Team JNPR continued their trek towards the next town. In-between these lulls of combat, they would train to keep their skills sharp, careful as to not use their Dust in case that they would actually need them. Their packs had begun to become lighter as they went through their rations of their journey. Ren in particular has proven himself well with his ability to track down animals as well as being able to tell which plant is edible and which is not. He had to gather many since the wild edible plants only had enough food in them to incentivize a bird or insect to gather. Those were mostly seeds meant for the plant's reproduction.

"Our next town is called Shion?" Jeanne asked.

"Yeah," Jaune replied. "We used to go camping there every summer. There was this ranch as well that we could go horseback riding too."

"There is also an airship there we could take if we wanted to," Pyrrha added. "Though, I'm sure those things will be hard to come by."

"Good thing too," said Jeanne. "We've could probably do more in the other parts of Mistral but we'll need to get to Haven soon."

They all shared a moment of camaraderie. There was hopeful cheer there as well. Finally, they would reach a town that actually had an airship that they could use. It would certainly make their mission easier and it would be even better if they could relax for a little while. The five of them continued onwards just one more mound of elevated ground; it wasn't enough to call it a hill. That cheer however had been silenced at the sight of Shion that had greeted them.

All five of them rushed towards Shion as fast as they could, the weight of the packs on their backs vanished as the sight of the destroyed town drew them in like moths to a flame. When they arrived, blackened and destroyed homes filled their vision.

"It's still fresh," Jeanne said, noting the smoke that was still in the air. With the powers of the Holy Maiden, she began to float in the air. "We need to look for survivors."

"We'll meet at the center of the town," said Jaune. "The space is too wide and open. You can't miss it."

They all nodded and split up. Each one looking for any sign of a survivor. Beneath fallen beams and crumbled walls, the four grounded members of team JNPR searched under every crevice that they could find while Jeanne flew around the town for any survivors that might have been out in the open. Signs of battle littered the town. It wasn't solely a Grimm attack although they did see Grimm claw marks on the remains. There were broken weapons and amor. Not all of the dead were because of the Grimm; some of them were because of weapons. An attack had occurred here and the negativity drew the Grimm.

"Guys!" Nora called out. The town was barren of most life that they could hear the other shouting despite being far from each other. "I found someone!"

All other members rushed toward's Nora location. It was easy to find them with Jeanne in the air. They just needed to follow her trail and soon enough, they found Nora cradling a dying town guard. He had armor on his person. His broken weapon was by his side. A trail of blood was already coming out of his mouth. There was little that they could do. He was already dying to a point that he could not return from. Without medical expertise, none of them could save him.

"What happened, here?" Nora asked desperately as she held the man's open wounds.

"B-bandits," he managed to cough out. "T-then Gr-grimm."

He said nothing more as the shaking of his hands stopped and went lifeless and still. His head fell back as the colors left his eyes. He had gone entirely limp as life left his body. Everyone's shoulders slumped as the loss of another life was made real in front of their eyes. Nora hovered her hands; she could at least close the man's eyes before carrying him.

"Find whatever dead we could," Jaune said. His tone was low and serious. "We should at least give them a proper burial."

There were only few people that they found. Some had been charred to ashes with others being bodily incomplete. The rest were either missing or fully gone. The dead were buried just outside the town with a lone stone that had been carved the simple words "Rest in Peace" to serve as the tombstone.

As huntsmen, they knew that this life would be filled with these sorts of things. Not just the danger of overwhelming number of Grimm but also the speed of getting there. There are those that they would be lucky if they reached them in time. But it wasn't always the case. Settlements form because people wish to make a life for themselves and there are times that the main cities of the kingdoms with its walls and fortifications had become crowded. Some settlements had natural barriers like mountains and rivers but some did not. Shion was one of those that didn't have that protection. Instead, the town relied primarily on the stationed huntsmen that it hired to protect it. Since it was a popular place for hiking, tourism also ensured that the town would have a steady enough flow of people that would warrant its protection.

However, with the attack on Beacon and the decreasing number of huntsmen in Mistral, Shion had lost its defenders and could only hope on any passing huntsmen. Instead, they received bandits. The town's guard could only do so much against them and such negativity brought the Grimm to them. Weakened and beaten, the town of Shion could not defend itself for long.

