Smoke billows in from leering trees as the village finds itself encircled by skyscraper-sized living torches. The fire started early into the morning, but late enough that only the thatched roof homes are all but ash. Amid the panicked cries of women and children, partially masked by the roaring crackle of an inferno, blood-curling grunts and growls can be heard from both man and Grimm.
A poorly-armed farmer readies his pitch-fork, holding one hand on the shaft and the other at the base of the fork itself to keep it from rattling around and falling off.
SHWOOM.
Smoke rushes out of a hut to his right.
Blinded, he stumbles forward onto the ground, knees taking a resonating impact with a "crack". As he reels in pain, any and all thought is erased by a spine-chilling roar from behind. A proud Grimm bearing its jagged bone saw-mouth prepares to pounce. Turning over onto his back and scrambling away, the farmer catches a glimpse at the sky as a distant blur comes into view.
Sailing in at top speed, Spirit and Rig clear the canopy, which by now resembles a sea of flames.
"There!" Rig shouts, pointing to the few dozen huts and buildings in a clearing just up ahead.
"I see it- and it doesn't look good!" Spirit calls back over the sounds of accelerant breeze.
Their bird's eye view of the devastation provides no comfort as they momentarily hang in the air. As far as the eye can see in every direction, all the way up to a distant mountain ahead, the entire ancient forest basks in glowing fury. Eyes straining to catch the Grimm Behemoth, they instead spot numerous black shapes slithering between breaks in the trees below, all headed towards the settlement from all sides.
"That's- A lot of Grimm," Rig says as a mote of floating char hits him in the eye.
"And a lot of people about to lose their lives."
"How bad is it?"
"The more terrified they are, the more Grimm show up. It's a feedback loop."
"Let's get in there then!"
"Not so fast, Rig," Spirit says as they begin to lose upwards momentum. "We need to work things out before we charge in there."
Rig kicks both knees up to his chest to set off a gravity rush and keep them suspended for just a moment longer, "Do we need a plan?"
"Stay close. We can't communicate our plans over long distances, since a certain someone used up their Scroll's battery gawking at cartoon girls."
"But isn't that what you do while you're alone?"
"Hey, the finer details aren't important right now!"
"Forget it! All that matters is that I'm the best Ear-Shot around!"
"Can you hit the broad side of a Grimm?"
"I'm not sure- but I've hunted barns before!"
"Great!"
"That's the Spirit!"
Whistling down on their descent, a last-minute gravity rush stops them from a crash landing and leaves them smack dab between some hick and one pissed-off Grimm. Priming their weapons, the duo fans out around both sides of the beast, scissor-shotting it into shreds with each of their high-power barrels before Rig cleaves straight through with his axe.
Before the astonished, prone farmer behind them can utter a thanks, another Grimm crashes onto a nearby rooftop and rears its maw. Acting on instinct, Spirit changes to his sniper and backs off, grabbing the farmer by the scruff as Rig leaps onto the roof to dispatch the new arrival.
When his feet hit the tiles, however, both combatants plunge downwards in a singe-ing crash. Regaining his bearings in the dusty wreckage, Rig navigates his way by the pained howls of the Grimm impaled on a wooden beam to finish it off. His face is marred by soot and blood, mouth twitching and teeth bared. For a split second, his bright green eyes narrow, reflecting the fire.
Spirit hears a shotgun cock as he rounds a corner with his civilian, followed by an echoing bang.
"Rig, don't waste your shells," Spirit growls under his breath.
A few seconds later, a cheery Rig pops his head past the wall and moans, "Sorrryyy."
"Doesn't matter. I have a plan," Spirit motions upwards, "See that?"
"See what? I can't see anything, something's blocking my view!"
"Exactly! Now what does that look like to you?"
"Really inconvenient for sunbathers?"
"Well, uh… that. And the fact that it says 'water tower' in big, screaming bold letters."
Rig's face lights up, "We setting up a waterpark?"
"Splash and kerchow."
