The Grimm Lands Chapter 28
Hunter vs Hunter
Jaune
Jaune had been through the worst life had to offer more than once. He had grown comfortable with struggle, violence, and pain. But his experience never did lessen the despair when a situation went from bad to worse.
Alone, freezing, beaten, bloody, and half-starved, they limped their way through the darkness of the Jade Forest, banking on some faraway miracle that everything they would need would be lying in the wreckage of their downed ship. There was no guarantee of the safety of backup or rescue.
Still, he pressed forward.
One foot in front of the other. Despite how every step lanced a fiery agony through his battered body. Despite how his fingers trembled in the cold that had already numbed his hands past the point of pain. He had to keep moving.
Every move was a new hurdle, another wall blocking his way on an endless path that was starting to feel hopeless.
Still, he moved.
Weiss kept pace just ahead of him, her presence alone making the struggle to stay upright a little easier. She hadn't spoken since they had set out. A renewed vigor gave her a second wind. Each of her steps was strong, certain.
He hadn't expected her to come back for him. He had every intention of giving up his life. He had reasoned it was the right thing to do, the only thing he could do to protect her and her dream. Now, the thought of it was almost shameful. How would his team have reacted? How could he have ever apologized for something like that?
The broken remains of Crocea Mors sat inside its sheath at his waist. The empty holster on his back, where his last physical attachment to August rested, was now empty, and the loss of the familiar weight made him feel hollow and uncomfortable.
He reasoned that he was used to regret. Every promise he had ever made had been in bad faith, destined to be broken from the start. What was one more?
A thought for another time.
The plane had made a tailspin as it went down, eviscerating the trees near the stream on its way down. Pieces of debris and charred metal scraps littered all around. At some point, the ship had been completely torn apart. The front half lay uselessly in the water, a mangled corpse of a tree jutting out the front end. Jaune stepped closer, ignoring the chill running through his feet as his boots made contact with the frigid stream.
The twisted remains of the tree were nearly unrecognizable. The branches and trunk had been mutilated, twisted into some misshapen ball of wood and bark. The roots hung uselessly, having been ripped straight from the ground. Jaune could see the deep impressions of claw marks. Something had done this. Something had pulled the tree from the ground and used it as a projectile to strike it from the air.
He didn't know of any Grimm with that kind of sheer strength.
No. That wasn't true, was it?
One Grimm did come to mind.
If that thing was responsible, the crash was no accident. It meant they were in the forest by design.
"We were one step behind the entire time." Jaune laughed softly to himself.
That wasn't important—not now. All that mattered was what came next. They scoured the wreckage, turning over every twisted, burnt scrap of metal and debris, searching for anything to help them. Each second was a moment lost to the inevitable, a step closer to the encroaching evil just behind the edges of the trees.
They needed a miracle.
His bravado from before could only carry on for so long. Weiss was nearing her limit. She tried to be strong to reassure him she was okay, but it was an unconvincing lie. This wreckage was their last shot, their only hope. He would make it work. He had to.
The relief that surged through his weary body was almost like a second wind as he pulled free the metallic casing from the front of the plane. The scarred case had been burnt and bent but still seemed relatively intact. Wedging a knife into the side of the case, Jaune pried it open. With shaky hands, he reached in and pulled free a flare gun. He checked the cartridge, a single round.
Setting it into his back sling, he tried to focus on the hope, ignoring the gaping hole where the familiar weight of August's weapon would have been. He reached into the metal case with a steadying breath and pried free the distress beacon. It was similar to the one issued to them back during the training exercise. A simple metal disc was routed specifically for transmission to the school. The edges were bent, and it had taken some damage during the crash, but it still looked relatively intact.
Jaune turned it over before pressing the center button on top. The beacon whirred, a dull blue glow beginning to flash as it registered. He slumped forward, pushing the cold metal disk to his head as he shuddered in relief, a tired sigh leaving his bloodied lips.
Help was coming.
"You found it," Weiss said, coming up beside him. Something was pressed tightly to her chest.
"Yeah," Jaune said, surprised by how rough his voice was. "It's still working. Help is coming. Now we just have to last long enough for it to get here."
"I think I can help with that," Weiss said, crouching down. She slid the charred metal case in her arms onto the ground. It clicked open. "The finest processed Dust this side of Atlas."
