Erika knew splitting teams was a bad idea, but her team leader didn't listen. He thought it was better the split teams so they could patrol more effectively. That asshole always thought he was better than them. He was ordering them around like they were his servants, not teammates. But now… where did his dumb orders get them?

Here, split from her team. Her aura is depleted. Surrounded by Ursai… Her partner was down, bleeding on the ground. Blood mixing with the soil…

She swung towards the approaching Ursa, in hopes to make it back off. "Get away! Stay back!"

It was a futile attempt of resistance in the eyes of the Ursai, they knew she is outnumbered and outmatched. They bare their teeth toward her while tensing their muscles, getting ready to pounce on the lone Faunus.

Erika knew she was done for. All of those years in Beacon academy couldn't prepare her for this. But she knew what she signed up for as a huntress, that there was a high possibility of her dying in her line of work. But she didn't expect death to come this sooner!

'I guess this it… I won't die easily, I need to take out many as I can before I go down…' At least it was an honorable death in her book. If there's anything her father taught her, is never to go down without a fight.

One of the Ursa grew impatient, it was hungry for the taste of blood. It charged forward, sharp teeth and claws bare. Ready to maul her.

Erika tensed. She brought up Chrysaor hoping to block whatever attack it threw at her, then closed her eyes. Waiting for the inevitable pain that was to come.

CLANG

…Erika thought she might have blocked the attack, but she didn't feel a thing. She opened her eyes and is surprised by the sight in front of her.

A very tall woman, with red hair wearing a golden helmet with wings as its ornaments. She was holding back the Ursa with her blade in between its teeth. Using both hands on the blade to push it back, she was overpowering it…

She then delivered a knee to its jaw, breaking it completely. The Ursa staggered, releasing her weapon, clutching its broken jaw, hanging from its mouth. The red-haired woman then thrusts her blade into its mouth impaling its head.

She pulled out her blade, covered in black brain sludge, out of the fading corpse of the Ursa.

"Disgusting," The woman said while bringing her blade to her face, then bringing it down to her side. Making a loud metallic sound while discarding the bits and pieces of the Ursa's brain and black droplets into the ground.

Erika saw how the rest of the Ursai hesitated to attack the woman, it was rare for Grimm to react like that, especially to a human, if she can be called a human at all. Without giving them time to react, the woman charged toward the pack, without a second thought.

The Ursai stamped out their hesitation and charged mindlessly toward her. One after the other, the red-haired woman bisected and impaled the Ursai with overwhelming speed and dexterity.

She almost got swiped by an Ursa behind her, but she ducked and brought her sword behind her spinning with the weight of the blade. Beheading the offending Ursa.

Erika swore she could feel the wind every time she swung her oversized blade. After years of combat school and 3 years of Beacon, she learned that you need a lot of strength to wield bigger and longer weapons. She was amazed at how fast she is, swing after swing, she doesn't give time for the pack to fight back.

Realizing that her partner was still bleeding, she forced her attention out of the fight and haphazardly rushed to her bleeding teammate on the ground. "Paprika!"

She kneeled beside her injured partner who was breathing heavily. She saw that she was bleeding badly, her aura was already depleted before she got hurt, so the bleeding wasn't stopping. Remembering her first aid lessons, she quickly ripped open her shirt to find a deep slash wound on her stomach, bleeding profusely.

She ripped more cloth from Paprika's clothing, curling it into a ball, and using it to apply pressure to the bleeding geyser. "Paprika! S-Stay with me please."

Erika held her partner's hand, she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't have aura to give her, she can't do anything… Tears began to form in her eyes, she was helpless…

Erika felt Paprika squeeze her hand, she looked down to see her partner looking up at her, with dying eyes. "E-Erika… T-Thank you…" she gasps, before passing out

She hugged her partner's lifeless body and sobbed, Paprika was like a sister to her. She was the only person who treated me well in Beacon. Now, she was gone. Because she couldn't protect her. No, it was because of that asshole. It was his fault, if he hadn't come up with the dumb idea to split up she wouldn't be laying here… lifeless.

