Chapter 44: Chapter 44. A Blue-Haired She-Devil
In the week I've training under Ookami I learn that his semblance is converting his aura into kinetic energy and he mastered it to the point of perfectly countering my shockwaves or cutting down giant Grimm in one move. The training he had been putting me through is parkour while wearing weights that are powered by gravity dust which makes it heavier than it actually is despite its small size. Plus, he is also making me spar either with him in which I lose almost every time and against huntsmen-in-training teams that really push my limits at times. Overall, I think I have been having a fruitful stay in the kingdom of Atlas and I'm just getting started.
Currently, I'm sparring against Old Wolf, which happens to be Ookami's nickname, and we aren't using our semblances only pure melee combat with aura included. Old Wolf is giving me a hard time, as usual, hitting every opening I make without mercy and terrifying precision. This continues until I finally land a solid hit on him and he says.
Ookami: Good, you are not being impatient when running low on the aura and you don't give up when you actually do.
He nodded pleased with me and suddenly I heard clapping. I turned toward the source of it to find an old man with graying black hair and wine-red eyes walking towards us. He was wearing a dark blue coat over his white shirt and with a pair of dark pants with boots to match. Following behind him was a tall woman with long blue hair that reached all the way down to the end of her back and her bored wine-red eyes looked around the gym. She had a snow-white complexion and a well-endowed hourglass figure. She was wearing an atlesian specialist uniform similar to Winter's but without the snowflake pattern on the shoulders. The old soldier spoke while smiling.
???: Hey, Old Wolf how have you been? I see you have an interesting new student that you're taking under your wing.
Old Wolf looked at the other old man than to me and introduce him.
Ookami: Silva, this is an old friend of mine that runs a combat gym up in Atlas called Ritter gym. His name is Roscato Eis and the girl behind him is his granddaughter Rory Eis.
He then introduced me to them.
Ookami: Ros, Rory, this a personal pupil of mine that I recently took in, Silva Cloud.
The two of them appraised me while I did the same to them then Roscato said.
Roscato: Oh, a personal pupil that's rare of you, he must be something for you to take an interest in. Maybe we Rory and he can spar?
Ookami raised an eyebrow and asked.
Ookami: Putting that aside, what brings you down to Mantle? You don't usually come down here unless you have to.
Roscato sighed and replied.
Roscato: You see, my granddaughter has no one who can really hold their own against her at my gym, so I hope you can let her have a couple of spars here while I take care of business here in Mantle.
Rory spoke for the first time in a bored tone.
Rory: Everybody up in Ritter usually uses the same or similar weapons to the point of it being like the same set of plays being done over and over again but with different actors.
I asked her.
Silva: What kind of weapons?
Rory sighed and said.
Rory: Rapiers, sabers, or any weapon that gives off an air of aristocracy to feed the ego of Atlesians.
I have to admit that sounds stuffy and boring considering some of the more unique weapons I've seen. Plus, from the sound of it the gym members there probably have the same teachers and tutors on combat arts meaning they fight similarly to each other. I then told her.
Silva: I'm up for a spar if you are if you can wait a bit for me to recharge my aura.
( General POV)
As Silva was stretching opposite of Rory getting ready for his sparring session against her, Roscato and Ookami are catching up.
Ookami: So Ros what exactly is this business that makes you come down to Mantle?
Roscato sighed and answered wearily.
Roscato: The attacks on the public airships have recently interfered with increasing my collection of wine so I'm hoping that I might find the wine I'm craving is in the black market.
Ookami nodded in understanding of his old friend's hobby and then asked.
Ookami: So why did you bring your granddaughter down with you if you're here just to satisfy your hobby?
Roscato smiled then chuckled a little and said.
Roscato: You see dear Rory has already beaten every member in my gym and in the military she has defeated everybody of note, so she is more than a little bored right now.
Ookami smirked and said.
Ookami: You just don't want to fight her and lose some more of your dignity in case you lose or in the event you win she will consistently bother you to fight her, so you decided to dump her on me instead. Right?
Roscato stiffen at his old friend seeing through his ploy and chuckled sheepishly. Roscato decided to change the subject.
Roscato: So, what do you think your student's odds are against Rory?
Ookami just hummed and didn't say anything. As Silva finished warming up Rory maintained a bored expression while drawing out her weapon which looked like a short sword that was 2 feet in length not counting the handle. Silva scrutinized it with his semblance's sonar to find out that it was actually a sword-whip and he drew out his halberd from his blue jade ring surprising both Rory and Roscato. Roscato turned to Ookami and asked.
