Chapter 1

The Son of Salem


Many years ago, on the continent of Anima…

Screams rent the air, joined together with howls as Beowolves streaked through the streets. Townsfolk ran, hurrying to try and escape the coming carnage but they were already surrounded. Beringels let out great roars and joined the hunt. For a moment, gunfire filled the air.

But it fell silent, as did many of the screaming, screeching terrified humans.

Salem took in the quiet with a smile. She walked down the torn-up streets, past the crumbled buildings, and to the last remaining holdout. A flash of silvery light destroyed a half dozen Grimm. There, on one end of a plaza, were three remaining fighters.

All were wounded, all were Faunus, and all had silver eyes. The oldest of the group was a middle-aged man with a spear and was the one who had used the power in his eyes. Far from a Huntsman, however. The other two must have been his sons. One was probably somewhere in his twenties, while the other was barely out of his teens if he was at all. They were using pitchforks.

Truly, this town had the greatest of defenders. Salem thought derisively. She watched for a while, to see how skilled these men truly were. But there were simple farmers. No… hunters. They had some knowledge of killing beasts, but her Grimm were no mere beasts. While they were managing to kill the Grimm that attacked, each time they took wounds.

And their skill with Aura was so pitiful it was almost sad.

Eventually, Salem grew bored. The father barely knew how to use his inherited power. He was worthless and boring. So she stepped into the plaza. The trio froze as they saw her…

And that was the last they saw.

A flick of her wrist, a blast of cutting winds and ice and fire, and the trio were dead. They hadn't expected it. And now they lay broken, bloody, and in pieces. Salem walked past them, uncaring, and entered the house they so valiantly fought to protect. Inside was a woman wielding a knife. She shook in fear. Behind her was a baby's cot.

Salem felt for a split moment a pang as she remembered her daughters. But that only reinforced her decision to crush the woman with gravity, as she had done to Grimm oh so long ago. The woman's body broke and burst as force was applied from all directions at once, twisting her into a compacted mess.

Such was the fate of those without Aura, or those who neglected to train it like those outside.

She stepped over to the cot, ready to finish this little excursion. Another family of silver-eyed warriors was destroyed. At least, once this child was dealt with. Inside the cot lay a tiny child. A Faunus like their parents, but with small white feathered wings. The child was crying, as of course it was. Its entire home was being destroyed.

Salem raised a hand, gathered her magic and prepared to end the thing's life.

But before she cast a spell of death, an idea struck her. Ozpin loves these children. Those destined to do battle against Grimm. But what if… I trained one? He would never expect a silver-eyed warrior to be a traitor… yes… yes, it would be a perfect way to get a spy into his ranks. I will have to wait a couple of decades, but so what? That is nothing.

She smiled. Yes, the idea was a good one. This child couldn't be more than a year old. If she raised them, they would be loyal. As loyal as could be, truly. And even if they are not, then I shall simply do away with them.

Salem dispelled her magic and reached into the cot, picking up the baby and cradling them to her bosom. It reminded her of thousands of years ago, nursing her newly born daughters. After a moment to savour the feeling, she checked the baby over. A boy. Faunus. Red hair. Fair skin. Silver eyes. Perfect.

"Well then. I will name thee… Damian. You shall be my son from this day forward."


Damian did not know many things. He had been raised in the Castle of Evernight since… forever. He'd never seen the outside world. He knew about it. His teachers and mother told him much about it. But he hadn't seen it for himself.

They told him that he was too young. He was seven, so he kinda understood the reasons. It was safe here. Here the Grimm protected him, because they were under his mother's control. But outside they did not obey her. Outside there were people who would hurt him.

Until he was ready, he had to stay inside.

Still… he wondered what it was like! He could see the infinite sprawl of broken earth and pools of pitch black from the windows. But what lied beyond that? What did the world hold? He wished he could see it. His free time was spent imagining the wide world, built from what his tutors told him of it. Great fields of green. Trees taller than buildings. He couldn't wait to explore it!

One day, as he trained in the practice hall, a Seer came and called away his instructors. Something urgent they had to deal with. Damian did as he was told and stayed put, practising his swings. He had to build muscle if he wanted to use a sword, at least that's what he was told.

As he trained, the door swung open. Standing there was a woman, a pretty one Damian thought. She had black and red hair, bright eyes, a white cloak, and a mostly black outfit, and was covered in splatters of red. She came in ready to battle, sword at the ready, but upon seeing Damian her eyes widened.

"Are you… real?" She asked.

Damian stared at her, confused. "Who are you?"

She blinked and shook her head. "She has a child here!? Damn it… alright." She smiled brightly, reassuringly. She walked over and knelt in front of him. Damian blinked. Silver… eyes? "Hey there. This might be confusing, but well… I'm going to get you out of here. But I just need to sort some things first. Could you just stay here and wait for me?"

The young boy tilted his head to the side. He didn't really get what she was talking about, but she was asking him to stay here, just like his instructors, so he just nodded. If she agreed with them, then she must be fine.

