White Fang?
It was that name again. If Shirou was affected by the name, he didn't show it. Yang though was different. A trace of surprise and suspicion flashed across her eyes that was caught in the gaze of a cat-eared girl of similar age. No matter. He pushed Yang to stand behind him lest she act out or do something too unpredictable. In the times that he'd observed Yang while at Ruby's side, he already knew that she wasn't exactly the smoothest of individuals when it came to formalities.
Yang stared at him for a moment, but seemed to be too lost in thought to bother with anything.
There was a short silence before he inclined his head and shook Ghira's hand with his own. The man's hands were calloused and rough, denoting the kind of life and character Ghira must have had.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said politely, watching the way Ghira grinned in response.
"Likewise," Ghira released his grip before scratching lightly at his grown beard.
Shirou took the time to really look at the man. He was tall and well built, but rather than be intimidating, there was a gentleness in Ghira's demeanor.
Ghira was scrutinizing him if only out of precaution. "What brings you out into the forest? One would think that bringing a little girl along for back up would not bode well in Grimm infested lands?"
He stopped to consider the question, but he was beaten to the punch.
"I'm not little," Yang's outburst came far quicker than he could stop. She had always been brash and quick to raise her voice when she was being made light of. Presently, she was glaring from behind his back "I'm fifteen and will be attending a Huntsman school in a couple of years. I'm plenty capable for back up."
"Yang," he nudged her on the side, causing her to look up at him and cringe when she realized that she was making a scene. 'Sorry' she mouthed before stepping back behind him.
He only sighed before going back to address Ghira's question. After all, he could detect Ghira's underlying suspicion in his words. It wasn't normal to see random people wandering within Grimm infested lands.
"We're just trying to get back home," he explained honestly. "If you travel due east of here, you'll find a stopped train cart that Yang and I used to be riding before it derailed."
"Oh," Ghira looked surprised, but with his keen eye sight, he could still make out the sight of the derailed train-cart in the distance. "That's unfortunate." Much of Ghira's caution faded away to be replaced by a warm expression.
Shirou wasn't lying to begin with and Ghira could see that.
"Would you like to travel with us?" Ghira offered kindly. "We're currently on our way to Vermillion and it's safer to travel with numbers."
He considered the prospect.
Ghira didn't seem like a bad person. None of the other Faunus travelling with Ghira were all that bad either. If anything, they greatly reminded him of the Faunus that he and Ruby had first met in the early settlement of Vermillion: Cautious, weary, yet kind people.
Still, more than a few of them were showing open hostility, and perhaps that was why Yang seemed to be a tad on edge. It was true that Yang was young, but more often than not, it was the children and teenagers that could more easily pick up whether or not they were being liked in a group.
Right now, both he and Yang could definitely tell that they weren't being liked. The red-haired swordsman whom they'd met from the beginning was glowering, and another woman with orange eyes and a dark complexion was glaring at them.
"Mr. Belladonna, we can't just pick up random people on the road," the woman spoke up first, her tone almost a snarl.
His eyes traveled towards her, small, petite, yet fiery like a hissing cat.
"And yet we picked up many other 'random' Faunus on the way here, Sienna." Ghira looked tired while addressing the woman as he maintained a lecturing expression. "Just because they're human shouldn't change the way we treat others. We've already come a long way from Menagerie, and by the time we reach Vermillion, we'll be seeing a lot more humans anyway. You're going to have to put aside your bias eventually."
The woman, Sienna, looked like she'd swallowed a fly. He wisely chose not to comment because her gaze was pointed in his direction. Expectedly, she bit down on her lips looking as if she had more to say on the matter, however, she held herself back after Ghira gave her another stern look.
"The same goes to you, Adam." Ghira directed his attention towards the red-haired swordsman in a half-mask that covered the upper half of his face.
"Tch," Adam clicked his tongue before slumping his shoulders and yielding.
