Brutality… Savagery… Genocide… no word alone could describe the sheer amount of death that was witnessed.
The red marked warrior, Kratos, the acts he committed in the name of his master Ares were monstrous. The servant of the God of War carried out every order issued to him, becoming more beast than man… filled with only the need to slaughter all in his path.
No one was safe. Entire armies fell before him, and the soldiers that followed him on his never ending path of conquest doing so in the name of Ares.
Those that offered any resistance of any kind… were dealt with quickly… and without mercy.
Kratos stood before his army, a lit torch held in his hand as he addressed the soldiers that followed his command. "They built this temple to offer prayers in the name of Athena! This entire village stands as an affront to Lord Ares! Burn this village! BURN IT TO THE GROUND!"
He threw the torch upon one of the many huts that made up the settlement, his men following his example, setting the village ablaze before drawing weapons and going on the attack.
They were ruthless. Men, women, and children were slaughtered, their blood flowing like a river on the ground. All done in the name of Kratos, the man that was said to have become near invincible, he feared nothing.
But there was something about the temple within the village, something forbidden that made him pause. The rest of the settlement burning down around him as he stared at the doors before him. Every instinct within screaming at him to not cross the threshold, to never step inside.
"Beware, Kratos." the village Oracle said, approaching him without a hint of fear. "The dangers of the temple are greater than you know."
Her warning fell on deaf ears, the servant of Ares simply brushed past her, ambition fueling his very being as he kicked the doors open with the deadly Blades of Chaos in hand. Everyone inside was met with their eternally sharp edges as he cleaved a bloody path through the once sacred ground.
Every soul within the temple fell before his wrath, not one left alive. But in that instant, the glory he had reveled in… turned to horror. The image of his final two victims that night, would be burned into his very soul for the rest of his days...
… laying before him… were the bodies of his wife and daughter. Slaughtered by his own hands, their blood stained on his skin.
"M-My wife… my child..." his voice croaked when the full weight of what he had done seeped into his now cleared mind. "How? They were left in Sparta..."
A nearby fire roared to life, turning his attention from the bodies of his loved ones to see the visage of his master looking back at him. "YOU ARE BECOMING ALL I KNOW YOU TO BE, KRATOS." said the God of War with praise. "NOW WITH YOUR WIFE AND CHILD DEAD, NOTHING WILL HOLD YOU BACK. YOU'LL BECOME EVEN STRONGER! YOU WILL BECOME DEATH ITSELF!"
Kratos knew then who his true enemy was. Ares, the god who had saved his life, who had now taken everything he had ever loved from him.
Stepping out of the burning temple, the warrior fell to his knees and screamed at the heavens. "ARES!"
The village Oracle approached him again, her aging face twisted into a dark scowl as she looked upon the broken man. "From this night forward, the mark of your terrible deed will be visible to all." she hissed, waving her hand, a cluster of snow-like particles floated out of the ruined temple. "The ashes of your wife and child will remain fastened to your skin. Never to be removed."
The ashes surrounded Kratos at attached to his body, his flesh changing to a near snow-white that covered him from head to toe. Now the world would know him as the beast he had become, his sins clear for all to see.
Kratos clenched his fists and bellowed into the night, his rage and anguish heard far and wide...
The Ghost of Sparta had been born.
Haru bolted upright, his throat raw from the amount of screaming he had done in his sleep, sweat drenching his form as he choked in ragged breaths.
The sudden dropping feeling in his stomach had him up and running into the bathroom, whatever he had eaten the night before being expelled into the toilet as he wretched for a good couple minutes.
When it was finally over, the Faunus supported himself as best he could as he clung to the bowl in front of him. His body was shaking, now cold, as he tried to regain some semblance of himself.
Staggering to his feet, he flushed the toilet before pulling himself up to the sink and looking at his reflection.
He nearly shouted when he saw that his skin was pale, taking several seconds to realize that he was that way given what he had just endured. His breath coming out in shaky pants as he tried to clear his mind enough to calm down.
That dream… had been the worst of all the ones he had seen before. None of them left him feeling as thoroughly drained mentally and emotionally as this one had. The things he saw… he swore he could feel what was happening.
The swords in his hands, the heat of the fires… the blood… the terrifying feeling of ash fusing to his skin...Then there was the guilt, the near blinding rage, and the soul crushing loss. Haru had never felt so much pain in so many forms all at once, and it had been just a dream!
