Welcome back!
Wasn't planning to take last week off, but I've been having some awful back pain recently. Possibly some sciatic nerve issues, so they put me on muscle relaxers to help. As a result, I was dead weight for over a week. I think I ended up napping every day. Not on purpose. I'd lay down on the couch and be out in no time. Still hurt a lot, too, so that was fun. Needless to say, I couldn't get myself to do anything, even writing. Mostly better now, but my hips are still hurting. Might have to go and get them looked at if this continues. Always fun to be had around here.
Adam barely felt the ground as his face slammed into it. Compared to what he'd just gone through, the impact was almost a welcome relief. He could've laid there for days, his legs grateful to be relieved of duty after his ordeal. Until the ground began to sway back and forth like waves on the ocean. At least, what he imagined waves felt like. The only ones he'd ever seen were the violent breakers at the beach. The steady rolling of the waves began to increase in speed, growing from a soft caress to a violent surge in an instant. Adam flailed his hand at the merciless ground.
And hit something softer.
"He's awake!" Soji cheered as Adam cracked an eye open to see Jean knelt beside him, rubbing his reddened cheek. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he'd hit.
"Next time, you get to wake him," Jean grumbled to Soji.
"Wha…what happened?" Adam groaned, shaking away the lingering darkness. The world still seemed a little dim, so he tried again, even as his brain felt like it was bouncing off the walls of his skull. He finally stopped as his battered brain reminded him how late it was getting.
"You slapped me," Jean answered, as if Adam could actually hurt him that easily.
"No, I mean…" Adam started to sit up, then quickly abandoned the motion when the world seemed to tilt to one side. "Why am I on the ground?" The last thing Adam remembered was the fight with Tanner. He'd barely won. Then Raven-
Adam frantically looked around, but he didn't see the nightmarish remains of his enemy. He could still see Tanner, body strewn across the trail as his head rolled away on its own. Those empty eyes stared at him with a mix of fear and shock, mouth hanging open limply as if to utter some final thought that the world would never hear.
Jean came to his rescue, dispelling the ghoulish image as he filled in the blanks. Adam just wished he could've put it in better terms. "You fainted."
"Fainted?"
"Yep." Jean seemed a little too pleased with the information. "Faceplanted right on the pavement."
"How long was I-"
"Only a few minutes," Soji promised, cutting off whatever Jean had been about to say. "Well, several minutes."
"Nothin' to be ashamed of," Jean promised. "You'd nearly depleted your aura in a fight, watched a man die, and stood up to a bandit queen. The aura and adrenaline crash was bound to hit you. I'm just impressed you made it until they left."
Put like that, fainting didn't sound so bad. Still, the reminder of his foolhardy defiance of a bandit leader - or bandit queen, apparently - brought a question to mind. "Who was she?"
"Who?" Soji asked.
Jean knew exactly who he meant. "Raven Branwen, leader of the Branwen tribe."
"They're named after her?"
"Ever since she took over. Probably change name again when a new leader takes over." In other words, when someone killed Raven and took her spot. "From what I hear, she killed the previous leader. Bunch of other contenders, too. Even rumors that she's killed a Huntsman or two that tried to bring her in."
"She's stronger than Huntsmen?!" No way. Huntsmen were the best of the best. They were masters of aura manipulation, carried the deadliest weapons, and spent their lives focusing on getting stronger. How could some random bandit be even stronger than that?
"Maybe." Jean looked up the trail where Raven had stood before, her very presence enough to stop them in their tracks. "She's strong. Strong enough to command a bunch of bloodthirsty savages."
Savages that were more than willing to turn on their own when it suited them. Tanner had been one of them. He'd been a leader of sorts, commanding a small band of bandits when they attacked the caravan. He'd probably been with the tribe for years. They were his friends. His family.
Until they weren't.
None of them seemed too upset when Adam had claimed victory. They'd cheered and bayed for blood just as ravenously as when Adam was losing. Whatever bond he'd had with them broke the moment he went down. Tanner's blood had as much value as Adam's in the end. No one wept for his loss. No sobs of pain or quiet moments of reflection. They'd taken what little he had and left his body as carrion for the birds.
