Shade's New Blood – Chapter 15
Underneath the shadows of the clouds, Tourmaline was alive today as much as any other. Warm, salt-scented winds came from the sea like gentle waves that rose and fell. Amongst the intersecting streets of brick and concrete, the city's people enjoyed their midday. Maron and Trya were among them wandering about the city searching for anything that would pass the time.
"You… look to be in a good mood today," Trya pointed out to Maron who carried herself with a touch of extra energy and confidence today.
"Do I?" Maron questioned the Faunus, "I suppose I did get to sleep well for once." She took in the air and relaxed her shoulders further. It had been a long time since she had done so but today, she felt comfortable enough to let herself feel relief. Her moment spent with Toma last night had lifted what felt like a small burden off of her. Blind, optimistic fool that Toma was, her words felt genuine enough for Maron to believe her. Maron caught herself just before a smile could show itself. She really, really hated that annoying, nosy, persistent side of Toma, but it was refreshing to know that someone was sincere with their actions—though, Maron would never admit that to her. Now, she wasn't so sure where she wanted to be later in her life. For now, though, seeing this mission through to the end was more than enough for her.
Tourmaline was busy with conversation and the mass patter of footsteps. In the distance, Maron could hear the docks running their machinery and birds screaming at each other over leftovers and scraps, but all of this became little more than background noise to her. The others had already stepped out before them to spend the day on their own accord. Flaye disappeared early in the morning, Steele and Tania went out together to find cooking ingredients, and Toma and Blizz mentioned something about visiting armor and weapon smiths. All that was left was Shae who slipped away somewhere between them all without a word about where she was going. According to Trya, Shae had only mentioned that it involved 'personal matters.'
"Hah," scoffed Maron. Quite the mysterious girl that one was, but Maron wasn't one to get invested into others' personal lives. She'd return later, that was for sure. Fortunately, Toma hadn't been told anything about it. Maron could already see it: If Toma caught word that Shae disappeared with her whereabouts unknown, she'd no doubt pester and search for her until she got her answer. Curiosity then got the better of Maron, "Where'd you think Shae ran off to?"
"She said it was personal so, family?" Trya suggested. "Does her family live here?" Trya put a finger to her chin and looked up in thought, "I don't think she ever talked about it…"
"'Family'," Maron whispered to herself. "She did mention 'family' being a reason for enrolling at Shade, 'Same for the both of us', she said," Maron remembered their conversation from long ago, "But that's about it."
"B-Both of you? Were you pressured into enrolling?" Trya asked, "I-I mean, not that it's uncommon—a-and there's nothing wrong—"
"N-No! No, it's nothing, really," Maron voice stammered as she cut Trya her off. Maron held the back of her own neck as she worked up some courage to voice her honest answer. Her own situation was certainly, vastly worse than whatever Shae had in store. "I, um," Maron began, "I-It was a last request of sorts," The weight of her staff felt like it grew heavier and tugged on Maron's shoulder, "And I had nowhere else to go."
"M-Me too…" said Trya.
The Faunus's response had startled Maron. A somber look befell Trya and caused Maron's heart to quicken with panic at the apparent wound she had inadvertently reopened. All this time, Trya had been nothing more than the quiet, shy, and easily timid girl of the team that rarely spoke if at all. Back at Shade, she had been akin to a ghost or someone drifting in the background of other students' lives. Maron hadn't even considered another possibility. It really brought to her attention how little she knew about the others, but between her own attitude, Shae's reserved demeanor, and Trya's reluctance to make small talk, it was a miracle they made it this far at all. Ironic that the three of them were on a team with someone as outgoing as Toma.
Heavy silence filled the space between them which prompted Maron to speak up, "Y-Yeah. I suppose no one really picks Shade as their first school of choice, huh?" She said in an attempt to lighten the mood. "There's always home to return to if things don't go well," Maron said in a subtle way to prod about the other girl's past.
"Not for me… not anymore…" Came Trya's gloomy reply. "Th-There was a small orphanage that raised me, but they couldn't keep me any longer after I grew too old. I think there was a home before that, but I can't seem to remember it—only bits and pieces from a dream I had."
Maron should have felt a sting in her heart, but instead she felt reassured to hear another soul know how her pain. It was bittersweet to know that she wasn't alone in her experience. However, Maron would not allow herself to be overtaken by her emotions and torment again. She got a hold of herself once more, "Haha," Maron let out nervously, "I lost mine too." She got close to Trya and grabbed hold of her wrist, "Why don't we go do something to take our minds of the past," She said, "The others ran off to do the same anyways." She didn't want to spoil the mood any more than she already had, so she pulled Trya along with the vain hope that they could find something to do during their day off.
The two explored the rows of shops, their streets filled with potential customers being lured in by aggressive advertisements and sales. From the looks of its size, Tourmaline's commercial district made Vacuo's look like little more than a street stall with everything on display. Fortunately, Maron wasn't one to be swayed by luxury goods or shining wares, she instead had something smaller in mind.
