Chapter 3

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." The Headmaster stated while looking at the new pawns that have come to the play his game. He looked at each of them one by one. Everyone he saw he knew will survives. That was true until he set his eyes on Jaune Arc, who was standing nervously at the end. "There has been a lot of talk about teams. I will be putting those rumors to rest. The first person you make eye contact once you land is going to be your partner for the next four years."

"I told you" Nora said pointing a finger at Richard.

The Headmaster looked at the two and smiled at the two bickering like children. "Once you have partnered up head to the northern end of the forest to the temple. There you will find relics, pick one and head back to the cliffs. Good luck, you'll need it." The first platform clicked into position and fired of the first student into the air.

"Uh, so how are we getting there. Are you dropping us off?" the scraggly blonde asked.

"No, you will be falling."

"So, is there a landing strategy?"

"No, you will be making your own"

Richard looked over at Jaune seeing the panic in his eyes. 'It will be okay. You will do this.' Richard told himself. Hearing another platform go he saw that Nora was next. "Good luck"

Her platform clicked and she switched Magnhild into its hammer form, "Boop" she tapped his nose before shooting off into the air towards the forest.

Richard activated his pauldron by hitting the top of it and braced for lift off as his platform's gears cranked up. He went over his plan for landing he created once he heard The Headmaster tell Jaune about making a landing strategy. He will put his arms up into a cross with his armored one in front for safety. Then when he hits the ground he will roll onto his pauldron and draw his gun in case of enemies.

While going over his plan he felt a lot of air going by. He realized he just got flung towards the forest. Richard pulled his arms up into the cross and just in time before he crashed through a tree leaving a human sized hole in the middle of it. The next thing Richard saw is ground and he started his roll. He did it to early and he lands flat on his back dazed from the impact. "Damn" he muttered to himself brushing off the dirt and leaves. The forest was quiet as he walked away from his lack luster landing spot. It was like no one was in the forest. Almost if he was the only one that landed. Those thoughts left him as he heard an explosion with pink fire over the treetops. 'Nora' he thought as he took off towards the cloud of smoke.

Richard shortly came across a small meadow surrounded by trees on all sides. As soon as he walked into the high grass he felt watched. He slowly crept through t trying to be as quiet as possible. He heard the grass move behind him. Richard drew his gun and spun it. With the trigger, glowing green, he started to move towards the tree line. When Richard crossed the center of the field a huge black snake head popped up from the grass. "What the hell are you?" he asked the creature, but the only response he got was the head lunging towards his body. Richard sidestepped away and the head hit the ground kicking dirt up. When the dust settled, the snake lunged again this time Richard sidestepped and fired his gun towards the beast's face, striking its right eye. The gigantic snake cried out in pain alerting another giant snake creature, but this one was white. Richard sighed at the sight of the other snake realizing that there was more than one. He fired his gun at the white snake's body and head trying to damage it in anyway, but to no avail. Richards bullets or weird green streaks weren't doing anything to the creature. "How am I supposed to do this? Is there a weak spot?" Richard asked to himself still firing and dodging the lunges from both snakes. The white one got a hit on Richard's side and knocked him down. The black one took no break and coiled around him in a cylinder leaving a little room for movement. Richard couldn't escape the scaly prison by jumping, so he tried climbing. After a couple, grueling tries, that took every ounce of energy from him, he gave up. Trying to climb up a moving wall that shrinks is harder was than it looks. "Dammit, this is it!" he yelled out mad at himself for failing on the first day. He closed his eyes and punched the ground with his metal-casted arm not seeing that it glowed green as he cocked it back. When his fist hit the ground a sonic boom sounded with a shockwave running across the ground tossing the huge snakes away.

When Richard opened his eyes his sees he is in a crater. He climbed out to see all the grass is flattened and what he thought was two snakes are one big snake. Richard ran over to the body seeing the black snake half gashed open by the force of the shockwave that pulsed through its body. On the other hand, the white half was barely moving. Richard saw minor damage, but was still injured due to the other half's wounds. The head was trying to get up. "Time to end you" Richard said with anger. As he stood in front of the white half's head Richard felt all the emotions that he felt seeing the black snake coil him up and Richard coked his fist back. He dealt a devastating blow to its skull killing it instantly.

