Some good news before we get into things! I finished writing this act! The grand total is seven chapters, so you have two more to look forward to after this!

Far outside of Atlas and Mantle, there were a variety of coast cities where the snow met ice and sea. These cities enjoyed Atlas's protection, though on the day-to-day they remained firmly far from Atlas's mind. It was in one of these cities a woman limped through in dirty clothing, wearing a low hood, desperate for her next meal. She finally approached what appeared to be a club, deciding that expensive bar food is better than nothing. It wasn't as though she didn't have Lien… There was another reason for her troubles.

"Hey!" The bouncer stopped her at the door, "I can't let you in with the hood, girly."

"Please…" She pleaded, "I can pay…"

"This ain't Mistral, miss," The bouncer frowned, "I won't be bought. Hood down."

The woman slowly lowered her hood. The bouncer blinked rapidly, and others in line started shifting their eyes as well. The stark white hair and skin made her hard to look at, and those eyes… something about those eyes was unsettling. The bouncer couldn't seem to tell what color they were. He also noticed a few other people in line already leaving.

"Can I go in now?" The woman asked.

"Sorry…" The bouncer told her, watching two more people almost leave, "but… well, no offense, but… you're already making people uncomfortable here. We can't have all our customers leaving."

The woman very much took offense. It was the same story everywhere, even that diner that didn't have any other customers! All her life, people couldn't stand to look at her. She couldn't hold down a job, and people were constantly refusing her from establishments. She was starting to get angry.

"Look into my eyes," She growled at the bouncer. The man didn't want to. "I said look!" She demanded, and the bouncer caved. He looked, and couldn't describe what he saw. A moment later the bouncer had fallen down in sleep. The second he hit the ground, the girl knew she made a mistake. She didn't want to cause any trouble, and now to avoid it she had to be quick.

The woman rushed over the fallen man and inside. She didn't have much time before he woke back up, and it would be pretty obvious what had happened. She made her way to the bar as quickly as she could and ordered the first food item she saw. She kept one eye on the door as she impatiently waited for her food. The second she was handed a paper-lined basket filled with hot wings, she tried to b-line for the door.

"Hey!" The bartender called out to her, "You can't take food onto the dance floor!"

The woman, perhaps unwisely, did stop. She turned back, and spotted the bouncer stepping through the door.

"Hey!" The bouncer shouted drowsily at her, "S… stop her!"

The woman didn't know what to do. She may have paid for the food, but she did technically trespass into the club. She tried to rush past the bouncer to the front door, underestimating how awake he had become. He managed to grab her as she ran past. She craned her neck to get a look at him, but the bouncer used his hand to cover her eyes. "Not hitting me with that semblance again!"

She was quickly tossed outside without given the chance to argue or fight back. She started to get angry again, but she pushed that down. Anger hadn't done her any favors. Even the hot wings had been lost somewhere back there, likely staining the precious dance floor. She instead slumped her way into the nearest isolated spot, in the corner of an ally.

If it keeps going like this, I won't last much longer… she thought grimly to herself. It wasn't always this bad, but the more places she got banned from and kicked out of, the more nights she went hungry. Maybe it's wrong to think someone will save me…

Movement caught the corner of her eye. She looked up and barely caught a glimpse of… something. She could have sworn it was a crystal ball with feet, or maybe tentacles? She had no idea what it was, but it wasn't the first time she had seen it. She felt like it was following her… watching her.

But who would want to watch the blank woman that made everyone uneasy? Whether it was her last hope or true logic, the girl herself could only come to one conclusion. If someone was interested enough in her to watch her, wouldn't they want to help? If so, she desperately wished they would help soon…

A week passed, and the blank woman's situation got no better. Fortunately, she found an outdoor hot dog stand willing to let her buy. Unfortunately, she barely got one bite into her hot dog before someone knocked the food from her hands, scattering it across the ground.

"Oops," the man spoke insincerely, munching on his own fries. "I guess you'll have to find another, freak."

