User blog:WeissMaus/Chasm Chronicles

The Chasm Chronicles

Introduction

How does one describe the world of Remnant? Full of danger and magic, Creatures called Grimm stalk the land in the form of wolves and bears, lizards and ravens. Magic called Dust makes up the bullets and batteries making humans dependent on it. Where robots look and act like humans and fight along side them. Where aura can be seen and heal wounds. Our story takes place far from the capital Vale and it's highly respectable school Beacon in which men and women are trained to hunt Grimm.

In an outpost that is also a prison for the dangerous and the irredeemable. What better way to make someone disappear without killing them. Morcia: made from an abandoned abbey near three chasms with a natural rock formation known as the Watch Wyvern. Degrees of cold range from -49 to -128.6 degrees. It's gets colder between the Chasms or so it's been believed. Prisoners who survive the trek are given clothing made for the weather and made into squadrons.

That had not been done for centuries, now the prisoners arrive by plane. Everyone relies on everyone else to survive. If they cannot survive, they die. Every four years they are given new supplies of food, Dust and armor. It is still not enough. The new supplies run as been few and far between now.

Groups of foragers go to edge of the nearest Chasm known as Wilhelm which is the second biggest of the chasms but the smallest and the most dangerous at 446 km long and 29 km wide the depth is 1,800 mile is H'rath. Inside the depths of each chasm they has a forest of black wood and grey leaves. The creatures who survive this harsh land are dangerous even more so then Grimm for starvation causes the mind to go insane. Volunteers to Morcia are rare and few and far between. Those who do volunteer either don't understand the danger or they are seeking redemption among their fellows. Our main protagonist was found at two on a normal patrol of Wilhelm. The leading member Rask took him in knowing it was a hard trek back to where they began. The baby was named Lieam Guardsman. The Chasms have secrets that no one has ever discovered.

Prologue 'the Exiled'

Moon light shone down on a large building. Search lights made their rounds as night guards walked the walls. The shadows hid a ruddy haired seventeen year old as he led a horse through the blackness. He wore furs and leathers, his military style boots were well worn from use. His green eyes shone with determination. The horse wickered loudly. "Shh," he said to the horse "We'll be out of here before you know it." He knew every crack and crevice on the walls, he knew every hiding spot. He stopped at the gatehouse. He quickly tied the horse to a post then went in. On a chair sleeping was the gatekeeper Hubert. His beard made him look like a owl. The youth crept silently passed the sleeping man. He reached for the gate keys. With them in hand he went outside to greet the horse.

Walking to the gate the keys clinked and clanked, he silently cursed to himself. Finding the key he put it in the lock, he turned it to open the door when a large hand held his shoulder. Sunlight made its way into the office of General Rask Lord and Warden of Morcia. His brown hair was cut short and a beard wrapped its self around his lips. His brown rat ears and tail were lowered in slight anger. He wore hard leathers and furs as was custom. His eyes were hard but as the looked at the youth they grew softer. He sighed as he looked at the youth who sat across his desk. The desk was well worn in the words of sophisticated folk it was matured furniture. He gave a sigh. How long had it been since he had first found the youth? Ten? Twelve? He no longer knew. When he found the boy he never had seen the youth would grow into a determined warrior.

Lieam knew how to pickpocket and lock-pick despite Constance and himself trying to get him away from the criminals. Not that it worked. Lieam always found a way to see his older friends to hear their tales of the outside world.

General Rask gave Lieam his punishment: extra chores, he watched as the youth sighed in anger but he went to do them anyway.

Rask went back to his work. So much paperwork for a small outpost. A knock came from his door. He looked up "Come in." he said. Constance Badgertree was large, she wore the same as the general. Her hair was black and white like the creature of her namesake. Just like the General she was a Faunus a person with animal like characteristics.

Almost everyone in Morcia was a Faunus. On her side was a baton that had could be used as a taser if it was needed so far it was not and used as a scare factor. If anyone who looked at her for the first time would be frightened but she had a kind side. It just wasn't seen often other then Rask.

" I saw Lieam run by, she said "he seemed mad, she sat down on the same chair that the youth had sat in moments before.

"I caught him trying to escape again." Rask sighed as he set down his quill pen. "He's getting to be a handful."

Constance sighed as well. "Remember when you first found him ten years ago?" she asked knowing full well he did. "He was wrapped in the red scarf he wears." she did a small chuckle. "He's growing up Rask and we can't stop it."

Rask walked up to the window, he knew she was right but that didn't mean he had to like it. If it were up to him Lieam would never leave the walls of Morcia. He thought of the letter he had sent along with Lieam's transcripts to Beacon the school men and woman were trained to hunt Grimm. He blamed the stories the recruits or rather criminals brought with them about Vale and the outside. Even Lieam's teachers Livingston and Volger told him stories.

"I know that Constance," he said turning to her "But he--" Here Rask faltered then he asked "Were we good parents? Or should we have tried harder to give him to a human family?" Constance looked down just as sad as Rask. "We tried, Rask that's all people would ask from us." Lieam ran down the halls then he stopped. He saw the Founder's Tapestry looking at him. Four faces hidden behind helmets and beside them was their weapons of swords and various others.

He sighed and spoke "I feel you watching me, I'm just on my way to do my sentence in the kitchens. Oh God the dishes." Then he turned serious "But you already knew that. I don't mean to disobey my parents. I just want out. You can understand that right?" He looked at his feet "I can't talk to my parents as I can with you. You're different. You understand what I feel."

Lieam shuffled his feet at the unwavering gaze of the Founders. "Look I'll try to be a better Faunus. " then he muttered under his breath "Even though they tell me I'm human" he lifted his voice up again "I promise not to escape anymore or worry my parents again." He turned away and shuffled sulkily to the kitchens muttering as he went. "I wish there was another war then I'll show 'em. Huh! Then they'll be glad to have a young man fighting then. I wouldn't be sent to scour the kitchens. They'll probably give me a medal or something like that."

He was unaware of the eyes had turned gentler as they watched the youth scramble away. "So in trouble again?" asked a lizard Faunus by the name of Nathan.

He was one of Lieam's friends but like everyone the boy knew he was much older. He got his answer when the youth nodded. Nathan chuckled "Sooner or later your parents will understand and send you to Beacon."

Lieam looked up "When?" he asked the older Faunus.

A noise interrupted the conversation. Nathan and Lieam ran to the noise. Yin and Oliver walked past the gates with a body bag. Lieam knew what had happened if before Oliver explained what happened to Constance. A Grimm attack, the others had survived but the losses were considered immense. They didn't have the power to use robots other then Cluni and she was small. The bigger robots used for battle were no longer used. The power had to be used for more important matters but that meant no robots to help patrol.

The body bags were taken off the horse, Lieam realized that the patrol had more horses then they returned with. He met Rask's eyes and the older man's gaze said "This is why we don't let you out there." Lieam quickly looked down.

Cavern wasn't filled according to histories, the great hall was once filled to the brim but now it wasn't even one fourth full. Cluni the robot loris rat hopped on her favorite perch meaning Lieam had to hold her weight on his shoulder not that she weighed that much.

Ale and stew was served. The ale was home brewed and the stew was made from animals that were around meaning it was just a mix of animal meats. The ale was drank but the losses of the Faunus from the patrol lingered. Nathan and Lieam sat with the two surviving patrol members Yin and Oliver.

Chapter one 'Shattered Peace'

Three days later feeling the sun warm his face Blind Simeon looked out. Even if "looked" wasn't the right word he remembered when he could see.

The air was growing hot and the insects were growing even more silent. The herbalist sniffed the air. He took his cane and walked down the ramparts. "Simeon." he heard a voice call his name.

"Good evening Father." said the herbalist "Strange seeing you out this time of day."

"See?" asked Rask then he realized what Simeon was trying to say. "Oh, that was a joke."

"Always on the nose, Father." "Stop calling me Father." snarled Rask but it was in good fun.

"If you recall I was once a brother in an abbey as a penance." reminded the blind herbalist to the warden "As such I call you Father because you are the Father of Morcia."

Rask lowered his head and sighed angrily "And Lieam is the Son?" He had heard this before from Simeon.

Simeon turned sharply to the general. "Lieam is important Rask. He might not be much now but-" He was interrupted by Rask who asked angrily "And how to do you figure that out?" He kicked the snow "I know Lieam is important. I raised him with Constance."

Simeon lifted his arms and spoke "The Great One puts words in the snow that only blind men can read." He spoke again "A great storm is coming tonight."

"How do you know?" asked Rask kindly. He was sorry that he had argued with the oldest inhabitant of Morcia.

"The air and the animals Father Rask." replied the old one with a smile then he sniffed the air "Come, I smell coated raspberry cream pudding, hot scones fresh from the oven." He took the warden's hand "We better hurry or the moles will eat it all.

"The moles are coming but they are always in their tunnels?" asked Rask following the fast pace of the blind man.

Simeon smiled "Do you know of a time when the moles did not come for Sernea's crumpets."

"Simeon, your observations once again leave me in the shadows. " Rask looked up at the sky in thought "I must tell Lieam to beat the log alarm again."

"Oh no not the log alarm." groaned Simeon "Do we have to hear that incessant banging?"

"Lieam is a bit over enthusiastic at beating the hollow log. " agreed Rask "But if we ever get a bell or truly rebuild the bell tower I will be the first to vote him in as bell-ringer."

Astride a half finished bell-tower that was more then likely never be finished. Rain pounded loudly as Lieam doggedly pounded the log with his clubs. His red brown hair wet from the hail. Thonkathonk

He was sturdily built young man, he felt the wind trying push him back. He shook his head to shake off the water from his eyes. Wiping the hail from his forehead then he put it down to continue beating the log with his two clubs. Whenever he raised his head ever so slightly he saw the tundra standing stoically and the Watch Wyvern.

"Lieam, come down, or you'll catch your death." came a familiar voice calling to him from down below.

He looked to see the voice more clearly and smiled. Constance was standing there in clean clothing looking back up at him. She had a hand on the wet sward.

"Do you hear me, young man down this instant."

Lieam blew hail water from his bangs and yelled down like a rouge. "Alright ma'am just as you say. He jumped down with a backward glance, wrapped around his waist was a wet rope. He plunged down earthward to her snarls. He stopped a fraction from the ground and smiled "I came as fast as I could"

Constance grabbed him roughly and pulled him to the door. He protested loudly

"I'm not a baby. I can walk by myself"

"No, you're not. You are a pickle. Jumping off a building at such a height. What if the rope snapped? You would be dead before hit the ground."

"I know what I was doing." He protested again "It was perfectly safe, I've done it before. Put me down please. I can walk on my own two feet, you know."

"Done it before!" She yelled at him "Who was watching you? Who do you think you are? An assassin?"

Scolding and arguing in turns. The two made their way into Morcia and into the warmth of the old citadel.

Cavern was the name for the mess hall, it also bore the name Great Hall. It seated over a four hundred but it wasn't even one fourth full. Men and women sat on their seats, some drinking ale, others playing card or board games. Heads and antlers of the hunted gave the walls decorations. When a person came in the first thing they would see across from them would be a tapestry depicting Morcia's founders. Filled with symbols and runes no one knew what to make of it. Elk and some kind of rodent filled the table in a stew with hardened bread to dip in.

Across the hall seating in chairs covered in hides of creatures. Light came from torches and lanterns. Rask sat on the head of the table. Simeon sat on his left and the chair on Rask's right was empty for that was Constance's chair. Rask lifted a scone to his mouth and stopped. "Hmm the beating stopped. I wonder where Lieam is?"

Simeon chuckled "Can't you hear him? He's getting a good scolding from the Major and probably getting some new clothes."

The reprimands of Constance and the loud protests of Lieam were heard loudly from the corridor connecting Cavern to the kitchen.

"Hold still, young man, your hair is saturated"

"Oww! I won't have any hair left if you keep going on like that. Ouch! And I'm not wearing that habit it belongs to Fatty Tuck."

"Oooh you ungrateful little... Tuck is kind enough to lend you a spare robe... Come back here."

Wet boots pounding the floor announced the culprit's escape. Lieam scampered in. He sat between Nathan and Oliver. Grabbing a wedge of cheese, he shoved it in nut furl bread and shoved it in his mouth.

