So, over a month later, I finally presented to you the next chapter of the Burning Rose. Just wanted to say thanks for being patient and I hope to update more frequently in the future. No promises though.
In all honesty, this was done like late October, but due to work, I couldn't edit it until today. And while I would say better late than never, I just wish I could get to this sooner.
But anyway, enough about me, let's get onto the show!
Oh, and here's your TRIGGER WARNING for the rest of the arc. Expect the topic of racism, or at least the surface level of the incredibly complicated topic to come up. Mush as I wish I could promise you a zootopia level story on the topic, I'm nowhere near good enough to pull something like that off. So this is just your heads.
Cinder let out a low whistle as she surveyed the town of Blackjack, taking in the rural setting as the White Fang's trucks pulled in behind her.
It was a small town, surrounded by trees on all sides, it had the appearance of one of the settlements from one of Yang's westerns, with every building made out of old, barely preserved wood with very few vehicles or electric lines anyway to be seen. Hell, even the people have off the western vibe as many of them were walking to their destination in dusty clothes and high riding boots with all kinds of livestock leaving their scent polluting the air, really giving the impression that she had gone back in time.
"Man, what a dump." She said under her breath, eyes traveling to a well situated in the center of the town where several people had lined up to draw water from the stone structure and carry it away in large wooden buckets, making the girl scoff quietly as she watched. Didn't these people know that plumbing had been invented some hundred years ago? Why didn't they both try to draw water from the nearby river or mountains?
"Don't be too hard on them. Life hasn't been kind to this place. These days, nobody ever brings businesses to this backwater town, effectively drying up any income from the booming trade industry they once had." Looking back around, Cinder saw Sienna approaching from behind, her hand on her hip as the trucks rolled to a stop, the drivers coming out to speak with Ilia.
"What do you mean?" The dark haired girl asked as the older Faunus came to a stop next to her, smiling down at the shorter girl. "Booming trade industry? This place looks like it was made to serve cheap alcohol to deadbeat huntsmen as they made their way through to their contracts, not act as a hub town for some grand purpose."
Chuckling, Sienna turned to her gaze to sweep over the town, taking in all the building and people until it came to a stop at an old railway station situated on the outskirts of the town by several old stumps that had been felled a long time ago, creating a man made path that stretched far into the distance on both sides.
"This place was built during the war, as a way to get resources quickly to the front line, letting the kingdom perform long scale campaigns against Atlas." Sienna explained. "Once the war ended, the town became irrelevant, left to rot by the main kingdom. With Airmist taking all its main duties and by proxy all its businesses, Blackjack had no choice but to become a cattle town in order to survive."
As she said this, a large herd of cows made their way past, led by four people sat upon horses dressed in simple shirts with large hats casting their faces into shadows. They were all armed with small revolvers and other older model rifles hanging by their waists or strapped to their backs, meaning they were most likely more for scare off wild animals than for combat against Grimm.
And as they rode past, a couple of them looked over at the vehicle rolling in, and the two women standing at the edge of town, watching the procession ride past.
Smirking, one of the younger one calmly flicked the brim of his hat, looking down at the girl as he shifted in his seat, letting the sunlight flash off his piece as it swung in its holster, a mockingly smug glint in his eyes as he looked down at Cinder and Sienna, eyes trailing noticeably on their legs as one of them unashamedly licked his lips hungrily.
"Jackasses." Cinder grumbled as she watched the herding party ride off, making a point to flip them off as they passed. "You'd think people out here would be able to think with their heads instead of their dicks. Brothers, all boys are the same, aren't they?"
Laughing at this, Sienna looked back down at Cinder, a smile playing on her lips. "For what it's worth, don't lose any sleep over that." She said with a slightly undertone of humor. "After the war, this place became somewhat of an oldies town, with people moving out here to get away from all the big chances in society, letting them live a more, as they would call it, a traditional lifestyle. Including gender roles and racial beliefs and all the other outdated stereotypes that were believed about a hundred years ago. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to find out they still use typewriters here given how many are descended from crotchety old geezers who believe any and all change is evil and should be avoided at all costs. Something that's continued on ever since."
"And it's probably for the best to leave that lifestyle alone."
Looking back at the new voice joining their conversation, the two women saw Ghira, alongside the rest of the team AACE making their way over, the trucks being managed by the remaining members of the White Fang.
"These people have been living it rough for a long time now, moving out here with the promise of a rich life away from the crowded city only to find themselves trapped with no way to return." The high leader explained. "Uncertainty has become a constant in their lives. No need to rock the boat when they've clearly got enough to worry about."
Folding her arms as her superior came to a stop in front of her, Sienna let out a scoff, not even bothering to hide it from the rest of the party.
"I thought rocking the boat was why the White Fang was created in the first place." She pointed, raising an eyebrow at Ghira with a displeased expression, making the older man frown.
"The purpose of the White Fang is to bring equality to both humans and Faunus. Nothing more, nothing less." He said sternly. "That seems to be something you've forgotten recently, Sienna. Because lest you forget, we are not people who should have to hide away from society just because they do things we don't like."
Rolling her eyes, Sienna placed both hands in her hips as she leaned in, locking eyes with Ghira as she held an equally stern glare.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder if that is our purpose." She said in an accusatory tone. "Because if memory serves, you have chicken out and canceled over half my campaign plan because you got worried things might turn violent. You know, the whole reason I always assign my men to guard our protests."
Now it was Ghira's turn to narrow his eyes as he glared down at the smaller woman, his pupils becoming slits as a deep frown took over his entire lower face.
"Your opinion is noted. But remember, I am still the head of the White Fang." He growled quietly, leaning in to try to mute team AACE out of the conversation. "So while I respect all the work you've done for the organization, I'm still in charge. So if I have my concerns about the people you place in charge of defense, I can pull the plug on any and every event I feel will hurt the Faunus reputation rather than help it. That, is something I can and will do until you get your squad leaders sorted."
Despite the animosity in the much larger man's voice, Sienna showed no signs of fear or intimidation. In fact, a cocky smirk spread across her face as she leaned forward, her ears flicking open in cold confidence as she let out a soft hiss, one that only Ghira and Adam could hear.
"You can, for now. But I wonder how long that will last, high leader Belladonna."
With that dark threat, Sienna, not giving Ghira enough time to say anything in response, turned on her heel, walking a safe distance away before calling back over her shoulder in a loud tone that carried all the way back to the trucks.
"But enough about that, let's hurry up and get our business sorted and get out of this place." She said, waving Blake over as she turned towards Cinder. "Come on, the three of us will swing by the general store and pick up the supplies we need for the rest of the trip. In the meantime, Ghira, you and Ms. Alsprings go to the church and make sure everything is ready for our stay. Adam, I'm trusting you and your partner to rent a garage for the trucks. Don't want anyone stealing them while someone is out partying with gang leaders again. Dismissed!"
With one final look at the dark haired Faunus, Sienna began walking off towards the town, her chain blade swaying with each quick step she took.
"I-? Wha-? Wait a minute-?" Ghira flustered, his eyes wide as mouth hanging open as he took a step after the woman, hand outstretched in an attempt to stop her. "You can't just make unilateral decisions without-?"
"Is there a problem, Ghira?" Sienna called back over her shoulder, deliberately speaking loudly to draw the attention of the other White Fang members. "Surely you don't have a problem with splitting up labor. Remember Mr. Naabhi isn't a huntsman like us. Best to get him situated as soon as possible, right?"
Opening his mouth to shoot back a retort, Ghira suddenly stopped in his tracks, glancing behind him at the expectant looks on the other members' faces. All of whom looked somewhat surprised to see the two they considered leaders seemingly in a disagreement, something that, while rare, seemed to be getting a bit more common, causing a far amount of unease to become visible in their expressions.
Seeing this, Ghira paused, struggled with himself for a second, then let out a sigh, turning towards the other end of the town, calmly walking off.
"No complaints." He grunted. "Just make sure you check the treasury before you pay the bill. I don't want any more money to be…misplaced for a misguided purpose."
Ignoring the obvious jab, Sienna smirked as she headed off towards the store, her walk now having a smug spring in her step.
As for the members of team AACE, they quickly exchanged an uncomfortable glance at one another, with most eyes falling onto either Adam for an explanation for what was going on, or Amber for orders of what to do.
And after a few seconds, the latter gave an answer.
Waving to Cinder to follow Sienna, Amber quickly turned to follow Ghira, turning her back to the White Fang so when she quickly used her semblance, nobody noticed the sudden shift in all their eyes. A shift, that while only lasted a second, sent the opinion of their leader to them in a perfectly silent manner.
/figure it out later. Stay on mission for now/
And with those new orders, team AACE quickly sprung into action, each one jumping to their assigned tasks, following their orders as they fought off the growing unease in the backs of their minds.
Because no matter how they sliced it, they just couldn't shake the feeling this mission was going to be a much greater challenge than they first thought.
At the local grocery store, Cinder bit back a groan of disgust as she put a carton of eggs into the cart, scowling at the price tag as if she could scare it into changing.
"Ten fucking bucks of twelve eggs. What kind of price gouging bullshit is this? Isn't everything grown locally or something? Why the fuck are the expecting people to pay through the nose for twelve lowsy eggs?" She furiously muttered under her breath. "I don't care how little business is coming through this shithole, there has to be a law against this kind of behavior."
"There is, they cops just don't enforce it." Sienna called from the other side of the shelf, making Cinder jump in surprise, she hadn't expected anyone to hear her.
