Crazy week is crazy, but the weekend is pretty much here now! Went to the dentist and it looks like I'm gonna lose my wisdom teeth soon, so that should be fun. Avoided it as a kid, as they came in properly (teething as a teen was miserable). Turns out, I was just putting off the inevitable, so there'll be a week or so in the future of me doing nothing. Hoping I can still get the chapter done when that comes around, since I won't be able to do much else, but I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I've got lots of plans this weekend for gaming with friends. Super honored to have someone ask me to join them in their birthday stream with a few other friends. Never played The Forest (only a couple of us have), so I'm sure it will all hit the fan pretty quick.

"Time to get up, Adam."

Adam blinked slowly against the bright light before rolling over to escape the harshness of the bedside lamp. Waking up early wasn't usually a struggle for Adam, but with all of the traveling and excitement from yesterday, the warm bed made a convincing argument for him to stay. He mumbled his complaint, insisting on a few more minutes before being forced to face the day.

"Guess I'll go see the caravan off on my own, then," Father Bernard sighed, slowly making his way to the door. "What a shame. Mazarin was hoping to see you before she left, too."

The not-so-subtle reminder had Adam springing out of bed. Sleeping could wait.

Father Bernard laughed at how effective his ploy proved. "I'll be in the foyer when you're ready."

Adam hastily changed clothes, rushing to get ready so he could come along. As if seeing Mazarin again - and maybe hearing some more embarrassing stories about Father Bernard - wasn't enough motivation, he wanted to see more of Katai. He couldn't do that if he was cooped up in the church waiting for his dad to come back.

Only a few minutes later, Adam burst through the bedroom door, bouncing off the opposite wall before sprinting down the hallway. Even before he rounded the corner to the foyer, he could hear Father Stirling's laughter ahead.

"Good morning, Adam!" Father Stirling joyfully exclaimed as Adam came sliding to a stop beside his father. "Somebody's in a hurry today."

"That's because somebody overslept," Father Bernard explained. Adam grinned sheepishly at the soft rebuke. "We're going to see the caravan off this morning, then Adam and I are gonna check out the shopping district for a bit. Should be back for lunch."

Father Stirling shook his head. "You two take your time. Maybe try one of the local restaurants for lunch."

"And leave you to eat alone?"

"I've eaten plenty of meals alone in my lifetime, son. One more wouldn't make any difference. Besides," Father Stirling grinned, "I'm visiting some shut-ins this morning, and they always insist I stay for lunch, so I'll be fine. Now the two of you best get going. Wouldn't want to keep your date waiting."

Father Bernard rolled his eyes at the wink from his elder. "She's not…fine. We'll get out of your hair."

"What's left of it." Father Stirling giggled, even if his hair showed no signs of thinning. He walked toward the doors, making it clear they should head out. "You came to enjoy some time in the town with your boy, so go enjoy it!" Father Bernard and Adam started down the front steps. "And tell your lady friend hi from me!"

Father Stirling's cackle followed them through the square. Few other signs of life could be seen in the wide open plaza. A couple of lights from within the town hall fought vainly against the predawn darkness. An older man nodded to them, heading for the lake with a large fishing pole bouncing on his shoulder. A large dog barked at them before his owner gave a sharp tug on his leash and quietly apologized before continuing their walk. A faunus with floppy dog ears atop his head smiled and waved when he noticed Adam staring. Compared to the bustling activity of yesterday, the town looked practically deserted.

Until they reached the inn.

"Bernard!" Mazarin called out, waving over the heads of a small cluster of men near the entrance. Adam recognized a couple of them from their caravan, but the others were people he'd never seen before. One of the men grumbled an insult as Mazarin pushed through the group. "Ignore them. Another caravan pulled in last night on the way back from the capitol. They were up half the night swapping stories and gossip."

"Trade updates!" the merchant Adam had ridden with corrected.

"No one cares about the price of tea in Mistral!" Mazarin called out, uncaring for the morning silence she shattered. Then again, it looked like much of the inn was already stirring as people prepared for the day ahead. "It's always business with these guys. Never any time for fun."

