Spent part of the week in Boston for a short work trip. I am definitely not a city person. Driving around that place made me miss my backwoods home a lot. Was planning to do some writing after I got in the first night for a head start, but after circling my hotel half a dozen times trying to figure out where I could park, I gave up on the idea and didn't start until yesterday.
I also got to read Roman Holiday (finally) while I was away. Writing style felt a little weak at the start (as with the first two RWBY novels), but it got better further in and the storyline and world-building were genuinely enjoyable. Easily my favorite of the three books thus far. Highly recommend if you're looking for more RWBY content.
Traveling through somewhere different had seemed exciting at first. New trails. New towns. New faces. Even if he hadn't been with the caravan long enough to memorize the entire route across Mistral, the trade highway looked about the same no matter where you were - a wide, paved path populated almost entirely by wagons like theirs. At first, the more cramped pathway through the Forest of Hinoki felt refreshingly different.
But after a couple weeks, the thrill was gone.
"Are we there yet?" Adam asked.
"I am not even sure where there is," Soji replied, pausing at the odd-sounding assortment of words. "But I believe we should see a town in the next day or so."
"Why's that?" Had Soji caught some sign of life that he'd missed? Trail markings? A change in the trees? Signs of recent travel on the trail?
"Hopeful optimism," Soji laughed, dashing Adam's hopes of some unknown skill against the never-ending trees around them. "That, and it's been a while since we've stopped anywhere. These old bones could use a rest."
Adam rolled his eyes, seeing as Soji was hardly what anyone would call old. But he did have a point. On their regular route, you'd find a decent-sized town every few days, but they'd been going for almost a week without seeing anyone. With no signs of humanity and nothing but a worn-down trail to guide them deeper into the foreboding trees, Adam doubted he was the only one feeling a little nervous. The longer they were alone, the more it felt like the thick walls of foliage were closing in on them. The nauseating mixture of boredom, anxiety, and dread made him wish for anything to happen, if only to break up the day. Instead, Adam had been forced to ride in relative silence as the oppressing trees seemed to stifle even their conversations.
Thankfully, the evenings were a much different ordeal. With a little practice, Adam could somewhat consistently make his aura manifest for brief moments. Sometimes, his hand glowed. Other times, a bright flash pulsed across his whole body. His control was pretty much non-existent, as Jean constantly reminded him, but he could bring it up just a little easier each time. Jesse promised him that was normal. Control would come later.
Before that, though, his combat lessons picked back up. Attacking. Parrying. Unarmed combat. They'd start as soon as he began struggling with aura training and went until Adam could barely stand. With his newfound aura fueling him, Jean's trainings became more rigorous. More unforgiving. Adam needed to figure out this aura thing, if only to blunt some of Jean's attacks.
Turning his hand into a night light didn't exactly help with that, even if Jesse assured him it was an important first step. Adam kind of wanted to skip ahead to the useful steps, though. Blocking attacks. Increased strength. A Semblance. Things that would actually help in combat. Unless he could intensify his brief flashes into something that could blind an opponent, his current skill set wouldn't help much.
"You have to learn to walk before you can run." Soji's attempts at encouragement tended to fall a little flat for him. Making his hand glow was crawling at best. The Grimm weren't going to wait for him to get control. They were out there now, possibly in numbers unseen in these parts. Enough Grimm to take down two well fortified towns almost simultaneously. So many that they'd flood out in every direction and swallow up everyone nearby.
Which led to an obvious question. "Why haven't we seen any Grimm?"
"Huh?"
"Why haven't we seen any Grimm?" Adam repeated as the question began to eat at him. Since their near-fatal run-in with the Ursai, there hadn't been so much as a flash of red eyes. They'd heard a few howls in the distance one night, but they hadn't come any closer and soon faded into the dark. "If those Ursai were part of the horde that overran the Yuris, shouldn't there be more by now?" Not that Adam wanted to deal with more Grimm right now. If those monsters wanted to avoid them, that was just fine with Adam.
