Initiation
Thankfully I managed to avoid some Sisterly wrath, and actually…. Got along well with her. Bonds between Older Siblings perhaps?
Laughing at her puns seemed to help with that.
Nothing particularly noteworthy happened for the rest of the day, not in my immediate vicinity anyway. Behind closed doors Ozpin was probably fuming for some reason or another. My very existence seems to be anathema to him for some reason. My initial assumptions about it being related to Salem may have been a bit premature, considering my general lack of… Grimmness. Not just the Physical Features either. All grimm have it hardcoded into their nature, to desire to destroy Man and all of their creations.
Now truth be told Salem doesn't really display any of those traits as either, at least not overtly, considering she can actually work with other humans….
A grunt bubbles out of my throat as I continue to walk towards the cliffs for Initiation. I barely got any decent sleep last night with this storm of thoughts and theories in my head. Remnant was on the way to destruction, and there was a very good chance I could get caught up in the storm. Well not so much as a chance as a Certainty. I'm where it all begins, I'm buddy buddy with some prime protagonists. But most importantly… It made narrative sense.
I stepped onto a launch pad, other students mingling around on the cliff, waiting for everyone to get there. I gazed out into the emerald forest, looking at the ruins and trees, as the breeze rustled my hair and jacket. For a moment I wondered just how old Remnant actually was. The answer was clearly very old, but I was more interested in a specific answer. I knew that Humans had an old history with this world, even if they've had it knocked back to the stone age more than a few times.
My introspection is broken by the giggling of some girls. Likely some of the silhouettes from the original episode, except the whole, they're actually people that matter here in some way or another, so they don't get to be passed off as a blob of darkness.
Like all Huntresses they were in the upper percentile of physical attractiveness, easily blowing the models from back home out of the water. But if you looked closer you could see the subtle muscle tone that covered their bodies. Slam a 9/10 model, a female MMA fighter and you got what the average huntress looked like. Sure there were some differences, mostly depending on fighting styles, ones that focused on Dust sorcery would have lower muscle tone, but ones with more physically intensive fighting styles had heavier muscle tones.
I give the girls a wink and casual smirk before returning to my introspection, and tuning some of my more esoteric senses.
Yeah that's right, esoteric senses. At this point I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. All power had it's price and changed people. I don't know what price I paid for this power, and honestly…. I'm terrified by how it could change me.
"Ash!" Came the call of a simpler more honest soul.
Whenever I looked at Ruby, she was shrouded in crimson light, her silver eyes, dimmed but brimming with slumbering power, her soul emitted a purity and light that I didn't even know was possible to exist. It was honestly kind of humbling in a way.
I give her a wave and chat with her, Yang joining in later on as the time passed. Eventually everyone arrived. I looked around me seeing the other 127 members participating in the initiation. Finally Ozpin and Glynda arrive to the Cliff. And I knew it was the man himself this time.
He spoke with a presence, he spoke with power, wisdom, and sheer charisma. This is the man that people look to for protection and answers.
Of course he still hated me so….
"For years, you have all trained to become warriors. Shining lights against the tides of darkness and terror that make our mortal enemy: The Creatures of Grimm. Some of you may have followed this path for the prestige, perhaps out of a sense of duty, maybe you wish to make a fortune, or just seek a life of adventure. Regardless of the choices that put you on this path, today, as you are evaluated in the Emerald Forest, you will take your first real step on the path of the Huntsman."
Glynda continued, "Many of you have probably heard rumors of getting assigned teams during your stay here at Beacon. Allow me to dispense of the more outlandish rumors about the selection process. You will find yourself in teams. Today."
I could hear Ruby whine and squirm to my left. Despite the unusual amount of social activity she engaged with just by talking to me, I knew she was kind of socially awkward, at least initially. I knew she could overcome this in time, and if they still meet and become partners, Ruby can hopefully have a better first meeting with Weiss!
"You will stay in these teams for the rest of your time at Beacon, you will live with them, train with them, and bond with them. I wouldn't be surprised if you came to view them as family, in fact such a result is rather common among Huntsmen. So it would be in your best interest to get paired with someone you think you can work well with."
I could practically feel the despair emanating from Ruby, though it lacked any real potence. It deepened as Ozpin continued his speech.
"That being said the first person you make eye contact with upon landing will be your partner for the next four years. After meeting your partner make your way to the northern edge of the forest, There you will find a temple containing Relics, and if you get lost… Please just use the compass app on your scroll, I'd rather not have to fail a student because they got lost. Each pair will take one relic from the Temple and make their way back to the Cliffs. There are hidden cameras spread all throughout the forest and many of our professors are watching as well, evaluating your skills, and tactics. They will not help you however, no matter what. Destroy everything that plants itself in your path… or you will die."
