In stood atop the cliffs overlooking Emerald Forest. Just yesterday I had arrived at Beacon Academy, and now came to time to determine what our teams would be.
As Ozpin told us what to do I looked down at myself. My sneakered feet stood atop a launching pad. I wore faded rolled up blue jeans. One pant leg was rolled up to my knee, while the other was halfway past my shin.
I wore my usual long-sleeved grey shirt. My left sleeve was missing, and that side of the shirt hung by my breasts. I wore a dark blue strapped top underneath to avoid showing any unnecessary skin. My entire left arm and shoulder did show, however. My other arm was covered by a baggy grey sleeve.
My azure hair (hence my name) was tied back in a ponytail. My long bangs hung down by either side of my face, and shorter ones went across my forehead.
After Ozpin finished his explanation of the team system, which to me seemed very questionable, as well as our objective, he began launching us off one by one.
I was one of the first to be launched.
I flew over Emerald Forest, watching the green trees fly by beside me. I reached back to my weapon, which hung just under my back.
I held it close, waiting for the right moment. As I dipped down and began to fly through the forest, I raised Cratorus and readied it. Cratorus was a duel-ended, extending spear. The long handle was red and both spear tips were gold.
The spear extended and I threw it, planting it into the trunk of a thick tree. As I neared the tree, I adjusted myself so as not to sever myself on the spear and caught it. My feet slammed against the tree truck, and I steadied myself by hanging onto Cratorus.
Pulling it out from the trunk I dropped down to the forest ground and started forward. It doesn't pay to look good, I thought, referring to my landing, at least not in this job.
I jogged through the forest to preserve my energy, wondering what would happen if I never found a partner. However, that thought was quickly silenced.
"Oh hello" I said, skidding to a halt before someone.
He turned around. He had pale green curly hair and dark green cat-like eyes. He wore a pale green collared shirt that was buttoned all the way up to his neck. Tucked into the front of his collar was a white cloth of some kind. The front of his shirt had two handles of some sort, both right next to each other. They held a small metal blade weapon, which was a haladie, only the haladie had four sharp points sticking out of it, two on each end, instead of just one on each side. The handles on his shirt held the weapon's handle. Overtop he wore a black vest that was covered in pockets. On his legs were black sweat pants with a white straight line on either side of them. On his feet he wore large boots with tall soles.
"'Morning" He replied.
"So I guess we're partners then" I said.
"Looks that way." He replied, "I'm Xeyrus"
"Azure" I replied, holding out my hand to shake his. He didn't take it, so I slowly lowered it back to my side..
"Let's keep moving" He said, almost robotically.
"Alright" I replied, still recovering from the awkwardness of our greeting.
All of a sudden the bushes shook. We froze in place, and they fell silent. All of a sudden the bushes exploded with Grimm. Four Beowulves, two of which were babies, and a fully grown Ursa now stood before us.
"I'll take the Ursa" Xeyrus said, taking up a battle stance with his right knee bent and raised.
"Right" I replied, drawing Cratorus and extending it.
I charged towards the first baby Beowulf right away. Going for the older, stronger ones first would leave the babies to be annoying distractions while fighting the stronger ones. They needed to be killed first.
The Beowulves charged at me. I brought up Cratorus, stabbing the first baby Grimm through the neck. Blood poured as I tore it from its neck and kicked it back. I spun around, swinging Cratorus and catching one of the adults over the snout. It staggered backwards, leaving the second baby open. I slashed at it several times, eventually severing its head. Cratorus wasn't bladed, so cutting through something takes much more time.
I leapt over its body as one adult Beowulf took a swipe at me. I stabbed Cratorus downward, hitting the Beowulf's head and pushing myself upwards even higher. I landed behind them, stabbing straight through the first one. Its body began to disappear from the center where I'd stabbed it. As the body fell to the ground I saw Xeyrus engaging with the Ursa.
He still stood in the same stance. Then, in the blink of an eye fired a large explosion from his shoe, hitting the Ursa in the gut. Recovering, the Ursa charged, aggravated now. Xeyrus brought up his foot again, then fired off another round as the bear swiped at him. The recoil of the shot propelled him backwards, causing him to fly into a backflip. He landed holding two of the weapons he had on his front. I assumed that one was on his back as well. He had moved so fast, I couldn't figure out when he had drawn his weapons.
"Look out!" He called without turning.
I spun around. The last Beowulf was already upon me. I threw myself back, sliding along the grassy ground and narrowly avoiding the wolf.
"Never turn your back on your opponent!" Xeyrus called, before releasing a flurry of attacks onto the Ursa's front.
I turned back to the Beowulf, who was already charging towards me again. I took a step back, holding Cratorus back behind my head. Finding the opportune moment, I threw the spear and dodged to the side at the same time. The Beowulf ran straight into the spear. It let out a cry that was quickly silenced as it slid along the ground and slammed into a nearby tree.
Pulling Cratorus from the Beowulf and turning around, I saw Xeyrus finish with the Ursa.
He approached me and stuck a raised finger into my face, "Ever" He said, adding onto his statement from earlier.
"Right, got it" I replied, starting to retract Cratorus. Just then I heard heavy footsteps behind me. Spinning around I found myself face-to-face with an Ursa, this one much older and bigger than the one Xeyrus had killed. It swung its claw, too fast for me to react to. I tried, and suffered three deep scars across my face.
I fell to the ground, dropping Cratorus, and leaving a trail of blood in the air.
"Xeyrus!" I called, turning from where I was on the ground. He stood for a moment, not moving. I blinked, and he disappeared. "Xeyrus?" I asked, feeling myself starting to cry.
All of a sudden searing pain shot through my leg. I gulped, glancing backwards. The Ursa had stuck its claws into my legs, creating a bloody wound. No, no, no, I thought, don't do this!
The Ursa tore off my leg, and I screamed in pain. Sweat dripped off my face and into my bloody scars, making them sting immensely. I heard the crunch of bones and the slosh of flesh being devoured, but I didn't dare turn around.
My vision was fading, and I reached out for Cratorus. This isn't how it's going to end! I decided in my mind. I reached out to the spear, which was now extended and retracted in random places. I couldn't reach it.
Searing pain shot through my remaining leg, and my hand froze. I clenched my teeth, trying to resist screaming. The Ursa tore off my last leg, and sure enough, I screamed just as loud as before.
My vision darkened, and all strength in my arm faded as I reached for Cratorus.
This can't be the end, I thought, it can't be. I feared that it was however; as I felt my blood spilling out all over the ground by the Ursa's feet. In one final attempt I opened my eyes as much as I could and reached out, only to realize that there was never any possibility of me reaching Cratorus in the first place.
My consciousness began to slip away as the blood drained from my body, and only one thought passed through my mind:
Is this really what I signed up for?