In Mistral, there was a town, a village hidden away from the world. On the edge of the mountainous eastern coast, if one traveled up the golden coast, scaled the hazardous cliff faces, and trekked through the lush hanging forests, a village of a few hundred could be found hidden in a mountainous basin.

Those who knew its existence were few, and those who knew its name were fewer.

This was the Village of the Sun. The few people who knew of it recognized it for its history and beauty. Where people could go to and live out the rest of their lives in peaceful quiet. Those who knew it from myths and rumors called it a safe haven for those wishing to run from people and Grimm alike.

Those who believed the village of the sun existed thought it to be a place of refuge.

Those who knew it intimately understood it was a place of warriors.

"Again!" A man with a grizzled beard and stone face stood and instructed a group of young men and women. Each holding wooden weapons as they followed with a harsh silence. Their eyes turned towards the waterfall to the east of the village, their one and only landmark. Every dawn the children of the village would come and practice. Day in and day out, under the watchful eyes of the rising sun.

"Very good, Camelia!"

An energetic girl with a giant battle axe nodded.

"Keep your grip tighter, Ryan!"

A stoic boy with a boy and an arrow nodded.

"No notes for you, Astoria! Perfect form as always."

A proud girl with a spear and round shield smiled slightly and nodded.

"Good job everyone!" The village teacher, Griswald Bear, tough man with brown hair and black eyes. The only one in the village said to have fought a rogue huntsman and survived. He was the village's strongest warrior, and their protector. Everyone loved him, and he in turn loved everyone.

"You're all doing well! Improvements are everywhere! Every single one of you can become a warrior someday. Every single one... of you..."

Except for one person.

"What is... what is this?"

Griswald cared for everyone except Jaune.

"Jaune Arc. What are you doing?" The man asked as Jaune looked up and laughed nervously, tangled up in his weapons, two sickles connected by chains. They bound his arms above his head, and he had to wiggle around like a worm to try and escape. In his defense, he had been trying, really trying, to keep his weapons from getting tangled... again.

This was the third time this week.

"Uh... I'm practicing what to do in case of a weapon malfunction?" Jaune laughed to hide his embarrassment as the other children stopped and snickered. Meanwhile the instructor shool his head and sighed. "Of course you are." Griswald said, and left Jaune to pick himself up from his mess.

A task that took more time than he wanted to admit.

"Hey, bro. Get up." His older sister Jade whispered harshly from nearby. "You're embarrassing me."

"I'm trying!" He hissed as he struggled with the stupid chains. Glaring at his other older sister, Juliet, who was chuckling from behind her daggers. She had blond hair and blue eyes, the same traits he shared with all seven of his sisters. It was an Arc family thing, blond hair and blue eyes.

That and mockery. Apparently, mockery was also an Arc thing.

"Hey, Jaune." His older sister, Jill, snorted from the side. "Need help with your diapers?"

"Just like old times?" Jackie, Jill's twin, laughed.

"Butt out," Jackal, his younger and nicest sister, huffed between practice swings of her short sword. "He's trying. Mind your own business."

"Yeah! You got it, Jaune!" His youngest sister, June, the cutest, most innocent little girl, shouted from the sidelines where some families gathered to watch community training together. She was too young to train, so she got to watch him make a fool of himself daily. She cheered. "Kick that weapons butt!" And Jaune felt a little better about losing to his weapon.

Until his oldest sister Jasmine, opened her mouth.

And everything went downhill.

"Hurry up, loser! We're gonna be late for breakfast at this rate." Jasmine, the oldest of the Arc family, said, holding a pouting June on her lap as the rest of the family continued their morning routine. Jasmine was the oldest and had already finished training, bare knuckle, so she got to keep track of June, the youngest, while everyone else trained.

Juliet was the second oldest, used a pair of daggers like nobody's business, and was one of the quieter Arc family members. Everyone in the village saw her as a silent damsel, the town beauty, but he'd seen her silent cruelty when no one was looking. Whether it be directed towards him or the idiots that tried to woo her and pushed their luck a little too far.

She was...

A bitch. A sneaky bitch, but a bitch. Kind of the only way to put it.

In comparison, Jill and Jackie, twins and a few years older than he, were childish. Jill used a bow and arrow. Jackie used a shield and a saber, and they usually worked together. All the time, every time. They fought together and split chores and hobbies, and everything in between. Whether they were nice or teasing just depended on the day and what he'd managed to mess up.

