Year is off to a busy start. Likely to be away for a week or so due to work sometime in early February. Hope to find out dates on Tuesday (cutting it a little close on this one), but probably won't have a chapter that week. I'll let you know when I know more, but should only be a single chapter impacted (I hope).
"Time to get up, Adam."
Adam groaned as he lazily flung his arm at the voice, then groaned again at the monumental amount of effort it took before letting his arm drop off the edge of the mattress. Why was Soji shouting at him so early in the morning? Wasn't he afraid he'd wake everyone? And where was the subwoofer that kept pounding in his ears?
"The early bird gets the worm," Soji encouraged, earning nothing but a grumble from the miserable lump sharing his room. "Remnant waits for no man, no matter how drunk he may get. Perhaps this can be a lesson on not giving in to such carnal pleasures next time."
Adam responded with a single finger.
"Have it your way, then," Soji sighed as he gave up, finally getting the message to leave Adam alone. Adam heard the door to their room open and thanked the gods for small mercies. The last thing he heard before blessed silence claimed the room was Soji's parting words. "Just know that I tried my best."
Well his best was an idiot. Or something like that. Adam gave up trying to understand himself with a shake of his head, only to regret it as the room seemed to sway a little. He buried himself under the warm covers, nestling his head deeper into the soft pillow. Remnant waits for no man? Well it could bloody wait for him!
He'd gone to bed early last night, yet paradoxically felt more exhausted than when he went to sleep. His mouth begged for water, but his aching muscles told his mouth just where it could shove it as it zealously defended his warm cocoon. Maybe he hadn't been fair to Kuchinashi. He'd judged the place without really giving it a chance. They should stay an extra day to let him truly appreciate it, just to be safe.
He'd start by appreciating his bed for the next several hours.
The door slammed open loudly, drawing a growl from Adam at the unwelcome disturbance. Whoever it was didn't say a word, slightly redeeming themselves in Adam's aching mind. Soji must've forgotten something and come back for a bit. Now if only Soji would get his crap and mercifully leave Adam alone.
Only the new arrival wasn't Soji.
And he certainly wasn't merciful.
"Rise and shine!" Adam clutched the covers tighter over his head, hoping to shut out the horrid noise, only to yelp as his protective barrier was ripped away. If looks could kill, then Jean would've dropped dead from the glare Adam shot him.
Right before Jean cruelly flipped the nearby switch.
Adam shut his eyes too late to avoid the blinding attack, hissing in Jean's general direction before attempting to smother himself in his pillow. "C'mon, ya lazy butt. Time to face the day." Adam tried to hold on to his last bit of solace, but Jean won the tug of war and stole even his pillow. "Aw, did someone have a rough night?"
"Leave me alone," Adam groused, cracking a single eye open. "I'm drunk."
"You're not drunk. You're hung over." Adam didn't care. Either way, he felt like crap. If they wanted him up so badly, they could get him up themselves.
Adam regretted the thought almost instantly.
"Hey!" Adam squawked as Jean upended his mattress, dumping Adam on the floor. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded as he picked himself off the floor.
Jean shrugged. "Soji told me to get you up. Mission accomplished." So this was Soji's fault? Adam would be having words with his roommate later. "Now clean this place up. It's a wreck."
It looked like someone had set off a Dust bomb under his bed. Everything from his bed sheets to the mattress itself was thrown all over the place thanks to Jean's assault. "You made the mess. You clean it up."
"Not my job," Jean insisted. "You don't like it, take it up with Soji." Adam turned for the door. "He's out prepping the wagons right now."
Which meant finding him would be a slog down to the warehouses, which Adam had no idea how to find. Even if he did, showing up like that would be as good as volunteering to help. Adam wasn't sure he could make it that far, let alone prep a wagon and take inventory. Fine. He'd clean the room up, but only because it beat the alternative. That wouldn't stop him from complaining the whole time.
Once he was finished making his bed look somewhat decent - and by that, he meant everything was piled together on a slightly angled mattress - Adam stumbled across the room. "And just where do you think you're going?"
"To the bathroom," Adam shot back with all the fury he could muster. "Am I not allowed to take a dump now? Because I'm either crapping in there or on your bed. Your choice."
"You've got five minutes," Jean instructed, holding up his hand for emphasis. "Don't think I'll fall for any tricks. I tried them all at your age."