"Speaking of business…" Father Bernard seized on the potential segway, though by the look on Mazarin's face, Adam guessed his father had completely missed something, "did you finish the report?"

"Got it right here," Mazarin answered, handing Father Bernard some sort of form. "Figured you'd want to give it a quick look before we turn it in." As Father Bernard turned to get better lighting from the open entrance, Mazarin shook her head and glanced at Adam. "Do yourself a favor, kid. Don't grow up anytime soon. Adulthood is overrated."

"Okay," Adam shrugged, not really sure how else to respond.

Father Bernard hummed thoughtfully as he finished reviewing the document. "Looks good to me, though maybe a little lengthy."

"I'd rather give too much than not enough," Mazarin answered, stepping closer as Father Bernard pointed to her lengthy essay.

"I don't think they'll need to know how I 'heroically stabbed the monster in the throat' to track it down."

"What if the knife's still there? It could help them identify it."

Father Bernard sighed at Mazarin's justification. "I would hope they'd kill any Alpha they encounter, not stop to check its ID." Father Bernard skimmed down a little further. "And why would they care that I didn't have aura?"

Mazarin didn't have an answer for that, choosing instead to ignore the question. "Okay, so aside from some extra details, we good?"

"Good enough," Father Bernard relented, handing the paper back. "I think we have everything there, and they should be able to find me easily enough. Even if they come to Katai by mistake, at least half the town knows how to find Shizukana."

As the trio set off for the Town Hall to turn in the request, Adam asked, "How long will it take for them to send someone?"

"Well, that depends," Father Bernard answered.

"On what?"

Father Bernard began counting out reasons on his fingers. "How many Huntsmen are available, how close they are, the number of active requests-"

"And the size of the reward," Mazarin finished for him.

"Mazarin…"

"What? I'm right, aren't I?" Father Bernard's lack of response proved her point. "Lien talks. It's just a fact of life. The jobs that pay more get picked first. That's why the bigger towns get more protection. More wallets mean bigger bounties."

"Really?"

"What she means," Father Bernard interrupted, "is that Huntsmen need lien just like the rest of us. Moreso, in fact."

"Why?"

"Because the life of a Huntsman ain't cheap, kid." Mazarin joined in the lesson, walking backwards as she spoke. "You got Dust prices, maintenance costs, supplies, travel expenses-"

"Is it really that expensive to travel?" Adam asked. Father Bernard hadn't told him the price of their journey to Katai, but they weren't exactly rich, so it couldn't be that much. "Couldn't they just travel with a caravan, like you? Then they could protect more people and get paid even more!"

"I like how this kid thinks!" Mazarin laughed.

Rather than wait for Mazarin to continue her take on Huntsmen, Father Bernard figured it was time to retake control. "Huntsmen can't afford to take that long. Every moment they delay could be someone's life. An extra day might mean an entire village gets wiped out. That's why Huntsmen normally travel by bullhead."

Adam had seen plenty of pictures of bullheads, but few ever passed near Shizukana. Those that did were often high enough that they'd look like a tiny dot against the sky. He often wondered what it would feel like to fly like that, but sadly, he wasn't born with wings.

Just horns.

"And bullhead travel ain't cheap," Mazarin added. "Then again, feeding a Huntsman is no walk in the park, either. Never offer to buy a Huntsman a meal. Or drinks, for that matter. Your wallet will be empty long before their stomach is full."

"High calorie diet," Father Bernard summarized. "Aura and training means they can go a lot longer before getting tired, but they still need to eat. And all that energy means they tend to eat a lot more, too."

"You should see the spread at the Academies, kid. You'd think they were feeding a whole city with how much food they prepare." Mazarin spread her arms wide. "Tables stretching as long as the inn, piled high with everything you can imagine! Enough to feed a small army." Mazarin stopped deep in thought for a moment. "Actually, I guess they do feed a small army."