He lost to his weapons today.

Today was a teasing day.

There was no helping it.

And then there was Jade, only a year older than him. They got along well enough, although she was always stronger than he was, so he kind of got used to being dragged along to her whims, since arguments between them usually ended in a sibling brawl, and she would win. 9 times out of 10. She won.

And it had been ten out of ten since she banned him from tickling her, jerk. Last time they tussled, she made him use his allowance to buy her snacks.

And didn't share.

Maybe he'd stay stuck in the chains a little longer. Just to embarrass her. She deserved it.

Yeah... not because he was stuck. Definitely not.

Anyways, his final sibling was Jackal, his favorite, though he wouldn't tell any of the others that. She was a year younger than he was, and stuck by his side whenever she could. She stood up for him, and was one of the more talented children in the village. Father kept saying she was a genius. That her talent was incredible and should be honed to perfection.

He also said Jaune's lack of talent was amazing and needed to be studied, but that didn't have the same ring to it.

"Jaune Arc! What're you doing!" His father, Cadrian Arc, barked from the front of the training grounds. Watching his struggles with narrowed eyes and a set jaw. By his side was Arthur Saber, the village head, and Myra Merlin, the village healer.

Everyone said she was a witch.

Mostly because she was a mean old hag- lady, but maybe she had magic powers too. Who knows.

Either way, her disgusted expression made him shiver as Griswald joined the rest of the village leaders at the front of the training grounds. What could be considered the four most prominent people in the village stood tall and watched as the next generation trained at the break of Dawn.

It usually wasn't like this. Griswald was usually the only one here.

But today was a special day. Today was the graduation day for those turning eighteen this year, like Juliet and a few others. All of the village leaders were there to congratulate them on their achievements and crown them warriors.

"Jaune Arc!"

And Jaune's weapon had to muk up today of all days. Yay.

"Pick yourself up this instant!" Jaune heard his father growl as he sighed. Hanging his head as he tried wiggling in a different direction to see if it would work, surprise, it didn't. And was only freed when Jackal's sword 'slipped' from her grip and stabbed into the ground a few inches from his nose. Anyone else did that, and he would've flinched.

"Oops! Sorry dad! My hand slipped!"

But this was Jackal.

"Let me get it real quick."

And she was the best.

"Here it is." Jackal whistled as she crouched over Jaune, hiding him from their father's view. She reached for her sword with one hand and sneakily unhooked his chains with the other. Freeing him as she picked up her sword without wasting time.

"Thanks, sis." He whispered as she smiled and whispered back. "No problem." Before heading back to her station. Their little secret exchange was noticed by just about everyone, especially their other siblings, while their father fumed in the background.

"Jaune..." Cadrian growled as Jaune sighed and nodded. Standing up and waving off the impending lecture, he said, "I got it. I got it." Before he took his sickles and chains and spun them around cluelessly. He didn't actually know how to use them, case in point the various shouts of 'hey! Watch it!' He got from nearby when they got too close for comfort.

It was only when he nearly stabbed him self in the head, again, that he had to admit he wasn't cut out for the dumb things. And raised his hand.

Griswald sighed. "Yes, Jaune..." he said. He already knew where this was going.

"Can I change my weapon?"

It was about the twelfth time they'd had this conversation since Jaune's training started a few years ago.

"Go ahead." Griswald shook his head, pointing towards the weapons bin as Jaune nodded and walked over. Ignoring the snickers and whispers as he left the sickles and chain in the bin, and looked at the other weapons. He'd already tried all his sister's weapons, none of which panned out well.

Nearly cut his fingers off with the daggers, and when he tried the bow and arrows, he did more damage with his bow string than the arrows. Using just his fist meant being beaten up twice as hard. The short sword Jackal used worked out better, but he was still pretty bad at it. The shield and Sabre thing almost worked, before his wrist broke because his Sabre kept sliding the wrong way when other weapons hit it. The curvature threw him off.

He tried a spear and smacked himself with the butt more times than not. When he tried to throw an axe in one spar, it bounced off his opponent's shield and nearly killed him on the ricochet. There was a katana that he stabbed his hand with when he tried to sheathe it. And a bow staff that was magnetically attracted to his forehead. And nunchucks...

Oh god, the nunchucks.

Never again. He'd never use those again.

Finally, there were his sickle and chains he tried. Took him three months to understand they weren't meant for his hands or body, leaving him with twelve weapons in total that he knew how to injure himself with and zero he could use in a fight.

