Chapter Eight: Mismatch and Misread.
Thea had been surprised by the sudden drop but adapted quickly and managed to land on her feet, bending her legs to absorb the impact. And then, she was flung to one side as if swatted by an unseen hand. The second abrupt non-consensual directional movement had caught her by surprise to a much greater degree and she was sent spinning out of control. Panicking slightly, she drew her sword, 'Lunova,' and plunged it deep into the stone wall which she was being catapulted parallel to. She grasped the handle tightly, as the blade buried deeply and sliced through the stonework as if it were a butterknife through modelling clay. After a moment, which lasted far too long in her head, the blade finally stopped moving and she was suspended in the air, about five feet off of the ground. She planted her feet squarely on the wall and pulled, removing the blade from the masonry. With the excess force, she was flung head-over-heels and managed to somehow – miraculously – land on her feet with a stumble, making her look far more talented than she actually was.
She stood tall and gripped Lunova firmly. One hand upon the handle and the other clutching the blade. The area directly around her seemed somewhat clear but if she wanted to succeed, she would have to be quick. There were enough relics for each team, supposedly, to have one but that didn't mean they would be easy to find. Plus, whenever another team found a relic, there would be one less to be found, making the other ones rarer. Even if she did find one, she would have to take it to the centre of the labyrinth. Fortunately, she had been lucky to be catapulted somewhat close to the middle, from what she could tell, so, as long as she kept a general sense of direction, approaching the middle of the maze shouldn't be too difficult.
As of right now, she stood in a long corridor which led both towards and away from the middle of the labyrinth. Since one of her manifold goals was to eventually arrive at the centre, it made sense to head in that general direction and see what she could find along the way. As she turned that corner, however, she came across something unexpected. 'Neo.'
The girl had descended from the sky as if she were flapping a pair of invisible wings – whether they were angelic or demonic was yet to be known – and looking at Thea with the same look of concern that she had been feeling. Whilst the two didn't exactly dislike each other, they were both aware that communication would be a large impasse. Not only that, neither of them had seen the other in combat and, consequently, had no idea what the other was capable of.
Thea was honestly quite confused. What was this girl doing? Where was her weapon? Why did that umbrella slow her fall so… impossibly? Did this little girl honestly think she could just…bonk the Grimm over the head with an umbrella? The same Grimm which terrorises society and can survive uncanny and perilous situations? The same Grimm which delights upon feeding on your fears? The same Grimm which humanity has fought against for survival since the dawn of time? Those Grimm. And she's just going to whack them upside the head with an umbrella? Ridiculous.
Neo, however, was more troubled with the problem at hand. Here she was, in the middle of a maze, forcibly paired with someone who cannot understand what she is trying to say. The Grimm would surely be upon them at any moment, so whilst she would love to try and formulate a strategy, she had not the time to do so. Just as she was about to try and gesture for Thea to come and follow her, the blind girl asked her a question.
"…Where's your weapon?" Thea asked, still as monotone as ever. Neo raised an eyebrow and lifted up Hush, as if she'd not noticed it in her hand before she'd asked the question. "That's an umbrella. Where's your weapon?" She reiterated.
Neo's face immediately scrunched up in irritation. 'First of all, it's a 'parasol,' you uncultured swine,' she wanted to say. But at least she could still do the second part of what she wanted to prove. Neo took a sudden step forward and pointed Hush to Thea's throat with the blade extended. With her incredible control and knowledge of her beloved weapon, she was able to have the needle-like point gently pressing a little under her chin, without needing to adjust her grip or position. Her own face twisted from disgusted frustration to an annoyed smirk.
That girl was faster than she appeared. Thea barely had time to react before she felt something sharp gently pressed threateningly against her neck. Without having to look down, she could see everything; Neo's frustration, her surprisingly refined stance and, of course, how her parasol now had a long, needle-like point which jutted out of the end. Now it all made a little more sense, but Thea was still confused. This was certainly not a weapon which was designed with the purpose of fighting the Grimm. It seemed to lack ranged options and was far too light and slender to cause enough damage to kill any of the larger Grimm without putting the user at great risk. No, no. It made far more sense for this weapon to be designed to fight against people. Why else would it need a concealed blade within it, instead of just having it exposed at all times like a standard stiletto?
