Huh. This didn't take as long as I thought it would.

On with the show!

-Adolescence of Innocence-
Chapter V: The Gladiator

Day 15 of the Twelfth Moon Cycle
Year 1916

"The Vis Pacem Ampitheatre?" Vyline repeated with mild surprise. "You're going there tomorrow?"

Pyrrha nodded. "We were supposed to go earlier in the week, but Father was called to Byzanhost to attend some sort of council meeting."

"What's Byzanhost?" Arya asked.

"It's a citadel holding sandwiched between the borders of the kingdom and the Rediron Empire," Vyline replied. "It's also the only way to get into either country. It sits right on top of a canyon."

"You mean the Dust Trench?"

Pyrrha recalled both locations from her studies.

The Byzanhost was built six years after the conclusion of the Three Century War as part of a joint operation and proposal by the Kaiser. It took weeks, if not months worth of negotiations as the wounds between the two countries was still fresh. The Kaiser attended every meeting, slowly earning the trust of Maple Leaf's advisers and even King August. The Kaiser offered to pay for the construction of the citadel.

The decision to build the Byzanhost atop the Dust Trench, a jagged scar running across the entirety of the Isle of Wales. Surviving a drop into the canyon was doable; the problem was getting out, as the bottom of was home to a host of monsters, all of which carried deadly toxins that could kill you a dozen times over. Culling the monsters was the duty of the soldiers garrisoned at the Byzanhost, all picked by the garrison commanders stationed there.

"What's the meeting about?" Vyline asked with concern. "Is it about what's going on in the Isle of Waking, maybe?"

"Perhaps. Father and the others remain tight-lipped about it."

What exactly is happening over there that has everyone so wound up? Pyrrha wanted answers and grew frustrated each time she was rebuked, either because someone told she didn't need to know just yet or she was better off not knowing. It really is irksome.

"Hopefully it isn't anything too serious," Vyline said. She leaned over and grabbed a steaming cup of tea from one of the saucers laid out across the table. "Father always speaks of how terrible the Maple-Iron war was and how no one wants a repeat of it."

"Neither does my uncle," Pyrrha mentioned. She then shook her head and decided they discussed such dreadful topics long enough. "But enough about that. Let's talk about something else. Is there anything else you can tell me about the Vis Pacem?"

"Sorry, Princess," Arya apologized to her bashfully. "But none of us knows much about it except that it's where a lot of people go to earn some money in exchange for working there as servants."

"I think father mentioned going to an event there once," Vyline recalled. "Two indentured servants were fighting a ligmin."

Pyrrha was startled. Ligmins were seldom seen in the Isle of Wales on account of their nocturnal and reclusive nature. They were docile at the best of times, but extremely territorial by nature. Her textbooks described them as having leathery skin with scales along the forearms and thighs and tiny draconic wings. They had four sets of eyes and a circular mouth, mainly used to suck up any foliage and berries it came across. Its claws were said to be as sharp as steel.

While she had yet to encounter one, Pyrrha heard more than one story from the guards at the palace about how egregious ligmins were when provoked. The way the soldiers talked, a ligmin was as ferocious and wild as a swarm of Lancers when someone made the mistake of disturbing their nest.

"A c-child or adult?"

"Adult, I think," Vyline said before shuddering. "I don't understand how anyone can face down such an ugly looking thing!"

"Hopefully they won't have anything like that when we go tomorrow," Pyrrha said. As ever curious about Sileos as she was, she had limits.

Day 13 of the Twelfth Moon Cycle
Year 1916

The Dust Trench
Byzenhost Citadel

King August and Regent Septem sat anxiously as they waited for the council meeting to be held. Forty people including the two royals sat in a circular room, with royalty and members of the courts seated closer toward the middle. A podium sat in the center, surrounded by thin wooden railings and two metal poles, each bearing the flags of the Isle of Wales' countries. The flag of Maple Leaf sat on the rightmost post, while a scarlet red flag sat on the leftmost, bearing the crest of a crown surrounded by blades.

Chatter filled the room, eyes glancing to and from various figures. King August ignored it all, keeping his eyes solely focused on the empty extravagant seat on the other side of the royal section.

