Got the results from my sleep study. Plenty of sleep apnea symptoms, but the results showed practically no incidents throughout the night, so they're back to being confused. Might be connected with the other issues I'm getting tests for, so more appointments ahead. Yay.
Debating taking a week off later this month for Christmas, but haven't decided yet. Waiting to see what happens to my schedule first. Also have a trip to Boston for work lurking sometime this month, but I'll be so bored in the evenings that I'll have more than enough time to write that week. Just assume a weekly update unless you hear otherwise.
Relaxing wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
"Why are we here again?" one of the White Fang asked, sprawled out in the sun like almost everyone else.
"To deliver aid," another answered. "Or did you forget about all those crates you were supposed to move yesterday."
The faunus around them snickered at the jab. "Hey! I helped!" Not very much, based on the eye rolls. "Someone's gotta supervise. But that's not what I meant. Why are we here?" He sat up, directing his question at the fellow who'd answered him before. "You know, parked outside this craphole when we could be on our way home."
All he got in response was a shrug and a "beats me."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I like having time off," maybe a little too much, his friends joked, "but I'd rather be back home with Lydia."
"If she hasn't wised up and moved on."
"Hey, that's my girlfriend you're talking about!"
"Not for long!" His friend finally sat up, grinning like a loon. "Maybe when we get back, I'll take her out and show her what a real man's like."
Joke or not, the threat didn't sit well as the boyfriend jumped to his feet, ready to charge over and start a fight. "Why you-"
"Enough!"
Adam's single word silenced all of them at once. Where was the relaxing Sienna promised him? Instead, he'd somehow pulled babysitting duty while Ghira and Sienna wasted time in Novus. Why did Ghira insist on going to meet with the mayor again? Adam knew why, but that didn't mean it made any sense. Who cared what some backwater mayor thought about them at the end of the day. They'd done their job despite being hated for helping people. Mission accomplished. But no, Ghira just had to go grovel and apologize again for daring to show up and save everyone. How truly horrible of them.
Ghira insisted he go alone, but there was no way they'd let him tempt fate like that. Mayor Cakal couldn't hope to fight them, but if he took Ghira hostage? It wouldn't end well for Novus, that was certain, but Adam promised to keep Ghira safe. He'd eventually relented to taking one of them as protection. Adam didn't know who should be more insulted by how long he took to choose between the two of them. Eventually, Sienna won out, leaving Adam behind to watch the troops as they wasted the day behind Novus - Ghira insisted they stay away from the gate to help ease any concerns. Instead, guards watched them suspiciously from atop the wall, receiving more than their fair share of middle fingers throughout the day.
Children. All of them. Which meant he had to be the adult.
"We're here because Sienna said to stay here." The authority he spoke with ensured no one openly objected. "We'll leave tomorrow. Until then, you are to stay here and keep away from Novus. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Hearing them all answer in unison caught him off guard. Luckily, his mask hid the confusion in his eyes.
Still, they had a point. They were wasting time here. With a sigh, Adam added, "I'll talk to Sienna when she gets back and see if we can leave early," a few people started to cheer the promise, "but I don't want to hear any more complaining until then." After that, he didn't care. Sienna could sort them out after that.
"You got it, boss!"
"Thanks, Adam!"
"Anybody got some cards?"
Morale sufficiently boosted, Adam wandered off to the far edge of their little campsite to check on the sentries he'd posted near the treeline. They'd rotate out soon, replaced by more bored guards who would quietly complain and grumble about having to work on their day off, but none of them were dumb enough to challenge Adam on it. His word was law. Even if they hadn't seen any Grimm in the last few days, he wouldn't bet their lives so easily.
Either Novus had some secret way of keeping Grimm away or this Cantil guy they were paying had been thorough in keeping the area safe. Adam had ventured further into the woods that morning but hadn't found any trace of the monsters. Still, that didn't justify taking everything from a village for his work. Whatever payment he received needed to be reasonable if he didn't want his source of income drying up overnight. Either that, or Novus needed to grow a spine and learn to defend itself like everyone else. Sitting around complaining about it accomplished nothing.
