enthusiasm, he decided to power through, figuring he might still have a chance as long as he continued to press.
"Fine, then I move on to the example of Cloud Arc's 'detainment' of a Mr Khaki Heard. He mutilated the man who was only a mere suspect at the time."
"Yes, a suspect of an emotive crime who tried to flee, do not undercut the depravity of that man Vhek," Fay cut in her voice, gaining an unusual edge for the woman.
"All right, I will concede that the individual in question was by no means a good man but was still a suspect at the point of his mutilation," Vhek reminded.
"And that is where I will step in," Rust spoke up, rising out of his chair slowly, his long faded blonde hair having to be pushed out of his face as he got up.
"As Chief Huntsman, I am responsible for all Huntsman sponsored by our noble kingdom, the Hunter Commander's even more so. Therefore, any enquiry into their worth is a direct enquiry into my own. As such, I will be the one to put this matter to rest once and for all."
"… That is acceptable. If this had been a less high-profile case, it would have been handled internally by the respective branches anyway," Ozpin accepted. His statement was met with agreement from all other parties present, some more enthusiastically than others.
"Thank you, my fellow council members; councillor Vhek's assessment of Hunter Commander Arc's extreme actions is not unfounded. In a calmer situation, his method of detainment would most assuredly be found lacking, and he would have been reprimanded as necessary. But this was not a calmer situation, and Commander Arc's actions were in response to an imminent threat to a resident of Reach's wellbeing." Rust explained, his voice stern and unwavering.
"I thought Heard was fleeing when Arc blew the fuckers leg off?" Triss spoke up, paying attention since Vhek had stopped talking.
"Yes, he was and in his possession was material of an extremely harmful nature. This knowledge was known to the Hunter Commander hence his swift response," Rust elaborated.
"Convenient; what was this material?" Vhek tsked.
"I cannot say the material in question was deemed hazardous and destroyed following the trial. Therefore, only the judge who managed the trial of Heard and councilmembers Lucky and Astraea are aware of the material in question," Rust answered, his voice not shifting in tone or inflection; his words were uniform and crisp.
Lucky was again on his feet. His voice was far more emotive than Rust's; his teeth bared as he snarled towards Vhek. "Go on yer gobshite, ask it, I bloody dare ye," the short man challenged, looking ready to lunge across the table.
Vhek being as stubborn as they come, did just that, even while rolling his chair back a step. "What was this hazardous material?"
"None of your bloody business. By order of me and lady blue, it was eradicated following the trial. As a result, only a sparse description of the material exists in a sealed evidence file," Lucky cockily proclaimed.
"Then how can we judge the merit of Arc's actions?" Vhek spat.
"Are you deaf, dumb or all the above? The material was hazardous to a resident of Reach; Arcs cleared you mouthy fu-"
"Councilmen, that will be enough of that… but what councilman Lucky says is true, the material in question being deemed hazardous enough that it was ordered destroyed by the Chief of Law and Head Justice Astraea is more than enough to verify the danger it could have posed to a resident of Reach," Ozpin proclaimed his words ringing unassailable.
"Yes, and as I stated, Hunter Commander Arc knew this information, so his actions can not be considered mere detainment. Rather they must be viewed through the lens of necessity as they were performed to safeguard a resident of his settlement from the vilest of criminals." Rust concluded his words carrying an edge of finality.
"Anything else you wish to bring up?" Ozpin asked, his voice dry as he was eager to see this farce end.
"Yes, t-there is! He threatened the VSIC agents!" Vhek accused, scrambling so quickly that his words got tied up in his mouth.
"No, he did not," Telamon said sternly, cutting Vhek off at the heels.
"It is in their report!" The flustered man yowled, putting the report up on the big monitor.
"Yes, it is, but seeing as those agents were operating outside the agency, he didn't threaten VSIC agents. Instead, he threatened rouge agents…." Telamon answered, his eyes still looking accusingly at the erratic councilman.
"That's but a formality, don't you see? He didn't know that and still told them to leave his town! So don't you see what he is doing!" Vhek pleaded to the other members looking for any purchase to secure his argument.
"The agent's actions are a knock against them and my agency; actions taken against them during their deplorable breach of protocol can hardly be found as sound evidence of anything," Telamon declared.
Finally, Vhek reached the end of his patience, "this is ridiculous, he is just one lousy Huntsman, yet you are all lunging to his defence as if he were your flesh and blood! What did I miss some memo? Are we now putting the needs of Huntsman above the stability of our nation!"
