Jaune woke up to a hard pain in his chest. He was used to having phantom pains after death, but none of them had hurt this bad yet. He shot up straight before keeling over onto his side.
"Ow. Oh, ok." he gasped, coughing loudly as the muscles in his chest spasmed painfully. Refusing to let him breathe, it only left him wheezing for air. "Ow. Fuck." The nerves eventually stopped firing off and let him recover his breath. Ragged, unevenly spaced breaths was what he belted out, each one containing little flecks of magical ice, thunder and fire scattering a foot or so out.
"Jaune, are you ok?" someone said from behind him.
The ranger startled forward, tripping over his jerky body. Somehow managing to untangle his limbs, he tilted his head to face Arslan.
Ohh, cool, her eyes glow in the dark like a cat does. A smiled, looking at the phosphorescent green lights in the dark that stared down at him from the edge of the bed. Jaune could make out the blanket hanging off her hips, having slipped from her shoulders when she sat up.
Arslan was looking at something that frankly was making her brain twist in circles. From her admittedly awkward angle, Jaune had done a strange mix of a somersault and a belly flop forward onto the floor in a human pretzel. He then proceeded to untangle himself with what looked like the dislocation of his limbs. She of course knew that was ridiculous, but the way he was on the floor, sprawled out on his back like a tipped over cockroach.
"You're still upside down." Arslan noted. Jaune looked at himself, his head flopping back to look at the lioness.
"I suppose I am. Would you prefer that I correct that, Ms. Altan?" The ranger asked, already twisting to be in a sitting position. He didn't think that he could stand up just yet. He could still feel the cold sweat cling to his back, and the raw power at the tip of his tongue.
She gave him a sideways glance, wrapping the blanket around herself to ward off some cold Jaune couldn't feel. "Only if you would be more comfortable in a different position, Jaune." she added before looking pensive for a moment. "Bad dreams?"
Jaune stretched, sending a series of pops running down his spine. Ohh yeah. B sighed constantly. "Not really." he answered, moving to stand up. His legs were shakier than he would have liked to let on, and Arslan most certainly noticed that. Her brow furrowed slightly as Jaune leaned on the back of the simple wooden chair for support. "At least nothing beyond the usual, if you can call it that." His voice was only a little above a whisper in volume, but somehow held the clarity that someone talking at a normal volume had, as though Jaune was whispering it into her ear rather than whispering it to her from across the room.
"What about you?"
Arslan's head tilted at the question. "Who, me?" She asked, playing a little coy. Jaune shook his head.
"No, I was talking to the spider behind you." He deadpanned. Arslan's eyes went wide as she turned behind her panicked.
"Spider?!" She squealed at the idea, but calmed once she saw that there was nothing behind her. "That was mean." She grumbled. Jaune let out a good humored huff, shaking his head.
"I did mean you, if I was unclear." He clarified for his lioness friend. Arslan nodded, staring off into the middle distance as she remembered her dreams. Her eyes widened slightly as the silence continued. A shiver ran through her, starting her journey back to reality
"No, I didn't dream of anything." She said innocently. B raised an eyebrow, immediately skeptical.
She's lying to us. He said, squinting suspiciously at the lioness. A shrugged, not seeing much in the notion. Maybe she had bad dreams as well. Jaune turned to the desk, looking for the candle he had lit previously. "Mind if I make a light, Ms. Altan?"
Arslan shook her head. "If it would help you, then not at all." She said with a wave
"That wasn't my question." Jaune said, still staring intently at the candle. "I asked if you would mind a light in the room. My personal opinion on the possibility doesn't matter."
Arslan gave Jaune an unimpressed glare. "If your opinion doesn't matter, why does mine?" She asked the ranger, not appreciating his self-sacrificing machismo.
"Because you are my guest, Ms. Altan." Jaune responded in that even paced, solidified tone. It was the usual tone he took with people, but in moments like this it sounded insolent instead of confident. "And my mother may have raised a fool, but I would mark it not that she raised a fool rude."
