Chapter 2
Unlike Jaune, I was discharged after two days of treatment. Jaune was put out but he didn't order me to do anything about it, so I left his room after checking on him. Annoyingly enough, Ruby didn't stop bothering me; she spent every free moment in my room chatting about weaponry and how to fight with said weaponry. It was easy to tell she wasn't what you'd normally call sociable; she somehow managed to rant for over an hour without any response from me. Still, she's bound to the hospital until the doctor gives her the green light so I won't have to deal with her any time soon.
Blake greeted me at the hospital entrance and we began a meandering walk down the streets.
"You didn't need to meet up with me. There's a reason I'm leaving the hospital." I rolled my arms, hearing satisfying cracks as I did so.
"Having no one be there for someone is rather sad. I thought you might have at least had other visitors but it's only ever me and that Ruby girl." Ruby and Blake got on surprisingly well. Turns out Blake had some combat training and they had a shared belief of a happier future "No one was going to be there to wish you congratulations so I thought you might like the company."
"I don't need constant company. I'm fine working by myself." It was the same reason I didn't bring anything into their conversations.
"Then that's a lonely life you lead." Her footsteps came to an abrupt halt and I turned questioningly towards her. "Hey let's head to that café," She pointed across the street, where a small but stylish café stood. "I'm sure you're craving something appetizing after two days of hospital food."
I had the feeling that she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right mood for it. I didn't press the issue.
Once we settled in and placed our orders, Blake began the real conversation she wanted. "You're a Faunus."
I raised an eyebrow. "I am."
"You're a strong fighter as well."
I nodded, unsure how else to reply.
"Look, I'll keep it simple. I want your help."
"If you need help, ask Jaune. He loves helping people."
"Jaune is a good man but he can't fight. What I want is an escort who will accompany a friend of mine. He wants to flee to Vacuo and needs someone to protect him on the way there."
"This is ridiculous, I just recovered and you want me to jump right back into danger? How does me being a Faunus relate to anything?"
"He's a Faunus as well. It's easier to trust someone that's like you." She drew her hands in and lowered her head. "You'd mostly be travelling at night and it wouldn't even take four days for it to be over. You'd get back before Jaune is even released. Just consider it, please."
"It's not about whether it's possible, it's about the fact you think I'll do this out of the goodness of my heart. You think that I can just drop everything to bail one guy out? There are thousands of people who are suffering every day, and you don't see me solving all their problems. Hell, I'm barely scraping by myself, where's my help?"
Blake was speechless at that.
Not everyone works to see a better future; some just live for the next day.
"Did I mention he's willing to pay? He runs a successful book shop and he can part with some money."
"How much are we talking here?"
She told me the number and I couldn't help but be impressed. I'll admit, money had always been tight despite how often Jaune took cases.
I don't have any plans this week so it won't matter if I disappear for a few days.
"Fine. I'll hear details but I'll choose whether to accept."
Blake filled me in on the rest of the details as we ate. I might have been worried that we would be overheard but there weren't any customers nearby and the staff was preoccupied with their duties. The basics of what she wanted me to do, was to defend this Tukson guy as we moved through the wastelands between the Kingdoms. Regular travel routes and public airships were out since his organisation would most likely be monitoring them. We'd drive through untamed territory instead and it would be up to me to stop anything threatening, Grimm or otherwise. Tukson studied the migration patterns of several species of Grimm beforehand and worked out a relatively safe route for us.
"You know how to fight right? Why didn't you volunteer yourself?"
"I can't." Blake said with a sigh. "I'm busy with several things this week."
"Things?"
"Important things."
"You're rather secretive Blake."
"We all have our secrets Adam. Mine just happen to be ones that take up my time."
Isn't that the truth.
"Alright I'll do the job."
At home, I sharpened my sword for my newest assignment. I couldn't stop my thoughts from drifting off towards Blake. Even though we had only known each other for a few days, she'd already asked me for help in some huge case. Ever the introvert, Blake didn't seem all that desperate when she made her request, rather she seemed more shocked that I accepted. To most citizens, it was downright suicidal to leave the safety of Vale. Grimm were a constant threat that never dwindled in numbers or viciousness. If that wasn't enough, even Hunters were wary of leaving the established routes. For you to be asked to do so, and say yes, required either a very good reason or lots of money and not a lot of reason.
