Welcome welcome one and all, to the first chapter of Goldfire Wyrm!

This will be getting posted weekly on Mondays, so keep an eye out!

The golden light that erupted from his hands dimmed as Jaune let out a deep breath, allowing his Healing Light to fade.

The young dwarven girl that he was using the spell on let out a small cough as he finished, spewing up a small amount of vomit into a bucket that Jaune had prepared next to the bed for precisely that reason.

"Is she alright, now?"

The girl's father -a stocky dwarf named Trovan with a beard that didn't quite reach the floor- spoke up from his seat on the other side of the room as Jaune stood up. Nodding, he reached down and helped the formerly sick girl up off of her bed, a massive grin adorning her face.

"She should be fine now, yeah. It just looked like a bit of food poisoning. Ronda, did you eat anything you shouldn't have in the last few days?"

The girl looked down at the ground, the tip of her toes spinning in place on the floor as a guilty expression formed on her face. "Maybe…"

Jaune couldn't help but let out a small snort of amusement at that, especially as Trovan stepped forward and started to scold her for being so reckless. Leaving them to it for a moment, Jaune headed back out into the 'storefront' area of Trovan's house, glancing at the weapons and armour stacked up against the walls.

After waiting at the counter for a short while, Ronda darted past him with a fading 'thank you!' reaching him as she ran outside to go play with her friends. Trovan stepped out of the doorway a second later, an exasperated look on his face.

"Apparently, she grabbed some Dire Wolf meat out of a vendor's stall. She didn't realise it wasn't cooked properly yet and ate it before paying. Haaaa… That girl."

Jaune just smiled softly, bobbing his head in a small nod. "We have to keep my youngest sisters out of the kitchen at the Inn for much the same reason. Young children have grabby hands, it seems."

Trovan smirked at his words before taking a deep breath and meeting Jaune's eyes. "Aye, they do, they do. But enough of that. I can see the look on your face, lad. We both know what day it is, so stay put while I go grab your stuff."

Jaune couldn't help but rock back and forth on the balls of his feet as Trovan rolled his eyes at him. The dwarf headed into a backroom -one Jaune knew he used for storage of goods- and clanking and shuffling noises started echoing out of it.

Inhaling deeply, Jaune tried to keep himself calm. He had been working for Trovan for a while now, performing odd jobs and keeping his Healing Light spell as the man and his daughter's near-exclusive magical bandage for the last 3 months or so…

And it was finally time that he was all paid up.

Trovan returned a short while later, holding a large sack that clinked and dinged with each movement, a bunch of different pieces of metal bumping up against each other. Jaune smiled as he saw it, a hand reaching for it.

Before he could grab the bag, however, Trovan raised a hand, looking at him. "Before I give it to ya, lad, I just wanna ask a few questions, alright?"

Jaune frowned but took a seat at one of the stools at the counter, usually used to let customers sit down while Trovan measured them for armour sizing, and motioned for him to talk. "Go ahead, I guess."

Trovan chuckled to himself at the look on Jaune's face. "Guess I was just curious… Why is the oldest and only son of one of the most successful Innkeeps in Domremy doing me favours and odd jobs for this suit o' Armour here, instead of just buying it?"

Jaune swallowed as Trovan asked the question he had been hoping the dwarf would avoid, and his head dipped, his eyes lowering to the countertop. "You… You know that I'm a 'Paladin' right? That's my Soul-Class?"

Trovan nodded slowly, a smile on his face. "Aye, lad, I do. Was there for your discovery day in fact, although I doubt you remember much from that day other than that big, golden 'Paladin' symbol on the ritual tablet."

Jaune laughed softly at that, nodding. He hadn't remembered Trovan being there that day, but it had been about 6 years ago and he had been rather distracted. His smile faded, however, as he spoke again.

"Well, here's the thing. I'm a Paladin, yes, but… I don't have any direct attack magic. Only healing and buffs."

Trovan blinked a couple of times at that, and Jaune was ready for the usual spiel people gave him when he told him that, but only got an understanding nod from the dwarf -a welcome surprise- as he spoke.

"Your folks don't want you fightin' then. Guessin' they wouldn't exactly approve of buying you some armour?"

Jaune nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief. "Yeah. "They want me to be a Cleric since it seems my spells are a bit more potent than a normal Paladin's would be, as a trade-off for my lack of direct attack magic, but… I'm a Paladin. It would feel wrong to be anything else, I just need to prove to them that I can do it. And for that I need armour."

