Shade's New Blood – Chapter #04
"Looks like you've had it rough…" Maron heard. The reassuring tone may have been able to calm her fears, but her sorrows and pain persisted. Tossing and turning, she looked around her, finding herself alone in an all-consuming void. However, she could not find any trace of the voice's owner. "Hey, take it easy…" It said again, one last time before fading away, leaving Maron alone with the sore, dull pain seeping throughout her body. From a crushing weight having left a bruise on her back, to a dozen or so cuts and scrapes, to a burn or two, and even a decent headache on top of it all. The pain was bearable, but only because she had grown numb from it by now. She was left with the stinging wounds, she was tired, and she was shivering now that the malicious cold air of the desert night wrapped itself around her. By now, she didn't even have the strength to cry out or whimper anymore…
A frightened pair of ruby eyes shot open in panic. Adrenaline coursed through Maron's veins as her mind fell back onto its baser instincts. Her frenzied gaze darted around and scanned their surroundings to gather as much information as they could, but found themselves and their owner to be back in her room; alone with her thoughts save for the other three sleeping girls sharing the room with her. Maron started to calm herself, taking a deep breath, in and out, through her mouth as she steadied her racing heart. With a final, quiet sigh, she threw off the covers and sat herself up to embrace the refreshing rush of cooler air. Now, there wasn't much use in going back to sleep anymore. Maron rubbed whatever sleep was left from her eyes and continued to sit in silence, occasionally glancing over to her three roommates to make sure she hadn't accidently disturbed them.
Tonight, had been the first time she had that dream since she had arrived at Shade. It had become a rarer and rarer occurrence since 'then', but it had always haunted her. The dream , or nightmare, or whatever it could be called, would always come back to bitterly remind her of what she wanted to forget. To taunt her. Regardless, the recurring dreams were always the same: A voice, an endless void, and the pain. But she had grown used to it over time, barely bothering to remember the nights it occurred, and tonight would be no exception.
Filled with a new sense of boredom, Maron looked over trough a small crack in the window's curtain's, stealing a look up at the blank, empty night sky watching her. What was she going to do from here? This whole venture was a shot in the dark that she should have failed, yet here she was, at a Huntsman's Academy. But even with her team's more 'unorthodox' route to success—if it can even be called that—she still felt like she was out of reach of something vital. Something that, once she had learned it or had it, would make everything suddenly click together and she'd have a clear goal set out for her. That's how a lot of stories go, don't they? Some 'big reveal', some 'encouraging words', something or another about—Maron sighed, stopping her mental rant before it could go on anymore. The more she thought about it, the more it just started bothering her. She needed a break, and the city of Vacuo was making itself more appealing by the second, as if the city itself was enticing her to explore it. After a hastily made decision, Maron quietly rose up and grabbed her things. She might as well go out on another of her little 'strolls' if she couldn't sleep, plus it was a good excuse to grab some quality time for herself.
She gave one last look at the other three girls who, unlike her, were sleeping peacefully. Then, as quietly as she could, Maron snuck out the door with nothing more than a little 'click' from the door when she closed it. She breathed a sigh of relief now that she was in the clear and checked her scroll for the time. It was a little over an hour past midnight, late, but it wasn't too late. However, Blizz said she was due to pick them up for her own mysterious plans at some point in the morning. It certainly would have helped if she was more specific about the time, but it was much too late to get upset now. Who knows, maybe when she was done, she could come back and grab a couple more hours of sleep again.
Step-by-step, Maron casually wandered the halls of Shade, expecting few people and meeting those expectations. All was quiet save for the occasional set of footsteps from passing students and the low hum of lights that would be on until the sun rose. It wasn't long until Maron finally reached the outdoors under the twinkling night sky where she felt a small, cool gust of wind brush against her clothing and rustling her hair. Brushing a few strands of blonde out of her face and behind her ear, Maron scanned the city skyline of mismatched buildings and the imposing wall that surrounded the city of Vacuo. From what she's read and heard about the other kingdoms, Vacuo wasn't as artistic and elegant as Mistral's capital city, not a technological marvel like Atlas's, and not as prestigious and impressive like Vale's, but like an oasis in the desert it's based in, Vacuo was a beacon of safety and a testament to how resilient people can be. She could almost say she hated it.
Ignoring that train of thought, Maron continued her walk and started looking around to take in the sights. The city itself was an absolute mess of urban planning with identical buildings thrown down at random and wherever they could fit. The maze-like streets, the dark alleys, the inconsistent districts, and the abandoned buildings were a nightmare to navigate even for a native of the city. For outsiders and visitors, well… they'd probably have an easier time selling sand to Vacuo's residents. Fortunately, there was one reliable landmark people could reference: a wide, and not to mention 'clear and clean', street running through the center of the city which was lined with small shops, stalls, and whatever else the merchants could squeeze into the sides of the major highway.
The night crowd was a much quieter bunch of buyers and sellers, though most of the latter had already closed up shop. That didn't stop the more diligent ones from keeping their goods available and it was often that it wasn't the goods on display that were being bought. Quick transactions, discreet dealings, 'under-the-table' goods, it was almost like a mini-Mistral underground, except without the murderous guilds, rampant gangs, and petty thugs—or so goes the stories of the other kingdom. As for Vacuo, it was just some of the usual suspects: rare or imported alcohol during shortages, small weapons for the common citizenry, sometimes Dust from… 'places', and other goods one may find in their respective shops. The only difference here is that they weren't being sold for marked-up prices… and often with lower quality, but hey, so long as it worked. Moving on, there wasn't much serious business going on in Vacuo, there rarely ever was, and Maron wasn't too keen to change that.
