A Walk In the Woods (AXGS Team Formation)

Anput sighed, holding the axe so that it pressed along her forearm and tricep and extended behind her, the axe blade itself glinting in the light and facing forward, her leg arm coming around to brace the front as her right slipped back and she spun, arcing the fan blade into a wide half moon over her head and then down into a screeching twirl, a thwack and shing followed, the thin tree, brittle and already dead from malnourishment, fell. Anput smirked, standing up straight from her half crouch and leaning against the staff of the axe. Her training was helping the finesse behind her swing. Her strength was already above average, but her speed was the problem. She had to get faster. Huffing she stepped over to a tree, leaning against it, holding her axe with one arm and the other came up to shield her eyes as she looked up at the tree tops. Light shines through, bathing her in a soft yellow and she relished in the warmth of it.

(Sorry short, she's just doing some light training in the forest. Its about noon or so. A bit hot out with some wind!)

Xavier was feeling a very confusing mix of excitement and stress: On one hand he had gotten his notice of being accepted into the academy, and he had even been put on a team, all on such short notice...but on the other hand he was told to go meet his new team right away before getting an idea of who there were, and he didn't even have an idea of the classes he was taking, they tried to force him into a 'dorm' which he was supposed to share with at least two other persons. It was way too much at once, and he had never had to experience such stress in a long time, so he fled to the one place that made sense: the woods.

He had spent a good share of the morning hunting for eggs that were not fertilized, but came up empty-handed. Now of course he loved his famous squirrel snacks, but it never hurt to shake things up every now and again, and he had a craving for eggs. Since he had spent enough time searching for those, he decided it was time to hunt some game, and he figured this would be about the perfect time of day to do so: It was about noon, which he could tell due to the sun's positioning, and it was a rather hot day without too much of a breeze for relief...so the animals would be drinking more often, and now would be the most encouraged time for a stop at the watering hole.

He moved very slowly across the forest floor, treading quietly until he came upon a small creek that he new about. He hid behind a tree and slowed his breathing, his left arm outstretched to the side, ready to grab his weapon in a moment's notice. He waited patiently for about fifteen minutes, and then he heard hoof-steps; he took a very quick glance and noticed a young buck, very well kept, bring himself towards the creek. Xavier waited patiently and focused on his hearing, waiting for his queue...and after a few moments, his ears twitched and the hair on his body prickled. He steadied himself: he was going for one fell swoop, the intent being no suffering or pain for either party. He waited for a few more moments...

...and...NOW! Xavier slid his weapon down into his hand, gripping it perfectly center, and he was about to use the tree as leverage when a howling screech ran threw the forest. The buck ran off at top speed, and Xavier froze behind the tree to process the sound. It was followed by the sound of something being forced into another object and then removed, at first a very heavy and abrupt sound, followed by a light and elegant ring.

That sounded an awful lot like an axe...who is here chopping wood and costing me my lunch? Xavier sniffed, but the smell was unfamiliar, so he jumped up and grabbed a branch above him. He then tossed himself up to another one, repeating the process until he reached the top of the tree. He then jumped from treetop to treetop, towards the direction of the sound, doing his best to keep quiet during each impact.

After several jumps, he notice an upcoming clearing, and he made a cushy landing in a tree just outside it. He hid himself amongst the leaves atop the tree, barely peering out over the clearing, and he noticed a figure in the distanced. He blinked a a couple times in an effort to refresh his eyesight, and he noticed the figure was some sort of humanoid, and they were in fact wielding a weapon. Upon further inspection, the figure seemed to be a Faunus, and was wielding some sort of fan-like weapon. This person was definitely the one who caused the ruckus, Xavier was sure of that, but rather than engage the Faunus he decided to study his target a bit further and then react accordingly; he might learn something else upon further inspection.

So Xavier continued to quietly peer into the clearing, reaching into his backpouch for a squirrel-stick to much on as he waited, his weapon resting gently over his left shoulder.

One may ask what happened to lead a man like Grenal into this forest with equally as interesting characters as he, and as long a story it is, it is not important.  Of course, to him, being in this forest meant some piece and quiet to read his books, but it seemed a woman with an axe stood in the way of that. That, however, does not mean he stops trying, but each hack got more annoying.

He looked around at that point, and saw no one, but keeping an ear open, looked in the general direction of the axe swings. Should he go investigate and see exactly what was up; or should he sit and read his new book. New books were not something you got everyday, after all. The book was titled; The Doctor Lafoyate and his trails. He hadn't actually opened the book yet; which was why he came here. He also had to guess the person swinging it had a marginal amount of physical strength; at least with the sound it was making. Could attract Grimm, all sorts of nasty stuff would come from that.

After a few moments on questioning, he decided to go check the sound out. If he couldn't read his book, maybe he could find some kind of adventure... maybe even as good as the book would give him. However unlikely that was, he walked over to see a fairly tall fanus swinging an axe; and after looking about, found a boy who was most likely looking at the fanus as well. He decided to engage this fanus... woman in conversation.

