"Yes and no are very powerful words. Mean them when you say them. Respect them when you hear them" -Michael Josephson
Over the dense forest of Iona, a Bullhead flew countless times over the region where the member of a scouting party went missing. After two days of searching with no luck from the air, and with the pilot insisting on refueling, Ruby and her friends continued their search on foot. Wherever Weiss was, they could only hope she wasn't amongst the massacred two days prior. By the time they noticed the heiress had disappeared, they saw a column of smoke and tracer rounds from heavy gunfire go off in a distance. But by the time they arrived, the battle had ended, and the slain were already being picked off by crows. Although, this large column of White Fang soldiers, along with the heavy firepower, couldn't have been so easily taken out, right? If so, then where are those that challenged them? In either case, the massacre was inhumanly gory, many of the bodies were cut clean through with blades, and a few with tracer rounds, yet it would seem the attackers preferred close range combat. Judging by the lack of diverse slain, it was apparent that they were quite good if they left without a single casualty.
As the teams continued their search elsewhere, from the other side of the forest, two Kaidons arrived at the destroyed human settlement. A small human trailing behind them, her weapon tied to a sheath on her back, worn like a cross-sash. Tsar went on ahead to find the bushel of Seoul Berries, meanwhile, Hanuk was left to babysit the heiress. Which would've been relatively easy had she not suddenly disappeared the moment he took his eyes off her. It was only for a second, and the girl managed to evade the Kaidon so easily. He would've been impressed had Tsar's threat to him earlier not currently occupied his thoughts. If he, in any way, lost sight of the girl, no doubt his old friend would chew him out for being so careless. There was one place to search for her; Hanuk followed Tsar's scent. And when he found his friend, the girl was beside him already. The scowl on the black knight's face sent a deep shiver down Hanuk's spine. Much so when even a single flex was enough to make the Kaidon flinch.
(In my defense; she isn't attached to me as she is to you.) He stated with his hands held up high again. Weiss still couldn't understand their language, but found Hanuk's antics amusing. Even so, she didn't trust him enough as to stay by his side. She was more relaxed with Tsar, and if there were still Grimm around, she wanted to prove her usefulness. Tsar on the other hand was too busy trying to start a small fire on a log as to burn the shrub by the watch tower. Luckily, it was currently the only Seoul Berry bushel in this village.
Weiss retrieved her rapier, and while her grip was starting to return to full strength, she could already feel her weapon slipping. She revolved the chamber to the lighting cartridge; a single spark was all she needed. With a small wave, a few sparks fell on the log. Smoke fumed, and with the soft wind blowing, the fire grew.
"Well done." Tsar complimented both Weiss' assistance, and her will to withstand the possible pain of trying to grip her weapon. A sudden thought came to Tsar, one he failed to remember beforehand. "Hanuk, you studied medicine, did you not?"
The fellow Kaidon nodded (Vaguely) Tsar gestured to the heiress, needing only a moment for Hanuk to understand what his friend was asking. The lightly armored Kaidon gently lifted the heiress' arms and removed the bandages. Weiss was hesitant, but was curious as to see this Kaidon's form of healing. Hanuk placed his palm over the young girl's wounds and channeled a portion of his aura to her. Almost immediately, the wounds were closing, and Weiss could move her fingers more with each passing second. Once done, Hanuk rose up and allowed the heiress to move about freely after being restricted by pain for two days.
(She has plenty of auras, enough to have healed that wound by now, but something in her mind was restraining the process.) Hanuk stated, in an unusually serious tone given his personality.
(I believe I might know the cause to her affliction. Thank you my friend.) The two watched as Weiss raised her arm with Myrtenaster in hand, with a swift flex, she sent strong gust of wind across the forest. The immense wind uprooted a few trees, and apparently sent a few wild Grimm flying across the forest.
(Well, she's not afflicted now.) Hanuk stated behind Tsar.
(Just what did you do?)
(I did as you asked; I healed her...although, I might've also increased her strength recovery.)
