A Grimm Life

As The Years Pass...

Ever since I was patched up by Kali Belladonna, given warmth and comfort by her family, Adam and I had joined the White Fang to combat the injustice the rest of the world committed against our kind. But... I had my doubts about the methods. 

The White Fang was all about peaceful protests. Simple mass gatherings around the world with everyone chanting and raising signs. When I first heard about this, I wasn't so sure how this was helping for the Faunas kind. Especially considering how this even contributed to the Faunas in both slave labour with the SDC and the slave trades that went down behind closed doors. I did my best to recount my own personal experiences to Ghira, hoping that he'd take a more direct course of action, but he simply refused, saying only that my experiences would fuel his own determination and my own for the cause. 

As much as this was the case, I didn't feel much of a change coming along. The masses still hated us, attacked us, killed us. The more this went on, the more rageful I became. But I never expressed it, knowing that Ghira and his family would despise me if I voiced my opinion on the matter. Adam, however, was a different case. 

He had no issues voicing his opinions and his ideas on how the White Fang should move forward. And he wasn't the only one. After some time, Ghira stepped down from being the leader of the White Fang, handing the role down to a woman called Sienna Khan. Adam seemed more than happy about this and his mind was brewing with plenty of ideas. However, his ideas were... dangerous. Not just for the Faunas, but also for the humans. As much as I wanted to make humanity pay for what they've done, I felt Adam's plans would've only jeopardised Faunas even more than they would the humans. It was because of this fanatical way of thinking that Adam was sent away. But he didn't go alone. Along with a few other Faunas, he took Ghira and Kali's daughter, Blake with him. Or rather, Blake followed Adam because of her love for him. Yeah, the two eventually got together and began to date. 

I wasn't sure what to think or feel when I heard both my friends departing from Menagerie. I wasn't sure whether to follow after them or to stay behind and keep my own opinions to myself. As more time passed, I heard from the news that the White Fang were suspected to be in Vale and working under covers in dark. And the part that drew me in the most was... 

Their methods worked. Humans were actually starting to back away from the Faunas, afraid that the White Fang would strike at them. The fear the humans felt was no different to the fear I felt when I was forced to be a slave in those damn ice caverns. And it got me thinking... 

Fear is the only thing that anyone understands, whether they're human or Faunas. And fear, is a powerful motivator. Fear kept me in line for my whole life. It kept me playing my tormentors' games. It chained me to this slave mindset, that I had to appease to my betters. No more. 

With this discovery, I packed my things and began to prepare to leave. Ghira and Kali begged me to not go, but I just had to. Ghira was much more adamant than his wife that I stay. But I appreciated Kali for letting me go after a discussion. She knew how hard my past haunted me and she wanted me to find acceptance, regardless of the path I chose. And it was for that sole reason that I loved her as a mother. Saying goodbye to her hurt me more than I could have imagined, but it was necessary for me. 

And those were the events that led to me being here. Walking down a forest trail, heading towards Vale. However, my journey would be a long one. An incredibly long one. I had no methods of transportation and only my scroll to guide me to the city. For protection, I had a sword gifted to me by Kali. According to Ghira, Kali was one of the best swordswomen around and dual wielded once upon a time. I found it hard to believe at first, but when I saw her pull one of the swords out, I knew for certain the stories were true. One of my regrets was that I didn't ask her to mentor me first. 

I continue wandering down the trail. Thankfully, it was a bright and warm day so I didn't need to worry about covering up. As I walk, I let my thoughts fill my head. Memories of my old friends, Cinder and Winter, flash through my head. It's been a long while since I thought about them, but the desire to be with them one more time has grown so much stronger as time passed. Even now, I wonder what they were up to. Was Cinder in a better home? Was she living a good life? And what about Winter? Did she live up to her aspiration of training her Semblance? 

Snapping me out of my thoughts, I hear a low snarl from the trees, prompting me to grip the handle of my sword. I face the source of the snarling and try to peek through the bushes. Before I can even get close, a large black creature leaps out from the cover and tries to swipe at me! I draw the sword just in time and block the strike, but I'm knocked back against another tree. I push myself up to my feet and face off against the creature. It had a white skull with burning red eyes and red marks over its face. I recognised this beast as a Grimm. I've never actually seen one before, but I do recall the stories Kali would tell me as I was growing up. 

I take a deep breath and charge at the Grimm. It roars and leaps towards me. I manage to crouch down and hold the sword above my head, splitting the beast in two right down the middle. With the beast dead, I stand back up and turn to look at the corpse. 

I'll admit, I didn't expect these things to be so easy to kill. Right when I'm about to continue walking, I hear more growls from the trees, putting me on guard. All at once, the beasts leap out and try to strike at me! I do my best to avoid their attacks and I begin to run down the path. Howls erupt from behind me, but I pay no attention to it and continue running. To my surprise, I'm tackled from the right by another Grimm. It throws its head down on me, trying to bite me. I'm able to kill the Grimm by jamming my blade up its gut and shove it off me. I then pull my sword out and realise there's no way for me to escape. 

I stand up and hold the sword at the ready, gritting my teeth as I brace myself for combat. The swarm of Grimm all lunge at me at the same time and I swing my blade at them, engaging in a fight to the death...

The battle ended in a bloodbath. And there were many more that followed. For days, Mutasim was forced to face overwhelming odds against the hordes of Grimm. He was never granted a single moment of rest and was forced to keep moving and keep fighting. Before he knew it, exhaustion, dehydration and starvation began to take over his body. Not wanting to put anyone in danger, he strayed from the towns, but this meant he could not gather any sort of supplies. 

After two weeks on the road... He made a choice that would change his very being. 

For better or for worse...