Strolling through Vacuo's main street, Maron let the quiet, soothing atmosphere put her at ease and take her mind off of the troubles that lingered. It was something she found herself doing more and more often, but she was content to live such habits. No intense lessons for exams and academics, no brutal, draconian training sessions, and no teammates to talk her ear off. Nothing against them, of course. Living at Shade just made grabbing some personal time, for anyone, rather difficult.
As if the world itself set out to prove a point, Maron's attention was caught by a woman who ever so slightly bumped into a man who was carrying a backpack with a small leather case dangling on its side. To the untrained eye it was but a common accident, but Maron wasn't a fool. "Hey! Watch it! I've got delicate goods here." The man warned. It was fortunate that he was right in front of his stall because when he set down his bag, he noticed a missing leather case. Without missing a beat, the furious merchant turned to the woman who was walking away, and inquisitively called her out for the theft. Maron tried not to care. She didn't come out to play law-enforcement, nor did she care enough about something so petty, a feeling plenty of onlookers shared.
'Just ignore it.' Maron thought to herself, strolling along and scanning what trinkets and items were displayed, 'They'll sort it out themselves.'
Trying to grab the attention of everyone else, the man seemed to yell louder and louder, intentionally making a bigger scene to either pressure the woman to give back the stolen goods or hoping that someone would step in to take it back for him. It did grate on Maron's nerves for a good couple of seconds before there was a sudden crash followed by a few surprised gasps from the tiny crowd. Of all the nights… why was it that whenever she went out alone, something just had to happen?
Feeling obligated to help, Maron begrudgingly jogged over, sliding past the dispersing witnesses until she found herself almost running into a familiar face. "Hmm? Oh, hey!" It was that upperclassman, "You're up late."
Maron furrowed her brows, "Yeah? Suppose I could say the same to you." She retorted.
The upperclassman chuckled in amusement, "Ain't that right?"
"You two are Huntsmen, right?" The fallen man, crashed into his own—now destroyed—stall interrupted with a growl, "Then go get my case back! It's got my Lien—And my Dust!" He exclaimed.
"It's not really our prob—" Maron started, only to be ignored and talked over by the fallen man.
"I'll talk 'payment' once you get it. So, go get it. Now." The angry man said through clenched teeth.
"Well, a little pocket change would be nice. Come on!" The upperclassman stated with a bit of enthusiasm in his step and beckoning for Maron to join him on this short little detour.
Did she really want to go? Hmm, not really. As far as she was concerned, a petty thief wasn't really in her job description and— "H-hey, wait up!" Maron called out once she saw herself already being left behind.
Following her new partner, they both dashed into an alley way after their target. Maron kept close behind the upperclassman as they weaved through the complicated web of backstreets and cramped walkways. A minute of chasing later and they came to a halt with no sign of the woman anywhere. "So," Maron caught her breath, recovering from her sudden sprint, "What—"
She was shushed by the upperclassman, holding up a hand as if to tell her to 'be quiet'. Maron anxiously waited for what would happen next. She didn't like being kept in the dark, but what else was she to do? Then, her companion who stealthily crept closer to a nearby corner of a building, clenched his right hand into a fist, and waited patiently. Maron was about to ask what he was doing when she heard it too: The quick, soft padding of footsteps mixed in with the ever so faint sound of crunching sand against the stone beneath them. From the corner where her companion waiting, the thief made a sudden reappearance and was put right into the pair's view. Evidently, the woman took a wrong somewhere in the maze of buildings and ended up making a full circle; Right into the path of an incoming fist from the upper classman.
The punch connected, sending the woman stumbling back, but she was an agile foe and quickly caught herself with her hands before rolling to a stop while a couple of Lien scattered to the ground. "You know, for a thief, you a little lost and without a plan." The upperclassman began, "Hand over the bag, and you can walk away free."
"You aren't seriously going to let her go, are you?" Maron asked, taken aback by the presented offer.
"Only if she surrenders." He answered. Meanwhile, the woman slowly rose up with a menacing gaze and two freshly drawn, single-edged daggers. "And I don't think she's gonna' accept. Get ready." The upperclassman warned. The woman dashed forward with one dagger forward, aiming for a stab but the upperclassman was quick to dodge behind the woman and, with a quick motion, grab her forward wrist. However, without a second of hesitation, the woman ducked under the upperclassman's arm in a reversal and kicked him in the back of his leg, forcing his knee to the ground.
Taking the chance to strike at the back-turned thief, Maron charged with an amateurish right hook. The woman spotted it from the corner of her eye and spun to direct Maron's fist straight into the wall next to her with a painful thud. The woman then hooked her left arm under Maron's right, prying open Maron's guard by throwing the younger girl's arm to the side. She slashed once with the dagger in her right hand, spinning with her momentum for a follow-up slash with the other. She was going to go for a stab with the first dagger again, but the upperclassman stopped it by grabbing the woman by the upper arm and yanking it back. The woman kicked Maron with a strong thrust kick, pushing herself back into the upperclassman as she did.