Sealed vials lined the inner case, each labeled, corked, and sealed with reinforced glass and bindings. A single caseful of Dust held every elemental type and combination Jaune could ever think of. The worth of the Dust alone was astronomical, more money than he would ever see in his life. It wasn't the cost that gave him pause; it was the second wind, the kindling of hope swelling in his chest. They could still fight. They could still win.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her. "You saw that thing. You fought it. Even all the Dust in the world might not make up for the difference in strength."
"I won't run away again. I can't." She said. "I'm with you all the way."
Her hands were trembling. He reached down and gripped one of her cold hands in his own.
"Then let's go home."
The worst part of violence was the moments before it.
Once violence started, once it began, the body and mind would go into autopilot. Instinct and adrenaline took over, and the rest of the world became a blur as the desperate need for survival trumped everything else. At the end of it all, you would either live through it, or you didn't.
Before that though, fear and tension weighed heavily. The thick taste of uncertainty would creep its way in, making it hard to think, plan, and, in turn, react. Doubts started to pile up, questions about what would happen undermined resolve, and the tense seconds before left the body and soul scared and uncertain.
The moments before violence never got easier. Jaune was comfortable with the violence itself. He would fight—he would always fight.
The fear of losing what he had before the fight gave him pause. Despite her assurances and commitment, Jaune didn't want to lose Weiss, the bonds he had made, or anything else. He was scared.
As he stood in the center of the opening, alone, cold, and lost, he was terrified—not for himself.
That was the trick to it all, though. The fear became the trigger. The key to his rage was his fear. As long as he had that fear, he would fight when the time came.
The shadows out at the edges of the clearing shifted. The heavy breaths of the creatures of darkness echoed around him, and in a flash of burning red, they rushed straight for him. Heavy bodies tore apart the ground as they ran, their sharp claws glinting in the moonlight as they kicked up the snow in their feral dash.
His broken blade hung loosely in his hand, and his shield weighed heavier on his arm. He was tired and cold. He wanted so desperately to go back to where they were—to his team and his friends. To lay down in his bed and sleep away his pain. For the first time in so long, he had a place he wanted to return to.
His broken blade found a space in a Grimm's short neck, the metal burrowing into fur and flesh as he twisted it in. The Grimm whimpered and died.
He kicked the nearest one, his boot crunching bone with a snap as the monster flew back.
They came one at a time. Sometimes, as a pair. Too many would spoil the thrill of the hunt.
It was a warmup, a test to see where he stood, how long he could endure.
Jaune was grateful. Anything more than this, and he would be in over his head. If they chose to rush him all at once in his current state, he had no illusions that he wouldn't die. His body ached, and his hands trembled with cold and fatigue. His shattered blade swung heavily as he cut through the fur and bone of each monster that came his way.
A Mantis lunged from his side, bowling into and knocking him off his feet. They tumbled in the snow. Jaune's blade found the space between its neck armor, and the Grimm squealed in death before exploding into ash. Jaune found his feet. A Beowolf thrashed from the dying ashes of its comrade. Ducking under its swing Jaune grunted with effort as his shield cut under its jaw and smashed through its skull.
He wouldn't survive forever. He had to draw it out. He had to force a confrontation with the pack leader.
Grimm hunted. They devoured and preyed upon any human they could find. But that thing with the golden eyes was in control. It relished in its ability and found joy in hunting. Its pride wouldn't allow them to escape.
Jaune threw his cracked and dulled silver blade into the snow, the moonlight reflected dimly high above. Reaching for his pack, he pulled free a flare and ignited it. He waved it above his head before tossing it into the woods, the reddish glow illuminating the bone-white masks of the Grimm as they scurried from the light.
There was no guarantee anything would come of this. But it was all he had. He was banking on the creature's pride, arrogance, and delight in fighting. He couldn't fight every Grimm in the forest, but he could face down the monster leading them.
"What may this be?" Its icy voice rang out, and Jaune suppressed the shiver down his spine.
"A challenge," Jaune called out, grateful his voice came out steady and strong.
"A ploy for time?" It questioned. "Or a coward's final atonement before death?"
