In other news, Tommy's Tailors was burned to the ground last night, in what police believe to be an act of arson. The local clothing store has been the subject of some press lately for their refusal to alter their garments to accommodate certain Faunus characteristics, like tails. Three parallel slashes were painted on the ground in bright red outside the establishment, the symbol of the infamous militant Faunus group, the White Fang. This is the third Human oriented establishment to receive such treatment in as many months, police are asking that anyone who has any information…

Reed turned off his desktop display in disgust. Stories of conflict between humans and Faunus were becoming more frequent. There were far more instances of humans attacking Faunus than the other way around, though they were often portrayed as acts of self-defense. The White Fang, though, was a hot button issue. This particular incident would probably be reported on for weeks.

Shaking his head to clear it, Reed lifted his pack from its spot on the small table in the center of the room. The room was dull in the gray light of predawn, but Reed had already been up for over an hour. He had packed food for the day, emergency medical supplies, and water into his hiking backpack, and strapped the staff to its side. Phaedra was supposed to bring the new weapon with her, but Reed felt better having something simple and reliable within easy reach.

Ten minutes later he rounded a corner onto a large street, at the end of which stood the town gates. They were fifteen feet tall, made of the sturdiest lumber taken from the Emerald Forest, with reinforcing steel bands every three feet. The silhouette of Phaedra leaned in the shadow of the wall to the right of the gate.

Approaching her, Reed took stock of her expedition attire. Her bright blue hair was pulled back in the ponytail she normally wore while forging. She had a white baseball cap that said Forge me harder pulled low over her eyes, which were covered by dark sunglasses. Under a black jacket trimmed in blue she was wearing light leather armor, probably as a substitute for a blacksmiths apron. The armor was dark brown, and from a black belt at her waist hung a small hammer on her right hip, and the pair of knuckled daggers on the left. Her back pack was large, twice as big as Reed's own, and looked stuffed to bursting.

Reeds eyes were drawn to the staff, strapped to the side of her pack, just as the one her old man had given him was strapped to the side of Reed's. It was about six feet long, an inch or so taller than Reed, and was composed of the two thicker cylinders attached by a thinner middle section that Reed had seen in Phaedra's sketch.

Phaedra's eyes narrowed as she inspected Reed. "Have you honestly been going out into the woods in nothing more than a cotton T-shirt and jeans?"

Reed looked down at his outfit. He had switched out his normal running shoes for a sturdy pair of hiking boots, but other than that his attire was exactly what it would be on a normal day. He shrugged. "I can move fine in jeans. Besides, I don't really own anything else, other than my Gi."

"Even that would be better, there's no way you can move optimally in that. You really need to get some fucking proper combat attire."

Reed grimaced, remembering the slash he had received several nights previous. It had healed quickly enough when his Aura had regenerated, but it was still not an experience he would care to repeat. "I will look into getting some light armor when we get back," he promised, and she snorted in what may have been acknowledgment.

The gate began to creak open, cutting their conversation short. Between the massive doors, a steadily increasing line of trees became visible. The gates rumbled to a halt, and Phaedra and Reed walked through them out of the safety of the town. The roads were not overly dangerous during the day, and the Town Guard patrolled the busiest of them, so Reed and Phaedra set out at a brisk walk. They would have to hike a decent distance before they would have any chance of encountering Grimm.

Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Phaedra led them down a game trail that cut into the woods and away from town. Reed was surprised when she took the lead, having assumed she had little experience with the woods around Adigiar.

"My old man used to take me hiking through the forest all the time when I was a kid," she said when Reed brought it up. "He was a fighter of some renown before he became a forger, so he was always able to handle any of the small Grimm that hang out around here."

After an hour of hiking they came across the edge of a cliff that was clear of trees. Over its edge they could see the staggering extent of the forest, an ocean of green stretching to the west as far as the eye could see. To the north craggy mountains were visible, their tops wreathed in white clouds. Reed stood, marveling at the sight, as Phaedra dropped her bag with a poof of dust.

