Chapter 31, The Team Trial Part II
Headmaster Rueben and Qrow watched the drones video feed of the students down in the valley on the tablet. Having to observed the encounter Pyrrha and Blake had with the Tigrans. Seeing them make their way into the woods, the Headmaster gestured a nod of approval. Not just by display of teamwork that both Pyrrha and Blake had displayed, but it would seem they had witnessed the first of the Fates choosing's.
He shifted his gaze to Qrow, who narrowed his head, uttering a sigh of relief. Relieved to say the least that Pyrrha had managed to hold her own. As well as Blake and the other student that followed them. Not that he had any doubt that she wouldn't. It was the other students that he was more concerned about.
"Thank the gods." He said.
Rueban smiled, nodding his head.
"Indeed, it would seem we have witnessed the first of the Fate's choosing," The Headmaster proclaimed, glancing down at the screen.
"Miss Nikos and Miss Belladonna have exhibited proficient Team Work. As well as Mr. Tarith. It would seem that fate has brought them together."
Qrow nodded his head in agreement.
"Uh, yeah, I guess." Qrow said, rubbing the back of his head.
The Headmaster glanced back at Qrow.
"I would suspect that you both shall enjoy the company," The Headmaster proclaimed.
"The students that join her team may move in to the dorm you and Pyrrha are sayin in."
The mention of more kids moving into the same dorm as her and Pyrrha, Qrow glanced to the Rueban with a disapproving scowl.
"Well... that's just great." Qrow said, glancing to the side
As joyous as he so seeming was that Pyrrha had seemed to already find her team, he remembered that each of the teams would share the same room. Which meant that Blake, that Tarith kid and whoever else joins the team would move in to their dorm. The idea of living with four kids in the same dorm room was not at all one he was looking forward to. Especially if they were boys. While he didn't mind living with Pyrrha and all, having three others in the dorm seemed like a handful.
The Headmaster noticed the sarcastic tone in Qrow's deep voice, earning an amused glance from the headmaster. He then glanced down at the screen as he continued to observe the events unfolding over the screen of the tablet.
Pyrrha, Blake and Auron made their way through the dense forest. Trudging through the foliage with their weapons in hand. The encounter from before having heightened the senses of the three students. Scanning the forest undergrowth, listening to any sound that could be potential danger lurking nearby. Auron was moving ahead of them, holding his blaster rifle at the ready.
Pyrrha and Blake glanced around the forest, scanning the nearby foliage.
"Do you see anything?" Blake asked, glancing to Pyrrha.
Pyrrha shook her head to her.
"No, nothing." Pyrrha insisted turning to her.
"Stay sharp, they could be nearby." Auron advised, glancing back at them.
"How can you be sure?" Blake asked, curiously.
They the heard a sudden sound off in the distance ahead, causing them to pause. Auron threw up his fist to Pyrrha and Blake, as if he was telling them to halt.
"Hold up!" He said back at them.
Pyrrha and Blake both paused behind him, holding their weapons at the ready. There was a moments pause as the forest had suddenly fallen silent. All to more adding to their suspicions that another one of those things could be lurking nearby. It was said that a Tigran's roar, let alone it's growl, was enough to silence all the creatures of an entire forest.
They then heard it again. The loud roar of the Tigran that could be heard from miles away. Even from this distance, it sounded as if it was somewhere close by. Auron glanced back at Pyrrha and Blake.
"Follow my lead, watch your six." He said before moving ahead.
Auron crept ahead, holding his blaster at the ready. Pyrrha and Blake followed suit, moving stealthily along through the forest. Auron then came up behind a nearby tree, holding his blaster at upward. He turned back to Pyrrha and Blake, gesturing for them to halt. Both Pyrrha and Blake quickly stopped, narrowing down beneath the cover of the foliage. With both his hand gripping his blaster rifle, Auron then emerged from around the corner of the tree. He held his blaster pointing at the foliage ahead.