He was starting to run out of options at this point.

"Jaune Arc! Quit staring and hurry up!"

He was also running out of time.

"We don't have all day," Griswald grumbled as Jaune looked around sheepishly. Scratching his neck as he saw a shield similar to Jackie's, a heater shield, and an old sword that looked like a knight's sword from fairy tales. One-handed grip or two-handed, didn't seem to matter. It could probably be utilized either way.

Jaune hadn't tried that type of sword before.

"Jaune Arc! You have ten seconds before you start running laps around the village!"

Today was as good a day as any.

"Yes sir!" He said, grabbing the blunted weapons, all training weapons were old, blunted, or wooden. They only got real weapons when they were 18. Or if they could prove themselves earlier than 18. The rite of passage stated that to earn a real weapon, forged by the Lancers, the towns blacksmith family, one needed to successfully complete a hunt.

Not of an animal. But an actual hunt.

To gain a weapon, you had to defeat a Beowulf. Alone. Without help or aura. Only then would you be allowed to claim yourself a warrior.

It was an important tradition in the village, all the town came to watch it unfold. Waiting until training was called and the four people taking part in the ceremony, those turning 18 and wanting to prove themselves as warriors, lined up and bowed towards the four village leaders. Waiting patiently as Arthur Saber stretched his hands out towards the audience with a booming presence, the head of the village addressed his people and aspiring warriors.

"Everyone!" He smiled as the crowd cheered. "We have gathered here to celebrate our youngest sons and daughters embarking on the final hurdle of their arduous journeys. They will each be given a week's worth of supplies and a weapon, told to leave and only return once a Beowulf has been slain."

Each was given basic weapons corresponding to their training ones. Sharp and basic. Nothing special but nothing disparaging. If they used it right, they'd be able to cut through a Beowulf's hide, and once they returned, they'd be considered warriors of the village. Their aura would be unlocked, and they'd be able to commission the Lancers, a family of blacksmiths, for their weapons. Professional weapons. Assuming they had the ingredients and pennies for the process.

"Should they return," Arthur continued. "They'll be considered warriors and be granted status by me and the four elders. They'll be protectors of the village, and will come to its defense should be worst befall us."

Those who passed were going to join the warriors in the village and would swear their lives to protect it and its people. Respected by all, the pride and joy of the Village of the Sun, they'd stand proud as its defenders. Just as they'd always done.

"Should they fail..."

Jaune wondered what he'd gift Juliet would do when she passed. He didn't have a lot of money. And the family was obviously going to celebrate... maybe a cake?

"We will celebrate their deaths as warriors as well."

Eh, he'd think about it later.

Juliet was bored.

So bored.

Is he done yet. Juliet bit back a yawn and plastered on a picture perfect smile as their village chief went in and in about traditions and honor.

And blah, blah blah blah, blah, blah.

It really just didn't end.

No wonder Nikky left. Juliet frowned for a moment, only a moment, before shaking her head and turning to accept the small bag of supplies and the pair of daggers her father offered. The blades were well balanced and sharp, perfect for her, and fit cleanly in the palm of her hands. She held them tightly and slipped them into her waistband before bowing to her father and awaiting the end of the ceremony.

It was a boring day.

But it became less boring when the crowd dispersed and her family gathered to bid her farewell.

"Be careful, sweetheart." Her mother, Nicole, a plain woman with auburn hair and green eyes, sniffled and hugged her with the strength of a Ursa.

"I love you, sweetie. Be careful." Nicole whispered as Juliet tried to pretend like nothing was wrong. She took pride in keeping up a mask of her true feelings, made it easier to get the annoying suitors to back off, but keeping up a nonplussed attitude was impossible when her lungs were about to collapse.

"Promise... mom." Juliet groaned as she went red in the face. Frantically tapping her mother's shoulder to save her lungs.

It was at times like these that Juliet found was reminded what so many of the women in the village forgot. Her mother didn't just marry into the family for looks or by luck. Or by seducing the sought after Cadrian Arc as some of the jealous harlots liked to gossip about. No, Nicole was a warrior long before she was a mother, and that more than anythign caught their father's attention. Her strength.

There was a saying in their family. An arc doesn't marry a weakling. Not once. Not ever.

As stars began dancing in Juliet's vision, she couldn't help but think that saying was true.

"Please... can't breathe!" Juliet nearly passed out before her mother finally released her. Letting her down on shaky legs as she fussed over her. Telling her to make sure everything was packed and checking over the ribs she almost broke.

