Volume 1
Chapter 2: Running The Gauntlet
"Below you lies the Gauntlet." Miss Lariet began to explain, holding a scroll in one hand and gesturing to the great abscess in the ground with the other. "You will be taking your exam within it. Below the upper cloud you see, there is a simulated environment consisting of various terrain found across Remnant. Those of you who are familiar with the Amity Colosseum used for the Vytal Festival, the Gauntlet uses a similar system to generate its terrain."
Cedar did know about the arena used for the Vytal Festival, how its central arena could be used to simulate four randomly selected types of environments at once. And that kind of machinery was awaiting them within the pit below? So there could be anything down there!
"Your goal in this exam is very simple." Miss Lariet continued, striding up and down along the edge of the cliff as she spoke. "There is an exit to the Gauntlet at its far end, just follow the star in the sky to reach it. To reach the exit, you will have to traverse many kinds of terrain and natural hazards. You will also come across Grimm who regularly spawn inside the Gauntlet, and you will have to fight your way through them a well."
What kind of school allows Grimm to spawn on its premises?! Cedar shouted in his head.
"You'll all be scored based on how quickly you complete the Gauntlet and your actions within it. It's every student for themselves in there, so think only of the end." Miss Lariet continued. These words, Cedar noticed, sent off an odd reaction down the line of the others. Some of them looked relieved at the mention of no teamwork, whilst others looked notably concerned. Cedar also felt concerned… they wouldn't seriously start turning on one another, right?
"Oh and, there's one last thing you should know about." Miss Lariet suddenly smiled slyly. "The last four students to finish will be expelled. Best of luck!" And before anyone could argue or question such a rule, she tapped the scroll and at once, the platforms the students stood on gave way, dropping them down into the Gauntlet below. All at once they vanished under the grey clouds and into the pit below, to battle for their places in Lustre Academy.
When Cedar finally managed to stop himself yelling in fear at how he was falling and open his eyes, he saw the landscape below. Beneath the veil of grey clouds, an entire simulated sky now rose over them and in the distance, a shining star just like Miss Lariet had mentioned. And below them stretched the terrain of the Gauntlet. Cedar could see below that a huge snowbank was rushing up to meet them, at least promising a safe landing. But then his attention drifted to the other students, some of whom didn't seem to want to wait to just land.
A loud bang to his left drew his attention to Isaac, wielding some kind of huge shotgun and having positioned himself so he fired behind him, actually using the momentum to propel himself forwards. And it wasn't just him. The cute girl in the raincoat pulled out what looked like an umbrella and opened it, her falling halted as she daintily floated on ahead of them. And the dark skinned blonde was the most impressive of all, a great pair of golden wings appearing on her back as she soared on ahead, easily taking the lead.
Unfortunately, Cedar had no such advantage to moving quickly, he'd be left to just plummet into the snow with the others. The most he could do was move his goggles over his eyes before he hit the snow, the cold mattress cushioning his fall, knocking the wind out of him as he sank into it. His fox ears could catch the sound of the others landing in similar fashion, various soft thuds and thumps around him. It took him a moment to catch his breath before he got up out of the snow, shakily getting to his feet as a chill ran over his body. That snow felt real alright… that meant environments they'd be going through would be just as real.
He started wading through the snow with the other examinees who hadn't had any strategy besides falling, all pushing through the snowdrifts to the paths beyond. Up ahead, Cedar could see the terrain splitting off into three distinct paths, going left, right and straight on. On the right path, he could see craggy formations and towering pillars of stone, a clifflike area with unknown perils in its fissures and crevices. Down the middle, a thick and dense woodland, the trees packed close together and limiting ground movement. And finally on the left was a wide open savannah area with some wild grass and mostly open field.
Cedar had to choose quickly, which path would be the quickest? The open savannah seemed the obvious choice, no obstacles and few concerns about a straight shot forward. The canyon seemed very dangerous, so much unstable footing and narrow pathways, that'd be signing a death warrant for sure… but the forest. Cedar knew his strengths were his speed and climbing abilities, something a forest was perfect for. So he pushed forward til he was out of the snow and headed for the woods. Unsurprisingly, to him at least, a lot of the other students rushed for the savannah path and a few others for the canyon, the minority choosing the forest with him.
Despite the light he had seen in the snowy area, the forest was far darker, the thick canopy obscuring the light and creating the illusion of nighttime around them. But it wasn't an issue to a Faunus like Cedar, someone who had better night vision than a human. He grabbed a low hanging branch and climbed onto it, using it to spring himself up into the treetops and begin moving through the canopy, leaping from tree to tree and running along the thickest branches. Just like back in town, it was all a matter of seeing where he needed to go and jumping for it without hesitation. His parkour skills were no doubt setting him ahead of his peers scurrying below him, filling him with a slight confidence. Maybe he'd be the first amongst them to pass the finish line!