I'm afraid that, in my case, it was the latter.
Once satisfied with my blade, I sheathed it and left the house with some basic survival tools. I met up with Tukson late at night at the Vale gates. He was wearing a simple brown top with basic blue trousers. He nodded to me as I passed and I returned the gesture. The guards on duty were primarily on the look-out for Grimm, but they were trained to deal with people who were foolish enough to leave the gates. That usually meant drunks, not a pair of well trained Faunus.
Unlike the Human guards, we had the advantage of perfect night vision. Sticking to the shadows, we crept along quickly, hardly making a sound. We slipped past their line of sight and eventually found our way to a truck Tukson had hidden earlier. Tukson got in the driver's seat, I rode shotgun, and we sped off.
Driving through uneven grasslands at high speeds was an experience I never wanted to go through again. Tukson, either unfazed or uncaring, simply manoeuvred the vehicle with expert precision. We drove through with little trouble and we found our way to the rocky fields.
From a distance I could see a Beowolf pack prowling about. The shattered moon shined down on the group and a howl rang forth, each lesser wolf followed suit from its pack leader.
"It's frightening isn't it? Back before civilisation people had to fight those every day without any Dust," said Tukson.
"It was necessary to survive. Just as the same as eating or drinking water, it was a fact of life." I stated.
"I don't doubt that, but it does put into perspective how much people have managed to achieve." He stared off into the horizon. "We can communicate and travel across vast distances, we have schools and shops, not to mention all of our science and technology. Back then, we were animals with pointy sticks, running from monsters in the dark."
"We use what we have to live and make do." I replied simply.
"I suppose it's just the natural progression of life. Sooner or later, someone would have come up with the ideas to succeed. Genius lives among every generation."
We didn't have much else to talk about after that. I kept an eye out for threats but it was mostly just the same unbroken wilderness, with the occasional group of Grimm in the distance.
Eventually we pulled to a stop at the bottom of a cliff. Tukson pulled out some fuel and got to refilling the truck. Various Grimm hovered at the edge of a nearby forest and I easily dispatched the few that dared to get closer. Despite the attacks, I couldn't help but feel it was too easy. Our truck was loud and our Auras bright, yet nothing more than a few boar Grimm came charging at us?
The freezing air tasted burnt and it was eerily quiet. As if some sixth sense had been triggered, I felt the sudden need to get out of there as soon as possible. But I couldn't actually detect any danger, even the Grimm had vanished, and it actually seemed peaceful as the wind softly blew against my skin.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over me and I glanced up to the top of the cliff. A black silhouette, vaguely shaped like a man, stood out against the cracked moon. He looked down at me and I could have sworn he hid something behind him. Before I could call out to him, he darted away, silent as a whisper and just as fleeting.
I don't know who, or what, that was but somehow, I knew it was related to the woman who injured me earlier. The question was, how?
"Adam! We can leave now."
I jerkily nodded at him, suppressing a reflexive jump. "Did you see that?"
"See what? That boar? Yeah I saw you take it down. Good job."
I looked back at where the silhouette had been, finding nothing but air and more questions. "Yeah, let's go."
I was more focused, more alert, and definitely more paranoid as we drove away. I wasn't sure what that haunting figure wanted, but I was sure we were going to run into it again. "Tukson, we might have company later on, be ready to fight."
His eyes shifted towards me, perhaps worried, as he hummed an agreement.
Daylight came and with it my paranoia settled down. Now that I had had a chance to think about it, I was sure I was spooked over nothing. The fact he didn't attack meant that he was unsure if he could take me and Tukson down. I was a skilled warrior, so if it came down to a fight, I knew I'd be able to fend him off. There was also the fact that we covered a vast distance by driving all night. Unless he had something akin to speed semblance or a private airship, he wouldn't be catching up to us any time soon.
This far out from civilisation, Grimm were much more eager to attack. An Ursa Major chased our vehicle with a swiftness unexpected of its size. It was fast, faster than we were and it was poised to overtake us. I pulled myself out of the window and stood on top of the truck. I parried an incoming blow that would have neatly shredded the roof and countered by hacking at its forearm. The Ursa ignored the attack and continued recklessly swiping at me.
A smarter Grimm would have tried a different tactic.