Oliver smiled "Run afoul of the Major again." He laughed then stopped "Quick under the table. Yonder, here she comes." He sat down with a cup of ale and some stew.

"Good food tonight." said Oliver drinking from his bowl with a loud slurp. "I haven't had this for a while." he took a guitar from his back and began to play a small tune.

Lieam smiled at his friend "More then two weeks."

"Two weeks of rodents and no ale." The bull Faunus said drinking from the mug "That's good ale."

Yin walked over and slapped the bull Faunus on the back "I'm glad you survived the Chasm Patrol so who's next on the roster?"

"Neil, Olive and Cameron with Bello."

"Oh, come on," said a voice on another table. It was one of the few human criminals here. "That's three times you beat me on Kingdoms! You are cheating!"

"I'm not cheating! yelled the Faunus standing up with his fists clenched. His wolf ears fell flat in anger. "You are just a sore loser!"

"Say that to my face, Faunus!"

"Are they at it again?" asked Nathan walking up, "General Rask hates it when we don't work together."

The argument escalated to where the two were about to trade blows then a loud voice called out "Silence!"

She walked over to the two prisoners and banged their heads together. "You are so stupid the both of you!" she said angrily on her side was a baton that swung by her side as she spoke. "What if we were attacked eh? Then we won't need to dig a grave because the two of you would already be dead by your stupidity! We work together here and if the two of you can't do that then I will walk both of you to the gates myself and see if you survive out there in the Chasms!"

Oliver whispered to Lieam "She's pissed." he carefully drank his ale "I never thought I would see her go crazy mad."

Lieam nodded without saying anything. He had been on the end of her anger when he was younger. He felt sorry for them right now. "She is a badger after all. When they get pissed, they get pissed." Nathan whispered back. He shivered from the cold as well as the fear of Constance's anger. "They are getting the biggest scolding in their lives and that is not counting the scoldings they got from their mothers."

The two prisoners rubbed their heads in pain. Constance spoke in a no nonsense tone. "Apologize to each other and shake hands." They looked at her then she snarled "Now!"

"I'm sorry for being a jerk," said the human looking at Constance fearfully "I am also sorry for treating you like crap."

"I'm sorry too," replied the wolf Faunus just as scared as the human. "I hope you can forgive me."

"Good," said Constance happily "Now get back to what you were doing and no fighting this time." She walked away and everyone gave a huge sigh of relief. The temperature had dropped a couple of degrees when she had been angry.

Yin shivered "She scares me more then the police in Vale." she rubbed her shoulders as if she had felt a cold wind.

Rain continued to pound, Nathan shook his head "Anyone who is out there is probably drowned by now."

"True." Yin said nodding her head. Her antennae shook as well.

The Faunus trickled out of Cavern to go to the their respective barracks. The orchard trees fell down like the dead. Lighting struck various areas around the abbey.

Night fell like a guillotine dropping on a head. Lieam slept on as the hail continued pound down like like drums. The next morning air sirens called out like cats dying. Lieam's eyes shot open. He grabbed his pants and worked on putting them on. He put his boots on after. Cluni hopped on his shoulder.

He saw that everyone was getting into position. Muskets were handed out and shotguns were given. "What's happening?" he asked as he found a person running. "What's happening?" he asked again as he ran down the stairs "

We're under attack!" yelled Nathan throwing him a MADR Dust Rapier. "Use this." He grabbed the rapier by it's hilt. "Thanks, Nat!" yelled Lieam moving to the back of his lizard friend. "Never abandon."

"Never betray." replied Nathan smiling "So do you think Volger's fencing lessons will work now?"

"Only one way to find out." Lieam said aiming the weapon and shooting forward. He twisted his wrist slightly and the dust moved up the blade. The Beowulf roared in pain as the youth drew it's black blood.

The Beowulf clawed at Lieam who parried the claw away and leaped on the Grimm. He saw the destruction the Grimm were causing and new Grimm he hadn't read about or seen over the walls.

Bodies were strewn everywhere. A huge spider with a human head and human hands on the two front legs ripped a lion Faunus in half. It chewed one half of the body, It lifted it's face and looked at them. It began to race forward. Lieam used his rapier to stab the spider beast. A huge screech filled the air. A five headed snake reared it's heads and banged the wall causing it to fall screams filled the air as the Faunus and people fell down smashed between the falling rocks.

The messenger birds fell from the sky wings and parts strewn about. Lieam saw the head of one of his favorite bird. A two headed bird species was called Imperial. It's black feathers no longer coiled like snakes and it's heads would no longer fight for food like troubled siblings. The large black talons were limp. It's large body was as big as the smallest part of his chest plate. He knelt down. "Barking Spiders! Czar!" he called out the birds name. He held the dead bird and Cluni squeaked in mourning. "Czar!"

The body felt warm in his hands. Tears fell down. Memories of the bird breaking and nipping his fingers. Czar had been his responsibility since he had found the wounded bird on the wall with two broken wings. "Oh, Czar."

He felt a rough hand pull him up. "Curse you, boy!" Lieam looked up to see Ernst Volger the weapon's master and his fencing teacher "Stand! We are in a war zone!"

Lieam stood and was pushed down again as Nevermore peaked down at the two of them. Volger used his MADR to parry. He looked at Lieam "What are you standing around for? Get moving!"

The youth needed no second bidding, he ran. People and Faunus fell all around him. He managed to make it to the old robot hanger. The robots hadn't been used in years, they didn't even use Dust. In fact most of the weapons here didn't use Dust. They used something called Diesel and kerosene. He heard the Grimm outside and voices yelling. He crawled into a Runabout and hid. He closed the hatch and waited.

A large Grimm known as Goliath walked inside crashing the hanger doors. It's ears stood as large as a Cyklop Storm Walker robot. Lieam saw it though the view hole of the machine, he tried to make his breath even and calm. He began to shake in fear. This was the largest Grimm known to man and Faunus. Cluni nuzzled him to give comfort. Lieam reached a hand and patted the rat loris robot on her head.

It walked to the robot Lieam was hiding in and stared at him. It's tusks moved up and down as it breathed. Lieam gave a small gasp as it began to walk away. When it disappeared he turned to Cluni. "Cluni, what just happened?" he asked her in which Cluni replied with a shrug. "Huh?" Something was moving the Runabout. "Uh oh." The runabout moved left and right as if something was trying to tip it or grab it. "Oh clart."

The runabout had been thrown by something, it flew through the air. "Clart!" yelled Lieam as he grabbed on to the chair. "Hold on, Cluni!" It landed hard then it began to tip left and right. Suddenly it began to roll.

Cluni grabbed on to Lieam's red scarf as the runabout rolled around and bumped into rocks and boulders. "Yow!" Lieam snarled as he felt his shoulder hit something probably some mechanical thing. "Oww!" He passed out when he hit his head on something hard.

The runabout stopped moving when it reached a ditch. The hatch was angled so it couldn't be opened. A Goliath walked up and saw that it was stuck. Using it's trunk it lifted up the runabout and laid it down over the ditch.

Two hours later Lieam woke up and rubbed his neck. It hurt like hell. He winced as he touched a bruise on his neck "Aw, Barking Spiders!" he exclaimed then he looked around "Cluni are you okay?" The rat loris popped her head out like a weasel causing the youth to smile. "That'll do Cluni that'll do." He lifted the hatch and crawled out, he noticed that every time he moved his left shoulder it pained him to do so. In fact his entire body was in pain.

Chapter two 'the Survivors'

Lieam limped up to the gate, he sighed, "Well, you wanted to get out of the gates," He said to himself "but this isn't how I imagined it." His eyes grew wide when he entered the courtyard. Bodies laid everywhere. Some were mutilated beyond recognition, others had their guts spilled all over, even more were eaten and only their clothes were left.

Bodies of messenger birds mingled with the Faunus and human ones. Blood stuck to his boots like glue. He walked on past the bodies, a electrical sound reached his ears. He walked to the message room where people would send messages via morse code. He walked inside, seeing no one he continued onward. He gasped out, a body laid down dead on the chair her hand outstretched to the morse code machine. Her head was busted open. Lieam quickly ran out of the room. He turned a corner and saw the body of Blind Simeon.

"No," Lieam whispered then he knelt down next to the body "Simeon, why?" the old herbalist had a weapon in his hand meaning that he fought even when blind. "What happened?" even before the words were out of his mouth he knew: everyone he knew was dead and he was the only survivor.

A figure found Lieam who had cried himself to sleep. "Hey," she said touching his shoulder "Hey," wake up."

Lieam's eyes fluttered open, he gave a small gasp "Hornet!" he called her by her nickname "Hornet, is that you?"

Yin had black hair that went all the way down her back. The hair was tightly braided. She had spikes in there for protection. Her uniform was in shreds and tears. She smiled at him "Yeah, it's me," she lifted him up, "Come on, we have to find some more survivors" He walked by her side, Cluni continually switched shoulders, she went from Yin's to Lieam's several times. Her nose nuzzled the two survivors. "I'm glad I found you Lieam," said Yin softly "When I saw you, I thought you were dead as well." she looked at the youth "The General would have my head if you died."

The youth's eyes grew wide, "Father! Mother!" he ran off leaving Yin in his dust. He heard her call his name but he didn't listen. He had to find his parents or at least his adopted parents. "Mother! Father!" He ran into the General's office. "Father!" the General's office had blood splatters all over the place but no person. He followed the blood trails and it led to his worst fear.

Rask and Constance were side by side, their heads smashed in and their bodies were ripped at the middle. Their guts were spilt and some of them were chewed. "Mom! Dad!"

Yin ran in to see Lieam in tears. She moved a hand on his unhurt shoulder to comfort him. Cluni nuzzled him. Lieam turned to Yin "Why? Why does this happen ?" Yin moved a hand through her hair, and sighed "Who knows, Lieam." she turned him around to face him "Lieam, we have to find others."

He nodded and followed her lead. His mind was replaying every instance he had been angry with his adopted parents, every mistake was made bigger. He wiped tears from his eyes. "I wasn't even a good son." he muttered to himself sadly.

Yin stopped and grabbed him by his shoulders. He winced and Yin loosened her grip. "Lieam, you are a child! A child, you make mistakes and learn from them." she sighed "You were a good son to Constance and Rask, don't even think otherwise."

"Yin!" called a voice "Lieam, is that you?"

Yin turned around and saw a lizard Faunus. She smiled "Nathan, you're alive!" She let Lieam go and ran to the Faunus. "It is you."

Lieam smiled as he ran to hug the lizard. "I'm glad you are alive!" he whispered to the older man and one of his best friends "Thank god."

Nathan smiled and began walking with the two "So how did you survive the attack," he rubbed the back of his neck "I mean I survived by hiding under another dead body. Apparently the Grimm thought I was already dead."

Yin looked down, "I can beat that, I survived by hiding in a dead Grimm's body. That is something I will never do again." she turned to Lieam "I found you by Simeon but he was in the middle of attack so how did you survive?"

"I hid in an old runabout," Lieam replied "Me and Cluni both. A Goliath might have tossed us because the next thing I knew I was outside the gates."

The older people remained silent as they walked by more bodies. Minutes went by but to the three it seemed like hours. They checked any body that could be a survivor but it always turned out to be a false alarm.

The youth knelt down to the body of Ernst Volger his fencing teacher, he poked him using a MADR rapier he had kept at the beginning of the attack. Blood spilled out followed by a yell.

"Damn it!" yelled Ernst "What the hell? Lieam?" the older man looked up to see Lieam.

"Here let me help you up." said Lieam.

"What happened? asked Ernst "You poked me with a MADR?" he faced Lieam "Never do that because of the Dust in it! For goodness sakes!"

Yin and Nathan turned to see them walk up. "Ernst!" yelled out Nathan "You're alive." "I'm alive, but if Lieam hadn't poked me to death."

Lieam said nothing because he knew that the older man was right. He did poke a little too hard. The three adults began to talk about what to do. Just as they began to set up camp another person walked up. "Oliver!" called out Yin "Is that you?"

"Yes," said the bull Faunus "I still don't know how managed to survived though."

