Like she did every day, she woke up early; at sunrise to be exact. She greeted the day the same way she had been for a good few years now; a few minutes of stretches and a morning jog. Liked Vale at this hour, it was quiet and no one really looked at her. No one was around to see Mistral's Regional Champion or Pumpkin Pete's Mascot like they tended to. Being born with talent was sometimes a curse that way. No one really saw the person behind it.

"On your left." Turning at the new voice the scarlet haired girl turned just in time to see someone run by her.

"Hello." Continuing with her jog the young woman smiled slightly as she pushed her thoughts back. Hopefully, hopefully she won't have to worry about this new school year. Beacon Academy was going to be her fresh start. Away from the status and the fame she had developed in her career as a Huntress in training. If things worked out properly, maybe she could make a couple friends. "I certainly hope so." After all, it was lonely at the top.

"On your left." Roughly ten minutes later the huntress turned her head as she saw the same runner as before heading past her.

"Hello again." She called out once more as they left her behind again, her ever friendly smile crossing her face as she watched them start to disappear.

The third time, she heard them coming she glanced back. A hint of disbelief crossing her face as they once again closed the gap between them. "You have to be joking."

"On your left." Fighting an exasperated groan she picked up her pace as she broke into a run. No use, she couldn't even cover a fourth of the distance they were making in that short amount of time.

The fourth time they ran into each other, she was already resting. Her body was already at its limit and her heart felt ready to burst.

"You need a medic?" The runner asked as he walked up from behind her resting spot. All she did was look at him for a moment before shaking her head and laughing slightly. There wasn't a drop of sweat on his clothes and he didn't look even the slightest bit winded. Though she wasn't sure what humored her more, the fact that he seemed fine after that run or his shirt. It had a picture of an Ursa chasing a stick figure with some words beneath it.

Exercise

Some Motivation Required.

"I think I could use a new pair of lungs." She gestured to their present surrounding, one of Vales few parks. "You just ran maybe 13 miles in thirty minutes."

"Yeah~ I had a bit of a late start." The other teen admitted as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but if that's the case you should take another lap." She turned her attention away from the runner for a few seconds as she smiled. "Shall I assume you just took it?"

"You're a huntress aren't you? Where'd you train?"

"Sanctum Academy, four years, though I'll be starting at Beacon when the semester starts in a couple months." She admitted as she extended a hand, one that they took and helped her up. "Hello again, I'm Pyrrha Nikos."

"Gales Ashechild."

"Charmed." She took a moment to gather herself as she rested her hands in front of her laps. She took that moment to look at the boy taking in his features, he wasn't like most boys she had seen. She'd never been a short girl, but it was still rare to find a boy around her age that was taller than her. He must have been a Fauna of some kind - at least that was what his eyes told her, and she could see a number of scars poking out from under his shirt and on his arms, the side of his neck and on his cheek. That said though it wasn't really the scars that she was focusing on. It was more the mass of muscle that made his shirt appear tight and caused her to color a bit. Didn't help that he wasn't that bad to look at either. Face was well sculpted and this air about him; a sort of rugged grace and primal charm that you couldn't find with anyone cityborn. The sides of his hair were wrapped in ties, and the back was pulled back by a third one. "Tell me, where were you trained?"

"Caer Eldenwyrm."

"Where?"

"Its a place far from your Four Kingdoms." That caught Pyrrha off guard for a moment as her smile grew curious. "Only been here for a couple days now." His expression shifted for a moment and became melancholy before he quickly dismissed it. "It was nice meeting you Pyrrha." Gales admitted as he raised a fist held it out to Pyrrha. It took her a moment to realize what he was doing. Raising a fist she bumped his own as they both smiled at the accepted gesture. He turned not long afterwards, his attention shifting to the rest of the city as he started to walk off.

"You miss it." Gales paused for a moment as he turned to look at the young huntress.

"Excuse me?"

"You miss home, I know what that's like since I grew up in Mistal. When I first came to Vale I had to adjust to some of the different cultures and customs. The transition is a bit taxing at first and you adjust after a while but…"

"But it doesn't mean you don't miss what you left behind." Pyrrha gave an exhausted smile as she nodded her head.

