Chapter 1

It is said that summer is experienced in two entirely different ways. For those who have chosen to dwell inside a city's walls, summer is fairly unpleasant. The only difference apparent to the citizens of these cities is the increase in temperature. For those who choose to stake their claim outside the centers of population, however, summer is an incredible experience. It signals change, prosperity and happiness. The days are longer and the harvest plentiful. The earth comes alive with color, and life prospers. On a beaten path in the middle of a calm forest, one can experience this spectacular transformation firsthand. Trees tower into the bright daytime sky, the sun hanging as a perfect circle in the sky, happily warming all those under its rays. Flowers bloom, and squirrels can be found gathering nuts to store. The air hangs peacefully as a mother bird tends for her newborn babies on one of the sturdy branches of an oak tree.

On one of these particularly peaceful summer days, a young man made his way down one of these beaten paths. A long green cloak flapped lazily behind him in the light breeze. A larger man, he carried a worn iron sword on his hip. He walked with a familiar knowledge of the trails, never stopping to wonder where he was going. He always found himself grateful for these trails. They provided him a way to lose himself in the silent liveliness of the forests. The calm summer air seemed to soak up his worries like a sponge.

But his peace was short-lived, as the forest opened into a large meadow. In the center of the clearing sat a large airship, its dull grays and harsh edges standing in stark contrast to the area's earthy tone. Its engines ran idly, awaiting its passenger. As he neared the ship, the thrust from the engines blew off his hood. He had light brown hair and a stunning pair of silvery-blue eyes. He possessed a thick neck that bore witness to his strength, and his body also served as a testament to that fact. He climbed nimbly onto the ship, his large frame squeezing through the small doorway. He took his seat at the far end of the seats, bowed his head, and promptly fell into a light slumber.

He had been dreaming of home when his sleep was interrupted by his shoulder being prodded by another person. He slowly awoke, and a pair of bright amber eyes greeted his arrival to consciousness. The stranger was dressed in black and white, and a bow sat atop her head.

"Uh… Yes?" He asked sleepily.

"Sorry for waking you, but can you move your pack? All of the other seats are taken." She asked politely.

He jolted awake, and took in the number of people now seated in the ship. She was right, the ship was completely full. He couldn't believe he had slept through the arrival of all the other students.

He apologized quickly, and promptly moved his bag from the adjacent seat onto the floor between his feet.

She bowed her head in gratitude, sat down next to him, and opened up a book. He observed his new neighbor. A cleaver was sheathed on her back, and ribbons were wrapped down the length of her forearms. If he had to place a guess, it would be that she somehow used the two together in combat. He decided that now was as good a time as any to introduce himself.

"Um, hello. I'm Luc," he said, extending his hand.

Her eyes remained focused on the book. "Blake," she replied coolly, ignoring his advance.

He withdrew his hand dejectedly. It looked like this girl was not in the mood to make friends. He focused his attention on the ship's passengers, a collection of the brightest teenagers from the area. They came in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but they all brought something unique to the table. These were the fastest, strongest, smartest, and most deadly group of 17 year-olds on the planet, but they were raw and inexperienced. They were the best combatants of their respective combat schools, and were now being sent to the most prestigious combat school in Remnant: Beacon Academy. There, they would be shaped into the greatest soldiers humanity could provide, sent out to beat back the forces of darkness. He decided to make some initial assessments of his peers.

He had just finished looking over a boy with two scimitars hooked to his belt when he noticed something that truly intrigued him.

A girl was staring at him.

She was seated three seats from the end of the opposite row, dressed in a dark grey dress highlighted with black and red. Her black hair fell down past her shoulders. Even as Luc met her eyes, she did not avert her gaze. Her grey eyes bored holes into his soul. He felt as if she was probing the inside of his brain, reading every thought that shot across his mind. He quickly diverted his eyes to the bag resting at his feet. He had seen a great amount of unsettling things in his lifetime, but nothing he had ever come across made him as uncomfortable as that girl's stare. He checked his scroll, and saw that they had one hour until arrival. He could still feel the girl's eyes probing him. He folded his arms, closed his eyes and quickly resumed his nap.

This time he had woken under his own power as the ship arrived at its destination. The students gathered at the ship's viewport to take in the view of their new home. The school was situated on the edge of a cliff, and was absolutely massive. It dwarfed the ruined castles of ancient times that Luc's father had shown him in his youth. Rising above the rest of the school was a towering spire; its green lights glowing eerily even in the daylight. Whoever ran the school must be situated in the top of the tower. It was an impressive site, a sanctuary for people to gather to learn. One could say it served as a beacon of hope to all those who saw it.

The airship's engines flared as it slowed its descent. It came to a stop and hovered at the edge of the cliff. Luc followed the other students back to the hold and grabbed his belongings. To his surprise, the girl was still staring at him. He quickly made his way off the ship. He hadn't even set foot on school grounds yet, and he had already made an enemy. If this was anything to go off of, this year was not going to be good. He had been shot down by one person, and was apparently hated by another. Things could be going a lot better. On the bright side, they couldn't get much worse, could they?

Life seemed to hear his question, and answered it immediately. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed the trolley of briefcases stopped in his path. He snapped to attention, but he was far too late. He plowed straight through the pile of suitcases, falling flat on his face.

