Ash and Dust

Chapter 4: More work less fun

The blacksmith shook his head, his eyes downcast. "I can't help you, kid. I don't have the supplies I need to make decent weapons. Ever since the road closed down due to the Grimm and bandits, I've been scraping by with whatever I can find. It's not enough to arm the police, let alone the whole village."

I was so annoyed. I thought he would be more helpful, but I guess he had his own problems. The village was stuck in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by creepy things that wanted to kill us. I knew that we had to get the road back, to bring some life and money to this dump. But how?

I decided to change my tactic. "What if we got you the stuff you want? Would you do us a favor then?" I asked, trying to butter him up.

He looked up, his face skeptical. "And how are you going to do that, huh? You and your friend there don't look like you can handle a Grimm, let alone a bandit. No offense, but you're just kids. You should leave this to the adults."

I was pissed off by his words. I was not a kid, I was a badass in training. I had fought Grimm before, and I was not scared of them. I was here to save the village, not to be ignored by some cranky old fart.

I opened my mouth to retort, but Jaune beat me to it. "Look, we may be young, but we're not helpless. I mean, I'm a huntsman in training. He's… well, he's something. But he's got skills. We can take care of ourselves. We can get you whatever you need, just give us a list."

The blacksmith raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He studied us, noticing our weapons and our determination. He saw something in us that reminded him of his younger self, when he still had dreams of becoming a hero. He felt a twinge of nostalgia, and a spark of hope.

"Alright, alright. Maybe you're not as useless as you look. Fine, I'll make you a deal. If you can get me some quality metal, some dust, and some tools, I'll help you out. But it won't be easy. You'll have to go to the nearest cave, which is about a hour run from here. And you'll have to deal with whatever dangers you encounter on the way. Are you up for it?"

Jaune and I looked at each other, and shrugged. We were in for it. We had wasted this much time, and we were not going to quit now. We said yes to the blacksmith's demands.

"Alright, then. Here's a map of the area. The cave is this area, you should find it if you follow the main road. But be careful, there are bandits and grimm lurking around. And whatever you do, don't trust the mayor. He's a greedy bastard who pays peanuts and does nothing to help the village. He's the reason why the road was closed in the first place, to deal with the bandits. But he never sent any help, just pocketed the money and left us to fend for ourselves." The blacksmith said, handing us a folded paper.

"Thanks for the warning. And thank you for agreeing to make the weapons for us, once we finish the job for you. We really appreciate it." Jaune said, taking the map and putting it in his pocket.

"Yeah, sure. We'll be back in a jiffy." I said, with a lame salute.

The blacksmith smiled, and wished us luck. He also told us to come back before sunset, or we would have to spend the night outside the village gates.

As we walked away from the blacksmith store, Jaune suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Hey, Ash. I need to make a quick stop at my room before we leave. Is that okay?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Why? What do you need to get?"

Jaune smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. "Well, you see, I have some stuff that I don't want to leave behind. You know, some personal belongings. Nothing important, really. Just some... things."

I rolled my eyes and gave him a dubious look. "Uh, sure? Whatever floats your boat. Just don't take forever, OK?"

Jaune nodded as we walked to the hotel he was staying at. We stuffed our bags with some supplies and got ready to go. We hoped that we could get to the cave and back fast, and that we could find the stuff we wanted. We also hoped that the blacksmith was not lying, and that the weapons he would make would not suck.

The village we were in was a nice and quiet place, full of trees and wooden homes. The dirt path we followed was dusty and bumpy, but it led us to the main road that connected the village to the rest of the world. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the air was warm and fresh.

"So, are you excited for this fetch quest?" I asked Jaune, breaking the boredom. "Do you think it will be a piece of cake or a pain in the ass?"

Jaune shrugged and pulled out the map from his pocket. He unfolded it and looked at it carefully. "Well, look at this, the cave is pretty close to here. Just a short walk, really. And we just have to get four fire dust crystals, a supply crate, and any tools left over. That's easy peasy."

