First week back in the office. Already missing the full telework, but I'll manage. Still get to work from home twice a week, so could be worse. Dogs may be even more upset than I am, though.
Oh well. Life goes on, and so does the story. Enjoy!
The defeat of the Alpha was both good and bad news. On the one hand, Shizukana could breathe a little easier with the threat eliminated. Team SPVC had taken out the entire pack, meaning it would be a while before they'd need to worry about any Grimm encounters. It would be a perfect time for nearby villages to expand their borders. They'd probably even see an increase in trade as word of the culling spread and merchants hastened to seize the opportunity for safer travel. All in all, the completion of the mission would be a boon to Shizukana, Katai, and others.
But Adam didn't care about the positives.
"You're leaving?"
"We've got to get back to Haven." Sona's answer did little to appease him.
"Can't you stay a little longer?" Adam begged. They'd only been there two days, and most of that time was spent hunting the Alpha. He wanted to hear more of their stories. Maybe watch them spar in the fields. There was just so much he'd miss out on if they left now.
"I wish we could," Sona told him, "but we only got approval for a single extension to visit Pyxie's hometown. If we stay any longer, we could get in trouble."
Adam didn't want that, of course, but he also didn't want to say goodbye yet. His mind raced to find some way to keep them longer. Asking them to skip their visit would be beyond selfish, even if he was tempted to ask anyways. He could practically hear the lecture from Father Bernard if he did, though, so he held his tongue.
"But I've got an idea, Adam." Sona had his undivided attention now. "I'll write you once we get back to Haven and tell you about our trip. Does that sound good?"
Good? That sounded amazing! "Yes! I wanna hear everything! The trip. Your visit. Oh, and maybe you can send me some pictures of the school, too!"
Sona laughed at the sudden reversal in Adam's attitude. "Only if you promise to write back."
"You want me to send you letters, too?"
"Sure. We can be pen pals," Sona promised. "I'll tell you all about Haven, and you can tell me about your training."
Adam had spilled the beans on Father Bernard's approval of his training before bed last night. He'd peppered the girls with questions about getting started, but they mostly agreed that some physical training would be the best place to begin. Velma had recommended trying to learn from as many people as possible, preferably on different weapons, too. Guns. Swords. Whatever he could get his hands on. The more versatile he could become, the better. Jai's advice to Father Bernard proved similar.
Adam had hoped to start with some lessons from the girls, but it seemed that wouldn't happen. Still, he could probably get advice from Sona in their letters. He'd make sure to write as often as he could.
Sona leaned closer, whispering so they wouldn't be overheard. "Plus, I want to hear more about Mazarin and Father Bernard."
Adam couldn't help the small giggle that escaped. "Got it." His idea of having Mazarin help him train when she came back wasn't just because she was skilled. If he could get her to agree to stop in on her travels, it would mean more interaction between her and his dad. Even he could tell she liked Father Bernard. If his training just so happened to help bring the two together, then even better!
Plus, then he'd have even more time for training with her.
Unfortunately, any further scheming was interrupted by Jai's announcement. "Alright, girls. We'd best head out. Make sure you have everything."
"Do you all need anything before you go?" Father Bernard asked. He let out a small groan as he rose from his seat, then hurried to the kitchen. "Can I make you some sandwiches for the road?"
Jai waved him off before Father Bernard could get started. "We're good, Father. You've done more than enough already."
"Nonsense," Father Bernard insisted, even as he reluctantly followed Jai out of the kitchen. "It's the least I can do after you answered our call for help."
"For which we're being paid," Jai replied. "Well paid, in fact." Mazarin's bounty plus Katai's matching funds had apparently been well above average for the area, according to Jai. "Make sure you thank our host, girls."
"Thank you," came the chorus of voices.
"And sorry about your wall," Carina added sheepishly, carefully holding her weapon in front of her to avoid any repeats.
