CBLT: Huntsmen in Training

Chapter 20: Concerns and Sacrifice

Bianca walks through the halls of Atlas Academy. Scrolling through multiple documents displayed on her scroll. Article after article passes her eyes. She gently shakes her head as she scrolls passed another one.

"Bianca!" A voice interrupts her thoughts.

Bianca spins around to find professor Karpos walking towards her. She smiles at the sight of him. "Professor Karpos! It's good to see you doing well sir."

Karpos stops in front of her. "A couple of wounds wouldn't hold me forever."

Bianca scans him looking for any sign of pain. "Headmaster Ironwood must have given you plenty of recovery time. We've had operative Scath teaching your class since the mission."

"My apologies." Karpos jokes.

Bianca laughs. "She's an excellent combat instructor, but she tends to get lost in the history focusing more on battles than anything else."

Karpos glances to his side. Staring out of a nearby window. His eyes scan the distant structure of amity colosseum. "I imagine it's been quite boring for you. Perhaps you'd be happy to know that I'll be returning to my position after the vytal festival. So, look forward to that. Why are you here though? Your team is to fight in the doubles round today."

Bianca stores away her scroll. "Cobalt and Lapis are the ones fighting. He laid out a plan on how to proceed during vytal. It's not a terrible plan but I think it's merely hopeful wishing."

Karpos looks at her with a kind smile "Mr. Frost has an excellent track record. Besides even if you're not fighting, having faith in your team can still make an impact. That bolsters them if they come to hesitate. They're also more than your team, they're your friends too."

Bianca smiles but disappears as her focus returns to her. She looks to Karpos with narrowed eyes. "Professor, is there anything you can tell me about Prometheus city that isn't in the academy library?"

Karpos pauses staring at her. Recent memories flashing through his head. "Thinking about that grimm?"

Bianca nods looking at the carpet in thought. "It wasn't like any grimm out there. Ever since that day it's left me thinking. So, I started looking into Prometheus city again along with any recent papers on grimm studies. But I haven't had much luck. I don't know what could have caused the grimm to appear like that."

Karpos's brow furrows at her concern. "What do you mean? It seemed rather typical."

Bianca looks to the ground in thought. "Its skin was white while the bone plating was black. But more than that, it looked..." Bianca pauses frowning, "Too human. It was clearly a grimm but it's shape and figure were far too human."

"Bianca, I understand. However, it's only a grimm. The creatures of grimm have come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes, far too many to classify them into any one category. This one is only a new kind we are beginning to see. The grimm also didn't have white skin. It was black just as all grimm are."

Bianca looks at him confused. "What?"

Karpos crosses his arms. "It didn't have white skin. I'm certain of that. Did it frighten you?"

Bianca stares at the wine-red carpet. Her right hand finds its way to her left arm grasping it gently. "It was unusual, fast, and strong. The way it stared into me like a void. It was like seeing the grimm for the first time all over again. It's new and with so little information on it there is no telling how much damage it could cause. If we aren't careful it will come to harm more than just you or me."

Karpos whispers, "It's okay."

Bianca lifts her gaze. Locking eyes with him in a determined gaze. "If I can figure out anything about this grimm that isn't just what we've reported, then I'll be giving the next huntsman or huntress a better chance to survive."