The Grimm Lands Chapter 25

Hunting Grounds Part 13

Broken Survivors


Why are you still alive?

"You're just a curse!"

How many have died because of you?

"I'm sorry,"

Why were you even born?

"I want to be a hero!"

A hero? You? How much blood is on your hands? How many lives were lost just trying to keep you alive? Have you protected anything? Have you ever saved anyone?

"You saved me."

And what came of it? What do you have to show for it? Why do you keep going? You have nothing, no one.

"We're partners."

Just another person for you to drag down. Another sacrifice for your own selfish goals. She'll die. Just like everyone else. How much more blood has to be spilled before you are satisfied? How many more lives must be lost before you accept your fate?

You have nothing left.

No home, no family.

So why do you continue to struggle?

"Together,"

What if they knew? What you've done? Who you are?

You're still a child, clinging to that same stupid dream no matter what comes your way. No matter how much you're reminded or how many times you have to learn.

"I want to be-"

"I'm not a hero."

A curse

A curse

A curse

A curse

A curse

A CURSE

"It's not your fault."

This is all your fault.

I want to die.

Please…no more.

Just let me go.

"You're a hero to me."

No. I'm not. Please. I can't do this anymore. I'll just hurt you, too.

I don't want you to die.

Why? Why am I always the last one? Why does everyone else have to die before me?

Why can't I save anyone?

Hunter

No more…

Boy

Just let me die…

Kid

Please just stop…

Brat

Why?

Mr. Arc

Why am I still alive?

"Jaune"

Jaune rolled over, his lungs burning as water spilled from his lips. He heaved onto the ground, his body shaking violently. His coughs rattled inside his chest. The sudden flow of fresh air stung. It was hard to breathe. The crisp winter air stabbed into his lungs like daggers, making each breath more difficult than the last.

Collapsing onto the muddy riverbank, he rested his head in the snow, forcing himself to take in smaller and smaller gasps. It was hard to say how long he stayed like that. When he finally recovered and moved to rise back to his knees, his body was trembling. The cold air forced his damp clothes to stick to his body, the usual comfort of his armor weighing him down as the polished metal burned against his clammy skin.

Something gentle touched his shoulder, and he recoiled back in a frenzy. His nerves were shot, and every move of his muscles felt heavy and slow.

Weiss pushed herself back. Her matted and dirty white hair clung to her face. Her jacket was gone, and the tattered remains of her combat uniform hung loosely, floating around her small frame. Jaune could see the dried mud smeared across her cheek, a hand pressed against the side of her head with fabric, trying to staunch the bleeding of her wound.

"I thought you were gone," Weiss said. "You weren't breathing, and I couldn't get you to respond."

"I'm fine." Jaune brushed her off. He nearly cried out in agony as he pushed himself to his knees. His arm was broken, and the pain was hot and intense, even with the chill of the night. As he stumbled to his feet, he tried to take stock and clear the murkiness of his pounding head. "How bad is it?"

"I'm not sure," Weiss said. "It's a miracle we're even alive. I think the water saved us. But I barely managed to find you before the river swept you away."

"How are you?" He asked. "Injuries? Can you move?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. My Aura is mostly gone, but the bleeding is slowing down. Nothing is broken, and aside from my head, I'm alright." She was shivering. It was hard to see in the dark, but the tremble in her shoulders only worsened. They had to find cover, away from the cold.

"We need to move," Jaune said. His vision blurred as he stepped forward, but he ignored it. "We can take inventory after we get out of the cold."

"And where are we supposed to go?" Weiss asked. It wasn't her usual haughtiness or impatience. He could hear the trace of fear in her voice. She sounded tired.

Jaune stopped. Looking around, he tried to put the pieces of his surroundings into place. "We're upstream, near the riverbank. I'm willing to bet we can use a Grimm den nearby."

"That's a total guess," Weiss argued.

"It's all we've got." The numbing ache in his body was making it hard to talk. He wanted to lay down and rest, but he knew he wouldn't get back up if he did. He reached down and numbly gripped the hilt of his sword. Its presence alone reassured him, and he stepped forward. Weiss complained from behind him but followed nonetheless. "Try to keep up. We'll have to be quick."

"Easy for you to say." Her voice was weak, and she stuttered. "Where are we even going?"

"Have you ever heard of Irvings?" Jaune asked. He needed to talk to keep himself focused. If he didn't, he was afraid he would slip into unconsciousness.