The only thing keeping the woman from tearing into him was the mantra she had come to learn. Anger does no favors. Instead of throwing fists, she released her grip on her own fingers and walked away. But all that didn't mean it all didn't still hurt. She slinked back into a familiar alley to curl up and cry.

It was a few moments later that something landed next to her. She dared to look, and saw a basket filled with fries. A basket that looked suspiciously like the one the bully had been eating from, though that fact didn't matter in the moment. It was the first food the woman had been able to consume in a few days. It wasn't nearly enough to make her full, but it gave her new energy. She wouldn't starve to death after all.

It gave her hope.

Having finished the fries, she looked up to her savior. She knew what she would see, but she was no less shocked. The strange floating orb suspended in front of her. Now that she had a clear view of it, she could tell it was a grimm. But why would a grimm save any human, especially her? "Who are you?"

"He is mine," a soothing voice spoke out.

The blank woman turned to face the voice, seeing a tall figure dress in a black hood. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I've been watching you," the figure spoke, clearly a woman's voice. "My friend here acts as my eyes where I cannot see."

"It's you, then…" the blank woman deduced, "Why, though?"

"Don't you know?" the black figure gestured toward her. "I'm here to help."

My savior… The blank woman could barely believe the day had finally come. "Why me, though?"

The dark figure lowered her hood, and the blank woman gasped. Pale skin, pale hair, and distinctive, unsettling eyes. She never gave thought to why her savior would be interested in her in the first place. She certainly didn't expect there would ever be, well… someone like her.

"I know what it's like," the woman held out her hand, "to be misunderstood."

The blank woman reached out to take her savior's hand, but hesitated. Her eyes drifted to the discarded fry box on the ground. "What… what did you do to him?"

"Nothing. Yet." The savior smirked. "Follow me."

The blank woman followed her savior around the corner, where the bully was constricted by grimm arms sprung forth from the ground. "He didn't do me wrong, after all," the savior explained. She pulled out a knife and handed it to the blank woman. "He did you wrong."

The blank woman was at a crossroads. She could feel it. This moment, this decision, could dictate the path of the rest of her life. What her savior was asking her to indulge in went against everything morality had taught her.

Looking into her savior's black eyes strengthened her resolve. This woman was offering to save her life. The man had only thought to hurt her. Was it really wrong to punish someone like him? A bully, a villain daresay, who treated her poorly because she looked strange?

As thoughts of revenge entered her mind, she reminded herself 'anger does no favors'. So as her grip tightened on the knife, she told herself this wouldn't be done in anger. This would be done for justice, because her savior asked it of her.

It would be done out of loyalty.

That thought put the blank woman in a strange state of nirvana. It kept her calm as she extracted her savior's 'justice' upon the man. The fact that she barely even blinked as she did unspeakable things would have unnerved the most depraved killer. And at the end of it all, she only turned around to face her savior again and ask, "what's next?"

Her savior smiled. "My name is Salem. And you are exactly what I'm looking for, miss…?"

"Leid!"

Leid Kale was brought back to the present by her current companion, the man mountain Hazel Rainart. "Don't lose focus now."

"You're lecturing me on losing focus?" Kale shook her head, "Which of us has disappointed Salem in the past, Hazel?"

Hazel grunted, but did not respond.

The two were currently stood in a secret elevator, taking them beneath Shade Academy. As they were still descending, Kale allowed herself a bit more time to indulge in her memories. That first act of loyalty had been a leap of faith, let there be no doubt. That faith had been proven tenfold. Salem took her in and taught her the truth of the world. She taught her about her semblance and appearance, how to turn these curses into gifts. She gave Leid Kale a home and a purpose.

Kale owed Salem everything, and so she gave Salem everything. She understood, unlike Salem's last protégé, that the maiden's power did not belong to her. She was a vessel for her mistress, nothing more. Kale herself belonged to Salem now. And that made her just as important as she needed to be, and more important than she could ever hope. She would never regret her loyalty.

