Chapter 6 - Learning How To Fly
For the fiftieth time today, I shuffle Warbreaker's strap back into place.
Once set, my head subconsciously resets back to resting on my drowsy arm. I let out another gust of air from my nose. I take another yearning look at the house little more than a few dozen meters away from us. It's warm, thawing heating and it's cozy, marshmallow soft bed are inside. While we're here. Outside in knee-high snow and temperatures cold enough to cause frostbite.
With a frown that almost feels like it's being etched onto my face, I spare another look at the dusty old Qrow taking yet another gulp from his flask. He hasn't moved an inch from his place underneath that tree of his since we left the house. Since then, it feels like time has slowed to that of a toddler's crawl. I scarcely remember the time when we left the house anymore. We could've been out for hours or even just a mere few minutes.
I really should check the time. My hand slips into pocket as it...
Swipes at absolutely nothing. My tongue clicks against my jaw. Right. Of course. How stupid of me. Damn muscle memory.
I fidget on the small rock I'm stiffly perched on. I tried to pace around as a way of keeping myself awake earlier but, Qrow told me to sit back down because I was 'Needlessly wasting energy.' He says as we're needlessly wasting time. I feel like every second we spend doing nothing out here takes me one step closer towards completely bombing the entrance exam. If he knows that I only have six months, why is he throwing our time away like it's spare change?
I shake my head. No, no. Qrow's a professional, a veteran. He's stronger, wiser and far more experienced than I am. He knows what he's doing. I just need to have faith. Yeah. Faith...
Can't say I understand his methods though. Last night after we returned to the house, he asked me the most peculiar question out of nowhere.
'What do you think are cooler? Shotguns or Sniper Rifles?' It sounded very casual at first. An attempt at starting conversation or maybe he just felt like small talk. I didn't think much of it, so I thought on it a little and gave him my answer.
Shotguns. It was much of a muchness really, I just think their raw power and close-quarters capabilities are very endearing, that's all.
Not sure if Qrow felt the same way, though. As soon as I gave him my stuttering mess of an answer, he hummed to himself and then stopped talking to me. It was a bit... curious. It seemed rude of him to do so, which doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest, but it seemed so pointless. Start a conversation just for the sake of leaving it? I don't understand the logic behind that. Even as a joke.
Then again, I don't understand Qrow at all so it all checks out. He's probably just a weird guy. I shrug.
I guess it doesn't really matter. If I trust anything about him, it's that he knows how to fight. That's what I need right now.
Faintly, I can hear in the distance the clunking sound of a door opening and closing. As crunching boots close in on the pair of us, Qrow lets out a single chuckle. "Took her long enough," he says under her breath. As soon as he bounds off of the tree, I quickly stand up to mirror him.
With a sly smirk, he calls out to the figure casually approaching us in a tone that's too mirthful to truly be reprimanding. "Just because you're not in class today, it doesn't give you the excuse to be late." I give Qrow a deadpan look behind his back. Like you're one to talk. My gaze looms over the direction where he's looking. The muscles in my body firmly seize as I see who it is.
Yang.
The girl that I've personally been avoiding the most. Yang rests a hand on her side as she coolly smirks at Qrow.
"Heh. Like you're one to talk, Qrow." That's... exactly what I was thinking. Huh. Guess I'm not the only victim of Qrow's mischievous ways. That doesn't surprise me in the least. "Oh. Hey!" My body straightens as she turns her fervent attention to me. "Been a while, huh?"
"A-ah. Um..." I try to think of a response but once again, my mind splutters and clumsily falls over itself, leaving my mouth stranded.
"Oh... kay then. Uh, how are you?" She grins cheerily.
"I- Um... I'm, uh... Er..." I can't take this. I feel like a complete tool. I-I don't have a clue what I'm doing, what to say or anything! Can somebody please save me from this torture?!
"Alright, alright. Enough of that. I'm starting to get embarrassed for you." Qrow thankfully interrupts with one of his typical jabs. I shuffle in place but at least that's that conversation over. I still feel a burning sensation in my cheeks though but that's par for the course at this point.