And the cold tile floor sounded so inviting to his aching head. Adam took his time, splashing some water on his face before trying to make himself look halfway decent. It didn't work, of course. There was no hiding how miserable he felt. With a stubborn pout, Adam sat on the edge of the tub, challenging Jean's time limit. He smirked as the door handle jiggled but refused to turn, courtesy of the lock Adam had engaged on his way in.
His smirk vanished as Jean kicked the door open.
"That's going on your bill," Jean said, adding to Adam's pain. "So, we done playing games yet?"
"Leave me alone." Adam shoved past his tormentor, even if he had no idea where to go.
"Fine. And here I was offering to help with your hangover." Adam froze at the words. "That's what I thought. Great thing about drinking a lot is you learn how to deal with the nasty little surprise that follows. Come with me."
Adam took one last, longing look at his bed before hurrying to catch up with Jean. Sleep sounded glorious, but Jean would just repeat his earlier antics if he tried. But if the man had the cure for the pounding in Adam's head, he'd set his hatred aside long enough to learn his secrets. He could always get revenge later during their training.
Adam nearly bolted away when Jean led him to the inn's bar downstairs, calming down a little when Jean instead claimed a nearby table. "Take a seat. I know just what you need." So saying, Jean flagged down the waitress. "Two hangover specials, please."
The older woman looked unimpressed as she eyed Adam. "Two? He looks a little young for that. Don't tell me Bailey's been slipping drinks to kids again."
Adam had no idea who Bailey was, but he had the distinct impression he'd be in for a world of hurt if their server got ahold of him. Jean hastened to the unknown man's rescue. "Not Bailey. Opal."
"You a Huntsman?"
"We were guests," Jean explained. "Kid made a deal with her for some information. Top shelf whiskey."
"Hope the info was worth it," she said, rolling her eyes to make it clear she didn't think it was. Adam disagreed. If Opal could find out anything about his mo- about Mazarin's killer, then he'd down an entire bottle of that horrible stuff. Whatever it took to find out what happened to her.
And maybe track down her killer, too.
But that plan could wait. Right now, he had more pressing matters to tend to, like the crushing weight on his head. Jean didn't bother with him, continuing their order. "We'll start with coffee. Strongest stuff you got. Maybe some oatmeal and toast, too." It sounded pretty bland to Adam, but Jean claimed it would help, so he'd give it a try, even if his stomach didn't love the sound of food right now. It was already rolling from the smell wafting from the kitchen. "You got any jam?"
"Grape," their waitress confirmed. "I'll be right back."
"Your cure is breakfast?" It hardly sounded like some magical solution. And couldn't they have had something a little more appetizing? Oatmeal and toast hardly compared with the khao piak sen that Tsubaki had spoiled them with. Then again, judging by how his stomach tightened at the thought, maybe that was a little much right now.
"Trust me." Adam didn't really have any better ideas. "Caffeine and carbs. It won't fix everything for you, but it'll help." Whatever further explanation Jean had was interrupted by two mugs of coffee being plopped between them. "Leave the pot."
"Had a feeling," the waitress answered. "Food'll be ready soon. You boys stickin' around town today?"
"On our way to Mistral," Jean answered before pulling a small flask from his pocket and adding to his coffee. "Want some?"
"Hair of the dog, eh?"
"Hair of the what?" Adam recoiled, even if he knew that wasn't hair coming out of Jean's flask.
Jean grinned and added a splash of his hairless mixture to Adam's cup. Adam recognized the color immediately and stared at his mug like it was poisoned. "A little alcohol to ease you back to reality."
"Isn't that what got me into this mess in the first place?"
"No. A lot of alcohol did that." Jean chuckled before adding, "Well, a lot for a lightweight like you." Jean tipped back his own mug and downed it all in one go. When he didn't keel over, Adam tentatively sipped his own, scrunching up his face at the acrid taste. "C'mon. Bottom's up. You'll thank me later."
Adam doubted that, but then again, he was hardly an expert on dealing with hangovers. Jean, on the other hand, drank more than enough for both of them, but didn't spend every morning curled up in one of the wagons afterwards, so maybe there was something to his methods after all. Or the man had just built up a tolerance after years of imbibing. Adam definitely preferred tea to the dark liquid swirling in his mug, but if it meant he could get back to living, then he'd endure the unpleasant taste for now.
As promised, breakfast followed soon after. Adam poked at it a bit, afraid his stomach might revolt at the first bite. Jean urged him on until he finally tried some toast. His stomach quickly changed its tune as the food reminded it that he hadn't eaten anything the night before. After that, he tore through the modest meal without a word.
