-Chapter 7-
Snowing Shadows
A same-looking, but different airship landed on the plain, less-grassy area near the lake. Weiss Schnee and her first-year partner, Giovanny Onyx got off.
"Good luck you two and be careful out here! The place has a lot of pretty scenery to look at, but also a lot of Grimm, too!" The pilot warned them.
"We will, good sir! Thank you for the ride though!" Giovanny replied with a bow. The pilot nodded before he flew his airship and goes away.
Weiss noticed the lake that they landed nearby. It was very beautiful to look at, clear like crystal. Her reflection was also shown. "This lake is very beautiful."
Giovanny walked up to her side. "Yes, indeed, Miss Schnee. It is a perfect place for a picnic I say, but we do have an important mission on our hand. Perhaps we should complete that before we think of a break or future picnic."
"Yes, I agree." She nodded.
They headed off into the woodland. They walked for about some hours or so. As they walked deeper and deeper into the woodland, Weiss was feeling tired. Giovanny, on the other hand, looked as calm as he is when the mission began.
Weiss stopped for a moment. "Hey, this tree…I think I seen it before."
"Are you sure? Perhaps you are mistaken with another tree." Giovanny said.
"I…No, you are right. We are not lost at all! We are just perfectly fine." Weiss said, chuckling to herself, but sounded little bit nervous. Giovanny glanced at her.
"Well…just to be save, how about I make a little X mark on this tree?" He held his cane as he pulled it hidden sheath off, revealing a skinny, sharp blade. His cane revealed to be a sword, and he used it to make an X-mark very quickly. He put the blade back into its sheath, transforming it back into the cane.
Weiss looked impressed. "My, so that is your weapon? It is a sword disguised as a cane."
"That is right, Miss Schnee. It is actually a family heirloom, passed down from my great grandfather to grandfather to my father, and eventually to me. I got it when I turned 12 years and began my training as Huntsman. Of course, I was also taught in many areas to become the next heir in my family's company." He explained adamantly.
"I see. That is also same for me." Weiss said. She felt very relate-able with her partner.
"Indeed." He nodded. "But, we mustn't dwindle around here any longer. We must move on. Carry on."
They continued walking to the location of the relic. After an hour and half, Weiss and Giovanny stumbled upon a familiar tree.
"My, it looks like we arrived to the same spot hour and half ago." Giovanny said, looking a bit surprised.
"Great! We are lost!" Weiss outburst. Giovanny looked at her as she slowly looked at him. She flustered and breathed in and out to calm herself down.
"I'm sorry to burst out like that." Weiss apologized.
"It is understandable, Miss Schnee." He said. "It seems to me that this place, Ender Woodlands, is particularly confusing place to navigate through."
He glanced around until he looked up to revealed patch of the sky, which mostly you only see leaves and branches. "Perhaps we can find our way out by looking out above the tree."
"Good idea!" She nodded in agreement. "Leave it to me."
She activated her Semblance, summoning out three glyph. She hopped one to the other until she reached to the top above the tree.
"What do you see up there?" Giovanny yelled.
"I…I think I found something interesting." Weiss stated. "There is a cave! If we head there in northwest, we will get there in no time."
She jumped down from one glyph to another until she safely landed on the ground.
"Good jolly! Well done, Miss Schnee." He praised as he clapped for her.
Weiss felt very prideful. "Thank you." She curtsied to him.
"But now we must handle the Grimm that are surrounding us at this moment." He admitted.
"What!?" She exclaimed. Soon, a group of Ursa surrounded them as some of them roared at the duo.
"Where did these guys came from!?" Weiss stated as she got her sword out.
"Just like our good old pilot said. There is a lot of Grimm residing in this environment. We have no choice, but to fight, Miss Schnee." Giovanny said as he got his sword out already. "Are you combat ready, Miss Schnee?"
"It is the reason why I wear this combat skirt!" She said determinedly. He nodded to her before he turned to face his enemies. One of the Ursa roared, commanding other Ursa to launch in for the fight.
One of the bear Grimm showed its claw out, separating Weiss from her partner. Weiss summoned big ice shards at her foes, hitting them as some of their limbs froze to the ground. She ran forward, and sliced their face with her sword while they were distracted.
Giovanny fought his horde of Grimm splendidly well. He was too quick for the Grimm to even land an attack on him or get a chance to attack. He fought in a fencing-like style. Weiss glanced at him in his fight, and felt quite impressed.
"Wow, he's really good I have to admit." She thought.
Giovanny noticed the King Taijitu slandering behind her. "Miss Schnee, behind you!"
"Huh?" She turned back, but it was too late. The snake Grimm gripped around the huntress with its own body.
"Kyaaaahhh! Let me go!" She screamed. She was disarmed while her sword dropped to the ground.
"Miss Schnee!" He yelled as he finished off the rest of the Ursa and approached the boss of the Grimm group.
The hideous snake Grimm roared at him while Weiss tried to get off, but with no avail.
"This one only has one head, but if I don't stop it, Miss Schnee will be killed!" He thought.
"Kyaaahh!" She screamed.
"Hang on, Miss Schnee!" He yelled.
"You think!?" She cried and then continued screaming for help.
Giovanny jumped for an attack, but the snake Grimm used its tail to whip at him. However, he quickly used the hook part of his cane sword to grab on the tail, spinning himself around, and then strike himself at the head. He poked his sword through one of its eyes.
It roared painfully as it released Weiss from its grip. She dropped to the ground and ran fast to retrieve her sword. Giovanny took his sword out and jumped off from its head, landing coincidently next to his partner.
"Thank you for saving me." She said.
"You may thank me later after we deal with this monster." He said.
King Taijitu looked at them madly as it roared strongly. Weiss and Giovanny nodded to each other with their sword out. First, Weiss summoned out multiple black glyphs. Giovanny activated his Semblance, creating multiple copy of himself in shadowy form. Weiss looked surprised, but continued with focusing in her Semblance as he kept them stable. Each of Giovanny clone, including himself stepped on the glyphs, ready to be launch.
The snake Grimm looked perplexed as it looked at each Giovanny with confused expression. Weiss released them as the real Giovanny and his "shadow clones" strike the snake Grimm with slicing slash from multiple swords like a cheese shredder. The real Giovanny landed in front of the Grimm as his shadow clone dissipated and one second later, King Taijitu collapsed with its head slice into pieces, but still attached to its body before it dissolved.
Weiss walked up to her partner as he putted his sword back into its sheath, turning its original cane form.
"That was…impressive!" She stated. "Your style, your weapon, your Semblance! Just amazing! Not to mention that during the whole fight, you still somehow manage to keep that top hat of yours on!"
Giovanny nodded with his top hat. "Thank you, Miss Schnee. As a true gentleman, he will not let his hat go, even during a fight against heinous Grimm. Shall we continue with our mission?"
She nodded in agreement as they headed northwest to the ruin. While they walked side by side, Weiss felt very confident around Giovanny and impressed about him. Everything from his manner to fighting style. She felt little bit of blush on her face, but shrugged it away and focused back in the mission...for now.
Author's Note: And that is it for Weiss. What do you guys think of Giovanny and his Semblance? His semblance, although may look similar to Blake's, is really to manipulate his shadows. More of how his power works will be reveal in the future.
Also, I made my iteration for the opening animation scene for RWBY Volume 1. It will come out at later time in later chapter, but you will see it, I guarantee with that.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. Next times in Tales of Ellix Knight 2, Blake is next with her partner, Aron Silver! See you guys in the NEXT CHAPTER!