"I'm tired of running," Jaune said. He could see the golden eyes searing at him through the darkness. Both eyes shone brightly, burning against the black of night like a pair of beaming headlights. The damage he had done earlier had already healed. He would have to be more thorough. A lucky hit wouldn't put a thing like this down. A single critical strike, anything less, and Jaune would be dead. Like all those years ago, he cradled August's warm body in his arms. He could feel the fear welling up inside. He remembered the pain and sorrow as he fell into that nightmare he never fully awakened from. His younger self urged him to run, to hide. He didn't want to go through that again. He couldn't. If he did, he would shatter wholly this time for sure. "People are waiting on me, and I've got places to be. So either come out and face me, or I'm coming to you."
"The arrogance of Man. The pride of youth." The creature's shadow seemed to stretch out. The blacked armor seemed to absorb the light around itself. It was more a living silhouette of darkness than anything else. Jaune faced the monster head-on, his feet planted firmly in the snow. "Already having lost before you seek a second attempt."
"I was outnumbered last time. If it's just you, then I've got nothing to worry about." Bravado and nothing more. But he had drawn it out. Now, he just needed it to come closer. "Not so tough without your horde, are you?"
"The courage of inexperience." It said, a heavy thud shaking the earth as it moved forward. Each step sent a spike of adrenaline running through Jaune's body. Its calm voice shook his resolve with every word.
In a straight-on fight, he stood no chance.
"How many years has it been since another of your kind dared to challenge me?" It mused to itself. "Very well. Then resolve yourself, young warrior. Steel your courage and strike me down. Show me the pride of a Hunter."
The creature made no move as Jaune bent down to retrieve his sword. It eyed him with calm indifference as he leveled his shield and dropped his stance. In turn, the creature reached down into its own shadow. From the darkness, a black blade manifested as it was pulled free. Nearly the length of Jaune himself, the massive sword, much like its wielder, simply absorbed the light. Total darkness made it hard to see even in the moonlight. It was wider than Jaune himself, and he had no doubt that a single strike would cleave him in two.
It stepped forward, snow crunching under the weight of the creature's large frame. Jaune made no move, his feet planted firmly in place.
"Has fear already taken root?" It asked. It stepped forward again, its stride long. "Where is your resolve, boy?"
It taunted him and urged him to move. Jaune remained fastened in place. Just a little closer.
The monster exploded forward. The ground cratered under its feet and in less than a heartbeat, the massive blade swung down for Jaune's head.
His shield caught it at an angle. Metal slid against metal as Jaune felt himself pushed back from the force of the blow. Snow erupted around him like thick smoke, clogging his vision as the monster's blade struck the ground.
Jaune stepped back. The monster's tail broke through the foggy haze like a black serpent lunging for his throat. His broken blade glanced at the attack. The sharpened limb tore through his aura and skin; blood spilled from the side of his neck.
Jaune weaved under the monster. His blade bounced harmlessly off the side of its armored chest. He threw himself backward to avoid another swing of its blade.
One hit was all it would take to end this fight. He would be eviscerated if he dropped his guard for even a moment. He didn't have time to breathe or think. Each strike stripped him of his strength; each block with his shield stole the air in his lungs.
Left, right, under, over. He weaved. With every instinct honed through constant struggle, every experience and fight guided his movements. If he stopped to think and plan, he would be cut down.
He blocked another strike with his shield, the blade tearing a hole into the metal. Jaune tried to disengage, but the monster's cold metal hand gripped his sword arm. The icy chill of its body sent a cold spike through Jaune's body, and the overwhelming strength nearly crushed his wrist, Aura and all.
The monster swung him upwards. It was as if he weighed nothing at all. The creature spun him around in the air before changing directions and slamming him into the ground. Jaune's ribs nearly cracked from the blow, blood flying from his lips as the world turned sideways. The monster lifted him up again, slamming him downwards. Like a child swinging around a toy, the creature smashed him into the ground over and over again. Jaune's vision swam. He couldn't tell if he was still conscious before the pressure surrounding his wrist disappeared. He was left hovering in the air, suspended in a moment of uncertainty. His bloodied vision barely made out the shape of the creature in front of his body before a powerful kick connected with his chest. His Aura nearly shattered, his sternum cracked, and he was sent flying back, tumbling over himself as the world erupted in pain and ice.