Soji's puzzled look made a sudden appearance. "Hm. You're right. This far out, you'd think we'd have at least a Beowolf or something. Perhaps the Gods are favoring us this trip."
"Or maybe someone else is," Jesse countered as he pulled up alongside them.
"What do you mean?"
Jesse shrugged. "Just a hunch. Map says we aren't far from some town called Tsubaki. Wonder if they've had any Grimm trouble yet?"
Of the few places they'd visited, Jean had always warned them of the fall of the Yuris and possible encroachment of Grimm. Practically all of them had ignored them, though. One guy had even laughed at them. Adam had never heard someone laugh about Grimm like that before. Maybe Huntsmen would, but this was just some old guy in the middle of nowhere! He'd be lucky to last two seconds against a Grimm, let alone an army of them. But that didn't stop him from laughing and muttering something about cowardly city slickers.
Cowardly? They'd braved the forest and braved bandits and Grimm just to reach their village. Cowards would've turned around and left them to fend for themselves, unaware of the danger lurking to the north. They'd see who the coward was when the Grimm came to visit.
Still, they'd done the right thing and they'd continue to do so, even if no one seemed to appreciate it. Hopefully Tsubaki would be more appreciative of the heads up. "You think those Beowolves from the other night were heading there?"
"Definitely possible," Jesse answered. "If you're close enough to hear them, you're close enough to be attacked."
"But we weren't," Adam filled in.
"We weren't, which means the Grimm found something more interesting in the other direction."
"But we're still a day out! Surely the Grimm cannot sense that far." Soji had a point. If Grimm picked up on a town a full day out, then there wouldn't be any Grimm roaming between towns. They'd all be drawn in to the slaughter. Whether it would be the Grimm or the towns that were slaughtered remained to be seen.
"Not if there was a big enough target to draw them in," Jesse offered. Places like Mistral with their huge population would summon every Grimm around, but they had the means to defend themselves as well. Imagining something that large out here was ridiculous. Jesse's alternative didn't exactly inspire confidence. "Or enough negativity."
Like the kind generated from an attack. Single Grimm were dangerous, but not against a defended town. The real danger was the panic a Grimm could cause, even if it didn't kill anyone. That would draw more Grimm, adding to the chaos, especially if there were losses. Even a small Grimm attack had the potential of spiraling into something more cataclysmic.
Along the trade highway, the constant travel would keep the Grimm spread out and draw them in before their numbers could grow too large. Larger towns with skilled guards would sometimes form expeditions to clear out any nearby Grimm, and increased sightings would usually lead to a call for Huntsmen to come sort things out. With the Grimm, preventative measures were often a town's best weapon.
But out here, where few traveled and the towns were so spread out? Grimm could build up in the gaps between until entire packs stumbled upon an unsuspecting town. Adam hadn't seen any fancy defenses like what the Yuris had in any of the settlements they'd visited recently. No thick, stone walls. No automated turrets. They looked about as protected as Shizukana, which mainly survived thanks to the proximity of Katai and the constant flow of caravans bringing security through. These forest settlements had nothing like that.
Which meant there was a very real risk of settlements getting overrun, especially with the recent uptick in Grimm activity that the Yuris would likely bring. "We have to warn them!"
"Hold your horses, Adam," Jesse instructed before Adam could charge off into battle. "We're too far out to do anything right now. Better we get there ready to help than rush there and be too tired to fight if they need us."
"But the Beowolves-"
"Would beat us there even without the head start. Don't think these wagons can outrun a Grimm on the best of days." Not that they were trying. They still moved faster than they would on the highway, taking shorter breaks to maximize distance each day, but they wouldn't be setting any land speed records. Against Grimm who didn't need to pause for food or sleep? "Either they'll deal with the Grimm before we get there, or we're already too late. Running won't change that."
