Chapter 5: Truths Untold
Annabeth woke up. Someone was shaking her. She looked up and saw Garland standing over her, holding a lantern in one hand.
"Wha... huh..." Annabeth muttered, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. Besides the light from the lantern, everything was still dark. "Is it... still nighttime?"
"It's about an hour before sunrise," Garland said, turning and stepping towards the door. "Now, get up. It's time to start your training."
"My... training?"
"You requested to be trained as a knight, did you not?"
"Right..." Annabeth muttered, her eyes still half-closed as she stumbled out of her bed. She yawned. "What about breakfast?"
"You can have water, but breakfast will come after this morning's training," Garland explained as he handed Annabeth a canteen, which she drank from. "As a knight, you must be able to do your duty even in uncomfortable conditions, such as on an empty stomach. Besides, food often tastes best after hard work."
"...Alright," Annabeth said, handing the canteen back to Garland and following him outside. As Garland had said, the sun hadn't even risen yet, and the cold night air still lingered, chilling Annabeth and making her shiver. They made their way to the courtyard, which was lit up by several lanterns posted along its edges.
"You're talented. I could tell from when we first crossed blades. But that means nothing if you don't know your fundamentals," Garland said as he tossed a sword to Annabeth, who caught it out of the air. "I want to see a simple straight slash. From overhead, down towards your opponent."
Annabeth nodded. She brought the sword up over her head, then slashed downwards through the air.
"No good. I don't see your intent."
"My... intent?"
"You're just going through the motions. Your blade cuts aimlessly through the air. Imagine your foe in front of you. Then, strike."
Annabeth nodded. She closed her eyes and saw the bandit she had fought back in the forest. She still remembered his face, his menacing grin. In her mind's eye, she saw him charge towards her. She stood her ground. She raised her blade. She struck.
"Better. But you still need work," Garland said. "Loosen your grip slightly. Your blade is too rigid."
Annabeth nodded. She raised her sword and slashed downwards again.
"Widen your stance."
She slashed again.
"Push forwards as you strike. Swing with your entire body, not just your arms."
She slashed again.
"Your blade is wavering. Straighter."
She slashed again.
"Your breathing is off."
"My breathing?"
"Breath in as you prepare to swing. Then, when you strike, exhale."
Annabeth nodded. She breathed in as she raised her sword. Then, as she struck the imaginary foe in front of her, she exhaled.
"Good. Now do it again."
Bring the sword up. Inhale. Strike. Exhale.
Sword up. Inhale. Strike and exhale.
Sword up, inhale. Strike and exhale.
Annabeth stopped and shivered, letting her arms fall for a moment. The cold morning air was seeping through her skin. Her muscles felt stiff, tired. Like they were still half-asleep. The emptiness in her stomach didn't help, either.
"Did I tell you to stop?"
Annabeth groaned. She raised the sword again. Inhale. Strike and exhale.
Sword up. Inhale. Strike and exhale.
Sword up, inhale. Strike and exhale.
And so it continued. Soon, Annabeth started to lose count of how many times she had swung the blade. Her muscles ached. She clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering.
"How... many... more?"
"Until I say to stop. Until the motion is permanently etched into your body and mind," Garland said. "Remember, you are not doing this just for yourself. You swore an oath to protect her Highness. Her safety - no, her life - depends on you and your strength now."
Annabeth nodded. Her muscles still ached, but she felt a new sense of vigor well up inside her as she raised the blade. Her hands clutched the hilt of her sword. Her grip was firm, but not tight. Her eyes were closed.
Breathe in.
Her arms rose. Her blade was poised to strike.
Breathe out.
The blade cut downwards. A straight slash. Simple. Efficient.
Breathe in.
Her arms rose again.
Breathe out.
The blade cut downwards. A straight slash. How many times had Annabeth performed this very strike? Too many times to count, surely. Yet now, it had an odd feeling to it. She didn't know why.
Annabeth felt something warm on her forehead. She opened her eyes and saw the sun peaking over the horizon, its rays piercing through the cold night air that still lingered. At least that familiar orange glow persisted in this new, unfamiliar world. She took a moment to appreciate the sight before falling back into her stance, sword at the ready. In her mind's eye, she saw another knight standing before her. An enemy. From what kingdom? Annabeth wasn't sure. All of them had likely disappeared, along with the rest of the old world.