Whatever the case may be, the young girl was finally at full strength. The Kaidons could return home, and Weiss was free to return to her homeland. It would seem their little adventure came to an end, and even now Tsar wouldn't openly admit; he grew fond of this heiress. But, a war was approaching, and she was still young, she had her whole life still waiting to be lived, but for Kaidons; there is no choice. Military service is the only sure insurance within their society; honoring their families through service to the tribes. In truth, Tsar envied Weiss; she chose to be a warrior, while he was born into the mantle. On the other hand, if the heiress was now on her own, no doubt she wouldn't survive the treacherous journey southwards.
Unknown to Tsar, however, Weiss' prideful ego collapsed the moment she was easily taken down by the Beowulf. Her behavior now was what was left of her willingness to fight Grimm. With Tsar, she was calm, curious, and slightly clingy. But then, what child wouldn't be when they found something new. Still, she was distraught over having little physical strength to hold off her attacker, relying solely on dust was proving to be near fatal. If she were trained properly, then she could equally use her physical strength and dust to hold off attackers with ease.
(I know what you are thinking...) Hanuk whispered to his friend while they watched the heiress continued to stretch about. (...but there is only one way the council will allow her temporary refuge in Seoul. If this girl is a Schnee, as you say she is, then we can gather information on the weapons the White Fang are using. We'd have a tremendous upper hand on the battlefield.)
Tsar glanced to his friend, and then back to Weiss. (Yes, perhaps. But what would become of her once we've taken what we wanted? And how would she feel if we used her in such a way?) His voice was nearing an angered tone. (I will not stoop so low.)
(By the gods, you do fancy her, don't you?) Hanuk's voice was not as playful as before, but more shocked and somewhat amazed.
(No! I have no such intentions towards her.) Tsar argued, annoyed his friend couldn't take no for an answer on this particular subject.
(Then why are you showing compassion to a human? What is it about this child that is so special?)
(It is exactly that; when I see her, I do not see the face of her murderous father, nor do I see an enemy to my kind. I see a child; yearning for her place in the world. Unlike us, she has the freedom to choose what path she wants.)
(And if she wishes to stay with you?)
Now the black armored knight was at a loss of words, it would be nice to have Weiss as a companion, perhaps even an ally in combat, but the risks revolving around a Kaidon were ones even humans wouldn't be able to withstand. Emerald survives because of her extensive training, but this child had none whatsoever over how to cope with the environment, let alone the many White Fang forces hiding about in the Northern Winds.
(Life is a choice. If that is what she wants, then it is her free will. But that will not deter me from my own goals.)
It wasn't exactly the answer Hanuk was hoping for, but it was close. To make the situation more amusing, and to give Tsar a hint of what would follow in the future, the lightly-tanned Kaidon calmly gestured his friend to turn around and take a few steps towards the forest. While momentarily abiding, Weiss heard their heavy footsteps. She quickly sheathed Myrtenaster and ran to Tsar's side. Her running bare feet were mere whispers of mice compared to the heavy thumps of the Kaidons. Still, the manner in which she casually walked by his side was disgustingly adorable.
(Just like a child.) Hanuk commented, leaving Tsar to growl annoyingly, and Weiss to continue guessing what their talk was about. Though his friend would have no time to respond as a tracer round pinged off Tsar's armor. Instinctually, the black armored Kaidon drew his blade and acted as a shield over Weiss. Hanuk raised his spear and detached a rectangular shield from his back. Following the first round came multiple tracer rounds from the forest. Most of them bounced off Tsar's armor, which apparently was withstanding the heavy barrage. He raised his left arm to shield his face, and the right to keep any strays from hitting Weiss. Hanuk, although lightly armored, was protected behind his shield. (Faunus cowards!) He snarled. In an attempt to pinpoint the exact direction the bullets were coming from, he tried glancing over his shield, only to have a bullet grace his cheek. The Kaidon hissed while ducking back behind his shield. A second later, the tracers ceased, and what followed was a wave of White Fang soldiers charging in perfect formation with melee weaponry.
An eerie smile made itself shown on Hanuk's face. He raised his spear, and with little effort, threw it at the crowded enemy lines. The spear impaled three White Fang members while breaking part the front line, in the midst of the confusion and shock Hanuk drew his sword and lunged himself into the fray with no fear. Rather, the Kaidon was laughing, or so it appeared, as he cut down the enemy soldiers with little effort. Even when watching their brothers being dismembered and their blood staining the grounds, these radicals threw themselves at the Kaidon in hopes of overwhelming him. To no avail, this beast was stronger, and their blades could barely scratch his hide.