Adam pushed himself up into a sitting position, waving off a hand from Jean. He didn't need help. He just needed a moment. Had he really fought a man and watched him die here? Adam already knew the answer. There were subtle signs, like the way the dirt was carved up in certain areas where a sword had missed its mark. But the reason Adam knew they hadn't moved was much more macabre.
The highway seemed to shimmer in the coming twilight. Mainly in one spot, where the dirt alongside had been stained red.
Jean stepped in front of Adam, blocking his view of the horrendous spot. "We moved the body off the road. Jesse's digging a hole right now. All we can do, really."
"You're gonna bury him?" That seemed an awful lot of work for someone who had tried to kill him. Chucking his body in the woods felt more fitting, but wouldn't that make them just as bad as the bandits?
"Least we can do. More than he deserves." Jean snarled the words, shooting a glance toward where Jesse must've been toiling away. Jean nearly knocked Adam over, clapping a hand against his arm. "You did good today."
Funny. Adam didn't feel too good about it. "I didn't want to kill him, but he-"
"None of that, now." Jean's forceful words cut his complaint down. "You did what you had to do, and nothing more."
"She wanted me to kill him."
"Raven wanted you to be like them," Jean said. "She wanted to drag you down to their level, but you refused. It takes a lot of courage to be pushed to the line and refuse to cross it."
Jean was right, but Raven wasn't the one Adam was talking about.
Kill him.
Adam's hand tightened around a hilt that wasn't there. Even now, he could feel that sickening urge to finish off his opponent. And why shouldn't he? Tanner tried to kill him. Twice! If he'd been allowed to live, then he probably would've just attacked another group later. Maybe a less equipped one. What if Tanner's death saved some poor traveler down the road? Was it wrong to kill a killer?
Such ponderings could wait. Adam took a deep breath and put on a brave face. "I'm just glad they let us go."
Jean's eyes narrowed as he watched Adam, piercing through Adam's mask with ease. Thankfully, Soji fell for it. "Thanks to our valiant hero!" Unlike Jean, Soji didn't offer a hand. Instead, he practically yanked Adam to his feet. "Once we reach town, we shall celebrate your noble deeds with a feast! Yes, a feast. And we'll share the story of how you bravely defied the queen of the bandits herself!"
Soji had already begun rambling, recalling details and adding a few more. Adam would have to see about reining him in a bit. The last thing he wanted was for word to get back to the bandits that he was claiming to have fought off the entire tribe by himself. If Raven tracked them down just because they'd held off a single attack, then she might come looking to find the boy who claimed to have bested her. He doubted she'd be merciful twice.
"You sure you're okay?" Jean asked.
"I'm okay."
He wasn't.
"Of course he is!" Soji cheered. "I told you he'd be a valuable asset to our group, didn't I? You'd better watch out, Jean. He might put you out of a job."
"Fine by me. Means I can sit around and get fat riding a wagon all day."
Adam laughed as Soji gasped theatrically. Banter was good. Banter was familiar. And right now, he needed a return to the familiar. Familiar didn't include a decapitated bandit being tossed in a shallow grave just out of sight.
Soji recovered from the obvious jab easily enough. "Wait until we reach town. They'll hardly believe us. The boy who beat a bandit. Twice, in fact. You'll be a local legend in no time." Likely with the over exaggeration that Soji was known for. "Tonight shall be a glorious night of celebration."
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Soji repeated.
Jean continued the echo. "Tomorrow. It's late, we have no torches, and Adam needs to rest."
"I'm fi-"
"Don't care," Jean cut in. "You're crashing, and that's normal. We'll rest tonight and get to town tomorrow. Besides, you're not the only one exhausted. The horses could use a break too." It felt better knowing it wasn't all about him. "I'd better go help Jesse finish up. There's a more open area about a half mile from here. We'll make camp there for the night."
