p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter/strong strong1:/strong strongEntering/strong strongShade/strong strongAcademy/strong strong(Rowan)/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal""This is the final stop" grunted the bus driver as the doors opened./p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you kidding me? You're seriously not gonna go any further up the mountain?" complained a scrawny ginger guy. The burly bus driver glared at him./p
p class="MsoNormal""You're lucky to get this far, kid. So, unless you wanna head back to where you came from, I'd suggest you hop to it." he replied threateningly. The kid took the message and scurried off the bus. I rolled my eyes. Life was tough in Vacuo so expecting it to be easy to get in was laughable. I grabbed my backpack and headed out. The blazing sun burned down on our backs. I'd better get to the school soon. Very few people ventured out in the middle of the day when it was the hottest. I looked up at the mountain. It seemed to reach right up into the sky and beyond. Focussing on my footing, I began to scramble up the rocky path./p
p class="MsoNormal""ARGH!" I yelled out in surprise as I slipped down a hole. Luckily being a Faunus, I could see in the dark. Looking at my surroundings I could see a stream of light coming in at the end of the tunnel. I ran towards convinced that it would lead to something important./p
p class="MsoNormal"My instincts paid off. Around the other side of the mountain was Shade Academy. The few places where there was something close to law and order. A place where I could finally become a huntress. Well it certainly looked impressive. It resembled a large fort with a low guard wall. I slid down the side. Here at last. I was excited for training to begin. Less so for having to interact with other people. My appearance was somewhat unnerving, making others wary of me. Not that I cared. What I did care about was getting rid of Grimm. Those monstrosities didn't deserve to live./p
p class="MsoNormal"Eventually, I'd managed to reach the main entrance. Well this was it. My life as a huntress was just about to begin./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter/strong strong2: Meeting/strong strongother/strong strongstudents/strong (strongNelifical/strong)/p
p class="MsoNormal"I shuffled uncomfortably on my feet. I was never very good with crowds. Now I was in a large hall packed full of other people. Great, just what I needed./p
p class="MsoNormal""So, you made it to Shade Academy first years" a deep voice announced. A bulky man with a goatee in checkered shirt strode up to the podium./p
p class="MsoNormal""And so begins the training of new hunters and huntresses. I am your headmaster Theodore. For tonight, you will be sleeping in this hall and tomorrow you will begin initiation and be divided into your teams. Feel free to explore the grounds but be back here by 7pm. That is all." With that he walked off. Some friendly head teacher, huh? Well I'd guess it would be surprising if he was. Life was tough in Vacuo and no one would let you forget it. I found a quiet spot in the hall and opened my lunch to eat it in peace. Just as I was about to eat my fruit, I felt someone pull my trunk./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ow! Quit it" I yelped out in pain./p
p class="MsoNormal""Why should I, freak?" a guy with a pinched-up face sneered at me. His friends laughed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Three picking on one, I'd hardly call that very fair." said a stranger with amber eyes/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh yeah and what ya gonna do about?" He replied mockingly. The stranger narrowed their eyes. Thwack! They wacked their elbow right into the gut of the nearest bully while punching the other one right in the nose. While he was staggering backwards, pinch face tried to punch the stranger, but they easily evaded the attack and did a roundhouse kick to his chest. He fell to the floor but was then wrapped up by a tail. It was a snake tail./p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't you dare pick on others again" threatened the stranger as they tightened their grip on pinch-face. He nodded rapidly. They released them from their grip. Gasping for breath, pinch-face grabbed the others and ran away./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank you" I turned to the snake Faunus, but they were already gone. Hmmm. Now most people would've at least stuck around. I guess they weren't like most people. Still I was grateful for their help. Maybe we'd meet again?/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter 3: Exploring campus (Ursinia)/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ya-hoo! Made it to Shade. Now I could finally train to kick some Grimm butt and maybe grab a cute boy while I was at it. There certainly wasn't a shortage of those about. Hopefully I'd snag one to be in my team. I could feel my wings flutter in excitement. Ah, there was so much to explore!/p
p class="MsoNormal"I zoomed down the corridors checking every nook and cranny. I pitied those who couldn't fly. Flying gave me the best feeling in the world. Still I'd better not over do it. The classrooms were located on the lower grounds while the teachers' offices were at the top. Headmaster Theodore's office, eh? Me likes. Checking that no one else was around, I peeped through the keyhole. Yup, that was our Head alright. Check out those muscles! He bent over to pick up a book. That view didn't disappoint! Unfortunately, my excitement got the better of me and I let out a girlish giggle. He looked up./p