Juliet, meanwhile, caught her breath and nodded along. The first hurdle among her family was gone.

The second was fast approaching.

"Hey, bitch." Jasmine snarked as she walked with their little sister in hand. "You gonna die this week or not? Can I get your shit if you do?"

"I'd rather it burn." Juliet narrowed her eyes as her older sister laughed and patted her in the shoulder. Juliet's knees were nearly buckling because of that stupid strength from their mom's side that happened to be passed down to her older sister and not to her.

Juliet wouldn't mind usually, she preferred finesse to butte strnegth, but when her sister was determined to trap her in a side hug and possibly crush her shoulder it wasn't as fun.

"Let go, you brute!"

"Come on, Juliet. Don't be like that. Hug your big sister!"

"No! Let go!" She snarled and grabbed her sister's hair as the two lost track of their surroundings for a bit.

Their impromptu spat ended when June, their youngest sister, asked quietly, "Mom. Why are Juliet and Jasmine fighting? Is that bad?"

"It's not bad, sweetheart. It just means they love each other."

"I don't love this brute!" / "I wouldn't love this prissy princess if her life depended on it!" Juliet and Jasmine growled simultaneously. Juliet forgetting appearances, Jasmine had a habit of doing that to her, as the two butt heads. Sparks flying before two pairs of hands wrapped around their waists and pulled them apart.

Juliet looked back and saw her younger twin, Jill, holding her back. While Jackie did the same for Jasmine. Jackie glanced past Jasmine's waist and smiled. "Good luck sis!" While Jill nodded behind her and mumbled a similar. "Do well."

The twin sentiments were enough to calm Juliet down as she smiled and latter her little sister's head. Nodding towards Jackie as the older sisters were released and made up... sort of.

"Bitch." Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Don't die."

"Brute." Juliet sighed. "I would never."

It was the best they could do in terms of apologies and they were fine with it. That's just how they operated. And they were fine with it.

"Good. I'll buy you some beer when you get back." Jasmine smirked as Juliet rolled her eyes. The two million about before their younger sister, Jade came and nodded to the two of them. "Good luck, Juliet." She said, trying to stand tall and steady. Probably mimicking their father and the other warriors.

Jasmine found it adorable.

Juliet found it slightly endearing.

"I'll try my best." Juliet ruffled Jade's hair as she turned to the next sister in line. Jackal. The family genius, or at least the replacement, since Nikky ran away and never looked back. She wasn't as good as he had been, much to the grumbling annoyance of their father, but she was the closest out of the litter.

Thankfully, she didn't let that get to her head and bowed politely as was expected.

"I know you'll do well, Juliet. I still hope you come home safely." Jackal recited, much to the approving nod from their father. Juliet glanced at the old man as he returned to a conversation with the other village leaders, before she leaned down and kissed her little sister's head. "Thank's little sister." She whispered as Jackal raised her head.

"No problem." Jackal smiled and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. And an endearing habit she shared with her older brother, the black sheep of the family. Jaune Arc.

Who hadn't stopped swinging his sword despite the day's training coming to an end an hour ago.

"Is he still practicing?" Juliet asked curiously as Jackal shrugged, "Yeah, I told him you were leaving, but he said he wanted to get a few extra minutes in. You know how he is with new weapons."

"Yes, I recall his attempts with my daggers." Juliet hummed as she remembered his first day trying out her weapons. He'd dropped them twice and cut his fingers more times than she could count. But he never did stop trying them, at least that day. And he never seemed to hate them despite their hatred for his hands and everything attached to them.

Juliet suspected he would be attached to this set of weapons for the rest of the day, maybe the next week, before the wonder faded and he moved on.

That's kind of how he was sometimes.

Which was really a shame.

"He looks like Nikky," Jasmine whispered what Juliet was thinking as they watched their little brother, the worst of the family, practicing. Swinging his sword without a clue in the world of how to use it and holding his shield upside down.

It was a travesty, and to compare it to Nikky was nostalgia at best and insulting at worst.

But Juliet couldn't help but agree with her sister's statement. They were the only two that really remembered Nikky clearly. The twins were too young to recall anythig but glimpses and Jade had been a baby. Jaune wasn't even born yet when Nikky left, but looking at the boy train now reminded her so much of her older brother. The one that left.

She missed him.

It kind of... hurt to know he didn't miss her.