Ernst spoke up "I don't know either, Oliver." he set down a cup of ale for the bull Faunus "Come, have a drink."

Oliver spoke "Ronan was behind me, I think he's still looking for survivors." He thanked Ernst and drank deeply "What provoked the attack though? Mostly the Grimm just walk away when they see the walls." "That's the million Len question." Yin said softly "What caused the attack to happen and why?"

Ronan walked up, his rabbit ears always had a tilt for some reason. He was one of the best warriors but his temper was legendary. His brown hair had white highlights though it. He always carried an rifle on his back. His uniform was like the rest torn and ripped.

He sat around the fire and spoke "Oliver and I found each other wandering around, we checked bodies to make sure if they were dead and...... he shook his head sadly "You can see that they're dead as well." He sighed and munched down on the rations.

"We should all try to sleep," Ernst suggested "Tomorrow we can sort it out."

All agreed and set up their sleeping bags. Lieam looked at the broken moon, never had it seemed so far away. He sighed softly even Beacon was far away now. "Please, let someone hear our message for help." he prayed softly. He fell to sleep as the night went on.

The next morning Lieam was woken up by a kick on his side. "Come up, Pup." said the voice. He looked up to see Nathan smiling at him. "Come on, wake up."

"Alright, I'm up already." said Lieam getting up out of his sleeping bag. "I'm up see?"

Nathan laughed and got his food. "We saved some for you." he sat down "We'll be leaving in an hour." Lieam got his rations and sat down next to his oldest friend. As he ate Nathan looked at him "Are you okay?" the Faunus asked

The youth sighed "I'm just thinking about Rask and Constance." he looked up to the sky "I wasn't there to help them." tears began to fall "I miss them."

Nathan patted Lieam's back in a comforting manner. "I miss them too." then he chuckled "Hey remember how Rask got mad when you tried to climb up a Storm Walker?"

That caused the youth to laugh a little but he went back to sadness. Ernst walked up with a traveling bag on his back "It's time to go." he said "We have to leave." "Come on, pup." Nathan said standing up. "It's time we leave this place."

They walked for several hours, walking up hills and small valleys. Days past and when two weeks had passed the chasm Wilhelm showed it's gaping mouth. "Stay away from the edge," warned Nathan "Unless you want to fall to your death."

Chapter three 'Into the beast'

The Chasm Wilhelm was a long way down. Using ropes and hinges the six climbed down knowing they had no choice but to go forward or in this case downwards. Every couple of hours a person would call a name and it would become a roll call making sure everyone was safe.

Lieam took care not to look down as he climbed. He liked heights but after what had happened to Morcia he wasn't taking chances that his fear would control him. Cluni stayed in his scarf pocket he heard a yell and thus the roll call began again. He looked up, he squinted his eyes to see his rope was splitting. He gave a yell "My rope is splitting! Help!"

Nathan moved forward, he had been raised in the mountains. He reached over to Lieam just as he fell "There gotcha little bro." he said with a smile. He pulled the youth up. He yelled to the others "I think there's a cave below Lieam and I are going to check it out." he pulled Lieam to his back "Hold on."

"As if I can do anything else." muttered Lieam sarcastically. In reply all Nathan did was laugh.

Nathan landed on the edge of the cave. He put Lieam down and went to the edge of the cave and bellowed "We have a shelter now, get down here."

The people climbed down and the next couple of hours were spent making sure that there was no Grimm around to kill them or something of the sort. As the fire blazed talk went around of the hopes and dreams of the survivors.

"Well," said Yin pulling in Lieam for a head rub "We know what Lieam will be doing. He will be at Beacon, getting girls and being the top of his class."

"I'm not that good," Lieam muttered "I never got the reply....." he stopped when he remembered how he had fought tooth and nail to get Rask and Constance to agree sending to him to Beacon. Now that dream might never be realized.

Ernst sighed sadly "I wish I could see my little snow angel again."

"I didn't know you had a daughter, Ernst." said Ronan. He put another stick in the fire.

"She's not my daughter," replied Ernst looking at the fire seeing a girl fencing against a robot on her left eye was a jagged scar from a childhood incident that haunted her. "She's the daughter of a wealthy businesses man. I came to teach her self defense in preparation for Beacon." he laughed "I took her under my wing." he turned to Lieam "She'll kick your ass in fencing no mistake."

"That's because you came five years ago," the youth muttered "I didn't even know there was a thing called fencing until you came."

Oliver leaned on the stone wall "I know what I want," he didn't even wait for a reply "Going back to my family that's my dream. And maybe getting back into Buskator fighting." he laughed "My family are famous Buskator fighters all the men fought. When they got into the ring they lived and they died by the cape. Ha."

Lieam looked at Oliver and raised an eyebrow. "That sounds painful."

"My dad got in a coma once fighting a Buskator." Lieam's eyes grew wide and Oliver gave a small laugh "No fear Lieam, I left before I could get in." then he looked down in sadness "Then I joined White Fang."

"Stupid Faunus" muttered Ronan but no one heard. He threw another stick in the fire causing it to blaze up "It's time to sleep, we should get up at first light."

"I agree," said Ernst "But before we do what is your dreams Yin? Nathan?" he asked them.

Nathan put a finger up on his chin "I would like to become an artist and sell my paintings but I doubt it would happen right now." he turned to Yin "What about you?"

"I would go back to my family and start my restaurant." she smiled "And see their happy faces about my food."

"Alright," spoke Ronan meanly "Get to sleep, all of you!" He put out his sleeping bag and turned away from the people. They looked at each other, Lieam saw the Nathan wanted to say something so he grabbed his older friends' shoulder and shook his head.

The next morning after eating a small ration, they began their decent again. Once their feet hit the ground. Yin hugged or tried to hug the ground "I'm never leaving you again ground! I love you too much."

Ernst smiled at the younger girl "Come on, we got to get going. We are too exposed here." He walked off and the rest followed. Trees that were close to nonexistent or so it was believed in the Chasms but everything the survivors saw went against everything they were told.

"I don't believe it," Ernst muttered to himself "Every sky view of the Chasm showed that life was nonexistent, this goes against everything we have been taught."

Nathan walked forward and his foot got trapped by a plant. "Hey!" he yelled out, he shot the plant then a giant plant with teeth rose up out of the ground. "What the Shit!" he yelled "Help!"

Lieam and the rest ran to get Nathan out for the trap. He twisted his hand and shot forward with his rapier. A plant vine grabbed his rapier and flung it. "My rapier!" yelled Lieam.

Ernst used his MADR rapier and switched it to fire. He parried the vines and thrust forward with all the experience of a master fencer. The plant roared and died as fire burned it down.

He changed the rapier to ice and took out the fire. He handed Lieam the MADR that was taken from the youth's hands. "Keep your hand on your weapon, Boy" he said to Lieam "You'll never know when you might need it."

"I did keep it on me. "He protested but he was promptly ignored as Ernst went to check on Nathan. The youth looked up and saw something fly through the air. "Guys, I think I saw something."

"No, you didn't." said Ronan walking up to him "I don't think something will take us after that plant."

They began to walk again this time taking careful steps so they wouldn't be surprised again. The forest seemed to grow monstrous, the branches seemed like hands. Lieam find himself shivering, Yin patted his back "Don't worry Lieam. Never abandon, never betray." she smiled at him "We all have each others back."

Nathan drew in his sketch book, drawing the Grimm he had seen. The very Grimm that had destroyed Morcia. The five headed snake, the cat owl, and many others. Lieam walked up to him. "What are doing Nat?" he asked kindly.

"Drawing the Grimm that destroyed our home." Nathan replied showing the youth his drawings. "I even added the plant monster."

What reason did Grimm had to kill all of Morcia leaving only six survivors and that was not counting Cluni.

They found a good place to rest, the older people left Lieam to guard the camp while they hunted for food and other things. The youth sighed out loud. Why was he always being left to do the worst jobs. He wanted to see the creatures here or at least something. Cluni crawled up to his shoulder and began to chatter about nothing.

Underneath the chatter a ghostly voice spoke Doomed, you are all doomed. Lieam turned around almost knocking Cluni off. "Did you hear that, Cluni?" he asked her. She shrugged leaving Lieam alone to figure it out.

"Who's there?" he yelled out. "Come on, show yourself!" There was no answer, the youth took his MADR out of it's sheath and held it out. "I'm not afraid!" he yelled out with false bravado.

"What are you yelling out for?" asked Yin walking up with tubers and roots. "There's no one here."

The youth looked down in embarrassment "I thought I saw some thing." he lied he didn't want anyone to know he had started hearing voices. "It just looked weird."

"Well, get some rest." she said "I got watch duty."

Lieam got into his bedroll and tried to sleep. The rest came back and began to talk, he let their voices lull him to sleep. Up above a figure with bat like wings watched over them.

Chapter four 'a Sacrifice'

Their footprints fell in step. Trees passed as they walked. They climbed over boulders and various rocks that seemed to position themselves in the questers way. They stopped to fill their canteens with water. The trees made a good shade as rested up for the longer part of the journey.

Lieam thought he saw something flying after them but whenever he told. His fellow questers gave him a look and told him to concentrate on important issue surviving not dreams. So instead he kept it to himself and the journey kept on.

Lieam matched his footfalls with the older ones. They seemed to making good time. Only problem was that they had no idea which way they were to go to get out of Wilhelm. Oliver began to sing a marching tune to keep hope up but after a glare from Ronan he stopped. Lieam looked up to see the bat wings again. "Hey!" he yelled and pointed "There can you see it?"

Yin looked to where the youth had pointed at only to see nothing. "There's nothing, Lieam." she said kindly. With that out of the question they walked again.

They entered a clearing. Trees had spread out to form a large circular area in the chasm. It looked completely normal except for the fact there was people on pikes that rose up out of the ground. A small supply plane had wreaked in this area as well. It's wings were ripped apart, claw marks made their presence on the entire plane.

Yin gave a gasp and Nathan held her. Ernst turned green but he didn't turn away. Ronan stared at them and muttered something about stupid people. Oliver got his weapon out. Lieam turned away to throw up.

He felt sick. The poor people, he had even recognized some of them. They had been the pilots for the supply plane the people who were going to send his transcripts to Beacon now they were dead. After he was sure he wasn't going to throw up his lunch not that it was much. He turned around and followed the older people.

They explored the plane to see if they could salvage anything from it. The youth saw a cylinder and recognized it as his transcripts. "I found my transcripts!" he yelled as he held it up.

He opened it up to check and all his papers were there. From the birth certificate Livingston had made to his last classes.

There was even the letter to headmistress or master of Beacon that told his entire story as well as Rask and Constance's hope. As he held the papers he suddenly put them back as the tears came down. The cylinder was another grim reminder that Rask and Constance were dead and Lieam would never get to Beacon.

Nathan found Lieam crying. He held the young man who was just like a younger brother. There was no words to say for what could be said about dreams being crushed. "I'm so sorry Lieam." he said "I'm so sorry."

The youth turned to the man who had been an older brother figure for years. "I was never going to go to Beacon anyway." he said standing up. "The dream should have died long ago." He began to walk away from the cylinder but Nathan picked it up and held it to him.

"Lieam, never say that your dream to become the greatest Huntsman in the world has died. " he pressed the cylinder to the youth "This isn't just your transcripts, here in this cylinder is who you are. No one will believe you if you don't have these papers. You need them to survive even in Vale."

Lieam stared at the cylinder then he sighed. He took the cylinder from Nathan's hand and put it in his satchel. The two of them walked out of the room together.

Oliver found a radio. Ronan and Ernst both tried to help. The radio was busted and looked like it wasn't going to be fixed anytime soon. Ronan gave a sound of annoyance. "Damn it, why does the Schnee Company have to make it so damn complicated?" He pointed to the wires "We are never going to fix this. Our only problem now is to survive the chasms and get out alive!"

"Alright then," said Oliver handing a small hand radio that was just as busted "Maybe we can get this work as we travel. We could be rescued then." They found Yin looking over the pilots food supplies. She held a bag. There was other bags beside her as well.

"We got some more supplies," she said quietly "I found some jerky and bottled water. We can survive on this for a while."