p class="MsoNormal"Oh crap! I dashed down as quick as I could down the stairs. Phew! That was a close one. Better keep my spying on hotties more low-key next time. I looked around the campus some more. There weren't many outdoor places to explore. After all, most of Vacuo was a desert due to the overexploitation of natural resources. There was some more interesting places underground. Like a games room. Unfortunately, most of the other first years had found it too so I could barely see anything./p
p class="MsoNormal"The library itself was rather dull thought at least we actually had one. My last school didn't even have that. Still now was not the time to be thinking of the past but looking towards the future. My tummy gurgled. I'd got so wrapped up in exploring the campus that I'd totally lost track of time./p
p class="MsoNormal"I hurried to the great hall. It seemed everyone had managed to get here just in time. A large message was projected on a screen./p
p class="MsoNormal"emAll first years, head to the dining room for dinner. The hall will be prepared as the dormitory for tonight. Lights out at 10:30pm/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"10:30pm, huh? That gave me plenty of time to get myself prepped for tomorrow. A large number of guys starred at me as I entered the dining room. I flipped my hair and smiled sexily. Could I help it if I had that sort of body that guys liked? Most girls didn't appreciate my beauty and scowled at me. I shrugged. I was used to that sort of behaviour. I didn't pay much attention to what I was getting, apart from dessert. I guess being a butterfly Faunus kinda made me have a sweet tooth. I sat down with a bunch of guys already enamoured my natural charm. I think I was gonna like it here./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter 4: Initiation day (Bohumil)/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"I blinked blearily. Oh man, why did we have to get up so early? I was so not morning person. I looked at the others around me. Some felt just like I did whilst others were totally pumped up. That butterfly Faunus chick was dashing around the room excitedly. I don't what the hell she was on but man, could I do with it! I hastily grabbed some food and got my weapon gear ready. I held up the blades in the sunlight. Oh yeah, it was ready for action!/p
p class="MsoNormal"All the first years assembled just outside the border wall. We each stood on a stone tile. At the very front of the large group was a tall slim man wearing a Stetson with a cigar in his mouth./p
p class="MsoNormal""Listen up first years. My name is professor Frederick Figgins and I'll be overseeing initiation"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Fig" sniggered a guy with a pinched-up face. Bang! Within the blink of an eye, his smile was swept from his face as a bullet from one of Professor Figgins' pistols narrowly missed him./p
p class="MsoNormal""That was a warning shot boy. Next time you might not be so lucky" Damn, this guy meant business./p
p class="MsoNormal""For initiation, you need to explore these ruins and grab a token. The first person you encounter will be your teammate. Now I'd suggest that you brace yourselves for the challenge ahead."/p
p class="MsoNormal""ARGH!" yelled one of the girls as she was launched from her tile./p
p class="MsoNormal""NURGH!" shouted a guy who quickly followed. Ah, so that was how it was gonna be. As more and more students were launched off, I readied myself. The butterfly Faunus whooped in delight as she was set off, using her wings to guide her to someplace more stable. Alright for some. At least I had my hard shell if I had a bumpy landing./p
p class="MsoNormal"Woosh! I was soaring off the side a bit too fast for my comfort. Seriously, don't throw up. Don't throw up, don't throw up. I tucked myself into my shell. As I hit the ground, my body rolled down and I could taste sand in my mouth. Nice. At least I wasn't sick. As I regained my senses, I came out and surveyed my surroundings. Ah-ha! The ruins were just a short distance from here. This will be a piece of.../p
p class="MsoNormal""SHIT!" I yelled as I fell down a hole. Shaking myself I was about to get up when suddenly someone landed on top of me. Boobs. Massive boobs./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, you can feel then later but first we got out of here."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh right" I blushed. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I made out who I'd acted as a landing cushion for. It was butterfly chick. As she got off me, I noticed one of her wings was damaged./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, you're hurt."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Damn Nevermore. Luckily my arrows got it, but my wing won't heal for a little while so for now I'm stuck walking!" she complained pouting. Seriously, she was worried about walking?! Rolling my eyes, I put forward one of my hands/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm Bohumil Kame but everyone just calls me Bo for short."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ursinia Mursakino and I guess I should thank you for giving me a somewhat softer landing." She flipped her hair and battered her eyelashes after shaking my hand. Was she flirting with me? Dream on, Bo. Gathering my senses, I headed down the tunnel with Ursinia following closer behind./p
