Raven sighed as the doors of the training garden opened up before him. Inside was almost a vast forest that had different paths to take. He was holding his gunblade in his right hand, and resting it on his shoulder looking at which path to take. His eyes traveled to the floor and the arrow was pointing to the right path and he could tell that the paint was starting to come off of the metallic floor, though he hadn’t see much students around he knew what it was from. Hmm I wonder what type of creatures lie around here. This place though does resemble the forests around the garden. Which if that is true, I need to watch out for one monster in particular Raven thought to him self and decided to follow the right path.

He was hoping that something didn’t ruin his school uniform already. He was thinking about wearing his battle dress or his casual attire, but he actually liked how the school uniform felt.

As he walking, he was really starting to get bored. “Well so much for some monsters,” he said but then he looked around and saw oddly enough twelve pairs of extremely tall, and what looked like Venus Fly traps. He then grinned a little and brought his blade down to his side. “Well guess my luck just turned good. To bad they aren’t the strongest ones,” Raven said, and at that moment three grats came out from the brush. These creatures had a bell shaped green body and 6 pairs of tiny legs that were made to look like roots and the upper part of the body opened into a mouth and a pair of venus fly trap jaws. The taller tentacles were the fly traps that he saw.

“Three of them, well they do tend to attack in pairs of their pray is larger,” Raven stated and turned to his side a little and held out his blade in front of him, his index finger on the trigger of his gunblade. This was gonna be the most fun he had so far.

There he is, that one with that gun thing or whatever. Shinu walked into the Range carefully, he knew that he wasn't the most adept fighter, not even close actually. Strong and fast? Definitely, but he didn't have it in him to do any specific damage yet. That was training he and Shiva had yet to come across.

He followed the man he remembered was named Raven inside, and made sure to keep quiet while he followed him on his path. He didn't want to be a bother, or startle a man with a sword when he himself was unarmed. He looked on as Raven was confronted by multiple monsters. He didn't seem worry though, so Shinu would wait to act.

He made the first move, running straight at the monester that was in fornt of him. As he got close enough to attack, he spun around quickly, using his momentum to push him forward still and as he got all the way turned he brought his gunblade out in a wide arc, sliding his foot forward to stop his forward advancement and all the weight going straight to the swords cut. The monster had not time to react and before anything it was severed right in half, the top half falling back before the before the body seemed to disperse into the air. "Grats, moderately tough when the put you to sleep, but other than that. Easy," he said he then saw shadows on the ground and did a few back flips as eight pairs of tentacles slammed to the ground where ever he made contact.

As he was leaning back up he noticed that one of the grats had shut their jaws. "Oh shit," he said and began to concentrate knowing what was about to come. The grat had a faint aura around it before openining its jaws quickly at Raven. Raven's body started to be surrounded by thick white strips of mist that had a blue and purple aura around it and after a few seconds its disappeared and he reopened his eyes. "Nice try, but you failed," he said. Yet there was a problem, as there was only one grat in front of him.

Zanar turned to see that at grat was running somewhere. There was one thing that he knew about these creatures, and that was they didn't run from an engagement. "Someone must've been following me," he said softly and ran at the grat. He then jumped through the open spots in the tentacles and turned quickly in another slash, but this time he press the trigger and the sound of what seemed to be a gun shooting range throughout the air. Raven could feel the tremor of the blade as it went through the beast. This time there wasn't a straight cut but a more jagged and meancing slash that severed it.

Shinu pressed on closer and closer, anxious to see the gunblade in action. It's precision was unparralelled by anything he'd ever seen for sure. Before Shinu could really think too much about it, he was the second person to let out a bad word today.

Oh shit!

A grat was coming right at him... so not good! Two options came into his mind. The first was to run and get the hell out of here. The second was to summon Shiva and hope that she knew more about fighting than he did. He took neither of those options, his instincts took over and he quickly scurried up a tree. Shinu did have much taste for physicality against another being, but he was pretty damn athletic for someone who felt that way. He was up the tree quick enough to look down and see the cause of that peircing noise. The gunblade destroyed the Grat's body. Definitely not the way something would want to die.