Doomed. Lieam turned around when they walked out of the plane. He had heard that word again. The bodies of the dead seemed to become ghostly. "Tell me you heard that." he said softly to Nathan. The youth was surprised at the older man's answer.

"Yeah, I heard it this time," Nathan yelled out to the rest of the group. "Everyone, Hold for a bit."

Ernst walked up to Nathan "What is it?" he asked "Why the holdup?" "Listen."

Doomed.

"What the hell is that?"

Ours was the sacrifice rejected. The Many shall not abide thy presence.

"The Many?" asked Yin her nose scrunching up in thought then her eyes widened. "We got to go now!" She began to hold on to her knives "Run!" The bodies of the people dead began to move. "Don't cut open the bodies!" her yell came to late as Lieam ripped upward tearing though flesh.

"What are they?" he yelled as reddish black ants exploded out. Their legs had white spikes the edges. Red insect eyes met Lieam's and he pushed them with fire dust. "What are they?"

"The Many, Lieam," Yin replied as she fought against a dozen of the red ants. "My people have stories about them. But they disappeared years ago even before the Faunus war. They shouldn't exist now!"

Ronan growled as he shot up the ground "They keep on coming. They just don't stop!" He turned to see that Oliver needed help. He turned away and shot his gun near Lieam and Ernst.

Lieam turned to see Oliver screaming in pain. It was clear that the bull Faunus was being eaten alive. "Oliver!" he yelled he began to run to his friend but Ernst grabbed him

"Don't Boy," the older man spoke "Focus on yourself."

A bat like figure watched by a tree and gave a sigh. It flew to a small corner of the cliff face and touched a rock. Water poured out like a turbulent wave. The Many screeched as the water hit them and they began to crumble.

"Water?!" asked Yin looking up. "How? Why?"

Nathan yelled as he saw a rising wave "Flash flood! Grab on to something!" He reached for a tree and held on to it's trunk. "Hold on!"

The water moved like rapids over their faces threatening to tear them off of their holdings. Cluni gripped as tightly as she could on to Lieam's scarf. She was hidden in the pocket part of it but she still had to grip if she was to survive. Just as it had begun the flash flood ended. Bodies of The Many laid everywhere. Lieam released his grip on a tree.

He walked to Oliver's body, the bull Faunus laid dead. The waters had come to late. Lieam knelt by the body, he bowed his head. Nathan put a hand on the youth's shoulder. Wordlessly they began to dig graves for the dead.

Nathan took a deep breath and spoke over the graves "The pilots did their jobs for years and they died in a horrible way. May they find peace." He looked at Oliver's grave "Oliver Patrol leader and optimist. He never had a bad word to say to anyone. In an instant he would have whipped out his guitar and sung of a victory. I am glad to have known him."

All the rest spoke in unison "May your name live on in Legend: Oliver Sanchez" Lieam bowed his head and a tear fell suddenly many more came.

Chapter five 'Hidden Path'

They walked for several days it seemed. Small hills and trees continued to rise and fall. Each one looked the same. One word could describe the questers situation: lost. They meet up with a couple of Grimm but they were easily defeated with a couple of wounds for their troubles.

Ronan spoke up as he put his rifle back "That was too easy." he smiled "I never felt so alive."

Ernst rolled his eyes "That battle with the Creeper took us off our path a day or more."

They walked off again. A bat like creature flew over them in the shadows. It knew it's mission. It had to keep flying if only to keep the boy safe.

Cluni looked up and pointed. Lieam followed the robot's gaze and he met the eyes of the bat. Red eyes met green ones. Somehow the youth didn't feel afraid instead he felt safe.

The bat creature flew away leaving the youth feeling sad. He turned to Cluni "What's going on Cluni?" he asked "That was a Grimm right? And yet..."

He didn't know what to say next. All he had known about Grimm had been vanquished by the sight of this bat creature. "What are we doing?" he asked softly "Are Grimm just animals or are they like us?"

Nathan looked at Lieam and he remembered Lieam was no more then four, Nathan had been taking care of him. He combed the little one's hair and discovered that two parts of his hair didn't match.

He reached down and felt ears: Faunus ears like a fox. But they were so small that you would think they were part of his hair.

He told Constance who told Rask. Rask summoned the young patrolman to his office. They talked and talked. It was decided that it was best to treat Lieam as if he was human.

All the better if he was to become something more then a Faunus. Nathan sighed. He wanted to tell Lieam this secret hearing that Lieam thought he was human was killing the lizard Faunus.

This boy was his brother in more was then one. He was a Faunus and yet treated like human. What path would the youth take? What would the world to do him?

Lieam didn't know any of this and walked beside Nathan. Nathan was like his brother. He didn't understand why Nathan was looking weirdly at him. "Nathan," Lieam looked at his brother figure "Is something wrong?"

Nathan shook his head "Nothing is wrong, little fox." He patted Lieam on the head "Nothing is on wrong."

Lieam said nothing more. If Nathan didn't want to tell him then he would wait. They were brothers after all well as much brothers as a human and a Faunus could be. Cluni looked closely at Ronan something didn't seem right to her. She couldn't talk so she couldn't say anything.

Ronan worked on the radio. He muttered to himself on how the Schnee company made everything so complicated.

"What?" asked Lieam "Can you hear that?" It seemed as though footfalls were stampeding through the land. Large creatures pounded the ground. Lieam heard Nathan yell something but he was grabbed by Yin into a small hole. The strange six legged creatures pounded past them.

"Are you okay?' she asked him. He nodded. She looked at the stampeding creatures. "Guess we have no choice but to go forward."

Cluni's eyes glowed an electric blue sending her light to guide the way. The darkness seemed to grow as they walked forward. Cluni made sure that the path was lit up well. Yin smiled "Good girl Cluni." she patted the rat loris on the head "We can see better now." The rat loris smiled as wide as a tree trunk.

Lieam heard the footfalls and nothing else. Silence reigned over this path. They walked on and on until it seemed as though they could never find their way out again. He walked forward but was quickly pulled back by Yin. "There's a hole here." she said. She threw a stone and it fell. "It seems to be a ten story drop. We have to go another path."

Lieam nodded and they went another way. He sighed and rested on a wall. A small button was pressed. Loud noises came through the tunnel. A strange light shined at the end. He lifted a hand to face to see better. What was that light? Yin's brown eyes grew wide and she grabbed the youth "Get going!"

He gave a cry as she grabbed his scarf. "Yin.." he gasped out "Yin, I'm chocking!"

"Oh, sorry." she released him. The light and the noises continued on in a pattern like a machine. Lieam put his hand on the wall and quickly took it off. The wall seemed to be on fire. "What... what is happening?" he asked her "It sounds like a factory of some kind."

She panted out "I wish I knew Lieam." she said then she pointed "But this path seems safe."

They entered a room, the machine noises still followed them. Questions were asked but none of them answered. A broken ladder greeted them going up was not an option so where were they supposed to go? Broken vials and test tubes littered the floor. "Be careful, Lieam." she cautioned. He gave a nod of agreement.

He looked around, he saw big cylinders that seemed to have once held something. Something that had once been alive. Dried blood was scattered around every room they walked in. What had happened here?

Red eyes watched the three walk through the hallways. It slithered through a hidden path it had created decades ago. Yin decided to ask Lieam "You got your MADR rapier ready?" she asked pulling her throwing knives ready. He gave a nod. "Good. I don't trust this place."

What had happened here? It looked like it was an old facility that had ended badly. A noise caused Lieam to jump and hold his rapier out. Yin turned to him "What is it?" she asked.

"I...I" He stammered "I'm scared." He shivered.

The older woman sighed softly and gave him a sisterly hug. "So am I. Fear is good, it keeps you alive." They walked on unaware that something was watching them. It's red eyes glowed fiercely in the darkness. It's clawed hands lifted itself up higher on the walls to get a better look at it's prey. It hissed and spat silently.

The path's diverged and separated. Each made the facility more a maze then ever. Even the destroyed walls caused it to make more mazes in an already confusing facility.

Yin and Lieam sat down to rest. His eyes fell down by themselves he just couldn't keep them open. He gave a yawn and tried to stay awake. He had to stay awake, there was only two of them to watch. He had to watch out for danger. He fell asleep in the dark.

The three slept, well two slept and one just went into sleep mode. The snake creature slithered down, it's tail lifted up a dead person and it began to shine on Yin. The woman groaned and looked at the light. Her eyes grew wide and the pupils diluted.

Lieam woke up to see something slither away. "Yin?" he asked "Yin?" He poked Cluni "Hey get out of sleep mode I could use your help."

Cluni's eyes blinked and electric blue lights glowed from the eye sockets. She hopped on his shoulder. She gripped his cloak with her tiny hands. They traveled onwards trying to find Yin occasionally calling out for her. Cluni's eyes made good lighting. He could see where he was walking. They walked up stairs and saw the destruction. Skeletons sometimes littered their path. He called out for Yin "Yin where are you?" No answer just like many times before.

Something slithered around causing Lieam to jump and that caused Cluni tightly grip his cloak. "What was that?" he asked the robot even though he knew she wouldn't answer because she didn't know either. "Yin!" he called out "Yin where are you?" no answer. He put his head down then he heard a hiss. He took out his rapier and loaded it with dust. Red eyes met his. Lieam's eyes narrowed.

A voice called out "Close your eyes and sleep. Sleep and find peace." Red eyes with slits shown out of the dark. A snake figure slithered out, it had two hands by it's side rising up to grab the youth.

Lieam felt his eyes closing. No he couldn't close them he had to fight this creature. He had to fight.

"Sleep and within me find peace."

Another voice called out one that he didn't know. It called out echoing "Don't let it take you Lieam. You will be needed. Strike for Yin. Strike for those you need you to. Strike!"

Lieam's mouth moved and said "Strike." he leaped up and fought against the snake creature. It's two hands moved trying to capture him. It was confused the eye trick usually worked. Why didn't it work now? It moved it's tail knocking the boy on the floor.

Lieam slid on the floor, he made sure he stood up quickly. The snake creature slithered forward faster then he expected. He used his rapier to block the fangs heading for his head. Cluni bit the tail of the creature only to be flung against a wall.

"Cluni!" yelled Lieam "That does it!" he jumped up as high as he could. He used a glyph of fire. He shot forward the snake creature tried to dodge but it fell. Lieam walked up to it with his eyes narrowed. He used his rapier for a mercy kill.

He found Yin in the stomach contents. He pulled her out and cried. Cluni stumbled over and bowed her head in sorrow.

Chapter six 'Anger and sorrow'

"I can't even bury her." Lieam said to Cluni "I mean how are we going to give her a decent burial if this facility is all there is?"

He lifted his head when he heard a noise "Who is there?" he called out.

"Lieam is that you?" it was Nathan. He sounded close maybe a couple of hallways down.

"Nathan I'm over here with Cluni and Yin."

Ronan, Ernst and Nathan walked up but then Nathan ran. "Yin!" he yelled he ran to her and tried to check her pulse. He felt nothing "Yin!" he cried and held her. "Yin!" He turned to Lieam "What happened?"

Lieam with his head down and told the story. As he told how the creature had almost killed him the same way. Using it's hypnotizing eyes to lure it's prey and then eat them. Nathan pounded the ground crying.

Ronan called out "I found the way out. Take Yin too."

Outside the facility they buried Yin. Nathan couldn't think of anything to say. He was angry, why did Lieam have to survive? What did that boy have that let Grimm just leave him alone. When Lieam tried to talk to him. Nathan just grunted and the youth left him alone.

Ernst took Lieam to his side. Nathan needed time alone and seeing Lieam would bring the pain again. He put a hand on the youth's shoulder. Cluni was in his scarf pocket sighing wishing she had the power to bring the dead back to life. They traveled on footsteps merged into each other. They scrambled up a destroyed wall that left the travelers bloody and torn.

Lieam whispered to Cluni "I wish I had done more to save Yin." He looked up when he heard footsteps coming near him.

What are you whispering Boy?" Nathan asked walking up to him. His brown hair was caked with dirt, grime and blood. "No secrets Boy!" he grabbed Lieam up by the cuff of his shirt. "What are you planning you little Runt?"

