The Same Day

Developing skills to work with every type of person is essential if you want to make it far as a Huntsman.

Eirian knew the wisdom behind those words. It didn't mean the prospect of running into people who hated her filled her with dread.

Deep-set in her stomach, she pushed it down, glancing over at the never-ending forests behind Beacon's headmaster.

So many trees. She had never seen so many back homes, used to a few palm trees and dry sands. Down from the cliff, she stood on, evergreen trees with thick leaves that replaced any tropical foliage she knew. Whereas many saw the dense forests and could only focus on the dangers with fear, Eirian felt thrilled and eagerness egging her on.

It was almost impossible for her to listen to Ozpin as he answered Zanthus' question.

Finally, one by one, the students were thrown from the cliff into the Emerald Forest. A whooping yell was all Eirian gave as she soared into the clear skies.

Even with her stomach flipping from the freefall, she had the biggest grin on her face. The sky was where she was comfortable. Nothing much could touch you when you flew through the air, and all your worries could be left on the ground, if only for a while.

Crossing her arms as she passed through a low cloud, she blinked and looked downwards. From below her, she could make out the giant forest approaching fast. Time for that landing strategy.

Hand slipping into a pouch on the back of her belt, Eirian felt her Aura flare. Excitement and a great need for protection affected it, the small flame she was so used to growing wild deep inside her. With no one around to see, it was difficult to see that silver coloured light glowing around her hand, and with a swift move of her arm, she pulled out a couple of small statues that were hidden inside.

With a throw, she straightened out her back and watched as those very statues came to life. Offwhite clay glowed silver for a moment, and soon enough the bird statues chirped loudly, quickly flying on their own while Eirian continued to plummet down to the ground.

Without a second thought, the birds wedged themselves under her feet. The whistling wind stopped in her ears. For a moment, everything was quiet, and Eirian stood in the air with the birds giving her something to stand on.

As she looked across the Emerald Forest, she unhooked her sword and swung it around her arm, watching the curved metal blade flip downwards and a gun barrel shoot out of the hole. With the scope fixed securely on the side of her handle, Eirian peered through it, scanning the environment carefully for something.

Suddenly, a loud yell caught her attention. It wasn't like her shouts of happiness and excitement.

There. Spinning wildly out of control, Zanthus was plummeting to the ground at incredible speeds. He wasn't showing any signs of slowing down, nor was he preparing for the landing.

She had to help him. Hand digging into one of her pouches, Eirian threw more of the small bird statues she had stocked up, watching them come to life as she ordered. "Go save him!"

They didn't question her. As fast as their wings could carry them, the birds flew off from their creator and towards the panicking student. Nervousness bubbled in her gut. What if they weren't fast enough?

Even if the fall didn't seriously hurt him, that didn't mean she wanted to see it happen.

She waited with bated breath, watching as Zanthus dipped behind the cover of trees with her birds quickly following him. Soon enough, flocks of squawking birds fled from their nests and took to the skies, leaving Eirian standing there in silence as she waited.

Did she make it?

Almost silent, she could make out a voice shout up from where Zanthus landed. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome!" Eirian shouted back, waving before gingerly remembering that he wouldn't be able to see her from the ground.

She should go and meet up with him. Together they could work through the forest, even find other students and make a team! Having a team felt far less daunting with Zanthus by her side.

Swiftly, she dived down into the canopy. Skillfully dodging and weaving through the stretched out branches and tree trunks, she quickly jumped off the birds and rolled across the ground, coming to a stop on one knee with a hand stretched out in front of her. Her rifle transforming back into its khopesh from, Eirian got up and glanced around.

"Zanthus?"

Grunting and shaking branches were her reply. Following the sound, Eirian looked upwards into the trees up above, spotting Zanthus up there. His landing certainly wasn't an easy one, she thought as she watched him struggle to untangle his cape from the branches.

Right beside him, she spotted her birds perched on the small branches. A small chirp and they flew down to where she was standing, sitting on her shoulders while she turned her attention to her friend.

"Need help?" She offered.

Pausing in his struggle, Zanthus glanced down at her and laughed nervously. "Don't suppose you have anything stronger in those pouches of yours?"

"Not unless you have spare clay on you."

He sighed at that.

"Well," he gave his cape another tug. "I'd appreciate it if you can get up here and help me get this loose."

Eirian looked at the birds perched on her shoulders, finding the ones that helped her land resting on another tree branch beside her. "Wanna give me a lift?"

They glanced at each other. Almost like they were weighing it up, the birds on her shoulders hopped off and hovered a few inches off the ground, waiting patiently as Eirian stepped on top of them before taking off. Drifting upwards, she smiled brightly while Zanthus gave her a questioning look.

"That's some Semblance." He pointed out, holding onto his cape as he tugged at it. "Here, just try and unhook it from those branches. I think that's where it's caught."

Following his instructions, Eirian moved closer to the tangled branches he was stuck on. Sure enough, his cape was tangled pretty badly in the thorns, some holes were already torn into the already battered fabric.

As she grabbed it, she gave it a quick tug and whined. "Why even wear a cape if it just gets stuck on everything?"

"It hardly ever happens!" Zanthus shot back defensively.

"Take it off and it can never happen!" Eirian pulled it hard, feeling it come loose as her grin widened. "I think it's coming loose!"

Finally, with their combined efforts, Zanthus' poor cape was free from the trapping branches and its thorns. Free, he sat there awkwardly while Eirian floated back down to the floor, hopping off her birds while they perched on her shoulders again. As she turned around, she noticed that Zanthus was still up in the tree.

"You're not coming down?" She asked.

"Uh…." he looked down from his spot. "It's pretty high up."

It was certainly a distance to fall. Moving closer to the spot right underneath him, Eirian pursed her lips in thought for a moment. Suddenly, she held her arms out, calling up with a smile. "Jump."

"Are you serious?!"

"Just jump! I'll catch you!"

"You'll catch me." As if to emphasise the point, Zanthus pointed at her before himself with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, it'll work. I heard people make good landing mats."

"Who in their right mind told you that?!"

"Just do it!"

He didn't say anything to that. After a few awkward moments of silence, she heard Zanthus mutter to himself, unable to make out what exactly he said. It didn't matter. What mattered was him shuffling to the edge of the branches, pausing for a moment when it looked like nervousness was too much for him to deal with.

Flexing her fingers, she gave him a comforting smile and waited patiently. Unmoving, she watched as he finally pushed himself off, and when she saw this hulking body hurtling straight for her, Eirian finally realised her mistake.

"Oh."

Zanthus entire weight fell right on top of her, knocking all the breath out of Eirian's lungs and slamming both of them into the forest floor.

Sticks and leaves dug into her bareback and shoulders, the whole world spinning while the poor concussed girl laid there, unable to move with her equally stunned friend lying on top of her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Everywhere hurt, and all she could feel was regret for every life choice she made up until that moment.

"I may… have made a mistake." She gasped from underneath him.

On top of her, Zanthus mumbled incoherently. "Cats don't always land on their feet, I guess."

"Isn't that kinda racist?"

"It's fine, Adam isn't around to hear." The mention of Adam would've made Eirian flinch if she wasn't already dizzy and sore.

When the world finally stopped spinning, Zanthus' weight lifted from her chest. Finally able to breathe, Eirian panted for air, sitting upright while her friend sat next to her supportively, holding onto her shoulder while she got her wits about her.

As she rubbed her sore chest, Zanthus piped up. "Since we're together, we can use our heads to try and escape this place. Do you have any ideas?"

"Uhhh, I might have one." She replied, unsure as she nervously played with one of her dreads. "It might not be the best option, though."

"We won't know unless you say it. How bad could it be?"

His supportive words stunned her. A burst of determination lit inside her, her surprised expression shifting to a confident smile while she nodded.

"Okay. I've done some research about the Emerald Forest before coming to Beacon. I was trying to find out more ancient history and found these little tidbits out, but that doesn't matter!" She rambled, grabbing a stick from beside her as she dug it into the ground. "Beacon is located on the western coast of Vale, just by the Indigo Seas. I remember there being a gorge around here with one of Vale's main rivers."

"And that should help… how?"

"Simple! The exit that Professor Ozpin wants us to find is near an old tower right by that gorge. We find the gorge, we find the tower, and we find the exit!"

"Wait, why would he want us to go to this tower? What's so special about it?"

"You've never heard of the Tower of Gothel?" A shake of his head had Eirian going into an exciting ramble. "The history behind it was pretty much lost after the downfall of the Ancient Valerian Empire. After the people moved away from the city and tried to live out in towns away from the government, the legends from those times faded away, but I did find out that apparently-"

"Can you explain in five sentences or less?"

"No."

"...Go on, then." Zanthus sat there patiently.

Sitting back on her legs, Eirian drew more structures and shapes in the dirt with her stick. "So, according to what I learned, the Tower of Gothel was once an outpost to an old lord that lived during a time of magic and Gods. When the world turned to ruin and the Gods abandoned us, the lord used his cunning and his power to expand his hold over these lands."

Pointing to a circle in the middle of some stick trees, she continued. "The Emerald Forest was said to be enchanted. Trees moved on their own, water flowed that made man grow taller than ever and made the plants themselves come to life. This was before Beacon even existed, you know?"

"I have a question."

"What?"

"Is this true?"

Eirian stopped drawing for a moment and frowned. "I dunno. Some people say legends hold some truth from the past."

"Okay, well we are kinda on a time limit." Zanthus pressed. "So, short version, please."

She couldn't help but deflate in disappointment. "The tower was a byproduct of the Ancient Valerian Empire and hasn't been in use for centuries. There used to be more ruins in these Forests, but time and the Grimm have left the rubble and dust."

"Thank you." Getting up to his feet, he offered a hand to the downtrodden girl with a small smile. "When we get outta here, you can tell me all about Vale and its history."

That brought the smile back to Eirian's face. Accepting his hand, both of the students brushed themselves off and started making their way through the forest. As the one who knew where they were vaguely going, Eirian took the lead, holding her weapon tightly while watching the dense foliage around them.

No longer in the air, the Grimm and other dangers had so much more cover to hide away in. Every sound, every movement, had both of them ready to fight, only to find nothing worth worrying over.

With the sun hidden behind the wide-spreading branches, Eirian had to squint to see in the dim lighting. She wished she had some sort of night vision. At least what Zanthus had, the feline Faunus having no difficulty traversing in the dark forest. With his ears swivelling on top of his head, nothing could sneak up on the duo without being found out.

At least, she had thought so before Zanthus stopped her.

With a hand gripping her shoulder, she turned around to find his ears focusing solely in one direction. Before she could ask him what was wrong, he pushed her out of the way and jumped back. Confusion was all she could feel.

That was quickly resolved when she rolled along the ground, managing to stop on one knee and looking back to see a Beowolf having pounced right where she once stood.

Her stomach dropped at the sight of the beast. Even when she prepared herself for what she would've seen before coming to Beacon, seeing those piercing eyes focus on her, hearing the deep growls rumbling from those jaws, it left her frozen in fear.

Only for a moment. A moment was all it needed to lunge for her, Eirian dodging its claws and deflecting a rogue blow with her sword. The birds on her shoulders were no longer there. She couldn't stop the fight to search for them. Eyes glanced around, hoping to see her creations around, but they quickly focused back on the Beowolf as it swiped for her head.

Ducking, she spun around and retaliated with a slash of her sword. The blade cut through flesh and bone crudely, the resistance she found lasting only a few moments before she completely severed the Beowolf's lower arm.

As it howled in pain, Eirian gripped her sword with both hands and hacked into its neck. It didn't manage to completely decapitate it. Still, black blood oozed out of the wound, staining the ground and some of Eirian's white shirt. Disgusting. She'd have to wash it so many times before the stain would even begin to fade.