Ghira nodded in approval before turning his attention back to him. "Well, how about it? It's too dangerous for the both of you to try and make your way back on your own. If you travel with us to Vermillion, I heard that the other Kingdoms were already in the process of setting up an air transport system with bullheads. You could just fly back to any Kingdom from there."
It was a good offer. He could see Ghira's kind intentions for what they were. Honestly speaking, it would be way quicker for him to just wait for Ghira's group to pass by and then just take Yang back to Vale on his own. However, what he had to consider first was Ghira and his group. Everything would have had been fine if he hadn't met them, but now that he had, he couldn't just leave them to travel through Grimm infested lands on their own. It was against who he was as an Ally of Justice. It didn't matter if he wasn't liked by a few of them.
In the end, it would be far worse on his mental state to just leave and then let them die if any accidents occur. That wasn't what a Hero would do.
He turned his head to share a glance with Yang.
How long would it take to pick her up, drop her home, and then hurry on back?
The answer was simple. Too long.
Having obtained Yang's attention, he gestured towards her unsure if she'd get his meaning, but Yang wasn't stupid. She should be able to understand his meaning soon enough.
He had to get Yang back home safe, but he also wanted to help Ghira and the others. Since he couldn't just abandon Yang, he was leaving the decision on her shoulders.
Yang took a moment to consider why he was staring at her, but ultimately realized what he was asking of her when he further simplified his intentions using his hands. One hand pointed in the direction of Vale, the other hand subtly pointed towards Ghira and the others.
Under the gazes of Ghira and the rest, Yang pulled on the back of his shirt and dragged him a bit further away in order to whisper into his ear. "You want me to decide?" She asked to verify.
He nodded.
Yang looked like she was considered her options.
She didn't know how long it was going to take to get to Vermillion and if it took any longer than a few days, then the excuse to her father that he saw her write down on a note about staying at friend's house would be rendered null.
Her father was going to ground her.
Her uncle would probably increase her training load.
She scratched her head in frustration.
Still, it appeared like she'd already come up with her answer.
In Yang's opinion, he was definitely strong. If he helped escort Ghira and the other Faunus, then he could save them from danger.
The question now was why?
He was posing as a mercenary. There was no profit to be gained in this situation, and the fact that he still wanted to help may have had caused another misunderstanding.
His actions made it seem as if he didn't want to be a mercenary, but was somehow forced into it due to variables that she was unaware of.
The look of realization on Yang's face was inwardly mind numbing, not only because he could foresee a troublesome future, but because he was already coming dangerously close to Summer's bottom line.
"I want to go help them," Yang spoke her decision.
He grudgingly nodded in response before shifting his attention back to Ghira and the rest.
Having seen him and Yang caught up in discussion, Ghira had been waiting patiently from the start.
"Have you made your choice?" Ghira asked.
He stepped forward.
"We accept your invitation."
Archer hadn't been paying much attention to the time of day until the sky darkened over head and Yang began to yawn by his side. He'd offered carrying her so that she could sleep on his back, but she became increasingly flustered at the idea, saying that it was improper.
'Suit yourself.'
It was like she could hear him judging her in his mind, but really it was his fault that he didn't understand proper tact towards a growing lady.
Archer shrugged at her stubbornness but secretly signaled towards Ghira at the front of the convoy of Faunus asking for when they were going to set up camp for the night.
Yang did not notice.
Summer who was floating up over head beside Shirou nodded gratefully for his consideration towards Yang.
"I wonder how Ruby's doing," Summer muttered in the air.
She should be doing fine. Shirou though back to his Master. Right now, Ruby had still probably not noticed that he was gone.
He'd seen the way his Master got when it came to weapons and frankly, she immersed herself too deeply in them that it was like nothing else existed in her little world except for them. The creation of her 'baby,' her personal weapon that she was working on right now named Crescent Rose, was taking up the entirety of her attention.
Thinking about Ruby, he couldn't help the budding fondness he'd started to develop for his Master over the years that they'd spent together.
