Yeah that's right people I wrote this story. Enjoy, review it, hate it, I don't care just read the damn story.
He was falling.
More accurately he was tumbling through the air. No control at all whatsoever in his descent. The forest was approaching quickly, promising to bring a painful halt to his flight. Yet despite all this he felt eerily calm.
He didn't really know why this was. He had panicked plenty of times over smaller things than this. Maybe the difference between those times and now was that none of those times did he feel as close to death as he did now.
He needed a plan. No one was coming to save him. His survival depended on him finding a way to land safely on the ground from thousands of feet up. How fun.
First things first. He needed to control his tumbling in some way. He spread his arms and legs out, palms flat towards the earth. Doing so forced his tumbling to a stop.
His eyes rapidly scanned the area below him for any sign of a possible landing spot. All he got though were trees. Trees that were approaching fast. Fantastic. Guess the painful way it is.
Wrenching his blade from it's current position on his back, he stabbed it downwards into the bark of the tree with all the force he could muster clenching the handle with all his might as he did so.
It wasn't enough.
The blade sunk into the trunk of the tree, dislocating one of his shoulders with a loud crack as it did so. Even so, his grip on the blade didn't loosen. It would be more accurate to say that the blade's grip on the tree did. The sword ripped out a chunk of the tree throwing him off, down to the ground below.
Thankfully his plan wasn't a complete bust. While not stopping his fall, it succeeded in at least slowing him down. The branches on the way down did the rest.
For a moment he felt only pain. The feeling increased with every branch his body smacked into on the way down. Finally his body landed with a heavy crash onto the forest floor. Darkness was approaching onto the edges of his vision. The last thing he noticed before he lost the fight of consciousness was the feeling of something digging painfully into his back.
~Linebreak~
Several hundred yards away the beowolf cracked open a glowing red eye. A noise had woken it from it's slumber. The ever present hunger rumbled throughout the core of its being. It's well sharpened instinct located it's food source almost instantly. It charged in the the direction of food.
A few moments pass, and the beowolf reaches the clearing where it's prey is at. It doesn't take a moment to observe its prey, it doesn't stop to wonder where the food source had suddenly come from, it just pounces. The pit of unending hunger demands to be filled, and this prey would fill it, just like the others before it. The claws were inches from cutting into the prey's skull. Then the prey's eyes launch open.
~Linebreak~
Jaune's awakening was not a gentle one, all he knew at that present moment was that he needed to move, and he needed to move now!
A blast of adrenalin shot through his body, his muscles clenched in exertion to throw his body away from the present danger of the claw. His head twisted to the side in an effort to avoid the claw from digging into his skull.
It was almost too late.
At the last possible second Jaune's body was able to roll out of the way of the incoming attack, but not unscathed. A deep gash going from above his left eye, towards the cheekbone sitting right underneath it was the result of how close he had just came to death. He was lucky it didn't gouge his eye out.
Using the momentum of his roll he leapt to his feet. His right arm still dislocated from the fall hung limply at his side.
The beowolf ignored all this. Mainly it focused on removing its claw from the earth. Finally wrenching it's claw out of the earth the beast let out a growl that seemed to be drawn from nightmares. In one fluid motion it's hind claws dug into the earth, and launched at Jaune with intent to maim.
Jaune's mind was racing a mile a minute. The calm had returned. There was no need to worry about the past, present, or future. All that existed right now was the monster in front of him. All his other worries seemed weak in comparison to the beast in front of him. Time seemed to slow down for him as the claw descended towards him. He assessed the situation. Blood was dripping into his left eye obscuring half his vision. His right arm was dislocated, and he could barely move it. Last but not least his sword was lying on the ground several feet to his left. So not good. The only thing he could thank his lucky stars for was that his shield was still slung onto his back.
All this shot through his mind in less than a second. Well time for a stupid plan. He loved stupid plans.
Jaune activated his shield with his left hand, and brought it to his right shoulder bracing it against impact right as the beowolf's claw smacked into it.
A loud crack was heard throughout the clearing. Good news. His shoulder was finally put back into place. Bad news. It had hurt like a motherfucker, and he had underestimated the strength of the beowolf. The blow flung him into the air, and slammed him into a tree. A tree which gave him even more cuts as he slid down the bark to the base.
Hurting all over but in one piece Jaune got onto his feet in time to have the beowolf tackle him back to the ground, which he used the momentum of the tackle to plant his feet on the beowolfs stomach, and kick it off of him.
