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Hunter Story (Better than that other meme about pirates)

Discussion in 'Literature Library' started by Almandine-G, Oct 9, 2015.

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  1. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    This story is based off of the features, creations and ideas of the Monster Hunter universe. Although the islands are made up, as well as the personalities, everything else belongs to Capcom.

    Just a heads up: you don;t need much info on the MH universe to get this, but if an armour set is mentioned you might wanna go look that up if you need a good visual.

    Warning! This story contains smoking, mildly strong language and scenes of violence. Just thought it'd be good for you to know.
    Hunter's Notes (Info on terms and monsters used in the story):

    G Rank: in MH games there are 3 ranks; Low, High and G. G rank is the highest, and is split into G1, G2, G3, then bronze, silver and gold crown. Gold Crown is the highest there is.
    Deviljho: Wikia Deviljho is a Brute Wyvern of 6 star rating, on par with Elder Dragons. It's powerful and rages a lot, but gets hungry easy.
    Kushala Daora: Wikia Kushala Daora is an Elder Dragon made of steel that generates wind currents. Poisoning it weakens the wind currents.
    Teostra: Wikia Teostra is an Elder Dragon that uses fire attacks, or blast in rage mode. It has a fire aura that hurts nearby hunters.
    Shen Gaoren: Wikia Shen Gaoren is a giant Carapaceon. Its very footsteps cause the ground to tremor around it.
    Brachydios: Wikia Brachydios is a Brute Wyvern with explosive slime attacks. It can be extremely agile if need be.
    Plesioth: Wikia Plesioth is a monster widely regarded as broken, due to several hitbox issues it's faced in the past. It's favourite attack is widely regarded as the hipcheck.
    Tamamitsune: Wikia Tamamitsune is a new monster added in MHX. It is believed to use bubble based attacks to cause a unique Bubbleblight never before seen.
    Ceadeus: Wikia Ceadeus is a large, whale-like elder dragon that lives in the ocean. It can use powerful tail whips and water blasts to devestate its foes.
    Dalamadur: Wikia Dalamadur is one of the current largest monsters known, being a giant serpent. Dalamadur attacks using a variety of claw, tail and mouth attacks, and can even summon or launch meteors and, at times, use massive dragon breath attacks.
    Raviente: Wikia (The wiki refers to it as "Laviente." Raviente was written into the story before this change, so will continue to be referred to as such) Raviente is a large serpentine creature, like Dalamadur. It's disputed whether or not Raviente is larger than Dalamadur. Raviente is extremely powerful and takes at least 4 hunters to hunt (16 max). It primarily attacks via face slams and hurling rocks through said face slams, but also uses occasional fireballs and ignissive powders, volcanic geyser eruptions when underground and even causing rock showers near volcanos.
    Shagaru Magala: Wikia Shagaru Magala is an Elder Dragon, and fully matured Gore Magala. It uses an unusual virus known as the frenzy, which slowly kill monsters. Hunters can overcome it to get stronger, but if they fail they will instead take more damage.
    Lagiacrus: Wikia Lagiacrus is a Leviathan that uses powerful electricity to take down its enemies. Lagiacrus most commonly lives in or next to the ocean and has sunk many a ship.
    Astalos: Wikia Astalos is a flying wyvern introduced in MHX. An angry, thunderus wyvern, Astalos use electric attacks and lightning fast speed to take down prey in a matter of seconds.
    Kiranico: Found here Kiranico is a full MH database. If a weapon or piece of gear is mentioned, check it up on Kiranico.

    Prologue:

    This story is about 4 people. This story is about 4 people who were hunters. 4 people who were hunters new to G rank. Hunters new to G rank who had risen up the ranks.

    And also about a bunch of others you'll meet on the way.

    This story follows these 4 hunters as we've stated, as well as a 5th hunter, who was not only G rank, but a famous gold crown G rank hunter. And this particular hunter was tired. Tired of getting the same boring quests assigned to him. So one night, he received an important task from the hunting guild through his good friend and hunting partner. And a large one at that.

    He accepted cause he had nothing better to do.

    Now how do those 4 other hunters come into this? These 4 hunters were 4 particular hunters who our 5th hunter had their eyes on. He had watched as they raised in their ranks, becoming stronger each and every step of the way. He felt a feeling he hadn't felt in years.

    You could say he felt proud, but try getting him to say that and you'll get 'Hm' back.

    Anyway, this links to the assignment he was tasked with because it was his decision to finally take these hunters under his wing and bring them with him to where he was headed. Where was he headed? Well, the chapter title you're about to read will tell you (unless you're the type who doesn't read chapter titles, in which case it'll be visible a little later anyways so you're not missing out on much.)


    This story is about the 4 hunters Leandre, Maxi, Günter and Strom, and the dark armoured man Joseph.
    Chapter 1: Island Āvās
    The night before...

    "Hey. HEY! You awake?" a Man in white armour stepped into a dark room.

    "Hm?" a quietly snoozing Man lacking his dark armour replied nonchalantly.

    "You received a message from the hunters guild."

    "Hm."

    "It's a big task, and they figure you're best for it."

    "Hm..."

    "Flipping, talk already man."

    "No."

    "See, you talked!"

    "Hm."

    "*Sigh* guess that's the best I'm getting from you."

    "Hm."

    "Anyway, that is all. Now get back to sleep, you'll need it. As for me... I have important business to attend to," with that, the Man in white armour stepped out.

    "Hm..." and with that, the Man lacking his dark armour returned to sleep.

    The next day that should really be 'back to what was happening' but we never actually stated what was happening beforehand, so the next day fits better.

    ANYWAY the next day...
    [SIZE=11pt]The sun glistened on the blue ocean as it sat across the horizon, it's orange-yellow light shining bountifully across the deep blue. Moving along this oceanic view was an armoured boat, it's iron-clad body reflecting the days light like a mirror. On the ship stirred some activity, it's members preparing to dock at a nearby island: the destination it had set out for.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It had been 12 hours now since the boat had left the port at the mainland. On deck stood 5 figures, each wearing hunters guild approved gear. One of them, a woman, had run to the nose of the ship, her hand held to her head as she surveyed what lay beyond the ship.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey GUYS! LOOK! We've REACHED the place!" this notably excited woman was none other than Maxi Caladbolg, a strong willed person who made great use of the Greatsword. Obsessed with stretching any spare moment of her time, Maxi was always on the go ready to jump 3 steps ahead of the team. She could actually go farther but has to be restrained in that respect because she has no idea when to stop. She wore the Lagombi X gear.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Settle down Maxi, save the hype for when we get there," a man who you will come to know as Leandre Bulwark. Whilst being a natural Klutz, and sometimes a bit of a worrywart, he's known as the closest thing the group of 4 newbie G rank hunters have to a leader. Because in a hunt, he seemingly abandons these traits and becomes a man of great valor, putting his own life on the line instead of risking others lives with his valiant Sword and Shield. That said, don't trust him with expensive china because there's a 9 out of 10 chance he'll drop it. Leandre himself made use of the Agnaktor X set.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I wonder if there's gonna be any good ingredients on this place. I've been meaning to expand my pallet," this statement made to himself came from a proud man who refuses to be known by anything other than Günter Ichaival. A master chef, his culinary skills are astronomical: as is his pride. He never ceases to amaze with his fabulous dishes, and also boasts some fine gunner skills when wielding a Heavy Bowgun. He likes to mention these things a fair bit. Günter wore the Barroth X gunner set.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"..." a distinct lack of voice rung through the ship, accompanied by a simple nod. This silence isn't like your regular silence: it in fact belongs to Strom Crocea Mors. Strom is an excellent fighter, extremely focused and capable, his Chargeblade skills are hard to match. His past is an unknown factor, but many believe that in his past something must have happened to make him as powerful as he is now. Of course, Strom doesn't really talk about it. Strom's favourite set was the Niblesnarf X set.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well we all know what comes first right? We need to set up camp," a puff of smoke seemed to emit this sound, but turned out it came from the man who puffed the smoke from a homemade cigarette Joseph Devin. Gold crown G rank extraordinaire; Weapons master; a definite grumpy attitude. Known as the Dusk, Joseph runs multiple squads alongside a man known as the Dawn (who isn't here right now). He also has a terrible habit for smoking, but nobody knows how his body can take so much smoke: it's like he lives off of it.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About half an hour passed. The boat had been moving along the island's shore at this point for a nice flat plot of land: eventually, what had been desired had been given. Weighing anchor, the ship placed out a large plank to land for everyone to get off the boat onto the teams new home.The first to step off was Maxi (She tends to be the first to do a lot. Good luck fighting her for that honor). She was then followed by the rest in no visible order.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph stepped out from the group and let out a stream of smoke. He turned sharply to the 4 newbie hunters. "Alright then. I have a task for you 4. I'll be heading out with a patrol of some of the sailors here to scout out the island for danger. I want you 4 to set up camp here whilst we're away, got it?" Joseph looked at all 4 for equal periods of time: except Maxi, who he had to make sure was paying attention and thus gave her a glance that was longer. Only a fraction longer, but regardless it was longer.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The group nodded at him, after which Joseph turned sharply back to his original angle and marched off. Flashing a hand signal, he was soon accompanied by 3 sailors. The team started to set up camp.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]And right off the bat Leandre dropped all the tent-making supplies.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Any sign of danger you lot?" Joseph had his view to the horizon. They had made it all the way to the other side of the island (not that the island was very big, but it's not like they traveled in a straight line: there's more to an island than just a single line of movement). After a general discussion between the sailors, they had all agreed nothing had been spotted.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Good. That means we're in a safe zone, just like the guild said. Alright then, head back to the ship to prepare for setting up the dock," this command was followed by a salute. Joseph just barely managed one back to them, as a sign of respect of course, but Joseph was never one to enjoy formalities.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The cigarette was done. Guess it was time to head back to camp and see what the team had gotten up to.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Surprisingly enough, the camp looked pretty decently built up. Amateurish, true, but it'd do for now. In the center Günter had already started cooking something up for the squad, something that distinctly smelled like a curry. Good! The team needed a pep-up. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Mmm, smells good Günter. Can't wait to eat it," Joseph casually strode up to the fire the curry was being cooked over. "When you think it'll be done?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Günter planted a lid onto the pot. "Oh, I'd say it'd be ready for tomorrow, round about 6 O'clock day time." [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph's face went dark, his already failing smile now failing even more. "Excuse me? [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Tomorrow?[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yep. It needs to cook over a long period, this curry, or else it'll not taste right. Not this particular blend anyway," Günter placed his hands behind his head and dandered off towards his tent, only to come shooting back to chain up the pot and leave a note saying "Keep off! That means [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]you[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] Maxi!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph fell to his knees, his hands digging into the dirt. He faced the pot. He reached out, almost grasping for his precious, desired curry. He watched as his hopes, his dreams fall into the abyss, their lonely cry echoing back tearfully. Joseph dug his face into the ground to hide his tears. A whole day? Without curry? Normally Joseph could survive without it, but this wasn't normal! It had been snatched away from him! Not only does he have that, but it just smelt so good, and now that taunting, tantalizing, tasteful smell will be taunting, tantalizing, and tasting Joseph. Though, it's certainly odd idea of the smell tasting him. Not sure how that's pulled off.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph trudged back to his tent, his head held low for curry. At least it'll be ready tomorrow.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The worst part? The curry wasn't done the next day. [/SIZE]

    Welcome to the first island of the uncharted line: Island Āvās.

    Chapter 2: Island Paracit
    Everyone sat around a campfire. Joseph had a stick held in the fire cooking something. He looked up from his activities and analyzed the others: Maxi was sitting perfectly still, Strom was speaking gibberish, his head spinning, Leandre was balancing several plates on several sticks and Günter was lamenting at a grave marked 'Pride'.

    Joseph lifted the stick out of the fire. He received one well-done homemade cigarette, and put it in his inventory, before going to cook another one. Suddenly, the ground collapsed around everyone, the boat flew into Joseph and afterwards, all he could see was his tent roof.

    "The hell kinda dream was that?" Joseph sat up and stretched. He looked around. Yep, the world was still altogether. He reached for a metal container. He obtained it. He reached for a small bag. He obtained it. He took a piece of paper out of the container, then poured some of the contents of the bag into the paper, before skillfully rolling it into a tube shape.

    Wait, where were the matches? The homemade ones? After a quick scan, Joseph found them. He went to pick them up, but found out they were soggy. Disappointed, Joseph left his ten with his unlit, unsmoking cigarette. There was a campfire. Suddenly, an idea came to Joseph.

    The other 4 hunters were already there, feasting on their first breakfast on the uncharted islands. Though Maxi wore a distinctly sour expression, and we can only assume it's linked to the burnt mop and soapy cauliflower sitting nearby. Really the real cook here was Günter, who despite his unreachably high levels of pride, was an amazing chef when he wanted to be (and he wanted to be a lot). A metal container sat at what was to be Joseph's position at the campfire: it contained a full meal of bacon, eggs, sausages, beans and... Garlic? Guess we can't fault Günter for trying out new things, but a whole clove?

    "Sir, what... What are you doing?" Leandre was positively puzzled at Joseph's actions.

    "Don't call me sir, you know what I'm called," Joseph grumped in Leandre's general direction. He lifted a stick up from the fire he put the stick near. Ah yes, one well-done cigarette. Not quite as meaty as the one from last nights peculiarities but still something to puff. He puffed it.

    "But, seriously... What actually do you achieve from cooking cigs like that?" Günter joined the puzzle party.

    "I've ran out of homemade matches, the other ones I had were all soggy. And seeing how early it is, I wasn't particularly bothered to make new ones. This was just easier," he puffed some more. "Anywho, today we have an important task. Today we'll be heading to Island Paracit. Paracit is home to many familiar monsters, ones you'll probably know from past hunts. On that island is a settlement with it's own hunters guild-"
    "Wait, you mean to tell us there was a settlement with it's own hunters guild, and our hunters guild calls this series of islands uncharted?" Leandre only continued to be more puzzled.

    "Well, yes," Joseph puffed one last time. The cigarette burned out.

    "That doesn't make any sense to me..."

    "Yeah? Well that's the world for you. Now, to continue. The island settlement is where we're headed, and it'll be there we'll receive our contracts from. The main aim of this mission is to setup a link-way to for the sending of messages to and from said settlement. We'll be taking a smaller boat this time, as the sailors will be busy building for us a temporary dock to be used until we make a real dock. We'll just need to decide who rows for us," Joseph glanced at each hunter of the group.

    Maxi was nearly bursting with excitement. "Oh, you need a ROWER huh? Well, uh, I guess I COULD row for ya! Wh-what? It's not like I WANT to row the boat or anything!" Maxi stuttered out, jittering and shaking.

    "What, do you want to row the boat?" Joseph looked her way.

    "Well, okay if you INSIST haha! I can do it!" Maxi's jittering intensified.

    Immediate regret hit the team. Everyone left the boat feeling dizzied and sickly: the journey to Paracit Island was so bumpy from Maxi's insane rowing that nobody had much of a chance to breath, let alone talk.

    "Whew, that was a GOOD workout!" Maxi stretched to the left then the right, then back to the left again. "Hey, what are you 4 falling over for? Don't tell me you're all suffering from being LAZY now, huh?" She stretched more.

    Nobody could respond, it was hard enough gathering their strength back. After about an hour of rest, the team picked up and moved through the imposing forest. A Jaggi ran their way, no doubt smelling the food on them. Maxi ran up to it and grabbed it by its sides.

    "Maxi, what are you doi-" but before Joseph could say anything Maxi had already suplexed the Jaggi. "-MAXI WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

    "Well it was in our way, I wanted to be SURE it wouldn't harm us," Maxi put on her innocent face. Or tried to, it was hard when her grin stuck around. Everybody moved on, trying to ignore that little episode.

    The forest finally cleared up and, lo and behold a glorious plain lay right in front of them: the grass was a luscious green, with subtle curves and dents in its landscape. To the east lay a great blue lake, cool and refreshing in nature, the sun glistening off of its surface. Near the lake lay a small mountain, basking in the days sunlight. Far and wide, small monsters were seen getting on with making the most of the day: the Jaggi bothering the Aptonoth and the Aptonoth trying desperately to ignore the Jaggi and enjoy the sun.

    "Wait, this way's wrong. Come on, back into the forest," Joseph ruined the moment.

    The team trekked through the forest thoroughly thoughtful. They lamented over not getting to enjoy the sun that plain offered, but maybe another time. After all, even Hunters have breaks!

    Finally, the village came into view (and this time it really was worthy of the word finally). It wasn't exactly a large village, quite the opposite, but it was definitely what some could call home. And despite it's size, it was pretty well fortified, definitely capable of defending itself from monster attacks. A bit to the right of the entrance was a large building, what was probably the largest there: a sign on it loudly stated in large bold letters 'Hunter's Guild'.

    "I guess that's as good a place as any to start looking for the Hunter's Guild, don't you think?" Joseph gave a sarcastic glance to the other hunters, who met his glance with equal sarcasm. They made headway to the building, and stepping in were greeted with an air of joy, everybody greeting the new hunters.

    Oh who am I kidding, that was far from what happened.

    Joseph walked in first: the other hunters waited outside. The main hall was dusty, dark, smokey. Good, Joseph had found fellow puffers. He pulled out a cig he already made earlier and lit it with one of his new handmade matches. He heaved deeply then exhaled with as much force. "Excuse me, ladies and gents."

    Everyone looked towards him. One particularly gruff looking hunter Shot him a suspicious look. "We'll excuse you when you tell us who you are." he was breathing a very strong smelling cigar.

    Joseph puffed out more smoke. "Oh, you're right. Very well then,I'll do so. My name is Joseph Devin, Gold Crown G ranker-" he gave a superior glance, removing his cig as he did so "-The Dusk of the 21 hunters."

    "The dusk of the 21 hunters!?" the gruff hunter gaped, but then put his face to rest soon after. "Too bad, I never heard of you." He created a larger jet of smoke.

    "Too bad I guess, guess a reputation has no browny points here. Oh well." Joseph returned his cigarette to its rightful place. "You mind if we use your facilities here?"

    "You... Wanted to use our facilities the whole time? Well go right ahead. Bathroom's over there," the gruff hunter removed his cigar and pointed in the general direction of some ladies and gents signs.

    "What? No, that's not what I meant! I was meaning that we wanted to use this building for our hunting activities!" Joseph was quick to resolve the confusion.

    "Well you're a hunter right? You and any friends of yours are welcome here. It's hunters formality," the gruff hunter returned to moping in his corner.

    Joseph nodded in his direction, and turned to what appeared to be the questers office. After walking in the direction of the said office, he took a glance at the questers: who were all smoking. "Excuse me, could you three tell me where to find the G rank office?"

    One of them looked up from what they were doing. She looked quite bored and fed up. "The G rank quester? You need to go up to the second floor, but I'd advise you put out that smoke if I were you love." Her voice sounded like sandpaper.

    After another nod, Joseph left the building to inform the others of the situation. "Alright you 4, it seems we do have a G rank office here, up on the second floor. I'd assume we take-" he pointed to an escalating structure "-those stairs there. Well come on, let's go."

    The room was clean. But apart from that nothing really stood out, minus a few dozen 'No Smoking' notices everywhere. To one side was a counter, behind it two questers chirping happily to each other. It was inaudible what they were exactly chirping about, and nobody really cared enough to know. "Excuse me."

    Joseph walked up to the counter, his grace ever imposing. "Yes, how can we help you?" The questers managed to rip away from their chirping, seeming somewhat disappointed they had to end their conversation.

    "My name is Joseph Devin, and these 4 hunters here are my friends. We're all G rank hunters and would love greatly to set up a quest messenger. You see, we're encamped over on the island a little south from here, Island Āvās. It would be a drag to have to venture here each day to retrieve quests, y'know?" Joseph made sure not to ask about using the facilities again.

    "Why, sure. We usually use messenger birds to do that sort of thing with some of the independent hunters we have here who live on other islands. But there is something you need to do first: complete one of the tasks we assign you," the questers held no maliciousness in their eyes, but all the same they still seemed worried.

    "I'll take on anything you throw at me," Joseph was, however, suffering internally from lack of smoking.

    "Well, you see, this is the quest," the first quester held up a poster:

    MONSTER: DEVILJHO
    LOCATION: GRASSY PLAINS
    REWARD: 30000 ZENNY
    INFO: A Deviljho has been spotted wandering the plains from time to time now, and it's eating up all the wildlife there! We need a brave hunter to go take it down a peg or two!

    "A Deviljho? That's a job suitable for me. After all, you only need to look at this armour," Joseph made a gesture to his vesture.

    "Is... Is that... Savage Deviljho gear? The rare Esurient Z set?" the quester looked at Joseph, shocked.

    "He, the very armour you state is exactly what I'm wearing!" smugness grew on Joseph's face.

    "V-very well th-then! You s-seem powerful, s-so, we'll g-give y-you the q-quest," the questers almost couldn't believe it - almost. They stamped the sheet and handed it to Joseph.

    "Brilliant. You four! I want you to wait here as I hunt this Jho," all traces of smugness left Joseph's system. "I prefer to hunt alone." Without listening to the protesting the 4 made, he left off for the plains. The 4 waited about 5 minutes before they gave up.

    "Well, I don't know about YOU guys, but I DON'T care what Joseph says. I'm going to watch him FIGHT!" Maxi was adamant, she usually doesn't fully capitalize two words in one sentence.

    "Hehe, yeah I'm with you there. So long as we stay out of sight, we should be able to watch right?" Leandre was ready to back up the notion.

    "Hey I'm for it," Günter had no objections for sure.

    "..." Strom silently agreed.

    After ignoring the protests from the 2 questers, the 4 hunters headed out to follow Joseph's trail: one easily found by following his smoke and cig trails. After finally reaching the plains, there was Joseph, all alone.

    "Could... Could it be OVER already!?" Maxi was livid.

    "Well then, you big Jho, come on out! I know you're round here somewhere, I can feel the tremors," Joseph was all of a sudden serious. He had no cigarette in mouth, but actually had his helmet on. He stood firm, yet casually, like this was routine to him. It seemed his weapon of choice was going to be the SwitchAxe today. And out of seemingly nowhere, a Deviljho surfaced, leaving an ugly mound of dirt behind him.

    "You finally decided to show up. You know, I've killed many Jho's before you, and you're no different. You're not even Savage. Whereas I-" Joseph pointed in the Deviljho's direction "-I defeated a Savage Deviljho all by myself!" his voice rung like thunder. He looked straight at the Deviljho's face, which looked back at him not understanding his words, but seeing a tasty meal in the middle of this great field.

    The Deviljho let out a terrifying roar that sounded through the plains, aimed directly at Joseph. "So be it then. Your funeral," as quick as lightning, Joseph ran towards the beast, taking out his SwitchAxe and plunging it deep into the Deviljho's knee. The Deviljho collapsed over, leaving itself exposed to attack, which Joseph took advantage of, not letting up on his SwitchAxe swings. The Deviljho got up, and proceeded to enter its rage state. Joseph was not phased. He ran to a higher section of ground and next jumped off of it to land on the Deviljho's back, where he proceeded to stab it in the back repeatedly with his carving knife. Once again, the brute came tumbling over, leaving itself open to more attacks.

    The fight went on like this for just around half an hour, until eventually the Deviljho was defeated, it's body collapsing to the grassy ground below it. With that Joseph put away his weapon, and proceeded to carve the monster of any resources it held. He pulled out the quest document he was given, and proceeded to sign it using a rather fetching pen (which he obtained at a high price from- wait, this has nothing to do with the story). After putting the sheet away, he left the Deviljho carcass sit to be scavenged by the Jaggi nearby. That is if Jaggi can stand Deviljho meat.

    Back at the G rank questers office, Joseph landed the sheet on the desk, as well as a Deviljho resource to prove the monsters defeat. "Here you go, one quest fulfilled. I don't care about the zenny reward, so give it to my friends when they come back. All I want is that bird service." (Joseph was aware he was followed, I mean come on: who couldn't hear Maxi's shout?)

    Chapter 3: A New Arrival (The Chapter in Which we Don't Name it After an Island)
    Snores.

    Loud obvious snores.

    Quiet steps.

    Tent door opening.

    Shoulder tapping.

    "Psst. Hey. Hey!" the Man in white armour returned. And at the same, ungodly hour.

    "Hm," Joseph grunted half-awake.

    "I have news. First off, guess who it is!?"

    "Hm."

    "Come on, guess! You need to get out of bed now anyways, you might as well talk."

    "Hm," and with that Joseph sat up. "It's not hard to guess who you are Kane. Your voice is too distinctively italic," Joseph lit a handmade cigarette.

    "Oh come on now, no need to be so grumpy. Now put on your gear, we have a visitor," the Man in white armour known as Kane Lois (AKA The Dawn) was still as pushy as ever. Kane had a fairly high pitched voice, which seemed to emphasize every word uttered. His face was pretty slim, but unlike most slim faces it was rather smooth. His eyes glowed a radiant blue, his hair blonde and as long as his face. Unlike Joseph, who had developed a stubble, Kane had a perfectly smooth face. Kane wore the G rank gunner gear of the Ukanlos.

    After grumpily putting on his armour, Joseph grumpily stepped out of his tent, closing it's door-flap grumpily, before sticking his hands firmly into his pockets grumpily, grumpily stamping into the wet, moonlit ground and coming to a stop nonchalantly. His grump wore off. He saw a face he was glad to see.

    "Hey, Hamish, you're finally here," Joseph's tone changed from grumpy to slightly less grumpy.

    "Yep, but boy, that was a long journey. I'm exhausted," Hamish tiredly yawned. Someone was hiding their distaste of being awake at this horrendous time. Hamish was a hammer-wielder, and one of the 14 Red squad members. He looked rather similar to Joseph, but with much much shorter hair: this is due to the fact they were brothers. He wore Molten Tigrex blademaster gear found in G rank. His armour's faint red glow lit up the nighttime a little more than it was by the moonlight. "I brought my own tent by the way."

    "Good, good. Hey, Kane," Joseph turned to Kane, awkwardly puffing smoke into his face forgetting that Kane doesn't smoke.

    "What?" Kane pretended like that didn't happen.

    "I'm guessing you're staying too?"

    "Yep, that's the plan," Kane beamed at Joseph.

    Joseph stared blankly back. "Alright. Just so you know, the 4 hunters already here will want to know about you," Joseph came to the end of his cigarette.

    "And I will happily tell them all-no, most of what they want to know. In case they ask something I keep secret," Kane winked. Joseph grunted.

    "Whatever. Just so long as you don't jabber about the bl--" Joseph got cut off by--

    "Shhh, spoilers! What if what we're saying is being cataloged right now? That would ruin things!" H-hey now, you don't just cut off your narrator y'know. That's rude (plus now I've got to wait to hear about this secret, grah)

    "Well uh, I guess that's a possibility. Anyway, I'm tired and missing my love. It's called bed and and I have to go reassure it now. Bye," Joseph turned a full 180 degrees, stomping off quickly into his tent where he collapsed on his bed. He's gonna hurt in the morning.

    He forgot to take his armour off.