p class="MsoNormal""How do you know which way to go turtle-boy?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""Instinct. The place I fell was east of the ruins, so I figure if we keep heading west, we'll reach there."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, so you've got brains as well as brawn. Sexy" Flirting again? Boobs aside, she had quite a petite frame, hardly ideal for a huntress. Then again, I knew that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Scrape, scrape! We paused and gave each other a knowing glance. She reached for her bow while I pulled out Scissori Maximi from my back. We waited with bated breath./p
p class="MsoNormal"With a hideous shriek, a Death Stalker Grimm rushed towards us. Whoosh! Ursinia manged to hit an arrow straight in one of its eyes. As it shrieked louder, I jumped over the top and slashed off its stinger with my blades. Determined to carry on, it continued to advance towards Ursinia. She tried to shoot it but most of the arrows bounced of its armoured plates. With a yell, I leapt on top of it and managed to pierce it's skin. Shrieking loudly, it attempted to shake me off, but I kept slashing at the body until it stopped moving./p
p class="MsoNormal""Wow, you were certainly something against that Grimm turtle-boy." she said, sounding impressed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well I couldn't have done it without your arrows weakening it." She plucked them from what remained of the creature and on the floor./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm surprised there was one here. They don't normally come around these parts."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hmm. Never mind that now. You have everything?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""All of Rose Thorn is accounted for!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Rose Thorn?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""My bow and arrows Turtle-boy. And what do you call your weapons?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Scissori Maximi."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She giggled. I glared at her. Just when I was starting to see beyond her flirtiness, she was now giggling like a kid./p
p class="MsoNormal""Come on, Ursinia. We need to get moving." Placing Scissori Maximi back in it's holdalls behind me, we continued to journey westward. We seemed to be walking forever when I could suddenly hear something slithering around behind us. Another Grimm. Quickening our pace, I risked a glance behind us It was a Blind Worm. I really hated those./p
p class="MsoNormal""Quick, I can see the exit" Grabbing her hand without really thinking about it, we rushed into the –/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter/strong strong5: Finding the tokens (Rowan)/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"Stealthily moving across the desert, I'd so far managed to avoid seeing anyone else. Or Grimm for that matter. I leapt down into the ruins. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tokens must surely be nearby. As would be someone else. Not that I particularly cared. I'd rather be on my own than part of a team, but I guess I could put up with it for a couple of years at school. Then, I'd part ways with them and hunt Grimm alone. Same as ever./p
p class="MsoNormal"I could hear someone grunting in effort nearby. Peering behind a rock, I could see someone fending off some Jackalopes. It was the elephant Faunus I'd stopped those bullies from picking on. I had to admit I was impressed at how she was holding them off. What she didn't notice was one bounding up behind her. Instinctively, I grabbed Bonza and threw it towards the monstrosity. It cleaved its head right off splitting a crimson fountain before returning to my hand. She looked up relieved then yelled:/p
p class="MsoNormal""Get down!" Bang! As I dropped to the floor, she shot a Jackalope with her sniper. They were all dead now. We stared at each other for what seemed forever./p
p class="MsoNormal""Rowan Shinrin."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nelifical Ito." She replied quietly. For a large Faunus, she was much meeker around people than I expected. Although that was the complete opposite for handing that Grimm. Considering how she has only one eye, she was a pretty good shot too. She didn't seem to be injured and her chain mail was coated with Grimm blood. Nice./p
p class="MsoNormal""Let's get the token" Wordlessly, we walked through the ruins, keeping a lookout for any potential Grimm. So far so good. Eventually we reached a stone table where there seemed to be varying coins with different patterns on. I picked up one with a four-leaf clover. I held it up to see if Nelifical wanted that one too. She nodded. Well that was easy enough./p
p class="MsoNormal"Suddenly, two Faunus burst through the undergrowth swiftly followed by a Blind Worm. More prey. Dodging as it spewed acid, I threw my Bonza at it. Damn it, my boomerang had got stuck. While I slashed at its side with a dagger, Nelifical had reached to higher ground and was taking aim with her sniper. Bang! She managed to hit the side, but my weapon was still stuck in between its scales Despite its injury, it kept coming for us, it's ugly gaping jaws snapping menacingly. The turtle Faunus yelled:/p