"See, the problem with small communities like this is that a lot of times, laws that are handed down by the main kingdom go unrecognized by local officials, meaning places like this can basically put whatever tag they want on their products. All while claiming it's because of the economy while in reality, the owner is just trying to fatten his pockets from a captive audience."
Turning her nose up in disgust, Cinder stared at the eggs display for a couple seconds, thinking about smashing them all to bits to send a message to the executives of the company, but managed to resist the urge as she reminded herself that it would only hurt the locals and lower level employees, not the people at the top.
"Greedy bastards." She snarled before walking out of the refrigerated section, walking over to the bread and non-perishables section, looking over the list before making her selection.
"So, remind me again why we have to use this ripoff to restock our supplies? Couldn't we just bring all this stuff from Vale where it's a third of the price and not play this extortion game?" Cinder called to Sienna as said woman approached from behind, carrying a large, plastic container of coffee.
"Ghira wants to support local businesses." She said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes as she spoke. "Right or not, he thinks this will help get money into the economy of this town. Helping them in the long run or something like that."
Catching her tone, Cinder glanced over her shoulder at the older woman, eyes narrowed at her obvious aggressiveness toward her leader. Clearly, there was some kind of tension between the higher ups among the White Fang, something that must have been simmering for some time now going off the early conversation between the two.
However, despite the obvious interest, Cinder bit her tongue and turned toward the cracker aisle begrudgingly, her curiosity burning at her chest as she wanted to push the Faunus for more info, Amber's orders being the only thing holding her back from unleashing a barrage of questions to the older woman.
Try as she might to hide it, her conversation in the forest had intrigued the dark haired girl, and now she was itching to find out exactly what she had meant by "hiding her stripes".
But that would have to wait. Amber had told her not to poke the nest and so she wouldn't. Like it or not, she'd have to trust her leader to broach the conversation when she felt the time was right. Until then, she would stifle her feelings and keep to her role.
Moving down to the aisle, Cinder picked up one of the loaves and cursed quietly at the price as she flipped it over to check the date on them.
"All this stuff nearly expired." She muttered to herself, going through a few more loaves only to find them all with the same expiration date. "Aren't they supposed to be put on sale before that happens? Brothers, even in Patch things were properly rotated."
Grumpily throwing the best loaf she could find into the basket, Cinder turned towards the canned food section when she noticed the third member of their party standing off to one side, looking at something on a rack in the window.
Now normally, Cinder wouldn't have bothered taking the time to deal with Adam's little girlfriend. But something about the way she was looking at one of the display's immediately reminded her of Ruby whenever she was the newest addition of Ages, a huntsmen magazine about the latest and greatest advancement in weaponry. Something that Ruby had become weirdly obsessed with and that Qrow had (inappropriately) joked about being his niece's fetish.
Curious, Cinder walked over to see what had caught Blake's attention, looking over her shoulder to see an ivory covered book with a hand printed logo in slender, golden cursive etched on the very center of the book.
"The Tales of The Infinite Man." Cinder read aloud, making the younger girl's jump, turning to look over her shoulder at the older huntress. "What's that about? Haven't heard that story before."
"That's because it's not a single story." Blake replied, turning to face the older girl as she clutched a copy to her chest, eyes wide with excitement. "Several years back, there was this old cult called The Circle. They worship a god who had descended from on high to teach the people how to use aura. This book is the actual history of the order and their beliefs taken directly from the last surviving member, someone who actually became romantically involved with the god of their worship, even going so far as to become his wife and a deity by proxy, so when she died, she actually ascended to be with her beloved. A romantic tale that is as stunning as it is rare! I mean, not even Tucson could find it! I'm honestly really surprised to see this thing all the way out here."
Blake continued to talk as she turned her attention to the book in her arms, rambling incessantly with a happy little smile on her face, giving Cinder a moment to wrack her brain to remember what exactly she was talking about.
And after a bit of going through mental notes from Prof-. Doctor Oobleck class, she did manage to recall something about a really old organization traveling the world teaching people how to use aura a few hundred years ago. Though given she had tuned out most of those lessons as she always just flipped through Amber's notes to catch up, she really couldn't remember much else on the subject, making pursuing the topic somewhat difficult, forcing her to quickly change the subject.
"So, you like history stuff?" She asked instead, picking up one of the copies and examining it, almost throwing up when she saw they were charging a hundred bucks for the stupid thing. "Y-you should talk with Amber sometime. She'll talk your ears off about ancient history this, and lost legends that. You two would really get along."
At this, Blake gave Cinder a little smile, turning away back towards the shelf she had pulled the book from.
"I actually prefer fiction to history. You know, star-crossed lovers who can't be together, or great adventures through the cosmos to discover new life on distant worlds completely different from our own. You know, stuff we just can't do in reality." Letting out an upbeat sigh, Blake stood there for a moment, staring off into space as she slid the book back into place, a smile plastered to her face.
"I love reading about the brave, incorruptible hero and his many adventures. Saving settlements while challenging the status quo, forcing real change on his own personal quest. It's just so…thrilling! I could just read them all day."
Smiling at the girl's enthusiasm, Cinder placed one hand on her hip as she smirked good-naturedly at the young Faunus. The way she spoke about these stories really did reminded her of Ruby and her love of stories. Those Fairytales of her's while originally annoyed the dark haired girl, she had come to love the adorable way Ruby could just go off for hours about her favorite parts of both old stories and new, something that Blake here clearly had in common.
"You know, my sister is really into fai-. Fantasy stories as well. She can't shut up about how she wants to be a hero like the ones in her books." Chuckling, Cinder turned her attention back to Blake fully, a smile creeping onto her face. "She plans on aiming to become a huntress once she's old enough. Even though she can't swing a sword for crap, those our uncle is apparently planning on training her once he gets some time off this winter break. So hopefully she'll get the pointers she needs to meet the bar for the entrance exam. She'll actually be there at the same time as you, don't suppose you could do me the solid of looking out for her as her senior and a more experienced huntress."
At this, Blake turned around to face Cinder, nervously shifting her gaze away from the older girl.
"Actually, I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to attend Beacon." She said somewhat sheepishly. "With all due respect, I'm not sure if it's right for me. I mean, I've already received training for Adam, Sienna, and other high ranking members of the White Fang, as well as fought Grimm on the road. So I'm not sure how much I'll be able to learn in a classroom. Besides, just sending Adam to the academy was pretty difficult. A lot of fundraisers were ran through Managery and even then we barely hit our target amount. We're not even sure if we'll be able to afford his tuition next year."
At this, Cinder raised an eyebrow in surprise. She didn't know Adam was so starved for money. She knew he wasn't rich, obviously. But she had always assumed he was in a similar situation to Amber, running on scholarship and Beacon's generous student grant for low income kids, a program set up to remove any potential barriers for students who came from small villages and didn't have parents who could afford this kind of education.
Actually, now that she thought about it, she remembered Fang was in a similar boat as the redhead. He obviously struggled to pay for new clothes, (at least with legally earned income.) yet somehow he was able to pay to attend one of the huntsmen academies in a different kingdom. Something she doubted she'd be able to do if in his shoes. She'd have to ask him how he was paying for his tuition.
But that was for another time. For now, she refocused her attention back to the girl in front of her, calmly reaching over her head and grabbing one of the books from the shelf.
"Well, think about it. Never hurts to have more options." She said as she shoved the book into the Faunus arms, her cat-like eyes going wide in surprise. "For now, take this on me as a type of…donation to consider my offer. No need to promise anything, just think about it, okay?"
Taken aback by the sudden gift, Blake took a couple seconds to respond, her eyes looking from the book clutched to her chest up to the dark haired girl in front of her.
"I-? Wha-? I mean-?" She stuttered. "You sure? I mean, it's kinda pricey. Are you sure your okay paying for this?"
"I'm sure." Cinder replied without hesitation, digging around in her pocket and before handing the Faunus some loose cash she had on her person. "Like I said, it's kinda a legal bride to make you consider looking after my gullible sister. Besides, you're Adam's girlfriend, and while I have no idea what you see in him, I'm still obligated as his teammate to be nice to you. Also, most of this I might have…borrowed this money from a very annoying classmate of mine and want to get rid of it before I get back to Beacon. So might as well spend on some overpriced souvenir in some backwater dump of a town."
Grinning at this, Cinder reached down and began patted the girl's head, ignoring her cry of "don't treat me like a kid!" as she tried to get away from the older girl.
"Just think on it, okay? No need to make any hasty decisions. For all you know, when you're old enough, you'll find something else you want to do instead of being a huntress. Because trust me when I say, there are a LOT of annoying things that nobody talks about."
Despite the somewhat patronizing mannerism, Cinder's advice did seem to get through to Blake, as when she forced the older girl's hand off, she couldn't keep a small smile off her face. Nodding quickly, the two moved toward the check stand.
Gesturing the younger girl forward, Cinder formed a line behind Blake as the girl moved to pay for her book, the dark haired girl preparing the bags Sienna had given her for the trip.
However, right as she started to lay her groceries on the counter, the voice of the man at the register, a tall, stocky fellow with deep, sunken eyes and lean muscles that were on display courtesy of the biker jacket he was wearing, drew her attention to the girl in front of her.
"Hundred-fifty." The man grunted as he scanned the book, making the cat Faunus freeze in place, her hand raised to offer Lee's stolen money.
"One hundred and fifty?" Blake asked confusedly. "The sign said ninety-nine ninety-nine. And that's already pretty pricey for a book. Are you positive that's the right price for-?"