The knight charged. Annabeth raised her blade and blocked a downwards slash before countering with a strike towards the knight's calf. Too slow. A backstep to dodge, and the knight thrust its sword towards Annabeth's chest. A quick parry deflected the blade. Strike. Block. Stab. Parry. Thrust. Dodge. The simplest of attacks and defenses, yet their mastery was the key to a knight's strength. Clean, efficient, and devoid of the fancy flourishes and reckless tendencies often seen by those who fought for sport or glory. This was the foundation that Annabeth had drilled into her mind and body, the root of her swordplay. And so, she continued her dance with the knight in her mind's eye.
"Ugh... you're up already?"
The enemy knight vanished. The snowy clearing returned. Annabeth looked back to see Zazie slowly crawling out of the tent, her eyes half-closed as she mumbled something that Annabeth couldn't quite hear.
"Ah, sorry," Annabeth said as she sheathed her blade. "Did I wake you up?"
"Kinda. I usually wake up early, but man, not this early," Zazie grumbled, rubbing her eyes and looking over towards the horizon. "The sun's just coming up, huh? Were you out here swinging your sword in the dark or something?"
"I've grown accustomed to it. It's a habit from my training days."
"Right. Training," Zazie muttered, looking around before her eyes landed on the bag of food she had hung on a high branch the previous night. She made her way over to it and started pulling it down. "Did you get breakfast yet?"
"Not yet. I did fetch some water from a nearby creek, though," Annabeth said, pointing towards the pot she had left by the side of the tent. "Would you like me to prepare - "
"It's fine, I can do it," Zazie said. She rummaged through the bag, grabbed a few packets, and tied the bag shut before making her way back to the tent to grab the pot and her camp stove. "I need to do something to wake myself up, anyways."
"If that's what you wish," Annabeth said, nodding before turning away and drawing her sword. She took a few more practice swings, slicing and stabbing through the cold morning air. With every breath, a cloud of vapor rose from her mouth before being scattered by a gentle, yet chilling breeze.
"If we pack up and head out after breakfast, we should be able to get to Wind Path before noon," Zazie said. Annabeth heard the stove lighting behind her. "There's a Courier office there, so I'll stop by and let them know what happened up in Peakstone. Maybe I can pick up some more deliveries there, too."
"Wind Path, right? What is the city like?" Annabeth asked. The largest settlements she had seen thus far had been small villages; she had no idea what this world's cities were like. Were they comparable to the Arcadian capital? Larger? Smaller? She was curious.
"It's pretty big. I would say it's probably one of the largest cities in the kingdom, besides Mistral of course," Zazie explained. Mistral. The name of the kingdom they were in, and also its capital city. "It's not the best place to live, though. Sure, it's got a lot of fun places, but crime's also pretty high. The underworld controls that place just as much as the city's government does. Actually, they probably overlap a lot."
"I see," Annabeth said, thrusting her blade at an imaginary foe. So it seemed that the darker, dirtier aspects of humanity still lingered. In a way, Annabeth was relieved to hear that nothing had changed in that aspect.
"Alright, water's boiling!" Zazie called out.
"Already?" Annabeth asked, turning to see steam rising from the bubbling pot of water. Despite having experienced its power firsthand, Annabeth was still surprised at how hot and intense fire Dust could burn, even for the most mundane tasks like boiling water.
"Yup!" Zazie said, handing Annabeth a bowl, a spoon, and some sort of paper package about the size of her hand. Annabeth took particular interest in the package; it had some sort of art of a person depicted on its surface, as well as words that read "Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal".
"Why did someone draw on my... oatmeal package? And in such detail?" Annabeth asked, turning the package over. More text was written on the back; numbers and words that she couldn't tell the purpose of, all printed with immaculate precision. "And such perfect, uniform script... what is this?"
"It's an oatmeal packet. What the heck are you talking about?" Zazie asked. Annabeth looked up and watched as Zazie tore open the top half of the packet and dumped the contents into a bowl of hot water before stirring it around with her spoon. "Have you never seen one before?"
"Should I have?" Annabeth asked, looking at Zazie's packet and seeing similar writing on it. "Your package has it as well. Who wrote and drew this? Why is such precise art and script wasted on such disposable packages?"
"Wait... you think someone wrote this?" Zazie asked through a mouthful of oatmeal. She held up her torn packet. "You think someone drew all this out?"
"Is that not the case?"
"Do they not have printing where you're from?"
"Have what?"