    * * *
    Leandre yawned a very satisfied yawn. It became an unsatisfied groan when he saw Günter wasn't first awake, meaning he'd have to wait for his breakfast. Oh well at least he can make coffee. He went to the campfire to get it lit. It was already lit.

    "Huh, guess it's still burning. After last nights rain..." He stared deep into the fire. "What even," he came to realize what he just said. Suddenly his glance was magnetized upwards to look at a man in white armour.

    "Hello!" the man in white armour saluted Leandre. Leandre gaped back.

    "What... I'm sorry, who are you? And back to what, what are you doing here? And at this time?" Leandre was baffled once again: twice in two days is hard to deal with too.

    "Well, I'm Kane Lois aka The Dawn, friend of Joseph's. I'm making coffee using your campfire, and at this time because who needs sleep anyways?" Kane acted incredibly casually.

    The next to wake up was Maxi, who literally shot out of her tent like a bullet, only to halt as fast as she started to do some stretching. She cut it short when she saw Kane. She blinked. "INTRUDER! Who do you THINK you are!?" Maxi ran at the speed of light in Kane's direction and grabbed him by his sides.

    "Wh-what do you think you're doing?" Kane wasn't liking the thoughts of what might have come next.

    Maxi suplexed him.

    Kane lifted himself up, grasping hold of his head. "What was that for? That hurt y'know!" Kane somehow managed to sound cross without sounding cross.

    "Well, you looked like a THREAT so I suplexed you," Maxi was perfectly casually stretching again.

    "Well I guess that makes sense, but trust me here I'm a friend of Josephs. Just wake him up, you'll see," Kane attempted to regather his breath.

    "I'm not sure we should do tha--" Leandre couldn't finish his sentence before a certain someo--

    "Oh JOSEPH! We have a VISITOR!" OK seriously, twice in one chapter? I'm not even supposed to be able to be cut off like that, how are you two pulling it off? Oh wait, the story, gotta stay composed. *cough*

    Joseph grumpily rose ou--

    "GRAH forgot to take off my armour. My back, it hurts, ow," Joseph so rudely cut into what I was saying.

    You know what, I should probably quit this job, see how you like it when you have nobody to tell your story, but I'm above that, so let's continue on, without any interruptions. You're spoiling our flow.

    Anyway, Joseph grumpily rose out of his bed to greet Kane and reassure the others that he was indeed a friend, not an enemy. "Say Kane, I need to ask, is the dragonwatch set up?"

    "Floating high up there for you now! If any large monster is on its way, they'll spot it," Kane chirped out happily. Joseph nodded, finding the ladder nearby and climbing upwards to the dragonwatch. The dragonwatch was a large case, capable of holding 4-5 people, and was suspended in the air by a balloon filled with gas.

    "Are there any reports here?" Joseph lit his morning smoke. The two former sailors who were now working the dragonwatch handed him a report slip. Joseph puffed. "I see... A large carapaceon. Well-" he paused to puff some more dramatically "-Guess we better wait for when he's a threat."

    "I suspect it to be 2-3 days from now," Joseph dropped his finished cigarette.
     
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  2. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    Finally got round to updating this story! Chapters 4, 5 and 6 are now done, and can be found in the spoilers below. Feel free to leave any feedback you may have! Also, on a side note the stuff in the brackets has been changed. Now, here it is:

    Chapter 4: [SIZE=11pt]Island [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Carhāi[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] (The Chapter in Which we Start Naming Chapters After Islands Again)[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph climbed back down from the Dragonwatch, stuffing the slip he received into one of his pockets. 'It won't be a threat yet, but when it becomes when I'll be sure to let the team know. In the mean time, we have a quest that needs doing,' Joseph thought to himself as he ambled over to the questers delivery tent. Inside, the box containing quests had recently received a few submissions. Joseph flicked through them and found a pair of quests perfect for his group.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright guys, here are today's jobs: since we have a group of 7, we will split up into 2 groups in order to hunt two monsters, and lucky for you all they're both in the same place. You may decide who goes to what group. I'll be taking one, Kane the other, and I'll be taking the minority. Kane!" He beckoned Kane over. "Kane, this will be your target. You OK with this?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Absolutely! You can trust me!"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] Kane saluted. Joseph let out a deep sigh.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Anyway, up to you who you go with, I trust you guys to make the right decision according to your wants," Joseph lit a cigarette, put it to his mouth, then folded his arms. "The monsters we'll be hunting today are Kushala Daora and Teostra. I personally will be taking Teostra, whilst Kane faces the Kushala."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well, I'm getting Joseph. Kane is already a gunner, so it'd be best for me to be on Joseph's team," Günter proudly shouted out. Much to his surprise, everybody agreed (even Maxi, but begrudgingly). He trotted over to stand beside Joseph, filled with pride.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi was next to decide and she made sure she was with Joseph simply because she could (on quote) "suplex the others into hell and back again." There really was no arguing.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Two boats were there today. One can only assume that the second boat was brought along by Kane. But then again there was the possibility that boats are capable of duplicating themselves, but nobody believes that theory. Yet. Anyway, the two teams got onto the two boats, both ready to depart as a pair. If the boats had hands, they would probably have been holding each[/SIZE] [SIZE=11pt]others hands.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]As the boats shipped, the hunters all noticed a large, lop-sided galleon. One of its sides were extended much higher than the other, and was laced with cannons. On the front of the galleon was a dragonater. Due to the massive amount of weight the cannons had on one side, the other side proved to be much wider, and probably contained a series of weights to balance it out.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It looked altogether like a very unsteady yet combat worthy ship. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About an hour passed (55 minutes of which was spent with Maxi complaining about not rowing and Joseph constantly telling her what happened last time) before the island Carhāi was near enough to weigh anchor (metaphorically of course). The two parties jumped off their boats, and stood on the shore, looking up at the glorious sight in front of them. A massive mountain stood at the very centre of the island, laced with cavernous dents and carved out pathways all the way to the top. At the very top, the mountain didn't end at a point like they normally do: instead it widened out into a large plateau, almost as if a large chunk of earth had fallen right on top of the mountain and got skewered.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You see that plateau? Up there is where one of the dragons lies. The other-" Joseph scanned the horizon "-is flying about as we speak. I'm not sure which one it is, but allegedly it attacks humans, unlike the others, so that'll be a good sign. Everybody prepare yourselves," Joseph dropped his previously unmentioned cigarette and donned his helmet. Things were getting serious.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]There was definitely a civilization here long ago. Carvings lined walls sunk into the ground, clearly derelict of whoever lived there before. A moss-filled path lead to the base of the mountain, where a dug path was found. It wasn't tiled however, and from the outset looked rather bumpy, so extra care had to be taken. Leandre tripped.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]After an hour of trekking up the mountain, the team took a moment to breath at one of the cavernous dents mentioned earlier. "How far *huff* are we *puff* from the top?" Günter wheezed out, trying to catch his breath."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph seemed unphased to a certain degree (he was still breathing notably heavier than he was at the start). He removed his helmet to take a quick smoke. He puffed. "We're about halfway there, so it'll be another hour. Regather as much strength as you need." He took another couple of deep and hefty puffs before burning out his cigarette.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About half an hour passed. In that time coffee was made and served, as well as a quick energy boosting meal, a joke or two and a light punch to Kane who made the jokes. Maxi also stretched a lot.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Looks like we've gotta head onward now. Everybody ready?" Joseph scanned the team. Everybody had everything together. "Let's head up further."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It wasn't very long before suspect number one on the list of monsters needing hunted showed up: a very, very grumpy Kushala Daora. "Kane! This is your moment now, make sure to take it down! Me and the others are gonna head up now, so when you're good and ready head up, k!?" Joseph turned on his action mode.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Sure thing! Go on now, there's still a second dragon to hunt!"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] Kane saluted Joseph off. Joseph ran higher up, bringing Maxi and Günter along with him. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"Alright, Kushala Daora, wonder how much punishment you can take!"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] And with that, Kane and his team ran at Kushala Daora to fight it.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You think the others will be alright?" Günter kept running up the mountain, following Joseph and Maxi. "I mean, that shriek there doesn't sound too happy." There was a shriek of metallic anger.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"They'll be fine, they're made of stern stuff. Plus, they have Kane, and whilst he doesn't exactly look it, Kane is a fine leader. Most of the time," Joseph kept running too, leading the team.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah, they ALWAYS pull through!" Maxi was almost sprinting out of excitement. Joseph had to keep telling her to slow down.[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]And thus they kept running on, knowing it'd take a while to reach the top. [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]The Kushala Daora let out a shriek of metallic anger. It looked hard at the 4 hunters who were looking back at it. Whoever these insolent hunters were, they were going to have a bad time. The Kushala Daora wanted to share its anger to these weaklings. Breathing in with all its might, it let out a mighty hurricane, launching itself into the air, its body creating currents of air to defend itself with. If only there was ice to use now...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Swooping down, the Kushala Daora directed its first attack to the hunter in white armour. Yes, that'd be his first target, he looked the weakest.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]He was gravely mistaken.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The hunter in white armour jumped out of the way, drew his bow; one apparently made of Silver Rathalos materials; and launched a power coated arrow directly for the metal dragons face, mid-flight. The Kushala crashed earthbound, flailing in panic as it knew that more pain was to follow. It was right: immediately all 4 hunters surrounded it, attacking its wings, tail and, grief, even its face. It brought itself back up, shaking off the pain. 'These hunters are clearly not like the ones from earlier,' it thought to itself.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Do you ever get the feeling a monster is comparing you to others?" Leandre contemplated the situation, or did so as best he could considering the circumstances.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Kane let lose an arrow, his shining white armour reflecting the light that reflected off the silver arrow. It hit the Kushala Daora right on the head. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"Well this is an elder dragon. They're smarter than your average dragon y'know,"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] he let lose another arrow towards the same place he aimed last time.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"How much smarter?" Leandre dodged a swipe from the grumptastic Kushala Daora and counter-struck.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I don't know, you'd have to ask them."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Kushala Daora wished it could go on about its smarts right now.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]The plateau looked amazing. It was nearly completely flat, minus a few dents here and there, and the obvious conical structure in the center that only backed up the claim that the plateau was an island that got skewered on this islands mountain. The grass was a healthy green colour, and soft, light clouds skimmed across the ground, mystifying the landscape. A tree or two was spotted here or there, thin and branchy, but sporting beautiful green leaves and fruits. Every so often there lay a ruined building, the walls filled to the brim with ancient runes and symbols.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"This'll be where we find Teostra. We have no real time to take in the scenery just yet, so get to finding the fire dragon. I doubt he'll be hard to find though," Joseph removed his helmet to have a quick smoke. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"GUYS! GUYS! I FOUND it!" Maxi yelled for the others, pointing to a particularly large tree which somehow beat the odds and grew fat. Maybe it ate everything so the other trees never really gained any weight.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]But true enough, a Teostra lay atop the foliage of the tree, snoozing away. Nobody could blame it, the day was perfect for such behaviour. Maxi through a rock at it, and its eyes gently opened to look down at the 3 who were so uncouth as to disturb his slumber. He gave a large yawn, a stretch, before he stepped down off the tree to get level with them. He shook his fur, ready to defeat another band of hunters who intended to take back the treasure he rightfully stole.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Heh, you know that treasure ain't yours right? We're gonna make sure you repay every last piece of it, with-" Joseph puffed a cloud of smoke, dropped his cigarette and donned his helmet "-an interest of your life."
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 5: [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Battle Royale; VS the Elder Dragon Duo (The Chapter in which we Stop Describing Chapter Names)[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]Kane rolled to the left as a windblast flew past his right. He drew an arrow, coated in his last amount of power coating held within his first canister of the stuff, aimed at the Kushala Daora, and then let loose an arrow. The arrow hit Kushala Daora once again directly on the face. The elder dragon let out a cry of agony, as if to stay "stop hitting my face dammit!" Kane had no intention to stop hitting its face.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Loading another canister of power coating onto his bow, Kane looked at the others: they had skill that's for sure! He already knew Hamish had skill, Kane was there with Joseph after all when deciding on whether or not to add Hamish to the Red Squad, but he had no idea about these other hunters: no wonder Joseph had his eyes set on them. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Wait hold on, Leandre took a tough attack there. Kane took a moment to use a lifepowder to heal his ally. And... OK good, all's OK with the world. OK.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey, thanks!" Leandre had no idea who healed up the team but regardless, it was handy. He stopped short his thanks to return to fighting the Kushala Daora: quickly scanning the scene he spotted a ledge he could take advantage of as a platform to leap off of. Putting away his sword he ran for the platform and turned to face the Kushala. Good, it was within jumping distance. Now all that was left to do was to jump on.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Here I come Kushala Daora! Hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaa-" Leandre landed squarely onto the Kushala's back, gripping tightly to the grooves in its metallic skin. He pulled out a hunter knife and proceeded to attack its back repeatedly in an attempt to bring the monster down (which he had succeeded in). After falling to the ground, struggling to find its grip, the Kushala Daora was yet again greeted by weapons bashing it around. It looked up: there stood Hamish, charging a hammer strike. He swung it up, then with great hefty force, smashed it downward. It collided with the Kushala's head, and the next thing it knew all it saw was stars. It lost grip of reality. All it knew was: it was paying for its sins and the price would be fully paid soon.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The price was paid, and the Kushala Daora was defeated. It collapsed to the ground, understanding now that this is what justice is. Its only wish now? Apart from wishing it never attacked those humans, it also wished it had eaten a bigger meal that day rather than saving the best stuff for next day.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The team collapsed back, exhausted at the fight. After regaining their barrings, they collected whatever resources they could from the Kushala Daora. They all smiled at eachother, pleased that the hunt went so well.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]So then! Another job well done! I think it'd be in our best interests to head to the summit now don't you think?[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane's tone was of utmost joy. The rest of the group nodded, and thus proceeded to gather together their gear to continue their ascent. At the top they'd meet Joseph, Maxi and Günter, who would all be fighting the Teostra.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Teostra padded slowly towards Joseph and the other 2 hunters. It walked with both a regal air and a sense of annoyance of wasting energy on what seemed like lesser creatures. Regardless, it had to put these annoyances in their place.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph stood in the same pose as he had been in with the Deviljho from last time, both casual yet serious. He clutched at his weapon, ready to attack any time. He had a Longsword this time, from the looks of it a Garuga Daito (an almost spear-like sword, with poisonous properties). The Teostra's eye glinted: the time was now. It let out a powerful roar of authority. The 3 hunters got ready for the upcoming fight, bracing themselves. They felt the air heat up around them as the Teostra imposed all of its hot energy upon the hunters.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph dashed straight for the Teostra; the Teostra wasted no time and prepared up a flamethrower breath attack; Joseph moved to one of its sides, avoiding the flames, and started attacking at its legs with his sword. The Teostra turned to face Joseph, and swung a claw at him. Joseph dodged back using a ghost slash, which was followed up by Maxi running in crazily, smashing her Greatsword into the dragons face. Not appreciative of this humiliation, the Teostra let out another roar, coating more of its fur in flame and expunging much more heat.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Günter wiped some sweat from his brow and drew his Heavy Bowgun. Taking aim at the Teostra, he loaded Lv 3 Normal shots and proceeded to fire in Teostra's direction. The clip emptied, so Günter reloaded. Looking uup, he saw Teostra charging right for him: and there was no way he could dodge in time! Bracing himself, he was stunned when Maxi jumped right in front of him and deflected the Teostra using her Greatsword. With another quick smash, the Teostra fell to the ground, wriggling around to find its footing.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph drew his Longsword, and proceeded to unleash his Spirit Combo, slashing left and right, up and down, before unleashing a final roundhouse slash, giving his weapon a silver glow. The Teostra lifted itself up, growing angrier at the thought that these mere humans could be so strong. How dare they! The Teostra just couldn't take this. It had to show authority. It rammed into Maxi, flinging her across the ground, before tail slapping Günter away from it. It turned around to now face Joseph, charging up another flamethrower. Joseph rolled out of the way in the nick of time; he turned to face the Teostra's legs and swiped towards them, tripping over the dragon.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The fight dragged on foe 10 minutes now. Both sides were exhausted, but everybody knew that the Teostra was at the end of its rope; its horns were shattered; its tail had been lopped off; its wingtalons had fallen off. The Teostra panted as the poison spread through its system, damaging it over time. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Heh, look at you! You're exhausted, about to fall. See, this is what happens when you not only steal, but impose yourself as a ruler of those smarter than you. I suppose I better end this now. Have at you!" Joseph had removed his helmet and now had a cigarette in mouth. His hair was moistened by his sweat: moving a lot in extremely heated conditions had drained him. He lifted his Longsword, holding the handle at his shoulder, keeping the blade perpendicular to his body. The Teostra charged for Joseph. In that flash of a moment, Joseph plunged the Longsword forward. The Teostra hit the blade, then fell limp.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Lowering his sword, Joseph put the weapon away. He took a moment to sit on the grass below him: the air rapidly cooled down around the hunters, due to both the Teostra's defeat and the altitude at which they were at. The cool air was greeted joyfully. Maxi and Günter fell backwards, thrilled from the rush of the battle.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I'd say the others are on their way here, so we'd best wait. They deserve this view too y'know-" Joseph let out a puff of smoke, then put the remains into a portable ashtray. His cigarette was done. "-Besides, that fight really took it out of you guys. Enjoy the weather and view whilst we wait. As for I, I'm gonna take a nap." Joseph found a grassy rock to sit against. He fell asleep within 5 seconds.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"WOW! You can see EVERYTHING from up here!" Maxi was ecstatic. Never before had she been greeted by such a view. In the distance, she could see their camp, sitting quite contented in the middle of the sea. She looked a little beyond the island and saw... Bubbles and foaming. "Hey guys, what's THAT?" she pointed out towards the strange oceanic occurrence. Günter ran over, and looked with utter bafflement.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Holy cow, what actually is that? It doesn't look normal that's for sure," Günter couldn't tell if this was some natural phenomenon, or if there was something living under that spew, disrupting the surface of the waters. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"If you're looking at the oceans disturbance there, then no doubt that's a Shen Gaoren," Joseph had opened one eye. He said this fact casually, but if you've ever seen a Shen Gaoren you wouldn't be so casual. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]The others were about to protest to how calmly Joseph was taking this but he looked back as casually as he talked. "Listen, that crab isn't a threat right now. If it surfaces and makes a direct course for our camp, then we'll worry. For now, it's just frothing up the ocean." [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi and Günter contemplated this thought, and ultimately decided that Joseph was right. They prepared to lie back and relax for a little while.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The wind ruffled Maxi's hair pleasantly as she stretched left and right. She couldn't help but be reminded of her old home place, Pokke Village, high in the mountains. She felt nostalgic, almost anticipating to see a local merchant or two. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Günter had brought along food supplies to make a second meal, just in case, and was now preparing a victory dish (which he intended to pump as much pride into as possible). Sure you can have well-done steaks, but nobody can do them Günter-style![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]"So this is the way to the summit?" Leandre looked up with the rest: suddenly above them was a rocky roof. In it was cut a hole large enough for a person or two to climb through. A ladder-like structure had been carved into the wall, providing a means to get up.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]I'd say so. One thing's for certain: people must've lived here before. I've never seen something like this being a natural occurrence,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane went ahead of the others. He was followed by Hamish, then Leandre and finally Strom. At the top, they were greeted by a glorious view-- hey, wait a minute, we already described this earlier, I'm not gonna say it a second time.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Actually, something was different from last time: near a scorched tree that looked like something heavy had been lying in it, the grass was all yellow and scorched. Kane and the rest were confused at first till they saw the Teostra sitting defeated nearby. He looked round, and found the others: Joseph was sleeping, Maxi was stretching and Günter was cooking. Kane and the others walked over to greet them.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So you beat that Kushala from earlier?" Joseph didn't open an eye this time.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Yep, and it seems you beat your Teostra too! Nicely done I'd say. And my, what a magnificent place this is. I'm glad I trekked up all the way up here,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" he scanned far and wide, forgetting his tiredness if only for a second.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey, you made it! Just in time too, I've been cooking up some steaks, Günter-style! Get ready for a flavour cannon!" Günter started to cut up the steak, Günter-style.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Well that meal was satisfying! The meat was perfectly seasoned, tender enough to fall apart in your mouth, yet firm enough to give a good chew. The barbeque sauce used was exquisite too and-[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey, hold a sec, how could YOU eat a steak narrator?" Maxi, what... Hold a second, you know I'm here?[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yep, I ALWAYS knew you're here."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Oh, I... Well I guess that makes sense, seeing as how you--[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Shush, keep THAT a secret now. Let the readers decide on their OWN."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Whoops, my bad. I nearly let my tongue slip! [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Now, ANSWER my first question!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Oh yes, that! Well you see, I'm always there with you guys, regardless of your knowledge of my presence. And everything you see, I see, you taste, I taste. But I can't go into details if you want to keep what I am secret y'know![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah I get THAT!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Anyway, we're distracting from the main story here. Moving on... Yes, the steak was indeed wonderful, and tantalized the tastebuds like nothing else. All full, the team as whole ended up agreeing to head back to the camp.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Oh, yes, I found a shortcut leading directly from the top to the bottom on our way here![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane sputtered out through a full mouth.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Shortcut? You mean there was a direct route [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]this whole time?[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Joseph was grumpy about the possibility of there being a faster route than up the twists and turns on the outside of the mountain.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Well, you see, it looks like a one-way, all the way down. I doubt we'd be able to climb it back up,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane swallowed his last mouthful of steak. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Here, I'll show the way.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" With that, he stood up. It was fun being up here, but they'd have to go back eventually.
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 6: [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Introducing an Unusual Friend: Run From That Explosive Monster you Stole an Egg From[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]What kind of shortcut was that.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]No seriously, I have no idea what kind of shortcut that was, but it was unpleasant.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The 7 hunters (Count them: Joseph, Kane, Hamish, Leandre, Maxi, Strom and Günter) were all trying to collect their barrings. The supposed shortcut was a steep slide downwards, so steep if you weren't careful you'd basically be falling. Thankfully, the slope eventually sloped so that the hunters would slow down just enough not to die. They still moved pretty fast though; which of course lead to them all knocking against random objects towards the exit. Needless to say, their collective wind was slammed pretty hard out of them.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The only hunter there relatively unaffected by this was Maxi, but as we all know Maxi's probably gone through worse. First to stand up, she immediately began a series of stretches.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I... Will never understand how you *cough* function Maxi," Joseph heaved himself from under the other hunters, who still didn't have the strength to move. He lit a cigarette and heaved deeply. "Well, I'd say we're at the right height now, or just above it."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]This wasn't a fact just yet however. The shortcut itself was a tunnel on the inside of the mountain, carved out by people centuries ago. It was barely lit, only tiny amounts of light could enter in through the airholes left in the walls. There was a notable arch of light just a few meters away, no doubt the exit of this tunnel.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Say, Maxi, y'mind smashing through that wall there? I believe that's our door," Joseph pointed towards the arch of light.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"SMASH it huh? YEAH I can do that!" Maxi winked and gave a thumbs up. Joseph just gave up. With her hand clutching her Greatsword, Maxi dashed towards the wall, readying herself. She drew out the blade, and slung it into the wall with all her might, felling the mighty rock. Daylight poured in, and lit up Maxi's beaming face.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Nobody else smiled. They were still struggling to get up.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"No need to rush guys. A tumble like that would disorientate anyone, so take all the time you need," Joseph puffed out more smoke, analyzing the scraped walls. Nothing really made sense on the walls to him, that was more somebody else's forte.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Who was the somebody else? Mind your own business, I can't tell you yet![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]After about half an hour of grumbling, groaning and bone cracking, the team finally recovered their senses and were as ready as can be to head out. The hunters walked out into the sunshine, greeting its warm embrace, almost getting energized by it. They still hurt though.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi lead the group forward, marching quickly across the grassy plain. She had no regard for how the others were right now: she couldn't see the fact that they were struggling to keep up. But, maybe she should have had her eyes open, because the very next moment-[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]THUD! Maxi was no longer on the plains, but inside... A cave. It seemed lit up enough, but there weren't any torches around. She looked up, and there was a hole, her teammates faces peering through. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oof... Hey, YOU guys! Help me OUT of here!" Maxi kept leaping up and down as if to try and reach the hole. Leandre muttered something under his breath, and judging by Joseph's reaction of punching him in the shoulder, we can only assume he meant to leave Maxi where she was.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well maybe you shoulda had your eyes open! *sigh* alright listen, I think we have some rope on the ship. We'll go get that rope and bring it back here for you to climb up, OK?" Joseph really was not in the mood for more of this crud.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright! I guess this means I can catch up with my STRETCHING now!" not a moment later, Maxi was already stretching.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Whatever boats your float... Just stay put! Got it?" Joseph was praying that Maxi behaved for once. He got a very rushed nod back from Maxi, and immediately knew his prayers weren't going to be answered. He slapped his palm to his face before standing away from the hole. "Alright guys, let's go pick up this rope then. And don't protest again, Leandre."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The group dandered off towards the ship to find the rope. Maxi continued her stretches, when suddenly something caught her eye: something with a shape that looked like a ball that had been stretched out at one side. It sat quietly amongst other similar shapes. They were mainly white in colour, but little specs of green glow could be seen on them. Immediately Maxi forgot her order to stay put and ran towards the objects.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]They were eggs! Monster eggs! Maxi was unsure what kind, but she couldn't care less: it meant a giant omelette![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It's at times like these I wonder who even allowed Maxi to become a hunter.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi carefully touched the egg. It had a faint, warm glow. Suddenly, Maxi found herself hugging the egg gently. Maybe it wasn't omelette material... No, it was too precious for that. Maxi didn't want to let go. She wanted this egg. She found it after all. Picking up the egg, she trotted over to where she fell into the cave and clutched the egg to her chest. It was hers now, hers to look after. Maybe now she'd have a pet, one of her biggest desires in the world.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Almost falling asleep now, her drowsiness was shook out of her by a loud and distressed roar: a roar which came from the direction of the eggs Maxi hadn't taken. Maxi gulped. On normal occasion she'd rise to a monsters challenge, but right now... She had this fragile egg! Fighting could break it, and Maxi wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing that the creature inside was killed before it could be decided upon whether or not it was friendly (Friendly monsters do exist y'know. They just need the right environment)[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Stomp. Stomp. Something was stomping. And by the sounds of it, said stomper was stomping closer and closer. A few more stomps were heard. Then a few more. A dark blue beast came into view, its arms and horn glowing a neon green. Its eyes carried a great anger, peering into Maxi's eyes as if to pierce her very soul. After conveying what message it believed it conveyed, it reeled back, and then: ROAR! It's large bellow shook the earth around Maxi as she grasped hold of the egg, protecting it from danger, staring directly at it. Looking back up again, Maxi saw the monsters face.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]She had come face to face with this eggs mother. She had come face to face with... A Brachydios![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Brachydios was angry. Very angry indeed, and it had every right: this hunter here had stole the mothers egg! Maxi couldn't harm the beast with that knowledge. After all, the Brachydios was just doing what any caring mother would do. Standing up now, Maxi made a dash for it, running as far as she possibly could from the explosive creature. The Brachydios roared once more, before giving chase to the now running-for-her-life Maxi.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The egg started glowing brighter: which really helped Maxi out now as she delved into deeper and darker passages, allowing her to see a little bit in front of her so she wouldn't accidentally hit a wall or anything.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Back at the hole, the other hunters had the rope ready. "Maxi. Maxi! Hey, you there?" Joseph called through the hole, trying to get the still-running-for-her-life Maxi (not that Joseph knew that was her current situation). "Great. Just great. I knew she'd do this, this is Maxi after all." He slapped his palm to his face again.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Suppose we're gonna have to go in there and retrieve her then. Here ya go-" Günter threw a rope in Joseph's direction. "-I'll load up on whatever ammo I can just in case."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Good idea. We won't know what we'll encounter down there, or if Maxi's already started a fi--" Joseph's sentence was cut off by a shriek of anger. He let out a very heavy sigh. "Guess that's been confirmed. Alright guys, get going!" Joseph leaped into the hole, bringing one end of rope down with him, the other being held by Strom. The other followed suit, leaving Strom behind to manage the rope.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Please, please, PLEASE STOP chasing ME mother Brachy!" Maxi kept on begging. There was no point now though, the monster was infuriated. The egg started to glow redder and redder now. "Huh? WHAT's this?" Maxi looked down at the egg which continued to redden in glow. Before she knew it- BANG! The egg exploded in her arms, sending her flying. She was still clutching tightly to whatever it was she had in her arms now, making sure not to let go. She slammed against a wall, almost losing her senses.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Disorientated and woozy, Maxi looked down at the lack of egg shape in her arms. Suddenly panic filled her: lack of egg shape? What happened to the egg!? Wait a minute, it exploded earlier... So... Does this mean...?[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]She looked again. In her arms was a small, moving creature. It wriggled around, its face trying to look up at what was holding it. Its eyes opened, large and white. Maxi wondered how it held its eyes in its own head, let alone close them. She blinked. And blinked again.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Was this really happening? Was she holding what she thought she was holding? Could this be...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]A baby! A baby Brachydios! It really was! It continued to stare at Maxi for a moment. It closed its eyes and then smiled up at her. She looked back, mouth gaping wide open. The gape turned into a smile as tears flooded to her eyes. In her hands was life, a new life. And it seemed to accept her as a friend. Could she be this monsters mother... Could she do what seemed impossible? She wanted to. She was determined too.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]At that moment, the Mother Brachydios roar could be heard sounding through the tunnel again. Maxi gathered together her mind, preparing herself for the oncoming monster. She now had a life to defend: she was determined to protect it. She held the baby close to her, and under breath faintly whispered, "it'll be alright. Shush now." The Brachydios echoed her shush. She nodded to indicate it had the right idea, even if it was just mimicking her.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Closer and closer the Brachydios charged, ready to fight for the egg that had no hatched. Maxi wasn't running: she stood stock still, waiting for the mother to show up. It now had Maxi in its sights. Its pace increased, its roars ever louder. Then, out of the corner of its eye, there sat a baby Brachydios in Maxi's arms. The mother slowed as quickly as it could, skidding to a halt: its egg had hatched and was trusting this hunter! The Brachydios looked down at the hunter, all hate exiting its system. It sat down and stared hard at Maxi.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi looked up at it, tears trickling down her face. Was she being spared now? She looked down at the baby Brachydios, who had found itself a comfortable position to start sleeping in in her arms. Maxi looked back at the Mother Brachydios. Its eyes were fixated on the child. Its pupils turned to face Maxi's face. But this time, it wasn't the soul-piercing glare. It was more like a confiding in Maxi: a wish that Maxi take good care of this child. It could see it was happy around Maxi, and wishing it the best happiness, the Mother walked away, letting it live its life with this hunter.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi's mouth hung wide open once more. What happened really happened, but Maxi struggled to believe it. Biting her lip, her eyes turned to waterfalls. She yelled out after the Mother, "THANK YOU! I PROMISE TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER!" by her Maxi was referring to the baby: it was a glowing female Brachydios. The Mother stopped for a moment to look back. It gave a slight nod, before walking forward further.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Meanwhile, the other hunters were hurrying through the tunnels, calling out for Maxi. Suddenly came into sight a Brachydios, walking in a calm collected fashion. It could easily see the hunters but seemed to have no interest. The hunters looked at it, astonished that this creature wasn't planning to hurt them.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"My my... A level-headed Brachydios. Heheh, never though I'd see the day. Make sure to wish it a pleasant day then," Joseph waved at the Brachydios, wishing it a pleasant day. The others did similar. It returned their waving with a happy-ish grunt noise and a few eye flickers. It continued walking on by them. "Alright now, back to finding Maxi."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Hey, isn't that her over there?[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane had a hand held to his brow, scanning down the cave: in the distance was a woman walking forward with something in her hands. Her hair covered her eyes, but on her face was a wide smile, coated in tears.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Wait a minute, something happened to make Maxi cry?" Leandre looked down the cave, recognizing the womans Lagombi gear. "That's a rarity if I ever heard one, but I don't think it's out of sadness..." Leandre walked ahead towards Maxi. The others waited.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Despite Leandre's earlier reactions, he did care for Maxi as though she was his sister. They finally met each others paths, and looked at each other. Maxi shifted some of the hair from her eyes, revealing wells of water that were desperately trying to burst out. Leandre looked down at what she was carrying. It was snoring rather cutely.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I have my own child now... It's a baby Brachydios..." she didn't look Leandre in the eyes. She was only now realizing the others may oppose the idea of having a monster in their camp. She was terrified that she'd have to leave the baby behind. Her body started shaking.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre looked at her. He knew what was going through her head now. On most occasions, that would be impossible, but right now Maxi was as clear as glass. Leandre didn't want to be the one to point out that owning a monster is dangerous, and a Brachydios no doubt. "I... Listen... Do you think that this is..." He hesitated for a moment. "Y'know... The best course of action?" Maxi's pupils shrunk to microscopic levels. "I mean, it's a monster after al--"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi reeled back and let out a shout. "So what? So what if it's a monster!? Plenty of people have befriended monsters, and plenty monsters help us! Why can't I keep her? What's wrong with that?" Maxi's smile had quickly turned into the most serious frown, scared that she'd lose the Baby Brachydios.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph rushed forward. Leandre attempted to try talk sense. "Yes, but, think about the others. How would they feel knowing we have a possible enemy with us in the camp huh? I know I wou--"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Leandre, drop it," Joseph grasped Leandre's shoulder firmly. He looked firmly at Maxi: around her neck hung a necklace with an unusual gem grafted into it. He recognized it. That colouration and shape... He couldn't confirm his suspicions just yet though. Not without the person he knew who could figure out the gems mystery. "I think... We should give her a chance."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi looked up in disbelief. Leandre was as equally shocked. "But... That's a dangerous monster! It could hurt us!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes, that is a possibility, but studies have shown that monsters brought up by human company tend not to attack humans. I think we're good giving Maxi a chance, and after all the Brachydios is just a baby now: in fact I'd dare say that the Mother Brachydios wouldn't leave it behind without knowing it was in good care." Joseph was making sure that Maxi could have what she wanted this time.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi couldn't believe it. She stared into space. Joseph moved towards her and held onto her. "I trust in you. I know you'll make a fine mother for this Brachydios." with Joseph's words, Maxi gave up holding back her tears. She wailed out, overjoyed.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]She finally had her own child. Even if it is a Brachydios child, she still had one. Recollecting herself, she smiled up at Joseph, uttering as many "Thank you's" as she could. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"*Sniff* I think I have a name too for her. I'd like to call her Echo," Maxi looked down at the snoozing Baby. She didn't have much reason other than the baby echoing her shush from earlier. Joseph nodded.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Echo is a good name for her. That it is," Joseph held one hand on Maxi's shoulder.
    [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Art of Echo (cause I couldn't resist):
    [​IMG]
    [/SIZE]
     
