Chapter 7 - Treeline:

Excitement wasn't the exact word that Auron would have used to describe how he felt about the beginning portion of the Hunters exam. Stepping onto a launch plate and then flung into the thick canopy of the forest below? That simply gave him images of something going wrong on his descent, creating a smear against a tree or creating a crater on the forest floor. Regardless, he stepped onto the platform that sat in line with the other applicants. He placed himself between a stick-thin frame of a boy that maybe around his age, and a faunus with a set of thin deer-like antlers sprouting from his head.

He reached a hand back to brush his fingertips over the axe head of Splitter. This was a subconscious gesture he did when he was nervous or unsure of something. He cast his gaze to the thick forest below he was about to be catapulted. The faint buzzing sound of the instructor's voice was just at the edge of his hearing, and was vastly drowned out by his own thoughts. His mind wandered to his reason for becoming a hunter; just what he will do once he has that title? Just where he will begin his search? As his hand dropped back down to his side, Auron turned his head to look down along the line. He took note of each of the applicants. He knew that at some point, he would have to run into three of them. From there they would form their supposed teams and complete the exam. For him it would be easy to navigate the forest and possibly even find another person, but he had no idea who for the most part.

"And with that we begin. Good luck, and happy flying." That line alone caught Auron's attention and caused him to snap his head around and look at the instructor with wide eyes.

"Wait, I mi-"

With no further warning, the Hunters in Training were launched one after the other, in quick succession, along the line. Auron was flung high into the air, and over the canopy of trees with a shout of surprise that held a small portion of panic. With squinted eyes to keep them from drying out, he wind-milled in the air for a moment until he was able to level out as best as he could. Trees flew past under him, as his mind raced to figure out just what to do.

The back of his mind was simply a-buzz as he began to recall a memory from when he was younger when he watched his brother climb a massive oak tree. On his way back down, however, he had used the very same axe Auron has now to slow his fall and return him safely to the ground.

Now knowing what to do, the young man reached back and unslung Splitter in a smooth motion. The lumberjack brought his axe up to his shoulder. Bracing himself however he could - as he was still flying through the air - Auron squeezed the trigger and fired a round charged with Wind Dust. The kick-back pushed against his shoulder and slowed him a small amount. He fired again, and he slowed further. He began to fall towards the trees at a steeper angle than he was before. "Okay. 'Little more,"

Auron waited and watched as the trees came up to greet him. He aimed down to fire again as he began to fall through the upper branches, and into the thick sea of leaves. The back blast from the shell pushed back against him and slowed his fall even further. A thick branch formed through the leaves - this served as the perfect opportunity for Auron to land. Sure it wasn't solid ground, but it was better than being in mid-air.

He angled himself towards the branch as he fired one last round. With that final push that slowed his descent, Auron touched down upon the branch with a booted foot and swayed ever so slightly. He flailed slightly, and leaned forward again to balance himself. Holding axe out to his side, he finally stood still upon the branch that he had chosen as his landing platform.

A heavy breath left his lungs that he didn't know he was holding in, while those green hued eyes looked to the tree and then down to the forest floor. "Never taking that airline again."

Slinging Splitter back over his shoulder once again, he began the much slower and easier pace of climbing down out of the tree. At this point he didn't want to waste any time and end up washing himself out by not finding a team or completing their objective. At which point he wished he had paid more attention as to just what that objective was...