"Yes, being so far from home, must make you miss it quite a bit."

"Yeah but it's not so bad. Foods - foods a bit bland but it's so easy to cook now a days. Back home we used to have to do everything by a spit roast. Your vaccines -vaccines are great. I just wish they didn't have to shove so many needles into my arms." Pyrrha giggled at that. "Uh… you got this thing called the internet - it's great. We don't have that back home." He nodded his head slightly as he crossed his arms.

"Really?"

"Y~ep. All we got are books but hey I ain't complaining. Nothing beats the weight of a good reed in your hands."

"I agree." A beeping rang through Pyrrha's pocket as she went digging through her pocket. She pulled out her Scroll before looking it over.

"Mom -

Breakfast is ready. Come back when your ready."

"I'm sorry that's my mother, I need to get back home."

"Alright Pyrrha, I'll be seeing you." The hunter stated as he gave the Pyrrha a two-finger salute and started walking off. "See ya around, and thanks for the run."

"I'll try to keep up next time."

Gale's Apartment

Since he'd been on this continent there wasn't a day he didn't go for a morning run. Got him out of the house and it got him moving. Wasn't the same as running from wyverns but it was something that still got the blood pumping. Pulling himself out his shower Gales sighed to himself as he got dressed, instinct leading him to grab his gear from the Old World before he stopped himself and grabbed something new. "Material's not bad but still kind of off. Feels a little light." Probably wouldn't offer much defense against a strike from a Fanged Beast. "Then again Oz did say it wasn't hunter's based gear." He muttered as he reached for flauds and undid the straps that had it held onto his pelt and tied it around his waist. That done he just grabbed his keys again and headed back outside. "Now what to do?"

The jog was really the only thing he had on schedule these past couple days. After that he just sort of drifted around town a bit. Not much he could really do at the moment - wasn't really sure what he wanted to do. So the Hunter drifted, letting his feet travel over the city as he once again took in the sights. "You know… Oz was right. When a city loses its luster it really does just become another city." The teen muttered as he crossed his arms and made his way down the streets.

More out of impulse than anything he ran his fingers over his shirt sleeve. "Still a little flimsy." The teen muttered for a moment before shaking his head. Taking a step forward something blazed in his ears as he flinched, taking a sudden step back as something flew by him.

"Hey watch where you're going!"

"Sorry!" The driver of a metal wagon - an "automobile" - yelled as they continued down the intersection as he watched them go. A few moments later he turned away though, his attention focusing on the rest of the street as he waited for the light to change. The street lights; he kept forgetting about them, and that was the fifth time since he'd been here that he'd almost been ran over. It was still hard to get used to the strange apparitions of iron and electricity. Weird, it was actually hard to remember that they were for more than just being a street accessory. One of the many things he'd need to work on while he was here.

Cafe

The scent of coffee reminded him of some beans and berries. Rich and full of flavor. Wasn't quite sure about the taste though. No Lien to buy any, and Zenny didn't seem to work on this continent. Regardless, watching someone take a sip of the brew the Hunter steadily returned his attention to the city outside the shop before turning his attention downward to the sheet of paper he was drawing on. He'd never been the best artist - didn't suck at it but he wasn't the best artist. Well not compared to some that he'd ran into during his travels but what he could do was good enough to pass. Sketching a copy of the city the Hunter made a noise before glancing back at his surroundings.

He stopped for a moment though when he felt someone breaching his personal space, and glancing back he found someone leaning over his shoulder and looking at his work. She wasn't the tallest person he'd ever met - contrast she was actually kind of short, standing at around 4'10". Dressed herself in a white jacket with a pink interior, brown pants, black gloves, and black and white boots with very high heels. Under her jacket was a brown corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom to expose her hips. There were also a multitude of necklaces, which hung haphazardly around her neck. Cute, that was for certain. "Can I help you?" The pint-sized woman didn't say anything, simply glancing at him for a moment with two mismatched colored eyes and before smiling almost playfully. Turning her attention to his work of art she clicked her tongue loudly as she made a noise. "You want it?"