"Pardon me for interrupting you and your training, but I was just beckoned over here by the sound of your axe hitting the wood with such strength. Ah! I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Grenal Black, brother of older hunter Oriano Black. You may not know my brother, but he is one hell of a chap and an even stronger ranged weapons user.

I should also mention, I feel we have someone else watching. He must have heard your axe as well."

Anything he did seemed genuine, from the tone of his voice to any subtle actions. All controlled. Any trained manipulator could do this in their sleep, but if he was caught, he'd keep up the nice persona, but maybe let his actions become more Grenal then they were currently. He was being too nice to actually be Grenal, especially when you consider that the razor in his pocket could be used to cut the woman in front of him and all it'd take is a mere flick of his wrist.

Anyone was a good hunter would basically feel the blood-lust radiate off of Grenal, which not even he could hide. It was just a natural fact of life he felt; something that all men have to varying degrees, he just had more then others and it's served him well on many an occasion. He wasn't sure if he felt any blood-lust on the others or if he felt his own, it'd have to be a wait and see kind of situation, the kind that Grenal just loved to have when it came to the safety of this own life in an entire school full of people who could most likely kill him in one hit if not two.

He wasn't in a city where hunters were rare; he was in a school where that's all there was and it excited him. It excited his cold heart just a tiny bit, the idea that he could die at any second by some kind of slash to the throat, or maybe a gash to the chest leaving his heart open to be torn out and squashed on the ground in front of him while his vision went to black.

He'd rather die a violent death then a boring death, or sitting in a room waiting for the rest of his organs to die. That's boring and it takes forever. The one thing he fears more then anything, an impending death he can't stop because it's an illness and not an equal if not more scary man that he had most likely faced sometime in the past.

These were the thoughts of a man who's version of a perfect world involved him at the top, the one pulling the trigger on the gun or swinging the axe upon the neck. The one who's rebellion would be squashed with overwhelming force, or maybe with a duel between leaders. One must prove to be able to squash other leaders if one is able to rule, at least, that's Grenals look at it. It was just something he thought to be true, but then again, he thought a lot of thing to be true.

Like Professor Arron Coal being the only one who can match him mentally, that was something he found to be true. But alas; that was not relevant to the situation.

Meanwhile, Sky was stalking through the foliage, posture low to the earth. He was following a game trail and every so often he would stoop to check on the prints he was following. This last one was not even an hour old! His head snapped up, and his nostrils tasted the air before he was on the move again, faster this time. He was dressed in what any who knew him would classify as odd attire: boots worn soft and silent from long use, stretchy thin black garb. A large wooden frame backpack was strapped on his back along with a quiver of arrows. A bow, elegant in it's simplicity lay strung in his hands. It was only on days like these that Sky could be seen seen without his twin swords. In their place at his hips were two knives, one big and one small, a dagger just short of a dirk and a skinning knife. His prey was a wounded buck that he had been tracking all morning. As he padded along the trail, he came upon a massive tree, with half of its root system exposed to the air. Sky ducked under the roots to emerge in a soft wooded clearing, the grass and flowers gently waving in the wind, carrying along the sweet, fresh scent of the forest. Bees flitted from flower to flower, and animals paused to drink from the stream that wound through the clearing. The beauty was not lost on Sky, for a couple moments he stood and basked in it. Then, his eyes lit upon his prey. The bow came up, an arrow was drawn, nocked and then drawn again. For a moment he stood, arrow pressing against his cheeck as he gauged the wind and the moment. However, just as he began to let the arrow slip from his grasp, a metallic screech rang through the tranquil air. Sky jolted, sending the arrow flying high through the trees. He cursed his luck as he stood straight, watching the animals flee. He sighed, and holstered his bow. He crouched, then leapt up, kicking off the base of the tree to just grab a branch. He pulled himself up with ease and made his way towards the area the noise had came from. As he came upon the scene, he landed softly on a branch that just offered a view of Anput and Grenal. Like any trained Hunter, however, he didn't look with only his eyes, and so was aware of another, similarly hidden in the trees. Sky elected to observe for now, taking in the scene. The woman appeared to have been doing some training, but this man... Sky couldn't have said how or why, but this man felt inherently dangerous and evil. It was akin to the feeling one might get walking through some tall grass, when all of a sudden you pause midstep. You don't know why, but something is stopping you, warning you of something. Unbeknownst to you, a viper lays coiled in the grass right where your next step would land. This aura emanated off of the man, though he seemed peacable enough. Just then, the man was announcing that they had a visitor. Sky stood and stepped off the branch, landing lightly on the forest floor some fifteen feet below. He walks forwards, saying "I hope I'm not disturbing. I was out hunting this day, and alas, just when I had my prey in my sights the wind carries the sound of a screech, sending my arrow flying errantly and my prey vanished. I came to investigate, and the rest is ongoing." He offers a smile before continuing:" My name is Sky, Sky Richardson. Are you both Hunters as well?" He says with some evident curiosity. He had not seen them around the Academy before, but then again he had barely just arrived himself. He had no lien, so he had been hunting for his food, of which that buck had been his best and only prospect thus far.