It wasn't a smarter Grimm and I ended its life with an Aura-enhanced swing.
I was about to climb back inside until I heard a loud squawk. Up above, a flock of Giant Nevermore was circling hungrily.
It was pretty easy to see what they were after.
One of them swooped down, beak open. I jumped over it and forced myself downwards onto its head. Gravity assisted my attack and the Nevermore fell hard enough to leave a spider-web of cracks on the wasteland floor. The others didn't let the opportunity go to waste and they fired their razor-sharp feathers simultaneously, all in my direction. I knew from experience I wouldn't be able to dodge them all so I did the next best thing and began building up a charge.
Tukson did his best to avoid the incoming projectiles, swerving like a madman and weaving between shots. I was thankful for his quick thinking, but he wouldn't be able to keep it up long enough for me to fully charge my sword.
Satisfied by the power regardless, I yanked my sword out, obliterating all the feathers and clipping the wings of a few Nevermore. Three were unaffected, remaining in flight, and they began screeching as one. The intense sound waves disoriented me enough that I almost fell off the truck. The sound waves must have affected Tukson as well, as his driving grew clumsier and more erratic. One of the Nevermore broke formation, heading towards me while the other two continued screeching and firing feathers. The two Nevermore up above started flapping their wings furiously, creating powerful gusts of winds to speed up their projectiles. One of the boosted feathers impacted directly in front of us and Tukson turned sharply to avoid it. The truck tilted dangerously and I actually fell off. The incoming Nevermore angled itself appropriately, opening its beak to swallow me whole.
Shit.
I pulled on my Aura, increasing my arms strength and smashed a fist into the Nevermore jaw. It staggered mid-flight but stayed in the air. Tukson u-turned and sped towards us as I launched myself off the dazed Grimm. Rolling back onto the roof and anchoring myself with my sword, I readied myself for the last two Nevermore. They never came. With most of the flock beaten, they must've realised this wasn't a battle they could easily win and retreated away from us.
I climbed back into the cab; we got back on the road, or lack thereof, and continued the journey in relative silence. Tukson was uninjured and while my Aura was drained, it wasn't enough where I couldn't fight again. However, the earlier battle showed us that we wouldn't be able to cruise through the journey like we had done so far. The Nevermore we fought were smarter than the ones back in Vale. Today, those Nevermore learnt to not attack in that pattern again. They would adapt and try something new on the poor suckers that ran into them next. It was what made older Grimm more dangerous, not necessarily because of their size but their intelligence.
After another day of non-stop driving, twilight approached and the stars above started twinkling merrily. During the ride, I caught up on some much-needed sleep. Tukson was dead tired as well, so we decided that after my nap we would switch to let him sleep.
Stopping again to refuel, I looked out at the wastelands. The Grimm made living here impossible. No agriculture could develop on these polluted lands without great effort and the food chain always had the Grimm at the top. For anyone to survive out here, there had to be some special circumstance or resource that ensured their existence. Sometimes that was Hunters, other times it was Dust. It was funny, but the clearing we found ourselves looked to be the perfect size for a small village.
I collected the fuel cans to avoid leaving a trail and prepared to leave. Tukson was still sleeping peacefully in the car. Blake told me he was fleeing from an organisation, but what organisation would be after a book seller? Then there was Blake herself, the few secrets she'd dangled in front of me only making me more curious.
Lately, it seemed like Jaune was the only one doing the thinking. I guess I fell into a bad habit of not thinking myself any more, always expecting him to find the answer for me.
I'll ask Tukson about it when he wakes up.
Even though they were hundreds of miles away, I couldn't help thinking of the silhouetted figure and the Zhu Que woman. Yet another mystery for me to unravel. Maybe Jaune could help.
You'll have time to chase ghosts later Adam. You have a job to do.
Careful to not wake up Tukson, I started the car engine. It rumbled heavily to life but miraculously, didn't wake up the napping book seller. I was about to press the pedal when I noticed the car was trembling as if it was coughing. I thought it was damaged until the ground below gave way to cracks and fissures. Tukson woke up with a start and looked to me in confusion. I stomped on the gas, desperate to escape the falling ground but I wasn't experienced with driving through earthquakes. I missed the timing and we plunged into the dark abyss.