"It's fine," Father Bernard assured her, patting the newly-patched wall. Adam could easily see where the hole had been, but Father Bernard planned to touch it up and repaint later. It was the thought that counted. "Not the first time it's happened. Isn't that right, Adam?"
"Dad!" Adam whined at being called out in front of his new friends. "It was only one time!"
"Twice." Oh yeah. Adam had forgotten the second one. To be fair, he hadn't meant to put an elbow through the wall. He really thought he could make that turn in time.
"Well, don't worry. We'll make sure Carina's a lot more careful in the future," Velma assured them all before crying out as her sister's battleaxe smacked the side of her knee, nearly knocking her over.
"Oops."
"Watch it, you big oaf!" Velma shouted at her sister. The laugh Carina gave made her collision seem less accidental than she claimed.
"We're wasting daylight, girls," Jai interrupted, steering the feuding siblings toward the door. "Thanks again for your help, Father. If you have any more Grimm trouble, give us a call."
"Have a safe trip!" Father Bernard wished the group as Jai herded them out of the house.
"Make sure to write me!" Adam added, earning a wave from Sona.
And with that, Jai and Team SPVC were off. In only a few minutes, Adam watched the bullhead rise above the village, turn, and hasten away until it was nothing but a vanishing speck in the distance. Still, he lingered outside, watching for the departed bullhead in the vain hope of their sudden return.
"You okay, Adam?" Father Bernard asked as he came outside again.
"I miss them," Adam lamented. Even if they'd only just left, having the rowdy team of Huntresses in training around had been the most excitement he'd ever had. "Do you think I'll ever see them again?"
Father Bernard sighed as he patted Adam's shoulder. "Who can say? Maybe they'll pass through on another mission someday. Or maybe you'll meet them on your own travels. All you can do is wait and pray."
And train, Adam thought to himself. More than ever, Adam wanted to become a Huntsman. Team SPVC would graduate long before he could ever hope to darken a door at Haven, but maybe he'd get to visit Haven someday before that. In the end, though, it wouldn't matter. I'll have my own team someday. And I'll be their leader. Just like Sona.
"Dad? When can I start training to be a Huntsman?"
The easy smile Father Bernard offered showed he'd expected the question sooner or later. "I'm going into town this afternoon. Thought I might chat with the Captain of the Guard about getting you some basic training while I'm there."
"Today?"
"I'm asking today," Father Bernard clarified. "I'll need to work out a schedule with him first, so don't expect anything too soon."
Adam crashed into his father, arms wrapping around him in excitement. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The sooner he started training, the better. If he wanted to get into one of the combat schools, he'd need to stand out from the other kids his age. Kids with better connections and money than him. He had to be stronger. More dedicated. He had to want it more.
And right now, that was all he wanted.
"I'm gonna go start training!" Adam confidently declared. Sona had recommended running as a good starting place, so he'd run laps until his legs were ready to fall off.
"After chores," Father Bernard instructed, catching Adam by his shirt collar before the boy could run off. As much as Adam wanted to fight it, he knew better. Father Bernard was already doing so much for his dream. The least he could do was prove how serious he was about achieving it.
You'll see, Adam promised to no one in particular. Someday, I'll show them all. I'll be the strongest Huntsman Remnant has ever seen.
Whatever it took, he'd make his dream come true. He'd prove he was strong enough. And someday, he'd be the Huntsman he dreamed of.
A true hero.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Get up, boy!"
"Can't…" Adam panted from the ground. "Ran…too much…need…rest…"
The Captain of the Guard - a gruff man with short cut white hair and a jaw firmer than any rock - shook his head before forcibly pulling Adam to his feet. "What you need," he instructed, "is to keep your heart rate from crashing. Keep walking and lower it slowly instead of lying there waiting for it to drop."
"Yes sir," Adam dutifully replied, beginning the long circle once more, but at a much slower pace than earlier.
Three times a week, Adam repeated this routine. A rigorous round of exercise followed by some basic firearm training. In the few weeks he'd been officially meeting with his taskmaster of a trainer, Adam had already learned so much.