Anput blinked at the man's approach. He seemed off, like what a wolf seems like to a lamb. Instinctually deadly and dangerous. Her lip curled slightly and if she had hackles they would have risen as the man spoke. His voice was smooth, honeyed and sweet. Her mother had said that the sweetest talkers were always the bitterest and this human seemed to be no exception. She took things at little more than face value and held people at arms length in normal encounters, but something told her to keep this man more than an arms length away. Perhaps a few meters...

"Hello Grenal." She simply said, stabbing the end of her axe's staff into the ground and bracing herself in a dominant stance. She didn't want to show any relenting in the encounter and she was not one to show submission to others. Her eyes glowed fiercely as another approached and she heard the softest rustle in the treetops, what could have passed as wind through the leaves, but she knew it was the watcher that Grenal had mentioned.

"Well met Sky. And yes I am a Huntress." Anput said with a half smirk. She didn't want to give her name away just yet. From the what she could see, and smell from the one in the tree, they were all male. Even more reason to not give any ground in this encounter and she only smelled that the hidden one was a faunus, the other two smelled of human... Anput inspected them silently, sizing them up and watching. She wasn't one for talking and conversing, she was more of an observer and listener who gathered all the facts before speaking her mind.

There was the mystery faunus up in the tree tops, the snake in the grass with the slick words and silver tongue, and the genuine Hunter who seemed to have pure intents. Anput shifted her weight , leaning against the axe and tilting her head up to where she could see a shape silhouetted in the trees. She supposed he would come down in his own time when he felt comfortable so she turned from him to stare at the two humans, her eyes fierce and steely.

"What brings you to me? Such simple matters as the sound of my axe would not bring most running to investigate." It was a simple statement and perhaps not complete true, but she wanted to know their purposes for approaching her.

Xavier kept himself hidden as he moved from tree to tree as slick as possible, in an effort to get closer to the Faunus. He had his left wing relax against his back, the weight keeping his weapon from falling off his shoulder.

As he traveled from tree top to tree top, he noticed someone else enter the clearing: a male as he could tell by his figure and posture, also it helped that he had gotten a bit closer. The male's scent however did give away his race: he was clearly human, and he gave off a heavy aura of bloodlust.

Xavier finally landed atop a tree that cast his sight right over the situation in the clearing, putting him within earshot of the two that were now right below him. He settled himself amongst the leaves, and peered down upon this engagement, his eyes wide and attentive, his ears perked and attentive as well.

The male human soaked in bloodlust spoke with sickeningly sweet words that did not fit the face they were being emitted from in the slightest. Xavier felt a bit of a snarl form across his face, his experience with male humans not being the greatest.

What is it with male humans? Is it some sort of qualification for them to have a fake exterior that gives off a false projection of a sweet and gentle disposition, only to flip like a switch and unleash such fury and hatred upon those who deserve it the least, those who only showed love and kindness to them?

The man introduced himself as Grenal Black, a name that Xavier was determined to remember, to file away for the coming days. Grenal Black, the face of distrust. You will not easily be forgotten...

About this time another male had arrived, and this one had a true kind disposition, as opposed to putting on some sort of shallow performance akin to the previous man know as Grenal Black.

This man had a polite way of speaking that Xavier kind of admired: it seemed...somewhat olden, and it was very elegant, rolling off his tongue in a professional manner. This man called himself Sky Richardson, and he had also had his hunt interrupted by the...

Suddenly, Xavier felt that his heart had left his chest and flew up into his throat. He took his gaze off his most recent target: the Faunus. He found himself sweating and his pulse rapid, like he was in the middle of an epic hunt.

What is this all of a sudden? Xavier focused on slowing his breathing and heart rate, and after a minute or so he regained most of his composure. Okay, now what was all that about?

Still focusing on his body and keeping calm, he peered over and studied the Faunus again. It was definitely a female Faunus, so maybe that had something to do with his sudden reaction? Xavier recalled that out of the very limited amount of interaction he's had with superior beings such as himself, very few had been with females: in fact, he recalled a couple human females giggling at him once, and his scowl in return constituted as the only female interaction he's ever taken part in. This would make for the first time he would come into contact with a female of his own race, so there was a possibility he was...nervous?

I doubt that, due to the fact that I've never been nervous for any encounter, foreign or otherwise since childhood.

The Faunus woman had taken a different stance, one more dominant and demanding of respect, possibly feeling slightly emasculated by the approach of these two men. He could also somewhat see the look in her eye, which was fierce indeed, fitting the stance she had just taken. She looked strong and independent, steadfast and...intimidating? Was that what was wrong with him? Was he intimidated by her appearance?

Hmm...that would make more sense, and it has a similar feeling to being nervous...but something feels off about that too. Never before have I been intimidated by a female...that's not to say that I couldn't be, and she definitely has the physique for it: well-toned, lean yet muscular...not nearly as frail or brittle as most females I've seen. The issue is that I have been intimidated before, and this feeling is only similarin nature, not exact.

