The Knights of Grimm - Act 4 - Whispers of Arkhonex

Chapter 12 - The Arcs

Jaune

He walks across the dirt path that moves towards the old Estate of where he was born, taken a Bullhead all the way here from Beacon, leaving prints of his shoes behind in the dirt. Beside him walks Pyrrha, then behind him are the others. Ren, Nora, Ruby, Blake and Oscar – even though they are headed to where Jaune's family lives, they still find themselves on edge. With the Knights Bannermen stalking the realm they have to be ready for absolutely anything. At the moment they do not seem to have their scent because they have not used a teleport to get here, but the presence of the Four could be enough to draw them closer.

It has been years since he has actually come back to this place, he has seen his parents on other occasions but never back at his home.

The Arc Estate.

Like the Nikos Family, the Arcs have a large home, however the Arcs is much larger and very different. It is more like a whole small town, but it feels so empty and abandoned. Houses and stables around them completely abandoned – there are not many Arcs left, only his family really. His Uncle and Aunt were both killed by Grimm not long after the death of Skyler Arc, and the threat of an attack is always close.

Nora walks past a stable and she looks at the tree beside where the horses were once kept, seeing something carved into the stump of the tree itself. She narrows her cyan eyes at what is there, and it is just two letters.

C and M

From what they have heard Jaune does not have any members in his family that have names beginning like that – unless it is Crocea Mors? Ren cannot help but eye the sword sheathed onto Jaune's leg; there is something very important about the blade he uses. Kragen and Ozpin both have made this very clear, which is why they have come here. Not just so then Jaune can see his remaining family, but to learn about his heritage some more.

Ruby looks around before she turns straight to Jaune curiously as she brushes some of her hair from her eye. "Um...are you sure that they're here? There are no horses here." She asks him curiously, but Jaune answers with a pretty cold voice, not towards her but more like it is directed towards the family.

"They're home...they're always home." Jaune assures as he keeps walking towards the Manor House, one that makes the Nikos Estate look tiny in comparison. It is made from concrete with lime plastering rendered across the flesh of the building. With golden paint across the pillars where the huge balcony above the two big doors stretching across – this clearly used to be a very wealthy place. However now it looks so overgrown, with huge weeds growing everywhere across the building, caressing the pillars and shrouding the windows. Lights still on inside, Jaune was right – someone is clearly home.

The question is who?

"Why are there so many houses?" Oscar curiously asks, and Jaune sighs.

"Our family used to be really wealthy many years ago, but now it is just my bloodline...everyone else either died or packed up and left. My parents are insistent of keeping it standing...for whatever reason." He sighs, scratching the back of his head as he walks, tensing his arms. The others might not know it, but Pyrrha never did forget what Jaune told her about his parents. About how they never believed in him, never expected him to become a Huntsman. The cool autumn breeze flows through the land, past the empty swings that dangle from the branch of the large tree that stands beside it. The squeaking hinges of the swing creak back and forth.

Pyrrha stretches her hand out to Jaune's holding it affectionately and he feels the pressure of her palm on his. "Are you okay?" She softly asks him, walking close to him. Jaune looks at her and there are signs of nervousness in his eyes, but not because of Pyrrha – because of his home for some reason.