The Knights of Grimm - Act 3 - Shattered Memory

Chapter 2 - Pursuing the Tracks

Jaune

The wind blows gently through the forest that they are inside of right now.

His blue irises watch his target with pure focus, holding Crocea Mors upwards, and his shield up as well. He keeps his front foot forward and grip tight on his sword. He waits, and then his target strikes. Lash Equinox clangs right against his blade with a metallic twang, and he deflects the sword, taking a step back. Kassius stands there and he laughs, sparring with him so then he can still train. Kassius runs and he jumps in the air, slashing with both blades at Jaune, and he holds his shield up to protect himself from the attack. Sparks erupt from the impact of Lash Equinox's blades slashing across the white and golden markings on the shield. Jaune swings at Kassius and he holds his Cybernetic Forearm up to stop the blade from hitting him. Sparks erupt from the contact of his sword hitting the blade and Kassius smirks, Jaune smirks back. Jaune has learned a few things, and he rushes forward to Kassius and he pushes him back with his shield. Kassius pushes his feet into the ground as he is sent back from him.

The soil tears up from under his feet and he spins round with both swords and slashes straight at Jaune. Jaune deflects them with his sword, keeping his legs spread out and body low to the ground, just as Pyrrha taught him. Kassius goes to shoot him with Vulcan Nox, his Bracers that he based off Ember Celica, and he fires them at Jaune. Jaune lifts his shield up, the bullets bounce off the tough steel and Jaune lowers his shield as he looks at Kassius. His target spins his swords through his fingers and sprints at Jaune again, bringing his left sword down with force and then swinging straight up with the other afterwards. Jaune blocks the left sword with his shield and hits the right with Crocea Mors. He then spins round and swings towards Kassius' neck, stopping before he could actually harm him.

They both stand motionlessly as they look at each other, then they both start laughing to each other. "Nicely done..." Kassius compliments with a smile. "But..." Jaune then realises that even though he did manage to beat Kassius, he would have still been taken down. Jaune looks down at his belly and sees he is pointing Lash Equinox at his belly. "Still haven't learned to stay aware of your enemy's moves." Kassius points out and Jaune sighs.

"Damn it..." Jaune sighs, lowering Crocea Mors from Kassius' neck and he sheathes the sword into his sheath as the shield collapses. Kassius flicks his wrists downwards and the blades of Lash Equinox fold back away into the hilt, he attaches them back to his magnetic strips of metal on his legs. He walks up to Jaune and he pats his shoulder with a smile.

"You have improved immensely, pal. Just wait till we find Pyrrha, show her what you've learned." Kassius says to him as he walks with Jaune, back to where Ren and Nora are at currently. Jaune smiles and he nods his head, but he also sighs as well.

"That is if we ever find her." He sadly says, looking down at the floor.

"We will." Kassius promises.

Team J.N.R and Kassius have been searching for Pyrrha for around five years at this point, they have been out here for a month at most without seeing anyone at Beacon. The team are nearby the area, however, in the forests of Vale after hearing a tip that somebody saw Pyrrha in this sector. Why? They have no idea exactly or what she was even doing all the way out here. They have not seen her since she left the Volcanic Chain Isles. They have set their little camp up for the night in an Ancient Arkhoni Structure, seems to be what was once used as an arena. Most of it has collapsed over the years, the Amphitheatre is much smaller than it once used to be, the towers collapsed and the vegetation has consumed it. Areas of the structure are still visible, including a small building, one that they have set their camp up inside of. The sun is rising back up over the horizon, Kassius and Jaune were sparring all night, whereas Nora and Ren have been asleep. Nora is snuggled up to Ren, still asleep, holding his hand gently. Ren has cut his hair down and returned it back to the length and style it used to be when they all first met him at Beacon, tied up into a tail. Nora's orange hair is still the same style and length, funnily enough she has not changed one bit.