So, what was it then? Xavier felt his pulse begin to race again, so he decided not to study the Faunus any longer, but rather study the group as a whole as he did his best to sort out the reaction he was having.

(Hopefully after Grenal and Sky's posts, we can get some Grimm action in here!)

He bent his back forward, assuming a more predatory stance. He might as well give this whole facade up. His hands were still in his pockets, making no effort to hide it anymore; a sadistic smile on his face.

"It's so simple to see I can't hide my blood-lust. It's so sad, it's so difficult to hide when others are trained in hunting things. You're all like Coal with that instinct; but I guess that is to be expected."

Grenal pulls out his razor, the only one he carries with him, and starts spinning it in his hand.

"I'll be straight with you all. I'm neither polite nor am I loving of my brother. It's a hate hate relationship. And female fanus, you haven't actually given us your name yet. I'd suggest you do, for the sake of all involved. Anyhow. Back to being straight with you all. Yes, my name is Grenal Black; and I'd hope none of you have heard of me otherwise we might be in some trouble... be that trouble me attempting to kill you for knowing or not."

He'd step backwords a few times and lean against a tree untouched by the womans axe. It was funny, this predatory stance was one anyone of these fellows could imitate, but the reason it worked was because his innate blood-lust. If they were to judge someone for dishonesty, it should be the woman as she's the one who didn't give her name! Plus, she was tall enough someone would be able to use her center of balance against her. Possibly not Grenal, but that was partly because he wasn't trained in Judo.

He was trained in a completely different martial art.

That was the art he was actually trained in.

"Using my knowledge from all the books I've read; and beyond the fact that you wear clothing not native to a more urban enviroment; may I ask where you're from? You in the trees, whoever you are, and Sky? To be fair, I shall answer first. I hail from Atlas."

He honestly couldn't be bothered to actually research or prove anything he kenw about Anputs general look to assume where she was from, as that would be something rude to do. He ad absolutely nothing to prove to anyone here. They knew he was dangerous, he knew he was dangerous, and was still somewhat irritated as he couldn't be able to reading his book.

Before anyone answered, he put his razor back into his pocket and pulled out his book and started to read.

The start;

The adventure starts when four people meet

That elicited a laugh from Grenal.

That was awfully near what was happening right then, four people meeting. he'd have to check what happens later in the book, later, as it was interesting.  It was not his job to judge someone upon honesty or dishonest, he did kill hundred of people after all. It was his charm that made it so easy.

However, even when not playing nice, his voice was still smooth, his pacing elegant.

Sky, too, was momentarily taken aback by the sight of Anput, her lithe body standing tall and firm, her eyes fierce and her voice proud. He half smiled, amused by her choice to withhold her name. He eyes her weapon with the appreciative eye of a blacksmith, admiring the whorls of steel. His eyes shift to Grenal as he abruptly sheds his false skin and stands a Snake. Oddly enough, Sky preferred him this way, preferred to look the snake in its eyes. How better to judge when and where it would strike? Sky notes Grenal's choice of weapon with curiousity and just a dash of amusement, though it should be noted that he didn't underestimate Grenal for it. Sky knew better than most that to a skilled enough Hunter, just about anything can be used with deadly efficiency. He flicks his gaze back to Anput as he shrugs and says I have told you the truth of it, believe me or not it has no effect. his gaze lingers on her a few moments more before snapping back to Grenal. He inclines his head to the man, then answers him I was born and raised in Vale, deep in farm country. As he speaks, he relaxes his own posture, his feet subtly shifting for more stability, his hands in his pockets, but it was a swordsmans relaxation, not a fools. As much as he wanted a peaceful outcome, he could not help but expect a fight, and the warriors spirit in his chest wondered just how he would match up against these people. As Grenal lifts up his book to read, Sky catches the title glinting in the sunlight. "The Doctor Lafoyate and his trails. Hmmm. I'll have to give that one a look. His eyes follow the faunus girls upwards, catching Xavier's silhouette. You there, in the trees. We all know you are up there, so you might as well come down and introduce yourself.

Anput waited until both Sky and Grenal had finished talking, not wanting to waste her breath on introducing herself multiple times she made sure to raise her voice a bit so even the man in the trees could hear her.
"My name is Anput Wepwawet of the Anubis Tribe. And yes, you are correct to assume my attire is not of urban make or dwelling. I hail from the outskirts of Vacuo where little technology is utilized and we live in primordial settings and in a tribal-like fashion. It is what most would call a savage way of life, but I consider it differently." She finished eyes casting about to both Sky and Grenal and settling back on the figure in the trees in a sweeping motion. Grenal's vague threats and insinuations of death and maiming if they knew who he was were strange and untoward, they put Anput on edge slightly and she gripped the axe handle harder, her jaw clenching and teeth baring slightly beneath her lips. He seemed harmless enough, but who knew what fighting style he assumed or what weapons he used. For now his weapon seemed to be his tongue and wit, two very deadly weapons if one knew how to wield them properly. On the other hand Sky seemed more relaxed yet it was not a languid pose he took but a laid back preparedness that some warriors took in order to feign unawareness or unpreparedness. A sound strategy for a warrior who didn't want to reveal his hand before all the other cards were laid out before him. Her eyes roamed the two, inspecting the weapons and calculating, her eyes flashed purple as she assessed the two and then she turned to the shadowed figure in the tree. The one who was invisible to her except for in sight and smell. He smelled of a faunus and she wondered if he was wary to venture down due to the presence of the humans...

