Hey everyone! Here I am with a brand new chapter for you guys to read and enjoy. I hope you will like it. Also, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update the story, I was incredibly busy with work and I didn't had the energy to write anything but everything is fine now. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say, have a great read guys, bye.

A Shattered Life

Chapter 29: Solace

Ruby and the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, are making their way through the Emerald Forest, heading towards the old ruined settlement where the relics they're looking for are located. The young red warrior was a little upset with the current situation at the moment, her partner was a girl with a mean attitude that can't stop insulting her for just a few minutes. This made the initiation a whole lot boring for her as she wasn't having any fun, not to mention there wasn't a single Grimm creature in sight, maybe they were scared of the white haired girl and her constant whine about everything.

"This sucks in so many levels." Whispered Ruby to herself as she jumped over a fallen tree that was blocking her path. "Why did it had to be her? I would have picked anyone else, like my sister or that strange girl with the long black hair, she at least seemed a good person." She still couldn't believe that her partner for the next four years was Weiss. "After the initiation, I'm going to have a word with the Headmaster to see if he can change her for another person. I don't care who it might be, I just want someone that's actually nice and doesn't insult me every second."

"Hey! I don't know what you are saying there, and I frankly don't care but try to keep it down. We still haven't crossed paths with a Grimm, which is a good thing and I would like it to keep that way if you don't mind." Said the heiress as she walked through a couple of bushes with her weapon at hand. "If I am not mistaken we should turn right and head along that trail over there, it will lead us to the village." She pointed.

"Okay." Ruby nodded. She followed Weiss while paying close attention to her surroundings, she wanted to make sure that nothing would come out from behind the trees or from within the bushes and catch them by surprise. The hard training that she had went through with General Avala and medical officer Sunny taught her a lot of things and it also improved many of her combat skills, one of the most important lessons she learned during a training session was to always stay alert while being behind enemy lines, as no one never knows when the enemy might appear for a sneak attack.

"How long until we reach the village?" Asked Ruby.

"I'm not sure to tell you the truth, perhaps twenty minutes, maybe less." She replied with her usual tone.

Suddenly, a loud noise from within the forest gained the two girls attention. Ruby released Crescent Rose once again and took a fighting stance right next to her partner. Their eyes roamed around the area in search for any signs of Grimm nearby, but none was found. "We should carefully move on, staying here staring at these bushes and trees will get us nowhere." Said Weiss.

"Right, but stay alert nonetheless, there could be Grimm roaming near us and we don't want to be caught off guard." Said Ruby. She then tumbled down a small ridge with Weiss trailing closely. After brushing herself off, Ruby looked up and saw with her silver eyes four Beowolves approaching their position. Their burning red eyes fixed upon the two warriors in front of them, they had been looking for a nice meal for quite a while now, this was the opportunity they were waiting for and they weren't going to waste it.

With a bloodthirsty roar, the Beowolves charged straight at them. The heiress was ready to face these horrible monsters but before she was able to move a muscle, all Beowolves were immediately killed in a flash, leaving her completely astonished by what just happened while rose petals fell everywhere. The remaining body parts of the creatures then dissolved into nothingness. "Wow! That was somewhat amazing." She turned to the young red haired girl. "Interesting. So your Semblance is-"

"Speed." Ruby cut her off. "Anyway, I believe we need to press on, I doubt these were the only Grimm around here." She said with her sweet tone, as she and Weiss resumed their path.

The girls increased their speed as they maneuvered around a few trees and broken branches, they jumped over a fallen tree that almost made Ruby lose her balance fortunately, Weiss managed to prevent her teammate from falling into the dirt. Then, they saw upon the forest floor trees of yesteryear, fallen in storms long forgotten. The seasons have been harsh, stripping away the bark and outer layers, yet rendering them all the more beautiful. They have the appearance of driftwood, twisting in patterns that remind Ruby of seaside waves; even the color of the moss is kelp-like. "I guess we will have to go around."

"Indeed, but at least we are almost to the village." Said the heiress. Then, a drop of water gently tapped her, she looked up at the sky and saw a storm brewing right above her. "Just our luck." The sound of a lightning bursting through the clouds was heard across the entire Emerald forest. "We have to hurry and find some shelter." Sweat was dripping from her forehead.

Soon the sprinkling turned into a torrential downpour. Heavy rain was falling down constantly like an endless bucket of water being poured down from the dark sky. Ruby's boots were sloshing through the thick, slushy mud. The cold water streamed through her hair and raced to her neck, soaking her clothes. "I can see a few tall houses in the distance, that must be the settlement we are searching for." She pointed.

