Ren wasn't the first person awake come morning. As he blinked the sleep out of his eyes, he noticed that Jaune was long gone. His sleeping bag was empty, leaving him alone in their sleeping compartment. Having decided to separate by genders and not by partners.
Shrugging, he did his best to zip up the 'door' as silently as possible, not wanting to wake up Nora or Pyrrha if he could help it.
Setting foot outside and taking a deep breath, he let a smile grace his lips as the fresh morning air filled his lungs. Dew coating the leaves and grass, birdsong ringing out as the forest around them came to life.
Jaune was sitting by the burnt-out fire, looking deep in thought as he absentmindedly fiddled with an old golden chalice. However he wasn't alone, two arms were gently draped around his neck as the owner rested her head on his shoulders. The spectre was dressed in old white clerical robes, blond hair floating upwards as if she was underwater.
As one they turned to him, the spectre dragged along by Jaune as he moved. Jaune greeted him with a nod before the chalice demanded his attention. The spectre on the other hand gave him a look of tired apathy, not the gentle care that shone in her eyes whenever she looked at Jaune. A look not to dissimilar to doctors who have had one to many patients die in their care, or huntsmen who had been late one to many times. The apathy quickly bled out of her as she blinked at him, a haunting voice whispering beside him as she spoke. "You can see me?"
"Yes?" He asked tentatively, not sure if he was talking to a ghost, the air, or he had simply gone mad.
"Huh? Is there something?" Jaune asked somewhat confusedly as he turned to him. Looking straight through the ghost. A bittersweet smile etched itself on her face as hurt and understanding flashed in her eyes. Gently she ran her hand along his cheek, Jaune not noticing if his expression was anything to go by.
"He still cannot see me." The spectre whispered softly, voice ringing out right beside his ear. "The grievances he holds towards me, let alone those he holds for himself, blinds him to my presence. Night and day I watch over him, yet my words fail to reach him."
"Jaune. Did you know you are haunted?" Ren asked, voice cracking slightly. The hair on his neck standing as a shiver raced trough him. When he woke up the morning, he had never expected to come face to face with a ghost, something that should be impossible given that ghosts didn't exist. But leave it to Jaune to somehow break expectations in the weirdest of ways.
"If I'm not already haunted, I sure will be for entertaining what I have in mind." Jaune replied with a shrug as he tore his eyes away from the golden chalice in his hands. "But I don't take it was that you meant?"
"No, I meant it in the more literal sense." Ren said carefully as he gestured at the ghost that sent him a thankful smile. Any idea of catching some time for morning practice alone long since gone from his mind. "I mean… there is a ghost quite literally hanging of your shoulders."
"You are kidding with me, right?" Jaune asked as a hand shot up towards his neck, fingers seamlessly passing through the ghosts form. "Please say you are kidding." Jaune pleaded, expression falling as no joke or punchline ever came. Instead he took a deep breath, held it for a good minute, before whispering a tired. "Fuck"
"On one hand I think I just figured out one or the activation criteria for Spirituality. On the other hand, for all it's worth, I'm sorry." Jaune said sincerely, startling Ren at his sudden confession. Having expected Jaune to freak out, not to look so remorseful.
"What do you mean? Why are you sorry? Sorry for what?" Ren pressed, sitting down on another bench as he gave Jaune his full attention. A need for answers spurting him on as he stared into his friends eyes.
"Well… I may or may not have lied when I said there are only six attributes." Jaune cringed under Ren's glare, carefully picking his words so he didn't dig his grave deeper. "There are seven attributes total, not six. Insight is an attribute that can't be increased by blood echoes, instead it must be earned. Be that by learning knowledge not meant for mortal minds, seeing inhuman beings, consuming things not made by mortal hand, maybe there are other ways you can earn Insight. But there is a truth to the saying ignorance is bliss."
"As an attribute, Insight is more of a unit of measurement for how much 'the curtain of the world is pulled back' for you. With insight you will see more. Inanimate objects coming to life, spirits and other superstitions from myths as well, you will start seeing them in the corner of your eye, if you are extra unlucky you will start hearing them whispering in your ears." Each word out of Jaune's mouth sent the hair on Ren's neck standing. The spirit's kind smile suddenly taking a sinister edge as he swore he saw eyes in the shadows of the leaves.
"Take me for example, my Insight currently sits at sixteen, which honestly is fifteen too much. It allows me to see multiple things that I shouldn't, and don't want to see. I can see and hear echoes of the past alumni of Beacon wandering the halls as they talk and make merry. But as much as I wish that was everything, I also see the soul, I think at least. I see what people are feeling, colours radiating from their soul depending on their mood. I see the health of everyone I meet, aura's in different colours clinging to their body's, different thickness and brightness determining how healthy they are. And I can't turn it off, and it's only the start. And I don't know what is worse."
