Never thought I'd be so excited for a boring week. No major medical problems. No emergencies at work. Just a calm week to knock out some basic work stuff, write, and catch up on a bunch of Discord stuff (I lead the Events team for a streamer community). Nice to be able to catch my breath for a bit. And keeping with that, let's get to the story.
"Get up." Jean kicked Adam's sword back to him, purposefully launching it a few feet past him so Adam had to chase it as he scrambled to his feet. "Unless you've finally had enough."
"Never," Adam panted, forcing a smile to his face before charging in once more.
Adam called it training. Jean called it annoying. Soji called it cruel. The truth was probably a combination of all three. Round three of their fight had gone about as well as the second, though with only their caravan as audience after they'd left Oniyuri. Instead, their fight had taken place in a nameless clearing along the trail after a hard day's travel, but the result was the same. A quick disarm before Adam's face became acquainted with the ground. Their fight ended without any pointless injury, though. Jean had called it on account of them needing to set up camp, both combatants retreating for the night with the promise of continued hostilities the next day.
And so began the endless parade of defeats for Adam. Every night, whether they parked at a campsite or in a village, Adam snatched his sword and hastened to find Jean for another challenge. Every night, Jean gave him the opportunity to quit. Every night, Adam refused, only to get walloped once more.
Three weeks in, and their fights had become just another part of life. The only change being that Jean would let him get a few tries in before calling it for the night. Adam had already faltered twice tonight, but that just meant he would have to try again.
The one bright side was that he no longer lost his sword on the first blow anymore. Mazarin's old lessons on proper grip had been reinforced with Jean's practical demonstrations. Too loose, and he'd be fetching his sword from the woods. Too tight, and his hands would ache with each blow. But the learning didn't stop there. Overextend a strike, and Jean would twist your wrist to force the weapon from your hands. Linger after a failed attack, and you'd find your feet swept out from under you. Little by little, failure by failure, Adam learned what not to do more than anything else. He longed for the day when he'd finally break his loss streak.
But it wouldn't be today.
"Do you yield?" Jean asked, his blade hovering over Adam's dirt-covered face before he could drag himself up from his latest impromptu flight. Just to be safe, Jean's large, booted foot pinned his sword arm to the ground. The fact that he still held a weapon at all felt like a small victory to Adam.
They both knew his answer before the word ever crossed his lips. "Never."
"Stubborn little brat," Jean answered as always, pulling his sword back and walking away. "We're done. I've got hunting to do, and you've got your chores. And don't you dare let me hear you complaining later that you're too sore to do your job." Jean tossed his sword back to its rightful owner as he passed, snatching his own weapons and marching off into the woods.
Which signaled the start of the next part of their new tradition. "You did better," Jesse praised, trying to find the bright spot as he sheathed his borrowed blade. It was like clockwork. Adam challenged Jean. Jean roundly beat Adam. Jesse came to lift his spirits and share some notes.
As annoying as the constant reassurances could be, Adam actually looked forward to this unexpected conclusion each day. Jean's lessons, if you could call them that, were taught through the brutal application of a sword. He didn't point out mistakes as much as punish him for making them. Jesse, on the other hand, always did his best to let Adam know what he'd seen and offer a little advice.
Today was no different. "You definitely held out longer," Jesse highlighted. "You kept hold of your sword better, too. How's the blade feeling?"
"Better." It still didn't feel quite right, but he was slowly adjusting to the size of the weapon with practice. Jesse said it should feel like an extension of him, but Adam wasn't there yet. "I felt like I hit a little faster today."
"You did," Jesse confirmed. "You were definitely faster, but you're always so aggressive on the attack. You can't just rely on brute strength for everything, especially against someone like Jean."
Adam knew that, but what choice did he have? Jean's attacks were devastating at the best of times. Despite his size, Jean moved too quickly for Adam to properly block. Not that it did much good. Either his sword went flying or he did, such was the strength behind each blow. His best bet would be to keep up the pressure and hope for an opening.
Adam's explanation hardly impressed his pseudo-tutor. "You'll never beat him like that."
"I'll never beat him at all." No matter how much he improved, catching up to someone like Jean seemed impossible. He knew the man was holding back. Jean could cleave him in two with a single swing if he wanted to. Instead, that cursed sword always stopped just shy of carving him open, mocking him as it danced in front of his face.