"No," Weiss said.

"They're like crocodiles. Big, mean, real ugly up close. They tend to live near bodies of water but almost always have burrows on land. It's where they drag the remains of their prey. They're nasty to fight in the water, but on land, it's nothing we can't handle."

"What are you?" Weiss asked. Hearing her voice was reassuring, reaffirming that she was still conscious without Jaune having to look back and check. He stepped up the river bank, heading deeper into the forest. "Some kind of Grimm Encyclopedia?"

"I just like to be prepared," Jaune said. He stepped over a twisted root that erupted from the ground. A few moments later, he heard Weiss cry out. He turned to see her doubled over, cursing weakly as she rubbed at her ankle. "Are you still good to move?"

"I think so," she said with a wince. Her voice was weak, and her body was shaking. Once the last remnants of her aura were gone, she wouldn't last much longer. "How much further?"

"They tend to burrow near the shore. If you want to wait here, I can scout up ahead." Jaune said. He bent down to meet her eye level and was surprised when she grabbed the front of his scarred chest plate, a sudden panic taking over.

"No," she whispered. "We stay together."

"Alright then," Jaune said with as much confidence as he could muster. "Stay close, and do me a favor, keep talking. I don't care what about. Can you do that? If you feel yourself pushing too hard, let me know, alright?"

Weiss nodded.

"Then let's go," Jaune said. He walked slowly, trying to measure each step as best he could. He scanned the ground, straining his eyes in the dark, avoiding anything that could pose a hazard.

"How do you know all this?" Weiss asked. "About the Grimm, I mean. We have Grimm Studies, but even for a first year, you seem to know more than most licensed Huntsmen that I've met."

"I grew up hunting them. Out here, in places like this. The borderlands between the kingdoms and all the settlements scattered throughout. It's just a part of who I am. Although those of us who call the borderlands our home, we refer to them by a different name: the Grimm Lands. And out there, information can save lives." Jaune crouched down, his gauntleted hands tracing the outline prints in the mud. He was close.

"I see, so you want to be a Huntsman just because it's what you've always done?"

"No," Jaune said, his voice flat. "I'm here because I made a promise."

"What kind of a promise?" She asked. Her voice trailed, and Jaune forced himself to look back. She was still following close behind him. Her eyes were focused on the ground beneath her, each step deliberate and slow. The icy snow crunched under her boots, the foggy air misting from her lips with each haggard breath.

"I promised someone I care about to follow my dreams and become a hero. It's stupid, I know. Go ahead and laugh if you want."

"No, I think it's admirable to aim for something so lofty," Weiss said after a beat. The foliage cleared as the ground raised upward. A small mound of packed earth sat squarely entrenched near the river bank. A small hole burrowed inward, digging deeper into the ground.

"Wait here-" Jaune started. The soft thump of Weiss' body slumping forward into the snow caused his heart to seize. He rushed over, shaking her back and forth. The panic only grew as she ignored his calls. Her body shivered in the snow, her breaths fainter than before. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion, and Jaune swore under his breath. "You stupid idiot. I told you to tell me if you were pushing yourself too hard."

He gripped the handle of Crocea Mors in his right hand. The sharpened steel glinted in the bright light of the shattered moon as he drew it. Within three long strides, Jaune reached the burrow's entrance, peering in, but he couldn't make anything out in the darkness. Stepping to the side of the den he raised his blade high above his head, blade pointed downwards. With a struggle, he raised his fingers to his lips and below a harsh whistle. The sound rang out across the forest, echoing off into the distance. He waited, one heartbeat, two. The Grimm slithered out of the den in a burst of speed. As its skull-armored head shot out from the protection of its own home, Jaune swung down, the point of his blade digging deep into the creature's head. He raised his boot and smashed it down against the hilt of his sword, forcing the blade through the skull of the beast and out its neck. It whined a low, pitiful wail before shivering and dying. The ashen remains were already blowing into the breeze.

He waited. There was a stretch of silence, yet nothing moved or skidded inside the den. He would have to risk it. He sheathed his blade and made his way back to Weiss. He picked her up in his arms and carried her ice-cold body into the den. It was tight, barely large enough for both of them to sit down, a small gap separating them. At the very least, it was dry, with the padded earth and foliage offering protection from the snow.