I scoffed and gave him a sarcastic look. "Yeah, sure. Piece of cake. Until we bump into some Grimm or bandits or traps or whatever. You know how it is. There's always a twist."

Jaune grinned and tucked the map in his pocket. "Come on, Ash. Don't be such a downer. We can take on anything that comes our way if We work as a team."

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm just saying, don't get too excited. The blacksmith might be screwing us over. The weapons he makes might blow."

Jaune laughed and shook his head. "You're such a grump, Ash. You need to learn to have some faith in people. The blacksmith was a cool guy. He even gave us some pointers on how to find the cave and what to watch out for. He wrote that fire dust crystals are usually near the walls, and they glow red. The supply crate should have a tag on it, and the tools should be in a heap somewhere. He also added some info about some potential hazards, like cave-ins, poisonous gases, and wild critters. He was super helpful."

I shrugged and grumbled. "Yeah, sure. Whatever. I still don't buy his act. He might be leading us into a trap. Or he might be scamming us. Or he might be working for the enemy. You never know."

Jaune gave up and decided to switch the subject. He knew I was hard-headed and quarrelsome, and he didn't want to spoil our mood. "Hey, Ash. Can I ask you something?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Sure. What is it?"

Jaune coughed and grinned awkwardly. "Well, I was just curious... Do you have any family members that you just randomly think of? You know, like brothers or sisters or something?"

I blinked and frowned. "What? Why are you asking me that?"

Jaune smiled and scratched his head. "I don't know. I just wanted to get to know you better. You're my friend, right? And I enjoy talking about my family sometimes. They mean a lot to me."

I sighed and looked away. "Well, I don't have anything to tell. I don't recall anything about my past. I don't know if I have any family or not. The only person I can think of right now is Val. He's the one who picked me up and took me in. He's like a big bro to me, I suppose."

Jaune smiled and nodded. "That's cool. Val seems like a nice guy."

I smirked and nodded. "Yeah, he is. I'm in his debt big time."

I clapped my hands and stood up, startling Jaune. He looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What's up, Ash?"

I grinned and pointed at his backpack. "Looks like you're done packing, buddy. Come on, let's get going. We have a long way to go."

Jaune nodded and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He followed me to the door. "Yeah, you're right. We should get moving. Thanks for waiting for me, Ash."

I winked and gave him a thumbs up. "No problem, Jaune. You're my friend, after all. And friends stick together, right?"

Jaune smiled and nodded. "Right."

I opened the door and stepped out.

As we made our way to leave the village, I turned to Jaune and asked him a question that had been bothering me for a while.

"Jaune, what's your deal? Why are you playing hero for this dump? You don't owe them squat. You never met them before. You could have just bailed and hit the next town. Why are you putting your neck on the line for nobodies?"

He looked at me, and smiled.

"It's the right thing to do, Ash. I want to be a hero, like my dad, and his dad, and his dad. My family has a history of being awesome, Ash. They fought in wars, they saved people, they did cool stuff. And I want to be like them. I couldn't face my dad if I ran away from a village in trouble, Ash. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm with you."

I looked at him, and felt a twinge of jealousy. I wished I had a family like that. I wished I had a reason like that. I wished I had the guts to do what was right before I got power handed to me. I shook my head, and tried to hide my feelings. I put on my usual mask of indifference, and shrugged.

"Whatever floats your boat, man. Just don't get yourself killed, okay? I don't want to have to explain to the blacksmith why I came back alone."

As we were about to make our onto the road out of town, we heard a loud voice calling out to us. We turned around, and saw the mayor walking towards us. He was a fat, bald man in a suit and hat, with a thick mustache. He spoke with some type of accent, and had a smug smile on his face.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where you guys off to?" he asked, his voice cordial. "I heard you were in the market for some work. Well, I've got some opportunities for you. Come along, I'll show you the way."

Jaune and I exchanged another glance, and groaned. We had a bad feeling about this. We knew that the mayor was not to be trusted, and that he probably had some ulterior motive. We wanted to ignore him, and leave. But we also knew that we had to be polite. We decided to follow the mayor, and see what he had to say. Maybe we could get rid of him quickly, and resume our mission.

We followed the mayor to his office, which was a large, lavish building in the center of the village. The office was decorated with expensive furniture, paintings, and trophies. The mayor sat behind a huge desk, and gestured for us to sit on two chairs in front of him. He smiled, and began to talk.

"So, boys, I hear you're huntin' apprentices. That's pretty awesome. Really awesome, in fact. You gotta have a lot of chops and smarts. And you gotta have a lot of guts and drive. Am I right?"

Jaune and I nodded, not sure where this was going. We sensed that the mayor was buttering us up, and that he had something up his sleeve.

"Good, good. Well, I've got some work for you. Work that only huntin' rookies can handle. Work that will benefit the town, and make it a nicer spot. Work that will make you legends, and earn you esteem and praise. How does that sound?"

Jaune and I shrugged, still wary of the mayor's offer. We wondered what kind of jobs he had in mind.

The mayor leaned forward, and lowered his voice. "Listen, boys. I've got a situation. A big situation. And I need your help to fix it. You see, the road to the town is shut. And it's not 'cause of the Grimm or the crooks. It's 'cause of the builders. They're the ones who are clogging the road. They're the ones who are setting up those dumb light posts. They say they're doing it to make the road safer, and that the Grimm are holding them back. But I know the real deal. They're doing it to screw me over. To make me look lousy."

Jaune and I looked at each other, confused. We didn't understand what the mayor was talking about. How were the workers sabotaging him, let alone making him look bad?

"Ash, do you have any idea what he's talking about?" Jaune whispered to me.

"Not a clue, buddy. Maybe he's paranoid, or delusional, or both." I whispered back.

The mayor took out a map of the road from his desk drawer, and spread it on the table. He pointed at several spots on the map, and said, "These are the spots where the builders are workin'. They're settin' up those hideous light sticks, and tearin' up the road. They're makin' a disaster, and a bother. They're chasin' away customers and wreckin' my name. They gotta be stopped!"

He grabbed a red marker, and drew big X's over the spots he had shown us. He looked at us, and said, "This is where you step in, boys. I need you to go to these places, and get rid of the workers. By any means necessary. You can spook them, warn them, pay them off, or fight them. I don't care how you do it, as long as you do it. And do it quick. I need the road clear by tomorrow, or else the deal is off. And if the deal is off, you can kiss your money goodbye. Do you get me?"

I nodded, but I felt uneasy about the mayor's request. I didn't like the idea of harming innocent people, or interfering with their work. I wondered if the mayor was telling the truth, or if he was lying to us. I wanted to ask him more questions, but I didn't get a chance.

The mayor rolled up the map, and handed it to me. He said, "Here, take this. It'll tell you where to head. And don't drop it, or you'll be screwed. Now, go on. Get goin'. Time is cash, boys. And cash is clout. And clout is everything. Remember that."

He stood up, and walked us to the door. He said, "Good luck, boys. And don't screw up. I'm relyin' on you. And so is the town. And so are the big shots. And so is the world. You're doin' a solid, boys. A solid for sure. You'll be heroes, boys. Heroes."

He opened the door, and pushed us out. He said, "Now, scram. Scram, scram, scram. And don't show your faces until you're finished. And when you're finished, come back here, and I'll pay you. Big time. Very big time. You'll be loaded, boys. Loaded."

He slammed the door behind us, and locked it.

Side Quest: "Construction Safety"

Description: Safeguard the construction workers reclaiming equipment from the forest, ensuring the safe establishment of trade routes.

Rewards:

- Enhanced rapport with the City Guard

- Favor with local merchants

I swiped away the notification as I gave Jaune a sideways glance. "Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that guy is nuts, right?"

Jaune shook his head. "No kidding, dude. He was super sketchy. But why did we agree to this job?"