p class="MsoNormal""Stand back, I got this! "Doing as he said, we all stood back. He removed the sabres from his back and begun to spin rapidly. Before we knew it, he'd become a mini tornado and sliced the Blind Worm up. Hmm, so I guess that was his semblance. I removed Bonza from what was left of the Grimm while the two other Faunus chose their token./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thanks" Nelifical and I said as I wiped the blood off Bonza./p
p class="MsoNormal""No worries" replied the turtle Faunus/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm Bohumil Kame but call me Bo."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ursinia Mursakino." announced the butterfly Faunus pulling up her stockings./p
p class="MsoNormal""Rowan Shinrin."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nelifical Ito."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Great. Now we've been all introduced let's get back asap. I don't know about you ladies but I'm starving."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBo smiled warmly at us./p
p class="MsoNormal""Pft I don't care as long as it's sugary." said Ursinia as she adjusted her bow. I was surprised she wasn't flying until I noticed one of her wings was damaged. Judging by the injury, I reckon it was a nevermore. Not that I particularly cared. I mean we did all the hard work against that last Grimm./p
p class="MsoNormal"We all headed back around the ruins. While Ursinia flirted with Bo, Nelifical and I walked silently together. Jeez, she was annoying. At least Nelifical wasn't bothering me. Apart from stating her name, she hadn't said a word. Good. I preferred no needless chit chat. Now we were back in the desert, I could see everyone more clearly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Nelifical had large elephant trunk, dark skin and long ebony hair. Her right eye was covered by an eye patch while her right ear had a large chunk of it missing. Damn, that must have seriously hurt. She had a large muscular physique which was covered in armour. Considering she was built like a tank; I was surprised she didn't show those bullies a piece of her mind. Guess you never could tell with some people./p
p class="MsoNormal"Bo was wearing a blue ensemble with knee pads. He had short brown hair underneath a red baseball cap while his swords were strapped to his back. Now those had definitely come in handy. Plus, I guess his shell helped when he needed to defend himself./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ursinia was wearing what could only be described as the most sickeningly pink outfit. Her purple hair came out in two plaits while her skin was surprisingly fair. He purple wings were kinda pretty, if you liked that sort of thing. Which I didn't./p
p class="MsoNormal""Umm guys I don't remember seeing this as we came down." Said Bo apprehensively. A old wooden rope bridge stretched between where we were standing and the rocky hill that we were launched from./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah I guess you three got disoriented as you fell down." she replied./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank goodness, I was able to fly down. Well most of the way. This is the quickest way back to Shade, trust me." Hmmm. It would take longer to find an alternative route plus with the sun reaching its peak, we needed to find shelter soon./p
p class="MsoNormal"Just as we started to approach the bridge, there was the sound of gnashing teeth. It was a herd of Dromedon./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey elephant-girl, gimme me a boost" ordered Ursinia. Who the heck did she think she was? Nelifical obeyed. When she reached higher, she leapt into the air and beat her wings. A fine yellow powder emerged and blew onto the Dromedons. They stopped moving./p
p class="MsoNormal""Paralysis powder. It should keep them still but only for a short while. It's less effective against larger Grimm" she explained. Not wanting to stick around, we rushed across the bridge. When most of the camel-like Grimm returned to normal, they retreated to shaded areas. Unfortunately, one decided we were still worth it and chased after us, spitting its dangerous venom./p
p class="MsoNormal""Go, I'll handle this" I said. Flipping Bonza around my wrist, I hurled it towards the Dromedon. As the spikes expanded, it caught it right in the eye. As it writhed around, I took out my dagger and slashed at it. It tried to bite me, but I used my tail to whack it straight in the face. Soon, it succumbed to my slashing./p
p class="MsoNormal"Chuckling, I walked to the home side when suddenly the wood gave way and I was falling. I desperately tried to grab onto a rock with my tail. Ah-ha. Wait a minute, that was definitely not a rock. Risking a glance upwards, I saw what I was actually holding onto. It was Nelifical's trunk. She hoisted me up to where the others were standing. We both blushed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Did she just save that snake Faunus with her nose?" asked Ursinia./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunk, Ursinia. It's a trunk." corrected Bo. As the others header up the hill, I turned to Nelifical and said/p
p class="MsoNormal""Thanks."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You're welcome" she quietly replied. If there is one thing for sure, this certainly turned out differently than I anticipated./p