He slowly emerged from behind the tree as he crept forward. He shifted his blaster to each side, scanning the foliage. But still there was no sign of any Tigran or any other creature that would be a danger to them. It was right at that moment they heard a sudden rustling in the foliage ahead. Auron shifted his blaster, holding it toward the moment within the brush. Placing his finger atop the trigger, Auron awaited for whatever was there to emerged.
Pyrrha stood up behind him, holding both her Akouo and Milo at the ready. The foliage continued the rustle as the tree braced themselves to what was to come.
And then suddenly a bird like creature flew out from the bushes and flew past the three. Auron was quick to react, dodging the bird as it zipped passed him. He glanced back at the creature before uttering a sigh of relief.
"That was that?!" Blake asked.
"It's alright, it's just a Paladon." He reassured them.
"They are mostly harmless, nothing to worry about."
Both Pyrrha and Blake stood up as they turned to Auron who came up to them. Pyrrha glanced back in the direction of the Paladon with that of awe.
"Paladons, like the ones from Akara's book?" She said in anticipation.
"Uh, yeah, that's right." Auron said, rubbing the back of his head.
Blake glanced to them, curiously. The mention of Book had certainly gotten the attention.
"What are you two talking about?" She asked.
"Akara's book, Paladons were once used as messengers back in the old times of Lothadare," Pyrrha insisted to her.
"Akara used a Paladon to send a message to her party back in the Tertawa Highlands."
There was a moments pause on Blake's part, having little idea of what she was saying. She narrowed her eyes, frowning.
"I-I've never read it before." She said with a hint of shame in her voice.
One of which had certainly gotten the attention of Both Pyrrha and Auron, who glanced to each other, curiously. Though they had little time to think about it. For off in the forest, they heard a the roar of a Tigran once more. They glanced around at the surrounding forest, scanning the foliage.
"Come, we should keep going," Auron advised, glancing back at them.
"Those things could be somewhere nearby. We should head North and try to find Keith and Hanako."
Pyrrha nodded her head in agreement.
"Right." She said with a nod of her head.
Auron then turned and continued to make his way into the forest. Pyrrha and Blake followed suit.
Keith groaned and grunted as trudged through the bushes. Holding his Hammer in both hands, he pushed away the foliage as he made his way through the forest. Emerging into the clearing, he was quick to catch himself from tripping as he came into a clearing. He then stood up, glancing around the forest. Scanning the foliage of the dark dense forest, there was sign of Auron and Hanoko, nor any or the other students.
"Hey, Auron!" he called out, curiously.
"Hanako, anybody?!"
But still he heard nothing then the silence of the forest. He paused for a moment, glancing around the forest. Slowly it was becoming clear to him that the others must be somewhere far in the valley. But where?
"Where are those guys?" He said to himself.
Keith narrowed his head.
"Come on, Keith, think, what would Auron and Hanako do in this situation?" Keith said to himself.
Planting firmly over the ground, he leaned against the handle as he tried to think of what to do. He then gasped in realization came to him as he remembered what Auron had told them to do whenever they were separated.
"That's right, they'll probably be heading to where to portal is," He said to himself.
"I just got to head North and meet them there."
There was another moments pause as he once more glanced around the forest.
"Uh... which ways North?" he asked, curiously.
Keith continued to gazed around the forest, preoccupied with which direction was North. Unannounced to him of the creature above, slowly descending from the trees above.
Pyrrha, Blake and Auron continued to make their way through the forest. She came up next to Auron, where she sifted her gazed to him. Glancing down, she took note of the armor he was wearing as well as the blaster weapon he was carrying. His attire alone she could hardly classify as being a Knight general appearance seemed to be that of a Lothadarian Trooper.
Auron shifted his gaze, glancing back at Pyrrha who looked up at him. As if she had been caught staring.
"I'm sorry." She said, turning away from him.
Auron shook his head to her.
"It's alright, you can ask." He reassured her.