"Any Questions?"
"Um Sir?" Jaune's trembling voice, filled with doubt and insecurity trickled from his throat. I had no interest in hearing whatever else came, and readied myself for the launch pads to fling us into the forest.
"No? Good."
I could hear the whoosh of air as teens found themselves flung into the sky and into the forest. My body began to move on instinct Drawing my sword and flipping it into a reverse grip. I felt the connected chain dangle and extend before I wrapped it around my arm with a flick of my wrist.
My body tensed further as the active launch pads reached my row.
"No Mr. Arc…. You will be coming up with your own landing strategy."
Yang was sent flying by her pad, and a few second after her, I was sent flying as well.
How can I properly describe that sensation? I should have felt some amount of fear or apprehension. But all I could feel was exhilaration and jubilation. Even if it was not true flight, and just controlled falling…. I knew why skydivers Skydived. I could feel my mouth stretch into a grin, my canines elongating into fangs, and I could swear that I felt my other teeth sharpen as well.
Irregardless, I did the next clearly logical thing anyone should do. I started to stomp against the Air with my Aura enhanced feet to see if I could Fly. Surprisingly I actually did feel something when I tried. The air collected around the soles of my feet, but didn't compress enough to form Solid platforms for kicking off of. They were rubbery and fluid, barely giving me any direction or additional force. Something to work on I suppose.
As the Tree line grew closer and closer I decided it was time to use my strategy. I released the hilt of my blade gripping some of the loose chain and began to twirl it like a flail. As I got closer to the trees I released my blade impaling it in one of the Trunks. I felt the chain around my arm tense up as I pulled on it, the edges on the back of my blade trappingit in the trunk and letting me swing around to bleed off some of the speed. In the span of about 15 seconds I was on the ground, and had performed an epic landing sequence.
I let my senses spread out as far as they could over the forest, feeling out the lights of my fellow students and the Grimm within. Already I could sense that some of the smaller lights had been extinguished. As for the Grimm? My senses showed them as some kind of Liquid darkness, forced into a shape by some kind of hard bubble. It wasn't like Aura, but it was probably why grimm dissolved when they were killed. Without what kept them together, they were just darkness.
A firm tug on the chain forced my sword out of the tree and falling into my waiting hand. With a mighty slash I strike behind me, cutting through the beowolf that was trying to ambush me. I sense more Grimm lurking in the woods, studying me, watching me. Suddenly my suspicion meter rocketed skyward. My thoughts swirled as I got a burn crystal out of my pouch and held it next to my sword, transferring the sorcery of the natures Fire, into the blade and trapping it there.
In all honesty it was horribly inefficient and as soon as I got the money and materials I was going to make something to accelerate the process. I put the crystal back into my pouch, my sword charged as high as it would go. A quick glance at my scroll and I start walking north, slicing and burning any Grimm that attacked me. They were mostly Creeps or young Beowolves, ones that were rather small and with low amounts of bone armor.
"Partner and Relic. Partner and Relic. Need to find a Partner!" My attempts at filling the silent forest were interrupted by a surprise Grimm from behind, an Alpha Beowolf.
"Well look at you! You even brought friends to the party!"
Though my sword could be used with both hands it felt right somehow to one hand it. Like something else was supposed to go in my other hand. A gun maybe?
*Howl*
It was easy to cleave through the lesser beowolves, but the Alpha had some thicker skin than that. It was actually kind of skilled too. I moved backwards to avoid it's claws, before parrying it with Voidcutter. Unfortunately I had used the last of the Burn energy some time ago, and it took too long to add more elemental juice to the thing. It didn't have a hollow space in the hilt to store dust, and something told me that Voidcutter would be…. Testy, if I tried to modify her. So That meant Making something later to fix the problem.
*Slice!* *Swish*
Unlike its younger counterparts, this Beowolf had a thicker hide on it's unprotected areas. So despite my incredible strength, and Voidcutter being Voidcutter, I could only leave deep gashes. It was surprisingly comforting to know that I wasn't OP.
"Enough Creature of Darkness! I have no more time to waste on you! Blade Blitz!" I didn't know what made call out my attack like it was an Arte, but it felt surprisingly good. It felt like I put my most into the Series of slashes that diced the Grimm up.
"Haiyah!"
I spin and block the sword coming at my back and look my attacker in the eye. It was a potential student, who seemed to be using his semblance to fire blue flames out of his feet.
"Wait you're not-" The lapse in concentration, disrupted his jet flames letting him fall face first into the dirt.
My Partner for the next four years, ladies and gentlemen.