Grunting in response, the man slowly turned his head down towards Blake, eyes narrowed in a quiet rage and hand pushing back his coat, revealing a handgun resting on his hip making the Faunus take a fearful step back.
"The fifty extra is for all the stuff you stole while wondering about." He said pointedly as his eyes narrowed, placing the paper he had been reading down on the counter. "I have no idea what you've taken, but let me tell you now, I don't take kindly to thieves. So, pay up the fifty you own me, and I'll let you slide with nary a problem. Brothers know you've probably got way more stuffed up that jacket of yours."
Frowning at the accusation, Blake took a step back, raising her arms and turning slightly to show her fairly snug fitting clothes to the cashier, even spinning a bit to indicate the parts that were a little baggy had nothing stashed away in them.
"See? I'm not stealing anything." Her voice carried a slight strain to it as she tried to remain calm. "Now, can you please just charge me the regular price for the book? I don't want any trouble and will be leaving town early tomorrow mor-."
The man cut her off with a loud grunt, hand shifting to rest on his gun silencing the girl with the obvious threat.
"Yeah, and I didn't want any trouble back when I worked in the main kingdom." He snarled as he rose to his feet. "But that didn't stop you animals from suing me whenever I tried to stop you thieves from making off with my products. That's the whole reason I took my business out here in the middle of nowhere, to get away from you lot and your army of brain dead fools who don't understand how Commerce works. Now, are you going to pay me what you owe or not? You're holding up the line and I don't appreciate loitering thieves."
With that, the man reached across the counter and pushed Blake to the side, not even caring as she stumbled from the force of his shove and nearly tripping over her own feet as he gestured Cinder forward.
"Now, what can I do for you, ma'am?" He asked, his tone completely different from before, now an easy smile spread across his face as the dark haired girl stepped forward. "Looks like you've got quite a bit in your cart there. I see you've got some huntsmen weapons on ya. You passing through on your way to the BadLands?"
Cinder, taken completely aback by the sudden shift in his attitude, almost forgot to be angry at him given his switch. If she hadn't seen him just openly insult Blake, she honestly wouldn't have believed it! It was shocking and a little scary how he could make such a shift like that.
"I…umm…didn't you just-?" Cinder began, still somewhat baffled by what she had just witnessed. Then, with a quick shake of her head, she woke the fire of anger in her chest as she recomposed herself, forcing her unpleasant scowl across her face.
"Look here, asshole!" Cinder snapped, slamming her hand down on the counter. "I was with the girl this whole time. She didn't take anything! She couldn't have! So stop being a dick and sell her the damn book at the damn price! It's already robbery anyway, so what's a little less gonna do to you anyway?"
The man, without missing a beat, calmly stood up and picked up a sign sitting next to the counter and slammed it down in front of the dark haired girl, letting her get a good look at an almost shockingly familiar symbol on the plastic square.
"We reserve the right to choose how we do business. And that means this." The man said, gesturing to the sign that had a canceled out fox head with the words running above and below, 'we don't serve Faunus', written in big bold letters. "As such, we can choose to serve those of sub human intelligence, but they are expected to pay extra for our generosity. If they don't like it, well they can conduct their business somewhere else."
Bristling at this response, Cinder felt her hand tighten into a fist as she fought the urge to break this guy's face! She knew all too well the rhetoric of the "sub human intelligence" belief given how well it was practiced in Atlas.
Basically, it was the belief that humans were smarter than Faunus, and because of this, they should not only be given the right to rule, but also given the right to decide how they could treat them. And despite the fact that this belief was countered by nearly every study EVER, those who believed this ideology simply hand waved away all of it as being done by biased Faunus sympathizers or, and in their own words, those who worshiped ignorance, which was a height of irony not lost to the dark haired girl even as a child.
Scowling, Cinder found herself completely disgusted by the way the man was sneering at her, as if he had pulled out some "got ya!" argument that had justified his actions. Adding looking down on the young rose to her growing list of reasons to despise him.
Right now, every inch of the girl was itching to pull his worthless ass across the counter and beat him into submission. Unfortunately, she knew if she did, she'd be opening a whole different can of worms that would quickly drag her and her team into something that was (for most of them.) not their problem.
With a begrudging sigh, Cinder reached across the counter and took the book from Blake, setting it on the counter before opening her wallet and skimming through the cash she had on hand.
"Fine. I'll buy the stupid thing." She grunted furiously, counting out her money as she flipped through. "Just know, if I ever come back through here when I'm on my own time, I do intend to pay you a visit and reclaim the money you're stealing from me. And believe me, robbing me is a very, Very bad idea."
"I'll take my chances." The man said with a content smile, typing a few things into the register. "And tell you what. Because you're a huntress, I'll give it to you for eight four, ninety-nine. We here in BlackJack owe quite a bit to those who keep us safe from the Grimm. So consider this my way of giving just a little back."
"Wow, how generous." Cinder grumbled sarcastically, just barely fishing out the remainder of her on hand money, the amount just barely totaling over fifty-three, causing the girl to groan.
"Here, this is all I've got in cash." She said holding out her money. "I've got a credit card somewhere on me. Just subtract this off and I'll pay the rest with plastic."
"No problem." The man replied, reaching out and holding his hand underneath her clenched fist. "And before you're being so honest with me, how about I round it down to eighty-four even? That should help put a little more funds towards your retirement, ey?"
Biting back a retort, Cinder opened her palm and let her savings fall towards the man's grubby little hands, a part of her still entertaining the idea of just beating him into submission. She was out in the middle of nowhere after all. No way word would reach all the way back to Beacon and be heard by the ever terrifying Professors (or professor in this case.) resulting in her threatened expulsion.
But it would reach the ears of Amber. And while she definitely felt like even her leader would agree she was in the right here, she also knew it would cause her undo stress, and while she was doing her best to hide it, Cinder knew she was stressed enough as is.
So instead, she took a deep breath and waved goodbye to the fully painted, hand carved wood, antique chess set she had been wanting to rub Fang's fa-.
Suddenly, a hand shot out, snatching the cash out of the air before it landed into the man's hand before ripping it away, moving it safely outside either's reach as the person responsible pulled back their arm.
Shocked, Cinder spun around to find Sienna standing right next to her, catching the young girl by surprise as she had not only approached, but gotten within a foot of her without her noticing.
"How about no." Sienna said coldly, glaring at the man as she held Cinder's money, keeping it far enough away that he wouldn't be able to reach it even if he tried. "The White Fang doesn't cave to the demands of people who want to take advantage of us. So you're going to give this to us at market price, no more, no less."
Caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the tigress, the man was slow to react, staring at her for a few seconds before he shook his head, snapping him out of his trance letting him fix her with the same glaze he had been using to look at Blake.
"Look here, beast." He said in a short, tight voice, waving his finger at her like she was a naughty child. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but under the Vale law section twenty-two, paragraph eight, business owners such as myself are entitled to set the price however or low they desire based on the freedom to engage in commerce with-!"
Suddenly, before the man could finish, Sienna, moving with incredible speed, reached up and snatched his hand out of the air, twisting it backwards as she slammed it down onto the counter at an painfully awkward angle that forced the man to bend at the spine to avoid causing his arm to snap.
"Aaahhhhh!" The man howled, frantically struggling to reach his firearm as his arm was bent in such a way that it gave the holder complete control over the rest of his body, letting the Faunus effortlessly twist him around to ensure he couldn't reach it.
"Look here, buddy, I'm a huntress. You want to talk law, let's talk law." Sienna said with a smug tone, relishing her advantageous position as she watched him helplessly scrabble for his gun. "While yes you can set the prices to whatever you like, you cannot pick and choose a different price based on a customer's religious, political opinions, OR their race or ethnic background. That is a hate crime punishable by fines that can get into the ten-thousands very easily."
Twisting his arm, Sienna pulled the man hard against the counter, pinning his scrabbling arm between his body and the wood, rendering him even more helpless than before as a dull pop echoed out from his elbow, causing him to cry out as tears started to sting his eyes.
As this happened, a small crowd began to form, mostly consisting of other customers as they came over to watch, some even filming with their Scrolls. Yet despite this, Sienna didn't seem to terribly worry. In fact, she made a point to dig her nails into his arm quite openly, easily drawing blood as she spoke up, making her voice much louder to ensure everyone around could hear her.
"Hate to break it to you, but the Faunus are done being oppressed by your kind. You've used then disregarded us for too long now, always assuming it's your right. Well, now we've had enough! If you think humanity is so great, then let's put you all to the test. See how long you last without us to aid you! Starting today, I hereby declare the town of BlackJack an enemy of Faunus kind and ask any who support our cause to pull any support or business from the community immediately! They think they can up-charge us and get away with it, well let's see how far that mindset gets them!"
With that, she threw the man back against the wall behind the counter, letting him crash into the shelves of cigarettes and liquor, causing several to break sending products tumbling to the ground.
Coughing and spluttering, the injured man slowly curled himself into a ball, clutching his injured arm as he began quietly sobbing, cradling his now completely limp arm.
But despite this, Sienna's hard glare didn't waver. In fact, she only seemed to become more disgusted by the man's now pathetic display.
Wordlessly, she reached into her own pocket and pulled out her wallet, casually flipping through it as she took a huge wad of cash out, counting it out loud for all to hear.