I woke up tied to a wooden pole. Tukson, who was beside me, was in a similar predicament. A crowd of people , both Faunus and Humans, formed a circle around us. They were dressed oddly, their clothing more basic in structure and duller in design than you'd normally see. Some of them even held ancient staves like you normally find in T.V. shows, while others wielded simple swords. My weapon wasn't beside me and I had a feeling I knew who took it. My head rang painfully as I tried to recall what exactly happened.
"They're awake! They're awake!" One of them called.
"Get the Chief here now!" said another.
The crowd shuffled about, letting a short thin elderly man through. He peered at me at me as if I was some specimen.
"You're not from here." the Chief said.
"No, I'm not."
The crowd whispered amongst themselves, shock clear on their faces.
"How do you survive on the surface with those Heartless?"
"Heartless?" I asked confused.
"The black monsters, the shadowy beasts, the grim creatures of the darkness. We looked at your metal scrap and we hoped you could enlighten us as to your life."
Were these people isolated underground? Their weapons were rudimentary at best and they didn't seem to know what our vehicle was. I activated my Aura sense and was overwhelmed at the feedback. About 500 people were living here, all with their Auras activated. The Chief himself had an Aura reserve that could rival that Zhu Que girl.
"We simply build tools that could defeat them." A more complex explanation than that would lead to details they wouldn't understand which I barely remembered.
"Yes, yes I see that, but how do you build these tools?"
I frowned at the question. Personally I never studied the technical aspect of machinery, not when I had to train myself.
"I know how." spoke Tukson. "I've read a lot of books on the subject."
"Books?" The Chief repeated.
"Uhh, it's like something to pass on information by writing it down."
"Ah yes, we use stones tablets for that. Very well, Zhu Rong, take this man and take every bit of information out." A tall black-haired woman wearing a cheongsam bowed to the chief before leading Tukson away.
"That's sounds like a threat." I readjusted myself into a more comfortable position.
"I assure you we will not harm such a valuable resource. For now why don't you relax where you are? Would you like a drink? Maybe some food?"
"I'm fine."
The chief shrugged. "Very well. You two keep this man company."
I pulled at my bonds, finding them expertly bound to my hands. I could probably break them with Aura enhanced strength but then I would be up against 500 Aura wielding warriors. I'm confident in my abilities but even Ozpin himself wouldn't like those odds.
Others in the crowd still stared at me warily, like I was a savage dog, but I ignored them. I needed a plan. It was obvious that they didn't plan to let us go. We were too valuable, having information critical to their survival.
Damn, where did they put my katana?
Now that people were starting to disperse themselves, I got my true first look at the place. The underground network seemed to consist of large and spacious connected caves. I hazarded a guess that if you didn't know the place like the back of your hand then you would easily get lost here. The cave was lit by glowing dust crystals lined across the walls placed on special stands. The light wasn't enough illuminate the ceiling but they gave a reddish tint to the stone walls. Above there wasn't a sign of where we fell from so we were probably moved when we got knocked unconscious.
A girl with blue hair approached me inquisitively. "Hello mister, what's it like to be up there?"
Ahh damn, I'm not good with kids.
"On the surface?" I replied gruffly.
"Yup, my grandaddy said it's really dangerous on the surface so I never been up." She swung her arms playfully. "Hey is the Moon reaaally shattered?"
"What makes you say that?" If I was anywhere else, I would call that common sense but here it's another matter entirely.
"Grandaddy told me a poem! Um, how did it go? I think it went like this?
The Sun and the Moon lived a happy life,
Because they were married, the moon was the wife.
But the dragon was angry. It was grim.
So it attacked the Sun, making it dim.
The Sun fought with fire and heat,
And the heartless dragon flew with a beat.
The dragon got closer and almost ate the Sun,
But the Sun's friends came together and finally won.
So the dragon turned on the moon,
Shattered it to pieces and soon,
The Sun got angry with a boom.
The Sun shined its light.
Gave people the power to fight.
And they fought the dragon off with their might.
The dragon turned clever.
It saw we didn't fight at night whatsoever.
It shed its powers, animals into heartless,
They hurt us at night, we felt so hopeless.
But the Sun got angry again.
It created the Faunus.
They managed to save us.
Now we work together.
And we lived happily ever after.