"Uh huh." Arslan crossed her arms, looking at Jaune's pensive face. He light the candle on the desk, sending a light glow throughout the small room. Arslan let her eyes adjust to the sudden change in brightness. Her eyes looked over Jaune as he looked at the burning wick. Her eyes locked on Jaune's strikingly sharp jawline. It probably was a little too boney than was healthy, but everything about Jaune was a little too boney. Her eyes traced the line, noting in particular a pattern of three large gashes down his cheek. She wondered what had caused it, as it didn't look like the usual amount of damage grimm did. If it did, he would be missing that whole cheek. Infact, it looks like a man made blade... Arslan let the thought trial off, not liking where it could have gone. She followed the scar down his chin, leading her to look at the filigree scarring that was there. He had broken his nose at some point in his life as well. Arslan couldn't help but think it looked good on him. The wooden chair creaked under his weight as he sat down, looking forlornly out the window.
"You can go back to sleep if you wish, Ms. Altan." Jaune offered. "There are still a couple more hours until sunrise."
Arslan shook her head. "I think I will be fine." She responded, gazing out the window with the ranger. There didn't seem to be anything in particular that would betray such a notion upon the dark horizon. "How can you tell, anyway?"
"You see that star right there?" Jaune said, pointing to an inconspicuous point of light. "That is the Lumiere Queloux, the West light. It's a star that lies on the equator and travels along the sky, west to east, in a pretty regular fashion. About every length of your thumb is an hour and a half to sunrise."
Arslan hummed, looking back at Jaune's wistful expression. "When did you learn that?" She asked him.
The muscles in his jaw shifted, like he was rolling his tongue around in his maw somewhere. His piercing blue eyes softened, distancing themselves from this plane of existence, as though there was some glimmering illusion on the horizon. "A long, long time ago." he said, his shoulders falling as he exhaled. "I had a grandfather who enjoyed camping. He made sure that I knew at least how to find my way back home."
Arslan leaned to the side, propping herself on an elbow. "And where is that for you? Orleans?"
Jaune shrugged, the chair creaking under him. Arslan never got an answer, as Jaune opted to gaze at the dark outside, vigilante and silent.
"Also, that can't be comfortable." The lioness commented on the wooden seat. "I'm sure that this bed is a little more comfy." She offered, before realizing just exactly how that sounded. She could imagine just exactly how Reese would react if she had heard that. Damn Ars, I didn't know you had it in you. Get it girl! A picture of the green headed girl cheered, only partially mocking her leader.
Jaune raised his eyebrow at her. "Are you sure? I would hate to intrude-" Arslan sighed.
"Jaune, is that chair more comfortable than this bed?" She asked him sternly. When he had no response, she gave a small huff, repositioning to be sitting against the head of the bed. "That's what I thought. Now get your butt over here."
Jaune, having no option but to acquiesce to the pushy lioness's demands, he moved over to sit on the bed. Arslan watched him in a way that reminded him a little too much of a predator watching her prey. Her eyes wandered over him, taking in everything she could. He just sat there, ramrod straight in the seat. Arslan shook her head.
"Relax, I'm not going to bite you." She said, thankful that Jaune didn't have telepathy. I mean, I could if you want me to. That annoying little bit of her that really liked to shape her dreams spoke up with a sultry sounding purr. Arslan was drawn back into last nights dreams for a moment, before being saved by Jaune in his own cluelessness.
Jaune tilted his head at the lioness. "Do… Do you have a question, Ms. Altan?" he asked her. Arslan jolted a little, but settled. "Yeah, I guess. You've seen a lot, haven't you?"
The ranger shrugged. "I suppose. I would hate to say that I've seen much of the world, but I've probably seen more than most." He admitted, figuring that not that many people ever left the mega cities they lived in. in a world with the vast majority living within a couple miles of the capital of their country, it wasn't that surprising that most people wouldn't end up seeing much of Remnant in their lives.
Arslan nodded, still looking at Jaune's scarring. "How did you get those?" She asked, giving them an indicative head nod. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."
Taking a moment to inspect his own arm, it was the first time he had really appreciated just how damaged this particular limb was. A veritable myriad of damages, from slash marks to puncture wounds to rough ripping of skin, it was there. "The same way all other scars are gotten. Though violence in an extreme manner. A few of them, I got the better deal. Some of them were painful, and none of them are happy." There was a pause.
That was edgy as shit man. A started, his lips pressed together in a rather frog like fashion. The ranger internally winced, reminding himself that maybe he should at least run what he says by one of his figments.
B rolled his eyes. Phhft, like that will ever happen. He said sarcastically, cutting off whatever A was going to say. Jaune pinched at his nose.
"Sorry." He apologized to the blanket-covered lioness. "I'm… I'm not very good at this."
Arslan nodded, thinking she understood. "The whole being over your head thing? Utterly unprepared for the amount of crisis that is going to happen?" She asked, the question only partially rhetorical. An attempt at bonding that admittedly went over Jaunes head.
