Catching a kick meant for my ribs between my side and arm, I raised my other arm, grasping Mercury's other leg as he jumped up to deliver a sharp high kick. Using them, I twisted around and flung him across the training room. With his semblance he could easily counteract the momentum or even take advantage of the distance and send attacks of that pressurized aura to keep me from closing the distance.
He did not.
As he righted himself and finally touched the ground again, I was already back on him, not hitting at my hardest or fastest, but remaining just a step above what he could easily handle. Some of my attacks were avoided and pushed aside but never to the point where he could find an opening without taking a risk. There was some moments where a quick application of his semblance, those quicker blasts far from powerful, would've been enough to allow him more room to act.
Again, he refused to make use of it.
He stuck to that stubborn decision right up until I shattered his aura shield. We kept up the fight for a little while longer after that, a number of bruises marking or beginning to take shape on his body.
"That's enough." I said. Mercury grimaced but let down his stance, rolling his shoulders and neck as he headed towards the edge of the room. Now that he wasn't so worried about whether or not his next fight with me would be the last, he didn't push to the point of total exhaustion, listening whenever I decided things were over.
At least he wasn't so hung up on his sorry excuse of a father that he refused to use his semblance outside of our fights. Over the last week we'd taken quicker simple jobs, Mercury incorporating his semblance against Grimm when the opportunity presented itself.
Head tilted, I caught a metal arrow as it passed, turning towards the source.
Cinder, trying to maintain distance, backpedaled away from Emerald as she readied and fired unsteady arrows from her dark bow. Emerald was doing the opposite, trying to get in close to her all while avoiding or blocking the arrows with the sickle like blades that could extend form the bottom of her revolvers.
Cinder was focusing on bettering her abilities with a bow, swords set aside. Emerald was getting more comfortable with having to fight at close range without always defaulting to firing her revolvers. And neither were using their semblances in any way.
It was simple enough training and with both of them placed in unfamiliar positions, it worked well enough.
Better aiming while on the move, keeping better track of how many arrows she had on her, retrieving those she fired mid-fight, and using a mix of what she'd been learning going hand to hand with me and that bow to defend herself when Emerald did close the distance. Cinder was getting plenty out of the practice.
The same went for Emerald, her confidence in fighting up close growing as well as her trust in her own reflexes. The benefits were more fundamental, but those simple things went a long way in making the right call in a fight.
I didn't moderate it, just letting the two decide when things ended themselves. As usual, Emerald was the one to call for things to end, her stamina, while not bad, not a match for Cinder's.
Training wrapped up, I grab my bandaged sword, the others collecting their things and all of us leaving the room behind. Better adjusted to all the exercise, Emerald made conversation with Cinder, most of it carried by her while the latter only responded here and there. A week of him in the training rooms and out in the wilds alongside us wasn't enough to stop Mercury from behind the odd one out, he quietly lagging behind, bound to split off the moment we left the building behind.
An onslaught of noise put that on hold as we stepped out the front doors.
Mistral could be crowded, especially with that upcoming tournament, but the dense crowd walking down the center of the streets was anything but normal.
Predominately faunus, their animal like features proudly shown off. Signs with all sorts of things written of them from simple words like EQUALITY or entire phrases like FAIR TREATMENT&OPPORTUNITY were being waved around above the marching crowd. And, though hidden amongst the majority, I was able to pick out a few armed people within the crowd, each with both a baton and some kind of firearm.
"A march huh." Emerald said, no stranger to them. This particular one was being watched over by the White Fang, their reputation for aggressive defensive measures growing with time.
With Ghira, Blake's father, still acting as leader, the faunus and Menagerie as a whole weren't subjects I needed to pay close attention to yet. Salem's roots and influence over the group didn't come about until Adam ended up taking the position of leader for himself, which was long after being approached by Cinder.
"Hey, you." A small group of the faunus among the march slowed, approaching the railing that separated us. The tattoo on their shoulders marked them as members of the White Fang, the one talking faintly familiar despite their mask. "You're the one from before aren't, you? From the market?"
I shrugged.
"Yeah, you're definitely him." They decided after another look at end of my weapon. One reached into the satchel at their hip and pulled out a stack of lien, holding it out for me. "This doesn't make things even, but we do owe you something at least."
I hadn't helped them expecting a reward but there was no reason turning down them if they were going out of their way to provide one.
"You're a mercenary, aren't you?" They asked over all the noise as I took the stack. "Willing to do some work for us? We can always use the help of more humans like you."
Helping the White Fang in their efforts to push for proper fair treatment across the kingdoms. As they were now, still not outrightly violent but growing more and more willing to use it, Summer probably would've agreed to help them where she could without accepting a single lien.
"I'll think about it." I said giving them a nod. No point in agreeing to something like that now. There wasn't much that some wanderer with a sword like me could do for the problems they were faced with across Remnant.
They gave me nods, one even a smile, before moving alongside the march again.
"I heard about it, but what exactly did you do in that place?" Emerald as we watched the whole thing.
"Nothing special." I said.
"Riggghhhtt."
After the march passed, the provocations they were getting from a few humans with far too much time on their hands and too ignorant to realize just how many members of the White Fang were around in the event lines were crossed ignored, we got a move on ourselves. Mercury quietly split off when we reached the stairs, heading in the opposite direction that march had gone.
"I know he's been fighting with us and you two have got, like, a weird agreement going on but I can't be the only one feeling a little paranoid about things." Emerald said after we started up the long flight of stairs and she was sure Mercury was a good distance from us. "I mean, after what we did, can we really just run around like we're friends?"
With how much she was struggling to talk or start any kind of conversation with Mercury, Emerald preferred to keep her distance so far.
"You're overthinking things. Whatever problem he has is with me, not you." I said.
