Colorblind

by Forteshire Zeridian

A short story of one man's journey across the lands of Remnant and his struggle to walk the line between justice and vengeance.

Two silhouettes ran together under the moonlight. Through brush and trees they moved with purpose and haste, their shadows dancing along the ground beside them. The two paused upon approaching denser vegetation, providing some respite from the journey thus far. Unfortunately, the travelers were unaware of the eyes that lay gazed upon them...

…

Siva awoke sharply, shooting up from his sleeping bag. Resting his head in his hand he managed to suppress all but a groan from having been bothered by what he saw in his dream. He ran his fingers through his silvery hair, letting the stress flow away freely as he gently massaged his scalp. It was a new day and the sunlight bathed the land in warmth. The morning dew still covered the grass, giving the surroundings an almost tangible ethereal feeling bathed in the sunlight. Birds chirped away as Siva packed his things to prepare to continue on his journey. He was always amazed at how peaceful nature could be when camping out in the wilderness. Sometimes, it was peaceful enough simply being away from other people. Biting into a fresh-picked fruit from a nearby tree, Siva proceeded toward the nearby beaten path.

Around midday Siva found a sign pointing toward a nearby settlement. Initially hesitant, he decided that even in the chance that it was abandoned it would be worth scavenging for any materials he may find useful. It had taken him nearly the rest of the day to briskly walk to the settlement and he was pleasantly surprised to find it alive and thriving. Built in the shadow of a mountain and skirted by a tributary feeding into a nearby lake, he could clearly see why such a settlement could overcome the odds and thrive. It was no shanty town, either. There were large, rather elaborate buildings popping up from behind the outer walls, a preliminary showing of the village's wealth and success. Approaching the gates, he read a sign: "Salaam – Place of Peace". After having a quick chat with the town's guards he was permitted entry into Salaam.

With the setting sun making its way behind the mountain, Siva took a glance down Salaam's main road. His first stop was a restaurant, for it had been far too long since he had tasted the flavors of professionally prepared meals. Once again blowing away any preconceived notions he had about settlements outside of the realms of the kingdoms, Siva indulged in what may have been the best meal he had ever eaten. Of course being out in the wilderness and traveling for weeks without pause comes to make one appreciate finer dining, but Siva was genuinely satisfied with every aspect of the meal. The flavors and textures were something Siva was utterly incapable of producing himself given his limited culinary skills and choices of ingredients on the road.

Feeling comfortable enough with his surroundings, he took the opportunity to move the show to the bar area and enjoy a smooth, warming drink. The townsfolk were surprisingly welcome to the newcomer Siva, but that may have been partly due to the effects of the drinks. It was a joyous, raucous evening consisting of dance and sharing of personal tales. Siva was taken back by how loose his lips had become under the influence, but was happy to be in the accompaniment of kind folks for a change.

…

Memories under the shattered moon. The first day they had met. On opposite teams. Back then he had thought nothing of her. It was probably the same way for her. Graduation. He managed to become what he had wished for so long. But, somewhere along the way he had gained a new wish. A desire to form a new team. A couple. They ended up being a great pair. Opposites attract and whatnot. The two gained a bit of a reputation. Caught the eye of more than a few interested parties. An encounter with one man in particular would end up changing their fates in ways neither would ever imagine...

…

On this morning Siva was slow to rise. Feeling groggy and weak he pulled the covers over his head to block the sun that was peeking through the curtains from burning his retinas. Covers? Siva, with eyes still closed, was trying to wrack his brain as to why he was laying in a bed. Bed? When had he found a bed? Rolling over away from the window Siva tried to remember just what exactly had happened the night before. He had traveled most of the day. He had found a town. He had stopped for a meal. After that was mostly a blur. He vaguely remembered starting toward the bar, but couldn't form any mental images of what followed.

Mustering all the strength he could in his current state, he pulled himself up, opening his eyes. Siva was sitting in a bed in a small room. He looked around in search for something specific. As his eyes slowly darted around the room he found his gear sitting beside a small desk situated on the wall in front of the bed. The knapsack and two swords sat quietly as if waiting patiently to be recovered by their master. Siva let out a small sigh of relief. At least he wasn't robbed of his only possessions.

The door to the room slowly opened with such careful effort as if to not make too much noise. Siva's eyes narrowed with caution, but his head was too heavy for him to particularly care about what may happen. A young woman peeked her head around the corner, looking at Siva sitting up in the bed. His gaze met hers and the two stared at each other for a long and awkward few seconds. Upon fully realizing she was staring the girl made a small yelp and retreated to behind the wall.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stare at you! I was-I was just not expecting you to be awake after last night..." Siva could practically see her fidgeting behind the wall as she stuttered out her words.

"It's fine," Siva quietly responded. "I'm honestly not exactly sure what did last night, but I'm guessing by this pounding in my head that I decided to cut a little bit too loose." Siva felt a tinge of embarrassment from the honesty. He really wasn't the type to get so drunk that he'd pass out or even forget the night before. Plus, what would the townspeople think of him? Some stranger with no inhibition.

The girl poked her head out from around the corner once again. "Well, I mean you got a tad bit heavy with the alcohol, but it's not like you did anything that bad, you know? You ended up telling everyone a bunch of stories of some crazy things you did and saw. Entertained everyone most of the night." She moved entirely from behind the wall, standing in front of Siva. She had to be in her early twenties, her brown hair trimmed neatly to hang just above her shoulders. Her hands were playing with the hem of her barmaid's skirt. "My father was a bit surprised that a stranger could just come in and give the folks here such a good time. When he saw that you were starting to fade, he had me help you into one of our rooms. And, well...here you are!..." She had thrown out her arms for emphasis at the end, but following that action her cheeks started to redden and she resumed playing with her hem.

Siva ignored the girl's embarrassment and pulled himself out of the bed. "I appreciate that, thanks." Looking toward his gear, he was giving the subtle hint that he was ready to make his way down to the bar.

The girl seemed to pick up on this and made her exit. "I'll let you do what you need to up here. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

Siva breathed deeply, taking in the air of the room. Stale. Dusty. But also warm and welcoming. Something familiar. Not home, but something close. Comfortable. Attributes that tempt him to want to stay. Things that Siva didn't want to feel at the moment. He was focused on a specific task. And he did not want to be deterred. Sighing, Siva slung his gear over his shoulder, forcing himself to leave the room.

As he walked down the aged wooden steps Siva was met by a smiling, wrinkled face. An older man, appearing to be in his late fifties or early sixties with a large salt-and-pepper colored beard, chuckled as Siva made his way toward the counter. The young girl was standing to the man's side, looking at Siva with a sideways glance and face still showing a tinge of red. Steeling himself for what may come next, Siva sat down on a stool and meticulously set his gear beside him.

"I see you are well enough to be up and at it at such an hour," the older man stated, stroking his beard. "You must have had a lot of stress built up to unwind like that." The girl seemed to want to say something to interrupt but decided not to do so.

Siva grinned ever so slightly. He stuck his hand out on the counter just as the man lifted a glass of water up. Taking a sip, Siva cleared his throat and started, "Stress? Yeah, I guess I have been a bit stressed out for some time." Reaching into his gear, he pulled out his wallet. "So, how much? For last night and the room? And a morning meal too, if possible."

The man chuckled and looked to the girl still standing to his side. "Lily, dear, why not go fix our friend here a nice breakfast?" She seemed a bit hesitant to leave the scene, but she scurried off to what was likely the kitchen. The man brought his attention back to Siva. "Now, my friend, I don't think we've been introduced. I'm the owner of this fine establishment, Sulayman. I regret to inform you that your money will be no good here."

Siva looked at Sulayman with a hint of surprise, met with a calm yet severe stare. Siva fought the instinct to reach for his weapons, hoping that the conversation wasn't about to take a darker turn. Ever prepared, he relaxed his posture and spoke, "I am Siva. Why is it that my lien is unacceptable to you? Did I do something wrong?"

Sulayman, also relaxing his posture and showing a more friendly expression, replied, "My friend, we have no use of lien here. In this village, all goods and services are done by either trade or out of good will." He paused, looking out of the front window at the villagers passing in the main street. "The services I have provided to you, I will ask nothing of you. I decided that since you brought happiness to some of my friends and family I would board you for the night. There is..." he started, running his hands through his beard once again, "something I would ask of you in exchange for this morning meal, but the time is not right. Instead, I want to talk to you. Maybe we can exchange stories. As an old man running this type of place, I enjoy hearing the stories of visitors and sharing my own."

Siva was hesitant. He had never come across anyone who had said such words. Sure, charity wasn't an uncommon thing in the land of Remnant, but to put someone up for the night? To cover their food and drink? And to so cryptically state that he did want something of Siva, but only in exchange for his breakfast? It seemed a bit odd for sure. Siva was certainly uncomfortable with what Sulayman could ask of him. Peculiarly, Sulayman showed no indication that he would ask Siva to do anything strange or unreasonable.

"What is it that you want me to say, then?"

Sulayman grabbed another glass and poured a deep, dark liquid from one of the bottles he pulled from the wall behind him. "This is a blackberry liqueur. The man who makes this is the son of an old friend of mine. I met his father when I first arrived here in Salaam. He asked me to be the first to try it. I never told him, but I had never had any sort of drink before, but out of obligation to my friend I tried it." Sulayman drank from the glass. "Now, I was honest with him. I said it was strong, but I liked the deep flavor. Apparently, he decided to run with that and started to sell the liqueur. Turns out, everyone loved it." The old man took another drink. "Now, imagine what could have happened if I had lied and said it was good when it could have been considered terrible to those with more refined tastes? The man was absolutely silly to even ask me. I'm sure he knew I never had any alcohol before." Sulayman set the glass down on the countertop, staring down into the liquid inside, then looking back up at Siva. "But, I was glad he came to me. It showed that he trusted my opinion. So, that's why I was completely honest with him."

Siva grabbed his glass and finished it. He knew what was expected of him. It would be rude not to oblige. Siva wasn't one to just go handing out his life story to just anyone. He honestly wasn't much of a talkative person, much more so as of late. Say only what you need to say. But, that type of mentality wouldn't get him very far here. Sulayman had done him a great favor and Siva figured there wasn't much harm in telling a curious man from a remote settlement a little about himself.

"I'm a Huntsman. Born from a small village just off the great desert that Vacuo lies within. I grew up thinking that if I had the power that I should do something good with it. So I walked the path that I believed in. I trained at Shade. I continued to follow the path that I believed in. But, after all these years, I feel like I lost hope. I saw just how awful people can be. How careless. Selfish."

Sulayman furrowed his brow. The man knew there was more, but life was to be taken one step at a time. He grabbed Siva's glass and refilled it. Putting his arms down on the counter, Sulayman once again looked out of the window at the now brightly-lit street.

"People from this town come from all walks of life. From all over Remnant. Long before the Great War this land served as a place of refuge for those who sought safety during troubling times. Most of the elders living here now were refugees...victims of the Great War. The lost and the broken. Those were the darkest of days and we all miraculously found this shelter in the dark.