"This will serve fine as a base camp. I have one last addition to the weapon I want to install before we get started."

"Don't you need a forge to do any major modifications?" Reed asked, having assumed she brought the weapon ready to be field tested.

"Yep," she replied, and didn't elaborate. She began digging around in her pack, pulling out various tools and laying them out in a neat line. Last, she drew out a bulging brown pouch the size of Reeds head, and began pouring its contents in a pattern on the ground. They were tiny brown crystals, Earth dust Reed realized, each the size of a grain of sand. First she poured one large circle, piling the Dust in a small ridge. She then drew a smaller circle connected to its side, piling the dust less high than the first. Finally, she drew the hammer from her belt and hit the edge of the larger circle with a sharp crack.

Instantly there was a roaring screech of stone grinding against stone, and a cloud of dust appeared, obscuring the cliff's edge. When it settled a large stone bowl, the exact size of the forges he had seen at Phaedra's house, had risen from the ground. He wasn't sure what purpose the smaller bowl served, but he saw a more pressing concern.

"How are you going to heat the forge?" he asked. "There's no way you have enough coke in that backpack to fill the entire thing."

Phaedra grinned mischievously. "You may want to stand back," she said. Reed, having no idea what was about to happen, heeded her advice.

She leaned forward, hands placed on the edge of the bowl, and eyes fixed intently on the center. For a long minute, nothing happened. Then a crack rent the air, as a split appeared in the center of the bowl. From the split, molten magma spilled into the bowl.

Phaedra's arms began to tremble when the bowl was half full. When it reached the three-quarter mark she let out an explosive breath and stepped back, panting slightly.

"That was incredible," Reed said in awe. "How did you do that?"

She took a second to catch her breathe before replying, "My semblance allows me to pull magma from below Remnant's crust to the surface. Damn useful for creating forges on the go, but it always leaves me exhausted and fucking starving."

Reed reached into his bag and pulled out a small package, tossing it under hand to Phaedra. She caught it, and cast him a questioning look. "It's a rice ball," he said. "It's got salmon in a soy marinade on the inside, and is wrapped in dried seaweed."

Taking a bite, Phaedra gave an appreciative murmur of surprise. "Damn Reed, I had no idea you could cook."

"Hazard of having a chef for a mom," he replied, taking a rice ball for himself. Phaedra devoured what was left and made herself busy around the forge. She took out a spike and placed it on the dividing wall between the bigger bowl and the smaller one. She gave it a sharp rap with her hammer, drawing it out to let a stream of molten fluid fill the smaller bowl. Then she set a wind crystal on the edge of the bowl, blowing over the glowing fluid.

"What's that for?" Reed asked.

"Forging," Phaedra said with a smile. When Reed rolled his eyes, she relented. "When the magma first rises to the surface, it is a mix of iron from Remnant's molten core and liquid rock. As it settles, the heavier iron sinks to the bottom of the forge, so I am draining that out now to use as forging material."

"That's really handy, you never have to carry steel bars with a semblance like that."

Phaedra nodded, smugly. "It's perfect for a soon-to-be master forger like myself."

"So is the wind crystal for cooling the iron?"

"No, no, no," she said, with the air of explaining something to a child. "If I wanted to cool it quickly, I could just use an Ice crystal. When the iron is in this state, it still has too much carbon bonded with it. A little bit of carbon is good, it makes the steel hard and strong. But too much and it will be brittle and easy to break. By blowing a steady stream of air over the molten iron the oxygen in the air binds with the carbon, removing the excess and leaving the steel strong, yet flexible."

Reed had to resist smiling at the light that entered Phaedra's eyes as she described the process. The obvious passion that entered her voice was at odds with her normally abrasive demeanor. She even forgot to drop a single curse into her explanation.

