Short chapter incoming!
Like I mentioned last week, MrsTheGoose had a booth at our local Holly Day Market (clever name) selling her polymer clay miniatures. Ended up being a huge success. She sold the majority of what she brought and had a lot of people interested in checking out her online stuff as well. She'll be busy making more designs to replace the sizable amount she sold. Definitely a big win for Team Goose!
Meanwhile, I'm celebrating three years of Affiliate on Twitch today (official day was yesterday, but I don't stream on Thursdays). Gonna be doing a special recap stream to look over the last year and preview some upcoming plans for streaming. Also, just for fun, I put together a list of over 40 Disney princesses and ranked them all in a tier list. Gonna review my choices live and watch as everyone loses their minds disagreeing with me, but that's half the fun.
On top of all that, Christmas is just around the corner. Finished shopping yesterday (main stuff was done, but I like to spoil MrsTheGoose with some small stuff as well). Sunday, we'll do our tradition of exchanging ornaments (we made each other's again this year), then having a bunch of snacks (lil' smokies, shrimp, chips, meat, cheese, crackers, etc.) while we binge Christmas movies. Christmas morning will be with my family, but the afternoon/evening will be just the two of us (well, and the dogs too, of course). Always love our quiet, little celebrations the most.
And on that note, just a quick reminder that there's no chapter next week. Taking the week off work and writing to enjoy some relaxation with my wife and ring in the new year the right way. Merry Christmas to all of you and thank you so much for the gift of your support!
Having a gun pointed at his face really should've been a more terrifying experience, but nowadays it was just getting a little old. If he was quick, he could probably take the guy out without too much trouble. Might take a couple bullets for his trouble, but even at point blank range his aura would manage. Stealth would be out the window at that point, but he doubted this guy would just let him walk away without raising the alarm. Looked like it was time to go loud.
"Don't even think about it." More observant than Adam expected of some random guard. Adam had barely moved his hand, subtly moving to a better position to draw. "Hands up." And give up easy access to his sword? When Adam didn't obey, the guard added, "I'm not alone. My men are waiting at the end of the corridor, not to mention the men currently surrounding this ship." Adam rose to his feet, following the man's nod to look out the cockpit's windshield. Sure enough, he could see a few heavily armed men moving to encircle the airship. One of them saw him and aimed up at the cockpit. "Even if you get by me, do you really think you'll make it out of here in one piece?"
"I've had worse." He'd fought off an Atlas Specialist and her small army of robots. Whatever numbers they had, quantity was a poor substitute for quality. "And you'll be the first to go if you get in my way."
"Don't be so certain." Pretty ballsy, but if some idiot with a gun thought he stood a chance against Adam, then he had another thing-
Adam finally noticed the weapon strapped to the man's side. It looked like a shortened khopesh of some sort. A little unwieldy for such a tight space, but then again, Adam had the same problem. Drawing and swinging with all the equipment crammed in such a small space would be a pain. Not impossible, but still hard. A gun definitely had the advantage here, which explained why the khopesh wasn't out.
The very presence of such a weapon gave Adam pause. Not that he worried it would be better than his own sword. A weapon was only as good as the one wielding it. That was the real problem. Guards weren't usually trained in melee combat, especially not with something so unique. A club or shortsword would be more fitting. Something that anyone could wield without much trouble. A khopesh was hardly the type of thing you'd just find lying around. Only someone with specific training and experience would opt for something that exotic.
Someone like a Huntsman.
He didn't look like a Huntsman, but the way he carried himself - not to mention the weapon he so casually displayed - screamed of someone with training. Someone with aura. Not that aura meant Adam couldn't beat him. Blake had aura, and even on her best day, he could run circles around her. What aura did mean, though, was that he wouldn't go down in one hit. He'd retreat back to his support and force Adam into an untenable position. If nothing else, he'd buy time for the rest of the camp's defenders to get into position. He'd be lucky to escape with his life against a prepared force like that, and this time, he couldn't just blow the whole place up.
They needed this win, but victory didn't hang on him stealing the airship. They had a backup plan. With that in mind, Adam did something he'd hoped to never do.
He surrendered.
"Wise choice," his adversary said as Adam reluctantly raised his hands. He considered waiting until the man came near and grappling his gun away from him, but this guy had clearly thought through the situation. He stepped back into the corridor, motioning for Adam to follow. "Outside. And no sudden movements. If you even think of trying anything, I'll empty everything I've got in you."