Lieam scrambled about trying to escape from Nathan's grip. Cluni leaped up and bit Nathan's hand.

"Gah!" he yelled flinging Cluni away. "You stupid robot."

"What are you doing Nathan?" asked Ernst walking up. His boots caked with grime. He saw Lieam rubbing his neck and Cluni climbing up to a Lieam's shoulder. "What is happening here?"

"Lieam and I were having a discussion, it ended badly."

"That's right," Lieam said. Cluni looked at him like he was crazy. Lieam ignored his best friend's look. They walked again though the forest.

Lieam couldn't believe Nathan would do that. He rubbed his neck what had happened to his friend his brother? This was not how it was supposed to go. Cluni narrowed her eyes at Nathan. She didn't trust him any longer.

Nathan felt confused. What had he done? He had almost killed his little buddy, his brother. His eyes filled with unshed tears. "Yin, where ever you are please help me." He begged silently.

A destroyed town rose over the hills. The walls of every house seemed to crumble whenever they walked by. "What is this place?" Lieam asked Ernst looking at a tall building that had three very large holes in it.

Ernst didn't answer, this place was not safe they had to leave as soon as possible. They met a huge wall or well it was more of a cliff face. Was this the final way out. No more death and despair but peace.

They began to climb using ropes and pulleys that they scavenged from the town. Each step made the journey more treacherous. Ronan was with Ernst and Nathan. A voice came from the radio. "Hello Ronan are you there?"

"Wait a minute," Nathan said to Ronan "The radio was working all this time!" Ronan gave a glare and took out a dagger from his pocket.

"Well, now that the Runt doesn't trust you anymore who will he believe eh?"

Nathan looked below him to Ernst. "Ernst get away!" Snap!

The rope was cut and Ernst with Nathan fell down to their deaths. Ronan smirked as he put the dagger back in it's sheath. "Well Faunus and their sympathizers die and humanity will live again." He turned to the radio and whispered into it "We are coming out of the Chasm Anderson now. Get ready for my command." He was unaware that Lieam had looked down to see the murder of his friends.

They climbed up and Lieam saw several new faces. Each of them bore the look of a soldier. They had several weapons Lieam had never seen before. Ronan climbed up and smiled. "Hello my friends."

"Get those ugly ears off," one replied "They do not fit you at all."

"May I remind you that I had to get surgery in order to get these ears." Ronan said "And when we get to the Compound I will have to have surgery again to get them off."

One of the soldiers grabbed Lieam roughly by the shoulder. "What do we do with the boy?" Cluni bit the hand of the solider. "Curse you robot!" he yelled he grabbed Cluni by the tail and held her. "What should I do with them Field Marshal Ronan?"

Ronan spoke "Give me the rat thing and tie up the boy with the others." he took Cluni who tried to bite him. He took out a cage and put Cluni in it. "Stay in there you little bitter."

Lieam tried to move out of the soldiers' grips. He yelled at Ronan "You were a friend, why would you do this?" He tried to wiggle out but was kicked down on the ground by a solider. "Why?" T hey grabbed the slaves and Lieam. They were a couple of days away from the chasms when Lieam spoke with only one word "Why?"

Ronan didn't answer but looked at the chasms and gave a smile. "You can struggle all you want but no one is coming to rescue you now." He turned to another solider "How far until we can get to the Compound?"

"A few days maybe a week but we'll get there with the slaves."

Realization hit Lieam like a brick. No one that meant.... That meant everyone he knew was dead. He put his head down for a moment then looked up at Ronan. His green eyes glared at him. "What are you looking at Runt?"

Lieam's voice came out flat and contemptuous "You should have killed me back at the Chasms."

Ronan glared at the youth "I've already killed your friends I think that is enough for a couple of days. You, however I will keep alive to suffer." He took the cylinder holding the youth's transcripts.

Lieam stopped marching and the rest of slaves bumped into him. His eyes filled with scorn and hatred. "Then you are nothing but a coward, a murdering lier. You are a fool. Because of what you have done I will live to slay you."

Ronan stared at Lieam. He was taken aback by the boast of a boy who until a couple of months ago never even see the world. He saw in the youth's eyes loathing and determination. He snarled at Lieam and glared savagely trying to get the boy to submit. Lieam just glared back. He was a completely different person.

He snatched a willow branch from one of the soldiers hand and began to strike. He lashed out at Lieam several times. Blood slid down Lieam's back. The switch broke and Ronan panted hard.

Lieam looked like he had not felt the blows. He curled his lips like an animal. "Get another branch and try harder you two faced bastard."

"John, Norvail. Get this one up to the front. Move."

Lieam was dragged to the front. Ronan was behind visibly shaken by Lieam's glare. He was glad that he didn't have to see those eyes.

The Compound with a quarry for Dust with people working. Lieam looked at them as he marched. A man came forward he had a metal arm. Ronan walked up to him "Tosk we have all the slaves.

Tosk looked at Lieam who just glared back and laughed.

Chapter seven 'Slave'

Lieam pulled a large cart full of unpurified dust. He had several people or Faunus helping him. He was the only human and no one trusted him because of that reason. He had come to know the names of his captors. There was many but he knew them. Beside him an older squirrel Faunus fell down on the ground.

"Get up you, lazy bugger!" A woman named Ashton yelled out "Or I'll slay that miserable hide off of ya." The lash rose and fell on the unprotected Faunus' back. "This'll teach you. What?"

Lieam had grabbed the whip and had it wrapped around his hand. He glared at her. Her eyes bulged with anger and she shouted "Let go of my whip. Runt!" She reached for her dagger. She was not fast enough to do so. Lieam hurled himself at her wrapping the lash around her neck, he tightened. A guard who was watching blew on a whistle and yelling "Slave attacking! Slave attacking!"

Within three seconds Lieam was down in a crowd of bodies. They pounded at him without mercy. They had rods, spear handles and whips. Tosk intervened. "That is enough!" he yelled "Bring him to me. Now!"

His hands were pinioned by spear handle and a whips. They pulled hard against the youth's throat. He strangled hard as Tosk lifted him up with his metal arm. "You know the penalty for attacking my members: Death. I could run you though right now."

Lieam glared at Tosk. His eyes glared like two flames. "Scum! These people should be free!"

Tosk withdrew his sword and sheathed it "Well, you aren't short on nerve. What is your name."

The answer was fearless. "My name is Lieam Guardsman."

The older squirrel Faunus Lieam had saved peered out of the cracks in the wall. Rain pounded on the slave quarters. A lone figure stood out between two posts. His daughter, named Danielle glared behind him. She gritted her teeth savagely. "Those scurvy bastards."

Jon the older one shook his head. "Lieam will have a bad time if the storm gets worse."

Danielle punched a wall. "It's the morning I'm worried about Dad. With the birds they'll rip him to bits." "Get away from there, or you'll be up there with him. Double work for you two. Get some sleep now." The solider laughed and walked away.

Water seemed like a flood. Lieam straggled against the rain, he put his head down as the rain pounded like hail. He would not falter or fall. It was all he could do. The rain frayed his clothing like a washer, the rain went into his mouth, his ears, his hair numbing him against the cold and pain.

Was it a tear or rain, he didn't know all he knew was he could not die. Lieam recalled his old friends the ones who died in the battle to protect Morcia and the ones who died in the Chasms. He slumped forward tired.

He began to tremble in rage at the ones who had done this: Crimson Star. A group of Humans who cared not for who they killed. A strength formed by rage surged though him making it so he could call out through the darkness.

"You hear me Ronan, Tosk! I will live, I will live and take back what you have stolen. I am a warrior! I am Lieam son of Rask and Constance!"

The dawn rose grey after the storm. Tosk and Ronan looked at the unconscious boy. Ronan narrowed his eyes. "He lived," he said as he poked the boy "Pity."

Tosk saw a pair of mean looking vultures flying above. "The birds are out, we better get inside." He spoke to one of the guards "You!" he yelled "Put some meat on the boy and make him wiggle. The slaves must know what will happen if they refuse to do our bidding."

The guard slapped Lieam with a wet rag until he woke up. He held a cup of water and pored it into the youth's mouth. Lieam drunk at it greedily. "Hehe," he laughed "You drink up now, the birds want live food." Lieam had managed to save the last bit of water and spat it into the guards face. "You won't live for long, Bucko."

The vultures dived and attacked. They ripped at the youths shoulders just when it seemed the boy was going to be destroyed. A loud screech was heard. "What was that?" asked Tosk looking around. "That sounded like a Nevermore, boss." said a guard.

Tosk narrowed his eyes "Bring the boy in. I don't want to call on Hunters."

Lieam was untied and thrown on the ground in front of Tosk. He swayed as he listened to the man's words. "As I said you aren't short of nerve, I could use a person like you."

From beneath hooded eyelids, Lieam watched as the man spoke, the youth's anger rises at the words of the proposal.

"How would you like to be a captain of my group? The best food, slaves to do what you will, I'll even give you a weapon if you swear loyalty to me. So what about it?"

Lieam gave no reply, his hands deaden by the ropes, but rage oh the rage was still very strong. Words came back to him "Tooth, Claw and Tail." Rask always said that as well as the code of honor for Morcia. His jaws were strong, it was time to use Tooth. He bit down to the bone of Tosk's left hand. Tosk roared and Lieam was pounded by spear butts and other weapons.

"Throw him into the pit!" He yelled, he looked at Lieam. His eyes blazing with hate. "You'll wish the vultures had killed you."

A guard who took Lieam then turned around. He looked around to see if they were being followed then he spoke. "Boy, I see that you are strong. Disguise your humanness with this." He held out fake ears. "Tell Jon that it's almost time." He put Lieam back with the slaves and left.

Chapter eight 'Traveling warrior'

Jon listened to what Lieam had to say, his ears moved and twitched as did his tail. He looked closely at the boy's eyes. They were green yes but there was something else something familiar. He looked even closer yes just as he suspected, the same eye-shine around all Faunus' eyes was in the boy's as well. The question was Why? Why did he look human but his eyes like a Faunus? It made no sense.

Lieam was getting his head checked by Danielle. She sighed "For goodness sake, Lieam. I don't understand why you have to fight all the time."

"We have to fight or we die." was all he said. He hated wearing these fake ears, they reminded him too much of Ronan and his betrayal.

Jon replied "No it is not but as of right now the only way to free ourselves is to fight." He lowered himself to Lieam "And are you positive that is what the guard said?"

"Yes."

Jon walked to the wall and took out a small flag. He opened it up and went to a hole. He waved it as hard as he could. He saw a different color flag waving in the forest area. He kissed Danielle's head. "Daughter for the next couple of days I want you to keep your head down."

"Father, what is going on?" she asked.

"Just all our hard work will either be for nothing or we will be free by the end of the week."

Lieam walked in the compound acting as though he was cleaning up. He had to look for his best friend Cluni. He opened any unlocked door making sure that his best friend was not in the room. He put his head down when he saw Ronan walk by. Ronan opened a door using a password and Lieam saw a glimpse of what he had looked for. Cluni in a cage with his gear. His eyes narrowed. Ronan will die.

Jon looked out the window to see a bunch of Faunus' with weapons heading closer to the Compound. They were camouflaged like the ground. He turned to his army well a makeshift army. "If anyone wants to back out now, I won't blame you." None of them moved from their spot. Jon took that as none of them wanted to leave. He kicked a large rock, it rolled away revealing a cache of makeshift weapons. "Take your pick."

The guard known as George watched the forest army come. He saw fire and smiled. He blew a whistle to warn the Crimson star group. He was not a double agent he swore his soul to the Faunus'. The warning was just to keep his part in the facade.

Tosk opened his door, he had been sleeping. "What is happening?" He saw the destruction the slaves were creating.

"The slaves are revolting." yelled a guard who was stabbed with a pitch fork. He fell on the ground.

Ronan grabbed his weapon. He narrowed his eyes. How long had this been planned under their noses? It didn't matter now, these Faunus' will die now! He saw Lieam with a stave knocking over one of the slavers. "Boy!" he yelled, Lieam turned around.

"You!" Lieam had his eyes narrowed. He grabbed a dead man's sword and charged at his ex friend. Their weapons met and sparks flew. Ronan had experience on his side, but Lieam had swiftness. They weren't evenly matched but something was different.

