"So the job is to escort the traders and their supplies to Kuchinashi, got it," Vivian stated as a formality.
Both she and Nina didn't have much to do in the nearby villages around those parts. The threat from Grimm was far less prevalent than in earlier years, and the need for Huntsmen declined. There was still a need for skilled fighters for use as bodyguards and for escorts, however.
The female part of the former team VNGR prepared for the trip and exchanged a few sentences with the merchants to know who exactly they are protecting. After the preparations, they all ventured towards Kuchinashi, a city known for its criminal underbelly. Heading north through a forest, the path was calm and uneventful. With a few jabs and jokes with the traders, the atmosphere in the group was upbeat and time seemed to fly. Before long, the sun started to set, and the caravan decided to camp in the woods for the night.
"This place looks as good as any," Vivian decided after checking the surroundings. "We should be safe here."
"Sure," said one of the merchants. "Without any complications, we should reach the city tomorrow night."
"Seems like it," the Huntress agreed. "Rest up. My companion and I will keep watch through the night."
The camp was set close to the road to continue its journey first thing in the morning. Nina set up a fire, and both Huntresses sat down next to it. In the light of the flame, the surroundings were a set of dancing shadows.
"You want to rest first?" Vivian asked her companion. "I can take the first watch."
"I don't know if I could fall asleep," she answered, looking into the fire.
She understood the expression of her Faunus companion quite well. After all, they were heading towards Kuchinashi, and the events they experienced still were fresh in her mind. "You want to talk about that?"
After a brief pause to gather her thoughts, Nina slowly raised her head. "I feel guilty for leaving Gran alone."
Vivian nodded, "I don't think you should. He's his own man and needs to learn how to be on his own. From what I know, he was stuck by your side since you were kids, right? I believe it's healthy for the guy to be on his own for a while."
"Still," the Faunus girl was nervously rubbing her hands together, "I have this feeling that it was a mistake. I want what's best for him, but this may have been a rash decision."
"Shut up," Vivian stood up.
"Excuse me?" Nina was surprised, but her ears twitched hearing what her companion probably did as well.
"Grimm," The black-haired woman exclaimed and turned towards the direction the sound came from.
Nina pulled out her whip-sword, ready for battle. The initial rustle died down, and the forest was now covered in tranquil silence. Her eyes already adapted to the darkness, and she was able to spot a figure in the scarcely lit forest.
"There," she informed the other Huntress and dashed towards the threat, "a Beowolf!"
Vivian activated her semblance and turned in the direction the Faunus jumped towards. Beowolfs were Grimm that hunted in packs, so seeing only one concerned her. She looked towards the caravan, and as she suspected, a small group of beasts was creeping near the merchants.
"Handle this one; I'll take care of the vanguard."
The girl used her aura-created arms to move quickly along the trees and impaled the first two Beowolfs the moment she got in range. The Grimm dissipated into a puff of black smoke, dancing in the night like shadows. The monsters quickly turned towards her and attacked in unison. The sharp claws were heading straight towards her chest, and she pivoted to the side to avoid the blow. Using one of her tentacles, she swiped away at the closest beast and sent another one to pierce the second. With a whimper, one of the Beowolfs collided with her aura and landed in the nearest thicket. The second one was able to avoid the piercing strike and propelled himself towards the Huntress. Vivian wanted to take a step back, but a tree stopped her. She didn't notice that there was no clear path behind her, and the beast was flying towards her head with an opened maw. She raised her arms to block the attack.
A sudden thud. Vivian looked from behind her raised arms to see that the beast stopped mid-air on an invisible barrier. Like a blur, Nina came out from the shadows and cut off the beast's head. The Grimm dissolved in a cloud of smoke, like ink in water.
"Only four," the Faunus turned towards the Huntress with a smirk on her face. "This should be easy for you."
Vivian chuckled, "maybe I'm getting too old for this."
"Distracted, probably?"
The girl wasn't entirely wrong. There was a lot on Vivian's mind after the events in Kuchinashi. There was still a pang of underlying guilt she felt for leaving Ame to die, as well as the lingering effects of Neil's semblance. The work was supposed to be a distraction, but seeing how she was off her game and that a random Beowolf could kill her somewhere in the woods was a cold reminder of the risks they faced if not focused.
"Probably," she mumbled, forcing the most sincere smile she could.
Nina smiled back. "Want to talk about that?"