Every step of the way, Adam had a gun trained on him. As promised, there were four men stationed at the end of the corridor, rifles aimed down the killzone for the first sign of trouble. They backed away in unison, fanning out in every direction before Adam got anywhere near them in a clearly rehearsed formation. What sort of guards were they? The idiots in Orostachys had never been this organized. And in such numbers, too! There had to be more than double the men here - maybe even three times as many - and every single one of them was aimed at him.
"We got him!" his captor announced, eliciting a few cheers from his men.
No one seemed more excited than the shorter man in the middle of the formation. "Splendid!" He stepped forward, setting himself apart from the rest of them. Unlike the others, he didn't carry a weapon or wear a uniform like the four men flanking him. Adam recognized him from the White Fang intel, but there was no mistaking a bureaucrat when he saw one. "Excellent work men! See? I told you we could handle him."
"I found him in the cockpit, just like you said." Had they seen him sneak in? He'd been careful not to be spotted, but maybe they had more cameras than the scouts reported.
Hands on his head, Adam could only growl the single word. "Overseer."
"My reputation precedes me." Not in a good way. Overseers were lower than scum. Pompous windbags who wielded the power of the SDC over their faunus laborers and treated them as disposable tools rather than people. "Overseer Hoffmann, at your service."
"That would be a first." He'd probably never done a single thing for anyone other than himself in his entire life. "You're shorter than I expected."
"And you're easier to catch than I was told," Overseer Hoffmann responded, smirking at his own one-upmanship. "All of the material from the home office warned of a cunning murderer. Someone none of us could hope to face. And yet, here we are."
"The day's still young."
"Spare us your bravado. You're one man against all of us." Admittedly, not the best odds, but since when had the odds ever been in his favor? "Even if you somehow escaped, do you really think you'd make it very far? You won't even get back to your ship before the full might of Mistral tracks you down." Getting back to the ship wasn't the plan, but Overseer Hoffmann knowing about it didn't sit well with Adam. "Don't look so surprised. I've already alerted the authorities to your presence. They'll be sending out ships to locate the rest of your men and bring them to justice."
The coast of Anima would take a while to search, especially since he'd instructed the crew to stay a few miles out until he contacted them, but there'd be no escaping if they were spotted. They weren't exactly built for speed and had no way to defend themselves. He shouldn't've had them wait. They should've headed straight home and left Adam and his men to fend for themselves rather than risk more of them getting captured.
He'd have to warn them once he got out of here. One thing at a time, though. Jakob said Bane and his men were in position. If that was the case, then he needed to keep Hoffmann busy. "Guess you've thought of everything."
"More than you know," Hoffmann promised ominously. "Capturing you is my ticket out of here. I'll bet they move me to an office in Mistral for this. Maybe even all the way to Atlas!"
"Been there. Not all it's cracked up to be," Adam chuckled. One star. Terrible accommodations, but the fireworks show had been breathtaking.
Overseer Hoffmann looked unimpressed. "You'll have the chance to see it again soon enough. Take him. And bring me his sword. It'll make a fitting trophy for my wall."
Two men approached from behind, weapons at the ready. Adam didn't so much as flinch at their approach. One of them grabbed his wrist firmly, pulling his arm behind his back as he slapped a cuff on him and reached for the other arm. At the same time, his partner circled in front of Adam and reached for his sword.
The moment he touched the hilt, Adam moved.
In a flash, Adam broke his hand free of the distracted grip behind him, snapping forward to squeeze the trigger on his scabbard. His disarmer got more than he bargained for as the sword and his own hand shot directly into his face. Adam caught his weapon almost immediately, stabbing backwards with a loud squelch, then wrenching it free to slice across the chest of his stunned opponent. Both men fell, the thud of their bodies synchronized with the sound of his sword slamming back into place.
Despite their numbers and weapons, his oppressors' confidence died as fast as their two comrades. In a flash, he'd cut two of them down and now stood in the midst of them all, hand on his sword and daring anyone else to try and take it from him.
"Hold your fire!" Hoffmann commanded before anyone could kick off the true fight. If he wanted to stall, then Adam would be more than happy to let him. "Such barbarity. Those men had families, you know."
"So do the faunus you enslave," Adam spat back.