"It would seem the Kaiser is not participating in this meeting," Septem noted.

King August scoffed. "No doubt the Boy King is busy fucking with his wives."

"Mind your tongue, brother. Save your words behind closed doors."

The monarch turned his head dismissively, much to Septem's chagrin. He knew his brother's grief toward the Rediron Empire better than anyone, but he hoped these long years as king would have tempered his hostilities. It was not to be, however. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed Septem's brother would forever despise their counterpart for taking their sister's life and so many others in their country.

Still, he was glad King August decided to withhold his hostilities for now. None could afford to bring bad blood into the Byzenhost, especially not now.

The tension in the council room was so thick it could be cut with a knife. It was understandable why they were acting so tensely, not when reports grew frequent by the day. Try as they might, they could no longer deny the truth. That was what this meeting was about, to confront these truths and plan the proper course of action.

After what felt like hours of waiting, the doors to the council room opened with a dull groan. All eyes turned to the robed Erdite woman, dark-skinned with white markings contrasting her bronze-tinged flesh and flowing silver-white hair. Behind her was another man clad in robes, though his presence elicited a far more startling reaction. His appearance was beautiful, almost otherworldly. Mismatched gold and purple eyes with cross-shaped pupils, curved horns growing from the temples of his head, and flawless peach-colored skin.

"The Maxim?" Septem whispered, his face growing pale.

King August groaned. "Well, if we weren't in the shit now…"

The Erdite woman stopped just short of the podium and bowed her head to the present lords, nobles, and royalty. "The Maxim wishes to speak to the Byzenhost Consulate."

None dared to speak. All chatter in the room turned silent as the grave the moment that man walked through the door. They watched nervously as he stepped onto the podium, his features devoid of emotion save for the intensity in his eyes.

He opened his mouth to speak, uttering words no one wished to hear.

"The Horde has returned."

Day 15 of the Twelfth Moon Cycle
Year 1916

Oakland City
Oakhaven Palace

King August returned late in the evening with her uncle, wearing the most somber and thunderous face Pyrrha had seen. He barely acknowledged her, too absorbed in his thoughts and the dark cloud hanging over his mind. Septem apologized, claiming King August has had a rough day and was tired from the long trip home from the Byzenhost. There was no mention of whatever talks went on in the citadel, though word quickly spread around the palace.

Lady Melinda canceled their tutoring session in light of whatever news King August brought home with him, wearing the same dreadful expression the palace servants and wandering nobles had. Though spoke in hushed whispers, keeping their voices low as if afraid someone might overhear. Pyrrha did her best to listen in, hoping to learn something. Through the bits and pieces, she heard only one thing.

The Horde has returned.

"It's not mentioned in any of my textbooks," Pyrrha frowned. "And from the sounds of it, it's pretty serious. Is It a recent thing, or…"

Whatever the case may be, there was no denying the severity of this Horde if it alarmed everyone in Oakhaven to such a degree. As much as she wanted answers, Pyrrha knew she'd get none, not as everyone was right now. Instead, she turned her mind to other thoughts.

Jonathan was in the courtyard with Royal Guard Captain Rathan Roygun. The Chimeran wore the countenance of a Tiger Faunus; thick brown sideburns attached to a braided beard and a mangy mess of curls atop his head, barely hiding the extra set of ears. His eyes wore the color of the seas, though the calm often betrayed how loud the man could get when riled up. He was easily the tallest man in the palace, standing at an impressive seven feet tall and wearing pale-gray and red armor with a maroon-colored cape draped over his spaulder.

Evidently, she arrived at the tail end of a sparring session or duel. The condition of the men spoke of the conclusion, with Jonathan lying flat on his back and his armor covered in dents while Captain Rathan stood over him, his sword tucked neatly in the sheathe at his hip.

"Is that all?" Rathan growled out. "Come on, up! Up on your feet!"

