Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Monty Oum from Roosterteeth. (9/1/13)
Miracles of Ancient Wonder
Chapter Three: A Forest Brunt
"For years, you have trained to become warriors," Headmaster Ozpin began, "and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
Beacon Cliff was its namesake, the edge leading to display the full span of the forest. With the canopies of trees and spaces beyond Carissa's sight, she felt what was coming. From her peripheral vision, everyone on the platforms remained silent with neutral expressions, albeit for some few.
When she arrived on the spot, she was one of the first, and joined three others down the line. Steadily it'd crept up to fourteen. The amber-eyed girl had also stepped in, barely giving her a glance. It left her to question if they had really acknowledged each other. The walk seemed to have washed away the anxiety pent up inside of her, feeling capable she would accomplish the Initiation. She had seen the weapons everyone had, ranging from swords and axes. The more advanced weapons were a familiar sight from her former academy.
The headmaster gave a subtle glance at Miss Goodwitch, prompting her to speak. She turned to face the row of students. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams." Carissa narrowed her eyes. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates…today." She swept her eyes across the row, gauging for a reaction. She did get a few groans.
"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." The headmaster added.
"What?!" a familiar voice whined to Carissa's far right, almost making her turn to see who it was, but she focused on the headmaster's words. It sounded possible; the forest was wide and filled with living traps, and she wouldn't take it for granted. But why so freely? The headmaster would have been deliberate in the choice of teams.
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die."
"So that's possible." Carissa muttered to herself, looking at the forest with a new perspective. The depths below were tougher to stomach. Life and death was literally in her hands once she arrived there. Staring at the platform beneath her feet, an idea popped in her head, and she almost smiled. The headmaster is clever.
"You will be monitored and graded during the duration of your Initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics." There was her assignment. "Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
Carissa just stood tall. A cool breeze caught the back of her coat, making it flutter. If she was right, she'd have to stream through the first few miles of the forest, before searching for a partner. With the other participants behind her, she knew they would be widely spread, and she would encounter the Grim. Involuntarily, her hands clenched into fists. It's been awhile since I faced those.
"Yeah." There was the voice again, the boy from the amphitheatre. His voice was especially hesitant. "Um, sir—"
"Good! Take your positions." The headmaster instructed, cutting him off. The light-hearted look in Ozpin's eyes set aside him from the stiff man of yesterday. His cane was replaced by a mug of coffee, with his left arm tucked behind him.
Carissa settled into her stance, the high ward, unsheathing Sylph and tensing her legs. She was ignoring the chatters of conversation in the distance, already in focus.
Fourteen platforms. She wasn't surprised with the thought that there would be other sites. The monsters…she knew they wouldn't be entering an ordinary forest. Beacon, while maintaining its modern look, it was older than Signal. Before it became an academy, must've been a castle with renowned residents, with a powerful reputation to raise a school.
From side-view, she saw a white streak—Weiss Schnee—shoot skywards from her springboard. Her assumption was correct. Now she had to wait.
The sky filled with her classmates and potential partners, with their distance high away to tell they were going to be placed in centermost of the forest.
Carissa heard a whirring of mechanics spur to life under her platform, and she put more tension on her rear foot. She gripped Sylph tighter, and then pointed her free arm like a cursor.
In a split second, she was airborne. She squinted as the wind blew sharply at her face, and she kept her left hand pointing in front of her, watching canopies of trees rush by. She wanted to ease by the beginning before going on foot. She was on a height where she couldn't land, and she waited for the drop.
The silence ended as the sky was filled with gunfire muzzle and nameless other sounds which she assumed the others were landing. She waited, feeling the altitude gradually declining, until she could see how the branches of each tree swayed in the breeze. It was somewhat thrilling, to be in the air, even if she would have to land, eventually.
Targeting a tree taller than the others yards away, she marked it as a spot in her mind and swung, unleashing two wide shockwaves that formed a cross pattern. It flew out with a whistle, and she watched the green projectiles of gales striking their target. The momentum made her spin full circle before she righted herself.
A loud burst came with the connection; it'd sawed off the top of the trees, leaving it with a tall stump, the blown-off leaves scattering to the ground.
She tensed her muscles, raising her hands as the rebound from the slashes had ended her flight. Gravity took over as she plunged below, freefall, with her sword arm cocked back, and began her descent into the make-shift clearing.
Leaning forward, she kept her free arm pointing like a cursor, gripping Sylph like a vice, feeling energy course through her body. She had to time this right. If she hesitated, she would become a bloody splat on the ground.
Go! She spun, leaning forward as she did so, her surroundings becoming a blur. The hole in Sylph's blade made a set of cadence-like notes as she produced a funnel of air streaming of bright green and silver. She kept in motion, the sinking feeling gone from her stomach.