"Families that they can only support with the wages we give them." Barely. If the SDC paid at all, it was never enough. "And no one's forcing them to be here. They chose to work for us."
"And your men chose to die the moment they got in my way." Just like Hoffmann and the rest of his men were planning to do. Sienna wanted survivors, but his own survival came first. "I'll give you one chance. Surrender, and you and your men can live."
"Surrender? To you?" Hoffmann laughed at the very idea. The amusement spread through his men, though they laughed far more nervously. If push came to shove, they'd be the ones putting their lives on the line and they knew it. "I admire your bravery, but a man should know when he's beat."
"You haven't beaten me yet."
"Haven't I? Don't tell me you're still counting on those reinforcements you set up in the south." Adam's eyes widened at the revelation. "Oh yes, I know all about your little plan. Still think your men can steal my airship and escape? Even if they managed to get that far, they'd be cut down the moment they took off." Overseer Hoffmann unclipped a radio from his belt. "We have him. Acquire target but do not fire until I give the command."
Hoffmann smiled smugly as they waited until a new airship rose from beyond the treeline in the north and angled forward to approach the camp. A second followed close behind. Not the clunky cargo variety like the one he'd been trying to hijack either. These were militarized - sporting a large gatling gun below the nose that swiveled in his direction as the ship approached. He'd never seen ones like that in Anima before, but the snowflake emblazoned on the side explained their presence. Only the SDC could bring something so deadly to another Kingdom and get away with it.
"We knew about your little plan the moment you set up camp," Hoffmann boasted, going into full monologue mode like some sort of cheesy villain. "We watched and listened, letting you play your little game while we prepared. I do have to thank you for arriving so early to spy on us, though. That gave us plenty of time to bring in some extra men and prepare for your little intrusion."
His men weren't equipped to take on aerial targets. Those things would tear through the White Fang in seconds. Even if they got to the airship, they wouldn't make it far. Hoffmann was right. Those things were built for speed and lethality. Against a slow moving cargo airship with no weapons, they'd be sitting ducks. There was a reason Atlas - and by extension, the SDC - could do whatever they wanted. With their superior military and weapons technology, no one could hope to stand up to them. The other Kingdoms had grown fat and lazy after the Great War, but Atlas had spent all those decades preparing for the next. Somewhere down the line, Atlas would grow tired of playing nice and would take the world by force. It was only natural for those power-hungry maniacs to want more control. The only questions were what held them back for so long and how long until they got tired of waiting?
Adam wasn't the only one aware of just how outmatched his men would be. "As you can see, we're more than prepared to handle you and your little friends. So how about this? You surrender, and I'll give you the chance to call off your men. Hm? Tell them you've lost and they should run home and rethink their miserable lives. That, or I order my men to kill every faunus you brought on this suicide mission of yours as a warning to anyone who would dare oppose the SDC."
"And what about me?"
"You? Why, you'll be turned over to the authorities, of course." The Atlas authorities, no doubt. Even if they went to Mistral, Atlas would demand he be sent to them for trial and execution, though maybe not in that order. "I promise no harm will befall you in my care. I'll escort you personally back to the capital to ensure it."
And to take credit, no doubt. Overseer Hoffmann had to be on cloud nine right now. He'd captured the most wanted man in the world with almost no casualties. He'd march into Atlas a hero, accomplishing something that even a Specialist had failed to do. They'd probably have a parade for him, ending at some oversized, cushy office up on the floating city where he could spend the rest of his days basking in the praise of Atlas and the SDC. Nondescript Winter Holiday had come early this year. Adam's defeat would be the greatest day in this pathetic scum's life.
Yeah. That wasn't going to happen.
"I'll pass," Adam said, souring Hoffmann's mood a little.
"Pass? You mean you'd risk the lives of all your men just to prove a point?" Adam didn't answer, staring Hoffman down defiantly. "You realize this changes nothing, don't you? I tried to be reasonable, but I guess there's no reasoning with mindless animals. Either way, I've won."
"Not yet you haven't."
"And how do you intend to stop me?" Hoffmann looked around at the numerous gunmen, not to mention the two hovering airships that flanked either side of the camp. Every single one of them were aimed directly at Adam. "Aura or not, you won't last five seconds against this much firepower."
"Five seconds is more than enough for me to kill you." No way would Adam let some worthless suit profit off his death. If Adam was going down, he'd take Hoffmann and as many of his men as he could with him.