  3. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    Here's the next trio of chapters, 7 8 and 9! A little shorter than what I've done so far, but I enjoyed writing them. If you have any criticisms, as usual lemme know! I always aim to keep my stories as entertaining as possible.

    Chapter 7: No Pleasure in Plesioth
    [SIZE=11pt]For once, the boat journey was a quiet one. The sea gently rocked the boat up and down as 5 of the hunters relaxed after the long day. Joseph was busy keeping watch at the front of the ship, whilst Kane was maneuvering it through the waters according to Joseph's command. Günter, Leandre, Hamish and Strom had all fallen asleep at various locations of the ship. Maxi, now much more composed than earlier, had her eyes fixed on Echo, still sleeping in her arms. She sat, contemplating the responsibilities of having something to look after. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright Kane, the port's in viewing distance. Not far now. I think we're all looking forward to having a little R and R huh?" Joseph tried to make sure nobody was down. He's not very good at optimistic however, so he quickly got back to giving directions.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi nudged Echo on the shoulder, who opened a single lazy eye. "Look there, that's where we're headed. It's what we're calling home for the time we're here, and where you'll be staying for a while," Maxi pointed out across the ocean towards the island Āvās. Echo lifted her head up, getting full view of the island. All of a sudden it realized it was in the middle of the ocean! Confused, it nearly turned to fear at this new, unsolid substance beneath them. It looked to Maxi to see what she was doing: Maxi was perfectly calm. Sensing this, Echo came to the conclusion that there was nothing to worry about, and so dozed off once more.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The ship weighed anchor, and was tied up to the port. Off the boat the hunters got, lazily dragging themselves to their respective tents. Now in his tent, Joseph collapsed onto his bed to give himself a moment's rest. His mind rushed with what would be for dinner tonight: the endless possibilities made him drool with delight.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre didn't actually head to his tent straight away. He wanted to keep an eye on Maxi and what she was doing, and more to the point an eye on Echo. He no doubt trusted Joseph's intuition on the matter, but Maxi was still someone he didn't fully trust looking after a young life. He needed to know that Echo was in good hands. Heck, he needed to know about Maxi's mental health: ever since Echo joining them in that cave earlier, Maxi hadn't uttered a single sentence with at least one fully capitalized word. He also needed to know that Echo wouldn't grow to be something that would destroy the island. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre stood outside Maxi's tent. Obviously he wasn't just going to walk in after her: that'd be incredibly rude, walking into her tent uninvited. Looking up, he noticed the mandatory bell hung outside her tent: the one everyone had in case of being needed. Leandre reached up and shook the bell, making known his presence. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah, I'll be OUT in a sec!" Well there was the capitalized word at least. She stepped out of the tent armourless, wearing her casual clothes. "What DID you need?" She still had Echo held in her arms.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I uh... Wanted to check... If there was anything in particular you needed for Echo there... Like, food-wise. After all, Günter'll need to know for dinner haha!" Leandre hadn't actually prepared a response up until this point. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Y'know, I guess she WILL need some food, but nothing solid... Tell Günter to heat up some MILK then!" Maxi smiled then headed back to her tent. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]From the looks of it, Maxi was handling things so far, and she was right to make that call. Leandre had no real choice now but to send the request to Günter. Heading to Günter's tent, Leandre rung Günter's bell to enter through Günter's door after hearing Günter's approval to enter into Günter's tent. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Hey don't blame me for this repetitiveness, that's what Günter called all his stuff, I have no choice but to use the right names![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Stepping into Günter's tent, Leandre conveyed Maxi's message across to Günter, who was at this moment already cooking. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Heated milk huh? I think I can manage that. Good call to say the least, little critter's only an infant at this time. Still, it's missing out on my famous Günter-style Ramen!" Günter turned his head to face Leandre, if only to show his proud smile off. Despite maybe being a bit too prideful, Günter did have reason to call his Ramen famous. It was a delicately crafted Noodle Soup, the soup made from chicken, miso and ginger, topped with various greens, menma (Bamboo to you and us), grilled or fried meat of choice (his favourite being grilled pork) and often some gyoza on the side (essentially fried dumplings.)[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You better get yourself ready though, dinner'll be out in about 15 minutes. Can't have you spoiling that armour more than you have!" Günter chuckled to himself, then motioned for Leandre to leave Günter's tent (curse you Günter...). Leandre only just realized that he'd gotten grease from earlier's steaks on his armour, and to be frank he looked a mess. Briskly walking to his tent, he got changed into casual wear.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]On the other side of the island sat Kane and Joseph. Winding back from the days struggles, they found themselves fishing. Maybe they could convince Günter to cook some up![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So Kane... How's the wife and kids?" Joseph had a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth, subtly giving off smokey vibes. "You've seen them recently right?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Kane reeled in his line, believing he'd caught something. Finding nothing on the hook, he through it into the water again. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]They're fine thanks! Not much has changed with them really, but it was fun to spend time with them again. Oh! I just remembered, they gave me 2 things: this fetching brooch for moi,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane pointed to a Brooch he had pinned into one of the cloth sections of his suit. Joseph looked at it closely: it was a gold brooch shaped like a Lagiacrus, with a gem encrusted in its visible eye. Joseph nearly found himself jealous of it.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Nice brooch. Then again, Lagiacrus was born to be made into art," Joseph shook his line. Not only was the Brooch beautiful, but it was of Lagiacrus, one of Joseph's favourite monsters. "What was the other thing?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Ah, well actually they wanted me to give it to you. I'd have no use for it for a start![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane handed Joseph a container, about the size of a small matchbox. Inside was-- was this true? Could it be?[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Inside was a high quality, high flavour, high price luxury brand of top standard, top of the line, top of the world, world class gentleman cigarettes. Joseph stared intently at the container's contents, getting more and more excited at the expensive gift.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Wow... Your family gifted this to me?" Joseph couldn't believe it. It had to be a joke. Kane simply nodded back, sincere in his nod. Joseph continued staring at the open container: there was 10 cigarettes total. He'd have to smoke them sparingly, make sure to savor them. "Seesh, they shouldn't have spent this much on a guy like me. I'm a waste."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Well apparently my family disagrees. You kno-- Hey, HEY a bite! It's a big one![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane started tugging hard on the rod, dragging as hard as he could. A large fin came to the surface.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"... Kane, what bait did you use?" Joseph's face started darkening with fear.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Well it was a frog! Wait... A frog...[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" fear started to dawn on Kane's face too. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]A frog. And this bite is large... I don't know about you but--[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I think we're gonna have a bad time," Joseph stuttered, suddenly wondering if he found himself quoting someone from another world... [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]You're not the only one...[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane only now realized the beast wasn't tugging on the line any more. In fact, its face was sticking out from the surface. There was the nightmare of both Joseph and Kane. The notorious Plesioth.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Its fish-like eyes stared at the 2 hunters, analyzing the threat. Considering Plesioth have a bit of a superiority complex, thinking themselves incredibly powerful, it didn't take long for the Plesioth to decide to attack the 2 hunters. Squealing, it let out a powerful jet of water indenting the ground with its cutting blast. Joseph and Kane managed to dodge in time: but they seriously did not want this, not after the day they've already had.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Crap crap crap crap crap. Why of all creatures did it have to be Plesioth? I would've taken anything over this, Deviljho, Akantor, heck even a Dalamadur, but not this devil!" Joseph drew his weapon, ready to fight despite how much he dreaded it.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Guess we've got no choice now. It's attacked us and we've got to defend the camp,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane was not at all optimistic.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Plesioth jumped out of the water, flying above Joseph. Joseph got hurled backwards, rolling across the ground. "Urgh, I still can't figure out how the hell that thing hits me, its body didn't even make contact with me." He got up, turning to face the now-on-land Plesioth. The beast towered over the two other hunters, who didn't even reach its waist in height. Its eyes glinted. It faced its hip towards the 2 hunters.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh no, oh no no no no no no no no nooooooooooo nooo no noooooooooo-" Kane joined in the no's too, not liking what was to come next. The Plesioth drew back a little, and then hurled its side towards the hunters, flinging them across the ground. "-Agh, I seriously don't get this thing, we weren't close enough to be hit but it got us with that damn hipcheck anyway. What does this creature do to have such power?" Running up, Joseph went for some slashes to the Plesioth's legs with his longsword. It once again prepared a hipcheck attack: Joseph rolled through the Plesioth's legs to try and get on the opposite side of its attack. Successfully landing wear he wanted to be, he felt safe.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]He wasn't.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Somehow, the Plesioth STILL hit him, and sent him flying once more. "OK Plesioth HOW THE ACTUAL HELL I WASN'T ON YOUR ATTACKING SIDE!" Joseph was really angry now, Plesioth just hit his rage button.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Kane kept on shooting arrows at the Plesioth, still using the Uranus Herald (A Silver Rathalos bow) that he used from earlier. He just wished he had more Power Coating on him, but he exhausted a fair amount from earlier. Kane made sure he was pretty far away from the Plesioth. That way he could still hit it without getting hit. Joseph on the other hand...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Another Hipcheck! Joseph skidded across the ground, then rolled to a stop. Bringing himself back to his feet, he chugged down some Mega Potion to restore some of his healh. "I'm sick and tired of you Plesi, but I'm still gonna make you into sushi!" Joseph ran up a tree, then launched himself off towards the Plesioth's back, grasping hold of it. "I don't care what I have to do, you're going down!" taking out his hunters knife, he proceeded to stab the Plesioth in the back over and over till it couldn't take it anymore and flopped onto its side. Seeing the opportunity, Joseph ran in for a number of spirit slashes, giving his weapon a silvery glow.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Getting to its feet, the Plesioth started to run towards the water, kicking Joseph as it went. Joseph, now struggling in the dirt, pulled himself up onto his feet, absolutely livid. The Plesioth jumped back into the water, swimming around for a bit then jumping up to get a good shot with its water laser. After doing this for about 5 minutes, it finally leapt out of the water, hitting Kane (in a similar fashion to how it "hit" Joseph) and launching him across the terrain.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph heaved a deep breath. "I'm getting really, really sick of this crap. You've pushed me now-"Joseph pulled out a bright red pill-like object. "-you see this? Heh, well this is gonna be the battle ender. Without further ado-"Joseph threw the pill into his mouth and bit down. All of a sudden, his eyes filled with a red glowing energy, his whole body emanating with strength. In that flash of a moment, Joseph charged up to the Plesioth, and plunged his Longsword into the monster with all his might, knocking it back into a tree. Not wasting a second, Joseph ran up to the monster and let lose all hell on the Plesioth, unleashing a fury of slashes.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Plesioth got up slowly and bitterly, but before it knew it the Plesioth was back down again, getting wailed on. In that instant, its life flashed before its eyes: it did nothing but troll people in its life. And it was a good life. There was nothing to be regretted for this Plesioth. With one final slash, the Plesioth's life slipped away.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I'm glad that worked. I'm just about to run out of power," Joseph's eyes faded back to their original brown colour, his body loosening up. He reached into his pocket for the container he'd been given by Kane, pulled out a cigarette and proceeded to heave a deep breath, then puff out an equally hefty release of smoke. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Kane stepped back. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]So you used one... I'm glad obviously that the Plesioth is dead but... You know you need to be careful with those. There's a reason the guild limits how many we can take,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane was worried for Joseph's health. What Joseph had done was use a Might Pill.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph heaved another breath of smoke. The cigarette... was overrated.
    [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 8: The Might Seed's Hidden Power[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]What is a Might Pill? Put shortly, some hunters call it the titan's crunch. A Might Pill is a highly concentrated Might Seed powder, packed into a small capsule for consumption. As soon as the pill breaks, it releases a powerful essence throughout the user's body, enhancing their strength to even greater heights. This Might Pill can be stacked with other attack effects, making for a deadly tool in hunting.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]However, like all great powers the Might Pill comes at a cost. Multiple users of the Might Pill have reported that the energy it imbues into the body can be too much to handle for some hunters: unlike Demondrugs or Attack skills which wind up to give a hunter greater power, a Might Pill is an instant rush of energy. Weak willed hunters can easily faint at this stage of the process.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]That being said, many can still withstand the sudden surge of power, and for 30 seconds become extremely powerful. A Might Pill only lasts that amount of time. Once the power rush is over, the body fades back to its original strength, possibly causing wooziness in weaker hunters. Still, some hunters use the pills and withstand this feeling, almost acting normal after its effects fade.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]But there is such a thing as too much: the Hunters Guild has made a worldwide law for Hunters indicating that only a max of 5 Might Pills can be brought onto any hunt. This was a scientifically decided choice, agreed amongst most hunters: on average, those who were strong enough to make proper use of a Might Pill could only take 5 in a short period of time. Taking any more, and the Hunter would face an instant blackout as their body can't handle any more surges of energy. As such, used excessively Might Pills can damage a person's immune system and muscle tissue.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The words still looked the same as ever in the Hunters Field Guide. Joseph put the book back with the others. He shuddered. He never liked using Might Pills, simply because he was worried about a blackout during a hunt, but if the time called for one he would use one. Still, he was terrified of what could happen. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Of course, Joseph had read through this exact passage dozens of times now, but he still always looked back at it. This time was a special case too: recently Strom had made mention of using Might Pills in hunting. Joseph knew how strong Strom was, but he's still as susceptible to the Might Pills effects as anyone else. Joseph wanted to at least make sure Strom knew what he was doing. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph stepped outside, now that dinner was ready: Ramen Günter-style. He sat down, taking a deep breath of the air. "Strom, you said you were using Might Pills now right?" Strom nodded generically at Joseph, eating his Ramen up with a generic fork.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph took a bite himself, using chopsticks instead. "Well, I wanted to talk about that. The Might Pill is a pretty big responsibility of power, a nasty weapon in the wrong hands. Worse still, even those who use them for good can overdo them, and end up knocking their own lights out. And even worse than before, a Might Pill can cause permanent damage to the user if they overdo it. Knowing all this, are you still going to use the Might Pills?" Joseph looked directly at Strom's face.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Strom looked back. He then looked to the floor, then to his bowl of Ramen. He sighed, and then looked back at Joseph, staring him back at his face. He nodded. "I can handle it," Strom said quietly.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph ate up more Ramen. "If you believe your will is strong enough... Then so do I. No matter how physically strong you are, the real strength it takes to handle a Might Pill is the human will. If you can form one that's impervious to damage, then you yourself will become incredibly powerful. Just promise me you'll never take too many in a short space of time," Joseph continued looking directly at Strom's face. Strom nodded back.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Generically of course.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]People shuffled around a dimly lit room, writing down all sorts of things. Round the room were small booths, lit up just enough for someone to see what they were doing in only that booth. A desk stood at the end of the room, behind it sitting a woman wearing Seregios X gear. She was taking note of something, but it was unclear as to what it was.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Madam Parris, I have a message from the Dusk here," a Hunter walked into the room, the light flooding in behind him silhouetting himself. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Joseph Devin huh? Wonder what he wants this time," Parris continued to write her illegible notes. She lifted her hand that wasn't writing and motioned the Hunter over. "Bring it over then."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Hunter walked over, leaving the note on Parris' desk. After being dismissed, he left the room, closing the doors as he went and returning the room to its dimly lit state. Parris picked up the letter that now sat on her table, beckoning her. After being unable to resist it any more, she reached for the letter and tore open the envelope.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Her face changed from composed neutrality to composed happiness. She smirked. "'An archaeological adventure' huh? Guess that could be fun. If this stone is really what he thinks it is, then we could be a step closer to info on the ancient civilizations. Alright Joseph, you've convinced me. And I'll be sure to bring Ingrid round, like you asked." She left the room and started preparations to leave for the Uncharted Islands.
    [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 9: The Stone's Secret Unlocked[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]"Aw man, d'you really have to go?" Leandre slumped closer and closer to the ground beneath him, reaching out to the void.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I'm afraid so. I'm a Red Squad member, but there are 13 others there waiting for their turn. I'm a bit sad I could only stay a week too, but I'll be back one day! You can count on it!" Hamish gave Leandre and the rest a thumbs up and a shine of his teeth. Leandre still reached out to the void.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So, when'll you be departing?" Günter folded his arms expectantly.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Not sure really, it could be any time today really. I just know that the next Red Squad member will be coming today. I wonder who it'll be..." Hamish began pondering over this fact. "Heh, whoever it is I'm sure you'll be fine!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre still reached out to the void. His wish was denied: he was even denied by the void. Leandre fell to the ground. Despite Hamish's short time here, Leandre had really bonded with him and was gutted to see him go.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Meanwhile, Maxi was back to her usual self: because at this minute Echo was lying down on Maxi's back as Maxi did a series of pushups with one arm, alternating between the arms she used. What number was she on now? 1001? 1005? I don't even know man...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The hunters waited around for the ship carrying the next hunter to arrive. Eventually, they spotted a ship: a pretty majestic one too. Holy crap that's a majestic ship; every other part of it was lined with gold plating; the sails were a luxurious shade of purple; the windows were patterned with all sorts of glass monsters; on the front was a solid gold Seregios figurehead with ruby eyes.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph stepped outside: and immediately put his face to his palm. They seemed to get on that's for sure. "I forgot. Dammit. I forgot how much of an eyesore that ship is. There's just too much gold, but she never listens," Joseph ranted into his hand. "Guys, I should inform you that there's an extra hunter joining us for a short while, one here on official business according to my request. Please treat her like a guest and with respect (or you might get it in the head for it)."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So TWO new people are coming? AWESOME!" Maxi's pushups intensified, now raising her arms into the air as she pushed up. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The ship slowed to a halt near the dock. The crew weighed anchor and tied it to one of the dock posts, then lowered out a beam with: you guessed it: gold lining. Down it walked two women: the first was clad in a shining gold suit of armour, the armour of a Seregios. The one behind her, who looked much younger than her, was wearing Star Knight gear in a shy fashion. Somewhere along the way the woman in Seregios armour got bored and skipped half the beam. She trotted over to Joseph and landed briskly in front of him.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You finally got here Parris. But seriously, did you need to bring the flashy ship?" Joseph was trying to find a way to convey his distaste more.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Mr Devin, you know me! I must always have gold in my life!" Parris gave out a little chuckle, holding up a purse stuffed with money. Joseph really did not care for this, but he had to deal with it due to his important business.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Anyway... I assume you already know why you're here?" Joseph lit for himself a cigarette.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes, you wrote that down in the letter: it's about Maxi's necklace stone right?" Parris was suddenly serious now. She looked in Maxi's general direction, who was now doing pushups with one finger at a time. "But I'm not sure she'll want to give it up for research..."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah. That necklace is like an heirloom to her, passed down to her by her previous family members. It's incredibly important to her. Still, you should ask if you can borrow it," Joseph casually stated, even if his voice was full of doubt.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Parris nodded, then made her way towards Maxi. Maxi was still doing pushups with one finger at a time. "Say, uh... Hey, I'm Parris! I'm here for a bit of archaeological research and uh... Well, I was interested in looking at that necklace of yours[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] for... Archaeological reasons.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Parris had no idea if her attempt would go well.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi blinked. "Yeah SURE! I don't normally lend it to people BUT you're an arkeeolojest, so maybe it'll help your research or something!" With that Maxi stopped doing pushups for a moment to take off her necklace and give it to Parris.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Parris blinked. She blinked again. She couldn't believe how easy that was but whatever, she got the necklace! The stone in it had to be analyzed: Parris needed to know if this was truly the stone Joseph believed it was.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright Mr Devin, I got the necklace. I suppose we best head onto my ship to analyze this stone," before Joseph could say anything, Parris had already started on her way to the ship. Joseph heaved a hefty sigh, exhaling the last of the smoke from his cigarette out of his mouth. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and stomped off towards the ship: forever looking away from the glaringly garish gold. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Stepping inside Parris office, he was greeted by a surprising lack of gold, or jewels or anything for that matter: just walls covered and covered with photos of different locations and stones, and lots of research papers. In the center was a desk, surrounded by a rail indented into the ground, with a chair attached to said rail, and on that chair was sitting Parris. Parris was already deep into her research, analyzing every nook and cranny of the stone.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So have you found anything?" Joseph found a wall to lean against that wasn't totally covered by paper and photos.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I can't say for certain yet, but I think your hunch was right. This looks more and more like the stone we've sought out for, almost strikingly similar to the one we found ages ago," Parris didn't even look up, she was too busy moving around the stone, and then jotting down unreadable notes. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So it's safe to believe this is a Jurāi stone after all," Joseph stopped his lean to get closer to viewing the stone. He couldn't make out the notes that Parris had scribbled down (scribble was too tidy a word, but we don't have much else to use really).[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah, I'd say so. I'm still baffled about this stone though. Their powers are unlike anything I've ever known. The ability to befriend a monster... It's beyond modern comprehension," Parris pulled out some other notes to cross reference them with her current notes, and would either nod or shake depending on the notes she pulled out. Goodness knows what about.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]And, in case you were wondering, we've managed to gather a little bit of info about the Jurāi stone from Parris' notes: the Jurāi stone is a gem-like stone, now long forgotten from days past. Unknown in how it was discovered, the stone was used by ancient civilizations in what is believed to have been the befriending of monsters. This befriending, or bonding, would be based off how well a monsters personality correlates to a humans, and usually would only work on younger ones: older ones would learn to respect humans, but could never be used as an aid to them, not unless they were raised in the stones company.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Nobody knows why the stones mysteriously disappeared somewhere in history, and so far nothing has even been theorized. At this moment, what was important was figuring out how these stones are powered and if there are any other stones like them. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I just wonder what a power like that could be used for. The ability to command a monster... In bad hands that could easily turn sour. Still, there's the potential good it could bring..." Joseph didn't know how to feel about being able to wield such a power. A Might Pill had nothing on this: what this was was nothing short of becoming a monster yourself. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So, I'm guessing the reason you thought this stone was a Jurāi stone was due to how Maxi was interacting with that Baby Brachydios out there?" Parris looked for a particular tool in one of her many drawers filled with many tools of archaeology.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You mean Echo?" Joseph leaned back against that blank spot on the wall again.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"She named it?" Parris looked up at Joseph for a second.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well why wouldn't she? She bonded with it after all, Echo's like a child to her: the thing hatched in her very arms," Joseph shrugged. "Anyway, yes you're right, that's why I thought what she had was a Jurāi stone. Not only that, but the Mother of that baby... It was perfectly calm. Like it knew Maxi could take care of the child."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So you're saying... A stone can affect more than one monster?" Parris stopped scribbling for a moment. She looked up intently at Joseph.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"It looks like it, but I'd say there must be a limit: after all, Maxi wasn't able to control the Mother, even if it was less likely to be commanded," Joseph looked out a window that overlooked the camp: Maxi was still continuing her training regimen. Echo still lay atop Maxi's back.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Do you trust her with that Brachydios? I mean the fact that she holds that sort of power?" Parris dropped her pencil to the table, and for the first time during this meeting sat slumped backwards in her chair.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Heh, most people would say no due to her... Unusual personality. But those so quick to make assumptions don't realize how Maxi has a second face: Maxi has a natural instinct to look after those in need, and Echo is no different, especially considering how she considers it her child rather than pet. She treats it as an equal rather than a servant. I have full confidence in her," Josephs mouth twitched. For a second it looked like...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Nah. Joseph never smiles genuinely, the only time he does is when he fails at smiling out of kindness.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well, I trust your judgment. I know you have a keen hunters eye, both for on the hunt and for spotting out hunters. As for me, I think I'm done here. I can confirm that this stone is a Jurāi stone. I'll have to return it to Maxi... Oh, and thank her for letting me borrow it," Parris stood up out of her chair with great force, and then proceeded to briskly walk towards her door, slamming it open then marching down the ship and off it. Joseph trudged quietly behind her.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Maxi dearest! I'm done with your necklace, so here you go!" Parris handed the necklace over to Maxi, who was at this time doing some stretching. She stopped for a moment to put the Jurāi stone necklace back over her head, then continued stretching. "Thanks a lot, that necklace really helped me with my research. Unfortunately, I have to be off now: I need to check out some of the ruins on the islands!" With that, she sped off towards her ship, and let out the command to sail out.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I have a feeling we'll see more of her soon..." Joseph lit a cigarette, somewhat unhappy at this thought.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"What DID she need this necklace for anyway?" Maxi took a moment to look at it herself. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph let out a stream of smoke. "Oh, it was just a stone. Parris is obsessed with them. I don't even know why," Joseph shrugged and walked off. He had to make sure that this stayed between him and his special unit.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Black&Gold squad.
    [/SIZE]
     
