Chapter 5 — Weapon
"I have been practicing archery for a long time; a bow and arrow helps me to unwind."
— Paulo Coelho
It became known to Serena that choosing a suitable weapon wasn't as easy a task as she'd initially thought. She'd thought that all she had to do was go into the shop, choose the weapon and leave.
What she hadn't included into that plan were the varieties of models and the supplementary equipment which she now faced. Sure enough, she knew exactly what she needed: a bow and arrows, as well as a spear. Both were meant for hunting or — if the situation ever occurred — self-defense. Though she would never use the bow against another human being.
She had found a nice bow, so step one complete. But there were so many variations of it that she was a little overwhelmed.
The bow that had caught her eye was a slick black and green one. Along with it were thirty arrows, all stashed in a quiver that could be strapped across her torso. The weapon was suitable for the forest and as far as she had seen, she could even change its color by pushing a button, turning it a deep red or pitch black. It was exactly what she needed.
Only that there were three other identical bows right next to that one.
On the little notes that were placed beside them stood their respective function and for what they were best suited.
One of the shop keepers — a young man who must have been in his late twenties — saw just how confused Serena was. So, being the helpful being he was (and because it was his job), he walked over to assist her. He was, however, very much surprised that the young girl was interested in the bows and not any of the other — more modern — weapons.
Only few people knew how to handle a bow correctly, let alone shoot an arrow nowadays with all the dual weapons transforming into guns. Additionally, it wasn't really a weapon to be used in a fight. It required time to get the arrow into position and focus it on the target. Time that young Hunters and Huntresses-in-training did not possess if they were in a fight with the Grimm. So the schools had decided that students make their own weapons which would be perfectly fit for their individual combat style. Archery had become a relic of the past, something that was deemed unfit for battle in a modern age.
"Excuse me miss, can I help you? You seem to be having some trouble."
Serena looked up at him, not having heard his approach, having been immersed in her thoughts. She smiled a small smile of gratitude. "Yes, I'm a little lost to be honest."
"Well then, what is it that you need? I can see that you're interested in the archery equipment."
"I am, but there are so many different models that I don't know which one to choose." She gave him a small smile, feeling foolish for not being able to find a weapon on her own.
"It depends for what you would need them. But I can already tell you that they aren't very well-suited for combat."
"Oh, no, I just want one for personal use. You know, to go hunt rabbits and maybe a deer or something... Nothing really big. I would never use it to fight someone."
"Hunting? In Forever Fall Forest? I don't mean to be rude, but there are no animals there to hunt. The only thing you would encounter would be Grimm, and I have to tell you that a bow and arrow will hardly do you any good against them."
So they really are that scary... Serena contemplated, catching the worry that flickered across the man's eyes. But this was Heaven, so she couldn't die again, right?
"But there must be something other than those Grimm in the forest?"
"Not as far as I know, miss. The animals left the forest a long time ago. No one has seen a rabbit, deer or anything else ever since. The Grimm are the closest thing to animals you'll find there. But they're not for eating; if you kill them, they'll just dissolve into thin air. You won't be able to gain anything from them."
This had the girl thinking. Should there really be no animals at all, she would be forced to come and buy meat from town, which would mean she would have to give up some money. If she didn't find a job soon, she would run out of money. And if that happened, she would have to live off berries and water exclusively. It wasn't that she hated berries or anything, but she couldn't eat berries for the rest of her stay — however long that may be. Without protein, her muscles would degenerate.
And if that happened she was be a goner.
Then she remembered the footprints she had seen on the forest floor when she'd been walking among the trees. She was sure they were from a rabbit — or something slightly bigger — and by the looks of it, it wasn't any kind of Grimm. But she had never seen one before, so who was she to judge?
"I'll take the bow anyway. Which one of the three would be most suited for hunting in the forest?"
The man was about to admonish her again that it would be completely pointless to go hunting in Forever Fall forest. He was also about to tell her that she should stay out of the forest. But the determination in her eyes kept him from doing so.
He figured that some people simply had to learn for themselves.
Maybe she liked to live on the edge, liked the rush of adrenaline when facing a Grimm?
He walked over to the green bow that could change color that Serena had been inspecting earlier. Holding it up to examine the weapon, he handed it to her, stating that it would be the most adequate for her future intentions.
"Thank you. Oh, before I forget: do you have anything along the lines of spears or javelins?"
"I'm guessing it's also meant for hunting?"
"Spear fishing," she replied with a grin.
The vendor gave a defeated sigh before walking over to another table with weapons laid out on its surface. He took what looked to be a short stick, barely the length of Serena's forearm. Noticing that she was about to inform him of her need for something bigger, he pressed a little button on the side and the stick expanded from both ends.
It was a long and slender staff, a head taller than Serena, giving it an approximate height of 5'10" compared with the girl's 5'5" height. It was the perfect length, and although it was so long she found that it was still easy enough to handle. Pressing the button again, three long blades appeared on one end. Two of the blades were swept to the side and one pointed straight up, forming an upside down T. They were all mended together, the two blades that swept to the side protruding from the straight one, making them perfect for piercing fish.
"Anything else?" the male asked her.
"No, that's all I need for now. By the way, do you know if there is a drugstore around here? I've been looking for one, but I still haven't found it yet."
"Of course. It's right down this street and then two turns to the right. You'll see it, it has those big green lights flashing."
"Thank you. And thanks for helping me finding these two. How much do these cost?"
"The bow's 40 Lien and the spear 30. The arrows and quiver cost 40. So, all together, that would be 110 Lien."
Nodding, Serena walked over to the counter and paid said price. She waved a good bye, then walked down the street, turning right twice just like the man had told her. It wasn't long until she saw the bright lights of the drugstore. Quietly entering, she grabbed a basket and began looking for the things she needed.
Amongst normal things such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, supplies for personal hygiene and so on, she also included some bandages, a bottle of disinfectant, a pair of scissors, tape, a few hair ties — in case she wanted to put her hair into a ponytail because it could be really annoying — and a hair brush. These would be her first aid kit in case she got injured –– she wasn't one to be unprepared for any kind of situation.
Strangely enough, she realized that her menstruation had stopped ever since she'd come here. She knew, because she'd had it when the plane crashed. But when she'd woken up in the forest, it was gone.
At least one good thing about being dead. Now I won't be getting cramps anymore.
Paying for the supplies, she made her way back to her little cave. It was surprisingly easy to remember the way. Though she had been afraid at first that she would get lost and would have to search for her new home again. She wasn't yet familiar with the forest, but in order to save herself the trouble, she created a map in her mind. It was based on landmarks such as trees or large boulders to help her navigate around without getting lost.
The sudden snapping of a twig coming from behind a bush made her head jerk up and look around. There was nothing there, but she was sure she felt the presence of someone or something hiding in the vicinity. Choosing not to challenge her luck, she marched on.
She didn't come very far.
Right in front of her, only a few feet away, was a black bear. But not just a normal black bear. It was the size of an elephant, with bony spikes sticking out of its back along. Along its face crept what looked to be a mask adorned with red markings. Add dangerous, crimson eyes and you had the perfect image of a creature that had crawled out of a nightmare.
There was no mistaking it. Only one thing came to mind as Serena stood there, paralyzed with fear:
Grimm.
Edited 03/12/2016
For my European friends, here are the heights in metric system: 5'10" = 1,77 m; 5'5" = 1,65 m
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. All I do own are my OC and the idea and plot of the non-canon parts of the story.