Grieves heard the cries of a grat being cut down near him. He figured another student was here as well. Might as well see who. Grieves gripped his 2 handed sword and stepped forward through the brush and forest between the two. He came across Raven with his gunblade.

"Thought I was the only one our here." Johnathan said releasing the grip on his blade a bit. 2 daggers hung at his belt under the sheath of his greatsword

Raven looked over at the other swordsman who came into the monster range. "Hmm guessing that means ur able to weild a gunblade as well, impressive, as you know not much can. If you exuse me i got to deal with two problems right now," Raven said, meaning the grat and Shinu.

Raven sighed and looked at the other grat, which was just strafing back and forth. He then shook his head closing his eyes. "You know its impolite to stalk someone, if you wanted to see this gunblades power you should've asked and I would've gladly showed it," Raven said before reopening his eyes and looking back up, "Maybe then a grat wouldn't have attacked you," He finished. Raven started walking towards the other grat that was remaining before picking up his pace into a fast run, where this time he jumped into the air. "Might as well finish this!," He said and as he approach he swung down at that the grat, pressing the trigger once more, and he landed on the other side of the monster on one knee. That took care of those things.

He then turned and looked up at Shinu. "There is more dangerous creatures here probably than this grat. Though they aren't typically found in the forests of Balamb, but i know there is a creature here that is far more powerful than what any of use could handle at our current state," He said to him informing him of the possible dangers. "If you wish to wander, don't travel to far, as there may be T-Raxur in the area. I doubt Cid would want a student dieing in the Monster range," he said, resting his gunblade back on his shoulder.

Shinu was frozen in his place as the man spoke to him. He was relieved to see his roommate though, thank goodness for that. He didn't know what was worse, being lectured by a stranger or the monsters running around. Figuring the two of them had more firepower than the grats, he finally jumped down.

Yeah, well I didn't want to startle you and have you attack me. I'm unnarmed, fighting isn't exactly my thing. I've heard of your gunblade though, it's quite impressive.

Shinu looked Johnathan's blade up and down, and there was a lot to look at. That sword was... HUGE!

Um, what is that thing? How the heck can you carry it? I thought I was strong, but that's a big sword if I've ever seen one! Glad the two of you are here none the less, this is not the place I want to be alone in.

"It takes alot of strength to carry this thing. Not to mention swing the damn thing." Grieves said lifting it up and holding it in both his hands, examining the blade, "But I've had alot of practice with it and I'm as fast with this as most are with longswords. And you shouldn't doubt yourself. The T Rexaur shouldn't pose to be a problem for us 3."

If Shinu wasn't scared yet, he was petrified now.

3? You mean 2 right? I can't fight... like at all. I've never used mysummoning to hurt something else. I'm... worried about that. You think we could really do it?

Was he going crazy?! Why the hell would he WANT to purposely run into a T-Rexaur? Well if there was ever a time... this was it. He was going to have to defend himself some time.

"You can't always be a pacifist, sometimes the only way to save anyone you truely care for is to fight to the end," Raven said looking at shinu when he said that. Like how my dad tried to He thought to himself saddened a little. He then snapped out of it and looked over at Johnathan. "Seems you have the confidence of a true blade's man. Keep that in your heart and that will carry you as far as you want it to," He said with a slight smile. One of the few that anyone would ever see out of him. But then it went to a slight frown when he heard a loud roar, and being close at that.

"Speak of the devil," Raven said and immediately got into his battle stance.

All of the sudden a T-rexaur appeared out of the trees and brush. The oragne tone of its scales and the blue stripes along its back. "Watch out! This things tough, espically watch out for its tail. Shinu if u have any ice summons they would help right about now," Giving out a hint of its weakness. Raven knew almost all of the monsters of the Balamb area, but other than that he was somewhat clueless.