Okay! Good to be back, making another chapter after quite a while, yeah? I have been busy with school and exams. (CURSE YOU PROCRASTINATION!) God, I do not have as much time as I usually have… No matter, I got nothing else to say, so I'll address some comments from the last chapter before we start!
BrimazKing: Good advice that I should really follow. Though I cannot deny that going at my pace would increase the chance of me procrastinating. As for Harl's plan with Jade? Well, only time will tell…
Singular Ash: Well, this is late, I'm aware now that RWBY has been taken in by Viz Media. Let's hope they can do it well, yeah? As for why I state that… Well, thanks to a minor freak-out thanks to some guy who apparently marked one of my stories as a reportable offence for not doing that, it became a habit for me. But I get why you think that way.
Fenrir's Fang96: Glad you stick around. As for what Harl meant, well… I'm not saying it. :)
RealSteal: Yup. Jade will pick up some skills while stuck there in that place. Furthermore, I can see him learning lock picking and pickpocketing as well. Though the idea of him stealing the magazine mid-combat is a funny thought. Or their shoes for any reason. Actually, can we imagine him stealing Mercury's legs somehow? Like, mid-fight, he just rips his prosthetic legs off? That would be awkward indeed.
Blast niro: Yup. Welcome to the world of RWBY, and before you say that can't be real, it's canon. Where two Faunuses of different species would produce a child of an entirely different species than the parents. Wish I was making this up. So yeah. I recommend you look up World of Remnant on Faunuses.
Alright, time we get this chapter on the roll! I do not own RWBY, only my OCs in this story. RWBY belongs to Viz Media now. (Woo Hoo! They're not dead yet!)
Feeling a wave of cold washing over him as soon as he was taken out of the tents made Jade shudder from it. It was close to the end of the year, and it's freezing for the little cat Faunus who only had a single layer of clothes with him. Yet despite the cold, Jade couldn't help to bring his eyes to the surroundings of his prison, witnessing countless bandits performing their tasks with their own property with them.
Even more were the cheering crowd echoing throughout the camp, and the sound of what the little Faunus could pick up were the sounds of weapons clashing with his cat ears as they twitched around. As Jade slowly gathered his bearings over where he was, Harl gave a quick glance at him as if getting a read on how the little Faunus was doing.
"Do not be afraid, boy. Just as long as you remain compliant with me, you will be treated well. Now, there's still much for you to see here. After that, well… I think it's best if you don't know." Jade felt himself shuddering in anticipated fear as to what Harl meant at the end of his speech. But whatever it meant, he did not have an opportunity to think as Harl resumed walking with his guards and Jade reluctantly followed as he witnessed much of the camp.
It mainly has palisades made from wood with sheets of metal used to reinforce its structure as it surrounds the entire camp filled with tents of all shapes and sizes with a range of colours, though there is a pattern to them mostly having metallic bronze colour as one of their primary palettes.
There were also slaves of both species and genders of all shapes and ages under their masters with the majority being children near their age, with a few adults mainly serving specialist jobs that children cannot do just like Seraphina as a doctor with her skills. Even more so for Jade, how it was clear as day, just as he had seen with the other children with him in the hospital.
Every one of them looked as if they had the hope beaten out of them and now either obediently followed their master's command or had no choice but to follow through, no matter the willingness. It's extremely demoralising for the little cat Faunus to witness so many enduring this and how this would eventually become his fate should he not find a way out or his father rescues him from this place.
Eventually, Harl and his guards finally brought Jade to the arena, which had quite the crowd cheering on as in the middle of it, there were two fighters going at each other. As if to drive the point that this will be Jade's eventual fate as an entertainment piece, Harl mutters out. "Once you're all healed up, I'll begin your training."
That alone made Jade shudder, with his eyes nervously looking up at his captor, who barely even paid notice to Jade quivering like a leaf. Though it appears that things were moving quickly when another bandit came by. "Boss, we got someone wanting to see you." "And who is this someone who wishes to see me?" Harl asks without batting an eye, while Jade watches as the bandit nervously rubbed his neck before finally saying.
"The Branwen tribe leader, boss. Says she's a friend of yours." Jade could only swear silently that he knew that name from somewhere before, while Harl visibly froze before letting out an exhausted sigh as if knowing who that person was. "Oh wonderful… Just my day. Let her in and escort her to my office, I'll see her there."
"Her? So that Branwen tribe leader is an evil woman like him? Why else would she want to see him?" Jade thought silently as the bandit gave a salute.
