Splendors of the Earth

Chapter 1
At close to one in the morning at Beacon Academy, most souls were sleeping. Most however, did not include Clayton. He sat in a small shed near the academy hangar, the only light to illuminate the space coming from a series of light stands and a single set of overhead lights near the rafters. To say the shed was small was an over exaggeration for him. He had fit good sized cot to fit his frame, a small stolen dresser from one of the dorm rooms, as well as a desk and chair inside the room. He had taken the liberty to make a few stools and a sturdy rack to hold his equipment to round out his furniture, and he was quite happy with the results. Which was saying something considering that even with his goggles; he still had been half blind during their construction.

Mason sat at the desk, pouring over a map of the Emerald Forest. Several areas had been crossed off from successful hunts, and now he had one more to take off. More than one, he noted, as soon as he could figure out where the addition Grimm he had slain had come from. He yawned once and crossed an area off the map. He rolled his shoulder slightly and winced, feeling the recent injuries on his back starting to ache again. His shirt was no doubt bloody again, and he would probably have to change it again soon along with putting some bandages on it. It was then that he heard the door open and close.

“Well, I trust you’re proud of yourself. I hope you enjoyed your after dark hunting trip, because as of right now, they are over.” The feminine voice said.

Clayton didn’t even bother turning, “Professor Goodwitch, I don’t know what you are talking about. As per the agreement upon my enrollment at this school, I have stayed within a half hour of the campus at all times except during field trips.”

Glynda sighed and snapped her riding crop down on the desk as she strode up beside him. “You stole a bullhead this evening to keep that promise. Now, just what do you expect to prove with these reckless actions of yours? Pull one more of these stunts, and I will have you thrown out of Beacon and back on the streets. Then you can try and keep your promises to your family.”

Clayton turned and stared her in the eye. He could only look into her determined gaze for so long however before he had to look down. “Fine. Anything else you want to tell me? It’s late and suddenly I am feeling sleepy.”

She sighed and walked behind him. “These actions of yours are going to get you killed. First the incident with your initiation, and now this. You used your blindfold to make it to the end without completing the primary objectives. You spurned several would be partners, and still have yet to find yourself a team. Why are you being this stubborn?”

Clayton shrugged. “I don’t need more corpses following me. Get out of my way. I choose to die following the path of the fallen who wait for me.”

Glynda snapped the crop against the desk again. “Mr. Mason, I did not allow you to enroll at this school to complete some foolish death wish, and you did not agree for that same reason. Figure out why you are here, and learn to accept the assistance of others. You have two weeks to find a team or be expelled. Consider this your final warning.”

Clayton remained silent for several minutes, simply staring at his desk. Glynda turned and exited the shed, slamming the door shut behind her. Clayton could only hear her last few words though. Why had he decided to come here to this school? Well, one thing was certain; he only had 2 weeks to figure out why.