p class="MsoNormal""This is the final stop" grunted the bus driver as the doors opened./p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you kidding me? You're seriously not gonna go any further up the mountain?" complained a scrawny ginger guy. The burly bus driver glared at him./p
p class="MsoNormal""You're lucky to get this far, kid. So, unless you wanna head back to where you came from, I'd suggest you hop to it." he replied threateningly. The kid took the message and scurried off the bus. I rolled my eyes. Life was tough in Vacuo so expecting it to be easy to get in was laughable. I grabbed my backpack and headed out. The blazing sun burned down on our backs. I'd better get to the school soon. Very few people ventured out in the middle of the day when it was the hottest. I looked up at the mountain. It seemed to reach right up into the sky and beyond. Focussing on my footing, I began to scramble up the rocky path./p
p class="MsoNormal""ARGH!" I yelled out in surprise as I slipped down a hole. Luckily being a Faunus, I could see in the dark. Looking at my surroundings I could see a stream of light coming in at the end of the tunnel. I ran towards convinced that it would lead to something important./p
p class="MsoNormal"My instincts paid off. Around the other side of the mountain was Shade Academy. The few places where there was something close to law and order. A place where I could finally become a huntress. Well it certainly looked impressive. It resembled a large fort with a low guard wall. I slid down the side. Here at last. I was excited for training to begin. Less so for having to interact with other people. My appearance was somewhat unnerving, making others wary of me. Not that I cared. What I did care about was getting rid of Grimm. Those monstrosities didn't deserve to live./p
p class="MsoNormal"Eventually, I'd managed to reach the main entrance. Well this was it. My life as a huntress was just about to begin./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter/strong strong2: Meeting/strong strongother/strong strongstudents/strong (strongNelifical/strong)/p
p class="MsoNormal"I shuffled uncomfortably on my feet. I was never very good with crowds. Now I was in a large hall packed full of other people. Great, just what I needed./p
p class="MsoNormal""So, you made it to Shade Academy first years" a deep voice announced. A bulky man with a goatee in checkered shirt strode up to the podium./p
p class="MsoNormal""And so begins the training of new hunters and huntresses. I am your headmaster Theodore. For tonight, you will be sleeping in this hall and tomorrow you will begin initiation and be divided into your teams. Feel free to explore the grounds but be back here by 7pm. That is all." With that he walked off. Some friendly head teacher, huh? Well I'd guess it would be surprising if he was. Life was tough in Vacuo and no one would let you forget it. I found a quiet spot in the hall and opened my lunch to eat it in peace. Just as I was about to eat my fruit, I felt someone pull my trunk./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ow! Quit it" I yelped out in pain./p
p class="MsoNormal""Why should I, freak?" a guy with a pinched-up face sneered at me. His friends laughed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Three picking on one, I'd hardly call that very fair." said a stranger with amber eyes/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh yeah and what ya gonna do about?" He replied mockingly. The stranger narrowed their eyes. Thwack! They wacked their elbow right into the gut of the nearest bully while punching the other one right in the nose. While he was staggering backwards, pinch face tried to punch the stranger, but they easily evaded the attack and did a roundhouse kick to his chest. He fell to the floor but was then wrapped up by a tail. It was a snake tail./p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't you dare pick on others again" threatened the stranger as they tightened their grip on pinch-face. He nodded rapidly. They released them from their grip. Gasping for breath, pinch-face grabbed the others and ran away./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank you" I turned to the snake Faunus, but they were already gone. Hmmm. Now most people would've at least stuck around. I guess they weren't like most people. Still I was grateful for their help. Maybe we'd meet again?/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter 3: Exploring campus (Ursinia)/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ya-hoo! Made it to Shade. Now I could finally train to kick some Grimm butt and maybe grab a cute boy while I was at it. There certainly wasn't a shortage of those about. Hopefully I'd snag one to be in my team. I could feel my wings flutter in excitement. Ah, there was so much to explore!/p
p class="MsoNormal"I zoomed down the corridors checking every nook and cranny. I pitied those who couldn't fly. Flying gave me the best feeling in the world. Still I'd better not over do it. The classrooms were located on the lower grounds while the teachers' offices were at the top. Headmaster Theodore's office, eh? Me likes. Checking that no one else was around, I peeped through the keyhole. Yup, that was our Head alright. Check out those muscles! He bent over to pick up a book. That view didn't disappoint! Unfortunately, my excitement got the better of me and I let out a girlish giggle. He looked up./p
