Monika Sonnejäger [Revamp complete]

When you are a part of a noble family in Atlas, with a long history of business ownership and soldier service for the country, then you can bet that you're going to command some measure of respect from anyone that you pass on the street. That was the meaning of the Sonnejäger name in Atlas for a very long time, almost as long as the Schnee name. That's what the name used to mean anyway.

Monika's father was the wealthy CEO and mastermind behind their clothing line, a new business venture that made their already well-to-do name even more prominent. That's not to mention that the man had been a war hero in the Faunus Uprising, something that Monika claims was a misguided and unfortunate turn in their family. Going even further back, her grandfather had been a general in the Great War, and his heroism earned their family their noble title and allowed them to begin their lineage as people of culture, entrepreneurs, and investors. Many desired to marry into such prestige, but none was more targeted than the young Monika.

Even at a young age, many of the fellow nobility would speak to her family of her as though she were some stock with price, trying to arrange marriage after marriage when she may come of age. Luckily, her father was kind in his years gone by, and was unwilling to bow to the convention of marital business. Thus, Monika was allowed to grow freely.

And that she did, enjoying many of the finer points of her heritage, but she did grow with an immense sense of curiosity for their warrior tradition. Aunts, uncles, mother, and grandmother; it seemed as though every soul in her bloodline had donned armour and blade in the name of some cause or another.

It was certainly helped that her grandfather had lived on to tell her stories of fighting for Atlas, back when it was Mantle and what peace could follow from the lessons of their past. However, the old timer was not long for the world. On Monika's 10th birthday, the old man passed away. Leaving her the Bishop's Shard as a family heirloom and hers to form her own legend.

It was her dream, and this was her opportunity. Monika grabbed her sword, and rushed off to combat school at the first chance that she could. Her status made her something of hot gossip any time something may happen however, being in a combat school meant that she was on a course to be a soldier. This did not please her, however, she wanted to be like her grandfather. Forging her own legacy, rather than falling in line with the rest of her family.

Monika wanted to be a huntress, a paragon of peace and defender for all in her charge. Fate would have other plans though, if you believed in that sort of thing. The Schnee Dust company had been something of a monopolizing force of business, and when the Sonnejäger family expressed interest in expanding into the dust trade, then SDC was going to respond quite aggressively.

They bought out every asset that the family had until the Sonnejäger family businesses were stripped bare, forced to sell off every partnership that they had. In the blink of an eye, their noble title was gone and so was their fortune.

Monika had never seen her family so distressed in her entire life than when she returned from combat school. The estate was sold off, and her father was prepared to move into a home closest to the SDC mines. As part of the settlement, her father had a job as a foreman in one of the mines.

It would keep the family out of poverty, but still, it was demeaning. Monika felt disrespected and she made a promise to return their family to what they had earned before. Instead of going to Atlas for her education, Monika wanted to be separate from the military, and instead applied to all of the schools in the other kingdoms and provinces. The first just happened to be Syne, and without qualms or second thought, she was gone to become a hero.

"Again!"

Monika blocked the slash as best she could, but grunted as her sword was knocked back and she staggered.

"Again!"

Another blade stroke which she had to block came. She blocked and staggered again, grunting and wobbling on her feet as she just barely stayed standing.

"And again!"

She did her best to block the next strike, but this had to be the three hundredth block she's performed today. Her body fatigued, and the strike bounced off of her blade and down past her hand, leaving a massive gash in her wrist. Monika gasped and dropped down to her knee, balancing herself with her sword.

The quartermaster saw her drop, and immediately came over to razz her. "Oh I'm sorry! Does Princess want a nap!? How about a nice plate of caviar before the nap, huh!?"

Monika grabbed her wrist briefly, panting and gasping as the pain throbbed up and down her entire arm. She grabbed the pommel of the blade and pulled herself up to a standing position. Her feet were still shaky for a moment, but then she centered herself. She glared silently at the quartermaster as she manouevered the blade around, holding it up again. "I want to keep going."

That was when they noticed the blood...