Jaune laid her down, allowing her to stretch out. Removing his gauntlets, he pressed his hand to her cheek, pulling back to her icy touch. She was in worse shape than he thought. Her body started convulsing, finally succumbing to the cold. He worked carefully, peeling back the layers of her wet, partially frosted clothing. It was tedious, but he did his best to avoid jostling the small girl. He crumpled the tattered remains of her jacket into a ball and shoved it into the corner of the den. Her boots, socks, and skirt all came next. He left her undershirt, not willing to cross that line. He did the same for her undergarments. He placed each in a pile closer to the fire to let them dry along with her weapon. He peeled off his armor. Undoing the straps, he set the chest plate aside with the rest of their clothing. His Aura was staving off the worst of the cold. But even still, the numbing chill was inching its way through him.

His side pouch was still intact. Thanking whatever power would listen, he pulled out the small flint and steel he had kept in case of an emergency. He had been stranded before on an icy mountain. He thanked his younger self for switching to a waterproof pouch instead of his old ratty leather.

Pulling pieces of foliage and twigs from around them inside the den. Settling near the entrance, he struck the flint. On his fourth try, he finally started a tiny ember. Within minutes, the embers caught in a small fire.

He checked on Weiss, wiping away the sweat building on her brow with the ragged remains of her jacket.

She was building a fever. Her face looked flush. The small first aid kit he had wouldn't be enough to do anything more than patch the wound on her head. He gently peeled back the sticky, blood-soaked clothes from the wound. Doing his best to wipe it clean, he gently placed a bandage over the wound again. It wasn't much, but he had to bide time for her Aura to recover. It would hopefully stop the damage from worsening, at the very least.

Pulling back, Jaune leaned against the side of the den. A ragged breath escaped his lips as he assessed his injuries. Peeling off his wet shirt, he laid it close to the fire. It was slow going. The break in his arm lanced with a sharp pain at every slight move. He had had worse in the past, but his weakened Aura did little to comfort him.

The fire crackled, the scent of smoke filling the small space as Jaune tenderly removed each layer of his armor and gear. His eyes drooped despite the constant throb of his arm and the blinding ache in his head. He shook his head, refusing to indulge. He could sleep after he made sure Weiss was alright. He could sleep after he found a way out of their mess.

He turned his attention to the problem at hand. Laying out his gear, he took inventory of what he had at his disposal. His shield and sword were relatively unscathed, and a small first aid kit was tucked away in his side pouch, along with a handful of road flares and a small container of fire dust and ammunition. It wasn't much; most of his backup equipment had been in his baggage and was now scattered across the forest. He only had a few more magazines left, as well. He laid them all out, focusing on memorizing every tool he still had.

His eyes drifted down to the shotgun at the corner of his pile. With a gentle touch, he pressed a hand to the chilled metal, a flood of emotions filling him.

August would have called him an idiot for getting sentimental in the middle of a crisis. An ache started in Jaune's chest.

It was hard to tell when he drifted. One moment, he was staring out past the den's opening, eyes fixed firmly on the endless darkness waiting just beyond the dim glow of their fire. The next thing he knew, a sharp pain jolted him awake.

He hadn't been quite asleep, simply drifting between consciousness and unconscious. He tried to rise, bashing his head against the side of the den, a tumble of dirt and packed mud raining down over him. His tired eyes scanned the area, tensing in preparation for a fight. All he found was Weiss staring back at him.

She seemed better at first glance. Her clammy, pale skin had returned to a healthy shade. Her eyes were clear and alert, and most importantly, she was no longer shivering.

"I see you're up already," Jaune said. He stretched out the best he could, relishing the feeling of his joints popping. The pain in his head had already subsided. And the throbbing in his arm was also nearly gone. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Weiss said slowly. The weariness in her voice was potent. Despite her recovery, it seemed she was still far from full strength. "How did we get here?"

"I found a Grimm nest, killed the Grimm, and holed us up inside. It's not ideal, but at the very least, we should be safe for now."

"That's good," Weiss started. "Thank you…for saving me."

"Don't worry about it. It makes us even in my book. You saved me in the river, after all." Jaune said. "I'm sorry about the clothes. I was worried you might freeze to death."

Weiss simply shook her head. "I meant for the plane. I don't remember much of the crash. All I know is that you were nowhere to be found when I woke up in the snow. It was only luck that I managed to see you drowning before it was too late. So, thank you for saving me."

"I wouldn't go thanking me just yet," Jaune said. "It's not looking great. I lost most of my gear in the crash. I'm down to just what I had on hand. The weather is also taking a turn. Even if we make it through the night, I doubt we can expect a rescue anytime soon."