  4. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2014
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    Heyo, chapters 10, 11 and 12 are done! These ones are a bit shorter, I wanted some calmer ones just for this section. Hopefully things will pick up soon!

    I also added a Hunter's Notes Spoiler to the OP. The reason is so that non-mh players will have a reference guide for things they may be unaware of in MH, such as certain monsters etc.

    Chapter 10: Lazy Sundays
    [SIZE=11pt]Guess what day it was.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Go on, guess. I dare you to. Did you get the answer?[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]That's right! SATURDAY! What, you thought it was a Sunday? I have no idea where you got that impression from... Oh, I see, the chapter title is misleading. Yeah, he's a jerk so pay no heed to him. Focus on me. It's a Saturday, got it?[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It was a shining Saturday. Everybody was taking the day off from the busy day they had yesterday. We won't go into details but let's just say that the Plesioth nearby in a misguided effort tried to take back the island. Thing is, it was never theirs to begin with: Plesioth are just violently selfish. As you may have guessed, one Plesioth was bad enough, so goodness knows how the group survived a volley of 5. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The sun rose over the horizon, its light glistening off of the cool dawn sea. At the beach edge were two figures: one of which was doing some serious streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetching. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi raised one arm over her head, pulled it a few times, then moved over to the other arm and repeated. The other figure, Echo, was watching Maxi keenly. Only recently had Echo been moving on its own, and it wanted to get used to its weight, body, everything. It stood up wobbly, and hobbled over to Maxi. It tripped up, its snout burying itself into the sandy shore. Maxi stopped her stretching to lift Echo out of the sand. Echo shook her head swiftly, shaking off any sand that had stuck to it.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The sand was unusual... Never had Echo encountered such an unsteady surface. Then again, her life was only starting. Something moved in the trees behind Maxi: she turned her head to see what shadow had been watching them. Shrugging, she patted Echo a few times then gently put her onto the grass nearby: and continued stretching.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]GÏ‹nter dug through his spice collection, finding the perfect thing to add to the morning's breakfast. Course, he'd have to figure out what was for breakfast to begin with. He then felt the tent move ever so slightly: turning to face the tent door, it was slightly unfurled. Shrugging, GÏ‹nter turned back to digging. "Must've been the wind. Either that or a wild Maxi."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre was still asleep. As was Strom. Neither noticed something moving quickly out of sight.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph stared hard at his tent roof. On the one hand, he could get up out of bed, and find something to eat. On the other, he was really comfy and didn't want to leave his bed. But food... But comfort... Oh the dilemma he had to face! He heard something move. All of a sudden the decision was made and he-- [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]BANG! [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Ouch... Dammit, who left this table here right above my head? Oh wait, that was me... Why'd I do that!?" Whatever just happened, Joseph was forced out of bed now. Looking around now, nothing seemed to be here. Joseph sighed. Suppose it was now time to get up.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maybe later.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi fell down onto the shore, planting herself firmly into the sand. Nearby was a bottle containing a deep red liquid: Maxi's prized Cherry juice. She took a large chug from its contents and sat quietly for a moment. She quickly twitched her head around. "HEY! Y'know if you're WANTING to see me just do it!" Maxi held out a hand motioning towards the shore.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Oh no! The lurking shadow's cover has been blown! Stepping slowly out from behind the trees, a girl came timidly into view. She then slowly walked over to Maxi's position. Standing there, Maxi could now see that the girl was Ingrid. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"How... How did you spot me...?" Ingrid was still somewhat hiding, even if it was only covering part of her face with her hands.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Eh, when you get to be like me you end up being EXTREMELY analytic," Maxi swirled down another swig of her cherry juice. "Now, back to stretching!" She threw her bottle back into the sand then got to stretching. I'm not sure that amount of stretching is healthy...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh what would YOU know? You NEVER stretch at all!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Good point Maxi. I kind of can't can I? I'm the narrator after all.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Ingrid just stared at Maxi. Who stretches this much? Maxi was beyond Ingrid's understanding. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So, what're you DOING here?" Maxi continued her stretches upon stretches.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Ingrid was surprised that Maxi was having a conversation with her. After all, that looked like intense stretching, how could Maxi talk whilst stretching like that? "Well uh... I... I was h-hoping to... Get to kn-now the team b-b-better..." Ingrid was not used to this conversation thing. I can relate, nobody apart from Maxi really knows that there's a narrator. It's an awfully lonely life to be a disembodied voice. At least you get away with mockery, chuckle chuckle. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"REALLY? Well with THAT social weakness I'm not sure you'll get anywhere," Maxi somehow intensified her stretching. It was already at an indescribable point, how do I even explain how Maxi is even stretching now?[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Ingrid's eyebrow twitched. "Oh yeah! Well... Well what would you know!? You just stretch all day!" Ingrid had switched from timid quietness to furious defence.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"AHAH! So you get confident when your INTEGRITY is challenged!" Maxi turned on her heels quickly to now face Ingrid, who was reeling back, now realizing how she just exploded. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"Well if THAT'S how we're gonna get you to talk up then I'm gonna make use of that!" Maxi started slowly stepping towards Ingrid, her face smiling menacingly. Ingrid stepped back at the same rhythm: she was not about to allow Maxi to get closer.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]And so ensued a chase around the island. Echo watched with casual curiosity.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre took a step out of his tent. Yep. It was early as hell. But there was nothing to be done: Leandre had woken up and there was no way he was getting back to sleep for at least another 12 hours or so. And considering how early it was, it was unlikely Günter had made much of a start on breakfast. He decided to head out into the surrounding woods for a nice morning stroll, bringing some meat and a BBQ Spit to roast it on.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Suddenly he was stopped by something that tripped him up. Something in the ground, round in shape and unusual in coloration. It was as if it shone red, blue and green all at once. "Huh, unusual rock here... Wonder what it is. Wait, I'm pretty sure Joseph knows somebody into this stuff, I should go ask!" Leandre dashed for Joseph's tent: inside Joseph was still warring with whether to get up or stay there.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh, it's you Leandre. What is it?" Joseph barely moved a muscle: he was still struggling to get out of bed.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well I found this stone, gem, object thingy here, and I know you know somebody interested in that stuff. Who was it... Parris right?" Leandre held out the stone. Joseph darted up, nearly trembling. Joseph has an image to maintain however, so he kept that under check.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"May I have a look at that?" Joseph really needed to see it. Leandre nodded, handing him the stone. "I can't believe it. How did you find this?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Ah, so Leandre found my little gift," that ever happily confident voice rung through the tent. It was no doubt Parris.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Gift? Wait hold on a second is this stone important?" Leandre looked back and forth between the two, almost annoyed they knew something he didn't.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"That stone there, that's a Juraī stone," Parris leaned against the edge of the tent. Leandre, looking confused, had his face answered in a confidently happy voice. "The Juraī stone is an ancient piece of history, believed to have been lost to the ages. These stones are special. They're for forging bonds between human and monster. Hundreds of years ago, the power was harnessed on these very islands, and each stone could create one permanent bond between the hunter and the monster. The only rules of it are that you share similar personality traits one way or another, and that it's young enough in its own lifespan."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre looked at the stone nestled in Josephs hands. He stared. He almost couldn't believe Parris would just drop this for him to find by mistake. But it's what she did. And Leandre couldn't comprehend why. "May I ask... Why me? Why'd I get it?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You got lucky," Parris in a hapfidently conpy voice continued. "I dropped it there for whoever found it first. There was nothing else to it."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I see... Huh. Well, I guess I better make use of it. Wonder what monster I'll get!" Leandre stood thoughtful, then suddenly happened upon a thought. "Say... Is this how Maxi has become so friendly with that Brachydios?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph prepared his interjection. "Somewhat, yes. It definitely helped her. The stone allowed her to forge a permanent bond with that baby Brachydios, and protected her from the original mother, but her own secret caring nature was key to that too. After all, it's not unheard of for monsters to connect with humans, even ones as explosive as Brachydios." Joseph finally found his homemade cigarettes. He'd been longing for these.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Parris, with that conpily hapfident voice finished off the scene. "I'm curious as to what you get. Who knows after all? I'm excited!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]With that Leandre tripped out the tent towards the woods.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Meanwhile, on the beach, Ingrid had become more open. Sort of. She was conversing with Maxi, but really she was only speaking for about 5% of the time I'd say. But that's a record! Both were sat down, and for once Ingrid was wearing a genuine smile. Maxi stood up. "Well, I'm gonna get to some STRETCHING! Feel free to JOIN me if you want!" Maxi started that arm stretch again.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Ingrid nodded with a slight giggle under her breath. She was just fine sitting there, but she had just noticed that there was a certain someone who wanted to stretch with Maxi.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Right at Maxi's heels was a small creature mimicking her movements exactly.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You look like you're having fun there Echo," Ingrid smiled in Echos direction.
    [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 11: Hey, Narrator, Listen. I Would Appreciate if you Actually Gave me the Correct Info Earlier, you Made me Look Bad. See, Look! The Current Chapter Will Only be 5 Words Long! Don't Belive me? Look for Yourself![/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]It's true.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It's really true.
    [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 12:[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] Hey, This is MY Lunch![/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]"Wonder what I'll find. What monster could it be... I'm already excited! There's so many it could be after all, who knows who'll match me."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]These were the voicings of Leandre as he walked through the woods. He couldn't help himself: the thought of getting his own monster was exciting! Not many people can lay claim to a monster after all, and maybe he'd find one who could get on with Echo. They could chat and everything.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]A clearing in the woods stood out. It was extremely flat, perfect for a place of eating. And Leandre had his BBQ Spit and some meat with him to cook. Guess it was a good time to get cooking! [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About 10 minutes passed. The steak looked good if Leandre did say so himself! It wasn't Günter-level, but for what it was worth it rocked. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Something was sliding through the woods...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre took a bite out of the steak. Yep. It tasted as good as it looked. Truly worth that river of drool.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The something that was sliding through the woods had stopped. It was behind a human...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre felt a chill along his spine. He turned around, and there saw a silhouette. It raised in height, beginning to tower over Leandre now. It reeled back, looking ready to roar. Leandre braced himself: but nothing happened. Instead, the monster let out a loud yawn, and sat its rear end down. Its eyes wide, it looked expectantly at the steak.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre blinked. Was this... Was this really that monster? The Tamamitsune? The Tamamitsune is a normally majestic creature, full of beauty and photogenic style. This one here was acting like a dog. Strange. All the same Leandre saw no anger in its eyes.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey, uh, hate to break it to you but this steak is mine. See? I bit out of it." Leandre pointed to a chunk in the side of the steak. The Tamamitsune lowered its head and petal shaped frills surrounding its head, and let out a tiny whimper. "Hey, hey now, don't be like that! I brought spare meat, so I can make you one too if you want." The Tamamitsune lifted up, its tail wagging in anticipation. Its eyes continued to glow in the same fashion.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About 45 minutes later, both the hunter and the Tamamitsune were stuffed full fo steak. "Mmm... That was better tasting than I thought it'd be." Leandre sat up, then made his way. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you Tamamitsune!" He waved at it then departed off.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre was disappointed at how he still hadn't found a monster that had bonded with him. He was lost in thought, when out of nowhere a very soapy feeling lick hit his head. He turned, and there was the same Tamamitsune. It looked at him like a dog to its master.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre suddenly clicked. This was it! The monster! The one he had forged a bond with! It had to be, there was no other answer. Leandre looked at it, and simply asked it one thing: "Tell me, are we now friends?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Tamamitsune wagged its tail, and let out what could be associated with a bark, even if that's a bit of a loose association. That was all Leandre needed: he was right, this was his monster. "Haha, awesome! And I have the perfect name for you: Tammi! What do you think?" Tammi let out that strange barking noise again. "Alright then! Off to base camp we go!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About an hour later and Leandre was lying in his tent exhausted. That was a lot of talking to from his team. They thought he'd gone nuts bringing Tammi back, but thankfully Joseph stepped in to sort out the situation. But that was just such a strain for Leandre. Now he knew what Maxi must've felt back then. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Echo looked up at Tammi. Tammi looked down at Echo. They seemed to be getting along so far.
    [/SIZE]
     
  5. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2014
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    ₽25.4
    Here we go, chapter's 13, 14 and 15! Hope you guys enjoy them! Also as a sidenote I'm going to later on edit some parts of the previoous story to contain links to Kiranico as respects for the different weapons. That way you'll have a clue on what I'm blathering on about XD