"Got it boss."
And with that, he ran off rushing, while Harl looked visibly annoyed before sighing and turning to his bodyguards. "Well, I suppose our tour would be so rudely interrupted. Let's go. What the hell does she want now?" He mutters frustratingly before glancing at Jade, still scarily looking at him.
"She and I had quite the history. But she's annoying as hell with her nonsense at times." Jade's cat ears could only twitch in response as if asking why he's telling him this before the little cat Faunus was dragged along for the ride into a much bigger tent in the middle of the camp. And inside the tent was quite luxurious.
Well… When compared to everything else in this godforsaken camp. Besides that, there was also a much smaller chair right next to a much bigger chair with a rather elongated table, and it wasn't long before Jade realised that that small chair was for him to sit on. Of course, he was still terrified to be sitting next to the man who kidnapped and wounded his face.
But it's not like he had any choice in the matter.
Sitting next to his master, Jade glances around the room in an attempt to ease the ever-growing anxiety and tension in his mind. However, that was quickly interrupted when a woman in red and black walked in with a full-face Grimm mask walked right into the camp like she owned the place, which didn't help him at all and sent another wave of fear into his soul.
"Harl… I see you've continued your deplorable acts with your tribe and even taken in a pet… How curious…"
A wave of alarm washed over Jade as the cat Faunus's head slowly shifted towards his captor fearfully, but to his subtle shock, Harl looked offended by that woman's comments. "Seriously Raven? That's the first thing you have to say as soon as we meet again after years? I know you've been watching me for quite a while at this point with your stupid bird powers."
"After you spread your ideas within the tribe and left with several of my people to start a new one after serving me for years? You could be a threat to my influence for all I know…" The woman now known as Raven shot back with irritation, while Harl simply rolled his eyes dismissively.
"Oh, don't get me started on that, I already agreed on our borders and vowed never to bother you. Now, care to tell me why you are here? Last I checked, I already helped you find that special girl, didn't I?" Harl raises an eyebrow before resting his cheek on his arm and tapping his fingers on his table. As for Jade, he felt awkward despite the intimation and surprise that these two people knew each other.
"You did. But is there something wrong with me catching up with an old acquaintance? From what I can tell, you and your tribe have been quite busy with your horrible practices." If one were to be in the room, they would have noticed that the tension room has notably got hotter when Raven utters her words. Yet despite that, Harl wasn't going to take this jab lying down and shoot back.
"As if yours were any better. The weak have their uses to serve the strong. Some might be worthy enough to be uplifted into the strong. Unlike those who follow under your leadership who only seek joy from raping, pillaging and burning everything to the ground or leave the survivors to the Grimm to finish off."
"Is that so?" Raven says before pulling her mask off and glaring into Harl's eyes, while Jade tried to make himself as inconspicuous from the two before him. But even more was this sense of familiarity upon witnessing Raven's face and looks.
Like…
He has seen her face before.
"From what I can see, your tribe isn't any better than ours, seeing how you put everyone your tribe captured into a fate worse than death. Indulging primarily in child slavery as your labourers and using them as entertainment. Honestly. At least I bother to put them out of their misery first to spare them the pain." Raven explains haughty before her blood-red eyes found themselves on Jade, whose visibility shrunk underneath her intimidating gaze.
"And what's so special about this boy? You have never taken anyone under your wing before." She then bluntly asks while Harl leans back onto his chair.
"This little cat here managed to beat and wound five of my boys and even killed one of them from his training from his father I assume, I have to admit. I was impressed, mainly because I could tell that something's special about him."
"Is that so? Or is it your insane semblance you got that tells you that you need him as a pet?" Raven asks before earning a glare from Harl.
"In case you've forgotten. My semblance saved your ass and helped your tribe numerous times before, and this boy I have with me is part of my plans for the foreseeable future. And if you're wondering. No. My plans will NOT involve the Branwen tribe." Silence overtook the tent as Raven and Harl engaged in a silent stare off that lasted for minutes straight, while Jade was left boggled by his masters' words.
"He… Does he have plans for me in the future? What are they? I don't want to be here at all!" The little cat Faunus could only silently gulp in fear over the future, and it didn't take long before Raven broke away from the staring contest, she engaged in with Harl.
"Very well then. I'm done here." Without even saying a goodbye, Raven puts on her mask and walks out of the tent, leaving Harl alone with Jade before letting out a sigh and cursing to himself.
