"So... Why two swords?"

Geralt hummed before replying simply with, "One for beasts, the other for non-beasts."

"Like... One for Grimm, and the other for... People?" Mow was hesitant to ask.

Geralt nodded, "Aye. All sorts of dangers in the world, people can be one of them."

The witcher had anticipated the question and had been preparing for it, a simple answer was all that was needed. The boy, Mow, or Mowgli as he later revealed, had been conversing with the witcher for the past maybe half hour. During that Geralt had used the conversation to get an idea of where he was.

From what he could gather without tipping his hand was that he was on a world called 'Remnant,' on a large island called Menagerie. It was given to the race that lived upon it, the faunus, after the 'Great War,' and ever since the faunus have fled to it to escape injustice in the other kingdoms, especially Atlas. Though he didn't know much beyond that, Mow was just a kid, not knowing much beyond what his parents told him.

The walk was quite for the most part after that last question, too Geralt's relief. He wasn't the best at talking, though he mostly only had to listen. He now turned his attention to the wildlife around him. The island had its share of different smells, different sounds, and different wildlife, though the witcher knew he wouldn't have time for exploration, he'd need to get on the Path, and find Ciri.

The sun was nearly fully set, the moon now high in the sky when Geralt finally arrived at the village Mow had been talking about. Just as he described it was along a creek, next to a grove of 'banana trees.' They were stout looking trees with bundles of strange looking fruit. A big bonfire burned a short distance from the village proper, a large group of people gathered around it. The witcher's mutant hearing told him that it was a rather happy time, and his nose told him food was being had... Fish, cooked with a myriad of spices he'd never smelt before. It was then Geralt realised he was starving.

As they grew closer, a woman with rabbit ears approached Geralt and Mow, she looking the witcher down with a cautious look, "Mow!" She called to the boy, "You're late, young man!"

"I'm sorry mom! I found this guy on the beach," He stepped a bit out of the way, "His name's Geralt. I think he's a huntsman!"

The woman stopped, looked the witcher over again, seemingly shocked. Geralt thought he knew that look; the look of discontent he got on many occasions.

"Oh! Now Mistral spares one of you." The woman crossed her arms, "Or did Vale finally care enough to honor the treaty?"

Geralt interrupted her comments implying that he was some sort of pawn of a king. Huntsmen? Perhaps it was an equivalent of a witcher of this world, one who worked for the crown. He decided to stick with his story, no need to say anything special.

"Afraid I'm here through misfortune. My ship was taken by the waves, washed up here." Geralt explained.

The woman narrowed her brow, searching for a lie before sighing, "Well, if you want work, we've been having our share of Grimm worries. My husband calls them 'dire cats.' They struck the village to the north of us. Only a few die, the rest went into the city proper."

"Won't say no to clearing them out if someone pays me for it." Geralt said flatly.

"Figures... Well, you are a faunus, like the rest of us. You can join for some fish, imagine being shipwrecked would make any hungry."

"Think I'll take you up on that offer."

The fish was probably the best food Geralt had it the past couple days. It was truly heavenly. The company wasn't too bad either. Not one called him a filthy mutant, nor did they refuse to sit with him. That said, he wasn't too talkative. The occasional question here and there was asked of him, nothing he couldn't handle. That said, he was starting to feel a bit boxed in. Gatherings like this always made Geralt a bit uncomfortable.

What made matters worse was the attention he earned, namely of a young woman. Well maybe a young girl, judging by how she dressed and how she walked and how she drank. Geralt wagered she was somewhere around Ciri's age, which didn't help of course. Her short black hair, however, reminded him of Yennefer if the sorceress cut her hair, but it was the eyes, damn near same eyes as a witcher. Perhaps that is why she stumbled on over and plopped right down next to Geralt on the bench he chooses to sit at.

"Hey," The girl was barely in her twenties now that Geralt had a better look,"You're a new guy... What's your name."

"Geralt."

"Ger-alt?" The girl seemed confused, "What kinda name is that? Where'd you come from, Atlas? That ivory skin and white hair say so." She said flirtatiously as she clumsily attempted to caress Geralt's beard.

"Listen," Geralt decided to cut her off before she starts, "I'm seeing someone now, wouldn't be right-"

"Oh come on Ger-alt!" She lightly punched the white wolf in the arm, "Live a little! It's not like your wife or whatever will ever know!"