"So Earth to make the forge, Wind to purify the material, and Ice to cool it." Reed grinned, "I have to say, it's a very unique use of dust."

"I know," Phaedra said, grinning to herself as she stared at her creation. "Honestly though, I am pretty proud of it. But enough about my brilliance for now, save it for after I finish your weapon."

She grabbed a small, ten-pound anvil, and set it next to the forge. Then she grabbed her tongs and hammer and began to shape the now solid, but malleable piece of glowing metal. She hammered on the cooling steel, sometimes taking strong powerful swings, other times tapping it to delicately guide it into the shape she had planned. Even though she gave it the attention of one guiding the creation of the next great masterpiece, the item turned out to be a simple metal cap, which she slid over one end of the staff.

"I left part of the staff hollow, as I'm planning on implanting a crystal there eventually," Phaedra said, carrying the weapon over to Reed, "But for now I've capped the hole with this to keep it balanced."

"Couldn't you have done that last night?"

"I had to get some sleep, you know," she said hotly. The defensive note in her voice made Reed wonder if she had waited on purpose, so she could show off her mobile forge.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but wipe that damn smirk off your face." She hesitated, then held the staff out to Reed. "It feels weird giving one of my creations to someone else," she said, eying him with a look of near hostility. "You better take good fucking care of it."

Reed accepted the weapon, and weighed it in his hands. It was a little heavier than the staff given to him by Phaedra's old man, but not by much. He spun it in a few practice moves, side-to side, over his head, then around his back, and nodded appreciatively. The balance was perfect. He couldn't even tell that one side concealed a blade.

"You activate the transformation with this switch," she said, pointing at a slightly discolored area just below the center of the staff. "Try it."

Reed flipped the switch and immediately a crescent of steel popped from the side near one end, a deadly point attached to its top pointing directly out from the staff. A long spur flipped out the other side, in the classic halberd style. Activating his semblance for good measure, Reed twirled the staff, walking around the cliff to get a good feel for the weapon.

It felt exactly like a staff, which was just fine by Reed. The balance hadn't changed in the slightest during the transformation, but one end of the staff was now edged with a deadly length of metal, a wickedly sharp spur opposite, and the tip with a point that could pierce through the thickest Grimm mask.

Reed activated the switch mid spin, transforming the weapon back into a staff as he slowed to a halt. He turned to face Phaedra. "The balance is impeccable, and the blade looks as sharp as a Beowolf's claws."

She snorted. "Please, Beowolfs have wet dreams about their claws being that sharp. Let's see if we can find a target worthy of being its first victim."

They found a small trail at the edge of the clearing leading deeper into the woods. Reed kept quiet, senses straining to pick up the slightest hint of nearby Grimm. Phaedra followed his lead, letting him lead the way and keeping a wary eye on the woods behind them.

Dappled sunlight filtered through the forest canopy over their heads, lending a peaceful lighting to the forest that contrasted sharply with the foreboding air Reed had experienced on his night-time forays. He had to constantly remind himself not to get complacent and let the calming atmosphere lure him into a false sense of security.

A rustling in the trees ahead of them made them both pull up short, muscles tense. To the right of the path ahead, a soft red glow became visible through a bush, and a lone Creeper wandered onto the path. It had three rows of bone-white spikes more than a foot-long protruding from its back, and a wicked spur on the end of its powerful tail. Reed gulped, this was a full-grown Grimm, not like the juveniles he had fought before.

"I will take care of this, but be careful," Reed whispered to Phaedra. "Creepers tend to hunt in packs, so there are probably more in the area."

Phaedra nodded and slid the knuckled knives from their sheaths at her hip. Reed walked toward the Grimm, shifting his balance from one foot to the next in a smooth gait that left him ready to move at a moment's notice. Hearing his soft footsteps on the ground, the Creeper turned to face him and let out a roar of challenge.

Reed started spinning the staff as the creature charged him, sliding the switch to activate the halberd head. He activated his semblance, and the creature's movements appeared to slow. When it was within a yard of Reed, the creature coiled on the ground and launched itself at Reed's face.