The sound of footsteps and subtle clanking of metal came towards her. Erika jerked her head to see that it was the tall woman, looking down at her, helmet covering her expression. Her clothes were dotted with evaporating black blood from the Grimm she slew.

"P-Please! Help her…" She said desperately, while she tugged on the woman's skirt, "Please…"

The woman opened her mouth and closed it again. Hesitating, she finally responded "I-" she paused "I'm sorry… There's nothing I could do,"

"B-but… We-" Erika stopped when the red-haired woman kneeled beside her, putting her hand on her shoulder. "Please."

This time the woman stayed silent, then stood up to her full height and shook her head. Erika knew there was nothing they could do… But she remembers her scroll! She quickly fishes it out of her pocket to call Beacon for help.

Malenia looks at the sad sight in front of her. She knows what it feels like to lose a friend. During the wars that was caused by the shattering, she was close to a certain cleanrot knight called Finlay. Her most loyal and one of the strongest cleanrot knights in the Haligtree. Unfortunately, after she and her half-brother Radahn clashed in the Caelid wilds, it was reported that she was carried by Finlay all the way from Caelid to the Haligtree.

After she woke up from her slumber, Finlay sadly succumbed to the rot that Malenia afflicted her with, it was one of her many regrets. It had saddened her for days, she felt the feeling of loneliness after that, without anyone to talk to, of course, some of her guards come to check on her once in a while but that's about it.

It was sad, to see this poor girl desperately asking her for help. There was nothing she could do, she wasn't knowledgeable about treating grave wounds. She'd left it to the healers of the Haligtree.

"B-but… We-" She kneeled beside the girl, attempting to comfort her. She squeezed her shoulder. "Please" The girl kept pleading desperately, tugging on the hem of her skirt. Malenia stood up and shook her head, telling the girl that there is nothing that could be done.

She saw the girl fishing something out of her pocket, bringing out a rectangular metal… object with glass in the middle. It activated making it emit a blue hue. The girl brought it up to her face and quickly tapped the strange object, then she brought it up to her ear.

"H-Headmaster! I need help! Paprika is injured and bleeding, I'll tell you everything later! Please come!" The girl screamed into the object. She taps it one last time before regarding Malenia. "Help is coming, please cover us until then…"

'Headmaster? Is she from some type of academy like Raya Lucaria?'

Malenia nodded and puts her guard up, ready to slay any beast or attacker. The beasts though were strange she thought. She has never seen anything like them in the Lands Between. Malenia slayed a lot of creatures, but never saw them before. It was almost big as a rune bear, but these… bears, if she can even call them that, has pitch black fur and spiky bones protruding on their back. While the head is covered by a decorated skull.

It seemed like they were slow and mindless, to her at least. In her opinion, rune bears are much more dangerous. They are usually more cunning and fast. Two dangerous traits…

She looked back at the girl and she was still applying pressure to the stomach wound.

Several silent minutes passed by, Malenia heard a rumbling sound from afar. Assuming it was another beast she readied her blade. She saw far on the horizon there was something flying towards them. It looked like a bird but its wings doesn't move. Malenia got a good look when it got closer she was surprised when it was made out of metal.

Malenia was ready to jump and strike the thing while it was descending near them. She was stopped by the girl "Wait! That's the bullhead. They can take us to the academy." Malenia looked at her and nodded.

The "Bull's head" or whatever the girl said landed near them blowing large gusts of wind, a whirring noise was emanating as the side of the bull's head lowered onto the ground like a drawbridge.

When the drawbridge lowered, a pale woman with blonde hair tied back into a bun and several men dressed in white with a red cross on their hats came out of the contraption. The men rushed towards the girl and her friend while the blonde woman ordered them.

Malenia stepped back from the duo to let them have space while they do their work, some of them paid her a glance, probably because of her height.

She noticed the blonde woman walking toward her, who has a surprised look on her face as she looked UP at Malenia to maintain eye contact. She could tell that the woman has an air of authority and professionalism.

She stopped at a respectable distance, observed her from head to toe, and craned up her head to look up at her. "I assume you saved our student, Erika?" in a respectful tone.

Malenia frowned, "Thou is correct" The blonde woman raised her eyebrow as if she said something strange "Erika... was quite in a predicament, I heard a cry for help in the distance and it led me here."