"None of that now," Jesse chastised.
"It's impossible."
"Everything's impossible until someone accomplishes it."
"Thanks, Soji," Adam said, rolling his eyes at the saying.
"He's a good influence," Jesse defended, all but confirming Adam's suspicions on its origin. "You'll never learn to block if you don't try. Fighting is about more than just hitting someone. You have to learn to give and take. Watch." Jesse took a few steps back, drawing his sword in a basic stance and waving Adam to him. "Try and hit me."
Adam's shoulders whined at the idea after his earlier beating. "I've got chores-"
"They're not going anywhere." Jesse beckoned him once more. "I won't hit back. I promise."
This was new. Jesse only ever gave advice and pointed out his flaws. He'd never actually sparred with the man before. "Alright," Adam shrugged. "Here goes nothing."
Adam charged in like he normally did, swinging diagonally for Jesse's shoulder. Jesse easily met his attack with his own sword, halting him entirely. Instincts kicked in as Adam hopped back to create distance. "You keep trying to catch his attacks, but that's a waste of energy. You've got to match his strength with your own, and even if you do. That's a losing battle." Jesse reset, giving Adam a quick nod. "Try again."
Adam didn't waste a moment. He sprinted in once more, matching his swing from earlier. Jesse moved to counter again, but his sword turned at the last, catching his at an angle and forcing it downward instead of stopping his momentum. Adam stumbled past, barely keeping his feet under him as Jesse laughed.
"See? If you meet the blade squarely, you take the full force yourself. But if you deflect it instead," Jesse tilted his sword like he had before, "you can bleed the momentum and throw your enemy off-balance. They waste all that energy and you barely break a sweat. Pretty neat, huh?"
Neat? Adam would've gone with interesting, but to each their own. So if he deflected instead of blocked each strike, he wouldn't have to use as much energy? Against someone like Jean, he'd still burn out way before his opponent, but it was a start. Plus, it wouldn't always be Jean, would it? What if he had a real fight someday. Maybe even with a Grimm. They were pretty much pure muscle and rage, so blocking a direct strike from something like an Ursa wouldn't end well. But if he could redirect the blow, it would leave an opening for a counterattack.
That…that could work.
"Show me more."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Life on the trail was more routine than Adam had ever imagined. Rikyu and Soji ran a tight schedule. They woke up before sunrise, reloaded the wagons, had breakfast, and were on the trail by the time the first rays of light reached the highway. Adam and Soji took turns driving the wagon. They'd stop at every clearing, then camp at a larger stop for the night. When they reached a town, sleeping under the stars was traded for the roof and walls of the local inn. Each day looked more and more like the last.
But just because it was repetitive didn't make it boring. As sure as the sun rising each morning, Adam's routines kept him busy. The chores weren't bad. The orphanage had worked him harder than Soji ever could. He felt a lot more confident driving than he had a few months ago. But it was the evenings that kept him going.
Little by little, Adam could see himself improving. Sure, he still never stood a chance against Jean, but he didn't go down as fast either. Some of that was Jean's doing. It took a while for Adam to notice, but Jean let the fights drag out longer than he needed to.
At first, the thought annoyed him. "He'd toying with me," Adam complained during his post-spar session with Jesse. Jean hadn't even swung his blade for the past three nights. Instead, Adam had met his demise against the sole of Jean's boot each evening. "He's not taking me seriously."
"Or maybe you aren't taking it seriously," Jesse offered. Adam scratched his head in confusion. "He's not toying with you. He's teaching you."
"Teaching me what? How to eat dirt?" For emphasis, Adam spat to the side, trying to clear the lingering taste from his mouth.
"If you weren't running your mouth so much, the dirt wouldn't get in there." Adam's mouth clicked shut. "But that's not what he's teaching you."
"What, then?"
Jesse sighed as he realized Adam wasn't going to figure it out himself. "He didn't use his sword because it's not his only weapon." Jesse shoved Adam's shoulder, nearly toppling the boy. "Shoves. Kicks. Even your head can be a weapon, especially with how thick yours is."
"So I should just headbutt him into submission?" With his horns, that might not be such a bad idea.
