Abel – Survival - Forest Clearing
Though already beginning to feel the tug of fatigue on his muscles, Abel faced the next challenge readily enough. The three Itzamnas that faced him fanned out, causing the guardian to narrow his eyes. If their intention was to fracture his defense by forcing his polearm to target only one of the three, the raptors weren't so unintelligent after all. As much as he appreciated a challenge, Abel did not relish the prospect of smart Grimm with teamwork that rivaled -and perhaps even surpassed- that of the students. With Oswald at his back, however, Abel felt another obligation egging him on: to not let the other boy down. The feeling lasted even after Oswald teleported away, and when the first Itzamna darted in for the kill, Abel was ready. He pivoted on his heels, slicing open the creature's snout. It yelped and retreated, but the damage was already done. With Abel's focus divided, even for a moment, the Itzamna on his far side jumped in. It hopped straight up, lashing out with its hook talons, and scored a major hit on Abel's back. If not for a combination of armor and aura, the guardian's lower right back would have been reduced to ribbons. Even with the wound prevented, Abel still felt the impact, and the sense of inadequacy from allowing himself to be so easily struck stung him. The Ampere floated free of his hand, and cleaved through the air twice. The Itzamna, never before privy to the sight of such a power, reacted too slowly and fell, their long necks obliterated.
At the same time, Oswald finished with his pair. “Yeah,” Abel agreed. The intensity of his own voice surprised him. Though the battle only paused for a moment, he could see how bad of a situation the students were in. They were in territory only the Professor was remotely familiar with, surrounded by Grimm whose numbers -despite the carnage wrecked by the students- were sustained by a steady stream of reinforcements, and the air grew thick and hazy with the vapor of the slain monsters. He caught a peep of movement up in the trees and attempted to throw a lightning bolt its way, but his semblance hadn't recharged enough to do so. “Not form up...” he reluctantly said.
Professor Vorosky – Survival
“Well folks!”
Vorosky fired off three short bursts, taking down an Itzamna with each one. One of the raptors reached him and lunged, but the professor deftly waited until the exact moment before clubbing it with his rifle. He reached out and caught the stunned Grimm before it fell, maneuvering it into the path of an incoming Itzamna. The dazed one let out a shriek as its brother tore apart its insides, and began to dissolve into smoke. Vorosky let go and kicked the limp mass toward the other creature, blanketing it in a shower of darkness that clouded it long enough for him to shoot into the smog and kill it. Carrying on from where he'd been interrupted, he raised his chipper voice over the roar of battle. “It has been very educational half-hour but I think it is time to call quits for today. Full retreat! But cover your ears...now!”
The professor unslung a grenade, pulled the pin, and flung it into the air. It blinked twice, a brilliant white, before detonating. While the explosion itself was unremarkable, its shockwave shattered the special dust crystal within, creating a earsplitting burst of sound that resounded throughout the entire woods. As one, the Itzamna collapsed, writhing in pain, and Salamanders dropped from the trees like burlap bags. While undoubtedly painful for everyone, it particularly affected the Grimm, whose bestial senses were more receptive to sound. Vorosky smiled at his handiwork, though the expression was hidden by his mask. “Special kind of dust! Sonus dust is very rare, but very effective. Let us depart before their heads stop ringing, eh?”
He led the way to the edge of the clearing bordering the river, casually stepping on Grimm as he passed. Already they were stirring. Even to the most bloodthirsty hunter, it was clear that to spend any time on extra attacks against the mostly-helpless Grimm would be to invite his or her own demise. Vorosky followed the river for about fifty feet through the forest and revealed a stack of pallets by the waterside. “The teleport back home is downriver,” he explained as he fished a handful of washers out of a pocket and tossed them on the ground for everyone to get. “Right in front of a waterfall, in fact. Very dangerous, but everyone who survives will get wonderful grade for first day of survival class! If you are fast,” he looked at Jack at this moment, “You can follow along water's edge and then hop from rock to rock to reach the anomaly. But for everyone else, use these!”
Vorosky pushed a pallet onto the river and jumped on. Immediately it was clear that the current flowed faster than anyone might have previously suspected—clearly, there were rapids ahead. The professor rocked a little, but the pallets were obviously built with floating stability in mind, most likely solely for this purpose. Since there were two dozen more of them, all very similar, this seemed to be the case. “Itzamna can't swim, Salamanders swim too slowly! Only problems are Harpies, who will most likely be heading this direction on account of Sonus grenade!” Vorosky was starting to float out of hearing range. The river was widening and deepening the farther he went. “Quarter mile to waterfall!” He shouted. “Get moving before nasties get chomping! Stay away from riverbanks!”
Abel – Riverside
Abel laughed out loud. Surfing? Sure, why not? He lugged a large pallet to the water's edge, shoved it in, and hopped aboard. He immediately fell to all fours, terrified that the pallet might capsize and send his heavy, armored self bubbling to the bottom. After a few moments, and with the aid of the Ampere as a walking stick, he brought himself int a steady kneeling position before the current took hold and carried him away.
Coach Ahriman Agesander – PE
"Congratulations!" The physical education teacher laughed and he clapped. "An excellent display of both physical prowess and the brains to put them into good use! As promised, you may head off to the lockers. Unfortunately, I cannot split a single extra credit point in half, so neither of you will be getting an extra surprise."
He next addressed the remaining PE participants, who so far struck him as
disappointingly unenthusiastic. "Anyone else feel like bothering?"