Mostly, he'd learned what not to do.
"Don't overdue it on the early laps. This ain't no sprint."
"Don't pull the trigger. Squeeze it."
"Don't chug that water. You'll make yourself sick."
Not everything the captain said made sense to Adam, but he hadn't been proven wrong yet. Worse, Adam had managed to prove him right a few times when he didn't listen.
"Once you're breathing normally again," the captain said, "we'll continue with the rifle today."
Considering he'd never trained on anything but the rifle so far, the announcement was hardly a surprise. The only pistol in town was firmly strapped to the captain's hip at all times. Adam had once asked about trying it for himself, but the captain had shut that down in a heartbeat.
"No need," he'd answered without hesitation. "If a Grimm gets close enough for you to use a pistol, you're already dead."
"Then why carry it?" Adam had naturally asked.
The man's answer had sent a shiver down Adam's spine at the time. "In case it's not a Grimm I need to shoot."
Adam chose not to point out the fact that Shizukana had practically no crime. Whether it was because everyone knew each other or because no one really had much worth stealing, Shizukana enjoyed a rather peaceful existence. Even the bandits mostly avoided them, likely because of how little they'd have to offer. And local crime was practically non-existent. Risking the community's anger wasn't worth it when you might very well be relying on your neighbors tomorrow.
Adam claimed the small training rifle from the armory as instructed, careful to keep the barrel pointed at the ground as he walked to the improvised range. It only took one time of having the empty rifle yanked away from him to learn that lesson. Especially when the captain fired the chambered round Adam had forgotten to check for. He'd been banned from rifle training for the rest of that week, being put through extra exercises instead to make sure the lesson stuck.
Bang!
"Again!"
Bang! Bang!
"Don't anticipate the shot!" the captain practically roared from behind Adam, adding to his mental list of don'ts. "You're tensing up at the last second, which is why you keep hitting low." True to his words, Adam's last shot had barely hit the target, just barely punching a hole in the lower edge of the paper. "Breathe out and relax a little."
"Can't I just aim a little higher?"
"If you want to learn to do things wrong, then go right ahead." Clearly, the answer was no.
The first few training sessions had left Adam discouraged with his poor performance. His sore muscles the following mornings served as stark reminders of how hard he had pushed himself, only to watch himself be outperformed constantly by the young guards. They ran faster, aimed better, and were always able to train longer. No matter how hard he tried, he could never keep up, leading him to complain to Father Bernard one night before bed.
Thankfully, Father Bernard was able to put things in perspective for Adam. "Some of the guards have been doing this since before you were even born. I'd bet they started out just like you. All it took was a little hard work. And we both know that's not a problem for you."
Adam had taken those words to heart, pushing himself harder each day. It hadn't taken long to see some small improvements. His run times got a little faster. His aim more consistent. He still couldn't hope to match the scores of the handful of volunteer guards, but that didn't matter anymore. He'd pass them all up in time. For now, the small victories were good enough for him.
Despite the hard day of training, Adam found himself running home afterwards, eager to tell Father Bernard all about his day. He was even more eager because of who would be coming to visit.
"Is Mazarin here yet?" Adam demanded almost as soon as he entered the house.
Father Bernard stared at him for a moment, rubbing some gel from their aloe plants on his hands. "Is that today?"
Obviously, Mazarin hadn't arrived yet. "Duh! I've been telling you about it all week!"
"I…must've forgotten," Father Bernard admitted. "How did training go today?"
"It was great!" Adam summarized. "I beat my record on the run this morning!" Only by two seconds, but it was still his fastest time so far. "And I even hit the target with every shot today!" As long as the ones that barely grazed the edge of the paper counted. Adam felt they should, given the two that had hit the inner ring. Overall, it was a lot better than the first few days.
"That's great, Adam." A content smile wormed its way onto Father Bernard's face for a moment. "Sounds like your hard work is paying off. And speaking of hard work," Father Bernard tossed a pair of gardening gloves at Adam, "lets go check on your flowers."
