Accepted Characters:
1. Fiadone Panettone
2. Elena Syros
3. Sno Taupher
4. Amethyst Bryl
5. Philomela Eurig
6. Mercer Reyes
7. Nero Melanzane
Trial
Viorel found himself flying through the air, basking in the wind brushing across his face. Simply rolling across the ground as he landed, losing no speed whatsoever. Each student ended up in a squared off section before they were allowed to enter the team portion of the Emerald Forest.
Growling was heard all around him, a blank slate to work with as there was no other scenery to be found. The boy's hand went to the grip as a scraping sound made the grimm flinch, the weapon making no graceful entrance as he dropped the tip into the ground. The weapon was as large as the boy, the hilt alone was as long as his forearm, pitch black, including a large sharp pommel and a wide guard that could protect him from any attacks at his wrist. A dark blue crystal rested in the middle of the guard, ice dust. The blade was the true masterpiece, being silver across the edge, drawing an inwards line as the bottom melted into the guard being wider as it gradually made its way into a sharp tip. A wide blue fuller filled the middle of the blue with a black outline giving it the intimidating look worthy of such a devastating blade.
Viorel rolled his neck, many satisfying cracks ringing in the wolve's ears before he lifted the sword again, effortlessly this time. With his right arm he now carried the entirety of the sword as if it weighed nothing. Without hesitation he swung the sword horizontally once, waiting just a second before the wind coming thereafter swept across the field. The calming sound of the grass rustling being interrupted by the interference of heavy footsteps in the earth.
The disturbance sparked an irritation in him as his knuckles turned white on the sword. "37." Viorel mumbled to himself. "You're all too noisy, I can't hear the wind."
Fia found herself in a very different predicament. There were no enemies where she landed, no threat whatsoever. Only an empty field and a key that seemed to be floating above her, out of her reach. It seemed helpless as nothing could help her reach the key that was presumably the key to the team area. She jumped to no avail, no amount of mobility could be allowed to get her to the key. Grabbing her weapon, she extended the polearm on it, the box lantern now hanging on the end of her staff. A button on the handle activated the red dust inside the lantern as it spewed flames over the key.
The key had to have strings tied around it, there was no way it could just float there. The flames faded and the key stood, shiny as ever, untouched by time and weather. She growled to herself, at her own failure. She was frustrated with what to do, now brainstorming any other solution.
"Amethyst Bryl and Mercer Reyes are now partners." The announcer broadcasted across the sectors.
"Already!?" Fia gasped to herself. She had to finish this challenge already. Wooden walls were on her every side, keeping her in the sector until she solved this. 'No room to hold back'. She thought to herself. The girl calmed, focusing on her semblance, willing the key to come to her. She felt a strong resistance, the key was held there by an external force. She had to force her way through.
Her feet dug into the ground as she pulled the key harder. Her eyes squeezed closed as all of her muscles clenched and strained. The dirt cracked and her bones screamed, but she continued. The sound of blood rushing echoed in her ears as her veins swelled, threatening to pop. She began to scream, unbearable amounts of agony now becoming heard, shrieking as the wood began to shake with the force around her. Then the key was in her hand and she sank to her knees. Staring at her accomplishment, she dug her fingers into the ground and brought herself up, limping to the door.
"Elena Syros and Nero Melanzane are now partners."
The sector Sno landed in had been much farther from what he had expected. A very limited space with very tight walls, a maze. He slowly walked through, before a pressure plate activated below him. Arrows immediately assaulted his back, being mostly absorbed by his aura. The pain was still evident as he keeled forwards, "Shit."
A bell rang and more traps activated, firing towards him. Sno quickly activated his semblance, the world slowing around him giving him time to analyze.
Four arrows directly in front, a spike coming from my top right and another coming from my bottom left.
His semblance let go as he sprung into a dive, spikes assaulting where his head and knees once were. He held his forearms at a slant in front of him as the arrows scratched the surface and continued past him.
He bolted forward, but not without caution. The slight tink of a gear moving set off his semblance. The floor falling this time, he ran three steps before pouncing off of the wall further forward. Looking back after landing, the floor was still following him, he had to be faster. He punched his fist out, a line flying out and planting itself in the wooden wall far ahead of him. He jumped and let the force pull him to the wall quickly.