Adam breathed a sigh of relief as Jean departed. There was plenty of room here, but Adam didn't love the idea of sleeping near where someone had just died. He wasn't superstitious or anything, but staying here was sure to have his dreams reliving the fight over and over again. Probably wouldn't be much better up the road, but he had to hope.
"Tomorrow, then," Soji relented, knowing better than to argue with Jean. Instead, he turned his attention back to Adam. "Well done, my lad. Truly, the Gods blessed us when they sent you our way."
Adam doubted the gods had much to do with it. If so, then he wanted nothing to do with them. He'd only joined the caravan because of Alyssa and her schemes. Blaming it on some mystical beings sounded like a cop out. If they did exist, he doubted they cared that much about him. No dark god loomed overhead, actively destroying his life. The only demons he'd encountered looked like normal people. Pika. Alyssa. Tanner. It was always people that ruined things for him.
"I doubt the gods approve of me killing someone." Not killing was pretty high on the list of no-no's last time he'd checked.
"But you didn't kill anyone," Soji reminded him. "You fought to defend us and showed mercy on someone who deserved none. If that is not worthy of praise, then I'm not sure what is."
"I wanted to kill him," Adam admitted. He'd felt a thrill of victory when his sword carved through flesh. If it wasn't for Jean's warning, he probably would've finished Tanner off, just like Raven wanted.
"Wanting something and doing it are two very different things."
"And I nearly did kill him." Not just with his last strike. That had been in the heat of battle. Had his sword bitten deeper and ended Tanner then and there, Adam would've been shaken, but he could've written it off as self-defense. Father Bernard used to tell him that there were justified types of death. A soldier in a war wasn't sinning by fighting for his country, but shooting a hostage after the battle was wrong. It was the second one that Adam had come dangerously close to.
Soji led them over to the wagons. Adam had never been so grateful for something to lean on. "It is far easier to judge the past than to live in the present. You did what you thought was best. Was it perfect? No, but life rarely is." He could say that again. "Dwelling on the past does not change it. At the end of the day, we are all safe because of you. I think that is worthy of praise."
"But aren't we supposed to turn the other cheek or something like that?" He could still recall most of his lessons back in Shizukana, but he hadn't cracked open the so-called good book in ages.
"And you did," Soji assured him. "You spared the life of a man who tried to kill you. I doubt I could have done the same in your place." The idea of Soji killing someone or even getting into a fight was ludicrous. "Besides, did not the Gods strike down the armies of the demon when they attacked?"
Adam remembered that lesson. He'd asked so many questions back then. Maybe killing wasn't always wrong. If there were exceptions, then killing someone who threatened his friends - his family - would definitely make the list. So killing in a fight was sometimes okay, but afterwards, it became evil. It all depended on the other person. But then who got to decide whether someone should or shouldn't die?
The idea had Adam's head spinning. Or maybe that was just his exhaustion. Either way, he didn't really feel like getting into a philosophical discussion right now. "Maybe," Adam tried before steering toward calmer waters for their conversation. "So what's next?"
"Next? Next, we get some rest and head into town tomorrow." Just the mention of rest threatened to topple Adam. He climbed into the back of the wagon, trusting that Soji could drive the last half mile without him. "We'll warn the locals about the bandits nearby and take a couple days to recover."
That sounded promising. Adam could probably sleep that entire time with how utterly spent he felt. He moved a couple crates to give him just enough room to cram himself in. He dozed off well before Jean and Jesse returned and didn't stir when the wagon started moving. Nor did he wake when they stopped. It wasn't until Soji forced a bowl of food into his hands that Adam finally moved. He could vaguely remember feeding himself before Jean came and carried him to his sleeping bag, tucking him in as everyone did their best to stay quiet and let him sleep.
Not that anything short of a Grimm attack could have broken sleep's hold on him. His mind groggily focused on a single thought as it shut off for the night.
He'd protected them. He'd saved his family.
He'd always protect them.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Soji hadn't been joking.
The moment they pulled into town, he was already bragging about Adam's victory. He told the guards at the gate. The barkeeper. Their customers. Basically anyone who would listen got an earful. Some even got it more than once. Most of them humored Soji as one would an excited child, but it didn't take long for Adam to have a small fan club.
