Hey guys, Gone here with a new chapter. Man it's been awhile since I last updated, but glad that I am finally able to put this out. Sorry for being gone for so long, school was really beating me down, but now that it's over, hopefully i'll be able to update more often. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter as I have put some time into it, so enjoy!

Chapter 7: Helping a Neighbor

Location: Vale

Axel and Kalila approached the main entrance of the village. There was an arch with a sign hanging from it saying, "Razev," along with a design on it with two doves on each side. They quickly made their way through the village, with villagers looking at the two of them in confusion towards their haste. The village was pretty alive with people, and faunus walking around, doing their daily routines while there are vendors selling all kinds of goods from food to clothing to weapons. Kids can be seen running around and playing about with their games. The air felt fresh and refreshing with the smell of flowers with a light breeze cutting through the air, along with the sun brightly lighting the sky, soaking the ground with warmth.

"Welcome to Razev," a soft and kind voice said out. Both Axel and Kalila jumped from the sudden voice towards them, stopping and looking to see where it came from. A young woman with warm smile upon her face with her eyes focused on them two stepped forward. "Seems like you two aren't from these parts."

"Oh, Thank you!," Kalila responded to the woman's welcome, "Kalila, and this is my partner, Axel," she said, taking a small bow.

The woman responded with a small head nod, "Nice to meet you Kalila, and Axel." The woman responded, looking over them both and then notice the weapon on Axel's hip along with his straight forward posture, "I'm guessing you're a huntsman? We don't get many of you around here."

"Yes, I am, now that we are done with small talk..I'm here looking for the leader of this village for a serious matter."

The woman lost a bit of her smile, "Oh, okay then, it must be important if a huntsman is telling me that, Chief Alvis would love to meet two," she told him. "Follow me, I'll bring you both to him."

"Thank you," Axel responded.

Kalila lightly nudged at Axel who looked over towards her, "Don't be rude," she whispered towards him.

Axel was going to ignore her statement, but, "This is no friendly visit, it's life, or death," he whispered before following the young woman. Kalila held back her mouth, following right behind.

The village wasn't that big, maybe about 10 to 15 houses and 5 businesses, along with a church around the middle of the village. Each house had some kind of garden by them with different types of flowers, red roses being the more popular kind.

"I'm surprised how many people live here," Kalila blurted out.

"Well, this village has been around for awhile, we're all like a big family here," the woman responded happily. They soon came upon an older man in the middle of the village. He seemed to be in his early 60's, and was talking to three young boys who stood in front of him. He had a friendly smile along with a wrinkly face, and white hair that is balding at the top. He was wearing a grey cloak that looked like it saw better days along with tan shorts and black sandals.

"Chief Alvis!," the woman called out, waving her hand at him. The older man looked up at the young woman with a warm smile and then back at the boys.

"Carry along now, you three," he said in his soft voice towards the three boys.

"Thank you, Chief!" the three of them said in unison before running off into the village.

The young girl ran up to the older man, hugging him, "oh, it's always nice to see you, Ellie." Axel and Kalila soon caught up from behind and the Chief looked over Ellie to see the two of them. The woman then pulled away from the hug, and faced towards Axel, and Kalila.

"This is Axel and Kalila," as she gestured towards them. "Axel is a huntsman who came here to tell you something important." The Chief then walked past the young girl and came towards Axel, looking up and down on him.

"Well I'll be. We don't get too many of you around here..it's a pleasure to meet you." The old man said, holding his hand out where Axel met him halfway. "So, what's this important thing?"

"I'd rather talk in private," Axel responded, staring deep into the chief's brown eyes. A more serious looking face appeared on the old man and he looked back towards Ellie.

"Thank you Ellie, but you must excuse us."

"Chief are y-"

"Now, Ellie." the old man interrupted her with a more stern tone.

"Yes sir," she responded, doing a small bow to the old man before making her way back into the village.