Lieam kept on having thoughts that told him Ronan's moves.He is going to attack the left shoulder. He thought he lifted his weapon to greet the weapon. Ronan noticed that Lieam seemed to know his moves and smiled. He made a false move and cut Lieam's thigh.

"Your Semblance has a problem," he said as the boy fell down bleeding. "When you attack before I attack you tell me what I'm going to do."

Lieam narrowed his eyes and glared. He saw Danielle creeping up behind. He tried to tell her with his eyes to leave. She shook her head and lifted up a weapon. Ronan turned around and grabbed her weapon. He smirked "You really thought you could sneak up behind me?" He kicked her down.

Lieam grabbed a weapon and cut into Ronan's back. Ronan fell down on the ground. Lieam stood over Ronan. Ronan laughed "So you are going to kill me?" he laughed madly "If you kill me, you will be just like the me!"

Lieam lifted his sword and spoke. His voice sounded like a death knell. "This is not for me, Ronan. This is for the people whom you have slaved and tortured." he let the sword fall and Ronan's head rolled away.

The Faunus' cheered, they had won though hard work and preserving. Tosk had escaped but no one had noticed. All the Faunus' were cheering their victory.

Danielle looked at Lieam, she stitched his thigh wound. She told him when it would heal in time. "Lieam now that you are free," she asked "Where will you go?"

He looked to the east "Vale."

Her eyes grew sad "Well, then I'm coming with you." She said determinedly.

"What."

She smiled "Come on, you really don't think I would let a human go alone." She saw her father and told him what she planned. Jon just put a hand on her shoulder and told her to be careful.

They found Cluni and Lieam's cylinder. He didn't tell her what was in the cylinder. Jon met up with them and whispered something into his daughter's ear. Lieam left them alone, Cluni was on his shoulder and a MADR rapier at his side.

The two of them traveled over hills and valleys. Days and nights began to turn into one. They were lucky to have not met any Grimm on their travels. Danielle with her bow and Lieam with his sword. Each played a part in protecting the other.

They came across a wounded wolf Faunus' Lieam and Danielle quickly ran to him and helped him. The wolf Faunus spoke "Thank you," he turned to Danielle. "Dani, is that you?"

"Fell?" Danielle almost looked like she was about to cry. "I thought you were dead."

"No, I'm hard to kill," he looked at Lieam with angry eyes. "Who is this? Your boyfriend or Mate?"

"Neither." She said as Lieam shook his head. She hugged Fell "I'm so glad you are alive." Fell chuckled "Well where are you two going anyway."

"Vale," Lieam replied "I have business there." Fell looked at Lieam and at Danielle. As the three walked he asked Danielle what was with Lieam's eyes.

"I don't know to tell the truth, Father said to watch over him."

"Hmm," Fell said "So either your father didn't trust him or something else."

"I wish I knew."

They entered a settlement where there was Faunus' and humans lived almost peacefully. Fell smiled. "This is where I live," he said "I am captain of the guard here."

"Captain Fell," yelled a Faunus' running up to them "I'm glad you are back."

"Hello, Rocky" Fell said "Please set my friends with a place to stay."

Rocky gave a salute and lead the two away. As the two got new clothing. After a couple of days past when Lieam turned to Danielle. "I think you should stay here." he said.

"What! No!" she shouted at him. "I'm not leaving you alone." she punched a wall "I promised Father."

Lieam raised a hand to stop here shouting up a storm, "I've seen how you look at Fell, he needs you just as you need him. I'm not saying this to get rid of you far from it. I just want you to sing your songs in peace."

She looked down and sighed "Alright."

Fell looked at Lieam who was going out of the gate "Wait a minute," he said "Are you leaving?"

"Take care of Danielle."

Lieam's footfalls went through the snow. He had to have been traveling for a couple of months now. He wrapped his cloak tighter against himself. He looked up to see a bear Faunus' looking at him. "Well, I never thought I would see someone like this in the snow," he picked up the youth and carried him to his cart "Here, this is will keep you warm." The cart was full to the brim with scrap metal and other pieces.

Lieam looked through hooded eyelids. He was so tired and Cluni had hid herself in a cloak pocket.

"Desmond," said a wolf woman coming to greet the bear Faunus "Who is that?" she pointed at the boy.

"I found him unconscious in the snow," said Desmond taking the boy from his seat. The boy was sleeping soundly. "Mora, please he needs you right now."

The wolf Faunus' sighed "Alright but Humans always bring death with them."

Chapter nine "Lathbury'

Lieam had spent a couple of days asleep when he woke up he saw Cluni with a young woman. She smiled at him, "Hi, I'm Eldra." She sat down next to him "You have been asleep for a long time."

"Where am I?" he asked wearily still tired. He looked around, the house was smaller then what he had been in before. Animal skins were hung and it smelled of vinegar.

"The settlement of Lathbury." She said the wolf Faunus smiled at him even more. "Hey, when you are feeling better maybe you can help me with the blacksmith duties?"

"Blacksmith duties?"

"Yeah," she nodded "I work with my uncle Dessy." Seeing Lieam's face, she chuckled "he's not really my uncle, I just call him that. I'm his apprentice, I could use some help."

"Eldra," called a voice from the kitchen "You aren't bothering the boy are you?"

"She's fine," Lieam said and the woman walked in. Her hair was like her daughter's light grey with some white as highlights. She wore a long dress that had several sewn on patches.

"I am Mora, Eldra's mother." she turned to the girl "Do you have chores to do?"

Eldra hopped off her chair and walked out. "I'll see you later, Lieam." She waved and ran out the door.

Mora spoke up "Lieam eh? It means Guard am I right?" Lieam nodded and she continued "If you don't have a place to stay I could take you in. Roger and Eldra are a handful but you seem like a nice boy."

The days past and Lieam had became a staple in the small settlement of Lathbury. He was known as the second apprentice to Desmond. He noticed that some of the people didn't like the blacksmith. Desmond had a large scar on his face leading from his rightmost ear to his nose. His eyes were weary.

Lieam had seen those eyes before in the slaves and in Morcia. He picked up a heated metal. He began to pound on the metal forming it into a horseshoe. He wasn't really allowed to forge any weapons yet, Eldra was able to forge horseshoes but not pitchforks or other farming supplies. She used the forge when Desmond wasn't around which caused Lieam to ask her to try to follow the rules. He saw her and she stuck her tongue at him. He laughed.

Cluni had found a place to stay namely a stable with a polimino named Aquila that Lieam occasionally feed and groomed. Aquila hated her mane being touched so it was up to Cluni to do that since rats weren't humans.

He groomed her back carefully, "Well, Aquila," he said as he groomed her "My leg still hurts after you bucked me so can we please keep this safe." The horse snorted and he sighed "I guess not." almost as he finished his sentence she tried to buck him causing him to fall on the ground.

"I pay you to work Lieam not to lay on the ground." Desmond said looking at the boy. He turned to Aquila. "Daystar, leave the boy alone and let him work." The polimino mare snorted but stayed still as he worked on her mane. As he left the mare pretended to buck him causing him to run out the stables.

The next day, Lieam woke up and blazed the forge fire. He put metal in the fire as Desmond worked with the metal turning it into horseshoes and farming tools. Eldra brought the water and began to work with the men. She pounded the metal into horseshoes that she was allowed to make while Lieam wasn't allowed to work with.

A man walked into the smithy, he wore a red and blue jacket that could be considered a cloak. His white hair was tied in a small ponytail. He spoke to Desmond. "I see you made a prosperous smithy my friend." he held out a medallion. "Yet a blacksmith does not see what I bear in hand.

The bear Faunus faced the man "I see well enough, 'friend' but this settlement is not interested in what you have to offer us."

The man bowed his head and walked off with his staff. Desmond faced his apprentices. "That man is dangerous it is best if you don't go anywhere near him." he pointed outside the door "Now go I can do the work, be as children."

Lieam walked out with Eldra, the town was conversing about other settlements and the capital cities. He had a letter that had come for him a couple of days ago. It told him about Danielle and Fell, they were to be wed next summer. He was already preparing to visit but he didn't have the coins to buy a horse even though Desmond said that he could use Aquila.

Eldra spoke to him "So, did you ask Uncle Dessy about making your robot better?" Lieam shook his head "Come on, Dessy isn't going to hurt you for asking to upgrade your friend. He'll even teach you."

Lieam sighed softly. "Yeah, but she doesn't want to be upgraded, so that is my reason for not asking."

She laughed "Cluni is only a robot, you control her. if you want to upgrade her then upgrade her. She can't argue with you."

He wanted to argue with Eldra but he liked having her around so he let it go under the bridge. He waved to Mora as she stitched up a hole in one of the town Guards clothing. She waved back and went back to work. Eldra pointed at the gate. "Look, they're leading that person out of town."

"Remember this 'Pyont the tall' we don't want any trouble around here." said a guard as he lead Pyont out the town gates.

Lieam wondered as he watched the older man go out the settlement. Eldra poked him. "Hey Lieam get your head out of the clouds." He turned to her and gave a smile. She spoke up "Hey lets see if we can get anything out of the bakery."

a week later.

Lieam and Eldra had a day off that only comes once a year. Even though Lieam had arrived a couple of months ago, Desmond treated him like his other apprentice and that meant day off when she did. He left Eldra and went into the stables.

Cluni was with Aquila even if Lieam had a day off taking care of animals was not a thing to take a day off. He moved her to another stall so he could clean hers. He moved a wheelbarrow filled with poop or as he called it clart. He dumped it into a place where the clart became fertilizer.

Eldra walked by, she crossed her arms over the fence. "So even though you dislike Aquila, you still keep care of her? What is your problem?"

Lieam looked at her "I don't know." She leapt over the fence and grabbed his arm. She tugged at him. "Come on," she called out "Stop working, Roger and Liza want to play huntsman."

However Roger and Liza had chores to do leaving Lieam and Eldra to find their own way to play or hang out. They decided to go to the river, it wasn't small but it wasn't big either. The river helped the settlement grow, no wonder the settlement named itself after it.

Lieam grabbed a stick and whacked it at Eldra who grabbed one of her own. They began to play fight with their sticks. He dropped his stick, she raised an eyebrow. "Lieam what is it?"

"Err," he rubbed the back of his neck and asked "Do you feel like something bad is going to happen?"

"No," she said shaking her head. "Nothing bad every happens here." she looked up at the sky then at a tree.

"I just think something is going to happen." he said looking at his stomach. "I just feel it in my gut."

She laughed at him and threw him his stick "Come on, we are Huntsman and Huntresses, we don't stop for anything." she began to run away but her friend didn't follow. "Lieam, I said come on."

"I smell smoke, Eldra."

"Then it's for real," she said grabbing his arm and pulling him roughly to the settlement. "We have to warn the village of the fire."

Bong Bong

"The alarm?" She stopped in mid-stride. "Lieam?" she turned to him with a worried look. "Lieam?"

"They already know, Eldra."

Townspeople were screaming and running around. People who sought to defend their town were stabbed or had their heads chopped off. A group of people made their way through. They wore black and red. On their backs was a blood red star. Desmond spoke to Mora "Get the children into the tree-house. Don't come out until this is over."

"Tosk wants the Knight found alive," said one with a rifle "Spread out."

"Aye sir!"

They spread out, Tosk stood watching the battle if it was even called a battle more of a massacre. He gripped a large gun that was his metal arm. He called out "Come out, little Knight."

He grabbed his sword and began to fight several people at once. He yelled curses and insults at them. He got scratched at one point but was not deterred. "You son of Grimm!" he yelled "I will not stand to have my people killed or enslaved! If I'm going down I will take you with me!"

Lieam and Eldra dealt with the escapees, the boats were getting fuller by the moment. Filled with woman, children and elders. This was his contribution to the battle.

"Lieam!" Eldra called to him "There are fewer humans all the battle seems to be in the center of town." she looked down "I have to help Uncle Dessy where ever he is."

"Okay but be safe." He turned to a rat Faunus who was carrying her children "Ma'am have you seen Mora or anyone?"

"I saw them heading to the tree-house with another family."

