Chapter 43: Duality

Dylan Brine is alone. He failed to kill Aza and Adam. Blake ran from everyone... Blake ran from him. A person he opened his heart up to disappeared without even a goodbye. You are gone. You went off to fight an overwhelming opponent with no aid. He has no idea what's happened to you... he has no idea if you're even still alive. Dylan Brine, once again, has lost his home, lost his family. Dylan Brine is a fighter, raised from birth to fight the humans, the Huntsman, and even the Grimm. Now, there's no cause to rally behind. He's his own man, truly free, yet he has no idea what to do from here. That's no better shown by Dylan's current living situation.

"Mr. Brine, I believe our supply is low," someone approaches the young Faunus as he rests on a bench, his eyes closed and arms crossed.

His head is balding, merely grasping to a few white hairs left. His physique is impressive for a man in his sixties, though the limp in his walk clearly displays his age catching up. His attire is what any modern individual would wear, if a little less so thanks to his generosity as the mayor of this small village.

"I could hear you mumbling it on your way here," Dylan remarks. "I'll deal with it," he lifts himself off the bench and walks past the elder. "I'm surprised... I just filled it yesterday," he speaks to the old man following him.

"Well, yes," the agile old man follows. "But many a traveler has passed by recently. All need food. All need rest."

"And all need water, yeah," Dylan keeps his gaze forward, ignoring the busy people around him working the stalls or chatting with their neighbors. The village has a very pathetic wall around its borders that's only made up of tree trunks. Dylan knows that any capable Beowolf, Ursai, or Boarbatusk would make quick work of it, but since he's here there's no reason to point it out. Within the past month of residing here, he's held off two hoards of Grimm with no issues. His combat experience and expertise with his Semblance makes simple Grimm little more than a workout. Unlike you, Dylan utilizes water to rip them apart right away rather than attack them head-on. If anything, this line of work has helped him train his Semblance even further.

Dylan and the elder reach a relatively small water tower. The two stop before it, the old man taking a step back to allow the young Faunus to work. Dylan shifts his dominant side forward and raises his hand towards the tower. Nobody but Dylan can tell that he's filling the tower with air from the oxygen around them. Despite being a more taxing trick, it's far easier than hauling a large amount of water from the ocean. Dylan fills the entire silo within twenty seconds. Not his fastest, but he's not feeling particularly motivated at the moment.

Dylan lowers his hand to signify his completion of the task. "I'll be wandering about if you need me."

"Thank you so much, Mister Brine!" The elder bows.

"It's fine," he coldly brushes off. "We have to work together nowadays."

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You and Neo walk down a dirt path that's been used thousands of times before. The sun's rays are unable to break through the dense leaves that cover this route. Neo wasn't impressed by your umbrella joke when you first entered this area. Either way, you have a new destination now. The files and notes you were given before gave you a solid lead on Harrier's travels before he obtained his immortality. At least, that's what you gathered from the notes. Anyone who mentioned him noted that he was searching for something and was asking questions about Semblances. With what you know, there's no reason for him to ask about Semblances if he wasn't trying to change his own.

At least you have Neo with you to make the journey less lonely. You readjust your backpack and clear your throat.

"You doing alright? Nothing shady on your mind?" You snicker. She looks over at you with a curiously raised brow. "Cause, you know, we're in the shade."

Neo quickly looks away and sighs.

"Come on, I can see you holding in a smile," you nudge her.

Neo shakes her head.

"Yeah, yeah... hm... Hey Neo, mind if I do something to you?"

Neo's eyes change to white in accordance to her shocked expression.

"No, no, no, not like that," you shake your hands. "Just... here," you slip behind her. With one swift motion, you move your head between her legs and stand up. Neo sways to regain her lost balance. "There we go," you end with a chuckle. "Now you don't have to walk."

Neo slaps your head and pouts.

"Ow, hey," your positivity remains. "I'm just having some fun. Enjoy the view up there."

Neo looks around at the darkness and flora. She closes her eyes and just relaxes. She knows this is something you need to do, and, even if she doesn't need to be carried like this, it's a nice way to relieve everyone's tension. Besides... being this close isn't that bad. Your grip on her legs is firm yet soft. It's an odd feeling for her... it's comforting.