p class="MsoNormal"Oh crap! I dashed down as quick as I could down the stairs. Phew! That was a close one. Better keep my spying on hotties more low-key next time. I looked around the campus some more. There weren't many outdoor places to explore. After all, most of Vacuo was a desert due to the overexploitation of natural resources. There was some more interesting places underground. Like a games room. Unfortunately, most of the other first years had found it too so I could barely see anything./p
p class="MsoNormal"The library itself was rather dull thought at least we actually had one. My last school didn't even have that. Still now was not the time to be thinking of the past but looking towards the future. My tummy gurgled. I'd got so wrapped up in exploring the campus that I'd totally lost track of time./p
p class="MsoNormal"I hurried to the great hall. It seemed everyone had managed to get here just in time. A large message was projected on a screen./p
p class="MsoNormal"emAll first years, head to the dining room for dinner. The hall will be prepared as the dormitory for tonight. Lights out at 10:30pm/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"10:30pm, huh? That gave me plenty of time to get myself prepped for tomorrow. A large number of guys starred at me as I entered the dining room. I flipped my hair and smiled sexily. Could I help it if I had that sort of body that guys liked? Most girls didn't appreciate my beauty and scowled at me. I shrugged. I was used to that sort of behaviour. I didn't pay much attention to what I was getting, apart from dessert. I guess being a butterfly Faunus kinda made me have a sweet tooth. I sat down with a bunch of guys already enamoured my natural charm. I think I was gonna like it here./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter 4: Initiation day (Bohumil)/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"I blinked blearily. Oh man, why did we have to get up so early? I was so not morning person. I looked at the others around me. Some felt just like I did whilst others were totally pumped up. That butterfly Faunus chick was dashing around the room excitedly. I don't what the hell she was on but man, could I do with it! I hastily grabbed some food and got my weapon gear ready. I held up the blades in the sunlight. Oh yeah, it was ready for action!/p
p class="MsoNormal"All the first years assembled just outside the border wall. We each stood on a stone tile. At the very front of the large group was a tall slim man wearing a Stetson with a cigar in his mouth./p
p class="MsoNormal""Listen up first years. My name is professor Frederick Figgins and I'll be overseeing initiation"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Fig" sniggered a guy with a pinched-up face. Bang! Within the blink of an eye, his smile was swept from his face as a bullet from one of Professor Figgins' pistols narrowly missed him./p
p class="MsoNormal""That was a warning shot boy. Next time you might not be so lucky" Damn, this guy meant business./p
p class="MsoNormal""For initiation, you need to explore these ruins and grab a token. The first person you encounter will be your teammate. Now I'd suggest that you brace yourselves for the challenge ahead."/p
p class="MsoNormal""ARGH!" yelled one of the girls as she was launched from her tile./p
p class="MsoNormal""NURGH!" shouted a guy who quickly followed. Ah, so that was how it was gonna be. As more and more students were launched off, I readied myself. The butterfly Faunus whooped in delight as she was set off, using her wings to guide her to someplace more stable. Alright for some. At least I had my hard shell if I had a bumpy landing./p
p class="MsoNormal"Woosh! I was soaring off the side a bit too fast for my comfort. Seriously, don't throw up. Don't throw up, don't throw up. I tucked myself into my shell. As I hit the ground, my body rolled down and I could taste sand in my mouth. Nice. At least I wasn't sick. As I regained my senses, I came out and surveyed my surroundings. Ah-ha! The ruins were just a short distance from here. This will be a piece of.../p
p class="MsoNormal""SHIT!" I yelled as I fell down a hole. Shaking myself I was about to get up when suddenly someone landed on top of me. Boobs. Massive boobs./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, you can feel then later but first we got out of here."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh right" I blushed. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I made out who I'd acted as a landing cushion for. It was butterfly chick. As she got off me, I noticed one of her wings was damaged./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, you're hurt."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Damn Nevermore. Luckily my arrows got it, but my wing won't heal for a little while so for now I'm stuck walking!" she complained pouting. Seriously, she was worried about walking?! Rolling my eyes, I put forward one of my hands/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm Bohumil Kame but everyone just calls me Bo for short."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ursinia Mursakino and I guess I should thank you for giving me a somewhat softer landing." She flipped her hair and battered her eyelashes after shaking my hand. Was she flirting with me? Dream on, Bo. Gathering my senses, I headed down the tunnel with Ursinia following closer behind./p