The small cyclone kept her afloat during her landing, making the surrounding trees sway as she neared the ground. Carissa landed into a crouch, the grass breaking some tension from the fall in her legs. She sheathed her sword before breaking into a dash. Choosing a path she deemed free of the shrubs and saplings, she went through, gradually running faster. If she could find a partner before encountering the beasts, she'd feel less endangered. Her landing was safe, but she'd risked making a noise that would've aggravated whatever was in the depths of the forest.
Carissa zipped through the trees so quickly, all she could only hear the shrill shriek of the wind by her ears. The trees thinned the further she ran, giving her a broader look of her surroundings. "Okay." She whispered under her breath. I'm still going north.
She changed to a brisk walking pace, scanning the area with caution, watching where each footfall went. She'd reached a decent distance away from her landing spot, but she had her doubts. Her nervousness was developing to the point she set her teeth on edge. She loudly breathed, forcing herself on. I'm making progress. She reassured herself, straightening her posture and walking on. She absorbed the feel of the breeze on her face as she continued in the growing heat, the boots brushing aside the grass as she continued the diligent march to the end of the forest. The breeze blew out behind her, making her hair blow into her eyes, blocking her line of sight.
A sigh escaped Carissa's lips as she turned to face the wind. Pulling out a hair band from one of her front pockets, gathering her hair in a short ponytail. Flipping up her collar, she pressed on, giving the occasional glance behind her.
Gunfire blew off in the distance as Carissa walked, already tense from the howls of monsters as they attacked her classmates. By then, most of them had partners, and she was still going solo. If there was someone nearby, she would have to call them out.
And alert everything that kills in the forest. Carissa objected herself. She kept her pace, but her mind was filled with possibilities. She would exhaust herself fighting the monsters by herself, and if she continued on her own, she wouldn't reach the standards. It was required.
Taking a deep breath, she cupped her hands as she slowly entered a clearing that sloped downwards. The silence had become too overbearing for her. "Hey!" she shouted into the copse of trees, facing any side as she waited for a response. The gunfire had ceased, and her breath hitched. This needs to be done. "Anybody without a partner?" she raised her voice.
A loud rustle from a bunch of shrubs made Carissa put a hand on Sylph. She drew the sword, shifting it from hand to hand. Her chances of eluding the monsters were gone, and they'd gotten her by herself, too. Settling on using her right hand, she slowly circled the source of the noise.
I'm not going to be torn apart. Adopting a stance with her sword arm at the hip, she slowly stepped around the shrubs, waiting for the inevitable. She was set on edge, forcing down the few seconds of terror she'd felt.
Carissa was prepared for the attack behind her. Hearing heavy footfalls, she spun around to see a charging Beowolf. Its appearance was ragged, with its body protruding with bones. She unsheathed Catalyst and held them out like a cross, one over the other, before the beast was upon her.
She lunged as a claw shot out, catching it between the blades, making an effective scissor-thrust. She braced herself as the weight of the beast made her feet slide a few inches, until she clamped the claw and pressed forward. It roared, and she winced. It sounded like a human in anguish.
But it was a Grim. They're the beasts against the world. She reminded herself. She could sense around her that this wasn't a lone wolf, from a chorus of growls growing closer as she grappled against the Beowolf. She knew how fast they were, and she gave them no warning as she struck.
Beginning a chain attack, she shoved it backwards with her blades, scoring a pair of slashes at its chest, knocking it back even further. She launched herself, falling into a split step, spinning to execute a backhand strike at the side of its neck, Sylph whistling.
Carissa blinked as her shot walloped the head off its shoulders, pieces of fur trailing from the execution. The body slumped to the floor, and she pivoted, facing another Beowolf, amazed by how she'd handled her first kill.
Her eyes landed on a group of beasts stalking out of the undergrowth, their lips curled into snarls. There were eight of them, Beowolves and the bear-like monsters. She leapt back a distance between the end of the clearing and the monsters, judging them from afar. There were too many for her to fight coordinately, and she sheathed Catalyst, twirling Sylph in her hand as she prepared to counter. She was able to take the first by surprise, but she didn't know how tough they were.
They charged towards her, and she fell into her stance, keeping watch of the two that kept behind like reinforcements.
Time seemed to freeze when a tremor shook the ground in the direction of the group, and she held her ground, even while she was surprised. Something was coming, but the monsters pressed on without hesitation.
In a split second, up from the ground shot a wide column of jagged stones, piercing four Beowolves and the Grim Bear by the chests. Upon contact, they reduced into dust. The fifth one, a Beowolf, managed to avoid a direct blow, but it staggered as one of its external bones snapped off one of its arms. Who did that? She spent a few moments searching the field for the manipulator in question, but she remained alone.