It was the law of the wilderness. If you weren't strong enough to defend yourself, then you had two options. Get stronger or die. You couldn't always rely on someone else stepping in to save you. No matter how well Cantil patrolled the area, all it took was one slip-up for a Grimm to reach the walls. What happened if Cantil failed? Or a Grimm surge like what happened to the Yuris?
Simple. Everyone died.
Well, they wouldn't be dying on his watch. His sentries earned his respect with their diligence. With the trucks blocking everyone's view, they could've slacked off and let their guards down, but each of them were keeping an eye on their sector as instructed. He'd arranged the four of them in an arc around their group, each well within view of the next and a good distance from the treeline. If anything came at them, they'd have time to react, even if only to sound the alarm with their dying breath. But their job wasn't to be a hero. At the first sign of danger, their orders were to turn tail and run, screaming their heads off.
Adam ventured beyond them, checking the perimeter himself, just to be safe. Sienna had shown him how to set up a few tripwire alarms during their journey. A quick look proved they were all still operational. There weren't enough to cover the entire approach, but they'd rigged a few key areas as a sort of extra line of defense. They did the same every night on the way to Novus. Any measure to ensure the safety of their men.
Which only made Novus look worse in comparison. They'd been in the area two years and had barely any security beyond an untested wall and some lightly armed guards. In two years, they hadn't trained any real fighters or improved their defenses. If Cantil and his men had always kept the area clear, they could've done so much more. A trench to trip up approaching threats could've been dug and even filled with wooden stakes to make it more lethal. The treeline was too close on the southern side and should've been cleared to provide a better line of sight. He hadn't even seen any reinforced structures during their brief time inside Novus. Where were the people meant to hide if the Grimm breached the walls?
They'd been given the gift of peace - admittedly, at a high price - but still something newer villages could only dream of. Even little Shizukana had multiple bunkers and guard towers. This place had nothing. They'd taken their safety for granted, growing lazy and weak under someone else's watch. And when they couldn't afford to pay any longer, the White Fang had to come bail them out. Were they just perpetuating the cycle of dependency for Novus? Probably, but the only other option would be leaving Novus to starve. Hopefully, they'd use the reprieve to rethink their situation and learn to fend for themselves a bit. If not, they'd only face the same problems again but with no one to bail them out.
At the end of the day, it wasn't Adam's problem. Novus would either learn or they'd fall, just as countless settlements had before them. After meeting their mayor, he'd bet on the latter.
Satisfied that the area was still clear, Adam headed back just in time to catch the sentry shift change. Four fresh sets of eyes relieved their comrades without so much as a hint of action. If all went well, the next shift would be just as boring. When it came to the Grimm, boredom was a good thing.
"Someone go check on Cerco," Adam ordered to no one in particular. A few whispers later, a reluctant volunteer stood ready and waiting. "Ask him if he needs anything. As soon as he sees Sienna and Ghira, he can come back." Cerco had the unenviable job of acting as Adam's extra lookout - one hidden in the trees to the south with a view of the gate. Call him paranoid, but Adam didn't like the idea of both of their leaders being stranded and cut off, even if Adam didn't doubt for a second that Sienna could fight her way out if needed.
"Um, Adam?"
"What?"
Instead of an answer, his volunteer simply pointed past him. Adam turned to see a man running in their direction. Cerco. Were Sienna and Ghira finally coming back? Then why was Cerco running and waving his arms like a lunatic?
Something was wrong.
"Adam!" Cerco yelled, panting as he finally reached them. All around him, people were standing to their feet, suddenly nervous at the ominous arrival.
"What happened?" Adam demanded.
"People." Cerco bent over, one hand on his knee as the other flailed back the way he came. "At least a dozen of them. Heading into Novus."
"Armed?"
"All of them. Mostly rifles, but two of them had swords." Cerco had always had an eye for detail, which was why he got stuck on sentry duty so often.
Guns were to be expected outside the cities. No one traveled unarmed and teaching someone to point and shoot took a lot less time than melee combat. Rifles had range and stopping power - two key ingredients when facing Grimm. As such, they were pretty much mass produced nowadays and easily obtainable, even weeks away from the cities, so a group of gun toting travelers were hardly a cause for concern.
Which made the two melee weapons stand out. Not only that, but Cerco said they were all armed. Where were the civvies? He hadn't mentioned trucks or wagons, either, and Cerco didn't leave things like that out. So either they had vehicles and men hidden further back or they were some sort of local militia.
Neither sounded like good options.
"Good work. Stay with the men," Adam told Cerco as he pushed past. "I'll go check it out."
Adam didn't wait for anyone to join him. He could already see the guards of Novus watching him, even more on edge as he broke off from the group. He didn't want to spook them too much, so he stuck to a brisk walk, worried that a running, armed faunus might send the wrong message. A group of them would've been even worse. Still, one of the guards disappeared from sight, likely running off to warn of Adam's approach.
No time to worry about that now. Ghira and Sienna had no idea what was heading their way. He had no idea how skilled the two swordsmen might be, and with the support of at least ten gunmen they could cause a lot of trouble. Two against twelve was bad. Three against twelve wasn't much better.
Unless that third was Adam.
The guards at the gate made no move to stop him. Good. He wasn't really in the mood to deal with them right now. Whoever had arrived was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the streets seemed unusually quiet save for a lone faunus running his way.
"Where's Ghira?" Adam demanded, grabbing Rufus by the shirt and hauling him closer.
"Whoa!" Rufus flinched at the unpleasant welcome, but Adam had no intention of hurting him. Well, not as long as Ghira and Sienna were safe. "Th-they're meeting with the mayor!" Adam shoved him to the side, marching his way to the mayor's office. Odds are, that's where the new arrivals would be heading, but his first priority was warning Ghira and Sienna of the potential danger. "H-hey! You can't just-"
"Watch me," Adam growled as Rufus hurried to catch up.
"Adam, it's Cantil." So, the Grand Protector of Novus had arrived, had he? And with his own personal army, too. "He's early." An unexpected arrival, and coincidentally on the same day that the White Fang were in town. Word sure traveled fast. "He's demanding more tithe!"
"I thought you already paid him extra." Wasn't that the whole reason Novus had called for help? What more could Cantil demand? It wasn't like Novus had much to- "He's after our supplies."
"He says he deserves a cut," Rufus confirmed, "but he's asking way too much."
"How much is he after?"
"Half."
"Half?!" That wasn't a cut. That was extortion! And how did he even know about the supplies? Someone from Novus must've tipped him off, which meant he also knew who had brought the supplies and chose to come armed to the teeth. Did he expect a fight, or was he looking for one? "What're you going to do?"
Rufus held his hands out hopelessly. "It's up to the mayor." How reassuring. "But we can't just give him everything. We won't survive and he knows that."
"Which means he's after something else." Unless Novus had some secret treasure hidden beneath it, Adam had a feeling he knew what would be demanded.
Dang it! He never should've told Ghira to come on a mission with them. Adam picked up the pace. He'd promised Blake that Ghira would come home safe. There was no way he'd let anyone capture or threaten Ghira. As he ran, his hand naturally found its place on his sword, ready to cut down anyone who dared endanger his promise to Blake.
"-can't afford that much!"
The mayor. Adam slowed at the sound of his voice, creeping up to the corner of a nearby building to get the lay of the land. Ghira and Sienna stood behind the mayor. Between Adam and the trio stood at least fifteen men. Like Cerco said, they were all armed, though no one looked ready to fight at the moment. That alone kept Adam from charging in.
Sienna noticed his arrival and nodded subtly, letting him know they were okay. Ghira noticed and followed her gaze to see Adam watching and frantically shook his head. Adam ignored him. He wouldn't attack unless he had to, but the moment things turned sour, he'd cut the men down before they knew what hit them.
"We barely have enough to survive as it is!"
"Really?" Someone who could only be Cantil asked, eyeing the mayor and his two new counterparts. "From what I hear, you've just gotten fresh stock."
"We need that to make it through the winter."
"And you need me to make it through the week." Looked like Cantil wanted to play hardball. With how clear the area was, Adam doubted they'd fall that fast, but he had a point. Without protection, Novus might not survive long enough to starve. "Now, if you want us to continue providing our services, I suggest you pay up."
"But we can't!" The protests of the mayor fell on deaf ears. "You already took everything last time."