It wasn't until Adam finished that a thought hit him. "Wait. Why did you need all that?" Jean had ordered the same meal, and now that Adam was looking for it, he could see the signs in Jean that he'd missed before. "You didn't drink that much last night, so why are you hungover?"
Jean cracked a smile as he polished off another mug of coffee and refilled both of their drinks. "I caught up with a few old acquaintances of mine after dropping your drunk butt off with Soji. Trust me. I had way more to drink last night than you did."
"You have friends in Kuchinashi?"
"Acquaintances." Jean stressed the word, as if the difference really meant much. "Had some time to kill, so figured I'd check in on them. Only got back a few hours ago."
A few hours? "How are you awake already?"
Jean chugged the rest of their coffee directly from the pot, gulping down the final bit with a satisfied sigh. "Practice." Adam rolled his eyes at the macho display, completely unimpressed. "Best let Soji do most of the driving today. We skipped training last night, seeing as you were plastered after only a second glass. We'll make up for it tonight."
Adam gulped at the announcement, hoping he'd be a little less wobbly when that time came. Forget letting Soji do most of the driving. Adam intended to hide in the back of the wagon and sleep the day away.
"Can I get you boys anything else?"
"Just the bill," Jean replied, stacking their dishes for the woman. "Oh, and just as a heads up, drunky over here had some trouble with his bathroom door this morning. Might want to have someone assess the damage before we leave."
Son of a-
/- - - - - - - - - -/
The trip to Mistral was a nice one - both because it meant leaving Kuchinashi and that they ditched the winding, dismal paths through the mountains for more open, sunny settings. The trail skirted along the edge of the imposing mountain range and made traveling a lot easier.
For a while.
Eventually, they found themselves sloping upwards once more, but Soji assured him it meant they were getting close to Mistral. Like Kuchinashi, Mistral was built along the side of a mountain. In some ways, the two were mirror images of each other - if the mirror was covered in all manner of grime and refuse. Kuchinashi was basically the evil twin of the capital city, with the seat of power higher up. In Kuchinashi, it meant the crime families. In Mistral, that meant politicians, Haven, and the CCT. Then again, with the way Soji complained about tax and commerce laws, you'd think the crime families were up top in Mistral, too.
Of course, traveling to Mistral wasn't just a boring ride in the back of the wagon. Soji made him share the driving responsibilities, even on the first day, saying he wouldn't get out of work just because he'd gone out drinking the night before. He still had chores in the evening, too.
But most of all, he still had training.
As promised, Jean showed no mercy on the first night. He'd been a complete tyrant, pushing harder and harder. Every failure meant laps. Every lap made him more tired and led to more failures. By the time Jean finally called an end, Adam barely dragged himself to bed. It seemed everyone was keen to take it out on him for his first night of drinking, even if it hadn't been totally by choice.
Sure, he could've turned down Opal's offer, but some things were worth suffering for. Even if nothing came of Opal's investigation, Adam would've kicked himself for never trying. So he buckled down and endured the consequences, content that he'd made the right choice despite the consequences. The chance to track down Mazarin's killer was worth a thousand hangovers.
They only passed a single village on their way to Mistral. Despite the small size of the town, Romu was better defended than most places they'd visited, with heavily armed guards and a thick wall surrounding the rather modest buildings. What really stood out, though, was the sizable bullhead dock and warehouses dominating the corner of the town. For somewhere so small, they sure had an impressive shipping setup.
As it turned out, Romu was the main supplier of vegetables for Mistral, with most of the surrounding lands having been converted to farmland. It was the last bit of usable space before the nearby mountains infested the soil with rocks and stones. They'd expanded out as far as they could in every direction, with every resident a farmer by trade to supply the massive population living higher up in Mistral. In return, they received plenty of funding and scheduled arrivals of Huntsmen to guard the planting and harvest seasons, on top of their already sturdy defenses.
But Romu didn't just signal the end of farmable land. It was also the final landmark between them and Mistral. The trail that had before flowed with the land now straightened and made a beeline for their true destination. They climbed higher and higher, plowing through the mountains with a determined path until the bright spires of Haven Academy peaked over the horizon one morning, welcoming them home after many weeks in new lands.
Adam had been to Mistral before, but never from this side. They always came from the west after visiting the Yuris. The capital still looked the same, but somehow, coming from the southeast made it even more breathtaking. The familiar buildings and thoroughfares he'd seen plenty of before were tucked on the far side of the mountain's face. In their place, Adam could see a far different side of the city. The deep gorge - home of the shadier dealings of Mistral and a place he was warned to avoid at all costs - couldn't be seen at all. Grand mansions clustered high up the cliffside, some practically tucked in the shadow of Haven's docks high above. Further down, smaller homes were packed in shoulder to shoulder, winding their way down the back of the mountain toward the industrial district, where the fires of the Dust refineries could be seen even from here. The ominous forest to the south of Mistral barely concealed the trade highway from view.