"Man, I'm really gonna start believing that 'other world' thing sooner or later," Zazie muttered, pointing towards Annabeth's bowl. "You should just eat for now. It's too early for me to explain all that. Maybe when we're on the road."
Annabeth nodded. She copied what Zazie had done, scooping some hot water from the pot into her bowl before tearing the packet open and dumping the contents into the bowl. She stirred for a few seconds before bringing a spoonful to her mouth. It was warm and sweet, a nice contrast to the cold surrounding the two. She took another spoonful, then another, until the bowl was empty.
"Alright, that was good," Zazie said, stretching as she finished up her own bowl of oatmeal. "Now let's get this all cleaned up. We've got a bit of a hike ahead of us."
Annabeth nodded, and the two started cleaning up and packing everything away. Soon, the campsite was barren, and the two set off on their way towards the city of Wind Path.
The narrow streets and ornately-designed buildings of Wind Path reminded Annabeth of what she had seen in the Fusang Empire, back when she had traveled there with Zazie. Or at least, some of the buildings were ornately designed; namely the ones cresting the hill that overlooked the city. Down in the heart of Wind Path, where she was currently standing, construction was much less extravagant, consisting of drab-but-practical practical blocky designs and cheap construction materials. A few of the buildings along the road were little more than shacks.
It seemed that the division between wealth classes was quite pronounced here. Another similarity to the Fusang Empire.
"Wait, what do you mean? You've got to have something!" Annabeth heard Zazie shouting from a nearby building. The Courier office, she said it was. Annabeth poked her head inside and saw Zazie speaking to a woman across a counter. "Are you saying that you have nothing going anywhere in Mistral? Nothing at all?"
"I didn't say that," the woman at the counter replied. "We have several jobs lined up in the surrounding area. However, none of them have been marked as appropriate for a Courier trainee, and none are so urgent as to bend the rules and allow you to take them."
"Come on, I'm practically fully trained already," Zazie said with a huff. "I just need to pass a few exams - "
" - and successfully complete three more jobs without a fully-trained Courier at your side. Trust me, I am familiar with your record."
"Then give me one of those jobs so that I can get those done. I can't get my certification if you won't give me any deliveries!"
"That is against the rules. Any deliveries that I give to you will have to be approved for trainees, and we have no such jobs available."
"I can handle it! I just came down from the northern peninsula!"
"Rules are rules. You can wait for a trainee-level job to come in, or you can check an office in another town to see if they have anything for you."
"Ugh..." Zazie grumbled, throwing her hands up as she turned and made her way towards the exit. "Well, I guess I'm gonna have to wait a little longer until I can get my certification."
"Is that bad?" Annabeth asked.
"I mean, it is, but it's not terrible. The bigger problem is that jobs mean money, and, uh..." Zazie reached into her pocket and pulled out a few multicolored cards. "That's not something I have a lot of right now. I'd ask if you had any to spare, but you probably don't even know what this is."
"I'm guessing it's money?"
"Well, yeah. Lien, to be specific. It's enough for lunch and dinner, and maybe a place to stay if we can find a cheap inn somewhere," Zazie explained. She paused and looked around, her eyes drawn to the roofs surrounding the street.
"What is it?" Annabeth asked, following her gaze but not seeing anything out of the ordinary. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's... it's nothing. Just my imagination," Zazie muttered, turning back towards Annabeth. "Anyways, like I said, we have enough money between the two of us for dinner and a place to sleep, but not much more than that."
"That just means we need to make some more money, right?" Annabeth asked as she looked up. The sun was still high overhead. "We should have plenty of time left in the day to find something. Where does one go in a city like this if they need help with something?"
"The city should have some job boards posted around the city for mercenaries and Huntsmen to take from. I don't know where they are, but we can ask around and see if - "
"Whoops, sorry! In a hurry!"
A hooded figure rushed between Annabeth and Zazie, forcing his way past and causing Annabeth to stumble back as Zazie cried out and fell back to the ground.
"Excuse me! Watch where you're running!" Annabeth shouted at the back of the figure as he continued down the street. She turned to Zazie and helped her up to her feet. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just a bit - " Zazie stopped and looked at her open hand. "Wait. That guy snatched my money!"
"He did what?!" Annabeth looked back towards the figure, who was rounding a corner further down the street. She immediately gave chase, her boots striking hard against the stone road as she tried to keep the thief in her sight. As she rounded the corner herself, she spotted the thief slipping past pedestrians, seemingly on the lookout for more marks to steal from.