Adam easily beat Father Bernard outside to the line of small pots near the garden. He rapidly checked each one, testing that the soil was still a little moist. Evidently, Father Bernard had been out here earlier, as none of them needed watering. If he already checked them, then why drag me out here to-
Adam's internal complaint stopped at the second to last pot. There, just peeking through the dark soil, he could spy the tiniest bit of green sneaking through. Adam crouched to get closer, leaning in to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. The tiny leaf stared back, defiantly announcing its emergence from the soil.
"It's growing!" Adam cheered.
"Spotted it before you got home," Father Bernard admitted. "Figured you'd want to see your hard work paying off."
Adam was back at the plant's side in an instant, silently willing it to grow more as he watched. A single, tiny leaf wasn't much, but it was something. And best of all, it was his. "Should we move it to the larger pot?" Adam asked, already turning to go grab the gardening tools.
"Not yet," Father Bernard advised. "That's only a starter leaf. A seed leaf, I think the book called it. We'll leave it in the starter pot until we've got a bit more growth first."
Adam had skimmed through the gardening books Father Bernard had given him and vaguely recalled something about seed leaves. Thankfully, Father Bernard had been more attentive to those chapters. While having to wait on the repotting was disappointing, he still had his first signs of growth.
"What about the other ones?" Adam asked. "When will they grow?"
"Patience, Adam." Father Bernard slowly knelt beside Adam to inspect the other small pots. "I'm sure we'll see more leaves in the next few days, but some of them may not grow at all."
"What?"
"Not every endeavor bears fruit," Father Bernard answered with a reassuring pat. "Or flowers, in this case. Some of these seeds will become huge rose bushes someday. Others may never grow at all. All we can do is give them the best chance to grow, then cultivate the ones that make it."
But Adam wanted them all to grow. The idea that some of his seeds were doomed from the start felt a little discouraging. Worse, there was no way for him to know which ones would make it, nor could he do a single thing to protect the ones that might already have failed.
"It's not fair," Adama pouted. "Why can't they all grow?"
"Life's not always fair," Father Bernard pointed out. "Sometimes things just don't work out. It's not our fault. Or the seed's fault either. As long as we try our hardest to care for them, then there's nothing to be ashamed of."
The words helped a little. I'd still rather have more flowers, Adam thought to himself. He'd make sure to give every bush the best chance they could get at growing big and strong. But for now, the single leaf would do.
"Caravan should be here in a few hours," Father Bernard said, sparing a glance for the trail. "Why don't you go tend the stable while I get things ready for dinner tonight."
"You mean for your date?"
Father Bernard nearly tripped over the word. "It's not a date," he stubbornly insisted. "Dinner's the least we can after she saved us from that Grimm. Plus, it'll be a great chance for you to ask about some extra training…"
Adam recognized the obvious attempt to change the subject, but that didn't matter. The basic training from the guards was great and all, but training from Mazarin would be a lot closer to what he would need as a Huntsman. And probably more fun, too. Mazarin had to be better than the old captain and his constant don'ts.
Adam sprinted to the stable, cleaning out the extra stalls as fast as he could. They were still relatively clean, but a little extra straw on the floor never hurt. Able's and Eve's stalls took a little more time, but it didn't take long before Adam felt the job was done and headed back for the house. Father Bernard had him peel some vegetables after he cleaned himself up. The two worked in tandem until a distant sound caught Adam's ear.
"They're here!" Adam joyfully shouted, darting away from the kitchen to follow the sounds of the approaching caravan. Father Bernard shook his head in amusement as he put the roast in the oven and leisurely followed Adam's hasty flight outside. "Mazarin!"
"Hey there, kid!" Mazarin responded as Adam rushed her, dodging to the side before Adam could tackle her in a hug. "Nice try, but you'll have to be faster than that." Adam watched her carefully as she shifted from side to side, but in the end, she snatched him in a hug of her own, ending the playful standoff. "Have you gotten bigger?"
"I've been training!" Adam reported.
