Post by Bianca Sabbato on Apr 22, 2021 12:08:29 GMT -5
As I dismounted, I said a brief farewell to the caravan leader. I knew from their cargo that they were not exactly swimming in money, so I took only a part of the payment, I much preferred for them to be able to hire me again some other time.
More commerce, more trade. A richer, happier Mistral. Or at least that was the idea.
It had been a quiet mission, a couple places looked problematic but nothing happened in the end. So my help wasn’t even needed, which was a good thing at the end of the day.
Once that was done, I guided my mare to the stables and decided to pay a visit to the town’s mayor. During the planning phase, we had to trace a diversion from the optimal path to avoid a town with reported Grimm activity, so I wanted to check that out with a local authority.
I met with a receptionist that gave me a quick report of what was happening in the zone, apparently, they were harboring some refugees from that specific village who had been chased away by Grimm. To my fortune, the self-proclaimed leader of that community was in the building and could probably give me a better rundown of the situation.
...
-A little late, aren’t ya? People died back there... And we even reported the Grimm weeks ago! What happened to that? Where were the Huntsmans then?-
He accused bitterly, understandably mad at the situation. I knew nothing I could say would make him feel better, so I didn’t even try. He was hurting and looking for someone to blame, but that wasn't something I felt inclined to entertain. That kind of help was not something I was trained to provide, what I knew how to do was a way simpler thing.
-How many Grimm? How long ago?- I asked, paying no mind to his previous questions. The man seemed a little put-off but responded nonetheless.
-A couple of beowolfs at first, but that’s nothing we haven’t dealt with before, the problem is that some stupid miners manage to wake up something big on the mines, one of those giant scorpions...-
A deathstalker. It made sense then. Some people must have stayed behind to distract it while the others ran. I mentally went over the map, by foot it should take more than a full day. But I travel light and the horse is a swift one, so it should be able to take me there in around three hours. Nodding at the rugged man, I turned around to leave.
-I will take it... I’ll be back soon, if I’m not, don’t return to the village-
...
The horse was making a good time. This far out in the country dust and gas were commodities, and a horse didn’t need paved roads to properly function, so I made it my priority to learn how to ride as soon as I started taking these missions.
I just kinda... Started doing that after I began my second year, there had been no grand ceremony of any kind. Then again, I wasn’t paying much attention to the classes after... What happened in the Ground district... So maybe there was one and I auto-piloted it.
No-one stopped me so I figured out I had permission. So there I was, doing escort jobs just like the professor suggested... It had been decent, not a hard job, all in all. Most bandits merely pushed once before realizing how badly outmatched they were. So I finished the missions quickly and had a couple free days to help the area however I could before returning to the capital.
I was starting my third year, which meant almost a year of doing this... This, and some other considerably less productive things. Sadly... I had spare money from the missions, so I turned to private tutoring in some areas I found myself lacking. But in the end, it had all been for naught.
There was nothing they could teach me that would make me stronger or more resilient, my control was great, but my sheer aura reserves were too small to make something worthy out of it. This was the limit of what I could achieve... I even went as far as to meet with an old, retired professor from Atlas academy, but I received the same answer.
And without aura, my body could barely keep up with the things my mind told it to do. And all of that money I spent meant I couldn’t invest in improving my armaments either. So I basically wasted a year in which I barely learned anything new, barely improved in anything. My semblance became a little stronger, but that was about it.
Sighing, I kept my eyes on the road in front of me... It could be worse. I could be dead like the students of class blue... Shaking my head, I gripped the reins of my horse a little tighter. I didn’t want to get distracted like that... I was honestly tired of thinking about it.
...Fuck you, Long. If you weren’t academy staff I would have beaten the shit out of you... I still think about doing it nowadays. But thinking about it wouldn't get me anywhere.
One more year, and then I could finally decide what to do with my life. For better or for worse.
In the distance, I could see the collapsed farms and houses of what I assumed was the place I was looking for.
...
The Grimm stumbled in front of me, shrieking loudly before its strength wavered and the only remaining pincer still attached to its body fell to the ground. The rest of the body, half-buried in a house as it was, started dissipating soon after.
The fight was gruesome, but still within the expected metrics. Deathstalkers were strong and durable but didn't have much else going on for them, the poison was a problem but only if you didn't have an active aura. Besides that, they lacked any nasty surprises. Considering this, I felt comfortable facing it head-on, blasting it with my semblance at a distance and circling around it once it got closer.
Speaking of which. The bastard even managed to break my aura in the last second before he died... Scowling, I began scouting the surrounding area, thankful for the fact I wasn’t hurt. The Deathstalker didn’t even hit me that many times, but it still did a lot of damage...
After the fight, I walked some rounds around town and found a couple dead bodies of town defenders. I didn’t know if they wanted to be buried or not, so I merely covered them with a couple blankets from a nearby store and dragged the bodies under a roof.
Once It was clear that the place was safe again, I took to feeding my animal while I sat under a tree, closing my eyes and deciding to rest for a second.
But by doing that, my mind couldn’t help but be dragged to all those feelings and worries I dreaded to address... The situation was getting worse nationwide, and I was finding myself unable to improve in any meaningful way.
Everything felt as futile as always. Just one step forward, and two steps back...
As I was busy whinning internally, I remembered something Kishka mentioned a couple times, about her joining a team of some sort.
I wondered if I shouldn’t ask her about it. It would be working directly under the council, and I fucking hated them after what they did... After what they always did... But maybe I could give it a go and see if I could make a difference in another way...
I mean, I might as well do.
Turning my gaze towards the clouds rolling lazily above me, I decided that It was not the time or place to be thinking about that. I was hungry and I wanted to return to the town already. I needed a meal, a drink, and a bed. Everything else I could decide on in the morning.
Even one step forward and two steps back was better than always moving backward.
1367 / 1367 Words.
Solo thread, so max XP caped at 10XP