Weiss slowly rose. Her undershirt clung to her sweat-slicked skin. Her matted hair now hung loosely around her shoulders. The bright sheen of white was dulled but still glowed ever so slightly against the fire. She shifted ever so slightly, and Jaune forced himself to look away for the sake of decency.

He heard her ruffle around, searching through her own tattered remains of gear and equipment. Jaune kept his gaze firmly fixed at the end of the den, not daring to tempt himself with looking back.

"It seems I'm in a similar situation," Weiss said. The click and clatter of metal echoed in the small space. "I lost all my backup Dust, and my Myrtenaster is also damaged. Half of the Dust chambers are unusable."

"Any other weapons?" Jaune asked.

"No, none. So what do we do from here?" Weiss asked.

"You're asking me?" Jaune responded. It wasn't a surprise as much as confusion. That she would ask his opinion seemed outrageous in his mind. A sudden shiver ran down his spine, realizing that the situation may be more dire than he had initially thought.

"You have the most experience between us," Weiss said. Jaune turned to look at her. Despite her appearance and the fragility in her voice, what caught his attention was the assuredness in her gaze. She was scared; he could see that. But past that was a condition that seemed to settle around her. That alone superseded anything else; her vulnerability and anxiousness were second to that. "You saved me, and you carried me to safety. Even if you had to put your brutish hands on my body and disrobed me to save my life, the only thing I know for certain right now is that we only have each other. So, what is our next move?"

"Rest. Save your strength. We can worry about the hard stuff in the morning." Jaune said. "It'll be a rough night and probably a shit morning, too. So just relax for now."

The slight crackle of the fire broke the silence that widened between them. Jaune leaned back against the wall, stretching out his legs as best he could in the tight space. From the corner of his eye, he watched Weiss curl into herself, arms hugging her legs tightly to her chest. She no longer seemed like the proper Schnee princess she had worked so hard to poise herself as. Instead, she finally seemed like any other teenage girl. If anything, Jaune preferred her like this; in a way, she seemed more human to him.

"Can I ask you a question?" Weiss finally said. Her gaze was stuck firmly at the wall across from him, the shadows of the fire dancing across her pale white skin. "Why do you want to be a hero?"

"Why…" Jaune started.

"I understand wanting to be a Huntsman, but I can't understand why you and Ruby are so focused on becoming some sort of superhero. As if that will somehow solve all of the world's problems."

"Ruby wants to be a hero because she genuinely wants to save everyone she meets."

So why did he want to become one?

Was it to justify the death that had followed him? To give meaning to the losses and sacrifices of those he cared about? Was it some last plea for redemption? Could it wash his hands free of every loss so far? Could it save him from losing more?

"It's all I have," he finally said.

"I don't understand you," Weiss said. Jaune turned his head, and their eyes locked. The sunken shadows shrouded her face, yet he could still see the confusion. He could hear the exasperation and tiredness in her voice. "You threaten, insult, and comfort me, and then when everything comes crashing down, you save me. You're just one big walking contradiction."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jaune said.

"It baffles me how you two can all be so open about your dreams. You just spout them off like you're describing the weather, never caring who you drag along."
In a short moment of pause, a flash of confused curiosity soon overtook him. A deduction had been made. But he could not wrap his head around the results. Not with someone like Weiss.

"Are you…jealous?" It was an earnest question, a single thought stuck in his mind.

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Don't you have a dream?" Jaune scratched his head, the damp hair clinging to his fingers.

"No, I don't," Weiss said, lowering her head. "I thought maybe I could. If I tried hard enough, was good enough, and wanted it hard enough, I could finally have one. If I buried myself in the Schnee name, acted, talked, and thought precisely about how I was taught, I could finally have everything I wanted. If I was smart enough, I could have my father's approval. My sister might finally return to our family if I was brave enough. If I was good enough, my Mother might finally look at me again. If I were kind enough, my brother would open up to me. But now, I don't even have the Schnee name. Everyone I talked to saw me as a Schnee first everywhere I went. It was all I could be, all I was allowed to be. But now, without even that, what am I? Who am I?"

"Truthfully? I don't know," Jaune said. "Not to make a bad pun, but I'm pretty much stuck in the same spot you're in now 一, left trying to figure out what my purpose is after… After everything that's happened lately. I'll admit I've been feeling more confused and lost these last few days than I have in a long time. But I've also never been more… Certain that I am where I should be. Because I do know that the answer you're looking for is back there, back at Beacon. The answer we're both looking for is still there."