Adam gasped. "You went to an Academy?"

"Just to visit," Mazarin explained. "Took a tour in school. Actually applied to Haven when I graduated, but didn't make the cut."

"You wanted to be a Huntsman?!" If Adam's eyes widened any more, they'd be in danger of falling out. "What happened?"

"Adam, don't be rude."

"It's fine." Mazarin assured them. "That was a long time ago. Tried to get in, but didn't make the cut that year. Other kids were just better, I guess. To be fair, I goofed off a bit in my teens. Guess all those hours that others were training and studying paid off."

"Sorry." It was kind of disappointing to hear Mazarin had missed out on her dream. "I think you're a pretty awesome fighter, though."

Mazarin smiled at the simple compliment. "Good enough for me! Besides, Huntsman life isn't for me. Too much work. Probably end up retiring to work the caravans later, so I figured why wait? So I took a job with a small caravan company and worked my way up the ranks. I may regret not giving it my all back in school, but I wouldn't change a thing since."

"And we're grateful you were there for us on this trip," Father Bernard added.

"Like I said, I wouldn't change a thing." Adam tried to stifle his laugh at how red Father Bernard turned from Mazarin's comment. Maybe Father Stirling had a point after all.

Filing the report was surprisingly quick. The lady at the front desk of the town hall pointed them to a small office two doors down where a young man took their form and asked a few questions. Once he typed everything into the console on his desk, he looked up and asked, "And what should I set the reward at?"

Father Bernard coughed as he angled away from Adam and Mazarin, carefully counting out the lien in his wallet where they couldn't see. "I didn't bring that much with me, but I'm sure our village can put up a bounty."

Father Bernard had once explained that a portion of their taxes went to a security fund that paid for weapons, guards, and Huntsmen contracts when needed. It wasn't a huge fund, but it would be more than Father Bernard would have with him.

The man's smile tightened at the suggestion. "I'm sorry, sir, but we have to take payment up front. No exceptions."

"What?" Father Bernard stared at the man for a second. "B-but I'm from Shizukana! You know we're good for it."

"Agency policy," the man sighed, clearly uninterested in helping at this point. "Had too many people promising bounties they couldn't afford. Huntsmen complained, so the Agency changed their rules."

"But I don't have enough lien for a bounty," Father Bernard explained. "No one's going to respond for pocket change."

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't make the rules. But, if you want to place a bounty now, you can always come back and increase it later."

"Even if I left right now, it would take me a few days. We need this monster tracked down now!" Father Bernard took a deep breath. "Plus, this was supposed to be a vacation for me and my son. Is there really nothing you can do?"

The man hesitated, likely aware he wasn't going to please this customer. "I'm sorry, but like I said-"

"We get it," Mazarin interjected. "You can't do anything about it…but maybe your boss can." All eyes turned to her. "That Alpha isn't just close to Shizukana. We were most of the way to Katai when it attacked. It's just as much your problem as his. So maybe Katai should chip in, too."

Begrudgingly, the man pulled out his scroll and placed a call. After some hushed conversation, he forced a smile and said, "She'll be right with you."

"See? Now was that so hard?"

"Let him be, Mazarin," Father Bernard insisted as he led them to the side. "He's just doing his job."

"And I'm doing mine," Mazarin shot back. "That Alpha's gotta be taken care of, and their stupid policies," Mazarin emphasized her point, making sure everyone heard, "are gonna get people killed. Better a disappointed Huntsman than a dead village."

"People should be more honest about their bounties."

"And Huntsmen shouldn't prioritize lives based on lien," Mazarin shot back. "I've seen the boards. Killing some lowly Grimm near a city pays better than a major threat out here. No wonder there's so many Grimm beyond the cities."

Father Bernard knew a losing battle when he saw one and chose not to engage further. A few silent minutes passed before a tall woman in a business suit entered, briefly spoke with the man at the desk, then calmly walked up to them with a smile. "Good morning. I'm Secretary Dahlia. I understand you had some questions about a bounty you wished to submit."