"We haven't finished talking about you and Gran, have we?" She deflected.
After checking if any more Grimm are lurking around, they both fueled the fire that was slowly dying out and sat next to it.
"So you were saying that you might've made a rash decision with Gran," Vivian started before Nina had the chance to say anything herself.
"Don't you think he needed me? He went through something… horrible," she paused briefly, with disgust clearly painted on her face.
"Listen, I didn't see what really happened there and can't say that I completely understand. However, it does sound like Gran was looking for excuses for his actions. He killed a bunch of people; the blood is on his hands and not yours."
Nina's eyes were getting watery. "Have you no empathy? Imagine how he had to feel…"
"Probably sad he no longer has a juicy ass to fondle."
The shock and disgust on her face stung Vivian. "I'm sorry, that's not what I wanted to say." She took a deep breath before more thoroughly thinking about what she was going to say. "Probably betrayed, left without any emotional support after an event that affected him deeply."
"I know that Gran has problems, but I know he would never do what he did intentionally. He must be devastated."
Vivian looked at the Faunus girl with understanding. "You have too big of a heart for your own good."
"Would you mind seeing Gran if we are in Kuchinashi?"
She smiled in response, "not at all."
"So now let's move to your troubles," Nina moved closer to the woman. "What's on your mind?"
Vivian closed her eyes, "nothing, really."
The girl opened her eyes in surprise when she felt the Faunus girl's hand on her.
"I know you feel guilty for Ame," her soft voice made that notion a bit more acceptable. However, all she could do was clench her teeth in frustration.
"Of course, I feel guilty for Ame," she wanted to explode in anger. Scream those words right in the girl's face, but seeing her calm gray eyes, she just couldn't.
"Then why didn't you admit that to Neil?"
"You don't understand," she shook her head. "I was meant to be the leader, infallible, and my decision led to the death of a teammate."
Nina's hand intertwined with Vivian's. The human girl felt a bit uncomfortable with that but understood why she decided to do that.
"Being a leader doesn't mean that you must be infallible. It means to be an example for the rest of your team. Admitting you can stumble will not make you look weak; on the contrary, it makes you look more human."
She took a deep breath, "I don't entirely agree with you, but I do get what you want to say."
Vivian felt Nina's head on her shoulder, and one of her mouse ears was touching her neck. It was warm and soft but also a bit fuzzy. Feeling her close made Vivian calmer. Now I understand why Gran so quickly forgets his rage when he's near you, she thought to herself. After a moment of silence, where they just sat still observing the dying embers of the fire, Vivian decided it was a good time for one of them to rest.
"I think I'll take the first watch," she started talking when she noticed that Nina fell asleep.
A gentle smile appeared involuntarily on her face. She tenderly grabbed the Faunus girl in her arms and put her in the sleeping bag they prepared earlier. Putting out the fire, she commenced her rounds to make sure nothing happened to any merchants or their goods. The night wasn't too cold, but just enough to keep her awake and focused.
With the moon's light illuminating the crowns of the trees, the entire landscape looked almost mystical. The silver rays gently caressing the foliage, like a lover's hand going through the hair of their partner. No matter where Vivian was, nature was always something that inspired and amazed her. The tranquility of the world away from any human or Grimm influences was something that everything should strive towards, at least in her mind. The beauty of the scenery almost made her forget the passing of time. Of course, she still was vigilant; however, before she noticed, the sun started lazily peek out from above the crowns.
Vivian stretched in place, releasing a stifled moan while doing so. She first woke up Nina and then moved towards the traders to notify them that they are leaving soon. Everyone ate something and then quickly prepared for the journey.
Getting out of the forest, they started walking a mountain path that leads directly to Kuchinashi. The upper parts of the town were visible from where they were quite clear.
"You should've woke me up to change your shift," Nina was pouting, angry at Vivian.
"I just couldn't, seeing your adorable face in such bliss," she smirked in response.
The Faunus didn't look amused by the quip, "well, that's no reason to work double while I rest. That's not fair."
"Cut it out; it was just one night."
When they got close to the Kuchinashi gate, a lonesome Nosferatu emerged from some rocks on their path. Its statue intimidating, with long limbs and sharp claws.
"Can I handle this?" Vivian asked Nina.
The woman was surprised but didn't protest. Vivian cracked her knuckles and neck before slowly approaching the beast. The Grimm was smelling the air, very interested in whatever was in the direction of the town. It did turn when the Huntress was close enough to matter to it. With a piercing shriek, it lashed out at her.