The upperclassman dodged a backwards stab, but he was forced to let her go. She turned and went for a stab up high, but he threw up his arm which hit the woman's own in a block. He escaped the slash of the left dagger, striking the woman's face with the palm of his hand. The woman stumbled, twisting on her heel and throwing a powerful roundhouse into an incoming Maron's side, slamming the girl into the wall. The upperclassman took the chance to jump at her, but, with the same leg, the woman threw a back kick into his stomach stopped him.
Maron recovered and reached for her weapon, but just as she fully equipped it, the thief was already on her. The woman used the narrow walkway to her advantage, forcing Maron to angle her staff into awkward positions, until she was easily overwhelmed. The woman, spotting the second foe charge at her, hastily put away her weapons and pushed past Maron, grabbing the younger girl's wrist and yanking it backward. Maron let out a sharp yelp as she was disarmed. Maron looked back and up with a resentful look, meeting a calm and collected gaze looking down on her with pity. The woman's hair was tied in a high ponytail with parted bangs, their black color showing off a pair of bright, viridian eyes which were full of calm. She was also masked, covering all the way over her nose and she wore form-fitting, black clothing that left no other trace of her fair skin to be seen. She even held a number of pouches and two sheathes around her waist. Well, she certainly couldn't be called a 'petty thief' anymore.
Before she could get any more looks at the woman, Maron was punched twice in the back before being kicked hard. The upperclassman was rushing forward as she was kicked, eventually, she fell into his grasp before she could hit the ground. The two couldn't do anything else as the woman scaled the building next to them, barely grabbing the edge of the roof and pulling herself up. And just like that, she was gone. "Well, that could have gone better." He began, "A bit of advice: polearms don't really do well in tight-quarters." Maron squirmed out of the upperclassman's arms, dusting herself off and looking at him a little annoyed. "Good to see you're fine." He commented.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Maron stated, "But who was that woman?" She asked.
"Now how would I know?" The upperclassman crossed his arms.
Maron opened her mouth to answer, but thought it over. She then changed subjects to something else, "Fair point. Why didn't you stop her from getting away then?"
"Hey," He pointed at her, "You fell into my arms. Plus, I don't think you really have much room to talk ehh…" He paused.
"It's 'Maron'." Maron told him.
"'Steele'." He introduced himself, "Been a while since we last met, so what brings you out to the dullest night life in Remnant?" Steele asked, "Late night shopping? Looking for a hard drink? Or—"
"Doesn't matter anymore." Maron rolled her eyes, "Might I ask you the same thing?"
"Was heading home with my team, thought I'd stop by the shops though; See what was new." Steele answered.
'Head home?' Maron thought. She didn't recall passing a trio of students on their way back to Shade. It should have been easy to spot them too thanks to Shade's policy of 'always have your weapon on hand', but maybe she just missed them. Either way, she didn't bother asking.
"Guess I'll just go back and explain what happened." Steele said prior to a sigh. He walked back to where he first punched the thief and started picking up the fallen Lien on the ground.
"Shouldn't we go out and track down the thief?"
"This late? I like the idea, but we've got no leads, I'm tired, and this isn't a real mission meaning I'm not getting paid enough for it."
"I thought you didn't care about money?"
"I said, 'some things aren't negotiable'." Steele corrected, "Chasing down a thief isn't exactly a 'moral conundrum'. Besides, I'll bet you've got much better things to do tomorrow."
Maron looked at him, perplexed. He didn't know about her team's run-in with Blizz, did he?
"It's the weekend, what?" A concerned Steele asked, "Something wrong?"
"No." Maron lied, "It's nothing, just… forgot." She recomposed herself.
"Right, well, I'm going to go back and report to that merchant. Failed to get his Dust, but at least he'll be happy to get something back." Steele said.
"And if he isn't?"
"Then that's his problem."
"Should I tag along?"
"If you want, but don't worry 'bout it. Most we'll get is an earful of yelling. It's just a nobody anyways."
Maron nodded and the two proceeded to walk back through the cramped backstreets and back out onto the main street. They shared a small wave and a farewell before finally parting ways. Once separated, Maron looked back and, as Steele had predicted, she watched the man go off on Steele about how 'lousy he was at his job as a Huntsman'. Another scolding or two later and Steele pulled out a handful of the collected Lien, which shut the merchant up quick. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but Maron could see that the now flustered merchant started changing his tone and attitude, even giving a half-hearted 'thanks' and accepting most of the retrieved money. Steele on the other hand pocketed what was left disappeared without another word, leaving Maron to let out a light exhale in amusement before she turned back around and continued her trek home.
- - o - -
"Well, I've got some good news, and some not so good news for ya'll." Blizz, who was standing before one of the many exits out of Vacuo, informed the young team of hopefuls before her, "Grimm Watch has been kind enough to ease off the defenses around here. Meaning you get to earn some real combat experience. Think of it like your initiation, 'xcept your goal is to kill Grimm; It'll be easy enough!" She finished, proudly standing before a quiet Team MTST.
"Was… that the good news or—" Shae broke the silence, only to be immediately interrupted by Blizz.