"Yes. We were hoping-"

"There's an Alpha on the loose between here and Shizukana." Mazarin cut in, stepping in front of Father Bernard to take over. "The two of us chased it off, but it'll be back. Way I see it, Katai ought to help put up a big enough bounty to make it worth someone's time."

Secretary Dahlia's smile faltered only for a moment. "I see. An Alpha, you say?" Mazarin and Father Bernard nodded. "How strange. While we are definitely concerned about safety around our town, this is the first I've heard of such a creature. Are you sure it wasn't just a larger Grimm?"

"You callin' me a liar?" Mazarin bristled at the accusation.

"Certainly not," Secretary Dahlia assured her. "I'm merely trying to ensure that I have all the facts."

"Well, fact is, there's a monster out there that needs taken care of before it kills someone. It's just as much a threat to you as it is to Shizukana, so how about we cut the crap and both chip in on that bounty?"

"A single Grimm is hardly a threat to our security forces. I'll have our Sheriff look into it." With that, Secretary Dahlia made to leave.

Mazarin cut her off, blocking the door. "You don't get it. We're talking about an Alpha. You send your Sheriff out looking for that thing, you might as well start interviewing his replacement." Secretary Dahlia's shoulders sagged a little at the realization that she couldn't just blow them off. "We're not asking you to foot the entire bill or anything, but you and I both know Katai can afford a lot more than Shizukana. The good Father over there's only got so much lien right now. So how about this? You match our initial funds so we can actually be worth some Huntsman's trip out here. Sure would look good on Katai if they helped protect the area…especially with election season around the corner."

Secretary Dahlia glared at Mazarin for a moment.

"Or we can tell everyone how your office left an Alpha on the loose. I'm sure the merchants would love to hear that. As would your voters…"

"You've made your point," Secretary Dahlia growled. "Fine. Whatever bounty you put up, our town will match."

"Perfect!" Mazarin smugly rubbed the official's face in her win. Father Bernard pulled out his wallet once more, but Mazarin pushed his hand back down. "Don't worry. I've got this one."

Mazarin slammed a large stack of lien down on the counter with a vicious smile, staring down Secretary Dahlia the entire time, daring her to go back on her word. The man behind the desk gulped as he looked at his boss, who looked none too pleased at Mazarin's trick. Fighting back a snarl, the woman nodded to her employee. "Katai will match the funds for the bounty. Send the request to my office and I'll submit it to the Agency this morning." Her sharp eyes darted between Mazarin and Father Bernard. "Is there anything else we can assist you with today?"

"That's it," Mazarin answered. Father Bernard tried to beat a hasty retreat, practically dragging her away from the hostile official. He wasn't quite fast enough to stop her from twisting the knife a little more, though. "And thank you so much for your help."

Adam hastily followed them out of the office, eager to escape the imminent explosion. Mazarin cackled the whole way outside.

"Have you had your fun?" Father Bernard huffed once they were clear of the town hall. "Don't you think that was a bit much?"

"Oh, c'mon Bernard! You know that was awesome." Mazarin glanced down to the hand around her wrist, causing Father Bernard to yank his hand away as if he'd been burned. "Relax. Katai can afford it easily enough, and she was gonna weasel out of helping. I hate people like that, so I figured I'd make her pay. Literally, in this case."

"Well, at least the bounty's taken care of," Father Bernard relented. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," she grinned back. "Plus, with the reward we just put on there, I bet someone will be on their way in no time."

"I really do appreciate your help, even if your methods are a little…unorthodox."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Mazarin assured him. "But if you're looking to thank me properly, I should be passing through here in a few weeks. Kid says you cook, and I could always go for a home-cooked meal."

"Our door is always open," Father Bernard answered. "Speaking of food, I believe you owe us breakfast."

Mazarin smacked Father Bernard's back a little harder than necessary causing him to stumble. "That's more like it! Gotta love that assertiveness. Let's go, you two."

