First and foremost, I'd like to thank those who supported me while I wrote A Piece of Arkos. I will be continuing that story as well but for the time being I would like to work on this story. As always, be sure to leave your comments, questions, concerns, and feedback in the review section. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Enjoy!
Prologue
The ashes descended upon them like a gentle, gray snow, settling in Ren's blood-caked hair and resting on Blake's shredded back. Up in hills beyond the city, it was silent. The songbirds didn't peep and not even so much as a field mouse scurried. What ever Grimm were in the area surrounding Vale, were most likely down in the city, contributing to chaos and bloodshed at hand.
As he turned, Ren looked upon the remains of the city of Vale in dismay. How could this happen? How did it come to this?, he thought. On his back, Blake stirred, letting out an uncomfortable groan. Ren thought of waking her, to let her see the city of Vale, or rather, it's smoldering ruins, one last time but he thought it'd be best to let her rest. The journey ahead of them was going to be a long one; she needed her strength.
He got one last glimpse of the burning city of Vale himself, before turning his back and continuing onto the broken path that lie ahead.
Blake POV
They had done it. They successfully repelled the onslaught of the Grimm horde. Or so they had thought.
Blake stumbled over to Yang, exhausted. "Hey-a Blake!", called Yang, less exhausted.
"We did it", Blake huffed, planting herself on the cracked asphalt.
"That we did", Yang said softly, sitting herself next to Blake. All around them, the Atlas Knights finished off the remaining Grimm.
"What's wrong?", Blake asked.
Yang paused for a minute, as if deep in thought, then said,"It just doesn't feel right."
"Oh?"
"It feels... too easy. 'Too good to be true'."
"How so?"
"Well, Roman Torchwick is no fool. He would have known that if he punched a hole in the wall surrounding the city of Vale that the Hunters and Huntresses would respond immediately."
"What are you getting at Yang?"
"What I'm getting at is that Roman wouldn't waste all this time if he knew we would just wipe out the Grimm. There has to be more than this."
"I don't think tha-". Blake started to speak but almost as if on cue, a large Death Stalker came barreling through the puncture in the parameter wall. Blake and Yang sat, shocked. "Where did-", Yang was caught off guard by a larger amount of charging Beowolves that followed the Death Stalker. One Beowolf threw itself on top of her, roaring for retribution. Yang swiftly uppercut a hole into it's torso and pushed it off of her. Blake, aghast, ran to assist Yang but was siphoned off from her by a clearly irate Ursa Major. This is not the time for this, Blake grumbled to herself.
Time seemingly slowed down as Blake weighed her options. She could try to slide under the Ursa's legs and slip away to Yang, but that would most likely aggro the beast further causing it to chase her. She looked to the left of the brute. A bench leaning upon a low wall. She could run for the bench and slingshot off of it, lopping off the Ursa's head before it even knew what was happening. Blake was running out of time she'd have to go with that plan.
Blake pushed off her left foot and flew for the bench. Lifting off the ground, she connected with the bench but, to her surprise, the bench cracked under pressure. The force Blake exerted caused the bench to splinter and shatter, leaving Blake face down on the ground. She scrambled to her feet but by then it was already to late; the Ursa Major was upon her.
Like a toy, Blake was thrown to the side, slamming into a building. And like a child, the Ursa lost interest in her and instead turned to Yang who was desperately fighting off several Beowolves that exceeded the average size for their species. "Yang", she whimpered, too fatigued to move.
Disoriented, Blake slumped up against a wall and beheld the pure massacre going on in front of her. The Atlasian Knights were being decimated by the sheer amount of Grimm pouring in through the breach in the parameter wall. And the same went for the Hunters and Huntresses. Blake watched in horror as Glynda Goodwitch became overrun by Beowolves. Two Beowolves attempted to jump on her from the front but were promptly perforated by her magic attacks. However, the wolves' ruse had succeeded in creating an opening for a third beast to attack. Glynda Goodwitch received a piercing blow to the vertebrae, spattering her shimmering blood onto the concrete. "No!", Blake cried out helplessly, pressing up further into the wall behind her. But it wasn't just her who had succumb to the Grimm. To her far left she witnessed a bloody Jaune carrying an injured Pyrrha into an alleyway. And to her right she saw what remained of Cardin Winchester's team become encircled by Death Stalkers. But then she saw Yang.
Bloodied and beaten, Yang lumbered over to Blake, collapsing into her arms. She had a tight grip on a gruesome wound in her lower abdomen. "Yang, what's happening?", Blake stammered, terror-stricken.