"We came together as a community, despite our differences. People that would have been enemies in the outside world became neighbors. Friends. And while we may have seen travelers come and go, not one trace of the war came to our doorstep. It were as if our amiable nature and kinship acted as a ward to keep it all away. Even today, there have never been any violent crimes or attacks from the outside world here."

Siva couldn't help but let a look of skepticism creep onto his face. Absolutely no violence? No attacks? It would be one thing to exaggerate to make a general point, but Siva could tell by the look on Sulayman's face that the man was telling no tall-tale.

Sulayman chuckled ever so softly, knowing what Siva was thinking. "I know, it seems ridiculous. But, it is true. People here have seen the worst of humanity. Violence, death, brutality. Evil. None of us here want to see that again. But," Sulayman said quietly, leaning in further, "if you ask me, I think this land might be special. We never get steady visitors. People either come to stay or they visit once and never return. Nobody from the outside world has ever come to trade with us, or tried to establish contact with us."

"How do you survive without trade?" Siva queried.

"Everything that is essential to our lifestyle can be found on this land," Sulayman answered. "Old Red was the carpenter when I was younger, but he passed his skill down to his sons. Elizabeth's family spends their time tending to the crops that feed the village. And here I am, running Salaam's best bar, restaurant, and hotel." Sulayman's pride was almost visible after his last statement.

Siva took another drink. He couldn't help but think of how strange it all was. "What about news from the outside world? If it's as you say, it is like you are completely isolated from the rest of the world."

"That's why I like to talk to visitors. We learn from each other by sharing our stories."

"So is that what you really want from me?"

Sulayman again chuckled softly. "No. I can see in your eyes something troubles you. I have no right to coerce you into telling me about it, but," Sulayman paused for a brief second before continuing, "There's a story I feel compelled to tell you. Now, this is a story from a long time ago, during the Great War. It's a story that I know of someone who once passed through the gates of Salaam.

"There was a youth from a busy commerce town. He was too young to understand, but he could see how the adults began to look nervous and act suspiciously. Always looking at the news. Little things seemed to scare them. One day, the town was attacked by an enemy army. Soldiers of the icy kingdom Mantle. Just like the land they lived in, the men were cold and ruthless. Like the winds of their native land, they blew through the town swiftly and harshly. They slaughtered all with no remorse.

"The soldiers broke into the youth's home. He was huddled together with his parents and siblings. His father stood to protect the family but the youth watched as a sword was driven through his father's chest. His mother and sisters were grabbed up and were taken away further into the house. The youth was so fearful that he could only flail weakly at the soldiers. All they did was kick him around and laugh. When the soldiers that had taken his mother and sisters had returned, they all left, leaving the youth alone in his misery to become prey to those beasts of the dark. All he could do was accept his fate."

Siva sat somberly contemplating Sulayman's words. He already knew how dark human nature could be. He knew what it meant to lose it all. He knew how easy it was to just roll over and accept the fate that was thrown into one's lap.

"The young boy could do nothing but weep. He cried until he heard the blood-curdling howls from the creatures of the night that would come for him. And at that moment all he could do was run. The youth joined with four other boys and girls that had been spared during the attack until they ran into another regiment of soldiers. They were hesitant to approach the soldiers until they noticed the different crest upon the soldiers' banner. It came to be explained that they were from a kingdom called Vale and were presently fighting against Mantle.

"Years passed and the youth grew into a young man who had not forgotten the name of those who had hurt him. Joining the forces of Vale, he fought battle after battle against Mantle and their allies. His determination and eagerness had earned him respect on the battlefield, and eventually he lead his own squad. Vale's forces had made it deep into Mantle-occupied territory and they stood poised to attack a key port city. The attack was successful, but he looked over the town and was reminded of the devastation that had brought him there to begin with. He looked upon the destruction and saw the number of innocent citizens that had been caught in the crossfire. And it was all to secure a victory for Vale - in the name of striking down the enemy.

"He left the battlefield and fled as fast and as far as he could. He was no shining light of justice. He was no righteous tool of retribution. He was just a sad little boy trying to get revenge for the family he lost. In his path to 'set things right' with the people that hurt him, he ended up becoming the very thing he hated."

Siva leaned back, taking it all in. Sulayman stood pensive, focusing on the light pouring in from the window above the front door. Siva could hear the clacking and scraping of Lily's cooking efforts coming from the kitchen behind the bar.

Breaking the silence, Siva spoke up. "What came of the man afterward?"

Sulayman's focus returned to Siva as he continued his story.

"He walked the land for months while emptiness and pain slowly ate away at him. Just when he was ready to give it all up, he found a small village seemingly untouched by the war that engulfed the rest of the world. Despite all of the awful things going on in the world at the time...despite all of the pain and destruction across the land...the people of this village still had the strength to wear a smile and welcome him with open arms. It was there he learned what true friendship was. It was there he learned what love and happiness were. He had found a worthwhile purpose to live for."

Lily came out of the kitchen with a tray of food. She set the plate and bowls in front of Siva and, noticing the atmosphere, looked curiously from Siva to her father. However, she refrained from asking any questions that she may have had.

Tearing into a biscuit, Siva spoke to Sulayman. "I can't help but feel that story hits close to home."

"But for whom?" Sulayman inquired cryptically.

Siva certainly had no lack of respect for Sulayman. After all, not many would give to a stranger so freely as he had done for Siva. Despite this, Siva found it unsettling how Sulayman seemed to be speaking to him as if his personal experiences and thoughts were common knowledge to the older man. Siva was one who bowed to the experience of those older than him, but he was genuinely bothered that Sulayman seemed to understand exactly what Siva was doing traveling across the continent of Sanus and what he planned on doing.

As Siva ate the rest of the food in front of him, the bar stood silent. The sun, still low in the sky, shined through the windows and reflected off the mirror behind the bar and gave the place an almost eerie glow. The bright bar area created a stark contrast with the tables sitting off to the side in the dark where he had sat the night prior. When he had taken his last bite Siva decided to once again break the silence that had fallen.

"I too lost someone I cared for. Someone I loved. The reason I've come this far is because the person responsible stands poised to hurt more people. I just want to see the suffering end. I want justice."

Sulayman gathered up the empty dish and bowls and put them to the side. "The path you take is your own. I don't mean to lecture you. I only mean to offer you a warning. It takes a strong man to walk the line between the light and the dark. But, if you are as strong as your appetite I reckon you shall be just fine."

…

He looked up at her midnight-colored hair hanging down over him as he lay on the grass. He looked into her emerald eyes as she lowered her face for a kiss. He held her for what felt like an eternity. It was so peaceful in the field, the wind softly blowing against the flowers and trees. She rested her head on him as they talked. The sunlight at that moment was so bright. Warm. Just like her...

…

Siva walked downstairs after packing his things and was met by Sulayman and his daughter standing near the counter. The man had given Siva food for thought and Siva had been digesting it since their previous conversation. It seemed likely that Sulayman saw himself in Siva and didn't want to see Siva waste his life away seeking revenge for its own sake. It was true that Siva had very personal reasons as to why he walked the path that he did, but he preferred to think that it wasn't purely for revenge. The old man was simply looking out for Siva - and Siva respected the man for it.

"So I take it you aren't inclined to stay here?" Sulayman queried.

Siva looked at the man. "I decided a long time ago that I was going to continue down this path no matter where it may lead. It may not make me any happier in the end, but there are reasons I can't just stop now."

Sulayman nodded with resignation. He was saddened that he couldn't do more for Siva, but he hoped that his words would linger in Siva's mind. Make him think twice before he did something he couldn't take back. Soften his heart.

"I had hoped that perhaps you had taken what I said to heart. Who knows? Maybe Salaam is where you were meant to stay? I'm sure my Lily here would make a fine wife for you."

Lily had turned the most interesting shade of red Siva had ever seen. "F-father! What are you saying?!" She was completely flabbergasted, hitting Sulayman in embarrassment for what he had said.

Siva couldn't help but let a smile slip through his facade. There was no denying that Salaam was the sort of place where anyone could settle and live the rest of their days in happiness. He could envision a possible future where he could move on from what had happened. Let time erode his anger. Find a new reason to live.

But to do so would be to forget his life up until that point. Siva could not simply forget and let go. Every event - every experience in Siva's life made him who he was today. He wouldn't forgo these experiences. He wouldn't forgo the one who most changed his life. He wouldn't stand idly by while there were those who stood in the way of others' happiness.

Sulayman saw the determination in Siva's eyes. Before, they had seemed a bit dark. Cold. But, this morning, they seemed clearer. Standing with Lily, Sulayman offered his hand to Siva for a farewell. With his left arm around his daughter, Sulayman grabbed the visitor's black-sleeved arm in embrace and delivered his final words to the man. "I wish you good luck, my young friend."

Siva walked down the main street of Salaam, the sunlight reflecting off the morning dew. The town felt so warm and inviting. Nostalgic. It was hard to leave in such a manner, but Siva knew there was a reason why he must continue onward. For it was not the first time he had felt such warmth. It reminded him of a certain someone whom he had lost. And it was for this certain someone that he fought off the desires to stay, and pushed forward along the path that lies ahead.

…

There weren't many people that he could trust. He was overly cautious due to the nature of his work. Over the years, he had built relationships of absolute trust between a few of his peers. Reliable. Steadfast. Unwavering.

However, there was one Huntsman that he found himself at odds with often. The man was an old classmate that had a reputation for unwarranted arrogance and flaunting his family's reputation at every opportune moment. The two had built a bit of a rivalry in their school days and it would be no surprise that it continued into their days in the field.

He had little patience for those who let pride and prejudice cloud their judgment. And while his rival's behavior was relatively tame early on, there came a time when the man's behavior shifted towards the extreme...

…

Siva was fast approaching the coastal edge of the continent of Sanus. Far to the west was Vacuo, where Siva had started his journey. To his north lay the Vale region, but Siva knew what he sought would not be found there. He had spent weeks looking for signs to lead him in the right direction. But just like a nimble creature that avoided capture from an overconfident predator, any clues that could aid Siva seemed to elude him.

It had been weeks since his stop at Salaam. While Siva was certainly focused on continuing forward, the words of the older man, Sulayman, were left to linger in the back of his mind. Like a whisper they scratched at his conscience. The words made him question his motives. His morals. The idea of justice in Siva's mind was clearly defined as black and white. There are lines that aren't meant to be crossed. When those lines are crossed, then swift action must be taken. That was the idea of what a Huntsman was to Siva: a protector, but also a peacekeeper. And at times, he was made to act as an enforcer of justice when aiding those villages and towns outside of the realm of the kingdoms. But unlike any time before, Siva was letting his personal feelings on a matter color his behavior and actions, whether he could admit it or not. The silence and the solitude that accompanied Siva on his journey gave him time to think about his course of action. And perhaps that was the scariest part, since Siva was doubting himself. And with doubts in his head he wondered if he would be able to act justly when an opportunity presented itself.

Leaving behind the brush and shrubbery, Siva found himself looking at the expanse of the ocean that lay before him. As if sweeping his excess thoughts away, Siva's mind was calmed when the winds blowing in from the sea hit him. Siva took in a deep breath. The air was fresh and clean. The purity reinvigorated Siva to keep moving forward along the path. Looking ahead, his current path ended at yet another settlement.