She patted his head. "Good boy. I'll be back shortly." She stood, turned and left.

Damian shrugged and returned to his training.

He trained, and trained, got tired and sat down to rest. Then he waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, he grew bored. Where were his instructors? Where was the lady? Everyone had said they'd be back soon, but as the hours passed and true night arrived, nobody came back. Hungry, Damian decided to leave for dinner.

As he left the training room, he found his mother approaching. She seemed to be contemplating something. "Mother…" Damian whispered.

"Ah, Damian. Come. It is time for dinner. Then straight to bed." His mother said. She never smiled. Not like that lady had. Damian found himself almost wishing she would.

"But what about training?" He whined at her. He liked training!

"Don't worry about that today. Your instructors have… failed in their duties and no longer live here. It is only us now. I will have to find you… more reliable tutors. Come. I shall teach you tomorrow." A ghost of a smile tugged at her face, but she didn't let it grow from there.

His mother rarely oversaw his training, so this was quite an exciting event. Damian smiled and nodded vigorously. "Okay!"

"Good. Come."

They had a basic dinner, and then he went to bed.


For the next few years, Damian only had his mother to live with. He forgot the faces of his old teachers and fell into a new rhythm. As his mother had much to do, he was left alone much of the day so he had a lot of time to train on what he liked to do.

His preferred training was with his wings. According to one of his instructors, he was an owl Faunus. As such, the large wings on his back not only let him fly but let him fly mostly quietly. It was one of the funnest things for him to do.

Running and jumping to try and glide. Lifting off and landing. Flying for as long as possible. Making tight turns. He trained and trained his flight whenever he had the chance. It was far more enjoyable than swinging a sword around.

He'd struggled to learn to use a sword, but he was better at it than with any other weapon. Maybe he had a secret talent for some obscure weapon, but for the time all he had was a sword.

When he was nine, his mother finally found a new retainer. She left for a few days and returned with a scorpion Faunus named Tyrian Callows. The man bowed upon meeting Damian.

"Ah! The Son of the Goddess! How wonderful to meet you. I understand you have been without a dedicated tutor for some time? Well… I may not be a good teacher, or here all that often, but I shall do my best to prepare you for the world outside!" Tyrian excitedly claimed.

"Oh! Um… Thank you, Mister Tyrian! Please teach me!" Damian replied to the strange man. Really, who would call his mother a Goddess? Seemed a bit much.

Tyrian grinned. "Oh, it is no problem young Damian. My life is dedicated to the Goddess. As you are her son, it is only natural for me to aid you. Shall we begin?" He reasoned.

"Tyrian," his mother interrupted. "Ensure you do not break him."

Tyrian laughed in response. It was a high, wild laugh. "Of course! He is important to you, my Goddess! I shall train him well."

Salem hummed and turned away. "Good. You may begin." She left the room.

"Hehehe… now, let us begin!"

"O-okay!" Damian swallowed and drew his weapon. What followed was one of the roughest training sessions the boy had ever had. Tyrian was a forceful instructor. He was a naturally gifted fighter, and Damian was not. Transferring that lifetime of experience proved… hard. But Tyrian was not one to back down.

Over the next year, Damian advanced his skills further and further. Under Tyrian's guidance, he picked up some skills in stealth, traps, and ambushes as well. This, it turned out, was something Damian was actually quite good at. Sneaking around the halls and ambushing Tyrian became a common game. Every time the boy succeeded, Tyrian would increase his effort, and so the difficulty Damian faced. It was an effective way of turning the owl Faunus into an ambush predator.

As his training progressed, Salem vanished for a month. When she returned, she brought someone else back with her. A mountain of a man, eight feet of pure muscle, who reluctantly entered the training room after her. "Tyrian. Damian. This is Hazel. He will be joining us from today onwards. For now, he will be taking over Damian's training. Tyrian, we have something to deal with."

"Of course, my Goddess!" Tyrian bowed deeply and then hurried to follow Salem out of the room.

Hazel stepped forward and sighed. "I am Hazel Rainart. I shall be training you. Let's begin." The man was gruff, but the aura he gave off was… almost calming? Reassuring?

"Okay. Please teach me!" Damian hoped he could keep up.

Hazel's training was very different from Tyrian's. The scorpion Faunus was tough and in a way cruel. But Hazel, while dedicated to pushing Damian to his limits, was much nicer. There were more frequent breaks, and Hazel also taught the boy how to use Dust. Learning how to cause explosions was oddly pretty fun.

Although when he tried to copy Hazel's fighting style, he collapsed from the pain.

Turns out that stabbing a crystal of pure elemental power into your own body is one of the most painful things you can do. Damian hated that feeling. Pain joined by fire pouring through his veins. It was horrific. He never wanted to feel that again. Never wanted to be in pain again. Hazel was a bit gentler after that day.


