to any new return readers that don't know already, I combined chapter one with the original chapter two. Make sure you go check that out so you don't miss anything. This beginning will sound really good if you read it in cinder's voice.
In the days before civilization, before the hunters, even before dust, there were people. And where there were people, there were Grimm. Humanity had been a fragile existence from the start, easily falling prey for the more savage and powerful creatures of Grimm. They where hunted to near extinction, their short existence in jeopardy of being snuffed out before they even began. That was when they discovered dust. But what you were never told, something even the sands of time themselves forgot, was that they didn't discover it on their own.
As you well know, almost all Grimm are savage and seek nothing but the destruction of sentient life. But even with their brutal ways and animalistic appearance, they are not completely mindless in nature. In fact, they originally had souls. Especially the one beowolf who favored humanity over his own kind.
Yes, this is how it all began. Not with humans taking a final stand and discovering dust on their own, but with the intervention of an unlikely ally. This beowolf sought out the oldest man alive and taught him to use the power of the elements, how to materialize his soul in the form of aura, and of the existence of dust. In turn, the man passed on his knowledge to the humans and his powers over the elements to four maidens, but that's a story for another time.
Inspired by the beowolf's kindness the great and powerful Oum granted him the form of a human, bringing forth the first faunus. He also gave him the name Fenrir to symbolize the end of the era of the Grimm's tyranny that he had heralded, opening the path for civilization as we know it. He also stripped the Grimm of their souls, decreeing that they wouldn't need them with their nature and damned their existence.
Fenrir was grateful for Oum's gift, but he did not fully trust the humans. He feared they would still see him as a monster he once was. Oum heard his fears and brought into existence the other faunus species. Fenrir, deeply honored, vowed that he and his descendants would protect the world from the Grimm's endless hunger. And thus began the age of the hunter.
I stood on my square looking over the emerald forest, enjoying the wind in my face. I half listened to Ozpin's speech while looking over the other first year students, sizing them up for potential partners. I took note of little Red towards the end of the line with her weapon drawn and in a ready stance. My eyes locked with Lucas on the first square and I pointed into the forest then pointed up, mouthing the word "tree." He nodded and pulled out his rifle in shotgun form.
The next moment he was summersaulting through the air yelling at the top of his lungs.
"So he really can swear like a sailor." I said as I watched my friend right himself in the air before he hit the tree line. Well, at least he's in the trees. I thought to myself. I counted the people to go flying before me and turned my back to the cliff, counting down the thumps of the spring throwing people.
5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Pew!
I was now flying through the air, hands cupped behind my head and my legs crossed as if I was just taking a nap on the ground. What? Can you really blame me for showing off? This was the perfect time to pull something like this! I could practically feel the stares on me from those yet to launch.
Feeling my upward momentum start to wear off I faked a yawn and rolled in the air so I could see where I was going. With the tops of the trees approaching at a rapid rate I focused my aura to my hands and legs and prepared for my most extreme parkour run ever. My body broke through the thin top branches without a problem, causing a hailstorm of tiny broken twigs to fall to the forest floor. I caught hold of some of the thicker branches with my hands and broke them as I passed to slow my decent slightly until I saw a branch that could probably support my weight. Biggest problem, I was still moving to fast. Just before I hit the branch I positioned my legs beneath me and started to kick out. Instead of landing on the branch and getting hurt I launched myself forward at another thick branch. I proceeded to move from tree to tree at high speed, steadily slowing down after each branch. Finally I grabbed a hold of a particularly thick branch and used the last of my momentum to flip over it and land on top.
"And he sticks the landing!" I shouted triumphantly, raising both arms in the air. I allowed myself to soak in the achievement for a moment. Okay, moment over. Now to find Lucas. I jumped from tree to tree as I made my way to the general area that he could have landed in, hesitant to descend to the forest floor in case another student found me first. I thought it was a good plan...
...Until I got blindsided by a truck. I'm not kidding, it was a large heavy hunk of metal with a very poor driver. Or would it be flyer?