Neo rests her free hand on your head and lets herself fall into the moment. The gradual thump of each step is very relaxing, coupled with the warmth of your body that's spreading through her legs and hands. You smirk when you feel Neo accept and embrace her current situation.

"See, not so bad?"

Neo lightly taps your head.

"God, you're adorable," you lightly squeeze her leg. "I don't even believe you're real, sometimes." You both remain silent while you keep walking. "I really do appreciate you coming with me for all this. If it was on my own... I don't know."

Neo hooks her umbrella onto your pack the proceeds to run her hands along your head as a pseudo massage.

"Geez, make me shiver more why don't you?"

Neo rolls her eyes but maintains the action. It's almost like nothing terrible has happened over the last few months. Like you haven't watched people be torn apart by Grimm, like you didn't fail at Beacon, like you didn't lose Pyrrha, like Roman wasn't taken from Neo, like the world is back to the twisted norm it knew. But at least there's something comforting here... if not the calm scenery and relaxing soundtrack, it's the company you both have. You've lost all your friends, Neo has lost the most important person in the world to her. Yet, you each fulfill that role now. Neo is your friend, your rival, your super adorable being of cuteness that's no longer trying to kill you. She now has someone who she can follow and dedicate her being to. Still... you each have your own way of clinging to the past and a goal to make up for it.

Neo's hands trail down your head and rest along your temple, her fingers dancing along your cheeks.

"What are you even doing?" You chuckle.

Neo continues carelessly tapping, bobbing her head back and forth.

"You're like a kid... heh," you push your head into her right hand. "I guess I'll let this stand. Only till we're at the next village."

Neo taps you twice to signal "yes."

"Hopefully we keep on... whatever," you push it aside. "I'm just gonna focus on the now with Little Ms. Adorable."

Neo rubs your cheeks with excitement. She's glad she didn't just hop off your shoulders as soon as you did this.

You unintentionally slow your pace just to enjoy the moment even more... which you'll soon be grateful for. You're surprised that there's such a healthy forest so close to winter, not that you're mad. This time with Neo, and on this trail, it's like seven minutes in heaven. Though, it ends up only being three minutes, as you come across a sign pegged beside the road... with a bull Faunus' corpse hung above it. You and Neo stare at it for a moment, quickly gathering that the corpse plus the "No Faunus Allowed!" sign is only going to bring trouble. Not that either of you are Faunus but the very fact that this is a sign means the residents are clearly unhinged. Neo pushes off your head and lands behind you, quickly taking her umbrella back before moving to your side.

"Yeah... this might not be good. Come on, this is the place," you point back to the sign where "Welcome to Floane" has been drawn over. "Let's just hope they're cooperative," you say aloud.

Neo shrugs then gestures a throat slice.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," you proceed down the path with your guard up.

From what you can tell, nobody is in the trees in ambush. There's still a sense of serenity and peace in this forest. If only it wasn't shattered by the sign. After a few minutes of silence, you both reach a town that's completely situated within the massive forest. Houses are built around the trees as to not cut them down. Some houses are even in some fatter, hollowed out trees. There are even small huts made above you with makeshift bridges to connect them. None seem like houses, however. Likely places for people to hide or have the high ground in case of an attack. There's not a soul to greet you, unfortunately, but you know the place isn't abandoned. The sound of a crowd is further in the town, past some of the houses and trees.

"Should we see what the commotion's about?" You look down at your companion.

Neo nods and quickly leads the way, following the dirt paths made by the residents. It swerves around the buildings and even through some "alleyways," or what they would constitute ones. You quickly reach a larger road that resembles the layout of most villages – the main one that has a majority of the important stores. You both step on it at around the halfway point and look left, the direction of the sounds. You soon spot a platform with... three Faunus that have ropes around their necks. One has a face of defeat, her eyes closed just waiting for her time to come. The others...

You instinctively push off your foot and jog towards the area to find out what's happening. The sign alone gives you a reason to not trust prosecution for these poor people. You stop near the back and tap on a woman, around twenty to thirty with a hardened face and extremely short blonde hair.

"What's this about?"

"Filthy Faunus tried to destroy our town! We didn't let them, no sir," she shakes her head with pride.

"Tsk," you push past her, eliciting a "Hey!" but you ignore it. You move closer and closer to the stage as the executioner, dressed in a suit and tie, speaks.