Trovan seemed to consider his words for a moment as he stroked his beard, before sliding the bag over. "Gonna be honest here, lad. I respect that a lot. Do your best to not die out in the wild somewhere, alright? Ronda would be heartbroken to hear it."

Jaune smiled at the man as he put the bag on his back, nodding deeply. "I'll be sure to be safe, sir. Although with your armour, it's not like I'll be in any danger."

Troven laughed at that, rolling his eyes. "Alright, alright. Get on out of here, lad, and go show your folks a thing or two, why don't ya?"

Jaune took the dismissal for what it was and waved goodbye, exiting out the front door of Troven's shopfront. Saying a quick goodbye to Ronda -which involved extracting himself from a bone-crushing hug- he adjusted the bag on his back and started walking back to his home.

It was about noon, and Domremy was bustling as Jaune made his way through the crowded market area. There were people everywhere, of almost every race and with so many different Soul-Classes.

"Move!"

Jaune stepped to the side as a tall elf with a giant bruise on his face and glass shards embedded into his clothing stormed past him, only just avoiding running into the man. Jaune extended a hand and cast a small Healing Light on the elf as he walked off anyway, hoping that the healing calmed him down a bit.

Turning away from the rude elf, he noticed that the most popular busking spot in the market square once again had the Tiefling 'Bard' who usually took the spot playing her guitar. Jaune stopped and listened for a short while, being in no rush to get home, and dropped a few coins into the Tiefling's hat.

He got a grateful smile and a wink for the trouble, and he nodded in return, moving on.

He continued through Domremy, walking past other Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Tieflings, and even spotted a Half-Orc or two -they were a rare sight in Domremy, but not an unwelcome one- perusing one of the marketplace stalls, the one that sold hand-woven rugs.

His pace slowed as he left the market area, his feet having brought him closer and closer to the 'Twin Moon Inn' with each step. He could already hear a cacophony of noise coming out through the large window set into the front wall… Especially since it was broken open and shattered on the ground in front of the Inn.

He sighed, but he had expected the sight, having recognised the rude elf from before as a customer from earlier in the morning. He must have done something wrong to get himself in a fight with another customer. His dad did throw people out sometimes, but never through a window, as they were very expensive.

He found himself stalling for just a little longer as he stopped to sweep up all of the glass shards on the ground into a small pile before picking them all up, his gloves protecting his hands from the sharp edges.

Entering the Inn, he is immediately bombarded by a wave of sound even stronger than before now that he is inside it, instead of just listening to it from afar.

He dumped the broken glass in one of the bins -it was Violette's day to do the bins, he'd have to warn her about the glass- and tried to sneak past the Bartender -his father- but was stopped by the man's deep, loud voice.

"Jaune. Romee. Arc. What are you doing with that armour?"

He froze as his father called him out, panicking slightly as he realised the fact that the armour he had been given was visible out of the top of his pack, and the customers around the room all went silent, Argent Arc's voice carrying over them all, a talent born from a decade and a half of Commanding Troops… And more recently, two decades of dealing with drunk people.

Jaune was frozen by the livid stare his father was giving him. The man's clear anger was only just under control because the Inn's dining area was full of customers. Jaune knows the jig is up now, and stands up straight now that he isn't trying to slink through the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to meet his father's eyes. Summoning all of the courage in his body, he speaks. "I am taking my armour up to my room, Father, so that I can prepare myself to leave tomorrow."

The glass that his father was holding cracked down the side and Jaune almost flinched at the noise, but pressed forward anyway, knowing that the only time he would have to have a somewhat reasonable discussion with his father about this topic would be when he needed to save face in front of the public.

"We've all heard the news from the north. Princess Schnee has been kidnapped by the Goldfire Wyrm. And I… I intend to make my way to the beast's lair to rescue her!"

Jaune swallowed nervously as he made his declaration. It had been something that had been on his mind since the announcement came out from Lord Jacques of the Kingdom of Atlas about his daughter's kidnapping.

Jaune didn't want to be a Cleric like his parents wanted for him. He wanted to be a knight, a Paladin, whether he had offensive magic or not, and he would prove it to the world -and more specifically his family- by rescuing Lady Schnee.

But while this was his plan… It was also the first time that he had ever said it out loud.

The Inn was immediately ablaze with muttering and whispering. Jaune tried his best to stay perfectly calm in the face of it all but still found himself shaking slightly from his nerves. Would people think him a fool? Would they wish him luck?

Even if they did either, he was so focused on his father that he wouldn't notice it. He certainly didn't notice the set of purple eyes that landed on him, a contemplative smirk on the woman's face as she watched him.