Well, that wouldn't happen. Not if Annabeth could help it.
"Stop! Thief!" Annabeth shouted as she broke into a sprint. The thief turned, and his eyes locked with Annabeth for a moment, allowing her to see a brief... smirk? Really? How arrogant. He sped away with surprising speed; Annabeth could barely keep up, but keep up she did. While she was faster in terms of raw speed, the thief was able to slip by pedestrians, street stalls, and other obstacles so effectively it was like they weren't even there. And it was clear that he knew the area well; if Annabeth lost sight of him now, it would probably be for good.
"Give me back my money!" Annabeth heard Zazie shout from behind her. Turning for a moment, she saw Zazie just behind her and quickly catching up. "I need that to eat tonight!"
"Sucks for you!" the thief shouted back as he ducked into an alleyway. Annabeth chased him, only to see him sitting at the top of a tall wall at the end of the alley. The wall was at least two stories high; she had no idea how he had climbed it so quickly. His lips were curled into that same smirk. "Well, so long!"
"Get back here!" Annabeth shouted, though she wasn't sure why she bothered. She could easily break through the wall, but she had no idea who or what was on the other side; it was very possible she could accidentally hurt someone. Maybe -
"I'm gonna cut him off!" Zazie shouted from behind - no, above - Annabeth. Looking up, Zazie was somehow already pulling herself up onto the roof of one of the buildings on the side of the alleyway. An impressive feat, considering they were each a story higher than the wall the thief had climbed. How did she get up there so fast? A knight physically outclassed by the princess she was supposed to serve? It gave her somewhat of a chuckle. However, that didn't mean Annabeth was stuck here. She had her own means of getting around, even if she couldn't scale shear walls so proficiently. She focused, channeling the magical energy in her body to her legs as she planted her feet firmly against the ground.
Enhance.
Annabeth leaped into the air with a sudden burst of strength, easily clearing the wall and sailing over the buildings towards the street on the other side. As she looked down, she saw the thief making his way out of the alleyway at a much more leisurely pace than before. Maybe he thought he had shaken off his pursuers. Arrogance, yet again. She crashed down on the street in front of the thief, startling him and causing him to yelp.
"Gah! Where'd you come from?!" the thief shouted before taking off down the street. This time, Annabeth was ready, immediately sprinting after him and keeping close behind. As she ran, she concentrated on her magic, gathering energy into her arm and gathering it into a point on hand before reaching out and pointing at the thief's feet.
Burst.
A shockwave rippled out from Annabeth's palm, ripping through the air and tearing up loose stones from the road. It smashed into the ground at the thief's feet and exploded, sending the thief tumbling forward and to the ground. Before he could get up, Annabeth stepped up to him and planted a boot on his back, pinning him down.
"You're lucky I cannot enforce any laws in a foreign kingdom such as this, or else I would have you thrown in a cell," Annabeth said, watching as the thief's usual smirk was replaced with a frustrated frown. "Give me back the money that you stole from us, and I might just let you go."
"Fine!" the thief said, tossing the multicolored cards to the ground. She picked them up and counted them, only to realize that she didn't actually know how much was stolen. But she knew who did.
"This isn't all of it," Annabeth said. Was that true? She had no idea. "Where is the rest?"
"Tch... here," the thief muttered, tossing a few more cards. Annabeth picked them up. "Now let me go!"
"Very well. If I see you again, you will not get off so lightly," Annabeth said, lifting her foot from the thief's back. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran down the street, disappearing around a corner. "Now to get this back to... Zazie? Where are you, Zazie?"
Annabeth looked around, but even though the streets weren't too crowded, she could not see Zazie anywhere. Hadn't she gone to cut off the thief? That meant she would have been nearby. In fact, she might have been able to catch the thief before Annabeth. So why was she nowhere to be found?
"Zazie?" Annabeth called out as she started down the street, her head swiveling as she tried to catch a glimpse of Zazie. She cursed her ineptitude under her breath. It was foolish of a guardian to lose sight of the one they had sworn to protect, especially over what was probably a meager amount of cash.
She can't be far... but if so, where did she go? While Annabeth knew of the existence of spells and enchantments that could allow one to track a specific person or object across considerable distances - in fact, Zazie knew some of them, or at least the Zazie that Annabeth was more familiar with - Annabeth had never learned how to perform any of them, instead focusing her magic a fact that she quite regretted at the moment.