A mangled cry escaped his lips. He hacked vomit and blood as he groaned in agony. He had been right. He could never beat this creature as he was now. There wasn't a single chance he could beat it alone even if he were prepared for it.
The monster's metal boots creaked in the snow as it hovered above him. The giant blade in its hand raised high above in the moonlight as it began its descent.
He had been a fool to think he could have done this alone.
He was grateful that he wasn't.
The ground shook, twin ice pillars sharpened at the point erupted from the ground in front of him, driving the monster back as it smashed through them with the backhand of its fist.
"A trick." It said, though there was no real emotion in its tone.
Jaune forced a laugh. The pain in his chest bubbled as he pushed himself to his feet. Blood covered the left half of his face, making it hard to see. His body shook with each breath. He would carry on. He would see it through. If he died, he would just come back again and again until the mission was done. "Never said I was fighting you alone."
The ground shook once more. The clearing in which they stood vibrated as the earth was split apart. Large chunks of ice erupted. Massive in size, they eclipsed the clearing, rising higher and higher into the sky, forming a boundary that separated the clearing from the forest edge. The small stream froze, and the night itself chilled even further. Like a massive cage, the ice wrapped around the area, trapping the monster inside and separating it from the howling wails of its pack outside the ice's boundary. The ice gleamed, pure, and sharp, the knifelike edges around its sides made it hard for anything to climb their side, and the small hole near the top, surrounded by jagged shards, made it difficult for anything to descend towards them.
A spark erupted near the center of the clearing. A single girl stood atop the frozen water before the plane's wreckage, blazing like a candle threatening to defy the winds of an endless winter night. Her matted silver hair shone brightly in the blue glow of her blade.
"You should be worried. My partner's pretty damn strong."
Weiss
'They'll need their big sister to help them out. Can you do it?'
'I wanted you here. I wanted you to see me and see how far I've come—more than anyone, I wanted you to be here with me.'
The Dust clicked in the chamber. A faint bluish fire erupted along the length of Myrtenaster's blade. The warm glow broke apart the shadows surrounding Weiss. The creatures of darkness made their advance.
'I wanted to tell you so much. I wanted to show off the friends I've made. You would have loved Ruby, Yang would have adored you, and Blake might have even come out of her shell if you were here. I wanted you to be proud of me.'
Weiss closed her eyes, channeling the energy of her Semblance through her blade. It spread out. A glyph glowed beneath her feet, a bright white light that expanded beneath her.
'I can't be the girl in the fairy tales. I can't be the hero who saves everyone, and I can't sit around and wait to be saved. Could I have saved you if I had been strong enough back then? Could I have stopped any of this before it got so bad?'
She remembered her family: her perfect sister who had left her all alone, her father who had always seen her as a tool, her mother who had all but given up on anything, and her brother who she had all but abandoned for her own selfish goals.
'I've been such a terrible big sister, haven't I, Hertz?'
She remembered Ruby's bright laugh and goofy smile as she hung down from her top bunk, prodding Weiss for a reaction, the endless nights they had spent just talking, enjoying the warmth of their kindling friendship. She remembered Yang's awful puns and sleazy jokes that caused Weiss to fluster and protest in indignation. She remembered the times Blake had offered her a book from her collection, the two taking the chance to simply sit with one another, no worries of who or what they were. The glyph erupted in light, electricity crackling the air around her as the heat of her flame burned brighter.
'I'm going back, so please, watch over me for a little longer. I know I can do it right this time.'
In this frozen nightmare, Weiss felt a surprising sense of calm. Jaune had charged ahead, ready to act as the bait, to sacrifice himself for the chance to bring her home. She was Weiss Schnee. She wouldn't let him fight alone. She was the heiress of the SDC, the granddaughter of a hero—a member of Team RWBY.
The Dust channeling through her blade sparked and cracked with barely controlled elemental energy as she opened her eyes. There was no one on Remnant better than her when it came to the application and use of Dust. The empty case lay by her feet. At that moment, she was the strongest person on the battlefield.
Jaune
Jaune pushed forward. 'I won't lose, not again.'
He had failed before, but he had fought alone. Now, there was something, someone watching his back. The creature struck down with its large blade. The metal burrowed itself deep inside an ice pillar that erupted from Jaune's side. Stepping in close, he thrust his blade into the creature's exposed arm, the metal slicing just into its armpit. Jaune stepped back and rolled away from the attack from its tail.