"Would you mind coming down from there? Your safety can be guaranteed by me if it makes you feel any safer. I won't let the humans near you if that is what bothers you." She said, pointedley looking at Sky and Grenal. It wasn't that she hated humans or disliked them, she simply knew that many faunus had bad experiences with humans and perhaps this was one such case...

It was a day like any other for this sole Nevermore that was flying above the silent Skylight Woods. The sea of leaves seemed endless seen from above like that. Although this magnificent wasn't of any interest for this massive black bird of prey. All it wishes for right now was a little something that would be entertaining, something to kill preferably. Do Grimms have gods, because the prayers of this Nevermore were answered. A small group of hunters was sighted down below through the branches. Not without difficulty of course, but the sudden noises they were doing while talking did interrupt the calm silence of the forest.

The Nevermore started to draw circles in the sky, not caring if those hunters would see it coming or not. Before long, it flew a bit further before diving at high speed and as it approached the ground, flew parallel to it and started to knock out the trees with its speed, strength and size, creating a clearing where the hunters were. If the Grimm was able to knock the hunters or not wasn't important, getting their cover down was the plan. The bird would then sends a rain of its feathers at them, trying to take them down from afar. This day wouldn't be as boring as it would seem.

Xavier continued to study the group from his place in the trees, gathering as much information as he could about them from his view aloft. He even listened to their conversation, noted intently...up until the one who called himself 'Sky' spoke aloud and said that 'they all knew he was there, so he might as well come down.' This made Xavier flustered and broke his concentration, his scowl intact and his fangs bared.

Now, while Xavier prided himself on his stealth and ability to gather information without being detected, this skill seemed to be very useless in this new world where even humans are apparently perceptive enough to notice such things. It irritated him how humans could have such talents, yet over all be so incredibly feeble...to him, it was like giving an unguarded fawn the ability to create explosions at will: pointless, yet occasionally useful at causing him agony. However, this was not the main cause of his anger: this male human had the audacity to not only call him out, but demand that he show himself to them all, like he owed him in the very least way that action and that he should be eager to oblige? While his tone did not reflect such emotion, the air around his words was full of it.

Who does this weak male think he is? Thinking he deserves such a thing, and that I would just do as he commands. Arrogant, insufferable male humans who always think they are above...

He inward malice and emotional turmoil were easily quenched by the words that were uttered by the female faunus...but it was not her words necessarily, but her voice. Her voice was so...low in tone, demanding authority and respect, and yet soft enough to show female nature and compassion. It was like music to his ears, and he hung onto every word and learned about the faunus woman. Her name was in fact Anput Wepwawet, and she hailed from a far off place and from a tribe that shuns modern technology, but rather supports tradition and the more 'primitive' kind of lifestyle.

Xavier's ears twitched rapidly and felt rather warm, and his heart and spirit felt a bit lifted, and rightfully so: Never, out of the admittedly very limited contact he's had with 'superior beings' since he joined the academy, he never ever once felt like he could connect with anyone...and yet here was this random female faunus that shared very similar traits with him, right there, and he could just go and engage her in conversation. He had a dopey grin on his face that had almost branched into a full smile. What in the world is wrong with you? What happened to gathering information? Xavier ignored these thoughts, however, and was determined to go greet the female. He was about to hop down and speak with her while ignoring the males when...

"Would you mind coming down from there? Your safety can be guaranteed by me if it makes you feel any safer. I won't let the humans near you if that is what bothers you."

The words, while beautiful in tone and ringing in his ear ever so pleasantly, froze him in his tracks: what was a smile from nearly ear-to-ear was now replaced with an angrier-than-average scowl, and his emotions were quite the opposite now. He felt a deep, massive weight in his stomach coupled with a intense heat, like someone stoked the coals of a campfire and brought the wood on top crashing down.

Oh now what the...okay, let's just slow down and figure out what is going on right now. Xavier recalled an excellent lesson he picked up on while sneaking around the academy: the professor had said that if you really wanted to understand something, you just needed to take the time to figure it out. So, that is exactly what he would do.

He decided to first focus on the heavy feeling in his gut first, a feeling that felt rather similar to fear, but not nearly as paralyzing...rather making movement difficult, not impossible. Something about the situation is making him think twice about going down there, when he was so eager to go ahead and drop down there before.