"Training?"
"Yep! The captain's been teaching me to use a rifle. And I've been working out almost every day!" Adam flexed his arm, pulling back the short sleeve to proudly show off the small bicep. Even if it wasn't much, he was still proud of his progress.
Mazarin easily picked up on his excitement, giving his arm a quick squeeze. "Solid. I'll have to test those guns out myself later. You and me. Arm wrestling. Loser helps your old man with the dishes tonight."
"You're on!" Adam confidently replied.
"Speaking of the good Father, where's he hiding at?"
"He's inside, working on dinner for you," Adam winked.
"We both were," Father Bernard added as he approached, "until someone ditched me."
Adam ducked his head with a guilty grin. "I had to welcome our guests," he reasoned.
"Ah, so the hospitality excuse," Father Bernard responded. He waved to the small group of merchants as they headed for the stable, well versed in the setup after years of passing through Shizukana. "Good to see you again, Mazarin."
"The pleasures all mine," Mazarin offered back immediately, reveling in how Father Bernard's face reddened. "Adam was just telling me about the feast you're making."
"I wouldn't say feast," Father Bernard countered.
"He bought the biggest roast at the butcher shop," Adam whispered loudly.
"Consider it our thanks for all you did."
"Didn't do that much," Mazarin shrugged. "Didn't even finish off that Alpha."
"You saved us both from it," Father Bernard reminded her. "And then you put up the bounty for us. As far as I'm concerned, you've done more than we can ever repay."
"Well, dinner's a good start," Mazarin laughed. "By the way, have you heard anything back about that Alpha yet?"
"Funny you should ask-"
"Sona killed it!" Adam interrupted.
"Sona?"
"It wasn't just Sona," Father Bernard reminded his son before trying to explain it better for Mazarin. "Your bounty really paid off. Haven sent a full team with a Huntsman to hunt our Alpha."
"You got a Haven team?" Mazarin looked suitably impressed. "That's a lot of firepower. I take it they didn't have much trouble?"
"Found it on the second day of searching and killed the whole pack," Father Bernard quickly summarized.
Adam seemed intent on adding some commentary. "They were awesome! They let us ride in a bullhead and help them search. And Sona told me all about Haven and even wrote me a letter when she got back!"
The rather large envelope had come in only two weeks after Team SPVC had left. The letter inside described their trip back, reporting the results to Headmaster Lionheart, and starting classes back up. But it was the pictures that Adam enjoyed the most. Shots of Haven from above. A picture of Team SPVC's room. Action shots of a few spars. Even a picture of the Headmaster in his office. He'd decorated his wall with them, often staring at the exciting images before bed.
The small photo Sona and Adam had taken together the day before she left sat in a frame on his nightstand.
"Got you a Huntress pen pal, eh? That sounds pretty cool."
"Sona's the team leader," Father Bernard managed to interject before Adam could get wound back up.
"And she's a faunus, just like me!"
"Is that so?" Mazarin could understand Adam being excited about meeting a Huntress in training, but that extra detail made even more sense, given his reaction to seeing other faunus at Katai. "Sounds like I missed all the fun. So how'd you like meeting some Huntsmen?"
If Adam had been excited before, that simple question threatened to push him over the edge. "Amazing! They were so cool! And their weapons were all so different!"
Adam began to ramble on and on about the four girls, rapidly talking Mazarin's ear off about every detail he could think of. Mazarin shot Father Bernard a quick thumb up to assure him it was okay. The trio slowly migrated inside as Adam continued, hardly pausing for breaths. While Father Bernard returned to the kitchen, Adam led their guest to his room, pulling out all the photos for Mazarin, who endured the barrage with a pleased smile, making sure to throw in questions on the rare occasion that Adam slowed.
Storytime continued right up until a call from the kitchen summoned them.
"Dinner's ready!"
"Food!" Mazarin echoed before being dragged down the hall and shoved into a seat by Adam. "Smells great."
