Chapter 1
Nolan sat on the back of a beowolf, clinging for dear life to its shoulder spikes.
The four-legged embodiment of death – as what his 'people' had called it (a complete lie, by the way. She was way too much of a suck-up to be demonized as a killer.) – barrelled through the Grimm-infested forest with reckless abandon, swerving through trees and jumping over nature's obstacles.
Behind them, hundreds of feet away and gaining, were thousands of Grimm that tore through the trees as if they were made of glass. Their roars, howls, screeches and wines echoed throughout the air, inciting the demerit that only he and the beowolf could see – Intimidation. It was only thanks to the ability he inherited from his 'father' that kept him from releasing the pheromones that the Grimm both loved and despised.
[ The Inherent Ability – [You Don't Scare Me] – has taken effect! Any Demerits that threaten your Resolve have been negated! ]
Nolan turned his head to face the hoard, composed of lesser 'Mobs'.
The Boarbatusks, Beowolves, Ursai, Deathstalkers and Nevermore glared at him while releasing an overwhelming miasma of malice.
Even though his inherent ability was in effect, it did absolutely nothing to stop the following dread from encroaching him.
By the damned brothers, what did he do to deserve this? He didn't do anything wrong! All he did was sneak into a temple in the middle of someplace in Southern Anima, as stealthy as a cat (well, as stealthy as one could be), used the passive skill Good Ol' Switcheroo to grab an artifact from an Alter – something he knew absolutely nothing about, but apparently something his people needed – and left.
He even used a pill he bought from the Store to keep his emotions in check!
And now they're all over him like he was Butch Cassidy? What the shit!
…wait a minute.
The young man immediately clued in to what he just did.
Reaching into his satchel – no, not a man-purse, a satchel – and pulled out an orb the size of a baseball. It was pitch-black, with a surface that could suck up even the radiant light of the sun that shined on it. Several chains were wrapped around it, with a lock and several talismans, and a gemstone reminiscent of an eye in the middle.
A faint aura coated the orb with dark emotions, releasing wisps of a purplish-black into the air.
Are they after this…?
For some reason, it looked beautiful. Its sleek design and non-reflective surface appealed to him, and he didn't know why. It felt like it even calling out to him at this very moment, as if it wanted to stay in his possession.
He also thought that an elegant voice was talking to him, but played it off as a mix of adrenaline and the insanity of the situation playing tricks on him.
'Hey. Move your head to the right.'
Huh?
'Just do it, child.' The voice sounded exhausted as it gave the command, just as a sharp whistle tore through the air.
Nolan didn't notice.
The young man, rebellious as a young teen could be, felt the need to do the exact opposite of the voice's demand. He was about to tell it to shove it, but his 'noble steed' veered to the left.
The orb nearly fell out of Nolan's hand along with his body, but thanks to his grip and another of his skills – Sticky Fingers – he was able to keep his hold on both the orb and the spike. His legs dangled off the side, cheap sandals of straw skidding against the rough terrain.
With his strength, he pulled himself back onto the Beowolf's back. He placed the orb back in his satchel and fastened it tight before releasing a sigh of relief.
Nolan opened his mouth to reprimand the Beowolf for the lack of notice in the sudden change of direction, but the words that were about to come out of his mouth stopped as his throat as several blurs whisked past the back of his head, barely catching him by a hair's length.
Thunk!
The young man whipped his head around, eyes widening as dozens of feathers pierced through trees, stones, and Grimm that tried to intercept the duo alike, littering them with holes and kicking up clouds of dust and dirt. His blood ran cold as a thought ran through his head.
He could have been a pincushion by now – scratch that, swiss cheese – if his noble steed hadn't done what she did. The thought of feathers piercing through his body, filling him with holes and less than a second to comprehend that he died, made him shudder in distraught.
Ping!
[ The demerit – [Fear] – has taken effect! Any rationality you have succumbs to unbearable terror! ]
Ping!
[ The Inherent Skill – [You Don't Scare Me] — ]
Discard!
The screens disappeared with a single thought, a sense of calm and courage draping over him like a blanket. He tightened the grip on the beowolf's bones as she picked up speed.
The creature of darkness swerved out of the way of another volley of feathers, striking more trees and stones. Another volley followed, trailing behind them like Starscourge's arrows. The feathers dug into the earth, kicking up more clouds of dirt and leaving behind small craters comparable to—
'Get down!'