Qrow clears his throat loudly. "Alright. Now..." He takes another gulp out of his flask before finally putting it away. "For your first lesson kid, you and my niece Yang here are going to have a little spar." Uh, did he just say what I think he said? "It'll give us a better idea of what you're really capable of. Somewhere for us to start." Oh dear god, he's really doing it. "Now, you don't have a scroll so we can't monitor your Aura level so, the first to ground their opponent will be the winner. Are we clear?"
Yang shrugs. "Yeah. Sure. I'm cool with it if he is."
Wait, wait. Look, I know Yang has... ungodly amounts of strength and all but she doesn't even have a weapon! I'd be fighting an unarmed opponent. With a gun! That's not exactly fair.
A mechanical click. I take another look at Yang, my jaw dropping as the bright yellow bracelets on her wrists begin to shape around her fists. Pieces upon pieces start to cling together. A pair of gun barrels stick out from the front of the two boxing gloves, the barrels almost look like... shotguns?
Shotgun Gauntlets. Jesus Christ. Her bracelets were Shotgun Gauntlets the whole time. I knew that the weapons in this world were crazy and all but... Jesus.
Well, at least it'll be a fair fight. Wait, Ruby's Crescent Rose doubles as a Sniper Rifle. That's where we got the idea to include a scope for Warbreaker. Did Qrow really choose my sparring opponent based on whether I thought one was cooler or not?!
I was right. He is weird.
"Hey!" I jolt as Qrow snaps his fingers. "What's the matter? Is there a problem or something?"
...I shake my head. "N-no." I murmur.
"Right. Both of you take your positions." He commands. Rolling her shoulders back, Yang paces away from us and takes her position thirty meters away, putting up her fists in a boxing-like manner. Sighing lightly, I do the same, taking Warbreaker off of my back and wading through the thick snow opposite from her. My legs stumble as I move, stiffling my mobility. I almost end up face first several times over as I take my place on the field. I bite my lip. If I had longer legs like the pair of them, this wouldn't be too much of a problem. This is a definitive handicap I'll need to deal with during the fight. Crap.
"You both ready?" Qrow yells from the other side of the field, far away from the pair of us. Probably just giving us a wide berth to fight in.
"Ready!" Yang calls with a stable voice. Her stance is firm, solid like a rock.
"R-ready!" My voice wobbles. I'm shaking like a leaf, Warbreaker jitters against my gloves. Qrow takes a look at the pair of us, making sure that we're both in position. I gulp slightly as I keep my gaze squarely on Yang's stance. Watch where she goes. Don't let her out of your sight.
"Begin!"
Gun up. There's a fair bit of distance between us, I can land a few shots before she reaches me. My scope trails on her as she dashes towards me. From this angle, I can make the shot no problem. Finger quivering on the trigger, I just need to tighten it.
Tighten the trigger, I tell myself. Just tighten the trigger.
I prepare myself to pull but... I don't. I can't. My head's sending the signals but my muscles just refuse to follow through with the order. My finger's trembling but nothing more! Press the trigger, idiot!
My eyes widen. It's already too late. Yang has already reached me with a closed fist raised. With a stifled yelp, my head tilts as she comes in for the strike. As the fist skids past my head, her knuckles just barely skidding across the side of my face, a blistering explosion almost deafens my right ear.
"Gah!" With lightning quick speed, Yang turns with her momentum from the strike and attempts to score an elbow to my face. I try to move away but the sheer weight of the snow stops me from dashing away. Using Warbreaker as a makeshift shield, I let the gun and -to a certain extent- my Aura absorb the full might of the strike sending me stumbling away from her. I almost lose my footing but somehow, I manage to keep my feet firmly on the ground.
Yang doesn't let up, though. With a few quick strides, she continues her assault. A hook that almost nails me in the side of my head: an uppercut that just grazes my jaw, and a wild cross that almost takes my head clean off from my shoulders. I'm working purely off of instinct at this point, lurching my head back to avoid every shot by the skin of my teeth. It's taking every little ounce of energy left in my body just to stay alive in this fight.