"How can you be so sure?" Weiss asked.

"I'm…" Jaune started. "I'm better here. Better than I was, anyway. With them, my team…my friends. At every turn in my life, the people I've loved were torn away. The people who needed me most were the ones I've always failed. I want…I need this to be different. I need to find what I'm missing at Beacon, and I think you're the same. Ruby, Blake, Yang…with them, you're better. You've changed…even I can see it."

Weiss was silent, the gentle cackle of the fire echoing in the distance. A heartbeat, perhaps more, and she finally responded. "You've changed too….thank you."

Something snapped in the distance. It could have been a branch. Jaune smashed his foot into the ground, spraying sand and dirt, smothering their fire. The den returned once more to its eerie blackness. Weiss shot out a complaint but was quickly hushed. In total darkness, they waited with bated breaths. Something heavy crushed the snow underfoot, the gentle snarling of a beast becoming nearly deafening in the eerie silence of the forest.

Grimm.

"We can't stay here."

"But you just said…" Weiss started.

"Things have changed. If we get cornered in here, there won't be any chance of us fighting back. We need to move and find better shelter. Are you good to travel?" Jaune asked. There was a moment of silence before the darkness lit up once more. Shielding his eyes, Jaune saw a bright light waving around like a swinging lantern above Weiss as she moved to secure her clothes. "You have your scroll?

"Hmm…yeah. I was surprised it survived the fall. I tried to contact the school as soon as I woke up, but there's no service out here." Weiss said. She shuffled around, scraping against the packed earth. "Emergency services and distress signals aren't connecting either."

He had expected that much. It all could have been a freak accident. The plane could have malfunctioned, the engine could have caught fire, or a surprise bird or Grimmstrike could have sent it crashing down. But those explanations seemed too easy. Too convenient. That darkened shape he had seen just before he had been knocked unconscious unsettled him. It hadn't been more than a glance, but something had most certainly hit the front of the ship. He had thought it was a tree. But how could a tree suddenly strike a plane thousands of feet up in the air? So something wasn't adding up.

"Is the tracker still working?" Jaune asked. He shuffled into his armor, the motion as familiar as breathing. He had no difficulty finding and securing the straps.

The light disappeared, replaced with a dim glow illuminating Weiss' face. She was still pale, her eyes strained and tired as she fiddled with the screen. "I think so, but there's no one in range."

Jaune hated scrolls, but the academy mandated that everyone always keep them on their person. Trying to figure out how the small, fragile device worked had been an annoyance. Ruby had helped him somewhat, but Jaune was still far from calling himself anything close to proficient. Yet, every scroll had been installed with a tracking device. Registered with their owners, the school and its teammates were allowed to monitor Aura levels and general locations. Jaune had turned it off during the last training exercise. This time, he had simply shoved the device into his gear. He hadn't expected to use it. But if it had survived the wreckage and was still in range…

"We can't get into contact with the school, but we might be able to find mine."

"And that helps us how?"

"The plane had an emergency kit in case of a crash. A flare gun and a distress beacon." Jaune said he slid his sheathe onto his belt. "If my scroll survived the crash, we can find the wreckage. That'll get us home."

"Are you insane? You're betting on a miracle. There's no guarantee anything survived, and even if it did, it might not be usable," Weiss countered.

She was right. It was a long shot. An absolute last-ditch effort. But it was better than where they were now. Despite the respite that the cave provided, the two of them were far from safe. If they stayed, the Grimm would come more likely than not.

"If we stay here, we will probably die. If not from our lack of supplies, then certainly the Grimm. We don't have the time or energy to solve both. At least with the wreckage, we'll have a chance of surviving if we reach it." Jaune said.

Weiss went silent. Her face was blank, a pensive concern etching itself across her brows. She looked down to her scroll, typing against the screen. A heartbeat, a frozen second. Jaune's nerves grew, the anxiousness spreading that he tried to suppress by securing the rest of his equipment into place.

A dull buzz rang out—a signal.

"Brothers…you either have the best luck in the world, or it is so unbelievably terrible it rolls right back around to being good…" Weiss sighed.

Jaune laughed. "Let's get moving."

It was slow going. The temperature had dropped, and each heavy step through the thick snow was slow. They clung to the river, preferring it as a natural guide as they cut through the forest. Every breath was a labor, thick puffs of steamy breath clogging their vision as they marched.

