Chapter 4: Argent
Even amid the darkest of shadows, a light, no matter how small, will find a way to flicker to life. Even if the darkness may try to smother it, the light will continue to flicker, it's sparks spreading and growing until it has turned into the brightest of flames.
"So Argent, mind telling me how you heard about this "job" you dragged me into? The fact we're trekking out into the woods does not bode well!"
Azure muttered as he cut aside more underbrush with his single edged blade, ahead of him, one of his few friends at Signal giving a laugh. The boy's name was Argent, and he was the very reason Azure now found himself trudging through the woods at the outskirts of Vale when he would have much preferred to be spending the afternoon fine tuning his weapons.
"It's part of the adventure! Besides, it's not often our board gets requests about a Panthera!" Jumping back into view from ahead in the brush, Argent's silver hair was the first part of him to come into view, following that being his bright violet eyes. For a Vale resident, Argent's skin was rather tanned, enough that when compared to his bright silver hair, it was rather stark. Said hair was styled in a messy, spiky way that left it sticking about all over the place, with some styled bits around his eyes. He wore a military styled grey jacket with a hood stitched onto the collar, while a black cloth was wrapped over his left arm and allowed to hang rather loosely, held in place by a pair of black straps and a black epaulet and the straps were buckled by a metal wolf-head emblem. Covering his legs were dark grey pants with armored knees, combat boots, and black fingerless gloves. Around his waist was a belt that held a few small magazines, likely for the weapons holstered on both sides of his hips, while most notably, crisscrossed on his back were four more sheathes for different blades, all folded up into more convenient carrying forms though one in particular stood out thanks to it's heavy looking rectangular guard and red-wrapped two-handed hilt.
"Yeah, we usually don't because those contracts are saved for pros." Azure said, Argent chuckling as he continued forward.
"Ah c'mon dude! We're some of the top of the class at Signal. Besides, the contract said it was wounded and weak. Students of our caliber can definitely handle it. Especially since we learned extra tricks from Qrow y'know?" Argent remarked, the boys reaching a clearing, both beginning to look around for any signs of their potential prey.
"I'm just saying." Azure replied, stabbing his sword into the ground as he palmed at the base of some shrubs, sniffing the air a bit, making a bit of a disgusted face. "Kinda pungent don't ya think?"
"That would mean the Panthera went hunting." Argent said, rubbing some dirt between his fingers before looking off, heading off in a new direction. "When injured, Panthera get ornery and tend to go after local fauna. It could be because Grimm actually can eat food or just for spot, but that's not super clear. But, let's see… aha! Look here Azure, on the tree!"
Argent went over to a tree, and from it he pried off a deer's antler, Azure giving a hum as he looked it over.
"That'd take a lot to rip off, much less leave it stuck in a tree. Definitely something a Grimm could do."
"And that means we've got a trail." Argent said, looping the antler onto his belt, then drawing one of the small blades at his hips, driving it into the tree and carving a mark, which he'd been doing periodically since they started this trek.
The silver haired boy was definitely a hunter. Of all the things he was knowledgeable of, the Creatures of Grimm were at the top of that list, right next to how to fight them. Not a trace he couldn't follow, a method he couldn't think of to disable it and tell others. A leader he may not be but a strategist he certainly was. If you wanted something found, Argent would find it without any trouble at all.
Some would ask, why? Why did he desire to know so much about these creatures? It wasn't mere curiosity, that was clear enough. It was more like he behaved exactly like the hunter he sought to become… it wasn't a desire to know more, but a desire to understand. After all, the more a hunter knows about their prey, the easier it is for them to track it. What do you have to fear of monsters that you know everything about? Turn the hunters into the hunted… perhaps that was the thing he sought from this.
"So where do you think it's den could be? Though I doubt it would have run back off to it. Would've been taken care of if that was the case." Azure spoke as the two reached a small ravine dividing the woods, Argent kneeling down at the lip of the small ledge, palming at the dirt, looking around for any possible hints. "Hey, Argent, down there. Tracks."
Azure pointed into the ravine, and narrowing his eyes, Argent was able to see the imprints in the ground, Argent jumping down and checking the prints, a smirk coming to his face.
"Perfect! They're kind of old, but it's definitely gonna lead us there. And look at the size." Argent circled his finger around the print, Azure joining him and looking. "Looks like our Panthera isn't small either. Fully grown from the looks of it. And there's a rut nearby. Likely the body of the deer."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're scary good at tracking things?"
"Many times Azure! Hehehe, come on, let's rush it!"
With a nob, Azure followed after Argent when his friend dashed off, the two running along the ravine, jumping past the rocks that acted as obstacles with practiced ease, moving up from the ravine as it began to edge away to shallow slopes and to a line of cliffs, the two students slowing their pace as they followed the natural wall, Argent keeping his eye on the trail at all times so they wouldn't lose it. Eventually, the tracking led the two to a cave, both taking spots at either side of the entrance.