"We will not have our town be destroyed like Beacon! We all know what we saw! Dirty Faunus!" He points towards the two men, one a subtle bull Faunus and the other a deer, and one woman, a rabbit Faunus. You immediately think of Velvet when you spot her due to the similar ears. Her hair, face, and body are quite different from your old schoolmate, of course. Her ears are flopped down with hair hiding her eyes. The other two men are swinging back and forth, their bodies just prizes for these people. "We cannot allow them to leave and spread word of our lovely place, can we?"

"No!" Nearly all of them shout, save you, Neo, and an old woman who's watching from her nearby porch. That same woman's had her eyes on you the second you ran in.

The man on stage is reveling in the show he's putting on. He's dressed more like a salesman as opposed to an executioner. Despite being an older looking man, his hair is still quite healthy despite being grey. His nose is clearly larger than the average with severely sunken eyes. He's also quite slender in general but bulkier than your average old man.

"We won't let any Faunus ruin our town again! It's been peaceful since we drove the oppressors out, and now they attempt to destroy human land! So..." He approaches a lever. "We... will sacrifice them for the good of humanity!" He grasps the lever with intent to pull... but his hand won't move.

You're tightly holding his forearm, completely disabling him from moving. He looks at you with spite. "What do you think you're doing, stranger?"

This sudden commotion gains the attention of the woman who's on death's door. Her expression doesn't change, her face doesn't light up upon knowing someone is helping her. She rests her head again, not wanting to look.

"You..." Your anger is expressed through your grasp, nearly crushing the man's wrist with little effort. You pull his hand off the lever and throw him at the edge of the stage, close to the crowd. "Gathering and cheering for something like this... that's more justification than I need for slaughtering you all like animals. It's more than you deserve," you stomp towards the frightened executioner. "Maybe just beat you to death? Cut you down limb from limb?"

Neo snickers to herself, leaning on one hip while slightly turned on. She's noticed that you're a lot darker than you used to be, especially in situations like this. She doesn't mind at all, of course. She wished you tortured more people more often. It's clear that Beacon affected you and the way you're operating in the world... or maybe it's this changed world that's forced you to adapt. It's something Neo ponders once in a while, and she generally reaches the conclusion that you need a win. A big win. From what you told her – and what she saw – you lost against the Dragon, failed to save Pyrrha, lost your stepfather, and learned about the curse mark on your cheek. Clearly, you've hit a breaking point. Not the only one you've had, as she's heard, but it's one nonetheless. Your journey, the key to Harrier's immortality, is the win you need. Saving these Faunus... it's just not substantial enough, not for you. In all honesty, and she'd never tell you, but you remind her of Harrier when he dealt with Cinder's group. A demanding presence that feels unbeatable. Except Harrier genuinely is unbeatable while you're just leagues above the pathetic commoners she watches you deal with daily.

As you speak, you feel the Curse Mark flare up momentarily. You rest your hand on your cheek and take a deep breath to calm down. As you open them you're attracted to Neo, who's standing at the very back of the crowd. She shrugs, giving you the go-ahead on whatever you want. She'd massacre the entire village with a cute smile if you asked her too. She'd still somehow look adorable while doing it... unless she was covered in blood. That might ruin your mood. But it's thoughts like that which feed the damndable mark on your cheek. No matter how much you want to make these people suffer for making a public hanging for innocent Faunus... that might just result in more death than you'd ever want.

"How dare you!" The man stands, though his lanky figure hardly intimidates you. "You come here, side with those invaders, assault me? I should have you hung!"

"Big talk for someone shaking in their boots," you drag your hand down your face and rest it at your side. "What did these people even do to you?"

"They're Faunus! Faunus attacked Beacon! They-"

"I was at Beacon," you reply with a cold, threatening voice that makes his shrink to an ant's size. "I saw the White Fang murder innocents," you step towards him. "I saw the Atlas robots turn... and I also saw Faunus students protecting Beacon, protecting citizens. So don't you dare," you stand before him, staring deeply into his eyes. "Tell me what happened at Beacon. You're no better than the White Fang now," you grab the man's throat and throw him into the crowd. "I'm taking your trophies," you turn and approach the Faunus. "Try to stop me if you like."

You unsheathe your blade and individually cut down the bodies. "You're okay now," you say as you free the living one.