He was right. Of course he was right. But that didn't stop Adam from wanting to charge off and try to help. What if there were more Grimm coming from another direction? If they hurried, they might still make it in time, assuming there was anything left to reach. He knew the odds of that making a difference were slim at best, but that didn't stop him from wanting to be sure.
"I'm sure everything's fine," Soji lied, the doubt having crept in on him, too. "Have a little faith."
"Besides, that'll give you an extra day to master your aura." If Jesse hoped to cheer Adam up, he failed miserably. It did make a nice distraction, though.
"I'll need more than a day," Adam groused. He didn't exactly expect a switch to suddenly flip in his mind overnight. Or was it in his soul? Wherever it was, it seemed more like a dimmer. One set very low at the moment. "I'll need a miracle."
"None of that, now. Mistral wasn't built in a day."
As much as Soji tried, Jesse was definitely better at helping. "We all started somewhere. It just takes time."
"I've had time. Too much time." He should've been making more progress by now, he felt, even if he had no idea what a typical timeline for mastering your soul looked like. How could he defend people if he couldn't defend himself? "We've been trying forever."
"We've been trying for days," Jesse corrected. "Controlling your aura is one of the hardest things to learn, and everyone learns it differently. We just need to find what works for you."
Whatever they were doing sure wasn't it. His attempts that night went worse than usual. Jean said he was pushing too hard - trying to force it. What did that mean? How could you do something without trying? Aura wasn't exactly manifesting itself in his sleep. The only progress he'd made so far was through sheer force of will, not by sitting around and wishing for results. Like Jean always said, if you wanted something, you had to fight for it.
Problem was, he seemed to be losing the fight. Not as badly as the one against Jean that night. Whether it was punishment for being distracted during aura training or just Jean working out his own frustration from the long trip, Adam barely made it to his sleeping bag before passing out.
His dreams provided no comfort. He kept running through the forest, chasing a chorus of growls as he tried to reach the shrill scream of terror that pierced through the dark. Each time, he arrived too late, breaking through the treeline just in time to see vicious claws tear through an innocent, then jolting awake. But every time he went back to sleep, the same nightmare awaited him.
Each time, he tried again. Each time, he failed. And as a result, each time, someone died.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam could practically taste the tension of the caravan as they bounced along their weathered path. Jean drove them on mercilessly, circling the entire procession as he kept a close eye on everyone and urged them on. Jesse rode closer than usual, practically attached to the rear of Soji's wagon to urge him forward.
Not that anyone needed the extra motivation. The whispered worries of dinner carried on into breakfast that morning. A new town always sent a jolt of energy through the group, but usually it was excitement at a new trade opportunity. This time, the hushed conversations barely mentioned profit. Was Tsubaki under attack? Would it still be there when they arrived? Were they running straight into another Yuri? Whether Soji had spread their concern from yesterday or everyone else just noticed the same oddities, it seemed everyone's thoughts were focused solely on what they would find at Tsubaki.
Or whether they'd find anything at all.
"We'll be there soon enough," Soji insisted, more to reassure himself than anyone else. "And when we arrive, we'll see what goods they have for trade."
Everyone had their own coping mechanisms. Soji fell back on business and rambled through his nerves. Adam sharpened his sword until the edge was razor sharp, then tried to work on his aura training in the back of the wagon. Jesse talked to his horse about everything and nothing at once.
Jean just pushed them onward with silent determination.
Until Rikyu finally broke the silence. "Look! Smoke!"
Adam couldn't see where Rikyu was pointing, but it didn't take long to spot the trail of thick, gray smoke between the trees. It was still a ways out, but it filled Adam with both anticipation and dread. They were getting close. It wouldn't be long before they would break the treeline and finally discover the fate of Tsubaki.
"Smoke could mean anything," Soji offered up, likely feeling the same concern as Adam. "Maybe it's trash day. Or a ceremonial offering. Perhaps the townsfolk are simply cold this morning."