Pyrrha glanced back to him, shifting her eyes down at his armor.
"Your armor..." She said, trying to find the words to say.
Auron glanced down at himself.
"What about it?" Auron asked, curiously.
"It's... well... You know..." She said, trying to find the right words to say.
Before she could say anything more, Blake had stepped in say what they were thinking.
"You look more like a trooper then you do a knight." She insisted to him
Pyrrha was hesitant at first. Though she then nodded in agreement with Blake.
"Uh, yes." She said in agreement.
Auron turned forward before he then paused. Pyrrha and Blake stopped along with him, glancing to him curiously.
"What's the difference?" He asked, glancing to them.
"What?" Pyrrha asked, curiously
"Soldier and Knights, we all fight for the same thing, don't we?" Auron asked.
"For our people and the preservation of the Kingdoms."
His question caused Pyrrha and Blake to glanced to each other, curiously.
"Yeah and...?" Blake asked, curiously.
"There are Knights in Lothadare who feel they are superior over soldiers." Auron insisted to them.
"They look down upon those who put their lives on the line for their Kingdom. All because they don't have a semblance."
"Never realized their was such a divide." Blake said.
"Regardless of our differences, we all fight for the same thing," Auron insisted to him.
"It was something my parents always used to tell me."
"Your parents?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
Auron glanced to her, nodding his head.
"Dad was an elite trooper in the Military," Auron insisted to them.
"And Mom was a Knight who served in the King's Guard. Knights and soldiers have always looked down at each other, despite that we fight for the same thing. They were the only ones I know that saw passed what they were."
Pyrrha narrowed her eyes. Thinking back to the day before in the food court, she thought back to when. She heard Cardin refer to him and soldiers as people with death wishes. Acting as if Knights were more superior to fighting the Grimm then Soldiers. She had to admit, it was such an arogenate mindset to have. Let alone for any Knight to have.
"It's why I wear my dad's armor," Auron insisted to him.
"I want to show people that Knights and Soldiers are one in the same. That we all fight for the preservation of our kingdom."
Hearing what Auron was saying brought a feeling of admiration to Pyrrha. How he was so will to bring to life the dreams of his parents. The same way she had tried to bring to life the very dreams of her mother and her father. She narrowed her eyes and with a nod of her head, she glanced up Auron, smiling proudly.
"That's... very admirable of you, Auron." She said.
"I'm sure... that means so much to them."
Auron shifted his eyes to the side before gesturing a nod of his head.
"Yeah, I know it will." He said to them.
There was a moments pause as Auron narrowed his head, frowning. Though was quick to set it aside and refocus on the mission, shaking his head as he turned forward.
"Come on, let's go." He said before continuing on through the woods.
There was a moments pause by both Pyrrha and Blake, noticing the way he looked before. They then glanced to each other curiously. Only for them to both decide that it would be better to say nothing. They then turned and followed after him. Unannounced to them that they were being watched from within the nearby bushes.
Keith uttered groaned in frustration, running his hand through his hair. He had no idea where he was or which direction was North. Scanning the surrounding foliage of the forest, it all looked the same. There was still no sign of Auron, Hanako or any of the others. Where were they?
Reaching into the right pocket of his pants. Keith pulled out his scroll and opened it. Only to be met with the No Signal screen.
"Oh, come on, Man." He said.
"Work with me here. Give me something."
He sighed, throwing down his arm to his side in defeat.
"Damn, now what?" He said to himself.
As if in reply to his question, he then heard a strange clicking sound from behind. Keith cocked his heads, glancing back to the foliage of the forest behind him.
"Hello, Auron that you?" He said.
He then heard it again. This time it came from off to his left. Though as he turned to see what it was. Only to see that there was noting there.
"Okay guys, knock it off." Keith said, shaking his head.