This was all the more reason that he had to protect Yang and everyone Ruby held dear. He dreaded the day her innocence would leave her. He'd already grown used to her exuberance and stunning optimism despite her social problems.
"We're setting up camp!" Ghira's voice caused him to snap out of his reminiscence.
It was time to set up camp, and probably because of consideration for Yang, Ghira had called off the day's travelling early.
Guiding everyone at the front, Ghira had found an open field where no Grimm should be able to sneak up on them under the light of the broken moon. Small trees still grew in the area but they weren't packed so densely together.
Bringing Yang along with him, Shirou quickly realized a problem. He and Yang weren't exactly equipped for outdoor camping. For him it was fine since it wasn't like he had to sleep as a Heroic Spirit, but Yang was different. She at least needed a bed roll and a blanket.
"Here," an older woman seemed to notice his plight faster than even Ghira.
The woman had cat-like features with short shoulder-length hair curled around the neck. She wore a shrug jacket and was wearing a form fitting white blouse beneath. She smiled kindly while handing out two extra sets of bed rolls, blanket, and pillows.
He took the first pair, but declined the second much to Yang's and the woman's confusion.
"Thank you," he said in acknowledgment, his head lightly bowed.
The woman accepted his gratitude but looked a tad put off. "Are you sure that you don't want this?" She gestured towards the extra set of camping gear that he had refused. "My name is Kali Belladonna and I'm sorry for meddling but My husband Ghira would probably think that we're being unkind to you both if we only give just one set of proper camping gear."
"No, don't worry about it," he insisted, a hand scratching at the back of his head. "I don't plan on sleeping anyway."
Kali blinked, but rather than explain himself, he bid farewell and took Yang to find a spot where she could sleep in peace.
He settled on an area by a small trees which he sat down and leaned his back on after laying Yang's bed roll, blanket, and pillow for her to use in front of him. The others were busy setting up for dinner and other camping activities, but Yang didn't seem to be in the mood to eat. Honestly, she just looked tired which was why it was probably best for her to go to sleep early.
"Go ahead and rest," he told her while pointing at the bed that he had prepared for her. He didn't seem to notice that he'd entered into a sort of 'mamma' mode that made Summer gawk in the air.
Yang stared at him oddly before lying down on the bed roll and curling up inside the blanket. Rather than sleep though, she positioned herself to stare up at him with the blanket wrapped around her and the majority of her head while her chin rested on her pillow.
"Why aren't you getting ready to sleep?" There was a strange look in Yang's eyes that made it difficult for him to understand what she was thinking right now.
He shrugged and leaned his back further against the tree he was supporting himself on. "I'm not sleeping, Yang. I'm going to keep watch just in case any Grimm approach. I'm sure that Ghira and the others probably have late night sleeping rotations, but I don't want to risk you and everyone else." He didn't need sleep, and if he was basing things on scouting and detection abilities alone, he was an Archer Class Servant. No one in the present camp could hope to match his danger observation skills.
Silence.
Yang just continued to stare at him after he'd given her his answer.
"Why?" She asked him, expression somewhat demure. "We've both stayed up the same amount of time, and I'm sure that you're tired as well. You say that you're staying awake to keep watch for Grimm because of me and the others in the camp, but even if we didn't accept Ghira's invitation, something tells me that'd you'd still be staying up to watch over my safety anyway."
He didn't answer.
Which meant to say that he didn't deny Yang's claim.
Yang didn't know what to feel about that. His sincerity and concern for her behalf was truthfully causing her mind to go blank and fill up with daisies and prancing ponies frolicking in a field of pink flowers. Down girl! For Pete's sake get a hold of yourself! She clapped her hands to her cheeks when she realized that she was straying away from the point and that heat was building up in her body causing her complexion to flush.
She turned her back to Shirou to prevent him from noticing her present condition and coughed into her hand for good measure to explain her red face if Shirou caught sight of it.
Fortunately, Shirou gave her time to compose herself.
"Hey," she soon called out. "You didn't answer," her tone was accusatory.