Stepping to the side, Reed spun the staff and brought it down on the back of the creature's neck. Unfortunately, Reed was not used to having to discern one end of the staff from the other. The blunt end of the staff drove the creature into the ground, rather than the blade separating the creature's head from its body.

The Creeper roared in rage, pinned to the ground by Reed's staff. Its tail lashed to the side, and Reed had to disengage to avoid taking a brutal hit to his floating ribs. The creature lunged at him with its claws, and Reed deflected the blow with an underhanded spin of the staff, again annoyed to find he hit the creature with the blunt end instead of the blade.

The reptilian Grimm spun with the blow, its other paw aimed at Reed's side. He caught the claws on his staff, but the strength of the blow knocked him flat on his back.

The Grimm's tail rose and the spur on its end lashed at his head. Taking the time to properly line up his strike, Reed spun to his feet and brought the halberd head around to intercept the blow. The crescent blade easily cleaved through the tail just below the spur.

Howling in pain, the Creeper made one last ditch effort, attempting to crush Reed's head in its powerful jaws. Reed brought the halberd around and stepped to the side, swinging the blade in a horizontal slash at head height. It passed through the Grimm's jaws and down the length of its body, cutting it in half lengthwise. Its roar died as the pieces began to dissipate into black mist.

Looking back at Phaedra, Reed saw that a second Creeper had appeared behind her, distracting her while a third had appeared between them. Reed rushed forward as the Grimm between them prepared to launch itself at Phaedra's unprotected back. He stomped his foot down on its tail, stopping it dead, and spun the halberd head up, severing its right forelimb. Predicting that the creature would attempt to spin at him with its remaining claw, Reed released the creature's tail. When the masked face spun to face him, it was met with an overhand slash, and the creature's head left its body.

Looking at Phaedra, Reed was relieved to see that she had the final Grimm well under control. She caught a horizontal slash on the gauntlet protected wrist of her right hand, and launched her left dagger forward, blade glowing bright red. It slid through the Creeper's mask like it was nothing, leaving a fiery trail in its wake. The creature fell to the ground, black mist spreading from head to tail.

Phaedra turned to Reed with a huff. "You know, we are out here for you to fight, not me. Pay more attention to your surroundings, if I have to kill one Grimm for every one of yours, you'll never be a professional Huntsman."

Raising an eyebrow, Reed replied, "I think you should heed your own advice. Did you not notice the third Creeper that almost got you in the back?"

Phaedra stiffened at that. She recovered quickly, turning her back on Reed. "Well two to one is still too much assistance on my part. I'm here to make weapons, not save your dumb ass."

Reed sighed, letting it drop. Once he had gotten used to having a blade on one end of the staff he had been able to dispatch the second Grimm without retreating so much as a step, and the weapon felt like a natural extension of himself. Still, the lack of power behind the blunt end of the staff was a problem.

"I have a suggestion for the halberd," Reed said, looking at the staff in his hands. "With your old man's staff I used an Ice crystal on one end, which let me trap Grimm and deal with them one at a time. The bladed head is powerful, but occasionally it's not viable to swing that head all the way around."

Phaedra nodded at that, returning to a professional demeanor. "I wanted you to get a feel for the halberd aspect before installing a dust crystal, but if you already find that it would be useful let's install one right away. You wanna be boring and stick with Ice, or are you feeling adventurous?"

Reed rolled his eyes. "For now let's stick with Ice. I know how to incorporate that into my fighting due to my night time excursions into these woods, so I can focus on getting used to the halberd."

"Fine, you crusty old Hermit."

They returned to the campsite, and Phaedra took the weapon from Reed. She removed the cap she had installed that morning, and after a moment of rummaging in her pack took out a medium sized Ice crystal. She slid it snugly into the slot at the bottom end of the staff, holding the weapon out to test its balance. Phaedra nodded, satisfied, and passed it back to Reed.