"Please, most of what we brought them is food and clothing." Ghira couldn't help but interject himself into the conversation. "If you take that from them, they'll die."
"Then maybe you should've brought more," Cantil replied.
"They've already given so much. If they give any more, you'll have no one left to collect from next time." True, but Cantil had to know that. Either he didn't care or there was another angle he was playing. "Surely we can talk about this."
Talk. That's all Ghira was ever good for. Even now, faced with the death of an entire settlement, all Ghira could offer was words. But words wouldn't be enough. They wouldn't keep Novus warm when winter came. The people of Novus couldn't eat words. What they needed was action, and that was something Adam and Sienna were good at.
"Sure, let's talk." Or Cantil could suddenly be open to talking. "I don't care who pays, so if you want to foot their bill, be my guest."
"We only brought enough to supply Novus." Plus a little for the return trip, but they'd be getting back to the ship with barely any food or fuel to spare as it was. They couldn't afford giving anything up either.
"There are other ways you can pay." Uh oh. Adam doubted this Cantil guy was looking for a good time. "Atlas has put a bounty out for any captured White Fang members."
"We're not letting you take any of our men." Sienna stepped forward, shooting down the idea immediately.
"Not worth our time to deal with scraps," Cantil assured her, but that only made Adam tense up more. "But one big bounty? That I can work with. Probably cover Novus' tab for months. Maybe even a year."
One big bounty? Crap. Ghira! Of course Atlas wanted him. What better way to claim victory than to capture the leader of the White Fang himself? Any of their recent victories would be wiped out by that one move. Atlas would parade him through the streets, force him through some sham trial, then lock him up as a constant reminder of what opposing Atlas would earn them. Killing him would only make him a martyr. Better a living warning than a dead hero.
Well, if they thought he'd let them take Ghira without a fight, they had another thing-
"I'll come quietly," Ghira promised. That idiot! Didn't he realize what he was doing? Adam and Sienna could get him out , he wanted to throw himself away to save a bunch of people who didn't even like him? And what would stop Cantil from coming back afterward and demanding more?
No. They couldn't have Ghira. Whether he liked it or not, Ghira wouldn't be going anywhere, even if Adam had to kill Cantil and his whole squad to ensure it.
"You?" Cantil laughed off the offer, as if the leader of the White Fang wasn't even worth his time. "Some washed-up has-been? You'd barely be worth the lien to call Atlas."
Ouch. But wait, if they didn't want Ghira, then who-
"We want Adam Taurus."
Him? But…but he wasn't the leader of the White Fang. Cantil had the two most important people to the White Fang right in front of him, and he wanted Adam? Sure, his bounty had skyrocketed after the Atlas raid, but surely Atlas would prefer a king to a pawn. Okay, maybe a knight. Still, one fighter, no matter how dangerous, had to be worth less than the leaders.
"Give us Taurus and we'll let the rest of you go." As if he could stop them. Sienna would cut her way out in a heartbeat if he tried. "We'll even consider Novus' bill paid in full for the next two years. How's that sound?" It sounded like a scam. Two years? For all they knew, Novus would be gone in two years.
Well, if he wanted Adam so badly…
Adam stepped purposefully into the middle of the street. Mayor Cakal's eyes widened at his appearance, alerting everyone else. Cantil and his men turned to find a very irritated Adam staring them down. "You want me? Here I am."
Cantil's men stumbled back, parting around him so fast one even tripped and fell. Adam hadn't just arrived - he'd shown up more than close enough to kill them before they even realized he was there. Cantil's men's self-preservation had them scurrying on both sides, leaving nothing between him and Cantil.
After a nervous silence, Cantil drew his sword, trying and failing to sound confident. "A-Adam Taurus. By the authority of Tutela, I hereby place you under arrest. You are to be brought to Atlas to answer for your crimes against their Kingdom." Cantil's sword wavered as he spoke. "Surrender peacefully, and no harm shall befall you or your men."
"And if I don't?" Then they'd all fall to his blade. They knew it just as well as he did. "If you know who I am, then you'll know exactly what I'm capable of." Like attacking Atlas itself and fighting a fully-trained Specialist. Adam wagered none of them could hold a candle to the best Atlas had to offer. "I'm pretty sure that bounty says dead or alive. I'm not surrendering, so if you want me so bad," Adam loosened his sword just enough to punctuate his point, "then come and get me."