The creature tried to give chase. As soon as it took a step, a dark glyph emerged from under its feet, and the monster groaned in frustration as the air around itself magnified, the gravity suddenly crashing down on its body. The metallic armor creaked and groaned in protest as the monster was forced to its knees. Jaune lunged forward. His blade skittered harmlessly off of the monster's armored gauntlet. Off balance, he was taken by surprise as the creature's tail smashed into him from the side. With a cry of pain, he was sent skittering back.
Spikes of ice erupted from underneath the creature, stabbing recklessly upward. Most bounced straight off the monster's armor, but some penetrated the small gaps. The beast groaned in anger, pushing itself back onto its legs. The air around it intensified, and the field of gravity encasing it cratered the ground.
Jaune chanced a look back. He saw Weiss, eyes narrowed and brows almost knitted together as she tried to force the monster into submission. With her blade raised at level in front of her face, she trembled under the effort.
Jaune reached into his pouch, pulling free a vial of reddish blue Dust, and tossed it at the creature before throwing himself down and away.
The vial hung in the air for a weightless second, hovering just in front of a pair of bright, golden eyes that stared at it in confusion. The glass vial then chipped and shattered against the monster's metallic armor before igniting.
Dust was all volatile on its own, including wind, lightning, and fire. Capable of causing landslides and irreversible damage to the surrounding areas if not properly mined, refined, and bottled. On their own, any of them could cause enough collateral damage to destroy an entire mine system. Together, they whirled around in a storm of pure destruction. The air crackled and spun with an intense heat that drove the air from Jaune's lungs and with enough electric force that just being in the blast radius alone nearly caused Jaune's body to spasm under the shock. Tied together in a perfect storm, the elements coalesced into a small tornado of destruction that wrapped and captured the golden-eyed monster. Its cries of agony and shock were nearly loud enough to drown out the perpetual storm of destruction itself. The creature, a shadowy silhouette in the storm, raised its large fist and smashed it into the ground. The earth splintered and shook with enough force to rock the area. The tall glacial ice walls vibrated and cracked under the force. The ground shook with such violence that Weiss was thrown from her feet, and the storm around the creature nearly dissipated under the pressure.
'That still wasn't enough,' Jaune thought in horrified awe.
The creature broke free from its prison, and in three long strides, it leaped the distance separating it from Weiss. The girl looked up in shock as the creature barreled its heavy sword toward her.
Aura pumped into tired legs, pain exploding through an overworked body as Jaune slammed into the side of the creature. The impact barely forced it off-kilter, but the opening was wide enough for Weiss to skate away from the beast with a line of glyphs that shone under her feet. A dark glyph twirled beneath the monster, and a stone column shot up, smacking the monster's head back.
Jaune stepped in close, forcing his broken blade into the creature's chest piece, sparks dancing off where metal collided until finally, his blade sunk into the gap in the chest plate and found flesh. Aura pushed through his arms as he drove the blade in. The beast's tail whipped behind him, angling for a clean strike through his neck. It struck with the speed and ferociousness of a serpent. Death paused just inches away from his exposed back, the tail frosting over.
Weiss grunted in exhaustion. Blue flames danced around her slender frame. She raised her sword above her head, twirling it with the grace and precision of a dancer as a trail of fire flowed around her. She leveled her blade, and flame shot toward the creature. The blaze erupted around them both. The pain was intense. The flames were so frigid that they both numbed and burned his body at the same time.
Jaune pushed through it, regardless. He endured. If he didn't, this chance would have been all for nothing. The creature raised its arms above its head, aiming to strike him down. Once more, glyphs burned into the snowy ground, spikes of sharpened ice and stone stabbed upwards, pushing through the monster's arms. It smashed them apart, but in their place, more emerged. Over and over, Weiss kept up her assault.
Jaune screamed in defiance, the flames wrapping around his body, the pain mixing with his desperation. His blade dug deeper. He twisted his pommel, burying his blade to the hilt. He wouldn't stop, not yet.
The creature reeled back. Its golden eyes ablaze with rage and fury. The monster reeled its head back and let loose a monstrous roar. The earth shook once more, the air vibrated, and the force of its attack scattered the flames, broke apart the pillars, and sent the world around Juane into a frenzy of twisted motion. Jaune gritted his teeth, planted his feet, and dug in deeper.