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Breakfast ended up being a far calmer affair than Adam expected. Mazarin spent most of the time talking about Katai, telling Father Bernard some of the best stores and activities from her experience, even pulling the waitress aside for some advice to help Father Bernard plan the rest of their visit. They finished far too soon, in Adam's opinion, but Mazarin didn't want to keep the merchants waiting too long.

After breakfast, Father Bernard and Adam said their goodbyes to their traveling companions. Mazarin made sure to remind Father Bernard that she'd be stopping in Shizukana on the way back for the promised meal before telling Adam she'd bring him a souvenir from the capital. The lead merchant was the only other one to talk to them before departing, slipping Father Bernard a little lien and thanking him for helping on their journey. Father Bernard tried to refuse, but the merchant insisted.

Once they left, Father Bernard took Adam to the lake, saying they had an important lesson for the day.

"Fishing?"

"Yep," Father Bernard confirmed, handing Adam a shorter rod. "It's important to know how to take care of yourself. Farming. Foraging. Hunting. Fishing. No one lasts long without food. Plus," Father Bernard cast his line, then sat down on one of the small chairs they'd brought with them, "I find it relaxing."

They didn't catch much, and the few fish that were unfortunate enough to be reeled in were tossed back, with Father Bernard explaining that they already had plenty of food and shouldn't waste what could be a meal for someone else. Adam only caught one - a tiny little thing that would hardly qualify as a bite - but he beamed with pride at the success nonetheless.

Lunch found them at a cozy little cafe only two blocks from the town hall. Adam scarfed down his food, eager to get to more activities for the day. Father Bernard struggled to keep up after saying they would visit the shops next. Toys. Books. Weapons. Supplies. It seemed like Katai had a little of everything scattered among the many stores in the commercial district, and Adam wanted to see them all.

By the time they reached their last stop - a gardening store - Adam already carried a bag of small treasures Father Bernard had let him pick out. A small board for chess and checkers. A book on airships. Some sugar cubes for Eve and Abel. Adam felt like the richest kid in town with all his valuables dangling from one arm. Each seemed infinitely more valuable than the vegetables and potting soil he now found himself surrounded by. As far as finales, this felt a little lacking.

"What are we doing here, Dad?" Adam asked, poking a large gourd inquisitively.

"I thought we could expand the garden a bit," Father Bernard explained, rifling through a rack of seed packets. "You know. Try something new. Expand our repertoire a bit." Father Bernard stopped for a second. "In fact, why don't you help me pick something out?"

"Me?" The garden had always been Father Bernard's specialty. Sure, Adam knew the basics and sometimes tended the plants - mostly while Father Bernard was away - but it had never really interested him that much.

"Why not? You'll never really understand gardening until you grow something yourself."

"Spoken like a true gardener," the shopkeeper commented as he came out of the back with a large bag of topsoil. He grunted as he tossed it atop several other bags in the corner, then wiped his hands off on his apron. "What are y'all looking to grow?"

"I was thinking some sort of flower," Father Bernard decided. "We've got herbs and vegetables already, but it might be nice to have something different."

"Ah. A man of many talents, I see."

"More like a man with too many interests," Father Bernard joked back, though Adam felt left out as the two men laughed. "What can you recommend for two novice flower growers like us? Preferably nothing too strong smelling, though."

"That depends." The shopkeeper looked them over for a moment. "Begonias are pretty self-sustaining. Pansies hold up pretty well, too. But if you're looking for something easy to grow with a mild aroma, you can't go wrong with a good rose."

So saying, the shopkeeper pulled a packet of seeds off a rack behind him, handing them over to Adam for inspection. A picture of a large, red blossom greeted him. "Double knockout?"

"Bushes of large, double blossoms. They can take full sunlight, so they should be fine in an existing garden space. Minimal maintenance with lots of results." The shopkeeper leaned in closer with a wink. "And very popular with the ladies."

"You think Mazarin would like these, Dad?" Adam asked.

"Ah, so the Father's got a lady friend, eh?" Father Bernard tried to cut in, but it was too late. The damage had been done. "In that case, definitely go with these. I guarantee she'll be impressed."