Once more the strange clicking sound was all that responded to him. Along with the rustling of foliage from all around. Keith held up his hammer as he slowly began to back away. Shifting his gaze to the foliage at both side, he gripped the handle of his hammer tightly in his hands. Readying himself for whatever it was that was creeping with the foliage. His back came pressed up against the tree behind him.
Keith suddenly felt something wet over his shoulder. He glanced down and saw a slimy substance over his right shoulder. And more of it dropped down from above, sliding down the sleeve of his coat. He then heard the clicking sound again. This time it sounded like it was... above.
Slowly, Keith looked up to the tree behind him.
And it was there he saw the creature staring sown at him. Staring down at him with three small red eyes, clicking it's two pincers at each side of it's mouth together. Gripping hold of the tree truck with it's six spider-like legs, with two long front legs with two different mantis like pincers at each end and a long tail which resembled that of a scorpion's with three separate stingers. The creature uttered it's clicking sound once more as it raised it's two front legs pincers.
"Oh, shit..." Keith said in a whispering voice.
Just as the creature leaped down from above, Keith quickly leaped out of the way as it landed over the ground. Rolling over the ground, he got back up quickly as he turned to face the creature. It then scurried toward him as it tried to slash him with it's two front pincers, causing him to lean back from it's reach. Keith, in an attempt to fight back, swung his hammer at the creature, who sauntered back from him.
It then raised it's pincer and tried to swipe at him again. Only for Keith to jump back, causing him to trip and fall as the creatures claw-like pincer plunged into the ground between his legs.
He then glanced up in awe.
"Wow!" He said.
The creature pulled it's pincer from the ground as it attempted to try again. Only for Keith to hold up his hammer and block it with it's handle. He then shoved it to the side. Only to the glance up and see it plunge it's three stinger tail down at him. Acting quickly, he rolled out of the way as it's stinger plunged into the ground. Getting back up quickly, he then raised his hammer, which then glowed a bright fiery orange as he swung it at the Creature. The creature was struck by the hammer and sent flying back, hitting up against the tree across from it.
"How do you like that, ugly!" Keith exclaimed.
The creature the got back up, turning to Keith as it made it's strange clicking sound as it turned back to him.
"Oh, you want some more?" Keith egged on.
"Come get some!"
The Creature suddenly jerked it's tail forward as it shot a sting of web at him. The web then hit the handle of Keith's hammer, which it then ripped it from his hands and flung it away.
"Oh, come on!" Keith exclaimed.
He turned back to the creature which then scurried toward him as it attempted to hit him with his stingers. Keith quickly leaped out of the way as he made a break for his hammer. Only to then feel something grab his legs, causing him to trip and fall over the ground. Glancing back at the creature, he saw that it had spit some it's web over his leg as it tried pulling him back toward it.
Keith then turned and tried desperately to crawl to his hammer, his fingers shredding the dirt beneath him. But despite his best efforts, the creature continued to pull him it. Raising it's two front legs, the creature prepared to deal the killing blow to his prey.
When suddenly, the something leaped out from the cover of the foliage, dealing a clean slash across the creature's front legs. The creature uttered a painful screech as he slowly backed away. Keith turned, glancing back to see Hanako standing behind across from them.
"Hanako!" He said in awe and relief.
Hanako turned back to him.
"Get up!" she said.
Twirling her Katana in one hand, she then slashed the web, severing it as Keith got back up quickly. He glanced back to her, nodding his head,
"Thanks for the save," He said.
"Thought I was a goner."
The two then heard the creatures horrid shrieking. Turning back they saw it begin to recover from the excruciating pain it had been dealt, turning it's attention to them.
"It's not over yet," She insisted, taking her katana in both hands.
"Move, now!"
As the creature began scurrying toward them, Keith quickly made a break for his hammer. All the while, Hanako stood her ground against the spider-creature, holding her katana in her hands as she readied herself to face her foe.
"For Honor!" She said.