From the countless numbers emerging from the forest came one man in particular with a two handed sword, the spikes around the edges gave it the appearance of having been merged with a chainsaw, focused his attention towards the heiress.
As a large group focused itself on Tsar and the small girl with him, the large Kaidon readied himself; the heiress slipped in front of him and equipped her rapier with lighting dust. With a swift swing of her arm, a strong thunder struck the ground in front of the White Fang formations. The force of the blast sent a great number of them flying back into the heart of their own flanks. It drove most of them to confusion; the ones attacking Hanuk broke off into a momentary retreat. Both Kaidons ran to the girl's side and readied for the next attack.
"Good work, but do not strain yourself!" Hanuk shouted, readjusting his grip on his sword.
"Are you sure you can fight?" The response to Tsar's question was another thunder shock breaking the enemy formations yet again. Weiss' expression showed calmness, while her actions said otherwise.
(Hell hath no fury?) The light-armored Kaidon teased.
Both Grimm literally jumped into the scrambled White Fang formations and used the confusion to their advantage. Just as Weiss was about to join them, the leader of this small army attacked swiftly, the heiress responded quickly enough to block his attack. But, it was unexpected, and with the force he used in his swing, he managed to snap the heiress' rapier as if it was a twig. The rest of his blade would've cut clean through her head had she not pulled back fast enough. Still, her reaction to her now broken weapon was occupying too much time as she was unaware of a blade coming towards her. The clanking of metal and sparks emitting from the clashing blades brought the heiress back. Before her was the White Fang soldier's attempts thwarted by Tsar. Again, the heiress was saved by this Kaidon, though now his face showed more determination to protect than it did when she first saw him. Feeling the heavy weight coming down on him, the White Fang leader pulled off, regaining his stance a few feet away before charging back in.
Tsar removed the dagger in his pauldron sheath and tossed it to Weiss. It might've been a dagger in his hand, but in the hands of the heiress it might as well be a broadsword. The handle was pure white and somewhat rough. The blade itself was unusually light, coated black, either some natural ore or customized. Upon glancing to Tsar, she saw a small White Fang soldier sneak up behind the large Kaidon. Unbeknownst to him as he was currently occupied with the leader, and part of his back armor left his skin exposed. Weiss used a great deal of aura to dash to her new friend's aid, hoping to clash her blade with the unknown before they swung. Though, as she raised her blade to strike the enemy's blade from her hands, the unknown raised her weapon for a two-handed swing. Leaving her front exposed, and the heiress in top speed with her new blade in the position to make a clear gash across the girl's chest. With quick hesitance, Weiss managed to avoid decapitating the girl, but did something worse. Her blade slashed the tip of her enemy's neck, blood gushed from the open wound unto the heiress' face. The unknown girl's body froze completely; her weapon slipped easily through her fingers, and then very slowly, her body fell backwards. Upon hitting the ground, the dying girl's mask fell off. What Weiss saw left her in a state of deep regret. The girl couldn't have been older than Ruby, her hair was deep ebony and as short as the scythe-wielder, eyes a light shade of Amber, pale skin, and cat ears. It was as if she was...
"Blake?" Weiss murmured.
No, this wasn't Blake, but the haunting thought that it could've been plagued the heiress' mind. This child was dying very slowly, her mouth overflowing with blood as she struggled to breathe. Weiss knew she would have to kill eventually, but she wasn't prepared for this, not someone her age, much less younger than her. This girl was still young, even if she was the enemy; she still has...had her whole life ahead. By Oum, it could've been Blake, or Ruby. In a way, she finally realized why her father was against her becoming a huntress. But now, because of the heiress, the life of this child was literally cut short. The gasping soon became gurgling due to the overflowing blood. The light in her eyes fading. The heiress did this, the death of this girl was going to be slow and painful...unless.
Weiss grasped her blade with both hands, hesitating for a few seconds before whispering to the dying girl with tears in her eyes "I'm so sorry." Swiftly, she thruster the blade into the child's heart. Ending her life quickly, and with little pain. But, the heiress would not move, her head weighed down in shame. Bangs of her dirty hair covered her empty eyes, tears streaming endlessly down. Her mouth, although producing no sound, kept inaudibly repeating 'I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...'