Roscato: Is his semblance something like a storage unit?
Roscato asked because he didn't look down on such semblances but rather had a healthy bit of respect for them. This is due to the fact that most who have semblances that can store away items are either master thieves in the making or walking arsenals that have a large number of weapons and ammo. These are just the more well-known aspects of other than merchantable uses like transporting goods or smuggling. Rory looked mildly interested but didn't say anything and just took her stance.
As the countdown started on the screen that displays their aura levels both Silva and Rory looked itching to start their match. Ookami and Roscato spectated quietly awaiting the bell to ring. The bell rung and Silva is the first to act, he swung his halberd at the blue-haired woman. Rory gracefully leaped back then thrust her weapon at him, Silva blocked it and thrust his halberd at her.
Rory evaded it again then made her weapon enter its whip form and swung it at him. Her weapon wrapped around the shaft of the halberd and Silva further tangle the whip-sword on his weapon then planted it into the ground. Silva charged at Rory barehanded and threw a punch at her. Rory let go of her weapon and crossed her arms block Silva's punch which made her skid back from the force of his fist. Before Rory could make her next move Silva came at her and launched a flurry of attacks at her putting her on the defensive, Roscato commented.
Roscato: Oh, he isn't half bad but if he wants to beat my granddaughter he needs to up his game.
Ookami just smirked and said.
Ookami: Ros, he still holding back a lot and if Rory doesn't take him seriously she will lose undoubtedly.
Roscato raised his eyebrow but didn't say anything and continued to watch the match. As Silva kept Rory on the defensive, Rory's blue aura flared up and sent a blast of sheer cold from her knocking Silva back. Silva shook his head to reorient himself but Rory didn't give a moment to catch his bearings and sent a wave of ice at him. Silva rolled out of the way and grabbed Rory's whip-sword and yanked it to pull his halberd to him to retrieve it.
He quickly untangled the 2 weapons on tossed Rory's weapon aside and Rory launched a couple of large icicles at him. Silva swung his weapon at them, destroying them and charged at Rory. The blue-haired woman took a small step forward and the floor started to be covered with ice, Silva stopped his charge and stomped the ground while using Echo Tremor to break the ice. Rory started to smile and her grandfather said.
Roscato: Uh oh, looks like Rory is starting to get excited... Old Wolf, I will compensate for any damage this match causes.
Ookami just smiled and shouted at Silva.
Ookami: SILVA, YOU CAN GO OUT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANY DAMAGE YOU MAY CAUSE.
Silva took a brief look at Ookami and shrugged, what happened next made Roscato's eye nearly popped out of his head. An audible hum could be heard from Silva to everyone, as the hum intensified the air around his halberd started to shimmer then the hum disappeared but everyone could feel the air pulsate violently. Rory's smile grew and conjured a large amount icicles then shot them at Silva. Silva didn't make any move but when icicles got within 5 feet of him they broke as if they crashed into a wall.
Silva then swung his halberd at Rory creating a massive shockwave and Rory quickly created a large glacier wall to protect herself. The large glacier was smashed but Rory was fine and she then unleashed a wave of pure cold around making seem like a Solitas winter entered the gym. Everyone could see their breaths and everybody except Rory was shivering from the cold that Rory was producing. Rory sent a massive wave of ice at Silva making the air even colder, Silva fired off another shockwave and broke the waves of ice but only momentarily as it resurged forward at the white tiger Faunus.
Silva tried to evade it but it quickly surrounds him coating him in a thick layer of ice. Rory let out a tired sigh and started to walk away as she thought she won. A loud crack could be heard from the ice that covered Silva, large cracks formed around the ice and soon it broke down. Silva reappeared in the middle of the broken chunks of ice shivering violently and sneezed then sent a hateful glare at Rory for turning him into a popsicle and sneezed again.
As Silva rubbed his hands together trying to warm them up, Rory looked at him amused, not attacking him. Rory walked over to pick up her sword-whip and Silva finally stopped shivering then ready his halberd. Ookami took out his scroll and started to fiddle with catching the attention of Roscato, he asked his old friend.
Roscato: What are you up to Old Wolf?
Ookami's reply was.
Ookami: Just switching off the aura meter system because from the looks of it those 2 aren't going to stop even when their aura meter hits red.