"However, they also wanted to give a reminder: We 'are solely responsible for any Grimm that breaches into the city'." Blizz explained with finger quotes as if to mock them, "So, to ensure things go smoothly, I've enlisted the help of a friend and team member of mine who's used to thinning out herds of Grimm: Tania." She introduced, bringing up a lightly dressed and rather short—shorter than even Trya at least by an inch—and quite thin, fair skinned girl with a full head of long, messy, dark-grey hair.
"Hello!" Tania politely greeted with s small wave of her hand. Her honeyed voice was pleasant on the ears and she had a small, swishing fennec tail matching her hair—save its white tip—that gave the impression that she was probably the most excited the be here out of all of them. Looking her up and down, Maron could see that the faunus was dressed in a plain, sky-blue tank top with an old, dark, and worn-looking jacket quarter-way zipped down. It was a little oversized too, almost able to hide Tania's short, dark-colored shorts. However, something about the gloves and boots she wore were off. Both were a peculiar shape yet still recognizable, both looked well maintained, yet both still showed a fair bit of age and use, as if they'd seen more action than their own user. In the latter's case, the black color of Tania's fresh and clean, over-the-knee socks seemed to only further highlight the faded brown of her boots.
For someone said to be part of Blizz's team, Maron was expecting just another flavor of said Huntress: Loud and obnoxious, and kinda pushy—at least that's what Maron's first impression of Blizz was—not someone appearing so small and… passive?
A disinterested Maron yawned, still a bit tired from last night's events. She unintentionally caught Tania's attention who glanced her way as Blizz went on about 'responsibility' and 'setting goals' and it was then did their two red gazes meet. For that single moment, a shiver ran down Maron's spine and she tensed up with a new, overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety. If Maron wasn't awake before she was now. Something about that girl wasn't right, terrifyingly so. She had a gut feeling that there was something underneath that sweet smile of hers, but Maron was too afraid to even imagine what dangers lie beneath it.
"Maron!" Blizz's voice boomed, catching the girl off guard.
"Huh?" Maron snapped to her senses.
"If you're done daydreaming, we've got Grimm to deal with. It's almost about the time where they're most likely to strike," The Huntress explained, checking her scroll for the time, "And I want to get our checks in order so we can be ready for the worst."
"And how do we know when they'll attack?" Shae voiced herself again, arms crossed in a fit of annoyance this time. Maybe now she could get answers.
"Because Grimm aren't as dumb as many new students think. They'll take advantage of their environment when they can, especially here in Vacuo where there's little in the way of protection." Blizz began her 'explanation' and throwing a bit of exaggeration in there too with arms, "Vale has its forests and mountains, Atlas has its freezing cold and tech, and Mistral has its cliffs. Vacuo doesn't have such luxuries."
"That doesn't answer—"
"So, while we still have some time, we'll start things off with weapons. Best know your strengths and weakness." The Huntress interrupted, "Maron!" She called, "Hold your weapon out for me." Maron did as she was told, but when Blizz tried to grab it, Maron recoiled, her grip clinging tighter as the two, for a second, struggled for control. "Relax, I'm not going to break it." Blizz reassured on top of a flat expression. Maron narrowed her eyes, only reluctantly letting her prized weapon go.
"It's a staff and bow, that's all." Maron said.
"It's a simple design," Blizz said as she analyzed the weapon, "Easy maintenance and fast in its transformations between modes, something not a lot of Huntsmen think about nowadays. Now, I'm no weapons expert, so I can't say for sure but…"
"Oh, I know! It's an older weapon design." Toma piped up, "Their simpler due to their new concept for the time, but maintenance is much easier than most modern Huntsman weapons as you've mentioned."
"Oh? Looks like we have a weapons expert here," Blizz paused, scanning Toma, "Without a weapon…" Her faced dropped to disappointment, "Where's yours 'Ms. Expert'."
"Haven't found the one that suits me yet." Toma answered.
"Well, you better find one quick. You won't get too far in this line of work without one."
"All the more reason why I'm here! Swords, clubs, hammers—whatever Shade would let me get my hands on; Literally. Even used Maron's staff for a bit. Can't seem to get my hands on some firearms though…"
"You what?!" Maron exclaimed, clutching her dearest polearm protectively.
"It's fine, it was only one time and I only held it for a bit while we were in the dorm. Too light for me." She explained before changing back subjects, "Anyways, this time," An enthusiastic Toma lightly punched her palm, "I'm thinking, gauntlets or something this time around, so..."
Blizz sighed, "Whatever. Shae—"
"I have a single-edged shortsword that utilizes Dust. That's all." Shae said with a bit of hostility.
"Yikes, no need to bite the hand that feeds ya'. I'm tryin to help!"
"I'm pretty sure you threatened us…"
"'Whatever works', I always say." Blizz proudly stated, earning an irritated and dismissive growl from Shae who turned her nose away from the Huntress. "Be grateful, some others aren't given another chance!" She said, finally turning to Trya, "…And you have a whip…"
"I-It was a gift…" The young faunus informed.
"Better be a good gift." Blizz muttered in distaste, "Do none of you have any decent weapons? Any firearms for ranged combat? Compared to the other students I've seen this year, it's like I'm working with scraps here!"
"Why don't you bite your tongue while you're at it?" Maron slighted in a hushed tone, a little bit insulted herself.
"What was that?" Blizz snapped back, stomping up to Maron, "I don't think I heard you."
"Getting up there in age too?" Maron spat with arms crossed. She looked up to meet the livid, ice-blue eyes of Blizz.