"We're here," Hazel called to her again. They had reached the bottom of the elevator, and before them stretched a large room. The ground was made of sand, reminiscent of the Vacuo desert. Complete with to-scale towns and cities, if a few centuries out of date. And in the center, right where the Grand Oasis would be, was a large, circular slab of enchanted stone. The duo stepped toward this stone with purpose.

Kale smiled and knelt down, placing her hand upon the stone. The enchantments within the rock reacted to the power of the summer maiden. The stone began to glow and melt away. The edge of the circular slab retreated toward the middle of itself, and downward into the water hidden underneath.

The magic stone continued to retreat until it's glow could no longer be seen. A few moments passed where the room appeared still and silent, with the pair standing in front of this large pool of water patiently. Then the magic slab returned, having transformed shape entirely into the form of a fair lady rising from her lake. In the lake lady's hands was offered an elegant sword, brimming with power. The godly Relic of Destruction.

Hazel stepped onto the water, his feet meeting the mirror surface without sinking. There was a belief that the relic of destruction was a double edged sword in more than just appearance. This was why he was here, because he could shut out the pain. He reached out and took the sword in hand, feeling the weight as he drew it from the statue. His semblance was active, but nothing was happening physically. Perhaps he was safe.

That thought lasted all of five seconds before Hazel's skin began to crack.

Salem sat patiently at her table. Her 'allies' should return any moment now. Barring any more unforeseen interruption, they should return with maiden power and destruction relic in hand. The Grimm Queen was starting the new battle with the upper hand, for once. Even Korruption's massive fuck-up in attacking Vale wasn't slowing her down. Perhaps this time she could finally win the war.

She felt fortunate to have discovered Leid Kale. The girl was easy to sway, and Salem got to play a role she rarely fulfilled. Acting as her savior had granted her total dominance of the blank girl's will, and all with the blank girl's permission. A loyal pawn who knew what they were and were content with just that. Salem couldn't ask for a better soldier.

The sound of her doors opening brought Salem's attention back to the room. She opened her eyes to see a sight that was, for lack of a better term, mixed. Not at all disappointing, as Kale was carrying a cloth-wrapped blade that could only be the relic of destruction. However, the victory was somewhat diminished by Hazel's missing limb. "What has happened?"

"My Queen," Kale dipped her head, "The relic of destruction was more destructive than we initially assumed."

Salem once again looked to Hazel. His elbow remained, but everything below it was gone. "So when Hazel took the sword in hand…?"

"It vanished," Kale answered, "cracked and faded away. There was nothing we could do."

Salem sighed. "Hazel, are you fit to travel to Atlas on your own?"

"Yes," the large man nodded.

"One of Arthur's associates is still in-kingdom," Salem told him, "He shouldn't know you, but if he was a friend of Arthur's you could likely buy his services."

"Understood," Hazel nodded and turned to leave.

Tyrian left as well, leaving only Kale and Salem. The maiden brought the sword forward to her mistress. "Polyester?" Salem noticed, taking the wrapped blade.

"The relic disintegrated Hazel's arm, but not the stone it was trapped in," Kale explained, "While it may have been the enchantments, we decided to try just non-organic material and see if it worked."

"I see," Salem nodded, "We'll be sure to be careful with this." She looked to Leid Kale and smiled, "Good work."

Kale couldn't help but smile. She had come to outright idolize the Grimm Queen, so of course she was happy when Salem was happy. "So, what is next, my Queen?"

Salem sat back in thought. "We cannot acquire another relic without the associated maiden power, so we need to find a maiden. We're having trouble locating fall, and winter is out of our reach until we have more strength," Salem counted off, "so spring it is."

"And where is spring?" Kale asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Salem asked, "though I do have an idea."

Kale cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, "I don't understand?"

Salem smirked, "Have you ever heard of the Branwen bandit tribe?"