The creature came forward as he plunged it's stingers down at her. Only for her to roll out of the way of the creature's path, it's stingers sticking the ground from where she stood. She then rushed toward the creature, delivering several slashes at the creature. The creature sauntered back from her, through was quick to recover as it tried to impale her with it's tail. Only for Hanako to block it with her Katana, struggling to hold back against the creature's strength. The stingers each but an inch from her face.
Through as she continued to struggle against the spider creature, Keith had already recovered his hammer. He then turned back to Hanako, who was struggling to hold back the spider creatures stingers.
"Hanako, hold on!" He exclaimed to her.
It was right at that moment that he tossed his hammer into the air, which then changed form into a mini gun. Grabbing hold of the gun as it fell, he then took aim at the creature attacking his friends. He then proceeded to open fire upon the creature, which was struck by the heavy laser fire. Hanako then broke off from the creatures, pushing it's stingers to the side. The creature's stinger once more thrusted it's stinger's forward. Hanako spun around as she moved out of the way of the stinger before slashing it's tail, severing the stingers.
The creature had little time to react to the pain as Hanako then plunged the blade of her katana into the mouth between it's pincers. Suddenly, the creatures shrieks of pain had been silent as it's body collapsed over the ground, dead. She then retracted her Katana from it's body as she flung it to the side, the creature's blood dripping from the blade.
Keith came up to her, glancing down at the creature's lifeless body.
"Damn, girl." he said, glancing up to her.
"It wouldn't have any mercy on us," She claimed in such a cold manner.
"I merely showed it the same fate as it would have given us."
"What is that thing anyway?" Keith asked.
"Scorpius Long Legs," Hanako said to him.
"They are highly poisonous. One hit by it's stingers and you'll be dead in an instant."
The mention of the creature's poisonous touch caused Keith, gulping.
"Jeez." He said, rubbing the back of his head
Hanako then sheved her sword as she then turned and made her way back toward the woods.
"Let's keep moving," She said.
"We should find Auron and make our way toward the North."
Keith glanced back to the Long Legs Scorpius before turning to follow Hanako.
"Don't have to tell me twice." He said.
The continuous trek through the forest was one of silence. As top was the forest itself. One that brought a feeling of unease to Pyrrha. as well as Blake. Pyrrha paused for a moment as she scanned the nearby foliage. She then squinted her eyes in suspicion. She scanned the foliage for any sign of any Tigrans that could be lurking nearby. But still she saw no sign of any others. Though even still, the feeling that they were being followed continued to persist.
Pyrrha then glanced to Pyrrha and Blake.
"Something isn't right." She insisted to Auron and Blake.
Auron nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I got a bad feeling about this place, too." He insisted to them
The same feeling of unease was shared by Blake, who continued to be on guard. The two cat ears atop Blake's head began to twitch, hearing a sound from off in the distance. Blake the paused as he eyes shifted toward the nearby foliage.
"Do you guys hear that?" She asked, curiously.
"What?" Pyrrha asked, hearing nothing more then the silence of the forest.
But even still, both her and Auron stood at the ready with their weapons in hand. Facing in ear direction as they looked out for any potential that could be lurking nearby. Blake scanned the leaves and then paused, at the sight of a nearby tree.
"Uh, guys...?" She said.
Pyrrha and Auron glanced to her, where they saw her standing before a tree with three large claw marks. She glanced back at them as they came up from behind. Auron came up to the tree, where he the claw marks closely. He then widened his eyes in realization.
"Oh, no." He said.
"What is it?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
"Definitely from a Tigran." He said, glancing back at them.
"Which could only mean one thing."
Pyrrha and Blake glanced to each other, curiously. She then narrowed her head, squinting her eyes as she looked back at the claw marks. All the while, she pondered what the meaning was behind his words. Only to the widened her eyes upon realizing what it was.
"Oh no." she said.
There was sudden rustling with the foliage behind them, along with the low growling sound. The three then turned back, where they saw three Tigrans emerge from the foliage, growling to them.
"We just stumbled into their territory." Auron finished his sentence.