Geralt chuckled, "Hard to keep a secret from a woman who can read minds."

"Ha! Yeah right!" The redhead said trying to punch Geralt in the arm and missing horribly falling off the bench.
"Alright, that's enough." A man then stepped up, picking the young girl up, "Time to go home missy."

"Dad! Come on! I'm not bothering anyone! I and Ger-alt are having a great time!" She said hiccuping.

The man looked down to Geralt, his boar-like tusks giving his gaze an extra bit of menace, "No. I don't think you too are having fun," He turned back to his daughter, and grabbed her by the arm, "Come on, let's go."

"No! I don't-"

The young girl's protest was cut short by the man slapping her across the face, "You'll shut the hell up!"

The party died out quickly. The previous jovial mood was gone, replaced with a level of tension as to what would happen next. Geralt broke that new silence.

"Think you need to be the one to calm down."

The boar-tusked man snarled, "You telling me how to parent my child?"

"Your child is an adult. Should be able to make her own choices." The white wolf countered.

"Not if she's living in my house!" He shouted back, the girl trembling in his vice grip on her arm.

"Ned, calm the fuck down." Came a new voice, a dog-eared man.

The boar tusked man shot back, "Fuck off Yu, this doesn't concern you!"

The dog ear man tore his way through the party, two others joining him, a spotted man and a cat-eyed woman came towards the altercation, the woman came to Geralt, "Might wanna step out friend, we can handle this."

Geralt looked at her, then back to Ned, then back to her, nodded, and walked out of the light of the bonfire. The continued sound of arguing became irritating background noise to the witcher. He needed to take a walk. He was unsure if he could've defused that situation peacefully, not without using axii. That alone would raise a myriad of question that could turn the crowd hostile, so Geralt opted to go meditate till things blew over.

Getting a quiet place in the banana tree grove Geralt knelt down and started to forget about the world around him. His focus remained on Ciri and Yennefer. He pondered were they could've gone. It then occurred to him that they may not even be in the same world! That he could be stuck here, for the rest of his day...

Then something pulled him from the meditation.

A smell, an unnaturally foul, smell.

It was like sulfur, but much stronger and pronounced.

His eyes opened, gleaming in the moonlight. It was then that he saw shapes, darting towards the village, he able to hear more yelling from it. One of the shapes halted it's canter and looked at Geralt with blood red, glowing eyes. The witchers eyes gotta better look at the beast. It was black as night, with long bony spikes going along it's back coming to a whip-like tail which held what almost looked to be a stinger of short.

It then roared, and Geralt drew silver.

Before it charged the white wolf heard it's pack mate charging him from his right. The witcher dropped low and managed to catch the beast in the belly as it pounced and missed him. Black blood covered the witcher, the scent of a thousand rotting corpses assaulted his nose as he turned his blade towards his pack mate.

A flash.

A gust broke the beasts charge, causing it to tumble back. The white wolf pounced, landing its blade through the throat and into the head of the beast.

Twist, pull. It was dead and... Disappearing?

The beast seemed to melt, whatever it was. Even the blood along the leather and chain the witcher wore seemed to vanish, even the smell.

"What the fuck are these things..." Geralt exclaimed, "Dissipating forms? A spirit of some sort... No, blade cut right through it, has to be physical."

His thoughts would have to wait, as Geralt's attention was torn back to the village. The arguing was now replaced with screams and pleas for help from the gods. No gods would save them, no heroes would come... It would fall to the professional.

Geralt sprinted into the village, assessing the situation quickly. The beasts, whatever they were, had set upon the village, indiscriminately striking at whoever was closest to their long, hooked claws. The white wolf struck at the nearest beast first, it didn't give him any heed, it was occupied with a small child, who had been petrified by fear in its presence, though the long slash across its back earned its undivided attention.

The tail whipped at Geralt, slashing harmlessly across his chain mail. He stepped back, avoiding the pouncing strike that followed it, he returns the favor by cleaving the very claw that'd be slashed at him. The beast tumbled away, two more take its place.

"Run!" Geralt ordered the kid, who, without delay, carried it out as the witcher turned his attention to the charing beasts.