"Th-thank you," the bushy eyebrowed farmer interrupts.
"Trust me, you're gonna want to save your thanks for after we pull off this next stunt," Spirit says.
"Or not," Rig chirps, "Ya never know- we're not pros, after all!"
The villager goes slightly pale, "Wait. You two, are you… are you not licensed Hunters?'
"Oops."
"Haha, he has a sick sense of humor you know!" Spirit grabs Rig by the arm, dragging him away. After they get out of earshot, he continues, "I'm shooting the supports off the tower in T-minus ten and you knock that bad boy into the air. Ready, Rig?!"
"When am I amn't?!" he hoots and runs off.
They position themselves accordingly- Spirit shoots off into the air and scopes in while Rig runs into the wide-open street below. As the airborne sniper zeroes in, one of the doors right across from Rig bursts open and a person runs out into the road.
"Rig?" a female voice calls out in surprise.
"You're that girl-"
Rig is interrupted by two subsequent shots and the sounds of screaming metal from above. The shadow of the massive steel structure swallows up everything around the two standing in the street.
Moving faster than he can think, Rig gravity rushes to shove the girl out of the way, then launches himself towards the falling tower. With one final push, he fluidly whips out his axe and shatters into the steel debris, bursting the whole thing. His now-unconscious body continues in an upwards arc as water rains down, dousing everything in a several hundred feet radius.
Before his body can crash into the soot-smeared dirt, the girl from earlier slides in and catches him. A couple seconds later, Spirit zips down to the ground, landing after a loop-de-loop between buildings. He jogs up to the other two and starts pointing angrily.
"Rig! What happened?!"
"Your friend here saved me," the girl answers for Spirit's unconscious partner.
"He wouldn't have had to 'save you' if you didn't get in the way! Have you lost your mind?!"
"If I didn't 'get in the way', he would have broken at least a few more bones!"
"And he wouldn't be unconscious, either!" Spirit glares back at Rig. "C'mon, Rig, get up!"
"I don't think he's getting up anytime soon. Looks like we're gonna have to fight through it, buddy," she says, and runs off with Rig under one arm.
"W-wait," Spirit yells and hookshots out to follow suit. "Tell me your name so we can communicate!"
"Kanoa Haheo, and don't you soon forget it!"
"Where are you running?"
"Here, to get my gear," she says, and ducks into a drenched concrete house.
Spirit summons a platform where the water tower once stood. Clicking his rifle together, he zeroes in on as many targets as possible. While the fire has subsided, Grimm still roam through the village's borders. Boarbatusks dash around the streets, charging through the wooden walls of homes, while a pack of Beowolves and Ursai form small circles around unarmed civilians.
Spirit's barrel whips left and right as he attempts dispatch as many as he can, but the precise shots of a sniper rifle aren't fast enough. Instead, he prioritizes by providing openings to as many trapped groups of people as possible, blasting the skulls off of each beast.
It's only delaying the inevitable.
"Hey!"
Kanoa returns outside with a mace in hand and no Rig.
"Where's Rig?"
"He's gonna be fine. I left him under a table in case the roof comes down."
"You WHAT?!"
"What, you don't trust that table? That thing's sturdier than grandpa, and he won our weightlifting competition at 108."
"Fine, whatever. I'll take point and-"
"I can do it very well on my own, thank you very much," Kanoa responds, flexing a toned bicep while test-swinging her mace with a shoulder windmill, "This is my home-turf after all!"
She bolts off, leaving him behind with a growing feeling of anxiety. Spirit watches as Kanoa climbs atop a house before dropping down on one of the Beowolf trios. Her mace smashes into one of their skulls and she follows her swing into the head of a second. Electricity visibly ripples through the second Grimm's body.
Kanoa turns around just as the third Beowolf pounces towards her, sending a flurry of mace strikes before electrocuting it with her final blow. In unison, all three black bodies disintegrate around her.
"Guess I need to QA test this thing some more," She turns with a shrug as a few villagers cheer, "Or- I suppose if it's not a bug, it's a feature."