"Fine. You're correct. I would have stayed up anyway if only because I would never risk you getting hurt." 'Your mother would kill me,' yet that was beside the point. "Look Yang. I told you before, but you have a family that's waiting for you. If anything happened to you, your family would be devastated."
If Yang heard and acknowledged Shirou's words, it was difficult for Shirou to tell since Yang had wrapped herself in her blanket and had her back facing him.
"I remember what you said," she whispered solemnly. "That's why I don't plan on dying anytime soon, but you'll protect me won't you?"
Yang rolled over and blew up a puff of her bangs that were draped over her left eye. There seemed to be some deeper meaning to her question that only she knew about.
Her brows knit together and a part of her was starting to feel anxious. She had heard Archer's words to her biological mother, but it was difficult for her to really believe in him without confirmation of any kind. Call her short-sighted or paranoid, but she couldn't really be blamed. The one person that she had thought had loved her despite leaving her at a young age was no more than a heartless woman.
She wasn't worth it.
Maybe she never was if even her own mother never wanted her.
She swallowed while staring at Archer's form.
It's alright. Even if you were just saying it in the spur of the moment.
She did not have much in the way of expectations, and yet why? Why were his eyes directed at her with such warmth and resolution?
"Yeah, I'll protect you. I promise." His answer was forward. There was no need for any other consideration and that was why she felt something inside her mind burst.
She suddenly sniffled, a sob making its way into Archer's ears and causing him to stiffen. She thought that she was being quiet, but he could see the way her shoulders were trembling up and down beneath her blanket. Stop. Stop now. This is so uncool.
All of a sudden, Archer's mouth dried and she could have had sworn that he was inwardly thinking that he hadn't done or said anything that would have had upset her to the extent of crying.
It's not your fault. It's just me being stupid.
"Hey, are you alright?"
Her breath hitched while her hands kept moving as if uselessly trying to wipe away the wetness out of her eyes. "J-Just shut up for a bit. Leave me alone. I-I can't talk right now."
Suddenly shunned by Yang, Shirou closed his mouth and grimaced, turning his head away out of cordiality but maintaining sight of Yang's form out of concern. As much as he knew how troublesome Yang could be, it wasn't as if he didn't care about her well being.
Seconds of silence soon stretched into minutes.
If not for the fact that Yang kept shuffling on top of her bed roll, then he might have assumed that she'd already fallen asleep. Clearly, this wasn't the case.
"Can't sleep?" He finally spoke up again in the awkwardness.
"No," Yang said flatly, but at the very least it seemed as if she got a hold of herself.
In truth, Yang was moping, her thoughts unfocused.
Her entire reason for sneaking out of school was basically a failure. Although it was true that she did find who it was that she was looking for, what had occurred was outside of her expectations of a touching reunion. Bar that, she had at least hoped that her mother had some kind of remorse or reason that had forced her to leave, and yet, the truth hurt. It really hurt.
She was never loved by her biological mother to begin with.
She had been cast aside, deemed useless.
Yeah, so she definitely didn't fit the description of happy right now, though she'd never shown it on her face. She wasn't the type to burden others with her problems anyway, but still, it was too much.
It was his fault.
She rolled over once again while covering the majority of her face with her blanket as if hiding in a cocoon. There was a small hole that she could peak through with her eyes and her gaze was directed at Archer who sat calmly with his back to the tree.
In the face of her biological mother basically calling her useless, Archer, a friend that she'd now only known for a couple of encounters, directly stood up for her. He said that he'd protect her and he meant it. She was mentally weak after the blow that her biological mother had dealt her and maybe that was why it was so difficult to hold back her emotions. More so when she had all but verified Archer's intentions with her earlier question. Hell, he didn't even hesitate to answer.
Her heart began to thud audibly in her chest again and it caused her to fidget around in her restlessness. In Shirou's perspective, it was like he was watching a worm squirming on the ground.
He wisely kept that observation to himself.