Jeanne offered a silent prayer for the dead. Ren marched off towards the distance. Jaune tried to reach out to him but was stopped by Nora.

"Don't," she said. The girl's pep was absent. "He has his ways, don't worry. Just give him the time and he'll be back before you know it."

"You both lost a home, didn't you?" Jaune asked.

She nodded. "It's why Ren and I became huntsmen. We didn't want what happened to us to happen to anyone else."

"Still," Pyrrha insisted. "Does he want to talk about it?"

"He will," Nora assured them. "He'll do his fancy meditation. Find his balance again and he'll be fine. You'll see."

In the distance, finding some place away from it all. As close to nature as he could, Ren found himself in what he assumes to be the ranch that Jaune had mentioned. It was the least damaged part of Shion since much of it was open space meant for riders. Relatively, it was the most tranquil place he could find in this destroyed town. Bandits. He never understood them. In a world inhabited by monsters, who would, in their right mind, actually see it as a reason for banditry. In the cities, he could see. The cities were richer and had security but out here? There wasn't always a guarantee of that and they would have to deal with the Grimm if they had met resistance. Ren could never understand it and it frustrates him the most. He had lost his home and family yet he never went down that path even if it meant survival.

Finding the one patch of ground that seemed the most comfortable, Ren sat with his legs cross and the back of his hands on top of his knees. He closed his eyes and began to breathe. His focus was on his breath as the flow of air was consciously noticed. The rising and falling of his shoulders became rhythmic as the anger was acknowledged in his mind. Like a flowing river, the thoughts entered his mind and flowed out. When the moment came that he was stuck, Ren was like a rock resisting that river which wasn't helpful to him. Slowly, he returned to breathing as his mind became clearer. It wasn't his semblance but rather something that anyone could do.

When he had finished, he soon returned to his teammates. None of them had left their spot and were visibly elated and glad that he had returned to them. He reassured them that everything would be alright and while this most certainly wouldn't be the last time that they would be having this sort of conversation, it was enough for now that they are willing to trust him enough that he will be alright.

His eyes drifted to Jeanne. She had been a hero in her life. For all of his, Ren had never really considered much about heroism. His only concern had only ever been to be a huntsman just so that others may not suffer the same fate that he and Nora had. Be it vengeance or justice, he will not deny that his reasons for this path of his life had been more for himself than for anyone else.

Eventually, team JNPR searched the town for what they could forage before they would leave. There wasn't any. Not that they were expecting any but it was still a good idea just in case. One may never know that little drop of water would be preferred when there was none in a dry dessert. They continued on their journey until the town of Shion was behind them.

Like before, there was little in the way of Grimm for them to encounter. However, none of them had it in them to train even then. Instead they had used that time to gather what they can and settle for the night.

Supper was held in silence as they all watched the fire dance. Jeanne was the least affected by this, molded by experiences of the harsh realities that such a life would bring. For the rest of team JNPR, it was still something that needed to sink in for them. They won't always be able to save others, by virtue of not being on time.

"Hey," Jeanne called out to Ren. "We can't let ourselves be hung up on those that we failed to save. There is a time and place for that. Now may be one of those times but I still need to remind you."

"Is it that obvious?" Ren was certain that he had calmed down enough.

"You haven't touched your bowl for one." Jeanne pointed at his still full bowl. Everyone else has been reduced significantly if not empty already.

Ren then proceeded to actually eat his share. It had gone cold now that everyone else had pretty much started while they let him have his moment. They had already begun to clean up after themselves by the time he had finished.

"We'll be okay," Nora said, placing her hand on her shoulder. "We've been doing this thing, just the two of us before. Now we don't have to do it alone. We got Jaune, Pyrrha and Jeanne."

"You're right," Ren replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Nora gave him a comforting smile.

Soon after, all members readied themselves for the night. Except for Ren, he volunteered for the first turn of the night watch. In that time, he went back to his meditation. It was something he did most of the time anyway but this one was more out of practice. It was the best time as well since there was little other sound other than the flames eating the firewood and what night birds were flying out. There was nothing that lingered in his mind for long. Most of them went in then came out as he had practiced. With what had been noticed earlier, he wasn't as calm as he initially thought.