And I'm not done yet.
Carissa launched herself at the beast, pushing off as it swung its arm to the side. She twisted in the air, landing neatly on the balls of her feet. She stabbed her sword into its spine, jerking it out as she turned to meet the two pursuers. She unsheathed her other sword, pointing it forward and above the waist.
One of them pierced itself on Catalyst, and she dodged a slowly-timed pounce, throwing a strong gale in the monster's direction. It collided, sending the Grim Bear smashing through a tree. The last one, weakened, she finished it off with a sharp thrust into its chest.
Counting the bodies of the monsters, they were among a horde. Whoever gave her the advantage against them—she'd have to find them. Carissa sheathed her swords and followed the sounds of growls and tremors, accompanied by the cries of pain as each monster were beaten.
Running through yards of tall grass and bushes, Carissa skidded to a stop as she saw a large boulder fly past her, followed by the sound of rock meeting bone. She stepped into the shade of the trees and looked out into the dusty clearing, what already seemed like a battlefield. The ground surrounding her appeared to be littered with crater-sized holes.
What she saw appeared to be an area covered by a mini sandstorm.
Carissa watched a dark figure blur past a beastly duo, landing onto their feet as they swung a medium-length rod in a wide slash, before the ground underneath the monsters dissolved into quicksand, rooting them to the spot as they sunk, leaving them floundering. It was hard to take in as the ground the fighter was on seemed to revolve in a steady circle, keeping the monsters out of balance as they picked them off, with both their weapon and the earth.
It was causing quite a commotion, as more monsters hurtled in, either being knocked out of the ring or adding to the mounds of the dust the person was turning them into. But they're probably exhausted. Carissa noted, watching the sandstorm reduce into a dust cloud. She knew that the amount of aura being channeled would be tiring. Unsheathing her swords, she deliberately went toward the opposition as the dust cleared.
It revealed a dark brunette facing the group of monsters, cornered into the base of a large tree. She wore a maroon shawl above the waist over a white high-necked collar shirt, with a beige pleated skirt and a belt, with short black boots. Along with the attire she had leather armguards with red sleeves that extended to the forearms. A curtain of hair was clipped to the right by a yellow barrette, and another to hold the shawl. In her right hand, she held a silver stave, with a golden trio of spearheads bending towards the center.
She seemed to be calling all in her strength as they gathered around. Suddenly, she flicked her stave to the ground, thrusting it upwards as four masses of land were uprooted from the ground, levitating towards her in revolution.
Carissa didn't need to think. She'd found an opening.
The Beowolves and Grim Bears' concentration on their meal didn't provide them the defense as Carissa rushed forward, swords poised in her hands, entering the fray.
She slammed onto the back of a Grim Bear, burying her blades into them. A roar from behind prompted her to vault off as a beastly duo threw themselves at her.
In the moment she set her feet onto the ground, she zipped toward the pair,blasting through the one on her right, reappearing from behind to slash an uppercut across its chest, ending it with a sidekick. Her speed increasing as her Dust cartridge emptied, she snapped her left wrist and brought the blade backward, completing a spin before the beast could respond. The force of the gale knocked it back a few yards, along with its allies.
Facing a particularly large Grim Bear, she steeled herself to block, only to watch a crown of stalagmites rush up to pierce it. She could feel her eyes widen from recognition.
Mystery solved.
Carissa quickly slid in place beside the girl, both of them gripping their weapons as the monsters stalked forward on their quarters. "So that was you." She murmured, sheathing Catalyst and reaching into the folds of her coat, ejecting the empty cartridge from Sylph. With practiced ease, she tossed out a fresh load of Dust and jerked the butt of her hilt towards it, snapping it closed once it went inside.
"If we're quick on our feet, this will be finished quickly." The girl replied; a relieved look was on her face. She raised her hands, waving the stave in a circle while she clenched her free hand. A loud series of crunching noises came from each jagged stone as they were compacted, excess grass crumbling away. "I'll back you up."
The girl opened her palm, thrusting it forward. The four stone spears flew, striking their targets, burying them in debris. It was like a signal, bringing all the Grim to attack.
Carissa released a chain of shockwaves, pummeling Beowolves from afar. Covering the distance in a stride, the momentum was used to leap into a somersault, her blade overhead as she sliced over the group without a second thought.
Dropping to the ground with a tumble, she grappled with a Beowolf, ending the struggle with a front kick that sent it sprawling, finishing it with a cut to the throat.
She fought both with instinct and logic, never giving a second to the beasts. With their small number and raw intelligence, she was able to pick them off.