Roscato just nodded and watch the match between his granddaughter and his friend's pupil. Silva started to generate high power vibrations like before but this time his halberd released a metallic groan from his semblance. Rory unleashed waves of ice again at Silva and Silva swung his weapon at the ice. Silva's weapon shattered under the strain of his semblance firing off a barrage of shards that pierced through the ice hitting Rory.
Rory's aura flickered and she gave a wide grin, she then charged at Silva. Silva tossed aside what remained of his weapon and threw a punch at Rory sending a shockwave at her. Rory evaded it by using her ice as a platform to launch herself into the air and whipped her weapon at Silva wrapping around his right arm. Rory pulled herself towards Silva and landed a flying kick on him making him stagger. Before Silva could make his next move Rory yanked him towards her and landed a flurry of kicks on him making his Aura flicker.
Silva took out his white katana Kodoku and stabbed at Rory breaking through her aura. Rory quickly wrapped her sword-whip around Silva's katana then used a low kick to knock him off balance and threw him by using her weapon to pull him finishing off what remained of his aura. Rory's weapon still wrapped around his arm drew blood without his aura protecting him and Silva grabbed ahold of it then pulled Rory at him and met her with a headbutt on her nose causing it to bleed.
Rory's grin grew wider and gave Silva a punch to his gut with her left fist knocking the air out of him then knocked Kodoku out his hand. Silva then tackles her knocking her to the ground then mounted her and started to use his sheath to try and hit her as she had her guard up. Rory grabbed the sheath and brought her legs up a then wrap them around Silva's head and slammed his head into the ground soon reversing their positions. Rory aimed the sharp pommel of her weapon at Silva's throat and asked while panting.
Rory: Do you... *pant* give... *pant* up?
Silva didn't say a word and grabbed her weapon with his right hand then punched her ribs with his left first. This made Rory flinch, Silva then managed to get her off him then tried to get his breathing under control after tossing her weapon away. Seeing them both panting Roscato then asked Ookami.
Roscato: Old Wolf would you mind if I borrow your pupil later?
Ookami gave his friend a questioning look and Roscato explained.
Roscato: At my gym, most of my members are fairly arrogant despite the fact they are not all that skilled and I think Silva would give them a wake-up call and me a good show.
Ookami looked at Roscato with a smile and said.
Ookami: I'll bring popcorn.
Seeing his friend agree Roscato smiled and turn his attention back to his granddaughter. Silva and Rory just started to switch to hand to hand combat, Silva threw a right jab at her and she blocked then countered. Silva getting hit on the left of his face he gave Rory a middle kick to her left side, this made Rory stagger. Silva then used a left hook on her but Rory evaded it and she then gave Silva a high kick on the right side of his head.
Silva tanked the hit then used a low kick on the leg that Rory was balancing on knocking her down. Rory was down but not put she quickly used both her legs to kick Silva's, toppling him. Silva didn't get back up and neither did Rory they just panted trying to get their breath, both them smiling. Rory then said to her grandfather.
Rory: Grandfather I think I just found my husband to be.
This made Silva get up and look at her incredulously while the old men looked stunned for a moment they sent a knowing look at each other then gave Silva a pitying look much to his confusion.
( Chapter bonus) ( Qrow POV)
I have been flying around the public air routes to and from Atlas for the last couple of days in my bird form trying to find the bandits attacking the airships. While I kept my eyes open I think back to how Oz gave me this mission and why. True, while the sudden Grimm attacks followed by bandits are unusual and even a little suspicious especially considering the fact that they only attack airships heading towards Atlas and not away.
While I think it's unlikely that the "Queen" is involved there is still a chance and that is enough for Oz to send me. I still feel surprised that I ran into my nephew in Atlas of all places and with my sisters blessing no less. It makes me smile, the thought of seeing her next time and poking fun at her at the fact she took a loss to Tiger in order for him to travel across Remnant. Seeing him also filled me with regret because that look in his eye is of someone that has taken a person's life, it leaves a mark you.
He has also changed and not for the better, he's far more ruthless than what his age suggests plus he seems indifferent towards ending lives with that plan of his to wipeout the bandit tribes. I can't help but sigh in my bird form I only hope he can find his way better than me anyway and find a small bit of happiness outside of the tribe. Next time I talk to Oz I'm going to ask his advice on Silva or maybe have him attend Beacon or something. Thinking about my nephew I can't help but worry about the state of his mind and how my 2 nieces will react to him after all these years.
I really need a drink or maybe 2 but work first.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone