Let's go!
Arc 1 - Chapter 3
Roman could only stare at Hei with a look of incredulity.
"So, let me get this straight. That tiny, little, injured, kid? Little Red in there? Is secretly a bloodthirsty monster?"
Hei looked at him with resignation.
"That… is exactly what I'm saying."
Roman could feel his worry slowly growing. Hei didn't lie, usually. And when he did, it was usually for a good reason to protect his people. However, a small part of Roman's mind was still doubtful of Hei's claim. How could Red actually be a threat? He voiced such to Hei.
"Look… I don't know the specifics, but what I do know is that no normal person has silver eyes. Apparently every documented record of someone holding such a trait has confirmed one thing in common. They can control the Grimm. Some even say that they can even summon them."
Roman interjected with a disbelieving shake of his head.
"Wait a minute. Grimm-Whisperer? You mean that old fairy tale is supposed to be real?"
"It's not just a fairy-tale, Roman. It's a fact. You might not know since you've spent most of your life living out here in the slums, not caring about the bigger picture of the world, but I pay attention to what goes on out there."
Roman looked miffed at that.
"There's already a hundred different things that can kill us at any given moment. A special Grimm variant is kinda low on my priority for needing to know about. Especially when the local Hunters here are constantly trying to pick a fight with me," he protested.
"Yeah, well it should be higher priority now. Huntsmen are supposed to be scared shitless of something like that, even. At least from what rumours I've heard," snorted Hei.
"Pfft. Hunters are just thugs with Aura. It doesn't take much to scare them. It wouldn't surprise me that a kid would freak them out."
Hei levelled Roman a stare.
"I said Huntsmen. Not Hunters, like the local garrison here in town such as Benny and Carmine. I mean the fully professional ones that don't require Aura Shard crystals."
Roman stopped his nervous chuckling as Hei spoke.
"I'm talking about actual Huntsmen. The ones that are selected for and come from the main academies. Like Beacon."
Roman paled.
"You mean actual Huntsmen are terrified of that kid?"
"Godsdammit Roman, YES!"
Hei felt his patience waning as he kept repeating the same thing to a disbelieving Roman.
"If my observation is correct, then little 'Red' in there? She's gonna paint the floor red with everyone."
It finally clicked with Roman, and only horror could be seen mounting his face.
"Shit. Emerald…"
Roman quickly backed away before turning around.
Just as he was about to sprint back into the house, Hei suddenly shot a hand out and latched onto his arm, a frantic look in his eyes.
"Where are you going?!"
Roman tried to shrug Hei's grip off, to no avail. The man's grip was like a vice.
"If what you said is true, then I've just left Emerald in the same room with her. Alone. And everyone else is none the wiser."
"There's nothing you or I can do right now. Not unless you want to risk forcing her hand. We need to be calm and think about this rationally."
Roman was gobsmacked.
"Be calm?!" He began incredulously.
"You just told me she can and will kill everyone in here, and now you want me to be calm?! Are you fucking mental, Hei!"
Hei stood up.
"And if you go charging in there while she's in an emotional mood, like she is, and she lashes out?! EVRYONE PAYS THE PRICE!"
"Well you're making it seem like we DON'T have a choice!" Roman returned passionately.
"WE DO!" Roared Hei, causing Roman to clamp shut.
"We do," he repeated, this time much more calmly.
"And what choice is that, Hei? You just admitted we are powerless to stop her. So what exactly are we supposed to do, other than get everyone the hell out?!"
Hei looked him directly in the eye with firm resolution, is prior concern and despair gone.
"We keep her mood stable for now, so she remains calm. And then…? I'll take her out in the woods to deal with."
Roman looked at him, his eyes twitching as he searched Hei for some underlying meaning, message, or if we was just plain crazy.
"Hei…" he began slowly.
"You just said that even Huntsmen piss their pants and can't deal with a… a Grimm hybrid – er something."
"Whisperer," offered Hei.
"Whatever," dismissed Roman.
"My point is, if even those spooks can't handle something like that, how the hell are you supposed to?!"
Hei was silent. It was then Roman's nervous chuckling returned.
"You can't. Can you. Your face says it all."