p class="MsoNormal""How do you know which way to go turtle-boy?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""Instinct. The place I fell was east of the ruins, so I figure if we keep heading west, we'll reach there."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, so you've got brains as well as brawn. Sexy" Flirting again? Boobs aside, she had quite a petite frame, hardly ideal for a huntress. Then again, I knew that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Scrape, scrape! We paused and gave each other a knowing glance. She reached for her bow while I pulled out Scissori Maximi from my back. We waited with bated breath./p
p class="MsoNormal"With a hideous shriek, a Death Stalker Grimm rushed towards us. Whoosh! Ursinia manged to hit an arrow straight in one of its eyes. As it shrieked louder, I jumped over the top and slashed off its stinger with my blades. Determined to carry on, it continued to advance towards Ursinia. She tried to shoot it but most of the arrows bounced of its armoured plates. With a yell, I leapt on top of it and managed to pierce it's skin. Shrieking loudly, it attempted to shake me off, but I kept slashing at the body until it stopped moving./p
p class="MsoNormal""Wow, you were certainly something against that Grimm turtle-boy." she said, sounding impressed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well I couldn't have done it without your arrows weakening it." She plucked them from what remained of the creature and on the floor./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm surprised there was one here. They don't normally come around these parts."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hmm. Never mind that now. You have everything?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""All of Rose Thorn is accounted for!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Rose Thorn?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""My bow and arrows Turtle-boy. And what do you call your weapons?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Scissori Maximi."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She giggled. I glared at her. Just when I was starting to see beyond her flirtiness, she was now giggling like a kid./p
p class="MsoNormal""Come on, Ursinia. We need to get moving." Placing Scissori Maximi back in it's holdalls behind me, we continued to journey westward. We seemed to be walking forever when I could suddenly hear something slithering around behind us. Another Grimm. Quickening our pace, I risked a glance behind us It was a Blind Worm. I really hated those./p
p class="MsoNormal""Quick, I can see the exit" Grabbing her hand without really thinking about it, we rushed into the –/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongChapter/strong strong5: Finding the tokens (Rowan)/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"Stealthily moving across the desert, I'd so far managed to avoid seeing anyone else. Or Grimm for that matter. I leapt down into the ruins. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tokens must surely be nearby. As would be someone else. Not that I particularly cared. I'd rather be on my own than part of a team, but I guess I could put up with it for a couple of years at school. Then, I'd part ways with them and hunt Grimm alone. Same as ever./p
p class="MsoNormal"I could hear someone grunting in effort nearby. Peering behind a rock, I could see someone fending off some Jackalopes. It was the elephant Faunus I'd stopped those bullies from picking on. I had to admit I was impressed at how she was holding them off. What she didn't notice was one bounding up behind her. Instinctively, I grabbed Bonza and threw it towards the monstrosity. It cleaved its head right off splitting a crimson fountain before returning to my hand. She looked up relieved then yelled:/p
p class="MsoNormal""Get down!" Bang! As I dropped to the floor, she shot a Jackalope with her sniper. They were all dead now. We stared at each other for what seemed forever./p
p class="MsoNormal""Rowan Shinrin."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nelifical Ito." She replied quietly. For a large Faunus, she was much meeker around people than I expected. Although that was the complete opposite for handing that Grimm. Considering how she has only one eye, she was a pretty good shot too. She didn't seem to be injured and her chain mail was coated with Grimm blood. Nice./p
p class="MsoNormal""Let's get the token" Wordlessly, we walked through the ruins, keeping a lookout for any potential Grimm. So far so good. Eventually we reached a stone table where there seemed to be varying coins with different patterns on. I picked up one with a four-leaf clover. I held it up to see if Nelifical wanted that one too. She nodded. Well that was easy enough./p
p class="MsoNormal"Suddenly, two Faunus burst through the undergrowth swiftly followed by a Blind Worm. More prey. Dodging as it spewed acid, I threw my Bonza at it. Damn it, my boomerang had got stuck. While I slashed at its side with a dagger, Nelifical had reached to higher ground and was taking aim with her sniper. Bang! She managed to hit the side, but my weapon was still stuck in between its scales Despite its injury, it kept coming for us, it's ugly gaping jaws snapping menacingly. The turtle Faunus yelled:/p
