You're surprised that you even remember his face after so long. You thought him to be a joke, let him go cause he was nothing. Yet here he is, Vani-La, sitting across from you. He's slightly different. His features have aged minorly, his messy, short ginger hair has grown a little bit so it droops halfway down his ears while parted to not obscure his face. His eyes, however, are yellow. You remember them being blue last time, but that may have just been a mistake on your part. He's wearing a simple set of clothes, just a long sleeve white shirt with bright gray pants. You do notice holsters for weapons, two pistols, but he hasn't reached for them yet. So, at least he's not aiming to try and kill you.
"I wasn't expecting to see you again, Vani. Still robbing?"
"I- no!" He says with great offense. "I wasn't, I mean, I was, but it was for…" He looks between you and Neo, the latter not knowing who the man is. "That's not the point, kid! You ruined the whole operation!"
"That's what I intended to do, so," you shrug. "Seems like a win for me."
"You don't understand! Those supplies were…" Vani stops for a moment. "Wait… You… (Y/N) Slater…"
You raise your brow at the pondering Vani. "What?"
"You're going to Mistral, right?" He looks back at you, to which you silently respond with a nod. "I think… you should come with me."
"Why would I do that?" You cross your arms. "I have my own goals."
"And I'm sure we can help with that."
"We?" You repeat.
"I know this sounds strange, but I think you should meet my family."
Neo snickers to herself, resting back as the carriage starts moving.
"We're on our way to Mistral! We'll be making a stop halfway!" The driver shouts.
"Why would I want to meet your family? Did you hit your head recently?" You tap your head as a gesture.
"No," he denies. "But… look, my name is Vani-La Tawny."
"I know. You said it…" Your voice cuts out when a puzzle piece clicks into place. A flash of your mother's grave appears in your brain. "Clementine… Tawny…" You say aloud.
Neo, having heard that name before, looks over at you. Two Tawnys, Clementine being your mom… she connects the dots instantly. Through some means, this man sitting across from you is your family.
You suddenly get out of your seat and rush the man, grabbing his collar and pushing against the seat.
"What're you trying to do?" Your voice is aggressive and agitated. "My mother… tsk," you look away, your grip loosening. "My mother… I never even thought about her family… where were you all…"
You let Vani go and plop back in your seat. Vani brushes off his clothes and exhales. "I didn't know about you either, (Y/N). When I told my father about you, he mentioned your relation. My father is your mother's brother," Vani clarifies.
"So we're cousins, huh?" You snicker. "A new… family…"
The thought of that both warms your heart yet sends shivers down your spine. Once again, something has been presented to you. A family, a place to potentially belong. That was what you had with your parents, what Beacon promised you years later. Now… after that second loss… it's presented to you once more. It's almost like the world is just teasing you at this point… but at the same time, you feel like this could be something good.
"Heh… hehehe," you chuckle. "You're not lying to me, right Vani? If you are… I might just kill ya."
A sweat drops down Vani's brow. "I-uh, it's what my father told me… so… look," Vani shakes his head. "Just talk with him. I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms!"
"Yeah… do you think they'd know…" You bring your hand to your chin. "Did they know Harrier?"
Vani's eyes slightly widen for a moment. "I… I've heard that name before," he nods. "He's someone I was told to avoid fighting."
"That's about right," you snicker. "Well, I'm trying to figure out how he improved his Semblance."
"Improved his Semblance?" Vani repeats. "Don't you just… practice?"
"Yeah… but he went from basic regeneration to practical immortality," you look out the carriage window and sigh. "There's no way that just happens. So I, well, we," you gesture to yourself and Neo. "Are investigating it."
"Well… my father may know… or someone. We're quite knowledgeable. We work with… Huntsmen and Huntresses, gathering information and eliminating anyone who threatens Remnant. If Harrier is one of those threats, we'll know about him."
"Heh," you smile. "Guess I've gotten lucky. Eh, Neo?"
