Destiny of A Few

Chapter 1: Where Every Journey Begins

"Hey!"

Brand knocked on the door once more. He was at a small village near Vale surrounded by the thick brush of trees. The land was a lush green color with fields of grass mixing in with the gray concrete.

"We made a deal, remember?! Are you even home?"

Brand gripped the blue travel pack on his shoulder tightly. He had gone through a lot to get these artifacts and now wanted his payment. Unfortunately, it appeared that the small wooden house in front of him was empty. The windows had curtains preventing anyone from looking inside and both the front and back door were locked. Brand was skeptical at first when he had made the deal with this unknown huntsman but was certain that the reward was worth it.

Knocking one last time, Brand was prepared to take down the door. Suddenly, he heard someone unlock the it from the inside. A pale hand reached out with his body still being concealed inside.

"So you have it?" The man inside asked.

"All in one piece too. Can't say the same about the temple though." Brand held the bag out but not all the way. "Show me first."

The man chuckled. "You're smarter than you look." His hand went back inside.

Brand heard footsteps within the house. The huntsman held out a brown envelope.

"Everything you need for Beacon. Rest assured that you've been registered as a student."

Brand put the bag on the ground and retrieved the envelope. Checking inside, he found that all the information he had given had been processed.

"The ship leaves tomorrow morning at 8."

Brand narrowed his eyebrows. "And you're sure I can get in without any complications?"

"As I said, I was able to register you as a regular student. They won't know the difference."

"And my qualifications? I haven't completed combat school."

"I don't think they'd question you, especially with your stature."

"But I basically skipped-"

"You were the one who wanted this, weren't you? If you think you have what it takes to survive Beacon Academy, then go for it! Nothing's stopping you."

Brand nodded. "Thanks. I guess these are yours now."

He took out the chess pieces one by one and placed them on the floor as each one was taken indoors by the huntsman.

"I give you my gratitude for recovering these relics. Good luck in Beacon," The huntsman said.

Brand closed his backpack and hung it around his shoulder as he walked away from the house. He heard the door close behind him. Staring at the envelope, he made his way onto the path to Vale. Beacon Academy, undeniably the best huntsman school in Remnant. Now he was going to be part of it. Brand held his head high.

'Time to see what I'm made of...'

The landing pad of Vale was cluttered with students looking forward to attending Beacon Academy. A large ship was docked at the side of the cliff, ready to take all the boys and girls to their new school. Now, Brand was one of them. He smiled as he walked through the countless number of teenagers and of course he avoided eye contact. He was never really good in a crowd. Brand sighed and donned his dark blue earphones, deciding to play his favorite playlist on his scroll.