Spirit turns back to the rampaging Boarbatusks from earlier, shaking his head. He picks them off one by one, crashing them into the dirt as they dissolve into black flickers of their former selves. As he adjusts his aim, from the corner of his scope, he catches Kanoa moving between the houses and clearing the other pack of Ursai. Despite the height advantage he always took pride in, right now, she's faster and more efficient.
Kanoa can handle herself.
-XX・XX-
"Thank you, traveller. This area has always been harassed by Grimm, but as of late, their presence has been at its worst in decades," The old man in front of Spirit slightly bows as he speaks, "Are there any supplies we can offer before your departure?"
Unlike the other villagers, the old man wears a long-sleeved silver robe that fully covers his arms. Though the bow feels a lot less cordial than it should be, Spirit returns the gesture.
"Well, to be honest, I'd really appreciate a place to sleep right about now."
The old man's smile fades. "A place to sleep?"
"Yeah. For my friend and I," He turns back to Kanoa's house as he hears her footsteps. "Speaking of which…"
After walking over to Kanoa, who is carrying Rig bridal-style, Spirit lightly slaps at one of his partner's cheeks.
"Rig. Rig, wake up."
"Hmhwha-?" Rig mumbles.
"Fight's over. Had a nice nap?"
"Mm… yeah. There was a girl with flowers and she-"
Rig pauses as he realizes his back is pressed against two arms instead of a cave floor. As his eyes widen, he trades looks with the girl carrying him. "...Did I get hitched while I was asleep?"
"Not exactly, lady-killer," Kanoa lowers him to the ground before turning back to her house. "Consider me carrying you as thanks for the water tower. Now if you excuse me, I need to fine-tune my gear."
"Are we still getting married? I mean you're strong and all, but-"
His comment is enough to make her immediately turn around and puff out her chest, drawing in a deep, excited breath.
"Well! I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything, but muscles aren't the only thing I can brag about! I've got a knack for anything that has a gear in it too, if you haven't seen it." Kanoa presses a small button on the side of her mace, popping a few sparks into the air. "But yeah, I'm pretty strong too."
"But not strong enough to get out of the way of our plan, clearly," Spirit tisks.
"I don't know what 'plan' you're talking about, but if it had anything to do with destroying our only water source, I'd really like to have thrown in my second opinion."
"And whose opinion might that be?"
She puts one hand on her hip. "A Huntresses'."
Spirit's face slightly pales. "Huntress?"
"Kanoa, that's enough of your fibbing." Despite the new sharpness in the old man's words, he quickly switches his expression to a softer one as he turns to Spirit and Rig. "My apologies. Kanoa is known to be… steadfast to her fairytales."
Kanoa glares at him. "Elder. Are you seriously trying to paint me as crazy right now?"
"Only until you cease your delusions and tinkerings. They will bring harm to the peace of our village."
"My inventions saved us! And if it wasn't for these two passing by, half of our homes would have been burnt to the ground!"
A few whispers start to form from the crowd of villagers surrounding them. The Elder steps forward, speaking in a more hushed voice.
"You know of our traditions."
Kanoa's expression unwavers. "You're not making me change my mind, Elder. There's a lot more to the world that I want to see and I can only do it as a Huntress. I mean, they even get those cool licenses of theirs to show for it!"
A wide smile forms on her face as she looks to the two outsiders. "Isn't that right? Show 'em!"
Rig audibly gulps as he remains seated on the dirt. Spirit sighs before speaking.
"Yeah, so… about that-"
"What? Don't tell me you lost yours?"
"It's more like…" A nervous grin forms on Rig's face. "... we never got them."
Some sighs come from the villagers at the revelation, before devolving back into panicked whispers. Now, the Elder's mouth fully shifts into a frown as he steps up.
"Leave. Now."
"What?! They helped us!" Kanoa protests.
"They are criminals, Kanoa. They could have endangered the lives of every person living here with their recklessness."
"What are you talking about?!"