Thea slowly raised a hand to show that she had no intentions to fight the mute over her choice of weapon – even if she did think it would struggle to kill Grimm more than a conventional weapon. Perhaps she had overstepped the girl's boundaries.
"…I stand corrected… Lead on." Thea murmured, hoping that just accepting this situation and moving on would somehow be the correct choice. They could always tal- err… rationalise with each other later. Right now, she just had to get a move on and stop worrying about the trivial details. To her relief, Neo withdrew her blade and gestured for her to follow her through the maze.
In truth, Neo didn't really want to be the one leading the duo. She never really considered herself much of a leader because she made a much better right-hand woman, in her opinion. However, she trusted her own abilities more than she trusted in Thea's. That wasn't to say she didn't believe Thea would do a good job, but she was yet to see her skills in action. Maybe she was being paranoid, but it was better to err on the side of caution, considering the circumstances. Besides, the girl had told her to lead on, so that was what she intended to do. She'd just lead for now and see how it went.
The walk was long and ominous. Each step echoed through the warrens and only the distant sounds of combat could be heard, otherwise. The sounds of steel clashing and the unholy cries of the Grimm resonated around them, almost as if the place was alive and crying in pain as they strode forwards.
Neo's mind naturally wandered to Thea as they wandered down the corridor, keeping their wits about them. The girl was at least quite well-equipped. That blade looked sharp, and it seemed to have some interesting additional features to it. Furthermore, she was wearing a black breastplate and metal-plated boots which covered her feet and legs from the ankle to the knee. Her cloak, dark-looking robes and leather harnesses actually seemed rather protective. Not to mention her satchels and pouches which contained who-knows-what. Probably bullets, dust or other useful gizmos. If that fabric is made out of anything credible, it could easily block a couple of swipes from lesser Grimm even without her aura. If.
Similarly, Thea was curious about Neo. Why in all of Remnant was she wearing such…revealing clothing? Her shoulders, middle and head were pretty much screaming 'hit me, hit me!' The only reason it was…acceptable… was because aura existed. Without that, she'd just get shot once and die. Thea couldn't help but sigh. Why was she matched with the weirdest person here? She'd have even taken that stalker guy with the hands over the mute exhibitionist. She could at least have a meaningful conversation with him. Meanwhile, Neo has just shown herself to be an impulsive aggressor with a concealed blade and no way of telling exactly what she wants. And Thea was expected to work with her? And just be one hundred percent on board with this?
Soon enough, however, they came to a fork in the road. One path loomed to the left, curving around in an unusual arc, and looping backwards, going back the way the two had come. The other path seemed to lead closer to the centre but, as Neo peered around the corner, she noticed that it was also home to a pack of Beowolves. Each one was much taller than Neo, featuring glowing red eyes, long, clawed limbs and black, inky hide. Their faces, claws and grotesque spines were white like bone, highlighting their defensive shells which doubled as their primary weapons. There were about five or six of them, but she wasn't particularly concerned. Beowolves were the most common type of Grimm and, truth be told, they weren't the most threatening of creatures. Primitive attacks, no special capabilities and relatively weak endurance for a Grimm. All in all, they were only really threatening in great numbers. Though they were easily outnumbered by these Beowolves, Neo felt confident that she could despatch these creatures by herself if she had to.
Now would be a perfect time to see what her partner was capable of. Unfortunately, they couldn't really strategize together, due to their… unique predicament. And so, since communication was one-way, she gestured to the creatures and indicated for Thea to take a look for herself. To her surprise, Thea simply held out her arm around the corner and, assumedly, somehow saw them. Maybe that semblance of hers could extend from any part of her body if she chose to. Her lips pressed together in displeasure.