Aysu was one of the oldest standing coastal towns on Sanus, having been settled by explorers from Vale long ago. It was said that the location of the town was entirely based on where the best fishing spots were, rather than having a defensible position against potential invaders. The rare fish that Aysu brought in were sold to nearby villages and even to faraway kingdoms such as Atlas where some considered the fish to be exotic delicacies. And the success that Aysu found in trade afforded them better protection against external threats.

Siva approached the outskirts of Aysu around midday. The fickle ocean clouds let the sun tease from behind their curtains, but the breeze kept the temperature at more-than-comfortable levels. The first thing he noticed was just how large Aysu actually was. The core of the town, like many across Remnant, was built with a sizable wall to protect against attackers. But the achievements that Aysu had earned had clearly attracted more citizens than the original planners had envisioned. There were many houses and huts that surrounded and dwarfed the central wall. And looking beyond the houses, Siva saw a fleet of boats of varying sizes and quality parked at docks that littered the waterline. The shock most people would get from seeing the scene would be understandable: Aysu in its own rights was large enough to rival the populous cities of the kingdoms. If only Aysu were gifted with an environment that lent to large-scale development and had more natural barriers for defense, there was no doubt that the coastal town could go on to become the center of a new kingdom.

Walking down the streets of Aysu was an experience of culture. Vendors shouted from their stands hoping to have passersby stop to buy their various goods. Some were pushy, trying very obviously to drop their product into the hands of the unaware and then demand payment. Other vendors sat haughtily behind their counters as customers pushed just to get in line to buy their goods. Most walked swiftly and with purpose – locals who understood the flow of the markets and how things there operated. Visitors and newcomers were clearly unaccustomed to the hustle of Aysu and seemed to hesitate while the flow of people moved around them like a school of fish. The popularity of Aysu's exports made it a point of interest for some foreigners, enough that Aysu had also developed in areas of tourism after the Great War that had ended decades ago.

Also notable of Aysu was the mix of the population. Remnant was home to not one but two species of intelligent beings. Faunus were very similar to their Human counterparts save their unique animal traits. History does not state which came first, but early recorded history implies that both species likely came into existence around roughly the same time, and modern science forms the theory that both species emerged from a common ancestor. Despite a similar biological makeup, Faunus were unfortunately targets of discrimination by Humans, who feared beings who looked similar to themselves but possessed traits such as tails and fangs. Most Faunus at the time lived on the continent of Menagerie; originally meant to be a cage for the entire Faunus population it had become a land that many proudly called home. Despite long strides toward equality, Human-Faunus relations were still a touchy topic in many areas, Atlas in particular.

Fortunately, Aysu was far from Atlas and was clearly a place where performance, rather than parentage, determined one's worth. Among the marketplace vendors were representatives of both species, and made no effort to discriminate towards whom they may sell. Likewise, the visitors to Aysu were from all over Remnant, and members of both species. From Vacuo, Vale, Mistral, and even Menagerie, people gathered for an experience that could only be had in few cities such as Aysu.

Food was clearly a cornerstone to the culture of Aysu. The smells of strong brews filled the air of the streets, coming from the tea shops that stood on every street corner. Sitting outside under umbrellas sat old men, waxing nostalgic as they drank together. Kids ran up to food stands that offered a variety of sweet candied fruits and fried offerings for snacks on the go. Tourists lined up outside fine restaurants lined with large glass windows. The smell of baked fish wafting through the nearby air could cause even a satiated man to salivate with hunger.

Though Siva did not visit Aysu to indulge himself, he still needed to eat. He walked into the closest restaurant since he really didn't have any particular preference. It was a small, dimly-lit den with beaten-in wooden tables and a large picture of a lighthouse hanging on the far back wall. Dark and quiet, most people would turn away from such a place, but Siva found the environment perfectly adequate. He was never a fan of loud and open places. In a city full of tourists, this place could not be more perfect for Siva. He sat down, deciding on a quick meal when visited by the waiter. Siva let out a sigh as he downed his drink, as the journey to Aysu had been long and he had not been able to truly relax for many nights.

His relaxation was short-lived. A group of hooded figures walked into the tavern and filled up a large table near the back. Removing their hoods, they began to talk among each other at a volume that was not too loud, but audible enough for Siva to hear the discussions. It wasn't the volume that truly bothered Siva. It was the content of their discussions.

"It's a shame a fine city like this ends up stinking so bad."

"There are so many of them here. Walking around like they belong."

"Maybe we need to figure out how to send them back to where they came from."

Siva took another drink. Locals? It wasn't unheard of for local populations to become standoffish at the presence of visitors, especially considering how many people visited Aysu on a daily basis. But to chase them off would be foolish. Part of Aysu's economy is tied up in tourism. To chase away the tourists would-

"Damn animals need to learn their place. It doesn't help that people around here see them as equal."

"I think we should try to recruit some of the locals. The boss said he had some connections here. We'll be meeting up with some of them later."

Siva had heard enough. Still holding onto his drink, he got up and began to make his way to their table. The leader of the bunch clearly noticed Siva walking towards them with purpose and motioned to two of his lackeys to stand up to stop Siva short. Taking a drink himself, the leader leaned back into the bench. Siva looked over the group. Most were of average build. A few were larger – there only to be muscle. The leader of the group was well-built. Tall, sporting a short beard and a serious look on his face. Siva noticed the light scar upon the man's cheek.

"What business do you have with us, lad? I suggest you take yourself back to your table if you know what's good for you."

The entire tavern remained dead quiet. It seemed as if nobody dare even breathe in this situation, unsure of how this interaction was going to play out. The staff stood silent, unaware of what to even do in this situation. The air itself felt to have stopped in the wake of what was to come.

"Easy now, good sir. I couldn't help but overhear what you were talking about," Siva said, attempting to appear relaxed and harmless. "You know, about...them. I should say I'm just a bit curious."

The leader didn't change his expression one bit. He took another drink, keeping his eyes on Siva the entire time. "And what of it? What do you want?"

Siva leaned in a bit but the two 'guards' stood stiff and blocked him from approaching any further. "Couldn't help but notice you mentioned you were looking for your boss' connection here." Taking his voice even quieter, Siva continued. "I think I may be the one you are looking for."

Siva could feel it in the atmosphere. The locals in the tavern were so surprised and scared. For there to be a meeting of anti-Faunus members going on in the middle of a city that had represented equality for so many years was an experience no citizen of Aysu would have dreamed of happening. The surprise and disgust were almost tangible. It didn't deter Siva from what he was doing.

The leader couldn't help but let a sign of shock slip through his facade in the form of a raised eyebrow. "Oh? Really now, this is a surprise. Forgive my doubts, but you certainly don't fit the description."

"I'm a bit surprised Kedar would have gotten the description wrong. Him and I go way back, after all." Siva calmly took another drink, barely looking at the leader of the group over the rim.

The leader's expression changed rather quickly. A bead of sweat started to form on his brow. Eyes widened. "You...you are the one we are meeting with? I thought we were supposed to meet near the..."

"Hush!" Siva interjected. "Watch what you say. We do have an audience, you fool." Siva motioned to the guests who still sat silently watching the events unfold, the look of surprise still glued to their faces. "I think we should take it outside."

The leader still seemed skeptical, barely grasping the fact that Siva was supposedly the man he was looking for. Even he was starting to look like he wasn't sure what he should do, but it seemed he quickly made a decision as his expression returned to its former rigidity. "Alright then, the less time I need to spend here the better."

Motioning to the group, they all began to rise from the table in preparation to leave. The group raised their hoods as they exited. Before making his way through the doorway, the leader turned to those still inside the tavern. "And let's keep this to ourselves, alright? I'd hate to see such a nice place go to ruin." With that he closed the door to the entrance leaving behind only confusion, astonishment, and fear.

Walking down the street, the group's leader walked alongside Siva. "I am Tanner. I'm sorry for the skepticism, but Kedar definitely didn't describe you well enough."

"This city is always changing. Many people come and go. Sometimes I feel the need to change my own identity in order to avoid the recognition from locals." Siva turned to Tanner. "I understand how you feel, believe me, but making a scene like that is not helping. Aysu is not like the villages you may be more accustomed to visiting. This place is large. Alive. Ever changing. Well protected and well enforced. You'll need to dress a little less..." Siva looked at Tanner and motioned to the rest of the hooded group members- "...conspicuously."

Tanner slowed his pace, contemplating Siva's advice. "You have a point. Let's ditch the hoods at least." Following Tanner's words, the group began to pull their hoods back, some completely removing their cloaks.

"Now," Siva started, "what has my old friend Kedar been up to? It has been far too long since we've had a face-to-face and I'm starting to miss his old mug."

Tanner looked around as if looking for any suspicious characters before answering. "Kedar has been busy with his new leadership position. After that nasty bit of business out in Bordo del Vuoto, he's become quite passionate about his new role. He's currently in southern Anima." Tanner had paused, as if mulling over what he wanted to say before he said it. "You personally know Kedar, yes? What exactly happened? Ever since that event he's become...very enthralled with work. Hands on."

Siva continued guiding the group down side streets, approaching the northeastern edge of the city's walls. This particular area was not as heavily populated as the northern edge was neighbored by a small cliffside. Based on the general condition of the streets and houses, it could be assumed that Aysu's growth had started at the base of the cliff and expanded southward over time. Lights did not illuminate the streets. There were no signs of civilians in the buildings. The entire district had a haunted feel, magnified by the light coming only from the shattered moon that hung in the sky above.

Siva stopped in the empty streets, Tanner and his group pausing along with him. "Kedar proved his loyalty that day," Siva finally answered. His low voice seemed to echo from the barren walls that lined the desolate streets. "He showed Huntsman and Huntress alike that we are a force to be reckoned with. His former peers and colleagues? Struck down, without mercy."

Tanner shifted ever so slightly, Siva's emotionless gaze disrupting his composure like a falling rock breaking the smooth surface of calm water. "He killed actual Huntsmen? Wow..." Tanner seemed a bit shocked at the information. "Well, I'm sure it was something they deserved. The things we do are for a better world, but it's like he's on a whole 'nother level. I guess that's why he's the one in charge of things and I'm out here."

"Do you think you could kill a Huntsman? Or would you even be able to kill a Faunus if you had the opportunity?"

The question made Tanner pause. "I...Of course I could! Give me a fair shot and I'd smoke 'em! Filthy creatures, the lot of them. I say we just keep them locked away on that island. Killing them all is too much effort, anyways."

Siva let a cold smirk slide across his face. Some in Tanner's group were very visibly unsettled by Siva's behavior. Siva was giving off a cold and almost sickening aura. One of the large men that stood as a guard back at the tavern piped up.

"Boss, this guy seems a bit off. You sure we can trust him? Did Kedar really want us to work with this nut?"

Siva had walked over toward one of the buildings along the empty street, looking into the dust-covered windows. Siva turned to look down the street and Tanner caught a view of his profile. He couldn't make out the details of Siva's face, his eyes veiled by the darkness.

"Gray," Tanner said. "Perhaps we should get down to the business we came here for."

Siva continued to look around.

"Oi, Gray!"

Siva turned back to look at Tanner. Tanner was looking at him.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't realize you were talking to me."

