(Full set of stats at the end of the chapter.)
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"So, what took you?" Amber asked, "I expected you to be here sooner than this. Plus, I'd figure you'd take a Bullhead to get here."
"I hate those flying contraptions," I told her, "And I've been neglecting to let Torrent out for a run for some time."
"Fair enough," Amber chuckled, "Anyway, we've got a problem."
"What's the problem?" I asked as she began to lead me inside the building she had walked out of.
"It's an animal," Amber told me, "One I'm pretty sure came from the Lands Between."
"That could contemplate things," I said, having a migraine come along. "What type of animal?"
"One MASSIVE bear," She told me and pointed towards a window.
"Please," I muttered as I walked towards the window, "Don't be a Rune Bear, anything but a Rune Bear."
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Sure enough, a Rune bear was patrolling around with three normal ones wandering nearby. I wanted to swear, but I was the one to jinx it. With a sigh, I just nodded my head, and Amber just sighed as well. To make matters worse, they were guarding the Site of Grace.
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"I should have guessed," Amber spoke as she took out her weapon, a staff. "Should I just burn them to ash?"
"You could try," I said as I drew my sword, "But all you'll get is several bears on fire and a real pissed off Rune Bear. I'll take the Rune Bear; you get the three normal bears. And please, don't use fire."
"What can I say?" Amber smirked, "I like burning things."
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I sighed and jumped out the window; Amber followed soon after. As I landed hard, she floated down using her Maiden powers. With a nod of my head, we rushed off, with me outpacing Amber far faster than she could sprint. I arrived first with the Rune Bear, noticing me just before I arrived, and swung my Bastard Sword. Amber, from the back, cast several fireballs at the three normal bears.
My fight with the Rune Bear was devastating to the surroundings. Even with near-transcendent strength, the Rune Bear was nearly my match in strength. Every blow we traded tore debris from the surroundings. With my sword and its claws, we all but reshaped the surrounding area. Just as I was about to take victory, the Rune Bear did something I wasn't expecting. It jumped. As it did, it soared over me and headed for Amber.
Amber, who had just finished fighting the three normal bears, heard the sound of pavement being destroyed and turned to face the Rune Bear. Knowing that she wasn't ready for something like this, I unequipped my armor and shield. Then, nearly naked, I sprinted after the Rune Bear. As I reached the two of them, the Rune Bear had pinned Amber down and was about to rip her head off.
Without missing a beat, I stabbed my bastard sword into the bear's asshole. As the beast roared in pain, Amber managed to shove her staff into the bear's mouth and shoot a fireball. The Rune Bear's head exploded into gold dust, then the rest of the body. As the dust shimmered and gently fell, I re-equipped my armor. Not that I minded a bit of nudity, but I would rather not have my junk hanging out in the breeze.
Soon, Amber sat up, breathing heavily. She wasn't expecting to be overpowered so fast by the Rune Bear. And the speed was far greater than its size would allow. She was just glad that I had managed to make it in time.
I sighed as I walked over and helped her up before heading over to the Site of Grace. As soon as I sat down at the Grace, I felt all my fatigue vanish. Amber soon wandered over once she had regained her breath. Once she sat down, we both felt a pull on our senses. I looked over to her and nodded. She understood my unspoken words, and we both felt the pull strengthen, and soon we were whisked away to the Roundtable Hold.
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"Welcome to the Roundtable Hold," We heard as soon as we appeared.
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The one who welcomed us was none other than Melina. She had taken off her travelers' cloak and greeted us with her eye as if it were normal. I nodded my head, and Amber looked around in awe. This was her first time here after all, so I didn't mind. I sent Amber to wander around and gestured for Melina to follow. Once we were in the Map room, I shut the door and asked the million rune question.
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"Why have you called us here?" I asked her.
"Simple, I have found one of the Roundtable Members," She answered as she walked over to the map. "The one known as Roderika, the Spirit Tuner. She is currently here, in this area of Vacuo." She spoke as she pointed at the map.
"That's good to hear," I spoke as I released a sigh I didn't know I was holding in. "Do you know her current condition?"
"She is well," Melina answered, "However, she is being called the 'Red Witch' for her use of Spirit Ashes. And she is gaining popularity for her protection of the poor against the violent tribes in Vacuo."
"Why haven't you brought her here?" I asked, knowing full well she could.
"She has lost the ability to see Grace," Melina answered, "While she has regained the ability to use and tune Spirit Ashes, she can no longer see the traces of Grace. Hence why I haven't brought her here."
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I nodded, knowing that the loss of such an ability was a death sentence to any Tarnished. However, knowing what Melina was like, she weighed her options carefully before telling me. She was like that ever since we first met.
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"Very well, I'll speak to Ozpin about this and see if we can do something about it," I said after a minute of thought. "After all, we could very well use the help of a spirit tuner.
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|Tarnished (Brass Wolf) Stats|
Starting class- Wretch
Vigor- 99
Mind- 82
Endurance- 99
Strength- 85
Dexterity- 81
Intelligence-90
Faith-80
Arcane-89
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A/N: Please note that I still wish for The Tarnished to have room to grow mentally, physically, and emotionally.