Jumping to his feet, Jaune quickly located his sword, and scooped it off the ground. Blade at the ready, Jaune sprinted towards his enemy shield first. A claw swiped at his face which he quickly ducked under, and raised his shield into a devastating counter that staggered the beowolf. Capitalising on his staggered enemy Jaune stabbed his sword through the throat of the beowulf, black blood spraying from the point of entry. The beowolf let out one final death rattle, and died.
Jaune slumped to his knees in exhaustion. Ragged breaths escaping from his mouth as he tried to gain his breath back. After a few seconds of this the bushes to his left shake.
Jaune lets out an audible groan.
"I swear to monty right now, if there's another grimm I'm going to shove my shield up it's ass in sheath form, and then activate it into shield form once inside."
A giggle was his answer as a red headed warrior goddess stepped out from the bushes.
" I'm glad I'm not a Grimm then Jaune." Pyrrha chuckled.
Jaune rubbed the back of his head.
" My bad. That Grimm totally caught me by surprise. "
"No worries Jaune. Since we made eye contact, guess I'm part of Team Jaune now aren't I?"
" Well it was an intensive selection process, many people tried out, but they just couldn't quite make the cut. Luckily you met all the qualifications, though qualifications aren't all there is. There's one test you've got to pass before you're officially Team Jaune material." Joked Jaune.
Pyrrha simply just raised an eyebrow and went along with it anyways.
" Oh? And what final test must I pass before I'm official?"
" Ah, it's incredibly difficult. You've just got to give me a drink out of that canteen you have hanging off your belt. I'm dying of thirst here."
Pyrrha nodded, and handed over the canteen. Jaune put the mouth of the container to his lips, and drank greedily.
He sighed in contentment. That hit the spot. Finished, he capped the beverage, and tossed it back to his partner.
" Well done. You're now apart of Team Jaune."
" Oh thank you kind and benevolent leader whatever will I do without your kindness?"
Jaune shrugged, " You'd probably live a life a crime."
" You're probably right. That's exactly where I'd be. All joking aside why hasn't your Aura healed you yet?"
Jaune just kind of stood there, then finally answered. "...I have no idea what you're talking about. What's Aura?"
Pyrrah just shook her head. " You don't know what Aura is? "
"...is it some kind of superpower? "
" You're not too far off. Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens, and shields our hearts. Here let me activate yours."
Pyrrha reached out and gripped Jaune's hands.
" For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance, and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
A white and red glow surrounding the two, then suddenly disappeared.
Pyrrha stumbled a little bit, but Jaune held her steady.
" You okay? You seem a little worn down."
Pyrrha just waved him off," I'll be fine. That took more out of me than I thought, just give me a minute. You've got a huge amount of Aura."
Jaune could only agree. All the cuts and bruises on his body started healing, and even the cut on his face stopped bleeding. Though that seemed only the extent. He could still feel the cut there, and it didn't seem to be going away any time soon.
Once Pyrrha looked sufficiently rested, Jaune decided it was time to get going. He adjusted the sword on his back for easy access then nodded towards Pyrrha.
" Let's get going."
~ LineBreak ~
After about an hour or so of walking they finally came upon a cave.
Jaune looked towards Pyrrha.
" So what do you think? This look templish to you?"
" Nah it kinda looks like a cave to me." Pyrrha quipped
Jaune just rolled his eyes. " I meant do you think the temple might possibly be in there."
" Well one way to find out."
They then proceeded to make their way in. Jaune stopping along the way to make a torch. Raising the torch to light the way they noticed some strange markings along the wall. Each one depicting a different story. Staring at the images sent a chill through Jaune's body.
Ignoring the feeling Jaune followed Pyrrha deeper into the cave, until eventually they reached a large cavern with glowing stalagmites glistening like a million stars on the roof of the cavern above them. The sound of water splashing into a large pool about fifty feet to their left. The diameter of the pool of water looked to be about fifty meters all around.
Both Jaune and Pyrrha gasped in awe..
Pyrrha was the first to speak.
" I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life."
Jaune couldn't help but agree with her. " Yeah this place is the stuff of fairytales. " He was about to continue on, but Pyrrha interrupted his thought process.
" Jaune, look, over there. "
Turning his eyes into the direction she pointed out, Jaune could just make out a stone building sitting relatively close to the shoreline of the pool.