"Hmm…there seems to be quite a few of them. Perhaps it would be better to go the other way." She suggested. Neo just looked at her as if she were telling a joke. Thea wasn't. Really? This was the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses?! The kind which just see a small bunch of Grimm and decide to run away?
Neo firmly shook her head and Thea grumbled. Was this girl trying to get herself killed? They outnumbered the duo three-to-one and Little Miss Needle-Blade liked those odds? Sure, Beowolves weren't that strong, but Thea wasn't confident that she could take on all of them without risk. And she was unsure how powerful the new girl actually was. Still, it seemed like there was no convincing her. Neo give the impression that she was rather stubborn and dead set on going down this path.
"You're sure?" Thea asked. Neo nodded, defiantly. "Alright…just…don't do anything crazy. I'll attack at range to draw their attention, then blind them with my pommel. We'll just need to clean them up quickly before they regain their senses. Stay behind me."
Whilst Neo didn't appreciate being treated like a child, the strategy sounded quite good for what she intended to do; find out how reliable this swordmaiden was. As much as Neo was powerful on her own, she also knew how much stronger she could be in a group. The power of a strong duo who had a perfect understanding of each other was not to be trifled with lightly.
Neo watched carefully as Thea's weapon began to shift in her hands. It combined with the sheathe of the weapon with a surprisingly complex transformation. The pommel of the sword became the focus for some kind of beam. When the two items came together, it looked like some kind of rifle, with the glowing pommel causing a focused blue stream of light to emanate just above the barrel, like a laser sight. The wielder reached into her pocket and withdrew a series of blue gemstones which were contained within a transparent magazine. Said magazine was slotted into the top of the weapon, allowing the crystals to fall into place until the magazine was emptied. Oddly enough, despite the laser sight being a construct of light, the laser sight actually seemed to be crucial to Thea's aim. Similarly, the rifle was very unconventional, otherwise. It featured no sights, nor scope, or even a way to see where you were really aiming. As a result, the rifle would be very difficult to use…for anyone except herself.
In spite of everything to do with this peculiar firearm, Thea was quite adept with the weapon. The thin stream of blue light was expertly guided towards the pack of Grimm, before resting upon the back of one's head. In that instant, Thea pulled the trigger several times which caused a series of small, sharpened shards of ice to fly out at great speeds with uncanny accuracy. Though a couple simply shattered on impact, causing icy splinters to spray out, the others quickly sank deeply into the pseudo-flesh of the Beowolf's hide. The first creature dropped like a puppet whose strings had been severed. As its corpse began to dissolve into black vapours, the remaining members of the pack turned and charged, releasing a chorus of visceral howls. As they closed in, Thea was able to drop two more with less precise scattering fire which impaled them several times before they could hit the ground.
Before they could get within slashing range, the girl suddenly morphed her weapon back into the form of a blade within the sheathe, which was now lined with glowing, blue runes which seemed to emanate a frosty aura. As she drew steel, that same blue tinge followed along the edges of the sword, making the sharpened sections of her longsword glow with faint neon light. Maybe those frost dust crystals served as both ammunition and power boost? Before she could see that blade in action, however, Thea held up the sword above her head with one hand and that glowing pommel suddenly flashed with blinding intensity which made Neo cover her eyes out of reflex. As she did, Thea rushed into battle, unaffected by her own lightshow. With a sudden downwards slash, she cut diagonally across one of the blinded Beowolf's chests, before quickly adapting her momentum and slashing once again across the creature's neck. Each cut left behind a line of frozen miasma from where the blade had sliced through and instantly frozen the innards upon contact. Now, only two of them remained, with one being more disorientated than the other.