"I think even your head would break before his aura did," Jesse laughed, rustling Adam's hair. "The point is, you've got more options than just swinging your sword. A punch can disorient an enemy who gets too close. A kick can trip them." That certainly was true. Adam's shins ached from the beating courtesy of Jean's foot. "And it's more than just an attack."
"More?" What more was there to fighting? Two people attacked each other until one triumphed. The stronger fighter won.
"More. Let me show you." Jesse held up a finger, telling Adam to give him a minute as he hurried over to the fire pit. One of the merchants complained as Jesse stole a bench, dragging it away before the man could sit down. He kept going all the way to the edge of the forest, dropping it so that it pointed to the trunk of a large tree and standing at the opposite end. "Over here. Say I wanted you to get to the other side of this bench. What would you do?"
Adam looked over the improvised obstacle. He figured he'd go with the obvious answer. "Climb over?"
Jesse must've expected as much. "Naturally, but what if you're being chased? Or you need to get over in a hurry? Then what would you do?"
"Climb over faster," Adam answered flatly before giving it some thought. Going around probably wasn't an option. "I guess I'd jump over it." When Jesse only nodded along, Adam put action to words, getting a running start before clearing it with ease.
"That's good, but instead of going straight over, try kicking off that tree."
Kicking off the tree? Adam could kind of see what he wanted. With a shrug, he lined up, running straight at the tree. He leapt as hard as he could, planting his foot against the bark and launching off to land well beyond the bench, though he tumbled at the end.
"Good. Now try again, but see if you can land on your feet." Adam took a few more tries back and forth. After the third time, he managed to land cleanly, hitting the ground at a run. "There you go! Moving like that makes you less predictable and can increase your mobility in a fight."
"But how does that help me against an opponent?" Running away wasn't exactly his idea of a good strategy for winning.
"Try it again, but this time, use me instead of the tree."
"You?" Jesse wanted him to kick off a person? A tree was easy. It didn't move and you could trust it to stay upright. People weren't as reliable. They could dodge out of the way, fall under the pressure, or even attack. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"You're in a fight, Adam. It's all dangerous." Jesse turned around, bracing himself with his back turned. "We'll start simple. Kick off my back like you did the tree."
"You sure?" Adam didn't want to hurt the more useful of his two teachers. His only teacher, actually, since he still hadn't technically earned the right for Jean to teach him.
"I'm a big boy, Adam. I can take it."
Shrugging in defeat, Adam readied himself. Jesse stood slightly hunched over, bracing himself for the impact. Other than that, though, it didn't look that different from what he'd done already. His first attempt was a little sloppy. No matter how prepared the man was, Jesse still moved a little with the impact, throwing him off just enough to have him land in a roll.
"Again."
Adam managed to catch himself on his hands and knees.
"Again."
This time, he kept his balance, but only barely.
"Again."
With each try, Adam found it a little easier. Eventually, he found his footing again, landing in a run with a satisfied cheer. He didn't know when he'd need to kick off a stationary opponent's back, but if it ever came to that, he'd nail it.
"Again."
"But I did it," Adam complained.
"Again."
Rolling his eyes, Adam gave up the fight and prepared for another run. Once could be a fluke. He needed to prove he could do it every time. Even so, with all the training - sorry, fighting - against Jean and this new aerobic workout of the night, Adam didn't really feel like trying again. He still had chores to do before dinner, and Soji had made it clear to him before that his training wouldn't be an excuse to slack off.
Here goes nothing, Adam thought as he leapt at the man once more.
And nothing was exactly what his foot met.
"Gah!" Adam crashed to the ground, sailing through the empty air Jesse had occupied only a moment before. He hit the ground hard, rolling a good way before finally coming to a stop facedown in the dirt. "You moved!"
Jesse looked far too pleased with his trick. "You can't expect someone to stay still. You need to be ready in case they move."
A deep laugh interrupted the teaching moment as Jean broke the treeline nearby with a large buck across his shoulders, a single arrow lodged in its chest. "You're harassing Jesse for a fight now? Guess I didn't whoop you hard enough after all."
"At least someone's teaching me," Adam grumbled as he pushed himself up. "Maybe he can show me how to beat you someday."
"As if he knows," Jean answered smugly, dropping the carcass on the ground. "When you're done inspecting the dirt, take this over to Rikyu. We're eating good tonight."