"You'd endanger everyone here rather than surrender?"
"The only ones in danger here are you and your men," Adam answered, arm tensed to draw. Despite that, Adam stood still, confident despite the number of men around him. "So who will be first? You?" Adam's head snapped in the direction of the closest enemy. The man dropped his gun as if it burned him. "No? How about you?" His next target stepped back, eyes darting around for an escape. "Or maybe your illustrious leader would care to earn the reward himself."
Cantil gulped at the thought, especially with his men ready to make a break for it.
"Adam…"
Adam didn't have time for whatever complaint Ghira had. "No one? Alright, well since you're in the business of making deals, how about this one? You'll continue protecting Novus free of charge and you'll return the last payment you collected in full."
"Wha…you can't just-"
"I can," Adam chuckled. "After all, I'm offering you more than enough to pay for your services."
"You…you are?"
"Of course," Adam promised with a grin. "I'm a fair man. You'll be paid in full for your continued efforts."
"How much?"
"Depends." Adam slid his blade free at last, enjoying how the sound of it froze Cantil and his men to the spot. "How much are your lives worth?" His soon-to-be victims recognized a rhetorical question when they heard one. "So, do we have a deal?"
"D-deal!" Cantil couldn't agree fast enough.
"Good." Adam's blade found its way back to its home. A wave of relief washed over the assembled men at the sound of it clicking back into place. "I'm glad we could clear things up. I'll expect the refund to Novus delivered within the week. And if I hear of even a single Grimm so much as catching a whiff of Novus…well, I'll be making my complaint in person."
And he'd be doing more than leaving a bad review.
"Now leave."
Cantil and his men scrambled past him, eyes glued to Adam as they pressed themselves against either side of the street to put as much distance between them as possible. Cantil was the last to make it past. Adam couldn't resist. The sound of his sword against his scabbard sent the man screaming down the street. Adam pushed it the inch or so back into place before turning to the only three people left.
Ghira, predictably, wasn't thrilled at the display. "That wasn't necessary."
"It was." Sienna stepped between Ghira and Adam. "There's no reasoning with people like that. You heard them. They wanted to take one of us hostage. Are you saying you wanted to let them?"
"No, but-"
"No but." Any other time, Adam might've laughed at that, but this wasn't the time. "The choice was either surrendering one of us or fighting back. That's how the world works. The weak get taken advantage of. The strong fight back." Sienna walked away to the awkwardly waiting mayor. "Novus is safe. If Cantil has any brains at all, you'll have more than enough to get Novus through the winter."
"Th-thank you."
"If he causes you any more trouble, have Rufus reach out to us and we'll take care of it for you."
"I will," Mayor Cakal promised. Adam would be on his way to Tutela the moment that message arrived. Cantil wouldn't survive their next meeting. "Is there any way we can repay you?"
"No need," Sienna assured him. "The White Fang promised to help Novus, and we've done just that. Besides, any thanks should go to Adam. He's the one that saved you."
"And for that, you have my thanks." Adam accepted the offered handshake, even if the mayor didn't deserve the time of day from Adam. He'd been nothing but rude since their arrival. Funny how different a tune he sang when Adam saved his bacon.
"Don't mention it." Ever.
"We'll leave tomorrow," Sienna reminded the mayor. "We'll likely be gone by sunrise. Just remember that when Novus called, the White Fang answered."
"We will," he promised. "May the Gods give you a swift and safe journey."
Now that Adam could get behind. The sooner they were back in Menagerie, the better. Sienna headed for the gate, followed closely by Adam and Ghira, who still didn't look happy. What was with him? They'd saved Novus without shedding a drop of blood. The supplies were safe, Novus was safe, and most importantly they were safe. Even Cantil and his men got to leave with nothing worse than bruised egos.
Whatever was eating him apparently couldn't wait very long. They'd barely left Novus when he snapped. "What was that back there?"
Never one to back down from a challenge, Sienna stopped and faced her accuser. "Which part? The part where we saved Novus or the one where you didn't get to claim credit?"
"It's not about credit and you know it."