Even with his nerves, however, he didn't allow himself to back down from the terrifying glare that his father was giving him until the man looked away first, his years of customer service instincts kicking in as the door to the Inn opened.

Jaune knew that he was being bold, and potentially stupid. He would certainly cop it later on for his declaration, but…

He had to do this.

With his staredown with his father interrupted, he let out a breath he hadn't even realised he was holding and pushed through the customer's dining area towards the staircase in the corner of the room that led to the rooms-for-hire, and the Arc family's home on the floor above them.

He could feel the look his father was giving him on his back as he headed up the stairs, but he never noticed the blond woman with purple eyes, the one wearing giant golden bracers, tucked into the corner of the Inn with a smirk on her face like she just won the jackpot.

Jaune groaned in annoyance as sleep evaded him.

It was nighttime now, and he was lying in his bed in the same room as his sisters, -the same setup they'd been using their whole lives to save space and maximise the rooms they could rent out to customers- and the sound of his parents arguing was coming through the wall, keeping him awake.

They'd been arguing almost all afternoon, ever since they finished working downstairs for the day. Ironically enough, he hadn't been allowed to be a part of the argument, having been banished back to the bedroom even as the subject of the argument, but he didn't mind.

What he did mind was the feeling of being watched by seven sets of eyes. A sigh escaped him, and he spoke up. "You can ask your questions. It's not like any of us are getting much sleep tonight it seems."

There was a small 'Eep!' from one of his younger sisters as he called out to them, but the room soon filled up with soft light and the sound of rustling blankets as his sisters all congregated around him.

He looked and saw Olive -the oldest of the sisters still living at home- casting Candlelight above them to illuminate the room without wasting an actual candle, and nodded appreciatively at her. He felt a weight settle on the end of his bed and saw that Rouge and Blanca -his two youngest siblings, neither even ten years old- had jumped up onto it.

Jaune prepared himself for the guilt trip of a lifetime and met the two little girl's eyes. Rouge was the one to speak up first. "Is it true? Are you leaving, big brother?"

Her voice was shaky -something he had been expecting and dreading- but he held himself strong in the face of it. Reaching out, he ruffled Rouge and Blanca's hair. "Yes, I plan to leave tomorrow. Mother and Father… They don't approve of the choice I've made, but I'm 18 now, and can decide for myself."

Rouge's face fell as if she had been hoping to have misheard his declaration, or the contents of their parent's argument. "Oh…"

Even in the relatively dim light of Olive's candlelight, he could tell that the two girls were devastated by the news. He dragged them up to him and squished them in a deep hug, looking over to the remaining four of his sisters. Periwinkle and Cyan -the twins- were older than Rouge and Blanca, but not by enough to stop their faces from showing how distraught they were by the idea of him leaving yet.

Then there was Olive and Violette, who stood at the foot of his bed. Olive had her arms crossed and her brows furrowed, looking more annoyed than upset. Violette held her hands together in front of her chest as if in prayer, a worried look on her face.

"Are you sure about this? You know why they want you to join the church, Jaune. And you know that we'd welcome you with open arms."

Jaune loved Violette, he really did, but in that moment he couldn't help but frown at her. "Yes, Vi, I'm sure. I've had this specific idea in mind for at least a month, but being a proper Paladin has always been my goal. Being a Cleric just isn't for me."

He saw Violette give a shaky nod at that, coming and sitting down on the bed next to him and giving him a side hug, her arms wrapping around Rouge and Blanca as well. "I'd hoped to convince you otherwise, but you are stubborn, just like the rest of us."

Violette's eyes turned to Olive, Periwinkle, and Cyan, motioning for them to join the hug. Jaune laughed under his breath softly, rolling his eyes and opening his arms. The last three girls seemed reluctant about joining the hug, but he could tell that they were worried about him, even if they only showed it in their 'rebellious teenage girl' kind of way.

"Don't worry, you guys, really. I've no intention of getting hurt or dying out there, I promise you. I didn't spend all of these years since I got my Soul-Class not making some kind of plan, y'know?"

He motioned towards the bundle of armour at the foot of his bed and grinned. "Don't worry, I've got a pretty solid plan, and even a travel route mostly mapped out. Everything will be fine, I promise."

The older girls seem mollified by that, especially since the time they talked seemed to have been enough for their parents to stop arguing, likely having tired themselves out yelling. Violette stood back up and kissed Jaune on the forehead, ushering the other girls back to their beds.