The Crimson Star soldiers watched as Eldra raced to her uncle. Lieam was racing somewhere else. "Lieam!" yelled Mora. He turned and a voice called out.

"Hey, there's another one!"

"Then get him then."

Lieam found a body of a dead female archer. He reached for the bow and arrows, he dodged the hands reaching to grab him to slavery or something just as worse. He began to climb up the tree.

"He thinks he's escaping the runt is crawling up the wrong tree." spoke one solider as he watched the boy climb.

As Lieam went though he was hugged tightly by Mora. Under the tree Desmond looked to the left and saw his adoptive niece. "Eldra!" he yelled "Run! Lass!"

"The girl," said Tosk "Won't get far enough."

Spears crashed though flesh and bone of the old blacksmith. Eldra screamed and ran to the falling sword. Her blue eyes blazed with anger. "Face me!" she shouted at Tosk "Face me like a real warrior! Yield or perish!"

Up above

Lieam had tied a rope on Roger's waist. He looked at the younger boy. "Listen I would never hurt you," he said calmly "Do you trust me?"

"I do."

"Then fly," He shouted as the young boy flew across to another tree that wasn't on fire. "Fly like the Nevermores." He turned to Mora "You're last, Mora."

The older woman held him as she cried making his shirt wet from tears. "Know that I love you like a son Lieam. Whatever happens please remember that."

Down below

"Face me honorably," Eldra screamed like a Nevermore screech. "Desmond was my master in the ways of Knights. I do him honor of trial though combat to prove myself worthy!"

"Stay that sword, Faunus," Tosk spoke his anger growing at the Faunus challenging him. "Or I will have to rip it from your dead hands." "Prove yourself honorable," Eldra spoke as calm as she could "Or perish where you stand."

She lifted the heavy blade yelling "For Desmond!"

"Is this what the Knights have to offer?" Tosk said as he parried the weapon away like a fly.

"For my Father!" She cut his chest, the Crimson Star looked down at his wound. He looked at her, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Curse you Faunus!" He cut deep into her chest. She screamed as she fell down. Blood and dirt mixed under her.

Up above

"Eldra!" yelled Lieam the tree began to topple. He heard his name being called by Mora. No this wasn't supposed to happen. Roger, Liza, Eldra, Mora. I failed them. I failed them all. Mother, Father. Everyone I will meet you soon,

A bat like creature watched from above. When the humans left it flew down in a dive bomb. It picked the boy up and laid him down on the ground. Lieam woke up, he looked around. "Everyone.... They're gone again. It had happened again."

Chapter ten 'Traveling warriors'

He heard a noise and saw an older man. "Boy, come here and help me." Lieam ran to the older man and lifted the body off him.

"You..." he said "I saw you in the blacksmith shop." The man groaned as he put himself on the ground. Lieam looked at the wound. This needed to be stitched up before anything more could be done. He began to stitch the wound as the man talked.

"Yes, I was bringing warning but he didn't listen." The man said with slight anger. "I came back to help but it seems I have failed."

Lieam shook his head, "I wouldn't call it a failure if you lived." He looked at the man. "Are you a Knight?" he asked.

"Yes," the man said with his staff in his hands. "Back when they still mattered. I was in exile same with Desmond." He looked at the boy. "I saw you protecting your family. That was a brave thing to do."

Lieam looked away. "I wasn't even thinking. It just happened, I hoped that.... I could..." he stammered. "It happened again. I couldn't save them either." Tears threatened to fall. "And now I lost my best friend, Cluni." he sniffled as the man held him.

"We must go" the man said. They walked away from the destroyed settlement and it's memories.

They traveled though trees and bushes going further and further away from Lathbury. Pyont decided to speak, "I found a cylinder that is hard to open." He held it out to the boy. He noticed the eyes of the boy grew wide. So the boy did know something about this cylinder. He watched as the boy grabbed it.

Lieam couldn't believe it, Pyont had found his cylinder with his documents. He could hug the old Knight if he knew the knight was well enough. This almost was worth no it wasn't worth his friends. It was a part of his journey. He turned to Pyont "I have to go to Vale."

"And why is that?" asked Pyont.

"I just have to go there. " Lieam said turning away. Pyont glared after all his time teaching students this one would be a challenge.

"I could use an apprentice," said Pyont. He watched as the boy began to tear up. He gave a small smile. Soon the boy would be feeding from his hand.

"Not me," cried Lieam as he cried on a branch. "I couldn't save anyone. I'm not worthy."

"A chat for another time then." He looked at the boy trying to sleep on hard ground. "Sleep and dream of another time."

Lieam didn't know what he dreamt but when morning came around. He was ready to travel again. The boy looked at the knight.

A one eyed cloaked man walked into the destroyed settlement behind him four more. He lifted a hand and made a fist. The leader looked at a pool of blood and next to it the body of Desmond. He took off the medallion and looked at it. The five searched around seeing the bodies and taking them to the middle of town. They lit a huge bonfire making it as if the settlement never existed.

Several miles away.

"I'm hungry!" cried Liza, her face red with tears. "I want my mom, I want to go home."

"Roger, keep her silent," Mora said. She heard the people talking about taking them to somewhere. She drew a breath and spoke "Captain Tosk, yes? The children need to be fed and this isn't enough."

Tosk made a move to back hand slap her when a person called to him. She heard them talking about wagons and other people of the Crimson Star. "And just like that we are forgotten."

"They are humans Mora. They care nothing for life."

They were loaded up onto the wagons. Faunus' were crammed and forced to stand or sit depending on how full their wagon was. Mora sighed sadly. Where was the Huntsman or Huntresses? Where was the Knights?

"Mom," yelled Roger "Tied to Mallory's back." He pointed at the farmer.

"Eldra," Mora knelt down and she took her off of Mallory's back. "It can't be true. It can't be, she was cut down."

"I carried her all the way here, the humans tied her to my back."

"Lieam."

"She keeps on saying the boy's name."

"Lieam," Eldra spoke deliriously "Run, please."

Mora began to repress the wound, she thought somewhere maybe in another wagon. Lieam was safe.

A large cat meowed. The one eyed warrior snarled. "Get out of my way, Cat. you are hungry and you are Grimm." He lifted his two blades and leapt down.

"What was that?" Lieam asked as he turned around, he heard a cat but it sounded huge bigger then anything he had ever heard.

Pyont pushed the boy forward. He snarled under his breath. Pursed by Celen the righteous just as this couldn't get any worse. They ran and ran, past rivers and trees. Lieam stopped and looked at the older man. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life running. Teach me to save my friends, teach me, make me your squire."

The minutes turned into hours as Lieam used a stick as a sword with Pyont talking and teaching. The full moon made excellent light as the training continued. Each day they traveled and each night they trained. Lieam sighed "I'm still no better then when I first started." "Then be glad that we do not your eyes to see progress nor my direction." he said as he began

to walk away. "Now stay here I need to talk to someone, I won't be gone long."

Lieam waited and it seemed for hours. He sighed this was boring. He stood up when he heard a noise. It was Pyont back from his extrusion, his pinkie had blood on it. His face was full of worry. "Kneel."

"I'm not ready. I'm not worthy."

"I can't having you questioning my judgment every second." Pyont said as he held his staff. He began to tap the boy's shoulder. "We seek the Readers of Whispers. They can provide us with truth but you must be knighted in order to gain their wisdom. Therefore under oath of the Knights and in the blood of those before I knight you Lieam son of Rask, son of Constance forever a brother of the Knights." He held his hand and pulled Lieam up "Long ago it was filled with pomp and ceremony."

They traveled again until they reached a forest. The trees stood like skyscrapers, their trunks would take twelve people holding hands to cover the entire circumference. The leaves were a dark green. "What is this place?" he asked Pyont.

"The Forest of Whispers." he replied then he cut though Lieam's blacksmith gloves "We enter by using the same means they do." He cried out as the knife cut his skin. "Using the blood of the innocent show us the way!"

The trees seemed to move out of the way. As the two moved Lieam spoke "I think I saw someone."

"That's nonsense, only those with permission can enter the Forest."

"Then what does that make us?"

Up above

Red and white bats with spikes on their backs watched as the two walked into the forest. They held spears in their claws. "Alarm, a pair of intruders are daring to approach the Great Ash."

"Old magic, maybe it's the Grimm coming for parlay." asked one to an older with white eyes.

The older bat shook her head. "Nay, the scent is something new."

Lieam heard a noise and was pushed out of the way as a one eyed man came out of the bushes. "Traitor!"

"Get back, Lieam!"

"On your knees, so it is better to take your head!" The man said holding his two swords at their throats. Lieam tried to attack but his staff was destroyed.

"Lieam, hold your ground and yield." Pyont took his staff and took off the covering. It showed a spear head with dust moving though it. "This man I must fight alone!" He moved forward in attack "How many years Celen, since we are removed from sacred ground?"

"I offer you fair warning," Celen yelled as he blocked the spear "Keep the child away and I'll spare his life." " You live as you live then, by the blade and you speak by it as then and now."

Up above

"Celen has returned." said a bronze colored bat to his elders.

"The pair he faces are unknown in my gaze." she said.

"The elder is a Knight by training."

Down below

"As ever Pyont the deceiver and weaver of lies."

"And the "Righteous Celen?" is that the lie you live by now. You forget how I knew Celen of old." shouted Pyont "So tell me Celen when did you last see your brother!"

"Say his name and I'll slay you." Celen ran to the older man with rage, Pyont levered his staff and tripped the one eyed man on the ground.

"Careful," he taunted. "Or your rage will cost you an eye or maybe a tail."

The fight grew more intense as Lieam listened he found himself growing with rage. He grabbed his broken weapon. "No more lies!"

"Damn you!" yelled Celen as he stabbed the boy's side.

Chapter eleven 'Truth and lies'

Lieam groaned and lifted himself up from the pallet he was on. He heard voices of Celen and Pyont arguing. He saw the bat like creatures just looking at the two not making a move.

Celen made to move his blade at Pyont. The gold covered bat lifted her wings "Enough, Celen please stay your swords."

"Run Pyont!" Lieam said lifting himself up and kicking Celen from behind. He had one of Celen's swords.

"Relent, sheath your swords!"

Lieam pushed Pyont out the window and they landed on tree branches that led below. Once they were on ground. Pyont turned to the boy. "You bastard! You ruined everything!"

"I was only trying to protect you."

"I need no saving from the likes of you!" He yelled as he slapped the boy down. "By my cunning I survived being under Tosk's collar! And now a perfect opportunity has risen to restore myself destroyed by a Runt who won't stay silent!

A Nevermore flew down and took Pyont away to his death. Lieam stood frozen in fear, his mentor gone. He was alone again.

The bronze colored bat spoke to Celen as he leapt down from the branches. "Grimm shouldn't be this close to the Tree."

"Your job was supposed to keep the boy out of trouble Shade."

"Your carelessness gave him a weapon."

"Point taken." He ran to Lieam and took his sword, using a hidden button on each he turned it into pistols and shot the Nevermores. "Better to leave weapons in the hands that can use them best!" He put the boy behind him. His one eye narrowed "You want to take the boy! Claim him first!" He cut the stomach of one causing it to fall. "Let this serve as a warning no one and nothing gets in without the permission of the High Priestess."

As the night grows ever older an important conversation is taking place. One that could decide the fate of Remnant itself.

"Please, Celen look at me." said the High Priestess "Do you understand what I have told you."

"Pardon, Mistress Frieda but you asked to see Lieam?"

"I have indeed." Frieda spoke then she asked "What is the tone of the Tree?"

"The Tree is divided, they want the boy to stay here or leave. Both sides however are afraid."

Frieda tapped her chin "I thought as much, Lieam when will you reach the age of adulthood."

"I'll be eighteen this winter." then he looked down. "I think."

"I see, under the circumstances I have to knight you as a full Knight, although training is lax."

Lieam couldn't keep quite, he had to speak, wasn't he already knighted? Don't they already confirm Pyont's suspicions when they don't recognize him as a Knight?"

"Fredia by playing along with this farce you dishonor everything I stand for." Celen said harshly.

"You know what is at stake, what evil is growing in the world."