Before long, Maron had led herself and Trya to a smaller—and less expensive—shop that caught her interest. It reminded her of Vacuo's design. Patterns and boards were replaced with sturdy stone painted a plain white and a clear sign displaying the store's name that didn't irritate her eyes with overly complex fonts and colors.
Inside the small shop were small displays of jewelry from necklaces and rings to bracelets and polished gems. In the latter's case, her trained eyes could spot the faint glow and color that only Dust could have. Whether intentional or meant to deceive, they were cut and polished with an impressive level of craftsmanship. Nevertheless, she was not here for such pieces.
Minutes later and Maron emerged from the shop with a new necklace weighed from her neck by the bronze star, the gift given to her by Viri. It was the first one she had received in a long time but she didn't mind. For now, it would be a small source of comfort during her travels. Trya had taken notice of the new addition quick, "Oh, you actually got something?" She asked.
Maron held the necklace up with a pinch of her fingers while the star swayed between the both of them, "I just wanted to get something to hold this. It was a gift, I just thought it'd be better than tucked in a pocket."
Trya didn't seem to pay much attention to Maron's answer and studied the trinket with an intense glare as if it had some secret to tell. "I feel like I've seen this somewhere before…" She said to Maron.
"I've had it for a while. Maybe you saw it back at the dorm?"
Trya's ears perked up for a second, "Ah, I guess so." She was hesitant, but let the innocent gift go and accepted Maron's answer.
With their small errand done, the two girls went continued their exploration of the area. They spent their time checking out the city's entertainment areas, stopped by vendors every so often to grab a snack, and rested their legs when they could all the while Maron and Trya talked about trivial, mindless topics in between their sightseeing. A breeze rolled through the streets of Tourmaline as their conversation drifted to one about their fellow team members as well as the four that took them under their wing. Even if the topic of being pulled along irritated Maron, she allowed to voice her complaints with the older team. This in turn earned her a stifled giggle from Trya, the first Maron had seen and heard herself as far as she could remember.
Down a sparsely populated street, Trya uncharacteristically skipped ahead with hands behind her back and chest puffed out in confidence. She half-turned herself to face Maron again, half-leaned forward to keep her balance while her feet still carried her back. The Faunus looked at her with warm, endearing eyes and a small but gratified smile. Maron could feel herself a little flushed at the sight. "Hey, Maron?" Trya began, "It's not much, but thank—" Suddenly, she was abruptly interrupted when she accidently backed into a stranger whom had just turned a corner and into her path.
The two looked over to see a boy about Maron's height who had recoiled from the sudden impact. He was well dressed for someone of his age, but was evidently younger than the two girls by a year or two by how he carried himself. "Watch where you're going!" He shouted at Trya. His sudden appearance had startled the girl who flinched as he raised his hand before she then retreated to Maron's side. Behind the boy was an older man with greying hair, a visible trace of rough facial hair, and heavy eyes full that looked both exhausted and careless in their wander. The teenaged boy scanned the girls with an irritated look, "Uck, low-lives," His sight fell upon their weapons, "And Huntresses."
Maron guided Trya behind her as she kept on the side of caution. She instinctively stepped back into a more defensive stance, but it had not gone unnoticed by the older, armed man. At first, the man appeared careless and inattentive to Maron, but his quick reactions and aura came off as someone far more experienced than both she and Trya put together and more.
So focused Maron was on the tired-looking man that she hadn't even realized the boy was just finishing up a small spiel about them. "Hasn't Shade done enough harm already?" He angrily questioned the two girls, "That sorry excuse for an academy does nothing for the rest of us yet still expects the rest of the kingdom to acknowledge its authority!" Maron ignored his words with her only response being that of an irritated groan. She had better things to do today than listen to this, so, she took Trya by her wrist and pulled her along to escape this bothersome encounter. The boy continued his triad against them, "What? Nothing to say? No batter than the rest of them!" Maron continued to ignore him, "My city would be better off without shade's meddling—without your kind!" Maron put her best effort to ignore him, "Pfft, I'll bet the rest of your family—"
Trya felt the tight grip on her wrist loosen then slip. In the second it took to open her mouth to defuse the situation, Maron had already snapped. A raised fist of Maron's came down upon the boy and nearly hit its target, but his bodyguard was acted quicker and caught the attack. The older man gave Maron and Trya a small glare as a warning before shoving the former back to Trya's side.
The teen held a smug smirk on his face, "Attempting to assault me, the son of a very powerful family in this city?" He began, "Leave it to Shade's violent lapdogs to make things worse."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't pick fights with them in the first place," Countered a voice the two student Huntresses recognized.
The boy shivered at the sound of the voice. Stunned with fear, her carefully turned his head to meet face to face with a girl with raven black hair, her cold, sapphire-like eyes stared him down as if he were nothing but an inconvenience to her. He stuttered, "S-S-Shae, I-I didn't know you were—"
"'Back'?" Shae finished his sentence, "I decided to come home early is all. Better education at home than abroad from the looks of it." Her frown held firm as she leaned into his field of view only for him to look away. "Is that a problem?" Her words were held a threat underneath them.