She failed, however, to detach Rouge and Blanca, who refused to leave Jaune's side. Jaune didn't truly mind letting them sleep in his bed for the night before he left, however, and told Violette as much.

He laid back, his little sisters clinging to him, and even though he felt guilty about leaving so soon and without much warning -something Saphron had given before leaving- he knew this was the right thing for him to do, the only thing he could do to stay true to himself.

And so he falls asleep soon after, excited and nervous all at once for the next day.

Jaune wolfed his breakfast down.

He was glad to have talked with his sisters last night, even if it meant that they all ended up a little tired in the morning. What he wasn't glad for, for the glare that his father was still shooting him, even as he ate the Bacon and Eggs that Periwinkle had made for them, it having been her day to cook.

But somehow his mother was worse. The look in her eyes was filled with worry and pity and so much concern for him that it made him feel terrible. No one said a word for the entire meal, eating in complete silence.

It was awkward and tense… So he chose to eat his food quickly, grabbing everyone's plates when they finished and washing them. One final chore, as an attempt to garner as much goodwill as he could with his parents before he left.

He wasn't thanked by his parents for the task. He was thanked by Rouge, however, since it was her day to do the washing up and he had just done it for her. A soft smile came to his face as he headed back upstairs, passing by a couple of customers along the way in various levels of drunk to hungover.

He entered his bedroom and reached down to the sack of armour, putting it atop his bed and undoing the cord that kept it tight. He was already wearing the tunic, pants, boots, and under-gloves that he intended to wear beneath the armour, so it was simply a case of putting it on.

He started to don the armour following the process that Trovan had told him about, and that he had memorised many months prior… Only to get to some of the parts on the back of his legs that were hard to reach.

He was about to sit down on the bed to try and get a better angle to put it on when the door to the bedroom was pushed open softly. But alas, it wasn't one of his sisters, it was… Well, it wasn't the worst-case scenario, but it wouldn't be fun nonetheless.

Claire Arc was a shorter woman, definitely much shorter than his father. And now that he was 18, and practically fully grown, she was shorter than he was, too. Neither of them said anything for a moment as Jaune tried to find his voice.

"Hey, mum. Look, I know-"

"Jaune, just… Let me talk for a second, sweetie. Please?"

His mouth clicked shut as his mum talked. He knew that she was the main supporter of his joining Violette in the Church as a Cleric -having been one herself when she was younger- so he wasn't looking forward to another round of begging from her… But he nodded anyway, motioning for her to continue.

"I know that I have been pushing for you to join Violette. Ever since you got your Soul-Class, but didn't receive any offensive magic, I have been worried about you. But before you go, I want to say something that I really should have before this day came."

She stepped forward, hands landing on the side of his head as she made him lean down -and wasn't it crazy that he was taller than her- and… Bumped foreheads with him? "You are our son, just as stubborn as your father, and just as hard-headed as I am, but… You've got the best of both of us. If you want to do this, if you believe that you can…"

She pulled back and smiled at him. "While your father and I are going to worry about you, and show it in our own ways… I am proud of you for sticking with your wish and following your own path. May every footfall upon it be blessed with good luck, safety and success."

He recognised the prayer from the Church staff he had seen over the years, and almost instinctively put his hands together in front of his chest, bowing his head to accept the blessing. He could feel a small amount of magical energy trickle into him as his mother literally performed a Blessing on him, and smiled.

There was a moment of silence before she glanced down at the suit of armour Jaune was attempting to put on by himself and smiled to herself. "Would you like some help putting the rest of it on?"

"Yes, please."

Jaune took a deep breath as he stepped into the customer section of the Inn.

He was fully dressed in his armour, and he could feel his excitement spike as a couple of people in the dining area -whom he recognised from the previous day- clapped and cheered for him, with someone even whistling at him.

He had his helmet tucked under one arm, and his pack strapped tightly to his back, filled with supplies he had paid for by performing similar odd jobs to how he had paid for his armour, knowing that his parents would never have funded it.

All he needed to do was head to Trovan's again and pick up the final item of his equipment, a sword and shield…

"Jaune."

He was almost to the door when his father spoke up, the man's voice once again cutting off all chatter around the Inn with a single word. Jaune didn't know if that was part of one of his father's magic, or if it was just part of his imposing presence.

Turning slowly, he saw his father standing in front of him with his hands behind his back. How had he not noticed him on his way down? Someone so large shouldn't have been able to be so sneaky. Swallowing his nerves, Jaune rolled his shoulders back and held his head high, meeting the man's eyes.