Tanner lifted an eyebrow. "Who else would I be talking to?"

Wind rolled through the streets, howling as it flowed through the group. The two guards from before moved in from of Tanner. Some of the other members began to stand more alert, weary of what may be soon to happen. Tanner himself took a slightly defensive stance, pulling his right foot slightly back. Siva saw him slowly pull his right hand behind his body, out of view.

Siva sighed. "Now, now, why act like that? Makes me think you don't trust me anymore...if you ever did."

Tanner pulled out a small blade. Following his example, the two guards stepped further forward, shortening the distance between themselves and Siva. The other members of the group began to spread out, creating a semi-circle of sorts around Siva.

"I'll give you one chance, lad," Tanner said, iciness dripping with every word. "Who are you really? And what did you do with Gray?"

Siva turned fully around to face Tanner. Looking past the men standing between him and his questioner, Siva answered.

"It's unfortunate we had to meet like this. Well," Siva contemplated, "it's really fortunate for me. Not so much for you." Siva chuckled. "I don't think Kedar would much appreciate you handing out sensitive information to strangers."

Tanner's eyes narrowed. "You...you're a Huntsman, aren't you? You here for us?"

Siva continued to stand still. The wind blew his silvery hair across his forehead, the reflected moonlight shining from each strand. "At this moment I'm not a Huntsman. I'm just a traveler looking for an old acquaintance."

Just as Siva meant to take a step toward the group, the two guards rushed in. Siva dropped his gear just beneath him and took a defensive stance. One threw a hook, which Siva effortlessly evaded. Quickly turning, Siva grabbed the guard's arm and, using the guard's momentum, proceeded to throw the man into one of the windows behind him.

Turning around, Siva was met with a cloak thrown into the air, blocking his view from the rest of the group. Adrenaline pumping, he focused on what he could hear. A brief scraping and a heaving breath. The guard was jumping at him. Siva dropped to his back as the guard hugged the fluttering cloak and the air around it. Siva threw his foot into the guard's gut as he flew above him, once again using the momentum to guide him into the wall behind. This guard was met with brick rather than a window like his ally. The wind was knocked from his body as his back hit the wall with great force.

Siva shot back up on his feet. Most of the members were awestruck at how quickly Siva had dispatched the two largest and visibly strongest members of the group in a matter of seconds, and with seemingly very little effort. Tanner had already begun to move in, however. With his blade Tanner made swipes at Siva. Wild and erratic, Siva found it hard to guess how Tanner would attack next. Upon missing with a wild swing, Tanner caught Siva by surprise with an irregular kick. Siva was barely able to put up a guard and was sent sliding back to where his gear sat.

"Want to grab one of those swords?" Tanner mocked condescendingly. "They may give you a fighting chance."

Siva never let his eyes off of the man in front of him. An opponent of this caliber did not require him to use a weapon, even if he were at such a disadvantage. Siva was most worried about the rest of Tanner's men joining in the fight, but it didn't seem like they were willing after seeing the two large brutes dispatched as quickly as they were. Tanner's wild fighting style may have caught Siva by surprise, but that was all Tanner had going for him. Siva would not be caught by surprise again.

Standing up, Siva extended a hand to continue the fight. Tanner grinned maliciously. More than willing to oblige Tanner moved forward, blade held out to his side and ready to strike. Siva pulled his arms up in a defensive stance to prepare for the attack. Tanner swung chest-high making Siva pull back, then continued with more wild and random slices. Siva was able to push Tanner's attacks away with ease and precision. The frustration was easily visible to Siva. Tanner's attacks became heavier but slower and more consistent.

Tanner tried for a stab to Siva's gut. Seeing this as his best opportunity to end this quickly, Siva shifted ever so slightly out of the way. He slipped his left leg behind Tanner's forward leg, grabbed Tanner's wrist with his right, and threw his left elbow under Tanner's chin. Siva pulled back on Tanner's arm, the force threatening to dislocate it. Tanner was reluctant to give up, his hands feebly flicking the blade around hoping to cut into something, anything. Tanner yelled at his futile efforts and the pain he was experiencing. Tanner's men stood around the two, looking onward at how powerless they were in this situation.

Siva could feel Tanner's struggle and frustration continue. The man's pride was on the line. Being made a fool in front of his subordinates. Made to look weak. But the pain and threat of injury finally made him release his grip on his weapon. The blade clanged on the ground beneath him as if it were the bell in a boxing match, signifying the end of the struggle.

However, Siva did not stop with that. He continued to pull Tanner's arm back, sending the man howling as he took a knee, attempting to gain better leverage to alleviate the pain. Tanner turned and pleaded, but Siva's eyes were dark and cold, as if he were possessed by the spirit of hatred itself.

"Please, stop! I beg of you, please! We'll go, just stop! My arm! Please, no!"

Siva wasn't even listening. All he could feel was that this lot needed to disappear. People who spread pain and hatred needed to disappear. Those who spread pain needed to experience pain themselves. The more he thought about them, the more control he lost over himself.

In a moment of clarity, the words of the man from Salaam crossed his mind. Sulayman had urged him to try and walk a different path. Revenge was empty. It would never make the pain disappear. It wouldn't bring back what was lost. Sulayman had seen his younger self in Siva, and did not want the mistakes from history to repeat again.

Tanner was tearing up, spittle flying from his mouth as he could feel his shoulder come closer and closer to fracturing and pulling out of socket. Siva suddenly loosened his grip, sending Tanner to the ground where he quickly hugged his arm. He kicked himself back to give him some space from Siva, still cradling his arm gingerly and unsure of what Siva may do next. He flinched as Siva started walking toward his gear.

Siva was not proud of the fact that he had nearly lost self-control. These goons still left him with a bad taste in his mouth, however. Preparing to leave, Siva heaved his gear upon his back and turned to the group still awestruck at what had just happened.

"That will be the last measure of mercy you will receive," Siva said coldly. "Leave this city. I want to see no sign of the likes of you by morning." As an afterthought, Siva added: "And go ahead and tell your leader that Siva will be coming for him soon enough."

Siva did not look behind him as he left and made his way back toward the more populated areas of town. Disappointed that he was unable to finish his meal, he made his way back to the tavern to explain what had happened and to pay. Understandably, there were police who wanted to question him, but upon seeing his record as a Huntsman they came to understand that Siva was playing along so he could get the rowdy group to leave the tavern to avoid any conflict near innocent bystanders.

The rest of the night was rather tame. Siva talked with the police and the Huntsmen that were working within Aysu about the anti-Faunus group that was terrorizing smaller villages and making attempts to expand their ideology to other Humans. While there were certainly few who may share their sentiments, Aysu's history was proof that its population could stand resolute against such prejudice.

After weeks of being out in the wilderness, Siva was finally able to relax once again on a warm, comfortable mattress. Before fading away, his thoughts returned to the hopelessness he felt when he lost control. While a normal person may lose their head in the heat of the moment, a Huntsman was trained from day one to keep a cool head at all times. Poor decisions can be made when acting upon emotions rather than logic.

Siva was fighting his own internal battle. On one side, he wanted to remove emotion from the picture and bring the terrorists in to see trial. He was not the only one who has been hurt by their evils, and seeing the wrongdoers sentenced would be a form of closure for all parties involved. But on the other side stood his feelings of anger and sorrow. He couldn't forget those whom he cherished, loved, and respected. Those who kill without remorse deserve no mercy. The only form of justice they deserve is a painful end, one which would still be merciful compared to what they truly deserve.

The ever-going debate eventually subsided as Siva relaxed and he was able to reign in control of his emotions. A part of him was scared, unaccustomed to the break in his usual cool and collected manner. Before, nothing would shake his resolve in such a way. But now, finally able to confront those members of the terrorist group that had destroyed his world, he was aware of just how weak his self-control could be. Seeing their faces and hearing how casually they carried on triggered emotions deep within Siva, emotions so strong that he feared he may not be able to control himself again.

He stared into the ceiling of his hotel room. In an act of futility, he tried to trace the lines and patterns on the wooden ceiling. It was too dark for him to make out any distinct patterns and was sure he was following lines that didn't exist. It was mundane, but effective enough that his eyes finally began to feel the events of the day weigh heavily upon them. Before slipping away, he looked in the direction where his two swords lay. He barely made out their shapes but knew they silently stood side by side awaiting the day they would again be used.

…

Life is a matter of balance. For every good moment there must also be a bad moment. While two find happiness in warm embrace, another mourns the loss of his family. Two plan the beginning of their lives while one contemplates how to end the lives of many others. One does not discriminate while another falls to hate and prejudice. The bright rays of hope and love cast long shadows of misery and hate.

He never thought about the deeper meaning behind the man's prejudices. He never wondered what events lead the man to feel the way he did. He never payed attention to the malicious glares the man threw when the pair passed by on the street. He never looked back until it was too late.

It wasn't until after he lost her that he remembered a completely unremarkable event from the day of their marriage. Among a crowd of cheering guests sharing in the happiness of the two, his gaze passed over a face in the background. A face of jealousy, pain, and anger. Looking back over the crowd he couldn't again find the face and dismissed it quickly thinking he saw incorrectly. But in hindsight he knew who was hiding behind that mask of anguish...

…

Siva was stirred awake by the sounds of faraway screaming. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he made his way to the window. Looking out, he observed a faint glow off in the distance toward the outer edge of town. From within the building he could hear voices of exasperation and the sounds of boots pounding against the wooden floors. Siva quickly donned his cloak and made his way out to the halls and toward the main lobby of the hotel.

"...and tell the guests to gather their things just in case. Right now it appears the fire is on the outer edge of Aysu but we don't know if this was an accident or intentional yet..."

Siva had caught part of the conversation between the innkeeper and a police officer. Upon seeing Siva, the officer began to make his way to him.

"Mister Huntsman, we may need your help. There's a large fire on the outskirts of the city, and it has spread quickly. We're doing our best to contain it but we fear there are still civilians trapped within their homes. Can you please assist us? There are innocent lives at stake."

Siva looked at the man. The police officer was already sweating profusely and breathing heavily. He then looked out at the main entrance of the hotel, looking at the glow of the distant fire contrasting the night sky.

"Let me grab my gear."

As Siva and the officer ran for the fire, Siva couldn't help but think that this could be the result of the anti-Faunus group that he had dealt with earlier. It certainly wasn't out of the realm of possibility, but as crazy as it sounded Siva had hoped that the fire was just the result of an unfortunate accident rather than a deliberate action. Though considering how widespread the fire was combined with the fact that the fire was only affecting the outside of the city - an area populated mostly by Faunus – it did not instill confidence that this fire was a mere accident.

Siva ran through the blazes, looking for any signs of people who may be trapped in their houses. He passed many buildings with shattered windows and open doors. Several citizens were crowded onto the middle of the streets, many covered in ashen clothes and some with burns. Siva caught view of several citizens who had been crushed under falling debris. He tried not to let his sight linger on the unfortunate losses but could feel sparks of anger striking up within him.

He caught glances of hopeful scenes. Vehicles pulling up and preparing to extinguish flames with water hoses. Victims reunited with loved ones. Emergency crews cheering as they pulled a citizen to safety. The people of Aysu were resilient and it clearly showed in their methods and determination.