"The entirety of our groceries, rounded up for your time, plus the book and the extra hundred for the up-scaled fee in this place. And there that should be it." She said taking out what she owed before throwing it onto the ground in front of the man, letting the bills scatter around him like leaves in the wind.
"There. I hope your money was worth it." She spat, voice full of contempt as she turned on her heel and began walking towards the door, a confident swagger in her step, reaching the exit in a few seconds where she paused, holding open the door.
"You two coming?" She called back over her shoulder, snapping Blake and Cinder out of their shocked daze. "Our loggings should be ready by now. Let's hurry up and get there and unload all this food then get to bed. Remember, we hit the road at dawn tomorrow. So we'll need plenty of sleep."
Still somewhat stunned by what she just witnessed, Cinder jumped when she heard a very enthusiastic, "yes ma'am."
Turning, she was just in time to see the big grin plastered across Blake's face before she, practically skipping with glee, ran after the tigress, falling into place right next to her where she began engaging in a joyful conversion praising the huntress' actions.
Unsure of what to think, Cinder quickly snatched up their purchases and ran after the two, slowing to match their speed upon coming to a comfortable distance behind them.
Was this what she was like during Music Fest? Brothers, no wonder Amber had gotten so frustrated with her. Working around someone who you had no idea what they were going to do was stressful! Just putting up with that crap alone nominated her partner for a prize!
This had been an eye opening experience for the dark haired girl, making her silently promise to try and be a little less unpredictable with her team. As while she had learned the consequences of her actions, this was really the first time she had been on the other side of witnessing them.
She knew that the fight (if you could even call it that.) would probably go viral once posted online. That this would undoubtedly draw the White Fang into another controversy. She had been fortunate enough that her actions had only been recorded through a grainy security camera and even after being sent to the media, her face had been mostly obscured. So while her name was public knowledge, it was significantly harder to place the two together. A privilege she doubted Sienna would get.
Cinder knew that the man would undoubtedly press charges, that the Faunus' call to action probably wouldn't have done much. That technically, he was in the right as while he was a bigot, breaking his arm still was a line too far. She understood all that from a logical perspective.
So why did she still get a strong sense of stratification when she had heard the arm pop?
Swallowing hard, Cinder tried to focus on the logical side of her brain, telling herself repeatedly that Sienna had taken it too far. But whenever she did, her mind would take over, dragging her back into the past, back to that night that remained as clear in her memory as they say it had happened.
The electric shocks, the kicks from her sisters, the taunts and threats as one of them took her sword, the one Rhodes had given her, telling her she was going to destroy it while her stepmother promised she'd never see the man again.
The pain, the taunts, the endless fear and anger that had filled her entire being at the time, it had left her a confusing mess of emotions, shaking as her aching head tried to make head or tails of everything. Until it couldn't.
She wasn't sure what made her snap. There wasn't a single trigger, she had endured all this before, but that night something was different. Maybe she had run out of patience, or maybe she had subconsciously decided enough was enough, to this day, she wasn't really sure. But one thing she did know was on that day, she had made a decision that had changed the course of her entire life.
She still remembered everything, down to every little detail, the shock and surprise of one of her sisters as she charged at her, the scream of the second when she drove her blade through her chest, the sudden, pulsing of the shock collar as her mother tried and tried to stop her. And of course, the satisfying feeling of her throat being crushed beneath her grip.
Since then, Cinder had had many varied and complex experiences, from meeting Summer to bounding with Ruby, all building upon her past to create the person she was today, but even after all that happened, that feeling of snuffing out her tormentor's life with her own hands, still remained her fondest memory no matter how many times she told herself to just leave it behind.
And you know what? A part of her didn't regret that.
And as she followed behind the two Faunus, the sound of footsteps trailing behind her was almost deafening to the dark haired girl. For even though she had told him countless times to leave her be, she didn't need to look behind to recognize the familiar sound of Rhodes' heavy footfall as he continued to stalk her into the sunlight.
Meanwhile,
Adam and Eric entered a small building resting a little ways away from a long line of garages up for rent, the sign above it reading Garleds Garages. A strange sight in such a small town, but given that several people passed through on their way to other towns, it was actually a pretty good business as many of those people needed a place to safely store their vehicles.
Opening the door revealed a small room, about the size of a one room apartment, shelves with magazines and maps littered the area, each one set up in ways that ensured that visitors couldn't go anywhere without the flashy covers catching their attention. Not that that was saying much.
The place was practically abandoned save themselves, a young, skinny, light brown haired young man in a teal coat and brown shirt sweeping by the shelves at the far wall, and a man operating the register, a newspaper opened in front of him that was blocking his face save a tufted of hair with a similar color to the younger employee.
As the door swung shut, a bell above the door jingled as it was hit by the wooden frame, making the man at the desk look up from the paper and set it down as he turned to face his customers.
"Welcome to Garleds Garages. How can I help you today?" The man, presumably Garleds, asked, looking right at Eric, his smile widening as he saw the large shield strapped to his back. "Huntsman, ay? What an honor. I am humbled by you choosing my little business over all the others." He said, shaking the knight's hand as he reached the desk.
The man was heavy set, with large arms and belly and thick muscle and neck to add to his bulk. He was balding with a ring of hair that ran around the top of his head with a full bushy, unkept beard that reached down to his chest.
"Yeah, well, the competition didn't seem to have what we needed. In fact, I narrowed it down between you, and that patch of grass on the edge of town. So, you know, hard choice, but in the end I got there." At this, the two laughed at Eric's joke as they both were well aware that there was no other place in town.
Rolling his eyes good naturedly at his partner, Adam leaned forward, resting his hand on the desk drawing the clerk's attention.
"Excuse me, sir. But we're kinda in a hurry and we're hoping to do this quickly." The Faunus said politely. "I know it's a bit of an ask, but would we be able to rent out some garages for our trucks? We're passing through the town and will be departing early tomorrow morn-."
"Trucks? You animals can drive? Are you guys part of a circus or something? Hahahahaha!"
Slapping his knee loudly, the man began laughing blatantly in Adam and Eric's faces, making the Faunus' hands tighten into fists as he bit back the rage growing in his chest. His scowl grew as he fought the edger to snap back at the man, make him aware of how not funny his joke was.
Sensing this, Eric quickly spoke up, calmly stepping between Adam and Garled, putting on a forced smile as he responded.
"Nope. I'm here representing an organization passing through." He explained calmly. "See, we just want to spend the night here and get prepared for No Man's Land. But for that, we need a safe spot to store our vehicles and cargo. And according to our travel agent, this is the best and safest place in town to do that."
Returning to his upright position, the man grinned at Eric and Adam, seemingly thinking there was nothing wrong with what he had just said.
"Aww. Thanks, but flattery won't get you a discount." He responded, placing his elbows on the counter good naturedly. "So, how many are we talking about? We have enough space for two trucks, a garage or three cars, if they're thin. But given that you manage to get here, I'm gonna assume it's the former."
"Three." The knight replaced, nodding at the owner's question. "We'll only need them for one night, and plan to leave first thing tomorrow morning. So could I get confirmation on opening time and how to properly check out before we leave?"
"Of course! We open at six, but there's a drop box for the keys just outside. Feel free to drop them in there if you're gonna pay up front." He explained. Then, shooting another look at Adam, grinned mischievously.
"Those of you don't mind me asking, what ya hauling? Can't be those animals, is it? I mean, if folks wanted pretty little cat girls, they'd just pick them up from the marshlands after the SDC is done with 'em, am I right?"
Throwing his head back, the Garled roared with laughter, missing the aggressive step Adam immediately took towards him, stopped only by Eric practically shoving him back with his heavy, armored hand.
Unfortunately, having not noticed the sudden rising tension, the man didn't call it quits after his single distasteful joke.
"Wait! Hang on, I got another one. Hey Harper! I've got good news and bad news." He roared, pounding the desk as he laughed. "My wife is pregnant, and I caught a Faunus in my bedroom. Which means my wife agrees to its savagery and I've got another mouth to feed! Hahahahaha!"
The joke drew a loud laugh from the light haired young man who was sweeping the floor, his hand moving up to stifle the laughter, though it was barely noticeable with the loud guffaws from the older man.
After a couple minutes, the man turned to Eric, grinning at him, flashing him a cheeky smile as apparently, he expected the knight to appreciate this kind of treatment towards his partner, patting the table as he wiped some tears out of his eyes.
"Aww. No hard feelings. I know your kind can't control your urges." Garled said dismissively. "We aren't racist or judge others for things they can't control. It's all in good fun.
However, the green knight didn't return his smug, superior grin. Instead letting his face harden into a glare as he stared down at the man.
"This 'animal' is my friend." He said coldly, resting his hands on the desk and visibly tightening them into fists. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to him in such a manner. It's quite rude, as well as verbally offensive to both him, and anyone who believes that the world is better now that slavery has been abolished. A group that very much includes myself."
At these words, the man's expectation began to slip, completely falling off as Eric reached the end of his speech. His face now replaced with an irritated scowl.
"Oh well, I'm so sorry if I offended you." He grunted out as he rolled his eyes. "Didn't know I was dealing with a bunch of snowflakes who can't take a joke. Would you like me to bow my head and apologize for being so incredibly privileged to be born human? Give you all my money as compensation for the perceived slight my kind has done to yours? Will that make you happy, oh benevolent Faunus activist?"
Shaking his head at the question, Eric calmly leaned back, his more goofy grin spread across his face.