More than all of that, though, Adam was amazed by the view of Lake Matsu far beyond the city. The shimmering blue waters merged with the cloudless skyline, making it hard to see where water became sky. Mistral looked like it sat against the end of the world, boldly staring out into a bright abyss and admiring the endless freedom beyond. Somewhere out there, the infamous floating islands only added to the mystique. Adam hoped to see them someday. Even if he knew it was just the result of highly concentrated gravity dust, it still sounded magical.
Instead of the grand entrance of the trade highway in the west, their new trail led them to a heavy gate near the southern edge that looked far less appealing as it opened up into rows of warehouses and dirty streets that had seen more than their fair share of abuse. A large truck rumbled past, forcing them to the side to make room. The flapping cover of the truck bed revealed crates almost as tall as Adam stacked in larger quantities than their entire caravan could hope to carry. The truck pulled up to one of several identical buildings, each at least three stories tall and stretching a ridiculous distance back with narrow alleys between that would be a tight squeeze for their wagons. Suddenly, their meager supply of Tsubaki oil seemed miniscule in comparison.
Not that Soji seemed phased. His eyes were practically glowing as he began excitedly chattering about who he planned to meet with, how he would market their new goods, and even speculating at prices and profit margins. Adam knew enough to follow along, but the numbers game wasn't one Adam enjoyed as much as Soji. He liked lien and what it could do for him, but figuring out specifics of prices, incorporating not only the buy and sell prices but also the transportation costs and markup potential, boiled down to complex math equations.
And Adam had a longstanding feud with mathematics.
For Adam, the real thrill was in the travel itself. Soji and Rikyu could deal with all the minutiae of business. He preferred the thrill of seeing new places to the thrill of trading. Hunting deals proved far less interesting than hunting game. He'd rather face down a room of Beowolves than the equally bloodthirsty merchants Soji was always competing with.
Jean had the right idea. His only job was to keep them safe. Most days were spent just riding his horse and watching for danger that rarely showed itself. Pulling into a town meant a lot of work for the merchants and a well-deserved break for their security. Jean could hang out at taverns all day while the two brothers worked their magic in endless meetings and deals.
Speaking of which, Mistral meant a long awaited break as they finally parked for a few days in their primary place of business. As soon as they secured their wagons and checked into their usual hotel, Soji released Adam to enjoy the wonders of the city. Unlike the more popular hotels higher up the mountain, they always stayed in one that catered more to merchants. While the rooms weren't quite as nice as the luxurious monstrosities higher up with their open lobbies, sparkling fountains, and brilliant views, their hotel treated them more like locals than tourists.
"What's worth seeing this week, Aiden?"
The middle-aged man in a simple vest and button down behind the check-in desk smiled brightly. "Ah, young mister Taurus. Back in Mistral already? I take it your journey was a pleasant one?"
Another great thing about their hotel was their awesome concierge, Aiden Raido. Even after only his first visit, Aiden knew Adam by name and treated him like any of the other merchants. The man's memory never failed, recalling with unerring detail every little thing they'd ever discussed. More than that, he knew everything about Mistral and their current events. Adam made sure to stop by for the local scoop every time they visited.
"A little more eventful this time around," Adam admitted. "We had to head south through Hinoki."
"Hinoki? That's a long way to go to reach us."
"Tell me about it." Adam leaned against the counter. "We wound up in a place called Tsubaki. Ever heard of it?"
Adam could see the wheels turning in Aiden's head as he searched for the name. "Tsubaki…now that's a name I've not heard in a long time." Aiden must've found whatever he was searching for as he snapped back to Adam. "Not many visitors from there. At least, not by caravan. Used to be someone that did flights out there from time to time, but he died years ago." Adam remembered Soji saying the same back in Tsubaki. Was there anything Aiden didn't know? "How was it?"
Compared to their other major stop? "Wonderful. The food was great and Soji found some new goods to trade. We're hoping we can get a good price here."
"If anyone can, it'll be those two. No one can strike a deal quite like the Yama brothers." Aiden was probably just buttering them up, but Adam would never bet against the pair. "If you cut through Hinoki, should I assume you passed Kuchinashi on the way?"