"IIIInnnnnnn Cominnnnnnnggggg!" That was all the warning I had when a massive metallic weight slammed into me, knocking me through trees and implanting me in a decent sized crater. The hit drained my aura almost completely. I know this because I was still in one piece on landing, but one does not simply get hit by a meteor and walk away in perfect condition.
"Did anyone see the license plate on that hit and run?" I groaned, getting to my feet. Three yards away laid the pile of green metal that had knocked me out of the sky at the end of a rut it had created in the ground. To my surprise (in other words I totally saw it coming) the great hunk of metal got to its feet, revealing itself as a girl in extraordinarily heavy armor. Her upper torso was covered in mossy green plated steel like armor, protruding at her chest to account for her breasts. On each shoulder were three overlapping mossy green plates that seemed to increase her size at least six inches more than her real proportions, her arms and legs were garbed in a similar manner to her torso. Long blond hair spilled down her back. On her back was a two handed great sword almost as big as I was. Oh yeah, and she was huge, I would guess over six and a half feet tall. First impression? Is that a girl or a tank?
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" The girl said, walking towards me with a concerned look on her face. "Are you hurt anywhere? I didn't try to hit you, I swear." There was silence for a second before she spoke again. "Why are your eyes closed?"
"Because we haven't made eye contact yet." I replied, stumbling a bit when I shifted my foot. "I have a friend in the area and we had planned to partner up." There was no response, which surprised me since I thought that I was being a little rude. I opened up one eye to find that the girl wasn't there. Confused on how someone so big could just disappear I glanced to my left, found nothing, then to the right, finding curious blue eyes very close to my own. "Holy shit!" I jumped back, creating distance between me and madam mountain.
"Do you want to be my friend?" She asked, completely ignoring any offense taken from my last comment.
Bad touch, Bad touch! Stranger danger! My fight or flight instinct screamed at me, making it very hard not to flee from the very, very strange girl who now technically my partner. She was smiling innocently at me, still bent over with her arms behind her back and her head tilted to the side.
"Friend?" She asked, leaning a little closer.
"Umm, I don't know your name." I said, uncomfortable of the lack of personal space.
"Oh yeah, I forgot!" The girl cried, straitening up. I let out a sigh of relief since she was no longer in my face. "My name is Isabella Freelance. Nice to meet you!" She held out a hand to shake, almost hitting me in the process.
"I'm Kyle." I said, taking her hand and shaking it. I cringed as her iron grip threatened to turn my bones to dust. "Strong... Grip..." I said, my voice contorted with pain. Isabella released me, apologizing frantically again. I waved it off as an accident and checked over my gauntlets for damage. I was relieved to find them without so much as a nick or scratch.
"Sooooooo, Now what?" Isabella asked. At that moment my scroll went off.
"Hello?" I said as I opened up a voice call from Lucas.
"Who's the lady in the armor?" Lucas asked, skipping over the greeting.
I looked around, unable to locate the marksman in the immediate area. "Where are you?" I asked.
"Quarter of a mile to the east, altitude of thirty feet." Lucas responded, his measurements of distance as accurate as ever. I spotted a small blink of sun light off of his scope as he revealed his location for a moment before he moved it out of the light. I wasn't the only one who saw it as Isabella stepped in the way and stabbed her sword into the ground, it's edges expanding outward to create a shield big enough to hide three people including herself behind.
"Sniper!" She yelled, trying to shove me into the ground. I deftly dodged her attempts before I jumped out of her reach.
"It's a friendly." I told her, getting her to lower her shield. "Change of plans Luke. She's my partner now because... unforeseen circumstances."
"Yeah, I saw her knock you out of the sky. Good job on surviving that by the way." He paused. "You guys have about thirty seconds until you have to engage some targets, so get ready. I count five hostiles nearing your position from the north."
"Can you take them?" I asked.
"Nope, overgrowth to thick to get a clear shot. You're on your own." Lucas replied. "Twenty seconds. Meet me half a mile northeast when your done." The call ended, terminated on Lucas's end.