"No, that won't be necessary." He replied, voice taking on his more normal tone. "Thanks for offering though. But we're still law-abiding citizens and will settle for paying you for three spaces to park our trucks for the night, nothing more."
Letting out an irritated snarl, the man turned toward the keys on the rack, grabbing one of the two sets hanging there numbered sixteen and seventeen both, placing them on the counter between them without trying to hide his irritation Eric hadn't taken his bait.
"That'll be ninety a piece." He grunted, turning his attention back to his paper. "Each one can hold two vehicles, so don't go around complaining about the price. Anything you leave behind will be auctioned off, so make sure you get everything out before you depart."
Smiling at the man, Eric straighter up, giving Adam a thumbs up as he spoke to the man at the register.
"Thank you kindly." He said as Adam leaned in, swiping the White Fang's card through the device. "We appreciate the warning. We'll be certain to get everything out before we skip town. Until then, I'm glad we could come to an understanding."
Reaching down, Eric made to grab the keys from the counter as Adam, still not entirely trusting himself to say anything, quickly turned and made his way towards the door, reaching in record time and holding it open for his partner before he had even turned around.
Unfortunately, despite the redhead's hurry to leave this establishment, someone else had other ideas.
Bang!
All eyes were drawn back to the counter as the light haired man, Harper, slammed his hand down onto the desk, trapping the two keys underneath his palm as he glared up at Eric.
"Hold on just a minute there mister." The man said quietly, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Adam and Eric. "Before we let you rent out one of our garages, we need to run a background check on you. Can't be sell'en to criminals can we?" As he said this, his eyes flicked over to the horns perturbing from the Faunus' head, making the red head bristle with barely controlled rage.
Of course it wasn't going to be that simple. There was always something else that a Faunus had to do to get the same service as humans. It shouldn't even be surprising him at this point.
"Is that really necessary?" Eric Asked, eyebrow raised in perplexity. "We're only staying one night. And it's not like there's anything to steal in those garages, is there? Why do you need to do a background check?"
Smirking at him, Harper straightened up, calmly flipping the keys in his hand as he turned his attention to the knight, completely ignoring Adam as the Faunus let the door swing shut as he made his way over.
"Well, it's just a little suspicious that someone of your…type would be passing through here with so many vehicles. And given that we don't know if that card you used is stolen or not, we naturally need to make sure we aren't ripped off by a bunch of criminals who masquerade as decent people. And seeing as we don't know who you are, I'm sure you can understand our position."
No, they really couldn't. A card was easier to trace than say cash. And even if it was stolen, they'd still get paid as it had already gone through without any hiccups. Meaning there was no way they wouldn't get paid!
Seething at this, Adam closed the distance between himself and the man, coming to a stop a few feet away, standing next to his partner, breathing heavily in an attempt to stay calm.
"Is that really all you're worried about?" The red head snarled, hands shaking as he came to a stop. "A couple missing ids? That seems a bit extreme if you ask me. You sure there's no other reason you don't want to rent us a garage?"
Despite the Funaus' hand moving to his sword, clutching his scabbard as he did, the young man shows now signs of fear, simply taking a step back, keeping the keys clutched in his hand as he grinned maliciously at Adam.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said in a goating tone, shrugging his shoulders in a condescending manner that practically screamed fight me. "This is politics for all customers who fail to identify themselves with a valid name, date of birth, and address. Not my fault if you don't know that. Like I already said, we prefer not to host those who…might be criminals."
"Uhu, so why is this the first time we're hearing about it?" Adam shot back, jerking his thumb toward the cashier. "This guy didn't say anything about a background check and he's running the register. Care to explain why he didn't-?"
"Don't put words in my mouth boy." The man cut in, immediately raising to his feet to glare at Adam. "You trying to start something, boy? Because I get very angry when your kind makes insinuations. Maybe the lad's right, maybe we should run a background check on you. After all, a ruffian like yourself is bound to be trouble. Maybe I should call the authorities to see what they think about such a rabble rouser."
Taking a step back, the man flicked open his jacket, revealing a hunting knife resting on his hip which he placed his hand threateningly on. At the same time, Harper's hand snakes around to his back pocket, seizing something that made a distinctive click as a hammer was pulled back and a safety was turned off.
In response to this, Adam immediately widened his stance, hand now shifting to rest on the hilt of his blade, a deep scowl spreading across his face. From this distance, he could tell neither of them had an aura, but right now he really didn't care. He had just about had it with everything that had happened for the past few months. From the riots in Vale, to the blatant differences in treatment between human rioters and Faunus protesters, from Cinder constant dismissal of his problems, and of course that strange assassin that he couldn't get out of his head for some reason. It had pushed him to his boiling point and he was done taking this lying down!
Why should he have to obey the mindless sheep who overpopulated the kingdom? They lived in privilege and were more than happy to keep stepping on the Faunus to maintain the status quo. It was sickening!
Who would miss these couple of racists anyway? If standing by and letting them continue to ruin others was the way of society, then that society was just a cancer! One he should-. No, could cut away with his blade! Making the world better with one life at a time! Would he be libeled as a criminal, probably. But why should he care about the mindless opinions of themasses? He was stronger than them anyway. What were they going to do about it?
As these thoughts entered his head, he felt his fingers start to itch, causing him to rub them gingerly against his sword. One swing was all it'd take. And that felt so right! To be free of those restrictions, to be the true him, it made him wonder, how good would it feel to just be-.
Natural!
"Here you go!"
The suddenness of Eric's voice made Adam jump, looking to his right to his partner leaning past him, offering his student license to the men, a big goofy grin spread across his face.
"You know, if you needed an id, you just had to ask." The green knight said as the man took his license, examining it in his hand. "But you went and got all scary and such, you made me fear that you were gonna draw on us for a second there!"
Scratching the back of his head, Eric let out a laugh as if this was all some kind of joke, completely snapping the Faunus out of his trance where he quickly, yet discreetly, took his hand off his sword, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it.
What the hell had he just been thinking!? Kill these two goons over while in White Fang attire? Had he lost his mind?! That would have irredeemably damaged their reputation as well as destroyed any credibility of any other similar movement that tried to follow in their footsteps! Sure, they two were worthless piles of garbage, but it wasn't worth throwing away not only his future, but the future of the Faunus as well!
Fortunately, it didn't appear that either of the men noticed his hostility as the older one, taking his hand off his knife, calmly handed Eric's id back to him after examining it carefully, nodding slightly as he did.
"Well, everything seems to check out." He commented before turning to Adam, hand outstretched. "Now on to you, the one I'm actually worried about. Let's see if you're an outstanding student at Beacon, same as your friend."
Frowning, Adam moved to pull his own id out of his back pocket, not missing how the two tensed up as he did. Honestly, he shouldn't even be surprised at this point, but he still felt that same itch making its way down his arm as he seized his student license, only this time, he was able to ignore it.
However, before he could pull it out, Eric draped his arm over Adam's shoulder, grinning as he pressed his head next to the Faunus'.
"Come on, do ya really need to check?" Eric said in a bombastic fashion. "I get you want an autograph, but come on! You know who this is! I mean, do you know any other redhead bull Faunus who carries a sword with pistons on it?"
At his question, the two men exchanged a look, then turned back towards the anti White Fang poster on their wall, one that had a picture of Adam himself in the background behind Ghira. Something that, even without needing him to turn around, was undoubtedly the same person.
Letting out a grunt, the cashier turned to Harper and gestured toward the pair, letting out a low, tried grunt.
"Give 'em the keys." He shrugged dryly, gesturing toward the two huntsmen, making Harper's eyes go wide.
"But sir-!"
"Do it!"
The young man was cut short by a rough groan from the older, cutting him off before he could protest further. "This ain't worth our time. Just hand over the keys and get back to work." His order was followed by another groan as he sat back down in his chair, picking up his newspaper and flipping it open to wherever he had left off, no longer paying any attention to the three young men in his establishment.
At this sudden shift in momentum, Harper found all remaining eyes on him as he himself glanced from his boss to Adam, one hand still clenching the keys, the other still tucked on the forearm in his back pocket.
A few seconds passed as the young man weighed his options. On one hand, he could keep pushing his luck, but without the support of his boss, it was two trained huntsmen against one guy, (not that having a second would have changed anything.) and as a result, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that outcome would be.
And so, letting out a frustrated sigh, Harper released his gun and calmly raised the keys, holding them in a tight fist for one of his clients to come and get.
But when Adam reached out to take them, in one last act of defiance, the young man opened his hand and dropped them onto the floor, the two keys hitting the ground with a deafening clatter that seemed to echo throughout the room.
For a second, nobody moved, nobody said anything. There was just no need to. Standing there, looking at the smug grin on Harper's face told Adam everything he needed to know.
And heavy silence filled the air as the two young men kept their gazes locked on each other, both daring the other to make a move while not wanting to give an inch. The mutual respect that normally exists between two people doing business completely gone as Harper basically told the Faunus to knee for him. And Adam once again found him contemplating taking the human's head off.
"Oh, drop this."
And just like that the tension was broken once again as Eric bent over to pick up the keys, effortlessly scooping them with his large hand before tossing them up, and catching them teeth facing down.
"Thank you for your service! But let's not do this again." He said cheerfully, turning towards the door and making his way out, practically dragging Adam out with him. Apparently he must have sensed the young man's bloodlust and wanted to get out as quickly as possible.
Well, Adam wasn't complaining!
Turning around, Adam marched out of the building, moving so fast, Eric practically couldn't keep up, forcing him to jog just to make it out the door as the redhead stepped through.