The sign of igni served the witcher well, burning flesh and yielding yelps of pain from the beasts that faced the witcher. In that second of hesitation from the beasts, still recovering from the wave of sparks, the witcher acted. Geralt pierced the skull of the closest, pulling his blade back he quick-stepped back and brought his blade into the beasts pack mate who'd pounced at the witcher in an attempt at vengeance.

Pulling his crossbow from his back, Geralt landed a shot upon the wounded beasts head from his first battle, and went back to assess the battle he was in the midst of. The beasts seemed to care little for the witcher, still fixated upon the villagers. Many had taken up arms; pitchforks and shovels, knives and even pans, they make a stand around a large house, perhaps the alderman's home.

Acting quickly, the witcher rushed forward, intercepting one of the beasts; taking off one of its legs than a jab through the skull and out the mouth. Bathing two others in flame the witcher joined the others in the defense of the home.

"Gods! You're the real deal!" The woman with cat eyes cried.

Geralt didn't reply, didn't have the time, nor the wanting too. Beasts were still about, people were still in danger.

And the beast took notice of him.

Four came at him all at once, coming at him from all sides. So Geralt countered with an award sweep to all sides. Two were caught mid-pounce, sending them reeling back, the one to the front and too the back were the only ones who seemed to brace for it, which intrigued the witcher for a moment on how intelligent they were before he found himself dodging their coordinated attack.

A side step wasn't enough; while he evaded the first, he ended up having to roll out of the way of the second attacker. It was then that a third joined in, leaping into a bite which the witcher managed to side step just in time, allowing him to both evade the attack and return in kind with a stab through the red eye of the beast.

Pulling his blade free, Geralt turned his attention to the one who was menacing him from the front, seemingly waiting for the witcher to strike first. The witcher did strike him with a flash of igni, then turning towards the two beasts from before. They attempted yet another staggered attacked but the witcher called their bluff, slicing one in twin mid-air and decapitating the other before it could even pounce. That left one, who seemed to be backing away.

Odd, Geralt thought, what's he waiting for? That answer was given by the cry of a villager.

"Alpha!"

Geralt turned to see a massive beast before him, damn near the size of a cohort or even a fiend. It held similarities to the beasts he was fighting before, though this one had a mane that seemed to move at its own volition, like black flames in the night. It's four burning red eyes stared down Geralt as it let out a roar, it's maw revealed no signs of a real esophagus, but instead a blood red, glowing pit; as if hell itself was within the beast.

"Damn your ugly." Geralt snarled.

The beast seemed to take great offense to that and charged the witcher. It bothered not to pounce, it simply closed the distance and slashed it's great claw, sending dirt and grass into the air but alas missing the witcher. Geralt knew the beast was focused on him, and that the villagers needed to make safe, so he drew the beast away, further out of the town.

"Come on! Come closer!" Geralt taunted the 'alpha,' who was closer than Geralt actually liked.

He could feel the unnaturally hot breath the beast snorted from its nostrils, the sulfur smell nearly overwhelming the witcher. Suddenly the beast lept to the right of Geralt, he still tracking it with his blade, not seeing the beast's tail. Whip like tails grasped the witcher, bringing him high, right above the maw of the beast.

He no choice but to pour everything he had in one last strike.

White-hot flame poured like a river from the witchers only free hand, right down the throat of the beast, catching its eyes as well in spellfire. Startled, and now maimed, the beast tossed the witcher wildly, he landing back where he started, right in the banana grove. Setting aside the irony, the witcher lept to his feet, realizing his silver blade was gone.

Dashing out of the grove he spied his wolven blade right at a road sign, sticking prominently out of the ground. Groaning the witcher sprinted towards it, being headed off by the smaller beast he burnt before. The witcher reached for his silver dagger, but before that a thunderous crack caused the witcher to flinch as the beasts head was ripped free of its shoulders.

Turning towards the sound he saw a group of uniformed faunus coming down the road, one of which holding a strange device; it looked like a crossbow, without a string or bolt, it also seemed to be smoking. It didn't take much thought for Geralt to put together that it was a weapon and those must be local guardsmen.

"Secure the town!" A buck-toothed one with the strange weapon yelled as the group moved quickly down the road, he, on the other hand, met Geralt at the sign, "You a huntsman?"

