A/N: Hey all,
I'm a first time writer but a long time fan of anime and manga galore. I originally started writing this OC character that was going to be added to a friends story and while doing the background for him, I found that a started to feel more passionate about writing than I thought I would. What you're about to read is the start of my adventures with Ashton which I hope you find as addicting to read as I did to write. Thanks, and please enjoy. :)
Born into a family which has been at the front lines of the wars against the creatures of Grimm for longer than man has wielded dust. The family of the Clave have trained their children for these never ending wars. The family consists of a main household who's children receive the best training, teachers and are groomed from birth to be battle ready. And the branch family members whom have a duty to protect the main family from harm as they are raised do other jobs which generates money to fund the main family. However, the branch families have a freedom which those in the main house could never have. The freedom to choose. Over the years the main family have had prophecies which tell of a battle to end all battles. The war of the world's shadow. It is believed that the creatures of Grimm will raise up to once again over throw man and the world will be forever caught in twilight. For this reason, the main household has closed itself off from the outside world for generations as to cut out all distractions and to acquire the sharpest skills and the strongest blood in all the kingdoms.
Aston was born into the main household and was taught in the families ancient methods. The weapon was a single edged short sword, which was held in no sheath, as to sheath ones sword is to say the fight is done. If you are to carry a weapon into battle, it should be at the ready and so should the warrior holding it. As the child's arms became stronger and the skills he had grew, so did the blade. As soon as the young warrior became accustomed to the weight of the blade and it didn't hinder his movements, the weight and size of the blade would increase. Mental focus would also be sharpened through meditation, which consisted of hours of sitting with both arms outstretched and their blade resting across them. This training continues until they reach the age of fifteen. And to ensure that the training has been successful, they then undergo the trial of blades and shades. This consists of facing one hundred Grimm at midnight, every night and lasts from the end of a full moon to the start of the next. This must be completed before the Sun rises and without outside interference. If you fail you resume your training for a further two years before you can retake the trial.
As a sign of someone's success after they've completed the trial, they then forge their own blades to one of the ancient designs. To carry one of these blades in the name of the family meant that you were bringing them honour. In his siblings Ashton was the youngest of five brothers and was second to forge his sword but the only brother who managed to complete his trial after his first attempt. His blade was infused with a special type of dust, which heated the edge of the blade as it moves through the air or clashes with an intended target due to the friction on the steel. It can get hot enough to even leave a burning red heat haze in the air which has the potential of burning unknowing foes. His fighting style flows smoothly, spinning the blade and passing it effortlessly from hand to hand which set the air around him ablaze, as if he were a fire dancer and each battle was a performance. Once the trial is complete and the sword is forged, a final examination of the swordsman and his abilities takes place in order to give the sword its name.
The crescent moon coliseum. Where the wise warriors observe from for the naming ceremony. As Ashton walked out towards the center of the battle arena, eighteen inches of sword handle in his right hand with the four foot charcoal black blade resting across both shoulders. He reached the middle of the arena and stuck the wide ended blade tip in the hard stone ground side on to the wise warriors to display its design. The blade of the sword starts at the same width as the hilt narrowing one third of the way before gradually widening to its broad tip which was buried in the floor. The head wise elder stood up.
"Ahh, the curved executioner's blade. The heavy head which is hard to get moving to start, becomes a fierce and intimidating force. Able to split an Ursa from the head to past the hip in a single cleave." The elder looks again at the weapon but this time squints his eyes as if he was questioning something he was seeing. "However," he continued "I do wonder as to purpose of the addition you've made."
He raised his hand and pointed towards the six inch blade that was mounted on the other end of the handle. As black as the main blade, but double edged and hooking back on itself on both side as well.
"For parrying and countering I'm guessing?"
"That and to house an extra modification I made, my elder." Ashton replied.
The elder smiled and sat back into his chair. "Well let's see just how this 'modification' effects the battle. Let the naming ceremony commence!"
The ceremony consists of five tiers of increasing difficulty. Starting with five beowolves as a warm up. A cage is raised from the floor a dozen or so meters behind Ashton as he returned to holding his nameless blade across his shoulders and faced the cage. The door slides up with the screech of metal on metal. A horn blows and out sprint the five beowolves in a frenzy of snarls and growls. As the fastest of the pack reached to cast the first blow, the aforementioned 'hard to start moving' blade moved from along the top of Ashton's back to effortlessly being pivoted around his head to his right shoulder, and from there straight though the arm of the striking beowolf. Splitting its arm from fingers to elbow and as the blade left the beast's arm, Ashton placed his left hand low on the long handle to spin it over his head. And with a step forward the first was dispatched. Ashton's hands kept their pace as his feet found their pace along the floor, as if they were following the step by step instructions of a dance. The second and third met the same end as the first. Stupid beasts that they were, as if to learn nothing from the leader of their pack. The final two weren't much better, but at least had the courtesy to attack him at the same time so that he could see off both their heads with a single slash across their necks. The blade is placed back across his shoulders, with a faint orange glow which soon dissipates.