Damian trained and trained as hard as he could. He had to be stronger so that his mother could put her faith in him. So that he could achieve her dreams. But progress was so slow. It took him weeks or months to get to a level where Tyrian or Hazel would put in just a little bit more effort. But stopping never crossed his mind.

It was during this time that something crystallised in his mind. Something within him clicked as he understood. What, he didn't really know. Which was odd. To understand something, but not knowing what you understood. It was… confusing. He couldn't really think of another way to put it though.

What he could say for sure, is that that was when he unlocked his Semblance.

A tiny ball of crystal. That was what he could make. It was like glass, a tiny orb of clear blue. Staring at it, his instincts practically took over. He knew how to use it, despite never having seen it before. Damian stuck it to his sword, causing it to glow a soft white-blue. It felt… a little lighter, a little stronger, and a little hardier. An orb that boosted his sword, making it better.

"Wow! This is… cool!" Damian grinned as he trained with his new Semblance. The orb was a constant drain on his Aura. He could pour more Aura in and increase its effects too.

When Hazel came by, he smiled and helped Damian test the limits. How long could he hold it? How much power could it hold? What did Dust do to it? They spent many weeks working on it. Dust allowed him to create an effect on the blade based on that element, like igniting it in flames, or shrouding it in electricity. His Semblance caused the effect to last longer than if he had used the Dust without it.

Damian noticed an interesting thing though. Whenever he attached the orb a tiny emblem would appear within the glass. Normally, it would just be a sword of some kind. But when imbued with Dust, it could take those too. A fire, a snowflake, a wave, a lightning bolt, a vortex, and more.

It was a variable Semblance, though not an overly powerful one. He could only make one orb at a time too. But hey, he'll take whatever he can get if it means he can impress his mother.


"Hazel. How goes his training?" Salem asked, stroking a beautifully crafted sword. Her council room was empty save for the two of them. Tyrian was off killing a family, while Damian was being trained by Arthur Watts, Salem's newest recruit.

Hazel grumbled as he stared out the windows. "Fine. A normal fight does not seem to be his strength. Too afraid of pain. Dust and ambushing however seem to be… strengths."

Salem hummed. "I see. I have an extra task for your next mission. After that… begin training him in whip usage."

The giant turned to her, his brow furrowed. "A whip?" He asked, perplexed.

"Yes. He will need a proper weapon. I could have one forged… but when you have things lying around, you may as well use them." She placed the sword onto the table. It glinted in the low light. "Take this. Have it modified. I shall send you the schematics I have designed with Arthur. Once it is complete, he shall begin using it."

"I… understand," Hazel mumbled. He sighed and came over to the table. His large hands grabbed the blade and investigated it, searching over its form. He found something and pushed it.

The blade fell apart into segments. Each segment was connected by a thick cord, woven with Dust to reinforce it. The sword had become a kind of bladed whip. Hazel admired its construction for a few moments before he pushed the button again. The cord pulled back into the hilt, causing the segments to reform into a sword.

"I'll deal with it."

"Good. Do so."

Hazel nodded and left the room, sword in hand.


"This is your new weapon, Athame. Use it well," Mother said with a smile as she handed over a long box.

Damian gulped as he took it from her hands. It was… heavy, so he set it down on a table nearby. He clicked open the locks and pulled the lip up, revealing a beautiful silver blade. It was long, and a bit thinner than most long swords. The hilt was wrapped in black leather, with a flat silver pommel. The crossguard was the most interesting aspect to him.

It was shaped like feathered wings, stretching out as if it was taking flight. In the centre was a small circular dish with a hole right in the centre. He realised almost immediately that it was a slot for his Semblance, which he had named Crest. The dish around it was a rotating Dust chamber, carrying almost every kind.

The only Dust missing was Combustion and Hardlight. Due to uselessness in combat or with his Semblance for the former, and rarity for the latter.

He took up the blade and investigated it in the light. The fuller connected to the Dust chamber, allowing him to use Dust normally if he wanted. At the point where the guard met the hilt were two triggers. One caused the chamber to rotate, changing which he could spread onto the blade or use in his Semblance. The other turned the sword into a bladed whip.

He tested it out a fair bit. It was weighty, strong and durable. The whip gave him good range, although it would take a lot of getting used to. Pressing the trigger again returned it to sword form, while holding it down for several seconds made it fold up into a compact state.

He grinned up at his mother. "Thank you! I'll treasure it!"

"Good." With that, she left. Doctor Watts, who had been teaching Damian how to use all kinds of fancy technology, left with her.

Hazel came up and handed him another box. "Here." The gruff man grumbled.

Damian took it and opened it. Inside was a curved block of some kind. "What is it?"

"Another weapon," Hazel said. The man knelt and took it out of the box. The block had a purple lined panel on the bottom, a magnetic strip, and a strap on it which Hazel used to bind it to Damian's left forearm, just before the wrist. "It's a… Dust launcher. There is a button here to activate or deactivate, and this one fires. You load pellets in here. It can also be activated with a flick of the wrist, but not fired." Hazel's voice was low as he guided Damian in the use of the weapon.