The chief then brought them into a house that was behind him, it was bigger, and nicer looking than the other houses in the village. The inside looked out of date with fine wooden furniture and a brick fireplace in the living room with pictures on the mantel, and a samurai sword hung above on the wall. The smell of lavender could be smelled throughout the home, filling Axel's and Kalila's noises with the overbearing scent.

"Sorry if she was a bother to you both..she's an excitable one" Alvis explained to them both.

"No need for an apology, Chief, " Axel responded, following him with Kalila right behind.

Chief Alvis lead them into a kitchen where he seated them at a table, placing empty cups in front of them both, and at an empty spot. The old man made his way over to the wood burner stove, taking a tea pot off the top. He poured some kind of liquid into both their cups with steam coming off. "Bet you two are thirsty from your journey, hope you enjoy it."

Kalila took a small sniff, sweetness filled her nose with a hint of honey and mint. "What is it?"

"Homemade tea, secret family recipe." The old man answered as he poured some for himself and took a seat in the empty chair, across from Axel and Kalila.

"So..what's so important you have to tell me?" as the old man placed the teapot softly on the table in the middle of them.

Axel took a sip from his drink before looking straight at Alvis, the taste was minty and sweet, "..Your village has a target painted on it's back by some, interesting characters."

The chief leaned closer in towards Axel, "Go on."

Axel placed his cup back down onto the table in front of him, "Ever heard of the hybrids?"

The Chief's face quickly went from serious, to worried, "They're...back?"

Axel jumped back a bit from his response, "You know that they're real?"

Alvis quickly cleared his throat before answering, "..Yes, I do.."

"Well, I was told that they were kept secret, and thought of as a myth."

The chief took a sip from his cup and set it back down, "Then perhaps you were told wrong." Alvis then stood up from his seat, "Many know about them, but they were thought to be exterminated, erased from Remnant, so like many things they were lost in thought, soon becoming a myth, and legend, that's how most legends start."

'This guy seems to know a lot about them, maybe I could get more info' Axel thought. "Tell me everything you know about them, I wasn't given a name, or anything, just a vague story."

The Old man took a deep breath, "The story begins with a man, Takio Reis, he was an orphan by age 16, his father was a huntsman who was killed on a mission, and his mother from addiction from her husband being killed. He was homeless and struggled to survive, stealing from people, and joining not so friendly groups. One day he was reached out by an entity which gifted him powers of the grimm, but in exchange for his humanity."

"Exchange for his humanity?" Axel asked curiously.

"Meaning, he had no aura, and regular food tasted fowl to him, he had to survive off of other humans." Alvis explained. "This entity told him to get back at humanity for what it's done to him, and so he did. He raised an army, most, if not all criminals, able to manipulate them into thinking the world caused their bad lives. He was able to turn others into what he was, but they were weaker and those people were able to turn others and so on so forth. He then went head on against the kingdom of Vale, but lost as they had silver eyed warriors that were able to wipe them out and defeat them."

"Wow….this tea is really good" Kalila added before gulping the rest down her throat. After finishing, she looked at both of them who are looking back at her. "Oh...sorry."

Axel and Alvis looked back at each other after the interruption, "Anyway, how do you know all of this? The person who told me didn't tell me all this" Axel quickly demanded, standing up.

"My father told me and his father told him, maybe the person who told you either didn't know much, or was hiding it from you."

Kalila looked over at Axel,"Why would he-"

"I don't know," Axel answered, looking down, but soon looked back up towards Alvis. "Do you know anything else?"

"Afraid not..but, how do you know my village is being targeted by hybrids?" Axel pulled the journal from his coat, placing it on the table. He opened it to the one page and pushed it across the table where Alvis sat back down, and quickly skimmed through the book, "O-o..oh my.."

Axel placed both hands on the table, looking down at Alvis who kept staring into the journal in disbelief. "You need to get every damn man in this village armed and ready to fight."

The old man took a second, "there's...there's no way we can fight these things, we have to get out of here."