"I don't know", said Yang. Suddenly, a light shined through the darkened skies. It looked similar to a small ball of fire. It also appeared to have originated from the ground. No, it can't be. The rocket slammed right into the bottom of the Atlasian Expeditionary Fleet's flagship, easily puncturing through the ship's thick armor. For a second all was quiet, then, the silence was shattered by a ground-trembling explosion. The flagship's fiery remains fell from the sky like dead birds. "White Fang!", Blake gasped. Without warning an large flock of Nevermores jetted into the haze and began to pick the remaining meat off the already splintered ribs of the Atlasian Fleet. All around the mechanized Atlasian Knights began to shut down.
"This is it", Yang said, grimacing as Blake tied cloth from her clothes around Yang's wound.
"What do you mean, 'this is it'? This isn't the end. It can't be."
"What I mean is that this is Mount Glenn all over again", Yang said emptily.
"What are we going to do?", Blake fretted, having lost the last bit of her cool.
"It's simple," Yang explained, looking up at Blake,"We survive."
Ren POV
This is bad, Ren thought to himself, Real bad. He slid under the legs of an Ursa Major and proceeded to tear into it's back with a flurry of strikes from StormFlower. The brute let out a booming roar then fell to the ground. They just keep on coming. Ren turned to Nora who had her hands full with a small pack of Beowolves. The three snarling beasts jumped and monkeyed around her, climbing walls and swinging off of lamp posts, whilst taking occasional potshots at her. It became despairingly oblivious to Ren that the pack of Beowolves were adept tacticians; the knew exactly what they were doing. They utilized the slow speed of Nora's swings and sheer effort it required to wield Magnhild. The wolves had her surrounded from every side and angle and were able to strike quickly when she attempted to recover from each swing. Not even the Grenade Launcher form of Magnhild could move as quick as it would need to. They struck in order, relentlessly battering her one hit after the other. The drawn blood began to hit the floor.
It became obvious to Ren that if he didn't interject Nora was finished. He began to open fire on the Beowolves, shooting one down. The other two, confused by introduction of another player, ceased their attack. Nora took advantage of this and brought her hammer down onto the head of one of the Beowolves, violently smashing it into to concrete like it was a bloody piñata. The last beast, clearly outnumbered, began to back away, barring it's bloody teeth. Then, it pivoted into a full retreat.
"Nora are you alright?", Ren asked, rushed over to her.
"Yeah," Nora piped,"I think I'll be alright."
"Nora, what's happening? What are we to do?"
"I think this is it for Vale. And I think we should get out of here before we end up like him", she said pointing to a dead Atlasian soldier.
"But Nora, what of the citizens? The other Hunters and Huntresses? Jaune and Pyrrha?"
"I don't know about them but what I do know is that we can't sit here and just wait to be slaughtered. I say we make a beeline for the Dust store two blocks down then hightail it out of here."
"Okay but then what? We can't live in Forever Fall forever."
"I guess you're right, but where then?" The two stood in silence for a few moments.
"Atlas would be ideal if it wasn't across the sea...", Nora trailed off.
"Vacuo", Ren proposed. "It's the only other stronghold on this continent. It'd be a long trek, through desert and forest alike but it's just about our only option."
"Well, it doesn't seem li-" Nora was interrupted by a jagged accusation. One that was in the shape of a Beowolf's claw and ripping through her right lung.
The tumultuous Beowolf ripped through a surprised Nora and hit the ground running.
"Nora!", Ren hollered, catching her fall.
The Beowolf swerved around for another attack. Enraged, Ren threw one of his StormFlower pistols at the beast's head. The bladed end struck the creature in the crown, sticking out like a misplaced antenna. The stampeding Beowolf's charge slowly turned into a dirge before it ultimately fell dead. Ren turned back to Nora who was sputtering blood.
"Hey! Nora! Hang in there. You're gonna make it. You're gonna be fine so just don't die on me", Ren pleaded, no, demanded. "Ren", Nora started. Immanently Ren silenced her. "Save your strength", he pleaded. A squadron of human Atlasian soldiers ran by. "Hey! I need a medic over here!", Ren called out to them. One of the soldiers ran over to him.
"Sir," he stated,"I'm no medic but there is an evacuation helicopter inbound. Unfortunately, the drop point is on the other side of that mess", he said pointing to a slaughter field of a battle between various Grimm and a dwindling force of Hunters and Huntresses. Ren nodded and stood, cradling Nora in his sentient arms. "Sorry, Nora. This is going to be rough." Her only response was hollow whimper. With each passing second blood began to pump into her lungs, suffocating her. She was fading and if he didn't hurry, he'd lose her.
-End of Chapter 1-