When the stranger rolled into town on the edge of a dust storm, Marie knew there was something odd about him. He had that dark and silent type of aura around him, with the deadly sort of gait one would expect to find on a trained warrior, which he obviously was, if the long staff on his back was any indication. Dressed in little more than the tattered rags of a pair of black pants, worn thin from the road and claws of Grimm, and a similarly shabby faded vest which hung open to reveal a rather solid chest and abs, the young man was strange even by Vacuo's standards. Still, he was a survivor, as could be evidenced by the numerous scars running up and down his body, and the people of Vacuo respected strength. Thus, when he sat at Marie's bar, she didn't hesitate to sidle right over, although she did keep a ready hand on the small dagger hidden deep within the folds of her apron.
And what can I help you with, young man? Perhaps a glass of water?"Alright, just because he was tough-looking didn't mean she couldn't take a hab at his age. For Oum's sake, she'd be surprised if he was even eighteen. The boy didn't seem to notice, however, just shaking his head slightly before responding.
"Whiskey, if you don't mind. Need something strong to wash the dust off my throat."Marie shivered at the words, and for a moment, wished she was about two decades younger. His voice was like liquid velvet, even with the scratchiness of the desert still clinging on, and she had no boudt that some girl would one day be very happy as she went to sleep listening to that voice. Luckily, Marie was already happily married and had no intention of changing that fact, so she just nodded kindly, and reached under the bar for a glass and a bottle. Just as she was pouring a shot, however, she4 was distracted as the door to the back swung open, and with the pitter patter of little feet, the light of her life walked in, golden braids glinting darkly off the dim light.
"Hey Momma, Poppa was wondering if you gonna close up soon and- whoa, it's the Jade Serpent!" Marie, whose face had started to pull up into a wide smile at the sound of her daughter's voice, suddenly reversed it's course, and with an audible thunk, she set the bottle in her hands down.
"Mandy, what are you talking about? There ain't no serpent here. Just this nice young man wanting a drink." Amanda, Oum bless her, just turned her birght little six-year-old smile to her mother, little dimples turning it into a sight which could melt Atlas's coldest heart.
"That's who I talking Momma. He's the Jade Serpent! He got the badge and everything!"Marie turned to regard the newcomer, who was eyeing her daughter with an undisguised amusement, and narrowed her eyes to study him. True enough, there was a small green pendant stuck to his vest, curled into the shape of a snake with its fangs bared, and now that she looked closer, she could see the tell-tale scales on his neck and a hint of pointed fangs just barely pushing past his lips, all of which pointed towards the man being a snake faunus. The Jade Serpent was practically a legend in Vacuo, the first rumors of him having popped up a few years ago as a man who roamed the desert sands, stopping in towns for only a few days at a time and lending whatever aid he could against the creatures of Grimm. She would have expected him to be something a bit… taller.
"So he does, Mandy, but that gives you no right to bother him. Go tell your father that I've got a customer, and I'll be there soon as he's gone, ya hear? Get!" When the little girl didn't leave quickly enough, Marie grabbed a washcloth from the counter, snapping it at her daughter's bum to hurry her along. Once Amanda was gone back towards their lodgings at the back of the tavern, Marie turned to the customer, smiling apologetically.
"Sorry about that. I swear I've taught her better than that.."Thankfully, the teenager didn't take offense, waving her concern away with a hand.
"It's no matter. I've had far worse when it comes to fans. A name can be hard to live up to at times." Marie's face softened as she saw a shadow descend over the kid's eyes, as if he were remembering something horribly unpleasant. She didn't know what it was she'd said, but seeing as he obviously didn't want to continue the conversation, Marie grabbed the glass she had forgotten on the counter at Amanda's appearance, sliding it towards him. He tipped his head towards her in thanks, a movement which made his platinum blonde bangs fall like a veil over his eyes, and drank deeply, slamming the shot glass down afterwards with a satisfied sigh.
After a few more drinks, the boy rose as if to leave, but paused for a moment when he faced the door. Marie was about to ask what he was wrong, when suddenly she heard it. A low, throaty growl drifted on the wind, barely heard over the raging sandstorm. Frozen in fear, the matronly woman could do little more than stare at the heavy oak door at the front of the tavern, and fight her instinctive urge to flee. She couldn't leave, however, not with the sandstorm out there. Precious few people ever braved the biting winds and scathing sand to come out alive, and she had been surprised enough when the Serpent looked like he was planning on it. If she stayed with her family here, however, and Grimm were to attack their small village of Astria, then they'd be just as dead. The only huntsman they had was old rickety Ralph, and he hadn't fought since the Great War, where his career had been ended by a thrown-out back.
Marie's decision was taken from her a moment later, when a loud thud sounded at the door. She jumped at the sound, and for a moment her eyes found the flint grey of her customer's. The next thud was accompanied by a loud crack, and with a slow, painful groan, the door caved in, crashing to the ground. Behind it stood a creature which would haunt her nightmares for years afterward.
The thing was pitch black, befitting a creature of such evil and malice, with only a bone white mask to separate it from a shadow in the storm. Standing on two legs and with a huge, slavering mouth full of fangs, the Beowulf was a fearsome beast, one bred for the sole purpose of hunting and killing. For a heavy, breathless moment, the three occupants of the room stood still as stone, each eyeing the other with either fear, curiosity, or , with a whisper so quiet Marie wasn't entirely certain she had actually heard it, the boy spoke, breaking the silence.