The Dust Launcher, which Damian named Scourge, gave him a lot more options. With the push of a button, he could send a small capsule at a target. Once it hit, it would detonate and deploy its Dust effect.

Athame gave him smaller, more targeted Dust attacks. An icicle or fire bolt.

Scourge instead granted large balls of flame, a blizzard, a lightning storm, or even a steam explosion. Any Dust could be entered and fired.

Damian smiled, tears in his eyes. "Thank you… Uncle Hazel." The boy hugged the bear of a man.

Hazel blinked in confusion for a moment. Then his arms came around and hugged the boy right back.

They stayed there for a good few minutes. When they broke apart, Damian excitedly asked for more training.

Hazel happily agreed.


Time passed, and Damian trained.

When he was twelve, the last of the new lieutenants arrived. Salem vanished once again for a week and returned with a girl only a few years older than Damian. Her name was Cinder Fall.

"Cinder here is going to be our Maiden. She shall take their powers and open the Vaults for us." Mother explained to them.

They'd all been told everything by her. She would conquer the world with powerful 'Relics', locked in Vaults opened by magical Maidens, and each of them would earn a place in that new world. Their enemy was Ozpin, a reincarnating parasite who consumed the lives of others to perpetuate his war against Salem.

And he led Beacon Academy, the place Damian would enroll at in five years. He was the man Damian would have to get along with and spy on.

It made him a little ill, imagining working for such a man.

But despite his worry, he'd do it. For his mother.

Cinder joined his training sessions from the next day on as both a teacher and a student. She was fast, strong, and skilled. Talented. Everything Damian was not. Their first spar together lasted all of six moves before she kicked him to the floor and put a sword to his neck.

Their later spars were no better on his part.

His life flowed together. One day of training with Tyrian. Then the next was with Hazel. The following day was studying with Doctor Watts and the rest of the week was sparring with Cinder. It was a full life, and honestly? It was fulfilling. No matter how slow he progressed, he still felt as if he was making progress.

And so, time passed…


Eventually, the day came. It was almost time for Damian to leave the castle. He took a deep breath in his chambers and took a look at himself in the mirror. He'd obviously grown up quite a bit.

Despite Hazel's training, Damian had more of a lithe body. He hadn't done great at building up muscle, but he had enough. His silver eyes gleamed as he brushed his neck-length dark red hair. It always got stuck in a spiky mess, partially just because of how much he flew around. Damian sighed. He wasn't making much progress on his hair.

So instead he turned to his outfit, making sure it was all in order. He wore a white t-shirt tucked into a pair of black pants. Those too tucked into a set of black combat boots. Overtop he threw on a fur-collared red bomber jacket. It was comfortable and kept him warm at higher altitudes. Practically vital for a flyer like himself.

Next came a pair of bracers on his wrists. Never hurt to have a bit of armour. The left bracer also served as a mount for Scourge, which was handy. He also had a belt with a few pouches, for spare Dust and trap tools, as well as a pair of goggles for when he took to the air. Finally, a dark brown leather sheath was strapped to his right thigh with a couple of belts. The sheath was small, only really fitting a long dagger, but it fit the compact form of Athame.

Damian took one last look over his hair, sighed, and then left his room. This early morning meeting was likely to be his last. Ever. Once he was embedded in Beacon, he would be a spy. The only way he could return was if he failed so badly that he could no longer be an effective spy.

I can't allow that to happen. I can't! I have to prove that I can do this. Mother will be impressed! I'll make sure of it!

With a determined attitude, Damian arrived at the council room. Already Hazel and Doctor Watts were here. He greeted the pair, getting a neutral reply from both of them, and took his seat. Tyrian arrived soon after, sitting to Damian's right. When Cinder arrived, she sat on his left.

And then his mother arrived. The elegant, regal, and terrifying woman known as Salem practically slid across the floor to her seat. They all stood to welcome her, then sat on her command.

"Today… two of you leave on long-term missions. Cinder, Damian. You both have trained well for this. I expect great things from both of you." Salem said.

"Yes, Salem." Cinder replied, bowing her head.

Damian followed suit. "I understand, Mother."

Doctor Watts cleared his throat. "Yes well, as requested I have secured information regarding the Fall Maiden's movements." He placed his scroll on the table and tapped a few buttons. A holographic map of Vale appeared. "She typically takes a year-long journey around the entire kingdom. She stops in towns, helps them, and goes on her way. A typical travelling Huntress if not for her obscene power.

"While she does not take the exact same route each year, she does have a pattern. Doing the same journey for ten years will do that." The Doctor scoffed. "I have created an algorithm that scans every path she has taken and could take. As such, I have determined the most likely location she will pass through in one month." He waved his hands, his rings glowing, and caused the map to zoom in on an area.

A small red light blipped on a road between two large towns. Lower Cairn, and Domremy. "Here is about where she shall be. After this, she'll be heading towards the capital. And so, Beacon."

