Hey there! Thanks for checking out my story! This will be a World of Remnant-style story to provide more and set the stage for my next upcoming story! This is my first time publishing, so I would really love some feedback! Enjoy!

Anima

Kingdom of Mistral

"Hmm. You seem a bit lost". The fire crackled as the man stoked it. His long hair and thick beard, white as snow, glimmered like gold in the light of the fire. The young huntress-in-training stood in the clearing of the forest, where the old man had set up camp. She was reluctant of the man's presence, but he was the best chance she had at surviving the night. The sun was long gone, and shadows crept around them from every angle. The old man groaned as he struggled to sit on the log, letting out a sigh of relief when he finally settled into place.

"Are you just going to stand there all night, or are you going to join me by the fire?" the old man asked. His voice was gruff, but calm. Still on edge, the red-hooded girl looked around. The man sighed, "Bah, I'm not going to hurt you. Come" he gestured to her "Won't you sit with an old man for a spell". Carefully, she began to walk toward the fire, finding a spot to sit on a vacant log.

A howl broke through the silence of the night. Alerted, the hooded-huntress quickly turned to the direction of the sound and prepared to draw her weapon. After a few moments of silence, the girl began to lower her guard. "Hmmm. They seem close" the man remarked, a slight grin present on his face. The girl turned to face the man, amazed that he could act so calm in a Grimm-infested forest. "Don't worry, they won't bother us" the man said as he removed a flask from his tattered duster coat. He took a swig, then extended his toward the young girl. "Care for a drink?" he offered. Silver orbs examined the flask. Nervously she began to reply. "I-" she muttered. "I'm not old enough". The old man looked at her for a moment, before shrugging. "Suit yourself" he said, and took another drink.

As the young girl began to calm her nerves, she removed her hood and began to look around the camp the man had made. It was nice. A large tent had been set up a dozen or so feet away from where they sat. It looked big enough to house a team of huntsmen. It wasn't until the adrenaline from her chase began to subside that she began to notice she was feeling strange, as if the world around her began to swirl. It was the old man who noticed, as he looked up from the fire. His dark-steel eyes widened as he looked at her. "You're hurt" he said.

Confused, the young girl began to realize what the man was talking about. She hadn't noticed it before, after wearing her hood for so long but she could feel where the blood flowing from the side of her head. She began to panick. "Don't move" the man said as he slowly rose from his seat, only to disappear in his tent. He returned a few moments later with a leather bound satchel, from which he removed a roll of bandages. "Stay still" the man told the girl as he began wrapping the bandages around her wound. When he finished, he held out the small dented flask to her once more. She was stopped before she could refuse. "I would drink this, if I were you" he suggested. Still feeling dizzy, she braved herself and took a drink from the container. It was the worst thing she had ever tasted, she thought to herself and she had half a mind to spit it out. She didn't however, and the drink burned as it went down.

"Good girl" the man commented, as he finished examining her for any further injuries. He walked back to the log, and painfully sat back in his seat. Finally settled, the man looked at the girl. "So, how did that happen?" he asked.

"My team and I" she began, "were on our way to Mistral." she took a moment to collect her thoughts. "We stopped at a village not too far from here. They said that a pack of Grimm had been threatening them for the past few weeks". Her voice became more serious as she continued. "They asked us to track them down and kill them. But there were more Grimm than we expected. They overwhelmed us, so I drew as many as I could with me to cover my friends' retreat". Her face looked stricken with worry. "We got separated. I don't even know if they're alive".

"Hmm. Well, that was brave of you" the man replied. "I'm sure your friends are just fine, but they're probably worried sick about you" he continued. Somehow, that helped to relieve the girl. After a few minutes, she began to talk with the man further. "Ummm, are you out here by yourself?" she asked. "Indeed I am" he replied.

"Alone?" she asked. "Alone" he replied. "I like the peace and quiet". As the young huntress continued to think of topics to discuss, she began to think about her situation. The nearest town was miles away. They were out of supplies, out of ammo, and worse, had no clue where they were. The hunter knew going out alone meant certain death. "I- is it okay if I stay the night?" they asked shyly.

"Hmm" the man pondered. "What kind of man would I be to turn away a wounded girl" he answered.

The hunter gave a sigh of relief. The man took another drink "So, where are you from?" he asked. "I'm from Vale. I'm training to be a huntress there! Or- I was, at least…"

"My, you're a long way from home. Yes, it's a shame what happened to Beacon" he replied.

"We're on my way to Mistral. We're going to continue our training at Haven academy." with a bit of optimism in her voice. "Well, that sounds like as good a plan as any" he stated.

After another few minutes of silence, the girl continued their continued

"Uhh. Where… are you from?" she asked nervously.

"Galagee" the man answered.

"Galagee? Where is that?" she asked.

"If you've never heard of it, then that's probably a good thing" he replied with a chuckle.

"It's in Gavel" he continued.

Still drawing a blank, the young girl didn't answer.

With a sigh, the man continued. "It's in Vacuo".

"Oh! I have friends in Vacuo! They're really cool!" she said excitedly.

"I bet" he replied.

"What's it like there?" the young girl asked. The fire crackled as the light shimmered upon his hard face. She could see a glimmer of light shine from under his coat. A gun. The girl sat up nervously. "Well, that depends" the man asked. Adrenaline began to return to her. She sat there nervously, feeling dizzy both from her wound and the drink offered to her. She waited for the man's response. Finally it came. "Care to listen to the tales of an old man?". The hunter was surprised. Was that all? "Uhh, sure…" they answered". The man chuckled. "Well, better get comfy" he stated. "It's going to be a long night"...