"Look," Spirit interjects, "We don't mean any trouble. If we're not welcome here, we'll just go. There's a cave nearby that we can stay in again, so we'll manage."
The crowd grows quiet. While some maintain expressions of concern, others reflect a more sympathetic look in their eyes. Kanoa turns to the two fake Hunters.
"You two were the same guys that got rejected yesterday from entering our village, right?"
"Yeah, they turned us away at the gate-" Spirit starts explaining.
"Ooh- That's where I remember you from- we talked about how you-" Rig pipes in, pointing to Kanoa.
"And yet you still risked your lives for us," she continues, speaking right over him. Kanoa points at the two as she glares back at the Elder, "This is really how you're gonna repay them, especially while they're injured?"
Some more murmurs from the crowd makes the Elder gaze around. His jaw tightens.
"They get one night."
And with that, he storms off, passing through the opening the villagers form for him. Kanoa rolls her eyes.
"Ugh. Sorry you had to see that, guys. Is there anything I can do for you while you're here?"
"A bath would be a pretty swell place to start," Spirit says.
-XX・XX-
"That farmer's eyebrows were so fluffy, I thought he had two sheep covering his eyes," Rig says.
"Um... yeah, I suppose," Spirit replies.
An aquamarine hot spring sits nestled into a small quarry at the far end of the village by the treeline. From the inside of a quaint wood lodge, snaking clouds escape, pushing their way up to colder air and hissing. Misty droplets cling to the heads of the only two occupants.
"So did you mean to guilt trip them back there or-" Rig says.
"For the record, that was totally unintentional," Spirit replies. "I was more worried about the landmines we were going to step on between that girl and the old man."
"Ka-BOOM!"
Rig splashes the water around him with both hands while Spirit covers his face.
"Rig, cut it out! You-ACK!" Spirit sticks his tongue out, "Some of it got into my mouth!"
"You're allergic to hot water now?"
"Mixed with a half a week's worth of filth, yes!" Spirit waves his hand in defeat. "Ahh, forget it. Should just be glad we even get to bathe in the first place."
"That's the Spir-!"
"Rig, I'm going to drown you if you make that joke again."
"Out of all the times you've threatened me, death by hotsprings is definitely the most relaxing offer!"
As Rig starts to hum to himself, Spirit gazes at the ceiling. The sniper leans his back against the rocky barrier behind him.
"Hey," Spirit says after a few minutes of silence. "Don't you think it's strange?"
"What is?"
"This whole place, I mean. There wasn't supposed to be a village here on any of the maps I've seen of this part of Vale." Spirit narrows his eyes, "Actually, didn't Nima herself have a hard time pointing out where she lived when we asked her?"
"Eh. That map you gave her was old anyways."
"But so is this village. It's been standing for 'decades' apparently and that doesn't explain why these guys have zero idea about what happened at Beacon a month ago. I'm not getting any signals out here on my Scroll, too."
"Maybe they don't want to get out of their shells?"
"It just doesn't make sense though. Why wouldn't you want to work with the rest of the world, while the Grimm are shredding anything that talks? Any way you see it, they're willfully endangering themselves through hiding in their shells."
"Well, turtle shells are really good for protection too, right?"
Spirit's mouth hangs as he stares off in thought. He turns around, placing his arms over the rocks behind him.
"I'm starting to not like this place," Spirit whispers.
"What? Why?" Rig says, lowering his head into the water.
"I don't really know. But I'm not even sure I want to."
The silence feels more eerie this time around. Rig grins, using both his arms to splash as much water as humanly possible onto Spirit's back.
"Alright, that's it! You wanna go, Rig?! Let's freaking go!"
"Whoo!" Rig screams, then gravity rushes the two of them into the air.
"RIG, NO-!"
They take half the pool with them as they hit the ceiling of the lodge, then flop back into the water. Spirit floats on his back, a deadpan expression on his face.
"Of all the people I could have been mixed up with..."
"I know, right?! We're like, the perfect pair!"
-XX・XX-