" Hey do you think that could possibly be the temple the headmaster was telling us about at those launch pads?"
Pyrrha ran this through her head for a moment then shook her head." Hmm…. I don't think so. Something feels different about this place. I don't think Ozpin had this place in mind when he sent us to collect a relic from a temple."
"Yeah you're probably right, but for some reason I keep feeling this deep seated urge to check the place out, like something is calling me there."
" Why do you think that is?"
" I have no idea, but I'm gonna check the place out."
Jaune approached the building, entering through the stone archway that was located in the dead center of the run down structure. On the inside he noticed a dull crimson glow emanating from the center of the room. Upon seeing the glow the need to check it out grew even stronger, as if it was physically pulling him towards the source. He took a few more steps avoiding the bits and pieces of debris strewn about the place. Finally he reached the source of the glow. A glowing crimson crystal sat floating in the air above a pedestal. As if in a trance Jaune reached out towards the crystal. Closer and closer his hand approached the object, his fingers almost brushing it, when suddenly Pyrrha's hand whipped out and gripped his wrist.
Jaune turned angrily towards her.
" Why'd you stop me!? I was almost there! "
" Jaune that thing gave off a bad feeling, something is telling me that whatever that thing is, it isn't good. It seems evil Jaune. Who knows what would happen if you touched it."
Jaune felt himself visibly calm down. " Sorry about that Pyrrha, something was drawing me towards it."
Pyrrha just smiled. " It's okay Jaune, I know you didn't mean it."
" What do you think that is?"
Pyrrha studied it for a moment then answered. " It looks like a fire dust crystal, though I've never seen one that color before. What I really want to know is why you were affected, and I wasn't."
Jaune just shrugged his shoulders. That was the question wasn't it. Why only was he affected by it. He could still feel the urge to reach out and grab it, but he just shoved that feeling down. Still contemplating it, he leaned against one of building's walls. He felt the wall give way a little behind him, and a loud click resounded throughout the building.
In front of him the floor split open, and he was sent tumbling down into the depths below. Free falling about sixty feet, before landing in some sort of slimy liquid.
Pyrrha sprinted over towards where the floor opened and shouted down.
" Jaune, Are you okay!? "
Getting to his feet he tried wiping some of the slime off his body, but he only achieved limited success. Eventually he lifted his head up to where he had fallen in.
" Yeah, I'm fine. Covered in some unknown, probably unwashable fluid, but fine! "
Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief. " Let me see if I can lift you up with my semblance. I've got polarity so I should be able to pick you up by the metal armor you have on you."
Pyrrha concentrated, but she was having no luck whatsoever. It's like something was blocking her semblance, but what? The only thing in the room, was her, Jaune, and that glowing crystal. It couldn't be Jaune, and she hadn't had trouble using her semblance since she had first activated it. It had to be the crystal then.
" Jaune it looks like that crystal is messing with my semblance, do you think you could find a way up from there, or some sort of other way out?"
" Yeah, probably. Let me take a look around here and see what I can find. "
Jaune looked around the area to see if he could find a way out. The whole area was caked in the black slimy substance that he was standing in. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling above him was coated in it.
The only opening he could see was a hole in the wall at the other end of the room, but that whole area had a larger amount of the black substance surrounding it, a couple feet in the very least.
'Well only way to go but forward.' With that Jaune set off in the direction of the opening, each step bringing him a little deeper into the black goo, until his foot hit something. Some sort of round squishy object. Seeing as it was in his way Jaune tried stepping around it, but he ended up running into yet another round squishy object. Again he tried going around that one as well, but he was met by yet another one. Each and every direction he tried other than going back he was met by another of those objects no matter what path he took.
Seeing as there was no other option Jaune unsheathed his sword, and cut down the objects blocking his path. He continually kept cutting through them until he was about halfway to the hole in the wall, and then his path was finally clear. That is until a deep sense of foreboding overwhelmed him.
The goo in front of him started bubbling, until suddenly a large beast straight out of a psychopath's nightmares burst from the liquid. It's massive height almost reaching the top of the ceiling. A hard shell exoskeleton covered its form. Two large spiked limbs coming from the torso extending about six feet, then hooking back towards the body. Six crab-like legs held the beast up.
A loud inhuman roar echoed throughout the area.
Jaune just stood there in horrified shock staring directly into the creatures beady red eyes.
" Ah shit."
And that's a wrap folks, more will come later. You know how it is.