Chapter 21: The Branwen Tribe Pt. 4
A/N: Just a reminder, new chapter here officially means new chapter over on the P atreon now, where my patrons are currently voting on the future direction of this story!
-x-X-x-
Even as he comes to a decision, he knows it's not one he'll be able to take back. He's no idiot, after all. If he calls Summer through, what's going to happen to a portal that relies upon Raven's strong emotional connection to her? It's going to close, plain and simple. So yes, this decision is one he will not be able to take back. After he does this, he'll have to go the long way around to return to the Lands of Darkness and Salem's side.
But then, that was already the case before he'd discovered what Raven's semblance was, right? So really, he wasn't changing anything, save for bringing a loyal servant and stalwart fighter to his side.
Waiting for the woman to finish her reps, Jaune glances at Raven to see her staring at Summer with wide, shocked eyes. Raven Branwen looks completely poleaxed, and unsure of what to do with herself now that she's seeing a veritable ghost right in front of her. Ah, if only they had time for him to show her to Salem herself for THAT reaction… but no, Pyrrha needed aid now. He couldn't afford to be distracted.
Summer racks the weight she's currently lifting and the moment she does, Jaune calls out to her.
"Summer."
Freezing in place for a moment, Summer rises from the bench, sightless eyes staring out at nothing as her brow furrows in confusion.
"Jaune?"
"Summer, I need your help. Come here, please."
Unquestioning, Summer rises to her feet and begins walking in the direction of his voice. She can't feel him, but then to be fair, her aura sensory ability is limited. Soon enough though, she enters range of Raven's portal. Jaune knows she does, because he can see the moment it happens all across her tense body.
"… What is that?"
Of course. The last time Summer Rose and Raven Branwen likely saw each other was before Summer lost her eyes. So, she wouldn't recognize one of Raven's portals off of her aura sensing. Jaune found himself wondering what it felt like, what it showed up as to Summer's senses… but no, he couldn't allow himself to get distracted.
"A portal, Summer. I ran into an old friend of yours in Mistral. Come on through, please. You'll be in Mistral, in a forest outside of the village of Shion… but don't worry, you'll be with me, and I'll keep you safe."
Smiling a soft, affectionate smile, Summer comes to the edge of the portal… and steps on through.
"I know, Jaune. I trust you."
As expected, the portal winks shut behind Summer. Jaune isn't surprised, but Raven of all people squawks and then drops to her knees, looking terrified.
"P-Please! I didn't do that! I promise I didn't!"
Jaune can't help but shoot the craven bandit leader an amused look, even as Summer's aura advances upon the other woman, pulsing over her in the same way it's currently pulsing over Jaune.
"… Raven. Of course."
"Summer… I can't believe you're alive."
"Do you care?"
"W-What?!"
Summer's crisp, sharp tone cuts through Raven's wonder like a scalpel, leaving the bandit leader reeling as Summer snorts derisively.
"You left us, Ray. You abandoned us years ago. You left your own daughter behind. I think it's a fair question. Do you even care?"
"Of… of course I care! I just didn't want to die for Ozpin's cause!"
Summer pauses at that, and then smiles a rueful smile as she tilts her head to the side.
"Yes… I imagine you took my death as all the evidence you needed to convince yourself that you made the right choice. Abandoning your daughter, abandoning our team… did it make you feel better, hearing I died for Ozpin's cause?"
"W-What?! No! I-!"
"Enough."
Jaune's tone brooks no argument, as both women turn towards him. He focuses on Summer, giving the blind woman a nod, he knows she will see through her aura sensing.
"You deserve to have this conversation, Summer, I understand that. But first, there's an injured young woman who needs our help, as well as an entire village that might be put to the blade if we don't get back fast enough. I don't imagine there's much loyalty among thieves and bandits, so I suspect they've already stopped searching the forest for her."
He tosses his head towards Raven, who trembles even as Summer nods.
"Of course, Jaune. What do you need from me?"
"Summer! Do you know what he is?!"
That gets a startled reaction from Summer. Her aura sensing could pick up people… but not magic. Jaune smiles and nods his head in confirmation.
"My disguise was shattered. Raven is the Spring Maiden. But like I said, we don't have time."
Proving to be just as reliable as ever, Summer processes this information, gives another decisive sharp nod, and looks to Raven.