Adam shuddered. "Unfortunately. Definitely glad we made it out of there in one piece."
"From the Grimm or the locals?"
"Both," Adam joked, earning a short laugh from Aiden.
"Well I'm glad you made it here safe. Kuchinashi can be a dangerous place, especially for newcomers." Aiden rifled through a file of pamphlets before pulling one out with a grin. "There we are! Something that might interest you. Haven's having an open house tomorrow. Tour of the grounds, some boring lectures, but best of all, a sparring demonstration with some upper-year students."
"A Hunstmen spar?!" Aiden was right. That definitely interested him. "And they're just letting anyone go?"
"Anyone that has a ticket." Adam deflated a little. This close to the event, he doubted there were many left. Maybe a scalper would have one, but they'd charge an arm and a leg for something like that. Aiden practically shoved the pamphlet into Adam's hands. "Would be a shame to miss out."
Adam hurriedly unfolded the pamphlet, ignoring all the details about Haven's history to instead reveal the twin slips of paper tucked within the folds. "You mean it?"
Aiden winked as he leaned closer. "Always snag a couple for our guests, just in case. Hate to see them go to waste."
"They won't!" Adam promised. He would've hugged the man if not for the counter separating them. Yet again, Aiden proved why he was the best in the business.
"Not much going on today," Aiden continued, as if he hadn't just blown Adam's mind seconds earlier. "Best I got is some Atlas bigwig doing a speech uptown. Lots of press, but nothing you can't catch on the news tonight."
Someone from another Kingdom could be interesting, but Aiden usually knew what he was talking about. If he thought the speech wouldn't be worth going to, then it probably wasn't. Still, Mistral wasn't exactly a dull place, even on off days. There were still countless stores selling goods from all over Remnant. The theater probably had something good showing. And if all else failed, he could just go use the gym for a bit. With little to do and no reason to hurry, Adam stashed his prized tickets in his room, let Soji know he was heading out - into town, not to some seedy bar - and made his way onto the familiar streets of Mistral.
People bustled in every direction, though most of the traffic centered around the open air markets in the heart of the city. Adam decided he might swing by there later and instead found his feet carrying him uphill, toward the fancier parts of town. The path eventually led all the way to Haven, but he didn't have any reason to go there and he'd just be wandering around the CCT at best. The actual school buildings would be closed off for classes still, and he really didn't want to cause any trouble the day before their open house event. The last thing he wanted was to be barred from the property right before the big day.
Instead, Adam meandered through a few shops without anything really catching his eye. He steadfastly avoided the bright lights and shrill sounds of the arcade. He'd gone there once out of curiosity but couldn't really get into it. Watching children play games where you fight Grimm by the hundreds without any real trouble annoyed him a little. He'd seen Grimm. He'd fought them. A single button press wouldn't obliterate them, nor could you just try again if you lost. It all seemed so childish compared to the reality they faced on the trail.
Then again, most of the people there were children, so maybe that was the point.
Either way, he knew better than to bother there and moved on, eventually stopping to listen to a street performer for a bit. His trumpet blared out sharp and fast, teasing with snippets of familiar melodies but with his own flair added in. People seemed to be enjoying it for the most part, even if most ignored the open case nearby. Adam tossed a little lien in before he left, wondering just how hard it was for someone like that to get by. He had talent. There was no denying that. But so did so many other people. Still, Adam liked the music and wanted the guy to know it, so he let his lien do the talking, even if it didn't say much with his meager paycheck.
He was about to give up on the upper tiers and head back to the market to kill time when a chorus of distant voices caught his ear. Maybe chorus was the wrong word. They weren't singing. They were yelling. Loudly. Even if he couldn't see them yet, he could easily hear them already. Curiosity steered him toward the growing noise.
And directly into a crowd.
"What's going on?" Adam wondered aloud as he took in the scene. Dozens of people filled the open square, shouting and waving signs as people along the edge watched or recorded with their scrolls. A host of cameras had turned to focus on the group, ignoring the man in the white suit on a raised platform beyond who looked rather annoyed at the moment.
Adam tried his best to read the signs. Some of them were hard to read with thin letters scrawled messily on them. But others were easier. Big, blocky letters on bright paper or boards affixed to long sticks to make them stand above the protestors. "Equality for All!" "Down with the SDC!" "Free the Faunus!"
Faunus? Adam scanned the crowd, quickly recognizing the unifying factor among them. Ears. Tails. Even one with wings. A few didn't have any obvious features that he could see, but pretty much all of them were faunus!