But something felt off. The adrenaline of jumping between the trees had masked it, but now that he was above them, he felt it. The atmosphere in the forest was tense and quiet, only the sounds of the footfalls of his fellow students and him leaping from tree to tree resounded around him. There were no Grimm here either, most likely due to the thick density of the trees, there was nothing dangerous here… except maybe... his competitors?
Before he could even consider the danger, a loud bang erupted from below him and a spray of bullets sheared off the next branch he was jumping to. Terror spread through his body as he quickly found himself falling back down to the ground. He hit the ground hard on his front, feeling his aura drain to prevent anything breaking, though it was still painful. As he tried to get up, he grunted as a foot trod on his back and another student ran on ahead of him, bearing grey hair and smiling spitefully back at him.
He was enraged for a short time before he heard more gunshots around him. That boy who shot the branch must have worried the others, because all hell had broken loose, students started fighting and shooting one another and ducking behind trees. And Cedar knew if he stuck around, he'd fall behind or take stray fire. He had to ignore the fighting and keep moving!
Counting on his speed, Cedar sprinted through the trees, darting left and right to avoid the mighty wooden columns. Around him the sounds of battle raged, blades clanging, gunshots blasting chunks of wood away, this exam was turning into a warzone and he was stuck in the middle of it! He ducked and weaved, feeling bullets whizz past his ears and wincing at the sensation, seeing other students rush past him or be struck down by another, it shook him to his very soul at the utter stayed determined and focused til he saw the edge of the woods and burst out, back into the light beyond.
...and what he saw made him immediately want to retreat back into that hellish thicket he'd just escaped from.
Yasmin was finally clear of the savannah, a little worse for wear. What had initially looked like easy open terrain had become a death trap, with huge swarms of Grimm running to face them. She'd opted that flight was the better option and had allowed some of the others to take the brunt, having daintily dodged her way through them and now was onto the second stage of the Gauntlet, feeling a brief pang of guilt for that raincoat clad girl who'd been running ahead of them.
Spanning out in front of her was a series of wetlands, grassy tussocks raised amidst great flowing streams of water, some as thin as a ribbon, others as wide as a street. On closer inspection, Yasmin spotted moving black shapes hiding in the water and behind the grass. This section was Grimm infested, not as much as the savannah, but enough to keep her on her toes.
A sharp crunch behind her drew her attention. She saw that the large pack of Grimm was finally thinning and some of the others were catching up to her, taking particular note of a black haired boy wielding golden maces and a strange pastel haired girl holding a large garish looking lance. She was losing her lead.
Turning on her heel, Yasmin dashed forward into the waterlogged glades beyond. She bounded over a small stream with no issue, raced over a grassy tussock and dashed for a larger river with a rock jutting out of its middle. Before she could reach, a Beowolf leapt out to surprise her, striking at her chest with its claw. But she was quicker, opening one of a pair of large fans, blocking the claw and flicking it off to one side. Then with her other fan, she brought it round in a crescent motion, slicing the beast's head clean off, its body disappearing into darkness.
A bounding hop over the stream brought her closer to her goal before she was attacked by two more Beowolves, coming at her from either side. Her fans flicked open to block them before she leapt back onto the stepping stone to gain distance and collapsed her fans, the pair becoming elongated pistols. She opened fire on the Beowolves, the shots riddling them as they tried to approach, splashing into the water before they couldn't take it anymore and vanished into the rapids.
She smiled as she hopped back onto land, opening her fans up again and continuing onward, running through the slick grass.
"Hm, still a few more up ahead… perhaps I should stay back, allow my peers to take some weight off." Yasmin thought aloud as she moved. "Though can I afford to take such a risk, they said our individual times would be graded… hm. I wonder if they'll be watching this and taking note of my-"
"COMING THROOOOUGH!" Her thoughts were cast aside as she instinctively leapt to the bank, the soaring form of a student holding onto a spiral lance soared past her, her body a blur of pink, yellow and blue. Her weapon seemed to have small boosters attached to it, rocketing her forward like that.
Yasmin frowned, she'd gotten too wrapped up in thinking and now one of her opponents was getting ahead of her. She collapsed her fans and followed the girl, hearing the footsteps of the rest of her peers.
The girl up ahead flew right into a Beowolf and her lance went straight through it. Then another. And then another, making a triple Grimm shishkabob before she finally crashed into a stream. Yasmin was behind by a decent ways now, dashing and bouncing over rivers to try and catch up with her. She was so preoccupied with catching up to the pastel haired girl, she failed to spot something lurking in the next large river. And when she leapt, the great black tail of a Taijitu rose up and struck her in mid air, sending her sprawling, getting her clothes wet on the damp grass.
She winced as she got back up. She'd allowed herself to be distracted, how foolish… she could practically feel her brother's scorn at her mistake. The serpent rose out of the river and its mighty head stared her down. Yasmin picked herself up and opened her fans with redoubled vigor… perhaps this exam was more trouble than she'd expected.
Cedar found himself staring into a large group of Grimm, all running towards him and the scattered group filing out of the bushes. There were Beowolves leading the charge across the cracked earth with Ursas lumbering behind them, at least numbering three in total. That was three more than Cedar had ever seen in his life.
He could feel the fear in the others emerging from the woods, their quarrels forgotten in the wake of humanity's enemy, bearing down on them. One way or another, they'd have to go through them to proceed, the star shining behind them. Cedar had to conquer his fears if they were ever going to get through this exam.
He moved quickly, bringing out his auto crossbow he'd been stowing and taking out three bolts from his hip quiver. The hatch atop clicked open and Cedar slid the bolts in. Then he aimed and fired, shooting them at three spots in front of the pack. The bolts struck the broken earth and exploded into slick ice, freezing one Beowolf over and causing the others to slip and slow the group down. That'd give the others more time to plan their own strategies.
"Fightin' time, fellas! Last one in's a rotten egg!" Cedar was caught by surprise as Ozzy from before bounded right over him and went rushing into the Grimm crowd. He barely even had time to spot those boxing gloves he was wearing before he made contact with the group. There was a resounding thwack as one of the Beowolfs was sent flying off to the left from a single punch! Then another, a strong kick knocked it away to the right! That boy's strength was incredible!
A surge of confidence welled up inside him and Cedar rushed in to back the boy up. He loaded up a regular bolt and fired it into a Beowolf looming over him, catching it enough for Ozzy to jump out of the way of its swinging claw and deliver a solid roundhouse kick to its face. Cedar had to admit, the boy's athleticism was pretty amazing for his age.
He was snapped out of his admiration when he realised a Beowolf had taken issue with him and was headed his way. No time to reload and fire, he had to go into melee mode. He twisted the back handle of his crossbow and pushed it forward, the device slipping onto his arm. From the middle, a long sword blade sprung out, the Faunus hunkering a little lower as the Beowolf lunged at him. Cedar quickly ducked under its swing to the left and brought his sword around in a stab, striking into the Beowolf's belly.
The Grimm yowled in pain and quickly swatted at Cedar with its right paw, the young Faunus rolling swiftly underneath the Beowolf and nicking its other side whilst standing up. This time the beast lunged at him with its jaws and he couldn't find an opening to dodge, so he caught its jaws on his sword and held his guard. But the beast was stronger, biting the metal and forcing him backward. Then, one ill placed step and Cedar fell backward. He froze up in fear as the Beowolf rose over him.
Before Cedar could think of what to do, an object flew seemingly around the Beowolf's head and somehow it dropped right off, the entire beast fading into darkness. Standing nearby was a boy in a purple tailcoat, glasses covering his eyes and a casual smile on his face. In his right hand, Cedar spied an odd looking yo-yo.
"Come come, don't sit around! There's still more to deal with!" he said cheerily.
Biting her lip slightly, Lariah put all her speed into one mad dash across the geyser field. She'd already seen that jagged haired blonde boy blown back and other students going up in water torrents, she didn't want to join them. The exit star was so close now, the risk was worth it! Her boots dug in as she crossed the end of the geyser field, yelping slightly as another spout went off to her left and spattered her with water. But at last, she made it, she was out of the field and into the thick reeds of the next area.
"Mighty fine runnin' pardner." Isaac was waiting for her with his warm smile. The two had forged something of an alliance in the canyon area when the blonde haired boy tried to block the path with a boulder, watching each other's backs. When Isaac had been attacked by Boarbatusks, Lariah had backed him up. And when she was scared in the geyser fields, he had forged ahead to provide support. Now here they were, progressing through the vast cornfield with the exit star so very close now.
That was when the Nevermores showed up. Three of them in total, black swathing feathers blotting out the light from above. The two shared a look, knowing they'd have to fight through them.
"I'll break em up, y'all can hit em when they get close." Isaac instructed her, the copper haired girl nodding quickly. The cowboy drew his weapon, a large four barrel shotgun, and aimed it upward at the incoming Nevermores. He fired one shell and it exploded with fire dust, becoming a great series of sparks and fireworks in the sky, disorienting the avian adversaries. One of them swooped low, talons wide and grasping for them.