Siva slowed down as he and the officer approached their destination. Running down a dead end street, Siva spotted a child crying in the middle of the raging flames. Just as a wooden pole began to crack and fall down toward the youth Siva drew his blade of black, dashing toward the pole and splitting it, the pieces narrowly missing the boy but leaving him unharmed. Siva scooped up the boy and brought him to a safer spot. He brushed the hot ashes off the boy's shirt and held his shoulder.

"Are you okay? You aren't hurt?" Siva tried to sound calm, so as not to scare the boy too much. The boy just stared up at Siva, then tears began to flow from his eyes as it all caught up to him.

"My...my momma and daddy aren't here..." The boy clumsily wiped the tears from his eyes and looked back toward a house that was quickly burning and creaking from the engulfing flames.

Siva grabbed the child tightly so as to comfort him. "That is your house?"

The boy nodded as tears ran down his face.

Siva guided the child to a nearby officer and ran into the burning house. He yelled out, hoping for a response. Deeper he went until he noticed the back door was ajar. Seeing no signs of people in the house, Siva took his chances and made for the back door. What he saw sent chills down his spine.

A few of the anti-Faunus members were gathered around a man and a woman. The two were down on their knees. Siva ran out just as he saw them murdered execution-style. Shot in the back of the head. Siva stood still as he saw the bodies drop limp to the ground. The group laughed as they watched the sight.

Siva began to lose focus of the fire around him. He could barely hear the jeers and the men spewing their hate for Faunus. He could feel an intense heat in his chest burning and aching. He grit his teeth as he could feel it rise higher. His thoughts were not on the two Faunus who had just been killed before his own eyes. His thoughts were not on the poor child who would now grow up without parents. His thoughts were not on the pain that an entire city would soon be feeling.

What Siva felt was regret. He had allowed these thugs to walk away. He had given them a chance to leave. He thought his show of force would be enough of a deterrent. Siva wondered if he truly underestimated the hate within their hearts. Were these people so sick that hatred was all they knew?

The longer his thoughts dwelled on the topic the more he could feel the burning in his chest. It became unbearable until Siva felt something inside him snap. It was like a calm rushing over him. Gone were the sounds of the fires around him. Gone was the heat surrounding him. His vision narrowed. His sight had gone red. Siva fully gave in to his impulses.

He calmly drew his blades from their sheathes. He could make out the sound of metal sliding against metal. In his right he held a longsword of the deepest black. In his left he held a pale white mid-length blade, its sweeping hilt flowing elegantly over Siva's hand. The pair of swords felt unfamiliar and heavy at the moment, almost as if the two were objecting to their owner's usage. Siva walked forward, his presence still unknown to the murderers before him.

In one smooth motion Siva thrust his dark blade into the back of an unsuspecting lackey. The rest of the group looked toward the man, blade poking out from his chest. As elegantly as a rose petal falling, Siva spun around, pulling the sword out from the man and attacking the next one. And the next one. Some scrambled to pull out weapons. Daggers. Pistols. Siva was undeterred. He felt the cold steel cut through the soft flesh. Without effort, his white blade pushed the weapons aside and his black blade made for vitals. Siva saw the men screaming. He saw the panic in their eyes. He relished in the tangible regret they felt as their life slipped through their hands.

Siva continued his dance until there was only one left. His sword stopped a mere hair's breadth from the man's neck. The hooded figure dropped to the ground. With tears and snot running down his face he pleaded for his life. Siva put his black blade into the figure's left foot. He almost felt pleasure in seeing the scum writhe around in such pain. He pulled his white blade underneath the man's jaw to shut him up.

"I thought I had made myself abundantly clear earlier, but I suppose I didn't." Siva calmly stated, almost like a whisper compared to the raging fires around him. "Where is the rest of your group?"

The man continued to shake. Fear gripped his heart and his tongue. Siva gave him a little slap. Still nothing. Siva gave him one more chance. Slowly, as the gravity of the situation began to take root within the man's mind he motioned toward the southwest. Siva pulled his blade from the hooded man's foot and proceeded to walk away.

He payed the downed man no further attention. He passed the now parent-less child being assisted by officers and firefighters. He couldn't bring himself to let the boy know what had happened just moments ago. At this point in time, it was neither his right nor duty. Siva sprinted through the streets toward the direction he had hoped Tanner would be found. As he made his way to the southwestern edge of Aysu he was met with a blockade set up by the emergency responders. His approach was met with an explosion. In the wake of the jarring sound he approached the officers in front of the blockade.

The police officers were about to say something when they clearly noticed the bloodstained cloak Siva was wearing. Meeting their gazes, Siva saw the confusion and fear in their eyes. They were unaccustomed to such violence, and especially unaccustomed to the thought of murder. Siva didn't have the time to coddle them. Snapping the officers back into attention, Siva yelled out at them.

"What is it? If you have news, tell me!" Siva didn't mean to blow up on the officers but he needed to resolve this. After all, this was all on him. Siva knew all the lives lost and all the people hurt were due to his poor decisions made only hours earlier. The burden weighed on his heart like chains on a prisoner.

"There are terrorists up ahead," one of the officers managed to spit out. "They are in the hospital..."

Interrupting, the other officer elaborated. "This hospital serves not only Aysu but many of the surrounding settlements. Patients aside, if we lose that hospital then there will be unspeakable damage done to this region."

Siva ran off towards the hospital ahead, bypassing the officers and all of the bystanders gazing in awe at the smoke rising steadily from the building. There were officers and volunteers making efforts to pull people out from the building. He passed them without a second glance. There was no need to stop and help when such actions would do nothing to resolve the current problem.

Through the corridors Siva heard shouting followed by gunshots. He ran towards the sounds, hoping to find his targets. Stopping just outside of a stairwell, Siva looked down upon a fallen officer. Blood slowly spread from beneath where the woman sat. She looked up at Siva, weakly pointing up the stairs. She was hurt, but Siva saw the determination in her eyes. Respecting her bravery, Siva pressed onward, climbing as fast as he could. The smoke that filled the halls of the lower levels was absent from the upper floors, making visibility much clearer.

Upon reaching the top Siva was met by an open door. Peeking out, he observed the roof terrace, hoping to find some trace of Tanner or any other members of the virulent group. With nothing but moonlight shining down on the rooftop, Siva could make out several figures in what appeared to be a standoff.

"You've nowhere to run! Put the weapons down! NOW!" Three police officers with handguns aimed at the three hooded figures.

One of the hooded men stepped forward, hand raised to reveal something in his hand: a remote trigger. "Don't think I won't take this building down with me!"

Upon seeing this, the officers hesitated. This was an unfortunate mistake. Upon seeing their meek response, the two large hooded men – the guards from before – drew handguns from within their cloaks and shot at the officers. As the exchange of gunfire began, Tanner pulled out a handgun of his own and fired rounds towards the officers. The lawmen dove away left and right, using flipped tables for cover. Tanner's guards began to push forward, encroaching on the distance the officers had hoped to maintain for safety.

Unfortunately, it did not take long for the large men to overtake and incapacitate the inexperienced officers. Through clever misdirection and a couple of thrown tables, the guards were able to eliminate the officers' cover and pick them off one by one. With the rooftop clear, Tanner made his way to the edge of the building that faced toward the city center. Looking down, Tanner saw a mass of police officers in a perimeter with bystanders looking toward the burning hospital with hopelessness in their eyes. He visibly reveled in the moment when the onlookers became aware of his presence standing so far above.

"Listen to me, you fools!" Tanner shouted. "This-" Tanner held up the remote trigger for all to see. "This will be the beginning! This is your just desserts for letting those filthy creatures live among you! As equals no less! I won't let them dilute our society any further...It's time to eradicate them once and for all! For the preservation of our pure world!"

Tanner looked down at the fear in the peoples' eyes. He reveled in it. The hopelessness. The regret. He saw the anger and confusion from some of the more obvious Faunus in the crowd below. This was what he wanted. To sew the seeds of discord and distrust in the hearts of the people. This was all due to the Faunus. If the Faunus didn't live among them then none of this would have happened. The Faunus were a bane to Humans. An existence that should never have been allowed to exist on Remnant. They were-

"Hey."

Tanner turned his head around quickly to see who had just spoke. It had taken him by complete surprise as he was engrossed in his own thoughts. The officers should have been dead.

As he turned around, Tanner saw a bright light coming toward him from the sky. As it came down toward him it moved off to his left. And then he felt it. An intense pain like he had never felt before. A burning sensation. Following the path of the light he looked at his right hand. Or rather, where his right hand would normally be, but was there no longer. His eyes widened as he gripped his stub and blood began to pour out.

The screaming filled the air. Tanner's two large guards were still confused as to what happened. There stood Siva, who had silently approached the group as their attention was toward the people gathering below. The blade of black Siva held reflected the light from the moon hanging above. Slowly realizing what danger they were in, the two goons attempted to bring up their weapons.

With no haste, Siva ran around the guard on the left, eliminating the sight line the right guard had on him. As the left guard took aim, Siva drew his mid-length blade and made for a jab just under the man's firearm. The shot glanced off the hilt as Siva drew the blade under the man's arm and pushed it upward. Now that the guard was completely open Siva thrust his longsword into the guard's left rib cage. Siva could feel the smooth glide of the blade sinking deeper into the guard.

The second guard circled around to gain sights on Siva, likely unaware of what had happened to his partner in crime. As he brought up his handgun and fired, Siva heaved the large body impaled on his sword to block the incoming fire. Upon shooting his ally, the second guard held his fire. Not letting the chance go to waste, Siva pulled back, then pushed the body off from his blade, using a kick to help propel the rather large body forward. Taken by surprise the guard caught his ally haphazardly, stumbling backwards from the dead weight. As he lay on the ground, Siva came to stand over the helpless guard. With no trace of hesitance Siva brought his boot swiftly upon the man's head, knocking him unconscious.

Siva exhaled. He looked over at Tanner, who was now writhing in pain on the ground. Tanner's screams were much more feeble but still ongoing. Sheathing his blades, Siva walked toward the edge of the rooftop. First, he looked around at the widespread damage caused by the fires. While most of the flames had been extinguished, the damage was ever present. The span of several streets had been completely razed by the blazes, while many buildings were gutted from the fires. Then, Siva looked down. He looked at the many people who were helping the victims of both the fires elsewhere and those who had been evacuated from the hospital. He looked upon the face of officers who seemed relieved to see the Huntsman peek over the rooftop. He looked into the eyes of both Human and Faunus alike who were still scared and unaware of what would happen next. He looked upon the faces of those whose lives had been irreparably damaged by the acts of evil men.

Steadying his breathing, Siva stated to the people below: "The threat is over! The terrorists are done! I need some officers up here to clean this up and secure the building!" Seeing several officers charge in, he relaxed his stance. While the threat of the terrorists was over, there was still the issue of the ongoing fires as well as the bombs hidden within the hospital - and perhaps more elsewhere – that needed to be located and disarmed.

Turning around to begin the tasks still before him he saw Tanner lunging at him, blade pointed at Siva's heart. Siva narrowly dodged the blade, taking a slice to his right arm as the consequence of his lack of awareness and response. However, Tanner's mad dash and momentum kept him moving forward and he collided with the waist-high railing. Tanner toppled over the railing, and Siva watched on as the one-handed man fell the distance of six stories to his final demise.