"And Ozpin's influence." Tyrian happily noted. Hazel grumbled but didn't say anything.

Cinder smiled at Doctor Watts. "Thank you. I will use this to great effect."

"Hmph. After all the work I've put in, if you can't use this you are truly an imbecile."

Cinder glared, but before she could respond Salem clicked her fingers. "Enough. Petty squabbles can be held if you fail, not before you even attempt. Cinder. You have one month to prepare to take the Fall Maiden. After that, join Beacon when the new school year begins in seven months. With Damian to distract Ozpin, you can get close and discover the location of the Vault. Do be careful."

"Of course." Cinder bows again.

Salem turned to Damian. "You will have that time to settle into society and gain a place at Beacon. I trust you shall achieve our goals admirably."

"T-thank you! I'll do my best!"

"Good. Hazel, Leonardo has prepared more Huntsmen for… purging. Deal with them. Tyrian, I would like you to begin searching for the Spring Maiden. Arthur, I will need you to prepare for Atlas. And to be on standby should Cinder require your expertise."

"Understood."

"Of course, Goddess! I will carry out your will!"

"Hmph. I understand."

Salem observed her lieutenants one by one. "Today, we begin our first major strike against Ozpin. Do well, and you shall all be rewarded in my new world."


Evernight Castle disappeared into the distance behind them. Cinder expertly piloted the bullhead away from the black and purple landscape and toward the Kingdom of Vale. Damian sat in the copilot's seat, observing the various instruments. Not that he doubted Cinder's skill.

I wish I knew what to talk about. It was a repeating thought in his head. Damian didn't really know what to say. Instead, they just sat in silence, with the only noise being the rumbling engines and howling wind.

Eventually, Damian decided to rest. Cinder didn't need him. Yet. The journey to Vale would be long and without many places to stop, so they would have to take turns piloting. Thankfully Doctor Watts had taught them both a lot over the last couple of years, so they were ready enough for it.

Soon enough, Damian's turn came. Cinder slumbered while he flew through the air in a metal machine. It was a vastly different, and very inferior, method of flying in his opinion. Well… it was better because it allowed everyone to fly sure.

But he couldn't feel the wind in his hair. Nor the way it felt against his feathers. It was different and odd and… yeah. He preferred flying under his own power.

His mind was kind of rambling along. The flight was getting to him. Thankfully Cinder soon woke and took over.

They continued to take turns over the next two days, only setting the bullhead down a few times to let its engines rest. Eventually, they arrived a few kilometres from the city of Vale.

"This is where we part ways." Cinder said, looking out at the mountains in the distance. "I shall find some pawns to use. Once Fall is mine, we will see each other at Beacon. Remember. We do not know each other. At most, we are acquaintances."

Damian swallowed. "I understand."

She narrowed her eyes. "We've only met on the road once or twice. Remember that."

"I will. Um… good luck, Cinder."

She grinned. "I don't need luck."


They parted after that. Cinder made off, heading to find whatever pawns and tools she could in a single month. Damian took the road to Vale. He was now just any old prospective Huntsman.

The journey to Vale from there wasn't all that long, especially once he took flight on his wings. It was freeing, flying down the road and gazing at the forests and fields on the way. He felt… relaxed, despite this being his first time outside the castle.

Soon enough, he arrived. The great city of Vale was built against the ocean. It was placed north of a mountainous region, where a failed city was, around a cliff and a pair of rivers which joined before hitting the ocean. As well as in amongst two massive forests. Its great walls sprung up high, shielding the city from the hostile world outside it. Damian travelled up to the northern entrance and gained entry pretty easily.

As long as you could pay a little cash, they'd let you pass without much worry. It wasn't really bribery, more that those without ID or a passport like Damian needed to provide something to the city. A bit of lien was easy enough.

Especially as Doctor Watts had loaded him up with a fair bit. Easily enough to enter and survive for the months till Beacon. The real question was what was he supposed to do during that time? Well… all he had to do was get through the signup process and get used to the city. So that he could acclimate just a bit.

The buildings within the city were old, many built before the Great War. As such, they all had that old style of architecture. The pictures he'd seen of Atlas were so much of a departure from Vale that he could scarcely believe they were allied nations. He walked down the streets and admired the air of history everything gave off. It was strangely… comforting?

In a way, it's like Evernight. Something so old that has stood the test of time. Damian pulled out his scroll and connected to the net. Being so close to a CCT really improved his response times! He flicked through and found some information on apartments. There was a nice one near the industrial district that offered a pretty good room for cheap. And the lease duration was negotiable, including an option for until the new school year at Beacon.

I guess they get a lot of future students popping up at random times. Well, it suits me just fine. I don't need some crazy luxury. Sadly though he couldn't just get the apartment immediately. He either needed to go over there personally or get an ID. While the Doctor could have made him one, the possibility of the fake being discovered would cause problems. Better he did what all small-town folks did and just go over to the town hall.