The wood shook under his weight as his legs smashed against the wall before the zipline released. The traps had stopped, and a simple locked door stood before him. A hand sensor sat on it's right, placing his hand on it, it activated and called out.
"Sno Taupher and Philomela Eurig are now partners."
"I think that's the last of them." Viorel said out loud before turning towards his partner. "Are you ok?" His clothes were seemingly untouched by the trails, the only hint being a bit of dirt on his boot that threatened to fall off and leave his being sparkling. Especially compared to the poor condition of his partner.
"Peachy. My aura will take care of it in a bit." Fia responded, still leaned up against one of the trees. "Any signs of the other two that are supposed to be in this sector?"
"I think I hear screaming. Somewhere a ways away from here. It's getting closer though."
"How far?"
"I'd say...about 600 meters? Not that far. Otherwise, there's some shuffling approximately...right behind you."
"Gah!" Fia called out as a small girl flew out from behind her, landing with a roll right in front of Viorel.
"Uhh. Hi there...friend." The girl awkwardly laughed. Fia offered her a forced smile as Viorel slightly jutted out his foot to find her, it slightly tapping her back.
"Ah. There you are. Now..." Viorel left the two in silence for a few seconds, seemingly waiting, "There he is." He smiled. A much larger boy smashed into the dirt on his right, not nearly as graceful as his counterpart, but getting up just as fast. The four drew their weapons, Fia and the girl taking the rear as the two boys led.
"What's the situation?" Fia asked the two.
"Deathstalkers. At least two, possibly more. We were overwhelmed on our own, but we should be able to take them with our current numbers." The boy spoke in a deep, resounding tone. He demanded respect, but his appearance only paid him so much. His hair pitch black, coming to his jaw. He towered above the three, standing above 6ft, a mass of muscle and bad clothing sense.
He wore black boots alongside slim black pants with a matching jacket, a deep purple shirt that matched his eyes, kept loose at the collar with a necklace underneath. He wielded a large single edged sword with dust utilities.
The smaller girl however seemed almost harmless in comparison. Having a petite build and carrying a suitcase, only otherwise wearing a utility belt with cubes over her clothes. Her outfit consisted mainly of black and gold, with a bomber jacket, skinny jeans, tank top, and belt all in black with gold high tops. A surgical looking mask sat on her collar, revealing her softer features, light brown complexion, and golden scales visible on her jaws and hands. Her dark brown hair was styled into a undercut fade that rested barely on her cheekbone at its longest.
The girl quickly pulled her mask up, hiding her features, but revealing a toothy smile design, that of a predator.
"Fiadone, call me Fia." The injured backline unit offered.
"Mercer." said the larger boy.
"Viorel."
"Mela." the girl simply added.
"Huh. You weren't put in the same sector as your partner?" Fia questioned.
"No, I don't think I lot of people were. It might just be you two." Mela wondered out loud.
"Well, anyway. Now that introductions are out of the way, how about we kill something."
"The grimm agree. Scatter!" Viorel called out, quickly falling backwards and tackling Fia out of harms way as the other two dashed to their left. The aforementioned Deathstalker tore its way through the clearing, setting its sights on the four teens. Mela immediately threw out one of her cubes allowing it to expand into a moderately sized speaker before slamming her suitcase on the ground as it also transformed into a turntable device. She smashed the play button.
The vibration shook the trees and the shell of the Deathstalker as its attention was now drawn to the source. Her blue-haired companion however also recoiled at the volume, cursing slightly. "I've got it!" He called out, shaking off the shock.
As the oversized bug has its attention drawn, Viorel dashed forward, a hand on his sword as he drew. Instead of the massive sword from before, only a dagger came out, the blade the size of his palm. He quickly jabbed it into one of the eyes of the scorpion before flipping over its back, landing on the other side and delivering another blow. Kicking off the bone skeleton he disengaged just as quickly. Mela's music still blared, offering the constant distraction that would assist them in the fight, bombarding the Deathstalker with waves of fire.