"A fine display..." Preached the elder warrior "the weapons size and shape lend themselves nicely to you and do not hinder your movements. And now a smaller pack with bigger game."
The second cage raises and another metal screech let's lose four large Ursa. More analytical then their beowolf counterparts, they close the space to Ashton as a unit. They surrounded him as Ashton widened his stance placing his left hand on the floor and holding his sword on an angle over his right shoulder glancing at his opponents with an odd white flash to his normally hazel brown eyes. The first Ursa swung its large claw, only to swipe at the space that Ashton used to occupy. The only thing that proved that he wasn't just a figment of their imagination was when he landed with a loud crash as he destroyed the stone floor beneath one of the creatures. His eyes painted blue this time, before returning to their more normal, regular colour. Drawing his blade from under the Ursa, Ashton turned his back on it to look at the other three. They looked at him and the fourth member of their pack, who was perfectly positioned to strike him, as if to say,
'Why don't you attack?!' They soon got their answer as the freshly separated halves of its body slid off each-other.
Shocked by what their eyes have shown them, they momentarily forgot that they were in a fight. Ashton did not. He once again danced from step to step slashing air and Grimm as he cut through the thick hide. This, at least, got the edge of his blade to glow red and hot enough to sizzle the last Ursa as it passed into its body from under its left armpit and exit via the right side of its neck.
"And so you show us a glimpse of semblance I see. It suits your weapon well." Announced the elder. "From what I saw I'd say that you can manipulate the weight of your weapon and yourself."
'There's no getting anything passed these guys.' Ashton thought to himself.
"I'm eager to see the extent of your abilities and how they can assist you with your sword play." The third cage rises and the next enemies reveals themselves. A trio of boarbatusks galloped out and, the boar like monsters, started to spin viciously towards Ashton. Unlike the beowolf and the Ursa, the boarbatusks are more heavily armoured and can deflect attacks when they spin. And so Ashton doesn't attack and instead holds the blade vertically in front of him to shield himself as the creatures of Grimm launched themselves, in their squealing blood thirst. As the first boarbatusks collided with the flat of Ashton's sword, Ashton's eyes once again turned blue. Managing to dodge a pincer move from the other two enemies before repeating the same defensive strategy. After defending and dodging the repeating attacks of the boarbatusks, the beasts were noticeable slower. An unusual amount of fatigue given the few short minutes it took them to get in this state. Until they eventually couldn't even raise their heads to continue their attacks. Which just meant a short walk and a single swing. One for each of the exhausted monsters with the now inferno red edged blade.
The elder stands once again.
"Well now. I think you may need to explain what happened there." He said with a smile on his face for being stuck as to how the boarbatusks got as tired as they did as quickly as they did.
"My semblance can also affect items and creatures I strike or could strike me. The weight of things I touch can go up by fifty percent every second I touch it directly. Twenty percent every second of indirect contact. The tusks of those creatures became too heavy to lift anymore."
Impressed with the range of abilities so far the elder continues his smile and says, "Three down... Two to go!"
And as soon as those words were said, up came the largest cage yet. The door opened with its familiar metallic roar, and revealed two Death Stalkers.
"At last, I fight!" Ashton roars at the two scorpion giants of the Grimm world.
Snipping their claws closed, telling all who see them that they're ready for the blood of their next victim. Ashton's eyes flashed white and brought the fight to the first Death Stalker. The monster snipped the air in front of it predicting Ashton's path, but didn't expect him to stop just before contact and close enough for Ashton to place his hand directly on the monster's pincher and his eyes turned blue. It pulls its now weighted claw out the way and continued its attack with its other claw. Ashton, instead of weighting the other as well, evades the attack by jumping backwards and towards the other Death Stalker. Which whips its stinger tipped tail at him, and Ashton sidestepped before turning to face the new foe. Off balance due to its tail now stuck in the stone floor, it couldn't easily defend against the young warrior's counter attack. Ashton ran up and onto its back and slashed straight up at its armoured tail, not cutting it but freeing it. Ashton started his next dance. Spinning the blade in circles above his head, along the helpless monsters back. And as if striking a match on its box, the sword's edge caught flame and began it barrage of slices into the heavily armoured back as if to leave a chard black pattern on its back which started to glow red as well. As it heated and caused the powerless giant to scream Ashton delivered his final blow. Placing the tip of his sword on the now structurally weakened shell, his eyes glow a darker blue than before and the monster's armour caved in on itself killing the first of the Death Stalkers.