It was a beautiful curved building that sat snug around a round plaza. The other two buildings right next to the plaza were the police headquarters and a much smaller building for people to report issues to Huntsmen. Basically a kind of guild hall from those games Tyrian sometimes brought back to 'learn about the hero mindset'.

Damian headed up the white steps into the large building. The reception area was pretty big, with a whole wall dedicated to reception desks. There was a lot of seating around too. A little nervous, Damian walked up to an empty desk and rang the little bell thing sitting there. After a few moments, a young woman in a suit came over with a smile.

"Hi there, I'm Aqua. Welcome to the town hall, how can I help you today?" She was a cute brunette that was just a little shorter than him. A pair of cat ears sat atop her head. Did they send a Faunus to talk to a Faunus? I guess that's fair.

Damian blushed slightly. "Umm hi! I'm Damian. I'm uh… well I just got to the city and… well…"

"You need an ID?" At his awkward nod, she sat at the desk and pulled up a holographic screen and keyboard. "Alright. We get this quite a lot, so it's not a problem. Okay… I need a full name there?"

"Oh! Damian Nocturne." He didn't really have a last name before, but he'd been told he would need one. After a whole week of agonizing, he'd decided on this. Doctor Watts said it was night or something in some old language? He didn't really get it. It just sounded nice!

"Alright… hometown status?" Her voice was a little hesitant. Understandable because it was quite the question…

"Destroyed," Damian replied. He shuffled a little nervously, but Aqua just nodded. What else could she do? Damian certainly didn't know how he'd want her to respond if his home was actually destroyed.

Although considering he couldn't return unless he failed, perhaps it wasn't too far off?

"Alright then… reason for coming to Vale?"

"I want to become a Huntsman."

She nodded as if she'd expected it. "I assume you're seventeen then?" He nodded. "Okay… I think I have what we need. All that's left is a photo. Please take a stance that you'll be okay going on your record."

Damian, flustered, fumbled for a bit as he tried to take a… professional stance. In the end, after a flash from a scroll, he ended up looking a bit stiff and awkward. But it worked, he supposed. Aqua smiled at him reassuringly, though her blue eyes were filled with mirth.

"Perfect. Thank you. Now I'll just need your scroll and about a minute." She took his offered scroll and plugged it into her computer, letting it run whatever program was there.

So he had to wait, shuffling awkwardly in the mostly empty room. Then he felt… something behind him. He turned to find a very short blonde girl standing there. Despite her heels, she was probably one of the shortest he'd seen. Though she had an air of… age? Knowledge? Experience? Whatever it was, it made sure he didn't assume she was a child.

She tilted her head as he looked at her. Her chocolate brown eyes stared back into his with a sense of… 'what are you staring at, punk?' It was kind of frightening really. He turned away and swallowed.

She feels like Tyrian… or Cinder. A shiver ran down his spine. How someone so short could feel so threatening, he didn't know. Thankfully Aqua finished up and handed him his scroll and a card.

"The card is a physical ID, while your scroll now has a digital version. Oh, and I took the chance to upload some information on signing up for Beacon. Hope you do well." She winked at him. "If you have driving or piloting experience and want a license to do it in Vale, you'll need to sign up for some tests. Other than that… you're all done! Congratulations and welcome to Vale."

"Thanks!" Damian grinned at her and said his goodbyes before beating a hasty escape. Partially because of general awkwardness, but also because the short girl made him nervous.


It wasn't hard to get that apartment now that he had an ID. After that, he had a few months to get settled. First, he got some food from a lovely street stall, A Simple Wok it was called, and then? Well, then he took a look at the info Aqua gave him.

Turned out Beacon ran four tests a year, once a season. These tests were two days long, though only the second was for Huntsmen. Apparently, Beacon had facilities for training 'support' too. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, firefighters, police, the list went on. But it was mostly things that helped people. Passing the tests meant you'd be enrolled for the following school year. Failing meant you weren't, though you could try again next season.

So Damian signed up for the next test, which was two months away. With that done, he didn't really have much to get on with, so he decided to take a look around Vale and its districts.

It was a busy city. It was also very safe. The police patrolled often and seemed to be in good standing with those around them. There was very little in the way of racism too. Just one jerk in armour barging into Damian as he walked the streets.

The day of walking did end up with one interesting discovery. A very nice little cafe called The Changing Seasons Cafe. It was nice and comfy looking even from the outside. When Damian entered he found it quiet and cosy on the inside too. Behind the counter was a young man with fair skin, a slim build, and messy black hair. His ice-blue eyes were filled with warmth, as was the smile he gave Damian the moment he entered.

"Hi there! Name's Neve. What can I get you?"

"Oh, hi! Um… I'm Damian. I would like a… hmmm…" Damian hummed as he looked down at the menu for a while. "Uh… something sweet?"

Neve chuckled and nodded. "Got it. I'll get you a frappe and a bit of cake. Sound good?"

"Y-yeah! Thanks."