Throughout the fight, she could see her partner never leaving her spot, but causing just as much devastation in the clearing. Rocks were upturned and collided; anything too near her was finished with a quick, calculated slices.
Pivoting on her left foot, she spun away from the claws of the monsters, when the ground beneath them dissolved into a small pool of quicksand. She unsheathed Catalyst to blast them with a crosscut. She tensed, waiting for a sign that her wellbeing was endangered.
The growls and noises that accompanied the monsters when they fought were gone. Lowering her guard, she turned around, sweeping her eyes across the field. Fortunately, her partner was still standing, and reapplying the clip to her hair as she crossed the bodies of the monsters.
The adrenaline she'd gained in the time they'd fought left her heart racing. In the little moments of the battle, she'd narrowly escaped from being clawed to pieces, or even pounded to the ground. Up close, the girl had dark hazel eyes. Already she seemed comfortable with Carissa's presence as her stave folded to the length of a wand, hooking it to the belt around her skirt.
"Thank you for that," The girl greeted, her grin friendly, "the monsters were overwhelming."
"You're welcome." Carissa replied, a small smile touching the corners of her lips. It was relaxing to find that she was no longer alone in the forest, and another pair of eyes to complete the assignment. "I guess this means we're partners for the next four years."
"Four years—well, I'm Lorelei Lance." They began to leave the clearing, passing through a trail that had fewer shrubs and prickly branches. "And you are…?"
"Carissa Aria." She shifted the straps of her bag and folded her collar, letting her hair fall from its ponytail as a light breeze picked up.
They pinpointed north, going at a pace that went leisurely but pressed for time, growing aware of the silence that was forming. Deciding to speak first, Carissa thought of exchanging predictions. It sounded extreme of her to think the relics were warded off by mechanized traps, or even one of the aged Grim.
"I've never met a person with the two-sword technique." Lorelei said, snapping Carissa out of her reverie, she glanced at the dark brunette. She only stared ahead as they kept walking.
"…I haven't met anyone who uses Dust so well." Carissa got a hum in response. "My school, the basics were centered on using multiple weapons decently. Dust classes were for credit, but some of my classmates never went beyond that."
"I guess my own school balanced it out." Lorelei explained. "Where did you graduate?"
Before Carissa could answer, a loud explosion of gunfire echoed across the forest, freezing them in their tracks. The two tilted their heads up to see a flock of birds soar from their roosts. "That came very close. At least a hundred yards away." She noted, instinctively placing a hand on Sylph's hilt.
"They're all ahead of us, aren't they? No wonder—" Lorelei was cut off by a deep roar that dominated the rest. Her eyes narrowed, pulling out her stave and extending it to the original size.
"Beowolves are after another pair." Carissa guessed, rolling up her pant legs to reach the thighs. The forest had its corners filled with monsters, and she wasn't interested in facing another group. "We should investigate if we're passing through."
"Yeah, I've heard on how several students die each year."
Carissa faced her with a frown. "I hope you aren't planning to leave them, Lorelei."
The girl shot her an incredulous look. "Are you serious?" she looked sheepish when one of Carissa's eyebrows shot up. "They won't be statistics anytime soon." She assured her.
"Okay." Carissa unsheathed her swords, hiking them upwards as they descended down a steep slope as the howls grew louder and more frenzied. "Judging from that, the pair must have left. But Beowolves are fast."
"We'll be providing a distraction, then." They sprinted faster, the noises becoming distinct as they neared the area, stopping under an open canopy.
Carissa's worries grew as she tilted her head to the cloudy sky. It was marred by a large plume of smoke that was quite near. "Lorelei," she faced her partner, her tone brisk. "Do you see that?"
"Yeah." She frowned, her lips thinning. "What else?"
Taking a few steps forward, she inhaled, almost coughing what filled her lungs. "I smell burning wood."
"Who in the right mind would use fire in the forest?" the girl groaned, voicing Carissa's concern. "They're going to rile up the Grim."
"It could've been a misfire. We weren't really coordinated."
"Ah, my fault." Lorelei said, crossing her arms with the stave in hand. She seemed to be coming to a decision, because she spun around, her long hair nearly whipping Carissa across the face. "Carissa, this is the time we will work together."
I thank the reviewers who gave me advice on how to improve my writing. It's getting better (or worse). This chapter was sort of spat out; I'm getting used to applying action scenes, but they left me with a headache. Episode 7 was more development for the canon characters, and watching the Episode 8 preview was amazing.
Carissa's not going to be the only OC out there. I have at least a handful of them. My story is meant to branch off from the main storyline and form its own, but it's coming. With school coming in a week, it's expected my updates are going to come out at a way slower pace. It will happen, so sorry in advance!
I can take criticism, as long as you have something I should adjust or improve.