"I don't think you will develop the same abilities as me. A thousand people see the world a thousand different ways after all, doubly so for how intimate and overwhelming the things behind the curtains can be." Jaune whispered sorrowfully, not wishing Insight upon anyone, not even his worst enemy. Some things weren't meant for mortal eyes, and ignorance truly was bliss.
Jaune still hadn't gotten around to using the madmen's skulls he had collected. Instead they sat in a pile gathering dust in the dream. Not in the slightest ready to shatter them, something his rune birthmark had been egging him to do while he held one. The only reason he hadn't was because he didn't feel ready nor prepared to find out why they were called 'madmen's skulls'.
"Well…" Was all Ren could say before words failed him. Mind working overtime as he tried making sense of what Jaune had shared with him. "Do… do you think that is the reason as to why Spirituality is so extremely rare? Because activating it requires someone to 'pull back the curtains of the world', so to speak?"
"Yes, most likely." Jaune answered as he ran a hand through his hair. "Insight is a slippery slope, with madness as a companion and friend instead of a destination. There will come a point where the lines between reality and the mystical blur together until they are indistinguishable from one another. But I can easily imagine a shaman or sage reaching beyond their station, reaching for more, and having their mind and spirituality shattered as a consequence."
Heavy silence descended over him as Ren mulled over what Jaune had shared with him. The many moments where Jaune seemed lost in thought, being by their side but also not being there at the same time, suddenly making so much more sense. How his eyes had suddenly flashed to something else while they were talking, how he could suddenly look like someone had said his name and look around in confusion.
In the end all he could do was breath out heavily, even as emotions stormed within him, he forced himself to be calm and think over what Jaune's words meant. For him, for Nora, for Pyrrha, for what it meant for Team JNPR as a whole.
"Do… do you think it is likely that Nora and Pyrrha will also 'earn' insight?" Ren asked carefully. Not missing the way Jaune's eye's shot up in panic before he collected himself and began thinking, not having thought to think about this before.
"I want to say no, I really want to. But no, I can't, I won't, say that." Jaune said somewhat hurtfully. "If you stumbled upon Insight, then there is no way that they also won't eventually do so. I only hope it isn't tomorrow. And one doesn't as much 'earn' Insight, as it is forced on you."
"That doesn't exactly fill me with joy. In fact it does the exact opposite." Ren snarked, loosing grip over his emotions and letting some of them seep into his voice. Jaune took the barb with a wry smile.
"I never wanted this to happen, you know. The dream, Yharnam, insight, I didn't wish for any of that. I was whisked away the night after initiation to a nightmarish hellscape. But, I hoped, I wished, that if I took it stoically, then nothing would happen to you and the others. That Yharnam would be just my personal hell." Jaune laughed self-deprecatingly, unshed tears shining in his eyes. "But I guess even that was too much to ask for."
"I know. You are as much as a victim here." Ren sighed softly, ignoring the tears that streamed down Jaune's face. Allowing his friend a moment to catch himself he mulled over what he should say, tasting the words on his tongue before shrugging, deciding instead to be blunt. "But Jaune, what do you mean you will be haunted for having an idea? Are you suicidal?"
"How about you instead explain what you mean when you say I have a ghost drabbed over my shoulder?!" Jaune replied heatedly, hand coming up to scratch his neck.
"Iosefka. My name is Iosefka. He knows my name. He will not react kindly to it, but it will quell any doubts." Iosefka's voice rang softly out beside his ear while she did her best to give him a supportive smile from where she hung over Jaune. With a sigh, Ren wished he had stayed asleep instead. Not feeling comfortable with taking advice from floating spectres.
"Iosefka." Was all Ren had to say before an empty expression settled over Jaune. Eyes vacant as a storm raged within. Knuckles turning white as he gripped the handle of his blade like a lifeline. All the while Iosefka hung over his shoulders, looking at Jaune with a soft bittersweet smile.
"Oh." The word was spoken softly, a whisper ringing hollowly in the clearing. Bit by bit, Jaune's veneer of composure cracked. Right eye twitching spontaneously as hate marred his features, followed by pain, until hurt was the only thing that shone in his eyes.
"I guess I should have expected as much. I'm honestly surprised I'm not haunted by more." Jaune chuckled out with a bitter smile. "But Iosefka? I'm surprised she has the audacity to do so, after what she made me do." Angry hurt lacing his voice as he snarled out the words.
Instead of anger that he was expecting, hurt and understanding shone in Iosefka's eyes. A bittersweet smile on her face as he gently caressed Jaune's cheek.