"God, I hate that woman so much."
Harl then brought his head up and, without looking at his bodyguards, he signalled them with a wave. "Alright boys. Can you both take the kid back to his cage to recover without mistreating him? I have work to do."
"Got it boss." One of Harl's bodyguards acknowledged before looking at Jade directly into his eyes. "You hear the boss, get up and get moving. We'll escort your ass back to your cage." Wanting to get away from this mess, Jade obliged and followed the bodyguard out of Harl's tent, while the huntsman turned bandit leader's composure waned significantly once he was alone in his tent.
Sluggishly, he pulls up a faded photo from his pocket that had his team back when they were all alive.
All smiling once upon a time.
Before his actions and betrayal burned it all to grey embers.
"I… I should at least pay Coleen and Bress's gravestone a visit. It has been too long since I last saw them and… They… they didn't deserve this, but… everything I did was for the fate of the world. Hell awaited me at the end of the road, I know it…" Harl then stood up before wiping the weakness from his face and finishing his sentence off silently.
"But until then, I will do what needs to be done. For the greater good…"
Back in Menagerie, days had passed since Amranth had officially returned home and, as expected, rumours of what had happened to the Grayson's spread like wildfire. How she came back home only with her daughter and without her husband and son. That and how she's been silent to all who know her, which was a cause of concern since Amranth was never one to remain eerily quiet.
It gets even more complicated when a human suddenly shows up at her home and occasionally assist Amranth like a personal maid. In fact, Amranth no longer answers the door like she usually does and now, this human maid is the one who answers the door. That alone caused quite the grumbling among those who don't trust humans or have grievances with them, and the curiosity of others about why Amranth suddenly has a human maid.
As if that weren't all, those who were superstitious and mentioned that Bianca was a sign of a bad omen found their suspicions proven right, and for that reason, they began keeping their distance over the fears of receiving bad luck from the Grayson family. Even if it seems crazy to many who knew the Graysons. Despite this, many of Amranth friends did what they could to help their dear friend more for the Belladonnas who did everything they could for their friend in need.
Even if she has notably become quieter and more reclusive, than before.
Presently, Amranth is at Belladonna's house and spending time with Kali, and she's not alone. Leathad additionally accompanied her and even introduced herself as Amranth's personal maid in the foreseeable future, and she had little Bianca sleeping in her arms. Which came as a surprise to Kali, who wasn't aware of much of her friend's past or familial ties to humans.
"I see…" Kali hummed as she hid her lips behind her teacup while her dear friend sat on the sofa opposite her while her maid stood by her side. "You never told us much about your past. But I understand why you didn't want to tell anyone until now."
Kali hummed while her dear friend sighs mournfully. Amranth figured it was best to tell her best friend about her past and how Leathad was her caretaker in her youth while enduring constant abuse from her traumatised mother. In fact, few people were aware of her blood lineage to the Evergardens as a child born from rape. Melo, her husband, being one of them who was made aware of her past when they married.
Thankfully for Amranth, her husband didn't care in the slighted that she was a child born from rape. Or the fact that she had a human mother. All that matters is that he's grateful that she opened up to him about her dark past.
And that was good enough for Amranth.
"Yes… I can only imagine how others will feel about me after this…" The Grayson matriarch found her tea cup the most interesting sight, as her eyes never left the brown liquid in her cup. "How is Blake? I haven't seen her at all since I came back." Amranth figured that it's best to change the topic, but to her surprise, Kali sadly sighs as her ears visibly sink.
"She's… not taking the news well…" Kali immediately knew that something was off when her baby kitten started avoiding everyone for a few days after Amranth had returned to Kuo Kuana. In fact, when she checked on Blake and thanks to her intuition, Kali already suspects that her daughter was somehow aware about Jade's current kidnapped status and proven right when she questions her.
Apparently, she had listened in on their conversation days back and ever since that day, had been depressed over Jade's kidnapping. "My baby kitten's worried about Jade. I can't fault her, and I'm doing all I can to comfort her. But it's too early to say what she'll do next."
"I hope she can recover from that." Amranth mutters before a knock suddenly comes from the door before Blake slowly peeks her head in. Furthermore, Both Kali and Amranth noticed that there were bags underneath her eyes. It appears that she hasn't been sleeping well and not a desirable outcome since she's still a growing girl.
"Mummy?"
"Yes, my dear?" Kali answers to her little kitten before her eyes drift slowly towards Amranth first, then to Leathad as her ears are now fully upright.
"I want… I want to talk to aunt Amranth. Please?"
Silently giving a glance at her friend before returning to her daughter, Kali nods her head. "Of course, come here and sit next to me." With her mother's approval, Blake shuffled her feet forward until she finally sat next to her mother. Amranth and Leathad watched her. "What do you want to ask her, dear?"
"About Jade, mummy… I can't sleep. I keep thinking about him. Will he be, okay?" For a moment, Amranth could only close her eyes and take her eyes away from her best friend's daughter. How is she supposed to assure her that her baby boy will come back in one piece? Even she's uncertain that Melo can succeed in getting their son back. It's not because she has no faith in her husband, but because…
Because…
Jade will never be the same after this.
Everyone will never be the same after this.
Even if his father were to rescue him, Jade would no doubt be haunted by his experience for the rest of his life. And his face. Oh brothers, his face! Amranth remembered that day as if it were yesterday, with a bloodied face and a slash mark that travelled from his right eyebrow through his eye and ended just above his jaw.
She remembered it as clear as day, and that would no doubt leave an awful scar, even if it heals with relative care.
"I… I know my husband will bring Jade back to us."
"Really? Will he bring him back to us?" Blake asked, her voice and eyes brimming with hope. Yet, Amranth felt herself doubting her own words. She has seen how Harl had an entire tribe at his backing. How is her dear husband supposed to win and bring their son back alone?
Does Blake deserve to have her hope crushed over the potential that Melo could fail?
"I think he will do everything possible to make that happen." This was her answer. Amranth knew in her heart that Melo would never stop fighting to get their son back. Even if he has to fight alone to see it done. And for that fact alone scares her. As stated to him before, Amranth can never imagine a life without her baby boy. If he dies…
It will break her.
"Then… who is she?"
Blake asks as she points her finger at Leathad who was in the midst of attending to Bianca in her arms. "She is… my caretaker. When I was younger." "Can… you tell me more about her?" The little cat Faunus asked next as Kali and Amranth gave nervous looks to one another. Blake's not going to be happy once she finds out that Leathad and her maids were supposed to protect Jade and his family.
Only to fail horribly.
Melo POV
It has been days since I've visited an old friend of mine, and I have been busy preparing myself. I do not know if I will be hunting Harl and his band of bandits alone, but that won't stop me. Beta has recently been repaired and is now good as new, as well as gathering supplies I would need in the endeavour to get my son back. Yet, it feels nostalgic to be back here, where everything that made me what I am started, from my days working for the spiders and then becoming a Huntsman to choosing my own path.
Ignoring that, Malachite had come into contact with me hours ago. According to her call, she and her Spiders picked up Harl's scent and informed me about it. Now all I need to do is meet up with her and find what she and her group had found. Then… I kill every one of those bastards if I have to.
Shaking my head, I continued walking through the lower levels of Mistral towards the bar I went to days ago. It's still dark right now, and all sorts of shadowy deals are going on in the alleyways. Though it's notably more peaceful than I last remembered years ago. Things were much more… brutal in my youth, with constant gangs fighting each other in the streets.
Now that I observe the place much closer… They still happen occasionally. Though… It appears that the spiders have more of their gangs patrolling the streets. Guess Malachite wasn't kidding that the Spiders are much stronger than usual.
Continuing my walk through the streets, I eventually reached the bar I went into days back, and found one of her bodyguards who saw and signalled at me. I knew that he'd take me into one of her private rooms above. And like that, after going to the higher levels and into one of the private rooms. I spotted Malachite there in her seat talking to one of her group members, though she looked annoyed about something.
There's one thing I learned when you deal with the spiders.
Don't piss Malachite off. Whoever just did that is going to have a bad time.
I know it.
"Malachite." I called out to her as I made my way towards where she was at. "You waiting on me?" I continue onwards as her irritated look she bears on her face changes into a smile upon seeing me.
"Melo. Early as ever I see." She greeted me before I took a seat opposite of her. "When am I ever late?" I couldn't help but chip in as she chuckled. Unlike most people I know, I always make the effort to be there earlier for whatever events require me. Oh, how my habits pissed off everyone so much when I woke them all at like five in the morning.
On our first day of class.
"Anyway, someone pissed you off? You're normally not in a bad mood, last I checked." I ask next as I lean my back on my chair. I'm simply curious about what Malachite's pissed at. Every few people I know could make her mad. Well… there was that one time we were dating and… Oh boy, was she furious. Ever since then, I swear to never earn her ire.
Never want to experience that again.
"Damn right, someone did." Her words were like poison while hissing it out, and I immediately knew that whoever made her mad must have a death wish. "I'll keep it simple but, it's my second-in-command, Roman Torchwick." Second in command… I haven't been paying attention, but I do see that fella occasionally whenever I pay Malachite during my Huntsman years and while we're dating.
So, he managed to become her second? Impressive.
At the same time, what did he do to piss her this much?
"The Bastard has the balls to THREATEN my daughters while working with the Parrot gang over my leadership as the boss of the Spiders. And he intends to hurt my daughter should I not give him my position in the next twelve hours." Ah… That's why.
"I assume you already have a plan to deal with this upstart?" I said before leaning forwards before my ex simply covers her mouth with her fan.
"I do. But… that can be put aside for now. I have what you need." And without even looking at her bodyguards, she snapped her fingers as one of them laid a map of Anima on the table, with parts of it either marked with a circle or crossed out. From the looks of it, there are several locations Harl could be, I believe. "I've checked with all my contacts and this is what I found." Malachite says before pointing her finger at the circles first. "Those are confirmed sightings of those bandits under him from my contacts. They seem to target villages and order them to pay tribute for resources or face a raid, which then they will kidnap anyone they could get their hands on. But they appear to prefer taking children for either ransom, or if they earn enough interest, they will be taken in to be trained into battle thralls for entertainment." My ex spat the last part out before her finger shifts over to the numerous crosses that cover the forests of Anima.
"As for the crosses, those are where we suspect your partner's tribe should be. Though some of my source's report that the tribe would occasionally migrate west to find other targets to hit before returning and demanding tribute again. Or they could be hidden somewhere deep in the forest. Your best bet to find out where that tribe's location is, to intercept one of these raiding parties and interrogate them for information." I see…
So Harl's tribe seems to have influence over some part of the map it seems But, the forest does not only contain one bandit tribe, there are others there too. I'm going to need further information, so I hit the correct tribe and not one that doesn't have my son. "I doubt Harl's tribe is the only one with such territory." I mutter my thoughts out while Malachite agrees with me.
"Yes. We also learned that Harl's tribe is a separate offshoot of the infamous Branwen tribe, but they split off due to different ideologies of their survival of the fittest mentality. In fact, there is a notable border friction between the two tribes, and they are now in an uneasy peace with one another."
Hmm… this is much more complicated it seems… "Thank you, Malachite. This will help me greatly. If there's anything you need, I can help you out with it."
I thanked her and, as expected, she simply chuckled before bringing her fan up and covering the lower part of her face. "Just make sure you come back alive, alright, sweetheart? Cos you're going into some dangerous stuff, messing with bandits by your lonesome."
"What can I say? The life of a Huntsman is full of risks. Part of the reason, I was hesitant when my son wished to become one himself." I mutter out before a period of deafening silence washed over us both. Though I swear it felt longer than it should have been, it didn't last a whole minute before my ex gave her response.
"I see… Best you make your journey now. I have a mess to clean up and daughters to save." And with a final nod, I took the map Malachite provided me with before making my departure out of her bar and back onto the streets.
Now that I have some intel on where to go, I think it's time to let the hunt begin against my partner's tribe. Even if it takes me days, weeks, months or even years. I will not rest until my kitten's back in my arms!
"Jade. Please hang on and stay strong until I arrive. Daddy's coming for you."
And we're done! Apologies for the INCREDIBLY late upload compared to my other stories, but it's done at last. So, this chapter's mainly on the expansion of Harl's character and his tribe, as well as the Grayson's and what they're doing at the moment.
And all I can say is that there's more to Harl's plans than it may seem, and Jade is part of that plan. And yes, he worked with the Branwen tribe before splitting off and forming his own due to ideological reasons.
As for those in Menagerie, they're not doing well. Especially Blake, with her aware of Jade's kidnapping. Let's just say that the next few years will change her, should… certain things happen unless Jade is returned safely.
Lastly, the hunt begins and Melo's going to go all in. As in, he will not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in his way to getting to Jade. Will this uncontrolled rampage to get his son back he's about to unleash cost him? Well… check out the next few chapters, and we'll see if he succeeds in getting his son back!
With that, I'll see you all in the next chapter. Please let me know what you think of this one!
RGQC out!