Neither said anything, neither needed to. They had both seen what had just happened and right now, Eric didn't have words, and Adam didn't trust himself to speak. The Faunus had no idea what had just come over him, or why. But one thing he did know was that those words passing through his head weren't random. And they were words he would never forget.
Immediately and unbidden, Adam's mind pulled him back, taking him mouths into where he found himself standing once again under the Vale freeway, with cars zooming above him, which should be making what the maniac in front of him sound small or quiet in comparison.
But even with that, his words echoed out, loud and fast, worming their way into Adam's head and logging themselves deep into his brain, turning those simple words into so much more.
"Ironic then that the ones actually capable of mastering it are also the ones so appalled by it. Shackle themselves with worthless labels like, right and wrong, good and evil, justice and crime, and of course the most ridiculous one of all, the importance of life. Hah! What a joke!"
Shaking his head to remove those thoughts, Adam quickly reminded himself that they were completely different. Igor only wanted to kill for the erotic high he got when killing. And had wanted to rid the world of one more piece of filth that was dead set on oppressing his people, on ripping them off. They were nothing alike! He was motivated by justice, by peace! He wasn't anything like that homicidal mani-.
"Oh please. Let's not pretend you actually care about others. So let's stop trying to justify it with pretty words and indulgent self-righteousness. We don't need to hold ourselves to the standards of that cancer we call society. We can just be our rightful selves."
Once again, Igor's voice drilled its way into Adam's head, whispering softly into his ear like the time before when the Faunus had been writhing on the ground, being eaten away by his own aura.
Shakily, Adam placed his hand on his stomach, pressing against his intestines until he felt the metal device that was keeping his liquified organ functioning, a constant reminder of the near death experience he had somehow escaped from.
This thing was a constant link between himself and that man, and he hated it. All the constant jabs and assumptions he had made had gotten to Adam's head and try as he might, he just couldn't get them out. And worst of all, he had no idea why!
Igor wasn't the first maniac he had fought, wasn't the first to try and aquatic him to some horrible tyrant. So why was he the only one to get under the redhead's skin? What made him so special to live rent free inside the Faunus head? What made him so different?!
But while Adam couldn't find an answer to his question, when he turned back around, looking through the window of the business, he caught sight of Harper staring back at him, eyes narrowed in disgust as he watched the Faunus retreating figure.
And for the briefest of moments, that feeling of longing to end that man's worthless life flared up inside Adam once again. And this time, instead of feeling disgusted or fearful, the young Faunus was greeted with a growing sense of pride at his ability to put some distance between himself and the worthless sentiment of right and wrong that those of privileged society so lovingly preached.
Meanwhile,
"Welcome, brother. We have been waiting."
Amber blinked in surprise as she watched the two representatives from the church bow toward her and Ghira, their hands clasped tightly as they bent at a near ninety degree angle, forcing the duo to stand a good few feet back, waiting for them to rise.
"You must forgive our tartness, oh great high leader of the White Fang. In our infinite ignorance, we misread the tapestry divining your arrival. For this, we offer our humblest apologies." The first one said, a blond woman clad in a beautiful golden robe. One that, despite being very expensive, the woman didn't seem to take much care to keep clean. Something very obvious as she had walked across the church's yard to greet them with her hem dragging across the ground
"Yes, for this blunder we beg your forgiveness. We regret that, though our great weaver is perfect in every way, the means of defining her intent, is not. And as such, we cannot truly act in her will all the time." The second, a portly, dark haired man dressed identically to the woman, said, his voice carrying a type of over the top humbleness that almost sounded sarcastic in the way, nobody would ever normally talk like that as he addressed Ghira. "We hope this does not damage the relationship we've been fostering for some time now as it is mutually beneficial beyond comparison to both our causes."
"No, no. That's fine. Nothing to worry about." The Faunus said, raising his hands between them, becoming them up. Clearly he was uncomfortable with this kind of treatment and honestly, Amber didn't blame him. If she were in his shoes, she'd probably be uneasy too.
"You honor us with your kindness." The woman said as she straightened up alongside the man. "We are truly blessed with the divine Weaver's good graces to have such an understanding man to call a bother as we too know the pain of persecution. As such, it is our honor to help you in any way we can. Please, allow us to show you to your rooms, oh honored guests."
With that, both of them stepped aside, opening a pathway into the church for the two huntsmen, before they gestured them in twice after which the women turned and calmly walked towards the large doors, the man standing at the entrance, waiting for the guests to follow.
Looking to Ghira, Amber saw the older man sigh, shaking his head slightly before walking after the woman, an act Amber quickly mirrored as the man fell in line behind them as they walked into the church.
Upon entering, Amber realized that it was much bigger than she had first thought. With a huge entrance hall and a red carpet that ran down the large, towering halls that were lined with expensive tapestries, each one depicting a major historical event in beautiful craftsmanship, almost looking like a painting instead of cloth and string.
"Wow." Amber murmured, her eyes wide in wonder. "How on Remnant did you get all of these? There all so… exquisite. The tapestry looks like they're the work of a master. You can see every little thing down to the finest detail. How did you get it so life-like?"
"Aww, I see you have an eye for art." The man behind her said, a smile in his voice. "Could I possibly interest you in joining our order? I promise you we have one of the finest silk-work you could possibly dream of. All taught and practiced under the watchful eye of our goddess."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass." Amber said immediately, yet respectfully. "Those if I might ask, what do you mean under the watchful eye of the divine Weaver? This is the first time I've heard of your faith and I'm quite curious on how it came about. Are you guys a new religion that sprung up after the war or…?"
Her question drew a chuckle from the man behind her, his voice earnest and sincere as he replied.
"Yes, many people tend to jump to that conclusion. Though if you look a bit deeper into our culture, you'll find our beliefs predate the more popular, false brothers beliefs." He said as they turned a corner, coming to a long hallway that had several rooms lining the sides which they walked past.
"See, we started eons ago. Back when these lands were ruled by a king who was both brave and powerful. And under his leadership, he made it strong and kind, ensuring people of all races and backgrounds could flourish. A true leader, nothing like the ones we have today." He scoffed as he added that last, audibly disgusted by the people in charge of Vale. A sentiment Amber found herself strongly agreeing with.
"See, the people loved the king, as unlike every other monarch, he treated everyone with respect and dignity. To him, all his subjects were equally precious and had to be treated as the treasures he saw them as. Unfortunately, this attitude earned him the ire of not only his own noble class, but also neighboring kingdoms who sought to dethrone him. And as a result, a wicked scheme was formed, one that nearly destroyed the kingdom and all its inhabitants."
As he spoke, they conveniently turned down a corner of the hallway, coming to another long hall leading to the back of the church where several tapestries hung, each one depicting a different scene of the same story, one Amber immediately recognized.
"While it's unclear who, one of the king's many enemies sent him a gift, a cursed crown. One that was designed to completely destroy his mind." The woman said as they walked past the first tapestry, one depicting a throne room with a tall, regal king sitting in a comfy plush chair as before him, a man knelt, offering a sickly green crown covered in thorns on a silk pillow, the deliver dressed in a black cloak keeping his face hidden as he placed the gift before the king.
"I'm sure you've heard the next part, upon placing it on his head, the king was shown visions of terrible events and unavoidable prophecies, driving him mad with fear and anxiety." The man behind them said, gesturing toward the next tapestry, this one depicting the king once again, this time having dawned the crown, hands clutching that hideous headwear as blood ran down his face. His eyes wide and mouth contorted as if screaming in agony.
"The Indecisive king." Amber said immediately, coming to a stop next to another scene, this one showing a village burning from a window inside the palace, the same king still wearing the maddening crown looking out at it, his guards standing next to him, waiting for orders that would never come.
"Yes." The woman said, breaking off from leading them to stand next to Amber, looking up at the thread work. "However, unlike the censored version of the fairytale we tell kids, we believe in the truth of what happened that day. And how the king was truly saved."
At this, Amber turned to the woman, rising an eyebrow skeptically. She had studied the history behind many fairy tales, and while it was for the most part determined that the king from this story didn't find a cure in the love of a woman, nobody really knew what had actually happened. Or the ultimate fate of his kingdom.
However, without even addressing that, the man spoke up with a tone of complete confidence as he too came to a stop next to the girl.
"See, unlike in the fairytale, the king fell into a long, deep depression, fighting a battle of indecision as both his own nobles and other invaders lay waste to his work, pushing his people back into the castle before it too fell under siege. And as his enemies began banging down the gates, it seems all was lost."
Taking the lead this time, the man lead the party a little further down the hallway, past two more tapestry, the first of which showed a battle around the castle, the kingdom burning as injured and dying people lay strewn across the ground as the king looked on, still wearing the cursed crown.
"But just as always, in the darkest night, when dawn will come. And when it does, the light shall be even brighter for it." The man said, directing Amber's attention to the second tapestry. This one depicting the battle once again, but this time, a heavenly light shone down on it from in the sky in the form of a glowing white sphere of light with a lone figure at the center, who seemed to be some kind of deity as both the king and his subjects were all reaching up towards them, their faces both bloody and beaten.
"As the kingdom faced certain destruction, our goddess descended from the sky, landing before the king, speaking with the voice of an angel and the might of a dragon. Proving herself divine as she could wield the power of the elements without so much as a speck of dust! And upon single handedly driving back the enemy, she spoke to the king, telling him of how the world must be." The man said, closing his eyes as he recited the next passage from memory. "You have been gifted with an object no mortal could comprehend. She said, For that there is only one true fate for this world and the crown gives you foresight into that one true future. A feat reserved only for the gods."