Before the grimm could recollect itself from the attack, an underhand swing caught it in stride, nearly lifting it off the ground as Mercer packed its face full of flames. The creature attempted retreat, but was instead caught by an attack at its tail as Viorel now swung his greatsword, smashing the tail more than cutting it as it fell limp and the monster was driven into a corner. Mela took back her cube and folded her station back up as Mercer kept up the offensive on his opponent's frontside. Finally, the arachnid flinched with one of the hits, leaving the opening for the final blow to be laid out in front of it.
Fia flew in as if fired through a cannon, her lantern now turned into a double-bladed axe, as she flipped over Mercer and placed her strike dead in the center of the exoskeleton. The attack rang as if she had struck a bell before the bone cracked and the grimm melted into ash.
"Now aren't we just the cutest little group of murderers? Warms my heart really." Mercer cracked seemingly out of character.
"Didn't even get any milk with that serial." Fia lifted an eyebrow at the taller gentleman as he allowed a slight smile onto his face.
"Yeah, you two keep doing that. I'll uh. Be here. With the blue dude."
"I don't know. I can really see this going places." Viorel joked smugly, obviously proud of his pun.
"...yeah, let's just go kill the rest of these things so we can leave." Fia avoided as the other two followed her deeper into the forest. Viorel stood still smug as ever.
He says to himself, "She's just mad cause it was good."
Why did it have to be Nevermores? Anything, but Nevermores.
These were the thoughts running through Sno Taupher's mind as the creature he had mounted and killed now spiraled into the side of a cliff. Nearby, Amethyst Bryl, Nero Melazane, and Elena Syros were having similar experiences.
Elena, having taken one down at close range already now stood at the top of a cliffside with her pistol. Gracefully loading ice shots into it, she aimed and held her trigger. She would be using all seven shots in one blow with this, her sights set on the mother of all nevermores that dwarfed even the adult ones. "Boom!" she yelled to no one in particular as she let the shot go. The line appeared almost as a laser as it cut through the air and drew a line straight through the torso of the bird.
The plane-sized bird quickly lost its strength and control as it barreled straight towards Elena on the cliffside. "Oh, come on! You think you do something cool for once and then–" Her complaining cut off short by the head-on collision.
Nero currently had his Dao sword plunged into a flying Nevermore with no avail. He was simply being pulled around with a tight grip on the sword as if he wasn't there. Cat-like ears sat on top of his spiky white hair with black rings presumably dyed in. He had bronze skin and wore simply a black t-shirt and jeans held up by a chain, power boots, and a brown leather jacket. In his state of powerlessness, he had his eyes closed, seemingly searching for inner peace despite his predicament.
"Patience is the greatest virtue of this world, it solves many problems of conflict and can only help through the course of life. I ask you please, kind creature: land so I can leave this wretched place. I wanna go home." He could almost be seen shedding a tear as he was again dragged off.
All while the last of the four, Amethyst watched from the plains below. The rest of her classmates high above where she could never reach. Her purple eyes matching her namesake, and unhealthily thin build offering her no intimidation points. Having no weapon at her side, she could only see herself pouncing on the next opportunity...whenever that came of course.
She simply sat playing with her hair instead, it being a refreshing light brown color, left loose and free. Her left bang reaching her jawline, although always elbowing its way into obscuring her vision.
A tattered yellow hoodie and worn jeans hung off her frame, her shoes also seemed to be sprouting eyes of their own. Wolf ears peered over her head, although the left had a piece that had been taken off, ripped almost.
"Welp. Time to do something I guess." she took her time standing up, before brushing off the dirt from her already tattered clothing. "Lightning Sp–what? Ugh." Tattoos began to glow from underneath her hoodie. The power of dust flowing through them, forming in her hand. This was her true weapon. "B-b-b-b-b-bitch!" She let the power fly like an arrow, making a straight path right for a line of nevermores as they all chainburnt to a crisp. "Now that's badass! Tell me some rich asshole just saw that from his private jet!"
The corpses now began to take gravity as its main force as all 4 began to fall rapidly right over Amethyst's head. She looked up in awe and disbelief as it seemed her exits were covered.
"This isn't really how I imagined I'd go. A bunch of birds falling on me. Don't know what to say."
And then there was darkness.
Sorry for the MAJOR delay on the chapter. I do still plan to continue this story. It's just simply, holidays, school, and then my other activities that are taking up all of my time (will be busy until next week really). Hope everyone can satisfy their itch with this one. See you soon.
-DB