Vhek's whining served to bring him no small amount of animosity. Almost every council member, even Councilwoman Fay, looked ready to tear the man limb from limb. But Ozpin wouldn't let civility dissolve, despite the temptation to let it do so.
Oh, how it tempted.
"Councilman, while I could just close this matter and issue a vote to bar this topic from being brought up again for a lengthy duration, I feel a far more pressing issue needs to be addressed. Whatever this little circus was, it was unacceptable of a council member. The fact that you saw fit to make this display on three separate occasions is not something anyone will overlook." Ozpin's words were spoken not with a headmaster's stern tone but rather with a proud monarch's disappointment.
"You… What right do you have to decry my efforts to see justice done!" Vhek cried out.
"I am the headmaster of Beacon Academy. Mine is the duty of taking children and forging them into those who will lay down their lives so the likes of you can continue to argue for your 'justice'. I do not know what you hoped to get by removing Cloud Arc from his position of authority, but if I were you, I would pray that it never becomes common knowledge." Ozpin warned, not making eye contact with the affronted Vhek as he turned off the large central monitor.
"Is that a threat!"
"No, common sense, see, the likes of you may not hold any love for Huntsman who 'lord' over the masses, but I can promise you that out there, beyond the walls of this and all the other major cities, they are beloved," Ozpin stated, his disappointed gaze resting on the man who looked moments away from exploding.
"I am a respected member of the council of Vale. I do not fear the fans of some frontier town Huntsman," Vhek spat, rising from his seat and gathering his things.
"No? Fair enough…" Ozpin shrugged, slipping once more into his affable presentation. "Anyway, I believe this will bring us to a close."
"Agreed," Councilwoman Gwynbleidd added, her smile speaking volumes.
Clearing his throat, Ozpin began the final song and dance that tradition dictated for these meetings. "In lieu of our speaker, I will bring this topic to a close. It is the findings of this council that, once more, the actions of Hunter Commander Cloud Arc are sound; what say you?"
"Aye!"
"Nay!"
"Let it be known that the ayes have it by vast majority, and the nay shall be noted in the records; thus, this matter is concluded. Following on concerning the highly discussed nature of the now concluded previous topic, I would like to put forward that the matter be sealed for a minimum of one year or unless released by vote; what say you?"
"Aye!"
"Nay!"
"Let it be known that the ayes have it by vast majority, and the nay shall be noted in the records; thus, the matter is done. There are no other matters on the table. Therefore, this meeting is dismissed."
Ozpin, bereft of a gavel, settled for banging his can on the table, the noise being the signal for all present to make a hasty departure. Ozpin was no different.
As he left, he listened with half an ear to the idle chatter, but truthfully it was not hard to guess that most conversations would be discussing the actions of councilman Vhek. It was suffering characters like him that made Ozpin long for the days of kingship.
Dictatorships might restrict the populace, but damn if they didn't make governance easy.
The other reason he only spared the gossip half an ear was because other topics of far more import consumed his mind.
First was the acknowledgement that Reach would need further scrutiny as it seems there were stirrings in the Arc bloodline again.
The second was the unfathomable thirst afflicting his mouth.
A thirst only some premium Vacuan Black would alleviate.
A.N.
Heya
Now I know what you're thinking, this is a peculiar chapter, and you know what you're right. It is.
This chapter was entirely different in that I didn't write it because I felt it was what came next for the story but because I felt it was needed. Now that might sound weird to you all but let me explain.
I have noted that in the comments, there seems to be a great deal of confusion or dissatisfaction with two main things: Jaune's lack of Aura and the behaviour of Jaune's parents.
So to address these matters, this chapter was born. I, of course, sprinkled a few things in here, like our first look at Ozpin and some Bloodborne intrigue, because it adds a beautiful flavour, but in the end, this was a chapter of necessity.
To make it especially fun, I have littered a smattering of Cameos throughout. Some are easy, and others I have made purposefully harder. So for those of you interested, have some fun with it!
But yes, I apologise if this feels like further foreshadowing or more delay before Jaune sets off. I wanted to show the state of things in this fic, so there wasn't any confusion.
The next chapter will be back on track, I pinky promise.
Remember, if you find yourself really, really, really liking my writing and want to show some financial support, I'm AceReaper on Pat re on, the same icon as my FF account.
Also, you can find the next chapter already posted there if you wanna jump on ahead.
But I will leave it there for you guys,
I hope you all continue to enjoy my work.
Tons of love (valentines day, yes I am late, shush)
And as always.
Until Next time.