That's it I think? Is the Moon really shattered?"
How am I supposed to respond to that?
"Ahh yeah it is, that's a nice poem little girl."
"Uh huh, it's my favourite one."
"Qing, what are you doing there!? Get back here now!"
Qing was forcefully pulled back by a woman. "Don't talk to him alright?" the woman said.
"OK mama." Qing said mournfully. The mother nodded in satisfaction and took her hand directing her towards the exit.
Breathing away my tension, I turned my mind back to the issue at hand. Tukson wasn't likely to help unless he realised the danger and even if he did he still had to get past that Zhu Rong. And if we did escape, we needed to recover the truck or it would take far too long to arrive in Vacuo.
The earthquake's aftershocks continued plaguing the system of caves. Dust crystals rattled on their stands. Flickering light cast spiking shadows across the walls.
I considered my options.
As good as plan as any.
I slid myself, making it look as natural as possible, towards some nearby stones.
Here goes nothing.
I kicked several stones sending them flying towards a glowing Dust crystal. My guards swiftly blocked or redirected them but some made it through. The jagged rock cracked into the red Dust crystal. It exploded outwards, fire engulfing the nearby air. My guards flinched at the sudden boom and light. I broke free from my restraints and knocked both of them out with a single punch.
I stole a staff on the way out, giving it an experimental swing. Along the way, I took the glowing Dust crystals to keep track of my route. According to my Aura detection, the majority of people had gathered somewhere southward. I wasn't sure why so I took routes to avoid that area. I detected Tukson's aura further up ahead, but even with knowledge of the paths I already crossed, it was nearly impossible to identify the correct route.
That didn't last long as I soon felt Zhu Rong's Aura approach.
"Many children are lead astray in these caves. I've learnt to seek the Auras of people to locate them. It wouldn't do for them for their life to end without achieving anything." Zhu Rong stepped from the shadows into the light of the glowing crystal. "So when I felt an Aura unfamiliar to me wandering these tunnels, I got curious as to who it could be."
"Nobody special."
"Hmm, cynical are we? Well that's fine, I ask that you return to where you were but the fact you're out with no one else tells me your not here for a tour."
"As if anyone would want to visit a ruin like this. You'd get captured and interrogated. Not my idea of a holiday."
She laughed a dainty laugh. "Unfortunately for you, you have no choice."
"Where is my sword?"
"Ahh, that beauty. I could tell you but that would be cheating. No one likes a cheating cheater who cheats at cheating." She waggled a finger at me.
"I don't care. Tell me!"
"Hmm, in the treasure room. Don't worry you'll know where it is in time. You'll be living here for a very long time."
"I don't intend to."
"Oh how cute, you think your opinion matters!" She struggled to contain her giggles before failing and letting the sounds of her laughter echo through the cave tunnel. "You should be a comedian, not many can pull off the straight man as well as you."
This girl was annoying. Not even Jaune at his worst could infuriate me this much. I didn't let the anger cloud my judgment though. I knew this was a vicious woman, I could see it in her movements, could hear it in her voice. She reminded me of that 'woman' and it was unsettling that she gave of the same vibes as that 'woman'.
"So are we just going to stare at each other all day? You're not much fun if you're just standing there. Why rocks would make better com-"
I cut her off by swinging my staff at her. She leaped back, allowing the staff to ricochet off the wall. I snatched several Dust crystals I stashed in my pocket and hurled them at her feet. She leaped again, avoiding the blasts with ease.
"You're so rude! Who interrupts people when they're ta-"
I rushed forward spinning my staff, building its momentum, and swung downwards hard enough to split the ground. Zhu Rong tightened her stance and dodged with the barest of motion.
The same speed as her...
She pulled back, jabbing claw-like hands at me. I drove the end of the staff into her stomach and pushed her back. She rolled with the movement, expressing no pain.
The same endurance as her...
She dashed at me then dropped, performing a quick leg sweep. Taken aback by the unexpected movement, I was struck and forced onto fours. My shin would've snapped in two if it wasn't for the Aura reinforcing my bone.
The same gracefulness as her...
"Phew you sure hit hard, not as hard as Chief does but ouch I can sure feel it."
She uses the vermilion bird martial arts as well!
AN: Hope you enjoyed this.
See my profile page on my thoughts of this chapter
