Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Monty Oum of Roosterteeth. (10/23/14)

Additional: I told you there would be a delay! And this was halved.

Miracles of Ancient Wonder

Chapter Four: Mounting Ambition

Meticulously, Carissa slid the twin blades out from their sheaths and tapped them together. When they let out a soft ring, she let her arms fall to her sides. The sound seemed to bring her back to the present, as she surveyed the inferno in front of her. It was a deep contrast to the cool-colored vegetation around her, while the blaring red just stood out, the tips of the flames trailing smoke while inhumane echoes came from the inside.

Stand-by. Lorelei's first words of order echoed in her head, and she stood patiently, holding her stance to counter any Grim lurking around. She was no stranger to this, as she had exercises with classmates while taking different roles. Her partner's plan had come from a long line of experience.

The pair who'd started the flames were lucky; Dust fires didn't last long, but they left more damage than the embers that came from little sparks. She was sure that there had been a few students toting around fire-based weapons, but she didn't want to point fingers.

Her head shot up when she heard a loud bang, followed by a piercing whistle that reverberated across the field. Literally, it'd silenced the birds and Grim. Once again she was impressed by Lorelei's abilities, as she watched the projectile race to the sky.

It was a large boulder that rose above the fire. It stayed idle in the air for a few moments, before gravity brought it dipping into the fence-high flames.

Carissa blinked when it splintered into a hundred pieces, raining down onto the Beowolves, their terror unseen as she heard their anguished howls. "Wow," she breathed, watching a stray splinter pierce the ground a few yards away. It was about her size. She felt the urge to go up and inspect it, but she focused on the task.

Lorelei had been vague on the signal, but her choice of distraction put her name alongside several tacticians she knew by name. While she knew them for years, someone she barely knew for a few hours was making them run for their money. Storing that thought for later, she paced forward, bringing herself out of the shadows.

I guess that's my cue.

Carissa adjusted her grip on the sword, raising them high before she slammed their pommels together, her thumb flying over the top switch.

With three ascending pitches, steel bolts and ribbons wove over them, the mechanisms avoiding her hands as she rotated Sylph Catalyst once, as the process completed itself. In her hands were a swordstaff.

She channeled both Aura and Dust, spinning it like a windmill as she gathered her energies. It gave off green and silver streaks, becoming a sharp blur as she approached the front of the field. Then she spun on her heel, slashing at the fire.

The shockwave flew out in a wide arc, blasting past the wall of flames; instantly, the two elements mixed together into a flare tornado. She could feel the heat, even if she was on the edge. A cacophony of barks came from within as the Beowolves fought to get away from the new threat, and Carissa tensed, readying herself to defend against a horde.

She didn't have to.

A loud, resonating ring made her look to the ground bordering the forest fire, watching the linings of a golden glyph appear, and out sprouted a ring of stalagmites. The power even made the ground quake a bit.

She flowed into a fighting stance as the tip of one of the stalagmites broke, and a Beowolf tumbled out. It quickly recovered and got on its fours. Its pelt was burning, but it stayed defiant, leering at her. The beast charged, clearing the space between them in a bound.

Carissa crouched as the beast leapt. Before it could strike her, she bent low, sweeping a leg for leverage as she shot up and thrust the blade into its chest. The Beowolf crumpled, and she jerked out her swordstaff, rolling out before it could flatten her.

She sensed the ground rumble, and she turned back. Are there any more? She worried, quickly exchanging a Dust cartridge.

The ring of stalagmites was gone, replaced by a whirlpool of sand. As it churned, she could see the charred trees crumble into bits, mixing into the sand, as well as drag down the remaining Beowolves. From Carissa's perspective, its speed increased to the point it whipped up a sandstorm, forcing her to cover her eyes.

When Carissa had lifted her hand, the dust had settled. It looks like a desert. She thought, kicking up a cloud to confirm it. She disconnected Sylph Catalyst and placed them back into their sheaths before stepping forward, planning to signal to her partner.

"Hey!" someone called from the opposite side of the field, and Carissa looked up, squinting at the small figure waving a golden stave in their hand. She was glad to see that Lorelei was alive, and didn't drop dead from using her Aura. That amount would be taxing. Gesturing to herself to show she wanted Lorelei to follow, she began to return to the forest.