The blonde woman narrowed her eyes, a look of suspicion. "I do remember that forever fall is a private and protected property of Beacon, how did you end up here?"

To Malenia, it was an odd feeling to be talked to without respect, other than her brother. Back in the Lands Between people would worship the ground, she walked upon.

So forever fall is the name of this forest, strangely fitting… She couldn't tell her about how she got here, she will be deemed insane and no one would believe her anyway. "I was merely passing by, I did not know forests could be privately owned" she subtly jabbed nonchalantly

"Well, I also did not know that people could grow this tall." She retorted. Malenia just shrugged.

The blonde woman held eye contact for a moment when she sighed "In any case, I would have to thank you for assisting our student." She paused to fix her glasses. "I am Glynda Goodwitch, Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy." She brought UP her hand.

Malenia was silent for a moment until she relented. No one has recognized her yet anyway. "Malenia…" Leaving her hand hanging. Glynda's eye visibly twitched.

Malenia looks back at Erika and her friend, she connected it all together that this Beacon Academy must be a combat academy of some sort if the weapons and armor of the girl and the fact that she is still a student of it weren't enough indications. The men were doing their work, while Erika sat nearby on the ground with a hopeful and concerned expression on her face.

Malenia could notice her friend's chest rising and dropping… Incredible.

"Ahem" Glynda cleared her throat to get her attention "If it weren't for you our student would have been injured or worse. I would like to invite you to accompany me to Beacon Academy where you shall be properly compensated." She offered "We would also like to know the full detail on what transpired here on your account"

Malenia ignored her ramblings, she opened her mouth to refuse but she realized she has nowhere to go. She thought more about it and perhaps this Beacon Academy could be a stepping stone to her new life. Though she would rather forge her own path, she needs to get her bearings first.

She turned and looked down at Glynda through her helmet, waiting for her response. "I-" She sighed, "I accept your offer"

"Let's discuss it on the Bullhead as I have several questions. But first, I think she would like to talk to you." Glynda gestured to someone behind her, Malenia turned and saw Erika, looking up at her. She was a small girl, albeit a tough-looking one. She was half her height. Toned muscles donned her arms. Her short dark crimson hair was dirtied and ragged.

"H-Hello miss, thank you for saving me back there… If it weren't for you I would have been dead." She said solemnly

"I will be checking up on Paprika, excuse me" Glynda excused herself. The red-haired woman nodded.

Malenia turned to regard the girl, "Are you unhurt?" The girl shook her head.

"No, you got here in time before they could get a hit on me when my aura is gone." She said while checking herself.

Malenia scrutinized her for a moment noticing a pair of dog ears on her head. She didn't notice it before because it blends well with her crimson red hair. 'A Demi-human…? No, Demi-Humans are more bestial.'

"How is your friend?" she asks as the team of men carrying the girl on a stretcher passed by.

"Shes-" She breathed "Thankfully she'll be fine, she was hurt pretty bad, I almost thought she was gonna die." Malenia thought so too…

Malenia was surprised when the girl hugged her. Well, hugged her legs… "Thank you… Thank you…" She sobbed, feeling her skirt becoming moist, Malenia returned the hug, albeit in an awkward way. She never touched anyone with her flesh in a long time because of the rot, she had never felt a touch of another person.

But this hug, it felt… warm. A nice feeling… She smiled.

The moment was ruined by a voice "I apologize but we must go, it is not safe here. We shall catch up on the bullhead." Glynda told them.

Erika broke the hug, and nodded at Malenia, whispering another thank you.

Malenia returned the nod with a smile, she followed Erika to the bullhead. Then she realized something.

She couldn't fit inside.

AN:

Yeah... Yeah, it's less than 4k words but I have multiple assignments coming up and this took me 3 hours to write. I don't like this chapter myself since I feel I fucked up somewhere, especially in the end... Hopefully next chapter I can rectify it.

I downloaded Grammarly so grammar should be a bit better now. Please leave a review and point out my mistakes or any part that you don't like, I can still fix it while early into the story. Prior to writing, I have no knowledge of how to write a fight scene, and leave a review on how I can improve. Thanks!