"I'll take a look." Azure pulled down his goggles and turned them off as he peered to look in the cave, scanning around. "Roomy that's for sure and… ugh, geez! If that smell was bad before, it's outright terrible now! Grimm really do only hunt other animals for sport!"
"Ugh, I am so showering when this is done. If we can smell the carcass from here then that's gonna cling." Argent muttered, Azure nodding as he pulled his goggles back up. "Well, no point waiting around right? On we go!"
"Uh, Argent I would…"
Crrraaaa…
"WHOOOOAAAA!"
"… be careful… shit! Argent!"
"It's aight! I'm good!" Argent had found himself sliding down into a place deeper into the cave, and he could see Azure leaning down the lip, the light leaving Argent visible. "Yo! I'll go and check deeper, find something to get me back up alright man!"
"Are you nuts?"
"No, I'm cashews."
"NOT THE TIME!"
Argent only cackled as he turned and ran off, Azure's exasperated yelling echoing behind him. Once the cave began to darken the further in he went, Argent flicked his left hand out. With that motion, silver flames flickered into life in his palm, illuminating the walls and creating dancing shadows across the walls. Argent sniffed the air as he walked along, giving a hum.
"Definitely going the right way. I wonder, what'd make a Panthera drag a carcass back to its cave? Grimm don't eat animals as far as anyone knows. Hmmm… gonna have to note that down. Tch… god this smell is unbearable."
Argent plugged his nose with his free hand as he continued along. The air was growing more and more stagnant by the moment. As he moved on, the cave began to open up, and he killed the flame in his hand to bring darkness down, pulling out his own pair of goggles and putting them on, a press to the side activating night vision.
"Hehe, gonna have to thank Azure later for whipping these up for me. Guy's one hell of an engineer."
With the better vision from the goggles, he was able to see how far the cave actually went. The space was surprisingly open, and a few parts of the wall gave way to completely black voids, other entrances into it at the least. In the spacious room was a few spread out, fly attracting deer carcasses, wounds long since dried out and left to rot. But… no sign of the Grimm.
But, Argent knew that was what it wanted him to think. He remembered it from an excerpt in the good old Bestiary of Grimm. "Pantherae are solitary creatures. Normally living in prides like lions, led by an adult. If the rest of the pride is killed then no doubt the mature members will seek revenge, but, Pantherae are not fools. They are quick to run in order to lick their wounds if sufficiently injured. Beware following one into it's den though, as it could be anywhere, and it will know you have arrived."
"So then, where are you hiding." Argent pulled out both of the short blades at his hips, flipping one of the weapons around as it folded out, and with one, he took it and threw it, a ring sounding as it drove into the stone. When that elicited nothing, Argent aimed at another spot and threw the other blade, another ring sounding as it dug in. In the same moment, his hands shot back and grasped two of the folded weapons at his back, drawing a pair of identical blades, one edge straight and another serrated, clearly made for slashing as the swords lacked an actual point at their tops, instead being angled, giving a vague trapezoidal look to the swords.
Argent let both edges sit on the floor, producing audible scraping sounds as he walked out into the center of the room, and as he came to a stop, he raked one sword up, pulling it hard enough that sparks flew from the contact point before he brought it up. A pointer for Pantherae, they have sensitive hearing, so loud noises are perfect for disorienting them… or drawing them out.
A low growl began to fill the space, a smirk coming to Argent's face as he turned to the source of it. From the shadows of one of the exits, a red glow of eyes began to show, and stalking out from the shadows was a being seemingly made of shadows itself. Its large, feline body came with heavy steps, a shadowy mane marking it's pitch black body. Covering its body was a bone-like carapace, marking mostly it's head, spine, tail, and legs, and the face bore red markings.
Argent took a step back on purpose as the Grimm began approaching. He took both blades and drove them both into the stone, the Panthera growling as the sound pierced its ears. Not missing the chance, Argent's right hand went for the red hilted-weapon. As he pulled it out, gears could already be heard turning as the blade of the weapon shot out. From the wider half of the blade, a thinner portion made up the other half, forming a solid sheet of metal aside from the transition zone.
The Panthera lowered down and lunged, Argent moving his sword and blocking it's talons, the massive creature pushing him back quite a ways. But, as he came close to the wall, Argent shot up onto the wall, vaulting off and slashing. The blade cut into the Grimm's hide, causing a black mist and ichor to seep from the fresh injury.
The Panthera's tail whipped at Argent as he sailed over, Argent drawing the last weapon on his back to take the blow as his back was to the tail. While still sent careening off elsewhere, Argent rolled and landed as the second blade extended. It was a rather odd blade, while it's single edge was solid, an actual look at it revealed the blade to be hollow, giving it a V shape from within it.