Yang twists: a roundhouse kick aiming straight for my sternum. A sheer force slams into Warbreaker as I just barely block the attack. I stagger but I'm still standing. She must have left an opening after that last attack, I have a little time to move awa-
Another eardrum bursting blast. In a single movement, Yang swiftly rebounds from the force of her shotgun and plunges her elbow straight into Warbreaker. I'm unable to keep up my guard this time. The gun flies right out of my arms and into my gullet, leaving me gasping for air. A sharp pain shoots straight my body but it's not nearly the worst I've felt in the last day or so.
Then Yang roars a mighty battle cry.
"Kyaaaah!" Without missing a beat, she propels herself towards me. She lifts her right leg and I think that she's about to bicycle kick me in the chest but at the very last second, she switches her weight, kicking her leg back and smashing me in the face with a fierce Superman punch. A terrible howl escapes my mouth as a rush of agony floods my mind as my feet leave the ground.
My body is thrown weightlessly across the training field. It's as though gravity had been broken by the sheer power of her punch! Slamming against the ground, my body tosses and turns as my momentum sends me rolling through the deep snow. I need to recover, and I need to recover fast! The first one downed losses. If I stay grounded, Qrow will take that as a loss!
I still my gloved hand out, the one with the gaping hole right in the middle of the palm. Sheer cold inflames my hand as I stick it out to stop my intense velocity. I wince at the touch but, pooling all of my power into it, I manage to rebound back up to my feet. I gasp: I stagger, I shake and I shudder but I'm still standing. I'm still in this, for better or worse. I tilt my head back up to see how far she threw me and my jaw feel like it's about to fall off. A few hundred meters, at least.
Jesus Christ. That one was one punch! She threw that far away with just one punch! I knew that she was strong but that's... holy hell.
All away at the other side of the field, Yang charges right for me like a rampaging lion about to maul and devour it's prey. If I wasn't quivering before, I certainly am now. I'm not looking at just another girl my age. I'm looking at a beast!
Warbreaker. I dart around looking for my gun. There's a fair distance between me and Yang. If I can just find Warbreaker, I can take her out from afar before she demolishes me.
There! Embedded in the snow. With a desperate lunge, I swipe the gun out from its icy casing, setting my sights on Yang. A clear shot: nothing between us but snow. There's no way I can screw this up. Arch shoulders: tighten grasp, focus eyes, aim...
...Again. My head tells me to fire and yet, I do nothing. What's wrong with me? Why can't I shoot her?!
It's a fight. We have Aura. Things are different here. Completely different. I know this, there were several points yesterday where any normal person would have died had they not had access to Aura. I took a gigantic pair of Beowolf claws head on and I survived! She punched me straight in the face full blast and I'm still standing! She can take a bullet no problem, so why am I hesitating?!
"Kid!" Qrow yells at me from the other side of the field. "What the hell are you doing?! Fight back!" My hand still quivers on the trigger. I try to will myself to fire but I just can't do it. I can't do it. I don't know why but I can't do it!
"Shoot!" He roars. I let out a gasp, closing my eyes as I press down hard on the trigger.
A loud bang rings in my ears. Smoke fizzles from the barrel of Warbreaker. A thump, a yelp of pain. My shot made its mark. I open my eyes, slowly. My blood runs icy cold when I see her.
Yang's kneeling on the ground, arm hovering over her left knee grunting in pain. I... I shot her.
Oh my god, I shot her! I shot a person! What the hell is wrong with me?!
"Yang!" I toss Warbreaker to the ground, pushing myself as hard as I can towards Yang. Oh god. I think the bullet went right into her leg! I could've hit a bone or something. What is the matter with me?!
Full of adrenaline, I finally make it over to Yang, kneeling right in front of her. "Oh my god. Are you okay!?"
"Uh, what?" She answers. I could hit myself right me. 'Are you okay?' Stupid question, idiot. Of course she's not okay!
"I am so, so sorry! I-I-we need to get you help!" I turn my head to Qrow, screaming at the top of my lungs. "Qrow! Qrow! Yang's hurt! We need medical atten-" A sudden weight grips firmly onto my wrist. Before I'm given time to fully comprehend what's happening, I feel my legs being dragged completely off of the ground. The world spins around as my body flips over and lands squarely back onto the ground, taking the wind right out of my lungs.