She doesn't respond. She barely moves when her neck and hands are freed from the rough ropes. You sheath the blade and give support to the woman, moving her towards the others. With a hand and foot on the bodies, you step beside Neo for her to grab on, then leap a fair distance away from the village. You're surrounded by trees, birds... and peace. Peace of mind, however, is nowhere in sight.

You set the woman down and kneel before her. "Don't worry, you're safe now. I doubt they'll leave their village to come find you. Place is like a pound, keeping those dogs in," your petty attempt at humour is both for her... and to try and keep you leveled.

"You're... a Huntsman?" She whispers.

"Yeah, (Y/N) Slater. Do you have somewhere I can take you? Somewhere you'll be safe?"

Her head slowly rises, eyes swelled with tears and fear. "So... you'll help me?"

"Of course, we both will," you gesture to Neo who shrugs. She doesn't much care for the girl, and she's kind of disappointed there's no bloodbath, but she'll follow your lead nonetheless.

"Kill me."

"What?" Your eyes widen. "No, you're safe. There's no need-"

"They're all I had left," her weak voice proclaims. "I... have nothing... I don't care anymore. There's nothing left for me... it's all been taken."

"There's still time to-"

"No," she vigourously shakes her head. "You said you'd help me! Don't give some bastard the satisfaction! If you don't then I'll just find some Grimm and let them rip me apart!"

"I..." You squeeze your fist and look away.

"Huntsman... please... help me."

You stand up and take a few steps away. She's not in the right state of mind... but she's right. Faunus nowadays can be killed for the smallest reasons thanks to the White Fang. At your hand... it's death on her terms. You look at the ground and shake your head before taking in a deep breath, shifting your gaze to the leaves above you... and bringing out your sword once more.

"I'm sorry," your whisper barely reaches her ears.

"I'm thankful," she finally smiles.

You turn around and place the tip of your sword on her chest. It's a place that will kill her instantly... no pain. You... hesitate. Your arm is shaking, refusing to push forward. Funny, you've killed Grimm, robots, and people before yet now, even with her asking you, it's like killing had been lost on you. Neo notices this hesitation and approaches you, stopping at your side and placing her hand on yours. She meets your gaze and nods.

It's not your burden. It's shared now.

You and Neo thrust the sword into her, the girl's breath cutting short, her pain ending swiftly. She slowly slides off the blade and flops on the ground, lifeless. Neo removes her hand and steps back, waiting for your reaction. Your body is shaking from anger, frustration, everything. You scream and throw your sword to the nearest tree, splitting it in half upon impact. The two halves crash on the ground, shaking your environment.

Your breathing is escalated, faster. You approach and claim your sword again before marching towards the village. "I'll kill them. I'll kill every last one of them because if she didn't deserve to live then why do they!"

Neo steps in front of you, making you stop, then places her hands on your cheeks. She pulls you close so your forehead touches hers. She sees the mark persisting, eating away at your Aura. After what she heard... what you asked, she has to be your crutch right now. Yes, killing those people would be extremely entertaining, but she knows you have a reason for being here. Besides, if that mark were to take over then she wouldn't be around for too long.

Her warm breath dances along your skin, the smell... pleasant. Her touch is all you need to calm down. You both slowly fall to your knees, Neo keeping close to you the entire time. All your tension dissipates with her presence.

"Neo..." You say barely above a whisper.

The woman shakes her head, assuring silence is kept. It's the only way she knows how to help you... help the only person she cares about now.

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Before returning to the town, you and Neo bury the bodies with unmarked graves. A shame that you didn't even know their names... but that's how it is sometimes. That's how it is sometimes... the fact that you justify this situation with that saying. That's just how the world is now. But maybe it was always like that. Despite moving around constantly when you were young, you never really saw that reality of everything. The Beacon incident really stoked the flames of this behaviour... and, in truth, there's nothing you can do to stop that. Some kind of speech won't work, beating it into them does nothing. It's rooted into who people are and that's something you can't easily change. This place, this village, it's disgusting. You'll never come back here again, but for now, you have a goal you fully intend to accomplish.