She shook her head and Gales just shrugged, returning to his work for a moment as she left his side and took a seat across from him. Resting her elbows on the table as she rested her head in her palms. The Hunter didn't question it, letting the silent girl wave over at a waitress as she came over.

"Ms. Neopolitan. It's so good to see you again." The waitress stated as the other- Neopolitan gave her a smile. "The usual, I take it?" She nodded her head as the waitress started off, leaving the two on their own.

"Neopolitan…" Gales muttered the name under his breath for a moment before disappearing into his thoughts. "Why does that make me suddenly want ice cream?" Though Neopolitan didn't make a sound, she obviously giggled at some inside joke before that self-assured smile returned to her face. She watched him go back to his work, waiting patiently for whatever her "usual" was.

He didn't have to wait long to figure out what that was, a few moments later the same waitress returned as she placed a cup of tri-colored ice cream on the table as Neopolitan started to eat. She checked a small device at one point, typing in something before returning to her snack. A few moments later however she returned her attention to the flat object, looking at something before it made a clicking noise. Glynda called it a "Scroll", some sort of instant messaging machine. Wasn't too sure how it worked but it did. Glancing at Neopolitan, Gales watched her shrug before typing in something. At that point though he'd finished his little copy of the city and ripped it from his notebook. The young woman across from him grew curious as he passed it to her.

"You can have it." He told her before walking off to pay his check as she looked at the piece of art he'd left her. He never noticed her eyes changing color as she saw a copy of herself sketched into the image.

"Where to next?" Stepping out the cafe Gales turned down a few blocks as he decided to get lost in the to to a stop the Hunter looked into a store before shrugging. "Well~" He told himself before stepping into the building.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade! Home to every book under the sun." Tukson stated as he gave the teen a warm smile. He was a tall man, who wore a short-sleeved quarter-zip burgundy and black shirt with a visible white undershirt. Hair was cleanly cut, and he had noticeable sideburns, along with hair on his muscular arms. "How may I help you?"

"Sorry just browsing." Gales admitted as he stepped further into the store and looked around. "Wow you really do have a lot of books." He muttered as he moved past a shelf and looked it over. "I haven't seen this many since I was on the frontier." Gales muttered before he scratched his head. "Would it be alright if I read one of your books while I was here?" Tukson released a small noise, almost as if he'd been humored by something as he looked at the teen.

"I'm sorry but you'll have to buy a book if you want to read it. This isn't a library."

"Yeah, I'd figured you'd say that." Gales admitted as he sighed and stood across from the man before suddenly smelling the air. "Hm? Do you own a puma?" Tukson blinked in surprise as the teen looked around.

"I'm sorry I don't own a puma, what gave you that idea?"

"I smell a puma." Gales stated before scratching his head again. "Sorry I'm being rude aren't I? Just forget I said anything. Anyway if I can't read here, do you think you can point me in the direction of a library? There's something I'd like to look up."

"Take a left when you head out and then a right at the next light. Keep going straight for about a mile and you'll find it."

"Thanks. Sorry to bother you, I'm not really from around here."

"I can tell." Gales waved at the man as he turned to leave, though he stopped when an older woman stepped through the store. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade. How may I help you?"

"Um yes I was wondering if you have a copy of Ninja's in Love."

"Yes we do."

"Here you go." The woman and Tukson turned to Gales as he held out the book.

"Oh thank you, several of my friends told me that it's a wonderful read." The woman smiled as she took the book and handed it to Tukson to scan. Right after she paid for the book and went on her way, leaving the two males alone as Tukson looked at the teen.

"You found that rather quickly. How'd you do that?"

"I remembered where it was." Gales shrugged.

"You've never been to my store before though."

"I know."

"So how~"

"I memorized the where everything in your store was the moment I stepped in." Tukson stared in surprise as he looked at the teen.

"You… you memorized where everything was?"

"It's a~ habit." More like a conditioned response. In the Old World it was a bit of a self-preservation technique; scan the immediate vicinity and memorize where everything and every creature currently were. Take notice of everything around you, no matter how small or insignificant the detail. Something seemed out of place, take note of it and either confront it before a creature gets the jump on you or just file it away for later. "Useful when out in the field."