I hiss loudly. Looking up, I see Yang's bare right fist barring down on me, centimeters away from making contact with my face. She's standing over me, no wound on her left leg to be seen. She's fine. As healthy as she was when we started this fight in the first place. She's fine. Of course she's fine.
She has Aura. Stupid.
Qrow walks towards us, letting out a grumpy groan. "Alright. Stop. Yang wins." He says something under his breath but I can't quite make it out. It's something sarcastic, I'm sure. I seriously thought... No. It doesn't matter. I let out a sigh, smacking the back my head against the ground. Well, that's one way to make a complete arse of yourself.
"Hey." My head perks up. Yang's still standing about me but this time, instead of offering her right fist, she offers her right hand. "Let me help you up." She says with a bright smile on her face. My hand trails slightly as I hesitate to take her hand. I take another glimpse of her sunny smile. I... I don't quite understand it myself but there's something about it that just seems so... genuine. So real. I don't know, I can't quite put my finger on it. Despite my earlier reluctance, I swallow down my fears and I take her hand.
An icy cold takes over my hand as our hands make contact through the space in my glove. Jesus.
"Y-y... you're freezing." I say aloud.
"Well, yeah. It's pretty damn cold out here." Yang replies with a jolly tone in her voice... One by one, I start taking the gloves off. Putting them both in a bundle, I offer the black gloves to Yang.
"H-here. You can, um, take these." I bow my head slightly as I do. "Th-they, uh, the right one has a hole in it so it's not great or anything but, uh..." I couldn't think of much else to say so, I stop talking.
"Wait, you sure about that?" She asks. Timidly, I nod my head.
"Y... yeah. I-it wasn't even mine to begin with." Yang stares at the gloves for a couple of seconds before giving me a look.
"Where did you get these?" Jarringly, her tone's no longer jolly. Her face turns serious as she folds her arms. I swallow slightly as I answer.
"U-um... Ruby gave them to me. She left them on the table for me yesterday for my bet." I shirk slightly. "I-is something the matter?" Yang says nothing for a couple of seconds before focusing on me again. She shakes her head.
"Nah. It's nothing." She looks over at Qrow. "Hey! Uncle Qrow! I'm free now, right?" In the middle of taking a drink from his flask, Qrow gives Yang a big thumbs up. "Great! I'm gonna head off then. Got myself a little sister to talk to." I... Do I really want to know what she's talking about? Yeah, didn't think so.
Wait a second. "W-wait!" Yang turns back to me. "What about the gloves?" She just shrugs.
"You can keep them." Huh? Is she sure about that? "They're just gloves. I'll find another pair in the house somewhere." That's... fair, I guess. It still doesn't quite sit well with me but, I guess if it's fine with her... I give her a smile.
"Th... thank you." Yang just waves me off with a gleeful grin.
"Don't mention it. See ya around, Eren." With that, Yang turns around and walks away. When she passes Qrow however, they both share this look. I don't quite understand what it's about but Qrow doesn't seem to be too impressed with Yang for whatever reason. I don't know why he is, she kicked the crap out of me during the entire fight. Why would he be upset at her? Yang just shrugs at him and walks back to the house. Well... that was something.
Yang's... a really nice person, huh? I guess Ruby really wasn't exaggerating when she said they wanted to help. Hah. How about that?
"Right." Qrow voice cuts right through my thoughts. He stands in front of me as I quickly dust off the remaining bits of snow sticking to my clothes. Qrow takes another gulp from his flask. "So, what was your biggest mistake during that fight?" My biggest mistake? Hm...
"I... took too long to set up the shot. I was too slow." I answer.
"Wrong." Qrow bluntly tells me. "That was just part of the problem. What caused you to hesitate?"
"Um, I..." I swallow. "I didn't want to shoot Yang." Qrow folds his arms.