"Hey, can you tell me a story?" Yang suddenly stopped rolling and asked him. It was childish of her to ask, but she didn't care. She just needed something to help distract her long enough for her to fall asleep.
"What kind of story would you like to hear?" It wasn't as if Shirou really minded.
Yang didn't take long to pick a topic. Inwardly, she was thinking about her memories involving the real mother that she grew up with. "Heroes," she said reminiscently. "Stories about heroes would be good," she specified.
Shirou hummed in response. He knew plenty of such stories he could tell. He'd already had a lot of practice with Ruby anyway.
"There once was a Hero known as the greatest of the people known as the Greeks. He was named in the honour of a God named Hera, the Great Hero Herakles…"
"In the tales of a forgotten land known as Germany, there was the Legendary Hero of the Vulsunga…"
"Cu Chulainn was the shield that defended against an entire army. His spear was death, his capabilities, inhuman…"
"Some Heroes are just Nameless. They perform certain feats and miracles to save others not for reputation or gain, but just for the sake of doing so." Shirou's tone suddenly shifted into one of solemnity. "Always alone upon a hill of swords. A mantle of red. A body of steel. Blood of fire. A heart of glass. It was a Hero whose hands could never hold anything but who had saved countless lives in the process. He was a Hero of Wrought Iron." A Hero that was nothing more than a fool who'd lost his way in a hell of his own doing.
Shirou fell silent, listening intently to Yang's soft breathing.
The time to tell stories was over.
He just watched as Summer sat beside Yang's side and absently brushed her hand through Yang's hair in a comforting gesture.
For a moment, in the transient state between sleep and reality, Yang felt her mind blank as she saw it.
Summer Rose sitting quietly beside her. After all the emotional turmoil that she'd gone through in the day, she suddenly felt like weeping again.
"My little ball of sunshine, sleep well."
Mom.
That word alone was the only thought in Yang's mind before she eventually drifted to sleep.
The next day came quickly, but Yang was already making a fuss. Worse, he was the reason that she was acting out.
"It's morning now. You should go to sleep," she kept insisting. "You didn't sleep all night and now you're thinking about volunteering to scout ahead?"
Yes. That was exactly what he was thinking.
Ghira needed to be careful while guiding a large group of Faunus immigrating to Vermillion through Grimm infested lands. The sole reason that so many Faunus were making the journey including Faunus like Adam, Sienna, and Ghira was because Vermillion was lacking in Faunus Huntsman and Huntresses.
It wouldn't be a lie to say that he and Yang were currently in the presence of the future leaders and teachers of a new Huntsman Academy that would form in Vermillion.
He'd overheard Ghira and the others talking the previous day about Adam becoming a combat instructor and Sienna becoming a school overseer.
He looked to Adam and Sienna who were both still looking at him and Yang with suspicion for being human and began to inwardly consider whether or not they were fit for a teaching position.
Regardless, it wasn't his place to meddle. So long as Vermillion and the people within it were safe and properly defended against the Grimm, that was all that mattered. Ruby would definitely be of the same opinion.
Back to the topic at hand though, for safety reasons, he wanted to help scout ahead due to his Class Proficiency as an Archer.
He could prevent many deaths and injuries that way, but still there were risks.
If he left, there was no guarantee that any Grimm would not sneak up and attack while he was away. He felt a dull tapping on his chest and looked down to see Yang red-faced in exertion while trying to manhandle him and failing.
Yang was currently trying to overpower him and force him down into a bed roll. It really wasn't going to happen. Even if his stats weren't the best for a Heroic Spirit, his D-Rank strength would not be defeated even with Yang exerting all of her effort.
"I'm fine Yang. If it helps, I promise that I'll sleep later, okay?" He offered a stiff toned compromise.
Yang had no choice but to relent, but she kept staring at him as if assuming that he was lying.
Well, she'd just have to trust him on that.
Anyways, the reason that he'd decided to volunteer to scout ahead was because of a simple dagger which he had traced while Yang was still sleeping.
Rather than a Noble Phantasm, it was a type of Mystic Code, a magical artifact created by Magi. This one in particular was used by, fighter-class magi known as Enforcers. It was classified as weak in terms of Mystic Code ranking because its only magical property was to convey one's thoughts to the owner of the dagger.
It was a coordinating ritual dagger used for communication. "Hold onto this, okay?" He said.
Yang stared at the small dagger that he abruptly passed over to her in confusion.
"You know, Ember Celica is a hundred times more useful against Grimm than a dagger," Yang said in bewilderment. However, she still took the dagger into her hands and secured it to the belt that she had around her waist.
"You're not supposed to use it against Grimm anyway," he explained patiently. "Just make sure to keep it on your person and if you ever need me, just think strongly of me and I'll come."
His words were like a bomb for a teenage girl.
"Wait, what?" Yang suddenly blushed. She was used to flirting with others, but not others flirting with her. Maybe it was just because it was Archer, but still. What the hell was he expecting of her? That she'd just think of him in a moment of danger? What was she? Some princess waiting to be saved in a tower? Yeah. No.
However, she'd remember the sentiment.
"I can fight too you know," she placed her hands on her hips and glowered.
He nodded towards her in confidence. "I know you can, but this is for safety alright? So, don't forget and don't try to take on a fight you know that you can't win."
With his words said, Archer walked up to Ghira and directly requested to join Adam on his scouting given that Ghira watches over Yang.
Ghira was hesitant at first, but Yang watched as Shirou did something out of her view that changed Ghira's mind. Adam grudgingly said nothing on the subject before he and Shirou took off into the woods.
Scouting was the first necessary step before the entire convoy moved. While everyone was still waking up and getting their things in order, Ghira had sent Shirou and Adam out in advance.
Yang was left alone.
Great. She inwardly huffed.
The Faunus evidently were still weary of her so it was just her in the location where she had fallen asleep the previous night. It was hard to recall what she had dreamed of, but for some reason she felt oddly comforted.
Speaking of which, she suddenly eyed the dagger that Archer had given her while pretending as if she wasn't interested. Her eyes kept glancing back and forth, and eventually, the dagger somehow ended up back in her hands and held at eye level around a foot away from her face.
It was rather plain as daggers go, but there was a certain allure which was emitted off from the pattern of jewels lined over the base of the blade. Recalling that it was Archer that had given it to her, she couldn't help but grow muddleheaded at the first 'gift' that she'd ever received from him. She was beaming subconsciously, almost proud and giddy at the same time and for no reason whatsoever.
The feeling would have had continued too if it wasn't for a voice that snapped her out of her daze.
"'Think strongly of me and I'll come.'"
Yang suddenly jumped as if burned. She knew those words. She knew them. Worse, it was clear that someone else had heard them.
She hurriedly turned to face the speaker while sputtering incoherently in denial. There was another cat-eared girl much like the woman that she and Archer had met the previous night but younger. The girl stood at roughly the same height as her, and she was wearing a white blouse and sleek black pants where a sword was sheathed at her waist. Different from Kali Belladonna, the cat-eared girl had her long black hair set freely to fall behind her back.
"Names Blake Belladonna," Blake said flatly while looking at the dagger in Yang's hands in curiosity. "Interesting dagger there. We're you thinking of him just now? Do you think it works?"
"I-I did no such thing!" Yang was quick to deny. Inwardly she felt mortified. "Besides, don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?"
Blake pointed to her twitching cat ears at the top of her head. "You and your partner aren't exactly the quietest speakers. Especially when I was just reading a book off to the side." Blake pointed to the questionable novel in her hand.
Yang didn't have enough time to read the title because Blake quickly stored it away.
Blake gave a fair point. Yang had no rebuttal.
Feeling embarrassed, Yang kicked at the ground before staring up at Blake. "What do you want?"
Blake shrugged. "To be honest I was just curious about that dagger. It doesn't have any compartments to store Dust, and there's no way it has any Aura. In which case, how does it work?"