"Hm." Tukson made a noise as he looked at the teen watching him retreat again. "You know," The teen stopped as he looked back at the man. "I could always use an extra hand around here, you help me out around the shop, I wouldn't mind letting you loiter around and read my books."

"Are you offering me a job?"

"Not really, more like a volunteer position." Tukson corrected. "If you can help customers find their books then it'll save a lot of time. You interested?"

Gales tilted his head from side to side before walking back to the older man and held out his hand. "Names Gales, Gales Ashechild." Tukson smiled lightly as he took the hand in his own hand and shook it. Kid had a strong grip on him, that was for certain. "You got yourself a volunteer, Tukson."

"Glad to hear it, now, tell me what book you were looking for anyway?"

"Anything pertaining to the Grimm, I wanna know more about them."

"Ah so that's what you were looking for. Give me a second. I have something in the back." Tukson stated as he stepped into the back room for a moment as Gales watched the shop. As he did, Gales raised a hand and flexed his fingers. Muscles weren't just for show, guy had a good grip, not as good as most of the Hunters back home but still a pretty good grip. "Alright here we go." Tukson called out as he rested a thick book on the counter. "One encyclopedia on the Creatures of Grimm, complete with diagrams and pictures of all currently documented Grimm, as well as field reports from professional Huntsmen and Huntresses. Everything an aspiring Huntsman needs."

"Thanks." Lifting the book Gales stared at the cover image for a moment and traced his fingers over it. This white design must have been based off the head of a renown Grimm. That in mind, Gales found a spot and dropped to the floor as he started to read.

"So, Gales where are you from anyway? You said you weren't from around here."

"Oh, I'm from the Old World."

"The Old World?"

"Yeah, It's another continent far from here, though I'm not too sure what you would call it."

"Is that so." Tukson fell silent for a moment as he looked at the teen. "So what brings you here?"

"Accident, one minute I'm home and the next I'm halfway across the world." Tukson looked at Gales with a confused look as the teen met it and shrugged. "Apparently it's the work of Dust."

"Oh." That seemed to explain things. "Well Dust just got weirder. I wasn't expecting it to be able to do that."

"Right? I just thought the crystals they made were pretty to look at." The teen unconsciously rubbed his fingers against his necklace before shrugging. "Learn something new every day." The door opened and a young man stepped into the store, and Gales took that que to set his book under his arm and return to his feet.

Dusk came in a matter of hours, and with it so did a number of other customers. Tukson closed shop as Gales took a moment to stretch.

"You did good today, Gales. Thanks for the help."

"No sweat, thanks for letting me look through that book on Grimm." The teen stated as he took Tukson's hand again and shook it. "Gotta say it was actually kinda fun."

"Yeah well, any time you wanna come and read at my shop the doors always open to you."

"So long as I work?"

"So long as you work." Gales broke into a loose grin before he and Tukson parted ways. When he turned a corner though Gales hugged the wall as he took a sharp intake of breath.

"D-damn, not again." The teen muttered as he placed a hand on his stomach. Pain was back, not as strong as before but it was back - as that desire to throw up blackened bile. On instinct he raised a hand to his mouth as he tried to relax. He made it to an alleyway before he set himself down. "After I got out of the hospital I thought… whatever this is was over and done with…" The teen muttered as he stared up at the darkening sky. "I can't see the stars coming in from here." He complained as he patted his stomach before closing his eyes. Just needed a few minutes, wait till the pain subsided, then he'd head back to his apartment. Till then -"

The sound of someone crying caught the teens attention as he turned his head, looking back into the streets as he found a young girl balling her eyes out. Without so much as a question Gales picked himself up, ignoring the protests his body was giving him as he walked out the alley and across the street.

"Hey, what's wrong?" The little girl just sniffled as she rubbed her eyes.

"I - I can't find my mom." The little one muttered as Gales crouched down and frowned. "She was with me just a couple minutes ago but now she's gone."

"Oh that's no good." Gales muttered as he reached over and rested a hand on the girls head. "Here I'll help you find her alright." She looked up at him, large azure eyes still watering a bit as she stopped crying.

"Really?"

"Really." Gales admitted as he patted the girl's head and smelled the air. "Now let's get you to your mom."