Apparently, she didn't. "It isn't? Then what is this about, hm?" Sienna looked around at the rather empty expanse they were in. "C'mon. You've chosen the perfect spot. Just you, me, and Adam. Out with it."
Great. Another argument with him stuck in the middle. What had he done in a previous life to deserve such torture?
Ghira took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before speaking. "Violence isn't the answer to everything. There was no need to threaten those men."
"There absolutely was," Sienna shot back. "They didn't want to talk. They'd come for us, demanding we sacrifice Adam for their profit and glory. The only thing that stopped them was that violence you so vehemently abhor."
"You escalated things. You always escalate things." So? Adam didn't see any issue with it. "What if they hadn't backed down? What if they tried to fight? What then?"
"Then they'd have died." There wasn't a shred of doubt in Adam's voice. If Cantil and his men tried anything, he would've cut through them like the chaff they were. Either way, the three of them would still be standing here.
"See? That's exactly what I mean! You two are always out for blood."
"I didn't see any bloodshed today." All in all, Adam felt he'd been quite reasonable. It would've been a lot easier to kill Cantil and his men when their backs were turned. Instead, Adam gave them a chance to leave peacefully, and they took it.
"That's a first," Ghira complained. "Neither of you seem capable of doing anything without violence."
"So we should just settle for doing nothing like you?"
"I had the situation under control."
"You had your head under their heel!" Sienna shouted back. "You want to do good in the world, Ghira? Then you have to get your hands a little dirty. Sorry that things aren't as nice and calm out here as you're used to. Out here, we have to make the tough choices. Out here, it's life or death. If you think you can change the world by writing letters in a comfy office somewhere, then you're more naive than I ever imagined."
"We are a peaceful organization," Ghira tried in vain. "And as long as I'm in charge, we'll solve our problems with words, not violence."
"Then maybe it's time for someone else to be in charge."
With that ominous warning, Sienna calmly turned and walked away, leaving Ghira with her words hanging over him.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Frigid would've been an understatement for the journey home. Not that winter had come yet. The air had a slight chill, but that felt warm compared to the atmosphere between Ghira and Sienna.
The two refused to talk, which made for some awkward moments when they ran into each other. Word had gotten out about their latest fight, as it always did, and the men were quietly taking sides. Unsurprisingly, almost all of them sided with Sienna. She'd selected the crew for this mission, so other than a few holdouts stubbornly clinging to the existing leader, the winds of change were clearly blowing in Sienna's favor.
Relations on the ship proved just as chilly, dipping to temperatures not seen in the Atlesian wastelands. Ghira holed up on the bridge the entire trip. No meetings of the minds were called this time around, leaving Sienna and Adam as in the dark as everyone else. Adam didn't think he'd miss being stuck in a room with the two, but the growing tension proved just as bad.
Ghira had to know he wasn't helping his case any. The biggest complaint had always been how distant he seemed, so hiding away from everyone only made that worse. Meanwhile, Sienna was left to mingle with the rest of the crew and played the victim perfectly. Adam could see her winning more and more support with every day that passed. She probably could've led a mutiny there and then to overthrow Ghira. If she did, she'd force Adam to intervene. He'd promised to bring Ghira back safe, not Sienna. If it came to blows, he'd have to protect Ghira for Blake's sake. A peaceful transition would be fine, but anything further would have him springing into action.
Thankfully, it never came to that. Whatever Sienna planned, she didn't do anything aboard the ship. Instead, an almost morbid silence followed them as everyone waited with baited breath, certain that the climax of their leaders' fighting was near.
Sienna kept quiet all the way to Menagerie. They offloaded the ship without a word. Ghira gave Sienna nothing but a glare before storming off to his mansion while Sienna hurried to the headquarters and locked herself away in her office. Adam stopped by to make sure everything was okay - and to figure out what exactly was on the horizon - but Sienna promised nothing would happen. Her orders were for everyone to rest, including him. They'd talk tomorrow. On his way out, Adam saw Corsac and Fennec heading for Sienna's office. Today might end quietly, but he had a feeling this battle was far from over.