"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on that. When I do talk to him, I can't tell if he's listening at all or wants me to shut up."
"You saw how the guy was raised. I doubt anyone would really know how to deal with other people after that." I shrugged. "Besides, if you can get along with Cinder, you can probably get along with anybody."
"I guess you're right." Emerald agreed, both of us ignoring the click of Cinder's tongue.
"Hey, kid." As we reached the halfway point of our climb, railings stopped for a moment and either direction opening up to a stone balcony built along the incline, I stopped. Qrow, leaning back against one of many benches spread across the area to our left, waved for me to join him.
Splitting off from Cinder and Emerald who continued up, I dropped on the bench beside him.
"Nice view, right?" He said, gesturing towards the railings overlooking where'd we'd just come from. Plenty were lined up, looking down at the many different parts of the city in view, public telescopes that took coins set up.
"Yeah." I could see far more than any telescope could hope to compare to with my Sharingan if I really wanted to. Distant waterfalls, decorations, and even some of what laid beyond the city's limits were crystal clear to me. Artists would be jealous of not only the scale but the sheer detail I could pick out.
"We could be seeing an even better one in Vale."
"Really?" I questioned, looking back his way.
"Hey, I've got to try wherever I can." Qrow said, shifting in his seat. "I'm not leaving Mistral just yet but I'm going to be headed out. Something I need to check out."
"Orders from Ozpin?"
"Yeah, needs me to investigate something for good old Jimmy." Qrow said. "Some kind of attack on that base they got over in Argus."
Argus? Not the first place I'd go to track down one of Salem's people but if Qrow was being sent that way, it must've had something to do with her. "I'll go with."
"Appreciate the offer but it might not even be anything worth our time. If something does happen, I'll give you a call or you could just open a portal." He said, standing up and stretching. "Besides, don't you got that little team you're putting together to worry about? Not sure how well a bunch of problem kids like that will get on without you."
Argus was pretty far out, all the way on the northern coast of the continent. Even on my own I wouldn't be able to cover that distance as well as Qrow. My way of travel required a good few breaks if I wanted to avoid draining my aura while he could push himself for far longer and still be at 100% for a battle. Still, with all the travel going on right now, catching an airship to Argus shouldn't be that hard.
"I know that look." Qrow said despite my shades, one of his hands landing on my head and ruffling my hair. "Didn't you want me to sign you all up for the tournament? Just kick back and enjoy yourself before that. I'll be back before you know it."
Waving, he took off, headed down the steps.
As if I was just going to kick back.
XOXO
"You ever thought about opening your own restaurant?"
"I'm not giving you any extra."
Emerald sucked her teeth, but her disappointment vanished as I placed plates of steaming food in front of her and Cinder. On training days, Emerald had made it a part of her routine to come up for breakfast, Cinder only doing the same after being invited.
"I am serious though. This is good food." Emerald complimented after her first spoonful.
I just hummed, watching the two as I ate my own plate.
Leaving Emerald on her own for a bit wouldn't be a problem. Cinder, on the other hand, still had certain tendencies that shouldn't be ignored, but I don't think I could really call her a flight risk anymore. It'd take a lot for her to give up the training she was getting from me.
"I'll be gone for a while." I said, getting their attention. "I've got some business I need to handle in Argus."
Quickly swallowing her food, Emerald lowered her spoon. "That city out on the coast?" She asked and I nodded. Her gaze flicked between me and Cinder. "By business, do you mean that stuff we talked about before?" I nodded again. "And…you're coming back, right? Even if you handle that business?" She asked, face scrunching up. Again, I nodded.
Cinder didn't say anything, but she wasn't happy to hear it either. The hold on her spoon was just a smidge tighter, eyes dropped in thought, but not before I caught sight of their uncertainty.
Strange. I expected her to be a little annoyed about the main source of her training disappearing for a while, not whatever that reaction was.
"I know you said it doesn't involve me, but do you really need to go that far by yourself?" Emerald asked, looking up at me. It was impossible to ignore how desperate she looked.
I closed my eyes, holding back a sigh.
Its not like I necessarily needed to involve them in whatever Qrow and I might end up doing. Argus was something of a tourist spot too. Work, training, traveling, with entertainment only sprinkled in here and there.
They could do with a real break and if Mercury came along it could break the ice with him.
If whatever Qrow was going to investigate did turn out to be nothing, it wouldn't be a complete waste of time if I brought them along.
"Then how do you two feel about a little vacation?"
XOXO
(A/N: This might be the first chapter where logic overpowered thoughts Talon had about Summer. The White Fang and the whole faunus thing is literally just too big for him to actively focus on it when he's busy with things that involve going after Salem. That said, they'll be bigger aspect of the story later on. Him being on good terms with them could end up being useful in that respect.
On a more chill note, Argus is out on the coast with pretty heavily guarded waters. Beach chapter is pretty much inevitable at this point, but you guys would be surprised by how much content and important characters arcs, or character as whole have just been axed out of this arc because I realized doing all that would absolutely fuck up the pacing of the story.
I'll drop a bit of random Trivia: Initial planning for this whole arc involved Talon coming across Ren and Nora struggling out in the wilds, and the group watching over them working as a way to mellow out Cinder. Ren already would've been unconsciously using his semblance to keep them safe while they survived off the scraps in their ruined village. Eventually that would've snowballed into some weird dynamics by the time canon rolled but alas, it was not to be. Too many characters that would've required too much time; trust me if you feel like things are moving extremely slow now, that storyline would've just about halted all the more important/dangerous stuff for another 10 to 20 chapters at least. Still interesting to think about what could've been though.
Anyways, here is the link for those who want to read ahead for anything I'm writing:
patreon .com/ thirdratewriter
See you all later!