"No…" He answered sheepishly.
"How reprehensible it is that you'd dare lay a hand on me," Shae rubbed shoulders with the boy who in turn stepped out of her way, "…Or someone closely affiliated."
"I'd never—" He tried to retaliate.
"I don't care. Leave us, now, I'd rather not get my father involved," Shae finished and shoved him back toward his bodyguard. The noble's son straightened himself up and stormed off in a small fit.
The older man gave a light bow of respect, "My sincerest apologies, Miss Dinumbra. I wish I could do more, but… you know." He cocked his head to the side and gave a quick glance to the one he was supposed to escorting.
Shae raised a dismissive hand, "I'll forgive it. Any particular reason for the outburst this time?"
The man shook his head and sighed, "Some trouble up in Atlas. The boy disrespected a business partner there and now his father has to renegotiate at a disadvantage. Took it out on the boy and then… you know," He gestured to Maron and Shae with a nod of his head. He then checked again on the boy that was getting further away, "I should get going before I lose 'em," Just as he started to leave, he stopped and turned to Shae again, "Oh, and welcome back home, Shae."
Once those two disappeared from their sight, Maron shook her head with some ire before she faced Shae. "What a convenient time to show up," Maron said to Shae, "And here I thought you were just a prickly-kind of person."
Shae let out a groan of annoyance at Maron's remark, but declined to pursue it. "I wasn't a very kind girl growing up if that's what you want to hear, Maron," She began, "But, my own family's position certainly didn't help my case. It certainly didn't prepare me for Shade…"
"So, a noble's girl then, huh?" Maron half jested.
"'Merchant's daughter'," Shae corrected with a low growl. Evidently, that phrase was quick to rile her. She sighed and spoke again, "Like I said, 'the merchant families run this place', and my own family…" She hesitated as one of her hands squeezed her own shoulder, almost ashamed to admit her history, "Let's just say my parents aren't ones to ever be crossed."
Maron waved her off, "Meh. In any case, what have you been up to all day?" She asked, "You kinda just left without saying anything."
"Personal matters," Shae answered, "Ones that are of no concern of yours."
"Heh," Maron rested a hand on her hip, "Really taking after that woman, aren't you?"
Shae frowned at her, "And you haven't changed since the day we met," she spat. "Not that I expected much from you to begin with," she scoffed.
"Oh, really?" Maron narrowed her gaze, "'Cause you're still as useless in a fight as you were back then."
Shae laid her hand at the edge of her scabbard. Her thumber rested on the guard of her weapon as her stance changed to one reminiscent of the older swordswoman who traveled with them. Maron too drew her hand back, her fingers adjusting themselves and poised to unholster her weapon at a moment's notice.
"E-E-Enough!" Trya shouted as she put herself between them, "Please." Her gaze dropped to the floor beneath her as her heart raced from its owner's sudden decision to make herself known. "We, uh," She paused as she pressed her fingers together nervously, "We're not supposed to fight each other, r-right?" The girl raised her head just a little and looked to the two others.
Shae let out a sigh and eased her guard as Maron backed off and did the same. "If it were anybody else…" She mumbled. "Sorry, Trya, it won't happen again. Ever," She glared at Maron who returned one in kind.
"How noble," Maron commented.
Without breaking eye contact with Maron, Shae flatly told them why, "That's because I'm leaving the team—and Shade—effective immediately."
Trya tensed up after the statement, "But—But why?" she stammered.
"Look, Trya, we—I'm not getting anywhere near where I want to be at our current rate. Not to mention I don't exactly trust where Flaye and them are taking us."
"No arguments here," Maron interjected with a mumble.
"Besides," Shae continued, "There's no telling what kind of enemies she made back at Shade if her last encounter there was anything to go by. Not to mention they're already prepped to kick us out anyways." Shae quietly muttered a slight or something else to herself after mentioning Shade. "Anyways, by the time we get back they'll no doubt disband us anyways."
Maron folded her arms with a displeased look to Shae, "Don't we still have a mission to complete?" she pointed out to the girl.
"The mission?" Shae repeated, "Is that why you're still here?" She questioned.
Maron didn't have a response.
"It's not my problem anymore, Maron. But if it really matters, then I'll say that I'm grateful for my chance to attend shade—and while I'm suspicious of her, Flaye did go out of her way to help train me personally." Silenced filled the passing moment between the three. "Well—" Shae started only to be cut off by Trya.
"Y-You can't just leave!" Trya held onto Shae's sleeves and pleaded for her not to stay, but Shae only patted her head in return.
Shae checked her Scroll and sighed, "Well, good luck on your field trip, but if I'm honest, I don't think we would have succeeded anyways." She left Trya's grasp and began walking away.
"And just what are we supposed to tell Toma and the others?" asked Maron in an assertive tone.
Shae stopped one last time. "Tell her whatever you want," Shae answered defeatedly, barely having her head turned just enough to see the two girls out of the corner of her eye, "I'm tired, and I'm going home." With those final words, she turned and walked away from the pair without a second glance back.