[hider=A Jaunt in the Woods]The  morning sun was already starting to loom overhead, and the combat  classes back at Beacon started, by the time that Sarina, Clair, and Flax  Fulvous the camera guy arrived at the launchpad near the Emerald  Forest.  Though Professor Port has spoken of a ferocious,  larger-than-usual Ogdoad when he'd given the seniors this assignment,  the viridian woods seemed as peaceful and as pleasant as ever.  The  newcomer, a martial artist from Vale's Summit of Fists with a passion  for cinematography -as he'd said when introduced- was the first to the  edge of the cliff.  Hoisting his oversized camera on his shoulder like a  rocket launcher, he leaned slightly over the edge, brown pompadour  waving in the breeze, and whistled.  "That's a big drop.  And you guys  just got launched by spring pad into there four years ago?  What an intense way to start college."  He eyed the spring-loaded diases nearby  doubtfully.  "I'm sure this'd be a nostalgia trip for you, but I've  always been a more down-to-earth kind of fellow.  Do you know if there's another way down?"

Clair shrugged. "Well, if you really want to go the slow way, you're in  for quite a hike." She took a deep breath in. It's not like Vale was a  city with pollution problems, but nothing beats the air out in the wild.  She glanced at Flax. "I just transferred in a few days ago, so I never  did this the first time. We did something like this back at Haven,  though, so I don't think I'll have any problem getting down. If you let  me carry you when we're in the air, you'll get some good footage." She  mock flexed her arms. "I might be skinny, but it's all muscle. I can  carry you and that big camera of yours."  This prompted a chuckle from the pompadoured teen.

She looked at Sarina, who was standing a short distance away on the  edge of the cliff face. "How about you, [i]Princess?[/i]" she asked.  "You can get down safe, right?"

Sarina stared straight across  the cliff face observing the vast green forests  of Emerald. She was  somewhat annoyed that their mission was being  filmed. She was not keen  on being screen for the masses who wanted to  watch a Grimm die. Being  of course a Praetorian from the Dei meant she  would garner more  attention. A child of one of the most powerful  families in Mistral, the  owners of Mistral premier robotic company, and  of course being a  members of the cursed controversial family meant that  her families  prestige would be affected by how she conducts herself on  screen. That  goes the same for her entire greater kin, the Praetorians.  As a Ducissa  (Duchess) under Mistral nobility system, this mission was  important  for herself, her family, and the Praetorians.

“Yes” Sarina said with a neutral tone, and a pensive look. “You know, I’m curious to see you in action.” 

"Ah,"  Flax interjected, "But before there can be action, there must be, of  course, lights and camera!  We've got the equipment, but not the  location.  As inviting as taking a dive in your arms sounds, love, I'll  be do-or-dying this scene myself.  I was always a fan of the whole  hunter idea -this isn't the first time I've visited Beacon, actually-  and since I'm the chap they pick for shooting the most bangin' stuff, I  thought I might as well try and give my trusty camera a little oomph."   Flax flicked a switch, and the camera's lens went dark.  He manually  popped open what looked like a barrel, looking a little sheepish.   "It...doesn't transform.  But it can shoot rockets almost as well as  films.  Let's see, now..."  Hauling the device onto his shoulder, he  aimed directly downward, aiming at his feet.  Uttering a not-at-all  confident sort of high-pitched grunt, he jumped and fired the weapon  straight down.

A  second later the junior cinematographer was sailing through the air,  his sneakers singed.  "Wooooo!  See you ladies on the ground!"  As he  plummeted down the cliff, he muttered in a still-audible tone, "...I  hope." and fell out of view.

Clair  scratched her head. "Well, after that show, I'm not sure it's me you  should be curious about." She leaned over the side of the cliff. "Did  you see where he landed?"

A fan, well I’m not. Sarina  then looked down from the cliff face only to see vast forests then  turning her head back to Clair. “Somewhere there”  as she pointed as a  part of the forest “though he’s probably gone,  searching for the  location to shoot us fighting the Ogdoad.”
 
     "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised."
      
With  that, Sarina then looked once more at the vast forests of Emerald.  Sarina then looked into her soul… Excitare, stella martis pacisque.   (Awaken, star of peace and war) Suddenly two stars appeared one that   was red and one that was blue began revolving around her. Her presence   changed, as if two forces were keeping her balanced as the stars   revolved around her. She then exhibited heterchromia, her left eye  blue,  her right eye red. Looking at [url=http://i.imgur.com/Jelkogt.png]this[/url], one can feel a sense of something…a symbolism that depended upon a person’s subjective mind.

She then pointed her finger to the air, [i]modum viator[/i] (mode   transport); the white star left Sarina and formed a platform in the   shape of the white star, moving towards the end of the cliff face. The   red star was only revolving around her. With that, Sarina walked onto   the platform. She then looked at Clair. “We can get down this way.”

     "Oh boy," Clair said. "The royal treatment. I'm honored." She joined  her partner on the platform. "Just so you know, I already had a plan for  getting down there. Many plans."
    
Sarina squinted her eyes while looking straight at the direction of the cliff face. Hmm…
    
    
    Clair stared at her. "So, you know how to fly this thing, right?"

Sarina looked down. Descendo (descend). The blue star platform began to descend… (as an bonus option :P play this during the descent  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kl4hJ4j48s)   start at 0:41) The platform lowered itself at a steady pace. When the   platform neared the tree line, Sarina jumped in the air, unsheathed   Arbiter, descending down and cut open through the foliage, landing on   the ground with a light step, reaped foliage around her vicinity. She   then looked up through the hole she cut through the tree line, looking   at her blue star platform… Reditum (return). It and reformed itself quickly around Sarina, circling her once more, looking at Clair now in the air. [i]You said you had a plan to get down from the cliff face. Well, let’s see how you will get down in air…[/i]

     "Oh, real funny, Princess!" Clair whipped herself around in mid-air,  back to the ground. Free-fall wasn't her specialty but she had, in fact,  made plans. Several.
    
     "[i]Aias![/i]" The gauntlet on her left arm projected a red, glass-like  shield, and with a flick of her wrist it flew into the air above her.  She opened her fist and the shield expanded; closing her fist tight, she  pulled herself towards it as it continued traveling higher, using the  magnetic-like force to slow her descent. In a moment, she landed feet  first, like a feather.
    
Nice Shield…

    
     Clair snapped her fingers. The shield shrank and returned to its place  on her arm, before disappearing in a red flash of light. She looked at  Sarina. "Try that again," she dared. "And we'll see how well that works  out for you."
    
Oh a threat? Don’t get me started… Sarina making a lip-tight smirk, “Heh. Just checking you out, that’s all” looking back at her. 
    
     "Checking me out? What do you -"
     
Sarina interjecting, “As in your skills.”
        
The  next instant, the sound of an explosion nearby heralded the arrival of  Flax.  Having nearly fallen to his death, he managed to redirect his  momentum at the last moment before impact with another rocket,  converting a fall into flight.  He skidded across the ground, and for a  moment before he lost his footing he fancied himself quite the cool  man.  After tripping and rolling a couple dozen feet, he spat out a  mouthful of grass and got to his feet.  His pompadour had been destroyed  by the constant wind, giving him instead a large, drooping bang on one  side.  "Well...that coulda gone worse, I s'pose."  He turned to see both  Clair and Sarina looking his way.  "...Told ya I'd by fine, didn' I?   We uh, ready to go?"

    Clair took a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders. "Yeah, we're ready. Where exactly is this thing waiting for us, anyways?"

Sarina nodded at Flax, signaling she is ready.

The  group began to walk.  There wasn't much to tell about the  larger-than-average Ogdoad they'd be facing; those question were better  suited for the mission assigner than the cinematographer.  Progress  through the forest was quick, the trail of the rogue Ogdoad easily  found.

[center]-=-=-[/center]


Flax  crept up against the rock, peeping around the side.  They were on the  edge of what used to be a basin, but now, with one edge of the thing  eroded, it formed a semicircle waterfall that drained into a marshy  canyon.  Heading up to the falls, the river was only about a foot deep,  and flowed reasonably slowly.  It was interspersed with grassy delta.   The groups' quarry, if it could be called such, was using its tongue to  fell trees near the waterfall's lip, perhaps to carve itself a pleasant  place to lie down.  Though all Grimm of its breed were repulsive, this  specimen was particularly nasty.  Its ebony skin was blistered with  warts, punctuated with scars from previous battles fought and won.

Chuckling,  Flax leaned back.  "Aaaalrighty then, we've found the beastie, guess  it's time for the show to begin.  Once you two have engaged it, I'll  start the film.  If ya see me rocket jumpin' around, it's to get a  better angle, but if you need me to shoot at the toad jus' gimme a  call.  Ya might try knockin' it into the old basin, cut off it's  escape.  Ready for action, girls?"

    Clair peeked her head out from behind the rock.
    
    [color=ed145b][i]Soft  flesh. Leathery, but soft. Easily pierced, but vitals are  well-protected. Stabbing and slashing weapons won't be as effective  here.
    
     Muscular legs means it can move easily despite its size. Normally,  incapacitating a Grimm would be effective, but in this case, it's just  going to be a waste of effort.
    
     It's... well, it's a big frog. Its tongue can probably cover close to  mid-range. and it might even have projectiles that can cover long-range  combat.
    