Axel slammed his fist down onto the table, causing an echo throughout the room. Kalila, and Alvis both jumped in surprise."...Running from your problems won't solve, or help them….believe me…plus, they would hunt you down as you made your way out"

Alvis sighed, thinking before answering, "You have no idea what you're going up against."

Axel quickly exposed his bare skin from the slash made into his clothes. He then leaned in closer to Alvis's face, "I think I do, so you get your men ready, or watch your people get slaughtered in front of your eyes." The huntsman then took a step back and put his back towards Alvis. "No matter what choice you make..I'll be out there, fighting...let's go Kalila"

Without skipping a beat, she got up and behind Axel as if she was his shadow. As they took one step forward, they were stopped by a defeated voice.

"Alright...I'll get every man I can get." he said, not able to make eye contact.

"Axel looked back towards him, "good." The both of them then made their way out of the house, as Alvis sunk his face into his hands.

"What are you thinking Alvis…,"the old man said with regret in his voice.

The sun was still wide awake with the clouds still on vacation as voices of many can still be heard from all angles. "So, what now?" Kalila asked.

Axel took out his scroll,"time to get some back up."

Vale, Ozpin's Office:

Ozpin was sitting down at his desk, concentrating on his screen with his usual mug beside him. On the other end of the screen was General Ironwood, General of the Atlas military, and headmaster of the academy. He had black hair with graying on the sides along with blue eyes, wearing his usual wear, a white overcoat along with a grey undercoat, and red necktie.

"So, what are your plans on with this threat?" Ironwood questioned Ozpin.

"Going to wait and see if anything pops up, especially if Takio makes an appearance."

"Wasn't he eliminated?"

Ozpin took a sip from his mug, "Yes, or at least I believe so, I thought we got them all, but I guess Takio somehow made it out."

"If what you told me about these hybrids, we won't have enough manpower-" Ironwood said before he was interrupted by an incoming scroll call on Ozpin's screen.

"It's Axel," Ozpin said, but Ironwood made no comment towards it. Ozpin answered and Axel was put in the group call with his icon next to Ironwood's on the screen. "Hello, Axel." Ozpin said toward Axel.

"Morning Professor," Axel responded.

"How's everything going over there?" Ozpin asked the swordsman.

"Good, ran into a few of them, but it wasn't a problem,"other than almost being killed," but I need back up. I'm at another village called Razev. There's going to be an attack and I need all the help I can get."

Ozpin took a moment before saying anything, "Alright, I'll see what I can do, thank you for your update, Axel."

"Thank you, Professor." Axel then hung up and Ozpin took a deep breath, fixing his glasses.

"Let me guess, you have no one to send?" Ironwood confidently predicted, and was right as Ozpin didn't answer. "Don't worry about it, Oz, I have a squad I can send over and they are friendly faces for Axel."

"If you would, it'd be greatly appreciated," Ozpin said as relief could be heard in his voice.

"It's not a problem, just give me the location and I'll send them over."

Atlas, Airfield, Time- 4:24pm:

The engines roared to life on an Atlas airship as three men went aboard from the side door. They all wore the same uniform, white long sleeves with a black vest, along with black combat pants and boots. One man was larger than the rest with short black hair with light blue eyes along with a large riot shield on his back.

The second man was a bit shorter and skinnier than the other man. His face was concealed with a full helmet, with a tinted visor, and had a sniper rifle strapped to his back.

The third man was smaller than both of them, and he made more smaller, timid steps. He has short, dirty blonde hair with green eyes and he had some sort of assault rifle hanging from his side.

As they boarded, there was a woman who stood firmly in front of the ship, watching as the men entered. She had on a dark purple uniform with a white chest, along with black pants and boots, along with two pistol holsters, one on each thigh. Her dark, brown hair flew in the air as air was being pushed out from the aircraft's engines. Her light purple eyes then looked down at a picture that she was holding in her hand. In the picture, there was her on the far left, two other men in the middle, one being the large man, and Axel on the far right, looking off from the camera. The picture seemed to be some kind of team picture.

"Axel…"

"

"