"Why you little—" She grabbed Maron by the shirt, ruining the white button-up's otherwise neat appearance.
"You brought me here for a reason. Right, Blizz?" Tania intervened, grabbing Blizz by the shoulder and giving her a verbal threat, "It'd be bad if someone saw you make a scene, right? Riiiiight?" Tania questioned, squeezing her fingers tighter on her team member's shoulder.
"R-Right…" Blizz agreed, letting go of Maron, "Ahem. Let's not waste any more time and get to it, Grimm might be on us at any moment." She finished.
Blizz led the group just outside the city where they were met with a scorching heat from the sun above and the famous, endless sea of sand Vacuo was only really known for. Outside was much hotter than in the city, not by much, but the shade from buildings and awnings made all the difference. Without a cloud in sight, the sun reigned supreme in the vibrant blue sky above them, further causing a bit of trouble by blinding the girls.
"And what are you two going to do?" Toma asked the older girls.
"Keep at the rear-guard." Blizz answered, "I'm still responsible for keeping the Grimm at bay, so try not to allow any stragglers." She said, "Oh, and I told Tania to stick around as support and to make sure ya'll don't get into too much trouble."
Maron shielded her eyes from the blinding light of the sun. It had only been a couple of minutes, but she was already starting to feel the heat. It was unfortunate that their aura couldn't entirely shield them from the intense desert heat; it was one of the 'perks' of living in Vacuo. Regardless, the four girls waited for something to happen, but as the minutes dragged on, their mental fortitude started to wear down to boredom as well as the heat. "And she said they'd pop up some time soon?" Shae asked among the four girls, hoping for a concrete answer.
"T-The Grimm of Vacuo tend to be opportunists." Trya spoke up with a surprising answer, still with a little shyness in her gentle voice, "T-They tend to let the heat wear people down, o-or strike during a sandstorm, o-or wait for the sun to blind their prey. I-It's a clear day today though, s-so they'll probably strike at—"
"Sun's peak…" Toma finished, glancing above but not directly at the sun.
In a flash, something covered in leathery skin and scales jumped out from the sand and launched at a distracted Toma with a wide-open mouth. It was both coated with and colored like sand, but the bone-like horns on its head and crimson eyes were more than enough to distinguish it for what it truly was: Grimm. Before it could clamp down on Toma's throat though, an arrow pierced through the exposed gaps between its bone-armored skull, killing it instantly. A stunned Toma watched the large lizard's scales return to their distinct, black look as the beast twitched for a second or two. Followed the arrow's trail and shooting its owner, Maron, a 'thank you' smile. However, in return, a straight-faced Maron held up three fingers.
Their momentary victory was short lived as a gust of wind began to blow away at the sandy hill in front of them. However, the 'hill' was starting to shift and shake, slowly disintegrating into a swarm of Grimm resembling horned-lizards. Sharp horns covered their head and ran along the spine of their wide bodies, even following along their tail, but what made them dangerous was their size, being like large hounds, and their numbers. The bone-like plating along their large jaws looked like they could crush stone, and the Grimm were more than eager to use it on the young students presented to them. As they swarmed, they started to lose their sandy coloring, making them much easier to spot and for Maron to pick off.
She back peddled, releasing one arrow after another as quick as her hands could grab them. Maron didn't have many of her standard variety, but she wouldn't have the chance to run out anyways as the swarm was quick to surround her. Maron snapped her bow into its staff form, swinging it upward and smashing it under one Grimm's chin. She quickly turned on her heel, swiping away a second and third. Yet, each one she took down seemed to be just as quickly replaced.
Another jumped at her from the front again, but Maron rolled out of the way of its snapping mouth. In retaliation, she jumped on its back and threw her staff over its head and put it on the creature's neck. Yet another one of the Grimm launched itself at her, but she managed to direct the attack away from her, snapping the neck of first Grimm in the process with a few audible cracks. She let out a short, pained yell as a lucky Grimm clamped its jaws around her right leg. With quick thinking, Maron drew an arrow and angrily jammed it through the Grimm's eye. In that same instance, she yanked it back out, drawing it into her bow, and ducked under a jumping Grimm, shooting it in the throat as it passed.
Now on the ground, Maron kicked the body of the dead Grimm off of her leg, but more kept coming. She kicked one of the incoming reptiles with the top of her foot and sent it to the side before jumping to her feet as quick as she could. She dodged one attack, smashing her staff into the face of another Grimm and slamming it to the sandy ground. She tugged on her staff, finding that another Grimm had arrived with its jaws firmly clasped around it. A second one attacked from the left, but Maron spotted it early and raised her leg to then bring her heel down and crush back of the Grimm's neck with a powerful stomp. With considerable effort, she raised her staff, Grimm still clung to it, and like a two-handed hammer, she brough it down on a third Grimm attacking her. Another grabbed her leg again with Maron letting out a restrained wince of pain. Another grabbed her staff again. Maron balled her free hand into a fist smashed yet another Grimm back into the ground. She tried to catch her breath. And another came, and another, and another… Three Grimm prepared to leap at her, and there wasn't much she could do about it but clench her teeth together.