Or the town's burnt down. Adam hadn't ever seen a town on fire, but he had to assume there'd be more smoke than that for even a small settlement engulfed in flames. Unless it's been burning for a while. What if they were too late? What if all that was left were the dying embers of a once proud village?
They'd find out soon enough. Sooner, if Jean had his way. "Jesse. Stay with the wagons. I'm going on ahead."
"I can help!" Adam didn't want to wait, and Magnifique could easily handle the extra weight. Besides, no one should charge into something alone like that. He might not be much help in a fight yet, but he'd saved Jesse from an Ursa. Jean might need his help this time.
"No. Stay here."
"But I-"
"I'm just going to have a look. If something's happened, I'll need to get back here as fast as I can." Meaning he didn't need any dead weight. "Stay with Jesse and keep everyone safe until I return."
Jean didn't wait for any argument, spurring Magnifique into a gallop as they tore ahead. The pounding of hooves were swallowed by the forest in moments, leaving them all to stare at the growing pillar of smoke and wonder.
Soji continued thinking aloud as they rumbled ever closer to their destination. "He'll be back soon. You'll see. Everything will be fine."
His words didn't exactly fill Adam with hope, especially with how shakily his voice delivered them. The smoke continued to taunt them, luring them ever closer like some ghostly beacon. Probably a funeral pyre, Alyssa's treacherous voice offered unhelpfully. The few survivors left are burning the dead. Not enough living to bury them at this point.
But that meant someone was still alive, and they might need help.
Adam wished he could make the wagon go faster, but all he could do was sit and tap his foot anxiously as they waited for a sign of life ahead. Jean still hadn't returned, which was worrisome, but the oppressing silence was a good sign. No gunshots. No roars. Nothing to indicate a battle, even as the trees finally opened up to reveal the fate of Tsubaki.
Adam couldn't believe his eyes. Not only was the town perfectly fine, but the sheer size of it was way beyond what any of them expected. Most of the villages they'd encountered weren't much bigger than Shizukana at best, but Tsubaki looked a lot closer to Katai. Thick logs stood upright to form an intimidating barrier between the town and the forest, with sharpened points at the top in a challenge to the rest of the world. Guards watched them carefully from atop their posts above an open gate, beyond which lay a bustling town. People stared out from the gate, watching the newcomers with guarded curiosity, but it was the procession in front of the town that stood out the most.
And in the middle of the armed group stood Jean, who looked strangely calm given the half dozen guns pointed at him.
"Making friends, Jean?" Soji called as the group slowly approached.
"You know me," Jean answered sarcastically before turning to the man beside him. "See? We're traders from up north, just like I said. Feel free to inspect our wagons if you want. Jesse! Come show these fine people what we have in stock." Jesse carefully rode forward, halting suddenly when a pair of rifles turned on him. "Ditch the sword."
"You sure?"
"I think our friends would appreciate it."
One of the men confidently strode forward, pushing the two rifles lower as he passed. "You will surrender your weapons and your wagons for inspection immediately."
As usual, Soji spoke up long before anyone else. "We are simple merchants. Nothing more."
"And once we verify that, you will be welcome to do business in Tsubaki." Their host wouldn't be satisfied with words, it seemed. "You there. Boy." Adam looked around, as if there were someone younger in their group. "What's your name?"
"A-Adam, sir."
"Well then, Adam. You will bring out the weapons and turn them over to my lieutenant." A nod from the leader had one of the riflemen jogging forward. "Guns. Axes. Knives. I want it all out in the open before we begin our search. Understood?"
Adam waited for the lieutenant to reach him, then led him to Jesse, who had already dismounted and unstrapped his sword. A quick thanks was followed by orders to join Jean in what was quickly turning into a prisoner circle. They started with the rear wagon, dismissing Soji before the lieutenant added a pair of rifles to his shoulder.
"There's a sword under the seat," Adam offered, knowing better than to hide something that they'd find anyway.
"Only two guards," the lieutenant pointed out. "Whose is this?"
"Mine."