"Because if we didn't, the workers might have gotten hurt. They already have enough trouble with the Grimm. Besides, they're on the same road we need to take, so we can kill two birds with one stone, right?" I reasoned.

Jaune gave a shrug of his shoulders as he headed for the road. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

We both picked up our pace as the sky turned into a fiery canvas of orange and pink.

I flicked my blade to the side, shaking off the blood and bits of flesh. The smell of iron and decay filled the air. The bodies of mutated humans lay scattered around, their flesh bloated with boils and ripped apart by extra limbs. Blue smoke rose from their wounds, a sign of a massive outbreak of the plague. I watched as HATS began the cleansing process, dissolving the corpses and any traces of the infection with his red energy.

I pulled out a flask from my coat pocket and took a long swig. The burning sensation was long gone, but I still found some comfort in it. I needed it more than ever, now that these bastards were back. I looked at one of the bodies that was not mutated. I recognized the armor he was wearing, even though he was torn to shreds. Dark green with bone trophies and a claw mark on his chest plate and shoulders.

"The Savage Exiles." I growled in disgust.

"So it would seem, my old friend. They are back at it again, hehe." HATS said, amused, as he floated around the corpses. He was a red ball of energy with a top hat and a monocle.

I scowled at the idea of the Savage Exiles returning with the Sapphire plague. There was only one group that had access to this vile shit, but they were all killed during the war.

"Well, death isn't always the end, my old friend. You should know that, Val." HATS said, cryptically.

I scratched my chest for a moment, feeling a bit agitated. I had a scar there, a reminder of my past. "Listen, HATS, now isn't the time for your riddles. If you know that 'they' are back, you owe it to me to tell me. Because if they are, this takes priority over all other objectives!"

HATS lazily floated around, giving me a raised monocle as if it was obvious. "Well, unless someone else managed to get the formula for this stuff down without me knowing, which is impossible, then yes, it should be them."

I felt a chill go up my spine at HATS' words. With them on the loose, everything was fucked. With Ozpin and Salem making moves more than ever, it gave them the perfect opportunity to pull off their plans. They could just make it seem like it was one of the big players.

HATS rolled his monocle as he floated in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. "Val, calm down. You've faced them before, when they were at their peak. How much harder could it be to beat the Savage Exiles, even if they are back by some surviving faction of the Final Eclipse?"

I turned around and got up in HATS' face, growling. "Do you not know what they are capable of doing, or did you just forget? Because if I remember correctly, they are the reason you're stuck here with the rest of us - ugh!"

I felt a sudden pain in my chest, as I fell to my knees in agony. Sweat and tears covered me, as I gripped my chest, trying to push back the pain. Then, red energy covered me, taking the pain away for now. I looked up and saw HATS staring down at me, disappointed.

"I may be stuck here, but you should remember that here, I am God. A few mortals grasping at the divine is nothing compared to me. We will win, you just need to wait, my old 'friend'. Can you do that?"

I dug my fingers into the ground, gripping the dirt with all the rage I had, before pushing it down. It wouldn't help me now. "Sure, I can. What's the plan?"

"The plan is simple. A subject escaped while you were... having fun in the bunker. Your job is to make sure it makes its way towards the village Ash is in." HATS said, as his red ball of energy floated around, as the top hat and monocle, stayed stock still on its form.

"Why the hell are you letting one of those abominations loose?!" I asked, in disbelief.

"Ash needs to learn, and do it fast. If the Final Eclipse is back, with the Savage Exiles backing them, then it's only a matter of time before Ash will have to fight them. And I am in no condition to pick another host. And you know how I feel about having a corpse as a host. It gets messy, you know?"

"And what about the village? People could die!"

"Well, that's never stopped you before, has it?"

I tried to think of something, but he was right. I lowered my head in shame, as I realized that this was going to be a mess that even I couldn't fix.

Author's Note:

Name: Ash

Level: 1

Class: Unknown

Lien: 440

Skill point: 4

XP: 40/500

Health: 125/120 (5)

Mana: 0/80

Aura: 0/10

Health potions 1/5