Servants in Remnant

To Protect Their Smiles

The wind rustled gently through the forest, the sound of the branches and leaves creating a constant background noise throughout the trees. Small animals could be heard rustling through the thick shrubbery, and small birds flew from branch to branch twittering softly. The barely risen shattered moon shone gently through the branches, casting a gentle pale glow across the ground.

Across the ground, occasionally there could be seen a pack of Beowolves, or on rare occasion Ursai. They would weave through the shadows of the trees, silently searching. The small animals of the forest would grow silent at their approach, but the Grimm never took notice. Ears perked, they heard the loud sounds of combat near the cliffs, and they started moving towards it. They never saw the person glaring at them from above, nor the death about to befall them.

Across the thick canopy of trees she ran, stopping every once in a while to look through the darkened forest. She had been Summoned here a couple days prior, and was left confused as to what she was meant to do. With no instructions to follow, she set about examining the surrounding area. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was on a rather large island. As she surveyed the land, she found a decently sized city, as well as a couple of small settlements. She did her best to avoid that area. Until she had a better grasp of what was going on, she would much prefer to stay in an environment that she was more familiar with.

Flowing through the branches, she made about as much sound as the wind did, with the animals hardly realizing she passed by. Every once in a while, she would spot one of the mockeries of regular animals. Eyes narrowed, she made sure to eliminate them quickly and without hesitation. Wild animals fell under the domain of her patron, and she would not let a mockery such as these Grimm corrupt her goddess's domain.

After several days of scouting the land, she was starting to get frustrated. While she appreciated the freedom that she had been given, not knowing what was going on was getting on her nerves. One didn't just summon a Heroic Spirit by accident, and it was clear to her that she was gaining energy from somewhere, she just couldn't figure out where.

As she traveled, she soon heard the sound of gunfire in the distance. Ears perked, she started heading in that direction. If she recalled correctly, that direction didn't have any settlement, only forest and the cliffs. She couldn't think of a reason for anybody to be out there, but they obviously had a gun, which meant they were prepared. She had no intention of joining in on their fight of course - if they were too weak to take out these Grimm, then they shouldn't have traveled out here. However, she was interested in observing how well the locals fought. If she ever had to fight them, it would be good knowledge to have.

Flowing through the tree's once more, like a ghost through the shadows, she followed the sound of gunshots. Even though the sounds were far away, in the silence of the forest the noise was very jarring, not only directing her to where she should go, but also more Grimm. Her eyes narrowed briefly before deciding to let them go. If this person was fine with making that much noise, then they should be strong enough to deal with the consequences.

She eventually made her way to the tree line, where she had the perfect view of the fighting.

Mere moments after viewing the fight, she forgot her decision to just stay back and watch. Her hands blurring, she brought up her bow and aimed at the horde of Grimm, panic momentarily over-ruling logic.

The Strong ruled over the Weak, and she never had any patience for those that were weak. Only the strong lived freely in the world, for that is the brutal lesson that she had been taught in the wilds when she was growing up.

However

Children were exempt from that rule in her eyes. That was a must. For how could they not be? How could one hold a child up to the standards of others? Children were still learning the ways of the world, they were still innocent. You couldn't tell how strong a child could be based on their current strength, you could only help them grow, and do your best to protect their smiles.