The final scorpion seemed to go into a frenzy. Enraged by the sight it just seen, it managed to raise its weighted claw high enough for it to pursue the murderer of its kin. Enraged and foolish it struck out with it lighter claw. However, Ashton return his crimson edged executioner's blade to his shoulder. And with it still burning red, delivered a slash between its pinchers removing the large upper claw for the beast's arm. A dancing spin brought Ashton inside its defences. And with his sword held with both hands, eyes glowing blue and blade glowing red, he cleaved straight through the Death Stalker's head. The coliseum now littered with the bodies of the defeated grew quiet once again. The elder warriors were pleased with Ashton skills and his use of his freshly forged blade.
"The last challenge for your metal is ready. After this your blade shall been named and your skills shall be recorded in the books of this great families history."
The elder once against stared at the small hooked blade at the end of Ashton's weapon handle.
"Though I feel some skills have still yet to present themselves. Let us see them with this, your final kill of this trial!"
He raised his hand and from the top of the coliseum itself, rose out the final cage. Within it was a Nevermore. An enormous black raven like creature of Grimm. The top of its cage opened and released it to the sky's.
Circling above head allowed it to see Ashton and his handy work. Cawing and flapping its wings, it let loose a hailstorm of black feathers which was launched at Ashton, spine first. Ashton rapidly spinning the blade above his head cutting and deflecting all but the ones that missed him. The great bird stopped its assault and continued its flight pattern, before changing its angle and swooping down at Ashton. Talons bared and keeping its speed, it ripped through the bodies of the fallen and the stone floor alike. Ashton kept low to the ground until the last second and threw himself out of the bird's path. Rolling onto his feet as the Nevermore passed he brought his sword to the outside of his right leg leveled and his weapon with the smaller blade focused at the beast. The elder looked puzzled at Ashton's actions until he heard the *bang*, as if a gun had gone off. The blade was launched straight at the Grimm towing a thin cable behind it from the handle of the sword. The blade found its mark wrapping around the leg of the bird and hooking onto itself. The Nevermore took, once again, to the sky and held its flight ready to fire another volley of feathers. Ashton was waiting for this moment. He twisted the handle of his sword and the cable was reeled in. His path through the air found him beneath the beast and the cable was bringing Ashton straight up to his target. However he didn't strike the Grimm when he reached it. Instead with his eyes flashing white to lighten himself and his blade, he used the enormous bird as a stepping stone to launch even higher into the sky.
Once reach reached the full height of his jump and length of his cable, his eyes turned the deepest blue that they have been yet, making his blade, his body and the Nevermore at the end of his cable increasingly heavy. The bird, unable to sustain its flight started to fall from the sky as Ashton fell from the heavens. As for Ashton, he had one last dance to perform. He span the great blade all around himself as he was free falling. Cutting all the air around him and once again igniting the swords sharpened edge, leaving a red trail in the air behind him. He then finally twisted the handle of his blade once more, accelerating himself to the helpless Nevermore, and dealt his final blow to the beast as they both slammed to the ground with a burning red trail slowly vanishing from where it once split the sky. Dust and smoke was blown through the arena as the two foes met the ground and the elders sat waiting for it to clear and reveal the results of the ceremony.
Standing on the corpse of his victim, Ashton was in front of the elder warriors, blade side on to display it and this time buried in the heart of the Nevermore instead of the stone of the floor. The three elder warriors stood to recognize the efforts of Ashton and his nameless blade. And the one who had been talking to Ashton give him five slow claps.
"A grappling hook. That, I did not expect." Said the elder.
The elder to his right spoke "A fierce attack in graceful hands and a capable defensive wielded by strong arms. You will both do well in the war to come."
The elder then said with a wheeze, "Coupling the blades already formidable size and weight with the ability to adjust its weight to suit your needs and hinder your foes. And to extend the range of the ability with a projectile is both clever and initiative. (Cough, cough) You will both do well in the war to come."
The final elder speaks. "A burning signal in the sky to show the ferocity of the Clave families main house. As if to show us the way of hope in the war to come. You are Ashton Clave and the executioner's blade, to be hence forth known as, Starburn!"
Ashton raised his sword above his head and shouted proudly, "We will be ready!"