He snapped back. "I'm thinking!"
"Yeah, well, that doesn't change the fact you've as good as admitted we're fucked!"
Roman pulled himself out of Hei's grip, before marching to the door.
"Where are you going!"
"If you're going to sit on your ass just 'thinking', then I'm going to get Emerald out of harm's way, and see the truth for myself!"
Hei was on Roman in an instant, blocking the doorway.
"I'm not going to let your actions get anyone killed, Roman," he stated darkly.
Roman only just stared at him coldly.
"I'm not. But I sure as hell am not going to let inaction do the same damn job."
With that, he used his shoulder to shove past Hei, who only turned to watch Roman enter the building.
Roman was no fool. While he was still somewhat sceptical of what a mere kid could do in terms of collateral, he would be remiss to blatantly dismiss it without checking for himself.
That was why he had quickly found Neo and explained the situation to her. The mute girl merely had cocked an eyebrow before merrily agreeing to accompany him to go find Red.
It was with said company that he found himself back at the doorway to Hei's office, and the sound of silence within made his heart pound like thunder, and blood rush to his head like a rapid. He dissuaded himself of the idea of the worst having happened, but after Hei's explanation, he couldn't shake the morbid imagery of blood littering the entirety of the room inside.
God's you're such an idiot. Red's a kid. If you were actually that concerned, you'd have run straight here no hesitation. It's because she's a simple, little, kid.
Steeling himself, he grasped the door knob, and turned.
He let loose an anxious breath that he'd been holding as the sight that greeted him wasn't one straight from a nightmare. Rather, the room was left pretty much exactly the same as earlier.
Red was still lying on the couch while Mint sat across and was talking, almost happily.
The most important things, however, were; Red wasn't crying. Red wasn't going full psycho. And Red wasn't currently in a pool of everyone else's blood.
Deciding he might as well get to the bottom of the facts, he braved entering the room.
"Hey Red! Mint," he inclined his head to acknowledge the green-haired girl, his feuding over the brat replaced with relief that she wasn't currently mutilated.
Why'd you even think that? Red's a kid. What could she really do?
Red looked up at him, and for the first time he got a close look at her eyes, and by the goodness, Hei wasn't exactly exaggerating when he said they were a bright silver. They almost shone like lanterns.
Emerald looked up at him with relief, and before he or anyone could react, she darted away from Ruby and ran right past him.
"Thanks Torchwick! You're a lifesaver!"
And with that, she was gone from the room.
Roman wasn't sure if he should be terrified at the fact that Mint needed to run away, or relieved that she would be safe. Until he realised it was more likely she was just trying to get out of babysitting Red.
He ran a palm across his face.
"Damn kids," he grumbled, not even bothering to be offended by the nickname she called him.
"Um… Did I do something…?"
Red's childish voice was weak and high-pitched, laced with uncertainty.
Roman glanced back to her.
"Depends," he shrugged.
"Mint's a special kid."
Neo silently sniggered.
"But probably not as special as you, Red," he continued.
"Me?"
Red's look of confusion was almost adorable.
"Sure, why not."
By now, Roman was leaning next to mantle of the still lit fireplace, the heat it was kicking out doing a fabulous job on thawing both his fingers and nerves.
"Not everyday someone comes in and survives a nasty wound like you had. Fewer still at your age."
He pointedly neglected to tell her that Hei had used an Aura Shard to help expedite the healing process. His Aura Shard, he internally groused, but that was neither here nor there.
"I drink my milk," she protested weakly. "That's why!"
By now, Neo was sporting an amused smirk.
Roman merely rolled his eyes.
Yeah, totally a psycho monster, Hei.
"Sure kid. That's why," he agreed sarcastically. Red looked at him quizzically, before he realised that he probably came off as standoffish.
"Well, introductions are in order. I'm sure you've been introduced earlier by everyone, and I'm sure your new friend Mint has been filling your head with some nonsense about my name, so I'll go over it one more time."
He pointed a thumb at himself.
"I'm Roman," he gestured to Neo who waved at Ruby.
"That's Neo. And you're Red."
"Ruby!" She pouted.
"My name's Ruby."