Neo nods, hands resting on her umbrella just in case. It'd be so easy to just slice his throat or cut open his belly. But if he's a new ally Neo can't quite do anything to him. She's had her fill of battle, and that training she participated in even tired her out. It's been a long time since anything has pushed her that far. Just knowing that you've been doing that for months now gives her a whole new respect for you. It also shows how hard you're pushing to become stronger and kill the people responsible for Beacon. If she keeps up with you, training as hard as you have, she can only imagine how strong she can become. Strong enough to crush Cinder beneath her boot. Still… Neo's going to be on guard as she expects you to be. You don't know this person, know these people that you're being lead to. Even if they can help you, it's best to stay on guard. Neo will make sure that your back is never open, and anyone who tries to hurt you will feel her rage.
"So why were you all the way out here?" You ask, part curiosity, part a method to pass the time.
"I…" Vani clears his throat. "I met with an important contact for a future mission." He notices your intrigue in his mentioned mission. "Sorry, I can't say anything about it. Maybe if the family trusts you we can talk about it."
"I told you about my goals," you lean forward, putting more pressure on your potential ally.
"I know," Vani nods. "But this is more than just me. I'm sorry."
"Alright," you lean back. "I get it. I wonder, though… are you not telling me or have you not been told?"
Vani stares at you for a few moments, contemplating your question, then looks away. "That's not important."
"I'd say the truth is pretty important, Vani-La," you lean back in your seat. "But there's no point in causing tension. We have a long trip in this wagon."
"Can't you teleport or something? Why are you even taking a wagon," Vani remarks, remembering the Vytal Festival matches he watched.
"Yeah, but… I got some advice to take my time. Besides," you look out the window. "There are people who need help. I can't help them if I just poof past them. Plus, it helps keep me on my toes and lets me train more."
"Train, huh?"
"Yeah," you snicker. "I've been doing it a lot lately. You know, when I was a kid I lost my family… as you probably know."
"I know of Clementine's passing," Vani nods.
"Yeah, anyway, I traveled around a lot and trained with a bunch of different people. Now… it's sort of like that again. I'm training myself this time around, but… heh," you look down to your feet and smile. "It's almost… repetition."
"What do you mean?" Vani leans forward.
Neo, too, pays more attention to your words now.
"I…" You shake your head. "It's nothing, don't worry," you look at Vani with a smile. "I'm just… kinda excited. I get to meet a family I didn't even know existed. I mean, she's great," you grab Neo and pull her close, getting some of her hair in your face. Her face squinches up, something only Vani can see, as she playfully tries to push you off. "But this is different," you let the girl go. "Well… I guess not totally. Meeting a new family… I suppose I'm more open to the idea now than I was before."
Vani remains silent, looking at his thighs in thought. You do the same, except to the outside world. All things considered, you're expecting a fairly silent ride…
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You're awoken by the feeling of Neo's smaller hands shaking your shoulder. It's not often that you get to take a nap during the day. Not like there was much else to do in a carriage. But it goes to show how safe you feel with Neo around that you're willing to sleep when bandits or Grimm could attack. It's also surprising given the anticipation of meeting the other side of the family. You almost want to just teleport right to Mistral and introduce yourself, but… you're still keeping with the mindset of making your way there naturally.
You notice that Vani has already exited the carriage and is stretching outside. You and Neo exit through the same side, stopping beside your relative. You're at a small village – spread out houses, a few shops, and what seems to be guard posts at the front and back. The carriage, now that you're out, heads to a stable near the side of town. The sun is still in the air, but its bright shine has dimmed to an orange glow.
"We've stopped for the night?" You speak.
Vani finishes stretching his back and looks to you. "Yes. He said the hotel's past those homes," he points to the north end of the town. "Apparently, it's beside the local library."
"A library?" You repeat. "I haven't found one over my travels. That's neat," you cross your arms. "Neo, want to visit it?"
Neo shrugs, as she always does. Generally, she just follows you around unless you specifically request to be on your own.
"What about you, Vani?"
Vani huffs. "I suppose… I don't see any reason to visit the other stores and I'd prefer not to sit in the hotel room till morning."
You start walking before him, Neo instantly following. "Well, come on. We might find something to read."
