Arc's Multiverse

Assassins of Kings

"I hope you are prepared for... the coming of the White Wolf."

Everyone looked at worry but decided to get along, to not provoke the god.

A grizzled Jaune of Arcadia looked around the courts of the Old Kingdom. Here, he once recalled in his history books that Salem was the fair princess of the land, in contrast to her arrogant and prideful father. Her father had arrogantly chided an ancient fortune teller who warned him of the drought that would curse his people a witch, and in turn, the woman cursed Salem to become a Grimm beast, an Ursa Major. Distraught, the beast killed the king at night and the majority of the castle, like the innocent castle staff and the guards. It required the strength of Ozma, Captain of the Knights, to bring her down, though it also cost him his life in the process. The remaining knights then executed the fortune teller to beheading but were soon exiled by the kingdom's inhabitants, being painted as fanatics.

Jaune shook his head at the memory and went ahead. 

Ozpin and Salem looked in shock at the old tale, the latter placed a hand in her mouth, but they were calmly assured as it was an alternate universe.

Up ahead, Jaune encountered the traitorous witcher that placed the blame on him for the death of King Jacques Schnee: a bald Hazel Rainart, sitting in the fountain, drinking vodka.

"Oh, boy, I'm gonna die here again, am I?"

"Oh wise up, buddy! I'm sure you'd die here honorably, as the kid would give ya!"

"Sometimes, I don't feel that way. And I sure as hell don't drink that much like... him."

Qrow was offended but decided to let it slip.

Hazel looked at the White Wolf staring at him and commented "Took you a while."

"Is that bauble from Cinder's megascope?"

"Mhm. My final prank- I switched the diamonds. The one in the megascope has a flaw- minute, but just enough to warp the teleport. The Emperor's magic theorists told me that the effect was going to be spectacular."

Jaune shook her head and said, "I let her die."

"WHAT?!"

"Did you not know? Hazel betrayed you because you prove to be of no further use to him."

Cinder glared at an unmoving Hazel with fiery betrayal at her eyes, prompting those who hate her to laugh in amusement.

"You surprise me. To let her die was to save her the pain of what the royal witch hunters have in store for her. Quite a lot of pain in a long time."

"...Oh, then I perhaps should thank Mr. Arc for saving me from the torture that I'd go through if he let me live."

"You think?" her rivals stated to her.

"I don't doubt it. So, ready to lay your cards on the table?"

"No matter the game, there comes a point where the player need to show their cards. I love that moment, but first..."

Hazel pulled out a gourd.

"Vodka?"

Jaune nodded, "I suppose my throat's a little dry."

"In that case, let's drink to old friendships."

He gave Jaune the bottle, and the grizzled Witcher drank it.

"Please leave the drinking to the man who lost Summer Rose, Hazel, it's hardly a good character."

"It's another me, Watts."