Geralt nodded, "Of sorts, name's Geralt."

"Saber," The faunus-man spoke firmly, "Don't see a lot of you guys down here, what's the occasion?"

"Afraid I wasn't sent on purpose," Geralt said putting his silver blade back into its sheath, "Shipwreck sent me here."

"Ah, lucky man." Saber replied, "Still, lucky us you're here... I'll need to still take you in though."

Geralt frowned, "And why would that be?"

"King Belladonna will want to speak to you."

Meanwhile...

Ruby woke up early, as usual.

It was just what happened nowadays. Waking from dreams she did not remember... Maybe it was best she didn't. She always woke feeling out of breath and sweaty. Her eyes looked up at the dawning sky with a tinge of awe. It wasn't a new sight or anything, she'd seen the sun rise a ton, especially these days, but there was just something about that rising sun that seemed to put her at ease.

It reminded her of a story her mom, later Yang told her...

She looked to the camp at large, she starting to rise from her bed roll. Jaune was fast asleep, laying on his stomach, how he did that mystified Ruby, it was just... Weird, at least to her. Nora snored loudly next to Ren who was whistling in his sleep, weird, but since the little reaper had started traveling with them it was no big deal.

Then there was the newest member of the group, Ciri. She laid up again a tree, next to the fire, a spare blanket cloaking her as she slept with her arms wrapped around her sheathed blade. Ruby really wanted to know what the sword looked like. What metal was it forged with? Any combat tricks? The mystery was killing the young girl. She wished for just a creep to show up and let Ciri handle it, just to see what the blade was like.

Ruby had seen the white-haired girl semblance go off numerous times; she was fast, just like Ruby. Very fast. In fact, the young huntress thought to herself, maybe even faster than she was! Ruby needed to work on her semblance because Ciri had seemingly mastered hers.

She moved so fast when using it you could blink and she'd be a mile away. Of course Ruby hadn't seen her go that mile, yet, but she wondered if she could. Just what were the limitations of it? How exactly did it work? Yet another mystery that got that kept Ruby's interest in Ciri high.

"You're staring again."

Ruby's face became beat red as Ciri revealed that she'd been awake for some time, "Oh... Sorry, I-"

The white-haired girl chuckled, "It's fine, no harm done," She stood from her previous rest place, stretching out, "I'm going to get breakfast started, mind grabbing some more wood?"

"Sure!" Ruby stumbled out of her bed roll and darted into the woods, quickly grabbing a long and a few branches before returning and dumping the log and twigs on the campfire, rekindling it, "Done!"

Ciri looked at Ruby, a bit confused, "You use your semblance to get firewood?"

Ruby's eyes widened, did she? Ruby looked around and sure enough, rose petals, her namesake, "Oops, uh sorry, hehe, yeah that happens sometimes. Especially when I'm excited."

Ciri smiled, "It's fine, remind me not to let you loose in an armory."

"Yeah, yeah..." Ruby trailed off before asking, "So uh, why do you wanna be a huntress?"

Ciri shrugged, "Well, Geralt was one... My uncle was one, and basically, everyone in my family was. Family business and all. Save for Yennefer, she supported me, but I don't think she approved all that much."

"Oh, uh, why? Being a huntress is so cool! You help people and fight Grimm!"

"Sure... But," Ciri looked away from Ruby and into the fire, "There's a lot of danger in it..."

"Well... Yeah, there is," Ruby admitted, "But we can't let that keep us down, we gotta keep moving forward."

"Sure, but, people will worry about you."

That hit Ruby hard. It hit her with flashes of Yang, broken, beaten, not caring about anything. And she left her! "I, uh," Ruby then remember those she lost, Penny... Pyrrha, "I am here because I watched some of my best friends die... I couldn't just stand there anymore... I don't-"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to Ciri who was looking down at her, she shivered under the white-haired girl's gaze, "I understand," There was a pain in her eyes, that same look Jaune had, "I know that wanting, that need to take vengeance upon those who hurt you, who hurt those you love. Don't let it take over you... That's how good men lose their way."

Ruby felt reassured by that, and, for a reason beyond her, wrapped Ciri in a hug; it was out of character for her, but she just wanted to.

"Does it ever get better?" Ruby asked, "That empty feeling?"

"We just keep moving forward, it's all we can do."