Weiss kept her head low, never uttering a word of complaint as they moved. Jaune had given her his jacket. It draped over her smaller frame; it would have been almost comical if the situation hadn't been so dire. She had said she was fine, and Jaune refused to pry her any further.

Instead, he pulled up the rear as Weiss led them toward the signal. He kept his eyes open and alert. Every sound became an alarm and every shadow a danger. He knew the Grimm were out there. The anxiousness crawling down his spine was a scent of a ripening meal for them. Even still, they refused to show themselves.

It wasn't all that strange. They were there. He knew it. They were biding their time, waiting for a chance. They weren't animals. Animals wouldn't engage in a frivolous fight. An animal would heed caution and wage their bets accordingly. Grimm would simply attack. They would stalk and plan, then devour.

They were monsters in the purest sense.

"Can I ask you another question?" Weiss suddenly asked. The low rumble of the wind nearly caused Jaune to miss her whisper.

He wanted to tell her to save her strength. To keep quiet in case of an ambush. He needed her ready, not distracted. He acted against his better judgment.

"What is it?" He asked. A shift in the shadows caught his attention, and he reached for his blade. It had only been the shiver of a branch in the wind. His nerves were starting to get to him.

"You said you had sisters…back at the dock. But you also said you lived out in places like this…." She didn't finish, but Jaune understood where she was going. "Was it Grimm…"

"Yeah. It was Grimm." He said. The words felt heavy in his mouth. The memories stung far worse than the snow or the icy cold wind. "It was Grimm…and it was me. I lost them all…I couldn't save them. Not even one. The people who needed me…I don't want to lose them again."

"I came to Beacon…because I wanted to be better. My name, my place in this world… they were all reasons for me to come here, but more than that…I want to be the person I want to be…not the person I am or the one I'm expected to be. That's why I chose Beacon…it was far enough away that I could still run back if things couldn't…if I couldn't change. But now…I have nowhere to go."

"That's not true," Jaune said. "You have a home. We both do."

He could see her straighten just a little more. Her steps were just a little more assured.

Seeing her sudden confidence encouraged him. He would get them home, or at least he would get her home.

A smaller Beowolf was the first shadow that lunged for them. Crocea Mors' sharpened edge sliced through its torso in a spray of ash and violence. A spike of pain ran up the length of Jaune's arm. The bone had mostly mended, but the minor fractures remained even with his large Aura pool. The pain was hot and fresh, but he could still fight.

Weiss turned in surprise, and Jaune shoved into her, urging her forward.

"Go," he ordered. "Away from the river, don't stop."

He wouldn't let them become surrounded. If they stopped to fight, it would quickly turn a dire situation into a slaughter. He could hear the Grimm, the low wails and rumbles of their growls and screams—a dozen…no, more. His blade halted the charge of a Baorbatusk, slicing clean through its lower body. A second slash severed its head.

He followed behind Weiss as closely as he could, stopping only long enough to cut down another Grimm. Weiss pressed onward, never faltering as she guided them through the blackened woods. Her eyes held a steely determination as they plunged into the darkness. There was no hint of the fear and uncertainty from before. Instead, Jaune could feel the burden of her trust. She never hesitated, never paused to look back at their pursuers. She trusted him to keep her safe as they went.

Even still, she was far from helpless. As they passed, a small Grimm leaped from the top of a tree branch. Jaune, barely catching it in his periphery, could only look on in a sudden panic as it struck Weiss. The former Heiress sidestepped and plunged the tip of her blade through the monster's open maw in one graceful motion before taking off in a light jog once more.

The attacks were sporadic, always one or two at a time and almost always simple charges or advances. It was never more than they could handle, and it was also easy, given the circumstances. Each kill was a sign of certainty—each step forward was a budding hope.

The twisting despair in Jaune's gut only worsened, and his suspicions grew.

Grimm were pack animals. They functioned in a simple predatorial hierarchy. Might makes right was their way of life. Hordes weren't common. At the very least, large groups of differing Grimm didn't tend to intermix with each other. Grimm operated in packs, and each pack marked out territory where they made their hunting grounds. When a group or pack of Grimm came into contact with each other, the Alphas would fight for dominance, the winner taking on more territory. The losing pack would retreat, select a new Alpha, bide their time, and regain strength. Hordes only existed in moments of total panic and confusion. The horde that had destroyed his hometown all those years ago had been brought on by the sweltering fear of an entire population giving into despair. The initial attack had probably only been a handful of Grimm, and the rest simply joined as the terror grew.