Okay, so a change in situation is causing you to hesitate. Progress, good. Keep it up. Xavier then focused on the ever rising heat: this was obviously anger, an emotion he knew only too well, but it was a bit off...anger, yes, but sparked from and mixed with something unusual. Something the faunus had just said  irked him, but it wasn't her fault, it was the males fault somehow...yes, it was their fault that he no longer wished to drop down and greet the faunus girl.

Okay, so here goes: You are no longer comfortable going down there due to her stating that could be afraid of them, and control has been taken out of your hands. If you go down there now, they will assume you were afraid, and if you don't, they will still assume the same. You are not afraid of them and do not wish to appear so, but why does it matter? Who cares what they think...unless...wait, are you trying to impr-

As with the majority of cases in which Xavier is about to reach a breakthrough, something interrupts it, and this case was no exception...however, the distraction was indeed worthy of being the center of his attention, as well as the group below. At first he was alerted by the sound of wings flapping and wind gusting through the trees, but it wasn't until it showed up that he was jolted back to reality. The distraction was a giant black bird-like creature with what appeared to be a white and red mask, and it was obvious that it noticed the group in the clearing as it began to circle around. Xavier was filled with excitement at the site of the creature, preparing to engage, looking for the best moment and area to strike much like a hunter. He studied the creature as it flew around and around, but it felt like he was in another world completely. He stood up and revealed himself, but he didn't care: his full attention was on the beast in the sky, his eyes fully dilated and his body quivering, there was nothing else that mattered but the beast's next moves.

Come on...come on...you know you want to attack them, poor sad saps in the wide open clearing. You see them as juicy, ripe flesh-bags for the picking, and you know you can't resist them. You desire their blood to be split across this forest, and I desire to best you, so just come on down and show me WHAT YOU'VE GOT!

After a few more rotations, with Xavier trembles becoming more violent with each rotation, the creature did exactly that as it swooped down at a near-blinding speed while shrieking as it swooped into the clearing. The beast was ready to rip them apart, and it was about time Xavier got to be involved in something that he excellent in and cared about: the hunt, and the thrill that it brings.

'Haha, YES! Finally, something that MAKES SENSE!' he snarled in a rather lively, boisterous fashion that would appear to be unlike him to anyone who didn't know him better. His fang-bearing grin was back, but it was more menacing and didn't seem to fit his complexion, but he didn't care in the slighest. He kept his eye on the creature as it leveled itself out in the opposite end of the clearing and outstretched it's mighty wings, it's feathers were black as night and glanced off the sunlight, and from the quick glance it would seem that the mask-esq portion of the body seemed rougher and tougher than the rest of the body. The air was suddenly filled with loud cracks and bursting snaps as the combination of the beast's powerful wings and sheer velocity cut through and tore down tree after tree. It would very soon that it would reach his location, but Xavier was more than ready as he prepared his lower body in advance by bending his knees ever so slightly, as he counted it two trees away.

...Ready...

The giant avian continue to glide through the forest without any resistance, the trees being sliced and diced, carved through like melted lard. It continued to shriek as it came within one tree of his location, the previous one crashing down and filling the clearing with a definitely crash. The trembles throughout his body were almost unbearable, but his hunger and thirst would soon be quenched, the wild gleam in his eyes about to be filled with satisfaction.

...Steady...

The giant avian beast treated the last tree just like the rest, as the forest was no match for it's greatness, and it easily plowed through the tree Xavier sat upon, and within moment it started to fall to the wayside in preparation of meeting it's fate on the forest floor. Xavier locked out all other stimuli, his mind focused on the prize and nothing else, and the trembles that flowed through him now went unnoticed as the branches he was standing on started to give way.

...You're MINE! Xavier let the gravity of the situation get to him, and he fell from atop the tree and tumbled downward through the air...but that was his plan, and just before the beast was out of reach, he grabbed a branch and used his momentum to swing off and sail towards the beast. He stuck out his left hand and reached out to grab...a handful of oily feathers! He had snagged the beast on the backside of it's wing, about a foot or so from the tip, just barely grabbing ahold during the gap between trees. He grabbed ahold with his right hand as well and sunk his claws in as he turned his head back just in time to see the tree he had just left behind fall to the ground to unite with it's fallen brethren. As it turned out he had timed it perfect too, as the position he was in prevent him from being bashed into the next three trees that the beast mauled, although the shock he felt behind as they connected each blow was only slightly lessened and left him dangled for a good duration.

Xavier felt the creature shift, and he knew the creature was getting ready to soar, more than likely for another swooping attack. His time was limited, so as the avian beast began it's ascent, Xavier waited for the third flap of it's wings before using the advantage while the wings were up to fling him up into the air. Xavier performed a minor aerial spin to shift his momentum in an effort to land near the shoulder-region of the beast, and he loosened his wing-pressure, so that when he landed he easily stuck out his left hand and grabbed his weapon by the middle base.