"Zazie! Where are you?" Annabeth shouted. She noticed she was drawing some odd looks, but she cared little. Finding Zazie was important, and not just for Zazie's sake. Annabeth was much less familiar with both this city and this world than Zazie was, and despite her physical and mental fortitude, Annabeth was still human. She needed food and a place to sleep, and considering that she had no idea how something as simple as money worked in this world, she would need Zazie's assistance. Zazie was smart. Zazie was helpful. Until Annabeth was more used to this world, she would have to rely on Zazie's assistance for the many things she was unfamiliar with.
But worrying about that would come later. For now -
"No!"
Annabeth froze. That was Zazie's voice. She was shouting. Was she in trouble? She looked around, but couldn't see her.
"No, no, no!"
More shouts. This time, Annabeth tracked it down to an alleyway veering off the road. Though she couldn't see Zazie, she could hear her voice getting louder as she made her way further into the alley, which branched off at multiple points. Zazie was somewhere here. But where?
"...wish to reunite you with your family..."
Another voice. Male. Was he talking with Zazie?
"No! Shut up!"
Zazie was shouting again. Was she in danger? Annabeth broke into a run as she made her way further into the alleyway. Then, she heard a loud bang, similar to those from the rifles she had seen back in Peakstone. She turned a corner and -
"Zazie!"
- saw Zazie kneeling on the ground, facing away from Annabeth. She had something clutched in her hands; it looked like a smaller version of the rifles Annabeth had seen before. If Zazie had heard Annabeth, she didn't show it; instead, she was muttering something to herself.
"...had to do it... it's the only way... the only way I can forget - "
"Zazie!" Annabeth shouted again. This time, Zazie let out a startled yelp as she jumped to her feet and turned around.
"Oh... Annabeth. When did you..."
"I just got here. I managed to get your money back," Annabeth said, holding up the colored cards that were supposedly this world's currency. She stepped closer to hand the money to Zazie. "What happened? Where did you go after - "
Annabeth stopped. She noticed something behind Zazie. No, someone. It was the body of a man wearing a cloak, with a bloody hole through his head.
"Zazie, did you..." Annabeth's gaze went up to Zazie and back to the corpse. "Who is that? What did you do?"
"...how much did you hear?"
"I... heard you shouting. I heard a voice say something about reuniting you with your family, but..." Annabeth paused. "What happened?"
"I can explain. I need some time to breathe, to think, but... I can explain," Zazie said as she closed her eyes. After taking a deep breath, she opened them once again and looked straight at Annabeth. "If you're... still willing to trust me, that is."
Of course. Annabeth trusted Zazie with her life. Even though Zazie didn't recall it at the moment, that was the oath Annabeth had sworn. She nodded.
"Okay... okay then," Zazie said. She took another deep breath and dropped the weapon - well, Annabeth assumed it was a weapon - in her hands, letting it clatter against the ground. "Let's find somewhere better to talk. And I think it might be better if you hold the money this time."
"I suppose it would," Annabeth muttered, pocketing the colored cards. She followed Zazie out of the alleyway, looking back one last time at the corpse of the cloaked man before leaving it to rot.
Annabeth looked over the printed menu the waitress had handed her a minute ago. Zazie had explained the concept of mechanical printing to Annabeth on the way to Wind Path, but it still fascinated her. After all, a novelty such as individually printed paper menus for every person would have been extravagant in the restaurants of the world Annabeth was familiar with, but here she was, reading off one in a crowded pub off the side of the road. Normally, such establishments would have the menu scrawled out in chalk on the wall, or simply read out loud to those too illiterate to make use of a written menu. Of course, Annabeth was not among that crowd; she had been taught the basics of the written word by her father at an early age, and Zazie had insisted upon further instruction in writing and literature for Annabeth once she started living with her.
Of course, being able to read didn't mean Annabeth could understand more than half of the items on the menu.
What is... calamari? Or a seafood calzone? I'm familiar with seafood, but that second word...
"Are you two ready to order?" Annabeth looked up to see the waitress looking down at Annabeth and Zazie.
"I'll take the prawn tacos," Zazie said. "And... maybe we'll share an order of fried calamari."
"Great choice!" the waitress said, turning to Annabeth. "And what'll you be having?"
