RWBY: Legacies

Forever Fall PT2

The dirt stings as it flies into Jaune's eyes, the brown specs also catching in his normally bright blonde hair, some even compacting under his nails as he tries to push himself up. He groans a second later when the weight is taken off his arms, a large hand hauling him back up. He tries to wriggle free, but the grip is firm. A fist slams into his gut, knocking the wind out of him as his feet leave the ground. Jaune pries at his assailant's wrist but his attempt is so feeble he gets knocked back into the dirt.

"Not your smartest choice Jaune." Cardin sneers, cracking his knuckles menacingly. His team quickly surround Jaune. They laugh and jeer slightly as Cardin steps astride Jaune's smaller figure, roughly grabbing him by the bottom of his hood and easily lifting him to eye level. "I'm gonna make sure they send you home in teeny tiny pieces, Momma's boy." He snarls, his darkened eyes drilling into Jaunes slightly dazed ones.

"I don't care what you do to me..." Jaune coughs, his bruises making him wince as he does so. "But you are not messing with my friends." He scowls, his ocean blue eyes full of defiance. His jaw aches from just those few words and he pushes his tongue around to check he still has all his teeth.

"Ha, do you think talk like that makes you tough? That you're all big and strong now?" Cardin scoffs, lifting Jaune even higher, glaring more menacingly at him. Jaune's head lolls, rolling down before righting itself; He stares past Cardin, and smiles. Cardin growls and drives his fist at Jaune's face, only to reel back immediately, crying out in pain and clutching his hand.

Jaune blinks and gasps with contentment as every ounce of pain in his body vanishes. He looks down at his hands, seeing them glow brightly with aura, the light ebbing as he reaches up to touch his black eye, feeling only smooth skin when he does. A boot to the back abruptly halts his moment of wonder. He turns back to look at Cardin, teeth bared, fists balled as the bully steps closer.

"Let's see just how tough you really are." Cardin grins, drawing back his foot to kick Jaune. He stops at a sharp whistling sound, flicking his eyes from side to side as he tries to pinpoint where it's coming from. "Gah, what the fu-" He exclaims as Surtur shoots into his face, scratching, biting, and breathing out miniature flames. Cardin's team scramble at the wyvern's sudden appearance.

Jaune just smiles.

CRDL try to swat Surtur away but he crawls around Cardin's head, biting at their hands and shooting small jets of fire to ward them off. He snaps down on the bully's earlobe, gaining a satisfying cry of pain. But Cardin's cry is overshadowed by a sudden and monstrous roar. They all freeze; Surtur with his jaws still clamped around Cardin's ear, as a humongous Ursa tears out of the trees, the ground shaking as it stomps to a stop in front of them. It growls deeply, rearing up on its hind legs and sniffing the air, its glowing red eyes coming to focus on Cardin, and the sap that still coats his chest.

It is the largest Ursa they've ever seen. Standing easily over twelve feet tall, its maw filled with long jagged teeth, its hulking body protected by knobbly white bone plates that create a primitive armour, with tall spikes jut from its shoulder blades, forming a deadly maze down to the small of its back. Its huge paws pound the ground as it returns to all fours and lets loose another ear-splitting roar.

Russel, Dove and Sky all bolt, shouting and screaming as they thunder past Jaune and back towards the field trip. Cardin stands terrified, literally shaking in his boots as the Grimm bears down on him. Surtur releases his ear and flaps up just before the monster bats Cardin aside, the Wyvern soaring over to hover next to Jaune. The huge black beast studies them both for a second, but ultimately huffs and turns back to his prey, Cardin.

"Stay back!" Cardin shouts, brandishing his mace.

The Ursa only growls and knocks the mace from Cardin's hands, sending it tumbling into the dirt at Jaune's feet. Jaune looks down at the mace, then back at Cardin, he flicks his eyes from Cardin to the direction his team fled, debating what to do. Surtur squawks at him, flapping up and hovering beside his head, impatient for his decision, ready to flee or fight.