"One true future?" Amber asked. "What do you mean?"
Smiling at the question, the man turned to look at the girl over his shoulder, his eyes fixing on Amber's as he replied.
"See, our understanding of the universe is based on multi-verse theory. That every outcome throughout history resulted in reality splitting into different universes. That much is a proven fact. But what we believe is that there is one true way. A perfect tapestry that dictates how all things should be. And while we might consider ourselves as having free will, at the end of the day, all events will eventually lead us back to the one perfect timeline, our predesigned fate if you will. And if you look throughout history, it shows those details offer more support than one day two gods just decided to make us our of nothingness. And we have factual proof of that!"
Amber bit back the urge to point out that multiverse theory was far from proven, and that without another universe to observe and compare to ours, saying that history supported this outlandish theory was both misleading and just plain wrong, she insisted pushed the conversion into a more constructive route.
"What do you mean one, perfect timeline? Like a single timeline where everyone is happy and no one suffers?" The dark skinned girl asked, drawing a laugh from the two church members.
"By the great weaver, no." The man laughed, looking back at Amber over his shoulder. "There's no such thing as no evil in the world, that just isn't a possibility. No, what I mean is the one timeline where everything is the way the Great Weaver intended to be. Where we are all in the places we were meant to be."
"The way the Great Weaver intended?" Raising her eyebrow at this, Amber pushed further, unsure of exactly what they meant. "What do you mean? Are you saying that there's a divine god that decides what our future is and we must obey? Why would you worship that?"
"Obey? Oh no no no! That's much to strong a word." The man replied, shaking his head at her as if he was explaining something complicated to a child. "No. You see, it's not so much we obey as no matter what you do, you'll end up exactly where the tapestry of the world dictates no matter what you do. Obeying or not is completely irrelevant. For at the end of the day, you shall become exactly where you were meant to be."
If Amber wasn't confused before, she certainly was now. You had free will but didn't? What on Remnant were they talking about? How could you say with so much certainty that you'd end up where the world wanted you and how would you even tell that was what it intended. Sure, she understood certain people were prone to certain actions, but to say that someone couldn't learn enough self-control to counter was just ridiculous!
Opening her mouth to ask some further questions, the girl quickly decided against it, figuring it might be rude to push any further into their religion or make them feel like she was attacking it. Curious as she was, it wasn't worth upsetting these people who, despite having confusing beliefs, had been kind enough to offer their church to the White Fang during their stay. So while she'd have loved to push more, the girl shut her mouth and continued walking. Letting her confusion and curiosity burn underneath the surface.
Fortunately, Amber's plight seemed to have drawn the attention of her companion and he quickly jumped in with a much simpler explanation.
"Try thinking about it like this." Ghira said with a practiced ease, clearly not being the first time he's had to explain this to someone. "Let's say I was a doctor in the Weaver's grand design, or main timeline, or whatever you want to call it. This dictates that in every other timeline, both my personality, events in my life, and personal beliefs would eventually lead me to becoming a doctor in every timeline. Effectively placing me back into that role no matter what happened or how I tried to stray. Effectively, I would still have my free will, but no matter what, I'd end up in the same place as the main timeline. Does that make sense?"
Amber quickly nodded in response, her mind now able to picture a part of what the church members were talking about.
"So, what you're basically saying is that there's some predetermined fate for everyone and one way or another, you'll end up in that role? Is that the general just?" Amber asked, prompting the woman to nod. "In that case, how do you know what that role is? Or when you've finally found it? Is there some grand plan or something that tells you when you've reached that point or…?"
"Another good question. I must say, you are incredibly sharp, young Ms." The man said. "A good head like that for one so young is rare these days. Are you absolutely positive you wouldn't consider joining our noble order? You very well might be reaching your intended destination by doing so."
"I'm afraid that's still a no." Amber said with a light laugh, though making sure her voice remained firm. "I still have another dream I'm currently chasing and currently think that my fate lies there. But who knows? If you're right, if my fate truly is tied here, I'm certain I'll end up at one of your churches."
The two shared a laugh at this before continuing their walk, the man now speaking somewhat quickly as they were approaching their destination.
"When the goddess took the crown from the king, she left behind several tapestries as a gift to the man, each one showing him an event that would happen one day. These tapestries allowed the king to drive out the invaders and reclaim his kingdom, letting his subjects rebuild their homes. But as peace started to return to the kingdom, the king noticed something strange about the tapestries. As many depicted events that hadn't happened during the war. And after much pondering, he realized what they were." The man explained, as they approached a set of double doors at the end of the corridor. Two long drapes hung down on either side, indicating this room was one of importance.
"They were prophecies! Events that would one day transpire somewhere within the world. And so, there and then, the wise king founded our church, allowing it to become a mainstay in his kingdom. And now, thanks to the devout work of our oracles, we have begun devising their meaning long before they started happening! For it is our greatest privilege to observe these events happening within our own time. Why even as we speak, the Great Weaver's work is coming to its conclusion as we race towards the final, true tapestry that will…!" The man spoke with pride and confidence, practically singing praises to his goddess, giving the dark skinned girl time to wrack her brain to try to remember the history behind the story he spoke of.
While the facts behind fairy tales were hardly Amber's specialty, she didn't recall any about a church being founded after the king recovered, or any religious related activity after he managed to retake his kingdom. In fact, if she remembered correctly, the queen had a strong distain for religion built upon the worship of idols made in the image of men.
Shaking her head, Amber dismissed the thought. She could double check that once they got back to Vale, fact check his claims. While those kinds of myths were hard to verify, even the most bonkers stories came from somewhere, and unlike a lot of others, the tale of the indecisive king was one that had been traced somewhat well in comparison.
Turning a part of her attention back to the rambling man, she caught the last bit of his sentence, piecing together he was talking about some end times that were upon them. Giving her something to respond to if he asked if she was listening.
"…for in our darkest hours, the savor shall descend upon us! The signs have already started to appear, which means it's only a matter of time before the true king of Remnant shall emerge from hiding and lead to a utopia where all things shall be in their rightful place! With no need for struggle or-!"
"Oh come now, please don't tell you you still believe in that." Ghira grunted out tiredly, reaching up and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You can't expect some chosen savior to just magically appear and make the world a better place. The world will only improve if we, the people in it, take action. You can't just wait for some prophecy to be fulfilled where it says someone is going to fix every problem in the world."
At this, the man came to a stop and turned to look at Ghira, his face still as calm as ever.
"I never said that every problem would go away. Just that everyone would be where they 're supposed to be." He said simply. "Secondly, while I understand your frustration that you've worked to improve Faunus human relationships only to enter into the end times when our savior will appear and fix it for you. But remember, for your sacrifice, I'm sure the savior will be more than willing to reward you for your trails. For while they could do it in a heartbeat, they shall understand the difficulties with performing such a feat without the power of the Great Weaver on your-."
"I'm not doing this for a reward, I'm trying to make the world a safe place for my people!" Ghira snapped, angrily taking a step toward the man, towering over him as he glared down at the man.
"Just because you think everything is going to work out doesn't mean we all do. Right now, Faunus are being treated as slaves in Atlas, Mistral, and those smaller settlements dotted across the countryside. The White Fang was founded because Someone had to do something! Relying on some prophecy that has been around for a hundred years which is no closer to coming to flourishing than it was at the point of its origin!"
"Aww. But that's where you're wrong my dear friend. It is happening right now, before our very eyes." The man's voice was calm and confident, not seeming to take into account the six foot tall Faunus towering over him, letting him simply look up into Ghira's eyes with a superior look in his eyes and a smirk of victory on his face.
Sensing the rising tension, Amber quickly stepped forward, placing herself slightly in front of Ghira yet still off to the side, ensuring she could jump in between the two men if things got ugly.
"So…what events are you talking about?" Amber said a little louder than she normally would, trying to pull the man's attention away from the Faunus and onto her. "You said there was evidence to support your beliefs, is that the events that are happening? What are they and how do you know about them."
Her plan seemed to work as the man took his eyes off Ghira and onto her, taking on a softer look as he addressed her, his tone one of both patience and pride. Clearly thinking he had won the battle for the younger girl's interest.
"Aww, yes. There's a very good question." He murmured, smiling down at Amber. "See, there are four prophecies events leading up to the savior's crowning. The first has already happened, as the first tapestry depictions a great battle, one the likes of which has never been seen before or since. A Great War, if you catch me drift."
"The Great War?" Amber echoed, confused. An ancient tapestry depicting a great battle wasn't exactly uncommon. Drawing a connection between the two felt a little shaky at best. Not to mention that if it was made during the time of the Indecisive king, it very well could be depicting the battle his people faced, not some massive event several hundred years later.
"Yes, the Great War." The man said, believing he had gotten the girl hock, line, and sinker, turning back toward the door at the end of the hallway and beginning to walk towards it once again. "See, the tapestry depicts a battle stretching across the entire world, with the whole planet split in two, a direct reference to how the four kingdoms would be split, with two fighting on both sides. clearly a prophecy that is coming true right before our very eyes!"
It wasn't, but Amber chose not to mention that. Instead staying quiet and letting the man continue his claims.
"Next came the unease and riots in Vale. The next glorious sign of the coming savior!" The man said as naturally as if he was speaking about the weather, completely oblivious to what the chaos in the capital had brought, only seeing it from his religious perspective.