As they did most nights. Jean didn't always go hunting. A kill this large meant they'd have enough leftover for tomorrow. But when he did decide to hunt, he never came back empty handed. Hogs. Deer. Even assortments of small game like rabbits. Each with a single arrow to their name and nothing else. Like the man in Oniyuri had boasted, Jean always caught something. Adam hated how callous and cruel the man could be, but he couldn't complain about the steady supply of meat he provided.
Adam gripped their next meal by the large antlers and tried to drag it across the campsite. With every lunge, it would budge just a bit. How had Jean carried it so easily? That sort of strength was insane! Adam continued struggling for each and every inch, wondering the whole while why Jean hadn't carried it the rest of the way.
"Jerk," Adam commented, slipping in his latest attempt.
"Need some help?"
"What I need is for Mister Muscles for Brains to come back and finish his job," Adam growled as Jesse grabbed the deer's hind legs and waited for Adam to grab the other pair. "I hate him so much."
"He's not a bad guy, you know," Jesse tried as their teamwork proved much more effective.
"Keep telling yourself that." Adam had to ask a million times to be trained, only for Jean to put it off each time before finally agreeing to a fight. Then, he'd beaten Adam to a pulp and knocked him unconscious. He'd only agreed to their new quasi-training style because Adam forced him to. If tormenting and beating up a teenager every day didn't make him a bad person, then how bad did someone have to be to become a villain?
At least he had Jesse to balance things out. His lessons proved far more valuable.
"Your sword is a weapon, but it's not your only one," he explained after the next day's beating from Jean. "You need to be more versatile."
"Should I get a gun?" It would be expensive, but he wasn't really spending his money on anything else. Maybe adding a ranged option would help. If Jean didn't see it coming, he could even land a shot or two. It wouldn't be enough to win, but even a little pain for Jean would be worth it. Most of the Huntsmen he'd seen, as few as that may be, focused on one weapon. Mazarin with her massive sword. Jesse with his. Team SPVC had mostly focused on single weapons.
But not all of them. Pyxie had a shield for defense. He vaguely recalled Mister Collins - the man who saved him from the Beowolf so many years ago - using a gun at one point before switching to a machete. Even Jean had a gun to go with his axe, not to mention his hunting bow.
Apparently, Jesse meant something else. "You could, but I meant what you have right now."
"All I have is my sword." Which would eventually need replaced anyways. He'd been getting better with it, but it still felt wrong. Maybe something a little lighter would be more his style. Or just a little shorter. Then again, maybe he'd hit another growth spurt and fit his weapon better.
"You've got your hands." Jesse slapped the back of Adam's head. "And your legs." Adam managed to dodge away from Jesse's next practical application, sparing his shins for once. "And more importantly, your head. You need to fight fast and think faster. A sword is great for one thing - killing. It's a lethal weapon meant to draw blood with every hit. But not everything has to be so final. Non-lethal attacks work too. You can disarm an opponent with a twist of their wrist. A well-placed kick can buy you time, create distance, or even knock an opponent out of the fight completely. A downed opponent is just as defeated as a dead one."
Non-lethal. Is that why Jean rarely used his sword against him? One wrong swing could end Adam's life, but trips and throws didn't carry the same risk. Adam knew from experience just how brutal those attacks could be, though.
Not that the same applied to Jean. Even if Adam could somehow manage to hit the man, his sword would barely scratch the man's aura. He knew aura had limits, but he had no idea what those limits were. How many times would he need to hit Jean just to get through that? Once his aura was down, Jean would be just as vulnerable as a normal person. Well, a normal person with decades of experience and more muscles than anyone really needed.
"Let's try those running kicks from yesterday again." Jesse's game plan snapped Adam out of his thoughts. "This time, I want you to aim your foot better. Aim for my hands and kick off of them."
For the next hour, Adam did just that. Jesse would brace his hands together in a different position each time, with Adam having to aim his jump accordingly. Each time he succeeded, Jesse gave him less time to react. The poor guy took a few blows to the chest and legs when Adam missed, but Adam slowly became more accurate, even if his landings needed a lot of work.
Every day, Jesse had him try something new. Leg sweeps. Wrist grapples. Basic wrestling. As he put it, having options could give you the edge over an opponent. You never knew what an enemy would bring to a battle, so being able to adapt on the fly would be his most important weapon.