"Let's take a break," Reed suggested. "After that skirmish I could use a bite to eat."

"Whatever," Phaedra said, although her snarky tone was discredited by a loud rumble of her stomach. Reed grinned at her and passed her another rice ball before fishing one out for himself. They sat on the edge of the cliff, looking out over the tree tops that spread out below them. His thoughts returned to the news story that had been playing just before he left.

"Did you hear about the most recent White Fang attack?" he asked, taking a bite of his rice ball.

Phaedra grunted. "Fucking idiots," she said. "What kind of ass backwards logic is that? 'Oh, you know what will get people to treat us better? Let's harass the shit out of them. I'm sure they will like us if we burn down their stores.' I mean, I understand that a lot of humans treat Faunus like crap, but a lot of us also couldn't give less of a shit if someone is Faunus or human."

"The White Fang are scum," Reed said, a little more vehemently then he intended. "Nothing excuses their actions."

"Watch it. You're the one that brought it up, don't bite my damn head off." She cast him an annoyed look, but didn't push him.

Reed stewed in silence, his thoughts in the past. It was dangerous to let such negative emotions rule him in the middle of Grimm infested territory, but at that moment he could care less if a couple Creepers showed up. He would welcome the opportunity to work out some of his frustration. At the thought he looked behind him just in case.

Something much bigger than a Creeper stood at the edge of their clearing.

It was greater than six feet tall, body the deepest black of midnight, except for the bone white mask covering its canine face. It stood on two legs, long arms held out to the side ending in clawed paws the size of Reed's head. Evil red eyes glowed behind the mask, looking straight at him.

Reed realized with horror that his despondency had drawn a juvenile Beowolf.

Reed jumped to his feet and snatched the halberd from the ground as the thing raised its head to the sky and howled, the sound rattling his eardrums and sending a shiver down his spine. Phaedra yelped and jumped up, unaware of the Grimm before that moment.

He advanced, not wanting to be stuck between the monster and the cliff. The Beowolf fell to the ground on all fours and charged Reed. He felt his mouth grow dry at the sheer speed of the Grimm.

Even with his semblance active it was a near thing to escape the slash aimed at his throat. He caught the blow on the blunt end of his staff and dropped into a low stance, using the staff to send the blow sailing over his head. He stepped behind the creature, aiming a slash with the halberd head at its back.

The blow bounced harmlessly off the spikes protruding from its spine. As Reed recovered from the recoil the Beowolf spun and hit him a stunning backhand blow. He sailed through the air and his back slammed into the trunk of a tree, driving the air from his lungs. He landed on his feet, bracing the butt of his staff against the ground to keep him upright.

When he looked up, the Beowolf had turned away from him and was stalking towards Phaedra. She already had her knives out, hands fully gauntleted, and was retreating slowly before the advancing Beowolf. Reed started running for her, just as the creature pounced.

Phaedra activated the Wind dust in her left gauntlet, aiming to hit the Beowolf with her cyclone attack, but didn't have time to build up to full speed before the Grimm struck. Its clawed paw flashed out, catching her in the chest and throwing her to the ground. In an instant it was upon her, hind paws pinning her to the ground as blow after blow landed around her head and upper body. Phaedra's gauntlets caught the brunt of the blows aimed at her head, but her Aura wouldn't last long against the onslaught.

As Reed drew near Phaedra's Aura shattered with a crackling flash of light and the Beowolf pulled an arm back in preparation to stab her through the chest. Without any Aura left to protect her, the blow would mean instant death. Finally in range, Reed swung his staff with all his might, halberd head drawing a long line across the monster's chest. It howled and jumped out of range, skidding to a stop ten feet away, and immediately threw itself back at Reed and Phaedra.