Once it was close enough, Lariah swung her weapon at it, a mighty flail with the head of a sea mine, slamming into its head. When it struck, the ball on the chain seemed to explode on contact, sending the entire beast flying to the left and spiralling into fading blackness.
"YES!" Lariah shouted in jubilation, a broad grin on her face.
"Behind ya!" Isaac warned her as Lariah quickly hit the deck, barely missing the talons of one of the two remaining Nevermores. Isaac fired up at the passing bird whilst Lariah got back up, the corn around her uprooted and torn. When they prepared for another aerial attack, her ears caught something rustling, rushing through the cornfield ahead of them.
"Isaac! We got more incoming!" Lariah shouted, spinning up her flail overhead.
"I hear em." Isaac agreed, turning his weapon toward the oncoming horde of Creeps. He fired his two remaining shells, cutting down a few in the buckshot whilst Lariah swung her flail and clobbered a bunch that got too close. Then the Nevermores circled around, coming back for another attack, swooping at them.
Both were met by golden cannonballs striking it in the face and knocking it away, accompanied by a great bellow of a brass instrument. The dark skinned blonde was right behind them, blowing into a trombone weapon, great cannonballs of golden energy shooting out at the flying beasts.
"Thanks!" Lariah gave her a thumbs up as the trio continued to move and fight through the cornfield, getting closer and closer to the end.
"Thanks for helping out back there." Cedar said to the glasses wearing boy, whom had introduced himself as Martin.
"No problem!" He replied, cheerily. "Just doing what any self respecting huntsman should do!" Even though the teacher before said it was every man for himself, Cedar thought.
"Do you seriously use that yo-yo as a weapon?" Cedar asked as the pair of them were leading their group into the final area, a land of brimstone and torrents of magma, the smell of ash and smoke hanging in the air.
"Why yes! You see it all began when I was a young lad, my father bought me a yo-yo for my birthday, and-"
"Okay nevermind, tell me later." Cedar cut him off, realising there were Grimm up ahead, lesser than the wasteland area, but still numerous. "We've got incoming."
"Roger that." Martin nodded. Cedar slipped his weapon off his arm and switched it back into crossbow form, loading it up with five bolts. As they ran over the ashen earth, he fired them at the oncoming Beowolves, landing two headshots and managing to stop a third moving with two hits to the front legs. His last bolt missed.
"I think we can make it… just past those lava pools up ahead." Cedar pointed them out as the two drew closer, the star shining brighter and brighter in the sky. They skirted around the burning pools, the acrid smell of brimstone hitting him as they dodged around it. Another small pit and a Creeps surprised them, leaping out to attack. Martin caught it, flicking his yo-yo at it and smacking it in the face, knocking it backward into the lava where it sank and vanished.
"I can see the exit!" Cedar cried out,the shining star visible over a doorway at the end of the brimstone land. They were close now, nothing was left standing in their way. But as they reached the door, Cedar heard a cry of distress behind him and turned on the spot. Not too far back, he saw another kid struggling with a King Taijitu, holding back its snakelike jaws with blades mounted on his arms. He also spied some of the other students behind him, running for the exit, including the grey haired kid.
Cedar faced a choice. Leave the Gauntlet for a better time… or help the kid behind him. That threat of the last four being expelled blared in his head like a warning siren. He looked back and forth, frantic and uncertain. Martin was already gone, he wasn't even sure who else had finished yet, how could he know?!
In the end, he ran past those headed for the exit and went to help the black haired student. He loaded up his crossbow and fired a few lightning bolts at the King Taijitu, the voltage stunning it long enough for the other kid to break free. Then Cedar watched as his forearm blades opened into three, turning the weapon into a pair of claws and the boy unloaded on the snake, slashing it with deep cuts and scars til it finally cut through and severed its head. The boy dropped and panted slightly, turning to Cedar with a worried look.
"T-thank you…" he mumbled, his demeanour surprisingly meek considering what he'd just done.
"It's alright." Cedar nodded. "Cmon, we've got a test to finish." he pointed to the exit and the boy caught on. As they ran, Cedar noticed a pair of animal ears in the boy's hair, black and white badger ears. He smiled, that making him feel a little better about saving him.
"I-I'm Brock, by the way." the badger Faunus said. "Brock Rathbone."
"Cedar Glade." the fox Faunus responded. "We can talk proper once we're through, okay?"
"Sure, r-right…" Brock was quiet as both boys scurried for the exit, lagging behind the bulk of the other candidates now across the hot testing area. With Cedar clinging to the hope he hadn't just screwed himself out of victory, he dashed into the doorway with the star shining above.
The exam was over.