"Uh..." Annabeth paused for a moment. If Zazie was getting it, it must be at least decent. "Prawn tacos for me too."
"Alright! I'll be back with your orders shortly," the waitress said, taking their menus and moving away from their table. Annabeth sighed and turned to Zazie.
"Is this... really the best place to talk?" Annabeth asked, looking around. It was lunchtime, and the pub was practically packed to the brim. It had been a miracle that the two girls managed to find a table at all. And the noise! Everyone seemed to be talking over one another, and shouts and laughter constantly rang through the room.
"Why not? It's crowded enough that nobody will pay attention to us, and nobody's gonna hear our conversation over all this noise," Zazie explained. Annabeth nodded; it made sense. "Plus, according to the reviews, this place has some of the best food around. Well, the best food we can afford, anyways."
"If that's the case, then I suppose it can work," Annabeth said. She paused for a moment. "So, what happened back there? Who was that man? Why did you kill him?"
"Annabeth, do you remember what happened back at Peakstone?" Zazie asked. Annabeth nodded; she remembered clearly the horde of Grimm that she had slain. "Then, you probably know that I'm not normal. That I am... that I'm hiding something."
"I didn't want to pry."
"You... well, thanks, for not prying," Zazie said. She looked around, then back at Annabeth. "I... wasn't always a Courier. My life was a lot different before... well, before I was a Courier."
"What do you mean?"
"I'd ask you if you knew the name Alabaster, but I can already guess that you wouldn't know about it," Zazie said. "The Alabasters were a noble family in Mistral. Wealthy. Influential. We came from old money. My father was the head of the family, and I was his sole heir."
Of course. Even in this world, Zazie was of noble birth, even if she wasn't exactly the princess of an entire kingdom.
"You said they 'were' a noble family. What happened?"
"My father... he wanted to use his influence to make some changes to Mistral, to the world as a whole. He called it progress. Some would call it an upheaval or a revolution. It... didn't really matter, because he never got to do it," Zazie explained, looking around for a moment. "He must have attracted too much attention from the wrong people, because someone sent the Black Hand after him."
"The Black Hand?"
"I didn't learn who they were until years later, but apparently, they're a secret order of assassins. Older than the Great War, and by far the best that money can buy. Someone must have hired them to kill my father. No, not just kill him; they probably wanted to burn our entire family to the ground. One night, about five years ago, they broke into our homes, killed our guards and house staff, and... and..."
Zazie paused. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And another.
"If you don't want to remember it, then it's alright," Annabeth said. "Just - "
"No, I... just needed a moment," Zazie said. She took another deep breath and opened her eyes again. "My father tried to protect my mother and I as we escaped together. He managed to fend off some of the assassins, but... there were just too many."
"So how did you survive?"
"It was... as we were trying to escape out the back together. My father, my mother, and me. Half a dozen assassins ambushed us there, so my father had my mother and me hide in the corner while he tried to fight them off," Zazie explained. "He was losing. One of the assassins dropped a rifle by where I was hiding, so I grabbed it and... my Semblance activated for the first time."
"Your Semblance?" Annabeth asked. "That's the unique power that everyone has, right?"
"It is. In my case, I... I blacked out the moment my hand gripped the weapon. When I came to, everyone was dead. The assassins, my parents... everyone but me," Zazie said. Annabeth noticed her eyes getting slightly wet. "I... I learned afterward that my Semblance makes me go berserk when I hold a weapon. I become nearly unstoppable, but I lose control of myself and attack everything around me. I only realized it later, but I think I... I think I killed my..."
Zazie paused, sobbing quietly. She reached up and wiped a tear from her eye.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Annabeth said. "But I wouldn't blame you for what happened to them, even if... even if you did kill them due to your Semblance. And for what it's worth, at least you made it out alive."
"I... I guess that's fair enough. I've learned to control it to a certain degree so that I don't instantly attack everyone the moment my fingers touch a weapon, but... it still hurts. Every time I use it to fight, the only thing I can think about is how my parents died, and... do you remember when I fought back the Grimm horde at Peakstone?"
"Yes, I do. I assume that was your Semblance?"
"It was. In fact, it was the first time I used it in years," Zazie said. "After I... after my family was killed, I wandered for a bit before signing up to become a Courier. Just to have something to do. It's not a fighting job, so I thought I wouldn't have to use my Semblance again, but... now that's two times in less than a week."
