Ch 7: Creatures of the Night PTII
POV: Nick Crowe (Same Day) – His Own Dorm
Time to go to bed Nick, been a long day. Better check my scroll though, before I get in bed. Grabbing my scroll from my bedside table, I unlock it and notice I have one new message. Weird, I wonder who it is from.
1 message from Alejandra: "Are you awake Nick?"
I slide the keypad for my scroll so I can reply to her message. This should do: "Yea, why do you ask?"
Hitting send, I wait for a reply. Several minutes pass with no response. Normally I would have a response by now.
After a while, a couple of knocks echoed throughout my room. Guess she wants to talk in person.
Jumping up off of my bed, I grab my two Katanas. Just in case it isn't her, always be prepared.
Opening the door I find Alejandra, she has a blank expression on her face. "Wow, I didn't expect you to actually open the door."
"Well you messaged me, asking if I was awake. It would be kind of rude if I didn't." I reply to her. "So, why did you want to know if I was awake?"
"Can't sleep, was wondering if you wanted to tag along." She replies with a grin.
"And where would we be going? It's kind of late." I remind her.
"To the Emerald Forest, beneath the cliffs." She exclaims this and gestures for me to respond.
"Why the hell would we go there this late at night? The creatures of Grimm thrive in the darkness."
"Umeko was telling me that whenever she can't sleep or wants to relax, she goes to the forest to blow off some steam per say. And I don't want to go alone." She pushes her hair out of her eyes and ties it in a pony-tail, her black hair now behind her head.
"Why me out of all people?" I ask her, curious about her intentions.
"To be honest Nick, you weren't my first choice, or my second for that matter. Tyler didn't feel like it, and I'm pretty sure Sheena was fast asleep." So I'm her last pick on our team, wonderful.
"So let me get this straight, I was your last pick out of our entire team?"
"Yep, that's just about it. Now are you in?" She smiles as she rolls up her sleeves, revealing her two daggers.
"Fine, I will go. Still can't believe that I'm your last pick." We silently make our way out towards the walkways that will take us down to the always mysterious Emerald Forest.
POV: Alejandra Moreno (15 Minutes Later) - Edge of the Emerald Forest
I already understand why Umeko comes out here, the quiet solidarity this area provides is certainly very relieving.
I look over at Nick who has an un-easy expression on his face. "Why the long face, you look like a nervous wreck?"
"I'm just starting to regret coming with you out here." He shines his flashlight in front of us, the light casting shadows of the various trees and bushes that are found all over the forest. "This place is even creepier at night."
"Now you are just being a little girl." I stick my tongue out at him. "What, are you afraid of ghost?"
"No, just Grimm at night, that's all. How long you plan on staying out here?" He asks as he ignites his palm with a tiny flame, which he then begins to toy with in a childish manner.
"Not that long. Nick, I always forget that you enjoy using raw red dust, why is that?" I'm always curious behind his choice of raw red dust.
"Well if you remember from Port's class, there are 4 kinds of raw dust. Raw dust was the original form of dust and therefore is the strongest. Now and days there are multiple kind of redefined dust types, courtesy of major corporations such as the Schnee Dust Corporation. Redefined dust may have more practical uses but raw dust has far more power and strength. When the humans and faunus first began to use raw dust it originally was used in direct correlation with the said human or Faunus's aura and semblance. Yet over time, we discovered easier methods to use dust. My father is one of the few people to my knowledge who prefers to and is capable of teaching and using raw dust. Something he taught me." He glances at me and probably takes notice of the confused look I, more than likely, now had on my face.
"To answer your question in a quicker fashion: I use raw red dust over refined because it works better with my fire semblance. It's far more useful and powerful." (Author's Note: This is Canon as of the World of RWBY Lesson 1 Episode that aired on 8/21/14 regarding Dust) He increases the intensity of the flame as we walk deeper into the forest.
"Kind of off topic, but why are you even using that flashlight?" I point at the flood light in his non inflamed hand.
"Good point, take it. I don't need it." He tosses the torch to me which I snag out of the air and point in front of us.
"I think we will only head a little bit deeper into the forest. I'm actually getting a little tired." Umeko was right though, this forest is surprisingly relaxing at night.
"I'm all for that, feels like we're being watched. Then again that's probably just me being paranoid and all. This forest is creepy."
"It's probably the latter Nick; we would have heard or seen Grimm by now." I remind him.
"No, I'm pretty sure something moved in the brush beside us a while ago, I don't think it was Grimm though." He puts his right hand on one of his Katanas, now gripping its handle.
"Now you are just flat out paranoid. Let's turn around, but take it slow Nick, we aren't in any hurry." Turning around the two of us head back towards the direction of Beacon.
"Wait, do you hear something?" He walks in front of me and increases the size of the flame in his hand. "You see what I'm seeing? If not I must be going crazy." He points out in front.
"No I see them too." I mutter in a soft tone. A group of about a dozen pairs of red eyes beamed now looked upon us from about 20 meters away. How did we not hear or see them?