"I know exactly what he is, Raven. He's the man who saved me from the Queen of the Grimm's tender mercies when neither you nor Ozpin nor anyone else came for me. He's also the sole reason that you and the Kingdoms of Remnant haven't seen hide or hair of a Grimm in two years. Now, give me your sash."
Raven just blinks dumbly at that.
"Wha-?"
But Summer's 'request' was little more than a courtesy. With her aura, the blind woman rips Raven's red sash from her body, and as the bandit leader yelps, the cloth floats into the air and is subsequently torn into several long strips, before it flies over to Jaune and begins to cover up every single inch of his exposed skin from head to toe. Thankfully, the only bits of him really out in the open are his face and his hands. Soon enough, those are wrapped in enough red that he looks a bit like a mummy… but at least his distinctive Grimm appearance isn't too blatantly obvious.
Nodding his thanks to Summer, Jaune spares only a single glance to Raven.
"Summer will be your minder. Try to run, try to activate your semblance, and she will have my full permission to do whatever she needs to do in order to stop you. And if you somehow escape her… I promise you, there's no place on Remnant for you to hide from me."
Then, because it seems like something she might expect him to do, Jaune leans in and takes a long, deep whiff of Raven's body before looking her right in her red irises with his very inhuman eyes.
"After all, I have your scent now."
Raven trembles, and he can tell that the craven bandit believes him wholeheartedly. He's the most terrifying thing in the world to her right now, though as Summer reaches down and yanks Raven up to her feet, he imagines his servant is a close second, from the way she flinches.
"Now come. Let's finish cleaning up this mess."
-x-X-x-
When they get back, Jaune's assumption turns out to be right. The bandits had given up on looking for him and their leader, and were already back in the village, surrounding the villagers of Shion and the Mistralian soldiers. It would seem the group was paralyzed by fear, because Jaune could imagine the bandits leaving behind only a skeleton group to watch them.
Still, the whole of the bandit tribe is arguing amongst itself now, with the girl, Vernal, from back at the house, proving to be the loudest of all.
"IF ANYONE THINKS THEY CAN TAKE ME ON, THEN SAY SOMETHING! I'M THE STRONGEST THERE IS AFTER RAVEN, SO I SHOULD BE LEADER! SIMPLE AS FUCKING THAT!"
… Yes, he definitely made the right call, coming back as quickly as possible. Whether he'd made the right call by bringing Summer along and closing off his only swift way back to Salem… well, they'd figure that out in time. It's not that the bandits have terrorized the civilians and soldiers anymore… but rather, they're clearly gearing up for something big, and Pyrrha Nikos is still laid out on the ground with her own spear stuck through her shoulder, receiving no medical attention whatsoever.
If he'd gone for even an hour, she might have died. So, at the very least, he knew he'd saved her life by returning when he did.
"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! NOW-!"
"Enough."
Again, Jaune uses that one word to silence all discussion. As he, Raven, and Summer step out of the forest, silence falls over the village center, the bandits, villagers, and soldiers all looking at him in varying degrees of shock, with a myriad of emotions playing across their faces. Vernal is all about that snarl… until she sees Raven and realizes the older woman has been beaten like a rented drum.
Still, the girl is very brash, Jaune will give her that.
"Who the fuck are you supposed to be?"
"Your new leader, it would seem."
Spreading his wrapped hands wide, Jaune can't exactly smile with his face covered by the tightly wrapped red strips of cloth as it is, but he can certainly exude menace. He's got millions of Grimm in his noggin, he should damn well know how to produce Killing Intent if nothing else. Honestly, if he'd thought to do so before, maybe he could have gotten Raven to back down earlier.
Ah well, hindsight is twenty-twenty… and better late than ever. Jaune's presence washes over the entire scene, everyone in his path feeling him. Even Raven and Summer feel him, with Raven's legs buckling under her and only Summer's hands keeping the defeated bandit leader on her feet.
Vernal, to her credit, tries to stay standing, even as her eyes go absurdly wide, and her legs knock together. She's kind of cute, in a scrappy bandit kind of way. Everyone else in the area however, collapses to their knees, some of them outright slack jawed and just staring blankly at him in fear.
"That's… better. I've beaten your leader. She still lives, only by my mercy. And so… hm, I suppose that means the Tribe answers to me now. If anyone wants to take issue with THAT, speak now or forever hold your piece."