"Contacts." I called out, the foliage parting exactly where Lucas said it would as a pack of beowolves burst forth in an attempt of a surprise attack. Isabella reacted faster than someone would expect a girl in around forty pounds of armor to, cleaving the first beowolf in half from shoulder to waist and using the moment from first attack to spin and bisect the second beowolf at the waist as it tried to run past her to get to me. She then went on to bat away a third with the flat of her blade, taking two mighty strides to where it landed and raised her sword high into the air before plunging the tip into its chest and killing it instantly.
While Isabella was occupied with her kills, so was I. I caught a slash from the first beowolf with my right forearm, pushing it back and hitting it in the chest with an palm strike. I then ducked as the second beowolf lunged from the right, sweeping the first's legs out from beneath it with a low sweep kick. I rolled to the left between the second beowolf's legs as its claws came down where I was seconds before, springing up and over it as it spun to try to slash at me and kicking the first in the face as it was getting back up. The second beowolf spun once more and lunged at me with its claws. I side stepped to its left and grabbed its arm as it passed, elbowing in the shoulder and dislocating its joint. The beowolf staggered backwards and I swept under it, using my whole body to knock it completely off balance and pushing with my legs and back to throwing it onto the first one before it could get up again. Both beasts down, I drew my weapons in a quick motion and plunged them into the monsters skulls.
"Well, that was easy." I commented, wiping the blood off my knives on the Grimm's fur.
"Yeah." Isabella agreed. "It's almost as if we ambushed the ambush!" She jumped and pumped her fist into the air, getting surprisingly high up for her choice of gear.
I put my daggers back in their sheaths hidden in my gauntlets and brushed the dirt off of my legs. "Come on, let's go meet up with the 'sniper', as you call him." I said, leading the way.
"Yes sir!" Isabella snapped into playful salute before following after me.
We made it to target point without any problems and met up with Lucas and the girls, Sarah and Nix managing to partner up without any trouble. After a quick introduction Lucas took point and led us in the direction he believed the ruins to be. Sarah and Isabella hit it off almost immediately, chatting away about anything and everything that came to mind. Nix stayed out of their conversation and took the job of rear guard, her cat ears swiveled around to listening for anything nasty trying to flank us.
"Hey Lucas." I whispered to my friend, pulling even with his strides. "What are you going to do for a partner?"
"I'll figure it out." He whispered back, glancing at his sister then his girlfriend. "I was counting on the four of us on being on the same team."
"So was I, until I got shot down by a missile of feminine origin." I replied. I then noticed a smell that didn't belong in a forest. "Does anyone smell something burning?" I asked. Lucas and Sarah shook their head. To my surprise, both Nix and Isabella nodded.
"It's origin is from up ahead and to the left." Nix said. "We should probably avoid it and head towards the right. And quickly too, fire spreads fast." Lucas nodded and was about to listen to her suggestion when Isabella spoke up.
"We can't go that way." She said simply, causing everyone to look at her funny. "That way leads to a massive canyon with what looks to be ruins of a sorts. It's hard to tell its structure because it's really old and corroded."
"And how do you know that?" Sarah asked.
Isabella shrugged. "It's a specialty of mine." She replied.
"Um guys," Lucas interrupted. "I think we've stayed to long. I can smell the fire now." As soon as he said that as of glow could be seen through the trees, the forest fire enclosing on them fast.
"Follow me and stay close!" Isabella ordered, charging towards the burning forest.
"Hey, are you crazy!?" I shouted, chasing after her with the others in tow. Isabella didn't answer, expanding her sword into a shield again and continuing her charge. Since it was originally a sword there was no handle to hold onto on the protected side and the armored girl had to hold onto the handle of the sword and supported it with her shoulder.
We gasped in shock as after each footstep the earth rose on either side of her and curled to form partial arches above us, protecting us from the fire to the sides as we began to move into the burning trees. It seemed to follow our movement, collapsing soon after we passed.