Vani crosses his arms and follows, showing a far more introverted body language than yours. Your sudden, almost concerning happiness has shifted your body from one that's heavy, one who feels chained with every step, so one who feels like they're walking on clouds and could fly away at any point.
You make your way through the small town, passing by some of the inhabitants who're going about their day. Farming, gardening, even some moving large amounts of wood from one place to another. It's clear there's a system here that works for them, gets them through the difficult times after Beacon went down. Sure, they aren't on that continent but the ripples of that event have spread all across Remnant. Luckily, your mark is flaring up from just being in the area. In fact… despite everything, there's a sort of happy feeling emanating in this town. As you walk, even Vani's posture and walking lighten up. He even recognizes this change and stops for a moment. He squints, thinking on everything around him and the sudden rush of a different emotion. He smirks, wondering if his assumption is correct and, if so, will he meet the cause.
You three approach the library, a fairly wide stone building with a carved wooden sign that seems to have been repainted recently. You can faintly smell fresh paint as you examine it.
"Certainly looks like the largest building here," Vani remarks.
"People like reading," you reply, looking around to the walls. "I had a nice collection of books before."
Neo notes how you don't seem to fall into a negative mood despite the reason for your collection being gone. The thought of Beacon doesn't even bring her mood down either. It's a pleasant yet suspicious outcome for her.
You shrug and walk towards the door, pushing them both open for your two companions. "Well, no point sitting out there," you spin around, smile at them, then turn forward again. "Let's look for something."
Your demeanor makes Neo even more suspicious of what's going on. You clearly haven't noticed, likely caught in the high, but Neo, being the ever-observant one, keeps this in mind. Has finding the hint of a family really brought so much joy to you? It's hard for her to say. It's not like she dislikes seeing you so happy. It reminds her of you before Beacon happened. But such a sudden shift in personality isn't normal. She's worried something might be influencing you. But that's all just speculation on her part.
The two follow you into the library, taking in the dozens of rows that are homes to all sorts of books. The entire back section is those rows, while the front half is tables and desk for reading, plus the Librarians desk. A woman, younger than your typical Librarian, sits at the desk. Her brown hair is tied up so her vision isn't impaired and she's wearing fairly casual clothes considering her role. There's a stack of books beside her as well as a bottle of water to the right. Her desk is cluttered with a computer, pencils, and loose bits of paper. She's so busy that she doesn't even notice your trio enter. Yet, for some reason, she's smiling away in such a carefree manner.
"Think anyone else is here?" You look back at your companions.
"Perhaps," Vani shrugs. "Why don't we look around for something interesting?"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" You lightly jog away to find something interesting to read up on.
There's nothing specific you're looking for. It'd just be nice to find a distraction besides training. As you walk past the various rows, you spot someone else looking through the wooden shelves. For some reason, your curiosity gets the better of you and you walk into the aisle.
The man stands slightly taller than you with light brown skin and black hair, which is cut shorter and the sides and fuller on top. He looks over at you as you approach, showing his dark green eyes and well-defined jawline. He's quite lean in comparison to you, though. He's wearing a very sleek black jacket, it's material very thin and soft, with golden designs along the shoulders, stemming from the back. The shirt underneath, a green one that seems almost skin-tight, is accompanied by a necklace hanging from his neck. It's a golden necklace with a red jewel as the focal point. Besides that, his pants are a dark silver-gray hybrid that brings a little more colour to the ensemble, as his shoes are a matching black with his jacket. You do notice some sort of bracer around his wrist, underneath the sleeves. From just a glance, you also notice the faint dark circles under his eyes.
"Oh, good afternoon," the young man smiles, showing off his bright white teeth. "Looking for something specific? That's my goal," he turns back to the books. "Always reading up on what I can. But I suppose I'm researching something this time… sorry, I haven't let you speak," he chuckles. "Trying to stay active. A little more tired than a normally am but, hey, gotta put a smile on!"
You snicker at his enthusiasm. "I get it. I'm just here for something to read for the night. Just a quick stop."
"On the way somewhere?"
"Mistral, yeah," you nod, standing beside him as you wait for something to catch your eye.
"I just came from there. Wanted to visit someone but they weren't around."