Boom.

"Where…" Where did that come from? Carissa almost snapped her neck when she spun, trying to pinpoint the location of the noise.

She froze as something golden streak past her side, before it stabbed something behind her. "What…" she muttered. Her gaze followed the long thread, before she saw her partner's form come at her, and her stomach sank. "…oh, why?"

In a split second, she dropped to her knees, covered her ears and shut her eyes, expecting to hear a shriek and have blood splattered over her. As thought, she heard a loud thud. Just to be sure she hadn't heard the death of her partner she stood up, turned around, and opened her eyes.

A gold whipcord looped down the tree Lorelei had picked, with the said girl lying on her back, wearing a stunned look on her face. Carissa rushed over, offering a hand to the dark brunette. To her relief, Lorelei was conscious enough to use it as an anchor to lift herself.

"That was self-destructive." Carissa started, her throat dry, watching the girl dust herself off. "Creative, but self-destructive."

"Yes." Lorelei replied, bending down to retrieve the handle of what seemed to be her stave. "I know that it won't be repeated. Well, you can't improvise everything."

"Live and learn." Carissa pointed out.

"The deer-in-the-headlights-look made the mistake more bearing."

"…That's the last you'll see of it." Carissa motioned to the tree, half-amused and half-worried. Someone at that speed would've been run to the ground. "Can you walk?" she asked.

"I just slid on my butt, that's all." In one fluid motion, she wrenched the ropedart off the tree. She must've pulled a trigger as she did so, because it retracted, coiling around itself as it got thicker, returning into its stave form. It left a long, winding gouge on the base of the tree, along with the hole left by the spearhead. "Extendable Dust-Conductor Stave." She explained, clipping it to her left hip. "I call it the Golden Falcon."

"That's incredible." Carissa smiled, patting one of her scabbards. I should return the favor. "Sylph Catalyst."

"Good name." Lorelei nodded. "You put a lot of thought into it, am I right?"

"Well, I did it on a whim. It's stuck with me since." She told her. They had to get back on track. "We're still in the right direction, so we can continue to the temple."

"Righty-oh." The dark brunette began to walk, with Carissa keeping in pace. The air was crisp, and the sun was still high. "So, what do you think?"

"Yes?"

"Do I make the ideal partner?" Lorelei glanced at her.

"You've proven it." Carissa answered, keeping it neutral. "And you're going to have a great teammate to back you up."

"Thanks!" You're welcome. Carissa could hear the relief in Lorelei's voice as she spun once. "Carissa, when I saw you whip up that tornado, it was when I knew I made the right choice."

"Only now?" Carissa turned on the girl, rising up to the challenge. "I haven't shown you my full capabilities."

"I see." Lorelei grinned. Carissa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Can't wait. But I didn't play my full deck. Not just yet." She jabbed her fist in the air. "Come on, let's go!"

Her enthusiasm mixed with Carissa, and she followed along, sticking her hands inside the pockets of her coast as they power-walked, pushing through the foliage and unknown. So far, she'd become comfortable with her partner.

These are the qualities that make a leader, she realized, as she bent underneath a branch. It was there: execution, excellence, and experience. Lorelei had made a plan, and it came out successful. She was certain that Lorelei was the better leader, with how well they excelled in the battlefield.

The girl gave off a confident vibe that wasn't over-the-top or artificial, and what was the most essential was how they joined together. She'd sealed the deal.

I can let this person watch my back.

"So they're chess pieces." Carissa said, eyeing one of the pedestals that were arranged like a crescent. Right now, she was looking at a golden knight.

"Something old wouldn't be arranged perfectly like this." Lorelei voiced her thoughts. She was eyeing the row of black-colored relics, and poking at one of the columns. "The headmaster probably did this."

Carissa hummed in agreement and crossed the temple grounds, her boots clicking on stone and old mortar. "We need to take one relic, if I remember. That's what he said for each team."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Verbatim?"

"Verbatim."Carissa splayed out her hands, relieving the stiffness that came with holding swords for so long. A thought ran through her—the professor would be watching them, somehow keeping his eyes on all the other students. "Faster, please?"