"I'm done playing games!" Hoffmann shouted, his moment of triumph ruined as he backed away, hiding behind his guards lest Adam make good on his threat. As if a couple of gunmen would keep Adam from his prize. "Dead or alive, your defeat will still be worth a fortune. My airships will cut you down where you stand, and then we'll sweep up your little rabble and make sure they know you threw away their lives just to spite me. They'll die cursing your name, even if you're not around to hear any of it."
If he thought his threats would shake Adam, then Hoffmann would be sorely disappointed. "I'm waiting."
"Open fire!" Hoffmann screamed into his radio, his voice cracking. He watched through hate filled eyes, intent on seeing Adam erased from existence. He'd make sure he got the last laugh as high-caliber rounds tore his enemy to shreds.
Which made the resulting silence a little awkward.
Hoffmann looked up at the unresponsive airships in disbelief. "I said fire!"
Still nothing.
Hoffmann checked his radio, then waved his arms at one of the pilots, trying to get his attention. "Hey idiots! When I say fire, you fire! So fire!" A distinct lack of gunfire only served to infuriate the man further. "What are you waiting for? Kill him already!"
"Trouble?" Adam asked casually.
"What did you do?"
"Me? Nothing. I've been right here the whole time." Without a hint of concern, Adam smirked and strode forward slowly. "My men, on the other hand…"
Adam raised his hand. A moment later, both airships turned to zero in on a new target. Hoffmann stumbled and fell on his rear as the two death machines aimed their guns directly at him.
"B-but…but we watched you! We heard everything you said! All your plans!"
Watching Hoffmann gloat had been almost funny, but now that the cat was out of the bag, Adam couldn't help but enjoy the big reveal. "You mean through those little cameras in the woods?" As if Adam would miss those. Even if he had, Jakob had been monitoring more than just radio frequencies. Adam didn't fully understand how it worked, but if a signal went through the air, Jakob's equipment could detect it. "We figured you were listening in, so I let you hear exactly what I wanted you to hear."
Namely a fake plan involving a desperation play. Bane hadn't set up to the south. He and his men had quietly swung around to the northern edge and ambushed the crews, securing the airships for themselves while Jakob briefly jammed comms to keep the whole thing quiet.
"I really do have to thank you," Adam continued. "The cargo ship's nice and all, but why settle for just that when I can have two assault craft, too? Do you know how hard it is to get ahold of one of those? Instead, you brought them right to us and practically handed us the keys."
Jakob had listened in on all their communications, from the initial call for help all the way up to the airships landing and sending most of their men to reinforce the camp. They'd obviously land as far from Adam and his men as possible if they wanted to stay hidden, so finding them had been a breeze. They couldn't come too close to the camp without being spotted, which also left them stranded and without support when Bane and his men attacked. Things must've gone well from there.
"Now, I'll give you one last chance," Adam said, stopping only a dozen paces or so from where Hoffmann cowered behind his men. They'd been so focused on the airships that no one had even tried to stop him getting so close. At this distance, he could've cut them down before they even knew what was happening. "Surrender, and you and your men can live. You wouldn't risk the lives of all your men just to prove a point, would you?" Adam absolutely loved turning Hoffmann's words against him.
It took him all of a second to make the obvious choice. "Lower your weapons!" The franticness in his voice was music to Adam's ears.
"But sir-"
"I said lower them!" After a brief hesitation, dozens of rifles dipped in unison.
"Wise choice," Adam assured them, walking up and snatching a rifle from the nearest man. He tossed it on the ground, looking around at the rest of the guards. They got the message, carefully placing their weapons on the ground. "Shobu belongs to the White Fang now. All of your workers will be coming with us." Either to join the Anima operations or fly back to Menagerie. Either way, they'd be free of the tyranny of the SDC.
"And what about my men?" Hoffmann dared to question.
"They'll help us load our new cargo ship before we leave." Ironic, given they'd just unloaded almost the entire vessel. The faster they worked, the sooner Adam and his forces would leave. He'd also make sure to destroy their mining equipment before he left, but they'd leave the radio tower operational. They could call for rescue and hope someone got there before the Grimm closed in. "Afterwards, they'll be left here, unharmed." Except for the two that had foolishly tried to disarm him, of course. If Hoffmann's men cooperated, those would be the only deaths today. "Now, I trust you and your men won't cause me any trouble, will you?"