"Sure thing, kid. You're Red to me from now on," he dismissed, deliberately ignoring the childish glare sent his way from said child.
There was a pause, before he sighed, his expression and the general mood turning sombre.
"Look, kid, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but it's important that you explain to us exactly what happened to you."
Ruby looked conflicted, and Roman could see her eyes were puffed and red from her previous crying.
"I was with my mom, when… when daddy hurt her."
Her eyes started to get a far-away look to them as she got lost in her memories. If ever there was a time for Red to go full-on psycho monster due to emotional trauma, now was going to be it.
Roman automatically tensed his muscles, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
"They were fighting. And then mom made me run outside of the tent, and-and there were people hurting each other out there!"
Ruby was starting to speak faster and faster with each word.
"Easy, kid," reassured Roman.
"Take a breath, and then you can continue. We're not going anywhere."
Ruby took his advice to heart, and her breathing started to calm down.
Once she was done hyperventilating, Roman gently prodded her to continue, which she did.
"My mom's guards were being hurt by a bunch of people in the shadows."
Roman's mind was in overdrive.
Her mother had guards. Did that mean she was a prisoner? No, the way Ruby spoke of them was as if they were loyal followers. So, did that mean she was a noble scion? Or if Hei were to be believed, then a cult leader? Either way, it would mean that she wasn't exactly a mindless entity if she could retain followers.
Unless they were enslaved, or not even human.
"And then," Ruby turned fearful.
"The scary man came."
That piqued his interest.
"Scary man?"
"Mmm-hmmm," she nodded her head rapidly.
Roman shared a glance with Neo.
"Is he the one that gave you that nasty cut?"
More shaking of the head.
"What exactly did he do?"
"He killed my mom!" Tears welled in Ruby's eyes, but she was so physically spent from crying that she couldn't even properly wrack a full-fledged sob.
"And he talked about how he was going to remove my eyes!"
Okay. By the sounds of it, this guy Ruby was talking about was beginning to sound like a sadist, and if she were to be believed, then that meant he could be out near the town somewhere.
A quick glance at Neo told him she was already thinking the same thing.
"So how'd you get away?"
Ruby averted her eyes shamefully.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it," she mumbled.
Roman quirked an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, Red, I didn't catch that?"
"Mom said I'm not supposed to talk about my magic."
"It's okay, Red. You can trust me," reassured Roman, his curiosity piqued.
Ruby looked reluctant, and it took a little more cajoling from Roman to get her to finally open up.
"Well," she winced at the pain in her chest, but otherwise continued.
"Mom said we were special, because of our magic. She never really explained it to me though? She just said I'd know it because of the feeling I'd get. And to use it, I'd have to find that feeling and answer it?"
Roman grimaced, his mind already conjuring a disturbing picture of what exactly her 'magic' might entail.
"And is that what you did? You accessed this 'feeling'?"
Ruby nodded slowly, unsure if she had answered correctly. God the kid's naïve and gullible, thought Roman.
"So, what happened? What was your magic that you used?"
"I… I don't know? All I know was I felt very sad. And very angry when the bad man…" she trailed off.
"When he killed your mother," Roman finished tactfully.
Ruby flinched as if struck. She must have had a real soft upbringing if death was such a hard topic to stomach, realised Roman. Then again, she was five he supposed. No five year-old should have to bear the weight of the world on them.
"So… I just answered the voices calling to me from that feeling."
Well, that wasn't half ominous.
"And then," probed Roman, already feeling uneasy.
"I don't remember."
She looked sad, but she tried to carry on resolutely and remember.
"All I remember was the scary man jumping towards me and hurting me. And then running."
Her eyes were low as she remembered, until she glanced back up at him with a pitiful face.
"That's all I can remember, I promise," her voice warbled as the tears refused to leave.
"Please don't leave me alone," she begged quietly.
Roman looked at her in surprise, the sheer earnest desperation on her face conveying authentic loneliness.
"Don't you have any family left you'd rather be with?"
She shook her head sadly.
"My mom is… gone. And my dad…?"
He pale little fists clenched tightly as she struggled to hold back her tears.
"…He's not my dad. He hurt my mom."
Roman looked at her, pursing his lips as he let his mind wander.
"So you have no-one left?"