If a fan club meant a bunch of people downing drinks at the bar and cheering for him.
Then came the issue of people wanting to celebrate, paying for his food and drink, even when Adam was already full. He managed to put a stop to the food, but it would've been rude to turn away the drinks, right? He hardly remembered how he got back to his room - his own for once. Soji thought he could use the privacy. He probably just didn't want to have to tiptoe around in the morning to avoid waking Adam.
Not that he would have. An Ursa could've burst through the door and Adam would've just rolled over and gone back to sleep. When he finally woke up, the clock told him he'd missed the entire morning, as well as part of the afternoon. He quickly forgot what it said as he noticed the food waiting on his nightstand. Whoever did that was his new hero. He devoured it without even leaving his bed, then flopped over and went right back to sleep.
They stayed put for a few days, during which Adam didn't pay for anything. Soji had been busy, to the point that Adam doubted anyone in town hadn't heard the story by now. By the time they finally left, Adam was glad to be gone. Being the center of attention like that wasn't really his thing.
Not that it stopped Soji from starting it all again at their next stop. And the next. And the one after that. Adam had to beg him to tone it down after that. Free stuff was nice and all, but he just wanted things to return to normal.
Or so he thought.
As much as Soji wouldn't admit it, business hadn't exactly been booming lately. The Tsubaki oil sales had dropped a little as the demand dwindled. Rikyu blamed it on the danger of fads. It wasn't the new thing anymore. Some had tried it simply because it was the new thing to do, but that couldn't last forever. They still made more money off the oil than any other good they transported, but Adam noticed a slow decline in how much they loaded on their wagons each time. Just like how he noticed less sales in quite a few towns. It didn't take long to figure out why.
An attack on a supply train from Argus was thwarted last night. Sources say a group of faunus, armed with what appeared to be Atlas rifles, boarded the train and forced it to stop before taking the crew hostage and removing several crates. They were forced to flee when they triggered the train's failsafe - a dozen Atlesian Knight units that were placed aboard for protection after similar attacks over the past three months. One of the attackers was fatally wounded, while three more surrendered. White Fang leader Ghira Belladonna has denounced the attack, but given the recent activities of the group, one has to wonder just how much control he still maintains.
"I don't make deals with terrorists."
"You trust one of them after everything they've done?"
"I'd rather he wait outside."
It wasn't every stop, nor was it every shop, but more and more deals were left on the table because of Adam. It didn't matter that he had no association with the White Fang. They were faunus. He was a faunus. Therefore, he was guilty of anything they did.
It wasn't enough to put them out of business or anything, but Adam saw the changes. Their meals became a little lighter. They loaded less cargo at each stop. Eventually, they even sold one of the wagons. The merchant they'd hired during the early surge of Tsubaki oil sales decided to go with it, saving them from having to fire him. The fact that he got taken on by one of their competitors only added to the pain. As the Yamas lost business, the other caravans benefitted.
The news reports certainly didn't help.
A White Fang caravan was stopped near Shion after locals reported sighting them nearby. Local officials found stolen goods among their cargo and arrested the faunus crew for the transportation of stolen goods. All five have pled not guilty and are awaiting trial.
It seemed like every news story involved faunus in some way. Which meant it involved the White Fang.
Another caravan raided by White Fang fanatics…
Two employees fired for social media posts supporting the White Fang…
Violence erupted after White Fang protestors…
…stolen goods…
…armed with military equipment…
…endangered lives…
Is this the new White Fang?
After months of non-stop coverage of the White Fang, Adam stopped listening. If they weren't discussing some recent disturbance from the White Fang, then the reporters were focusing on political statements about them or interviews with worried citizens. The tipping point came when Adam realized they were using White Fang and faunus interchangeably. If a faunus so much as jaywalked, it had to be part of a rising trend of crime by the White Fang.
And that had quite the effect on everyday citizens.