Xavier knew he had no time to search for specific weaknesses, so he reminded him of some vague areas and that the mask was more than likely not one, and then he went to work with a smile on his face. He twirled his weapon using only his left hand similar to that of a baton by rolling it around with his palm and letting it glide over the back of his hand, and as he reached his max momentum, he jumped towards the base of the neck. He eyed the fine line between the white and the black, and sliced perfectly across the base of the beast's head like he was tracing a line. He then turned and hopped over to deliver a similar blow to the joint-like area connecting the right wing, always making sure to utilize his weapon's momentum as well as keeping it going. He the shifted his weight to slide to the other side of the beast, then turned one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and perform the same sort of slicing attack targeting the same area on the other side, hoping it would help debilitate the beast.

Xavier then turned around halfway again and got on his knees, grabbing a handful of feathers in his right hand while holding the double-scythe high with his left, all the while keeping the rotation steady. He then pulled back the handful of feathers as far as he could and brought down the spinning weapon, exerting a burst of strength to spin it faster in an effort to spin-cycle it fast enough to get some deep cuts in. After keeping it up for a few seconds, the altitude was finally beginning to take it's toll, and he figured he could get in one final attack. He lifted his weapon and maintained it's new maximum momentum, then he looked at the base of the tail, and in what seemed like not even a single step he was right in front of it. He jumped up and used the momentum to slam the blade down into the base as far as he could muster, his body meeting up with the creature's back after the weapon. After giving it a bit of a tug to prove it would move, then moved backward and pulled it with all his might, and in what seemed like a single step he had dragged the weapon all the way to the base of the mask. The scythe clanged against it and popped out of the wound he inflicted, setting him off balance, and at just that moment the creature reached it's desired height and stopped abruptly which sent Xavier tumbling of it's shoulder. Xavier had tunnel vision kick in at this point, but he still noticed the eyes of the beast look at him as he tumbled, and he returned the stare with his own wild eyes and fanged grin plus a chuckle as a bonus before gravity took him and made him it's own.

Xavier's wings instinctively withdrew themselves, and since he was falling head first, this made him incredibly aerodynamic and further sped up his descent. As he plummeted, he spotted out what would more than likely be his landing spot: a nice sections of leaves and tree tops past those that had been toppled than he could barrel into with little injury...or rather what would have been had he not tucked in his wings. Noticing how hot he was coming in, he was definitely going to come up short, and rather than some nice treetops he was looking at some rather solid tree trunks...but Xavier already had an idea.

Ignoring the faint sound of a high-pitched whistle behind him, Xavier waited until he was within a meter or so of impact before he expanded his wings again, using them to catch air and slow him down enough to take on the tree trunk approaching at a much more manageable speed. When he encountered the trunk, he attacked it with his weapon in a manner that pushed his momentum in a centrifugal manner, spinning him around and down the tree until he stopped with his feet planted against the trunk right above the roots. Ahh, the thrill of the way he hunted and battle creatures was so much fun, and he chuckled to himself for a bit...until the whistling became louder. AS he looked up, he noticed a shocking site indeed: a volley of black feather storming down into the now-expanded clearing, backed by very high velocity and all the force being put on the single point of each feather, it was like a swarm of very nasty hornets.

Xavier then looked down to see the female faunus: from what he could decipher, it seemed as though she had possible just completed some sort of attack and was now either recovering from it or re-positioning herself, but either way it did not appear her would be able to escape for the volley that was nearly upon her. He also deduced that there was no way he could reach her and drag her to safety, what with the clearing now being able two-to-three dead trees larger all round than before, which placed her in roughly the middle of it.

Then there is only one choice...

Xavier pushed himself off the tree truck and chucked his weapon so that it would land on the ground very close to the faunus's general area. He then hit the ground and became the embodiment of speed, seeming like a blur and taking only a second to reach the faunus's area. He grabbed the upper base of his weapon, which had managed to stick into the ground in a somewhat upright fashion, and swung around so that he was facing her back. He grabbed her by the back piece of her chest ornament and pulled her closer to him and downward due to her height as he used his wings to wrap around her, one stack upon the other like two hands gripping a staff, the fingers beginning to close in.

'...Don't budge...' he attempted to whisper to her in a non-threatening manner, although it came out rather rough, and with that his wings full enveloped them from head to toe as he tried to more gently guide her into a more crouching position.

Within seconds the whistling sound was piercingly loud...and of course, so were the feathers. He didn't hear any cries outside his wings, just the sound of the feathers sticking into the ground, which sounded like the noise it made when he stuck his hands inside his freshly killed prey to prepare them. He soon heard his own grunt and searing pain as a feather stuck through his left wing, followed by two more into his right. After a few more seconds the whistling stopped, and then a few seconds after that Xavier moved his wings just enough to see what the avian beast was up to. He saw no more feathers, so he opened his wings all the way to release her, then backed away from her slowly so as to not cause further alarm.

He didn't wait her to look at him, so just in case he turned his head to hide the pain on his face as he removed the feathers from his wings: In all honesty, between the rapid altitude changes, the arrow piercings, and not having embraced the stress of battle for a while...he wasn't feeling great, but he definitely wasn't down and out for the count. Even if he was, there was no way he would admit it to her, not in the slightest. Once he removed the feathers fully and regained his composure, he looked at her with the wild gleam back in his eyes, although slightly faded...the menacing, fang-bearing grin, though it wasn't as impressive as before.

