Arc II: Officium firmis et infirmis

Chapter IV: Truth and Care

As a new morning rose; Elena Sin woke up from her sleep, after a trip from Atlas to Mistral. To Elena, it seemed as if it was just a common day, especially for her. But as she walked to open a window, she saw the skyline of the kingdom from a high-rise, where she thought; 'So this is Mistral..not bad, from the view.'

She gets dressed in a new form of atire; using the Atlas Front Tubes as a under-shirt, colored Light Grey, with the stripes being dark Grey. The Over-shirt, is a Military Jacket; in Dark Green colors, with Black on the buttons. Meanwhile; her bottom clothes were regular modern Remant Jeans, able to expand for running; with running boots that eases running. She has her emblem placed to fashion, under the Jacket; as the back of her Undershirt.

Auro says; as she comes down, "You seem combat ready." as she replys back; "I'm in an area that you've lived in. I haven't, so i decided to take..a safety measure." Auro reiffirms; "Trust me, we'll find Nanto, and hopefully your brother in the end game." Elena looks at Auro, and then says; "After breakfest, would you be ready to go?" Auro says back; "You mind..if i do something, before we work today?" Elena said, "Hmm..what do you mean by that?"

What Auro was meaning, was to go to his family, in a farm just near the borders of the kingdom. Elena understood; only asking to tag along with him, and so Auro agreed. As they arrived, Auro noticed little to no activity on the fields, that started to question him, only slightly. He then started to walk; more and more closer to the old home he resided before being enlisted to the 'Remnant' program.

As he walked to the door, it said; "The Inoberg family welcomes home" on a doormat, as Elena looked at Auro from behind. She noticed that his hands were clenched, as Auro knocked on the door. Shortly after, the door opened; where an old woman, looking at the age of 58 to 61 said, "Are you here for something?"

Auro had his face with dread, but simply asked; "I am here looking for the owners of this house, they are named Hamel Petersmith?" The old woman said, "Ah yes, the Petersmith family. I'm sorry to tell that the previous owners, to my lack of memory, moved to Vacuo." Elena then went up and said; "I'm sorry ma'am, but would it be best if he walks around the farm? He is the son of Hamel."

After some small talk; the woman allowed it, as Elena got auro out of his sense to start walking around the farm. From then on, Auro was pale; quiet, and walking around, with a frail look. And as the day went on, Auro didn't even say one word or phrase after that. Only until, they reached the barn near the front.

Elena said; "Look, i have asked you this now twice, and as team leader; what the hell is the problem?" Auro then stopped, turning from a unsure face, to a determined; angrily face, and yelled at Elena; "Its because i knew that the bastards would of moved!?" Elena changed her face to an uncertain expression, as Auro then said, slowly. "I..I..I was never a Petersmith."

Elena said, "What do you-" before Auro interrupted her; saying: "I wanted to know, what my DNA really was; and when I was enlisted to the Remnant program; I personally asked to know my DNA. Once then when i figured out that i was.." Elena then realized, the reason why Auro is upset; to say, "..Are, you an orphan?"

Auro says, to Elena; "Indeed. I wanted to be fully sure; and I now may never have the chance. Unless if a true miracle happens; I can't know for certain." Auro then walks to the road, using his scroll to call a transport car; as Elena says, "I get it, trust me on that Auro. You'll find what you'd look for, especially if you care enough about it."

Before they leave, Elena gives thanks to the woman now inheriting the land, as they leave. While riding on the way; Elena notices all the empty buildings, and farms. She then asks Auro; "Say, what was it like, working on a farm?" Auro paused; thinking. He then said to Elena, as he grabs a apple; "Its..hard. For me, I didn't really have much friends. And to be perfectly honest, the only 'Friend' if you wanted to call was my pet cat."

Auro then takes a bite out on the apple, and as he finishes chewing the piece; he says, "I guess, I wish I wasn't a farm-boy. But, if it wasn't for that, I may of not found my semblance..before one day." He stops talking, and then looks out to the window, as he keeps eating the apple. Elena then asks him, "What made you want to enlist to the Remnant program?"

Auro stops eating, and places the Apple on a board. He then says to Elena; "Ironwood was coming to enlist people in partnership with the Mistral government for the future of the militaries. I was there, as I was..actually not able to draft." He looks out the window.

"But; there was a Protest occuring, by a group of Faunus members, looking for peace and equality. Unfortunately, this caused some White fang to attack the Faunus, protesting for more visceral action to occur.." Elena looked at him; and asked, "What did you do?" Auro was still looking, not sure what to say.

Then, he figured the words; "When the protest became worse, there were five people shot by the White Fang..and I was shot." He then looks to a area of the car, seeing a bottle of water. "That was, after I restrained one of the White Fang members." he points the bottle, as Elena gives it to him; "If anything, that was the first bullet I took. And when I woke up, I was in a hospital, where Ironwood was. After that, he enlisted me to the Atlas milita, where I left this hellhole of a kingdom. So, in a way; I wanted to be a huntsmen to get away from Mistral. But to also know who I really am.."

He drinks the water, as they reach the city. Elena then asks; "Do you have any memories of your older mother?" Auro then just didn't talk, for the rest of the ride. And as Elena and Auro reached the tower, Elena asked if the vehicle could stop. Auro asked Elena, "What are you doing?" Elena didn't respond, as she had her eye fixated on a person.