Siva was certainly surprised by the events that had just unfolded. It wasn't simply because he let his guard down in a way that any warrior would be ashamed. But, as Tanner had kept moving, Siva could have easily pulled him back to the rooftop. Siva let Tanner fall to his own demise.

Once again, Siva looked down upon a town that had been damaged by his own inaction. He looked down upon the lifeless body of a man who could have been saved and brought to proper justice. The two scenes elicited a moment of self-reflection from the silver-haired warrior. Despite the fires that still burned – the stragglers from the terrorist group that may still be at large – the safety of citizens who may be trapped within their own homes or at risk from collapsing buildings – Siva gave himself a moment of reprieve to contemplate how to carry on from this point onward.

There was no doubt in the warrior's mind that he could not continue on with the same approach that he had been utilizing until that night. Indecisiveness would only lead to others being hurt. Hesitation would lead to a missed opportunity. Siva thought about how quick his actions had been when he lost himself in the moment upon seeing the mother and father executed in cold blood. Everything had seemed so facile at the time. Moving his body felt effortless and fluid, as if he were weightless. The terrorists seemed as if they were moving in slow motion.

Leaning back in his chair, Siva did not want to draw a conclusion that losing himself in anger was an effective or proper way to conduct his duty. He still followed the code of a Huntsman to carry out the laws of the land and perform in a righteous and befitting manner. In fact, the more he recalled his actions earlier the more it bothered him. Being able to act swiftly and decisively was good and well, but Siva found his lack of self-awareness and control in those moments unacceptable. Siva had certainly never fought in such a manner until that day. He had never killed people without so much as a second thought. It was becoming abundantly clear that the self-imposed journey was eating away at his conscience, his very soul. Testing him to walk a straight path in a world full of black and white.

But try as he might, Siva could not suppress the whispers deep within that such laser-focus and combat effectiveness would be the perfect assets to exact justice.

…

The rain fell quietly as he approached the clearing where several bodies lay unmoving. His eyes darted from body to body reluctantly, hoping that he would not find her among them. He felt relief for a brief second before looking at the treeline and seeing her fallen against a tall deciduous. Her slender white sword stuck standing in the ground just in front of her. At first his steps were slow, as if each may somehow wake him up from a terrible nightmare. But he soon realized that he was in no dream. Reality struck him like a cold knife as he leaned down beside her body. He ran his fingers through her raven hair as he had done before when the two sat together stargazing in the desert. He caressed her face as he had done during their wedding. She opened her eyes as she had done so many mornings to meet his gaze of affection.

Feebly, she lifted her hand to touch him one last time. He grabbed it tightly, fighting the urge to let the tears flow. But despite the pain that she felt and the fear that he showed in his expression, she managed a weak smile upon her face. Touching his face, she whispered one final statement to him. Her strength failed as her falling fingertips traced paths of blood down his cheeks. And with that she slipped away, no longer bound to the world.

He pressed his head against hers, holding her body close as he was afraid to confront what comes after. The tears flowed indistinguishable from the raindrops that fell from the dark skies above. He looked hopelessly at the moon above, a mere dim light as the clouds attempted to hide its light from the land below. He looked down at the earth below. The red mixed and swirled with the pooling water and covered the forest floor.

After what felt like an eternity, he lifted her body to leave the suffocating surroundings. The mud was thick and made his legs feel heavy as he struggled to walk properly. The rain had ended and the silence felt so loud in his ears. As he exited the forest, he saw a sliver of moonlight poke out from behind the cloud coverage, lighting up the valley ahead. The sadness consumed him more than anything, but it was then when he felt his powerlessness looking out at the expanse before him.

The longest and hardest path yet awaited him...

…

The sun had fallen below the horizon marking the beginning of twilight. There were a few rumbles of thunder, though very far away. Glancing behind him, Siva looked upon the restless storm clouds that seemingly followed him since he arrived upon the southern reaches of the eastern continent known as Anima. Siva gripped the edges of his traveling cloak as the sturdy winds roared past him, almost pushing him to move onward.

A few months had passed since the incident at Aysu. The citizens had thanked Siva for his hard work to protect the town, but all it had done was left a bitter taste in his mouth. There was not an instant where he did not hold himself in contempt for the state that city found itself. He had left posthaste but with naught a clue to go on he found himself meandering from settlement to settlement. It was not until he had made landfall upon Anima that he began to notice a pattern of disappearances. There were several reports of Faunus youths stolen away in the night, never to be seen again by the parents that cared for them so dearly. Some reports also mentioned the parents found dead and were assumed to have been murdered in their attempts to prevent the kidnappings. The crimes followed no geographical pattern and details were sparse among the western villages. But, as Siva investigated eastward he noticed a sharp increase in abductions. And upon getting rough and rowdy with characters of less-than-reputable standing, his suspicions were more or less confirmed. The human terrorist group that had been behind the attack at Aysu – the group he had been hunting for quite some time – was working out of a location in south-central Anima.

Siva knew full well how foolhardy it would be to go after such an organization by himself, but he could not allow local authorities or even Huntsmen to involve themselves in what he considered fully to be his own responsibility. For better or for worse he followed the trail solo. Ultimately, he was banking on the fact that most of the terrorist members would be of the same skillset as the ones he had encountered in Aysu. Or to be more precise, he was hoping that most of the members were just irrational citizens with a louder bark than bite. Terrorists do not need to be good at combat to fan fires of hatred and fear. They are craftsmen of subversion and fear. But Siva was a trained fighter. A killer, if necessary.

With the fate of the missing children still up in the air, Siva wanted to ensure that he did not rush into any action. He was unsure what he may see, or what he may say, and thus wanted to collect his thoughts and find an inner peace. Though his objective was clear, Siva wanted to ensure that he not blur the line between purpose and reckless abandon. Truthfully, a part of him did believe that such vile people should be subject to whatever fate awaited them come the end of their existence. But he did not want to engage in savagery. The idea of losing control was one that imparted fear into the heart of the warrior. If he must kill, then he would be the one to do it with a conscious decision. Blind anger would not guide his blades.

While mulling over his own issues, Siva had spent the better part of three days isolating the location of the terrorist encampment. While the intelligence he acquired pointed him in a very narrow direction, it did not paint a perfectly accurate picture. The area of his search was sparsely populated and the environment did not lend well to those unfamiliar with the terrain. Still, Siva managed to come across tracks in an uninhabited area and followed them to the location he believed his target to reside.

From the top of a slope Siva looked downward upon the land below shaded from the last traces of sunlight by the environment surrounding. A tough terrain of brambles and wooden spikes. Wooden houses with surrounding bushes. A makeshift radio communications tower. Lamps hung upon wooden poles. Off to the side was a setup of meager tents of which showed tears and stains. Closer was what appeared to be an obstacle course of sorts. Mud and barbed wire. Wooden training dummies, some covered in a dark spots that Siva could only assume to be dried blood.

Looking around he saw a line of young children. Going by their apparent sizes they had to be no older than twelve years. They were dressed pitifully, if at all, and were covered in scratches and scars. Some had tails or ears that denoted their status as Faunus, though Siva assumed all were indeed Faunus based on the reports of the missing children. In front of the children stood four adults, dressed in military outfits worn by soldiers from wars past. The adults dispersed, going from child to child. One returned a salute. Another punched a girl in the stomach, bringing her to her knees. The others just looked from child to child as they walked around, looking for the smallest mistake or slip-up.

The adults returned to their position at the front of the children after a minute. Dusk had fallen and with it the wind had picked up in intensity. Siva stayed low as to avoid detection, though having taken a look around it was abundantly clear that the terrorists believed themselves hidden from the rest of the world. Siva's eyes still darted around the complex but still saw no sign of life aside from those he currently watched. Based on the size and number of buildings he knew that there had to be at least twenty of the terrorists present. Maybe closer to thirty. One of the terrorists began to yell at the children before him and Siva's full attention returned to the group.

"You all served excellently today, some more than others. But over these past few months I've seen great improvement from many of you. You all are starting to realize who the true enemy is. There are Faunus out there who think of your existence as unforgivable as those of Humans, just because you are a halfbreed. There is a war on the horizon and they will show you no mercy. We brought you out here because you are the chosen few who will help change this world for the better."

The speech went on in such a manner for another minute. Siva could tell that it was clearly going over the children's heads but they still stood at attention as they were trained to do. With another salute, a pair of terrorists in white lab jackets emerged from one of the buildings bearing what appeared to be a tray of cups. The children each grabbed one of these cups, ingested the contained substance, and retreated to their shoddy tents where they were to retire for the night.

Night had fallen completely. The shattered moon had yet to rise and left the night particularly dark save for approaching flashes of lightning from the approaching storm. Siva pulled off his cloak, dirtied dark from the long journey. He gathered his swords and stored them on his back. Setting aside his travel gear in a nearby bush and noting its position and appearance, Siva made no haste in silently approaching the encampment. He had hoped to understand more of what he would face inside but he knew that the approaching storm provided a cover that he may not have the luxury of using another day. And going by the appearance of the members in the lab coats, Siva made the assumption that not all of the terrorists gathered there had any combat potential.

Siva entered the camp from the rear, hoping to investigate the buildings that he had seen nobody enter nor exit. The first was built solid, and had no windows through which he could glance inside. It did not appear to be a living quarters based on the lack of windows and Siva assumed this was meant for storage. There was another building with lines connecting to the radio tower, though the interior as it appeared through the windows was completely dark and absent of a soul. Three buildings remained.

Siva approached the building that the supposed scientists had reentered. He could hear the muffled sounds of conversation but nothing could be heard clearly. Slowly slinking around the building he noticed one of the windows slightly ajar. Ever so quietly, Siva stood up, placing his head just below view from the window and he was then able to listen in on the conversation taking place inside.

"...I know it's not as glamorous as we had hoped but just think about the long term. A study like this could be amazing once all this nonsense blows over. The effects of mind conditioning and reprogramming! We could make it big selling this technique off to potential buyers!"

A different voice continued. "Indeed. I'm sure there are a few in Atlas who would love to have their hands on this research, especially one so focused on Faunus subjects. An entire generation of Faunus who are programmed to obey Humans would be an amazing feat."

A third joined in. "It would be quite the undoing though if Vale found out about this. You know how the revolution played out. By some fluke we ended up on the losing side, but this...this could help Humanity finally put Faunus back in their place. And we'd be at the top profiting from it all."

Siva scowled. He would like to believe that scientists like that were simply aberrant but at their core everyone wants security. They want safety, especially from those who have the power to snuff out their lives. Whether they believed in the cause or not wasn't the issue. Their moral compass has gone askew just from looking at the monetary gains.

The scientists seemed to be complacent and Siva decided he had heard enough banter. He wasn't going to learn anything that he likely couldn't sift through later. He approached the nearest, largest building, creeping ever so softly as to not disturb any unseen branch or rustle a patch of grass. Just as he approached the building, the door flew open revealing one of the terrorists dressed in military attire. Siva froze behind a nearby bush and crate. The inside was lit up and he could hear many people talking from within. The man who emerged walked to the outer perimeter of the encampment and after fooling with his trousers began to relieve himself near a tree.