"Jaune has much reason to dislike me. Especially with what I forced someone as kind as him to do." Iosefka began, something flashed in her eyes as her right eye briefly turned into a spawling galaxy, her entire demeanour shifting. Turning from warm and nurturing to cold and distant. "An unpayable debt, we owe him. Guidance we offer. He is captain of his own fate; we are to be the compass in his hands. Until our debt to our saviour is repaid in full."
The coldness melted out of her as her eye turned 'normal' again. It wasn't as much as a switch had been flipped as much as it was just another side of her had come to the surface. An inhuman side void of any emotion and human rationale.
Relaying what Iosefka said, Ren tried not thinking too hard about it. Not wanting to delve down that rabbit hole at the crack of dawn. Especially given how stiff Jaune went when he heard the words, a look of confusion and realisation on his face as he seemed to get something but note everything.
"So… Jaune. That idea of yours… what is it?" Ren asked carefully, giving Jaune a simple out from his spiralling thoughts. With a tired sigh, Jaune looked down at the golden chalice in his hands. Rolling it around idly as he sighed again. A tiredness fitting an old man rolling of him in waves.
"It's not suicide. Don't worry." Jaune said tiredly. "But it might be worse. It's… well… there is this district in Yharnam. The Old Town district to be precise. It lays nestled in a valley, with only two ways in, three if you count with its harbour. Something happened in the past that led to the 'Ashen Blood' the name for a plague that turns humans into beasts to break out. Things happened and eventually the entire Old Town almost tore itself apart, something that lead to a great fire. The hunters responsible for the fire lost themselves in guilt, those that didn't kill themselves imposed an exile on themselves. Taking up guardianship over the beasts in the Old Town."
"Jaune, no. I have an inkling about where you are going with this. But, no. Please, no. Some lines shouldn't be crossed." Ren said, but his pleas went unheard as Jaune continued. A desperate look in his eyes.
"With the Blood Starved Beast dead, the largest threat to the Old Town is gone for good. I think, I still haven't gotten to killing the beast behind the wooden gate, but it's only a matter of time before I find my way around. But anyhow, with the most impending threats to the Old Town gone, that means it is only a scant few beasts left. The old fire having claimed most lives. If I were to remove the rest, I, we, would have a district completely free from beasts. It would mean hope."
"It would mean the complete massacre of every infected person currently inhabiting the Old Town."
"I know." Jaune whispered softly, looking up to look Ren in the eye. "But it would also mean hope. And for that no price is too high."
"The Ashen Blood is as close to incurable as incurable is. Multiple scholars and physicians have spent their lives trying to cure it. None have met with success, myself included. Hope, in Yharnam, on the darkest of nights. Is invaluable." Iosefka added softly from the side. Remorse shining in her eyes, a tear trailing down her face.
"There have to be someway else. They were people. Terminally ill people at that. Killing them can't be the answer. There must be another way." Ren shot back heatedly.
"There is no other way." Jaune whispered with tired finality.
####
"Ok, it's time to begin training for real." Jaune said with a smile as everyone finished up their breakfast. A forced smile on his face as he ignored how the mornings conversation with Ren had affected him. "Now, today's goal is simple. Teamwork. We will be drilling teamwork drills with and without partner. We will spend maybe around one or two hours going over the drills we learned in Beacon, before we go out hunting. We will be putting what we have learned in practice, and I hope, that by the end of today we will at least some sort of progress. It doesn't need to be much, but it must at least be something."
"Why teamwork?" Nora asked curiously. "I mean… with the tournament rapidly approaching. Wouldn't it be best to focus on that instead? Especially with the other academies student's arriving come Monday?"
"Wednesday actually." Ren piped in from the side, getting a sidewise glare from Nora but ignoring it. Mind somewhere else entirely.
"Then the dance on Friday, followed by the week after being reserved for our first assignment missions. The tournament starts two weeks after that. Giving us little over four weeks' time. And while I know everyone here will give their best, we will get more long-lasting results from teamwork than individual training. Especially if everyone keeps up with their own training. I don't know if we will win, but I want us to go as far as we can." Jaune explained with a somehow bashful smile on his face.
"You want us to absolutely curb stomp our opponents, gotcha." Nora added with a teasing grin. Excitement radiating of her in waves as she practically vibrated in place.
"In a way, yes. There is also that I know for a fact, that if the three of us have excellent teamwork, we can, and will beat Pyrrha." Jaund said, ignoring the sudden downright exited look Pyrrha sent him. "Having Pyrrha on our team paints a giant target on our backs, not just hers. It isn't too hard to imagine that one or more team's will drill teamwork and leverage it to their advantage as much as they possibly can to get us out of running as fast as possible."