"Slater!" Vani calls out as he comes around the corner. "They have a…" Vani pauses when he sees the other man. "Osiris?"
"Vani-La!" Osiris jogs towards him and embraces Vani. "How're you?"
"I'm doing well," Vani hugs him back. "How're you? What're you doing here?"
You approach them, becoming part of the conversation once more.
"I was wandering like I always do… and looking into some Grimm. There's a new type I've heard of and I want to examine their environment."
"New Grimm?" You repeat. "What kind?"
"I heard there are several underground mazes across all the continents with a powerful species of Grimm inside."
This description immediately procs the thought of your "Grimmataur" encounter quite some time ago.
"The mazes are supposed to be very old and I wanted to find one."
"I know where one is," you speak, getting both men's attention.
"Really?" Osiris smiles. "Where?"
"Um…" You place a hand on your chin. "South-East of Beacon. It's a…" You clear your throat. "It's a destroyed village. Should have a big hole that'll lead to the maze."
"Are telling me you fought one of these Grimm?" Osiris inquires.
"Yeah," you nod. "So you won't have to worry about anything attacking you. At least, not that."
"Interesting… and Slater…" Osiris chuckles. "I shouldn't have expected anything less from you. You showed amazing skill during the Vytal Festival."
"Oh," you look away for a moment, yet sorrow or anger don't even come to mind. "Thanks."
"Well," Osiris lifts his hand to look at the book. "Guess I won't be needing this. Thank you for the information…"
"(Y/N). (Y/N) Slater."
Osiris offers his hand, which you accept. "Osiris Nucifera. Vani," he shifts his focus. "I hope to see you soon. Good luck with whatever you're doing."
"You too, old friend. Visit me when you're done."
"I shall," Osiris smiles. "It was nice meeting you both. Would you mind putting this away for me?" He hands Vani the book, which he accepts.
"Of course."
"Then I'll be off," Osiris waves before heading towards the door.
Vani jogs towards Osiris, stopping him and whispers something to him.
"Oh, I didn't realize," Osiris closes his eyes and exhales. "Thank you, Vani. I clearly still have to work on it."
"No worries," Vani pats his shoulder and walks away. "Stay safe, Osiris," Vani immediately walks down the aisle and places the book in a slot he believes it belongs.
He notices you curiously staring, waiting for an explanation. He also notices the glow you had has slowly dissipated. He's curious how your demeanor will change over time.
"I don't see how that's your business, Slater."
"He's obviously your friend."
"Obviously," Vani nods. "So let us leave it at that."
"You're pretty defensive now," you cross your arms and frown. "Why?"
He huffs. "Nothing. He's just a friend I met some time ago. I don't ask about all your friends, do I?"
"No, I suppose not," you turn away. "Alright, I'll keep…" You pause, an idea coming to mind. "I… have someone to talk to. You do whatever. I'll meet you later," you say before walking towards the Librarian.
Vani exhales, sliding his hands into his pockets. It's been a long time since he's seen any of his close friends. To his knowledge, the other two are still in Mistral. He'll have to make time to visit them.
You approach the desk, noticing the Librarian has become more annoyed at the work she's doing.
"So many stupid books. Why do people keep taking them?" She slides an entire stack over. "Just read them here. We're a small town!" She rambles.
"Hey-"
"Did you!" The girl looks up, holding her tongue when she takes you in. "Oh, sorry," she shakes her head. "How can I help you? Are you looking for something in particular? I normally wouldn't ask that but you're not from around here, so…" She trails off.
"You guessed that?"
"Mhm," she nods. "I'm born and raised here. I'd know if someone like you started living here."
"Someone like me?" You close your eyes and snicker. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing offensive, sir," she waves a hand before her. "You're just very…" She thinks of the word for a moment. "Distinct. Especially for this town. Kinda reminds me of the stories I'd…" She shakes her head. "I think I'm going stir crazy. Since everyone knows this library they rarely speak to me. Grandpa isn't the most talkative either so… ah, I'm sorry," her face flushes from embarrassment.