"Perfect. Find a seat and I'll be over soon."

Damian nodded and left the counter to find a nice booth. There wasn't much in the way of windows or entertainment here, so he pulled out his scroll and started browsing. He needed to know everything he could if he wanted to fit in. Hm. This place could be really good for practice. I really like its quiet atmosphere at least.

Soon Neve came over with a chocolate frappe and a slice of strawberry cake. "Enjoy." He said, smiling. Neve seemed pretty happy and content here, and that feeling practically infected Damian. It was hard not to feel peaceful here.

"Thanks!" Damian replied and then did just what Neve suggested. He enjoyed himself. The cake was delicious and the frappe was perfectly sweet.

I'll have to tell Cinder about this place. I remember Doctor Watts laughing about her always buying sweets after a job for mother. Oh wait, we aren't supposed to be friends. Gotta pretend to be acquaintances at most. Can't really bring her then… but I can recommend it to her! Yeah. Satisfied with a way to get Cinder to enjoy this place, Damian relaxed. He drank his drink, ate his food, and scrolled the net.

He could get used to this.


Two months passed pretty quickly once he figured out a routine. He exercised in the morning, explored the city, and then stopped by the cafe. Afterwards, he went to the nearby Forever Fall forest and did some training. Then it was just some take-out food and relaxing at his apartment.

A pretty sweet deal.

Cinder arrived a month after he had. They didn't really talk all that much, just a few quiet meetings to bring each other up to date. He recommended the cafe and she eventually decided to go. Damian also got to meet her… allies? Pawns? Whichever.

Emerald was pretty distant with him, but Mercury seemed to find him at least mildly interesting. Mercury tried to get Damian to spar with him, and eventually, Damian reluctantly agreed. It was kinda fun, though Cinder broke them up before it got serious. Mercury seemed chill and interesting, so Damian looked forward to talking more once they were in Beacon. It'd be fine once they could become friends 'visibly' to the teachers, right?

Dust store attacks began to increase, which Damian suspected was part of Cinder's plan. But it was better if he didn't know for sure. What he did know was that Roman Torchwick, a prolific sort of gentleman thief, was behind most of the thefts, if not directly, then indirectly.

But it wasn't really his problem. Unless he got caught up with it as a Huntsman, he could safely ignore it all. Instead, he focused on preparing for the test.

When the time came, he took an airship up to Beacon. With about a dozen others he was directed away from the main campus and towards a smaller area. There was a testing building here with a few teachers waiting for them. One by one they entered, did the test, and came out before heading off elsewhere at a teacher's direction.

Damian was behind a really tall young man in armour and in front of a girl in black slightly shorter than him. He could have sworn he saw her black bow twitch on her head, but it must have been his imagination.

Eventually, it was his turn, so he entered the building. It was an arena with a raised booth opposite the entrance. There sat a blonde woman with glasses and a grey-haired man in a green suit. "Welcome, Damian Nocturne. You will be tested in combat abilities here. Afterwards, you will do a written test. Are you ready?" The man said softly, his voice spreading through the hall thanks to a microphone.

"I-i am!"

"Then we'll begin."

There was a loud beep. A half dozen robots came crawling out of the floor, arms turned into guns or blades. The information smacked into his head by his tutors came to the forefront. AK units. Standard issue. Made by Atlas to aid in Grimm hunts but mostly ended up used as guards for transports. And huntsman tests I guess.

Three of the AKs ran at him with blades. They were quick and packed a punch, so Damian focused on dodging and parrying once he drew Athame. But it wasn't just this trio, there was also the other three. Their guns whirred as they spun up and opened fire. The bullets struck Damian's legs and shoulders.

While they pinged off his Aura, they still hurt. Damian clenched his teeth and held back tears as he stumbled away to gain distance and cover. But the bladed bots kept coming. Dang it! His wings spread wide, beating as he jumped into the air. He flew higher, out of reach of the sword arms.

He flicked his wrist, causing Scourge to deploy, and then took aim below him. With a click of a button behind the raised launcher, a small Dust canister was fired out. It glowed a bright blue and then shattered, releasing a wave of freezing cold mist that quickly transformed into ice. The Atlesian Knights were frozen in place, their legs captured by the rapidly expanding frost.

That bought him a little time. Enough to fly even higher and take aim with Athame. He pressed his trigger and caused the Dust to cycle around, landing on Shock. Damian stuck his Crest inside and combined the two, causing the blade to be shrouded in crackling lightning.

The ranged robots took aim and fired once more, forcing Damian to move. It made aiming difficult, especially when the odd bullet struck him. Pain filled his body with each hit. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow! Dang it!" He twisted in midair and slashed Athame, releasing bolts of lightning at the offending machines.

Only two hit, overcharging the robots and frying their insides. The last managed to avoid a direct hit, only losing one arm to the attack. The remaining arm fired again, striking Damian in the chest. For a moment he lost control and started to fall, but his wings beat and he regained flight.