Tsar glanced to the heiress for a split second, and that short amount of time was all the White Fang leader needed to inflict a large gash on the Kaidon's right arm. While Tsar hissed in pain, the leader ran past him and raised his blade high as he approached the heiress.
(Damn!) The black armored Kaidon tried catching up, but the Faunus was too fast and his need to kill the Schnee girl was great. As he was ready to take a gleeful swing, for a split second, the White Fang found himself flying above the heiress, yet unable to move his arms and his eyes growing increasingly tired. Upon landing, his eyes saw the end of a large axe that cut clean through his body. Splitting him in two, and left him twitching on the floor, dying almost instantly. The new arrival was dressed similar to Hanuk, though his armor was painted a dark shade of green, a single left pauldron, and no armament on the top half of his chest, yet relatively light armor on the lower half. His legs and arms were well protected with metal and leather. Behind him came another Kaidon, smaller in size, and slimmer. But, armored almost exactly the same as Tsar from helmet to greaves. (Tsar, stand down!) Her voice, though somewhat deep, was feminine. She was equipped with a bow and arrow, and when firing, never missed. Due to the size of her arrows, the Kaidon was able to impale two enemies at a time. Although, after watching the quick death of their leader, one White Fang shouted loudly "the lieutenants' dead, fall back! Everybody fall back!" With no form of hesitation, the attackers quickly withdrew, scurrying back into the forest and most likely north. Leaving behind a number of their dead, and taking with them only the weight of defeat and great fear in their hearts.
Once the shouting cowards were confirmed gone, the Kaidons regrouped. Four friends reunited in what could be the defining chapter of their history. But for now, their thoughts were mainly on the attack that occurred, and Tsar's sudden departure to the human girl's side. The archer Grimm took a few steps towards their direction before being held back by Hanuk. (Not now, Okin.) Although not satisfied with leaving her friend with some human, Okin stood her ground, only for the fact that Weiss actually risked her own life to save Tsar.
The Kaidon in question tried to approach quietly, but his greaves made loud clanking noises even when moving just an inch. Once towering over the young heiress, Tsar saw a gesture he had almost forgotten. Weiss had removed the blade, placed both the girl's hands over her heart, and respectively closed her eyelids.
It was compassion.
With years of fighting, and seeing so much gore and unforgiving enemies, Tsar never imagined he'd see this form of respect, much less from a human to a Faunus. Even more so, were the dirty tear marks left on her cheeks; regret.
"I...I killed her." She whispered, her voice edged with disbelief. "S-s-she was trying t-t-to kill...and I..." The heiress began choking on her words, her head weighed down again. Whenever she fought, she did so with restraint. Her attacks never went for the kill, only to disarm. Yet, today, it only took a single moment to seal the fate of another living being or in this case, a child. Why were children as young as her fighting? And, who is truly the monster; those who enlist them, or the enemy that knows exactly who they're killing?
Tsar kneeled to her level, and gently placed his palm on her shoulder. "How do you do it?" That very question was never once asked, but for someone who just experienced this, it was to be expected. "How can you kill so many, and not..." Weiss' voice nearly broke down again. The weight of her actions was drowning her words.
Tsar knew the answer, but would she see him the same way if she knew how much of a monster he truly was? There were some secrets Tsar kept even from his own friends, along with a dark part of his past he never once wanted to bring up. It was one that fueled his long hatred for humans. He glanced to Weiss, she kept her eyes on his, awaiting an answer. With a heavy sigh, Tsar did so. "I've been a warrior far longer than you have, the things I've seen...the things I've done are not something I'm proud of. But it is a path I must walk. I'm sure your elders have glorified the spoils of combat, but you have seen firsthand the cruel reality of those who fight in a war; no one is innocent. South of here are the open plains, keep going south and you will find human settlements. It will be a long walk, but they are there. If you choose to never wield a blade again, I will not judge you for it." Tsar rose from his spot, turning to his friends before glancing to Weiss. "However, if you wish, you may follow me. Continuing the path of a warrior is not an easy choice to make when you have strong morals. And it will require you to often do the unthinkable, but sooner or later the war here will expand. Fighting will break out in the midst of your cities, and countless lives will be lost. You can deter that from occurring, after all, we both seek the same goal; to end the White Fang. Just know, should you join me, there will be times your morality will be pushed, and loyalties will be tested. I leave the decision to you." The Kaidon walked slowly towards his brethren, the heiress remained on the ground. The decision was left to her; would she continue on fighting, or would she head home? How could she go home, being a huntress was her escape from her father, and if she gave up, she'd be forced to return home, never to see her friends or have so much as a life anymore. The White Fang was using her father's weaponry, to give Tsar and his people the secrets of Atlesian military would brand her a traitor, but how many lives would she save if the White Fang was put down here and now? No more children would be enlisted; no innocent lives would be dragged into conflict. What happened today can be averted in the future.