Reed took his chance while the creature recovered to place himself between it and Phaedra. "Get back!" he yelled, casting a glance back at Phaedra. Her normal calm demeanor was gone, her eyes wild as she just stared at the Grimm. Cursing, Reed returned his attention to the beast as it charged him again. Phaedra was in no condition to run or fight, therefore it was up to Reed to protect her.

The Beowolf reared up onto its hind legs directly in front of Reed and started raining slashes down on him. Reed spun his halberd as fast as he could, knocking the creature's claws wide, high, and to the side, anything that kept them from ripping into Reed's flesh.

Despite his best efforts blows started to slip through his defense, claw clashing with the Aura around his arms and legs. As he took more damage, he felt control of his semblance starting to slip. Aura protected him and powered his semblance, but this fight was burning it at both ends. It was only a matter of time before it shattered like Phaedra's had.

The halberd head bit into the Grimm's flesh several times, but the damage was superficial and only served to anger the creature. It changed tactics, going for strength over speed. The blows were easier to track and deflect, but each one pushed Reed's guard further from his center.

As the Beowolf grew more infuriated Reed saw his chance. It went for an underhanded slash, aiming to cleave him in half. Reed hit the paw with the Dust infused end of his staff as it passed several inches from the ground, freezing the paw to the ground with a blossoming ice crystal. When the Beowolf raised its other paw high, Reed dashed under the outstretched limb. He struck its shoulder as hard as he could as he passed, and after an initial moment of resistance was rewarded with the halberd head passing clean through the limb.

Not giving it the time to recover, Reed got a running start and leapt at the creatures back. Using his semblance to time his moves carefully, he ran up the creatures back spikes and jumped off the top of its head. The action pushed the creature's snout down, exposing the back of its neck. Reed took his halberd in a two-handed grip and brought it down as hard as he could on the exposed area.

Reed crashed to the ground, followed shortly by the Beowolf's decapitated head before it dissipated into nothing. He lay flat on his back, panting as the adrenaline pounded through his head. A little gasp of air escaped his mouth, and before he knew it he was laughing hysterically. He knew he sounded insane, but couldn't help it.

The laughing passed after a minute, and he sat up. When he looked around, Phaedra was kneeling where she had fallen, head pressed against the ground. Alarmed, Reed ran over to her.

"Phaedra! Are you alright?!"

She nodded, without looking up. Reed heard a sniff, and realized she was crying but didn't want him to see. He relaxed and dropped down to sit on the cliff's edge next to her, watching the light change color as evening arrived. Everything was cast in a pink hue, lending the forest a happy glow that Reed knew better than ever hid the stuff of nightmares.

Phaedra sat up, but she kept her back to him. "That was way too close, you Hermit-damned fool. I almost had to save your ass again."

She sounded almost normal, except a small quiver in her voice. An image flashed in his mind of her wild, terrified eyes, staring at the monster that almost took her life. It was so at odds with her normally cocky, brash self. She had stared death in the face, now she probably felt she had to over-correct for her moment of weakness.

Reed sighed. "Sorry, I will do better."

"Good." Phaedra's voice was rough as she moved to sit next to him, eyes red but face dry. Then, in a voice so small he almost missed it, "Thank you."

"It was nothing," Reed said, leaning back on his elbows. "Like you said, what kind of Huntsman would I be if my forger had to protect me?"

Phaedra let out a little laugh. "Damn straight," she said, pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe her nose. "Still, it has been years since a Beowolf, even a juvenile, has been seen this close to Adigiar. What the hell is going on?"

"It has to be the White Fang," Reed replied. "Because of them, Human-Faunus relationships are deteriorating, and that's causing more negative feelings. Humans are scared of the White Fang, so they persecute the Faunus. This makes the Faunus more scared of the humans, and I'm willing to bet leads to higher recruitment for the White Fang."

Phaedra nodded, agreeing with his logic. She rose to her feet, and offered Reed a hand up. "I don't know about you," she said, "but I think I could sleep for a week right now. Shall we call it a day?"