One, two, three slashes came and cut down the three Grimm ready to attack and before Maron instead was Shae with her shortsword in hand. Glancing over, Shae dashed to Maron, freeing her from the Grimm on her leg. "Nice going." Maron complimented as she finished off the one Grimm still stubborn enough to stay clung to her staff. "Y'know, I'm starting to think this isn't so much 'training' as it is a 'punishment'." Maron said between light breaths.
"Trial by fire then?" Shae suggested, cutting down another of the reptilian Grimm. "These things are quick on the first strike, but not much for a follow-up." She changed subjects, pushing her back against Maron's.
"Heads up!" Came the pleasant voice of Tania with a number of Grimm bodies behind her. She was close to the ground, but pounced forward much like a predator would when striking out at its prey; and with newly unsheathed claws on her fingers. One, two, three, four Grimm went down! With a little maneuvering, Tania twisted herself to land back on her hands and feet, skidding to a halt with one leg stretched out to better reangle herself toward the small circle of Grimm. "Doing well?" She asked the two girls in a slow, calm, soothing manner.
Maron finally could see what caught her curiosity earlier, what secret lied beneath Tania's gloves and boots: One set of steel, claw-like tips on each finger that had just torn apart a few Grimm, and another set on the toes of Tania's boots too. "Well, they aren't too bad to deal with." Maron noted.
"Not when you know how to deal with them either." Shae added.
"Quick learners!" Tania cheerfully said with a tight-lipped smile. She followed with a flexible kick across the face of another Grimm and leaving a large gash, "Your friends must be so lucky to have you." She carefully clasped her hands.
"'Friends'?" Maron and Shae said in unison. Their eyes widened when they were alerted by a loud cry from Trya who, with Toma, weren't fairing as well as them.
"Shouldn't you be helping them?" Shae furiously exclaimed.
"Maybe?" Tania answered in a tone of admission, "But I think they'd like your help more." She said sweetly and with a not-so-subtle wink.
Maron and Shae looked to one another as if they read each other's thoughts.
"Can you—" Maron began.
"Already on it!" Shae cut her off, charging forward with Maron right behind her.
Maron looked back to Tania, half-worried about the Huntress, but evidently her concern wasn't needed once she saw Tania's true agility and speed. As the faunus clawed through and butchered a number of the Grimm one after another, Maron made a mental note to stay clear of her...
There were dozens of the reptilian Grimm, but the two could see their numbers thinning slowly. One Grimm jumped out at Shae, staggering her, but Maron was quick on the assist and then took the lead. She fired two arrows, the first hitting between the eyes of one of the Grimm in front of her while the second pinned another's front leg. She pulled the arrow from the Grimm's leg, letting Shae finish it off while another Grimm jumped at her, only to have the pointed in rammed in its stomach and yanked out again for Shae to finish it off as well. One came from Maron's side, but a quick draw on her bow killed it. However, she didn't account for the second one to ambush her from behind.
Shae intercepted the Grimm lunging at Maron, slicing through its neck. "Watch your right." She said, taking the lead again, "Stay behind me." She told the other girl. She drew a small, light-blue Dust crystal and slotted it into the hilt of her weapon. Just as Shae finished, three more Grimm burrowed up from the sand and jumped into action, but as they did, Shae let out small shout along with a wide, horizontal slash. From that one slash, the two girls could feel a little puff of cool air blown back at them, but ahead of them was a visible wave of white that froze the creatures solid. The mid-air, frozen Grimm, kicked up some sand as they tumbled past the girls when they hit the ground.
As Maron followed Shae and closed the distance between themselves and the other half of their team, she felt a slithering, familiar feeling beneath her feet. A quick glance down revealed a snaking, diamond pattern of black and white, shuffling awake from beneath the sand. She swore under her breath. "This again?" She said to herself, "Shae!" Maron called out in warning.
The aforementioned girl glanced back to the call of her name, eyes widening in horror as she witnessed the white-scaled head of a King Taijitu right behind them. Its bloodthirsty eyes zeroed in on Maron's back, twisting side-to-side and coiling for a pounce. Shae's heart was pound in her chest with fear and adrenaline, but she wouldn't let it stop her! She had to do something… In a flash an idea came to mind, she twisted her hips, delivering a roundhouse into Maron's right side. It may have saved her, but in turn, Shae was the one who was rammed by the oversized snake's snout. She was lucky enough to be quicker on the attack, but her luck ran out as she was thrown off the Grimm's back, opposite where Maron fell.
Shae pushed herself to get up, aching and slowly running short of breath. The King Taijitu didn't bother with her, turning instead to encircle a desperate Maron fighting to break free. Shae started toward the large Grimm, but as she faltered, she felt a sharp nip on her shoulder. Another one of the reptilian Grimm had grazed her. The beast skid in the sand in front of her as if to protect its kind from her counter-attack. Soon more started to surround her, flicking their tongues and hissing at their weakened prey. Panting, Shae eyed the five lizards around her. She couldn't hold out much longer and she knew it.
Bringing up her blade, Shae twisted and slashed behind her. One of the Grimm tried to get the jump early, but her weapon left a clean slice down its middle. Then she quickly stabbed the Grimm to her left, reversing her grip to then stab at her right but another Grimm beat her to it. The lizard-like Grimm tried to crush Shae's arm, but her blade had cut through the its cheek, stopping it from being able to do much damage. The damn thing was clinging onto her and didn't show signs of letting go. A fourth Grimm tried to go for her leg, but a powerful side-kick from Shae stopped it in its tracks. She was working with fumes now, and without the strength to pry herself free, she had one last card to play.
