The Bloodied Thirty Pieces

11 - Are Far Behind Me

"We should go back," Russell said with a waver to his voice. The mohawk-haired boy stood at the back of the group of five looking back through the red leaved trees in the direction of the school. Dove and Sky every now and then would glance back with him and held their weapons tight enough their hands had gone white; Cardin lead the group, mace in one hand and the other around Weiss's waist as he supported her while she limped, determined to head further into the forest.

"Let's go back."

"Go back if you want Rus," Cardin said loudly, not looking back. Like Weiss he had the same determined look to push further into the woods, but his face had a tinge of fear lurking on the edges. "No one made you come."

"But we should have told someone what we were doing. Maybe bring another team along, or ten."

"They wouldn't have let us leave the building, let alone the school. No, we have to do this."

The group fell back into silence as Cardin and Weiss forged ahead, Sky and Dove looking at each other before hurrying after; Russell had stopped walking and looked back towards the school again, before tightening the grip on his daggers and running to catch up with the group.

The five trudged through the Ruby-leaved forest eyeing every tree, bush or foliage. The tension and fear was thick enough to cut with a knife and sweat covered everyone as they pushed on. Russell looked backwards again, and thought he saw something black streak between two trees, leaving behind flecks of red. Stifling his scream he turned and ran to catch up with the rest. "So how are we planning on capturing this guy? I mean he did take out a third-year team," he asked nervously as he held his daggers tighter. At the front of the group Cardin paused for a moment. What was the plan? He looked down at the girl at his side, she had sounded so sure and confident back in the medical wing, but now that they were actually out here the copper-haired team leader was having second thoughts that the white haired heiress had actually thought everything through.

Weiss seemed to sense his hesitation as she looked up at Cardin's face and smiled. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to us."

"How can you guarantee that," Russell yelled again, walking backwards and watching behind the group. Another shadow leaped between two trees, only this time left no specks of red.

From the front of the group Weiss yelled "because nothing will happen to us," and limped forward, pulling Cardin with her. Russell, with a glance between the group and the trees behind them turned and set his shoulders, ignoring the feeling that something was right behind him.

Behind his back the bushes rustled and another shadow streaked across the dirt path.

On the group trudged, pushing through bushes and low-lying branches that covered the path till they emerged from the tree line at a clearing with a river lazily gurgling through the grass covered ground. Although the thing was long dead Cardin still saw the terrifying King Grimm rising to its feet and bellowing a challenge at those that had disturbed it. Cardin closed his eyes to try drive the memory away, but this only made it more vivid in his mind, only reminded him of the young girl in the red hood who charged the creature, who fought it while they stood petrified, who-

Cardin opened his eyes and stormed into the clearing, startling Weiss and half dragging her with him. As he neared the center of the clearing, where Ruby had lain as she drew her last Cardin stopped and shouted.

"ALRIGHT YOU BASTARD! YOU WANT US? HERE WE ARE!"

His words echoed throughout the forest scaring birds from the trees and startling the animals; the creatures of Grimm lurking in the forest looked up to the sky and the cry and began to move towards the source hoping for a free meal. A beowulf close to the clearing lumbered past the trees, its mouth starting to salivate. It never saw the black, red and steel that ended its miserable existence.