Dismembered and bleeding heavily, the Grimm could only groan softly before collapsing to the ground. Dust and shed leaves flew up from the weight of the beast hitting the ground, settling down with its corpse fading away.

Rest wasn't possible, though. As she looked around, she quickly found that the Beowolf was not alone, and worst still, Zanthus was nowhere to be seen.

"Zanthus?" She called out nervously, holding her sword up as more of the Grimm targeted her.

Blocking a glancing blow from one, she sliced the side of the Beowolf and quickly lifted her sword over her shoulder, blocking another swipe from its packmate that had managed to get behind her. Sandwiched between two enemies, she found herself spinning around madly, trying to keep an eye on both targets while moving backwards. If she could just get both of them in front of her.

A shadow lunged in the corner of her eye. Before she knew it, Eirian was pinned under one of the Beowolves.

Crippling fear overwhelmed her. Agony radiated from her side, her scars ached, and images flashed across her eyes suddenly. It hurt. It burned. Blood stuck to her skin and screaming echoed in her ears. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. When she saw cracked teeth nearing her face as the Beowolf growled loudly, she didn't think of anything except escaping.

A loud bang echoed through the crisp spring air. Putting her arms up, Eirian managed to stop the Beowolf from collapsing right on top of her, throwing its dissolving corpse off her with a loud shout of exertion.

She couldn't even focus on her smoking rifle as she grabbed it.

Holding onto it for dear life, she pushed the unwanted memories down as she faced the rest of the pack. Even with her thinning their numbers, it felt like the enemy was never-ending. They circled her, looking for any moment of weakness to take advantage of, and standing there alone, Eirian never felt so small.

Stop it. She scolded herself. She faced Grimm like this back home, this was what she was training for. She had to stop doubting herself.

That was easier said than done when her hands shook.

Heart beating wildly in her chest, she backed away, trying to put some distance between them and her while they gave chase. There were too many to fight for one person.

Shooting one through its skull when it tried to lunge, Eirian turned heel and ran through the thicket. Pushing branches and brambles out of the way, she could hear the howls right behind her no matter how fast she ran. Her legs burned. Her lungs burned. She was not a fighter for the front lines, but without Zanthus there to keep their attention focused on him, she found herself their target instead.

The thought of her missing friend caused her chest to tighten. Where was he?

Suddenly, a Beowolf managed to outflank her and landed in front of the fleeing girl, snarling at her with bared teeth. Eirian didn't think twice as she pressed a foot into a tree trunk next to her and pushed herself upwards, throwing herself over the obstacle with her rifle. One-shot and the Grimm collapsed in a plume of smoke and dust, its remains trampled by its packmates as they ran through.

Hopping between tree trunks, Eirian grabbed hold of a low hanging branch and, with the momentum she was going at, swung until she landed right on top of it. As she glanced behind, she was greeted with the sight of the Beowolves jumping up the trees. Claws broke through the tough bark layer like it was nothing.

Catching her breath, she finally noticed something flying after her. Any fear she felt washed away, even if it was just for a moment when she recognised the small objects. Her birds.

The loyal statues flew as fast as they could. However, when they managed to catch up with the Grimm and Eirian, they didn't return to her side. Instead, they flew around the beasts, distracting them long enough for Eirian to take the shot.

Aiming down the sights, she muttered sadly. "Sorry, guys."

She fired. A powerful explosion rumbled through the entire forest.

Wildlife fled from all directions. Trees bent unnaturally as strong gales blew through. Even when the explosion itself ended and all the Beowolves were rendered dust, Eirian herself was blown through the trees and into a small clearing from the sheer force.

Everywhere hurt. The noise rang in her ears, high pitched that left everything silent around her. Lying on the ground, she could barely open her eyes without her head thumping painfully, squinting in the bright sunlight as she glanced up at the blue skies. Her poor birds. It happened before, she did it before, but it didn't mean she enjoyed it. Her creations gave themselves for her.

She had to keep going.

Faint thudding could be felt through the ground. Pressing her fingers into the dirt, Eirian felt her heart skip as she pushed her body to move, barely able to get to her knees when she saw what was coming. It wasn't a Beowolf or even an Ursa.

A boar, with tusks curled from its mouth and those same eyes peering out of the stark white skull. Smoke emitting from its body, it let out an angered squeal when it found the injured student lying there on the ground. A boarbatusk.

Not good. Not good at all.

Instinctively, Eirian reached down to her belt for her sword. When her fingers met nothing but air, that was when she looked down in confusion, finding her weapon nowhere to be found. "Oh no."

There was no time to act. The Boarbatusk charged for her, and Eirian could only lie there and watch when her legs refused to move.

That would've been it if not for something wrapping around the Grimm and flinging it through the air. Hooved feet scraping the ground, it let out a squeal as it flew off to the side, rolling across the ground helplessly while the newcomer landed harshly on the ground.

Still, on the ground, Eirian looked up at her saviour. Deep purple eyes stared back. Sharp, focused but glistening with the whites just visible. She knew her.

"It's you again!" She cheerfully pointed out.

That girl from the hostel. The one Adam was with that morning. She didn't show any emotion on her face, stoically watching Eirian as she shot back up to her feet, finding that energy surging through her while excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I can't believe you're here! I never thought we'd run into each other out here, it is a small forest, huh?" She grinned with a nervous laugh. "Kinda wished we met without me ending up on the floor."

She was rambling again. It wasn't something she meant to do, knowing deep down that it annoyed people, but her mouth kept running without any sign of stopping. The other girl didn't seem angry at her for the most part.

Rather, she simply nudged Eirian out of the way and gripped her swords in her sheath. Confused, Eirian glanced up to see that the Boarbatusk had gotten back up, no longer stunned from the rough landing it was just subjected to.

Shaking its head, it tried to charge again. Angry squeals echoed through the air. The sight of this angry beast charging, and not having her weapon on hand, left Eirian feeling so small and defenceless, only able to stand behind the girl and watch. Though give her some due, she showed none of the fear or apprehension that plagued Eirian so much.

She couldn't even see the first strike. Before Eirian knew it, the girl was past where the Boarbatusk was, with chains flying behind her in circles. Arms crossed, she only had to pull and the chains were wrapped tightly around the Grimm. It thrashed around wildly. Angry squeals were loud in Eirian's ears, but she could only watch in awe as the other girl grabbed the chains and spun on her foot, dragging the Boarbatusk away and slamming it into the ground.

Stunned, it couldn't move as she jumped on top of it and shoved her dual blades deep into its belly. Right to the hilt.

Strangled noises were all the Grimm could make. Struggling against her grip, she was stone cold in her precision, watching it fade away to dust before standing up again. Even though Eirian couldn't see her face with the girl's back to her, the way she held herself, the aura that radiated from her.

It was breathtaking.

"Woah…" She muttered to herself.

With a flick, the chains pulled back into her blades, the two halves of the daggers clicking back into one whole as she sheathed them once more.

When she turned around, her eyes widened in shock when Eirian ran up to her, vibrating with excitement as she gushed over the fight. "That was amazing! You have got to teach me some of those moves, I've been waiting for so long for someone to show me the ropes! Honestly, I like doing things at a distance, but that's kinda hard when Grimm like getting up in your face."

Shaking her fists eagerly, she continued with increased vigour. "We could be such a good team! Have you seen my moves? Before was a bit of an exception, usually, I can pull my weight! I promise I won't be a burden! What's your name? We should get to know each other, I'm Eirian by the wa-"

She was stopped by a hand.

Holding it up as a signal to stop, the girl seemed so confused and put off. Eyebrows furrowed, she waited until Eirian stopped talking her ear off before making some hand movements quickly.

Her mind drew a blank. Watching the quick signs and the way the girl looked almost embarrassed for doing it, Eirian stared in confusion for a few moments. Suddenly, it clicked. She was signing. The girl was deaf.

"Oh."

It sounded almost silly responding like that. Yet she honestly didn't know what to say, only able to stand there with a stunned look on her face, watching the girl dropping her hands to her sides and glance away nervously.

They stood there for what felt like forever before Eirian spoke up again. "Okay. You're deaf. I can work with that."

The girl tried to sign again before Eirian quickly pointed out bashfully. "I don't get sign language!"

She stopped. Hands held up in front of her chest, she watched Eirian closely, unnerving the other girl as she looked away nervously.

"You don't have to stare at me like that…" she mumbled to herself, covering her face with her hand. "How am I gonna do this?"

It was difficult traversing through the Emerald Forest with all your senses. While the other girl proved more than capable of handling Grimm, her ability to work with others was pretty nonexistent, and not even because any orders would fall on deaf ears. She just didn't seem the most friendly of them all.

Then there was the habit of staring people down. Does she even blink?

While Eirian panicked to herself over what to do, she suddenly felt something poking her arm. Lowering her hand from her face, she noticed the girl still standing there, only she was holding something in one hand, poking Eirian with it while staring blankly.

Looking down at the object, the dark-skinned girl was surprised to find her sword. Her saviour must've picked it up after the explosion.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, taking the sword with a grateful smile. "Thanks! Need this if we wanna get outta here in one piece."

The girl just stared. It started getting more and more awkward with each passing second, though Eirian tried her best to break the ice between them. "So, any way you can tell me your name?"

She seemed confused. Eirian tried again in a slower tone. "Name?"

That seemed to do the trick. However, trying to get a mute girl to say something was not possible, and without pen and paper to write anything down, the two would have to get creative if they wanted to communicate with each other.

Watching closely, she saw the girl using her fingers to spell out the letters. It was pretty difficult to decipher, and Eirian could only answer with an unsure tone. "Rory?"

Slanted eyes narrowed. The girl repeated herself with a frustrated expression, with Eirian trying again nervously. "Ruri?"

She smiled at that, nodding as Eirian continued. "Ruri. Right. Well, any chance you saw a boy around here?"

Zanthus fresh on her mind, tried to mime out what she wanted, lifting her hand while Ruri could only stand there and stare.

"About this big? Blonde? Cat ears? Likes wearing capes that get stuck on everything?"

Much to her disappointment, Ruri only shook her head. It was too much to hope on. Still, her first friend was missing, and the attack from before was still fresh on Eirian's mind. She hoped he was okay.

"Okay. No time to mope." She picked herself up, slapping her pudgy cheeks to try and psyche herself. "We got a mission to do. Let's get outta here."

With Ruri in tow, she took the lead and made her way back into the dense cover of trees. Even with the twinge of pain in her feet, she kept pushing herself, focusing her mind and energy on completing the mission and getting not only herself but her new partner, out of danger.

It almost felt like a real Huntsman mission. It made her giddy, that bright energy radiating off her as she walked proudly through the bushes and brambles.

A tank top and shorts were not suitable for keeping sharp branches and thorns at bay. Aura protecting her flesh from the scratches, she still felt the sharp pain every time a branch snapped back from her grip, or every time throned plants nicked her arms or thighs as she brushed past them.

At least the cloak hanging from her belt protected the left side of her lower half. It was better than nothing.

Every so often, she found herself looking over her shoulder, making sure Ruri was still with her. It was almost too easy to forget the silent girl was even there. Eirian didn't expect any conversation, especially since Ruri doesn't speak, but the quiet between them was starting to make her feel weird and awkward. What could she even say?

So, how's being deaf treating you? Like this weather? Grimm, am I right?

She hated trying to do small talk. All the things she could think of were either random facts about the favourite music genres in the secluded southern villages of Mistral, or whether Atlas' Headmaster and Vacuo's Headmistress would win in a free for all.

Her money was still on Vacuo.

Her scattered thoughts stopped suddenly when she noticed Ruri overtaking her. Pulling her attention back to the current situation, she found herself having wandered out of the forest, rather looking over a giant gorge that split the Emerald Forest in half.

The scenery was beautiful. With the dark grey cliff faces, the small blue river that ran miles and miles down below, she looked at the trees on the other side of the gorge, standing there in awe while Ruri moved closer to the cliffside.

Noticing her, Eirian quickly moved to her side with a handout. "Careful, you don't wanna slip."

The touch on her arm had Ruri flinching backwards. A heated stare was all she gave back, rubbing the spot where Eirian had grabbed her.

Confused, Eirian held her hands up and apologised. "Sorry. Won't do that again."

Silently accepting the apology, the hard expression on Ruri's face softened, and she turned her attention back to the cliff edge. Even though the apology was done and everything was fine, Eirian couldn't help but scold herself for doing something so dumb again. She didn't want to mess up any chance to prove herself to Ruri.

She was so cool. Eirian wanted her to like her.

"Okay." She started, breathing deeply to try and calm her frantic nerves. "How're we gonna get over here?"

The question was more for herself than Ruri. With her back to Eirian, she didn't even hear the question, rather staring off into the distance with that same stoic expression. She seemed so focused.

Following her gaze, Eirian couldn't see anything as she muttered. "I guess I'll figure it out."

Almost on cue, a loud call echoed through the air. It was no way human. Filling Eirian with dread and forcing Ruri to get into a fighting stance, the two students stood there as something flew up from within the gorge itself.

The sheer weight and power behind it caused winds to blow through the girls. Crossing her arms in front of her face, Eirian braved the gusts, looking up with widened eyes at whatever could've caused such power. High above them, she got her answer when a giant silhouette blocked out the sun.

Pitch black feather and a bone-white skull, the creature dwarfed the students with one wing alone.

"A Nevermore?!" Eirian gasped, spinning her sword as it transformed into her rifle form. "What'd we gonna d-?!"

Her question fell short when Ruri ran off the edge of the cliff. Panic set in at that, Eirian rushing to the side with a horrified cry. "Ruri?!"

For a moment, she feared the worst.

Suddenly, vibrations rumbled through the ground. Wild earthquakes that had Eirian stumbling, falling to a knee as she steadied herself, she watched as Ruri shot up from the gorge, straight for the Nevermore itself.

Eirian was stunned. The graceful movements of Ruri as she saw through the air, flexing her legs as compressed air pushed her further, she couldn't take her eyes off it. Even when the Nevermore dove to attack the blue-haired girl, she showed no fear as she spun through the air, throwing one of her swords right for it.

The chains glistened in the sunlight. Readying her scope, Eirian saw the blade folding into a hook, spinning through the air as it shot for the incoming Grimm.

Any awe she felt vanished when the Nevermore smacked it away with its beak. Both of the students reacted in shock, with Ruri pulling her sword back and preparing herself for impact. The giant beak opened, ready to swallow her whole, and Eirian couldn't stand there any longer.

She fired a shot. It was only a brief annoyance, but when the bullet exploded in Nevermore's mouth, it instinctively closed its beak and flew to the side, its huge wing smacking Ruri away like she was just a fly.

Sword in hand, Eirian didn't think twice before she dove off the cliff after Ruri. The wind was loud in her ears, deafening her with the sound of her own heart beating frantically in her chest, but she could only focus on the falling Ruri. Hand digging into her pouch, she grabbed a few birds and threw them in front of her.

The scared chirping was all the birds could make when they came to life. Seeing Eirian and Ruri falling, they rushed to their creator's aid.

Under her feet, she felt her fall slow down, still chasing after Ruri with the river coming closer and closer.

She had to act fast.

"Throw me your knife!" She shouted.

Recovering from the blow, Ruri seemed confused, not even realising she was falling until she looked behind her and saw the incoming river. Purple eyes widened in fear, her hand feeling behind her before she threw one of her weapons to Eirian.

Gloved hand grabbing the blade, she used the other to hold onto the chain and flew up as fast as her birds could carry her. With the extra weight, they were struggling to even keep them in the air, but she just needed them to hold on for a little longer. She knew what to do with the Nevermore circling back.

As it dove again, Eirian pulled the chain as hard as she could, using her strength to fling Ruri up towards the Nevermore again.

Focusing entirely on her, it didn't notice as Ruri outflanked it, using more shockwaves to push her bruised body through the air. Quickly, she slammed into the Nevermore's side, digging in her blades as the Grimm screamed in pain.

Seeing its open mouth coming right for her, Eirian pulled her leg back, the bird still under her foot, and kicked as hard as she could. The birdshot through the air, and right into the Nevermore's mouth. It could barely close it before the statue exploded.

Balancing on one bird was insanely difficult. As the giant bird dove past her, the winds from its wings had Eirian leaning backwards, and in that split second, she felt her balance tip over and her body fall off the perch. Her heart stopped as she dropped through the air like a stone in water.

That would've been it for her if not for Ruri grabbing her with her chains. Feeling the metal stick painfully into her belly, Eirian's body lurched with the Nevermore flying around, pulling her closer to it and Ruri. As soon as she was close enough, she grabbed Ruri's hand, and the two held onto the soaring Grimm for their dear lives.

"Wow, I never knew Nevermore feathers were so soft!" Eirian suddenly piped up.

A heated glare shut her up pretty quickly.

Honestly, now that they were there, riding on top of a giant Nevermore, Eirian didn't have a plan for what they should do.

As she turned to ask Ruri, she was surprised to see the other girl already moving towards the head. Hands digging into the feathers, she held on tightly, and Eirian could only do the same. She saw how far the drop was. Light pouches grimly reminded her of her dwindling supplies, and not even Aura would save someone from that great of a height.

Ignoring Nevermore's angered squawks, Ruri managed to reach its head. However, rather than try to stab it and kill the beast, she took out her weapons and, with the blades folding into hooks, drove them right underneath the top part of its beak.

Pained cries rumbled through the Grimm. Eirian shuffled closer, shouting out in surprise when she felt the Nevermore wriggle about, trying to dislodge its unwanted passengers.