Shae reached her free hand into her top until she reached one of its few internal pockets. With two deft fingers and her thumb, she pulled out another Dust crystal, this time with a vibrant red color. She had to act fast as more Grimm started to show up, so, she stabbed it into the lower back of the Grimm still clung to her arm, hammering it with her fist with all her might. The Grimm's lower half started to bubble with orange light shining through its hide. It grew larger and larger, but even with its dying breath, it refused to let Shae go. With an ear-ringing 'pop', half a dozen Grimm approaching Shae were caught in the blast. Shae was spared the worst of it, ironically due to the stubborn Grimm's own resilient body, but the blast was the final straw for her. She was thrown back, sliding face down and to a halt in the sand with her shortsword stuck out of the ground next to her. Without any strength left in her, exhaustion finally caught up to Shae and with it she closed her eyes to rest…
Maron fell to the ground with a thud, the sand refusing to grant her much of a soft landing. As she rubbed her side, she heard a few curious sniffs from behind her. Still on alert, she jumped to her feet, staff in hand and looked back. It was a Vulzera, sitting idly with its blank expression and crimson-red gaze staring back at her. The fennec-like Grimm looked above Maron, turning and dashing away as a new shadow loomed over her.
Her instinct made her roll to the side, dodging one of the King Taijitu's heads that smashed into the sand in front of her. The second head went for another bite, managing to snag Maron by the leg in spite of her effort to dodge. The Grimm raised Maron in the air for its other half to deal the killing blow, but even while hanging upside-down, Maron took aim with her bow. She waited, constantly having to adjust herself due to her swinging from the mouth of the first serpent's head, and just as the other snake head opened its jaws, she shot an arrow into the roof of its mouth. Her target hissed in a furious pain, causing its other half to violently shake Maron side to side before flinging her away.
As she rolled along the ground, kicking up sand, Maron's arrows rattled in her quiver daring to escape but failing to get far. "I need to stop falling from places…" Maron muttered to herself as she rubbed her pained leg. Her muscles protested, but she forced herself up to continue. Fortunately for her, the King Taijitu seemed to have lost interest in her. Maron fell to her knees and hands, gasping for as much air as she could, but that Grimm turning to find easier prey could only bring to mind more bad news.
A single moment of reprieve may have been granted to Maron, but the others weren't so fortunate. Toma and Trya were pushed back-to-back just trying to hold off the Grimm around them. Toma rammed her knee into the chin of one of the many reptilian Grimm, kicking it away before catching a second one with her hands that jumped at her. Toma's faunus companion, truthfully, did not have the strength nor skill to help much, leaving Toma as the only one of them to go on the offensive. Even so, without a weapon meant Toma herself could only do so much. As more Grimm started to attack, Toma thought it prudent to start arming herself with an emergency knife or dagger. A mental note for next time.
Toma kicked up sand in the eyes of a pair of Grimm in front of her, thrusting a side-kick into one then grabbing the tail of the other. With a mighty swing she threw the Grimm into one of its brethren. The Grimm were just dazed, but it was better than nothing or worse.
A flash of light caught Toma's attention, scanning her surroundings, she almost froze in shock and horror. Shae was face first in the ground, Grimm starting to surround her again, Maron had just been snatched by a newly arrived King Taijitu, and the older Huntresses she thought would be helping them were nowhere to be seen.
'Think, Toma, think!' She internally yelled. She looked back at Trya who side-stepped a hungering set of jaws. "Trya!" She yelled, catching the girl's attention, "Come on!" She urged, not having the spare seconds to explain. Toma fell into a sprint ramming her shoulder into one Grimm that got in her way. A defeated Shae was in her sights, she just had to be faster, she needed to be faster.
Toma pushed herself further, spotting the glint of Shae's shortsword sticking out of the ground as she drew closer. She threw her shoulder into the Grimm closest to the weapon, taking it up with her opposite arm and slashing a second one as she passed. Unable to stop herself in time, she threw the blade at a third, impaling its hide, but it still lived, turning and hissing at her. Her feet dug into the sand as she slid to a stop, only for Toma to then jump right back to Shae. The third Grimm didn't have the time to react. Toma pushed her foot forward for a well-aimed kick, forcing the shortsword through the beast before turning back around to punch another Grimm square in the face. The force behind her fist was enough to crack the infamous bone-like armor, even causing Toma to reel back and wince in pain. Doing her best to ignore the pain, she yanked out Shae's sword with her good hand and moved to stand protectively over its owner.
"Trya, I need—" Toma looked behind her to ask the girl, but Trya wasn't there. Even worse, the King Taijitu that was after Maron was now lingering over the faunus who was on the ground, crawling back in desperation.
Trya had tripped in her attempt to follow Toma. One of the smarter Grimm had swiped its spiky tail at her feet and, unable to yell out, she was left alone with a dozen or so Grimm ready to finish her off. However, the shadow that loomed overhead seemed to keep the smaller Grimm in check. Flipping to her back, Trya came face-to-face with a towering King Taijitu. Its imposing figure left an engulfing shadow over her with two sets of crimson eyes looking down as if to pity the poor, weak, helpless faunus—its prey. Her heart was racing, fueled with terror and a broken will. She reached for her whip, her hand wildly searching through the sand for her missing weapon. Nothing. She begged for someone to come save her, anyone. But, no one. No one was there to rescue her this time.