"Excellent teamwork, and the strength to stand on our own when separated? Sounds like a worthwhile goal." Ren said, focusing on the conversation. Standing up and stretching, quickly checking his weapons before looking ready to go.
Nora right on his heels, leaning on Magnhild as she glared at Jaune and Pyrrha to get their asses in gear.
Chuckling at her enthusiasm, Jaune pulled out his revolver, emptying out the standard paper cartridge-based quicksilver bullets. Pulling a sleek silver bullet from his pocket, an aurora of colours dying the clearing. Squinting away the stars he quickly loaded all five bullets as he cringed. A single bullet had cost 2450 blood echoes to produce. Even with the windfall from the Blood Starved Beast, it had still taken most of his savings. Thankfully he had a little pile of coldblood to take the edge of. The total cost for six bullet's hurt, and part of him was regretting it. Another more prominent part of him couldn't wait to test the bullet's out.
'Aurora tipped quicksilver bullets', the name coined after the bullet tip that was crowned with extremely tiny translucent crystals that lit up in magnificent and mesmerising patterns when exposed to light. Three normal quicksilver bullets transmuted into an 'improved' bullet, and three 'improved' bullets transmuted into one Aurora tipped bullet.
"Whoohey, what kind of new toy did you get your grubby hands-on fearless leader?" Nora asked, stars in her eyes as she looked at the revolver. Looking ready to rip the revolver out of his hand and pop the bullets out to sate her curiosity.
"I don't think I have ever seen a bullet look so… mesmerising. It looked more like a work of art if anything." Pyrrha added from the side. Looking just as, if not more curious.
Fishing out his last bullet, another light show dazzled the clearing as he threw the bullet to Pyrrha who deftly caught it out of the air. Looking in over in awe and taking in the stunning pattern that lined the casing.
"Aurora tipped quicksilver bullet. I may have gone a bit overboard with my transmutation ritual, six bullets taking out most of my blood echo savings. But I think it's worth it. At least I hope so." Jaune said as he stood up, back popping like a firecracker as he stretched. "But go on, try it. I'm curious how they work."
Uncertainty clouded her features as she switched Miló into it's rifle form. Expertly popping out the loaded round. Looking over the bullet, she let her eyes wander to Jaune, not entirely comfortable with the idea of loading some weird bullet. But seeing his encouraging expression she loaded the too wide bullet, watching mesmerised as it shifted to perfectly fit Miló's calibre.
Making sure everything was as it should, she looked around for a target. An electric nervousness in the air as she fell into a familiar stance. Letting her finger rest on the trigger, she took a breath and fired.
The tree exploded into sawdust as thunder echoed a beat later. The crown coming crashing down as a perfectly circular hole showed itself after the dust settled.
Everyone stared gobsmacked at the destruction before them, the tree hadn't as much been felled, as the area that was hit had exploded into sawdust.
Pyrrha had stars in her eyes, looking down at Miló in wonder. Head snapping to Jaune with glittering eyes. She wasn't alone, even Ren had stars in his eyes, thinking of countless possibilities of what higher firepower could offer them. Nora was practically drooling, holding Magnild to her chest with a faraway look.
"No. I can see what you are thinking. No. I'm setting my foot down. Six bullets cost me a small fortune of blood echoes. It would take about one week of dedicated hunting to get back to where I was. I'm not doing it." Jaune said sternly. Glaring at his teammates, out of which only Pyrrha had the decency to blush.
"Pretty, pretty please?" Nora tried, bringing out the puppy dog eyes in vain.
"No." Jaune replied sternly. "Trust me, I understand. But it's not feasible. I can't spend each and every night hunting for blood echoes. It's a byproduct of cleansing Yharnam, not the reason."
"That reminds, me. Jaune, what is blood echoes actually? You keep mentioning it, but I never think you explained what they are." Ren asked calmly, excitement bubbling in Nora's eyes together with hope.
"I didn't?" Jaune asked puzzledly, receiving some nods from his teammates. "Sorry, bad habit of mine. I was kind of expecting you to know." He cringed as his teammates levelled him looks.
"Expecting others to know? Happens to the best of us. You have explained the dream so much to us that it must have slipped your mind." Nora said in solidarity, being prone to slip over details when she was rambling.
"Ok, in short blood echoes are the echo of someone's will. If a ghost is the lingering image of a person, blood echoes are the lingering presence of their will. A proof that they lived so to say. In a way, while not everything revolves around them, a lot in the dream does. They are used as currency in the messengers shop, they are the fuel that allows me to increase my attributes, they are the limits that decide what I can transmute. I can't stress enough how vital they are." Jaune explained. "Everyone in the dream drop some semblance of blood echoes when killed, the same is true for grimm and people as well."