"No. Talking." He answered. "Being in the deep end is something I am uncomfortably comfortable with."
"Lucky you." Arslan was looking down at her knees now. "At least you don't feel like you're out of your element." She sighed, curling in on herself. She couldn't help but think about the infinitely bad ways this mission could go. Dr. Cortez had already called the mission a flop, and apparently it was going to get worse? This was far beyond the debriefing they had gotten when they took this. She knew that she was asking a lot of her team when she had signed up for this mission, but a blood crazed serial killer, who was impermanently dealt with, and a grimm hoard? That was more than Arslan, leader of team ARBN, was willing to put up with.
Jaune, oblivious to his fellow blonde's inner turmoil, pursed his lips together, trying not to grin. Oh, Arslan, He thought to himself, if only you knew. It was one of those rare, self reflective moments when the irony was not lost on him. Unfortunately for him, this was one of those unrare, blatantly humorous moments. Doing his best Monty Python Roman Guard impersonation, he looked dead ahead.
A small chuckle managed to escape his throat. Arslan's head shot up from it's downcast position.
Welp, I'm leaving you to the fallout Jaune. B said, calmly moving to hide behind the couch. Better luck than with your sisters!
Jaune just flipped him off. Traitor. He thought to himself.
"What's so funny?" She was a little indignant. Here she was having a small crisis and the seemingly only competent person under the age of 25 had suddenly decided to be a comedian. He just waved her off, shaking his head.
"It's just something you said." He explained between chortles. Composing himself, and frankly a little surprised he hadn't been smacked yet, he figured that some amount of explanation was deserved. "For better or for worse, you never quite get over being over your head."
Ohh, smile! Girls love that shit! A suggested. Jaune would have normally taken a moment to admonish that particular counterpart, but it wasn't bad advice. A smile might help in easing her worries. He gave Arslan his best false confidence smile, which if it felt as awkward as it looked would have a weaker woman macing him. "Because when you get used to it, you're no longer over your head. You're just about at nose level." He smiled, this time a little more genuinely.
I freaking nailed that! He thought to himself proudly. Arslan smiled, shaking her head.
"Jaune?" She asked him. 'Please don't quit this job to become an inspirational life guru."
He only gave her a look before the two of them fell back into silence, comforting in the tenseness that loomed over the town. It was Arslan that broke it again. "How fucked are we, Jaune?" The blank look she got indicated that she might have to elaborate. "Dr. Cortez makes it sound like we're a little fucked, but it just… it seems like we're a lot more than a little fucked." She tucked her knees under her arms. "And three- three people have died on this mission! This is- it's not what I signed up for, Jaune." Her voice sounded shaky, and she was not going to try and hide that from him. Besides, those soul piercing blue eyes would see through any brave facade you put on anyway.
Jaune bit at his lip. That, this is a difficult question. B started. One that should be handled with grace, humility and tact. One that deserves deliberation and a carefully crafted response-
"Decently fucked, if I'm being honest." The ranger shrugged. Arslan looked at him, having honestly expecting something a little more constructive.
"But you always seemed so… capably violent." She started. Jaune interrupted her.
"Don't get me wrong, the ten of us are probably going to be fine."
"And everyone else?"
"I don't know."
Breakfast was a tense affair, having most of the students silently eating. Dr. Cortez ordered a double of whiskey as a drink for the road. He proceeded to, without a word, march towards the small town's church. The nine students shared a glance before following him, Jaune leaving behind a small pill bottle's worth of treasure to cover the tab. Dr. Cortez threw open the doors, where the older huntsman that they had rescued and a middle aged man garbed in a cassock. The two looked up from a hastily doodled piece of paper.
"Ah, Doctor Cortez, Glad you could make it." The Huntsman said. Jaune was pretty sure his name was Greg, but he could be wrong on that. Sebastian just gave him a quick nod.
"So, what's the damage?" The gunslinger asked, before giving a look around. "And where's the other guy?" . It was the priest that spoke up to respond. He gave a cough, clearing his throat.
"According to Mr. Hakagurg here, the Grimm are going to come far closer than I am comfortable with." The priest started. "I would feel better if they were diverted away from the town."
Dr. Cortez's face scrunched at that. "Yeah, we're a couple days too late, unfortunately. The usual points that we would put barricades are already covered with Grimm. The migration came early this year. So that's out of the question."