On the ground beside her was the mask belonging to the girl. It resembled the upper half of an Ursa's exoskeletal skull. The heiress reached for the small object, the one thing that ignited great rage within her, now brought only regret and sadness. Weiss slowly placed it on, the White Fang hid behind these to show the world what monsters they could be. But, for the heiress, wearing this signified remembrance for the path she chose and what led to her decision. She reached for her blade, but stopped midway. Myrtenaster was split in two, her weapon was useless now. And while she could repair it, perhaps it was best to leave it behind. After all, if it was so easily destroyed, what use would it be in the future? Instead, she reached for the weapon Tsar gave her in the heat of battle. She took a firm hold of the blade and quickly jumped to her feet. Rather than walking south, she went north with the Kaidons. A faint grin on the black-armored Kaidon was shown throughout the hike back home. Hanuk and the axe-wielding Kaidon marched on with rather huge grins, only Okin expressed an uneasy tension towards the heiress, but kept her mouth shut out of respect for her friend.
Though, what came as a big shocker, and perhaps funny to only two individuals was the realization that Tsar never told Teal and her team to circle back for him, and Hanuk forgot to tell anyone where they were going. Meaning they'd have to hike back to the Northern Winds on their own.
-Mount Seoul-
Meanwhile, in the grand hall of Mt. Seoul, the seats of the first Kaidons for the four tribes, the grand Kaidon himself, and even the newly appointed second zealot of the north were no-shows to the meeting. The three chieftains were patient enough, but their second zealots were bickering amongst each other, it proved to be quite an annoyance. Arguments of which side to ally with and the necessity of technological advancement were amongst the topics thrown around between the second zealots and attending council members from the four tribes. The yells were booming, and abundantly heated to no degree. Their shouts, however, were quickly silenced as the doors to the grand hall opened, and in walked the wife of the Grand Kaidon; Han. She was a warrior once, just as were those she was surrounded by. All were respectively silent as she made her way to the center of the room. She glanced to the chieftains, and spoke calmly (To answer, perhaps, the main question many of you have; the Kaidon of the four corners of Remnant have been called to arms. The world is heading towards war, the Grimm themselves have sensed it and have begun mobilizing. Not for an offensive strike, but to defend their own homelands. Which is why the grand Kaidon; Vadam, has proposed that the four tribes side with and only with the Valens.) What followed was a major uproar, a majority kept silent as to hear what the reasons were behind this preposition. The chieftain of the western tribes expressed a distasteful frown, obviously opposed to idea. The other two seemed more willing to agree, if there were good reasons. To which Han continued.
(The option to remain neutral is not one we have the luxury of anymore, this war will be immense, and it will be bloody. We do have the option to go against both sides, but with our numbers, we would barely stand a few months at best. The grand Kaidon has sided with the idea to ally with Vale, our host kingdom. My daughters have both seen the violence, the hate, and the indignity our captured brothers face in the hands of the White Fang. Hana has watched as countless of her own were mercilessly tortured in front on her, Emerald has given a great deal for OUR fight. The majority vote rests on the chieftains.)
A single individual began clapping, slowly. Almost tauntingly. The chieftain of the western tribes rose from her seat, a false smile occupying what could've been an angered expression. (My, what a decision to make; keep our traditions and protect the wellbeing of our people, or risk the entirety our race to untrustworthy humans. I wonder which decision I should cast my vote to. I do so hope I do not make a fatal decision.) Her voice ended with a non-so-subtle sarcastic tone, receiving a few momentary laughs from the council. (You would be wise to think this past your bigotry, Shaushka.) Han scolded, her voice sharp yet still in a calm manner while disregarding the honorifics.