"Finally!" Weiss felt more relieved after hearing that piece of information. "When we get there, lets take cover from the rain in one of those houses." Said Weiss as the rain continued to fall in crazy chaotic drops, the gusting wind carrying them in wild vortices one moment and in diagonal sheets the next. "Why did it had to rain today? I swear it's like everything is stacked against us for some reason." A bolt of white hot lightning broke the blackness, cleaving the darkness in parts, but just for a few quick moments. "There's the main entrance to the village."

The once smooth network of roads that led to Solace was now a network of vines, grasses and roots that had taken hold of every bit they could get. This made the life of the two girls a little hard as it was quite difficult to move through those roads, but they still managed to get inside the settlement. Most doors of the remaining houses were either completely gone or mere remnants of rotten wood and rusty metal. The open doorways looked eerie as only darkness showed within. Many walls and balconies had collapsed. Without proper maintenance and cleaning it was easy for rot and water to do their damage.

Solace, once a peaceful and growing community was now partially reclaimed by nature. The sounds of insects, winds and creaking wood of trees which were once drowned out by the sounds of cars and people had returned as the dominant sound one more time. The train station had collapsed and the tracks were covered in shrubs and fallen branches. Nobody was waiting for the next train anymore, no longer eagerly going to the next destination or waiting for those coming home.

"We can get inside that old mansion and wait for the storm to go away." Said Ruby.

After reaching the structure she placed her hand on the door's handle, she pulled it down but nothing happened. "Dammit!" Ruby didn't have a choice she had to bring it down. With a strong kick the rotten door opened and she and her teammate walked in. "This place is a mess." There were streaks of black across the wall as mold from the damp nights was seeping in. Flaking speckles of paint lined the floor with dust and a few corpses of unfortunate creatures. The disused wooden furniture was rotting; stained with lichen while the curtains were hanging limp and moth-eaten.

"This wasn't the type of shelter I was looking for but it will have to do." Weiss and Ruby walked to the middle of the room in search for a clean space where they could sit. "Ew, there are spider webs everywhere." She used her rapier to clear the path ahead of her. "Be careful where you put your foot the floor seems to be rotten as well."

"I can see that." Replied Ruby. "Hey! Help me move this furniture out of the way it's blocking the entrance to this room, maybe there's something inside that we can use to warm ourselves."

"Alright."

Both girls pushed the broken furniture to the other side, now they were able to enter the room without much trouble. But then something fell from the old piece of furniture, Ruby approached to take a closer look at the object. "Its a bow." She grabbed it.

This charming compound bow has been reliably constructed of exceptional firewood. Its string is made from great quality silk, it's an extremely rare material in this region. The limbs have been decorated with animal horns and end in rounded curves shaped like blades. The handle is wrapped in rare leather and decorated with ominous carvings. "Strange, I've never seen these types of carvings before, maybe they are local." Whispered Ruby.

"My mother used to have a similar bow like that one when she was younger." Said Weiss as she took a seat on the chair next to the ruined bed. "She was quite good with it to tell you the truth, she rarely missed any target."

"That's cool." A smile spread across Ruby's lips.

Then her pocket vibrated, she reached her hand into it and pulled her Scroll out. "A message from Geo." She pressed a few buttons on the holographic screen and opened the message. "Hehe! He always knows what to say when it comes to lifting someone's spirit." Her cheeks turned red as she finished reading.

"Geo? Who's that?" Asked Weiss curiously. "Wait! Was that the handsome guy who was with you yesterday?"

"Yup." Answered Ruby. "He's my boyfriend."

"Ha! I sincerely doubt that. No way a guy like that would find a child as yourself attractive."

"You can say whatever you want, I don't care if you believe me or not." Replied Ruby. She texted Geo back and after that she placed her Scroll inside her pocket. "I hope this awful storm goes away soon, we can't stay here all day." Ruby stared at the rain that continued to fall nonstop.

"Of course, but we can take this time to know each other a lot better." Said a familiar voice.

"Who said that?" Both Ruby and Weiss turned around. "It's you."

Hydrox entered the room. "Hello Silver Eyes, long time no see, or should I say my Queen?" He then looked at the heiress. "Good day to you too miss. Schnee." Hydrox pulled a chair and took a seat. "Now, there are certain things you and I need to discuss, like you and Geo being together is a crime against both of our people, and if I am going to kill you or not."