"Wait." She muttered to herself, noticing something in the distance.

Rifle in hand, she rested it against the Nevermore, using one hand to hold on while the other aimed her weapon towards the place of interest. Peering through the scope, she noticed worn grey stone and ruined towers, even able to see the moss and vines crawling up the tall buildings built on the other side of the gorge.

"That's it!" She shouted, sitting upright with a bright grin. "That's the Tower of Gothel! We found the way ou-!"

Her words died when the Nevermore flipped onto its side. Any grip she had on its feathers vanished, and before she knew it, she was falling through the air with the Nevermore flying off with Ruri.

Panic surging through her being, her arms flapped through the air while she screamed. Managing to spin around, she noticed that the Nevermore dropped her near the cliff edge, trying to aim there rather than the entire fall down to the river. Hopefully, her Aura could handle the shorter fall there.

Small figures appeared down below her. Coming in too fast, she had no time to see who it was, only able to shout out in a blind panic. "Look out down there!"

Everything went black.

Pain pulsed through her body. Deep, thudding pain had her groan loudly, but it was far less painful than she expected. With muffled noises around her, she scrunched her eyes together, unable to handle the light that beamed in her face. Why was the ground so soft?

Slowly, her vision came back. Blinking a few times to clear her blurred sight, she pushed herself up gingerly, wincing when her head pounded horribly. Under her hand, she felt soft fabric. That wasn't dirt. When she looked down to see just what she landed on, what greeted her was one blue eye filled with anger and malice.

"You," Adam growled at her.

"Oh… Hey, Adam." She laughed nervously, sitting up full with her hand still tenderly touching her temple. "Didn't think I'd run into you."

From beside her, a familiar voice called out in worry. "Eirian?! You okay?!"

Zanthus. Eirian turned her head to be greeted with her friend kneeling beside her and cupping her face painfully, squishing her cheeks together with her lips puckering out.

Any relief she felt after finding him alive and well vanished, instead replaced with pain and discomfort as she mumbled back. "Yeah, I'm fine. Turns out a person is a good landing mat."

While Adam was rightfully angry at that, Zanthus' smile made her feel so much better. Releasing her cheeks, he laughed cheerfully. "How'd you even get in this situation?"

Before she could try and warn them, the Nevermore had returned with a deafening scream. It rang in her ears and echoed through the gorge. Both of the boys that were with her paled at the sound, Adam getting up to his feet with Eirian quickly joining him, all three looking up to see the Grimm soaring wildly through the air.

"A Nevermore?!" Adam snapped from beside her, turning to Eirian with a shocked look. "How'd you even get away from it?!"

"Well-"

"Wait a minute," Zanthus interrupted. "Isn't that the girl you were with, Adam?"

Oh, they noticed Ruri. Eirian too could see the poor girl wrangling with the giant beast, pulling on her chains in a vain attempt to keep it from dive-bombing the students on the ground. She wouldn't be able to hold onto it forever.

However, that wasn't on Adam's mind as he asked in exasperation. "How?"

"Well…" She muttered, messing with her sword nervously. "It's a long story."

"That can wait for later." Zanthus piped up, holding onto Eirian as he turned his attention to Adam. "The bridge over there can get us to the exit. We gotta move."

"We can't outrun it. We have to stand and fight." Adam argued.

Slit pupils widened in disbelief, Zanthus gestured to the struggling Ruri on top of the Nevermore. "We can't fight this! Not out in the open like this!"

Eirian had to agree. After taking a few bombs to the face and being stabbed repeatedly, the creature was still showing no signs of stopping, and with her Aura running low, she didn't know how much longer she could be of any help. Yet when she saw the heated glare Adam gave her when she opened her mouth, she found any courage to voice her opinion vanish.

Hiding away, she let Zanthus take over as he compromised. "That ruin can provide plenty of cover from it. Once we get there, we can wait until it loses interest."

"Grimm never lose interest." The deep growl to Adam's voice had Eirian flinching.

Looking up, she saw something coming straight for them and shouted. "Look out!"

They barely moved before the trio was bombarded with giant feathers. Driving deep into the ground, Eirian and Zanthus parted in time to avoid one of them, the dirt and dust kicking up into Eirian's face. Covering her eyes, she looked over at Adam in time to see him slicing one of those feathers in half.

His hair flared up with the strike. Standing strong against the barrage, she saw the Nevermore hover in the air, fighting against Ruri even with her swords digging painfully into its mouth. Yellow and red eyes focused solely on Adam.

Seeing it pull its wings back and throw more feathers straight for him, Eirian moved on her own. She had to save him.

In a flash, she tackled Adam out of the way, holding him close as they both landed on the ground with Eirian underneath him, rolling along until she was protectively over him. From underneath, she heard him snap. "What'd you think you're doing?!"

"Saving you?" She replied, uncertain of what she should say.

With a growl, Adam shoved her from on top of him and got back to his feet, turning to Zanthus as he reunited with the two of them. "Let's go. Stay close!"

Turning on his heel, he ran off for the bridge connecting the two sides of the gorge. Bitter sadness twisted in Eirian's gut, unable to be quelled even when Zanthus helped her to her feet and kept her close as they followed after the red-haired teen. Did she do something wrong? People were usually grateful after being saved, weren't they?

She couldn't focus on it for long. Not when they reached the bridge and started to run across.

The Nevermore followed after them, flying over their heads as Ruri managed to keep it from slamming right into the bridge. Panting loudly, Eirian dove for cover behind a destroyed stone wall near the main tower.

Back pressed flat against it, she held her rifle tightly, looking over at Adam and Zanthus as they hid behind another wall opposite her. With all three hiding away, the Nevermore circled high above. Its squawks and cries rang through the air. It sounded almost in pain. A bit of Eirian felt sad for it, but she knew better than that. Even she couldn't feel empathy for these creatures.

Her side started aching more.