"I suppose he does look like Nikky." Juliet looked away, "if he was drunk and debilitated."

"And one armed," Jasmine smirked.

"And blind."

"Hey, that's an insult to blind people."

"Touche." Juliet rolled her eyes as she walked past her older sister and towards her younger brother. Ignoring her father's withering glare on her back all the while.

It wasn't a secret that their father hated his youngest son. A child who looked so much like his oldest. A practical doppelgänger of Nikky, barring the tanned skin, Juliet remembered her older brother having. If it wasn't for that discrepancy, she would go as far as to say Jaune and Nikky looked identical.

Father probably thought so, too.

Which was why he must've been so disappointed once he realized that Jaune had none of the talent his older brother had once known. Stumbling over two left feet and failing to use any weapon even remotely accurately. Jaune Arc had zero talent for fighting, and as an Arc, Cadrian saw that as a disappointment. A stain on the family.

Juliet knew it. Jasmine knew it. The twins might've caught on. Jade probably hadn't realized it yet but would soon. Jackal definitely knew it. And June was sitting nice and oblivious on her mother's lap. That was the big family secret that everyone in the village seemed to share about their younger brother.

No one liked Jaune Arc, the weakling of the prestigious Arc family. He didn't have any friends to her knowledge, and only her younger siblings were willing to put up with his shenanigans. If he weren't born into the Arc family, she would've recommended him to find a different profession. Immediately.

But he happened to be born in the Arc family.

And that meant he was to be a warrior. The Arc family wasn't like other members of the village. If you were an arc, you were expected to become a warrior, there were no exceptions.

Even if it was dreadfully obvious, Jaune wouldn't survive the trials.

Jaune was going to die when he turned 18. He was twelve already and hadn't won a single spar. His time to improve was dwindling, and even with six years left it didn't seem like he'd make it. Fighting a Beowulf without any aura was dangerous.

Juliet didn't think he had it in him, hence why she never got closer to her brother than she needed to. Figured she'd save herself the pain in the long run. She already lost one brother, watching him leave the village without so much a glance backwards or a single letter since. He could be dead for all she knew, and she just had to live with that. Day after day.

In her mind, she had already lost Nikky. She already lost her older brother, because if he hadn't come back now he wouldn't have come back ever.

She knew that.

She knew what it was like to lose a brother.

She didn't want to deal with the pain of losing another.

So she kept quiet. Kept her distance. Stayed away unless she could prod him into doing more or roll her eyes at his childish antics. Treated him more like a pet than a little brother. It was easier that way.

She didn't consider him family, not when he was temporary, but she didn't hate him either.

Maybe that's why she approached him, leaving her actual family behind in their conversation. Brushing off her father's glare and sisters' confusion as she walked up to her brother, watching him swing his sword with about as much grace as a wounded deer. She let him fumble around for a minute before she cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Jaune."

"Twenty- Ah!" He yelped between reps, if that's what he was doing. Dropping his sword and scrambling to pick it up, as she shook her head and watched. A light smile crossed her face and fading as he stood straight up and held his sword backwards.

"Juliet. You're here." He said, almost testing to see if it were true. Once he realized it was he smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you didn't leave yet."

"Were you looking to bid me farewell?"

"More like I was going to get an earful from Mom and Jade if I forgot." Jaune scratched his neck and laughed slightly. Juliet stared flatly back as the joke crumbled and died, much like the Beowulf she'd be hunting soon. It left them in an awkward silence.

Good. Juliet didn't want this to seem too familiar.

Juliet let it linger, she had used the tactic on some of the boys that wouldn't take a hint, but she wanted to use it on her brother. The black sheep. See if he got the hint and wished her goodbye so she could tell her mother she did her due diligence as an older sister and bid every family member farewell.

He did, although it took an embarrassingly long time.

"Well..." he glanced away as he scratched his neck. "See ya later, Juliet. Good luck on the trials." He nodded to her and returned to his repetitions.

It was a dumb way to say goodbye to someone who could die. But she didn't hate it. Compared to the rest of her siblings, it was up to par.

But still, the way he returned to his training like it was just a casual conversation... irked her. Slightly. She could still feel her parents and siblings sparing her a glance every once in a while. Trying to hide nervousness under confidence and goodbyes.

Jaune didn't glance at her once before she approached, and didn't do it once after he told her goodbye. Just kept swinging his sword.

Wrongly.

Seriously, compared to Nikky, it was laughable.