Isabella didn't change course at all during her charge, smashing through anything in her way. I could see that each impact seemed to just bounce off the girl as she ran, making me wonder if she was even mortal.
Another thing I'm wondering. Why aren't we choking on ash?
"Hey, stop!" Nix called out from the rear, coming to a halt. We had only made partial way through the fire. Isabella came to a grinding halt, looking back at the cat faunus. "There's someone over there!" She pointed to something past a few burning trees and bushes. I would have mistaken it for a log if it hadn't shifted at the last moment.
"I can't extend our clean air that far out!" Sarah shouted. It was then that I remembered her unusual semblance, Nature's Blessing. She could purify water and air, relieve pain and heal wounds, and could literally talk with plants and animals. Why would I forgot something like that now?
"I'll get him." Lucas said, running past us. He jumped over a burning bush and narrowly dodged falling burning branches. We watched as he scooped up the body and slung it over his shoulder before turning to run back to us. He was cut off half way as a tree fell, blocking his path with fire.
"Brother!" Sarah screamed in horror, reaching her hand out as if she could grab him.
"I'll get the idiot." Nix said, suddenly disappearing into thin air. Before we could question where she went she reappeared with a coughing Lucas and the figure slump over his shoulder. Now that I was close up I could see the figure had a small petite frame much like that of a child's and wore a tarnish brown coat that covered the whole body. "Let's get moving, now." She said in a commanding tone, making sure to let us know that it wasn't a suggestion. Deciding it wasn't the time to question her, we continued on.
We eventually came to a river where the fire couldn't spread to the other side and crossed. Just in time too, as airships started to fly in and dump water on the forest in an attempt to control the flames.
"I am going to need to check off some things on my bucket list." I said, flopping down on the ground. The others sat down, exhausted from their run. "Survive a forest fire with no escape route, check. Save someone from a fire, check. Play with man eater puppies, check. Get hit by a meteorite, close enough." I looked over to Lucas. "How's he doing?"
"It's a she, actually." Lucas replied, remove the coat and putting his ear close to her mouth to check her breathing. "Her breath is ragged but her heartbeat seems to be fine." He sat up and look back at us and opened his mouth, only for no words to come out. Instead he pointed behind us, one hand slowly reaching for his rifle. We slowly turned our heads.
There were so many of them, it's hard to believe we didn't notice them even if we were exhausted from our sprint. There were beowolves, alphas too. There were both major and minor Ursa. There were two King taijitus and three death stalkers, their massive figures standing out in the crowd. There was even a nethermore. And they all stood there, waiting.
We slowly got to our feet and drew our respective weapons, taking a step back towards the river. The crowd of Grimm shifted and we froze, tensing for a fight. But still none of them attacked.
Finally the Grimm up front shifted to the sides and let a rather large alpha beowolf pass. The beowolf stood on its hind legs and held itself like a man, glaring down at us. The beast stood at just over nine feet tall and was probably as dangerous as it looked. Was it my imagination, or is he seeming to focus mainly on me?
"Fennnrrrriiiiiirrrrrrrrr." The beowolf growled, causing all of us to flinch. The beowolf pointed a clawed finger at me ."We thought that your kind had finally died out to the Paladins."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, taking a step up. As it seemed that the Grimm were focused on me, if I transformed I might be able to buy the others time to get over the river. It would then be easier for me to make my escape on my own. Seeing what I was doing, Lucas silently spread the word and they began to back away from the legion of Grimm.
"You don't know?" The beowolf said thoughtfully, sizing me up. There was an unsettling feel to those eyes, as if the beowolf knew more about me than even I did. "Then you are no threat to us. We should just kill you now while we have the chance." His eyes drifted across the others, settling on Nix. "It's been a while since I've eaten cat."
I snapped. "Like hell I'd let you hurt them." I growled, my voice growing deeper after each syllable. I lunged at the alpha, my arm already transformed. However, instead of piercing through the Grimm and tearing him to shreds, my claws simply bounced off him.