A pathetic shake of her head.
He let his eyes close as a sigh escaped his lips.
"Once you're better today, did you want to show me and Neo where exactly you were attacked?"
"But what if the scary man is still there?!"
Ruby looked panicked, if judging by the way her eyes widened like saucers.
"Heh, relax kid," smirked Roman.
"I doubt your scary man is going to still be there. And even if he is, Neo and I are professionals. No-one will notice us."
"Why do you want to go?" her eyes were pleading and Roman pushed himself off of the mantle, pacing closer to Ruby.
"Look, we just want to check your story is correct, that's all."
"I'm not lying!" Ruby protested sharply, her voice scratchy with the increased volume that she added to it.
Roman waved his hands to placate her.
"I'm not saying you are, but you yourself admitted you don't quite remember the details. And if this guy is dangerous, the last thing we need is someone tracking us down here and some major misunderstanding developing." The last part was a low whisper to Neo, and she inclined her head minutely to concur.
It was silent for a second, and just as Roman was about to clarify further details, Ruby blurted out.
"Wait, I'll be better today?"
Roman looked at her dumbfounded, before he gave a sharp laugh.
"Ahaha. That's because when we patched you up, Hei, who's the boss man you met earlier, used what's called an Aura Shard on you."
At Ruby's curious look, he elaborated further.
"An Aura Shard is a crystal containing raw aura infused into it. It's used by Hunters predominantly to boost their abilities, but it can also be used to help speed up the healing process."
"Oh. What's a Hunter?"
"You don't…? A Hunter is…" Roman trailed off as carefully pondered what to say.
"A Hunter is just paid thug. One who happens to be bought out and owned by the Kingdom and used in local garrisons."
All of those words were meaningless garble that went straight over Ruby's head.
"So, they're bad people?" Ruby trailed off uncertainly.
"Eh," Roman shrugged.
"They're supposed to uphold the Kingdom's laws and protect us common people against the Grimm, but most of the time they just sit on their asses extorting those not so fortunate and doing fuck all."
"Swear!" glowered Ruby.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me, Red," he groaned.
"You're literally torn up, and the most upsetting thing is me saying a word that you deem bad?"
"Because it is a bad word!" she insisted.
"Mom always said so, and she said she washes everyone's mouth out with soap if they ever said the naughty word."
"Well, I promise not to say the naughty word in front of you again, Red," he bowed dramatically.
"Are you satisfied now?"
She kept glaring at him weakly, however.
"Promise."
"Oh what are we, freaking five?" he grumbled mostly to himself before relenting. "Yes, fine. I promise."
She held the glare for a moment longer before finally relaxing her features.
"Okay."
"Well," began Roman.
"Just rest up. Food will be ready soon. Once you've eaten and regained your strength, then we can begin to have a look-see."
He began to walk back to the door.
"Try not to strain yourself, Red."
"I won't. And thank you!"
Roman stopped.
"Hmm?"
Ruby looked at him with a weak smile underneath shy eyes.
"Thanks for helping me."
"Heh. Not a problem kid. Oh, before we do go, I do have one more question. Can you describe what this crazy man looks like?"
Ruby shuddered, but ultimately relented.
"He was very tall and scary looking. And he had like a tail, I think?"
Roman paused, before glancing at Neo. She didn't look at all intrigued.
"A tail, you say?"
Ruby nodded her head.
"Sure thing, Red. If that's what you say."
With that, he and Neo left the room.
As Roman clicked the door shut behind him, he looked down at Neo with a barely suppressed chuckle.
"A tail. Kid's got a hell of an imagination."
Neo yawned in disinterest.
"You said it Neo. This is going to be a boring search most likely. Heh. I still don't see what Hei claims to be afraid of."
Neo didn't look at him as he laughed to himself. Whether it was in disbelief, or to calm his nerves, he didn't allow it to show. All Neo knew was she would just watch over Roman and make sure he didn't get himself into anything dangerous. She owed him that much.
By the time the twins had finished preparing some food, which consisted of nothing more than mashed oats and water, stale bread and a couple slices of cheese, Hei had decided to finally come inside.