"Oh. My. GOD!" A shriek pierced the air above him. He picked his head up and looked at the white boots situated two inches from his face, following the legs up to their owner. A short, white haired girl towered above him, her cold blue eyes filled with incomprehensible rage.

As he rolled into a sitting position, she planted her finger in the middle of his chest.

"Look where you're going, you idiot! First that complete dolt of a girl, and now you! How stupid can you both be to not see the trolley right in front of your face? Did you forget your brain at home? You can't just run straight through people's valuables and expect them to be okay with it!"

"I-I'm sorry, I really am." He jumped to his feet and quickly gathered up all the briefcases scattered on the ground.

"Sorry doesn't cut it you moron! Do have any idea how much this stuff is worth?" She screeched, snatching the briefcases from his arms.

"100% purified dust from the Schnee Dust company is valued at 75 lien an ounce. It's incredibly rare, and astonishingly powerful," a voice to his side replied. He glanced over at his new accomplice, and his eyes widened in shock at the person standing at his side. The girl from the ship stood next to him, a vial of red dust clutched in one hand. She stared down his assailant with a cold gaze that he thought would certainly break the demeanor of the dust girl. "I'd take a guess that you are Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.

Weiss crossed her arms and gave a triumphant snort. "Good to see people know who I am."

A cold smile came across the other girl's face as she uncorked the vial and poured the dust into the palm of her hand. A pillar of flame burst from her hand, and to Luc and Weiss's astonishment, wrapped itself around her arm as if it were her pet snake. The flame roped itself around her torso as she spoke.

"I do. And if you want to keep your face nice, pretty, and free from third-degree burns; I would recommend showing a little respect to your peers. You wouldn't want to make any enemies, would you Miss Schnee?" The venom at the end of her sentence sent shivers down Luc's spine. This girl was definitely dangerous.

Incredibly, Weiss seemed completely unfazed. Her eyes narrowed, "You think you can come in here and make threats at me you dumb whore?"

As Weiss finished the final word of her sentence, the red in the fire girl's dress flared brightly. A plume of flame flew past Weiss' ear, lighting the tips of her hair on fire. She quickly extinguished them and drew her sword.

"You're going to pay for that!" Weiss shouted.

"I'm not scared of you, you entitled little brat!"

Both girls coiled, preparing to strike. Weiss' sword glowed bright white as her opponent's dress flared red. Luc stood there, completely dumbfounded at the scene unfolding before him. Just as it seemed as if fire would battle ice, a blur of brown and green solidified in between them. A tall girl stood with her arms outstretched in between the two combatants. She was wore a dark green shirt with a tan, long-sleeved leather half-jacket pulled over it. Brown cargo pants formed to her legs, and a single braid of dark brown hair ran down to the middle of her back. Her blue eyes were set in a determined stare, and that was when Luc noticed the most peculiar part of her appearance. Blue threads ran through her entire outfit like rivers cutting through the earth. She seemed like an embodiment of nature itself.

She stood her ground between Weiss and the other girl as the two stared each other down."We've been at the school for less than ten minutes, and you're already trying to kill each other? Do you have any idea how immature this makes you look to the other students?" she admonished.

It was at this statement that they realized that they were circled by a large group of students, holding their breath in anticipation for the upcoming duel. Both of the girls' shoulders slumped, and they relaxed.

The mediator turned towards Weiss. "Weiss Schnee, do you really think this is how the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company should be acting?"

Weiss became preoccupied with the toes of her boots. "No," she said, discouraged.

"And you." The smirk evaporated off of the black-haired girl's face as the taller girl whipped around to face her. "Put out your fire before you hurt somebody."

She glared at the peacemaker in protest, but her flame quickly died out.

"Thank you. Now, let's all go see the inside of this wonderful academy without trying to kill anyone else," the tall girl said cheerfully, striding off towards the school. The rest of the crowd shuffled behind her, murmuring in disappointment. Weiss loaded the briefcases onto the trolley and traipsed off, leaving Luc and the flame girl alone. Luc stood completely still, his jaw still touching the floor, not quite sure of what he had just witnessed. The girl turned to face him, and he snapped into focus.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he spoke. "Thanks for defending me, I guess."

"It was no problem. Someone needed to show that bitch her place," the girl replied, smiling. She extended her hand towards him. "The name's Ember Cole. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He hesitated, unsure if she was being completely serious. After a moment, he grasped her hand and shook it.

"I'm Luc. Luc Inflictus," he said.

"I guess you could say we're friends now, huh?" she suggested.

In truth, Luc was terrified that she would just burn him to a crisp because she felt like it. But she was right. She was the only person to show any kindness towards him the whole half-hour he had been at the school. He didn't really trust her, but he had to take his victories, no matter how small.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that, in a way," he replied after a moment.

She smiled at him. "Why don't you say we go grab some lunch. I'm absolutely famished."

He wanted to tell her no. She might be a friend, but he still didn't want to be around her anymore than he had to. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to voice his refusal. His stomach growled loudly, audible to both of them. Disappointedly, he agreed. The two walked off towards the school, Luc's hand resting on the hilt of his sword the entire time.