"Yes, Father?"

He was expecting a lecture or to be yelled at -especially with the look of anger on his father's face- but instead, he was surprised when his father stepped forward and crushed Jaune in a hug with one arm.

Jaune didn't say anything and just waited for his father to speak. "As much as I want to, I can't stop you, and we both know it. But if you insist on this foolish course of action, then you need the best chance of making it back here that you can get."

Jaune's eyes blew wide open as his father brought out his hand from behind him, revealing Crocea Mors in all of its glory.

"You are not to die out there. If you do, I will get your mother to drag your soul screaming back down here and beat you to death myself for the anguish you would have put your sisters through… So to avoid that fate, take this. It will do you better than anything a village blacksmith could create, even one as good as Trovan."

Jaune took the sword and shield from his father without a word, just staring up at the man, who even after his words still looked furious, albeit softened slightly. "Now, get out of my Inn. You are not a customer, and you don't work here anymore."

Jaune swallowed at that, but took it as the nicest way his father could have possibly said goodbye to him and -after attaching Crocea Mors' sword and shield to his hip and back respectively- quickly hugged his father again and darted out the front door before any more words could be said.

"Bye, Trovan! Thank you for everything!"

Jaune waved goodbye to Trovan and Ronda, having finished informing them that he wouldn't be needing the sword and shield that the man had forged for him and that he was fine to sell it to whoever wished to buy it.

The dwarf had wished him luck, something that Jaune was more than happy to accept. Still, wearing his new armour -minus the helm, which he had attached to his pack so that he didn't have to constantly carry it- he felt more confident in himself and his goals than he had ever felt before.

He walks with his head held high on the way to the Northernmost Gate of Domremy, a sense of excitement and purpose filling his chest. He noticed that he was getting more people staring at him than usual, but as the son of Argent Arc, owner of the Twin Moon Inn, he was fairly well known around town, especially after all of the hard work he did, doing jobs for the people around town to pay for gear and supplies.

Seeing him in full armour with a weapon on his hip and a shield on his back? That was new.

A couple of acquaintances from school checked in on what he was doing and wished him luck on his mission, even if he could tell that they didn't think he had much of a chance. But that was fine, the whole point of this quest was to prove them all wrong!

Walking swiftly, he passed through the northernmost gate soon after, waving to the guardsman that man the ramparts of the town walls. He had made sure to let them -as well as the mail office- know he was leaving ahead of time so that they knew what kind of area to search for him in if there was an issue with his family.

But it is after he passed through the gate that his eyes landed on a blonde woman sitting at the treeline of the forest surrounding Domremy. She was seemingly waiting for someone, but surely it wasn't him, right? He'd never met this girl before.

The universe deemed fit to correct his assumption, however, as the girl -who looked to be about his age, maybe slightly older- looked up as he walked nearby her on the road, a smile growing on her face.

"Yo, Blondie! Hold fast… Or whatever the thing is that you Knights say, instead of just saying 'stay put' like a normal person."

Jaune stopped in the road and took a step off of it not wanting to be standing in the middle of it if one of the merchant caravans coming in and out of the gate had an accident. He raised an eyebrow at the girl as he gave her a once-over.

She was dressed in dark-coloured furs over armour made out of leather and some thick, grey clothing. Giant golden… Shackles? No, they were probably just bracers or gauntlets. Giant golden bracers adorned her forearms.

"Yes, miss? How can I help you?"

The girl shuddered slightly and stuck out her tongue at that. "Bleugh, don't call me 'miss.' The name is Yang Xiao Long! And you're the crazy bastard who's gonna try and fight the Goldfire Wyrm to save Princess Schnee, right?!"

Jaune would admit that this girl he had just met literally moments ago calling him a crazy bastard wasn't really appreciated, but… If the boot fit, he guessed. "Yes, that is my plan. Why do you ask? Do you need something from me?"

A smirk grew on Yang's face at his words, and there was a spark of a magical… Something in her purple eyes as they narrowed slightly made him wonder what her Soul-Class was. "Oh, nothing… I was just wanting you let you know that I want to come with you! You got any space in that party of yours, Knightling?"

Jaune just blinked for a moment, confused and a little thrown off by her words. But surely, if he just took a second to pull himself together, he could give her a proper response, fit for a proper Paladin...

"Wha-huh?"

Damnit!

Thank you for reading!

Please tell me what you thought of the first chapter down in the comments!

I have been working on this one for a while and am quite excited to start getting it out to you all!

See you on Friday for Remnant Light!