Jonathan groaned as he rolled onto his side and pushed himself off the floor, rising unsteadily to his feet. With practiced ease, he kicked his discarded training sword up in the air and into his hand. Rathan responded by taking a combat stance, yet never reached for his sword at all. In all the time Pyrrha saw him in the courtyard to train the soldiers in the palace, he never once drew steel. It was not because of arrogance like she first thought. It was his way of limiting himself and giving his opponents an even advantage. It helped that he did not even need a sword in the first place. His hand-to-hand skills were second to none.

Watching Captain Rathan in action was like watching a veteran Huntsman in the field. A force of nature, a veritable one-man army, a 'mountain' for others to climb and reach.

In her younger days, back when her mother used to read bedtime stories, Pyrrha remembered the tales of the Grimm Reaper, a Huntress who wore a decorated skull mask. No one saw her face or her real name. All they knew was her ability to wipe out Grimm in droves, famed and feared for her twin scythes. While the Grimm Reaper was not the 'mountain' Pyrrha wanted to climb, she was the catalyst and trigger for her dream.

But this world doesn't have Huntsmen or Huntresses, Pyrrha reminded herself.

There were no grand organizations for warriors to join and hunt monsters. There was the Knight Orders dotted across Sileos' known world, but they weren't like Huntsmen and Huntresses. The latter group had a degree of freedom as council-sanctioned warriors traveling across Remnant to combat the threat of Grimm and any ne'er-do-wells causing trouble for the local populace. The Knight Orders had stricter guidelines and thus more limited in their actions, acting on the orders of the ruling Agerion Lord—the chief noble of the region. Any orders from the Agerion superseded any outstanding orders or missions, sometimes to the order's detriment.

The closest Sileos had to Huntsmen were the Errants. They were knights who discarded their titles and priveledges, even their names, to serve and protect the people. By abandoning their posts, however, they lacked many resources and ties to the Order, thereby also limiting what help they could offer. Not that they were any less noble; some Errants were quite popular and well-known for their efforts and actions. The Isle of Waking had one such Errant: A Chimeran woman famed for her skill with a spear, once a member of the Order of the Undying Night.

Pyrrha's thoughts screeched to a halt and was summarily brought back to reality when she heard the sounds of battle approaching their end. Captain Rathan effortlessly blocked every strike Jonathan sent his way. The blonde was skilled in swordplay as he was with using his body while in motion. He tried to stomp on Captain Rathan's feet, stab at the unprotected gaps in the armor, even trying to poke him in the eyes. All of these efforts failed because Captain Rathan batted his sword away, side-stepped and tripped him up, and grabbed his wrist and headbutted him each time. The repeated spars wore out Jonathan to the point he was running on fumes while Captain Rathan, an experienced soldier on top of being a Chimeran, suffered no such fatigue.

In a fit of desperation, Jonathan threw his sword at the Captain and charged, drawing actual steel in the form of the knife holstered at his hip and aimed for the throat. In a single fluid motion, Captain Rathan knocked the training sword out of the air, spun on his heel in a full 180 degree motion, snatched Jonathan's hand with his shield-bearing arm, and drove his fist into the young man's gut.

Pyrrha winced, hearing the metal crumple if not crack outright from the blow. She could hear the metal shatter on impact. Jonathan spat out vomit, spraying the contents of his stomach on Captain Rathan's arm and boot as he collapsed on all fours.

"That's enough for today," the old Chimeran grunted. "You've improved a little, but you need to start think more outside the box. A skilled enough opponent would see your dagger coming a mile away."

"Y-yes, sir…"

"And knock it off with that sir crap. I've told you this before. Go clean up and get back to the barracks. I expect to see you and the rest of the unit bright and early in the morning!"

Pyrrha watched Jonathan pick himself up off the ground, wiping the dribbles of puke from his mouth while undoing the straps of his breastplate. As she suspected, it was ruined. Captain Rathan did not bend it so much as broke it. Crumpled bits of metal fell out of the giant cracks and fractures. Looking at the damages alone, Pyrrha knew Jonathan would have to get a replacement breastplate. Repairing it was out of the question.

It's a shame this world doesn't have Aura, Pyrrha thought as she scampered away. It was already late in the evening, and she did not want to get into trouble with the maids. They could get quite fussy with her being out of her room at such a late hour. It would definitely help people considerably.