    Armour will be a bit harder however, so instead I will try to obtain pictures in game to give you an idea of how it looks.
    Chapter 13: Operation Fortress Breaker; Bring Down the Shen Gaoren!
    [SIZE=11pt]It was the next day. The sun was burning over the horizon, creating another great sunrise. Everyone was gathered around the campfire as Günter cooked some breakfast up. Out of nowhere, a man slid down the ladder leading to the dragonwatch requesting Josephs attention, claiming it's urgent. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I see. Very well then, if you 5 would excuse me," Joseph stood up, letting out a stream of smoke. "I shouldn't be too long." Joseph led the man to Joseph's work tent (He'd been wanting to set that up for so long, that way he wouldn't have to tidy his personal tent for people visiting).[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I see. So that's how it is huh?" Joseph sat contemplatively. The time had finally come. "I'll make sure to inform the others. I'd appreciate if you stood on standby support if anything should happen. OK?" The man saluted and nodded, then left to gather together a group of men for supportive needs. Joseph sighed deeply. "Alright then. Time to bring out the plan and grab Kane."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Stepping out of the tent, Joseph briskly walked over to Kane's tent, spoke some things inaudibly to him, then stood waiting for Kane. Kane stepped out about 5 minutes later in full armour and followed Joseph, who was also in full armour, to the campfire.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright guys, listen up. Today is the day we take on a giant monster, one that towers above many. Should you defeat it, it is in my power to bestow upon you your next rank-" turning to Ingrid "-this of course excludes you, as you are already a gold crown G rank hunter. We have deemed this mission 'Operation Fortress Breaker'."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The group looked expectantly at Kane and Joseph. Kane continued the story: "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]The Shen Gaoren mentioned about a week ago has finally decided to make a move. Up until now it hadn't been a threat, but it was something to watch out for. Now that it's been confirmed, our mission is to take it down and defeat it. Our team will split into two groups: those who'll directly confront the monster via the water, and those who will use the dragon warship. It's up to you who goes where. Joseph will be leading the frontal force, whilst I'll be leading the Warship force.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]In case you were wondering, the Dragon Warship is the lop-sided galleon we looked at earlier. It's a ship specifically designed as a wall to protect from incoming large monsters that arrive through water travel. Shen Gaoren are normally land beasts, but this one had taken a shine to water.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You're best decision would be to pick people suited for the role. Leandre, right off the bat you're not going to the Warship considering how Klutzy you are," Joseph had to say it. Leandre didn't like it, but he knew it was right. "Günter, you always stay at distance anyway, so you should go to the Warship." Günter agreed to the idea.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]We'll return here in half an hour. Please make your decisions by then,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane saluted the group then walked off. Joseph rolled his eyes, then walked off too. The group fell into discussion about who would do what. Maxi instantly jumped the gun: and nobody could argue with her cause it was probably for the best what she picked.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About 31 minutes passed, and the group were all ready, fully geared up. The ultimate decision came to that Kane would be taking Günter and Ingrid on the Dragon Warship, and that Joseph would take Maxi, Strom and Leandre up to confront the Shen Gaoren directly. Joseph had a hammer equipped, the Glasya Labolas, one of his personal favourites. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright then. Everybody get ready. Those coming with me we'll be fighting it in the water so be prepared to hold your breath," Joseph walked swiftly towards the shoreline: there it was. In the distance was the unmistakable shape of the Shen Gaoren, slowly rising out of the water as it climbed up an underwater slope. "You guys ready?" the 3 following him all nodded. "Here we go!" Immediately Joseph jumped into the water, followed by the 3 following him. You following so far?[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The other hunters went to arm up the Dragon Warship. Now was the time to finally see it in action! They lined it up with the Shen Gaoren, so that shots would hit it, then weighed anchor (the ship had 3 seperate anchors as well as multiple shore hooks to keep it as steady as possible). Up close, the hunters could see clearly the kind of cannon power this boat was packing: as well as 4 regular sized cannons there were 2 rapid-shot behemoths. These beasts could be loaded with multiple cannon balls, which would then be launched in a rapid-fire fashion. Günter had always wanted to see one with his own eyes, and here was two of them![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Alright guys, whatever you do save the cannon balls for now. Shen Gaoren is still a bit too far to reach with them: instead gather up some ammo for the Ballistas and use those![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane made his authority known, which was met with an audible "mmph" of approval and a pair of nods.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Meanwhile, Joseph and the other 3 hunters started swimming up to the Shen Gaoren. They had nearly reached its legs, and were all preparing to unleash their weapons on the carapaceon. Joseph was the first to strike, pulling pack his hammer to charge it up, then thrusting it forwards, propelling him through the water, hitting the Shen Gaoren directly on the foot. Everybody aimed to do similar: beforehand they were informed that the Shen Gaorens easiest weak-spot is its feet. Hit them enough and the giant crab creature would topple over, allowing for a few free hits for the team. This exact thing happened: there lay the Shen Gaoren struggling to get back onto its feet.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Shen Gaoren managed to pull itself up, and letting out an angered roar, it began to push forwards even faster. Whatever had caused this things upset was a mystery, but it was clear that it was beyond reason: if they didn't stop this crab it would crush their base camp, and that could not be allowed to happen.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]With those furious stomps, the Shen Gaoren shook the water surrounding it, causing the hunters to lose their barrings at frequent intervals. Joseph span out of control, hoping that the Shen was within cannon distance.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Back on the Warship, the crew of 3 had started loading the Behemoths. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]It's getting closer now! Prepare those rapid fires! Once it's in range I'll give the signal! If it doesn't at least stop for a second after this volley then I don't know what will![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane gave out the order, whilst helping load the Behemoths at the same time. Eventually both had reached the max capacity of ten cannon balls each. Now Kane just had to wait.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Shen Gaoren got closer and closer, now only having its feet submerged in the water: its rest of body was totally visible. Kane's eye twitched. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]FIRE![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" at that moment Günter and Ingrid both smashed down on the Behemoth switches (built using a forced impact button. These buttons are to prevent accident, should somebody lean on one by mistake, and the most popular method of activation is via pickaxe, as every hunter has one on hand. You need a good amount of force behind the swing to start them up). 2 volleys of cannon shot, 20 cannon balls total, were sent hurtling towards the Shen Gaoren. Having its face pulverized, it stepped back and then tripped over itself, falling once again. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]This was Joseph and the other swimming hunters chance! Homing in on the toppled Shen, they all let loose a furious chain of slashes and smashes, until eventually the Shen Gaoren stood up again, ready to steam forward once more. This time however, it turned to face the hunters for a brief moment, flinging both of its claws into the water a few times to try and hit the hunters. The hunters just barely dodged, but were disorientated by the thrashing swirling water shaking them about.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]At this rate, the Shen Gaoren would eventually reach the island and trample it down. And at this rate, it would trample the island so hard it wouldn't even be above the water anymore. This massive beast had to be taken down. In a similar attack, the hunters on the boat loaded up the Behemoths, and then eventually shot out a volley of 20 cannon balls. This time however, the Shen Gaoren only stepped back. It shook a little, but didn't fall. After this slight disruption to its movement, it started on its path once again.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Dammit! It knew how to brace for that attack that time so it didn't quite have the desired effect. Still that had to hurt! You two, keep loading the Behemoths! I'm going to prepare something on the ship here![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane ran down underneath the ships deck to do something which was clearly important.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Under the deck, Kane kept on with his descent into its depths until he eventually reached the second-to-last level of it: running to the end of the room, he started cranking a gear system round and round. Outside loud clanking could be heard: the dragonater at the front of the ship was turning sideways to face the Shen Gaoren. Running back up to the top deck, Kane readied himself for that crucial moment.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Closer and closer, the Shen made its movement forward. Josephs team of hunters continued their desperate attempts to knock over the Shen Gaoren. Now it was just meters away from the ship, its size being made clearly visible. Günter and Ingrid lookde up at it, trembling in fear: how could those other 4 hunters get so close to a thing this size? It looked like it was preparing a large swing with both of its claws: it was going to try and beat the ship out of the way! Günter and Ingrid braced themselves. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Clank! Whirrrrrrrr- POW! CRUNCH! Chucka-chucka-chucka.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Shen Gaoren stepped back once again, tripping over itself much faster this time. Günter looked around, baffled: he then saw Kane with his pick against a large round switch. His breathing was heavy: like that of someone who's stood at the edge of a life-threatening scenario. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]What just happened was that Kane had activated the Dragonater that had been turned earlier. The Dragonater is a large drill-like structure, designed for massive damage against large monsters. The force of that thing is enough to topple any monster; and by the looks of it the Shen Gaoren really was knocked into a daze by it leaving itself open for attack from the hunters underwater.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The Shen struggled: it desperately tried to stand itself back up, but it was no use. Combined with all that cannon fire and the Hunters attempts to attack its legs, that Dragonater attack had put the carapaceon out of commission. It collapsed down, crumpled up and then fell silent. It didn't move an inch. This Shen Gaoren...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]HAD BEEN DEFEATED![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Sir, I have a report for you," there was a man wearing Tigrex Z gear standing in a room filled with men wearing Garuga X gear. Everyone in it was working on documents and unusual stones, minus the man in Tigrex Z gear, and the man behind a large desk eating an apple.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Proceed with it," the man behind the desk took a large chunk out of the apple. The gear he was wearing was a mix of pieces, put together to form a powerful armour set.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"We have confirmation from our information source, 'Morning Dew' that the uncharted islands are indeed linked to the Juraī stones. We believe that they're its very place of origin," the man in Tigrex Z gear had a sheet in front of him for reading out the details.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Very good, very good. I'm one step closer to what I desire. I can just taste it!" the man behind the desk licked his lips behind his helmet.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well, there's a bit of a problem. The Dusk Joseph has been spotted there, along with the Dawn Kane, and a group of 4 G rank hunters new to their rank sir. We may have some trouble with them," the man in Tigrex Z gear scratched his head a bit.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Is that so? Well, no matter. They won't be too much hassle to us. We can just work under the covers. Prepare my ship: we leave first light tomorrow morning," the man behind the desk had finished his apple. With a salute, the man in Tigrex Z armour left the room.
    [/SIZE]
    Chapter 14: The Next Step, G2 Level Achieved!
    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph let himself float in the water a bit. His band of hunters had done it. They'd beaten the Shen Gaoren, and Joseph was feeling pretty ecstatic about it. But right now his muscles were in a fair bit of pain: the Shen Gaoren was most concerned with hitting Joseph and it took all of his strength to avoid its attacks. He let the water wash away the concern and drag him to the shore. Maxi, Strom and Leandre were already there waiting for Joseph whilst themselves being collapsed on the sandy ground. Maxi of course didn't stay there for long: picking herself up she got on with some stretching.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Günter and Ingrid were both lying on the deck of the Dragon Warship, exhausted from all the cannon firing they had to do. After all, carrying all those heavy cannonballs would really take it out of you. Kane had removed his helmet, his head dripping from sweat. He took a moment to sip down some lemonade. What a battle.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph finally reached the shore. He eventually decided to start swimming towards it, otherwise the tide might start pulling away from the shore and him along with it. Reaching the sandy beach now, Joseph collapsed into the sand and closed his eyes. He was in so much pain. The world felt like it was spinning around him, and he didn't like it. He wanted to get up to reach his tent. He tried; he failed. He couldn't find his balance.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre and Strom pulled themselves together to see that Joseph was struggling. They were about to reach him when Maxi had lifted him up over her shoulders and started dragging him to his tent. "Guess that means less heavy lifting for us hey Strom? Haha," Leandre was trying to make light of the situation, but his attempt to hide his worry wasn't very well pulled off.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]About 3 hours passed. The 6 hunters who weren't Joseph were busy enjoying Lunch, as well as the company of their new monster friend Tammi, who had managed to guilt trip everyone into giving it some food. Joseph slowly walked out of his tent, holding his head in his hand. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Everyone exclaimed out: "Joseph!" Nobody expected him to be up so soon. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah? What... I just want some food is all. Plus, I have an important matter to discuss with you guys," Joseph hobbled over to the fire, lighting a cigarette and wheezing. He through away the cigarette: he really was not ready for that at the minute. "*cough* OK, so, you guys... (come on Joseph, pull it together, this is an important stage in their hunting careers)... OK. Allow me to bestow upon you 4 the honor of joining the ranks of G2. Congrats!" Joseph keeled over, kneeling his chest onto his knees. Speaking properly really took it out of him. Pulling himself back up, he continued. "As *cough* such, you'll all be joining me on personal hunts to craft new G rank gear, to face the *cough* new challenges that G2 will bring. I need... *cough* food..."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Günter was quick to dish out some food for Joseph. It was a spiced up omelet, simple yet flavoursom. Joseph grabbed hold of the dish handed to him, but had to have it propped up by Kane who was sitting next to him. His arms felt like they were burning. Joseph just smiled. He knew the risks behind fighting monsters such as Shen Gaoren, and just happily accepted what he was returned with. This is all part of being a monster hunter, and a G rank one at that. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Anyway guys *wheeze* let's just... Spend today relaxing. I'm *cough* spent," Joseph just barely grabbed a mouthful of omelet. There was no arguing. Today was to be spent relaxing.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]A couple of hours later and everybody was doing their own thing. Leandre had found himself strolling through the woods again, but this time he had Tammi with him from the start. They came to an opening. And all of a sudden Leandre heard a loud thud. Turning around, he found Tammi completely on her back, legs hanging in the air. "Haha, I guess the sun is still shining. It won't be long till we get into the colder months so I guess we better enjoy this sun whilst we have it." Leandre proceeded to thud in a similar fashion to Tammi.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"LEFT 1 and 2... RIGHT 1 and 2... LEFT 1 and 2..." Aah, the sounds of a Maxi stretching in her not-so-natural habitat but it was what she had to call home whilst she was here. Although this time she had a partner to stretch with her: Echo had started to do similar exercises now that she had better control over her legs. Yep. Soon we'd see a Brachydios like no other.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]A Brachydios who was similar to Maxi. I shudder at such a thought.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Strom was sleeping. Strom wasn't exactly a person who got up to much in his free time.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Günter was busy stirring the contents of a pot over a fire. Every so often he could be seen throwing a little bit of one spice, or maybe something else. Earlier he was seen cutting up some steak and putting that into the pot. He stopped for a moment to take a deep breath of the contents's smell. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Mmm... Yep. This curry's gonna taste good tonight!" Günter let it sit now, letting it cook away as he picked up a copy of "Hunters Life." Wonder what'll be in this issue...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"How long will it take for... *cough* our doctor to be around?" Joseph had his head between his knees. He was sitting inside his personal tent on one of the comfy chairs there[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Well, they said he'd be around in about a day or two. You're gonna have to hold out with my lame treatment till then haha,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane made sure to try and stay in good spirits in the hopes it'd keep Josephs up.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hmm... I guess it *cough* could be *wheeze* wor-*splutter*" Joseph started to keel over, grasping his stomach as he made a descent for the floor. Kane caught him.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Sheesh man, you really need to lie down. I know you want to be ready if anything happens but your body can't take this at the moment. I'll hold the fort in your place,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane moved Joseph into his bed. He shot a concerned glance down at him.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Heh, I... *cough* guess you're right. I'll be... I'll be good," Joseph closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Have the preparations been made?" A man wearing G. Knight X gear was standing at some docks. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yessir, Captain Gardar, the ship's ready," a sailor saluted the man. He was dismissed.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I warned you Joseph, I warned you that leaving without a doctor was a stupid idea. Oh well, I can save that for later. Right now there's nothing I need to do quicker than to get there," Gardar looked around the dock. "Hey... That's a ship I don't remember seeing before. Maybe my eyes are getting worse."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]He was right. Nobody had seen that ship before. It was pretty basic in shape, a boat built for purpose, with a standard issue hunting gong on it. However, the ship itself was pretty unique: the figurehead was of a pair of Ceadeus horns that nearly covered the first half of the ship and the deck was completely coated in an almost purely white coloured wood. The flags were almost furry, as if they were made from some beasts hide. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Interesting. Most interesting," Gardar made his way to his own ship. Said ship was hardly anything special.
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 15: The Doctors Arrival[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]It was about a day later. Joseph found himself looking at his tent roof again. He never thought he'd see so much of it in such a short space of time. The tent door opened. Joseph decided to try and get up to greet whoever came in: that was a mistake. Joseph felt a sharp pain in his stomach and immediately fell back onto his bed.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Joseph, you really shouldn't strain yourself like that. Please stay still for when the Doctor gets here: his boat is already on the horizon,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane had brought a glass of water with him for Joseph. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Here, take this for whenever you're able to sit up[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"*cough* that's a bit of a taunt leaving that there haha... Whatever, thanks," Joseph made sure to stay where he was. "They're finally here... Good."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The ship rolled into the dock. Nothing special, it was a standard issue ship. Considering this fact, Kane immediately knew who it was, and was relieved it was the doctor who he hoped it would be. Most other doctors make such a flashy show of it all, like their methods are some sort of magic show, then charge extra for that: and show it off with extremely flashy ships. Thankfully it was one of their own.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Off the ship stepped a man. A man in tasteful looking gear that gave him good skills for on-field medicals. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Welcome to the Uncharted Islands Gardar![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane gave Gardar a salute, and was met with one back. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"My pleasure! I'd been wanting a good excuse to get out of that doctors office, nothing but doctors exclaiming about their riches all day, tch," Gardar seemed to be of high spirits. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So... Where's Joseph's residence? I need to give him a checkup and a thorough ear bashing!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]He's over this way, if you'd follow me,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane gestured towards Joseph's tent and then lead the way when Gardar gave him an agreeing nod. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The tent door opened again. This time Joseph stayed put. "Joseph?" Gardar rung out for him.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes I'm *wheeze* here..." Joseph stayed being a good boy.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright Joseph. I'll have to talk to you later about your hasty decisions but right now I need to treat your injuries. If you'd be kind and respond now when I ask you questions, so long as answering doesn't hurt you. Will it?" Joseph gave a short headshake. "Good. Now, be careful this may hurt." Gardar pressed on several locations, namely the arms legs and stomach. All hurt a bit, except the stomach, which (and I quote) "hurt like hell".[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Right, your arms and legs are just suffering muscle stress so the pain in those should wear away. However your stomach is suffering some injuries from that hunt. How severe is unknown right now, but I'll need to examine several possible causes. I'll give you my theories and then tell you what I need to do. Now, I must warn you that this might mean an operation. I can't force something like that on you so I need your consent that you agree to whatever measures necessary to remove your pains," Gardar stayed as close to the facts as possible. Now was not the time to complain.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright then. If it goes *cough* that far I'm OK with that. So long... *wheeze* as you do everything in your *cough* power," Joseph really could not care less what was done to him right now.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I promise you that'll be the case. I always take my work very seriously. I'll be back with you in about half an hour. Kane?" Gardar turned to face him, and was met with a contemplative sound. "I need to know if there's a place I can work."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Yep, we had one setup for you to work at, as well as one to stay in considering what you said,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane stood up ready to go.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Gardar stood up too. "Yeah, I think I'll be staying here with you lot considering it's-" and he turned to Joseph to say this bit "-[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]suicide[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] to have a base without anybody to look after the medical care." Joseph let out a short laugh. "Anyway, I'll take note of your condition now then analyze it and get back to you. So long as you stay alive till then."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hah, I'm *cough* not dead yet. Not by a long *wheeze* shot," Joseph smiled a little. It's not really his style. Gardar took a few notes on a board he had on hand, ended it with the usual forceful dot noise and then made his way out of the tent with Kane towards the Doctors tent setup nearby.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I guess I should *wheeze* get some rest whilst he's *cough* gone," Joseph got himself comfortable.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey Maxi, have you seen Tammi?" Leandre seemed to have misplaced a Tamamitsune. Goodness knows how. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well last I saw HER was I'd say... Probably near GÃœNTER'S tent," Maxi hadn't stopped her stretching. What an amazing skill, the ability to stretch whilst still form a conversation. Next to her, Echo was doing the same exercises as usual.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"... Hm? Who *cough* is it?" Joseph opened an eye slightly to look at the tent entrance. A long reptilian face looked at him. "Oh, it's you."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey Günter, you seen Tammi?" Leandre had now entered Günter's tent (I'm NOT going through that list of Günter's this and that again).[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Her? Yeah she stopped by, probably trying to raid my meat stocks," Günter was occupied sorting through his spice collection once again.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well she's really into cooked meat more than anything... Anyway did you see where she went?" Leandre knew how this sounded somewhat crazy: a wild beast who should eat any sort of meat, and this one has a preference to cooked.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Really? That explains the guilt trips the other day. Anyway I told her to get out cause this is a kitchen after all," Günter waved his arm, gesturing to the Tent's inside: it was as close to a kitchen as you could get, it also being his tent for sleep after all. "Can't have animals in the kitchen, regardless of friendship. I think she headed in the direction of Joseph's tent."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Wait, why *wheeze* are you hovering over me like *cough* that?" Joseph didn't have any monster fighting strength in him but he felt like he might have to put up a struggle.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap! No, anything but Joseph's tent!" Leandre dashed as swiftly as he could to Joseph's tent. The tent was in a small opening separated from the main camp, and as soon as he arrived there he could see what he dreaded. Tammi's front half was inside the tent. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Running in he found Tammi licking furiously at Joseph's face. He went for what basically was a tackle and grabbed Tammi by the neck, forcing her out of Joseph's face. "Oh sheesh Joseph, I'm so sorry! I never thought Tammi would do something like this!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeugh... Ugh it's fine Leandre. I was *cough* too messy with that *wheeze* earlier meal I guess. The steak must've gotten grease on my face. And Tammi *cough* just loves cooked *cough* steak haha..." Joseph was still pretty annoyed about this however. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Here, I'll uh... Oh damn I don't have a towel on hand. I'll go find you one!" Leandre dashed off, taking Tammi with him. Joseph lay back and relaxed as best he could. I wonder how hard it'd be to get back to sleep with Tamamitsune slobber on your face.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright Joseph, I have-- what happened here?" Gardar had just returned with a whole set of medical gear, but was taken aback by what he saw. "Why is your face all... Bubbly like that?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I'll ask you a question," Joseph wheezed. "Have you ever been licked by *cough* a Tamamitsune?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Sir, we're nearly there!" the man in Tigrex Z gear from a couple of chapters ago rung out as he looked through a pair of binoculars. Their ship was on the seas, the sunlight glinting off the smooth white wood deck, the Ceadeus Horn figurehead and the furry sails.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Excellent. Most excellent. Make preparations for docking, all of you!" The man in the powerful set also from a couple of chapters ago, who was no longer behind a desk at this stage, ordered out. "Aah, Joseph. Soon we'll meet again. Just so long as I can explore these islands to my hearts content, I don't really care about your presence! You will be far from a pest for me..."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The ship sailed on.
    [/SIZE]
     
  6. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2014
    Posts:
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    Here comes Chapters 16 and 17! Now, in case you were wondering where Chapter 18 was, there isn't a chapter 18 this time. The reason is because I've recently re-written the first chapter to be much easier to understand and read. Hope you guys enjoy!

    I'll put the original chapter 1 here in case anybody wants to read it, but be warned: it is quite the mess!

    Chapter 16: His ship arrives
    [SIZE=11pt]"... And that's the [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]gi[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]st of it. As far as I can see you don't need anything major: your stomach is just in a bad state from all that jostling and shaking, but I see no internal bleeding or anything of the sort," Gardar was relieved almost as much as Joseph. Course Joseph was more so because if he needed an operation he'd be the one getting it. "I'm going to give you some painkiller meds. If you can take those every so often, you should be able to walk around. Your pains should hopefully subside in 3 to 4 days, so long as you don't go hunting or anything."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]He left a bottle containing the meds that Joseph was to take on a small table Gardar himself had brought in. Kane out of the blue came rushing in.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Joseph, I see... HIS ship,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane was very solemn. Joseph instantly knew who he was talking about and immediately downed some of the painkillers. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]What's the order sir?[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Tell him to go buzz off," Joseph did his best to keep calm, even though he knew the kind of person this man was.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The ship rolled into shore. It had a Ceadeus horn figurehead covering the first half of the ship; its decks wood was completely whitewashed; the sails were furry. No doubt about it. This was [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]his[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] ship. Kane was standing stock still, his face turning into a grumpy scowl. A plank lowered onto the dock which Kane immediately stepped in front of. "[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]I'm not sorry to tell you that your presence is not welcome here-[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane got cut off[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh well that's a shame isn't it considering I'm here now," a man in powerful gear stepped off the ship, a grin coating his face.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Listen even if you were welcome here Joseph is in a bad state right now and cannot take visi-[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" once again Kane was stopped short.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh really now? Well now I must see him to... Comfort him," the grin deepened, only deepening the disgust on Kane's face. He was shoved out of the way and the man in powerful armour stepped off the ship being followed by a man in Tigrex Z armour. Back at Joseph's tent Joseph stepped out along with Gardar to not-at-all welcome the people who had stepped on the island. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre went over to Joseph to inquire who the people were. "They're just barely human is what they are. The one in front, in the powerful set, his name is Eliot Test, and the guy following him in Tigrex Z gear is Numair Tue his Number Two. Why did [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]they[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] have to come today?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well hello ther-" Eliot got cut off.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Get lost[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]." Joseph was adamant.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I was hopi-"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Get lost[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"That you'd let —"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Get lost[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Me stay here a whi-"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Get lost.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh come now, I just want-"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I don't care what you want, [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]get lost[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey now, just give me a chance. I want to offer my services," Elliot bowed a little but not so much to make him look like Joseph was better than him.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"What could you offer, somebody whose special regions I can kick really really hard?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Classy."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Quite."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"But no, for you see... I want a position on your Black&Golds." Eliot's statement shook Joseph.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"... How... Would you know about the Black&Golds?" Joseph unfolded his arms which were previously in a folded position, something that Joseph had found himself subconsciously doing.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh, I have a wee birdy that tells me these things. Now, if you could liste-" Joseph turned quickly more vicious.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]NOT BEFORE HELL FREEZES OVER![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] You're the LAST person, if you're even THAT, who I'd WANT on that squad.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" I swear I could see steam coming out of Joseph's mouth.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"But I was only-"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]You're ONLY an inhuman monster, but that's an insult to MONSTERS isn't it? I'm invoking my right of Island Guildmaster. As of now [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]YOU HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM THIS ISLAND! YOU HEAR!? GET OFF, NOW![/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" At this point I'm really finding it difficult to distinguish Joseph from a Deviljho.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It was settled. Eliot couldn't argue against a Guildmasters ruling. Joseph isn't a mainland Guildmaster, but he was given the appointment of being one on the uncharted islands. Joseph rarely acknowledged such a power in his hands. Eliot trudged back to his ship, Numair following him. Boarding, they set sail as quickly as possible: the glare from Josephs face was so intense it could quite possibly set Eliot's ship alight. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph put his hand to his head. "Why... Why did [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]he[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] have to be here on a day I'm meant to relax," Joseph looked around. All eyes were on him. Leandre tentatively walked up to him. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Joseph, why... Did you act like that?" Leandre had no idea why Joseph acted like that. He'd never seen Joseph get so worked up.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I guess I might as well tell you then. There are a few things I need to tell you but for now my hatred towards that man, Eliot, that should be explained first..." Joseph found a place to sit at. The painkiller meds were helping but he still had that weak feeling around him. "OK. Here we go."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Eliot is a nasty man. His personality for a start is detestable: he only ever thinks about himself, and if he thinks about someone else it's in the light that they're beneath him. If the team gets carted twice in a hunt, Eliot just abandons the team as if they're disposable. Not only that but he insults people for carting, even if the monster is one you could easily cart on, like a Gogmazios or Apex monster. If you've carted twice in his presence, he makes it his business to be rid of you. He'll basically treat you like dirt.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"The story only deepens now. In the past, I had originally hired him as a Red Squad member. He did well enough, but was never really given any role of power. However, when he was promoted to Silver Squad his true colours shown. A part of Silver squad membership involves being able to command a team effectively, and from the facts about him I've given you do you think he did well in that position? Not at all. He was cruel and mean, and never gave any sort of aid as respect to how a hunter could improve themselves.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"For him to be so pretentious as to ask to join the Black&Golds is beyond me. Now I know you 4 hunters don't know what it is but I guess you might as well know. Alright so you have Red squad, a group of 14 hunters. Above them is the Silver squad, a group of 7 hunters. Well above them are the Black&Golds, an elite hunting force. The only limitations here is a code of respect that must be followed.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] Any gear can be used, and there[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]'s no limit to its total tally. My ultimate question here is... How did he even know of the Black&Golds? They're kept secret, mainly due to the specialist tasks assigned to them by the guild, so how did it get out? I sure hope it wasn't a member within."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette which he proceeded to light, and then puff heftily. He let out a long sigh. "Well, that's a matter we'll have to come to terms with later. Right now he's gone, so all is well. Anyway, we've already had a relaxing day or two, so why not have a few more?" Nobody disagreed with this idea.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Sir?" Numair followed Eliot back onto the ship.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"What!?" Eliot darted back a burning hot stare.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Uh... Nothing. Nothing to report," Numair shook his head.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The two walked onto the ship and set sail. A few moments passed. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So what's your plan Sir?" Numair had his arms folded, his face facing fairly forward for the sea.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well now we have a slight complication in our old plan, so we're moving onto the new one. We'll have to work under his nose," Eliot was stroking his chin, his eyes sourly searching several seas. "So long as we stay out of sight, and use a different ship, we should be able to get away with this. I can taste what I desire already." Eliot licked his lips.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"It tastes sweet as victory's brought blood."
    [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 17: A New Complication[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]A week had passed, and there was no sign of the next Red Squad member. This was unnaturally late: 11 days had gone by now and Ingrid was still on the island.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Nothing really important happening during that week. The 4 hunters [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]did[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] receive new gear however. There hunts were as a whole pretty normal, so I'll only give a short summary of each hunt. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre managed to get first pick (how he ever beat Maxi to the table we'll never know) and decided to go after the Azure Rathalos (much to Joseph's dismay). After a successful few hunts, he had obtained the Rath Soul Z gear.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Next up was Maxi: if she wasn't getting first then it was going to be second, and jumping to the opportunity she decided to hunt the Diablos (Neither Joseph nor Diablos was ready for how many suplexes that thing would get thrown into by Maxi). After this, she had her gear forged, the Diablos X gear.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Günter was more defaulted into going third, due to the fact that Strom always goes last. He took a little to decide, but ultimately went with the White Monoblos. However, due to the guild putting a ban on multiple hunters hunting one White Monoblos due to a low number in their population, Günter would have to hunt it solo to abide by the rules. He was successful however, and made his Monodevil gunner set.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Strom decided his last. Oddly enough, Strom was the one forging all the gear. What a skill to keep hidden all this time! Anyway, weighing up the choices he had, Strom ultimately decided on the Nerscylla Z gear. A few swift hunts, and it was crafted, ready to use.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The only other notable thing that happened was one dinner time where Ingrid had her helmet off. Her hair covered almost her entire righthand side of her face, but during that time she had leaned over and her hair moved away from her face revealing an eyepatch. Nobody else saw it apart from Gardar.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Excuse me miss, but may I ask... Whatever happened to your eye?" Gardar had leaned in close whispering: he made sure nobody else heard for Ingrid's sake.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Ingrid stopped dead still. Nobody had ever asked her about her eye, she wasn't sure how to handle this. But, despite the initial fear, she decided to tell the others. "H-hey, guys... I was wondering... If y-you guys w-wanted to know about m-my eye..."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The rest stopped. They all turned to face her. "Your eye? What about it?" Josephs attention was piqued.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well you s-see..." Ingrid lifted her hair away from her eye, revealing an eyepatch. She didn't go farther because behind that eyepatch lay a very bitter scar. "One time, hunting a S-Seregios, one of it's scales went f-flying into m-my eye... It's been s-scarred for life now..." Ingrid braced herself for the insults she thought she'd meet.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"My word. And you use Insect Glaive? You pole-vault? With an eye like that? That's just amazing... How do you do it?" Josephs eyes had turned to saucers. He had a great admiration of hunters who somehow pushed past their drawbacks.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Ingrid let loose a genuine smile. Normally, she'd put on a well-crafted fake smile to try and "fit in" but this time was different: and everyone knew it. A fake smile can never have the same beauty within a genuine one.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Now, back to the present.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It had been a week. Finally, in the distance sailed a lazy ship, moseying along the ocean with a gist of gentle quiet. It slid into port slowly, coming to a gradual stop. Off the ship came a plank, across which a figure strolled across.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You're late Shiloh Aegis," Joseph puffed deeply through a cigarette. "What took you?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]A man in EX Aurauros gear stepped down. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah, about that... You know how you asked for a Silver Squad member? Yeah... The one that was picked turned out to be Blake."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph slapped his palm to his face. "I see. That explains it. Oh well, can't be helped I guess. We have plenty of time so his laziness doesn't really hinder us."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Shiloh stepped out of port now to be greeted by Ingrid. Shiloh was one of few people Ingrid felt truly comfortable around, as though he was a big brother. He gave her a small salute, only to be faced with a hug from Ingrid.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well, looks like it's my turn now. Guess you can rest now haha," Shiloh managed to break free from the embrace. Ingrid nodded back to him. "Good luck on your journey back now, OK?" Ingrid nodded again.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Good luck to you working here," Ingrid gave a similarly small salute back, then walked over to the ship awkwardly. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Blake! Blake come here! You've arrived at your destination now, so come out and meet me!" Joseph was now actively on the ship that had arrived, searching for Blake. Out rung a very lazily stated "yeah" from somewhere within the ship. Joseph followed the sound to the supply deck where Blake was found sitting on the floor with a crate of purple colored drinks. "Blake, come on now we have important matters to discuss-" Blake was about to protest "-don't you even dare. Come on." With that, Blake got up from his seating slowly and unexcited. He picked up his crate of purple drinks and followed Joseph off the ship slowly.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Guys, this is Bla- Oh for goodness sake," Joseph had gestured to somewhere next to him but whoever was meant to be there wasn't there. He turned round to the ship. On the port there stood Blake, taking a moment to drink a purple drink. "Blake! Get! Here! Now!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Blank trudged over. "THIS is Blake Serpō, Silver Squad member and captain of his own section of hunters. Get to know him. Well, good luck getting to know him is more apt... I'll be at the work tent here. Make sure Blake gets to me." Joseph patted Blake on the back, then made his way to his work tent. There, he would have to wait what he suspected to be the entire day for Blake to get there.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"So, you're a silver squad member," Leandre inquired.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah," Blake somewhat said.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"What's that like then?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"It's work."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Not much conversation went on after this, so I'll fill in. Blake may seem like one of the worst choices for a Silver Squad member, let alone a captain of his one section of hunters, but do not be deceived. Blake is a skilled swordsman, in fact one of the best out there. He gathered the materials for his armour all by himself from the Dalamadur (and Tetsucabra, the leg parts weren't made from Dalamadur). In fact in battle one could say he's one of the most efficient hunters available, getting the job done quick and easy. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]In other words he was soulless both in and out of battle.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]One profound feature about him is his love for grape soda. He originates from a country famous for its grape produce, and got so used to drinking grape soda as a child (rather than the more commonly made wine) that he never really stopped. It was the only thing he put effort into collecting and carrying outside of when he hunted. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Blake! Here! Now!" Joseph had grown impatient.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Blake shrugged. "Guess I'll see you guys later maybe," Blake unsurely said surely.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]After a bit of waiting, patience, and slow grinding fury, Blake arrived at Joseph's work tent. "You needed me y'know?"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes, I know. I wanted to talk about an important matter. About a monster not normally assigned to our brand of hunters. It's a monster with the Frontiersman tag," Joseph slid a slip of paper across a desk towards Blake. Blake's expression changed ever so slightly from lazy bliss to slightly less lazy bliss.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Huh... One of those things y'know. But, we're allowed to hunt these things aren't we maybe?" Blake looked at Joseph slowly.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes, that's true, but these 4 I'm training... They're not exactly allowed by the official guild in truth. I'll need to send out for permission for them to earn Frontiersman badges. Still, I'm hoping I can get you in on this with your knowledge of hunting Serpentine monsters." Joseph received the slip of paper back from Blake.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Well, I guess I can help y'know. Do what I can maybe," Blake sat back farther than he already had been: I want to know how he achieved that, considering he was at tipping point beforehand.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"After all, I would hardly call this my first Raviente y'know."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Darkness encompassed the island [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Carhāi[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] as a man in powerful armour strode through to meet a man in Grand Cham gear, who could be found sitting in the light of a fire. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Excuse me, I'm here to ask for your services in seeking out something very... Interesting. Something that I know is here. And I know you can help," the voice of Elliot sounded through the darkness. He handed a crumpled sheet of paper to the man in Grand Cham gear.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"What... What is this? You want this artifact? Ha! Like hell I'd help you! Nobody needs this kind of power! I don't even know where it is, so beat it!" the man in Grand Cham gear angrily through the paper into the fire, and proceeded to kick dirt at Elliot. Elliot kept hold of his patience.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Listen then," Elliot spoke through gritted teeth. "I have your wife under our custody. We wouldn't want anything... Drastic happening to her, would we? So cooperate, and your wife will stay safe."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The man in Grand Cham gear gulped. His eyes flooded with fear. "You... You want my help to find this thing..." He looked to the ground, his eyes tearing up from behind closed eyelids. He shook his head, weighing his options. "... Fine. Fine, I'll help you. But only if you promise to return her!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh, don't worry... She's in safe hands," Elliot flashed a grotesque grin. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"And she'll be in yours once we get what I desire."
    [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 1 (Classic): [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Island Āvās[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    The night before...