"So it will be a golden bishop for us, then." The girl said, plucking the piece off the pedestal. She turned it her hands for a few moments, before zipping it inside a black leather case on her right hip. "It's about time we go back to the cliffs. It's namby-pamby in my mind how we're going to go…up." She rambled, hands moving to make her point.

Carissa blinked. "Wishy-washy?"

"They're the same thing…not important." Lorelei dismissed it with the wave of her hand.

"Right." Carissa took in her surroundings, trying to find a clue. The temple, for a long time, was in a state of ruin. But the pedestals that held the chess pieces were new; their shine was what stood out. "Lorelei, could we spend a few minutes…searching?"

"What do you mean? You don't think these are the relics?" Lorelei questioned, using the tip of her stave as a cane.

Carissa shook her head. "It feels too easy. Professor Ozpin gave us the Grim within the forest as a delay for us to finish our assignment. But the deadline?" she swept her hand over the semi-circle row of relics. "I'd like to explore more. Why the headmaster wants us to reach the ends of the forest to get a chess piece."

"Hm." something flickered in the girl's eyes.

"I'll go this way." Carissa jerked her thumb behind her and started down the clearing, keeping her pace deliberate. She could hear some of her classmates' gunfire ricochet in the distance. Hearing round after round worried her; they were fighting the higher class Grim that required more experience. But she couldn't take part in everything. So she pressed on.

The initiation would be a cakewalk, compared to the next four years of attending Beacon. She was just skeptical. There was an underlying detail the headmaster had left behind, and she wanted to find it. Deeper into Emerald Forest had to mean more difficulty in finishing the task.

She felt her partner's presence that join her. "Sorry about that," Lorelei's voice came on her left. "I was checking the chess pieces, if they're rigged or something. There's nothing wrong in being careful."

"Mhm." Carissa murmured. She passed trees and bushes with every stride she took, her mind filled to the brim. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, besides the fact that they were going to be Huntresses, and they were teenage girls in a beast-infested forest.

That's why she entered Beacon. To keep up the family generation and strengthen the ties of civilization. The time she lived in right now was a peaceful period, but she wanted to contribute.

Her eyes narrowed when they entered a new field, lvast as the first. It was littered with crater-sized holes that stood out yards away, with each of them a feet apart from one another. The one formed the largest was in the front, and appeared the most recent.

They exchanged glances, and Carissa felt an unspoken message pass through them. "Definitely Grim." Lorelei agreed aloud, unclipping Golden Falcon from her belt. "If I could get a rise out of whatever that's inside—"

Carissa held up a finger. "Maybe something more…low-key."

Lorelei seemed to deflate. "I was thinking a little burst wouldn't hurt, but…" she retracted the shaft of her wand, and clipped it back to her belt. "…oh well."

"What else could be used?" Carissa began to tick the qualifications off her fingers, staring at the cloudy blue sky. She was using this to divert herself from the fact that the Emerald Forest held unfriendly things. The Grim were in their domain, freely prowling the area, and her worries were starting to grind her nerves. "Small and compact, noiseless, nothing that needs to assembled—" she snapped her fingers. "—a pebble."

She froze. It would be soon for her classmates to know she was…unconventional.

"A pebble?" Lorelei repeated. Carissa cast her a glance for some peer-approval. "That answers all your questions."

"It does." She managed to smile, amused. Her partner had somewhat brightened up the atmosphere, but the threat of the Grim lurking around still stuck to the back of her mind.

"So, I guess that means I'm leading the experiment." The dark brunette knelt to the ground and went to combing the grass, in search for the stones. Carissa kept watch, Sylph in her left hand with her eyes surveying the field. Most of the gunfire from the other teams had stopped, but she could tell that everyone was gaining the relics. She still couldn't make sense of the chess pieces. Of course, the others took from both sides, and—

Conveniently placed there. It was obvious. They were just there for them to scoop up, and she was over-thinking once again. Carissa bowed her head and sighed, before turning to Lorelei. The dark brunette was stuck in the process of elimination, tossing out the largest stones in the pile. Time was ticking. Once again, she glanced at the sky.

She stared blankly at the Nevermore that flew thousands of feet above. From that elevation, it posed no threat to them, for they were hidden by the canopies of the trees. So she just stood and watched. Something was off about it, though, and she squinted harder for better details.