(Bigotry?! Our people have great reason to stray from any and all form of contact with humans. It's dangerous enough you adopted a human into your family, but giving it the position equal to that of a General is edging on stupidity.)
(Let us not forget how your best trainee, a Kaidon trained in the hardened west, was easily taken down against Emerald's during her initiation. If anyone is edging towards stupidity, it is your blinded fear! My daughter has proved herself countless times, and more so now than ever before. So I would appreciate it if you refer to Emerald properly, or would you rather I force it out of you.) Her threat caused the chieftain to sit back down, allowing Han to continue (Yes, I understand why it is we must hide, but we cannot dwell in the past forever. If our people are to once again thrive, we must tolerate others different from us. Traditions, culture and ideals are what separate the Kaidons equally to humans and Faunus.) Han argued in return, receiving an applaud from a majority of the council. Just as the chieftains were about to speak out, the doors opened again. The large Kaidons watched as a small figure walked slowly to her seat amongst the second zealots. Since her return, Emerald allowed her hair to grow again, rather than styling in the manner she usually would. And it appeared as though she had a customized armor made just for her; similar in every way to a blonde knight she had to surrender for her mission. The helmet, however, was a Kaidon traditional headwear with a crest adorned on the front. The color of her attire was midnight black along with a dark shade of green for an outline.
(Nice of you to join us. Say, while you're here, why don't we hear from a human what an alliance between our species and theirs would bring?) Shaushka stated, gaining the curiosity of the council, while also earning an angered expression from Han. Before she could object, Emerald had arisen from her seat and made her way to the center. (May I, mother?) She asked while respectfully bowing. Hesitantly, Han allowed it, though was unsure if Emerald was well enough to make a good response.
For Emerald, this alliance would mean she could seek out Jaune again, and bring him to her side. But, even with her limited time amongst his friends, she could tell most of them would probably never accept the Kaidons as allies, particularly a white-haired princess. Now more than ever, she couldn't allow her emotions to be her judgement. (Humans...) she started with a bit uncertainty. (...can be fearful, untrustworthy, liars, bigots, and naturally greedy. If it were up to me; every single one of them would be put to death without a second thought.) Her statement, although self-inflicting, brought a satisfied grin from the western chieftain. Although, that would not last long. (But, as I have come to learn from my time here in the Northern Winds, I must ask you all; are Kaidons any different?)
A question caused a wave of whispers, some confused, others actually comparing humans and themselves. (The Kaidons, just as the humans and Faunus, have evolved to a great measure. Just as there are open-minded Kaidons, there are just as equally open-minded humans. And, sadly, just as there are bigots amongst humans, there are similar kinds amongst the Kaidons.) Her eyes darted to Shaushka for a moment, before turning back to the council. (There are moments in history I'm sure neither race feels pride in, but the fact that they can learn, and tolerate, says a lot. But there will always be hate, some people can never be forgotten, and some folk can never be forgiven. Yet, if we can put aside our differences for a common goal, I believe in time, the Kaidons will be accepted, and once again societies will be able to flourish; above ground, outside caves and mountains. Open and free. An alliance will need to be with limited trust.)
The entire council, as well as the chieftains and their zealots said nothing. For the fact that they still expected the young human to speak her own tongue, and here she was speaking their language fluently. She did make an effort to be part of their society, though even now most of them considered her an outsider. Han was also caught off guard, she expected Emerald to be fully for Vadam's proposal. In a way, she was glad her child was being cautious, though if interpreted wrong, the council would side with Shaushka.
The chieftain of the southern tribe rose from his seat, like Vadam, he was openly willing for an alliance. Though what he was about to do, would either cause a great rift, or bring the three races together. (Do you know of any humans that would be willing to side with us?) He asked. To which, emerald's response was a simple, and stern nod.
With a satisfied grin, the chieftain drew his two-sided axe and held it as if offering it to the young human. His zealot, along with the council members from his tribe followed suit. (If you will lead us, Emerald of Vadam, then my sons and I offer you our steel.)