"Well, I hope it tastes as good as it smells, then." Father Bernard placed a large serving plate in the middle of the table, revealing a steaming roast surrounded by an impressive ring of carrots and potatoes. A small cutting board held a fresh loaf of bread and a jar of honey. Adam licked his lips in anticipation, waiting eagerly as Father Bernard said a short prayer thanking the Brothers for Mazarin's safe travel and the food.
Adam inhaled his dinner almost as soon as it hit his plate. They'd had roasts before, but it was a rarity. And they'd never had one so big before.
"Well, I guess I must've done okay," Father Bernard laughed as Adam asked for seconds.
"It's wonderful," Mazarin assured him, piling Adam's plate high with another helping before adding some more to her own plate. "Adam said you could cook, but he never mentioned how good you were."
"I get by," Father Bernard allowed. Most of the time, he stuck to cheaper cuts of meat and focused more on filling than flavor. Food was fuel. But every now and then, he splurged for special occasions.
Apparently, tonight qualified as special.
"Slow down a little, Adam," Father Bernard instructed.
"Sounds like all that training worked up an appetite," Mazarin reasoned, cutting another slice of bread for Adam when he asked.
"Speaking of training…" Father Bernard trailed off meaningfully. "Adam, didn't you have something you wanted to ask Mazarin?"
"Mmhm!" Adam forced down the bite of bread he was working on. Part of their agreement on training was that Adam would have to be the one to ask Mazarin. Father Bernard was happy to support Adam's training, but he needed to do some things on his own. Not only would it help prove his resolve, but doing things himself would make it something he could take pride in. "Remember how I said I was training?"
"You may have mentioned it once or twice." Mazarin snorted as she recalled the dozens of times Adam had brought it up.
"Well…I was thinking…" Adam took a deep breath as he prepared to dive in. "Maybe you could train me when you visit?"
"Me?"
"Yeah! You're a really strong fighter," Mazarin nodded along to the praise, "and I want to be a Huntsman, so I need training from someone who can fight the Grimm. Like you!"
"Becoming a Huntsman isn't easy, Adam," Mazarin cautioned. "It's gonna take a lot of work to even have a chance."
"I know," Adam accepted. It was the same warning everyone seemed to give him. "Which is why I want you to train me. If I can learn to fight like you, then I'll be a shoe-in for the combat schools!"
"And you know the system way better than we do," Father Bernard added, breaking his promise not to help. "Even if you can just help us navigate the process of applying later on, I'd really appreciate it."
"Please?" Adam begged, dragging the word out with his hands clasped before him.
"So much praise," Mazarin commented. "You two are gonna make me blush. Keep it up."
Father Bernard got the joke, but Adam apparently took it seriously. "You're really strong. And you know so much about Huntsmen. Plus, you have an awesome weapon. And you-"
"Who needs dessert with all this sweetness?" Mazarin asked. A sudden realization hit her as she turned to Father Bernard. "Wait, is there dessert?"
"I'll be right back," Father Bernard said as he headed to the kitchen to warm up the pie he'd gotten from the baker that morning.
"So…" Adam tilted his head down, giving Mazarin his best puppy dog eyes, "do you think you could help me?"
Mazarin sat back, eyeing Adam up and down as she considered his request. "I suppose I could-"
"Yes!" Mazarin's chair tipped as Adam threw himself into Mazarin. She only avoided tipping over by catching the edge of the table at the last moment. "Thank you!"
"I do have a few requirements, though," Mazarin added as Adam sat back down. "First, you gotta keep up the training here in town. They can teach you a lot about marksmanship and basic fitness. The more you can learn, the more versatile you'll be later." Adam eagerly nodded along. He had no intention of giving up his extra training. If anything, he wanted more now. "Second, you have to study hard. Getting into a combat school is more than just being strong here," Mazarin grabbed his arm lightly. "You've gotta be strong up here, too." This time, Mazarin flicked his forehead.
"Don't worry. That was already part of our agreement," Father Bernard said as he returned.
