Rapid laboured breaths fogged up the mirror, fogging and unfogging rapidly. The boy looked up, looking with blue eyes that were a mix between ocean blue and sky blue.
Those eyes….
Feeling an ache in his chest, the boy grunted as an uncoordinated hand slapped itself onto his chest, the blue eyes grew unfocused as he felt something wet burn out of his eyes. A shudder escaped him.
His hand clenched as he slammed it into the wall, causing the poorly maintained wood to rattle and bend under his force slightly, not that the boy cared or could notice. His attention fully focused within, to the burning hot pit in his stomach that could metal steel.
A soft mutter filled the small shack-like room, so repetitive it sounded like a mantra.
"Never again, never again, never again, never again". Rapid yet softly, like the fluttering of a humming bird.
1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes…
The boy only stopped when the door violently rattled, an angry voice slightly muffled by the door ordered the boy to get out before he was kicked out.
Gulping, the boy took a shaky breath before opening the door, then having to look down at the man who was yelling at him, pausing slightly.
"Ya backed up kid!? Whatcha doing spending an hour in my only loo, huh!?" The stout man practically spit on the blonde boy. Veins clearly visible, something that caused the boy to shift from side to side slightly.
Rubbing his clearly balding head, the man dismissed the boy. For which the boy practically ran back to his inn room, making sure to softly close the door he promptly collapsed on the bed.
A loud muffled groan escaped him, as he felt like crying again but for a much more different reason.
"Way to go Jaune, you somehow ended up closer to Vacuo than anywhere near Vale." Jaune grumbled to himself as he tossed the map he had laid on his bed the previous night into the trash can before collapsing once more at the side of the bed, holding his legs as he rested on his knees, he sat there.
No thoughts, no emotions, merely sat as time continued to pass.
Getting up, Jaune grabbed an ancient sword, his ancient sword, a very simple but sharp sword. The blue hilt fit snuggly on his hand, the gold no longer reflecting any light as it was too dark outside.
"It's not that hard Jaune, just got to kill some more of those bastards. Earn some money and get out, nothing like before. Nothing is different, one more time." Jaune muttered to himself, clipping the surprisingly heavy sheath to his jeans, Jaune opened the inn door.
The trek around the village was surprisingly long, Jaune having only been there for one day still had no clue where anything was but finding where the Grimm came from the most was easy.
Following the directions though….
Was a much bigger issue.
Jaune sighed as he looked around, it was dark. Well, not too dark, after all he could still see his own hands but aside from that he could make out the shape of a few trees around him. Thankfully the village had recently gotten some new SDC street lamps, something about it helping keep people happy.
He didn't care too much, most of that dust stuff went over his head and he probably wouldn't see them in the next village over.
But for now, it helped him see that there were trees in front of him.
"Wow Jaune, the genius of the century, aren't you?" He sighed as he unsheathed Crocea Mors, the metal gleamed at the artificial lighting, though that would soon disappear as he trekked further in.
Eventually Jaune could no longer see his own hands.
"Why is it always at night?" Jaune grumbled to himself, "never at day, never at evening. Always night, night, night!"
Snap!
Jaune felt his blood run cold, suddenly the humming of crickets, the rustling of leaves and even the smell of grass all ceased to exist. Leaving behind an overwhelming silence as Jaune felt his ears burn and throb to the tune of his heart.
Yet, the boy. No, the pseudo Huntsman remained still. His grip tightening, not enough to be a death grip but enough to cut through any normal beast. His tuned his hearing, no thoughts to distract from any sound.
And then it happened.
Soft, short but the sound of the grass being crushed and shifted became clear.
Then it happened again, and again and…
Jaune paled, he was surrounded.
"Okay, maybe ranting in the middle of a Grimm infested forest wasn't the wisest decision but come on. I've made worse." Juane closed his eyes as there was no moon tonight.
Crunch
Crunch
Jaune tensed his legs, lowering his center of mass, these filthy Grimm may think he's the prey but was about to show them just how wrong they were.
Smirking to himself, Jaune skid his back foot wide. Roaring as he spun around and cleaved the maw off the Beowolf behind him and with that, the jig was up. Thunderous footfalls echo throughout the forest as they all seemed to rush him.
Breaking into a sprint, Jaune grabbed his sheath and shoved it into the Beowolf's throat.
Click.
If Juane could see, he would say it was an oftly bloody scene but he had no time to dwell on his kill. Okay maybe a little bit wouldn't hurt.
"Filthy mutt." Jaune smirked as he shifted his shield back into sheath form and took off, barely missing the claws of another Beowolf.
"Tch, too many…"
Opening his eyes, Jaune looked at the globs of darkness and made a mental list. Dashing under an uprooted tree, the bark rained everywhere as a Beowolf chomped down.
Not one to waste the opportunity, Jaune jumped. Flesh tore as Crocea Mors ripped through the Grimm. On the move again, Jaune felt the air shift behind him as he clicked the shifting mechanism on his sheath.
"Augh!"
The claw tore into his arm, it hurt a lot. Jaune's near non-existent vision grew worse as he felt his eyes burn again.through sheer adrenaline, Crocea mors bisected the half disintegrated Grimm as Jaune decapitated it.
Shawww
"Damn it, I forgot about that stupid delay." Jaune muttered to himself before he was forced to be on the move again. Now flanked by two Grimm, their eyes exposing them. Inhaling sharply, Jaune threw Crocea Mors at the one slightly further away and rushed the other with his shield.
Clang!
Jaune felt his body grow strong as his aura fueled his muscles, as he tore the dirt under him. Reaching the Beowolf before it could truly react and getting one good punch on it's snout before he was forced to duck, lest he be turned into tonight's bacon. Kneeing the Grimm's spine, he felt a satisfying crunch as it spasmed before slowly disintegrating.
Crunch!
But that was enough to allow the other Beowolf the opportunity to use it's body as over. Jaune gritted his teeth as felt the Beowolf trying to shake its head. Pulling Crocea Mors out of its shoulder, Juane slammed the shortsword into the skull of the Beowolf.
"Just let go, damn it!"
Although the Grimm was dead, its jaw remained clenched. Taking Jaune a few seconds before he could rip the maw off of his forearm.
"This sucks…" Jaune muttered to himself as he held Crocea Mors in his one good arm. Though he couldn't see how bad it was, he sure could feel it. Rushing his Aura into his wounds, he saw a soft glow radiate from under his skin as his Aura stitched his body back together. Which by his personal account hurt even worse then how he got the injury.
Clenching and unclenching his hand, Jaune smiled.
"Thank the Brothers above for aura." Juane was a little bummed that Aura couldn't protect him from injuries but it sure did heal them up pretty nicely, thankfully it didn't leave any scarring if he could heal it fast enough.
"I've got, what? Another four hours? Easy-peasy." Jaune huffed as he continued walking the perimeter through the village.
It was boring, there were a few more Grimm encounters but it was just one or two Grimm attacking at a time. By the time that the sun rose, Jaune could barely make his own to the inn.
Plop.
"Just a quick nap, then I'll be on my way." he muttered to himself before the soft ludes of slumber took hold of his mind.
Even the exhaustion could not keep his nightmares at bay.