He was immediately beset by Roman when he saw him. Roman noticed that he appeared much more composed, and after he tried to point out to him that Ruby looked to be making a recovery, Hei gruffly told him to fetch her a wheelchair.
"So, is she gonna be dining with the rest of us then?"
"No. I'm going to see for myself what she has to say."
Roman sighed.
"Look, I know you seem to think she's this bloodthirsty Grimm, but I keep telling you, all I see is a scared child way out of her depth."
Hei shot him a pointed look and spoke with a tone that brooked no further argument.
"And I've already told you, I've made up my mind. I'm agreeing to entertain this notion of yours if only so you won't keep harping on about how I'm wrong. At least you'll have peace of mind when I prove the holes in her story."
Roman looked ready to continue debating, but Hei rounded on him.
"I am NOT, however, about to do so at the expense of everyone else's lives here."
"Fuck, if you're that convinced, why don't you just cut her throat already and be done with it," he snapped back.
"I would, except the risk of me failing means she would bring the literal apocalypse upon us, and I don't want any of the kids or you to suffer more than you already have!"
Roman quickened his pace in the hallway to block Hei going through the next doorway.
"You don't know that! Neo and I will take her out this evening and backtrack to where she came from to find any clues."
Roman threw his hands up in exasperation. "Gods I don't know why you are so against that!"
"Because a lot can happen out in the wilds when you're alone. If she gets the slip on you, she'll know where we live and could come back at any time. Or she could decide to act, and you'd be trapped out there," cautioned Hei.
"Could! There's that word. She could!"
Hei grit his teeth in frustration.
"I'm just trying to look out for everyone. Including you, Roman."
"I'm not some rookie or flailing kid, Hei. Neo and I have pulled of missions before – "
"This isn't just robbing some wealthy merchants or pulling a fast one on the garrison, Roman. You won't walk away with just a beating, if you walk away at all. Which with your lack of Arcane Potential is practically guaranteed. That makes you more weak and vulnerable than anyone else!"
Roman's eyes darkened, and he clenched his fists tightly whilst his teeth ground together loudly.
"Don't, Hei. Just don't."
Hei seemed to realise his mistake as his expression softened, and his tone lost that harsh edge.
"Look, Roman. I didn't mean…"
"No one gave me a chance. They just assumed." Roman's voice was barely above a seething whisper.
His eyes looked up to meet Hei's, and beneath the anger was clear hurt.
"My own family cast me away because of what they thought I might be, or rather, NOT be!"
Hei grimaced, but Roman continued.
"Except you, and Neo, and hells, even those twins, looked beyond that and gave me a chance! You promised I wouldn't be judged based on what I might be. Instead, you promised me a home amongst every other unfortunate reject. You made a home for people like us. Like me. The misunderstood. The rejected. And those with nowhere to go."
Hei looked at Roman sympathetically.
"Then you understood the lengths I have to go to make sure we can all keep that home."
Roman snarled.
"I understand you seem to have changed. If you won't even try to give her a chance, then what's the point of this place, Hei? Really?"
Hei remained silent and weather Roman's rant. When he was done, he pushed past Roman to go through the doorway.
"I'll give her a chance to explain her story. And this evening? I'll go with you and Neo personally to find out for myself."
Roman let loose a shuddering breath of relief and let his shoulders slump.
"Thank you, Hei. That's all I'm asking."
"Don't mistake this as kindness Roman. I still want you to have the twins take the kids out of the orphanage after lunch. I don't want them anywhere around here until we come back. They can spend the day making some lien down near the stalls. I'll have arrangements made in case we don't come back tonight."
"Sheesh, why do you have to make it sound so morbid," muttered Roman as he began to follow Hei on his way to the kitchen.
"Because it's a possibility, that's why."
Roman promptly zipped quiet.
Just as they reached the kitchen, but before they could enter, Roman turned to Hei again.
"Thanks Hei. For doing this."
Hei pursed his lips.
"Just make sure the kids are gone by lunch."
He didn't have the heart to tell Roman he had already made up his mind.
A good two hours had easily passed by now, and it was outside of the door to a decrepit single-story building in a crowded street that was packed with much larger shoddy inns, homes and apartments that Hei found himself.