To their credit, they didn't. One of their new airships landed outside and dropped off Bane and most of his men along with a small group of hostages. They walked in the front gate like they owned the place, which they sorta did now. Bane assured Adam that they'd taken the airships without a single death, though a couple of the crewmembers were injured in the assault. Minor injuries only, but they'd done their best to patch up the wounded. After that, Bane oversaw the loading while Adam went and took care of other matters.
The workers had no idea what was going on above ground, but their confusion at being called out of the mines so early only grew at the sight of Hoffmann being ordered around by a masked faunus. Adam forced Hoffmann to announce the good news. Maybe he was rubbing his victory in a bit, but no one other than Hoffmann seemed to mind. Some quick instructions had the men sprinting into the camp, raiding supplies and joining up with Bane's men, who had spread out throughout the camp, both to assist any stragglers and to make sure none of the human workers were harmed by any overzealous miners.
Adam had given his word, and he intended to keep it.
From there, everything flew by in a flash. Anything they couldn't take with them was destroyed. One of the bunkhouses was knocked down by the former residents, inspiring another two to fall shortly thereafter. Hoffmann's men loaded the airship quickly, eager to be free of both the White Fang and the vindictive miners they'd oppressed for so many years. When all was said and done, Shobu had been reduced to a walled radio station.
"All aboard for freedom!" Bane hollered. Every faunus in camp hurried up the ramp of the airship, ready to depart their personal hell once and for all.
"You'll never get away with this," Hoffmann said as his men stood idly by, unable to do anything to back up their leader's empty words.
"I already have."
"Mark my words. You'll pay for what you've done."
Where was this fire a few hours ago? "Actually, the SDC will pay for what you've done." Adam snatched the man's arm in a steely grip. "At least, you'd better hope they do."
"Wha…unhand me!" His pathetic attempts to break free were laughable at best. "You said you'd let us go!"
"I said I'd leave you men behind," Adam corrected, dragging the fool toward the airship without slowing his pace. "You, on the other hand, might be worth something to the SDC. Let's see just how much value they put in a worm like you."
"Y-you can't!" He very well could. "The SDC will never negotiate with terrorists."
Terrorists? That was rich coming from a guy who enslaved faunus for profit. "They'd better, for your sake."
Sienna hadn't said anything about taking hostages, but field operations were up to him, right? Maybe they could squeeze the SDC for some lien or extra dust. Maybe not, but if they kept quiet about taking Hoffmann in the first place, the SDC might pay up just to cover up how badly they'd failed. The last thing they needed was the White Fang going public with their new hostage. If they refused, Adam would see Hoffmann released…eventually. Maybe drop him off in some backwater settlement and let him find his own way home. If it worked, though, then maybe they could make this a regular thing. Extra resources would bolster their efforts, while having hostages at the end would help ensure their safe retreat. The SDC could see it as incentivizing keeping people alive and write it off as a win. In fact, maybe if he implied not paying would make keeping hostages alive unprofitable, they'd ante up faster.
Either way, with the workers and cargo secured and a hostage in tow, the White Fang's new cargo airship lifted off and left Shobu behind, flanked by a pair of assault craft as escorts. Jakob and the others at base camp would be taking the trucks to get back, where they'd divvy up the supplies with the Anima team. He'd leave Hoffmann with them as well, since bringing him all the way to Menagerie would be a waste. Afterwards, he and his men, along with any workers that didn't want to stay in Anima, would fly back home aboard the White Fang's new Air Force.
If Sienna wanted a win, then he'd delivered.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam returned a hero once more. Sienna had cleared part of the training fields as an improvised landing platform. She was waiting when they landed, along with a decent crowd of faunus, most of whom wore his mask. Adam had a feeling Sienna was behind the growing popularity, but as the group cheered and chanted his name, he couldn't say he cared that much.
The moment they made it to Sienna's office, she demanded a full report and ate up every word. Had this been Ghira, Adam would've heard complaints about the two deaths. He probably would've lectured Adam about the value of life before demanding Hoffmann be released along with a public apology or some other stupid appeasement of the SDC.