As the serpent went for the kill, Trya put up her arms on reflex. As death approached, she found herself a little more relaxed, like a refreshing comfort had started to wholly envelop her. The slow—and growing even slower—approach of the King Taijitu was of no concern of hers anymore. She found herself ignoring the sights of monsters and the sounds of battle, instead choosing to rest her eyes and lie back. Trya couldn't help but smile and accept the warm, gentle hand on her head guiding her down and letting her rest on what felt like a comfortable lap, just like she did so long ago…
The faunus girl rolled over, narrowly escaping the fanged bite of the Grimm above her, but the second head was quick to respond, successfully taking her in its jaws. However, its prey proved not only resilient, but truly defiant. The reinvigorated Trya pried open the serpent's jaws grabbing a leftover arrow stuck in the roof of its mouth before slipping out and climbing onto its head. The two snake's heads twisted around each other as they tried to tear her apart, but the agile girl danced back and forth, easily evading any moves they had by jumping off their respective heads until they could no longer reach her.
Above the battlefield, Trya scanned the wavy sands with her cold and radiant yellow eyes. She spotted her friends, she spotted her foes, she spotted and planned the many steps she was to take. Before long, she was falling. Only one of the serpent's heads sprung to her, and with a well-placed strike, she cut through its eye, arrow still in hand. Trya slid down the creature's back, kicking off its scales just before the second head went for a bite. She rolled in the sand, stabbing one of the remaining reptilian Grimm in the back of the neck before her hand felt a recognizable handle in the sand. However, there were still more Grimm to be delt with.
A flick of Trya's wrist and one went down, then a second, then a third at the hand of her whip which had emerged with a trail of sand where it went. A fourth tried to jump at her back, but in a surprise save, Toma had rushed forward and slashed the Grimm in two with Shae's shortsword. She shot the faunus a closed 'I've got you' smile, but was only given a quick glance from girl's glistening yellow eyes. Toma was taken aback. Those… Those weren't Trya's eyes… Ignoring what she saw, Toma looked back at a still fallen Shae, taking comfort in the knowledge that Shae was being protected by Tania who had rejoined them. Toma took to covering her and Trya's flanks, slashing and stabbing at the dwindling number of Grimm one by one.
Trya lured the attention of the King Taijitu, twisting her body as to simultaneously dodge wild attacks from the Grimm and to strike the serpent with the mace-tipped end of her whip. She couldn't waste any more of her limited time. Trya reached for one of the pouches at the back of her hip, drawing a Dust crystal, then the mid of the chain of her whip with the same hand. She pulled her hands apart, left hand sliding and sparing against the chain as she went, but despite the growing heat, she kept going. All along the chain were small flecks of Dust and once she reached its end, Trya squeezed what was left of the crystal into the center of the mace and, with but one gentle flick of her slender fingers, half the whip ignited with a brilliant flame.
With one crack of her whip, Trya tore out a head-sized chunk from the King Taijitu's side. The Grimm gave a horrific screech as it started backing away from the flames. She took out another, then another, swinging her whip faster and faster until the white-scaled half of the Grimm collapsed into the sand with little left of the charred corpse save smoke, ash, and burnt Grimm-flesh. The girl took a deep breath, ready to rest, only to be blindsided by the second half of the Grimm.
Meanwhile, Toma had just finished off the last of the smaller Grimm before looking over to see a collapsed Trya with one half of the King Taijitu still alive and most certainly enraged. Once again, Toma threw Shae's shortsword at the beast, buying herself just enough time to throw herself on top of Trya and take the brunt of another hit. She could feel Trya still breathing, which was a relief, but turning on her back revealed a still lingering problem. Toma clung to Trya as the Grimm prepared for its final strike, but as fate would have it, an arrow pierced the Grimm's left eye, then one more between its eyes which brought it down.
Looking back, Toma saw a ragged Maron standing on a low, sandy hill. As she pulled along a knocked out Trya from the Grimm, Maron lightly limped to meet them, both sides falling just next to each other as their reserves of strength finally gave up. The two still conscious girls looked to one another for a moment, taking in the fact that they were alive and panting for breath.
"That, was for throwing me." Maron directed toward the dead Grimm between breaths, looking up to the sky and squeezing her eyes shut from soreness.
"This was not… the weekend… I expected." Toma let out, giving the smallest of laughs. She looked to the still clear blue sky with Maron, Trya still laying on her arm.
"I hate today." Maron said. She looked over to the sleeping faunus, "So, where was that whip the first—"
Clap. Clap. Clap.
They were slow, but steady. Maron groaned, turning her head to see who else was there. She swore, if that slow clap was coming from Blizz she'll—
"Really? All that for an oversized snake and its fodder." Came a chilling voice. Maron's heart sank as her eyes laid upon the woman with the orange eyes. She rolled over to her stomach and tried to get up, but couldn't find the strength to get further than getting to one knee even with the support of her staff. The woman looked at her, disappointed, and displeased, "If this is the best you can do, then find another profession; don't bother getting up. As a Huntress, you wouldn't make the cut."
A.N.: Thanks for waiting.
As always, enjoy!
~Firetoast312