Adam barely made it in the door before a Blake-shaped comet hit him. They stood in the foyer as she squeezed the life out of him, only stepping back with an embarrassed blush when Kali coughed from the doorway. The matriarch of the family asked him all about the trip, but she seemed more interested in the journey back for obvious reasons. Adam did his best to fill her in on the spat, but she wanted more. "What do you think she'll do?"
"Honestly, I have no idea." Though he could hazard a guess. "I have a feeling she's not finished. She might even challenge Ghira for control." Blake gasped, but Kali looked unsurprised. She and Ghira had probably expected it to happen eventually. "They aren't going to fight to the death or something, are they?" Because if so, he'd need to talk Sienna down tonight.
"Nothing that barbaric," Kali promised. "We actually have rules in place for this kind of stuff, though I hoped it would never be needed." More wise planning by the Belladonnas. Whatever their failures recently, they'd been diligent in getting the White Fang to where it was today. It needed to go further, and that might require new leadership. "If Sienna wishes to challenge Ghira for leadership, she can call for a vote. We'll respect the wishes of the White Fang, whatever the outcome."
"And you're okay with just handing things over? After all you've done?"
"What sort of leaders would we be if no one wants to follow?" She smiled bitterly at the words. "But that's a concern for another day. For now," Kali stepped closer, laying her hands lightly on Adam's shoulders as she leaned up to give him the briefest kiss on the cheek, "thank you for bringing him home."
Adam couldn't help but gulp as she walked away. He resisted the urge to reach up to touch his cheek. Going after married women now? You homewrecker. Nothing of the sort. It was a thank you and nothing more. He knew better than to think that anything could come between those two.
"I'll leave you two alone," she commented as she reached the door. "I'm sure my daughter would like the chance to welcome you home as well."
"Mom!" Blake dragged out the word, turning even redder as Kali vanished. Before Adam could ask what was happening, Blake said, "Ignore her." With that, she grabbed his hand and dragged him to their usual spot in the den, practically shoving him onto the couch. The next moment, a weight settled on his lap.
"New notebook?"
"Sketchbook," Blake corrected as she pointed to her latest works. The book in Adam's lap had larger pages and was missing the annoying lines of Blake's notebooks. The paper felt a little thicker too.
Adam whistled as he flipped through page after page of artwork. "You've been busy."
"I've had a lot of time." Was that so? Guess Kaito couldn't provide as much training as he could. Maybe she needed a reminder not to slack off so much. Adam didn't comment, sensing the trap of more training if he did. "So, what do you think?"
Blake was practically begging for a compliment, but looking through the sketches, she deserved it. "They're great," he answered honestly, smiling at how embarrassed she looked. Don't ask for a compliment if you can't take one. "I think you've gotten better."
He had no idea, since she was already years ahead of him in skill, but his answer must've been the right one. "Really?" Her smile could've lit up the whole room. "Which one's your favorite?"
They spent the evening flipping through page after page of her sketches with her explaining techniques she'd used, inspirations, and a whole lot of other things that Adam knew nothing about but nodded along to nonetheless. The roses stuck out to him the most. From lifelike petals to artistic representations, he found her variety as fascinating as her skill. The next page had another flower he didn't recognize. "What's this?"
"It's the belladonna flower."
The connection was obvious enough that even Adam couldn't miss it. "Like your name."
"I was thinking of using it as my emblem."
"Emblem?"
"Yeah, an emblem." Adam had never heard the term before and his lack of understanding must have shown. "It's…sort of a personal symbol. Like a signature, but in a picture."
Wouldn't a picture take longer than just signing something? "Why would you need that?"
"I dunno." Blake brushed some hair behind her ear as she looked down at the veritable field of flowers on the page. "I saw it in a book recently. I was thinking of putting it on my weapon or something. Or my clothes. Every Huntsman has their own."
"Huntsmen?" Blake had never really talked about those before. Did they really all use personalized pictures like that? Maybe. He'd never really looked for it before. But why the sudden interest in something only Huntsmen really used? "Are you…interested in becoming a Huntsman?"
"Huntress." So, she'd done her research. "And…I dunno. Maybe?" This was new. She'd never really talked about Huntsmen before. "I don't know what I want to be."
"Have you told your parents?"