He was dressed in his signature dark-blue button up dress shirt, complete with an even darker blue vest containing lighter embroidered roses, petals and vines that stretched out on the front. Heavy black pants both protected and kept his legs warm, while equally old leather riding boots came up just below his knees.
A dirty and worn trench-coat kept him warm and concealed both the baton hanging from his waist, as well as the small pouch of coin strapped to it. A backup knife lay concealed in his back if he ever needed it.
He glanced around the paved street, only to see the same peasants and homeless people that had always struggled to survive. Deeming the coast to be clear, he took a deep breath to steel his nerves, before giving two solid, but slow, knocks on the ancient wooden door.
As he waited for someone to answer, his mind wandered to earlier.
After his chat with Roman, he had collected some food that the twins had prepared and took it to the new girl. His nerves felt as if they were on fire the entire time, what with all of the crazy rumours and stories he had heard about the Grimm racing through his mind.
He had steeled his nerves and went to see the girl, Ruby, Roman had reminded him, and just as he had said, she was a shy little thing.
After watching her eat, he had finally started to ask her some questions, mostly just a repeat of what Roman had told him.
If he had hoped to find any inconsistencies, she had done a good job of disappointing him.
Everything she said seemed to match what Roman had told him. Judging from her seemingly spent emotional state, it was easy for him to see why Roman felt she was authentic. However, he still couldn't shake his thoughts of what she likely was, and with the way she spoke of her special magic, it practically confirmed what he already knew.
He hardly even paid attention to her emotional state, only just acknowledging its existence. His mind was too abuzz with how he would react if she decided to attack.
So it was once she was finished eating her breakfast, of which she complained tasted awful, that he had Roman and Neo keep an eye on her while he went out to make arrangements for the rest of the orphanage in preparation for his planned excursion.
That was only the partial truth, however, for his intended absence.
The door opened a crack, revealing a sunken eye pressed deep into old flesh.
"Ah, Hei. What brings you here," came a croaky voice belonging to an old man.
"I have need of your goods."
The door, nor the man, failed to budge. The single eye masked in shadows peered back steadfastly.
"I have lien. You know it's good, as is my word."
The door opened fully to reveal an old man with a long white beard dressed in a relatively clean shawl and cloak. His face was barely visible underneath it all, sans for a pale wrinkly nose that forced its way out from under.
The man's eye retreated back under the cloak as he moved to let Hei in.
Hei wasted no time entering the dark room, with the outdoor light barely revealing dusty bookshelves before they too were cast in darkness as the front door was closed and locked.
The sound of a match flicking, before Hei could blink, the room was cast in light as a candle was lit.
"That's expensive," stated Hei, referring to the matchstick that the man casually discarded.
"My bones are too tired to waste time lighting a damn fire every day. So, what do you want?"
"I can always send the kids around to help look after you. They'd prepare the firewood and take care of everything," he offered as he paced around, taking in the small single room that was surrounded by shelves with numerous books on every wall, and a small, yet simple, wooden table in the middle of it all. A single closed door stood in front of him.
"And I keep telling you, I have no need of that. Besides, I know the sort of trouble makers you have on your watch, and I'd rather not have anything else here become… misappropriated."
"The offer still stands," conceded Hei, before taking a seat at the table.
The old man slowly shambled over to occupy the remaining chair.
Hei waited until the man took a seat opposite him on the remaining chair before speaking.
"I need something from you."
"Bah," croaked the old man dismissively before quickly devolving into a coughing fit, one which Hei politely waited out.
Once he was done did he speak again.
"I want to buy your strongest poison."
"Tch. Well, you're out of luck. I sold my last batch two weeks ago."
Shit, Hei internally cursed.
"What do you have left then?" He pressed hopefully.
"I just said, the last batch. There is none left." The gravelly voice was laced with irritation.
"What do you want with poison anyway? Who pissed you off so much lately," he inquired, suppressing another cough but failing.
Information was readily worth its weight in gold around here, and Hei didn't want anyone else to get a hold of what he knew. It was better for the Grimm-Whisperer to die without a single trace in the world. If word got out that he had encountered, or yet worse, even briefly sheltered a Grimm-Whisperer? Vale would have so many Huntsmen teams crawling up his ass that he'd be dead long before he got dragged to the Hanging Square. And that wasn't to even say what would happen to the destitute kids he was sheltering at his orphanage. Including special cases like the twins, Emerald and even Roman.