'So...you ready to kill this thing?' he said in his wilder tone, yet the words came out a bit smoother. The then picked up his weapon by the middle and twirled it a bit before holding it steady and slinging it to rest gently on his shoulder.

Ahh, so you ARE trying to impress her. Smooth move, champ, but I bet even a lady with her background probably won't be impressed by a simple show of false bravado and recklessness.

Still though, it was worth a try he supposed, and in the very least she was witnessing his more interesting side.

Damage, HP and Aura:

Song Que For Internal Argument:

Song Que For Battle Start:

(I am so, SO sorry for the long wait. Between work, waiting for the roll and Grimm post, as well as getting some questions answered...it took a while. Imagine how I felt when I had this post done over four hours ago and then misclicked and lost it all, ;/. Hope you enjoy the post and that you also enjoy my sense of humor! I made sure to give it all I had, 150,000%! :D)

Listening, taking it all in, he decided that he'd have to ask about Anput about her culture, namely because he's never found any books about it. At least, none that he could afford or find at a reasonable price. A murderer was not poor; at least when you also stole basically everything that you could sell for a price and sold it. He remembered a few books that were not on sale, but since they were worth nothing, he didn't grab them. He was starting to regret that. He was too nice back then; although… slitting peoples throats wasn’t exactly nice. It was mean and that’s what Grenal truly was. One psychopathic murderer who never took anyone hostage.

He couldn’t continue remembering that, as a Grimm decided to attempt to feast upon them. He stayed still as it passed over, and once it got low enough, he rolls out of the way. Seeing that he was open game as the wings feathers started flying;  and that cause him to have on inital response, run behind a tree. When he heard the first one get stuck, he ran forward and up the tree, barely avoiding the needles, and he had to use the semblance to do so. This was going to be a rough, rough time.

“Anput, they trust you. Lead the way and I’ll follow, and for your knowledge, my sembalance is to walk up walls; including trees, and water. Use me as you will.”

Breathing heavy, he waited for orders.

(Sorry about the really short post; it’s 3 days late and I’m rushing it so that I can get it out. Honest to god sorry.)

Rather then get offended by Anputs statement, Sky looks thoughtful. So, the one in the trees is a faunus... Unlike most humans, Sky had no problems with the faunus, even kind of looked forward to meeting new ones, always excited at the possibilities. Anput, for instance, appeared to be some kind of dog? He was never really sure whether or not it was considered rude to ask questions about it or not. He smirks dryly at the irony in his line of thought. He opens his mouth to say something, but whatever words may have sprung forth were lost as a nevermore decided to charge. Great... Just what this day needed. Normally he would have been enthused, but he didn't have his swords, and I hate fighting on an empty stomach, he grumbles. He starts to dash forward, but falters as the faunus in the trees yelled out 'Haha, YES! Finally, something that MAKES SENSE!', faltering because the boy yelled in words what his soul cried out when he was in battle. By the time he is moving again, however, his chance for attack was over, and the bat? boys just begun. But, he had more pressing matters to concern himself with, namely, the razor sharp feathers hurtling towards them. As the feathers started to close in and he let the pack slip from his shoulders to the ground, his stomach rumbled quite audibly. He flipped over the first death, spinning sideways in the air as he unsheathes his... Knives, right. He unsheathes his knives, deflecting an arrow with the skinning knife in his left hand as he drew it, using the dagger in his other to slice through a third as he lands on the ground, springing away as fast as he can to avoid a fourth, using his legs to pivot so he can spin through the air, dodging a fifth and blocking a sixth. He nods his assent, affirming that yes, Grenal was right, he did trust Anput, though how Grenal knew this was beyond him. He says, loud enough to be heard I can create and manipulate electricity.Though he trusted Anput, Sky wasn't going to stand idly by waiting for orders. By this time, Xavier had already executed his 'landing strategy', and the nevermore was coming around for a second pass, and Sky was in motion. As he ran, ducking under one feather and leaping over another, he plunges inside of his soul and gathers the power, focusing it around him. He runs up a tree, barely avoiding another arrow on his way up. He twists his body around, and, as he launches, throws the skinning knife at where the nevermores flight path will take it as it charged the other three, sending the gathered energy surging through his dagger, and out the tip, the wild, sky blue energy chasing the small knife through the air. An instant after the knife connects, even as its sliding through the muscle, the wild energy slams into the blade, coursing through the nevermore. The motion required to throw the blade and shoot the electricity acted to place him just outside the path of another feather, the high pitched whistle it caused caused him to cringe slightly. He lands, legs already pumping as he takes a few steps up a tree and flips off, avoiding yet another feather. He lands, breathing slightly harder then normal, using the lull to glance at Anput and say Any ideas?
HP:100/100
Aura: 180/200

Spoiler: