Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!
I'm uploading this chapter pretty late, sorry about that. Camp just ended and I haven't exactly been in the mood for responsibility. But I'm leaving for the next six days (ugh!) so I thought I'd better upload something.
So yeah, back to the olden days. One chapter every Monday instead of Saturday.
Anyways, that's about it. Now, let's get on with the chapter!
We were all loaded into four airships, one for each set of partners. I boarded one with Bole and Umber and reached up to hold a handlebar hanging from the top so that I wouldn't fall out.
"What about Sherry and Candace?" Bole asked me, noticing only Tina.
"I lost them" I replied.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I left them in someone's car and they drove off" I replied.
"Why?" He asked.
"Long story" I replied.
"Have you reported it yet?"
"Not yet"
"Are you going to?"
"I plan on it"
"Don't hassle the girl, Bole." Umber said, stepping on, "You know her, she's smart"
"Just making sure" He replied.
The airships lifted off and we started flying towards the far outskirts of Atlas.
"We're passing over the forest of Ever Fall." The pilot said, "Be on the look-out"
We leaned out of the ship, keeping our hands on the handles, and looked.
"We got movement" I heard the radio say.
"Send Burnt and Pigment in there." Elwood decided. "Stay on standby pilot"
"Roger that"
We continued forward, over the thick blue forest of Ever Fall. As we progressed the trees grew thicker and taller, until it was almost impossible to see anything beyond the leaves and branches.
"I think I see something" Bole said, leaning forward.
"Bole, look out!" Umber called, pulling him back. He looked over, seeing a Nevermore fly right by us and taking a swipe at Bole.
"Thanks" He said, dusting off his armor.
"We got movement in the air" The pilot explained into the radio.
"I see something in the forest!" Bole exclaimed, leaning forward again, almost without hesitation.
"Umber, Bole, and Nicole, head down there. Take out the Nevermore. Stay on standby pilot" Elwood said over the radio.
"Roger that." The pilot said, stopping the ship, "Whenever you're ready" He said to us.
"I'll deal with the Nevermore" I said, looking around for it.
"Right." Umber said, "Ready Bole?" She turned, seeing no one. Bole had already leapt. Umber quickly followed after, rolling her eyes.
I leaned forward, looking around for the Nevermore. Turning my head, I saw it approaching again.
Backing up, I waited for it to fly by. As it did I ran and leapt out, grabbing onto its feathers. It flew through the air, cawing and shaking. I held on tight, waiting for it to calm down before I moved forward.
Eventually it leveled out and I pulled myself along its feathers until I reached its head. Drawing Tina and stabbing the blade under his skull mask, I fired off several rounds, blowing a large hole in its neck. It cawed in agony before descending to the ground, its body limp.
Once it landed safely I leapt off and ran through the trees in search of my comrades. It wasn't hard to find them, as the slashing and screeching echoed throughout the forest.
Finding them, I saw several Arachnoirs (spider Grimm) fighting against a lone Umber. Bole clashed with four other Goliaths.
"Nicole! Bole's taking care of them!" Umber called out to me, "I need help!"
I turned and charged into the fray, slicing an Arachnoir's leg off and blasting it in the face. Its skull broke, but it struggled up to face me. I loaded another bullet into its head before it fell limp.
I turned, seeing Umber stab an Arachnoir in the eye with her rapier. The sword had one guard over the handle, which had a nozzle at the end. A tube stuck out from the bottom of the handle and connected to the steel, cylinder-shaped container on her back. The pack was full of red dust, which could be fired out from the nozzle on the guard in the form of fire when the blade bent backwards.
She tore her rapier from the Grimm's eye, which triggered a blood-curdling scream from the Arachnoir. She finished it off with a stab into it's now exposed belly after it stood up on its hind legs.
I spun around, stabbing an Arachnoir through the mouth and blasting out its jaw. I leapt onto its back and stabbed it. It stopped moving below me, and I fired off a few more rounds into incoming Arachnoirs.