     Melee weapons alone won't do much.That thing can take standard bullets  with no problem thanks to all of that fat. If I'm going to take it out,  I'm going to need something with a lot of impact damage and serious  range.[/i][/color]
    
    She glanced at Flax's camera. [color=ed145b][i]Large blast radius. Not bad. I guess our cameraman might come in handy after all.[/i][/color]
    .
    "Give me a minute," she whispered. And with that, she closed her eyes.
    
     Clair didn't have an offensive weapon of her own any more; it shattered  in her last mission at Haven. But her Semblance more than made up for  that.

    [i]Sorry, Arthur. I'm going to have to borrow this.[/i]
    
     "[i]Fabricate.[/i]"
     
      A red light concentrated in her hands - her Aura. With a dim flash, the glow dispersed, and she was left holding a long-barreled, high-calibre rifle.
         "APFSDS rounds. Kinetic energy penetrator ammo. This thing can blow a hole in the side of a tank," she explained, unfolding the rifle's massive bipod. "It'll be more than enough for our friend here." She  looked at the other two. "Flax, sorry, this won't exactly be a show-stopper, but it's the best way to get the job done. Sarina, if you can make me an opening, I can take it out."
        
So that’s your power…as Sarina looked at Clair fabricate a weapon. “Impressive." 
Sarina carefully monitored the Ogdoad movements. She had never fought an Ogdoad but seen one in combat, a dangerous foe to face. Clair had a point on ending it quickly. If they didn’t, more Grimm could be attracted to their position. Sarina looked at Clair, “Ok so I will lure out the Ogdoad to get near the cliff. Once it gets near the cliff, fire upon it to knock it down to the basin. I will then check out the Ogdoad on the bottom to see if it’s dead. Then we can get out of here.”

    Clair nodded. "Alright." She waved her hand over the side of the rifle and with another flash, a strap appeared. She slung the weapon across her back. "Make sure you get clear of it fast once you've got it near the cliff. I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire. I'll give you the signal once I'm in position."

    Channeling her Aura into her legs, she leaped up into the treetops. Hopping through branches, she came to a solid perch. She lied down, prone, along a thick branch. Unfolding the bipod, she lined up her sights with the Ogdoad. She projected a small knife and flickered it between its Aura and solid state, creating a blinking red flare.
    
    [i]Your turn, Princess.[/i]
    
Sarina saw the blinking red flare and set her plan in motion. She first ran left near some trees, creating loud footsteps on the ground while looking at the Ogdoad. It was attracted to it and looked at the trees Sarina was running through. The beast made a huge grunt. That was the signal and then she immiedtley exited out their…looking sacred confused as she came across the Ogdoad with a fearful emanation, looking at its body. It’s all part of the plan. The grimm then made an aggressive grunt and charged at Sarina. She made a dodge to the left as the Ogdoad stopped but then faced towards Sarina. Sarina began running as fast as possible from the charging Ogdoad who was gaining on as she ran to attract the Ogdoad near the basin. She could feel the creature gaining on her as she turned her sideways while running, so close, so she channeled her aura to her legs making a high jump, with her hand on Arbiter, ready. The Ogdoad launched its tongue at Sarina. The tongue had hit Martis and reflected the attack back at the monster, hitting it straight at the face. Sarina had landed but was near the edge of the basin. The Ogdoad quickly recollected itself from being attacked by its own tongue. 
 
The Ogdoad stared off Sarina, her hand, firmly placed upon Arbiter. It was daunting, stressful as the Ogdoad was looking at her. She wondered what it was thinking as Sarina was trapped at the edge. The Ogdoad which was aggressive then slowly eased itself, continuing to look at Sarina. It then made a large frog-like roar. Immediately Sarina could feel something, the presence of Grimm in the other areas. As they continued to stare down at each other, the Grimm emanation was becoming stronger, and coming closer.
 
Sarina then realized the Ogdoad saw through her façade. She felt that the Ogdoad must have seen through the fake emanation she was putting up. With the feeling of Grimm going to their location, endangering Flax and Clair, Sarina made a backflip into the air, “DO IT NOW” she said as loud as possible, then standing on a white platform in the air, looking at the Ogdoad. In her mind, she had to make this quick… Martem belli aperuit ianuam (Mars, open the gate of war). The red star continued to orbit around Sarina, slowly transforming into a darker red star, with a dark outline around a hole.

The Ogdoad looking at Sarina standing on a platform in air, turned at the direction Sarina yelled at. It looked at top at a perch, noticing someone there. Immediately it launched a gallon of fetid, poisonous at the perch, making an aggressive grunt…

    "[i]Aias![/i]"
    
   Clair jumped onto her feet, instantly projecting her shield in front of her. The acid sludge sizzled as it connected, the force of the impact knocking her back along the branch. [i]Dammit, why did you have to yell?[/i] She flung her shield aside. Finger on the trigger.
   