Breathing back under control, a little color returning to his complexion as he turned on the facet and splashed cool water on his face. Taking an extra moment to rinse his mouth out and take a couple of sips to sooth his aching throat. When everything finally settled he went back into the main room and checked the time.
5:32 AM. The airship heading to Beacon wouldn't be leaving for several more hours, so for now he had time to reflect on the last week and a half.
Since the first day arriving in Vale, he had done well to familiarize himself with the kingdom and any points of interest that would prove helpful in the future. If he was going to spend the next four years here at the academy, then knowing where he could get supplies and other things he would need was a definite first step.
Haru had also spent a good amount of the time getting to know Pyrrha. Going out together to check out the city and simply talking to one another. The Faunus learned that she was a four time tournament champion, and was at the top of her class at Sanctum in Mistral. His skills and prowess granted her a large reputation along with an array of nicknames that he could tell she wasn't comfortable with.
She was also the mascot for a breakfast cereal, something else that she didn't seem too keen on.
The hunter could see clearly that Pyrrha was a kind, compassionate, and gentle spirit despite her skills as a warrior. Someone who simply wanted to follow her dreams while helping as many people along the way as she could. And even though she appreciated those that held her in such high regard, she much preferred to be seen simply as who she was, and not what she was made out to be.
Though she had nothing to worry about when it came to Haru. Given his somewhat isolated lifestyle, he was a bit out of touch with what was considered "popular" or anything to do with fame. Sure he kept up with current events, but that was more of an important information line so he would know what was going on in the world.
Pyrrha had been surprised to learn he knew nothing about her or her fame, and that he simply saw her as someone he would soon be working with, and a possible sparring partner, while attending Beacon.
The huntress in training had blushed as bright as her hair when he admitted this to her, acting as though she had never heard it from anyone before. Since then she had been nothing but smiles whenever they would meet.
Haru had also talked a little about his time in the Northern Frontier, the simple life he lived in the snow covered forest that was his home. When asked about his family, he easily diverted the conversation in another direction, not wanting to discuss his past tragedy just yet. Though he knew Pyrrha could see through the change in conversation for what it was, she respected his unspoken wishes and didn't push the subject.
All the time that had passed had been eventful, the Faunus finding himself surprisingly enjoying it as the day to go to Beacon finally arrived.
Turning to check the clock again, Haru had found that it was now 9:12 AM . He'd been sitting in one place thinking for nearly four hours.
Scratching his left wolf-ear absently, the Faunus stood from his bed and started to get dressed. He'd just finished slipping on his pants and boots when there was a knock at the door, figuring that it was a hotel attendant coming to let him know that check out was at 10, he headed to the door and opened it to instead find Pyrrha standing on the other side dressed in jeans and a red t-shirt.
"Good morning Ha—" she froze mid-sentence when she took in the fact that he was naked from the waist up. The muscles that were barely hidden beneath his usual long-sleeved thermal now visible for all to see which had her mind going blank and mouth going dry. Her emerald-green eyes took in the six-pack abs and the solid pectorals before her.
... oh my... she thought, her face turning a light shade of red as she could also make out various scars that were spread out along his torso from his various encounters with Grimm and other wildlife around his home.
Raising an eyebrow at the red-head's behavior, Haru cleared his throat, making her blink and look up to meet his gaze. "Is there something you needed, Pyrrha?" he asked curiously.
Face reddening as brightly as her hair, the champion swallowed thickly before answering. "I… I was just coming to see if you were awake and wanted to know if you wanted to grab breakfast together before heading to the air-dock."
The Faunus nodded, "Sure, just give me a couple minutes to finish getting ready and I'll meet you downstairs."
Pyrrha simply nodded as the door closed, taking a couple steps back until she was pressed against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. Hand to her chest and feeling her racing heart calm back down to a calmer rhythm.
When she first met Haru, she found him to be quite attractive in a roguish kind of way. But the more they talked, and the more she got to know him, she came to realize that he was also very intelligent for someone who lived in near isolation.
He was also very knowledgeable in the ways of tracking and hunting game. She'd personally never hunted anything but Grimm, but after hearing the wolf-Faunus talk about it, she couldn't help but be a little interested in what it would be like.
Haru wasn't like other people she had met, he didn't see her for her celebrity status. If anything, he didn't even know she had one until she told him. He simply saw her for who she was, not her many titles.
It felt really nice.
Shaking her head, Pyrrha returned to her room to gather her bags before making her way to the lobby to wait for her Faunus friend to meet her there.