Siva had hoped to approach the man quietly, but his worst fear had befallen him. Despite having the advantage of the night and the storm, the strong winds had managed to topple over one of the posts holding a lit lamp. It landed spectacularly inside a bush that would normally lie outside the falling radius but the particularly strong winds gave the lamp an extra push. The soldier, still unaware of Siva, had heard the commotion and shot over to the scene. He stomped his foot at the fire but the winds only helped fuel the flames as they quickly spread.

Apparently some from inside had also heard the post fall and ran outside to check what had occurred. A few looked onward as others ran to the bush, committing the same feeble act of stomping at the flames trying to put it out. Siva could only look at the spectacle but become frozen again as he noticed one woman staring at him. The dark night was all-encompassing but that single flame - that solitary brush alight - shone with the light of a thousand suns and revealed all around. Siva, with his black and white attire would have most likely blended in to his cover at first glance but his silver hair reflected the light of the flames rather well like hundreds of tiny mirrors.

A cold sweat ran down Siva's neck and he knew that there would be no easy rest for him tonight. As the woman pointed Siva out to her colleagues and they drew their weapons, Siva closed his eyes for a brief moment. He could feel the cold wind flow around him. He could hear the rumbling of the thunder. His hand felt the cold dirt and grass beneath his fingertips. He breathed in ever so slowly and methodically. And in the next moment, he had drawn his two blades and ran for the nearest solid point of cover.

He heard the bullets whizzing around him. While they could see Siva, visibility was still poor in the dim lighting. The flashes from each muzzle provided a much more blinding flash than the light from the fire and thus made it harder to get a proper aim on the invader. As he rounded the corner of one of the buildings, he felt one bullet nip at his left calf. He was certain that it was a mere graze but it was too early to have such a close call. Swinging around to the other side, he saw two members of the group rushing toward him. As they drew near, Siva flew out. He dodged the shot from one as he knocked the gun out of the hands of the other. He gave the disarmed terrorist a quick uppercut, feeling the weight of the woman as she flew back. Siva ducked a shot from the remaining terrorist and swept low, bringing the hilt of his right down upon the man's temple.

Siva once again peeked the corner. There were six in the open with more surely to come. Not wasting a second, he flung himself out in the open. Going from one to the next, he would disarm and incapacitate each of the terrorists, ensuring to put himself between the person he was focused on and the remaining attackers.

Just as he had made work of the last of the six, two larger men with equally large guns emerged upon the battleground. Siva steeled himself as he dove for nearby cover amid the continuous gunfire. As they followed his path, the stray bullets had pierced the walls of the building Siva had assumed was for storage. A large explosion followed and knocked nearly everyone outside down to the ground. Siva was unfortunately close to the explosion and was flung quite a distance to one of the buildings he had yet to inspect.

The wind had been knocked from his lungs. Siva's ears were ringing while he forced himself to one knee and looked around. Several of the terrorists lay on the ground. They didn't quite have the resilience Siva had built up over his career and thus it was no surprise that they were stunned and slow to rise. The two brutes were still holding their arms up from their attempts to block the debris that was flung in their direction. The brush fire from only a moment earlier was now pale in comparison to the flames they now faced.

The storage hut seemed to contain a large amount of explosives and had sent flaming debris across the circumference of the encampment when ignited. Each of the wooden houses had flames spread across the roofs and the shrubbery that hung close to the buildings. The terrorists unaffected by the force of the explosion began scrambling to and fro. As his eyes darted around he came across a sight that made him freeze in place, for during his scan he had come across a familiar face. The face of a man who emerged from the flames, pointing and barking out orders. The face of a man he would never forget.

Siva lifted himself up, brushing the dirt and small embers that coated his jacket. His cold gaze looked ahead and was met with a similar cold stare. He was as if a mountain. A tall, well-built man with jet black hair, pursed lips, and tense eyes. While not taller than the brutes in his employ, his mere presence imposed a sense of intimidation. A man whom an average person would naturally feel to stay away. The man silently lifted both arms outward and what few left of his underlings made a semi-circle in front of Siva. Siva lifted the white blade in his left hand to shoulder level, pointed straight at the mountain that stood before him.

"Do you," Siva said unnaturally calmly, "recognize this blade?"

The man's eyes tensed up further. "Yes."

"Then you know why I'm here," Siva said again with a silky smoothness in his voice.

With no visible change in reaction, the man stated once again, "Yes."

"Then know here," Siva said loudly, "that tonight you will pay for your crimes. Kedar." He raised his voice to ensure that the men and women that stood before him would know that he had full intention of fighting them all at once if need be.

Some, still shaken by the explosion, were stunned by the impact of Siva's resolve. It was certain that not all parties present would leave the flaming pit alive, but the identity of those who would walk away was not yet set in stone. Siva himself did not expect to walk away with his life, but he was determined to face the man in front of him and end all that he had worked on for so long.

"Then we shall dance one last time," Kedar said almost solemnly.

Siva felt the burning in his chest, ready to explode. In but a flash, he recollected all the experiences he had seen since the fateful night he lost his love. Bringing her body back to bury her. Hearing about the disappearance of his colleagues. Discovering the connection between his old rival and a group of terrorists declaring war on Faunus. Traveling across the different lands of Remnant. The hate in his heart that he held. The pain he held onto for so long. The faces of those he met along the way. The struggles of the average folk that was seemingly the same despite race or location. Warm welcoming smiles. Words of thanks. He felt warm seeing others hold smiles on their faces despite being subjected to terrible atrocities that they had not earned. The tears of joy and those of sadness.

And her words from long before lingering in the back of his mind. A conversation from long ago, stemmed from a simple question with the intent to merely break an awkward silence. Why is it that you aim to be a Huntress? Her answer had been so simple yet now seemed so surreal. I just want to help those who need it most. To protect the innocent.

With that, Siva was able to once again calm his mind. Certainly, the pain may never go away. But he had no interest in creating an endless cycle of hatred and destruction. What he hoped to do then and there was to protect the weak from these creatures who hoped to prey upon fear and ignorance. To stop those who would hope to fan the flames of war and conflict once again. He took himself out of the equation. For the enemy he faced was larger than just one man. It was larger than just he. It was larger than the mountainous man that stood before him. It was about protecting people, both Human and Faunus alike, from those who gave into hate and evil.

In his serene state of mind Siva took his stance with blades of black and white at the ready. Kedar obliged and pulled out his own weapon, a double-edged straight sword with a blade that broadened at is approached the point. Kedar slowly and methodically took his own stance. The two stared each other down.

Siva could hear every little detail. The wind whistling between each person standing out in the open. The crackling of the fires that consumed the houses and greenery. The distant shouting and scramble of the non-combatants in the background attempting to flee the scene. Some of the men who stood to face him breathed heavily and quickly with nervousness. The two brutes inhaling and exhaling through their nostrils anxious to have a shot at Siva to redeem themselves.

Breaking the calm, Kedar calmly spoke out to Siva, "So, tell me. What was it like that day?" His eyes were so cold they could freeze a normal man just by gaze alone. "What was it like to find her lifeless body?"

Siva shifted ever so slightly. He was aware Kedar was attempting to get under his skin.

"Why would a monster like you care?" Siva questioned, not bothering to suppress the bloodlust in his voice.

Kedar relaxed his stance, becoming more comfortable with the way things were unfolding. "A monster?" he questioned. In exaggerated movements he looked around to his followers. "I'm no monster. Do you lot see any monsters among us?"

As the crew scoffed and sneered among themselves, one stated "Not among us, sir, but how about those little halfling brats?" The response elicited low laughter from the group, clearly becoming more confident in their positioning.

"Indeed," Kedar continued, "those filthy animals are among the true monsters in this world."

Siva felt his cheeks flush as the anger rose within. "Shut up you piece of trash."

The most wicked of grins spread across Kedar's face. "You know who else was also a monster? That girl you fell in love with."

Siva felt the blood rushing to his head and shouted out, "Shut up!"

"How was it?" Kedar asked, yelling with poison in his voice, "Finding your little pet struck down like the animal she was? Hunted like a dirty beast of the land as if she were prey! That vile good-for-nothing species!"

With each line Kedar spouted, Siva was losing grip on the calm state he had achieved just moments prior. He knew Kedar was goading him into losing control. Goading him into rushing in blindly. Leading him to his own doom. But as much as Siva wanted to try and do this in a just manner he was losing his reign on his own anger. And there came moment when Siva no longer cared about doing the right thing. He just wanted to see all before him dead.

As Siva charged toward him, Kedar motioned to his followers to attack. Siva was met by four combatants. Two swung with curved swords trying to halt Siva's movement. Siva parried one with his white mid-length but was a split second too late to meet the second. The swing was wild, but left a shallow cut across Siva's forearm. The two with swords broke away, revealing the other two standing with handguns trained on Siva. Upon noticing the pair Siva immediately jumped to his left. As the two gunmen followed his movements, Siva kicked a crate toward them. They recoiled as the crate approached them when one of the sword-wielders struck the incoming box down.

In a flash, Siva ran up to the man and with a leftward slash from his dark blade struck the swordsman unaware. It was a deep cut to the man's neck. As the blood still hung in the air from the slash Siva spun around the body and, in one fluid motion, knocked the handguns out of the two awestruck terrorists' hands with an upward strike from his left. With his right sword at the ready, he stabbed forward into the chest of one of the now-disarmed men.

The second swordsman took the opportunity to make a swing toward Siva, aiming for Siva's open left while his arm was still held high from the motion of disarming the gunmen. Siva dug his right deeper into his victim and pulled the body into the path of the incoming swing. The blade sliced into the back of its comrade, stopping a short distance in its arc from connecting with Siva's left shoulder. The attacker, stunned from hitting an ally, did not notice Siva bringing down his left. With great force, Siva brought the pommel of the pale white blade upon the head of his current attacker and, with a dull thud, brought him down.

In the commotion the remaining gunman fell upon his rear, stunned by what had just transpired. Over his head flew shots from the two brutes as the pair ran toward Siva. Knowing he could not stand against a continuous fire from two automatic rifles he desperately ran toward the nearest building and made no hesitation when he dove headfirst into a window. One of the two large men peeked inside carefully, but the rifle was snatched from his hands and he was smashed by the butt of his own weapon. The second poured shots into the wall around the window, spraying wildly hoping one should hit Siva by chance.

Just as the hail of bullets let up, Siva poked his head out. He took aim with the stolen rifle. He had assumed the enemy had emptied his magazine, but as he took aim he noticed the brute aiming right back at him with the smirk of a hunter who had lured his prey out in the open. Siva was first to fire and hit his target in the chest and twice more in the neck. Siva's early actions did not save him from injury, however. One shot barely glanced off the side of the rifle and struck Siva along the right cheek. A second shot, which had likely gone askew from the brute being fatally shot, entered Siva's right forearm and by a stroke of luck exited cleanly.