As you return into the town, now seeming to be normal with the platform gone and the inhabitants having returned to their daily routine. The moment they realize you and Neo have returned, their moods sour. Whispers arise from each as eyes persist on you both. You try your best not to make eye contact with any of them. These people are pathetic, but they aren't worth it... you so badly want them to be worth it, but they aren't. Neo is listening in on everything and she's fairly happy about what they're saying. Most of them are scared of you now. None of them are true fighters, so it's clear two presumed Huntsmen could wreak havoc. They're hoping you wouldn't do that, but it's still something in the back of their minds. Reminds her of how people saw Roman, a powerful person who deserves respect and fear... at least before he was turned into a dog for Cinder and killed by Ruby Rose. That's two people who she'll have to pay back... but that's for another time.

I need to find someone who can tell me about Harrier. I don't think any of these people will be willing to talk...

Your thoughts trail off as you spot an old lady sitting on her porch. She's watching you, more than happy when you acknowledge her being. She pushes off her chair and walks inside the building. Seconds later, a sign lights up spelling "Open."

If that's not a signal I don't know what is.

You approach the building and slowly push open the door. "Hello?"

"Ah, yes, come in!" Her weak voice cheerfully replies.

You look down at Neo and shrug with a lighthearted yet confused look. Neo gives you a thumbs up which elicits and chuckle from you. You enter the medium sized building. The main room is filled with charms, bobbles, and décor that's genuinely beautiful. You're immediately drawn to a shelf where these trinkets are displayed.

"Are these..."

"I made them all myself," the woman walks out of a far door with a bottle of water. She's small, not too much shorter than Neo, with wrinkles that litter her face. Her thinning grey hair is still clinging to her scalp and face, whether it's meant to be there or not. She's hunched over, making the dark green cloak drag along the floor. Her clothes, a mix of black and brown robes, keeps her body warm and hidden. Her one hand is only visible because of the water bottle, but the other remains resting in the sleeve. "Not much to do these days. Kids never visit, grandkids never visit, great grandkids never visit. Doesn't matter how much family I have, nobody ever visits. Keeps me sane, I think," she laughs at her joke. "Well, we shouldn't dally. See anything you like?" She gestures around the room. "There's something for everyone here."

You slide your hands back into your pockets and mosey around the room. "Trains... airships... trees, Grimm, people..." You stop at one shelf that hosts a variety of stone carvings. "People..."

Neo raises her brow at your sudden pause.

"Family?" The woman proposes.

You slowly lift your arm and grab two statues... one of Jet with his sword out, one of Harrier with his cloak. To your knowledge, that means this was made after Harrier manipulated his Semblance.

"You know me?"

"A Slater, yes," she gets onto her work chair and spins around to keep her old eyes on you. "I could tell the moment I saw you. Which one is yours?" You lift and shake Jet's figure. "Oh, that makes you special around here, boy."

"Special?" You turn towards her. "Why? Who are you even?"

"Oh, forgive me, child. I completely forgot to introduce myself. It's the ol' memory, I must say. My name's Paligria. Woman of... well, many things," she closes her eyes and smiles.

"Paligria... I'm (Y/N) Slater. This is my partner, Neo," you gesture to the girl to which she bows her head.

"Yes, Slater... which one were you from?"

"Jet."

"All the better," the woman laughs. "I suppose I should have known. Harrier isn't one for kin."

"I heard he killed his family."

"What's the difference?" Her crackly voice laughs once more. She calms herself down and takes a drink of water. "Well, it's lucky for you. Jet Slater is seen as a legend in this town. They no doubt will forgive your actions earlier if you tell them."

"Really?" You look down at the carving, examining it for a moment. "Why?"

Paligria rocks in her chair as she recalls the memory. "It wasn't long ago, in the grand scheme of my life. This town was once ruled by two Faunus who had incredibly powerful Semblances. The woman could manipulate air while the man could influence nature itself. They were tyrants over this place... we used to be larger, you see, but many fled... or died..." Paligria looks around the room to a few sculptures of destroyed houses. "Twas he who created this dense forest. The only good thing they did for us."

"And my dad stopped them?"

"Oh, he did," the crone chuckles. "He fought them alone right in front of their two children. The man challenged Jet's Huntsman integrity and reached out for his children, summoning a vine to kill them. Your father was forced to end his life, which, as you can guess, sent his wife into a frenzy that he had to stop."

You look down at your father and sigh. "Killed their parents right in front of them..."

"The town called him a hero. They wanted to kill the children but he let them leave. I'm sure they're still around, causing havoc, maybe even saving people."