With human and faunus relations worsening and the caravan's pockets getting lighter, Adam cornered Soji and Rikyu one evening with a simple request. "I want to be paid less."
"What?" Soji nearly fell out of his chair.
Rikyu kept his composure far better. "Is there a reason you feel your pay is too high?"
Adam took a deep breath. "Business is down. I know we're hurting for money right now. It only makes sense to reduce expenses."
"We have reduced them," Rikyu assured him. "But only where it made sense to do so."
"It makes sense here, too." Adam took a moment to try and put his thoughts together. "I don't do as much as I used to. I used to help Soji with negotiations. Now I'm more focused on guard duties and helping carry things."
"Which are important," Soji tried in vain.
Rikyu sat back, stroking his chin as he considered the young man before him. "I must say, I've never had someone come to me and ask for less lien." He chuckled silently before continuing. "You already make less than anyone else here. Why should we cut your pay and not someone else's?"
"They're more experienced."
"Does experience determine someone's worth?" Rikyu grinned, knowing he had Adam there. Negotiating with merchants could be a real pain sometimes.
"Everyone else does more than I do."
"Is that so?" Judging by his tone, Rikyu didn't agree. "Jean is our primary guard. He does nothing on the trading side. Perhaps we are paying him too much."
"No. He-"
"Or Jesse," Rikyu continued, ignoring Adam's protest. "You do the same job he does. Perhaps we should revisit that contract."
Adam hadn't come here to hurt others. The situation was spiraling out of control. "Don't dock their pay."
"But by your own account, they are doing the same amount of work for more pay. That hardly seems fair."
Adam felt himself tense. They were going to make him say it, weren't they? Couldn't they just make it easy on him and agree? He was offering to lessen their costs! He might not have seen the numbers himself, but they had to be hurting financially. If things continued, they'd need to cut costs somewhere. Just let him take the loss already!
Fine. If they wanted him to say it, he'd say it.
"I'm hurting sales."
"You're not-"
Rikyu raised his hand, silencing his brother before leaning forward to rest his hands on the table between them. "Sales fluctuate. We have been in worse situations before. This lull will not sink us."
"But what if it doesn't?" Rikyu didn't have an answer, which only worried Adam more. "And it's not just poor sales right now. We've been losing customers," Adam's voice dropped to a murmur, yet his final words seemed to silence the room, "because of me."
"It's not your fault," Soji insisted immediately.
"You cannot be held responsible for the actions of others." Much like his brother, Rikyu wouldn't accept his conclusion. "We gain and lose customers all the time. Such is the way of trade."
"But you're losing money because of me. Because of what I am." Adam looked up, indicating the horns that seemed to doom them. "It's not fair for you to suffer because of me."
"Nor is it fair for you to suffer because of how you were born." If only everyone else thought like Rikyu. Instead, Jean's lessons about fights not being fair seemed to apply even more to life in general. "We will be fine, Adam. My brother and I have always found a way, no matter the obstacle. But I will not allow that way to be dictated by the hatred of others. Their day of reckoning will come, in this life or the next. Until then, it is laid upon us to be the best we can. Let them have their hate. In the end, that is all they'll have left."
"And may that end come swiftly for them," Soji added, somewhat ruining the solemn moment. "What? We were all thinking it."
Adam couldn't help but laugh. Still, he needed to find a way to help more. Keeping him around was hurting them, both in lost deals and paying for a third guard. They'd done just fine without him. If they insisted on paying him, then he'd find a way to earn that pay.
He'd protect his family, no matter what.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Halt!"
Soji stopped their wagon as the whole caravan came to a sudden stop outside the thick walls of Romu. For the first time Adam could remember, the gate stood closed. The command had come from a man atop the gate, flanked by a pair of soldiers.
"Who goes there?"
Being closest to the gate, Jean answered for the group, his booming voice easily reaching both the guard and the back of the caravan. "We're a merchant caravan bound for Mistral. We wished to stop and rest here, as we have done many times before."
"Standby." Their greeter turned and quietly spoke with the two guards, who jogged off to the side and disappeared. They waited in an awkward silence until a loud clank from the gate sounded. "All persons wishing to enter Romu must be searched by order of the Council."