Siva dropped the rifle as he winced in pain from his new injuries. He took only a moment to consider his surroundings and scooped up his two blades as the roof began to collapse from the heat of the fires consuming the building. As he exited onto a veranda, he was met by Kedar. In one cruel stroke, Kedar sliced the support railing and sent the structure to fall upon his weakened rival. He took two steps back as not to underestimate the resilience of Siva and to prepare for a counterattack. To no surprise, Siva burst out from the splintered wood, swords held high. He brought down the two swords with a mighty force.

Kedar stood his ground, blocking the simultaneous strikes with his mighty blade. With his left held firm against the strengthening plate, Kedar struggled as Siva continued to put his full weight behind his blades. The swords scraped against one another, each refusing to give in to the opposite force.

The two broke away and met swords again. And again. And again. Sparks flew from the blades in magnificent arcs. The dull clanging was almost a constant measure as if it were keeping track of time of the battle. Sweat poured from their bodies as they pushed themselves to maintain their attacks amid the intense heat of the flames around them.

Neither managed to get any conclusive strike. They each knew the other's fighting style as they had fought against one another many times. A nick here. A slice here. But Siva had one thing working against him: the injury to his right arm. He was predominantly a right-hander and as the blood flowed from his injury so too did the strength he so desperately needed. Siva was not fool enough to think that Kedar hadn't noticed the softening of his strikes. But even as his body began to feel heavy, the object in his right began to feel less a sword than a dense boulder compressed into the familiar shape.

Siva looked to the man standing before him. Kedar was obviously breathing just as hard but showed no notion of being weakened to the same state as Siva. He was out of options and out of time. Preparing for what he knew was his last strike, Siva dug his boots into the ground and held himself low, swords at the ready. Kedar maintained his overwhelming stance, sword held in a neutral position toward Kedar's center.

With a jolt of effort, Siva sprung forth with great speed, yelling as he approached his enemy. Kedar let go his own battle cry as he ran to meet Siva. Siva pulled his white blade into a defensive position before him and swung his right outward to give his strike the most momentum he could muster. Seeing this, Kedar decided to aim his strike to his left, and with both hands gripped his own blade for a monstrous downward slash to Siva's weakened right.

Kedar's gamble worked out for him, but not in a way he had anticipated. As Siva swung in he switched to a reverse grip and, moving to hold the blade in line with his forearm, made to block Kedar's cataclysmic strike. Kedar had put his full strength into his strike, believing he was taking advantage of Siva's fatal flaw of leaving his right open. Kedar's silvery sword and Siva's black blade met with a terrible clang, but with the full impact of Kedar's strike the black blade broke at impact. Kedar's sword continued with much weakened momentum and dug itself into muscle and shattered bone.

That was not the end of Siva's last ditch effort. He had merely used his own weakness as a distraction and essentially offered his right as a sacrifice to set up for the killing blow. For while he swung forward with his right to defend, he also pulled back with his left to prepare what would be his final blow. With simple yet tremendous effort, he pushed the white blade into Kedar's torso, just below the sternum.

Kedar looked down into the eyes of Siva, standing triumphant at the end. The eyes of pure surprise met the eyes of burning anger. Kedar released his grip on his weapon and staggered back three steps. The white blade pulled out as easy as a hot knife through butter, its beautiful pure surface now stained red. Kedar gripped his chest with futile effort as he dropped to one knee.

Looking up to Siva, he quietly muttered, "After watching you all this time I didn't think you would dirty that sword."

Siva planted his remaining weapon into the ground before him as he carefully removed Kedar's from his right arm. "I didn't want to. But," he winced as dark red blood flowed from where he had pulled out the sword, "she's watched my back for long enough. And I promised I wouldn't be meeting her anytime soon."

Kedar leaned back upon a stump as the blood flowed from his wounds. It was plainly obvious that Kedar was fading fast. As the light was leaving his eyes, he looked up to Siva as the man walked over to him.

Siva was attempting to wrap up his injury with a sleeve he had ripped from his tattered jacket. He took a knee before Kedar. As the world burned away around the two, Siva queried the dying man he once knew as a peer.

"Why?"

Kedar looked bleakly from Siva to the stars above as his head settled upon the stump behind him. His hand lay loose below the open wound he pressed tightly only moments ago. His breath was labored and infrequent. Letting his jaw fall, he finally managed to out his words.

"I was merely returning what had been done to me. An eye for an eye. My parents were struck down by some filthy Faunus."

Kedar softly breathed in as he settled further upon the stump. He continued, "Huntsmen are to protect the innocent and bring evildoers to justice, so I did just that. I took steps to clean up this beautiful world, one animal at a time. Did what others were to afraid to do. I die...knowing justice had been served."

And with that, Kedar faded from the world.

Though he initially debated against it, Siva leaned toward Kedar and closed his now lifeless eyes. Siva pushed himself up on his knee, struggling with the complete lack of stamina he had after the fight. Snapping back to reality, he looked around him. Many bodies still lay on the ground, but it appeared that most of the support staff had likely exited. Siva attempted to look into the buildings but most had collapsed upon themselves and were simply burning on embers.

As soon as he had gotten his bearings, Siva remembered the children from earlier and hobbled to look at the tents where the children stayed. All of the structures were burnt to a crisp with no sign of the children. He felt disappointed that he had let the terrorist group escape with the kids. He had focused too much on getting self-satisfaction through revenge and put no thought to what was truly important. He clenched his fist as his cheeks burned, angry at his failure.

There was a loud snap and Siva turned around, hoping there was no straggler to find out who had won the battle. The radio tower's support had broken due to the fire and began leaning to one side. Looking to where it would fall, Siva saw a lone child laying on the dirt. She was unmoving and unresponsive to her plight. Siva rushed over as swiftly as he could. The tower began its final decent just as Siva grabbed the little girl's leg with his left arm and deftly pulled her out from under the falling metal tower, narrowly dodging the collision himself.

The girl had come to with a jolt and with slow realization looked from Siva, to the now busted tower, and to the dead men that once gave her orders and began to silently cry. Siva timidly made his way over to the weeping girl, unsure of what would be the best course of action in this particularly sensitive moment. Trying to hide what he thought would be a gnarly-looking wound for even a trained child to see Siva bent down and extended to the girl his good hand. She looked up at him with hesitancy. Siva tried to put on what he thought would be a friendly smile.

Finally, the girl grabbed Siva's hand and he helped her to her feet. More tears formed in her eyes and Siva brushed the soot and ash from her black hair and cat-like ears.

"Are you okay?" Siva tried to ask as softly as he could.

The girl silently nodded after a moment's deliberation.

The two had retreated to the bush on the hill where Siva left his gear prior, looking down at the smoldering encampment. Throughout the night, the pair had sat silently as they watched the remains of the fires fade as their fuel ran out. The shattered moon revealed its looming presence as the storm clouds had finally passed over around mid-night, never offering a solitary drop of rain to help dissipate the fires that raged below them.

All night the two stayed awake. There was no doubt they yearned for the embrace of sleep but neither was relenting. Siva himself felt the desire to close his eyes and rest but wasn't confident that he would wake up in the case a scout from the terrorist group should return. He also wasn't confident the girl would be there when he would wake, and a small portion of him didn't trust her fully considering who had been training her for what was likely several months. Casting glances over at the girl Siva noticed that she too fought with her exhaustion, and after several instances of her attempting covert peeks at Siva he assumed that she was also wary to fully trust Siva with her life.

When morning came, he pulled two apples from his bag, offering the child one before partaking of one himself. Not quick to trust Siva she inspected it and, upon deeming it safe, grabbed it up and tore into it with haste. Siva leaned back as he took a bite. He was glad to see the blue sky again after the night's ordeal. Looking off into the horizon he breathed in deeply the fresh air that was still softly blowing in from the northwest. Truly he was glad to be alive – to feel alive.

The girl was surprisingly trained in some level of first aid and she made effort to better wrap up Siva's injured arm. Siva had half-attempted to stabilize his arm with a makeshift splint earlier in the night but he had come to realize that the bone near the point of impact had been shattered to the point where it may never be healed fully and thus did not waste too much of his energy beyond stopping the bleeding. While the pain was drowned by adrenaline after the fight, Siva was constantly reminded of his injury with sharp waves of pain if he were to move or even breathe in a disagreeable way. He tried not to let too much of it show upon his face as the child worked, for it was the first act of her breaking outside of her shell and he wished to make further progress should he need to rely upon her in the days before he could find civilization.

While she worked her attention briefly went to a passing pair of white birds which followed distantly behind their flock. Siva noted how focused she was on the birds but had a look of regret upon her face. He wondered if deep down she was sad that she had been left behind or unable to keep up with her group. While lost in his thoughts, Siva was inadvertently staring at her when the girl seemed to take notice and tensed up a bit.

"I'm sorry," Siva said tilting his head toward the burnt remains. "You remind me of someone I once knew."

She seemed a bit confused by the statement and remained silent. She looked to the charred ashes, but seemed to look away with disdain as she began to look more to the world around her. A world she had probably not seen in several months.

"What is your name?" Siva asked.

The girl looked at him for a second before she looked away with a pained look across her face as if she was struggling to remember something she forgot. She finally looked back to Siva and whispered, "One-One-Two-One-Five."

"Your...name?" Siva said dumbfounded.

The pained look crept back across the girl's face as she nodded slowly. Siva had no intention of pushing it so he let the topic go. He didn't have the energy to spare to hate such who would strip away a child's identity. With a mournful sigh, he stood up and gathered up his gear with his only functioning arm.

"How about we leave now?" Siva asked the girl, once again offering his left hand.

She clasped Siva's hand once again as she also stood to her feet. "And go where?"

Siva truly did not know how to answer her. Not knowing if her parents were among the victims of the terrorists, Siva didn't want to bring up the topic of family or home. He simply put on his best smile and put his hand on her head.

"Let's just see where the path leads us, okay? Somewhere safe."

To that, the girl seemed a bit hesitant. She looked away for a moment in contemplation back toward the burnt tents in which she spent what was likely a hellish several months before looking back at Siva with what he would swear were eyes of stronger resolve and perhaps a glint of hope. She nodded, resigning any lingering sentiments and preparing to move ahead.

Siva couldn't help but reflect upon the words of Sulayman of Salaam at the time. Though he tried to do better, Siva had found himself following closely upon a similar path and had payed a high price. He had managed to avenge his fallen wife and he paid a high toll to do so. Siva was confident he would never be able to use his right arm properly again. His days as a Huntsman were effectively over, but Siva felt an odd sense of closure.

He then looked to the girl beside him. Siva couldn't help but think of her as his final chance at redemption for the path of blood he had left behind him for the past few months. He no longer thought about pursuing the remaining terrorists. His primary objective was seeing the girl to the local authorities that they may ensure her safety. He also planned on passing along all the information he had on the terrorist group and letting the region's Hunstmen pick up the pursuit. He hoped that by doing so the remaining children would have a chance at rescue.

And thus the two looked onward in anticipation for their new journey. Whereas before each of them was alone, they now had a partner in whom they may find solace as they moved forward. The morning sun shone brightly upon them like a beacon of possibility and warmed their hearts and bodies. Before the pair awaited a long and arduous path. Neither knew what tomorrow would hold. All the two knew was that they were alive and ready to keep moving forward one step at a time toward the ever-expanding horizon of opportunity and freedom before them.