Nolan ducked his head, and just in time as half a dozen feathers flew past, demolishing the base of a massive tree that he didn't notice was in front of them.
"Holy shit!" He screamed as the tree began to fall towards them, uncaring of the newborn Nevermore that lived on its branches. The beowolf veered again once more, moving out of the way.
It slammed onto the ground with tremendous, earth-shattering power, sending shockwaves throughout the forest. Some of the Grimm that chased them flew or fled away before double the numbers took their place in the stampede. Others were crushed. Their cries as they turned into black dust echoed.
This fueled their brethren.
Again, more feathers fell upon them.
Again, his steed dodged.
A massive Nevermore – an Alpha, if he remembered correctly – wait, when did that get there?! – grew closer as the Beowolf was committed to her evasive dance. Jumping, climbing, spinning and cartwheels – all while Nolan struggled to hold on to her.
She even caught some of the feathers, too! She threw them right back, catching some of the abominations that followed the Alpha off guard, piercing their eyes before they fell.
Nolan was surprised that he managed to stay on her back, and was impressed by how much tenacity she showed in trying to keep the both of them alive. He knew since she was his Astral Bond, she would do her job as necessary, but he wouldn't have expected her to try this hard.
He had heard from numerous people from outside and inside of his home when he first arrived that the Creatures of Grimm were mindless beasts that did nothing but kill and destroy and inflict terror on the races of Humanity and the Faunus, repeating the cycle religiously.
If someone from one of the four kingdoms heard that one of them – a Beowolf, of all things – was actually docile and protective when it needed to be, then they probably would have laughed.
He heard one of the people in his hometown say this once.
"The only good Grimm is a dead one."
Thank god she proved that man wrong by catching him several dozen fish.
Stingy old prick.
Nolan still couldn't fault that sentiment, however. According to history, it was generally impossible for a Grimm not to meet their quota of murder and destruction, let alone let one with a soul live in the same place.
However, this Grimm was obviously different. She had been with him through thick and thin since they first met, helping him cope with whatever troubles he had.
Well, his and his family's troubles, but that was besides the point.
Shink!
…oh no…
Nolan's eyes widened once more, along with hers. Their pain-filled howls resonated with each other.
[ Astral Bond – Pippi – has received significant damage! ]
A feather had pierced through one of Pippi's limbs, while another lodged itself into her lower back. Another one of her limbs caught onto a hidden root, tripping her before her face skidded across the ground.
Nolan's shoulder, lower back, and face flared with pain, though there were no wounds on his person.
Due to the Astral Contract, the 'Master' and the Bond share their injuries on a psychological level. Please try and stay out of life-threatening situations to live a longer life.
Fear had struck once again, and his Inherent Ability—
[ The Inherent Ability – [You Don't Scare Me] – has failed due to the severity of your inner turmoil! ]
.
..
…
Are you fucking kidding me?!
Anger, fear, and pain coursed through him as Pippi's face continued to skid for moments upon moments, leaving a trail behind in her wake. She slid, and she slid, smashing through rocks like glass. The sound of her mask cracking worried the young man, who clung hopelessly to her back.
The beowolf then came to a stop, just a few inches away from the opening of the lifeless forest. Nolan catapulted off her back, Sticky Fingers losing their handhold. He flew like a ragdoll through the air, body limp before slamming into a wall of stone, face first.
Nolan's vision blurred from the sudden stop, earning the Concussed demerit, on top of losing more than half of his health. He dropped to the like a fly, holding his face as he bit back a pain-filled scream. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes while blood flowed from his nose, coating his palms in scarlet.
How could this happen? Why was I chosen? WHY DID SHE SEND ME HERE?
He desperately tried not to make a sound and reel in his emotions, but a meteor of monochrome slammed into his body. A pained wail escaped him, followed by blood and the contents of his stomach. He felt something on the side of his chest crack and something inside being punctured. Darkness began to take him as bloody-red orbs of death stared into his soul.
Howls and whines came from his left. Nolan shifted his attention to the form of his companion, who struggled underneath a pile of feral Beowolves. They held her down, beating and clawing at her.
He stretched out a trembling arm as he muttered her name.
"P-pi... Pip.. pi…"
His hand dropped. His vision went black. Everything became cold as his lungs began to fill with blood.
This… isn't fair…