"And what did you do when you did shoot her?" He asks. Well, I rushed up to her to see if she was okay. She was completely fine and- "You panicked." Qrow cuts me off. "That's what you did. You completely forgot where you were and you let your emotions act for you." His voice turns fatally dark. "That's a deadly mistake, especially when you don't have anything to fall back on. You do that on the battlefield, you're dead. End of. Everyone's not always going to be there to save you, Eren." His use of my name causes me to wince. It's much like being ridiculed in the middle of class or when a mother uses a child's full name.
"I-I-I thought I hurt her..." I quiver. Qrow's nonplussed by my response.
"People get hurt on the battlefield all the time. Losing your cool and screaming for help isn't going to make things any better." I stay silent, eyes cast to the ground. Qrow lets out another sigh before continuing. "Did Tai ever talk to you about teams?" I lift up my head slightly.
"U-um, he did once but uh, he only really mentioned it in passing." Qrow puts away his flask, giving me his full attention.
"Well, if you make it to Beacon, you're going to be assigned to a team of four people." That early?! I-I thought Tai meant that they have teams just for missions or something. "And when you fight with that team, they're going to expect you to have their back. As their friend, and their comrade." He glints at me. "You can't exactly do that when you're losing your head, and when that happens, it won't just be your life you're endangering. You'll also be endangering their lives, too." My eyes widen.
"I-I didn't mean to-" Qrow cuts me off again.
"It's not about what you meant, kid." He points to his head. "It's about how you think. That's what's important. You can have fancy skills with a scythe or punch harder than life itself, but if you can't stop and use this thing right here? You might as well be just a punk with a gun." Qrow strolls over to where I left Warbreaker, picking it up out of the snow. "You're not strong: you can't take a hit, you're nimble but you're not fast, you can't do crap with your Aura, and the only thing you have going for you is that you're an alright shot."
Every word Qrow utters causes my gaze to lower and lower. He returns with my gun in tow.
"If you want to get into Beacon, kid, then you can't think like a civilian anymore. You have to think like a fighter, a Huntsman." He hands out my rifle. "That's what's going to see you through until the end. That's what'll make you a real Huntsman."
Gingerly, I take Warbreaker from his hands, sighing lightly. He's right. I know he's right. I stumbled through a mental block and it cost me. It doesn't matter that I don't want it to happen. Not wanting something to happen won't be enough to stop it alone. I need to control my emotions more. I need to, or else home will just remain a far away memory.
No. I won't let it.
"I... I understand." I look up at him. "I-I won't let it happen again, sir."
"No, it's going to happen again." He states. "That kind of thing isn't going to just go away so easily. Don't aim to get rid of it completely, kid. You're not going to win that battle. Aim to better yourself. Control it. Take that energy and make it your own." He looks me straight in the eyes. "That's how we get better."
R-right. Okay. I bob my head in understanding. You know, for as rude: crazy and drunk as he is, Qrow's not that bad of a teacher. At least, when he bothers himself to teach that is.
Still, I think I have a little bit more respect for the guy after that. He really knows what he's talking about, that's for sure.
"Right." Qrow takes out his flask again. "Lecture's over. Let's get back to work." He gives me a small smirk. "We still got plenty of time today. How about a little more training, kid?" I stutter for a second before giving him a small smile.
"I-I'm ready!"
I've still got six months to go. I'll need to use every second the best I can if I want to get into Beacon!
A/N - Well, this is a bit late, isn't it? I had a draft already made sometime earlier in the week but there was a bit of a problem with it.
It sucked. Hard. So, I had to scrap everything and start from scratch. From what I've done, I think it's pretty okay. Better than the old draft at least so, I hope posting late was worth it.
So yeah, little bit of interaction with Yang and a lecture from Qrow. I'm hoping I'm not making Qrow too antagonistic towards Eren. At least, not unjustifiably antagonistic. Neither of them hate each other, it's just that they both find certain traits of the other annoying and that's about it. At least, with where their current relationship is at the moment. Anything can change~
Also, I won't be able to post another chapter this month due to Uni coming towards the end of semester and having a few exams and submissions to hand in. So yeah, busy with all that jazz.
Thank you very much for reading and if you have any opinions on the chapters so far, on any of the character portrayals or criticisms, feel free to post a review or send me a PM if you have any questions you want me to answer.