Pyrrha tried to summon her Aura not long after she had cognizant control of her motor functions at the age of four. She knew how to unlock her Aura, but found her efforts fruitless. No matter how hard she tried, her Aura would not manifest. She panicked at first, thinking of the implications of not having the trade tool of all would-be Huntresses and Huntsmen. Everyone had Aura, it was just a matter of unlocking it. The idea that Pyrrha might not have a soul concerned and freaked her out, but she calmed down by reasoning to herself that she did have a soul, otherwise she wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

The loss of Aura and subsequently her Semblance was quite mournful at first, but Pyrrha did not dwell on it for long. She already knew of potential substitutes: Ignis, the magick art practiced throughout Sileos. An art anyone could learn and master provided they had the aptitude for it. While Pyrrha's understanding of magic was sorely limited back on Remnant on account of her untimely death, the magick of Sileos was easier to understand thanks to its documented history.

Ignis came in six distinct forms. Scarlet Ignis was fire magic in the broadest sense, often used in various masterworks to improve the quality of weapons and armor. Azure Ignis was water/ice magic, mainly used in purification and baptism rituals. Verdant Ignis was wind magic, often favored by sailors when traveling to and from Isles and smaller island inlets. Russett Ignis was earth magic, typically favored by the Bruni and other artisans since it made making housing and kilns easier. Lux and Shade Ignis, light and dark magic respectively, were significantly rarer and not often seen due to religious practices. Not even the Erdite, the foremost practitioners and master Ignisters, used it much.

Ignis aptitude tests did not happen until you were ten years old. The reason for this was mainly to stop anyone from a young age from learning Ignis before they were supposed to and getting caught up in an accident of their own making. Once you were confirmed to possess an aptitude for magic, you were sent to a Mancy Academy to learn and study Ignis for two to three years. Once you completed your education, you could legally use Ignis in public and officially recognized as an Ignister.

Pyrrha wasn't certain whether this would apply to her given her royal status, and as much as she wanted to properly learn how to wield magic, she didn't want to get too obsessed over it. She could wait four years. In the meantime, she was content with studying and learning more about the world.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow!

An extra bounce formed in her step as she returned to her bedroom with the maids none the wiser about her nightly excursions. Apprehensive as she was about the potential violence of Vis Pacem Ampitheatre, she would be a fool to deny the learning opportunity. There was something waiting for her there, a new learning experience.

Her only hope was that it would be a pleasant one.

Day 16 of the Twelfth Moon Cycle
Year 1916

Oakland City
Vis Pacem Ampitheatre

Today's show drew in a large crowd as expected. A crowd favorite was to do battle in the arena, and better yet, King August von Estelise brought the crown princess with him to watch the festivities. Royal coin alone was enough to get the gladiators excited. Especially those who became indentured servants specifically for coin.

Everyone had all sorts of reasons for signing on to risk their lives. Some wanted the thrill of battle. Some wanted to hone their skills for future endeavors. Others had little choice. The majority of indentured servants were people in desperate need of money, especially those in heavy debt. One such character was quaking in his boots, no doubt dreading what sort of opponent or monstrosity the showrunners had in store for them.

He won't last for a week, the gladiator thought with a scoff. A passing glance told him the man was a beggar who made the mistake of asking money from the Rat. Even the lowliest of commonfolk knew better than to be indebted to the most loathsome bastard in all of Maple Leaf kingdom. He took debts quite seriously to the point many in his debt preferred suicide than doing business with him any further. Not that you could blame those poor fools. The Rat was known for many things. Kindness and patience were not among them.

It would not surprise the gladiator in the slightest to learn if many of the indentured servants who signed on for coin did so because they made the mistake of asking for a loan from the Rat.

"Hell of a crowd today," Shark Teeth said.

It was not the woman's actual name. She never told him what her name was, and even if she had, he probably forgot. They did not see each other often since they were housed in different parts of the ampitheatre and had different contractors. Given the festivities and who was in attendance today, though, the showstoppers wanted to make a good impression for the royalty.

The top dogs and up-and-comers of Vis Pacem were all here, including the recent additions and dregs. No doubt they would be sent out to keep the commonfolk entertained.