"It's no problem," you shrug. "Anyway, I was wondering if you had books about Semblances."
"Semblances, huh?" She turns to the computer and starts typing away. "I know we have some old academy books about it…"
"No," you quickly intervene. "I'm not looking for basic information. I know all that."
She rests her hands, returning her eyes to you. "I sorta figured… can you be any more specific?"
You cross your arms and look around the room with both your eyes and Semblance perception. Nobody but Neo, who's just waiting in the corner for you, is here.
"I'm trying to learn about enhancing someone's Semblance. If this place has been around this long, someone might have shown up over a decade ago looking for the same thing."
"Semblance enhancement…" She clicks her tongue a few times as she thinks on your request. "You know… my grandfather talked about that a lot. Rambled, more like, but I definitely remember it. Look," she sets her hands on one another. "I'll ask him about it when I go home. Are you staying in town tonight?" You respond with a silent nod. "Then meet me back here after dark. Around ten, okay? I should have something for you."
"You're going out of your way…"
She chuckles, acknowledging that this is out of the ordinary for her. "Yes… but you have a certain something in your eye… and I feel like you need this for a reason. I saw the entire Vytal Festival Tournament…" You look away, knowing what's coming. "Even your fight with that robot girl. (Y/N) Slater…" She leans in her chair and exhales. "My grandfather mentioned a Slater before," this gets your attention as shown by your widened eyes. "So… maybe I just wanna help," she ends with a genuine smile. "I'll meet you back here, okay?"
"Right," you nod. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet."
You turn away and head for the door. "Come on, Neo, we're getting our room."
You and Neo leave the building, spotting Vani waiting a decent distance outside.
"Wanna train again tonight after I talk with her again?"
Neo responds with a determined smile.
"Great. Hey, Vani!" You slip your hands in your pockets and approach him. "So what's our plan for lodgings?"
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You secure your blade on your belt and fix your pants. "Well, that was fun. I'll get you next time," you look over to Neo who's sitting on the edge of the bed. The blankets are all over the place along with misplaced pillows. She smugly shrugs, quite proud of herself. "I'll be back. We'll set up our training when I return."
Neo nods in agreement and watches you as you leave.
Once outside your room, you spot Vani leaning against the wall outside his room. He spots you coming out and shows surprise.
"I'm surprised you were leaving, considering how much fun you sounded like you were having."
"I have something to do," you reply, turning away from him. "Try not to stay up too late."
"Right," he pushes off the wall and heads to his door. "Have fun."
You decide not to waste any time and leapto the library. Your sudden arrival makes the woman, who's approaching, jump.
"Jeez," she places a hand on her rapidly beating heart. "Don't scare me like that."
"Oh, my bad," you slide a hand into your pocket. "I thought you knew I could do this."
"I did but… still scary," she huffs. "Anyway," she raises her hand with a book in it. "I have the book."
"What's it called?" You ask as you approach.
"I don't know," she says as you grab it.
Upon quick examination, you can tell the book is extremely old and worn. So much so that the cover is practically non-existent, so it's title is lost to history. You open the book to a random page, but a voice distracts you before you can read.
"Book! Stole my book! Cannot read the book. Book leads to death!"
You and the woman look back at a frail old man, his few strands of hair barely hanging on. His clothes are loose and dirty despite looking fairly new otherwise. He stops a short distance away and stares at you, his eyes shaking. He lifts his finger and points.
"Y-Y-You're just like him! Eyes wanting power! Power to kill!"
You look at the woman confused, but inside you have an idea of what he's going on about. She mentioned that he has met a Slater before. Considering you're on Harrier's trail, this nearly confirms that you're following in his footsteps, for better or worse.
"Slater, Slater, Slater," he repeats over and over and over.
"Grandpa, calm down!" She runs to his side, holding the elder close. "It's okay."
"She will lead you there," he stares into your eyes. "She wants you there. The village, like him, you go. Your eyes know where to go. Your name leads you to power," he flails his hand toward you. "Your blood tainted me!"