Blake's eyes widened. "No! And you can't either!" Her finger hovered dangerously close to his face. "If Mom and Dad found out…well, I'm not sure what they'd say."
They'd probably be all for it. If they were so desperate to stop Blake from following Sienna, then what better way than sending her to a place that focused on protecting people? She already had plenty of training for someone her age. By the time she reached seventeen, she'd probably be good enough to get in. They might even consider sending her away to some prep school, just to put some distance between her and the White Fang. Especially if Sienna started taking over.
"Well I think you'd be a great Huntress."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely." If anyone could do it, Blake could. Few people could hope to match her drive, not to mention her weapon was already Huntsman-like. They really did wield some of the weirdest things. His sword looked boring in comparison to some of the things he'd seen in videos from Vytal Tournaments.
He still swore he'd seen someone using a riding crop years ago.
Blake's hug felt softer this time, but maybe just because she hadn't run full speed and knocked the wind out of him. "Thanks, Adam."
They spent a little time chatting about his journey to Novus, though Adam made a point of avoiding any mention of Ghira and Sienna fighting. She'd already heard, but there was no reason to dwell on such things. Eventually, the exhaustion of being away for so long claimed him.
"I'd best get to bed," Adam announced as he stood up. "Good night, Blake."
"Night, Adam." Just before Adam reached the door, she added, "Welcome home."
He'd never been so grateful to see his mattress as at that moment. The bunk in the ship was designed for functionality, not comfort, while his sleeping bag on the trail did little to mask the roughness of the ground beneath. He forced himself to take a shower before collapsing on his bed and finally relaxing.
After a few minutes, he mustered up the strength to roll over and reach for the lamp on his nightstand, only to stop as he noticed two new additions. The first was a picture from right before he left. Bane, Ilia, Blake, and him crushed together in front of a table at the White Fang bonfire. It was cute, if a little silly, and brought a smile to his face.
It vanished a second later.
Adam stared at the second image as he picked it up. No photo this time. He'd recognize Blake's sketches anywhere, just as he'd never forget the trio of faces she'd drawn. His hand shook as he brought it closer, his one good eye already tearing up at the smiling family.
His family.
Father Bernard, Mazarin, and a young Adam. He knew the picture by heart, even if he'd lost it years ago. She'd…she'd drawn it perfectly. Every detail he remembered was there, from the slight duck of his head to the hint of confusion in his father's smile. The original photo was long gone - probably tucked away in some secret file in Atlas as evidence against him - but that didn't make her copy any less special.
Adam lay there for what felt like hours. At some point, he must've nodded off, dropping the sketch beside him on the mattress. Carefully, tenderly, Adam laid it down atop the nightstand once more. He'd have to thank Blake in the morning, probably with the one thing she valued most. As silly as it sounded, he knew training would be the best way to show his gratitude. Running her ragged and beating her down hardly sounded like a way to show gratitude, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
Sleep slowly reclaimed him with the two pictures laying side by side. Pictures of him. Pictures of rare happiness.
Pictures of his families.
Can't help slipping in a little sappiness apparently, though this one was actually planned weeks in advance while the other chapters just sort of happened on their own.
I gotta stop using C names. Cakal. Cantil. Cerco. Didn't realize what I'd done until I did a final scan for edits. I actually felt a little proud of the throwaway Cerco name. Not only is it a reference to Cercopithecidae (scientific name for monkey, so guess what type of faunus he is), but in Italian it means "I look for" which fit the lookout role perfectly. Always love when names work out, only to realize I'll rarely if ever use it again.
The Novus mission is over and done with. Originally planned to use the mission shown in Adam's short, but had to scrap that when I noticed the timing didn't line up. Ilia was there for a brief moment and looked too old, not to mention Adam's design matched too closely to the later version when he talks to Blake about the mission, which I thought weren't connected for some reason. Blake was definitely older in that scene, meaning that mission happened after Sienna takes over, even though they're still using the old White Fang logo at that point. Honestly, the timeline in the short is a bit confusing. They make it look like that mission is while Ghira's still in control, but that would put Blake around 12 at the oldest while she looks identical to canon Blake in the chat afterwards. I have plans to account for all of that, but it definitely took some shuffling on my part.
Next chapter: Sienna vs Ghira.