If not for the Killing Intent, Jaune suspects he'd get at least a couple of challengers. In fact, Vernal's mouth even opens and closes a couple times, making it obvious she's trying to form the words. She wants to challenge him, but her own baser instincts are refusing to let her. Giving her a knowing look… Jaune turns from her, dismissing the girl entirely.
Instead, he focuses on Pyrrha Nikos.
"Summer. Please help Lieutenant Nikos to the best of your abilities."
That gets some stirring from Pyrrha's subordinates, finally. He's expecting Private Cole or Private Alister to be the one to speak up. However, it's the girl instead. Private Lorelei, one of the two assigned to watch him after he was taken prisoner.
"Leave the Lieutenant a-alone!"
Her ability to overcome her fear does the Private credit, but at the same time… read the room, sweetheart. Chuckling in a way that carries across the almost silent clearing, Jaune shakes his head.
"Does the village of Shion have enough in the way of medical supplies to care for the Lieutenant's wounds? Does your platoon?"
There's silence at that. Just as Jaune expected. He doesn't know why. But Pyrrha and her platoon were sent out here without enough supplies, forced to rely upon a small village's general store. A general store that Jaune knew like the back of his hand. Which was why he knew they didn't have the kind of medical care that Pyrrha needed right now.
Summer was already by the girl's side and using her aura to great effect to bolster Pyrrha's own. But that alone might not be enough. On the other hand…
Jaune looks to the bandits of the Branwen tribe, and graciously eases up on his Killing Intent.
"You lot, on the other hand… you have supplies back at your camp, don't you? Medical supplies, even. It's why your leader… sorry, your former leader, was so willing to do such a great injury to the village's strongest defender. Because she knew she could patch her up."
There's a moment of silence, none of the bandits wanting to respond even though they now could, and then from behind him…
"… y-yes…"
Jaune glances at Raven, left behind by Summer so the other could tend to Pyrrha, and gives her a slight incline of his head.
"Then we have our destination. Come along, bandits of the Branwen Tribe. We're going back to your camp. And leave your ill-gotten goods, if you will. You're all so very lucky to be alive after all."
Maybe it's his cheery, almost jovial tone. Maybe it's the expectation that they're going to drop their booty and leave it all behind. Either way, one of the bandits, a no-name as far as Jaune is concerned, steps forward, blanching at the prospect.
"But we-!"
"I SAID LEEEEEEEEAVE IT!"
His roar, matched with another burst of Killing Intent, does the trick. The bandits respect one thing and one thing only… strength. Of course, they're also all a greedy bunch to be sure. Jaune's ham-fisted way of handling things would no doubt come back to bite him in the ass eventually, but he didn't need long. Just needed to get Pyrrha the help she needed, and then figure out where to go from there.
It wasn't like he'd come to Mistral intending to take over a bandit tribe… but here he was all the same, and for some Mistralian Lieutenant who had tried to lock him up at that. He was just so damn soft, wasn't he?
-x-X-x-
Two hours later, and they're back in the Branwen Tribe's current camp. Sitting in what could be called the tribe's 'medical tent', Jaune kneels next to Pyrrha Nikos, keeping vigil over the still-unconscious red head as she lays there. The spear has been removed from her shoulder at least, and the wound has been cleaned and bandaged. With aura, Pyrrha would likely make a full recovery no doubt.
But then, Raven had intended that, hadn't she? The bandit leader's full plan was still something of a mystery to Jaune. The only thing he knew for certain was that he'd ruined it in its entirety. The rest… was pure conjecture. He'd have to ask her what exactly she was trying to do when he saw her next, and-
Jaune blinks, as the flap to the medical tent opens. It's just him and Pyrrha in there, when Raven and Summer enter. Summer has a familiar grin on her face, as she escorts her former… colleague, was it? As she escorts the former bandit leader forward. Raven, meanwhile, looks both hunted and haunted, even as she steps closer… and kneels down, taking up a prostrating position and placing her head atop her hands in obeisance before him.
"I-I am truly sorry for my actions… and am willing to do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness, your Majesty. Up to and including… the use of my b-body…"
Jaune's eyes lift to Summer at that. The blind woman's grin just widens, looking quite pleased with herself… like a cat who's just brought her owner a dead bird.
… He probably should have seen this coming.
-x-X-x-
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