The only time Jaune had seen something like this before, different types of Grimm striking out in well-coordinated attacks had been at Initiation. It hadn't registered with him then or even the days immediately following the event. Still, the entire ordeal had been fundamentally wrong with everything he knew about the Grimm—how they should have operated as pack hunters. He had been so caught up in trying to survive that he had simply overlooked it. Yet, here it was again. His blade cut through the front paw of a younger Ursa that struck down at him, his shield carving open its neck.

An Alpha could integrate other types of Grimm into their packs. By killing all the other leaders, it could become the sole authority in a larger territory. It was unlikely but still possible. At Initiation, it could have been the mutated Beringel. It had undoubtedly been strong enough. But that didn't add up. These Grimm were weaker, the younger ones taking small, calculated strikes at them from the darkness. It was strategic and intentional.

Jaune rolled to the side, lashing out with another slash that tore through a Beowulf. He looked around frantically. He had to find it, the leader, the Alpha. It had to be close, directing and commanding the Grimm. It had to be able to see them. No matter where he looked, there was only darkness. The flashes of red offered him little information.

'It has to be around here!' Jaune thought. 'Think! Where could it give orders from? It has to be close enough to guide them but still in a position where it could view the hunt.'

He dodged a hairbreadth away from a Mantis's sharp, serrated claw-like limb. Its legs scuttled forward as it pursued him. Jaune pressed in close, ducking under another swing that would have cut him in half, Aura or not. His blade struck upwards, slicing through the front two legs of the Grimm; his shield bashed upward, cracking against the bony pincers and sending it crashing down onto the ground. It squirmed and wailed in agony as Jauen pressed his boot down on the unprotected flesh of its inner neck and pressed down. The Grimm's neck snapped. It stilled and vanished.

'Where?' He asked, rolling out of the way of Jackalope. The massive rabbit-like Grimm shattered apart the ground as it landed where he had been standing. Its powerful legs kicked up dirt and debris. The elongated, bony horns on its head gleaned in the moonlight as it rumbled a low growl. 'Where are you? You can see me. I know you can. So come on then, stop hiding.'

It couldn't be far. The trees overhead made it impossible for anything to see them from a higher vantage point.

'Wait…' Jaune thought. He pushed in close against the Grimm. His blade tensed for a split moment as he timed his attack. The Jackalope sprung like a toy wound too tight. It broke apart the ground and lept. The sharp claws of its impossibly long arms struck at him. With two heavy strikes, he separated its hind leg while it was in the air, and as it crashed back down, he was already plunging the tip of his sword into the creature's neck. 'The trees…'

With a sudden realization, his eyes darted upwards, high above the battle and toward the tree branches above. He could see it. Not the Alpha, but the vast, empty eyes of another Grimm. Noctuas, a smaller hybrid of Grimm. Mostly harmless. They resembled owls. A single bony-like mask covering their features was decorated with an eerie red stitch pattern across their mouths like they were smiling. They lived in small groups, preferring to scavenge off the dead bodies and rey of larger animals and Grimm. They survived by way of communication, they shared visual information with their flock. It made them hard to fight and harder to track.

But their presence didn't make any sense. It meant they were watching both him and Weiss. It meant something was observing. A Noctura couldn't match up in a straight fight, so something was using them to observe, give out orders, and hunt them.

"Jaune!" Weiss called out. He turned in time to see her skirt just a little too close to the edge of the water as she turned back to wait for him. He called out a fraction of a second too late. Something in the water bubbled to the surface, an eruption of water as the creature of darkness charged blindly forward in a pure storm of unbridled rage. The Grimm's bony hooves tore apart the ground as it rushed towards Weiss. Its six glowing red eyes filled with unfettered malice, and the elongated horns on its skull-like face were sharpened into fine, lethal points. Its enormous, bony fist struck Weiss as she cried out in shock. With a tremendous force, it pushed her back. A single Glyph stopped the attack from making contact. She buckled under the strain of the force. Jaune watched helplessly as he ran forward, her glyph fractured and shattered into tiny shards of falling dust as the Minotaur's fist made contact. Her Aura flashed, and she was sent careening backward into the forest. Jaune lost sight of her immediately, helpless to do anything as he watched her disappear into the darkness.