"Grimm you say?" Nora asked, eyes sparkling as ideas started to form. Pyrrha and Ren catching onto what she hinted at.
"Surprisingly yes. I guess they are amalgamation's of negative emotions somehow tainted by will. I think." Jaune answered, a frown on his face as he looked at Nora. Who wore a steadily growing smile. Even Pyrrha's eyes sparkled.
"Fine, fine. We will spend the entire day hunting, and we can play around with different transmutations in the evening. But we will also be dropping lunch, and we are to travel in different formation's, and fight like a team. Otherwise no game. We are out here to work on our teamwork, and no blood echo hunt and possible cool new ammo is going to get in the way. Understood?" Jaune sat his foot down, almost buckling over when Nora crashed into him with an ear-piercing shriek of happiness.
"Thank you, thank you! Imagine what my baby will do with magical grenades!" Nora shrieked in happiness.
Dread pooled in Jaune's stomach as he shared a glance with Ren. The realities of the situation settling over him. A soft "Oh, no." escaping him.
"Oh, yes!" Nora shot back with an exited grin. "We will have the best teamwork, we will all be champions in our own right, and we will have the best firepower of all. We will be invincible!"
"Is there a rule against bringing to much firepower into the tournament?" Ren asked softly, already feeling like he had lost multiple years of his life span by the mere thought of Nora having magical grenades. Not even Iosefka who still clung to Jaune and giggled softly at Nora's enthusiasm scared him like that. One filled him with existential dread, the other made him wonder how long it took before Nora got a bit to trigger happy.
Maybe he was overthinking things, he trusted Nora to be responsible. But he was also aware of how she tended to act before thinking most of the time.
"Ok. V formation. Nora leads, I take right, Pyrrha on the left and Ren in between." Jaune called out, clapping loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone will lead, we won't constantly move in formation but I want everyone to get the taste of it. When we return, we can think about maybe assigning some roles, or brainstorm some tactics."
Everyone nodded at his words, switching from the light and friendly mood to a more serious one. Nora nodding, uncertainty settling into her. While she had led, or dragged, Ren around when on the road. Ren had also served as the final voice of reason. But that was that, and this was this. And above all, she didn't want to disappoint anyone in her team.
"Don't worry, we trust you, and should anything happen, I will take charge. This is just an exercise so everyone can get used to taking point in formation. I will still be in charge when combat happens, you will be setting pace, and deciding which direction we move in. I'm not expecting us to move like Atlas specialists, that have never been the goal. I want us to get used to working and moving like a team." Jaune explained softly, taking a weight out of her shoulders. "Many other team's I have seen, even some second- and third-year teams act like it's a one man show. The quicker we get out of that mentality, the quicker we will really start to shine as a team."
"Ok, just setting pace and choosing direction. I can do that." Nora whispered out as uncertainties and insecurities bled out of her. Frowning she turned to Jaune "Wouldn't it be better to move in a line formation? Given the trees and all that."
Blinking dumbly, Jaune looked around. "Ok, fair, got a bit to exited there." He chuckled, but not before giving Nora a smile. "Don't worry, everyone will take point today. We will have to find another chance to test the V formation later, if only to get a feel for it. Anyway, Pyrrha takes point, followed by Ren and Nora, and I will cover the back. Pyrrha and I will change spots later, but I want the two with shields to be in the most dangerous spots in the formation."
Letting out a sigh of relief Nora quickly took her place after Ren. Throwing a teasing smile back to Jaune. "Don't stare Jaune-Jaune."
"As if." Jaune shot back, smacking himself on the ass and sending Nora a smile. "Mine is better."
Nora's gobsmacked look was something he would treasure till the end of time.
#####
"Flanking formation." Rang out in the clearing, the closest beowolf instantly snapping it's head towards some bushes where Jaune and Pyrrha came charging out. Sprinting right at a group of grimm consisting of both ursa's and beowolf's. The grimm met them halfway into their charge, roaring and coming in swinging with claws that were easily dodged.
The duo danced around each other, Pyrrha moving with grace, dodging and weaving out from blow after blow. Jumping, kicking, slashing, and trusting around the ursa and beowolf's, never staying in spot to long while also staying close enough to Jaune to be able to seamlessly switch with him.
Jaune was in his element, surrounded by chaos and bloodthirsty grimm. Coming at them with a ferocity that eclipsed theirs. Moving around with surprisingly deft and elegant movements. Crocea Mors sung in the air as it delivered quick and effective strikes. If not outright killing the weaker ones with single blows, limbs were sent flying and turned to smoke.