It really, really hurt!

Damian clicked the other trigger on Athame and then lashed out with his electrified, bladed whip. The AK couldn't dodge and was bisected at the waist. Damian huffed and puffed, trying to breathe against the pain in his chest as he flew higher to avoid the bladed foes.

Gotta…finish this. Damian swallowed and flicked his wrist again. The empty round was ejected from Scourge and a new one loaded up. He remembered the order the first few canisters were in, as he always kept it the same. So when he took aim, he knew exactly what was about to occur.

He fired, flicked to eject and load, and then fired again.

First came a Burn canister, exploding in a blazing fireball that melted some of the armour and the ice, turning it into a large puddle of water. Which was when the Shock canister hit and released a wave of electricity. It jumped through the puddle and tore into the remaining robots. Smoke rose from them as they crumpled to the floor.

He'd done it. He'd finished the test!

Damian glided to the floor and stood there, breathing for a few moments. "That was very good, Mr Nocturne. Thank you. If you will please go outside and follow Professor Peach's directions to the written test, then we can clear up for the next candidate." The teacher from before, who he was thinking was the monstrous Ozpin, spoke again. He sounded… pleased?

"O-okay. Thank you!" Damian said. He then made his way out. A lovely woman with pinkish hair gave him directions to another building, which was just around the corner. As he made his way over there, Damian tried to hurry his Aura up so the pain would stop.

The building he came to was a small classroom where a portly man in a red jacket welcomed him. Several of the other students were already there, working away on paperwork. "Come in come in! Take a seat and fill out the paperwork. Just answer what you can and bring it to me once you're done. Then you can go back to the airship."

Damian nodded along to the loud man and found a seat. The test there was… mildly terrifying. He wasn't the best at history, maths, language, or Dust. He did know a lot about Grimm though. The others he had only a passing knowledge in, hopefully enough to get him in, but Grimm? He grew up around them!

The weakness of a Boarbatusk? Their stomach, and their tendency to tunnel vision and attack without thinking.

A King Taijitu? The two heads weren't in sync and didn't know what the other head was thinking, so in spite of their cooperation they could easily tie each other up.

Deathstalkers? They tended to hibernate after a few years, leaving them vulnerable for decades as they grew.

What about the common Beowolf? They were very easily flustered and became incredibly easy to read afterwards.

But what about a rare Grimm, like a Sea Feilong? Well if you can cut their wings, not only will they lose the power to fly but the pain will also keep them from fleeing! Makes it easy to draw them into a trap afterwards.

So… Damian was pretty confident his Grimm papers were good. The rest? Ehh… but all he needed was to show he could do good! And as a Huntsman, knowing Grimm was the most important part. Right? Right.

Once he was done, he handed in the papers and made his way back to the airship. He didn't get to have a good look at Beacon, but what he could see was still stunning. I… can't wait to live here! It's like the castle but… warmer? Hm. Damian didn't really know how to describe it. Maybe all the greenery was making it more inviting?

Either way, he didn't really get the chance to dwell on it as the airship soon left.


The next few months passed a lot like the previous two. After receiving a message from Professor Ozpin that he had been accepted, all Damian had to do was wait.

Of course, he didn't want to just sit around, so he went back into a routine to get him more and more prepared. Any gains he could make before Beacon were bound to help him out.

He didn't really hear from Cinder, even though he was always open to helping her out. Sure, he knew it might compromise him later, but she was… a friend? A sister? Something like that. He wanted to help her out anyway. She didn't ever come asking though, so he ended up never being able to help her.

At least Neve helped him acclimate to city life. Apparently, he'd been much the same as Damian's fake story, coming in from a destroyed town and trying to find a new life. Though he went for barista instead of Huntsman. It meant that Neve knew a lot about the kind of things Damian could get tripped up on, and he was kind enough to offer his information free of charge.

Time passed and soon enough the new school year was here.

Damian joined the few dozen other students on the airship to Beacon. There were all kinds of people here, including a couple he thought he'd seen before at the test.

Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were around here somewhere. There was also a bombastic ginger girl with a quiet guy who had a pink bit in his hair. A blonde guy passed Damian on the way to the bathrooms, vomiting a bit on some blonde girl's shoes. Her red and black-clothed friend pointed it out with a grossed sound.

Damian looked around. He was starting to realise something. Something that made him pretty anxious.

Everyone here was… attractive.

Every girl was cute or hot or sexy.

Every guy was handsome.

Damian felt a little… out of place among them. He didn't think he was unattractive. But on the same level as these people? Definitely not. The men made him feel a little inadequate, while the women all made him nervous. He couldn't win!

In a corner of the airship's main lounge, Damian shook with anxiety.


A/N: Surprise new fic! I've been dealing with some blocks on AtR, so I started work on this earlier than I expected. But yeah, first OC MC fic! Damian's been in my head for a while, and now he hits the page. Hopefully, you like him. I'll keep working on all three fics, chipping away at AtR.

I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time!