https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsoLYWTzqSYBeryl Harken-Calmer WatersBeryl was forced to jump to the side as the crowd of Faunus streamed past. A flood of terrified and elated people that petered out after a few seconds, leaving scant few with the person who had come to rescue them. The otter girl did not mind though, there was something far more important before her.
Five children had been left behind.
Three girls, two boys and as a whole some of the skinniest and most ill treated kids that Beryl had ever seen. The two oldest girls were standing protectively in front of the rest. Their gazes defiant and terrified as they stared at her and the segmented sword in her hand.
It took all that Beryl had not to rush forward and gather them all up in a giant hug as she stared at the small group. She had seen faces like that before. It was the face of one who had no idea what was going on, only that they were scared and hungry. Too scared to cry, to hungry to run.
The stormy waters of Beryl's heart settled into a calm tide as she sheathed
Stream and took a step towards the children. They shifted back and the two in front attempted to take up defensive stances. Beryl stopped, the five were terrified out of their minds and she did not want them bolting.
"Where are your parents?" She asked.
There was silence for almost a full minute before one of the children spoke up.
"Gone. Dunno where." One of the two boys mumbled, Beryl guessed that he was about eight.
Beryl looked them over. All five were rabbit Faunus and had similar facial features. If the young Huntress had to guess she would say that they were all part of the same family. Deciding to change the subject she pulled out a couple energy bars from her pocket and held them out. Even without their haggard looks she knew that growing children were always hungry.
"I was going to eat these later but you all look like you could use them more." They looked at her warily. With a sigh she unbuckled
Stream and set it to one side. "I promise I don't bite" she said in a light voice.
The children slowly moved forward until they were within arms reach of the otter Faunus. Timidly they each took one...and then set into them like a pack of ravenous wolves. The bars were not all that big and were gone almost immediately, even though the older two had to help open a couple for the smallest children.
As they licked the remains of the energy bars off their fingers the oldest looking of the group stared at Beryl. It seemed like she wanted to say something but was hesitating. Beryl's curious look was enough to get the kid to speak up though.
"Ummm, thanks for the food. Who are you?"
It was a logical enough question, Beryl was just some random stranger to them.
"I'm Beryl, a Huntress. I came here to rescue people from the Dodici." Now that they seemed to trust her Beryl had a few questions of her own to ask. "Now do you have any family or guardian that I can bring you all to? I can hardly leave you here."
The girl she was talking to, ten or eleven at best, almost froze at that question. She just stood there, tears filling eyes that valiantly tried to blink them away. When she spoke it was with a voice choking on emotion.
"They're d...they're dead. Mom, Dad, Nuncle Jem, Aunt Mimi. Phill, Emmy, Gelb, Blue. The Grimm came and...and they...they ki-"
It was too much. Beryl leaned over and drew the young girl in. A hug filled with all the warmth and comfort she could give. A hug for a girl who had lost everything.
"It's alright." She said in a quiet voice as the girl sobbed into her shoulder. "I know a place you can go."