"If you're going to use the shield, hold the sword with one hand." She directed, moving past his startled grip and shifting his hands into position.

"If you're going to use it two-handed, move the shield to your waist." She added, ignoring Jaune's confusion as she directed his arms.

"And if you don't have time and have to use two-handed and while your shield's still on your arm, stick to simple strikes. Overhead and horizontal. That way, the shield doesn't catch your wrist." She finished as she showed him what to do. Or at least what she recalled from how Nikky trained. To Jaune's credit, he absorbed it well. Better than his attempts with the other weapons.

"Thanks." He whispered, staring at his sword like a kid with a new toy. She nodded, idly wondering how long it would last before her curiosity got the best of her.

"Why are you like this." She asked, holding his arm before he could return to his practice. "You seem calmer than the rest of the family." She said and he looked at her confused. She pushed. "Even father's a little nervous about me leaving. Why aren't you?"

"I... Am I supposed to be?" Jaune asked, honestly. Scratching his head as he glanced at her daggers, and shrugged. "I don't feel like you'll be in danger."

"I might die."

"But you won't."

"Beowolves are dangerous to those without aura."

"Yeah, but you've been training a lot." Jaune shrugged, tugging his arm lightly as she released him and he went back to swinging. Speaking idly as if it were a common-sense thing and not a dangerous rite of passage thing.

He swung. "I get that I should be nervous, and I am a little worried that you won't come back." He swung again, and Juliet adjusted his grip.

"But I've seen you use those daggers, and you're one of the best warriors in town. You're so much better than me that I just can't..." he paused, trying to find the right words before settling on a helpless shrug and a little smile. "I can't see you losing to a Beowulf. If that makes sense. So I'm not nervous."

His honesty was perplexing.

"I know you'll do fine, sis."

Simplistic in thought and nature, but not... not unwelcome.

"Thank you. I will remember that." She said, drawing their conversation to a close as she shifted her bag and turned to head back to the rest of her family. She'd say one last goodbye then follow Griswald to the path that led out of the village and into the surrounding mountain range.

After that, it would be a week alone in the forest, searching, tracking, and defeating a Beowulf before she could even think of returning home.

She wasn't looking forward to it.

But she guessed she wasn't particularly nervous either.

The unfaltering vote of confidence, however naive it might be, helped somewhat.

"Jaune." She said before she left, watching as he stopped his swing and looked her way. "Yes, sister?" He asked. Tilting his head curiously.

Juliet only smiled. "How are you liking the weapons so far?"

"They're... different." He mumbled, holding his sword in one hand and glancing at the shield strapped to the other. "I don't know if I'll be able to get used to them, but I'll try it for a while." He shrugged. "If it doesn't work, I could always-"

"Don't. Don't switch anymore." She said, ignoring his confusion as she pointed towards his sword and shield. "I've seen you practice, and out of all the other weapons you've tried, those two... how do I say this..." She smiled slightly. "They suit you."

That was a lie. No weapons would suit Jaune Arc. Maybe a shovel for gardening would be better. But the talentless welp of the family would never find a weapon that belonged in his hands. The best he could hope for was something simple. Basic.

A sword and a shield. In Juliet's eyes, those were perfect for the clumsy, unathletic, Jaune Arc.

"Keep practicing." She turned to leave. "I'm sure something will click eventually."

"I... okay. Thank you!" She smiled as he stuttered his goodbye.

"See you later, sister!"

Juliet shook her head and waved goodbye. The two parted ways as Juliet walked towards her father and stood tall under his judgmental gaze. He saw. Unfortunate.

"You seem to have wasted a lot of time giving useless advice to the bumbling fool." Her father grumbled, arms crossed, as Juliet shrugged.

"I thought he could use a little help. You know how he is." She smiled, and her father huffed as if he didn't need to be reminded. Instead, he gave her a small hug and told her to be careful.

"Make the arc family proud, Juliet." He placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a small smile. The most she'd probably ever get out of her stoic father. At least until she birthed him grandchildren that he could give the same song and dance too.

"We are the protectors of Sun Village."

Sometimes Juliet wondered if this was why her older brother left the village. What exactly was it that made Nicholas Arc, the eldest child of Cadrian and Nicole Arc, abandon Sun Village and never return. She often wondered.

"Be strong, daughter. And stand proud. By the end of the week, you will become a warrior."

But those musings could wait for another time.

"For that is what it means to be an Arc."

She had a Beowulf to kill.