Bole flashed into the corner of my eye. I glanced up, seeing him clashing with a Goliath. His silver bow staff was up as he fended off a Goliath's tusks. His feet skidded against the ground as he resisted, but the Goliath was clearly physically stronger. He stepped aside, pulling his weapon away and causing the Goliath to take several steps forward.
He stuck his staff into the ground and vaulted into the air. As he did so he fired a blast of dust from the bottom end of his staff that shot him into the air. He landed on the Goliaths back and stuck his staff into the black elephant's dark skin. It roared with pain and stood up on its hind legs. Bole hung on to his staff and stayed on until it dropped down onto all fours again.
Drawing his staff from its back, he charged towards its head and squeezed his staff, firing off a few rounds into the back of its neck. It roared and shook its body. Bole fell off, but immediately shot himself back into the air and soared towards the Goliath's head. He fired a sideways bullet that sent him spinning. As he neared the Goliath he began to fire off rounds constantly, almost drilling through the Goliath's head by the time he reached the other side. It was littered with small red caves where it began to evaporate.
Bole landed on the ground, skidding a little before stopping and turning to the next Goliath. There were only two left.
I turned back to the Arachnoirs, where by now they were all around me. I spun Tina's cylinder, then fired off several rounds of random dust. Umber charged in, rapier bent backwards and flames blazing over the giant spiders. They screamed as they burned and some averted their attention to her.
I leapt off the dead Arachnoir where I stood and joined Umber in the fight, slashing through several Arachnoirs as she burned them.
The ground shook as Bole took down another Goliath. Only one left. The Arachnoirs were thinning out, and it seemed that our mission was almost completed.
The last Goliath fell, and Umber drew her blade from the last Arachnoir before turning to me, panting. Bole approached us, breathing heavily.
"Lookin' good" Umber remarked.
"Thanks" He replied.
"Assuming that you didn't see us?" Umber asked.
"Nah," Bole replied, "Too focused on the giant demon elephants, you know?"
I laughed out whatever breath I could spare.
"You did good" I said.
"Thanks" He replied.
Umber looked up, "Well," she started, "I guess we call the pilot up again"
Bole reached up to his ear and pressed his fingers against it. "Threat neutralized. Come pick us up" He said.
He paused to listen, then looked over at us. "Alright." He said, "He'll be here shortly"
Umber and I looked up. Sure enough, the airship pushed its way through the thick branches, snapping several of them before landing before us. We pushed our way through the wind blowing around us, signaling the presence of the airship, and boarded it. Grabbing hold of the handlebars we lifted into the air.
Back above the trees, I saw that there was one other airship behind us. The other two were likely farther ahead.
"Are there anymore?" I asked.
"We should probably keep looking" Bole said, then turned to the pilot, "Any word from Elwood?"
"Zilch." He replied, "Nothing"
"Keep moving forward." He called, "Maybe we'll find some more"
The airship tilted forward and started moving. As we passed over the trees we saw nothing else, other than airships floating over the trees as they waited for their hunters to signal for return.
"Load 'em and get moving." Elwood said over the radio, "We're headin' home"
The airship turned around and headed back towards Atlas.
So there you have it. Not a heck of a lot happened, but new Grimm. Hopefully that'll come up in the actual series.
More development with Bole and Umber, whom I plan on making major characters (both were made up on the spot, by the way). Partly because I love Bole's weapon, more revealed on that in much later chapters that not even I've written yet.
I finally got around to uploading my short story last week, so check that out if you want. I can't remember if I already told you guys about it, its been an interesting week so my memory is blurry. But if you haven't gotten around to it I could use the support. All feedback is positive feedback. Criticism is welcome.
Also, camp ended, which sucks. Home isn't nearly as fun. I get to watch movies and have internet, both of which I could live without. Not that I don't like sharing my stories with you guys of course. But camp was still so great. If you ever have the chance to be a staff member at a summer camp, take it. You won't regret it.
And that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!