But he still had the issue of his actual weapon.
"Looking forward to seeing Higanbana again?" Soji asked Adam as they switched places for the last leg of the day. They were a little behind schedule after Jean had them wait at the last rest area, saying he sensed something nearby. Adam hadn't seen or heard anything, but either Jean was wrong or the threat left, since nothing came of it. Still, it meant they'd be getting in a little later than usual.
"Better than Katai. At least I'll actually be able to get out and stretch a bit."
They'd only stayed a night in Katai, purposefully arriving late and leaving before the sun came up. He'd only left a few months ago, so the risk of someone recognizing him had been too high. He had to hide in the wagon until Soji came back with a thick, hooded jacket. With how cold the nights were, no one batted an eye at the strange bundle of a boy being rushed into the inn and back out in the morning. Still, Adam felt trapped in his room that night as his mind wandered to the hated orphanage across town. He wished he could check on Nila and Erik, but he couldn't risk going anywhere near that place. Instead, he'd had to content himself with watching the news and waiting for Soji to bring him dinner.
The world around them didn't seem to change much. Northern Anima was still battling snow, but they didn't expect any more this far south. Some dust mining protestors had been arrested for blocking a major road, only to be released a few hours later with no charges. There was a scandal about some teacher having an inappropriate relationship with a student at Sanctum Academy, but they'd already been fired and the police were refusing to release details while they investigated for potential charges.
Sanctum was one of the premier Huntsman Combat Schools, Adam recalled. He'd looked into them back before…before everything went to crap. Moving all the way to Argus would've been a pain, but they had one of the top programs in all of Anima, with a good percentage of their students going on to the major Academies after graduation. It wasn't his first choice, but that didn't matter in the end. Life, it seemed, had other plans for him.
What those plans were, he'd just have to find out. For now, his only plan was to work in the caravan, get stronger, and someday beat Jean. He wasn't sure how he'd pull off the last one, but he wouldn't be giving up anytime soon, even if he knew how doomed that goal was. At least the other two were coming along nicely.
"Katai was a little weird," Soji agreed, shaking off the thought a moment later. "But enough of that. Let the past stay where it belongs. In the past."
Easier said than done, but the less said about his time in that vile town, the better. "Hey Soji. I don't think I'll need it, but is there any way to get an advance on my pay?"
"An advance? What for?"
"I want to buy a new sword," Adam explained, patting the bench seat that housed his weapon during the day. Jean didn't like him having it out while riding, saying he'd have plenty of time to fetch it if the need ever arose. Wearing it while sitting on the wagon was a little uncomfortable anyway, so Adam kept it stowed until they stopped each night when he'd yank it out and rush off for his nightly challenge. "I've got some lien saved up and I'm hoping they'll let me trade in my sword to cover the rest, but I want to make sure I have enough when we reach Oniyuri."
The town where he'd gotten the sword originally. Some of the villages they stopped at had skilled blacksmiths, but they didn't have much selection on hand. A good blacksmith could probably make him something perfectly suited to his size, but that took time. They rarely stayed anywhere longer than a day, often arriving well after the forges were quiet for the night. Besides, there was something special about returning to where it all started. His first sword. His first fight. His first loss. Maybe it would someday be the site of his first win, too.
"We can probably work something out." Soji thought for a minute, his eyes dancing upwards as if he could trace the numbers in the sky. He often looked like that when it came to business. "Tell you what. I'll come with you, and if we need a little extra lien, I'll cover the difference and work out repayment afterwards."
Meaning he'd take it out of his pay until everything balanced out. That wouldn't be a problem. Adam didn't really need anything beyond a good weapon right now, and it wasn't like he was going anywhere. Still, you didn't make a deal without checking for a catch. "Any interest?"
Soji's toothy smile turned a little sharper. Adam recognized the predatory gleam in Soji's eye. "Do you not trust me, Adam?"
"I don't trust anyone when it comes to business." Soji had drilled that into him time and time again. Usually, it was some unsuspecting customer that fell prey to Soji's charm and cunning, but Adam remembered losing a small stack of lien to the man not long ago. A valuable lesson, Soji had called it, even as he pocketed the money.
"Truly, you are wise beyond your years." Soji seemed thrilled to see his lesson take root. "Worry not, Adam. No catch here. Whatever extra lien you need will come from your pay. No interest. No strings attached. Consider it a gift."
Most gifts didn't need repayment, but Adam recognized it for what it was. Borrowing money normally meant some additional fees or penalties later on to give the lender some sort of benefit. Soji had warned him about loans and debt early on, explaining how quickly even a small loan could grow if not repaid quickly. Adam didn't usually like math, but calculating things like costs, prices, and profits was easier than solving for some random variable or calculating the length of the side of a triangle. Maybe he didn't hate math. He just hated impractical math.
"Thanks, Soji." Asking a businessman to pass up a chance for profit was like telling a Beowolf not to attack. It was so against their nature that you wouldn't even consider it. Soji giving him such a good deal meant this wasn't a transaction. It was a gift from a friend.
Much like Katai, Higanbana hadn't changed since their last visit. After their first trip to Mistral, they'd gone all the way back to the west, stopping at a large port with a shipment for Vale and filling back up on wares before starting east once more. Soji and Rikyu stuck to the same path most of the time, as did most of the caravans. Some specialized in trade further east. Others catered to the mountainous towns up north or ventured deeper into the forested south, but most of the caravans stuck to the relatively straight line between the coast and the capital. Traveling the same road your entire life wasn't what Adam had imagined for merchants, but the familiarity of the route meant the entire stretch was home for his merchant friends. Most towns knew Rikyu and Soji as locals, even if they rarely stayed long. Maybe someday, they'd come to know Adam, too.
Even if it was only his third visit to Higanbana, Flanagan recognized him as he entered the tavern, beating Jean to his own haunt even after having to help park the wagons for the night. He'd said something about talking to the town guard when they arrived, telling Adam to find him afterward if he wanted another fight. Whatever phantom threat he'd encountered earlier must've been serious for him to report it so hastily.
That was fine. Adam could use a chance to unwind a little, though he carefully studied the drink Flanagan offered him, recognizing the putrid swill from his first visit. Flanagan laughed and swapped it for a much friendlier mug of root beer, though his merriment barely lasted before a tired expression reclaimed the man's face.
With nothing else to do and eager to take his mind off Katai still, Adam asked, "What's up?"
"Nuthin'," Flanagan lied. "Well, not nuthin' I guess. Where's Jean?"
"He went to chat with the guards." Talking with Flanagan was nice. The man didn't treat him like a kid, even offering him drinks that would've gotten most bartenders in trouble, considering Adam's age. Then again, after his first encounter, Adam wasn't exactly looking to get drunk. Not if it meant having to force down any of that putrid concoction. Maybe once he was drunk he wouldn't notice the acrid taste, but that meant dealing with it sober first.
There's an idea. Jean practically went through a barrel of the stuff anytime he visited Higanbana. Maybe he could wait until Jean was too drunk to fight and challenge him then. He might have a shot against Jean if the man couldn't keep his feet under him. Then again, he'd seen Jean get into a fistfight with a stuffed bear last time, knocking the thing's head clean off in one hit.
Maybe sober Jean was safer.
"Come on over when he gets here," Flanagan instructed. "Got news to share, but not somethin' I wanna tell twice."
That sounded serious. Adam hid his concern behind a sip of his drink as Flanagan walked away to clean a small spill further down the counter. News. What news? It wasn't good news, by the sound of it. But what would Adam need to know? He didn't know many people in Higanbana. Certainly not any well enough to be told of their death or anything. It had to be something related to the caravan, then, but he couldn't imagine what.
Thoughts about the looming information would have to wait. Instead, a slightly slurred voice nearby summoned him. "Is that Jean's kid?"
Adam recognized the rough looking man from his previous visits. Some old friend of Jean's that used to go hunting with him. Adam struggled to remember the guy's name, even as he made sure to shoot down the man's words. "Jean isn't my father."
"Course he ain't!" The man laughed. "Allen, right?"
"Adam," he corrected. Honestly, it was pretty close for a guy he'd only met twice. Especially considering how drunk the man was both times. "Good to see you again."
"Sorrell," the man filled in with a smile. "See you still got that sword of yours. Still tryin' to beat ol' Jean with that thing?"