"Good. You're thinking ahead. Lastly, and this is the most important one," Mazarin leaned forward, looking Adam directly in the eye to convey her seriousness. "I get your dessert."
"Hey!" Adam complained as Mazarin snatched the entire pie and bolted to the other side of the table with her new student in hot pursuit.
After a few laps, Father Bernard stepped in to calm things down a bit. "Alright, children." Mazarin feigned offense. "Stop playing with your food."
"Yes, dad," Mazarin answered in a childish voice, depositing her ill-gotten gains back on the table. "I've still got a job to complete," Mazarin reminded them both, "but we're only a few days from their destination. Tell you what. I'll head back once that job's done and stay here a few days."
"You don't have to-"
"It's no trouble," Mazarin promised, "as long as you keep providing dinner. Besides, I've been thinking of switching from the long caravans to local work anyways. You know. Shorter trips between towns and handing them over to the next guy. A little less lien, but lets you stay in one area and pick up quick jobs. That way, I can visit more often."
"You'd come by more often?" Adam asked.
"I'd still be on the road most days, but I'd be gone days instead of weeks or months at a time," Mazarin clarified. "Most escorts do short work. Lets them settle down a bit. Put down roots. Maybe even start a family." Mazarin addressed the last point to Father Bernard.
"Anyone else need more water?" Father Bernard suddenly asked. "I'm gonna get some more water."
"He's a funny one," Mazarin commented as Father Bernard scurried into the kitchen. "Anyways, I'll see if I can get some training swords for you to practice with. Pretty basic weapon to learn the basics on. You can always move to something fancier later, if you want."
"Why didn't you?" Mazarin's large sword seemed pretty simple, but she wielded it well.
"I like the classics," Mazarin shrugged. "Besides, I prefer getting up close and personal. Ranged support is great, but if a Grimm gets close, I'd rather have a sword than a bow. But that's stuff we can go over later." Mazarin deftly sliced the pie and slipped a piece onto each of their plates. "Master the basics first, then get fancy later."
The rest of the evening, Mazarin entertained Adam with stories from her recent trip. Some of it sounded made up, but Adam didn't mind. When Father Bernard asked Adam for help with the dishes, Mazarin quickly reminded him of their arm wrestling bet. Adam won easily, fully aware that Mazarin was hamming it up the entire time and letting him win. He had far too much fun to feel slighted as she honorably accepted her loss and took Adam's place helping Father Bernard with the cleanup.
The evening ended far too soon. Adam valiantly fought to postpone his bedtime, but Father Bernard insisted. Only the offer of a short lesson in the morning from Mazarin proved enough to break his defenses. After a quick story, Adam lay in bed, barely able to hear the hushed conversation of the two adults in the living room.
It's really happening, Adam assured himself. I've got training from the captain, friends at Haven, and even a real trainer now. Everything seemed to be falling into place for Adam as he rolled over and looked at the pictures on his wall. The photo of Haven Academy was the last thing he saw before drifting off to sleep.
Someday, I'll go there, he promised himself. Whatever it takes.
Don't worry, Adam. You'll get to Haven someday. May not be the way you intended, though...
Been trying out different styles with each story. In RWBY's Shadow had a strict, detailed outline for every chapter. Beacons of Love had almost no outline. The loose outline I'm using for this story is a little hectic, but it's growing on me. Spent all week debating this chapter. Decided yesterday to include an important event near the end. Naturally, I changed that plan today while writing and decided to split it into next week instead. I think it was the right call.
Originally, I'd planned to be done with Shizukana after only a couple chapters or so. Instead, we're already nine chapters in and haven't left yet. Honestly, I'm glad we stuck around, as the few readers I've gotten to chat with seem to indicate early Adam is doing his job of helping everyone get attached to the character. Given who we're dealing with, that's pretty important. Plus, young Adam is just so adorable sometimes. Good thing nothing bad will ever happen to him. Ever...
Next chapter: Adam continues training and nothing bad happens. Nope! Definitely not.