Father Bernard's face rivaled the redness on the seed packet. "Maybe we could look at something more-"

"Nope. You said I get to pick." Adam grinned as he held up his prize. "And I pick this one."

"Excellent choice, sir," the shopkeeper hastily led them to the register, ringing them up before Father Bernard could try to weasel his way out of the agreement. "I recommend putting them on either the south or west edge for best results, but they'll flourish pretty much anywhere. Just watch out for the thorns."

"I can't wait to show Mazarin my new flowers!" Adam excitedly exclaimed as they made their way back to the church. "I'm gonna grow the biggest rose bushes anyone's ever seen!"

Father Bernard rolled his eyes. Twenty minutes ago, Adam had never even shown interest in gardening. Now, he was ready to take on every gardener in Remnant with nothing more than a packet of seeds. As exhausting as it could be trying to keep up with Adam sometimes, he loved the enthusiasm Adam possessed. Once he focused in on something, there was no stopping the boy.

"We'll work on them together, but these will be your flowers, Adam. Not mine. It'll be up to you to make sure they're taken care of properly."

"Will you show me?" Adam asked.

"I'll try, but I've never tried growing flowers before," Father Bernard admitted, "so we'll have to learn together. I've got a few books back home that might help, though. I expect you to read through them when we get back."

"Do you think Father Stirling knows anything about growing flowers?"

"I guess you'll have to ask him tonight," Father Bernard suggested. "But if he doesn't know, I'm sure he can point you to someone who does. The man knows pretty much everyone in Katai."

The rest of their visit flew by. Father Bernard took Adam fishing some more, they talked to a local florist about their roses, and Father Stirling taught him how to play chess after Adam beat him in checkers while Father Bernard took a nap. Despite the man's best efforts, Father Bernard couldn't quite keep up with the limitless energy of his son.

Before he knew it, Adam was bidding farewell to Father Stirling as they joined a new caravan for the trip home. Adam promised to come visit again soon. Even the trip home raced by, thankfully far less eventful than their journey to Katai. Soon, the trail opened up before them, welcoming them home. As exciting as traveling was, it was nice to be back to familiar surroundings. The belltower standing watch over the small village. The guard in the nearby tower waving a greeting. The bullhead resting in the middle of the field.

Wait. Bullhead?

"Dad, look!" Adam excitedly pointed at the dormant aircraft, but practically everyone in their caravan had spotted the oddity. "What's a bullhead doing here?"

"I don't know," Father Bernard replied, tilting his head in confusion as he studied the craft from afar. When no answer presented itself, Father Bernard rode ahead to the front of their procession. Adam did his best to keep up. "You know anything about that?"

"I'm as in the dark as you, Father," their escort answered as they drew closer to the edge of town. "No visible damage, so I doubt they were forced to land. Not sure what they'd be doing out this way in the first place." Their guard pointed ahead of them. "But I'm guessing it has something to do with him."

Standing in the middle of the path to town was a large man with a white-bladed sword resting on his shoulder. A bright blue tunic hugged his broad form loosely, held in place by a white belt, while another white strap ran across one shoulder, holding a round shield on his back. He raised his sword in the air as the precision drew closer, then sheathed it on his hip before confidently strutting forward to meet them.

"Can we…help you?" Father Bernard hesitantly asked.

"Are you Father Bernard?" A quick nod had the man practically beaming. "Excellent! Jai Passerine, at your service. I'm here about your Grimm problem."

"Already?" Father Bernard wondered exactly how high the bounty was to have a Huntsman in Shizukana so quickly. "I mean, welcome to Shizukana, Mister Passerine."

"Jai will be fine," he assured them. "Alan said you'd be getting back today, so I figured I'd meet you here. He sends his greetings, by the way."

Father Bernard wasn't sure what to do, but everyone seemed to be waiting on him. "So…I'll be honest. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now. Should I…show you where we were attacked or something?"