They'd fought outside the tavern last time, much to the amusement of the home crowd. Jean had dragged that one out a bit, theatrically dodging every attack and doing little more than shoves and slaps to antagonize Adam and show off for everyone.
"Trying," Adam confirmed. He doubted tonight's fight would go any better than last time. "What's up with Flanagan? He seemed…kinda sad."
"You haven't heard?" Sorrel's question as good as confirmed his suspicion that something was up. Now that he thought about it, even though there were more people in the tavern than usual, the room was unusually quiet. No laughter. No songs. Just a bunch of people sitting around drinking their cares away.
"Heard what? He said he'd tell me when Jean got here. Something about not wanting to tell it twice."
"Aye. That sounds about right," Sorrel mused, swirling his drink as he sought for something in the dark liquid. "If Flanagan says to wait, then just wait. And 'sides, he knows better'n me."
"But…" Adam hated waiting. "Fine. Jean shouldn't be long." Before he slipped away, Adam recalled something Jean had told him, holding his mug out to Sorrel. "To your health."
Sorrel hesitated before extending his own tankard and gently tapping it against Adam's. "And to the health of us all."
Adam slinked back to the edge of the bar, sipping his drink as he studied the room. An oppressing atmosphere hung over everyone. He strained to hear the whispered conversations around him, but most were mundane. Chatter about the weather, discussions on a recent illness, and someone mentioning an increase in guard patrols.
The last one caught Adam's attention. Maybe Jean had been right about whatever he saw. It couldn't have been Grimm. One close enough for Jean to detect would've come right at them and attacked. Bandits, maybe? If so, they'd left pretty quick. Maybe they'd realized their cover was blown and decided it wasn't worth the risk, especially with someone like Jean around. Either way, something had the town on edge right now.
Whatever it was, Adam would find out soon enough.
"Jean," Flanagan greeted with a weak smile and a nod as the man finally approached.
Jean ignored Adam entirely as he strode purposefully to the bar. Whether he knew something or could pick up on the mood of the room, Jean looked a little concerned. "Flanagan. What's happened? Guards said I should come see you."
"They couldn't tell you?" Adam asked. Surely the guards knew what was going on, right? Did everyone just point people to the bartender?
Jean's head snapped to Adam. "Do you know?"
"He doesn't," Flanagan interjected. "Told him to wait until you got here." Flanagan took a deep breath, but when that failed to give him the words he needed, he poured himself a tankard and took a long swig.
"C'mon, Flanagan. Spill it already." Adam assumed he meant the news, not the drink.
Flanagan finally steadied himself. "It's…the Yuris."
"Which one?"
"Both of 'em," Flanagan continued. "They're…they're gone, Jean."
Speeding up time a bit here, as things are relatively repetitive at this stage. For reference, Adam left Katai a few months ago, sometime in the late Fall. It's now late Winter. Just in case anyone's keeping track of those minor details. Don't worry. We're not just gonna jump a few years and suddenly have a skilled Adam ready to march off to the White Fang and take on Atlas. This arc has stuff planned, just not in the first few months other than some basic training.
Poor Renora. Figured this is somewhat close in the timeline to when their home is destroyed. Decided to have both fall around the same time, even if we don't know much about Oniyuri's destruction. If Oniyuri fell first, why didn't Kuroyuri have a bunch of Huntsmen on standby? If Kuroyuri fell, were Ren and Nora there for that one too? But if the Nuckelavee is setting up camp in the area, then it could easily take out both around the same time, so we're just gonna run with that scenario. And yes, this is the rumored Grimm mentioned a few chapters ago that killed Harkin and those other boys when they went out looking for it.
Lastly, I see people constantly saying online that Adam is overly reliant on his sword and can't fight without it. Sure, his Semblance seems to be based around it, but I went back and watched all of his fights (as few as there were), and he uses a lot of kicks and even offhand attacks on occasion, though usually with his gun sheath. Figured I'd get him some training on that here. I also fell down the rabbit hole of his weapon and fighting style. Always mistakenly referred to his and Raven's weapons as katanas, but neither of them actually are. His is too straight. Hers is too long. Now, many wiki articles and YouTube videos later, I have a rough understanding of his fighting that should be helpful later. I learn so much random stuff when writing.
Next chapter, Adam learns more about the fate of the Yuris.