    "Hey. HEY! You awake?" a Man in white armour stepped into a dark room.

    "Hm?" a quietly snoozing Man lacking his dark armour replied nonchalantly.

    "You received a message from the hunters guild."

    "Hm."

    "It's a big task, and they figure you're best for it."

    "Hm..."

    "Flipping, talk already man."

    "No."

    "See, you talked!"

    "Hm."

    "*Sigh* guess that's the best I'm getting from you."

    "Hm."

    "Anyway, that is all. Now get back to sleep, you'll need it. As for me... I have important business to attend to," with that, the Man in white armour stepped out.

    "Hm..." and with that, the Man lacking his dark armour returned to sleep.

    The next day that should really be 'back to what was happening' but we never actually stated what was happening beforehand, so the next day fits better.

    ANYWAY the next day...
    The ocean lay vast surrounding the armoured boat. It had been a long trip, some 12 hours now, but finally a dot came into view on the horizon: an island. The very island that boat was looking for. Soon came into view a series of other islands behind it. They had finally reached the uncharted islands they had set out to, well, chart. The ships crew were ecstatic, especially 4 particular travelers.

    "There it is! I SEE it!" a strong womans voice yelled out, unmistakeably belonging to the woman Maxi Caladbolg. Maxi was slightly chubby cheeked in face, but had such beautiful brown eyes. Her hair was long-ish, reaching about to her shoulders in length, and was tinted a deep brown in colour. She wore the G rank level blademaster armour of the Lagombi, and proudly too.

    "Huh, so you're right! Guess we finally made it!" a steady authoritative voice followed up, coming from the man Leandre Bulwark. Leandre had a kindly face, rather rounded and smooth and tan, his blue eyes always sparkling. His hair almost matched Maxi's to a T, only being a tad shorter. He wore Agnaktor armour of G rank blademaster variety.

    "Awesome! Wonder what's in store for us?" commented a deep proud voice, which could belong to none other than Günter Ichaival. His face was notably pointed and sharp, but not so sharp as to look villainous, and his eyes shone a shade of green. He had buzzcut blonde hair, and wore G rank Barroth gunner gear.

    "..." a lack of voice notably added coming from the man Strom Crocea Mors. Crocea had a face similar to a pentagon, his chin being rather flat. His eyes were a grey-blue shade, his hair lacking: he was bald. He wore Niblesnarf G rank blademaster armour with as little style as his face carried (which was often a very boring face)

    "Settle down now, we're not there yet. Save your strength for when we land," a calm, gravelly voice commanded, emanating from a Man in dark armour: Joseph Devin. Joseph had similar hair to Leandre's but yet again shorter, only reaching down to his chin in length. He certainly didn't have a fat face, but it wasn't exactly thin either. His eyes are a deep brown in colour. He wore the blademaster armour set of a Savage Deviljho from G rank. It was his signature.
    The boat moved closer to the island, crossing the calm waves. The day had been beautiful so far, an ideal summer cruise of sorts. Of course, it was still after 12 hours on a boat and quite frankly, that isn't exactly how people wearing full sets of armour carrying weapons around would like to spend their time. Of course, they could have chose not to wear their armour and weapons, but considering the dangers that may have laid ahead, better safe than sorry. Even so, they still managed to mostly enjoy the cruise. Nothing major had really happened.

    The boat rolled in close to the island.

    "Alright men, sail round the island till we find a flat place. That will be where we'll depart and build our encampment and dock," the calm, gravelly voice made itself known again. After a general consensus to agree with the plan, the boat sailed lazily around the island (it wasn't a very large island) before finally finding some flat terrain (saying finally, really it was only 5 minutes before some was found but the strong womans voice would disagree).


    The ship weighed anchor, and a large slab of wood was placed between the land and the ship. The hunters who had made themselves known to us earlier stepped off the boat, surveying the scene. Nothing stood out to them, which was perfect: it meant they had a safe position. They went on to set up their temporary tents (they'd need places to sleep before they built the official places and such)

    [SIZE=12pt]"Hey, would you mind helping me here? The, uh, tent pegs kinda scattered," stuttered the steady authoritative voice, which noticeably got a little less steady, coming from Leandre Bulwark, the proclaimed (but not self-proclaimed) leader of the 4 hunters (let's ignore the calm, gravelly voice for now, he's busy elsewhere). He was perfect for the role (well, most of the time anyway), a calm decision maker, quick to think of a plan, and a general nice guy. That being said, his calmness was only really shown in hunts: outside of them he's somewhat of a scatterbrained klutz. He's particularly fond of the Sword and Shield weapon type, mainly for its swiftness as well as versatility.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=12pt]"Come on! You gotta put more BACKBONE into it! Sigh, FINE I'll help you," retorted the strong womans voice that belonged to the ever militant Maxi Caladbolg, a strong military thinker. She's an excellent combat strategist, and certainly knows her stuff. Inarguably, she's the hunting brains of the team, and an invaluable asset. That being said she has a bit of a habit of overdoing everything. For a start, if she's not doing anything, she'll make sure to change that and more often than not either stretch or randomly attack things. She can't be trusted with simple tasks like cooking or cleaning either: because in either scenario you'll receive a badly cooked mess of things. Maxi's preferred weapon is the Greatsword, mainly because, well, it's really really powerful.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=12pt]"Sheesh, how did you ever get to be so clumsy, yet be such a good swordsman? There are some mysteries still unsolved I guess," commented the deep proud voice, proudly reverberating from Günter Ichaival. Günter is confident to say the least (and that really is saying the least). Despite his astrological amount of confidence, he's an important rubber band to the the ball of rubber bands the team was (let's imagine there's more rubber bands than just four shall we?), because through everything he knew how to cheer people up (His pride wasn't confined to himself you know). He did, however, prefer the Heavy Bowgun as a weapon, because it felt like he transformed into a tank (actual words).[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=12pt]"..." a lack of voice notably shrugged, distinctively owned by Strom Crocea Mors. Strom is quiet. Strom is really quiet. He uh... Actually is hard to describe. He only speaks if need be (I guess but I'm yet to hear his voice). Let's just cut to the chase and state that he is an excellent fighter, quite possibly the smartest fighter there, using every advantage in every situation. His preferred weapon is the Charge Blade. His skill with the weapon is so great many state he's as flowed as a river in his combat style (and we can only assume they mean a quiet river).[/SIZE]
    These are our 4 hunters, and a merry band you could say. But... Wait, what happened to our 5th hunter? Just, hold on a second...

    Ah, here he is. Sorry I was worried we lost him, but there he is right now. He's just gathering with a few of the sailors who he brought with him onto the island. At this moment all that surrounded them was forest.


    "So, did you find anything on your ends? All I found were a few small monsters, Jaggi, Konchu, the usual," the calm gravelly voice that we know is owned by Joseph Devin put a handmade match to his handmade cigarette and puffed (the smoke wasn't handmade). A master swordsman, knowledgeable in all 11 melee weapon types, and overall powerhouse. He could be described as a 'bored, grumpy, smoking, dark man, but he's damn good at fighting' (extract from Know Your Hunter: the Guild Guide to Famous Hunters[SIZE=12pt]) and he fitted this short description perfectly. His gear never changed, and furthermore the beast he fought he downed all on his lonesome. He does have a habit of doing things alone[/SIZE].

    None of the sailors who accompanied Joseph found anything dissimilar to what Joseph found. "Very well then-" he paused to puff more smoke around "-You may head back to the ship in your own time. Tomorrow we're going to build a beginning dock, so rest up for that." The sailors after a general consensus of agreement saluted and left for their ship. Joseph puffed again, then turned to head to where camp would be.

    "Alright you 4, it seems we--" he gaped, his cigarette falling out of his mouth. "What... Are you doing?"

    The tents were all put up, nothing was wrong there. What was wrong was the something stuck into the ground in the center. That something had a someone tied to it, and that someone was not very happy about it.

    "Let me OUT! I have some very IMPORTANT stretching to do!" Maxi struggled her best but it was ultimately useless. It's very hard to escape a rope tied by Strom.

    "What in in this world are you doing tied up?" Joseph could guess what happened but he wanted to confirm his suspicions.

    "These IDIOTS decided to tie me up here with one of Strom's unbreakable tie-ups! And I DON'T like it!" Maxi's endless struggle continued. Joseph's suspicions were confirmed.

    "We did it cause she decided to beat us up for a small mistake of Leandre tripping up with our firewood (subsequently sending it flying), there was no maliciousness involved," Günter chimed in. Joseph's suspicions were slightly unconfirmed at this.

    But based off what he knew he decided to intervene: "You're all in the wrong here. Maxi, you shouldn't be so violent for a small mistake like spilling firewood."

    "It was only a little
    punch," Maxi defended herself.

    "Maxi, what you define as little is really not little at all," Leandre was tightly grasping his left arm.

    "And as for you 3. You shouldn't have tied her up like that, it's very immature. I'm especially disappointed in you Strom for tying the rope," Joseph continued his improv court case.

    "...!" Strom turned his head at lightning speed towards Leandre. He glared hard into Leandre's eyes. The message was conveyed.

    "Well, actually... Strom didn't realize we were going to tie up Maxi. We told him that we wanted him to tie up an extra strong piece of rope for our firewood so it wouldn't spill again. He has nothing to do with this," Leandre guiltily fessed up. Strom's glare subsided to a kindly grace once again, his mind wandering off to wherever minds like Strom's wander off to.

    "I see... So ultimately you deceived one friend, and then humiliated another. And as for you-" Joseph turned to Maxi "-You should never have hit Leandre like that, you know how much of a klutz he is!" Joseph rested his case. "Everyone! Make. Up."

    "Well alright but I gotta tell you," Günter responded.

    "Tell me... What?" Joseph unrested his case for a second.

    "This sort of stuff happens all the time."

    "Really?"

    "Yes."

    Everyone turned wide-eyed to look at Strom, who actually proved he could speak for once. It wasn't a very loud statement, but due to his natural quietness it sounded like it came from the loudest speakers known to us.

    His voice was generic.



    Welcome to the first island of the uncharted line: Island Āvās.
     
  7. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2014
    Posts:
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    Here we go guys! Chapters 18-20 have been completed and are ready to read! Hope you guys enjoy!
    Chapter 18: The Plan is Crafted
    [SIZE=11pt]"I'm sure you understand how bad the situation is now Blake. If that thing is allowed to rampage off of it's island, goodness knows what lasting damage could happen," Joseph smooshed another cigarette into an ashtray which had started a hobby of collecting cigarette butts.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yeah, this thing could turn out really bad for us y'know," Blake rocked back in his chair. His voice was slightly less nonchalant, but you'd need a trained ear to detect it. Joseph's ear had learned Blake's ever so slight tonal changes.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I called you hear first because you're the one I trust most out of Silver Squad. We'll be calling in the rest to help, but you will be one of the 4 spearheads of the operation," Joseph was now leaning forwards with a sense of great seriousness around him. Off the bat one could assume that Joseph's faith in Blake was incredibly misplaced, but Blake is a Silver Squad member for more reasons than just his excellent hunting skills. Blake just never shows it: he's too lazy to brag.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Fine by me y'know," Blake shrugged like the task given was no big deal. At least it would seem that way to an untrained eye. In reality, the positioning and speed of this shrug was one of great concern that indicated the bitterness of what could happen.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Blake was truly a master of shoulder-speak.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Joseph left the tent to go inform the other hunters of the decided plans. There he found Shiloh already making himself acquainted with the other hunters, yet again telling stories of his hunts. Joseph could never tell if they were exaggerated or not.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright guys, listen up now. I have some very important news to share. A hunt is being devised for tracking down and slaying a monster known as the Raviente. It's a Frontier classed monster, even more powerful than the Dalamadur. In short, it's one of few monsters the Guild has authorized 16 man hunts against, and that's an offer I'm taking on this one. Now... I would very greatly like for your aid. But, as I understand it, all of you-" he turned to Shiloh here "-including you Shiloh- All of you aren't allowed as of current to hunt the Raviente. That's why I've sent out for you to be permitted to hunt Frontier monsters. It's a big ask so don't get your hopes up. I will point out, however, that of all the hunters I've seen you lot have been some of the fastest progressing I've seen. I mean look at you Shiloh! You're still G3 but you crafted gear from a Lao Shan Lung![/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Anyway, it would be unfair to force you all into some massive hunt without your permissions. If the passes do come through, then I would like to know if you'd be willing in joining the hunt," Joseph folded his arms. His question was met with a series of sarcastic looks. He should've known better.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"I should've known better. Of course you lot would want to come! But still, I haven't permission yet so don't get your hopes up. Well, I better head off. I have other members to contact," with that, Joseph turned on the spot and headed towards his tent. Blake had only just made it out and was now sitting at a shady tree, drinking his beloved Grape Soda. Suddenly his quiet grace was interrupted by a large soapy lick: Tammi had gone over to say hi.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Blake clicked. He flew off of the ground onto his feet, smashing his helmet on and drawing his Longsword: an impressive Lightbreak Edge, glowing red with power. His eyes glared deeply into Tammi's, his grace firm and ready to take down the monster. Immediately out of nowhere Blake was jumped at by blue flash: he dodged it and the flash smashed into the ground next to him, revealing itself to be Leandre.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"What are you doing dammit?" Dammit? That's not a thing Blake usually says... Maybe he really does change personality in battle.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Don't hurt her! This is my monster friend Tammi! Joseph has allowed it, just as how Maxi owns a Brachydios called Echo!" Leandre shook his head about then stepped in front of Blake, his arms outstretched.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Oh really dammit!?" Blake drew his sword upwards, pointing it at Leandre.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Really!" Leandre lifted his head high to turn away from the blade. Tammi quivered behind him.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright then y'know," Blake put away his sword and removed his helmet. He then fell backwards against the tree and continued chugging Grape Soda.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"You're... You're ok with that?" Leandre did not expect this reaction. Tammi seemed perfectly fine at least.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey, if the big guy Joseph allowed it y'know, then I'm all for it y'know," Blake placed his hands behind his head nonchalantly and slouched further down the tree. He let out a gentle snore.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Leandre just stood and scratched his head.
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 19: Sorrow and Bliss[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]A couple of days later and nothing really occurred. A few hunts took place against general monsters, but nothing special: just household troubles if anything. A bird could be seen flying in the sky, wearing a pouch on its back. No doubt about it: judging by the shape and weave of that pouch it was an official guild carrier bird. It made a landing on the island inside the letter nest, to which Joseph promptly headed to pick up the message.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Thank you bird. You always do us a good service eh? Alright, off you go, oh and-" he pulled out some cash from his pockets, "-have to make sure I pay the postal fee and all. Alright be safe!" Joseph then saluted the bird.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The bird had no idea what was going on, but just happened to decide that it wasn't happy with this humans behaviour and so left off. Joseph took the letter to his tent (the bird only carried the one letter). The envelope felt thin.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright then, let's see the status of what's happening here..." Joseph began reading the letter. His face went dark... Then it lit up again... Then dark, oh so dark. He wiped his brow. "So that's how it is? Well, I guess that's fair enough. I better inform the rest," and with that, Joseph let out a large sigh, stepping up from his desk.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Hey, hey guys. I have a message from the guild about the Frontier passes. I'll read it out to you. Ugh, this is such horrible font, it's like it was written by a skeleton or something;[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]hey[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]so, we're writing to you about your request for frontier passes for your hunters. unfortunately, we cannot accept your request as of now due to lack of skill in said hunters. unless you can prove it that is. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]in fact yes, prove it. we have enclosed a hunt with a tough monster. like, very tough. if your hunters beat this, then the boss will- sorry, the cool dude, will grant you access to your frontier passes.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]so uh, yeah. get hunting. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]sincerely,[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]sketes snas[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"They could've at least had the decency to fix their mistakes..." Leandre found another reason to be scratching his head.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"And, well... Here's the quest they supplied us with," Joseph handed down a sheet the hunters. In large bold print letters, it was clear what had to be done.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]First off panic.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Once the silent panic was over, the next thing to be done would be to accept the quest target given. "He's a tough one. If you're not up to it I'll understand. But keep in mind, this is your only ticket to getting a Frontier pass this soon, so if you really want to hunt that Raviente then the target listed there is what you'll have to hunt first," Joseph heaved in a deep sigh of smoke and released it just as heavily.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"What about Shiloh? He makes us into 5 hunters which breaks the quest limit!" Günter was oddly enough, the one to point this out.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"No need to worry about him. In fact the guild sent a separate letter stating how he was granted a Frontier pass. It arrived yesterday but I wanted to have all the info given at one point of time. Shiloh won't be joining your hunt, and I hate to say it, but neither will I nor Kane. We can take you to your destination but that's it. Are you four alright with this?" Joseph took his cigarette out of his mouth. He held it in the air for a moment, awaiting a response.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The hunters (minus Shiloh) all looked at each other, and in a moment of simultaneous deciding they agreed to the terms.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright then-" Joseph placed his cigarette back to his mouth. "-Tomorrow, we set off!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"To hunt the Ceadeus at Island [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Samudrī[/SIZE] [SIZE=11pt]Khāi[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]!"[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]* * *[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]So, that's what they're up to,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" a voice rung out from the shadows.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes, according to my sources. They plan to all leave the island to take their rookie hunters on a Ceadeus hunt," Elliot was very low to the ground, his head bowed. His body shook every so often - out of fear? Or maybe coldness.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Very well then, Mr Test. And what of the monsters they hold there?[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" the voice put its hands together. There was something off about its voice.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"As far as I'm aware, they'll be staying there whilst the rest are away," Elliot wiped his brow.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]I see. Good. Very good. Then you know what must be done,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" the voice separated its hands and put them into a folded position. Its voice slightly distorted for a second, the tone lightening.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes, yes indeed," Elliot tried to keep hold of his cool. It was tough to do so when he was surrounded by a cold feeling...[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]And what of our historian? Has he accepted the terms given?[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" the voice reached an arm out to a bowl containing what seemed to be Turkish delights.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Yes, as we speak he's doing his best to find what we want in exchange for his wifes life. Soon what's needed will be achieved," Elliot slipped for a slight second. His palm was getting greasy.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Excellent. Most excellent. You've earned your pay Mr Test, most definitely. Hm... Time grows thin, and thus I must take my leave. I hope you keep yourself well, you're far too useful to lose,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" the voice stood up slowly, its height only adding to its menace. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Heh, hehe, I'm glad that I'm of use to you, sir," Elliot didn't raise his head. He couldn't let the voice see his face filled with as much fear as it was filled with.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Morning Dew Sir."
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]Chapter 20: Calm Before the Storm[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]
    [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=11pt]"Hurry UP already! I'm TIRED of WAITING!" Maxi was quite literally bouncing up and down with excitement, and was all ready to get sailing.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Alright, alright, keep your hair on, we're setting sail soon," Joseph lifted the last of the provisions that were being brought onto the ship. "Everybody got everything they need? Alright then, let loose the sails men! Off we go!" With that the sails were loosed, and the ship departed from port onto the sea.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Maxi and Leandre ran to the side of the ship to wave goodbye to Tammi and Echo. Echo was big enough to fend for herself for a little while, and besides, she had Tammi to protect her in case anything bad should happen.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"Glad you could make it Kane. Say, where were you the past few days?" Joseph met with Kane who had been standing at the rear of the ship.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]It was true. Kane had been gone for a few days. Kane was no stranger to disappearing for a few days every so often, and Joseph knew this, but recently he had been disappearing a little more.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Oh, you know how it is with the guild! Unlike you, I don't have a responsibility at the minute, so they keep sending me on these high level quests,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" Kane chuckled to himself, followed by a slight "tch" from Joseph. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Not much occurred on the voyage over. Everyone used the time to relax as the ship rolled towards the island [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Samudrī[/SIZE] [SIZE=11pt]Khāi[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]. After about an hour of voyage, the island was reached and the signal was sounded for all to get ready to weigh anchor.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Island [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Samudrī[/SIZE] [SIZE=11pt]Khāi[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] has made a name for itself as one of the most beautiful locations in the world. The island itself is like a massive crescent shape, with a small section of the island jutting out opposite the crescent side, as if it were once part of one massive staff. The island had a soft, lightly tanned sand which encompassed a luscious section of island trees. Several rivers ran through the small jungle and into the water that the island encompassed: and the water here was what truly made it a beautiful location. It was dyed a vivid blue, it's sheen glistening in the sunlight. Beneath it could be seen a whole rainbow of corals where many small creatures had made their home.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The island guards a deep secret however. The entire island is surrounded by a massive underwater chasm, a chasm filled with multiple underwater tunnels and erosions. Some say these tunnels and erosions all lead to one place: the fabled underwater city.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Many have come to know it as Atlantis, but that's not actually its name. Unfortunately, the real name is lost with time so we'll have to stick to cliches here.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The ship weighed anchor tentatively: they didn't want to dock inside the crescent for fear of breaking coral, but outside of it was a dangerous affair due to the encompassing chasm. In the end, they decided to just move the boat onto the beach and anchor there. They could push it off later.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Everyone significant (sorry sailors, maybe another time) jumped off the ship and onto the warm soft sand. Humans hadn't touched this sand in quite some time now. Most were either too scared, couldn't think of how to land, or just hadn't touched the place in a really long time (well, there are some who have been there years ago. Maybe one day they'll come back.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"MMHMMM! YEAH! This PLACE! I could TOTALLY get used to this place!" Maxi fell forward onto the sand. She stopped herself with her hands and proceeded to do some pushups.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"... You do realize we're going to be moving on in just a moment, right?" Joseph looked down at Maxi with a puzzled glance.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Little did he know, this was an ancient ritual of Maxi's that spans through her family for generations, in which to appease their inner need to exercise, every new body of sand must be greeted by 100 press-ups no questions asked. It's as dumb as it sounds but unsurprisingly true. And if you're surprised at this stage then you mustn't have been paying attention to Maxi's activities all this time.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Everybody was ready: Joseph had a fishing rod and box of bait, Kane brought... A lifeboat? Apparently. Shiloh was yawning as he took a big stretch towards the skies, Blake was lying in the sand with his hands behind his head, Gardar was checking his checklist for medical supply checks and the 4 hunters were discussing strategies. "OK then. There's a little shack over this way: that will be our base of ops on this island. Once there we'll set up everything according to our needs. You 4 will then be free to head off after the Ceadeus at your leisure."[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The 4 hunters nodded in confirmation, with a very over-emphasized thumbs up from Maxi, and off they went towards the shack.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The shack was just that: a shack. It was a single floor accommodation with a watchtower at one corner; a wall was missing on one side, instead protected by mosquito nets; the inside was furnished, but caked in sand and dust from years of lack of use. Despite this, the foundations seemed pretty stable for a rickety old shack like this. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]"ALRIGHT then! Come ON guys! Let's DO this!" Maxi couldn't contain herself and almost immediately dived into the water after throwing her supplies towards the shack. The other 3 hunters shrugged and followed her example except, less actively. [/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]Strom took the lead: he's a quiet one who doesn't make himself known in our story often, but he has a damn fine sense of direction, almost understanding an area's mapping and terrain instantly. As he swam around, he analyzed every piece of scenery in his view, swiveling his eyes and head this way and that.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The underwater landscape was truly mystical: laced throughout were deep chasms and tunnel entrances, creating an uneven yet artistic landscape; all throughout were multitudes of seaweeds coloring the blues of the landscape in different shades of green and brown; in one or two places were shipwrecks layered with underwater plant life acting as safe havens for the fish swimming through. Everything looked so mystical with the water filtering the light in its way, making for an unmistakably beautiful experience.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]The viewing of the beauty had to be cut short: in the distance was a faint silhouette. The silhouette grew slowly larger, and slowly more formed, now with details that could be made out. It was long in shape, getting chunkier towards one end. At the chunky end was two large flippers and two massive horns. Getting closer now, the colour was easier to tell: an ancient white colour, almost like marble dyed by the sea. Lights seen on the larger end glowed through the ocean behind a glistening beard, its shade a soft tone of gold. Above the beard was a fearsomely large face, with a mouth large enough to swallow all the hunters in one gulp.[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt]This was the Ceadeus, emperor of the seas. And this was his occupied kingdom.
    [/SIZE]
     
  8. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2014
    Posts:
    3,248
    PokéPoints:
    ₽25.4
    And another installment of Hunter Story. Hope you guys enjoy!
    Chapter 21: The Moonquake
    Almost immediately did Maxi dash for the Ceadeus, swinging her sword in one massive slash against Ceadeus' beard. Doing a full 360 from the spin, she proceeded to charge up a sword strike. Strom charged forward as he built up power within his Charge Blade's phials, building up more and more power. Leandre took a moment to adjust to moving in the water, then proceeded to let off a flurry of slashes with his Sword. Günter desperately attempted to get control of his movement, before finally drawing his Heavy Bowgun and loading some ammunition up in it.

    "Why do we have to hunt this thing anyway, I can't control myself in this water!" Günter kept tossing and turning each time he had to readjust his aim. He was really struggling.

    Maxi let lose a full charge on the Ceadeus. "What ARE you talking about? The water is PERFECT! Now there's NO FLOOR to stop me!" Maxi let out a laugh and continued swinging.

    Hey hold on this is underwater how are they talking you might ask? Well... It's body language messages. Trust me these guys know each other's body language well enough to understand what they're saying without words. Well, Maxi is actually speaking. She's got such a strong pair of lungs she can speak underwater whilst holding her breath. But up till now I bet you gathered that from all her shouting.

    The Ceadeus glossed over the hunters and proceeded on its course. It was almost entirely unbothered by what were essentially midgets to this massive beast. Still, they could get to be annoying... As such, Ceadeus decided to reel back for a second and let out a rather large tail swish. The hunters didn't get the message, so Ceadeus just kept swimming forward.

    The journey down deep went on for about 10 minutes. As the hunters and Ceadeus went deeper, the chasm around them got significantly narrower and harder to manoeuvre around. Normally it'd be easy, but normally you wouldn't have this massive beast in your way. Ceadeus stopped abruptly. It started sucking inwards, its chest swelling slightly as it inhaled more and more water. The hunters began swimming away as quickly as possible from the Ceadeus as its mouth reopened, because from out of its mouth came a powerful blast of water, sending shockwaves through the water and knocking back the hunters. Taking a moment to reconstitute itself, the Ceadeus pressed on in its quest to go deeper, and so to did the hunters in their quest to defeat this monster.

    Meanwhile, Ceadeus beard received more and more punishment as it moved downwards into the ravine. The Hunters followed it down into the depths, and eventually after a lot of hacking, the beard was significantly cut.

    And Ceadeus wasn't having this crap.

    The dragon whales pace picked up as it moved closer and closer to where it wished to go. As it sped up the water shifted rapidly around it, preventing the hunters from getting close till it was where it wanted to be. Even Maxi struggled against the strength of the current.

    "AGH! Now how CAN we KILL it?" Maxi folded her arms in frustration, before realizing her oxygen was low. Se inhaled some oxygen from a portable supply.

    "We just keep following it then, until it stops," Leandre proceeded to sharpen his blade whilst he had the time.

    In the Ceadeus' way was a large gathering of boulders and rocks. In a fit of rage Ceadeus smashed through the pile, creating an opening into an underwater area previously sealed off to hunters. The 4 swam through into the depths, and there they saw something they never thought they'd see in their lives: the lost city of cliché-ness.

    Aka Atlantis for those of you who missed that in a previous chapter.

    It was darn near wrecked everywhere, but all the same it still held a lot of majesty from what it once was. Over to one side was a massive wall with 3 large metal prongs sticking out of it and a large pick-operated button. Most likely a dragonator of old or something I guess.

    And there in the center of the large opening of Atlantis was the Ceadeus, waiting for the hunters to arrive. It floated there, completely curled up, but now that the hunters were hear it began to unravel, its long chalk coloured body straightening out as the large section behind his head started to glow blue, to indicate that things were about to get serious.

    It floated there for a little while longer, readying itself as the hunters approached it. When the hunters were roughly 3-4 meters away from the dragon, Ceadeus had finally psyched itself up, with subtle mind techniques telling itself it could do this, it could win, yes yes yes yes- well, you get the idea.

    Now all the hunters had to do was DODGE!

    After it's powering up, the Ceadeus started off with a large tail swing in the direction of the hunters. Failing to dodge, the hunters got swept back from the swing, except Günter who was still struggling to get his underwater legs, and as such was still stuck at the entrance to Atlantis. By the time he'd gathered his barrings, the other hunters had lost theirs.

    "Wait, wait, just let me... Line this up now, and- hear!" Günter lined up his bowgun towards the Ceadeus and took a few shots at the large beast. It was busy with the other hunters so Günter had a pretty good shot here.

    "HaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! IMMA DECK YOU CEADEUS!" Maxi, like an underwater torpedo, went flying to the Ceadeus horn, leaving a devilish crack in it. The Ceadeus, crying out in pain, bashed Maxi back with the very same horn, knocking Maxi back as fast as she had swam forwards. The Ceadeus began sucking in water.

    "Uuhhuhuuuuuuhu... Why these, StArS?" Maxi couldn't fully capitalize a word: she was stunned!

    "Crap, she's been stunned! Quick, stop Ceadeus!" Leandre pushed himself to the limit, swimming as fast as he could towards the horned beast. Strom searched desperately through his pouches and pockets, before pulling out what he looked for: a might pill. He chewed on it and swallowed, and proceeded to dash towards the Ceade-

    But it was too late.
    Chapter 22: Not Always the Way
    Ceadeus let go of the breath it held. Out from its mouth spurted one glorious water cannon. In that instant, both Leandre and Strom were flung through the water. Günters jaw dropped. Realizing he was losing precious oxygen, he closed it and inhaled a mini-oxygen supply. He tried to keep his mouth shut. Because for the first time in his life, he saw it. He didn't like it.

    What he saw, was Maxi completely incapacitated. She just floated, unconscious, away from this world. Günter flung his bowgun away and swam as fast as possible towards her to reimburse her with oxygen. Pulling out a mini-oxygen supply (his last one) he placed it to her mouth, then shut it. Günter looked at the other hunters: Leandre was also unconscious. Strom however, survived. Shaking his head, he turned hard towards Günter. Günter knew enough what that look meant, but:

    "Get out of here! NOW! Take them away from here!" Strom boomed through the waters, his Charge Blades shield aimed at the Ceadeus. Günter made no time to waste: grabbing Leandre, he swam out as fast as possible towards the surface. He looked back: Strom was going to stay behind and fight. But he knew deep down, even Strom couldn't take this monster on.

    Strom glared the beast in the eyes. It glared back. Rushing forwards, Strom drew his blade, smashing it into the horn of the mighty dragon. The dragon retaliated in similar fashion to how it treated Maxi: Strom went flying backwards. Keeping hold of his sense, he downed a Mega Potion.

    * * *​
    Günter crawled back up to shore, dragging Maxi and Leandre with him. He took large heaving breaths. He pulled himself up: shriek! He really pulled his back underwater there. Slowly getting up, he inspected Leandre and Maxi as thoroughly as possible (No, no he didn't probe that far. Sicko). It wasn't hard to see: both of them had sustained serious injury. Günter wanted to stay behind to take care of them, but he had to make sure he was there for when Strom- for IF Strom fainted.

    Quickly and reluctantly, Günter got his feet wet once again, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

    * * *​
    Once again Strom struck for Ceadeus horn. Once again he got knocked back. Once again he healed. It was the same charade over and over again. But he couldn't faint just yet. He had to do what damage he could. And most importantly, he had to wait for Günter to get back. He needed a way out should he get knocked out.

    Yet again Strom attacked the horn, followed by another bashing attack. But this time? Strom couldn't take this one. He'd already suffered so much damage. Reeling forwards, Strom looked intently at the deep chasm of water beneath him. Slowly, things darkened. Was Ceadeus turning down its lights? He reached out: the water had gone... Red. He looked up. Ceadeus waited intently, its lights apparently still glowing. But slowly, everything got darker.

    Strom looked at his sword. It was slipping. He tried to tighten his grip on it, but, it only slipped more. He coughed: the red only intensified. And slowly, things kept creeping darker, darker, darker. Next thing he new, something wrapped around him, and then it all went dark.

    ...

    ......

    .........

    "..." Everybody in the cabin was silent. All 6.

    "... Kane should be here," Gardar broke the silence.

    "He's busy right now. He didn't know this would happen," Joseph for once wasn't smoking. Instead his head was between his knees.

    "I suppose you're right," Gardar was looking through the cabin blinds. The ocean glinted with light as it reflected the moons glow. Gardar looked away.

    Günter was tapping his foot, his expression long gone from this world. He kept putting his fingers together. His face was staring intently at what the fingers were doing, yet at the same time he looked like he wasn't noticing them.

    "Günter-" Josephs deep voice rung out to Günter, whose head snapped in angle at light speed, pointing it towards Joseph. "What you did was right. Strom knew what he was doing when he told you to run, but... To hold that Ceadeus off on his own," Joseph placed his head onto his hands, now supporting it upright.

    "Indeed. If you hadn't pulled them out when you did, well... I wouldn't want to think of what would've happened. But their recovery could take a while, a week is my estimate," Gardar sat himself down. He removed his hat, scratching his head in the process.

    "... I never thought it'd happen. That it'd come to this," Günter looked at the other 3 hunters. They were completely bandaged up, lain down on a series of small, single-person beds. "I should've been stronger! I'm just a flipping cook, a measly chef with sub-par gunner skills! What good am I-"

    "Shut it, Günte-" Strom spluttered out. He lost control of his lungs as he reeled forwards to catch a breath. Finally gaining control of his breathing, he heaved in and out slowly. Turning his head towards Günter, he looked him in the eyes. "Shut it... Günter. You did right. You did good. Withou- *cough, cough*-*heavy breath* without you, we'd be at the bottom of the sea, dead by now."

    Günter didn't like what he saw. Stroms face was a stony, pale gray. His lips and nostrils were stained with dry blood. His left eye was completely covered: Günter could only imagine what lay underneath.

    "I need... Some air..." Strom shifted out of bed. Almost immediately, Joseph and Gardar were on him, attempting to stop him.

    "You need your rest Strom!" Gardar grabbed Strom by the arm. Strom retaliated by punching Gardars.

    "What I need right now, is air. Now, move-" with that, Strom hobbled out of the cabin, swaying left and right. He slammed the door as best he could. Gardar and Joseph looked to eachother, then to Günter, then to the other unconscious hunters.

    "... Has he... Always been like that?" Gardar was shaking. He was used to Strom being a background character, not one that exploded.

    "Unfortunately, yes," Günter looked to the ceiling. "Strom always put his friends first. No matter what, he'd be there for us, to protect us. But inside of him is the torments of his past, the fury that fills him. He's been semi-mute since what happened..."
    Chapter 23: Stroms History
    We now turn time back some 12 years ago, to when Strom was 9 years of age.

    The sunlight wrapped around the quiet town as the summer breeze rolled in. On top of a hill with a shady tree sat a boy, soaking up the sunlight from beneath the shade. He began dozing off when a distant voice started calling his name. He picked himself up: the voice steadily got louder. Finally he could make out the words.

    "Dad? That you?" the boy looked down the hill: no doubt about it. That was his dad.

    "Strom! Strom it's me!" the man calling out for the boy was running up the hill, his arms waving around like a fools arms. The man was in G rank Cephalos gear: he was clearly new to G rank but his spirit was one of the highest there.

    "Dad! You're back!" Young Strom ran towards the man, and flew into him in one giant hug.

    "Hey, hey now, I can only hunt monsters! Don't make me retaliate against you for pinning me here haha," the man chuckled to himself. This mans name was Harrison Crocea Mors, the father of Strom.

    "So how was your big trip? I was worried sick when I heard you went after the big ice monster!" Stroms grip of his dad tightened, his smile uncontrollable. He felt his dad run their hand through his hair.

    "Yeah, the Ukanlos. It's a tough one, but we pulled through! And hey, I brought you a souvenir!" from a pouch on his hip, Harrison pulled out a chunk of Ukanlos tooth. "That's bone-afide Ukanlos tooth there!"

    Strom missed the joke. "Wow, really? I can have this?" Harrison nodded, ignoring the fact that his joke went right over Stroms head. "Thanks dad! Oh, wait, I nearly forgot, dinner's nearly ready!"

    "Oh really? Well your mother is a worse monster than that Ukanlos! We don't want to provoke her, so let's do this as fast as possible! Down the hills we go- here get on top of me, for I am your valiant Cephadrome steed!" With that, Strom had climbed atop Harrison's shoulders. The two went running down the hill, faster and faster. Was this light speed? Warp? Whatever this was, it was fast! Strom laughed as they ran their way down the hill atop his father. "Oh, snap!" suddenly the hill stopped being a hill and they'd reached level ground: but Harrison couldn't stop! SMASH!

    Harrison pulled his face away from the wall he crashed into. He lost his barrings a bit, but regained some control of himself. "Woo! Now that's what I call a ride, hey?" He looked down at Strom, slightly dazed. Strom pulled a smile back and gave a thumbs up, despite his own disorientation. "Alright then, I suppose we should get home then. Your mother's waiting."

    The Mors household wasn't anything dazzling, but it wasn't anything run down either. It was a pretty nice place to live in short, not too shabby. There was a second story where the parents stayed and kept their weaponry and armor, whereas Strom was to stay on the first floor until they were old enough to wield a weapon. Harrison went through the door into the house to be greeted by the back of a woman serving out something curry-like in smell.

    "Dinner's out Strom. Any sign of your father?" She hadn't bothered to turn around as she continued serving the food.

    "Well, no Carrie, I haven't seen myself anywhere! Can you help me find him?" Harrison scratched his head, pulling a really convincing confused face. Strom held in his laughter. Carrie turned round from the cooking equipment.

    "Harrison!" Carrie quite literally leaped into Harrison's arms, who proceeded to catch her. Carrie was never into the hunting scene herself, so she rarely wore armor.

    "Aw, I missed you Carrie. You should join me again some time!" Harrison sounded half playful half genuine.

    "Harrison you know since we had Strom I've had to abandon hunting! But... Hey I can hunt with you soon enough. When Strom can look after himself," Carrie glanced down at Strom.

    "I don't want to be a hunter though," Strom looked at his feet. Carrie and Harrison quit their embrace and moved towards Strom and got down to his level. "I want to become a lawyer!"

    Harrison chuckled. "Yes, we know Strom, and that's Okay!" He lifted his fingers and made the OK sign with them. "You be who you want to be, Okay? Don't let anyone decide that for you!"

    Strom lifted his head and smiled, nodding. "Now, curry's out! Quick, get it whilst it's hot and spicy!" Carrie stood up, dusting herself off and removing her apron.

    * * *​
    The house was silent. Everything had gotten silent aside from the sound of the night insects, the clicking crickets and the tweeting of nighttime song birds. The house was dead silent for the duration of the night, when the sound of the door opening and closing could be heard. Strom lazily opened one eye. A noise? Hm, maybe it was just dad...

    Stomp, screech! Stomp, screech! Stomp, screech!

    Strom sat up. Somebody was going upstairs. The footsteps were heavy and unrelenting on the floorboards. With each step was the sound of a weapon clinking against the steps, as if it was being dragged along. The footsteps continued, but the screechs stopped, instead now being replaced by a slow, gradual scrape along the second floors boards. Another door opened, then closed.

    First, there was silence. The silence dragged on and on, for what seemed like an eternity. Strom started shaking. He couldn't get back to sleep. He slowly crept back onto his back, after what seemed like ages of listening out for something. After not hearing anything he thought he should try slee

    Screech. Screech. Screech.

    Was somebody sharpening? At this time of night? Whatever it was, it jolted Strom out of his bed. He had to know what this was. Tentatively opening his bedroom door, he stood at the foot of the stairs. Looking up he quietly called out "Muuuuum? Daaaaaaad?"

    There was no answer. The sharpening noise continued. Slowly, Strom climbed up the stairs. He didn't know if he should. What if he got yelled at? But... No. Now was not the time for that. He had to make sure his parents were OK. He pressed on, taking as light a step each part of the way as he could. He reached it.

    The bedroom door.

    Reaching for the handle, Strom slowly turned it, his body quivering. Pushing it open, the sharpening sound grew louder. Then in that one moment, after not being able to take anymore waiting, he flung the door open. He nearly fell back, his eyes flooding with tears.

    In the middle of the room was a man sharpening a longsword, silhouetted by the moonlight that poured in through the window. His head turned to look at Strom, his face nearly impossible to see... Aside from his perfect white teeth and bloodshot eyes.

    Strom shakily looked to his right: there hung his dad, lifeless. Turning left, his mum was in a similar position. The room should not be this red. He looked back at the man. His blade should not be that red. The man slowly got up, something sticky dripping from his hands. He walked towards Strom slowly, his smile widening more and more. Strom couldn't move. He was paralyzed by this feeling.

    The man grabbed Strom by the face, his sticky hand clinging to Stroms cheeks. "Hmmm... Heh, y'know... You'd be easy to kill right now..." the man licked his lips, cherishing the thought. Strom couldn't do anything, he couldn't speak, he couldn't walk, he couldn't even blink. "But... I'm not a child killer. No, for all I know, what you want isn't to become a hunter. Right now, you are... Pure." The mans grin stretched even farther. "But... Pick your career wisely... If you become a hunter-" he licked his sword.

    "-T H E N I ' L L B E F O R C E D T O K I L L Y O U."
     
  9. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
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    Hey guys! Got this one out faster than usual, but here you go! The next 3 chapters. I should have the next 3 after this out fairly soon too, so keep on the watch!
    Chapter 24: Change for Good
    The air was suddenly heavier now in the cabin. Gardar was sweating like nobody ever did before. Joseph had his hand to his head. Günter looked steadily at the two.

    "... And that sums up what happened. The day his father came back, he witnessed both him and his mother die to the hands of a man with a sword and perfect smile. Ever since, Strom has kept semi-mute and to himself. He's so infused with rage, bitterness, sadness, that he won't speak unless he needs to, for fear of hurting those around him. When he opened up to us, at the time he nearly lashed out in anger against us. Not out of malice to us, but out of uncontrolled rage," Günter looked to Joseph. The face he had on was not his usual Joseph-style collected. He was shaken with fear.

    "Did... Did Strom ever say who killed his parents?" Joseph was grasping for air.

    "According to what he said, the guild informed him that the culprit was a new member to the crime world, who later became known... As Mad Darren," Günters statement made the room even more heavy. Joseph swallowed.

    Mad Darren. Not many people don't know of this famous man. Mad Darren was the ultimate in Hunter Killers. In guild law, the hunting or slaying of Hunters was forbidden, unless there was a good reason behind it, such as if the Hunter in question was outlawed or putting humanity in danger. However, Mad Darren was famous for the exact opposite. His killings never followed a pattern, never were biased to age, gender, skill, ranking. The only bias was that the victim in question was always a hunter.

    Darren himself was one of the worlds most famous hunters for his excellence in hunting, but one day he just snapped, and suddenly started killing hunters. But one day, Mad Darren was spotted during what was to be a killing: before he could deal a final blow to the victim, he was attacked by a monster and sent into the sea (the killing was taking place on a cliff-side next to the ocean). From then on, Mad Darren was deemed dead. That was 7 years ago, 5 years after the incident with Strom. Stroms parents were the first of a chain of murders.

    Joseph reclaimed his composure, after having lost it for quite some time now. Strom was still outside. Günter had his hands to his mouth in deep thought. Gardar placed his fingers to his eyes, rubbing them. Joseph lit a cigarette and took a heavy smoke inwards. "I'm gonna talk to him," and with that, Joseph stood up and walked outside into the cool of night. There, he saw Strom sitting in the sand at the edge of the ocean. He was staring intently to the starry sky, its moonlight still bouncing off the ocean.

    "Hey there. Mind if I sit next to you?" Joseph looked down at Strom. Strom let out a gentle shrug, indicating that it was alright. Joseph let himself crumple towards the sand beneath. He took a heavy breath in, then took a heavy breath in that wasn't through a cigarette. "So... Günter told me about your past."

    Stroms eyes flickered for a second. It looked like he was trying to maintain a spaced out attitude. "Listen, man... I'm sorry that this is what you feel you have to be. A semi-mute hunter with a bloodied past and ruined ambitions, but-"

    "What choice do I have!? What CAN I be with dead parents and a never-ending fire of anger? This is what I have to be now... I, I have no choice in that," Strom looked down to the sand beneath him. "I'm a monster. That's all I am." He started curling up.

    "A monster? You? Strom, you can stop right there, you are not a monster. You value your team so much that you stayed and fought the Ceadeus in their stead. You stay silent so as not to hurt their feelings with anger. You put your dreams of lawyership to the side! Wait... Why did you do that anyway?" Josephs moment of upbringing suddenly stopped when he realized he had no clue why Strom abandoned his dream.

    "Hm, yeah, I wondered myself once. Why would I become a hunter, when the killer threatened me directly with my life? The truth is because I wanted to become strong enough to protect those around me. To protect those who are important to me, and those who don't deserve to die. I didn't want anyone to have to face what I faced. So I dropped the dream. Heh, it'd probably not go my way either, but, oh well," Strom looked back to the stars, suddenly looking much calmer.

    "You see though? That there, that right there, that self sacrificing attitude of yours. That's what makes you not a monster. Strom, you're so much more than that. You're a hero, a good person, and more importantly, you're our friend. You're my friend. We hate seeing you like this, you deserve so much more," Joseph let out another stream of smoke.

    "Heh, thanks. Y'know, I guess you're right. Maybe I'm not a monster. But I still can't shake what happened in the past..." Strom curled up again.

    "Well, an old friend of mine once told me that 'The past doesn't make you. It's just a book of lessons: what you are is your decision, and is in your control.' Strom, your past is an important reminder of this worlds brutality, but don't let it decide what you are. Become the better over this! I'm sure you can do it," Joseph smirked as he let out another puff of steam.

    Strom looked up, his eyes glazed with a hint of tears. He smiled widely. "Thanks. I needed that, and you're right. It's time I took the reigns of my life," Strom stood up steadily and took in a deep breath. Stretching out both his arms, he yelled as hard as his lungs could cope to the sea:

    "I'M STROM! AND FROM NOW ON I'M IN CHARGE OF ME!"
    Chapter 25: The Amazing Journey of Parris Part 1: More Guff on that Stone
    "So, they'll be out of it for a bit longer?" Strom was looking down at Maxi and Leandre who were still knocked out. It was now morning, and outside was raining. All in all it seemed even the clouds were sad that Maxi was unconscious. Or maybe they're just that happy they get a bit of peace?

    "Yeah, I'd say a day at least," Gardar was flicking through pages of notes, to check that he had the medication right.

    Strom smiled a little. "I look forward to it then," Strom sat down next to Günter, who suddenly started to sweat a bit.

    "Like hell for me, you don't have to contend with Maxi waking! Oh that's the last thing I need, her being uncooperative with me as she tries to do a thousand more pushups or something," Gardar slunk into another chair in the room in sorrow at the thought.

    Whilst this lot rest up, we might as well look at the life of someone who's a bit more interesting at this stage of things. Remember Parris? Well ladies and gents, let's see what she's up to!

    ... I'm sorry she kinda forced me to write that. Let's just get this over with.

    "Aaah, Island Carhāi. It's me again!" Parris stood proudly on the shores of the Island Carhāi, the sand sliding beneath her from the rain. Somehow she still maintained perfect balance. "Hel! Ms Perrrrrrrrrrr!"

    "It's Helen Percival Ma'am! H-E-L-E-N Percival!" A young woman in a helpers outfit jumped down from Parris' golden ship.

    "Yeah, whatever Hel. Just get yourself ready! We'll be going inside-" Parris did a twirl, reflecting light off her armor in all directions, then struck a pose aiming at the mountain with the plateau speared on it. "-that mountain! After a few days of research I've figured out that inside this mountain is the remains of an ancient civilization connected to the Jurei stone! Eep, isn't it so exciting!?"

    Before Helen could do anything, Parris was already off, skipping towards the mountain. In an attempt to keep up, Helen slipped in the soggy sand beneath her. "Eugh... Ma'am! Wait, please, wait for me!" Leaping off the ground she ran in a dwaddling fashion (How do you describe dwaddling exactly? I suppose... Somewhere between ditsy and goofy) towards Parris.

    Eventually they came to a large carving in the side of the mountain, a large arch cut into the rock. On the back wall of the arch were etchings of a civilization long-gone, the marks being poorly maintained by the regions weather.

    "Oh it's such a shame that these carved out drawings had to be lost to time, I'm sure they were a spectacle back in the day!" Parris nearly hugged the wall, when she realized she needed to actually show why she was here. She coughed. "Well, Hel, this here is our way into the mountain!"

    "But... It's just a wall-" Helen was cut off.

    "TO THE UNTRAINED EYE! But see this eye? It's trained! In fact both are so there's no bias here either! But in actuality, this wall is not a wall, but a door! You see, if I press this part here-" she searched the wall then found an indent, no doubt where a gemstone of some kind was housed in times long past, and pressed hard. Click! "Now, we wait! Ooooh, it's gonna be glorious!" Parris was practically hopping on the spot.

    The wall shook, and behind it the sounds of gears and weights were heard whirring and moving. Next were a series of clicks, and along with those clicks was a moving door. It moved down into the ground, slowly at first and then, all of a sudden, it crashed downwards, sending dust everywhere. Behind the door were a series of iron bars that crashed down one by one, opening the way inside. Parris' eyes were sparkling like two large pearls.

    "AAAAAhahaAHah! Come on let's go inside!" With that, Parris dashed inside. Hel did her best to follow. Looking to their left and right, they could see that the walls were all covered with diagrams and images, much better kept than the ones outside. But that's down to not dealing with the weather. Parris lit a torch now that the cavern was getting darker.

    "Hmmm... I'm not the first one here then, just as I suspected," Parris suddenly got very serious as she looked this way and that as if to be looking for something.

    "How would you know that Ma'am?" Helen kept up as best she could. I forgot to say, she's been carrying Parris equipment all this time: all sorts of geologists tools to analyze rocks and gems of all shapes and sizes. She was having a hard time that's for sure.

    "Look around. You see where there used to be gemstones embedded in these walls? Most are gone. And before you say that they may have fallen off or something-" Parris shook her arms about saying this part. "check the floors. No gemstones, no precious things, nothing."

    Parris was right: there weren't any stones of any kind sitting around, outside of the stone that made the cavern. All the indents that had once housed stones were all empty. "What's mort intriguing though, is that I believe this place is linked to the Jurei stone. See this-" Parris procured a Jurei Stone from a pouch in her gear. "-This Jurei stone was found here in this cavern. Yes, I've been here before."

    "Wow, such a tasteful shade of purple!" Helen was completely dazzled by the glowing purple round rock in Parris' hand. True enough, the stone was a deep purple colour, with an odd gold glow emanating from it.

    "It wasn't always gold y'know. When I found it, it was just a clear orb, nothing more-" she stuffed the stone back in her pouch. "-However, when I let a member beneath me handle the stone, I saw it turn a strawberry red in colour. It's my deduction that the colour is based off of the beholder's personality."

    "Oh, so the fact it's purple shows you as a royal person, the gold glow symbolizing a love for all things shining?" Helen seemed to have figured it out.

    "Exactly! After all I'm royal blood, it should know such!" Parris smirked smugly, placing her hand to her chest in a very regal fashion. The two moved on. Looking more serious now, Parris continued. "Yes, except... Well, my research points to one of staggering qualities. The queen stone."

    "Queen stone? Sounds regal... Like you!" Helen smirked, laughing to herself. Parris ignored the last part.

    "Yes, regal is the word. According to my research, this stone is capable of controlling any and every monster. The rule of a Jurei stone is that in order to bond with a monster, your personality must mesh well with the monsters. The colour they see in the stone will determine the connection: if an angry monster met me, and I shown them my stone, then a bond wouldn't be made, because the colour the monster sees wouldn't be the right one to connect us. They'd see the stone being purple, and that would only make it angrier. Now if there was a very regal monster, they'd see the stone in a different light. Because my stone reflects my personality in this shade, the monster will see the connection, and a bond is forged. Of course how it's forged depends, but the most common instances are either when it's young and easy to bond with, or when it's mature and requires a test of you to see if you're worthy.

    "Now take the Queen stone. I've never seen it myself, but my findings point to it being a rainbow coloured stone, a true sight to behold. Now what could this indicate? If you haven't guessed Hel, it indicates that this stone allows any monster to be bonded with. No matter how that monster looks at the stone, they'll see their colour in there, and become tame. And unlike a standard stone, the Queen Stone is a guaranteed bond. No test, no requirements, nothing. And as far as we can see, the number of monsters it can captivate is limitless..."

    "So in short it's one of those ultimate weapon dealies? Kinda like in my mangas..." Helen was suddenly caught daydreaming about how this could be its own manga.

    "Pretty much. With that stone, somebody could take over everything. They could shut down the guild! As such, it's my duty to hunt after the illegal stone-" Parris got cut off.

    "ILLEGAL!?" Helen's shout roared down the corridor.

    "Oh, yes, illegal. The guild knows of it and have made it illegal to search for or obtain without permission. Luckily-" Parris pulled out a contract of paper from another pouch. "-I have such permission!" Parris winked. Putting it away, they came to a dead end finally. "Ah, another door! ... We better open it. My research points to this being a possible connection to the Queen stone."