"I saw you with... whatever that weapon was in your hand, in the alleyway. Did you use it there?" Annabeth asked. She remembered the corpse that had been at Zazie's feet. "Who was that man?"
"An assassin sent by the Black Hand. I don't know why, but after five years, they're coming after me again. To finish the job, I assume," Zazie said. Annabeth nodded; that was what the man must have meant by reuniting Zazie with her family. "He fumbled when he came at me, and I managed to steal his weapon. Then my Semblance activated and... well, you saw what happened."
"Are you in danger?" Annabeth asked. She looked around the pub, but nobody was looking at them. "Will there be more assassins?"
"I don't know, but... I think that's probably the case. When the Black Hand gets a job, they make sure that it's done properly. I'm surprised I even survived past that initial attack five years ago," Zazie said. She sighed, looking down for a moment before looking up at Annabeth. "Could I... ask a favor from you?"
"What is it?"
"I'm scared of ending up like my parents. Scared of dying. I mean, that's obvious, but... still." Zazie paused and took a deep breath. "I've seen you fight. You're strong. I'm strong with my Semblance, but..."
"You don't want to use it."
"I don't. I've known you for only a few days, but you've helped me so much. You saved me from those Ursas without even knowing who I was, and you came back to my side after I went to fight off the Grimm horde, even after what I said. You've stuck with me and helped me unconditionally, so I hate to ask you for more, but... there's no one else I can really turn to. Nobody who I can really trust."
Zazie looked straight into Annabeth's eyes.
"Annabeth, can I ask you to keep me safe? To travel with me and protect me from the Black Hand?" Zazie asked. "I realize that I'm asking for a lot, and I don't have much money, but..."
Zazie trailed off, but Annabeth didn't need to hear any more. She already had her answer.
"Zazie, you may not remember, but I've sworn an oath to you once, and I shall gladly do so again. I told you that I would follow you to the end of the world and protect you to my dying breath, and that remains true to this moment," Annabeth said with a smile. "Under my watch, you have nothing to fear."
"That's... great. I'm glad to hear that," Zazie said as she smiled back. Annabeth felt something was off about her smile. However, she dismissed the notion. "Maybe we can somehow stop the Black Hand from targeting me as well... though I doubt it."
"We cannot know until we try, right? Perhaps if I killed enough of their assassins, they would think twice before coming after you again," Annabeth said. "However, we have more pressing concerns at the moment. Did you not say we only have enough money after this for dinner and a room for the night?"
"That's right, but... I've been thinking about that. The Courier office said that there aren't any jobs for the surrounding area, but they also have international deliveries. They're a pain in the rear since they're long-distance and take too long, so I don't usually go for them, but I think I saw some trainee-approved ones on the board back at the office."
"Do you mean that you'd be delivering to another continent?" Annabeth asked. "I suppose that would make it more difficult for the Black Hand to track you."
"Exactly. I get paid and help lose those guys at the same time."
Annabeth nodded. Zazie was always smart. She always knew the best solution to a problem, or at least how to get started on the path towards that solution.
"I've got your fried calamari here!" Annabeth heard the waitress from before say. Looking up, she saw the waitress put on the table a plate of... something. Some sort of fried rings. "Your tacos will be coming out shortly!"
"Thanks!" Zazie said. As the waitress walked away, she grabbed one of the rings and popped it in her mouth. "Man, these are good. You gonna have some?"
"I suppose I can try it," Annabeth said, tentatively grabbing a piece and bringing it up to her mouth. It was nice. Crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. The flavor was good too. So this was the type of food this world had to offer? She could get used to it.
As long as Zazie was with her, Annabeth could get used to anything.
A/N: And that's chapter 5! Annabeth chases a thief, and it looks like someone's backstory finally comes to light. Now, how to deal with those assassins?
Sorry for the wait! I hadn't planned things too much for this story (I'm taking a more "seat of your pants" approach to this compared to Journeys of a Mercenary), but that resulted in me getting stuck, so I had to sit down and plan things out to get back on track.
Thanks to Freelancer V for the review! I really like reading what fanfic writers can do with their own characters and stories separate from the main cast and plot of the series they're writing from; in fact, my favorite fanfic is probably Fargo, a Madoka Magica fanfic that takes place in America and features none of the characters or locations from the anime. As a result, I like writing fics that take a similar approach.
Anyways, that's about it! If you've got anything to say, please don't hesitate to leave a review. Thanks for reading, and have a nice day!