"Hm... nobody can be everyone's hero," you set your father and uncle down. "Hm... what about Harrier? You have his sculpture too."

"I do," Paligria hops off her chair and waddles towards you. Neo takes this opportunity to explore more, leaving your side and wandering around to look at all the statues. "I've met him... heard of him... likely the most infamous Huntsman in history."

"I wonder why," you turn away from his statue and look down at the approaching old woman. "Look, I'm trying to follow an old trail. It lead me here. You seem to know a lot, what did Harrier want here?"

Neo examines some of the ones along the wall, moving towards the back of the building close to a set of curtains that separates rooms. There's one of a mountain that has a tree trunk standing tall, one of four women sitting around a table with an old man at the head, one of a woman standing above what seems to be a pool of water.

"He was searching for someone... following leads much like you are," she snickers.

"Where did he go?"

"You should ask the mayor, or, well, the man who's wrist you nearly broke. He came from the place Harrier went."

"He did?"

"He reveres that man... apparently, the entire town does," she turns away to watch Neo explore.

"A place... that worships Harrier Slater... that doesn't seem good," you huff. "But if it was his next stop then I guess-"

The old woman rubs her chin in deep thought. "Walk to Mistral. You'll find your way."

"What?" You cross your arms and look down at her. "What does that mean?"

"If you're like him, you'll find your way. I'd be careful, though. He wanted power and it consumed him... the same fate may befall you," she looks up at you with a wide smile and closed eyes. "Or perhaps it already has."

Neo stops at an unfinished statue of two, weakly designed people standing over three graves. The girl's eyes change as she connects this with the earlier event.

"Hm..." You continue to examine the woman. "Right... follow my way," you take a deep breath. "Right, thank you for your help."

"We'll see each other again, I'm sure," she keeps the same expression. "Fate will lead you, as it does everyone."

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Dylan keeps his eyes shut and his senses wide open. He's feeling every bit of moisture in the air, in the soil, and especially in the bits of snow around. He's almost looking forward to the coming snowfall of winter. While feeling everything out, he notices that the silo of water is already empty. He opens his eyes and looks in that direction.

"Already? It's only been two days," Dylan pushes off his water platform and lets it dissipate. "That should've lasted a week. Must have something to do with the sickness going around. People are drinking more water to cleanse themselves."

Dylan, who was less than a mile away, trails back to his home. As soon as he's within range he can hear people mentioning his name... and also the term "Faunus." In his experience, people only use that when they don't know the person or is trying to rally others against them. Given that Dylan's fairly popular in the town...

Dylan enters the town through the side, being unnoticed by most. He passes by a house where a woman is at the window, staring out at the sun.

"Oh, Dylan!" She greets.

"Hello, Ellora," Dylan stops to talk. "You're cooking?"

"Just letting it simmer," she smiles. "Can I ask something?"

"Of course."

"You didn't poison our water, did you?"

Dylan huffs. "Oh boy."

"I'll take that as a no," she chuckles. "People are blaming you for the illness going around. Some less than desirables think you're poisoning us."

"Hm..." Dylan crosses his arms. "It wasn't me... but it might end up being the water. You've been here for a long time. How long has that silo been up?"

"Oh, since I was a girl," Ellora rests her head in her hand. "My dad helped build it."

"How often is it cleaned?"

"I'm not sure," she remains stationary, her eyes looking up as she quickly thinks. "I don't think it's been cleaned recently."

"I'm going to check. There might be something in the silo," he starts walking away. "Take care, Ellora."

"You too, Dylan!" She waves from the window.

"If something is in the silo then it's still my fault. I should've felt it," Dylan berates himself. "I should figure it out before something drastic happens."

Dylan jogs his way around the outskirts of the town to reach the silo, getting a few looks here and there by people who already suspect him. Dylan stops at the large metal tube and jumps to the top where the entrance is. He spins the wheel fairly easily and lifts the door up. With his Faunus eyes, he sees through the darkness of the silo. Immediately he can see mold built up around the edges of the silo. Dylan sneers at the sight. He should've been able to feel that, but he just wasn't paying attention. The Faunus extends his hand into the silo and releases a pressurized wave of water to fill the entire silo up. He gets into every nook and cranny of the container and cleanses the entire thing. He pulls the dirty water out and dissipates it.