Three pink grenades soared through the air from the side, as a barrage of bullet's followed them, slamming into the grimm. Drawing some attention and opening them up for kill shots from Jaune or Pyrrha.
With a jerk of her head, Pyrrha sent a grenade sailing into a roaring ursas mouth. Pink smoke leaking out from its mouth before it exploded into chunks of nothing.
Launching herself out from the foliage, Nora threw herself into the fray with wild abandon. Hammer crushing every unfortunate grimm that was to close. With Ren coming charging out behind her, providing supportive fire to open some grimm for kill shots while working himself closer. Before dashing into the fray when the group had been almost effortlessly dispatched.
"That went like clockwork!" Nora exclaimed as the dust had settled. Looking around the had been battlefield with a bright smile. "I mean, I knew me and Renny have good teamwork. But I didn't know that adding two more could completely change the game like that."
"There is a reason huntsmen teams are made up of four after all." Jaune stated mater-of-factly. "Not too many to need a proper structure, while also consisting of few enough people to create a change in most if not all situations. There will always be huntsmen who mostly operate alone, but they are mostly veterans who have the skills to match it up, together with experience to know what to do in most situations. It's best to learn to fight with a team before branching out."
"I must admit to never thinking at it like that." Pyrrha added from the side. "I think having teams of four have become so common that I didn't think anything about it."
"Ehh, take it with a grain of salt. If you want a better, more correct answer you should ask Miss Goodwitch or any of the other professors." Jaune shrugged.
"That's fine and all, but Jaune-Jaune. How many blood echo's thingy's did you get from the grimm?" Nora asked excitedly. Butting herself into the conversation and completely pulling it off the track.
Willing up his blood echo number, he blinked first, before letting out a long whistle. "A little over two thousand. One of the grimm must have been older than the others, I don't think other groups will drop the same numbers. But I won't say no to more blood echoes, let's just stay on top of our game. We don't want to bite of more than we can chew."
"If you got so many blood echoes from a group of grimm, why haven't you gone out and hunted in the emerald forest when you had chance?" Ren asked curiously.
"Because, well, I have heard and seen what have become of hunters who 'gone mad with the blood'. A far to common saying in Yharnam about hunters who stopped hunting beasts out of duty, faith or other proper causes. Instead hunting only to sate ever growing bloodlusts. And I don't want to end up like them. Going out of my way to only hunt for blood echoes feels like a slippery slope to seeing everyone as blood echo containers instead of people." Jaune replied as he scratched his neck, a dim smile on his face.
"I'm sorry~" Nora whispered softly, cringing and giving Jaune a soft look. "I got too caught up in my own exactment. If it's making you uncomfortable and brining up bad images, we can stop."
Not expecting him to just wave her off. "Don't worry. This is training first and foremost. We are learning to work together in the field, turning from a group of four friends into a team of four friends. And if anything, I'm also looking forward to playing around with the transmutation ritual. I created an unstable bullet with a fire dust-based bullet, a quicksilver one and a horn of bone marrow ash. I can't wait to see what we can create together."
"What else do you think you can be transmuted? There must be some sort of limit on what is possible." Ren asked curiously. Getting a blank look from Jaune as he shrugged. "Frankly I have no idea." Frowning as a thoughtful look settled over him. "The first quicksilver bullet rite was cheaper than the second. Maybe there is some sort of arbitrary tier system, or each successive transmutation of the same item will get more expensive. But I'm as clueless as you, it will be a learning experience for all of us."
"We can learn together later, now we have a hunt to continue." Pyrrha said sweetly, brimming with excitement for having no need to hold back anymore. It had been a long time since she felt the rapid progress she was making now.
Maybe it was because had had never really drilled teamwork before, maybe it was because she had teammates who pulled their own weight and spurred each other on. But the feeling of improvement that had been missing from her life since the first time she defended her title came crashing back full force. Taking down a large mixed pack of grimm without breaking a sweat, while more than doable, had never felt so effortless before.
It felt like the slump she had found herself in was disappearing by the minute. There was only so much repetition and physical exercise could do without proper opponents to test herself against. Not even taking on the entirety of Team CRDL alone, or any other first year team really helped her with properly working up a sweat.
'Maybe I could ask Miss Goodwitch if it would be possible to challenge older students?' Pyrrha mused to herself.
While Pyrrha was lost in thought, Ren sent Jaune a look, before gesturing with his head towards her and Nora. Frowning slightly Jaune shook his head, before sending a glare back.