When he opened his eyes, he still had enough time before his turn had ended. Since the place was mostly open space, it wouldn't be too much if he decided to have a little walk. Careful so as to not disturb his friends, Ren made a short walk. His only other light was the shattered moon that hung above them. There was a tranquil feeling behind it with the light breeze and the stars that dotted the black veil of the night sky. It was one of those moments of silence and peace that people like him could appreciate. Perhaps it would help him calm enough that he could at least sleep.

Nora was right. Ren didn't need to face it alone anymore. He had never been alone with her by his side but now there were others. He had his team. His friends. His family. A breath of air escaped his lip. He found that the dagger that had been given to him was still there. That familiar shape of the blade that influenced the design of the bladed portion of his weapon, Stormflower, rested in his palm.

What does it mean to be hero? Ren wouldn't be alone in that line of thought. Huntsmen and huntresses were often called that in the villages and towns that they managed to save. For Ren? That hero was definitely his father. Despite not being a huntsman, Li Ren had protected him like any good father would. Facing off against that Grimm despite the odds never being in his favor. Ren shook his head. His emotions were getting the better of him again. They were distracting him when he should have been trying to calm himself for sleep.

Then, Ren stumbled but did not fall. There was a disturbance on the ground. He hadn't noticed it since it had been covered by grass. A large creature must have passed by here to have left behind the print that it did. He didn't pay it that much mind at first but he decided to see the footprint anyway. It may have been an animal but it might also be a Grimm. The two often have similar enough prints and differentiating the two is a task in of itself.

The footprint was akin to that of a horse. There was no sign of a carriage either which added further credence that this wasn't a horse. With how large this one is, there can be no denying that it was a Grimm. Any calmness that Ren may have gained was lost but he did not lose his composure nor did he lose focus.

Ren's expression darkened, instead. There was only one kind of Grimm that would leave behind these sorts of footprints. He followed the path of direction. The prints were old enough that weeks must have passed by now. After a few more meters, Ren concluded that the Grimm was far ahead of them. It was heading in the same direction of that place that both he and Nora were intimately familiar with, Kuroyuri.

His calmness of mind had begun to cease, without a doubt. That anger and rage that he had suppressed for so many years. The reason that he had come to Beacon and became a huntsman. His hands closed into a tight fist as his eyes narrowed at the horizon in the distance. He stopped himself from going after it. He had a team to return to and so he did.

But before that, he needed to calm himself first. Try as he might, Ren could no longer reach that same level of calm that he did; he never did after the town of Shion. The Nucklelavee had passed through the town of Shion. He wasn't able to find evidence of that with how the place had been destroyed. After the bandits have attacked, the Grimm that had come after must have at least included that Nucklelavee. His hand traced back to the dagger that had been passed down to him by his father. If it was the same Grimm…

Ren shook his head. He could not go after it just yet. After a minute, he came back and awoke Jeanne. He would have gone with Nora instead but he didn't want her to see him like this. She would know immediately that something was bothering him. The options were either Jaune, Pyrrha or Jeanne. Despite their friendship, none of them could read him as well as Nora who had years of experience and knew what makes him tick. Nora understands him in that regard since they shared that same experience. The others may not and he was counting on that.

Jeanne didn't appear to have noticed. That was good. The two then fed some more wood to the fire and Ren finally laid down to rest for the rest of the night. His eyes continued to stare at that direction that the Grimm was heading towards. It was the last thing he saw that night before finally going to sleep. No matter what happens, he will make sure that the Grimm is gone. He would make sure that the deaths of Kuroyuri were not in vain. He would avenge everyone from back home. His hand traced the dagger that his father had left him. Ren swore he would avenge his father.

/-/

As Ren went to sleep and Jeanne began her shift on the night watch, she shook her head when she was certain that the boy was asleep. Despite his appearances, he can be easy to read. For one, he looked over Nora's sleeping form before he went to sleep. His fingers were tracing something that he hidden beneath his clothing. Jeanne may not have been a detective but those things didn't really need the skills of one to figure out: Ren must have found something and it upset him.

Jeanne clasped her hands together and prayed in the hopes that her teammate would find peace. It was something she did out of habit and one that she had been doing more lately.

AN: Returning to team JNPR for now