As it was heading north, and she believed she saw a mish-mash of red and white coating its feather-wings. Maybe those are where its markings are located. She guessed idly, watching it fly out of her sight.

"Carissa!" Lorelei called her name, and she turned to face her partner. She was on all fours with an arm over the edge, holding a marble-sized pebble. It hung delicately in her fingers as the girl jerked her chin to the large pit. "Just so you know; if there's something down there, I'm taking responsibility."

"Are you sure? This place is full of Grim." And we have Grim determination. She couldn't help but add. It reminded her of a colleague, someone who was a wordplay expert.

"No, no, I'm fine." Lorelei replied. "Generally, there's something in there, I just want to know what it is."

"Really?"

"Totally."

"I trust your judgment."

Reluctantly, Carissa watched her release the pebble. Its small form was swallowed up by the darkness, and they listened to its descent.

Carissa's certainty strengthened as the sounds of the pebble bouncing off uneven surfaces dragged to a minute. No hole this deep could be natural.

In the back of her mind, she consulted the manual for identifying Grim. She knew that it had to be a ground-dweller that made a cluster of tunnels.

A cluster of tunnels. The quotation came, and she felt the blood drain from her face.

"Lorelei, get up." She ordered, and the dark brunette pushed herself off the ground, looking at her in suspicion. "Something's in there."

"I know." Lorelei's eyes were wide, and it seemed she had caught on. They unsheathed their weapons, and took a few steps backward. Carissa's misery deepened as she heard a loud boop, signaling that the pebble had met its intended target. "I thought this was abandoned! You don't think—"

A piercing shriek cut her off. It made them cover their ears as the noise grew harsher, louder, as it came closer.

Out of the pit rushed a long, thick black body of an armored worm, rising to ten stories as it ascended, clicking the row of saw-like teeth in its mouth with more on the inside. Each segments of its body was either covered in armor, or a ring of soiled barbs. While its upper body remained in the open, it had rooted itself to its burrow, like a night crawler.

"You can't be kidding me." Lorelei scowled. She stuffed a hand into the pocket of her pleated skirt, and produced a yellow barrette. She added it to lone pin holding the bangs on her right. "That is an adult Burrower?"

"I…I can't stress how much regret I have right now." Carissa started, fighting down the surprise she felt at its enormous size.

"Hey!" Lorelei forced a weak laugh. "That wasn't you. This was from a pebble."

"This needs to end quickly." Carissa muttered under her breath, giving a quick glance at Lorelei. "What ideas do you have?"

"We need to see how tough it is." The stave in her partner's hand pulsed once, before she raised it high, her free hand splayed forward. "One…two…three, go!"

Lorelei and Carissa shot a volley; a wind pillar and a wave of jagged stones.

"You can't be kidding me."

They watched in dismay as it bounced off the Burrower's red-and-black abdomen, virtually leaving no damage. It swayed for a moment, disoriented.

Then it shrieked in blind rage, throwing itself at the pair, forcing them to break apart. The ground where they'd once been had been run down like the tracks of a meteor. Shaking itself out of the rubble, it lunged a second time, this time at Carissa. She somersaulted forward to dodge its maw, and let loose a stream of shockwaves, scoring slashes on its head.

She had to avoid the row of barbs as she landed on top of its head, using one of her swords as leverage as she slid down its back. Provoked, it arched its back, catching her off guard and hurtling her into the air.

Carissa spread her blades like wings as she began to fall into its open mouth. Besides the ring of teeth, there were no distinct features she could call from the Burrower.

No eyes. She realized, as she dropped towards its jaw. It was relying on sound the whole time.

She spiraled down, scoring a line on its side before dropping to the ground. She rolled to her feet quickly and zipped to the edge of the clearing. Just in time, she watched a large boulder smash into the Burrower's mouth, effectively sealing it. Lorelei landed just a few moments later, disposing an empty Dust slot and wearing an irate expression.

"I am going to grind it into dust." Lorelei whispered to her, just as the Burrower clamped its jaws together, crushing the boulder into little pieces. "Everything about it is invulnerable!"

"Lorelei…" Carissa spoke in an undertone while she sheathed Sylph Catalyst. "Maybe we retreat? We're only two people."

"I don't think we can." Lorelei answered. "That shriek almost made me deaf. And, that thing has the perception of a bat."