"I understand what is asked but to Knight a child is a affront for every sacrifice from the past and now."

"Is your trust so easily broken?'

Lieam narrowed his eyes. He couldn't believe it, from what he had seen there was no help for Faunus' or humans. "You fight among yourselves! Hiding in a tree when people and Faunus' alike are starving, while they suffer! There is no help here only lies!"

Arguing in turns, Lieam was forced to look at himself for being worthy. Celen was right, Pyont was using his sorrow and his grief to create a lie. He had brought shame. Once he said those words Frieda took his shoulder with her wing and told him Worthiness begins when you know you aren't strong. Within the hour Lieam was taken to the Knighting chamber. He saw several bats standing on branches others upside down with spears. Shade took a green cloak and put it on the boy. Frieda tapped his shoulders then she handed him unadorned armor. An hour after

Celen took the boy down a path that led to the outside. His eyes wary and one of his hands on his short sword.

"Where are we going?" Lieam asked as they walked down stairs. "I'm a Knight now, for real this time."

Celen took out one of his swords "Then shut your tongue brother Knight or I'll do it for you." Lieam noticed on Celen's belt was a black crossbow. "Hurry," Celen said "They might know your missing already."

Within moments a battle was made. Celen worked hard to only wound but when a silver colored bat held the boy, he threw his sword stabbing the head.

"You killed him." Lieam said as they ran.

"He was going to kill you." Celen sighed as they stopped running, they were out of the forest and into the bigger world "I can't believe this, Frieda defrocked, a life taken at the Ash and our sorry tails on the run." he turned to Lieam "I hope it's worth it."

Celen treated the boy like he was nothing but a temporary annoyance. He didn't need to take care of a child right now. He made sure he made every little thing the boy did an excuse to put him down. He narrowed his eyes and told the boy to cover his spoor, he replied he'll do it next time. In which Celen spoke if there was a next time. This boy will be the death of him.

"Why do you hate me?" Lieam asked shortly after.

"I don't there is a difference between hatred and contempt." He said. He stopped quickly causing the boy to trip over a fallen branch "And watch where you are going." The older man looked at the boy "I've seen you with swords, they are not for you." he shook his head "I've learned to dislike the recklessness of youth."

"But I've always worked with swords!" exclaimed Lieam. He looked up "Barking spiders!"

"What!" Celen said then he sighed "Another Grimm hold on a minute." Lieam heard the Grimm screech and soon heavy footfalls as it ran away.

"What did you do?"

"I'll teach you later, right now," He cut off a staff from a tree. He tossed it to Lieam who almost dropped it. "You'll need to learn this."

As the days turned into nights. Celen no longer hated the boy, the boy was smart, he might someday survive on his own. Lieam leapt into the air and attacked. Celen had added stones on one end of the staff. He blocked it with his sword. "Good, but your trajectory tells me where you will land and so I meet you." He looked at Lieam "Also you need to learn how to handle your semblance and aura more."

"My what and what?" He asked the mentor. Celen gave a small smile. From what he had seen the boy could tell his movements but only if his aura was low.

"Your aura, it is your soul," he said, Celen made his aura show a dark grey. "This is my aura, it heals my wounds." he used his sword while speaking "My semblance is whenever I get hurt I give more damage to my enemies." He stopped twirling his sword and looked at the boy. "Your semblance has awaken but not your aura. That is not how it usually works, normally it's the aura then semblance. I have only known one other person who had did it that way."

"Who?" asked Lieam standing up "Tell me please."

"That is a conversation for another time," Celen began walking away, "You better follow me or get left behind."

They past rivers and high hills. Training began every morning and after a couple of hours they would leave the spot they had stayed at and begin to move again. Celen did not want to be found by anyone: human or Faunus. Late in the night, Lieam had trouble sleeping. "Celen?" he asked but the older man groaned and turned away. "Hmm." the young boy saw the black crossbow and walked up to it, next to it was a book with leather backing and strange symbols. He opened it, as he read his eyes grew wide. He walked up to Celen and kicked him awake.

"What was that for boy?" he asked angrily then he saw Lieam's eyes. Oh no, he found out didn't he?

"You aren't the real Celen!" Lieam cried out "You are a liar like Pyont!"

"Do not compare me to that man!" Celen yelled at the boy "I am nothing like that deceiver!"

"Your name is Cassias!" Lieam yelled at the older man "You took your brother's name and his life! Who are you really?"

Cassias sat down, he seemed to grow older as the boy continued to yell. He raised a hand to stop the tirade. "You are right," He watched as Lieam's eyes grew even wider. "My name is Cassias, one of three: Celen, me and Celek." He looked away from the boy "We were the best of the best in our school of being Huntsman in training. I was the warrior, Celen was our shield and peace maker. Celek was our talker, a politician if you will." He sighed sadly. "You probably read our story in that journal of my brother."

"But why, why take someone else's name?"

"As you said I took my brother's life Celek." said Cassias "I had the right and the skill to take his life, " he looked at Lieam and touched his left eye "Yet he was my brother, we would have given our lives for each other. He was the cost of my pride and self righteousness."

"And Celen?"

"After the battle, he left, he just disappeared." Cassias said "No one knew where he had gone or if he was dead or alive. After years of searching I found him in a round hut he had made of stone. He was in the bed too sick to even stand. Beside him was a weapon of black. A black Labrys Axe." He reached down and took the crossbow out. Using his aura he transformed the crossbow into a black halberd. "The Black Staff, my brother's life in hiding just to protect it. Until I came along and well he gave it to me."

Lieam said nothing. He couldn't think of anything to say. Cassius seemed to regret everything. He looked down and said softly "I'm sorry."

Cassias put Black Staff in it's crossbow form and they began to travel again. A noise could be heard. Lieam looked at Cassias. His eyes telling the older man what he was thinking. The older man took his weapons out. A huge Nevermore began shooting it's feathers at the two.

"Damn it," yelled Cassias "I thought I got rid of that bird." He turned his weapon into pistols. He began to shoot at the bird. He hit it several times, Lieam jumped up with his staff "Get away from us!"

The Nevermore turned and shot it's feathers at Lieam. Cassias gave a loud curse and jumped on the bird, but as he jumped the bird caught him with it's beak and threw him on the ground. Lieam watched as Cassias fell to the ground. He lay there not moving, knocked out.

"No!" He ran forward and took the crossbow. He summoned his aura for the first time. A silver aura rose and the Black Staff transformed. Lieam swung it at the Nevermore, the bird creature cried out in pain as he cut at the beak. The Nevermore made it's feathers shoot out even faster. Lieam twirled the weapon around blocking the bolts. He walked forward as he did so, as he came closer he cut the Nevermore. It fell dead.

Lieam held his arm, every time he tried to move his arm, it hurt. "Cassias!" he yelled as he walked forward "Cassias!" He found the older man trying to move. "Cassias, don't move!" The older man looked at Lieam then at the Black Staff. So the Staff had chosen it's wielder

Celen had been right, a silver aura would truly awaken the weapon. He stood up and walked up to him holding his chest. "Come on, Boy," he ordered "We have to keep going."

"But you're wounded."

"Ha!" laughed the old Huntsman "I've been through worse then this Lad." He watched as the boy handed the Black Staff over to him.

"This is yours." Lieam said kindly "I had to use it, sorry."

Cassias handed it back to him "It's yours now, you can rename it if you want."

Lieam looked at his weapon, finally a weapon that was all his. Not borrowed or given only for training but a real weapon. He didn't know what to say. "Don't say anything."

Cassias made a splint for Lieam's arm and then he put it in a sling.

They traveled for several days, and each day Cassias knew he was going close to death. He laid down to rest as Lieam set up the fire. He watched as Lieam read from his brother's journal. He heard the boy speak to himself "Mercy kisses, judgment misses." the boy continued unaware that he was being watched. "A true Knight chooses Mercy over an act of war."

Lieam raised an eyebrow "What was he talking about?"

Cassias chuckled as he heard Lieam try to decipher the real Celen's words. He watched as the boy put more wood into the fire with his one useful arm. He had taught the boy how to use one hand to use the weapon as well as his swords. Lieam would be in good hands by the time he got to Vale. He closed his eyes.

The next morning.

Lieam yawned and turned to Cassias. He poked the older man. "Hey, get up!" he said "You are usually up before me." He poked harder "Come on!" he looked at the older man. "Cassias!" he began to shake him "Come on, this isn't funny!"

Lieam knew that the older man was dead. He tried to bury the man but with one arm. It was hard but he finally did it. He had the older man's weapons on his belt side. He took a sigh and began to leave. He looked at the grave cairn one last time and walked away.

Epilogue 'Vale'

Eldra woke up on the ground. She knew she had been thrown out because she was weak, she smiled. Let them think that. She'll rip their hearts out. She stood up and began to walk to a group of Faunus' who had set camp near her. They had masks beside them and more technology that she had seen in her life.

"Hi," she said "Are you part of White Fang?" She stayed standing up until one of them gestured her to sit.

"And if we are."

"You got a new recruit." she said, they took her into the group and she created her weapon: Claws that were designed to rip and tear. She knew how to use hand to hand combat so just adding claws was just the icing on the cake.

Several days later and miles away.

He had walked for a long time, days and nights had just didn't matter to him. He met with several people and Faunus' although met wasn't really what he had did. They were either hurting other people or other Faunus' and Lieam would have to stop them.

As he traveled and stopped what he considered true stupidity. He left them alive however learning from Cassias on how pride and self righteousness was not the way for warriors. He continued to read from Celen's journal on how a Knight acts and how to control the Black Staff.

He looked at the hill, where he saw a Polimino horse with something that looked like a rat on it's head. His eyes widened. "Aquila!" he yelled "Cluni!" They turned to him and he began to run to them calling their names. He couldn't believe it they were alive. "How did you? How?" He knew that he probably wouldn't know but it didn't matter. They were together again and that's all that mattered. Cluni hopped on his shoulder and scrambled looking at his armor and green cloak. "Yeah, I got these from nice Grimm they called themselves Rosash. The weapons are from Cassias my mentor." he ended sadly.

They began to walk toward the skyscrapers. As night came Lieam and the two looked around both in awe and frightened from the newness of the world.

"Hey!" yelled a police man to a group of Faunus that were walking to pay their food taxes. "Where are you going?"

"To pay taxes, sir." replied the leader of the group.

One of the police grabbed a scrap of food from the cart. "You believe this is worth anything!"

She yelled at them, causing several to cower. "Please, we'll be too short." said one worriedly "We don't have"

"Be silent, Josh." whispered one to the other "Please." "Then get more!" one of them yelled "Or harvest more next season." then one of them grabbed a child "Is this your son?"

"Yes." the older Faunus began to beg "Please don't hurt my son." "Then keep your animal mouth closed." she said holding a knife to the boy's throat. "Or he'll get his."

A voice came out of the shadows. "Hail," it called out. Everyone turned to face the green cloaked figure with two swords on his side and a black crossbow on his back. By his side was a polimno horse with strange rat robot on it's head. "Are you Huntsman or law enforcers?"

"Funny."

"Who is this guy?"

"He came out of nowhere."

The leader a woman spoke "I say we put him in his place!" she took her weapon out. "This Faunus Sympathizer is going to get it."

"That would prove unwise." He said and the attacks began. He took the weapon out of their hands without using his weapon. He had been taught hand to hand with foot to foot combat by several mentors.

He used a mixture of techniques all the while speaking "You willfully cast aside your light of the calling. Misused the trust the people have giving you, abused the faith of those you serve! Know for true that the cries of the oppressed have been heard. Of whatever face they wear are we not the same beneath? The power is inside me to heal or destroy."

He held their weapons and Aquila stepped on toes not caring while Cluni glared at them with her lightning blue eyes. "The choice is mine to let you live on this day that you may learn the error of your ways and be reforged." He made his voice a deep yell "Unlike these weapons!" he snapped the weapons causing them to break which would be hard with one arm but he did it as if it was easy.

Lieam groaned silently, breaking weapons with one arm was hard and it hurt. He walked up the Faunus' and asked if they were okay. They nodded and ran off leaving Lieam alone, he took Aquila and they walked off leaving the police to try to understand the error of their ways. Vale had a new protector