"There," he locks the silo up and hops off. "I'll just fill it up and everything should be fine," Dylan lifts his arm towards the silo and focuses on creating water inside it. Before he can really start, a small group of people approaches.

"You're the Faunus trying to kill us!" A woman shouts.

"Of course," he sighs, setting his hand down and turning to the audience. "Yes, I'm trying to poison you all instead of just easily drowning you."

"He admitted it!"

"It's sarcasm," Dylan pinches his nose. "Slater wasn't even this bad. I just fixed it."

"He's part of the White Fang!"

"I fought the White Fang," he replies.

"Poisoning this town and us travelers!"

Dylan rolls his eyes. "I have better things to do with my time."

"Dylan," the elder makes his way through the crowd. "I... think its time you left."

"Are you kidding me?" Dylan doubtfully snickers. "Some Faunus haters come on and-"

"You're a threat to us!"

"Only if you keep pushing it," Dylan sighs. "Whatever, I don't care. Your water is pure," Dylan starts walking towards them, aiming for his shack. "I'll pack up and leave."

"Good!"

"You don't even live here. What does it even matter to you?" Dylan remarks as he passes. "You're pathetic. Weak."

One of the men push his comrade out of the way and rushes Dylan. "What'd you say?" He shouts while throwing a punch.

Dylan doesn't move, instead using his Semblance to catch the man's wrist and casually crush it. "If I really was a threat then you wouldn't be standing here. But I'll let you live in the illusion. You live in this town, you protect it, give it water, then tell me who's the real threat here."

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You and Neo, after stocking up on water and food, use the main road out of the town. The citizens are more than happy at your departure, and you can't deny that you're happy to be leaving. You didn't get a location, but you know it's on the way to Mistral. Whether it's on this continent or not, you're going to have to follow the path.

"Fate, huh?" You glance down at your fist. "Alright, I'll do it your way," you look back to the road and spot the "executioner" looking down at a book. He sees you and Neo approaching which puts a frown on his face.

"Finally leaving this place?"

"We are," you nod. "We're on his trail."

"Nobody else has come through our town lately."

"Heh," you pass by him. "I'm following someone who came almost twenty years ago."

He raises his brow, thinking back on who could've come to his village. He wasn't living here back then but in another place close to Mistral.

"Well... as long as you're not here."

"Let's hope I don't have to come back," you increase your volume as you get farther away. "If I hear about Faunus disappearances around here... I'll be back."

You put the man out of your mind and look forward. No matter what happens, no matter who you run into, you're going to reach your goal. You're going to find out how Harrier became so strong and what his weakness might be. You'll keep training, keep getting stronger, and then you'll stop everyone. Cinder, Harrier, all of them. You'll take Beacon back... for Ozpin... for yourself.

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Before the day's end, Dylan has his things packed up and is following the trail to find a new place to go. It's surprising that he even lasted this long in one place but not surprising that he was driven out by distrusting humans. It's people like that who remind him why he once believed in the White Fang's message... but it's the White Fang itself that reminds him why he was wrong. People are just scared, he knows that, so it's more difficult to judge these people. Before, he would write them off as racists. Now... the situation has changed. The world has changed. Dylan always has to remember that. He just wishes there was more from the world before... that he at least had you, Blake, or any of his previous friends. But he's used to it.

Both of you walk your paths, one having a goal and the other looking for one. But one thing remains the same... Dylan Brine is alone.

Funny, this chapter kinda ended faster than I thought. I'm not mad or anything. I'm actually really happy with this chapter. It did everything I want, from continuing the journey to setting up things for later. Maybe I'm just trying to copy actual RWBY by not getting very far in each chapter. Don't worry, it's all planned. I know people want to get to the actual canon stuff with RNJR and all but I got a few things that need to be done. Probably... 47 or 48. That's probably when this mini-arc will end. That's just a guess, I really don't know. Depends on how I want to tell it. Slater and Dylan are exploring Remnant so there's plenty of small stories that could take place. We'll see how it goes.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I'll be working on the next one soon! If you want something to read in the meantime, I'm still writing Limitless and will be starting a story revolving around Blake! Don't worry, it's just a short story. No more than five chapters. So that'll be a fun little thing. It's a crossover with DMC so that's right up my ally. Anyway, I hope to see you all next time! Crimson Shadow has a long road ahead and I'm eager to go through it with you all!

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