"So you're saying…" Carissa fell silent, when an ominous feeling settled in her gut.

She pivoted on her heel and unsheathed Sylph, striking at the shadows. An Ursa's body collapsed out, disappearing in green smoke. "It's riled them up." She started, when she heard a chorus of growls come from the forest. One by one, Beowolves and Ursas came out, eyeing the girls with predatory gazes. What a troublesome pebble. She thought with a pang, readying her stance.

"…And we're trapped." Lorelei added. "I say we clear an opening and run to the hills."

"Deal. Don't separate. We don't move apart." Carissa removed Catalyst from her scabbard. "Well?" she asked, glancing at the dark brunette.

With an impromptu nod, she sprung.

Carissa used the trees to her advantage as she zipped toward a row of Beowolves. Vaulting off the wood, she drilled into one of the beast's chest with a spiral spin. She landed with a roll she to dodge a swipe, retaliating with a stream of gales that blasted them into trees.

She backed up as two Ursas cornered her into the base of a tree, taking a moment to catch her breath. In a whirlwind of slashes, she reduced them into a pile of limbs with vivid detail. She glanced down at her handiwork, and grimaced, before moving on.

She dashed out of the forest to meet with Lorelei. The girl was putting holes into every beast around her, adding Dust into her attacks as stalagmites shot up in random places, along with patches of quicksand rooting the beasts to the ground. An frown was on her face as she cut down on a Beowolf's shoulder, ending it with a sidekick to the chest.

Another wail from the Burrower made Carissa look up. It was writhing in confusion, lost in the dissonance that came from the clang of metal and claws. At this rate, it would be worked into a frenzy. She was starting to feel the despair herself. The wave of Grim was a fairly small horde, but it was just her and Lorelei.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a semi-circle of Beowolves blocked her line of sight. She sighed heavily. She was trying to stay as energized as possible, but as she sheathed her one of her swords, she knew that it wouldn't be long before her Aura plunged to the mid-mark. Then she'd have to be very careful.

Running her forefingers over the flat side of Sylph, she watched them approach hesitantly, as if they'd seen how she'd butchered their friends. But they came at her anyway.

In a zig-zag pattern, Carissa thrust up her sword before they were upon her.

Instantly, she was surrounded by a green dome of wind, slicing through the Beowolves as they tried to leap through the shield. She kept her sword raised, even as she drained her Aura.

She stiffened when the Burrower snarled, rearing its ugly head on her. Inwardly she cursed; her little stunt was so loud, that it caught the attention of the beast. She was going to be eaten up. Slowly, she raised Sylph to her right shoulder, keeping its tip up to face the worm. She wondered if her shield could sustain a tackle from the Burrower, or else she'd be in its stomach—

"Don't move!" a stranger's voice yelled.

Out of the blue, a pair of chakrams streaked into the open maw. The Burrower lifted itself, convulsing. She took the chance to lift the dome, taking deep breaths to make up for her drained Aura.

The disks left open two wide exit gashes from its chest, and the large monster gave one last cry before it fell to the ground. Its timber made the ground shake from its weight. Already the glow of its markings died.

She readied her sword as a blue blur stopped on her right, turning to the new opposition.

It was the girl from the night before.

I am very relieved I managed to get half of this done. I've been sweating over improving my writing, between school, between life in particular. But so you know, I'm still writing! (I'm not dead)

Two plus two is a hint to the following chapter. It will introduce several other characters into this mix, as well as broaden the world. I've developed the groundwork for my main characters' histories and lives, and I'm waiting for the right time to put them in. This story is really something I'd like to show, unlike my previous works...well. But now you know, that I'm excited to show the world of RWBY in an original character perspective. That's why I came here in the first place, to enjoy writing and view other's work. Fans.

That came off as personal. School is both amazing and hardy, and I'm someone. As I said before, these chapters will come off in an erratic pace; I say this not to disappoint anyone.

So thank you, if you've reached this far! I can accept any comments or criticisms to bring out the full potential of this story.

P.S. I haven't watched episode twelve yet.

Yet.

10-4-13: I have adjusted grammar and punctuation with this chapter, and strengthened the chapter's structure! I have many thanks for a friend to point the mistakes out.