"Have you come to join our demonstration, young one?" A tall man with a bushy tail asked. He smiled down calmly despite the ruckus behind him. Despite the fancy, red hood atop his head that stuck out almost like a dog's snout, he didn't really stand out that much. "I can find you a sign if you wish."
"N-no. I'm good." Adam spotted another man in similar clothes - this one with fox ears peeking through his hood - chatting with people along the edge of the protest in much the same way. "What's going on here?"
"A public nuisance!" A man nearby yelled, spitting on the ground right next to them. "Bunch of criminals."
Adam's new friend simply smiled and gave the man a single nod, which seemed to infuriate him more. "We are simply making our voices heard," he assured Adam, pointing a hand at the crowd behind him. "Tell me, young man, have you heard of the recent mining tragedies?"
"You mean the cave-ins?" There'd been mention of it on the news before the Yuris fell, but Adam hadn't really followed along.
"Indeed. Mines owned by the Schnee Dust Company." Adam knew the name, but only because it was hard not to see SDC lettering in every Dust shop. They weren't the only supplier of Dust, but they were certainly the biggest. "Mines almost entirely operated by faunus workers, several of whom died in those…tragic accidents."
They'd died? Last Adam had heard, a rescue operation was underway. He'd figured the miners would be dug out and returned to their families, but according to this man, not all of them had made it. "That's terrible."
"It was," the man agreed. "And that's why we are here today."
"Because the mine collapsed?" A tragedy, to be certain, but what did that have to do with Mistral?
"Because we believe there was more that could and should have been done to prevent it. We are simply here today requesting an investigation be conducted into whether or not their mines are implementing proper safety precautions, as well as rumors of inadequate pay for their faunus workers."
"That sounds reasonable." Accidents happened, especially when dealing with something as volatile as raw Dust, but the ones in charge were responsible for making it as safe as possible. "If they've done everything right, then why not prove it to everyone?" The only reason to hide would be if they had something to cover up.
"My thoughts exactly," the man smiled, pleased they agreed so easily. "All we ask is that proper care be ensured for the lives of our brothers and sisters."
"I can get behind that."
"Would you like to join us, then?" He stepped to the side and urged him forward, but Adam held his ground.
"I'm kind of young for that," Adam hedged, suddenly less eager to get involved now that the pressure was on.
"No one is ever too young to demand justice," the sudden recruiter urged, pointing to the front of the crowd where a young girl with cat ears was waving her sign and proudly shouting alongside everyone else.
"I…I actually have somewhere to be," Adam lied. "We just got in this afternoon and I need to get back to the hotel before it starts getting late."
It was a flimsy excuse, and they both knew it. Still, to his credit, the man didn't push any further, recognizing Adam's answer for what it was. "I understand. Thank you for speaking with me."
"No problem," Adam said, already edging away before he could get roped in any further.
"I didn't catch your name, young man."
Adam hesitated, but figured there was no harm. Besides, Soji would have his head for being rude. "It's Adam."
"Corsac. Corsac Albain." The man bowed slightly. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Adam. Have a blessed day, and should you ever find yourself discriminated against for simply being born different," his eyes trailed up to Adam's horns, "know that the White Fang will always be there to fight for you."
Bum bum bummmmm!
Wasn't going to include his name at first, but figured most of you would recognize Corsac anyways. Plus, the bigger reveal was that it was the White Fang! Obviously, this is before Sienna takes over and they're still doing peaceful protesting with rather reasonable requests, but we all know that won't last. This isn't the point where Adam joins up, just to be clear. More of an introduction and precursor for things to come. And yes, that is young Blake in the protest. Wouldn't make much sense for her to always be in Menagerie when she specifically mentions participating in a bunch of protests. I like to think the Belladonas travelled a lot back then, boosting each branch and helping grow support where needed. No meeting here (they'll officially meet at a much later point), but couldn't resist throwing in a few familiar faces here.
They'll be in Mistral for a couple days at least, but we won't spend much time here. We've got some timeskips on the horizon, but they'll be obvious when they happen. Don't want to spend the next twenty chapters detailing them travelling and doing normal trading business. That'll get old fast. Gotta get us to the real fun of the story soon, where things will really pick up a bit.
Also, just for fun, we have both a Futurama and a Star Wars reference tucked in this week! After all, why not? Why shouldn't I reference them? And now we add LotR to the list! The things I do to entertain myself.
Next chapter: Adam learns a little more about his new friends and the Yama brothers get to sell their oil to Mistral.