"Ok, Pyrrha, you will continue to lead out the hour. Continue to set the pace like you have." Jaune said, putting an end to whatever hidden conversation he had with Ren while pulling Pyrrha out of her thoughts.
With a quick nod, she looked around before taking of in a direction. Ren quick on her heels with Nora sending a quick look between him and Jaune before she
####
"Have I ever told that you are a slave driver Jaune? Because you absolutely are." Nora groaned the moment they got back to camp. Sitting down on the closest bench with a hearth felt sigh of relief as she leaned at Magnhild.
"If anything, it bears repeating." Ren butted in as he got a fire starting as quickly as possible. An orchestra of grumbling stomachs echoing out in the clearing.
"Dibs on chicken curry and rice." Jaune called out as he sat tree other foodpacks on the makeshift kitchen top. Everyone being too tired to properly cook a meal.
"Ugh, beans." Nora grumbled, having been the furthest from the kitchen top and had been left with the one no one wanted. Hungry, but not petty enough to go searching for another foodpack she made her way back to the bench with a pout. Grumbling under her breath.
"So, Jaune…" Pyrrha started, radiating curiosity even if a sheen of sweet lined her shoulders and brows. "How does the 'transmutation rite' actually work? I remember the thing with the candy, but any underlying principles? Any rules or anything like that?"
"That… I never thought about it." Jaune said, blinking owlishly. Taking of his top hat and spinning it around his fingers. "It's… well… after getting it to work the first time I was more ecstatic about the fact that it worked instead of thinking about any rules or limitations. I mean, I can speculate. There have to be some sort of compatibility, each ritual costs varying amount of blood echoes, the ritual consumes the individual parts and fuses them into a greater whole. So there are three limitations there. Maybe add another one regarding unpredictable results, because it will be mostly trial and error until everything is figured out."
"Magicky." Nora added from the side, looking to be deep in thought as she nodded along to Jaune's explanation.
"That's not a real word Nora." Ren sighed with exasperation. Ignoring how she rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. "But Jaune, are you ok with this? Given the worth of blood echoes for you, are you sure you want to waste them like this?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say it's a waste. But I thought about it, and well, I think it can be fun. I can always get my blood echoes back up. And if anything, I get to rigorously test a part of my semblance, or whatever it is, that I seldom use." Jaune said with a sheepish smile. "Blood rites together with Bloodtinge have both fallen to the wayside. All my reading up on magic and potion's have helped fuel my arcane stat, increasing it to fifteen. It's not much overall, but arcana had been my worst attribute, my studies increasing it by a whopping five. While bloodtinge have only increased with two, from twelve to fourteen. So hopefully me experimenting with blood rites will help it up."
"Good. I can admit to being caught up in the excitement about better firepower in the morning. But I don't want to feel like you are sacrificing your progress in the dream." Ren said softly.
"Thank you. But I'm managing. A little too well it feels like." Muttering the last thing under his breath, he stood up and quickly made his way over to the kitchen top. Quickly taking of his gloves and laying them to the side as he took up his sacrificial knife. A thin little dagger that he always carried on him just in case. Nonchalantly the dagger bit into his palm, blood dropping onto the kitchen top.
With practiced ease the blood rite circle was drawn. Blood shining with an unnatural vibrancy, almost shining neon.
Looking up he saw the slightly uncomfortable looks of his team. If they were uncomfortable due to the blood, or his nonchalance self-harm, he didn't know but it stung.
"So, who want to go first?" Jaune asked, deciding to brush aside the pang of something he felt. His team tried their best, going out of their comfort zones and being better friends than he frankly deserved. But he couldn't help but feel as if some invisible wall always remained between them. It wasn't something that got in-between their teamwork or friendship, but it was just a feeling of disconnect.
Because for all they tried, they couldn't understand Yharnam. Blood wasn't the same it was in Remnant. Blood was power. It had the power to heal, to raise up and tear down people, to create, to perform miracles and much more he had only begun dipping his toes in.
And his team couldn't understand that. While he didn't have the same obsession with blood as most Yharnamites, he understood more about the powers it could bring than his friends could ever fathom. Blood was blood, for them blood was meant to be inside your body. Carelessly and nonchalantly spilling one's own blood was always a sign of something being majorly wrong.
"How about something tame and easy to start?" Ren said, carefully placing three plastic cups of his healthy green goop in the circles. Ignoring Nora's teasing laughter, Jaune shrugged. Not seeing anything wrong with being cautious in the start.
Placing his hands by the blood rite circle he channelled some blood echoes into the rite. A crimson light shining brightly for a split second before a plastic cup with beautiful silver and black design sat in the middle. Green goop looking more like beautifully prepared tea instead of a health smoothie.