Adam's escort looked between him and the blade with a snort. "Yours? Kinda big for someone your size."
"I'm still training." And growing. Did he really need to be so condescending while he searched?
"Just the sword?"
"We've got some cooking knives and Jean's bow in the front wagon, but that's it." Nothing else really qualified as a weapon, even if a frying pan could do some damage in a pinch. But Adam had a feeling that wouldn't count.
Once everyone had been cleared and the weapons collected, Adam joined the others as they waited impatiently for the wagons to be searched. Soji began to complain as they removed all the carefully packed goods and set them out on the ground, but a stern hush from Jean shut him up. Adam wasn't sure what they were hoping to find, but he was pretty sure tea and produce weren't illegal here.
The handful of men searched every inch of their caravan, even crawling underneath and testing the axles before finally wrapping up and giving the all clear to their boss. "Put everything back exactly as you found it," came the order before their captor finally waved off their guards and addressed them. "It seems everything is in order. Welcome to Tsubaki."
"Some welcome," Adam summarized for the group.
"My apologies, but what were we to think when a heavily armed man came bursting through the trees with his weapon drawn?"
"That we were here to help?" Soji tried.
"Help with what, exactly? Tsubaki has never needed help before, and we certainly don't now." He held a hand out to the town beside them. "My job is to protect the people within these walls. You'll forgive me if I don't take that responsibility lightly."
"Wouldn't want them falling prey to a bunch of dangerous tea merchants."
"That's enough Adam," Jean demanded before he could offend their host further.
Far from being offended, the man simply laughed. "No offense taken. I can respect a man who speaks his mind. Wouldn't be the first time bandits have tried the old innocent merchant routine." Easily picking out the leadership in the group, the man gestured for Jean to walk with him toward the gate with the rest of them following closely behind. "Tell me then. What brings you northerners to the Forest of Hinoki? We don't get many visitors beyond the other villages."
Soji might've tried to play politics, but Jean decided to just rip the bandage off and cut straight to the point. "I wish we had better news, but the Yuris have fallen to the Grimm. We have business beyond and thought it might be safer going around."
Most of the villages they alerted seemed at least surprised at the news. The people out here might not interact with the major cities much, but they knew the land enough to hear of the Yuris, even if they didn't always know them by the shorthand name. Their new host, however, didn't look at all shocked. "So I heard. Such sad news. I understand there are a lot of people still unaccounted for."
At this point, that meant dead. If the survivors hadn't reached safety by now, they likely never would.
"You know about the Yuris?" Soji interrupted, unable to rein in his curiosity for long.
"With how many Huntsmen have been through here in the last two weeks, I'd be hard pressed not to know."
"Huntsmen?" That certainly got Adam's attention.
"They mostly moved on once they realized there was no glory to be had here." His dismissive tone showed just what he thought of the offered help.
"Some of the Grimm from the attack could push south into the forest. It could be dangerous," Jean reasoned, much as he had at the villages before.
And just like those prior warnings, this one fell on deaf ears. "The Grimm have always been a danger. There's not a man or woman in Tsubaki that hasn't seen the Grimm before. But they will fall against our walls as ever."
"There were enough to level two whole cities. If they come here-"
"I appreciate your concern, northerner, but we can take care of ourselves." The lieutenant from earlier ran up and delivered a quick report just out of earshot. "Thank you. Your wagons are being brought inside the walls. I'll have your weapons brought to you as well, though I'll ask you to refrain from using them inside the walls without cause."
Their guide led them deeper into the town, marching them past curious onlookers until they reached the town square. The slightly raised area gave them a commanding view of the rooftops in every direction. It didn't take long to spot the large chimney belching out the smoke from earlier - the blacksmith's forge working on more weapons, they were told. Apparently, everyone in Tsubaki was expected to be armed. Their school even taught basic weapon maintenance and use, meaning the entire town was basically a militia. A necessary precaution in a land surrounded by bandits and Grimm.