    [i]Crack.[/i]
    
    Branches splintering, she lost her footing - and she saw it: the Ogdoad's acid had burned through the tree's trunk. She threw herself off the branch as the tree toppled down.
    
    [i]Looks like I'm just going to have to try!-[/i]
    
    She whipped the rifle in front of her, took aim, and -
    
    [i]Fingers crossed![/i]
    
    - the shot tore through the forest, scattering wood and leaves as it ripped through the air. The bullet slammed into the ground at the Ogdoad's feet and shattered the earth. The side of the cliff slid into the basin, taking the hulking Grimm with it.
    
    The force of the shot sent her sliding backwards along the forest floor. Once the dust cleared, she glanced through the rifle's scope at where the creature was a moment before. No blood.
    
    [i]Shit. I missed.[/i]
    
    She ran back to the edge of the basin. Sarina was safe on her platform, and Flax was nowhere to be seen. In the canyon below, she could see the beast glaring up at them. She loaded another round into the chamber. "Not this time."
    
    The second shot echoed through the canyon. But the Ogdoad was ready - it leapt backwards as the bullet blew a crater in the marshy ground.
    
    "This thing's that fat and still this fast?" she groaned. The barrel of the rifle was now white hot. She sighed. "I'm not supposed to fire two shots that fast." She tossed it aside and it hit the ground with a thud, disappearing in a flash of red. With all the Aura she used for blocking and jumping, it would take too much of a toll on her to make another one.
    
    [i]Guess that leaves Plan B.[/i]
    
    Two shortswords appeared in her hands. She had one last trick up her sleeve. "Sarina," she said. "I don't have enough Aura to make another rifle. We're going to have to do this old-school." She smirked. "Think you can handle it?"
    
Sarina was surprised how ell Clair handled herself once the Ogdoad launched its acid on her and sending it to the basin. When Clair fired her rifle, she hoped that shot would have been its deathblow but was not the case.
 
 “What a shame, I’d hope your 2nd shot would have ended its existence” making a deep disappointing sigh while looking at the Ogdoad down below. “I can defeat it just with my sword.” I will keep the gate as a backup though. Turning her head to Clair, “Yes” making a miniscule grin.

The girls launched themselves at the creature, deftly navigating the rough terrain and approaching their enemy with blades drawn and ready.  Seemingly sensing a problem incoming, the Ogdoad puffed up its cheeks, drawing up fetid water from deep inside its inner systems.  This spew, though not acidic or gaseous, remained one of the most vilest substances that any huntress-to-be could ever have the displeasure of encountering in her career.  Before it could vomit forth a noxious tide, however, a rocket slammed into the monstrous grimm from the side, ripping apart the side of its mouth and causing it to disgorge its load harmlessly at its feet.  If either of the swordswomen looked, they'd spot none other than Flax Fulvous, possessed of a new hiding spot, rolling film, and giving them the thumbs up.  He was in a prime position to record a stunning display of talent and brutality, and in the course of the next minute, Sarina and Claire did not disappoint.

When the deed was done, and the black chunks of the obliterated Ogdoad steaming up into the air, Flax came out of his hiding spot.  "That was quality!  Great job, ladies.  The way you made it look as if the beastie had the upper hand--priceless!  All the more exciting.  Y'know, they should make a tv show about the huntresses in this school.  I'd watch it.  That's not creepy for me to say, though."  Sighing, the cinematographer looked up at the waterfalls.  "We've got a long way to go to get back."[/hider]

[center][i]Passing[/i][/center]

The by-now familiar peal of the passing bell cut through the energized and fiery atmosphere brewing in combat class.  Instinctively the students began to move, gathering their things and starting to leave.  Today, Ms. Goodwitch didn't say much in terms of farewells, instead heading to her office to log the students' grades and get some paperwork done.  As she worked, she thought in snippets about the individual students, pausing whenever her mind in retrospect picked up something she'd missed in passing, before leaning back to jot it down.  It was good to see so many students serious about combat.  Not all had the fire, and combat -to be certain- wasn't all that made a hunter a hunter, but seeing the kids generally doing well made her feel as if she'd accomplished something.  

Of course, she knew by now what most students thought of her.  A lot saw her as a domineering sort of taskmistress, with no time for indecision and no patience for mercy.  In part, it was true, but it was also because almost everyone needed a push, and a rough one sometimes, to be the best they could be.  It wasn't human nature to seek extra effort when an easier path was available; there needed to be someone to drive the learners onward.  It gave Goodwitch no pleasure to impose hardship on those designated her pupils, but it was through difficulty that heroes were born.

This, the huntress thought to herself and she tapped away on a keyboard and scribbled notes on a pad.  Busy were those noises, and the only things that interrupted the lonely silence.

[center]-=-=-

[i]progress to Period 2, Math.  Feel free to interact with others during passing period[/i][/center]