Now that Blake brought the point up, Yang realized that she didn't know either. However, she still trusted Archer.
"Does it matter how it works if it works?"
Blake grunted. "Well, you're not wrong, but aren't you interested?"
Yes. Of course, she was. Yang didn't let her curiosity show on her face though. "When Archer eventually gets back, I can just ask him then."
Blake hummed in thought before looking in the direction of the forest where Shirou and Adam had gone ahead to scout.
"They'll probably get back soon since Adam is strong." Black said offhandedly.
Yang suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, well Archer is stronger they'll probably get back even sooner."
Blake's eyes promptly narrowed while Yang crossed her arms in confrontation.
"You know that Archer's not even a name, right?"
"Yeah, well he's a Mercenary with a code name. I am too." Yang pointed at herself with her right thumb. "You can just call me, Ms. Blond Kickass."
Blake's lip twitched in annoyance.
"Yeah, I'll have to refuse. I'll just call you Yang. It's not like you were very subtle in using your name for a 'mercenary.'"
Yang gritted her teeth. This woman had a sharp tongue and keen observation skill.
"Call me whatever you want, but that's beside the point." Yang grunted. "Archer is definitely stronger. Enough said."
"And how would you know that?" Blake's tone suddenly sharpened.
Yang was nonplussed. "Can Adam blow a hole through a mountain?" She asked,
Blake blinked at Yang's triumphant pose.
"Are you crazy?" Blake asked in exasperation, an eyebrow raised. "You know that you can't just lie or exaggerate about something just because you have no real proof."
"I do have proof."
"Where?"
"Right over there." Yang pointed into the horizon, prompting Blake to follow the direction of her finger.
"You know that there's only trees in that direction, right?" Blake was unimpressed.
Yang's face stiffened. She had been trying to point out the mountain that she and Archer had crossed through, but after being carried around on Archer's back for while, she'd lost her sense of direction and could no longer locate said mountain. Not that she'd want to admit that.
"Look. I'm not lying okay." Yang scratched the back of her head. "There's definitely a mountain somewhere out here with a hole pierced through it."
Blake didn't say anything, but it was clear from her scepticism that she didn't believe Yang's words.
"I know that you want to defend your travelling partner's image, but really, if you knew how capable Adam is, then we wouldn't be having this argument." Blake looked like she had stars in her eyes from how fervently she spoke. "Besides, don't you think that what matters most is that they both come back safely?"
"Of course, I want them to come back safely, and I'm not concerned at all." Yang shrugged unworriedly. "With Archer around, even if Adam drags him down, Archer can still save them both."
"You don't know Adam." Blake's eyes narrowed angrily.
"You don't know Archer." Yang replied in kind.
Sparks seemed to ignite between their gazes before they both grimaced at the same time and promptly walked away when they realized that they were being stared at by the other members of the convoy.
Blake was the one who looked the most mortified due to the way her parents were looking at her knowingly. Ghira looked annoyed, but her mother was the one discreetly winking at her in encouragement, and perhaps that was the most embarrassing. Her mother was never the most subtle to begin with and the others aside from her father were quick to notice.
Kill her. Just kill her now.
Her cheeks were flushing red, traitorous things. It was difficult for her to keep a straight face if at all under the attention of her fellow people. It was no secret that she already admired Adam for a while now, but she couldn't help it. Adam was like the embodiment of 'Justice' and 'Passion' for his fellow people. He'd always been considerate and often volunteered to help in extraneous activities even when he wasn't needed.
She believed in Adam.
She saw the good in him and in his earnest desire to better the lives of his people.
That was why Adam was definitely stronger than some mercenary who only worked for profit rather than becoming a proper Huntsman. Obviously Yang wouldn't understand this point.
Blake grunted before glowering at Yang's direction in annoyance. She could already tell that Yang wasn't a bad person, however, Blake fully believed that Yang was entirely misguided.
Coincidently, Yang was of the same opinion. Presently, she was considering the prospect of glaring at Blake for Blake's own ignorance.