Rising a tentative brow, Ren cautiously sniffed the tea. Eyes shooting open at the refreshing aroma. Carefully he took a little sip, a content smile on his face as he felt his tired muscles relax. A soothing spring breeze dancing trough him and washing away any hint of fatigue, nurturing muscles, and healing old injuries he didn't know he had. With a content smile he sat down the cup to the inquiring looks of his friends.
"It was better than normal right?" Jaune asked as he looked down at the tea with an interested look.
"Yes, it was like spring came and washed away all aches while nurturing my muscles. Both taste and texture have also improved." Ren answered with a tranquil smile. Lifting the cup towards Nora and Pyrrha. Both taking curious little sip's, eyes shooting open as they felt all tiredness vanish without a trace.
"Great, that means that I was right. It was the same with my bullets. Three bullets became a better bullet, so if three of the same things is transmuted together it will just make a better version of itself. Better bullets, better health smoothies, better anything really." Jaune spoke his theory with an exited smile. "Of course there must be some sort of limit, not to mention material cost. Nine standard items into three improved items who can be fused into one enhanced item. I'm not sure how many times something can be transmuted with itself, but each step seems magnitude's more expensive. It's not much, but it's something."
"You know this something of yours is invaluable, right?" Ren said softly, wondering how the implications of the 'blood rite' or 'ritual' could fly over Jaune's head. "Just the fact that something as mundane as a health smoothie can get almost magical effects should tell you that this can never be known. Especially when you can literally increase our, or any group's, effectiveness by multiple magnitudes. If an 'improved' health smoothie can wash away any fatigue while nurturing the muscles, what do you think an 'enhanced' smoothie can do?"
"Oh." Jaune whispered softly. "I never thought about it like that."
"Sooooo… promise that this is never getting out?" Nora chuckled with a nervous smile. Pyrrha robotically nodding, the amazement at what Jaune had effortlessly made turning into mounting horror as 'what if's' made itself known in her mind.
"Let's keep this between us for now at least." Jaune finalised, everyone nodding at his words. Getting tentative nods in return.
"Oath witnessed; terms set." Iosefka's voice rang out bedside's Ren's ear. Throwing a quick look at Iosefka's form, a shiver raced down his spine as her right pupil looked like a galaxy.
"So what does that mean? Should we forget about the blood rite? Pretend like Jaune-Jaune can't make miracle cures?" Nora asked innocently.
"The rite doesn't work on healing items." Jaune said with a bittersweet smile. Having tried transmuting three blood vials together to no avail. "Maybe it can work on curing items like medicine, but it didn't work on blood vials. But trust me when I say the first thing I tested was healing items. Otherwise it should work on almost everything that can fit in the circles."
His words hung over them before excitement eventually won over nervousness as Nora placed three of her grenades in the circle. Bouncing with excitement as Jaune started the rite.
A flesh of crimson, and a single pink canister sat in the middle. A matte metallic heart shape at the tip. With a childlike excitement Nora carefully loaded it into Magnhild after a precursory look. While she trusted Jaune, she would never forgive herself if Magnhild ever got damaged due to her excitement. Finding nothing wrong she aimed and pulled the trigger.
A heavy *thunk* rang trough the clearing, a trial of pink smoke arching behind the grenade. Flying over the tree Pyrrha had destroyed earlier, before crashing down. Thick pink smoke exploding out from the grenade, as lightning the with the width of two finger's snaked around in the smoke. Bark splintering and smoking as the lighting snakes burned patterns into everything they touched.
"oh.. oh hohoho." Nora's giggling started soft, before developing into full blown laughter as the pink smoke finally cleared. Head turning back to her team who still looked at fading smoke with amazement. "We will be invincible!"
####
Note. The first member of Team JNPR get insight, of course it would be the most spiritually inclined of them. Everyone in the team will eventually develop their own Spirit Vision as their Insight progresses, but it will be wholly unique for everyone, and will, hopefully, also fit them as a character.
Note: There is no way to lose insight, period. I want to move the Bloodborne narrative from a game, with game mechanics to a more fleshed out world. That is why Jaune can freely change outfits in the wardrobe (even though he hasn't been there recently.) But the Insight shop still exist, only it takes something else as currency, I haven't figured out what I want to use and what will fit so I have ignored it for now. But while it won't be pivotal to the narrative it will still play it's role.
Note: You know, I really didn't think the consequences trough when I made the 'transmutation' rite. It was a cool gimick that would work as a tool to help Jaune quicker get the rune set he wants. Instead of delving the same chalice multiple times, or making runes become common. It will still be an important tool in his arsenal, but I need to handle it with a delicate touch. It's good, but it won't be overpowered, hopefully.