Jai shook his head with a soft laugh. "Not right now. My team's waiting for us at your church. They'll be doing most of the work this time around."

"You brought an entire team of Huntsmen?" Adam questioned. Having one of them come to the village was crazy enough, but a full team? That seemed a little excessive.

"Students," Jai explained. "First mission for them. I hope that's not a problem."

"Certainly not," Father Bernard answered. "I didn't realize they'd send so many people for such a simple mission, though."

"Great chance for them to learn what it's like out in the real world. I'll help them along the way, but I usually let the students take the lead. Just wanted to make sure you were okay with that before I introduce you to them." Jai stepped beside Abel. ""Should we head to the church, then?"

As the caravan followed Father Bernard and Jai through the village, every single person stopped to stare. Seeing a Huntsman up close like this was beyond rare for the residents of the small village. Jai looked as muscular as Abel. Maybe even moreso. His steps were powerful and quick, keeping up with the horses easily. As they walked, Jai told them a little more about the team waiting for them.

"Team Space. They're first years at Haven. Good kids, from what I can tell, though they're a little nervous about their first mission."

"Does Haven often send their students out like this?" Father Bernard inquired.

"Every team has a mission at least once per year, with more for the older teams," Jai explained. "They get harder ones, too, but always with a Huntsman escort, just to be safe. We each have our own way of doing things, though. Some hold their hands and let them watch. I prefer throwing them in the deep end to see how they handle themselves."

"Isn't that a little risky?"

"What better way to learn than by doing? Besides, better to take risks with someone around to help than wait until they're out on their own, right?" Adam couldn't say he disagreed with Jai's idea. He'd spent years bonding with Eve and learning about riding, but he learned more from that first ride than all the lessons before. Even when he fell, he learned what not to do so he wouldn't make the same mistake next time.

The caravan peeled off as they neared the church, heading for the stable as usual. Their escort offered to put Eve and Abel away, too, leaving Father Bernard and Adam to follow Jai to the front of the church. Waiting just outside, chatting casually amongst themselves, stood a quartet of girls.

"Here we are!" Jai announced, summoning the team's attention. "Father Bernard, this is Sona, Carina, Velma, and Pyxie of Team Space. Team, this is your contact and his son." Jai stepped away, making it clear his role was done with a quick, "Take it away, girls."

Adam eagerly watched the team of girls, amazed by the bright colors and ornate weapons of the four. The blonde of the group stepped forward confidently to introduce herself. "I'm Sona Puppis, leader of Team Space."

It wasn't just the fact that Sona was their leader that had Adam fixated on the girl. The complex bow on her back looked fascinating, but something else made her stand out to him. Curling around either side of her head were a pair of large, bright ram horns.

She's a faunus! A faunus with horns! Sure, they weren't exactly like his, but he'd never seen another person with horns on their head. And she's a Huntress!

"And we're here to solve your Grimm problem."

Shorter chapter, but it was mostly focused on setting up the next mini-arc of the story with the arrival of a team from Haven to track down the Alpha. Spent a good chunk of the week designing the team. I'm curious to see if anyone can figure out the allusion for the team. It's a little hidden in some ways, so I tried not to give many red herrings. Also really wanted to have a faunus student with horns. And before anyone points it out, I know rams are male, so ram horns on a female looks odd at first glance, but we've seen female faunus with antlers (looking at you, Deery). Didn't look like caribou or reindeer antlers, so I'm assuming the gender of the animal trait isn't limited by the faunus themselves.

Also, the team name is spelled SPVC, which after beating my head against my desk long enough, I decided is close enough to Space (flip the V to make an A).

More random lore building discussions and Mazarin pulling a fast one to up the bounty. Lots of little things that pop into my head, basically. Between researching names, flower types, faunus types, and even working in a spin-off of the classic "what's the price of tea in China" line, I'm happy to get this finished only a couple hours behind schedule this week. Oh, and work. That's important too.

Next chapter: Team SPVC start their mission to hunt down the injured Alpha.