p class="MsoNormal""Stand back, I got this! "Doing as he said, we all stood back. He removed the sabres from his back and begun to spin rapidly. Before we knew it, he'd become a mini tornado and sliced the Blind Worm up. Hmm, so I guess that was his semblance. I removed Bonza from what was left of the Grimm while the two other Faunus chose their token./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thanks" Nelifical and I said as I wiped the blood off Bonza./p
p class="MsoNormal""No worries" replied the turtle Faunus/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm Bohumil Kame but call me Bo."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ursinia Mursakino." announced the butterfly Faunus pulling up her stockings./p
p class="MsoNormal""Rowan Shinrin."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nelifical Ito."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Great. Now we've been all introduced let's get back asap. I don't know about you ladies but I'm starving."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBo smiled warmly at us./p
p class="MsoNormal""Pft I don't care as long as it's sugary." said Ursinia as she adjusted her bow. I was surprised she wasn't flying until I noticed one of her wings was damaged. Judging by the injury, I reckon it was a nevermore. Not that I particularly cared. I mean we did all the hard work against that last Grimm./p
p class="MsoNormal"We all headed back around the ruins. While Ursinia flirted with Bo, Nelifical and I walked silently together. Jeez, she was annoying. At least Nelifical wasn't bothering me. Apart from stating her name, she hadn't said a word. Good. I preferred no needless chit chat. Now we were back in the desert, I could see everyone more clearly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Nelifical had large elephant trunk, dark skin and long ebony hair. Her right eye was covered by an eye patch while her right ear had a large chunk of it missing. Damn, that must have seriously hurt. She had a large muscular physique which was covered in armour. Considering she was built like a tank; I was surprised she didn't show those bullies a piece of her mind. Guess you never could tell with some people./p
p class="MsoNormal"Bo was wearing a blue ensemble with knee pads. He had short brown hair underneath a red baseball cap while his swords were strapped to his back. Now those had definitely come in handy. Plus, I guess his shell helped when he needed to defend himself./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ursinia was wearing what could only be described as the most sickeningly pink outfit. Her purple hair came out in two plaits while her skin was surprisingly fair. He purple wings were kinda pretty, if you liked that sort of thing. Which I didn't./p
p class="MsoNormal""Umm guys I don't remember seeing this as we came down." Said Bo apprehensively. A old wooden rope bridge stretched between where we were standing and the rocky hill that we were launched from./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah I guess you three got disoriented as you fell down." she replied./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank goodness, I was able to fly down. Well most of the way. This is the quickest way back to Shade, trust me." Hmmm. It would take longer to find an alternative route plus with the sun reaching its peak, we needed to find shelter soon./p
p class="MsoNormal"Just as we started to approach the bridge, there was the sound of gnashing teeth. It was a herd of Dromedon./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey elephant-girl, gimme me a boost" ordered Ursinia. Who the heck did she think she was? Nelifical obeyed. When she reached higher, she leapt into the air and beat her wings. A fine yellow powder emerged and blew onto the Dromedons. They stopped moving./p
p class="MsoNormal""Paralysis powder. It should keep them still but only for a short while. It's less effective against larger Grimm" she explained. Not wanting to stick around, we rushed across the bridge. When most of the camel-like Grimm returned to normal, they retreated to shaded areas. Unfortunately, one decided we were still worth it and chased after us, spitting its dangerous venom./p
p class="MsoNormal""Go, I'll handle this" I said. Flipping Bonza around my wrist, I hurled it towards the Dromedon. As the spikes expanded, it caught it right in the eye. As it writhed around, I took out my dagger and slashed at it. It tried to bite me, but I used my tail to whack it straight in the face. Soon, it succumbed to my slashing./p
p class="MsoNormal"Chuckling, I walked to the home side when suddenly the wood gave way and I was falling. I desperately tried to grab onto a rock with my tail. Ah-ha. Wait a minute, that was definitely not a rock. Risking a glance upwards, I saw what I was actually holding onto. It was Nelifical's trunk. She hoisted me up to where the others were standing. We both blushed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Did she just save that snake Faunus with her nose?" asked Ursinia./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunk, Ursinia. It's a trunk." corrected Bo. As the others header up the hill, I turned to Nelifical and said/p
p class="MsoNormal""Thanks."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You're welcome" she quietly replied. If there is one thing for sure, this certainly turned out differently than I anticipated./p