Neo was rather impressed by how well Thea had handled the situation. Taking down half their numbers before they could even get close was quite the feat, considering their age and experience. However, her little trick couldn't last forever, as the less-fazed Grimm charged forwards and slashed at her. The claw was quickly parried with her blade, but the Beowolf was attacking too quickly for her to mount a counterattack. Whilst she was deflecting the attacks from the first Beowolf, the second one recovered and began to charge towards Thea as well. Judging from how she had her hands full with just the one, Neo surmised that she wouldn't be able to deal with a second aggressor. As such, she figured it was time that she stopped sitting around on the side-lines.
What in the name of the Gods was Neo doing back there!? Did she not specifically say to attack them whilst they're blinded in order to take them down quickly? Why wasn't she doing that?! Well, she had better hurry up and wake up from fairy-tale land and give her a hand, else those Grimm are going to overpower her defences!
Just as she thought it would, that second Beowolf came storming in, unleashing a flurry of attacks in ruthless combination with the first. Just as Thea was considering a strategic retreat, Neo suddenly landed in front of her and blocked a series of swipes without even opening the umbrella. And then, to Thea's utter disbelief, actually whacked one such Grimm over the head with her stupid weapon. Maybe she did that just to prove a point of her stubborn nature. As the Beowolf reared back from the impact, Neo pressed the attack by smacking it in the chin with what could only be described as a parasol handle uppercut. It was delivered with such precision, speed, and power that Thea was pretty sure she heard a crunch upon impact. It fell backwards with a mighty thud, but there was no rest for the wicked, as Neo unsheathed the blade from the parasol and plunged it deeply into its chest. She twisted the handle and then yanked the blade out, before swinging it in a wide arc in front of her in order to remove the miasma.
She then turned to face the two other combatants, who were locked in a battle of claw and steel. Thea had begun to find her footing and tempo against the beast. Soon enough, as the beast swung widely, the girl was able to nimbly dodge to one side, before slashing deeply into the beast's flank with the momentum carrying her past the creature. As the Beowolf turned around and unleashed its claw once again, it was dead before it could focus its attack on Thea. The last thing it saw was a sharp, metal stake piercing through its chest from behind. It slunk to the floor, the blade sliding out as it fell.
With an elegant dance of hand motions, Neo sheathed Hush's blade within the parasol and turned to face Thea, before giving her a thumbs-up of approval. Instead of receiving one back, or a thank you for her effort, she instead got a verbal lashing.
"Why did you wait so long? I told you to attack whilst they were blinded!" Thea complained.
Neo couldn't help but reflexively roll her eyes, before attempting to explain with a series of hand gestures. Let's see…how do you say: 'I wanted to observe, first,' without saying a word? How about…this? Neo pointed to herself, then to both of her eyes, before pointing to Thea.
Why was this girl being so sassy? They had no reason to be this rude when Thea had been the one to take down twice as many as she'd done. She didn't attack on cue, rolled her eyes at her part of the plan, and now she was telling her to mind her own business? The nerve of this short girl must be bursting at the seams.
"Don't give me that attitude. I could've gotten hurt whilst you were dawdling back there!" She continued, clearly misinterpreting Neo's hand gestures. The poor mute sighed. This kind of communication was difficult, especially so with strangers. Alright, now to say: 'I made sure you didn't get hit, though.' She gestured to herself again, then the still-steaming beast, next her weapon and, lastly, to Thea.
"Oh, so it's just 'perfectly fine' because you killed the last two? I was putting my life on the line because you were too stubborn to pick the safe route and you repay my sacrifice with sarcasm? You're awful."
No no no. That was not what Neo was trying to say. Somehow, trying to rectify the situation was only making things worse. And so, Neo's palm slapped against her own forehead, showing her displeasure for the situation. Alright, time to bust out the big guns. You can't go wrong with a compliment, right? She pointed to Thea and her sword, then winked and gave her the fingerguns. Of course, Neo was trying to say that she did really well. But of course, it came out as…
"…You…love me? I'm flattered, but…"
Woah! Back that up right now! Neo shook her hands furiously in protest with an alarmed expression.
"Good. That would be…really weird. Let's… just get moving. And I'm not fighting solo next time!"