Vivian activated her semblance, and two of her tentacles pierced through the head of the monster. It started flailing its arms around in hopes of reaching the opponent, but the Huntress smacked the Grimm in the nearest rock and pierced its hands with a set of other aura tentacles. Immobilized, the creature wasn't able to fight back, and Vivian started fiercely stabbing it over and over again. Howl after howl, the beast tried to break free, but after the relentless attacks of the Huntress, it relinquished to its fate. After a few more stabs, the lifeless body of the Grimm started to dissipate into the air.
Vivian fixed her ruffled hair and exhaled with relief. "I needed that."
They finally entered the city. The traders thanked for the escort and moved towards the middle parts of the city: The Central Strip.
"The air feels strange," Nina said suddenly. "It's heavy… Like something pressing on my shoulders… I think we should look for Gran and just leave this place."
Vivian also noticed the eerie vibe of the city. It felt different than the last time they were here. The streets were empty, almost lifeless; The wind still and heavy.
"What is going on here?"
A sudden explosion deeper in the warehouse district startled them both. They looked at each other and moved towards the blast.
Raymond stumbled into the headquarters, and Rory had to help him out so he wouldn't land on the floor. Seeing how he looked, Yakshith stood up and walked towards them to also help.
"What happened?" His confused expression was all they needed to see to know how he felt.
"That shit Faunus tried to kill me," Ray answered his question while sitting down.
"He won't be a problem anymore," Rory added.
Yara narrowed his brows, "if you say so?" He moved towards the desk where the Kuchinashi plans were still being displayed. "So, with that little distraction out of the way, we can continue the planning phase."
"Yeah, you're right," Ray stood up, his face twisting in a painful grimace.
"Are you really in a condition to work?" Rory was concerned.
"It's nothing," the one-eyed warrior answered, his tone stubborn.
"Oh, by the way," Yakshith interjected suddenly. "Some of those folks you work with wanted me to inform you: Lemon's dead or something, and the Wave is in shambles."
A smirk appeared on Merlot's face. "Good news," he looked at the hologram plans. "Using a similar strategy again wouldn't be a bad idea, don't you think?"
His head was spinning, the pain slowly blinding him. He grabbed the table with both hands to keep balance.
"I don't feel like it would work the same way," Rory brought him to the ground. "Involving stealth was the best approach to trick the Black Sheep into thinking that Wave was involved. Neither Black Sheep's nor Hana MO involve thieves."
Ray had his eyes closed. Mostly to keep his head from spinning, but he was thinking. "But they do involve assassins."
"Hoho! I like where this is going," Yakshith rubbed his hands in excitement. "Tell me it's a job for me? Infiltrate the Black Sheep the same as my homie and kill the big bad?"
"That would be too obvious, I think." The Huntsman was still considering the possible approaches. However, his head was pulsing and cold droplets of sweat started irritating his skin. "It would be more believable if a Black Sheep member was sent to kill Hunter Ash. They did make the first move after all."
"I'm in," Yakshith was smiling from ear to ear.
"Are you sure that's the best course of action?" Rory asked Ray, looking at overly excited Yakshith. "That might be too dangerous, and if caught, the entire operation might be in jeopardy."
"Hey," the smaller Huntsmen winked towards her, "from the team, I was considered the most skilled fighter."
Rory just snorted in response.
"Don't make me hurt you," he unsheathed one of his combat claws.
"Most ruthless, yes. Skilled? Please…"
"Your pretty face is the only thing that's holding me from lacerating it," he composed himself. "It would be a real waste."
"Can you shut up?" Ray exploded. He opened his eyes to see where he was throwing the angry comment, making the whole room spin. Before he knew it, he was lying face-first on the floor.
"What the hell?" Yakshith was the most confused of the bunch. Rory was the first to act and helped their boss to sit.
"You're in no condition to do anything right now," she stated, looking at him.
He just chuckled, "thinking about it now, maybe offing Liam wasn't such a bright idea. He already was with Hana."
"Don't worry, boss," Yakshith smiled and headed towards the door. "I have this under control."
"What the hell are you doing?" Rory asked, bewildered by his words.
"Inciting a war," he winked towards her and exited the headquarters.
She wanted to stand up and stop her teammate, but Ray grabbed her by her arm.
"Vivian…"
Rory was even more confused. "Who?"
