I stood in the courtyard, looking up at the school.
"Ah, Beacon! I'm finally here!" I say, stretching out my arms casually and cracking my knuckles.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Briar Bronze, and I'm basically a fighting legend. I've been training with my mother since I was five years old, and everyone knows my name due to my increase in ranking over time. Everyone knows my name, some know me as the Bronze Demon, and I'm only sixteen. Everything is being put into place, even with me still having to go to fighting school.
I start to walk towards the entrance, but someone yells at me.
"WATCH OUT!" They yell, and I get out of the way in time to see a girl speed past me and crash into one of the lamps.
"Oh, gosh, are you okay?" I ask. She nods, bouncing right back up.
"Sorry, sometimes, the wheels turn the wrong way and I crash!" she says. "My name's Alya Swift! Wait, aren't you the Bronze Demon? Ooh, I've heard all about you." (By the way, it's pronounced All-ee-ah, in case you were wondering.)
I look at this girl with interest, because I've never met someone like her. She's about as tall as me, maybe an inch shorter, with super-curly blonde hair and pink tips. Her eyes are green and very bright. She's wearing a brown wrap-around shirt that shows her stomach, with a red vest over it and it's bought together in the front with lace up leather. She has brown shorts and arm bands on just below her shoulders. There's a belt hanging on her hips with a dagger, along with a large pocket that I'm sure conceals her main weapon. Her shoes are light pink knee-high high-tops with wheels on the bottoms of them.
"Umm...yes. I am. But you can just call me Briar, that's what I prefer." I say, startled by her energy.
"Oh my gosh, I'm flattered! First name basis with a star? Wow! Well, you'll be an even bigger star here, 'cause of your fighting skill!" She exclaims. "Well, gotta go!"
She zooms off, and I'm left in the dust, not sure what to make of this strange girl.
I sigh, and continue walking.
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After Ozpin makes his speech, we're supposed to go out to start initiation. I had already met Pyrrah Nikkos, a girl who's also pretty famous, but her ranking's lower than mine.
We stand outside in a line, and I look to my left and right, seeing who else is there. I see Alya, waving at me and grinning. I give her a weird look and wave back. There are many other people there, but aside from Pyrrah and a white-haired girl I recognize as the heiress for a big dust company, I don't know anyone.
Glynda explains the instructions, and the people are launched one by one. As it gets to Alya, she says 'good luck' and flies off. After one more person, I'm launched too.
I land on my feet in the forest, and look around. There's another person there, staring at me. I remembered that we were partners with the first person we made eye contact with, and I had definitely made eye contact with her. She doesn't say anything, just stares.
I take the moment to study what she looks like. Her hair is salmon pink, messy and swept to one side. She's wearing a light purple flowy shirt hanging off one shoulder, and a dark purple tank top underneath. She also has a purple checkered skirt and bright red high heel boots. Her eyes are a pale green, boring into me. I take note that she has no apparent weapon, which could make her weak or even more dangerous.
She tilted her head to one side and I took a step back. Despite her strange fashion sense, she's unsettling.
"Nadia." She says finally. This throws me off.
"I...what?" I say, confused.
She walks towards me and holds out her hand.
"My name's Nadia. Nadia North. And from the looks of it, you must be Briar Bronze, world-class fighter." She says.
I take her hand and shake it.
"Yes, that's correct. Nice to meet you." I reply. "Let's go get the relic?"
She nods, and turns away, walking like she knew exactly where she was going. I follow, although I'm usually the one leading.
Suddenly, I freeze, and I tell Nadia to stop too. I close my eyes and listen for anything unusual. There's the tiniest rustle of bushes, and I whip my head to where it is in time to see a Grimm leap out at Nadia. She yelps, steps backwards, and trips on something, falling.
I run towards the Grimm, bringing out my shield and blocking it's claws from sinking into Nadia. Narrowing my eyes, I push the Grimm back. It roars in frustration and rears back.
I take the advantage and also get out my bow and set the arrow to white dust. As the Grimm begins to swipe another blow, I shoot the arrow directly at it's heart. Ice blooms from where the arrow strikes, and the Grimm falls dead to the ground. It turns to the dust that Grimm always do when they die, and I pick up my arrow.
I press the button on my shield, turning it back into a bracelet. I also take my bow and put it back, along with the arrow.
"Sorry I didn't help!" Nadia says, and I turn around.
"Don't be." I answer, holding out my hand to help her up."Come on, we should go."
As she stands up, I turn back around, and start going in the direction of the relics. While I was listening for the Grimm, I also heard Alya's voice, squealing, "We got a relic!" and another voice saying, "Be quiet, do you want Grimm to hear you?"
Nadia follows me, and after telling her to make sure to keep up, I break into a run.
When we stop at the runes where many chess pieces are placed as relics, I turn back to Nadia.
"By the way, you were going the wrong way before." I tell her, and her cheeks turn pink. She scratches the back of her head and looks embarrassed.
"Yeah...one thing you should know about me...I'm terrible with directions..." She replies, and I frown.
"Hello, Briar!" I hear the familiar voice of Alya say. I look on both sides, then turn around again and see her with another girl.
"Hello, Alya. Is this your partner?" I ask, smiling at her bubbly energy. She nods.
"Her name's Ellis!" The girl nods, her face making no change in emotion.
Her eyes are sky blue, and darker around the edge of the iris. Her hair is semi-curly, her bangs are caramel-colored and cover one eye. The rest of her hair is dark brown in a neat side braid, and she has a dark purple button-up shirt on. She also has a dark blue skirt with frilled edges on, as well as an emerald green cloak with a hood. Her boots are purple, only reaching up to the ankles.
It surprises me that this is Alya's partner, because they seem like complete opposites.
The girl shakes my hand formally, then turns away, swishing her cloak.
"Come, Alya. We should get back to the school." Ellis says with a commanding presence.
"We'll come too," I say, grabbing a horse relic, and following the others. I only realize after I grab the relic that Alya and Ellis have the same one.
Oh, boy, I think, looking at the relic. This'll be interesting.