The priest slumped. "Well, give me some good news. Will the Grimm even come close? I know that they usually are shunted out through the south end, where the river cuts through the Quarry, but since that's not happening…"
The response he got was a shrug. "If they do what grimm without a target usually do, they should pass through that valley a couple miles south. The issue is that I don't know what the chances are that the town will attract their attention."
Greg nodded, taking his eyes off Jaune for a moment. "That's why we're going to be cautious and prepared. Now, Ideally I would have my team go and draw them towards the south-" He stopped, blinking. "But we don't have them now. We instead have nine students, a lame huntsman, and a sociopathic murder machine."
Dr. Cortez reared his head. "I am not a sociopath!" He gasped, putting his hand over his heart, scandalized. "I am just a little fucked."
"Right." Greg rolled his eyes, but got back on topic. "I don't think that the team we have here would be capable team of doing that. Unless you brought some serious firepower, doctor."
Sebastian shook his head. "I didn't bring the battle brick this time. I didn't think it was going to be necessary."
It was Sun that spoke up at that moment. "The Battle Brick?" he asked with a lean forward. Dr. Cortez waved him off, clearly not going to explain it at the moment.
"The way I see it, we have two options, both of them with their pros and cons." The doctor continued. "We can either hole up somewhere, putting everyone in one easily defendable place. Or we can drag everyone for a quick camping trip and put enough distance between us and the hoard that should no scouts head our way, no grimm will head our way." Turning to look at his students, he posed them a question.
"OK everyone, pop quiz: what are the pros and cons of both solutions to our issue?"
There was a moment of silence as the students waited for someone else to answer. Eventually Scarlet raised his hand. Sebastian pointed at him, giving him permission to speak.
"Uhh, this is a dumb question, but uh, what exactly is our situation? You never told us exactly what we are dealing with."
Dr. Cortez adopted a frog like expression, a little embarrassed that he had forgotten to clue in the students as to the major issue at hand. There had been several important issues as of late, something was bound to slip his mind. "Right. Good question, I thought I had already filled everyone in onto the particulars." He cleared his throat. "The grimm migration hoard is at the moment taking it's usual route through the deeper mountains. They are about four days out as of last night. Now, normally they would be about fifteen days out, but we are shit out of luck and it came early. Normally, We would take a three day hike to some predetermined points and place some directional barricades to divert them northwards, before they could get a whiff of the town. That is no longer an option, and we have to now improvise." Pointing to the crude map of the surrounding area, he made some vague gestures to the space off to the side. "Which leads us to our current options. We can either take the town on a camping trip and put more distance, or we can hole up somewhere nearby. So, Scarlett, any obvious pros or cons?"
Scarlett thought for a moment. "I mean, we still have to defend the civilians either way, right? So we'd have less angles to worry about if we find like a cave or something to defend."
Cortez nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Alright, good enough reasoning I suppose. Mr. Priest Man, Any place you know that we could shove everyone in?"
The Priest was not enthused with his nickname, but let it slide. "There is the Quarry, which is only a couple hours walk out, I think it would be ideal. It's large, underground, and seems rather ideal."
Greg turned to look at the priest. "And the idea of a brief exodus? He asked. The Priest shook his head.
"Bad Idea. we have several old people in town, I don't think that they could make the trip."
"And they could make the walk to the Quarry? Through all that rock and loose rubble?" Greg asked.
The priest gave a non-committal grunt. "It's a shorter walk."
Dr. Cortes took in a breath, really wishing he hadn't quit smoking. "Alright. So it sounds like the Quarry is our best bet. I guess I'll be taking my students out there later today to get a lay of the land. Anyone have any questions?"
No one had any. Sebastian made a shoo'ing motion. "Alright, then start marching! We're burning daylight!" The unspoken part of that sentence hung in the air. We don't have much to spare.
Ahh, another chapter done. I am excited to see the end of this arc really take shape. Next chapter should be a very fun (Assuming I manage to actually write it). I'm going to have to rewatch helms deep for it, which is always a good thing.
There originally was going to be a scene where Jaune confessed to Arslan that he had murdered people, but I couldn't quite get it to fit. Which is weird, considering the tone of their conversation.
I did try a different formatting style by actually putting in paragraphs this time, which really inflated the page count (Normally a chapter is about 10 pages, and that's how I judge when to start wrapping one up.) but let me know if it makes this particular chapter easier to read.
As always, leave your comments and reviews, because I do read them.