"Makah!" he heard from the tree line.

'It might be another creature of a different breed' Richard thought while running towards it. Once he reached the tree line Nora dropped out of a tree.

"Surprise Richie!" Nora exclaimed as she looked into eyes. "Yay now we are partners"

"Yes, we are" Richard said with glee a small smile on his face, while poking her nose, "Now let's getting going to the temple". Right then a bear like monster came out of the brush. Richard stepped in front of Nora to protect her from the disgrace of nature. "Nora just stay calm and…" he looked behind him and sees that Nora is missing, "NORA!" Richard screamed. The bear roared and spun around to show Nora riding it, smiling from ear to ear.

"Come on Richie" Nora said kicking the creature. It roared and took off North.

Richard thought he had been running for miles until he caught up to Nora at the temple. When he got there, she was standing on the now dead bear creature. "Nora, please don't do that again" he struggles to get out of his mouth. He looked at the ground in exhaustion. Richard looked up and Nora is nowhere to be found.

"Did that girl ride in on an Ursa?" Richard heard as he looked around. 'So, there is a name for them' he thought looking at the dead body, now dissipating into black smoke.

"I'm Queen of the castle. I'm Queen of the castle." Nora sung as she posed with her relic.

Richard heard her song and looked at her with a glare, "NORA!".

"Coming Richie" Nora cheered and she ran up to his right side.

"This your partner Yang?" Richard asked looking at the black-haired girl on the other side of Yang.

"Yes, she is quite" Yang was cut off by a screaming.

"Aaahhhh" someone screamed above them. They all looked up to see Ruby Rose falling from the sky and a 'Grimm' bird above Ruby.

Before Ruby can hit the ground Jaune Arc came flying from the side and hit her midair knocking them into a tree. Leaves falling as they landed on a branch.

Then a redhead ran out from the tree line from where Jaune flew in from, getting chased by a giant scorpion.

"What is with all of the things out here?" Richard asked drawing his gun.

"They are Grimm. They are pure evil and are attracted to hate and fear." Yang's partner said.

"Oh" Richard said shocked that they all knew this. "I'm going to go help Jaune and Ruby out of the tree", Richard jogged over to the tree to get Jaune and Ruby out. They were half way up the tree on a big branch, Jaune sitting up against the tree while Ruby was standing on the branch. She jumped down and ran over to Yang. "Hey Jaune! You need any help?" Richard asked Jaune.

"No I am good man"

"Okay, I am going back to the rest"

"All right, I will be down in a minute." Jaune told him.

Richard walked back to the others who were looking up at the giant bird 'Grimm' as the girl with a bow would have said.

"Is she going to fall?" Ruby asked.

"No, she won't fall" Yang told Ruby trying to give her confidence.

"And she is falling" Richard quipped.

Jaune saw from the tree and jumped to save the falling girl. He holds her bridal style in the air. "Just dropping in" he said smoothly then he looked down and gulps. They both dropped to the ground, Jaune breaking a white-haired girl's fall.

"My hero" she said angrily.

"My back" Jaune groaned.

The two fallen teens then see a blur of red and gold fly by and land on her side. "Pyrrha!" Jaune screamed and ran over to the girl. He helps her up and apologizes for getting her into the trouble.

"Nora let's go help Jaune" he says running over to the injured girl.

They put her arms around Jaune and Richard's shoulders for bracing and balance. When they get back to the temple they see giant feathers and a frozen scorpion in the meadow. The sight sent a shiver down Richards spine, he finally realized what these people are capable of. He is glad that they are on his side and not against him.

"The plan is to run and to get back to cliffs" Ruby told everyone.

"Run and live that sounds like a plan I can get behind" Jaune said getting a chuckle and a scoff from a certain white princess.

Ruby and Jaune grabbed their relics. "Time, we got going huh" Richard pointed to the scorpion that was about to break free of his icy prison. The screech of the bird furthered his point, and they all ran towards the cliff.