The Tarnished Name

"We, the jury, find the defendant, Silan Jacob Cadmus, to be guilty of all charges."

In that moment, I saw my father die. The light faded from his eyes, and he slumped as the verdict was read. The guards came up behind him, and he left a few items with the lawyer before being escorted out of the courthouse in chains.

I felt nothing, so shocked was I. I could only stand there and helplessly watch as my father was led away. No tears came, no outbursts of anger and indignation, nothing. After the judge stepped out of the room, I left as well, hardly noticing my actions. Out in the hallway, I felt a few taps on my shoulder, and turned to face whoever was trying to get my attention.

The lawyer was there, looking apologetic with his hand open and outstretched. "He wanted me to give these to you." After I absently took the offered items, he added, "I'm sorry. I really am." A moment later, he turned and walked away.

Looking down, I saw the items I had collected were my father's keys, his wallet and his scroll.

Right then, right there, I started breaking down, tears coming unbidden to my eyes as everything finally registered. My father was going to prison, where I would likely be unable to see him again, for a crime that had never been committed.

Hurriedly, I walked out of the courthouse, not wanting to be inside anymore. Tears began to freeze on my face as the cold winter wind bit by, but I hardly noticed in my haste to get to the parking spot I'd seen my father take as he pulled in earlier that morning. I began sobbing as I approached the vehicle, and only after opening the driver's door and getting in did I completely lose it. My body was wracked repeatedly as I cried, and my shaking soon became a result of two causes. It was just as cold in the car as it was outside, but I couldn't keep steady enough to start the vehicle. Driving it home to my mother's hadn't even crossed my mind yet.

It was dark when I walked through the front door, and my mother and step-father were both asleep. I had barely registered the snow falling as I drove home. Tomorrow I would be returning to Signal.

In the morning, I left without a word, using some of the Lien my father left with me to get a cab back to school. My scroll was turned off, and I was debating just leaving it that way. I didn't want anything to do with the rest of the world, but other than home or Signal, I didn't know where to go. I chose Signal, to try and salvage something of my life.


I heard the whispers about me every day after I returned to Signal. Always the same thing, accusing me of supporting the crime my father never committed. At first, I would launch into a tirade about how blatantly the trial was misconducted, but this only encouraged them. I quickly learned that this response lent me no help, and withdrew upon myself even more.

I had tried ignoring them, but I simply wasn't able to. The accusations and slights were impossible to tune out. Every one of them stood out in harsh contrast to anything else throughout each day. I tried to find solace in practicing form with Fenghuang, but new rumors started up, and I was soon cutting myself off from the world outside of class, returning to my room and staying there unless necessary.

As my involvement with the rest of the school fell, so did the talk about my father and myself. I was content with this knowledge, and so withdrew even further, until the end of the school year came.

Promising to earn my keep over the time off, I managed to get a job keeping Signal ready and orderly for the coming school year. In my time off, I took to hunting Grimm, wanting to be as far from people as I could be.

In doing this, I was able to recover from my lack of practice over what had remained of the prior semester. The adrenalin rush soon became what I lived for, knowing I was dancing dangerously close to death with each hunt. Intellectually, I knew what I was doing was stupid, and possibly even suicidal, but I felt the world held nothing left for me.

Regardless, the next session of school came, and my hunts were forced to wait until weekends. I suspected new rumors were started in response to how often I was absent on said weekends, but I never heard any. I was content with that.

And so the rest of the year passed by.

Graduation came, and as my name was called, I heard no applause. Nothing more than the sound of my footsteps heading up to the stage as I went up to receive my certificate. No whispers, no jeers, nothing. I was content with that.


After graduation, I faced the same problem I had the year before. Again, the same solution presented itself, and I took to maintaining Signal once more. As I did the year prior, I hunted Grimm in my off time, always craving the rush of adrenalin that made me feel alive, knowing I was possibly at Death's door.

It was about a month after I graduated that I was presented with something I had never dared hope for since the trial.

I had been out hunting, and stumbled upon a small pack of Beowolves, led by an Alpha. Perhaps they had scented me, but it didn't matter at the time. I knew I was in for a good fight, and my heart was already pounding with adrenalin. I felt alive.

One Beowolf broke from the pack and charged me, leaping as it approached to tackle me. I tensed for a moment as it was in the air, then shifted to the side, drawing Fenghuang and delivering a swipe that decapitated the Grimm in one swift movement.

As one, the remainder of the pack began loping towards me, jaws snapping and claws ready to dismember. I settled into a neutral stance, Fenghuang parallel to the ground over my head, one had on the grip, the other supporting the lengthy blade. After a few moments, I selected a target from the seven Beowolves left, and began my own charge. Once I felt I was close enough, I extended Fenghuang in front of me and shifted forward, impaling the lupine monster before shifting back again to avoid a swipe that had been aimed for the space I had just occupied.

The Alpha seemed keen on getting to me after I had killed two of its pack, so I took care to maximize the efficiency of my movement, shifting to a point near enough a common Beowolf without being too close to the pack leader. By luck I was between the one I intended and another within Fenghuang's reach, so I quickly coiled up before shifting through a spin that bisected them at the waist.

At this point, three were left before I would have to face the Alpha, and it was keeping what was left of its pack nearby, no doubt hoping to overwhelm me by numbers. I took a running start at them before shifting into the air, sailing over the four monsters as Fenghuang cut one open from shoulder to hip. At the apex of my "flight," I shifted forward and down, flying past the group until I shifted Fenghuang into an arc behind me, cutting down another even as they clambered over their fallen to maim me.

Just one remained between myself and the Alpha, and it must have been getting some signal to stay close by, because it wasn't charging me. They were circling me, slowly drawing closer to me and further from each other. I kept my attention split between the two, waiting. Finally, I shifted to the common Beowolf, Fenghuang running it through before I twisted it around and shifted once more, tearing Fenghuang free of the body and placing myself further away from the Alpha that I knew was approaching.

Dispatching Beowolves was normally a simple matter, but this Alpha was fast. Even as I shifted away, it gained ground on me, and I had to bring Fenghuang up to block the incoming swipe. I shifted with it, propelling myself even further away, and quickly loosed an orb between myself and the Alpha with my off hand, hoping it would be close enough to slow it down when it detonated. When the orb exploded, freezing energy expanded out and coated the creature's body, slowing it enough for me to create further distance by shifting away once more. Instead of casting out another ice orb, I flipped Fenghuang into a reverse grip before stabbing her into the ground, casting out a growing line of ice until it was underneath the Alpha. Once there, dozens of razor shards flew up, shredding their way through the beast as it tried to lunge at me. I pulled Fenghuang from the earth, and swept her across in front of me, beheading the Alpha as it fell.

Fortune was truly smiling upon me that day, as I was discovered there by a Hunter sent to eradicate the Beowolves I had stumbled upon. After being presented before Beacon Academy's Headmaster, Professor Ozpin, with my transcripts from Signal, I was offered a scholarship.

I immediately accepted. I might not have been able to help my father, or stop myself from being labeled, but I could at least start bringing the family name back into a respectable light.

For the first time in over a year, I felt hope.