Biting her lip to try and deal with the pain, she listened as Adam ordered them sharply. "It looks distracted. If you want to run, now's the time."

"What about you?" Zanthus asked.

"I told you. I'm not running."

Ears folding back slightly, Zanthus shot back in an annoyed tone. "Don't be an idiot. That thing will kill you before you can even get close. You can't fly, and I can't throw you up there."

"Ruri's still up there," Eirian added softly. "I'm not leaving my friend."

"You were the one who brought it here!" Adam hissed.

She flinched at his harsh words, looking away while Zanthus glared at him. "Leave her alone. This isn't her fault."

"Who's fault is it, then?"

"Stop it. We can't sit here and argue while someone's in trouble." The feline Faunus shot down.

Surprisingly, Adam didn't have any retort to that. Instead, he growled under his breath and peeked from behind his cover, watching the Nevermore flying around up above, before glancing up at the tower behind him. It was dilapidated. Stone chipped and entire walls having crumbled away with time, there wasn't much for defence against such a powerful opponent.

After a few moments of silence, he turned back to Zanthus and Eirian. "Zanthus, get up on the east tower over there. You keep the Nevermore's attention on you."

"Understood." He nodded, getting up to make his way to his assigned position.

"You," Adam continued, looking over at the hunched over Eirian. "How're you doing?"

"Uh… I haven't got much Aura left. But I can give you some cover from a distance if you can find me a good place to hide." She offered, lifting her rifle to emphasise her point.

He nodded at that. "There's a covered spot over on that short tower there. The roof will stop the Nevermore from seeing you if you don't bring attention to yourself."

Nervously, she nodded and went to leave, pausing when Adam spoke up again. "I need you to fire some bullets at me."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it." His harsh tone made her frown deeply.

Still, she didn't want to get any more on his bad side. So, with a sigh, she aimed her rifle at him and fired repeatedly. Surprisingly, he blocked all her rounds with his sword, the metal lighting up with each strike before dying back down.

"Alright. That should do it." He muttered to himself.

She could only stare down at him in confusion. Without another word, she turned and left Adam to whatever he had planned, rushing through the ruins up to the tower he pointed out.

Footsteps echoed through the tower as she ran up the stone staircase. Thin windows let in some sunlight, letting her see what was doing outside somewhat. Occasionally, the Nevermore flew right past her, too far away for Eirian to see what was happening. Along with its loud calls, she could hear rapid gunfire and shout in the distance. Sounded like Zanthus reached his post.

Taking two steps at a time, she rushed up the rest of the stairs to the top of the tower. At least, what was left of the tower.

Giant holes littered the whole room. Vines and other plant life grew between the cracks, climbing up the side of the tower and wrapping around the cracked structures that held up the roof. Nearing one of the holes, Eirian kneeled and aimed her rifle, looking through the scope as she scanned the entire battlefield in front of her.

Sure enough, she quickly found Zanthus on top of the opposite tower. His hands clenched tightly into fists, the vambraces he was wearing having shifted into thick guns that sat right on top of his wrists. Bullets shot out rapidly, managing to keep the Nevermore from flying straight for him.

Ruri was still on top of its skull. As it flipped and spun around in the air, Eirian found it difficult trying to get a clear shot on it, only able to kneel there and wait for the perfect moment.

Suddenly, Ruri unhooked one of her weapons and tossed it to Zanthus. He gripped it tightly with both hands and pulled harshly. Quickly, Ruri was pulled right off the Nevermore, flying towards him with her other sword still lodged into its skull.

In one swift movement, the blade tore through the soft flesh of the Nevermore's mouth and returned to its owner. Torn flesh bled profusely, blood dripping down to the ground below while the beast cried out, unable to stop itself as it flew straight to where Eirian was hiding. Only able to gasp in fear, she stumbled as the Nevermore collided with the tower right below her feet, slamming into the stonework with its whole body.

Massive weight and power behind it, the weakened stone finally gave way, and Eirian found herself falling amongst giant boulders and rocks. With a grunt, she jumped between the rocks, looking down to see the Nevermore chasing after her with its mutilated mouth wide open.

Jumping from a rock just as it lunged, she watched it bite down on the rubble unsuspectingly. Any amusement she had felt vanished when it simply broke the boulder into pieces with its powerful beak. Shards flew in every direction, barely missing the student as she jumped over to another nearby tower.

Sparks flew as she slammed her sword into the stone. Sliding down, she gripped onto the slippery stone in a desperate attempt to find some bit to hold onto. Thankfully, she came to an abrupt stop with her sword driven deep into the wall.

Dangling there, she glanced back to see the Nevermore taking flight again. She had to move.

Glancing around frantically, she noticed a small window just below her. Something big enough for her to slip through. So, carefully, she started climbing down while her friends kept Nevermore's attention on them.

She couldn't even see where they were. How they were faring. It was horrible, something she never wanted to feel again. She had to get down and help them out.

Finally, she swung through the window and into the tower. Every muscle ached with the exertion. Tense limbs that burned with every step she took, she pushed the uncomfortable sensation down and made her way to the top of the tower.

Unlike the other one, this one had no roof to cover her. Exposed to the open skies above, her sword shifted back into rifle mode, and the student took her position with a foot upon a stone. Aiming through her scope, she finally noticed Adam himself having appeared on the tallest tower.

He wasn't moving. Legs spread and his hand on his sword, he waited patiently while Ruri and Zanthus were taking care of the Nevermore.

Too powerful for Zanthus to pull down, even with Ruri helping, they jumped through the ruins with the Grimm following close by, using the terrain to deal constant damage to it. Bursting through another tower, Zanthus used the rubble as makeshift steps to lift himself, making his way up to where Adam was.

Yet the Nevermore was right behind him. Opening its mouth in an attempt to swallow him whole, Eirian aimed her rifle and took the shot. Relief washed over her when the bullet pierced through the roof of its mouth. Beak clamping shut, Zanthus managed to get away while the Nevermore retreated.