"Hide." It was all the warning she would get, as in a smooth motion he slipped the staff from his back and into his hands, two curved blades sliding out of the ends as he did so. The Beowulf, sensing his aggression, jumped forward, and he didn't hesitate to match, swinging his dual-bladed sickle with all the grace of a battle-hardened warrior.
As the weapon spun, it batted away paws tipped with huge, sharp claws, and the boy took a step into the creature's guard. One twirl later, a gash of red appeared within the deep black of its fur. Another, and there were two more, severing the oversized arms from its torso. As the Beowulf howled in pain at these wounds, he spun his whole body around, and the next blade silenced its voice, by way of lopping off its head.
Once again, there was silence as the Grimm's body faded into nothingness, its evil ripped from the world. Marie, who had cowered behind her bar, peeked over slightly, to find the teenager standing over its dissipating corpse, looking like an avenging angel as the wind coming in from outside whipped his blonde hair considered speaking, if only to wonder in awe at the skill he had displayed, when the air was suddenly rent by a shriek, coming from the back of the building. Marie's head whipped around to face that way, her breathing suddenly ragged, but before she could do anything beyond comprehending that her husband and daughter were in that direction, a blur blew past her. When she had frozen, the boy hadn't, moving with a purpose she couldn't believe towards the scream, grip tight on his weapon.
When she finally made it to the hall, Marie was greeted by a sight which both terrified her and brought hope at the same time. The Serpent was a blur, dancing around the tiny space like an expert ballroom dancer, and it took a moment for her to realize that his weapon had changed. Where before it had been a straight pole with the two sickle blades extending out in opposite directions from either end, now it was more like some sort of bladed nunchuk, with the pole having broken into multiple pieces connected by incredibly thin wires, and the boy wielding it was doing so expertly, forming a veritable wall of steel around himself. Even more than that, however, the whirrring of blades was accentuated by a near-constant pounding of gunfire, as each of the pole sections were revealed to be miniature shotguns, and his fingers danced up and down them expertly to fire their loaded dust rounds expertly.
As skilled and powerful as the boy appeared in his dance of death, however, Marie couldn't help but fear for him, as he stood against a veritable horde of Grimm, peering in through the torn wall at the end of the hall. But that wasn't what made her breath catch in her throat, and her heart give a painful squeeze. No, that was the crumpled form of her daughter, mere feet behind where the teenager fought desperately for his life. With a strangled cry, she dived for Amanda, snagging her hand and pulling her back, where he gripped the child tightly and raised her head to watch the fierce battle before her.
The boy spun and danced like a whirlwind, laying his blades and guns like an instrument as his long, dexterous fingers slid up and down the broken pole to unleash death upon his enemies. So skillful was he that even reloading appeared to be nothing more than a part of the deadly symphony, only a slight stuttering of the shotgun shells even hinting at the break. For several long minutes he fought, tearing through the Grimm horde like a hot knife through butter, until finally, there was nothing left but a few dark forms running into the storm. With little more than a sigh, the deadly warrior slid to a stop, reforming his weapon in a series of clicks until it was once again just a staff. Only then did he turn to Marie.
"There. You're safe." He said, offering a small smile. Before Marie could fully comprehend the words however, the boy's entire body tilted forward, falling to crash face first against the floor.
XXX
"He's gone!" The shout rang through the destroyed house, and in an instant, two females, one young and one older, were running towards it. As both Marie and Amanda slid to a stop beside Alvor, their husband and father respectively, they gaped at the empty bed in their guest room. The boy who had saved both their lives, as well as Alvor's, was gone, as if he had never been there. Even the bed was made, looking like he had never even slept in it. In fact, the only sign that he had ever existed was a small piece of paper, lying on top of the bedside table, and a few lien beside it. Hesitantly, Marie stepped over and picked it up, noticing that there was a neat, handwritten note on it. For a moment, she thought that perhaps he had just gone out for something, perhaps scavenge for survivors in the destroyed town around the inn, but when she read the words, that hope disappeared. It was short, just a few words, really, but for some reason they made her heart hurt, and with a gentle tenderness, she laid the note back upon the table. Turning from it, she smiled at her husband and daughter, who were looking at her worriedly, and just shook her head. Much as the boy had helped them, she couldn't hold his decision to leave against him. After all, they were planning on leaving themselves soon enough. There was nothing left of the village which had offered some measure of safety to their family, and the sands of Vacuo were rarely forgiving. She could only hope that a serpent might be able to survive alone, where others couldn't.
For the best whiskey I've ever had
-Draco
XXX
Alright, so that's that, and now you can all stop bugging me about who the fourth person is!
...Okay, that was kinda mean. Don't worry, I haven't been annoyed, and your comments are always welcome. Now, onto more important business, I must apologize for the long wait on this. I know that technically I have no schedule for this story, but I would have had this chapter up sooner if it weren't for me finishing up highschool early and the chapter itself not wanting to work. In fact, this wasn't anywhere near what it supposed to be, funnily enough. My original plan was for Draco to basically save Weiss from an assassination attempt, but that just didn't want to be written, so this is what you have instead. Also, I must apologize for the last few paragraphs. I honestly didn't know how to end this, so I'm sorry if it seems a bit jittery. Anyways, I think I'll let you all go now, so I hope you enjoy and don't forget to Review! See ya!