"Then stay behind me, everyone knows Grimm aren't fond of fire." He puts his ignited had next to his blade and slides it across the runes that run along it. His blade ignites into a spectacular display of red hot fury. Putting out his inflamed hand, he draws his other katana and rubs it against the inflamed one, it too becomes infused by the red flame. Gosh that's cool.
"Alejandra, use your semblance and send me right at them" I begin to focus my thinking training in on Nick. If I use my semblance I can teleport him directly into that pack of Grimm, then give him a few seconds to strike them until my semblance brings him back to his current position.
I teleport him right into the middle of the pack, surprising the Grimm. Beginning to twirl his blades, he forms a spinning vortex of fire around him. Scaring the Grimm back, scattering them but not scaring them off. He then returns back to his original position before they could even strike at him.
"Good job Alejandra, now get ready; there are about a dozen Beowolves." I draw my two daggers and prepare myself. Both of us get in a fighting stance as 4 Beowolves begin to charge at us, their red eyes trained on us. Before they can reach us, Nick slices across the ground forming a wall of fire between us and the Grimm.
"That should keep them back, stupid Grimm never attempt to pass through fire." He grins as he says this to me. "We will just wait until they disperse." That'll take a while.
He laughs at the Grimm, who begin to howl at us. Okay something isn't right; they aren't dispersing.
"Get back Alejandra, I don't like this. They aren't running away." Just as he pushes me behind him a Beowolf howls and leaps through the flames tackling him to the ground.
"NICK!" I scream to him as I stab at the Beowolf that was already clawing him, attempting to bite him with its snarling fangs.
"Don't worry I got this! Now get back" Nick yells as I jump away from the Beowolf. Suddenly it is engulfed in a swathe of flames.
I look for Nick through the thick flames, wondering if he was okay. He has never done that before.
As the flames began to settle I noticed that the Beowolf that was previously attacking him was now reduced to a pile of ashes, however 3 more were attacking him. I have to help him; I need to get to him.
Taking long strides towards his direction, I ready my daggers for a flurry of quick slashes. Each slash connects with the fur of a particular Beowolf, which howls in pain as it collapses. Yet, before I can reach the next one, I take a blow to the chest from another Beowolf; one I hadn't seen before jumping into the fray. I thought there were only 3 left.
That final thought goes through my mind as I feel my body hit a tree and go limp.
POV: Nick Crowe – Emerald Forest
We should have never come here, it was a mistake.
Raising my swords, I block several savage strikes from the pack of Beowolves, taking a quick glance at Alejandra who lay unconscious against a tree several meters away. I have to lead them away from her.
Striking at the pack several times in horizontal and vertical motions I attempt to lead them back away from Alejandra, away from Beacon. If I draw them far enough into the forest I can high tail it back to Alejandra and we can leave this wretched place.
I finally decide that I am deep enough into the forest to either kill the pursuing Beowolves, or to flee back towards my fallen teammate. Hold out a little bit longer Nick.
Twirling my swords against the ground in a circular fashion, forming a circular wall of fire around me, which burns the 4 Beowolves severely. They howl in unison and run deeper into the forest. That was easier than expected.
Holstering my Katanas I begin to sprint back towards Alejandra. After what seems like forever I enter the clearing where we had previously fought the Beowolves during the beginning of our encounter. Oh god I'm too late.
POV: Alejandra Moreno (1 Minute Earlier) – Emerald Forest
Opening my eyes slowly I feel spikes of pain flowing through my body. Lifting up my head slowly I notice that the Beowolves were gone, yet my hands were open. Where are my two dagger?
I look around slowly as my vision begins to become quite dizzy, yet my daggers were nowhere in sight. Attempting to get up, I try to push up off the tree I was currently laying up against. Yet I couldn't move my arms that well.
Suddenly I begin to hear howls coming from deeper into the forest. They grew louder and louder. Oh gosh they are coming back to finish me, wait where is Nick?
I wait the inevitable as I lay their motionless until 2 Beowolves came into the clearing, only 20 meters away. Their eyes looking at me, looking at their prey. I knew I should have listened to Nick.
Yet behind them I see Nick who is running as fast as he can behind them, waving his arms and yelling, attempting to draw them away. The wolves pay no attention to him and begin to move even faster towards me. Closing my eyes I begin to make peace with the world I lived in.
"Don't give up, not yet." I open my eyes wondering who had just told me this. I spend the last seconds looking for someone, confused. Wondering if I was hallucinating, yet no one is there; so I take one last look at the 2 Beowolves and sigh.
A black figure wearing a black cloak and hood appears in front of me, practically out of thin air. He, or she, then leaps towards the 2 Beowolves, brandishing 2 metal claw like weapons, which he, or she, then plunges inside of the 2 wolves. Who the hell is this?
Boom cliff hanger! At the moment this is unedited because I wanted to post it since it is pretty long. Who is this new person who put them self between Alejandra and 2 Beowolves? Guess you guys will have to wait to find out.