She didn't relent as she shot at the Grimm again. Piercing through its wings and skull, it angrily cried at the attack and turned its attention back to her, diving straight for Eirian again.

She didn't let the fear stop her this time. Spinning her sword as the blade flicked back open, she needed the right moment. When the Grimm was practically faced to face, she jumped right for it. Hands gripped its skull tightly, fingers hooking under the top of its mangled beak. With her stuck on its face, the Nevermore lurched backwards with its head lifting.

Eirian found herself tossed over its head with the sudden movement. Sword in hand, she drove the blade deep into its flesh, stopping her fall and anchoring herself to it.

With a flap of its giant wings, the Nevermore retreated away from the ruins, taking itself and Eirian back up to the skies. Holding on for dear life, she had to move, making her way slowly along the beast's back towards its wing. Seeing it so up close was something of an incredible experience if it wasn't trying to kill her and her friends.

One hand grabbing the Nevermore's feathers, Eirian raised her sword high and drove it into the Grimm's wing, burying it to the hilt. The sudden jerk dislodged her from its back. However, the weight behind the sword had it slice through the Nevermore's wing-like butter, leaving a gash behind as both human and Grimm plummeted to the ground.

Heart beating fast and all the air leaving her lungs, Eirian could only watch the ground approaching fast with wide eyes. There was no way her Aura would sustain such a fall after the long fight she had been through.

Suddenly, someone grabbed hold of her. Feeling arms wrapped around her waist, she turned to see Adam glaring down at her, holding her tightly as he grabbed the chain tightly.

From the top of the tower, Zanthus had hold of the other end. With gritted teeth, he yanked the chain harshly, pulling the two back to safety while the Nevermore continued to plummet. Wings frantically flapping, it could only let out a loud cry before it hit the side of the cliff. The ground gave way. Rocks plummeting down to the river below, the Nevermore's talons clawed at the cliffside before it too lost its grip.

Its cries echoed through the forest as it plummeted to its death.

The shock made Eirian feel numb. She could barely react when she landed on top of the tower, quickly let go by Adam as he walked away with a scowl on his face. Breathing heavily, she looked down at her shaking hands, unable to believe what they had just done before Zanthus pulled her into a tight hug.

"You idiot." He scolded, cupping the back of her head while burying his face into her shoulder. "You crazy idiot."

"I'm okay." She breathed, returning the hug with a shaky exhale. "It's alright. We did it."

A few feet from them, Adam turned his head to them and snapped. "We almost had a casualty with a stunt like that. What would've happened if I didn't catch you?"

"She's safe now, isn't she?" Zanthus shot back, glaring over his shoulder at Adam.

"That's not the point. You had an order, and you went against it. That could've cost us everything."

"Just leave her alone." Zanthus had gotten up to his feet. Squaring off against Adam, he added with an aggressive bark. "We can get outta here, or we can stand here and argue about things that don't matter. What'd you wanna do?"

Eirian only sat there while Ruri kneeled beside her. With a comforting hand on her shoulder, the two girls watched while their allies argued back and forth. Adam didn't say anything immediately to that. Rather, he stood there with a narrowed eye, glancing between Zanthus and Eirian multiple times before turning around.

Walking away from them, he didn't say a word.

Even though he stood up for her, Eirian noticed Zanthus' hands shaking by his sides. Small quivering that he tried to hide. Still, he paid no attention as he instead turned his attention back to her and Ruri.

"Come on," he muttered, helping Eirian to her feet. "Let's get you outta here."

He didn't move from her side even as they left the Emerald Forest. Adam kept to the front, leading the others back to the waiting point where Ozpin and the professors were waiting for them.

Any words of congratulations were sparse. They only fell on deaf ears anyway, Eirian feeling too drained and confused to pay any attention to those around her. Rather, her mind could only focus on before. Adam had saved her. Even after all the things he said to her, the way he looked at her, he still saved her life.

Why?

The answer wasn't something she would find quickly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him glancing over at her. Angry, hateful, she knew the emotions in that one blue eye all too well, slinking into Zanthus' grip for comfort. He was more than willing to give it, shielding his friend away from the bitter words and harsh insults are thrown at her.

Shortly after they passed the Initiation, others had joined them. Bruised and battered students that formed alliances too. Some looked even worse than Eirian and her group did, limping towards the Main Hall for the passing ceremony and the formation of their teams.

Her team.

She hadn't even realised the teams until she was up on that stage. Standing beside Ruri, she listened as Ozpin praised them. "You four had worked together and managed to take down one of the most dangerous Grimm to dwell in the Emerald Forest. Your teamwork and abilities were noted, and I am pleased to say that you all have exceeded our expectations for these students."

Eirian's smile turned bright at that.

"Still, you four have a long road ahead. There are always things that you must improve, and alliances you must foster, but with time, I believe you four will become a fine team here at Beacon." Gesturing to the board above him, Ozpin loudly announced with a warm smile. "From this day forward, you four shall be named Team AZRE, with Adam Taurus as your leader."

Everyone glanced down at Adam. Even he seemed surprised with the reveal, staring up at Ozpin with a wide eye and agape mouth.

Closing the distance between them, Ozpin placed a tender hand on the teenage boy's shoulder. "This is a serious responsibility. Please think about the type of leader you wish to be, Mr Taurus."

Letting his hand drop from the boy's shoulder, he left Adam standing there, seeming deep in thought, while he turned to the other three standing there. Zanthus could only stare up at the portraits on the screen, a shocked look fading away to a genuine smile. Eirian shared the sentiment, feeling pride and excitement when she realised that she had made it, she had gotten into Beacon Academy.

Hands balled up, she waved her arms, unable to contain her bursting emotions, and practically jumped on top of Ruri in a tight embrace. The poor girl stiffening from the touch, she looked at the side of Eirian's head before gingerly patting her back.

Watching them all reacting to the news, Ozpin leaned more onto his cane and chuckled to himself.

"This will be an interesting journey."