She then exited the vehicle, as Auro didn't know what to do. Elena was tailing a individual, cloaked. The individuals cloak was a dark blue, with grey stripes on the back. The figure only noticed twice, but Elena was clever to hide. Only in the places where the figure couldn't of seen her. But as the figure got to the destination, Elena noticed that it was a tavern. In an Alleyway; overlooking a shoreline five miles away.

The figure went into the tavern, as Elena thought; 'whats the drinking age requirement in this kingdom..' as she decides to look around, to find anything. But as Elena starts to look around, Auro walks to the area of the bar but doesn't see her around. So he decides to walk into the bar, hoping that noone would notice him.

Once he entered; he noticed a sudden change from a mood, as the bar before he walked in was loud, singing. It was quiet, with only the footsteps of Auro. They constantly muttered; "is that.." to "why can he be here?" as Auro asked for a bartender. A voice called out; "Yea, i'll be out in a sec!" A woman walks out, to be an individual that Auro didn't expect. The voice came out, showing that it was Nanto Sori; saying, "I see that you, Egon would of-" she then notices Auro, as she was suprised.

She then said, "Auro.." in a somber tone, as she yelled; "The Bar is closed!" and all of the patrons in the bar left, only leaving Auro and Nanto. Nanto said; "Well, i guess-" before Auros face turned with anger, as he said; "Why, out of anyone; why did you take Nao from Me, Elena and Margro!?" Nanto listened; as she grabbed a glass and poured some water. She then said to Auro; "Auro, I was more 'forced' to take Nao away from you and Elena. To be honest; i'd rather be a Huntress rather than an assassin; but thats what I was trained for."

She gave the cup of water to Auro, as she said; "I actually had a plan, because I knew he was special by one thing. Something that you out of anyone, would not understand." She walks to a door, as she gestures Auro to tag along. And only with hesitation; Auro comes with her, as he enters a small deck of stairs.

Auro asked, "So, whats the fancy cover-up for? I'd take it that Assassins are well known to lurk in darkness, correct?" Nanto, grudgingly said back; "Well..I am actually a Novice. To be honest; I left my own Assassin work a long time ago, but I have done a few jobs that aren't..well, challenging." as the door behind Auro closes, and Nanto going down to a basement floor."

Auro reaches the Basement floor; as he notices it being large, and barren; excluding three beds, two looking nicely formed and one trashed. Auro then is held, by a girl. She isn't able to pull hard to hurt Auro, as he asks; "So, whats with this litte one trying to kill me?" Nanto looks at Auro, seeing the girl holding him by the neck. She then says to the girl; "Miss Hox, he is a guest. Not an enemy."

The girl lets go, as she walks to Nanto. Auro says, "Nice welcoming party. I think I am figuring out what happened, but I want to be sure." Nanto and the girl looked at eachother, as Nanto says; "Go ahead." Auro looks around, seeing a destroyed wall leading into a tunnel, barely fixed. He also sees claw marks, and then trys to think of something.

He then says; "You had Nao with you, after the kidnapping; didn't you. Because it seems that the damage to the wall wouldn't be something from natural causes." Nanto says, as Auro thinks; "In a way, yes." She then clicks a folder on the computer with the screens, depicting a group of videos; muted showing Nao arguing with Nanto. Nanto explained to Auro that Nao was very much like Auro; where he was very much compelled to be against her. That was, until she told Nao the truth.

She stopped, as she looked at Auro, closing out of the folder. "You have to balance the good things and bad things in life. And unfortunately; I'll never be able to re-claim a sin I have even gained." She says to Auro then; "Somethings been set in motion, ever since Nao was given to a group of..less-than-reputable people."

As Elena slowly walks into the bar, Nanto says to Auro; "I'd advise that you have Elena leave Mistral, atleast; until it all blows over and that Nao is back in safe hands." Auro wants to ask another question, but the three of them hear sounds happening above them. Nanto tells Auro to have his weapon ready, incase if anything happens. She does tell Arieta to not go up; as she nods and goes to the computer, keeping tabs on security.

Nanto and Auro walk up; seeing that Elena is fighting, against a woman with a axe weapon. Nanto realizes who it is, and pushes Auro back into the stairway, closing the door. She then runs to the woman, and transforms her weapon to a sword like angle, as Elena is pushed back; with Nanto clashing with the woman.

Auro kicks the door down, to see Elena laying on the ground; watching the fight in amazement, as it was two assassins clashing blades against eachother. Nanto jumps around the bar, as the woman keeps Nanto fighting. That was all until both of them, heard a dark voice; coming from above them. The voice told them to stop; as they'd fight another day, but the woman with the axe; wasn't done.

She kicked Nanto down to the ground, and as she would of exposed something far worse about the axe, a figure dropped down to the floor. The figure was cloaked, in the same attire that Elena saw. But for Auro, the colors and everything about the attire had Auro freaked out, as he knew who he was witnessing.

He was witnessing, the work of the Legend of "Uza, The Feared".

~To Be Continued in Chapter Five: RESTITUTIO~

Crimsons words of Wizdom: Well; glad to see that you all are now caught up..and with that, comes what happens next.

Now, you won't be getting the end of Elena and Auros first confrontation with Uza quite yet..but you are getting something else. Its time to visit another kingdom, as Margaro comes into a place thats..not quite her liking.. That said, who will meet her? What will Winter do? Or will it all be for nothing of Margros visit to the kingdom of Vacuo..who knows. I guess my data won't be able to find out for you.

~C