"I give you merit, boy. You've done well, but the hunt ends here. First you, then the girl." It said, the mention of Weiss in its voice even giving way to a hint of predatory excitement. Jaune dared not look up but pushed against the monster all the same, his blade twisting even deeper. "You have my respect."
The creature's tail snapped like a whip, breaking free from its icy cage. It lunged once more for his neck. Jaune's shield came up to meet it. The metallic serpent-like limb tore through the metal, spiked through his Aura, and embedded itself into his arm. Jaune bit back a yell of pain as he twisted his arm, the metal shield catching the tail. The monster swiped down with its wounded right arm, the blade once more looming just over him. Jaune pulled free his blade, taking chunks of meaty flesh with it. His jagged blade met the creature's wrist. The impact nearly shattered his arm, but Jaune pushed through regardless. His blade dug into the creature's wrist like a knife. He plunged it into the flesh, twisting it until the monster's strength failed, and the blade fell to the ground with a heavy slam.
"Weiss!" Jaune yelled. "Do it now!"
Distracted by Jaune's desperate resistance, the creature looked up with wide-eyed surprise. He looked past Jaune, looking for the girl that had caused it so much trouble. But she wasn't there. She was above them.
Just as they planned.
High above, illuminated in the backdrop of the shattered moon, Weiss Schnee hovered in the air, a single white glyph holding her weightlessly above the battlefield. With her glare and blood-soaked features, she hardly looked the part of a wealthy, pampered heiress. Instead, she appeared every inch of the Huntress she had dreamed of being since she was a child. The glyph shrunk under her feet, and she sprang forward with a yell.
The Monster raised its left hand to intercept her, but Jaune used every ounce of his strength to keep the creature in place. His muscles tore, his bones creaked under the effort, but he refused to yield. The monster's tail thrashed wildly, digging into his flesh, trying to force its way out of its entrapment.
"This time is different," Jaune said, barely a whisper. "This time, everyone goes back."
Weiss raised her blade at level with her eye and lunged it forward. The creature's fist raised, ready to strike her down. One final glyph erupted from under its feet as Myrtenaster's chambers clicked. An eruption of ice, stone, and fire Dust seared upwards. The elements sharpened into a fine edge that seared through the monster's weakened armor and sliced through its arm. The creature's golden eyes widened in shock as Weiss thrust her blade out, the point sliding through one of its exposed eyes. The monster's visor gushed with blackened blood as Myrtensater's chamber clicked one final time. The creature's head exploded in a jagged eruption of ice dust scattered outwards. Its head tore apart under the force of the Dust expanding.
The monster's limbs flailed with unrestrained fury before its dying throes suddenly stopped. The creature fell limp, and it shuddered before collapsing into the snow. Its heavy body leaked out with blackened blood from its missing head.
Jaune sagged in the snow. With a grunt, he pulled the monster's tail from his arm, the fresh red stain of blood oozing from the wound. He was heaving. His chest felt empty, and the air wouldn't come.
His vision swam in a haze as he hunched over and vomited. The pain was all around, his body was in agony, battered and torn. He found it hard to focus on anything in particular.
Something moved to his right, and with some surprise, he was supported back to his feet. Through the swelling and blood around his eyes, he could barely make out the striking white hair of the girl next to him.
Weiss grunted in the effort as she precariously inched them forward. Her feet sank into the snow as she nearly tripped over from the weight.
Jaune tried to help, dragging his feet more than anything as Weiss pulled him away from the ruined remains of the fight. The dull howls and groans of the now leaderless Grimm broke apart any silence, drowning out the painful thump of his heart in his ears.
"Where does it hurt the most?" Weiss asked, settling him down against the wreckage of the plane. To his right, the distress beacon was still chirping.
"A little bit here, a little bit there. Been worse, definitely been better." Jaune said.
"Good. Just hold on. I'll reinforce the barrier, and we can try to wait this out." Weiss said. The relief shone on her face. The tired creases of her brow eased just a little, and the small stain of tears welling in her eyes was overshadowed by the smile warming her lips.
"Hey," Jaune said, gripping her arm as she pulled away. "We made it. Just like I promised, you did it. You got us through. We're going home."
Weiss shook her head, strands of her hair clinging to her face as she wiped her tears. "No, we did it."
"Not so bad for a wannabe Huntress, huh?" Weiss asked, and Jaune felt something scratch in his throat. She flashed him a bright grin.
"Not too shabby, Princess." He finally conceded.
"Hey, I thought I told you to stop calling me that-" Weiss started. Her body suddenly went rigid.
"Weiss?" Jaune asked. Her face was pale, eyes wide in shock and twisted pain as a gasp escaped her chalked and bloody lips. Her body trembled as she looked down. Jaune followed her gaze, widening in horror. Just above her lower abdomen, fresh blood painted her tattered jacket. A moment later something tore free, a blackened serpent. Thin and sharp it ripped itself from her.
Jaune caught Weiss as she fell forward. Her shaking body convulsed in his arms as he called her name. Blood stained his hands, her name choked his throat. He tore apart the remnants of his coat, trying desperately to staunch the bleeding.
"How long since I have been injured to such an extent?" The haunting voice of the monster came unbidden. Terror gripped Jaune with such intensity that he wasn't even aware he crumpled to the ground. His body shook, his heart pounded as the memories of those terrible nights came back to him. The past and present flashed together in searing agony as his heart was gripped in total fear. There before him once more stood the creature of darkness. Its burning Golden Eyes peered at him through the shadows, its haunting immortal gaze shattering whatever remained of his conviction and spirit. "I will say this: You are both warriors worthy of my respect. I will treat your deaths with the honor it deserves."
The shadows merged and shifted. The creature's heavy metal body raised itself from the ground. The metal of its arms began to expand, bursting outward as the monster's frame enlarged. The metal caved and morphed violently, fur and bony white armor breaking through. The creature's body keeled over onto all fours as the blackened stump where its head once was exploded in a blackened bloody mess. The beast shifted into something new before Jaune's eyes, like that of a nightmare. Thick paws replaced armored limbs, sharpened claws taking the place of thick fingers. Its tail was bulging, thrashing wildly in the air as it began to evolve. A mouth opening near the end became serpentlike, hissing and swiping at the crisp night air. From its empty neck erupted three new heads, each a different type of Grimm. Snarling and howling, the three new heads glowed with the same bright Golden Eyes.
Jaune was taken back to those moments. Trapped in a frozen hell. Left alone in the burning remains of his former home. Someone he cared for, bloody and dying as he was forced to watch as everything he loved and cherished was torn from him once more.
His heart was breaking all over again.
A pair of giant leathery wings erupted from the monster's back, rising high into the night sky above before, in one mighty flap, they tore apart the clearing, shattering the ice barrier with ease. Broken ice, Dust and flames rained around Jaune in an almost serene cascade of colors. A brief respite of beauty before the inevitability of death.
The creatures of Grimm, who had been trapped outside the ice, began their approach, stalking forward with the obvious intent to finally devour their prey.
Jaune's breath was ragged. The nightmare was alive once more.
Weiss was shivering, her bright blue eyes glassy and unfocused. She gripped weakly at his chest plate. Her voice, faint and fragile, was unable to reach his ears.
He was too weak. He couldn't save anyone.
The monster looked at them, its large new form towered above them. It rose its center head, flickering flames catching in its throat.
Jaune had to think and act fast; he had to come up with something to save them. He looked down at Weiss, the fear on her face plain. His hands were stained with fresh blood. His world was breaking apart. Trapped there in a hellscape of snow and blood, something inside Jaune broke. As the monster let loose a torrent of flames, erupting from its open maw like a stream of liquid fire, bright and beautiful. Jaune remembered something, a distant promise, a vow, something he had buried so deep inside himself that he almost forgot about it. Now it roared back like a powerful scream deep inside his soul.
Jaune's world erupted once more into blood and fire.
….
….
….
….
"I'll kill them…"
A.N: Dramatic ending! I will respond to every review in the next chapter. I want to keep the suspense going. But an apology is in order. Life just kicks you in the teeth. These last few months have done a number on me between school and work. Next chapter is coming in about a week or so, so don't worry, I'm still very much around. Hope you enjoyed! Kabuto S. Inferno once more deserves all the respect for dealing with my nonexistent timelines and sporadic updates. See you soon!