"Grandpa! I'm so sorry," she says to you while keeping her attention on her relative. "I'll trust that book to you… but be careful. My father told me that grandpa was never the same after he met Slater. I don't know what happened… but I want to be done with all this," she shakes her head, her eyes welling up. "I hope it helps you."
"Yeah… I'm sorry for putting your grandfather through this. I didn't-"
"I didn't either…" She whispers before guiding her rambling grandfather back towards their home.
You look down at the book with a lost stare.
What the hell did you find, Harrier?
Deciding not to just stand around in the dark, you slowly saunter towards the location you'll meet Neo. You decide to open up the book, despite the only light being of the broken moon. You open the first page and notice the style is less like a piece of literature or a teaching tool. It almost reminds you of research notes. Considering how big the book is – though it's so thin that a journal might be a more proper label – you're expecting it to be a little less professional.
"It's been said that there was a time where Aura and Semblances didn't exist. That we, as a species, used something else to empower ourselves. The potential of rediscovering whatever that is may lead to a grand advancement to all Huntsmen and Huntresses and potentially giving humanity an overwhelming edge over the Grimm. I hope that, through my adventures and notes, I'll discover more about our power and the lost past of humanity. And if I can't, someone else will follow. I, Sable… Slater?" You exclaim, stopping in place. "That… can't be a coincidence… was there another family… no," you shake your head. "Sable Slater… if Harrier was to follow anything, following the notes of a relative would make the most sense," you flip the book back and forth, examining the torn, soot-covered book. "How old is this thing..?"
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You can't get the information out of your head. While you and Neo rigorously trained, while you laid on your bed unable to sleep, and even now whilst you're sitting in the carriage, your nose is in the book. You've read about Sable Slater's journey across Remnant before the Great War. Granted, that's an inference on your part. He's mentioned the tensions between Kingdoms yet no indications of the actual war. So that's at least eighty years ago, possibly more. Without any detailed dates it's impossible to tell. Still, he mentions the major cities without actually naming them so it's still up for debate.
Both Neo and Vani note your overall silence and intrigue in the book. Without a label, neither can decipher what's so you so interested. Finally, after a few hours of riding, Vani speaks up.
"You took a book from the library?" There's a long pause, mostly because you don't even realize you're being spoken to. "Slater," he sternly speaks.
"What?" You look up at him. "What's up?"
"What're you reading?"
"Oh, uh…" You immediately decide that sharing your grand plan with more people than Neo may be complicated. But he is your potential family and you don't want to hide everything. So, you answer with a half-truth. "Just a way to get better."
"Ah… I didn't expect you to turn to books."
"Me neither," you honestly answer, quickly returning your attention to the page you were on.
At the moment you're following Sable's adventure through the desert, so Vacuo territory, as he mentioned a curious old woman who's encouraged his journey – providing food, water, and a sort of base of operations for his time in that area. His recorded thoughts make it seem like he'll be traveling far east. That translates to Mistral's territory. Considering you're already halfway through the book, it's probable that he finds something. Sure, you could skip to the end and just figure it out but it's an interesting read while riding. It's also interesting to read about your ancestor if that really is the case. You're encountering a surprising amount of family within the year. More than you did before Beacon, at least.
Neo doesn't bother trying to peep at the contents of your book, despite being interested in what's captured your attention. Even while training, you seemed so out of it… yet you did so well. To her surprise, you dodged three bolts of lightning without a Semblance. Neo, at that time, only dodged one. She's far nimbler than you, but this training has shown that she has more to go. She never really thought that before. Sure, there are people who she'd prefer to avoid. If you were still an enemy, and she had the intel she has now, she'd probably try to avoid you too. She has no doubt you're above the average Huntsman, like her. Though, from morbid curiosity, she wonders how you'd fare against some of the people on her list. If this training of yours really increases your abilities exponentially you may become the most dangerous person she's met. Only a few people come to mind that could rival you. Then again, much of your status is given to your Semblance. To her, you have one of the most lethal Semblances she knows. If your movement and reaction speed really was improved, you may be able to cut down almost anyone before their Aura is even activated. You really have been blessed beyond belief.