"See, the next tapestry depicting chaos raining supreme and a falling king, both are equally represented within Vale right now. With the unholy riots in the streets and the weaning power headmaster Ozpin is desperately trying to cling onto, it's an exact one to one example of the second prophecy coming to pass!"
Once again, it wasn't. But he spoke with such certainty that Amber would have thought it was a joke had she not just had a serious conversation with him, one where he displayed a level of normality compared to that of a sane person. A status he was quickly losing as he continued to talk about these so-called prophecies.
"The third prophecy has yet to come to pass, but it says that the savior shall appear among us in a flash of silver light, a member of the downtrodden people shall rise to lead us all to salvation!"
The man's passion was not infectious. In fact, it made both Amber and Ghira struggle not to roll their eyes. How anyone could get behind this level of crazy was beyond them. Though they supposed at least their torture was finally at an end as they had finally reached the room at the end of the corridor.
As they came to a stop, the man turned to them, calmly taking his place next to one of the doors with the woman at the other, standing with their hands on the knobs like at the fancy resorts that cost more than most people made in two years.
"Thank you for listening to our beliefs. I apologize if I rambled a bit. We all simply carry such a passion for our faith it's sometimes hard to stop myself." The man said with a slight bow toward his guests. "But now, without further ado, allow us to show you where you shall be staying for the night."
With that, they two swung open the doors, revealing a large, well furnished guest room with several beds on either side with silk sheets lined the walls, with couches placed in the center of the room with leather covers, facing glass tables or bookshelves lined with hard back copies of many well known works. A openable paper screen had been set up in the center of the room with more placed next to it, creating a way to split the room by gender as was the plan.
A bathroom had been set off to one side. A kitchen was visible sitting in one corner and Amber could even see light from a skylight shining down onto the center of the floor, bouncing off the beautiful reds and purples of the room, giving her the impression of a five star motel, not a church in the middle of nowhere.
But what really caught her eyes was the four tapestries that hung from the walls. Enormous enough to reach from the high ceiling all the way down to the floor, each one depicting each of the events of the end times the man was telling them about on their way here, each one ornately embroidered with carefully stitching and expensive fabrics.
"As you can see, all the arrangements have been made. We do hope you enjoy your stay at our humble abode. And should you ever need a place to stay on your way back, we hope you pick our church as we will always be more than happy to accommodate someone attempting to carry out our great Weaver's will. For even though you may not believe in her, she clearly believes in you, giving you both the inspiration and ability to reach the point you have. You have truly been blessed by her excellence."
With that, the two bowed once again before backing out of the room, letting the doors swing shut as they backed out, before they turned and began making their way back toward the main part of the church, their footsteps slowly disappearing until they completely faded away, letting Ghira let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping as he finally relaxed.
"Finally." He grunted tiredly, rubbing his temples as he walked over to a coach, falling down into it. "Those guys might be extremely generous, but they are exhausting to deal with. At least they're reliable, even if we have to put up with their endless propaganda."
Rising her at this, Amber walked over to one of the walls, resting her hands on her hips.
"They're already like that? That's crazy." She said as she examined one of the tapestries. "Still, at least they provide these nice rooms. This is way fancier than any hotel I've stayed at before and probably ever will. I mean, how much would you have to make a year to afford staying at a place like this?"
Laughing slightly at this, Ghira looked over at her from his seat, a tired smile playing on his lips.
"Even if I did make enough, I wouldn't spend it on a place like this." He replied with a chuckle. "Nice as it is, I think the never ending preaching would ruin any holiday I'd plan with my family. Nothing ruins a family dinner faster than politics or religion, even if said religion is mostly harmless."
Humming in response, Amber came to a stop before the last tapestry, her eyes darting from one corner to the other, taking in the scene it depicted.
Woven into the bottom of the fabric was what looked like an army of Grimm, all facing the upper looking towards the sky where a, dark, feminine silhouette stood in a large sphere of silver was hung just below the shatter moon, its light shooting out all across the night sky, pointing out the unusual coloring compared to the white stars in the sky.
That was weird. Normally in pieces from this era, white would used to point out the contrast between man and Grimm, using blues to accent their staunch opposition to the red of the monsters' eyes, the last thing many saw before their time was cut short
Stranger still, a figure fell from in between the sphere and the Grimm, this one was sliver, just like the sphere but a different shade. They also had a more masculine figure and were wielding a sword with a cape of silver trailing out before him, almost giving him the appearance of wings as he descended upon the monsters with what most likely was heroic justice.
"Huh. I wonder what this is." Amber said more to herself than anyone. "I'm guessing this is the "savior" from legend, but these are a strange choice of colors. And why are there two in the depiction? Is one the Great Weaver they were talking about?"
"Good guess. Yes, it is." Ghira called from the couch, causing Amber to look over at him. "That's the Weaver and her chosen savior. A hero adorned in silver for some reason. Apparently, they believe once the great leader falls, an ancient evil shall raise and bring death upon all the land. With only one person to save it, the supposed chosen one."
The Faunus rolled his eyes as he said the last part, clearly exhausted from having heard that speech every time he had to make deals with the church. "Unfortunately, these depictions are so vague, they can point to just about any major event and say it's prophecy being fulfilled. That's actually how they gain so much support in Mistral, by making vague, unfalsifiable claims and declaring it was proof that their tales were true. And unfortunately Mistral's current destabilization state made many want to believe in something just to find hope for the future."
"Huh, guess that makes sense." Amber said, turning back to the tapestry, looking up at the figure shrouded in the silver sphere. "Still, I've never heard of anything quite like this before. I wonder how they came up with it without any serious legends to pull from. And why such an emphasis on silver? That feels like such a random detail, doesn't it?"
Scratching her chin, Amber wracked her brain to try to piece old legends together in a way to make this convoluted religion up, coming up with only bits and pieces of it even after many large leaps, leaving her even more confused than before.
Was this religion made up of bits and pieces pulled from various cultures and history? Maybe. That was the most likely explanation. But then, why such a strange obsession with the color silver? To the best of her knowledge, (which was saying a lot!) no kingdom or nation had used silver in any major way until right before the Great War when they were used for fillings. That was it!
In fact, now that she thought about it, the only real mythology reference she could find were the tales of the legendary silver eyed warriors. Whose eyes shone like mirrors, reflecting the darkness of the world back onto itself, allegedly capable of petrifying their enemies with a single glance.
But that was just a bunch of nonsense! Myths made up during a time when semblances weren't properly understood. Magic eyeballs and women wielding the elements without dust? Please, she was a student of history! Not some made up wives tales that were probably greatly exaggerated even at the best of times.
"Well, don't think too hard about it."
Ghira's voice pulled the dark skinned girl out of her thoughts, turning her attention instead to the Faunus as she spun around to face the now standing man.
"At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter that much to where it came from. It's just a bunch of rubbish that makes no sense." He grunted as he stretched his arms above his head, groaning in pleasure as he did so. "Travel around enough and you'll see all kinds of religions and beliefs. But let's be real, these stories are no more real than The Girl In The Tower, or The Story of the Seasons, or The Girl Who Fell Through the World. All utter nonsense without a shred of truth to back them up."
Laughing at this, Amber felt herself relax a little bit. That's right, she was overthinking this. Predetermined fate? Yeah right. She was still just a little jumpy after Howard's "reveal" and that was making her freak out over everything. No way this nonsense was real.
"Welp, now that we've confirmed our reservations, let's head back and join the others." Ghira said with a clap. "A leader's duty is never ending. And while we share common goals, I really don't trust unsupervised at the moment."
At this, Amber broke out laughing, the image of the not so distant past flashing before her as she knew exactly how the Faunus felt. For as much as she trusted her partner now, back when they had first met, there was no way she'd feel comfortable leaving her alone for too long.
And so, with one final look back at the tapestry, Amber followed Ghira out of the room and back into the town, all but forgetting the silvery silhouette as they quickly made to regroup with the rest of their party.
So..hehe, that's not anything ominous to be concerned with. Haha. What a bunch of silly prophecies, am I right. No way you can draw any hints to RWBY cannon from any of those stories! Nothing to worry about at alll!
Okay, time to get serious. Firstly, I wanted to agree a couple things here, first and foremost, my portrayal of Blake.
If she seems a little more out going and bombastic than normal, that's because I think she was more that way as a child. Remember, when her parents left, she yelled at them and called them cowards, indicating that they probably had a big fight. Which to me indicates she lost a lot of her spirit because of Adam and his fall. Hence why I chose to write her a bit more outgoing than normal.
Mind you, I definitely over did it in the last 2 chapters, but I'm aiming to correct that in chapters to come. Hopefully, I'll have it down in another 2 chapters. But we'll have to wait and see.
Next, I want to talk about Adam and Cinder, and why they're falling back onto their vices from music fest. And well, the answer is really simple, they failed to overcome their demons.
As you might recall, when team AACE counter attacked, each of the 3 main cast had an opponent who mirrored them in some way. And at the beginning, they all swore to defeat them.
Unfortunately, Amber was the only one to actually win her battle, so the losses of the other 2 is very much symbolic of their failure to overcome their demons because they either tackled it from the wrong way, or just weren't strong enough to prevail. Either way, now they've got to pull themselves back up and try to win again.
Now, I'm not saying they didn't grow, I'm just saying they didn't overcome their greatest weaknesses. And now have to find a way to cope.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope to see you again next chapter. But until then, bye!
