literature

GRAE Ch.6 Long Shadows

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Greyson, Azure, Rusty and Ember stood at the top of a grassy hill, shimmering in the sun. All four took in the warm, clear late Summer air.

 “It’s pretty fair to guess that this is it.” Greyson remarked, looking down the hill at a decrepit stone temple. The three others agreed, and walked down the hill to claim their relic for grading.

 “Hmm, chess pieces?” Azure said to herself, examining a rook.

 “Greyson, I know you’re pretty good at chess. Is this guy strong?” Rusty asked Greyson, holding up the king.

 “Actually in chess, you have to protect the king at all costs. You can only move him one tile at a time,” Greyson responded. “I think we should pick the queen, she can move any number of spaces horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. She’s the most powerful.”

 “Sounds a bit pretentious if you ask me,” Ember asserted.

 “Be that as it may, we are being graded on which piece we pick. The queen will undoubtedly give the highest score,” Greyson replied.

 Azure was already holding one of the queen pieces. Ember reluctantly grabbed one, finding space in her bag for it.

 “So, Ember, what exactly is in that bag?” Azure asked.

 “Dust, pure elements, chemicals, some poison. Usual stuff,” Ember replied simply.

 “I... see,” Azure said, a bit concerned.

 Greyson took the queen from it’s place and looked it over. “So, we’re in an agreement that we’re a team? This is the last chance to split. Four years is a long time.”

 “I couldn’t imagine better teammates,” Azure remarked brightly.

 Rusty took the last queen from her spot. No other teams had arrived to receive their chess pieces yet, but it would only be a matter of time before the remainder of the teams picked their pieces, solidifying their place at Beacon. The four then began to walk back to the cliff they were launched from, and finish their initiation.

 About half an hour later, the stone bridge lay in front of them, the final stretch before the end of initiation. At the other end of the bridge, the cliff jutted hundreds of feet into the air. The drop below was unfathomably far, the bottom concealed by a dense layer of fog, despite the warm air above. Initiation had been a smooth ride so far, the only Grimm encountered were an Ursa and a pack of Beowolves, all handled with ease.

 The four teens all walked forward, but once they neared the bridge, an enormous black King Taijitu slithered up from the crags of the abyss, hissing ferociously. Rusty couldn’t help but utter a small shriek of terror. Azure shook in her place, too afraid to even glance up at the massive, menacing beast. Even Greyson took a few slow, cautious steps back, keeping both eyes on the threat ahead. Ember fiddled around in her bag calmly, seemingly searching for something.

 “I knew it couldn’t be this easy,” Greyson stated ominously.

 “I have an idea,” Ember said.

 “What is it?” Greyson asked, still backing up as the snake coiled, watching the teens with malice in its beady red eyes. The monster’s massive red tongue flicked out at the four.

 “Just, buy me some time, okay? When I’m ready, keep it’s mouth open,” Ember declared.

 The snake lunged at the four of them, all of which dodged. Ember retreated behind a tree, opening her bag. The snake lunged once again for Azure, but before it reached her, its mouth was tied shut by Rusty’s yo-yo like weapon. He yanked it back, pulling the shuriken at the end of the string through the flesh of the Grimm and moving its head violently to the left.  The King Taijitu screeched and turned its attack on Rusty, who dodged, and whipped the creature several times with Child’s Play, leaving sizeable wounds in the monster.

 After a fair few minutes of fighting, the snake turned once again on Greyson. He fired several blasts at the King Taijitu, all leaving little effect. He dodged to the side of the attack and dug Blitz and Nimbus into the side of the enormous body, running towards the tail, tearing flesh. The creature screeched and writhed in pain, flinging Greyson against a large rock with extreme force.

 The snake slithered in the direction of his nearly lifeless body, his weapons lay out of reach. Azure shot beam after beam from her Moonbow, none deterring the King Taijitu, focused on the kill. Rusty watched in horror. Though he attempted to tie the mouth shut again, which had saved Azure, Rusty was panicking far too much to focus. Azure’s  deep blue eyes began to water as the scene unfolded.

  “Get away from him!” Azure yelled in vain. The King Taijitu’s mouth opened. Greyson grabbed a stick and gritted his teeth, using his last bit of energy.

 “Ready,” Ember remarked, springing out from her position behind the tree.

“Then do it now!” Rusty shouted. The left and right edges of Ember’s forearm shield folded back, turning the top to a slingshot. Ember placed a small, thick black disk into the spot and launched it. It was a perfect shot, deep into the King Taijitu’s throat. The snake paused, wondering what had just lodged in its throat. Seconds later, a series of small explosions ravaged the body from head to tail. The remnants of the snake’s body fell to the dirt.

  "Hey, it worked," Ember declared, happy with herself.

 Azure sprinted over to Greyson and knelt down beside him. “Are you okay? How much does it hurt?  Where does it hurt? I’ll help!”

 “I... think I’ll be fine.” Greyson propped himself up with the stick in his hand and took a few steps, heavily limping. “Are the twins okay?”

 “Oh no! I think he’s going delirious,” Azure remarked, highly concerned.

 “No, Blitz and Nimbus, my weapons,” Greyson replied.

 “Oh,” Azure said, a bit embarrassed of herself. She picked up Blitz and Nimbus and gave them to Greyson. He put them in their sheaths. “Are you sure you’re fine?” Azure asked, noticing the pain in every one of Greyson’s steps.

 “Actually, I think I need a bit of help,” Greyson replied. He leaned on Azure’s shoulder and put his arm around her, taking his weight off of his right leg, whose hip was heavily bruised on impact. “And Ember, thank you so much for saving my life.”

 “Oh, no problem. Thanks for opening its mouth for me,” Ember replied nonchalantly.

 They walked along the stone bridge, Greyson still relying heavily on Azure’s shoulder. At the end of the bridge, a staircase was crafted out of the face of the cliff. Initiation was over.
As initiation draws to a close, there lies one last danger GRAE must face, and it proves to be the deadliest.
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