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Hours Later…
With the book taking up all your time, plus a small nap, your carriage approaches the outskirts of Mistral. The massive mountains with buildings from the base to its top wrap around the natural layout. The mist from a waterfall seems to hit you, even while you're still in the grassy plains.
"Home," Vani whispers, looking out the window at the beautiful city before him. A smile creeps onto his face involuntarily thanks to the warm feeling he gets from the familiar territory.
You find it funny that, from what you've seen, Vani is almost a completely different person from when you first met him. You can only imagine that's a façade he puts on, considering his natural eyes were masked with contacts and his hair has grown more. Though, the latter could be out of laziness or new preference.
"We'll be coming onto the post," the driver shouts. "You'll have to make your own way into the city."
"That's fine," Vani replies. He rests back in his seat, gathering your attention. "Just follow me, alright? Mistral can be confusing."
"I know," you nod. "I've been here before."
"Then this will be easier."
The carriage comes to a stop, the horses neighing as their journey is over for now. You and the others exit the carriage and gather your bags from the back.
"Thank you for using our services," the driver bows his head.
"And thank you," you reply with a drab tone. "Stay safe," you walk towards the Kingdom, taking it all in once more. "I guess it was worth it," you mumble to yourself. "I didn't find anyone of interest but…" Your eyes drift to the book. "This might be the key."
"It's going to be a long walk," Vani passes by you. "I'd recommend keeping your eyes out and not on the book."
"Yeah, I know," you swing your pack around and stuff the book in. "The lower levels aren't anything to admire."
"Indeed," Vani gestures for you and Neo to follow. "Come on, I'll take you through the fastest way."
"At least it'll be easy once we get there," you note, accompanying Vani up the grassy incline and towards the first set of low buildings. "What district are we going? I can get us there faster."
Vani stops, staring at the district before you. He looks down, almost as if he's conflicted. "Yeah, that's fine," he turns around. "I'm over there," he points behind him.
You squint, noting there are two major junctions in that direction. "Hm… okay. Just place your hand on my shoulder or something."
Vani follows your advice and places his hand on your shoulder. Neo wraps her hand around your wrist, just shy of hand-holding. You close your eyes to expand your sight and find a place for your group to appear. You're taking a gamble on which district teleport to. But they're fairly close so teleporting again or just walking isn't a problem.
With a location found, you burst into shadow and reappear in an empty alleyway. Vani shivers, the odd sensation tingling across his body.
"That was… an interesting experience."
"Hm," you snicker," taking a step forward and looking around. "A lot of people say tha-" Your words pause and your eyes widen upon the sight before you. A building, fairly drab and uninteresting when compared to the others, with a small label of "Bookstore." Though that's not interesting on its own, what surprises you is the sight of Tuckson through the window. He's fixing a row of books, a satisfied smile after the completion of his task.
"What? What is it?" Vani moves to your side.
"Nothing," you shake your head. "Just, uh… nothing. Are we in the right place?" You turn to him.
"Mm… no. My families' house is just beyond this," he looks a little higher. "We can walk from here. This is a marketplace so my father or mother may be here."
"Right. Lead the way," you wave your hand before you.
"Hm," Vani steps forward, clearly knowing exactly where he wants to go.
You mirror his steps and direction while taking in the surroundings. The chatter of civilians, both young and old, laughs and screams, debates and conclusions. The stalls, the buildings, the scheming children and desperate adults. There are a few things you don't catch, despite their importance. Two people in your blind spots both show visible joy and frustration at your appearance. The frustrated one immediately grabs his scroll to alert others. The joyful one remains in the shadows, curious to see where you'll go from here.
Vani doesn't have much to say whilst leading you to his home. He hasn't spotted any of his family yet, which tells him they're either off in another district or just at home. To his knowledge, he should've been the only one out of town. Vani takes you up some stairs squished between houses with clotheslines connecting them and, of course, articles of clothing are hanging. Vani keeps the pace, going straight from the stairs towards the largest house in the small area.
"This is it," he says over his shoulder. "My family is fairly large," he begins to explain, taking up some time. "So try not to be intimidated. All my family are fighters – Huntsmen and Huntresses."