In the end though, she concluded that it wasn't worth it. She'd spent enough time arguing with Ruby as sisters to know that there was no winning in an argument where you couldn't convince the other person no matter what was said.
Only time could solve the current issue. Meanwhile, Yang felt like she had better things to do.
She looked around as the Faunus busied themselves and quickly faltered.
Oh right. By better things to do, she meant nothing,
Minutes turned into hours.
Two to be precise.
Archer had told her to behave, but stuck alone with the company of Faunus who were a tad too weary of her wasn't exactly going to make her feel the most welcome.
She looked back and forth before deciding to wander further away from the group. It was kind of a dumb thing to do, but she figured that there was no harm in her actions. She could still see Blake and the other Faunus, and if things went awry, she could still call out in time.
Now if only she wasn't immediately called out for it.
Given how tense it was travelling in Grimm infested lands, it was only natural.
"You know it's dangerous to wander off too far behind." Blake appeared beside her in friendly warning.
She looked genuinely concerned about Yang moving too far away from the group.
Misguided as Blake was about Adam being stronger than Archer, Yang had to grudgingly admit that Blake was kind. Why else would she take the time to talk and warn someone that the other Faunus were being weary of?
"I know, but I don't think I'm too far away though." Yang tried to justify herself. "Besides, you guys don't seem to take too well to my personal charm."
Blake glanced back to where all the other Faunus were keeping a distinct distance away from Yang as if she had some sort of vile disease. Her expression darkened out of bitterness.
"You'll have to forgive them." Blake tried to defend her people's actions. "They're good people, but they've been through too much discrimination to trust in humans again so easily."
"Right," Yang said understandingly. It wasn't as if she couldn't understand. "Fine, lets just go back then."
Blake didn't respond.
Yang suddenly felt a shiver travel down her back. "Hey? You still there?"
Rather than speaking, Blake used both of her hands to turn Yang's head in the northern direction.
Grimm. Many, many of them at the perimeter of the camp. Way more than she could ever take on by herself.
"Oh," Yang let out in a small voice while backing away with Blake slowly. "Well shit."
This shouldn't be possible.
Yang swore that they weren't there a second ago.
By now, it wasn't just Blake and Yang who noticed the crowd of Grimm, but Ghira and the others too.
The lands outside of the established Kingdoms weren't just considered Grimm infested for nothing.
Yang gripped onto the dagger by her waist tightly.
Archer!
Shirou suddenly stiffened and ground his feet into a halt.
"Something wrong, or are you just too tired to keep up?" Adam's voice filtered into his ears, but he didn't even register them. Adam's provocations weren't important.
"We have to go back. Now."
He felt his muscles tensing from within him. He promised Yang that he'd be there, and right now he could feel her calling out to him. There was no time for anything else.
"Why?" Adam continued to question him.
"The group's in danger." He answered hurriedly, causing Adam who'd stopped beside him to falter.
Still, Adam didn't appear convinced.
It didn't matter.
"Look, you can doubt me all that you want because I'm a human, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to save not just Yang, but everyone. Continue ahead if you want, but I'm going back."
"Wait!"
He didn't bother looking at Adam's direction before taking off into a sprint.
Faster. He had to move faster.
He was a Heroic Spirit, a being outside of the limitation of flesh and bone.
Parts of his body began turning ethereal as he passed through trees and stones unhindered. For a moment, the black coat that he was wearing faded in and out to be replaced by an indistinct mantle of red. It billowed in the wind, leaving behind a trail of gold dust as it continued to materialize and dematerialize.
A Hero of the people.
An idol of worship.
A symbol of hope and light.
Wielder of the Sacred Sword and hailed as a Saint.
His feet planted deep into the ground, and when he pushed off, he left behind a crater.
The Huntsman of Red.
He could hear a choked gasp escape from somewhere behind him, but it was too difficult to make out in his haste.
Right now, he just didn't care.
He had a promise to keep.
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