The gate opened, releasing a half dozen guards that spread out in a semicircle around their caravan.
"What's this all about?" Soji hollered. They'd never had any issue with Romu before. It was a good place to stop on the way to Mistral. Not much for trade, but the value of a bed and breakfast made it worth their time.
Soji's question went ignored. "All of you will dismount and be subject to search for any contraband. We will also inspect your wagons. Any attempt to interfere will be duly punished."
Soji looked like he would object, but Jean simply thanked the guard and assured him there wouldn't be any problems as a guard approached. Jean dismounted and followed the guard to the side, where he carefully removed any weapons he was carrying and endured a full pat down. As soon as he finished, another guard led Rikyu over to repeat the process. One by one, they were taken to the side and checked for whatever contraband they claimed to be searching for. Soji grumbled through it all until Adam's turn came.
Two extra guards came over as he approached. No one else had gotten so much attention. Not even Jean, who was obviously the biggest threat. Still, Adam did everything he was told. Stand there. Declare his name. State his reason for coming to Romu. Remove any weapons.
The last one had his encirclement of guards tensing as he grabbed his sword. One of them even had his finger on the trigger of his rifle, ready to shoot if anything happened. Adam froze.
"Is there a problem?" one of the guards demanded.
Yes, there was. A big problem. They were ready to shoot him! His wide eyes stayed locked on the gun. "N-no sir." Slowly, Adam detached the scabbard from his belt, leaving the blade fully sheathed as he set it on the ground. They relaxed a little once he stood back up.
"Any more weapons?"
"No sir," he hastily answered. They took their time patting him down, making him pull out everything from his pockets and even inspecting his weapon. He bit back a snarl when they tossed his sword to the side.
"You're clear." Was it his imagination, or did the guy sound disappointed to not find anything.
The search went on. Soji and Jesse joined the rest of them, leaving the whole group clustered near the wall with four guards watching over them. The other two began to inspect the wagons one by one, unloading some of the crates and even opening one or two to verify the contents. They didn't bother putting things back as they moved on. They checked the crates. They checked under the wagons. They even checked the horses. Rather, they checked Jean's and Jesse's horses, inspecting every pouch of the saddlebags before finally giving the all clear.
"Finally." Adam rolled his eyes and took a step toward where they'd tossed his sword, only to freeze as two rifles were raised in his direction.
"Back with the others," came the order. Adam hurried to obey.
"What is the meaning of this?" Soji demanded. Even his patience had worn thin.
They didn't get an answer. Instead, they all waited silently until a new figure emerged from the gate. While he couldn't be certain, it looked like the guy from on top of the gate. His voice sounded the same, too. "Apologies, gentlemen, but we've had to beef up security in the last few weeks."
"What for?" Jean questioned. Romu was a fortress. What could they possibly be afraid of?
The answer didn't thrill Adam. "This outpost was attacked by members of the White Fang last month. They made off with part of a shipment meant for the capital. When someone tried to stop them, shots were fired and two of my men were gravely wounded. I will not allow such a thing to happen again."
Jean stepped forward, taking on the role of their spokesman. "Well, as you can see, we're just merchants passing through to Mistral."
"The White Fang also claimed to be merchants. They smuggled extra men and weapons in crates much like yours." No wonder they were being so thorough. Good thing they had nothing to hide. "You may gather your things and be on your way."
"About time," Jean said as he headed for his weapons. "You sure you don't need a cavity search before we head in for some dinner?"
It was nice to know others were as aggravated as Adam.
Though not as aggravated as they were about to be. "I think you misunderstand. You may gather your things and continue on to Mistral, if that is truly your desire."
"You mean…"
"That Romu is closed to you."
"What?" The question came from pretty much the entire group. Jean recovered the quickest, just in time to point out the obvious. "We passed your inspection, didn't we? No terrorists. No hidden weapons. What possible reason could you have for refusing us entry?"