While their captor turned tour guide pointed out various highlights of the town, two men joined them with a small pile of weapons and began handing them over, mostly to Jean. Adam reached for his sword, only for it to be snatched away.
"I see your young are trained in the blade as well." He twirled the sword experimentally, then spun it around to angle the grip to Adam. "A fine sword, but if you don't mind me saying, a little big for you still."
Adam rolled his eyes as he added yet another person to the list of commenters on his mismatched weapon. Thankfully, Jean came to his rescue. "It's a training sword. We were hoping to find something better in Oniyuri, but…well…"
"Perhaps our smith can help with that while you're here, then. He can forge almost anything. I'm sure he can-"
A loud bell rang from the building to their left, interrupting their conversation as shouts began to ring out from all around Tsubaki. "What's wrong?" Jean asked as several men rushed by.
"Another Grimm attack," came the answer in a far more bored tone than those words deserved. "I must see to the wall. Wait here. I'll come back once we handle things."
"We're coming with you," Jean announced, waving for Jesse and Adam to follow.
Adam half-expected another denial, but the three of them were allowed to follow through the twisting streets of Tsubaki until they reached the sturdy wall and were ushered up a ladder to a walkway lining the inside of the wall. Men and women, some not much older than Adam, lined the wall with an assortment of weapons. Most pointed rifles outward while some stood by with pistols, axes, swords, and other shorter-ranged weapons. Some of the teens fidgeted nervously, but almost everyone else looked almost bored, as if a Grimm attack was nothing more than an inconvenience for them.
No one spoke except for the lieutenant from earlier, who advised their escort of the situation and finally provided a name. "Captain Zoster. Looks like Manticores again." Adam gulped as the word summoned an image straight from his nightmares. "Scouts spotted a small pride coming from the east."
"His work, I assume?"
The lieutenant nodded, a look of frustration crossing his face. "He's using Iverson today."
"And Cammie?"
"I had her brought inside the walls as soon as the scouts reported in."
"Good. When this is over, tell our guest I'd like to speak with him. Again."
"Yes sir." With a final salute, the lieutenant hastened away, sliding down the ladder and running along a path below to skirt the edge of the town.
"What was that all about?" Adam asked.
"Nothing to worry about. Just a constant thorn in my side." Captain Zoster scanned the open area before the wall, then pointed at a lone figure standing halfway between the wall and the forest. "Today's volunteer. Look alive, everyone! We'll have company soon."
"What's he doing down there?" Jean asked, giving voice to Adam's concern as well. "Shouldn't he be inside?"
Captain Zoster didn't bother to answer, though his growl felt directed at someone other than them. Adam waited with bated breath alongside the rest of Tsubaki, wondering how everyone could be so calm about one of their own being left to fend for himself. Were they that confident that a bunch of civilians with rifles could take down a group of Grimm? Iverson, as the lieutenant called him, looked terrified and ready to bolt, but he stayed where he was, waiting for whatever horrors were coming his way.
He didn't have to wait long.
A terrifying figure broke from the treeline, zeroing in on Iverson in an instant as it rose into the air on massive wings. The creature's gargantuan lion head roared in triumph as it beat its wings twice, then dove for its target, paying no attention to the assembled audience. The oppressing silence as they all waited for the man to be devoured made something painfully obvious to Adam.
No one had fired a shot.
"Help him!" Adam yelled, grabbing the person closest to him and shaking them. He tore his arm free easily but didn't move otherwise. How could they not care? How could they be so cold? "He's going to die!"
The only person in Tsubaki who seemed to care was Iverson, who broke into a run for the walls, screaming in terror as he desperately tried to outrun the monster behind him. He'd never make it in time. It wouldn't even be close. Already, the Manticore had nearly reached him. Adam couldn't bear to watch, but he couldn't tear his eyes away either.
Something flashed through the air directly into the Manticores side, knocking it off course so that it slammed into the ground a few feet to Iverson's left and tearing up the dirt as it skidded to a stop.