The eastern tribe and its chieftain, along with a few western Kaidon joined in the vote with no hesitation. The Kaidon guards of the north followed the example of the southern chieftain at the same moment he made his declaration. Hesitantly, Shaushka raised her spear in a similar manner, until finally; the whole room was in unanimous agreement; to go into battle, for the first time in their history, with a human leading the charge.
(Well then, General, what is our plan of action?) The southern chieftain asked.
With this newfound trust, Emerald was overwhelmed, but not deterred. The fate of an entire race lay upon her hands. She then addressed the next issue (If we are to be ready for this war, then we'll need to step up production. We have tracer rifles made just for Kaidons, but vehicles are still works in progress.) Throughout the rest of the meeting, Emerald shared the documents relating to the designs for vehicles, as well as strategical locations within the forest to keep an iron hold on a large amount of land around the face of the mountain. The introduction of their new customized weaponry and the level of damage these beauties would cause. The only closely related vehicle completed, yet still in need of a field test, was the Ballista; a two person operated anti-tank gun. The firing range was equal to 20 km when fired from the mountain edge defense positions. The shells were 155 mm, abundant since the raid on a White Fang base near the Southern Isles. Not a resupply, but rather from stolen plans within the base, originally created by the Schnee. The name remained what it was given, though its fire power was more important in this situation. Discussions continued until nightfall, and by that time, Tsar's squad was barely halfway home.
-Outside Northern Winds entrance-
As Kaidons are able to cover much ground unhindered, reaching Seoul would've only taken a day, but with the human at their side and little to shield her from the harsh weather, the group decided to camp out just a few miles south of the forest entrance. They settled near a river with a small fire, enough to keep them warm. Tsar could feel a harsh glare emitting from Okin, although her face didn't show it, the intoxicating aura around her said enough. Hanuk and Glasgow were busy enjoying the view; that is, a sleeping heiress with her head resting on Tsar's lap. The first zealot himself paid no attention to them; Okin was more of a concern than anything. When she learned who the young human was, she nearly drew a dagger had Tsar not threatened her to stand her ground. The sudden anger was to be expected, Okin and her tribe didn't exactly have a good history with the current Schnee heir, especially what he did many years ago.
And while her anger is justifiable towards Weiss's father, it didn't mean she had to pay for his sins. Once the heiress, Hanuk and Glasgow were deep in sleep, only two Kaidon remained awake. Okin gestured to take a walk, to which Tsar reluctantly agreed. After gently removing the heiress from her sleeping place, Tsar joined his friend. Though once they were a good hearing distance away, what followed was anything but a friendly conversation. But rather, a very hard punch across his mandibles followed by a contained outburst.
(What is a Schnee doing with you?! And why is she still alive!?)
His response was anything but the same to her outburst. (I gave her a choice, and she chose to come with me. She is a child, Okin, can you not see past your bigotry? Or are you as blinded as your mother?)
(I have no qualms with humans; it is her family that I will not tolerate. Or have YOU forgotten what we both lost to the hands of that man?! He killed my brothers, my father, your only brother...and...Tsar, have you so easily forgotten Rui?)
That name sparked a repressed feeling of anger and regret that caused him to unintentionally grab hold of her throat. (Do not speak to me of remembrance! I was not the one who chose to give up!)
(But...it was you who was supposed to be watching her!) Okin's response had Tsar's grip loosen, while she gasped for air, her next choice of words were what would cause a temporary rift between the two. (You've chosen a Schnee over your people, I cannot think of a greater insult.)
Tsar turned his head away, unable to face her after bringing up a painful memory. (I am choosing to protect a child from the bigots that would pursue her for what she is. Look closely on it; you might see some similarity between her and us. Not a day goes by that I do not think of Rui, or us…but, I will not dwell, nor will I pass my anger unto someone who does not deserve such treatment.) And without waiting for a response, Tsar returned to the camp, leaving Okin to mourn in the backlash of her anger. Unbeknownst to the two of another large company of White Fang bypassing their camp, and heading north, almost indirectly to the mountain in which Seoul is hidden within. If the location is compromised, or a rookie accidentally fires a Ballista, war will come early to the Northern Winds.
And here is the next chapter; I hope there are no problems with the recent character developments. As always, thanks for reading.