His anger spiked, his rage bubbling once more. In three long strides, he reached his target. His blade bounced uselessly off of the Minotaur's skull. The Grimm blocked his strike, pushing him off balance as it lowered its stance. It shot forward again, slamming into Jaune's chest and driving the air from his lungs. The Grimm roared a deep, layered scream that rattled Jaune to his very core. It lifted him off the ground, caught between its horns, and barreled him forward. Jaune's vision darkened as the Grimm tore through rocks and trees in its charge, slamming him into everything in its path. The Grimm suddenly stopped, and as Jaune pitched forward, it grabbed him around his leg and slammed him against the ground. Its heavy hoof caught him in the center of his chest plate and sent him skidding back. His back hit something hard, and blood spilled from his lips.

His Aura flashed, his vision blurred, and he rolled back onto his knees. The Grimm huffed and pounded the ground as it stared him down from a distance. It was waiting.

A pain-filled groan rumbled from his bloody mouth as Jaune clambered back to his feet. Crocea Mors felt heavy in his hand, and the front of his chest plate was dented from the impact. With unsteady balance, Jaune straightened himself, readying for the next blow. The Grimm had delivered him into an open area. No trees, rocks, or rivers. A simple wide opening. The white snow crumpled under his feet.

To his side, Weiss also found her footing. A surge of relief threatened to send him back down to his knees, but he held himself back. The wound on her head had started bleeding again. His jacket was torn and useless as it fell from her shoulders. At the very least, she was alive.

The Grimm stared them both down. Its heavy breaths steamed the air in front of itself.

Minotaur's. A higher grade of Grimm. Known for their absurd strength and blind rage-filled charges. They were exceptions to the pack rule, preferring isolation and solo hunting. They never worked in groups, instead seeking challenges and fights from Grimm and Humans alike—a very dangerous kind of Grimm….and still not the Alpha. Jaune's uneasiness continued to grow.

He looked at the trees surrounding them. He saw their deep, baleful crimson eyes between the trunks and branches—a sea of hateful red and unyielding rage. This was not just a simple pack of Grimm, hungry for the suffering and pain of those with souls too bright. This was an army, each beast waiting to tear them apart, salivating at the thought. But despite their rage and their hunger, they still did not advance. The Grimm held themselves still.

As he took in their surroundings, he realized they had been guided and corralled. Each step was a deliberate attempt to guide them here. This wasn't a simple open plane. It was an intentional arena, a closed pen on all sides. They had been lured and then forced into a tightly woven cage. They were being hunted.

From the shadows behind the Minotaur smashing apart the ground in an impatient frenzy, Jaune saw it.

It towered above the Minotaur. Its slender silhouette traced along against the endless darkness that SUrrounded them all. It was hard to make out the exact shape, but even from the endless blackness and against the infinite sea of Grimm that surrounded them, a pair of golden eyes shone in the night.


A.N: Not much to say this time. We're moving into the conclusion of this arc and, hopefully, the beginning of the end of our time here at Beacon. Again, all credit in the world goes to Kabuto S. Inferno. For being a fantastic help in every way, helping me at every turn, and listening to my constant rambling. If you enjoyed it, a follow, fav, or review goes a long way. I can't improve if I don't know what to work on, and It's hard to gauge what's going right for the same reasons. I'll see you guys soon!

RohanVos: Well, it took a while, and this chapter was surprisingly hard to write, but I'm happy to finally deliver the next part. I thought about doing more at signal, but it felt more like filler the more I toyed with it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though! Take care.

Guest: Just wait for the climax of the arc. It's the single most anticipated part I have wanted to write about. Hopefully, it will be here sooner rather than later.

. : Oh, they will meet, but there's still a bit more to their parting. Lucia won't play a significant role as we advance...well, kind of... Anyway, she's coming back!

Guest: I don't want to say too much as it will spoil the next few chapters and the immediate fallout of them as well. However, in terms of Kel, his role with the Grimm and Salem is still a little murky. He may be gone, but there's definitely one family member left who can take the reins...Jaune certainly has a fight in front of him and a whole lot of baggage going into this conflict. But this is the climax of the arc and his chance at redemption, so lets hope he can finally save just one person.

Guest: So...about that...

Guest: He really is the worst, but he is surprisingly fun to write.

Guest: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm really excited about these next few chapters, so I hope they live up to both our expectations!

Guest: Well, Lucia definitely knows more than shes letting on, but Jaune has to make it through this next challenge if he ever wants that closure.