"Cutting it a little close, Blaine," Captain Zoster practically spat.
"Blaine?" Adam watched as a man seemed to appear on top of the downed Manticore, tearing a large, curved knife from its side before plunging it directly into the monster's face and twisting. He danced to the side just in time to miss a thrust from the Manticore's tail, narrowly avoiding the vicious stinger on the end as he spun and used a second knife to slice through the limb. He pulled hard, tearing the first blade free thanks to a long wire connecting the two.
A second Manticore dove from the trees and flew past him, chasing after Iverson. "Look out!" Adam didn't realize he'd yelled at first, but considering how little anyone seemed to care about what was happening below, he should've known. Blaine twirled his knife on the end of the wire and launched it through the air as the Manticore shot by, but he led his opponent too much and missed completely, leaving Iverson vulnerable as two more Manticores broke the treeline and the roars of more could be heard approaching.
Adam watched in horror as Iverson stumbled, turning in time to see his approaching doom. But death never came, as Blaine shot in front of the flying Manticore like a blond missile, seemingly floating in mid-air before twirling and digging his blade into the Manticore's forehead. Their opposing momentums let him ride it from head to tail, tearing a deep cut through the beast.
"Showoff," Captain Zoster grunted, even as people began to file down the ladder. "Tell that idiot I'll be in my office when he's done."
A few of the riflemen stayed behind, but as the fight continued, more and more people grew bored and left, uncaring for the plight of either Blaine or Iverson. Adam couldn't imagine missing the show. Blaine barely hit the ground before he threw a dagger in the air, then somehow leapt up to meet it faster than Adam could track. The Manticores still ignored him, focused solely on Iverson as he finally reached the walls and was pulled inside. Blaine's dagger sliced through the air, burying itself in the closest Manticore's neck and pulling it off-balance as he swung underneath, holding onto his second dagger and proving just how strong the wire was. He crashed into the side of the next Manticore, carving it up in seconds.
With Iverson finally out of the picture, the remaining Manticores focused on the Huntsman before them as the rest of the pride flew from the Forest of Hinoki. And Blaine had to be a Huntsman. The way he flew through the Manticores, slicing them to pieces as he seemed to zip from creature to creature wasn't something a normal person could do. Within minutes, the land between Tsubaki and the forest was littered with Grimm corpses. Blaine yanked his weapons free of the final Grimm, then turned and sauntered his way back to town.
Adam raced to the gate, eager to meet a real, live Huntsman. Especially after watching him dispatch the Grimm so easily. He jostled his way past people, earning a few angry shouts from the same people who couldn't bother to even watch Blaine save them from the Manticores or care about Iverson nearly dying.
None of that mattered as much as meeting this new Huntsman. Not only was it a chance to get to know someone incredible, but maybe he could give Adam some tips on aura training. Or new insights on fighting. He had to know about weapon design. Would he help Adam pick out a new sword? A million thoughts raced through his head as fast as his legs carried him to the gate.
Tsubaki had a Huntsman, and Adam was going to learn everything he could from him.
Shorter chapter, but only because it would've ballooned into an absolute monster if I had gone any further. Instead, we'll get another chapter or two of stuff at Tsubaki, a lot of which was teased in this chapter if you look for it. Considering I made this place up and most of the people in it yesterday, I'm excited to flesh it out some more.
Decided to finally follow tradition with a Mistral town and use a Japanese flower name. Tsubaki is the Japanese name for the Camellia flower, which will come into play more next week. Zoster, on the other hand, references the Zosteros Japonicus, or warbling white-eye bird, which commonly pollinates the plant in place of insects. It also refers to diseases like herpes and shingles, which makes me think I might have to reuse the name in another story for a villain with a boil-causing Semblance or something.
I won't go into too much about what's in this chapter, since that might spoil next week, but feel free to guess at some details. It's always fun to come up with new places and characters, and this one really clicked into place for me.
Next chapter: Adam meets Blaine and learns more about Tsubaki.