The Initiation

This was the big day, and Atrament was nervous. Not to the point of making any mistakes—he had a good enough grip on his emotions to prevent that—but the Initiation would determine the trajectory of the rest of his life. The landscape was providing an ironic contrast to his nervousness, with the peaceful green field dotted with a few trees and rocks behind him and the large green forest below the cliff in front of him. His fellow Hunter aspirants were lined up on large silver tiles engraved with Vale's emblem—two axes crossed over a laurel wreath. Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch were standing in front of them, the former holding a mug and the latter a large scroll.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors." Ozpin's voice carried a casual authority and he had the same inscrutable expression he had worn during the amphitheater speech. "And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Goodwitch continued. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today."

Atrament heard Ruby moan a few tiles over. Ozpin continued like he hadn't even noticed. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

This time, Ruby wasn't the only one shocked, judging by the general muttering. Still, Ozpin didn't let the future students get over their shock. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."

This time, no one reacted. Everyone gathered here knew what they signed up for. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Atrament wanted to ask if Ozpin was his first or last name. Then, he mentally castigated himself. This was not the time to indulge in idle banter—he needed to focus on the task at hand.

Apparently, no one else had any question. "Good. Now, take your positions."

Atrament instinctively lowered his center of gravity and narrowed his focus. Were they supposed to jump from the cliff or...

Oh, of course, he thought as the ground below him propelled him high in the air. These weren't tiles they were standing on, these were launch pads.

Paradoxically, now that he was in the fray, Atrament's nervousness was gone. Instead, his mind was focused on rapid calculations of force and work and drag as the forest's canopy rushed up to meet him. He reached behind him, drew Fine Print and mechashifted it in its rifle form, the barrel splitting smoothly as he angled the weapon downward and fired. Three shots were sufficient to turn his fall from a deadly dive into a controlled plunge. As he went through the canopy, he mechashifted Fine Print back in its spear form, stabbed the tip of the nib into a nearby trunk and used the friction to slow the fall even more, his feet finally hitting the ground with a soft thump. It was a good thing that he got Jaune out when he did—the Grimm wouldn't have had the occasion to kill him before the launch did. Atrament pulled Fine Print out of the tree and scanned the undergrowth for threats.

And found himself staring directly into two pairs of porcine red eyes thirty feet away.

Boarbatusk.

The huge hog-like creature snarled, lowered its head and charged. Atrament quickly dove out of the way of the sharp tusks that gave the Grimm its name and flicked the spear, slicing in the beast's calcaneal tendon. The Boarbatusk squealed in pain and stumbled, turning and looking at Atrament with even more rage and bloodlust. Fortunately, the Grimm was a young one—and as such, didn't develop the intelligence the older monsters often showcased. Therefore, its reaction to being wounded would not to be more careful, but to attack even harder. Atrament could use this to his advantage. He placed himself in from of a large tree as the beast jumped and...

Atrament had forgotten they could do that. The Boarbatusk had started to spin, making it much faster than before. If Atrament hadn't been prepared to dodge, this could have resulted in an unfortunate wound—or at least the loss of a large portion of his Aura. As it was, he barely avoided the spinning monster, which impacted the tree with a resonating crack. When Atrament looked behind him, the Grimm was lying on its back, dazed by the impact. He knew it wouldn't last, so he targeted the beast's vulnerable belly and stabbed it in the heart. Atrament briefly looked to confirm that the monster was dissipating and started to move. The noise would be sure to attract every Grimm in the vicinity, and he was here for a specific mission: go north to the temple Ozpin mentioned and pick up a relic.

He had walked a mile or so when usual sounds reached his ears: explosions, gunshots and screams—not distressed ones, but rather yells of anger. Still, he started to run towards the sounds. He was also supposed to pick a partner, after all.

Atrament arrived in a ravaged clearing, with a tree falling in the background. He did not see the Hunter aspirant, but she was probably hidden by the large Ursa that was turning its back on him, unaware of his presence. His suspicions were confirmed by a feminine voice yelling "What, you want some too!?" to the Grimm. The beast roared back, apparently wanting some indeed, but Atrament didn't plan on giving it the opportunity. He thrusted Fine Print in the monster's back, killing him before it could react.

The dead Ursa fell to the ground, revealing the blonde girl that called Ruby the day before. Her eyes changed from blood-red to lilac as Atrament pulled his spear out of the smoking Grimm carcass and she shrugged. "I could have taken him."

"I spared you the need," he replied, walking up to Blonde and holding out his hand. "My name is Atrament Vellum. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss..."

"Yang Xiao Long." That sounded like a Mistrali name, though she didn't look the part. She was powerfully built, with a defined athletic frame and a very generous bust that strained against the yellow crop top beneath her brown leather jacket. Her hair was a magnificent mane of golden blonde, long and wild, framing her face and cascading past her shoulders in thick waves. In fact, they were probably her second most notable feature. A large leather belt and tight black short completed her look, as well as a pair of yellow gauntlets that were still smoking—probably her weapon. "So you're the guy my little sister is smitten with?"

Oh dear. Well, now Atrament knew her relationship with Ruby. "Are you going to give me the shovel talk? Because I would like to point out that Ruby and I are just friends."

Yang snorted. "Nah, dude. It's good to see her come out of her shell. You should've heard her talk about her dashing knight using his wit to defeat the evil dragoness—and talking with her about weapons." At least, he had made a good impression. "Besides, methinks you prefer your girls to be more... curvy." She gestured to her bust. "I saw you checking me out. You're not as subtle as you think."

Oops. At least, she took it rather well. "Noted. Though I believe you also might have the benefit of experience. After all, beauty tends to catch the eye." Atrament accompanied his retort with an apologetic moue. While he didn't regret checking Yang out, he also had no intent on alienating his partner so soon. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, after all.

It seemed to work well enough, considering the gentle punch Yang gave to Atrament's shoulder. Well, gentle was relative—Atrament had needed to use his Aura to take it without flinching. "Flattery will get you everywhere, partner. Now let's get going, we're burning daylight."