No. While it was always best to be honest around the man he was dealing with, this was something he had to keep close to his chest. There was too much risk if it ever got leaked out. At least Roman was loyal, despite his tendencies. And Neo was mute.
The man before him? Well, Hei was broaching deeper into the world of information brokering, and along the way he had made many connections and discoveries.
One of them was the man before him.
"I have a problem child," he began carefully.
"One that needs to be dealt with permanently."
The man didn't move at all, the cloak and shadows masking his face, but Hei could tell he was being sized up in that instant.
"Hmm. Last I was aware you didn't have many enemies, young Xiong. What sort of problem child is it you are dealing with that you wouldn't dare to kill face to face?"
Hei hated how the man had long ago learnt his name without even asking him. No-one he knew had ever shared it, yet the man seemed to have known when he very first moved into this town to start the orphanage three years ago.
"One that carries great risk if angered. Risk that would see a lot of people dead."
"The local Hunters, then?"
Even Hei wasn't that stupid to go after the local garrison. Sure, he could easily kill one of them using underhanded means, but the retribution he would face would see him tortured and lynched. And that wasn't to say what would happen to the peace if a Kingdom-sanctioned Garrison soldier was murdered.
"No," Hei amended quickly. Although, that did give him an idea.
"Or rather, not an active one."
"Ah. So a retired Hunter then? Or, someone with Hunter training, but not necessarily a Hunter themselves."
"Something along those lines," nodded Hei slightly.
"So you want something that will bypass their Aura defence. Hence the risk of retribution if you were to fail," deduced the strange old man.
He was on the right train of thought, but Hei didn't want to correct him that it wasn't for someone with an active aura.
"Unfortunately, like I said, I don't have any poison in stock currently. My contact likely won't be in for another month. Would it be acceptable to wait until then? I will accept a down-payment to hold aside what you are after."
A month was unacceptable. Hei shook his head.
"No, that's too long. I need something now."
"Hmm. Ah. I think I know. Tell me, is it just the one individual, or is it a group you are concerned about?"
"Just the one…" Hei confirmed, curious.
The strange man stood up slowly, his frame shaking slightly as he leaned on the table for support.
"Then I might have just the item for you. Follow me."
With that, Hei stood up and opened the door leading deeper into the building.
The next room was pitch-black with no windows. A single queen-sized bed lay against the wall to the immediate right. Cupboards containing an assortment of books, bottles and containers lined each and every wall surface, except for the far wall which had a massive red curtain.
The man reached for it, and with strength that contradicted his earlier frailty, ripped it off to the side in one swift motion.
A series of cupboards and chests greeted them both.
The man knelt down to one of the chests and started rummaging through it.
Hei waited patiently until the man let out a pleased groan before standing up.
In his arms was a box easily the length of Hei's forearm, and about its thickness.
He set the box on the bed, motioning for Hei to come closer.
"You want something guaranteed to dispatch a Hunter, or anyone easily, with or without active Aura? This will do just that. Of that, my contact assures me. And they have never lied to me in all my years."
Hei stared at the box with a mixture of curiosity and impatience.
"What is it exactly that you are offering me if you don't have poison?"
He couldn't think of anything off the top of his head that would work against a Hunter in a direct fight, save a highly potent explosive. Even then, the feats achieved through Aura Crystals would easily negate such damage.
A sword or knife? Unless it was enchanted or imbued with a Huntsman's strange magic, he doubted it would work.
What the man revealed once he lifted the lid was something even stranger.
Inside a red felt-inlaid case was a strange wooden contraption.
"Is that a crossbow?"
Indeed, the strange contraption looked similar. It had what was clearly a curved grip for a wooden handle, as well as a trigger mechanism of sorts. But that was where the similarities ended.
A sleek metal pipe ran along the top of the wooden chassis, and a strange amalgamation of metal parts jutted out above the handle.
"Not quite." There was no missing the amused grin the man likely had.