"Okay, single blade isn't gonna help me. Perfect." Argent chuckled as he took the hollow blade and shoved it onto the main sword in his hand, clicking noises coming from the wide guard of the main blade as the hollow blade was locked in. When the Panthera lunged again, Argent dove past, grabbing one of the serrated swords as he shot past it, turning back around and pulling the blade across the Panthera's leg when the beast turned on a dime and lunged at him again. As he finished the motion, Argent then looked the sword above the hollow blade, adding a back edge to the assembly.
He then dove for the second twin sword, but the Panthera got between him and it. Argent gave a chuckle as it growled at him, and as he brought his left hand up, silver flames grew at his fingers, and once it was level as the Panthera charged, the flames shot from his hand in a stream, the Panthera crashing to the ground as it roared, the flames licking at its body. Argent found the window to grab the other sword as the Panthera crashed into the wall, locking it to the other side of the sword, now setting it on to all being a much larger, heavier blade.
"Alright, good enough without the side blades." Argent grabbed the hilt with both hands now, the Panthera growling even as the silver flames continued to lick at its fur. The roar that came from the beast shook the cave, Argent standing his ground, this time charging himself. The beast's claws met the edge of the blade, only for it to come that the sword cut right through the claws, leaving messy, ichor bleeding holes in the Panthera's paw.
The creature howled, it's hind legs both striking at Argent, and he wound up taking the hit head on, being sent reeling back, and actually hitting one of the deer carcasses only tripped him up, sending him to land back-first onto the wall of the cave after rolling across the floor. Conveniently though, right next to one of the daggers he'd thrown. A smirk coming back to his face, Argent grabbed the blade out of the wall as the Panthera jumped at him, the blade changing form into a large handgun, Argent aiming the gun quickly and firing, bullets perforating the Pantheras chest, Argent diving to the side as the Panthera refused to cease it's charge, crashing to where he'd been, while Argent changed the gun back into its blade form and placed it on the side of the assembled sword, leaving only one more slot on it's opposite side. Deciding not to miss even a beat, Argent shot to the side, finding where the remaining sword was dug into the wall.
But his foe was intent not to let him forget it was there for even a moment. Even with one it's paws rendered downright useless beyond batting at things, and with it's belly seeping ichor, the Panthera lunched again with it's maws open. Argent was much smaller than it after all, only of average height for a boy his age, and the Panthera was bigger than a bear. One bite to the neck and it'd be over… the fault though, was the fact the Grimm wasn't smart enough to remember those flames. Argent glanced back as the beast lunged, flames rising from both of his hands and up the edge of the sword. With a hefty swing of the heavy blade, the flames raked up and engulfed the Panthera, the swing catching the beast by the mane. The sword was able to cut right into the tough fibers of the Grimm's mane, going far enough to actually catch the beast's neck, the full swing slamming the Panthera into the ground with a burst of fire following it.
Argent stumbled back as bit as he wrenched his sword out of the mane, stepping back to the remaining dagger and yanking it out of the wall. Staying cautious with it since the Panthera was still rumbling even as it burned. Ichor ran down the edge of his sword as he approached while changing the dagger into its gun form. Not surprisingly really, the Panthera lashed out in one last, desperate slash with its claws. Stumbling back, Argent aimed his gun and plugged the Panthera with every bullet loaded into it, the Grimm finally going totally limp with one more gurgle. As it finally died, the Panthera's body began shuddering, but not with movement, as if its very form was starting to vanish. The shadowy form of it's body then faded into the ground like evaporating sludge, only leaving behind it's carapace and other effects.
"I'll be taking that. Good fuckin' riddance." His voice absolutely dripping with contempt, Argent holstered the weapon in his off-hand and picked up the "mask" from the carapace, setting it onto his belt, starting the process of disassembling and holstering his assembled blade as he turned to leave the cave, and he was about halfway back through the tunnel he'd come from when he heard footsteps. Removing his goggles as light also came on back, Argent smirked as Azure came screeching to a halt, his fellow Signal student panting as he stopped. "Yo Azure! I got the kill!"
"Yeah, and you look like you got hit by a truck." Azure sniped, Argent happily showing off the "mask" he'd looted.
"Ah come on, quit sniping. I only took a few glances and one big hit. My Aura wasn't even broken, so that's alright in my book. That and my trusty sword took the harder hits from the thing. I almost got to fully assemble it this time to boot!" Argent took the lead as he playfully put the "mask" over his face, doing a faux roar. "Raaaagh! Hahaha, scary eh?"
"No, it's stupid looking." Azure smirked at Argent, the other teenager lifting the "mask" and sticking his tongue out.
"Whatever. Time to go and collect!"
"Y'know Taiyang is gonna grill you for this one right?"
"Pff! We'll just bluff him and say we took it on together, it'll be fine!"
"… I highly doubt that."
"Oh ho ho, believe me boys, you should."
The two teenagers came to a halt as they reached the cave entrance, both stopping dead at another voice speaking, both gulping when they saw the man who was leaning against the entrance.
"You were saying?" Azure muttered, Argent putting his hands together and taking in a long breath, then lowing his hands together but still having them forward.
"So, what happened was…"