The wolf laughed and swatted me away, taking out the last of my already depleted aura and leaving a ragged cut on my side. "So you know of your gift but not of your heritage." It said with a throaty laugh. "Oh, the irony. It would be a shame to kill you now, and I get the feeling I wouldn't be able to if I wanted to." The Grimm's face contorted into a wolffish smile. "I'll see you again, Fenrir. Kill on, traitor." The beowolf howled into the air and the legion of Grimm retreated into the forest, the last of them disappearing into the shadows just as three combat outfitted airships passed over head following after them.
"Okay, I'll be the first to speak." Lucas said, watching the airships go. "What the fuck?"
"No clue." I said, my arms already back to normal.
"You told me your name was Kyle, right?" Isabella asked. "Why did he call you Fenrir?"
"I don't know that either. It's new to me too." I answered, feeling a little light headed. "But you know, was it always so bright out here?" The next thing I knew, that damn rhinoceros farted a rainbow and I fainted.
Aaaaannnnnnddddddd... Cliffhanger! Oh, how your all going to hate me for this, but I have to leave it here.
No you don't. You just want to keep them reading.
Ezra! What the hell are you doing? This isn't even your story!
I'm here too.
Oh, Echo. Are you starting this now too?
I'm bored.
So the fox girl can talk and I can't?
Ugh. You two aren't even related and you two act like siblings. Get out of here so I can do my authors note.
Fine.
Fine.
Okay, their gone. Voices in the head, something all authors go through. So anyway, about the chapter.
First off, we have the subject of Isabella. Before anyone even considers thinking it, Isabella is not going out with Kyle. Ever. Unless I want to screw around a bit, then some "accidents" could happen. Evil laughter.
Second off, am I the only person who wondered why the forest didn't completely burn down from Weiss's attack? I Decided to use that for part of the chapter as an excuse to show off my characters semblances. Nothing major. And did you see those ruins? Ever get the feeling they were important at one point of time?
We have Kyle Fenrir, as I'm pretty sure you've all guessed. And if you didn't, shame on you! I pretty much gave him beowolf arms, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. I have much, much more hidden from you guys. All will be revealed in due time, my friends.
Then we have Sarah. I know I've tipped the scales in her favor a lot, but you haven't learned what I know yet. The only homeless humans of the group, and the sister has all the abilities of a nature goddess. Coincidence? Probably. Hehehehe.
Next up, Nix. I actually started writing my own book before I started fanfiction, and Nix happens to be one of those characters. I based her semblance off of the one I used in my first story (was highly rated considering all the spelling and grammar mistakes, not to mention simple thinking. I plan to rewrite it later, maybe in a few years. Lol) and off of Vincent's from a personal favorite of mine, the misadventures of a sleepy hunter. The author a casualty of life, and hasn't updated for years.
And then there's Lucas. I'm not telling you a thing, muwhahahahahahah!
Unconscious girl. No clue, I haven't decided yet. If anyone has seen danmachi, or is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon? As its called in English, she looks exactly like Lily. Now to figure out what kind of faunus would fit adorable little Lil, and I'm open for suggestions. Seriously, I need help.
And last but not least, Isabella Freelance! This mix of innocent lovely girl, a spartan II right out of halo, and the hulk is a force to be reckoned with! Not only is she a walking tank, she has the ability to control the earth itself. I have a lot planned for this character, and she will play a really important role in the future. Overpowered? No, no, not at all. This will be fun... Hehehe.
Okay, teasers aside, there is one last thing that I must address. The talking, invincible beowolf. This guy is also reused, but he's from a story that only I know. We authors don't just think "hey, I want to do this" and start writing. We first have to have a dream, a fantasy in place. You could say he's my original bad guy. He's also one of my oldest friends.
Now, I wonder what I'm going to do next. No seriously, I don't got a clue other than I have to have Kyle finally meet with Ruby. Tune in next time for my mad ravings- I mean, the next part of Kyle's saga!