"This is something my contact 'acquired' for me going back a year ago. It was headed towards Atlas, coming from the Argus Research Institute."
Hei could believe that. It was definitely weird and alien looking, but it had the distinct Atlas look about it, and once he looked closer, he could see the faint symbol of Atlas engraved both on the handle grip, and on the metal pipe itself.
"It is in a sense, the natural evolution of the crossbow. Only, much more powerful and deadly."
The man delicately picked the strange device up, as if it were a newborn child.
"That's all fine and well, but how exactly is it better than a crossbow, or hells, even a regular knife?"
"Simple," the man smiled, turning to face him.
"When the trigger is pulled, it fires a projectile with enough power to literally punch through a Hunter's Aura and still kill them. Not only that, but it fires much faster, much further, and much more accurately than even the best bowman alive."
Hei felt his heart drop as the implications of such a weapon came to mind.
"The actual terminology escapes me, but the name of this weapon is the Mark 1 Flint-Lock. Very Atlesian, if you ask me. All about their orderly nomenclature. Bah. Bet they shit themselves once they realised their precious cargo was stolen, and their escort caravan slaughtered. Ha ha," the man cackled lightly, and for a moment, Hei was given a glimpse of how dangerous the man before him was.
Hei had to admit, his curiosity was piqued. The potential prospects of this weapon were too good to pass up, and the man before him wasn't a swindler. His products were as good as his word, and his word was very good right now.
"How much for this… Flint-Lock?"
"10,000," answered the man without missing a beat.
Hei bit back a curse.
10,000 Lien was a lot of money. He could afford it, and he did bring a lot with him, but 10,000 was definitely going to put a hole in the orphanages capabilities. Without that 10,000 they would only just get through the winter with rationing.
However, if he didn't solve the problem currently resting in his home right now, there very well could end up being no orphanage.
Finally, he relented.
"How does it work, exactly?"
The strange man's smile only grew wider, exposing rotting teeth.
Hei found himself back at the orphanage entrance with Roman and Neo dressed warmly in matching white coat-jackets and ready to travel. A young Ruby was squashed between the two of them with a splint suspending her injured arm.
The Aura Shard had done a tremendous job in helping to stave of death from the blood-loss, as well as numb much if the pain. But even that was starting to wear off.
Roman mentally cursed himself for wasting such a precious resource on the girl before him, but even he didn't realise at the time what she was.
"Relax, Red," reassured Roman as Ruby winced and leaned into him.
"We'll back in a couple hours once we find your old camp."
No, we won't, Hei thought morosely.
He had explained to Melanie and Miltia that they were to keep the kids away from the orphanage and wait for him to come and find them. If he didn't return come the morning, then they were to take his remaining funds and look at skipping town through the help of the old man he had struck a deal with.
The same man that he had ultimately purchased the Flint-Lock from.
Remember, when you shoot, it will bypass any reaction time and aura. If you aim for a vital spot, your target will be dead. The trade-off is it will be loud, and you only get one shot. You saw how long it takes to reload?
The words echoed through Hei's skull, just as the morbid images of what the silver-eyed girl in front of him would do to the twins and everyone else if he didn't go through with what needed to be done.
"You ready, boss?" Asked Roman.
You might be idealistic Roman, but that's because you're still naive. I'm looking out for us all.
The words did little to comfort him as Ruby's innocent and inquisitive nature conflicted with what he knew to be a monster in front of him.
"Yeah," nodded Hei absently as he reached under the back of his cloak to feel the weight of his latest weapon hidden in a small bag, along with a small pouch of explosive powder and large steel pellets.
"Let's go."
With that, the four of them began the trek to the cliff that Roman found Ruby. The midday sun shone brightly overhead as they trudged and crunched through the snow, reaching the forest outskirts to signify the beginning of their journey.
He lagged behind and watched as Ruby clung to Roman, speaking to him in a childish manner befitting of her age. He watched as Roman entertained her, albeit begrudgingly at times, and he watched as Neo seemed relaxed and occasionally joined in on the fun despite being mute.
It was through watching this seemingly human interaction that he couldn't help but wonder…
Am I really doing the right thing?
He could only hope so, for all of their sake.
Next Chapter: 14 August