Sienna loved every word of his report. True to her word, she fully supported his actions and accepted it all as necessary. At the end of the day, they'd toppled a mining camp, freed the workers, and secured their first airships to further their fight against Atlas and the SDC. She'd gotten so excited at one point that if it wasn't for Corsac and Fennec being in the room, part of him wondered if she would've jumped him then and there. Thankfully, their meeting stayed professional. He didn't need to go down that slippery slope, even if he'd probably enjoy it at first.
Word spread quickly, as it always did. It would've been hard to hide the sudden acquisition of a trio of airships, but with a couple miners joining the ranks, everyone in the White Fang knew the details by the next day. Most of the miners had stayed back in Anima, eager to prove their worth for the group that had freed them. Adam remembered feeling the same after Orostachys. At least no one there had been scarred by their ordeal.
Not physically, at least.
All in all, the mission proved everything Sienna hoped it would be and more. Adam had a feeling they'd be putting something else together soon, but until then, he planned to relax and enjoy his well-deserved break. Blake swung by that evening, eager to hear what happened. He retold the story for her over dinner, with practically everyone in the cafeteria listening in unashamedly. Afterward, the two of them headed up to his new apartment so she could show off some of her new sketches before excitedly telling him about some book she'd read recently. Adam humored her, following along as he sat back on the barely used couch and let out a long, contented sigh.
He'd missed this. Out there, there'd been so much pressure on him to get everything right. Everyone had been relying on him every step of the way. If he'd messed up, some of them could've died or been rounded up by the SDC. All that would await them would be either a cell or a mining camp. Even if he'd taken the biggest risks himself, there were so many others that would've suffered if he'd messed up. He'd kept them safe and even freed all the miners, but it could've been a disaster if he'd made a mistake.
But here, with Sienna reveling in his triumph and Blake trying to cram weeks of missed time into a single evening, he could finally relax. Even if he'd barely spent any time in his apartment so far, it was his. His own safe haven from the rest of the world. Here, he didn't have to be the hero of Orostachys. Inside the walls of his apartment, he could set aside the mask and the sword. While everyone celebrated his victory, he could shed the burden of being their symbol and just be Adam for a little while. No pressure. No demands. Just a quiet room and an annoying little chatterbox to keep him company.
Adam didn't know when he fell asleep, but when he finally woke up, the room was dark and a blanket had been draped over him as he lay on the couch. He must've nodded off while Blake went on and on. Hopefully she wouldn't be too upset about that, but he felt like Blake would understand. No matter how aggravating she could be at times, she really was a good kid. He'd probably still get an earful in the morning from her, along with a demand for more training - some things never changed - but she was one of the few people who actually understood him and still saw him as a person. That's what made it so easy being around her.
With a quick glance at the clock, Adam rolled over and snuggled back into the couch. The morning would almost certainly bring new cares and demands, but for now, he planned to enjoy the rare moment of rest. Maybe he'd sleep in or just hide out in his new place in the morning. He'd certainly earned the breather. Whenever duty called once more, he'd answer. Rather, Adam Taurus, the hero of the White Fang, would.
For one blissful night, just plain old Adam rested, finally content with his place in the world.
Adam going Ocean's Eleven style with the whole reverse and turning an L into a dub. And now they can fly! No more wasting weeks on the ocean. We can keep the timeline moving faster. After all, we're only five years out from Beacon now. Got a lot the needs to happen before we reach the start of canon and the Black trailer.
Had to redo the Overseer a few times. First had him named Klein, but decided I didn't want to besmirch the name of Weiss' butler like that. Then tried Schmidt and ended up making him sound a lot like Agent Smith from the Matrix. Fantastic villain, but I'm not wasting a parallel on a minor character like that. Eventually wound up with Hoffmann and ran with it.
Have to brag a little on the camp name this time around. Fits the apparent name guide for Anima with a Japanese flower name. The Shobu flower represents good news, glad tidings, and loyalty. As the first mission with Sienna in control, it sort of serves as her victory announcement and bolsters the loyalty of her followers with a big win. On the other hand, the Shobu pattern represents militarism, strength, and victory, so it ended up being a better defended camp that turned into a big win for the White Fang. I don't always put a lot of thought into throwaway names, but when I do, I overdo it.
Anyways, I hope you all have a nice Christmas! I'm looking forward to all the things I have planned for this story in the coming year. Still have no idea how long it'll run, but at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wishing you another Merry Christmas in 50 chapters or so.
Next chapter: Sienna's White Fang gets off to a strong start.