"I heard the king and his daughter are here today," Shark Teeth continued with her trademark smile. The Chimeran woman had ten or so years on him and had about as many years in this place as he did, yet her body boasted far more scars. She was one of their top performers. "Dricks must be shitting bricks right about now, thinkin' how much coin he'll be countin' today when the show's over."

"We're getting paid and then some," the gladiator replied curtly. "That's all I care about."

"Always interested in the money, aren't you? Seriously, kid, we gotta get you laid. You're, what, thirteen now?"

"Getting there, yeah."

"Your attention, please!" A chorus of cheers erupted from the ampitheatre stands. Everyone in the waiting chambers quieted down. "Welcome, one and all, to our celebration this fine afternoon! What are we celebrating you ask? Why, the anniversary of our beloved kingdom's founding! And wouldn't you know it, our beloved king is here to watch! In honor of King August, our first match of the day will be between our finest gladiators! A non-stop brawl where anything goes except for death! We're not savages, after all!"

The gladiator scoffed. "Uh-huh, sure…"

"Ladies and gentlemen from all walks of life, please give a round of applause to the toughest sons of bitches to grace Vis Pacem! Our first contestant is a crowd favorite! He may be young, but you do not want to be anywhere near this bull when he gets fired up!" The gladiator sighed as the announcer continued to ramble on. He and Shark Teeth nodded to one another, the latter grinning in anticipation, as he made his way to the arena. His hand reached for the sword at his hip. "…introducing, the Savage Bull! AAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAAAS!"

Adamas was greeted by the roaring cheers upon his entrance. The seats were filled to maximum capacity. Everywhere he looked he saw people filling the stands. Just as the announcer said, the king and his daughter were present in the box seat in the middle of the stands. He paid the members of royalty no mind and instead focused on the battle ahead. The people here wanted entertainment and he needed money. If it was a show they wanted, he would give it to them and more.

"And as for his opponent, she's the reigning champ of the Vis Pacem Ampitheatre!" the announcer exclaimed with those odd arm motions of his. "Never lost a single match in the five years she's been here! A Chimeran among Chimerans! When she smells blood in the proverbial water, she'll track you down and won't stop once she's got her fangs in you! Here she is! The one! The only! AAAAAAAAAQUUUUUUUAAAAAAA!"

Oh, right. That was her name, wasn't it?

Adamas watched Shark Teeth emerge from the same entrance as him a minute later. On her shoulder was a battle ax five times her size, the edges bearing deadly spikes resembling fangs. Much as they did with him, the crowd cheered at his appearance. The two locked eyes, and the noise deafened to the point of silence. They did not exchange words. What happened between them was a sort of non-verbal communication, as though they could read each other's thoughts.

Adamas drew his sword from its sheathe.

Shark Teeth pointed her ax at him.

"Ready? FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! ! !"

They charged. Their weapons clashed. Sparks flew between them.

Adamas' grin matched Shark Teeth in equal measure as they engaged in a deadly dance of steel.

Up above in the Royal Box Seat, Pyrrha stared at the red-haired Chimeran with a frown. Although this was the first time she met him, his face seemed awfully familiar.

That man… Where have I seen him before?

Aaaand with that, we are now done with Arc 1. The Adolescence of Innocence Saga's second half will begin with Chapter 6, which is where we will enter a timeskip. As for our newly introduced character Adamas, he will be one of the central characters once we hit Arc 3. As for whether he really is the character you guys are thinking of, I won't say a word. Figure it out for yourselves and continue reading! If I still have any readers at this point XD. I've noticed this fanfic hasn't been doing so well in terms of favorites, follows, and reviews. Kind of a shame since it puts a huge damper on my writing, but eh, what can you do?

For a bit of shameless and shameful plugging, if you guys want to help support me financially, please consider checking out Chase Ryder and the City of Lost Memories over on Amazon. Alternatively, and it pains me to say this, you can support me over on my (Pa)treon. You will want (Pa)treon (backslash) SkyRig.

Shameless plug aside, I have a new story! If you'd be so kind, please check out "I Just Wanna Kick Back" and give me your thoughts.

See You.