"At least that's familiar," you remark. "Wait, are you one too? You have Aura and a Semblance?"
"Y-Yeah," Vani sheepishly admits. "That's not important right now. Trust me, my family will welcome you. You're my father's nephew, after all, and we care about family."
"Is that so?" You look over at Neo, who shrugs. "That's reassuring," you smirk. "A place to feel safe…" You crack your neck and take a deep breath. "Sounds fun."
Vani leads you all to the door, opening it without any hesitation. The entry is something you're not used to. It's a large square with multiple hallways on both sides, one in front of you to the right and a stairwell beside that. It almost reminds you of a maze. Then again, the architecture of Mistral buildings has always been unique.
"Hello!" Vani shouts.
"Vani!" Multiple voices shout from different halls.
You cross your arms and keep to Neo. It's almost a nervous excitement running through your body. Despite the various voices you heard shout his name, only two come to the door. A man and a woman, head right for Vani.
The man has very short, clean-cut strawberry red hair with shimmering red eyes to match. A weaker person may have been intimidated by his overall look. His facial structure is extremely imposing, despite the pleasantries he's putting on. Not to mention his physique is very well built, reminding you of Yatsuhashi or Kin. It doesn't help that he's wearing a black dress shirt with red suit pants. Upon inspection, he really does remind you of Kin.
The woman, on the other hand, has about shoulder-length brown hair, reminding you of Ruby's length but not the same style. Unlike the man, her eyes don't match her hair – them being blue. She's comfortable in a yellow sundress with brown swirls decorated across it.
She walks ahead of the man, a sort of carelessness to her movement, and hugs the boy. The man stops when he notices you and Neo in his peripherals. For just a moment, a natural flicker, he smirks for less than a second.
"I see… you're a friend of Vani's?" He shifts his body towards you two.
"In a way," you reply. "My name's (Y/N) Slater. I'm…" You take in a breath. "I'm Clementine's son."
"I thought so," he points toward you, unable to dismiss his smile. "I thought so! You looked like her!" He approaches and pulls you into a hug, causing Neo to be a little defensive. "I'm so happy to see you, boy! After my sister was gone…" He pauses, collecting his thoughts. "I'm just happy to see you."
You're hesitant to return the hug, but once you rest your hands on his back you embrace the warm feeling of a family member. You return the hug with as much force as he's giving.
"Y-Yeah…" You release one another. "I was taken aback when Vani mentioned it. I never even thought about my mother's family."
"Well, don't have to hate us that much," he laughs.
"No, not like that-"
"I know, don't worry," he pats your shoulder. "Do you have a place to stay in Mistral?"
"No, actually."
"You do now," he smiles. "You're welcome to stay, as long as you don't mind all the people. We're a close family," he nods. "Vani, could you lead (Y/N) and his… girlfriend?"
"Uh… yeah," you shrug. "Yeah," looking back at Neo, she can't help but teasingly smile.
"Well, please don't ruin our sheets."
"Dad," Vani huffs, the woman still next to him.
"I know, I know, just dad things," he chuckles. "Oh, I'm Berry Tawny," he places a hand on his chest, then gestures to the girl. "And this is my wife, Cara," she smiles and waves in response to it. "There's plenty more you'll meet later, I'm sure. Vani, please take our guests to the guest room."
Vani nods. "Alright, dad. This way, Sla-" he pauses. "(Y/N). This way."
You follow Vani up the stairs where, at the bottom, Berry and Cara stand together. "Welcome to the Tawny house!" He shouts, the same strong smile staying strong.
Chapter 45! It took a while? Screw you! I actually cut some of it for the next chapter! Mostly because I realized I'd have to write a lot more to get to a decent ending. So, the twitter poll resulted in you guys asking for one more chapter before I switch to Limitless for a few. Alright, you got another one coming. Who knows, considering this arc only has two or three chapters left in it I may just stick with Crimson Shadow till it's done. Who says I don't treat you right, huh? Anyway, thank you all for reading! Considering this is chapter 45 that means you've stuck around for a while or you likely binge-read within the past three days. Warms my heart either way. I'll see you guys soon! Thanks again!
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