Adam's heart sank as the man turned to him. "We were attacked by armed faunus posing as merchants. And what do I find in your midst? Another armed faunus. For all I know, you could all be faunus. Traits aren't always as visible as a pair of horns."
"You're locking us out because the kid's a faunus?"
"I'm locking you out because I will not risk the safety of my men," he corrected, though it sounded just as wrong to Adam. "As commander of Romu's defenses, it is my job to act in the best interest of my men. I have the authority to control entry and exit of any individuals, as well as the right to detain anyone suspected of insurgent activity. That I am choosing to let you go rather than arrest him is a mercy." Funny. It didn't sound merciful to Adam. "Now, I suggest you take your leave before I reconsider my decision. Good day."
With a snappy about face, the commander walked back to the gate, followed by his six guards. The gate slammed shut after them, leaving them alone to clean up the inspectors' mess. "What do we do now?" Adam asked as they finished prepping the wagons once more.
"We head for Mistral," Soji answered, "and pray for a better welcome than here."
Sleeping outside was nothing new, but when you'd expected a nice, soft bed, camping out sorta sucked. They spent most of the night in silence, all of them thinking the same things but refusing to mention it. Giving Romu the cold shoulder didn't help, but it was either that or spend the night yelling curses into the night sky.
The mood hardly improved in the morning. What little conversation there was between Romu and Mistral mainly focused on how much they hated Romu's commander. No one argued against it. While not having anyone disagree felt nice at first, they grew bored of their echo chamber rather quickly. They were all itching for a fight to blow off steam, but they were all on the same side.
Instead, Jean decided to have some sparring lessons in the afternoon for anyone interested in learning the basics. Adam went first and practically wore himself out before calling it quits. Jesse followed suit. Surprisingly, Soji stepped up next, lacking in knowledge but making up for it in sheer determination. It was comical watching the man try to fight. The whole group laughed at his ridiculous attempts until he was out of breath, only to shove the sword into Rikyu's hands. Everyone got a fight in, using Jesse as a target for all their pent up frustration. Jean endured it all and even did a second spar with Adam at the end. It was cathartic to burn all that energy. They weren't fighting Jean. He was just a stand-in for their anger at Romu. Afterwards, they were too tired to complain as much, which helped lighten the mood considerably.
Except Adam's. The fighting felt good, but something weighed him down. It had been eating at him for a while now. He'd dismissed the idea at first, but as more and more problems arose because of him, he couldn't ignore it any longer. Romu served as the final nail in the coffin. He had to do it, no matter what. He loved his weird little family. He really did. And that made it hurt so much more. But when you loved someone, you had to be willing to do anything for them.
Even if it hurt.
By the time they reached Mistral, Adam had made up his mind. Unlike Romu, no one stopped them at the gates. They made their way into the city and started to secure the wagons when Adam announced he needed to tell them something. No one quite knew what was going on, but curiosity pulled them all in close as Adam spoke two words that nearly ripped his heart out.
"I'm leaving."
I'd originally planned to have more space between the Raven encounter and Adam's announcement, but it would've just been a lot of filler content, and that felt wrong. Pace is picking up a bit as we near the end of another story arc.
Adam's starting to realize that his very presence is hurting the people he cares about. I'm sure that won't add to his issues of self-perception or anything. Nah. He'll be fine. Besides, he's used to losing everything.
We're actually getting close to some canon details now. He isn't going to just suddenly join the White Fang and turn to violence, though. There's still an important thing he has to go through first. Those of you who've read Adam's character info from the Amity Arena mobile game should know where he'll end up next. The rest can probably guess, though. Also, Amity Arena was a lot of fun, but my crappy phone at the time would almost always crash at the start of each match. Still had a really strong W/L ratio, though, as I'd reload and be put back in the same match with at least one of my towers already destroyed. Would launch an absolute surge of troops when they thought I was still afk and overrun them. Sadly, that game is no more.
Also slipped in a quick reference to League of Superpets. Pretty funny movie with some great moments (including the quote about love). Highly recommend.
Next chapter: Adam decides to retire a little early.