    "WE WERE LOOKING FOR IT ALL THIS TIME!?" Helen was distraught that Parris had forgot to tell her the mission details again.

    "Well, yes. Yes we are. Now stand back, I gotta find the- ah, there we go. Alright! Open, sesame!" Parris struck a pose.

    "... I don't think that's how it works," Helen had a very stormy face on.

    "Shhhhhhh, let me have my moment! Oh, here we go!" Parris nearly fell out of her pose immediately just to hop up and down again in a similar fashion to earlier.

    Surely enough, the door was whirring up like the entranceway door. However, this one split in two and slid into the walls unlike the previous one. After this stage, there was a large circular disc against the wall. It started spinning, not moving anywhere, just spinning where it was. It then rather abruptly stopped spinning, and then fell off the wall, before rolling to the side to reveal the room behind it. Parris eyes started glowing.

    "TREASURE! GEMSTONES! GOLD! AAAAAAAAAAAA-" Parris leaped into the room to practically roll in the treasures, before finally remembering why she was here. She jumped up and dusted herself off. "We can uh... Yeah... We can get excited about this later! Right now, we need to check for information on the Queen stone!" Parris started searching frantically for info.

    Helen was dazzled by the rooms sheen. She'd never seen so much shining outside of Parris' ship. Looking to the center she saw what seemed to be an empty pedestal, designed for holding round objects. Round objects...

    "Hey Ma'am! I believe this pedestal might be of interest to you!" Helen ran to it, pointing to it a she ran. Parris nearly turned her head 180 degrees to see what Helen was jabbering about. Getting excited, Parris dashed for the pedestal.

    "Hey, look at this! It looks like it's built for something round... Like a Jurei stone?" Parris looked at Helen. She took out her Jurei stone and placed it in the holder. "No, this is too big for one... Of course! Maybe the Queen stone is bigger than your ordinary Jurei stone! That makes things easier to figure out-"

    Parris got interrupted by a loud roar. Turning around, standing in the entrance she could see a Shagaru Magala. There was no time to lose: she had to use her stone. Removing it from the overly large pedestal, she flashed its light in the direction of the Shagaru. Suddenly, the body language of the monster changed from threatening to calm. It was still ready for a fight, but now it wasn't a struggle for life. It was a test. Parris smirked.

    "Heh, alright pal! I'll take you on!"
    Chapter 26: Back on Track
    "Ugh, another filler chapter. Just get on with the main story!" Joseph was reading a novel he recently got into.

    "Filler? What happened in it?" Gardar was intrigued, but that may have been because he was still waiting for Maxi to wake up and had nothing better to do.

    "Well, things were moving in the story then all of a sudden, BAM! They talk to use about this side character doing side character things and moving away from the story. I just want my action!" Joseph slammed the book beside him. And all of a sudden, as if through some weird awakening ritual, Maxi's eyes flickered open.

    Maxi blinked. She looked to her left: there was Joseph. She looked to her right: there was a sleeping Leandre. She looked forwards again: there was a roof. She blinked again. A shudder ran through her entire body.

    "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH I'M RECHARGED AND READY TO BRING IT!" Maxi jumped up out of her bed, flexing like nothing before. "Wait, we never killed CEADEUS! WELL BRING IT!" Maxi was going to sink the island with this level of noise.

    "M-Maxi you should be resting!" Gardar was quite taken aback by just how active Maxi was.

    "HELL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'M FULLY CHARGED MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Maxi flung off her bandages. By some bizarre miracle her injuries were gone.

    "It's best you just roll with it Gardar. Maxi's body is unlike anything, she just heals that fast," Joseph got back to reading his novel. Gardar just decided to follow this advice and rolled with it.

    "... Urp... Hey, what's the noise about?" Leandre had awoken. He started rubbing his hand against his head. "Ugh, I feel a little woozy... So, what happened? We lost to that Ceadeus right?"

    "Yeah, we-" Günter cleared his throat. "-We failed. But he's still down there. We can beat it. I believe we can!" Günter got determined.

    Leandre was no longer feeling woozy and was already up and about. "What is up with these hunters..." Gardar was slunk into his chair. What was up with these hunters? It was like that Ceadeus was nothing in what injuries it did. Most hunters would still be knocked out.

    "Gardar, these guys deal with Maxi on a daily basis. Think about it," Joseph barely looked up from his novel, like this was normal. Gardar gave up.

    "Oof, there's... A bit of an ache here and there, but I'm feeling much better now. Yeah. I think I'm ready!" Leandre began some arm exercises to get them de-stiffed. Gardar slumped further.

    Strom was quietly grinning. He was glad that his friends had made it through this all. "Hey uh... Welcome back. I'm glad you're both okay," Strom gave a thumbs up to Maxi and Leandre, who both returned it in varying degrees of intensity. "So guys... You up for hunting this thing tomorrow?"

    "TOMORROW!? Aw, but, I wanted to hunt it TODAY!... Oh alright, but NO LATER!" Maxi dashed out the door and started work on her standard routine of exercise and stretching.

    "Yeah, I can do that. I think I need today to psych myself up anyway," Leandre found himself a seat in the cabin.

    "Count on it!" Günter turned to face Strom sitting beside him. Strom looked back with a smile on his face.

    "Then it's settled! Everybody, be ready to attack at the break of dawn tomorrow!" Strom was finally making his voice known. To everybody except Joseph this was quite the shock, even Gardar sat up to this. Then he proceeded to slump to tipping point.

    * * *​
    The sun peaked over the horizon as a new day started. At the edge of the beach stood the 4 hunters, their arms folded, their faces determined. Strom blinked.

    "Well you lot! You know what's to come next, so what I ask is... Are you ready?" Strom looked to the other 3 hunters on his left.

    "YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH BRING IT!" Maxi thrusted her elbows behind her, her fists clenched and perched up.

    "It's time for a little payback!" Leandre performed a fist pump.

    "We can't just leave this unfinished now! Let's show Ceadeus what for!" Günter cracked his knuckles.

    Strom smirked. "Alright then! All at once now-" Strom and the other 3 leaped forwards.

    "-To the sea! To the defeat the Ceadeus!"

    UPDATE!!!
    Because I was too excited for my own good I have 3 more chapters here for you guys. Enjoy!
    Chapter 27: Against the Odds
    There was no time to lose. Into the deep went the hunters, and in no time they found the Ceadeus once again, waiting patiently for them. The four stared at it. It stared back. Strom nodded to the rest, who nodded back. It was time.

    The hunters charged forward. In response, the Ceadeus let out a loud roar through the water, signaling the battle start. The first strike was by Strom who made his way to the Ceadeus face, promptly bashing it with his shield. He followed this up with slashes from his sword. Meanwhile, Günter readied his bowgun, aiming at the Ceadeus horns. He shook a little, then took control of his hands and aimed steady. Pulling the latch back on his bowgun, he aimed down the sight and begin a volley of shots at the Ceadeus in siege fire.

    Maxi took the Ceadeus tail. She was the only one capable of keeping up well enough with its erratic movements, and that she did, swinging her greatsword with all her might and smashing the tail into oblivion.

    Leandre swam for the edges of the underwater arena to gather ballista ammo. After gathering a sizable bundle, he loaded up the nearby ballista and took aim at the Ceadeus, then proceeded to fire at a steadily fast rate.

    Crack! The Ceadeus horn snapped off. Strom's assault wasn't over yet however. Charging up his Charge Blade, Strom let loose a series of strikes using the phials of his weapon, increasing his damage significantly. The Ceadeus howled, and then all of a sudden started seeing red. To indicate this it started glowing red too, and let out as loud a roar as it could: this means war!

    The Ceadeus started moving down deeper. Along with it followed Maxi and Strom. Meanwhile, Günter was reloading his bowgun, readying it for another siege fire. Leandre was gathering even more ballista ammo. All of a sudden though, the Ceadeus quickly turned and started escalating quickly along the wall of the cavern. Leandre, now noticing the moving Ceadeus, looked to Strom who was pointing towards a switch embedded into a platform on the side of the cavern. Leandre received the message and swam quickly towards it.

    Now at the switch, Leandre recognized what he was looking at: it was a pick-operated switch used for heavy machinery! It was old yes, but it looked functional. Readying his pick, Leandre waited for the Ceadeus to get close enough. And then...

    BANG! The pick was thrust into the switch. CLINK! STRIKE! Three large prongs sprung out of the wall into the Ceadeus, causing it even more agony. As it regathered its mental processes, the hunters once again returned to their positions in the battle, striking the Ceadeus more and more.

    The Ceadeus started inhaling major amounts of water once more. Everybody had learned from last time: the put their weapons away and made a break for it as Ceadeus blasted a large water cannon. Shaking off the stress that put on it, the Ceadeus now moved to the edge of the arena to prepare a charging dash through the water. Everybody got ready for what was to come.

    From nowhere the Ceadeus built up enough energy to propel itself like an underwater torpedo. Strom was met with the full force of the attack, but he stayed his ground. It would take more than that to bring him down again. After healing himself up, he popped a might pill, charging himself with energy.

    Strom pulled pack, and then charged forward, attacking furiously at the Ceadeus with slash after slash after slash. Maxi joined in, albeit attacking slower but attacking as furiously as she could, shouting with each hack and chop. Leandre continued his Ballista assault on the Ceadeus, and Günter unloaded even more siege fire onto the sea dragon.

    Strom readied a finale attack. "CEADEUUUUUUUUUUUS! TAKE THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!" And with that, Strom slammed his Charge Blade in its axe mode into the Ceadeus' face, defeating it once and for all. Finally, the underwater dragon lord of the seas had been defeated.

    The 4 hunters had beaten the Ceadeus!

    Gathering the spoils of battle, it was now time to swim back to the surface.

    * * *​
    "So how long you think they'll be?" Gardar was sitting with Joseph, waiting for the hunters.

    "Knowing them? Probably not long. They've had their integrity challenged, and they're not going to stand for that," Joseph puffed a heavy puff.

    "... You know that wrecks your lungs right?" Gardar knew this was in vain but he had to ask anyway.

    "Eh, so it does. I don't care. Most likely I'm too important to be killed off from smoking now," Joseph chuckled to himself. "I'm kidding, don't worry. But you should look outside."

    The two were in the cabin the entire time, but through the windows Joseph could see the 4 hunters surfacing, each with a wide grin on their faces.

    "See? What did I tell you. Welp, I better get ready to greet them," Joseph pushed himself out of his chair, his face desperately trying not to smile. Stepping through the door of the cabin, he stood and looked at the 4 hunters, his face in his control and stern. He marched over to the hunters. Now he could smile.

    "You guys. You did it! You know what this means? Frontier passes! In short, you'll be accepted into the Raviente hunt! I have to say, well done you guys! Despite the odds, you've proven to us the gusto of true hunters. Now... What say we head back home eh? Maybe Günter will finally cook us some food!" Joseph chuckled to the group who returned the chuckle. Looked like it was back to the ship.

    The sailers who were irrelevant till now (Enjoy it guys, you'll lose it soon enough) had kept good care of the ship whilst the hunters were busy. And now they'd be useful again: in a group effort, half the crew moved the ship off the shore into the water, and set sail for the main island once more.

    Once again, the voyage wasn't anything notable so let's skip that.

    Back at the island now, the sailors pulled the ship into port, and docked it the right way this time (rather than pushing it onto shore). Maxi practically flew off the ship to greet Echo.

    "ECHOOOOOOOOOO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I MISSED YOU! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" She hugged it as tight as she could, getting a hug back from the smoll Brachydios. "Look at you, you must've had a growth spurt! You only reached just under my knee before I left but now you reach above it! Oooh my baby you're growing fast!"

    Leandre ran for Tammi and similar to Maxi, hugged it. Except he was more quiet about it.

    "Strom? Now that we're here, I... I'd like to talk in private with you," Günter started blushing.

    "S-sure, lead the way," Strom blushed back. He then realized Günter meant to go to Stroms tent so Strom took the lead in taking Günter there. After they reached his tent and went inside, Strom made sure that the tent was locked off from the outside world. "Okay, the coast is clear. You're safe."

    In that moment, Günter collapsed, letting out a sigh of relief. An oddly... Girly sigh of relief. He then started ripping off armor. "I'm so done with this armor made for men, it's too bulky for someone like me," Günter? You sound incredibly different... Oh my word Günter, don't tell me that you're...

    "Well you aren't built for mens gear. You're body shape is way different from a mans shape so it's only natural you feel like that," Strom sat down, as did... Günter. Or at least I believe it's Günter. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

    Günter blushed. "Well... I... I'm just inspired right now. How you managed to face your past and change. I overheard your conversation with Joseph and... I'm just so proud of you. It's made me decide what I want to do but, what I want to do needs your help. Can I have it?"

    Strom looked very serious. "Well, yeah of course you'd have my support! What do you need help with?"

    Günter took a deep breath. "I need help... With revealing who I am to the others."

    "With revealing that I'm a woman."

    Chapter 28: Astonishing Developments
    The next morning had dawned. Everyone was exhausted. Günter was the only one awake. They were in their tent, thinking to themselves about the day. This was it. The day that Günter revealed they were a women. She trembled with excitement yet she was still so full of fear. What would the others say? Would they lash out? Günter, or, whoever she was, was nervous for this. Outside she heard footsteps.

    "You awake? It's me, Strom," Stroms voice was heard from outside.

    "Strom? Oh thank goodness, just the person I needed. Hold on..." Günter got up to unlock the tent entrance... A tentrance if you will. "Come in!"

    Strom made his way in. "So, you ready for this? It's gonna be tough so if you need to wait a while..."

    "No, I need to do this. I need to stop keeping secrets like this and reveal myself to them. But... If you could stand beside me as I reveal it?" Günter started blushing. I really want to know if that's her real name or not, I'm uncomfortable with talking about a Günter in a female way.

    "Sure. I can even introduce you to them for you if you want, name and all," Strom placed a hand behind his head.

    "Yeah... Yeah I'd like that. Thanks Strom," Günter blushed. "I guess I better get dressed for the big reveal."

    Some time passed. Eventually everyone was finally awake and waiting for Günter to arrive at the campfire. Everybody was there, except Kane who was still away on emergency business.

    "I wonder what's keeping Günter? He's usually not this late with breakfast..." Leandre spoke into his clutched hands as he waited.

    "Whatever it is, he's keeping me HUNGRY! I want FOOD!" Maxi's cheeks were puffed in hungry anger.

    "Sorry to keep you guys... But, I had to ready myself," Günter put on his manly facade once more. She was closely followed by Strom. "I need to tell you guys something. Something that I've kept secret all this time to all except Strom. Have you ever wondered why I never show up outside of my armour?"

    "Well, come to think of it that was weird. We're usually in our casual clothes for stuff like this. Guess we just accepted it!" Leandre was smiling now that Günter was here. It meant breakfast!

    "Yeah, well... That's the thing. I've been hiding myself all this time. It's time I show you who I am," Günter had set up her armour specially today. It was now set up that by the press of a button at the neck, all the armor would fall off. This was to be the last day it'd stick around on Günter. She first removed her helmet, and then with the press of a button, her armor fell off around her, leaving her in her indoor shorts and vest. She tapped her index fingers together. "Well... What... Do you think?"

    You ever have jawdrop moments? Well there was a camp-wide one here. Everyone just stared. This was like some crazy dream. This was Günter?

    "Wait... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Leandre's eyes went blank.

    "You're a girl!?" Joseph dropped his cigarette.

    "What is this!?" Shiloh lost his breath.

    "Oh. My. Word. WHAT," Gardar couldn't take much more of this.

    "You have a CHEST!? It's bigger than MINE how'd you hide that!?" Maxi was even phased by this.

    "... Huh," Blake shrugged.

    "Guys, this here isn't Günter anymore. From now on, you're looking at a new woman. This here is Newlyn. And she's a woman, through and through. So say hi!" Strom was the only one unphased by this, including Newlyn in that, who was blushing extremely hard by now.

    "Well, this... Is a lot to take in... I mean... I... You... And..." Joseph lost his breath. After finally reclaiming it, Joseph managed to readdress what was up properly. "So... You're a woman. Well... Glad you finally shown us! It's good to have you aboard Newlyn. You already know us, but I guess we'll need to reevaluate our views on you. But, may I ask... Why you hid it?"

    "I... Well... Uh... I-I-I--" Newlyn wasn't getting anywhere with this.

    "Want me to explain?" Strom spoke softly to Newlyn. Newlyn nodded back, her blush taken to a new level. Strom cleared his throat.

    "Well, seeing as how Newlyn explained for me back there about my history, it's only fair that I explain for her...

    * * *​
    It was early on the second day of the hunters stay on Island Āvās. The only one awake was Newlyn, who was up early to make breakfast for the hunters. She sat in the open, her armor unequipped. She hadn't realized yet the risk she had taken. Strom had woken early today and was on his way out of his tent when he saw the strange woman sitting out in the open, touching the sacred pot that belonged to Günter.

    "Who.. Are you!?" Strom yelled out to Newlyn, who quickly turned round. After letting out an eep of surprise she pressed her arms to her chest tightly, then looked quickly left and right.

    "... Please don't tell," Newlyn was shaking in fear. Strom suddenly realized that the face he was talking to was the same face as Günters.

    "Wow, wait... Günter is that you?" Stroms jaw was thoroughly dropped. Newlyn nodded. "Okay, this is... New... *huff, puff* Okay I think you should follow me to my tent. We need to talk."

    Now at Stroms tent, Newlyn had sat herself down, still trembling. "Please, don't say! I need to keep this a secret..." Newlyn was sweating intensely.

    "Alright, but explain to me. Why does this have to be secret?" Strom had calmed down now.

    "Well... When I was little my parents pressed me to be manly. To abandon my womanly virtues and become the manliest hunter. My parents were both very strong, and very... Manly. But they were also both extremely sexist towards women, even my mother! They were disappointed when I turned out to be a daughter rather than a son, so making do they forced me into their absurd ways. They always taught me that I could never hope to be a woman in this world, and that I'd have to become a man, so I tried. I wore the armor despite the chafing that stuff does to me, and I developed a manly voice. I even made sure to keep my face just bordering on what looked like a mans. I learned to live the lie..." Newlyn spoke through half-sobs.

    "I see... And you still live it?" Strom could hear the discord loud and clear coming from Newlyn.

    "I would stop but... I'm scared. I'm scared of what they'll say, and of what my parents would think. Back where I come from, honor is a big part of the village. By denying manliness, I'd be denying their wishes, which is a major disrespect to their honor," Newlyn was fully tensed up.

    "I see... You know, that's pretty brave of you. You've had this trapped inside you all this time. But no need to worry now. You can be as girly as you like around me," Strom smiled genuinely at Newlyn. She eased up. Somehow this felt... Comfortable.

    "... Yeah, I'd like that," Newlyn smiled, her sobs disappearing.

    "There's just one more question. Is Günter your real name?" Strom wanted to know if Newlyn had another name. Well, you readers know the answer.

    "Legally yes but, I would like to be known as Newlyn... Is, is that okay?" Newlyn looked intently into Stroms eyes. Strom nodded. Suddenly Newlyn flung her arms around Strom. "Thank you! Oh thank you... You don't know how much it means to me now that there's someone I can just be me around. Thank you, Strom..."

    * * *​
    "... And that's what happened. Afterwards, I told her my backstory to show her that I had something to hide too. From then on, we'd daily meet to be ourselves, and to just, chat. Newlyn decided to talk to me yesterday however, and asked me to help her reveal herself to you guys, and while that's not her legal name, it's what she prefers to be known by. So I respectfully ask you call her that," Strom had his arm wrapped around Newlyn the entire time. Newlyn looked calmed, just by this one gesture.

    Everybody had recovered their wits, and after a bit of murmuring, everybody looked at Newlyn: and smiled. Joseph stood up and walked towards Newlyn. "Well, Newlyn! I'd be glad to have you aboard on our team. We'll make sure you get fitted with new gear! I'm sure all that mans gear must have gotten uncomfortable, so it's my duty to make sure you're reimbursed. Welcome aboard, Newlyn," Joseph held out his hand to Newlyn, and got met with a hug. He awkwardly accepted this.

    "Thank you, oh thank you thank you thank you!" Newlyn was practically sobbing on Josephs chest out of pure happiness.

    "... You're shorter than I thought..." Joseph thought to himself.

    Chapter 29: An Awkward Embrace
    It was later in the day. Newlyn was getting used to walking about just as herself and not in mans armor. She liked it. Felt good. Felt natural. For once in her life she could be herself: and that was girly girly girly. And I mean stereotypically girly, not Maxi-style girly (which let's face it, that isn't even gender biased to either side, it's just its own thing).

    Throughout the day Newlyn was caught picking flowers, getting absorbed in Echo and Tammi's cuteness, cooking all sorts of dishes and flashing looks at Strom, then suddenly looking serene. This Joseph had noticed after careful analysis.

    "So, you've been spying out Strom today haven't you?" Joseph was smirking from ear to ear. All of a sudden Newlyn went as red as a Volvidon.

    "Wh-what? No! No, no I haven't, not at all, I mean-- What's it to you!?" Well Newlyn was definitely different to Günter that's for sure. Clearly the proudness she once had was just another part of the mask.

    "You've at least looked at him 53 times today Newlyn," Josephs smirk wasn't about to leave.

    "You counted?" Newlyn looked confused.

    "... That's not important. And it's deflecting! Admit it! You have a thing for him, right?" the smirk kept on sticking.

    "... Alright fine, I... Yes. Yes! Yes, he's just... He's the perfect person!" Joseph nearly saw Newlyn's eyes turn to heart shapes. "But... But what would he care for a silly person like me, I'm just a lie and a facade, a nobody-"

    "Newlyn, do you really need reminded? Strom knew who you were for quite some time now. We've been here for over a month now, and he's seen you every day since our second day of settling here. If anyone here knows you well it's him. And from what I've seen, I think he's into you too," Joseph abandoned the smirk. It was getting creepy.

    "... You really think so?" Newlyn looked up to Joseph with hopeful eyes.

    "I do. And I think you should proclaim it to him. It couldn't hurt to try!" Joseph crouched down a little to look at Newlyn directly. Joseph wasn't used to this, not even with Maxi: that said, Maxi is pretty tall for a woman. Damn all her training.

    "But... But I'm not strong enough for that..." Newlyn looked to the ground, her expression suddenly saddened.

    "Well then, come up with a scenario. Find a way to make it easy to say it. I know! Dinner! You're good at cooking, the best! So make dinner. Meanwhile, I'll say I have to go hunting quickly and I had to take the others quickly. You'll get some quality time with him then," Joseph let himself smile, but this time it wasn't that creepy smirk. It was a genuine smile of confidence. Newlyn blinked.

    "Yeah... That could work! Thanks Joseph!" Newlyn flung her arms around Joseph again. Joseph wasn't used to this much hug. Nor was he used to Newlyn. This was a lot to say the least. "Alright! Then that's what I'll do! Ooooh, I'll get started right now!"

    * * *​
    The sun began setting on the horizon. Newlyn had finally prepared a meal sure to dazzle the tastebuds off of even the most discerning of connoisseurs! Joseph was ready with the others on a boat to depart for the ocean.

    "So, you'll be gone and'll be leaving Newlyn and I here?" Strom was going over things with Joseph.

    "Yeah. I had to throw together a team on the dot for this one, it was out of the blue. And with Newlyn lacking armour I wasn't going to put her into it! And I need you here to look after her. You know her better than anyone else, so you'd be the best for it," Josephs reasoning seemed sound enough. Strom was skeptical but he eventually bought it.

    "Alright then. Good luck," Strom gave a thumbs up. His tone had died down now that talking was more common with him. He then turned to Newlyn, who had already set up a table with food on it. Strom blinked. "How'd you set that up so fast?"

    "I'm a chef! A chef has to serve fast, and sometimes get the table out faster," Newlyn smiled a genuine smile. Despite her drastic mood change she was still a chef through and through. Or is that Cheffette?

    "Well... Alright! Thanks Newlyn, you didn't have to do this you know," Strom walked up and made himself comfortable. In front of him was a succulent roast steak made with fine herbs, spices and a light barbecuing. To his right was a chalice of mead, the perfect hunters brew and part of any hunters diet. Guild-style Meadâ„¢! (Available in all good hunters retailers)

    "Wow... You really went the whole bullfango on this one," Strom looked at the food, his mouth watering. "Thanks!" He began to tuck in, as did Newlyn.

    "So... I needed to talk to you about... Something... Uh... Uhm... S-something..." Newlyn couldn't put the words together.

    Strom stopped eating. "Can I hazard a guess at what you're trying to say?" Newlyn nodded. "I'm gonna guess... You're trying to tell me how you feel about me. So you did it in a cheesy dinner-style fashion. In a way that, if there was a plot, you'd only be obstructing it through this."

    Newlyn blushed. "Yeah, well... That's pretty much it. Sorry, you must think me weird..." Newlyn started twirling her finger through her hair.

    "Not at all. Honestly I feel the same. Newlyn. Ever since you revealed yourself to me, I've felt... Good about myself. I'm glad to have met the real you," Strom said, rather cheesily.

    Honestly recounting this is both sweet and sickening so I'll speed it up best I can. Sometimes it's hard being the narrator...

    So it was after dinner. Both had finished their steaks and meads. "So... We're good?" Newlyn looked intently at Strom. Strom smiled back.

    "We're good, yes. Come here," Strom wrapped his arms around Newlyn slowly. She returned the gesture. "As cheesy as this seems and sounds, and as cheesy as that scene was... I couldn't care. We're happy now. We can be ourselves. And we can feel this way about each other." Stroms grip tightened. So did Newlyns.

    "Thanks Strom. Thanks."

    * * *​
    Whispers and murmurs ran through the Guild Council Hall. Nobody could believe what they just heard the Grandmaster say. Everybody kept looking back and forth between themselves.

    "Grandmaster, is this true? Are you certain?" Kane was there, now shaking at what the Grandmaster had suggested.

    The Grandmaster put a finger and thumb to the eyes hidden under his brow. "We aren't sure for now, but it seems entirely likely that this Morning Dew is the exact same person as the hunter killer from 7 years ago."

    A man from across the room in Tempest gear stood up: "It's not that far a stretch either. The hunter killer from 7 years ago was never truly confirmed dead: there was always something fishy about how he was snuffed out. Furthermore, he was a master of disguise, able to change his face, voice and body shape to match whoever he desired. A true wolf in sheep's clothing."

    "If this is true, then this is a major problem to us. This is the hunter killer after all... If we had another epidemic like that on our hands, the world would be turned on its head," Kane didn't like the prospect.

    "Indeed... But for now, we don't know if this is true yet or not. So for now, we'll be waiting to see what happens. Hunters, keep your eyes peeled for this Hunter Killer. Dismissed," the Grandmaster waved a hand. "Oh, and for those that weren't aware of this hunter killers name...

    "He's known as Mad Darren."
     
  10. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    Yo! So in a glorious blaze of hype I may have written 4 chapters instead of my usual 3. But hey! Means more reading material if you're into that. So here we go! The next 4 chapters:
    Chapter 30: The Amazing Journey of Parris Part 2: An Important Report

    The next morning was all but quiet: outside were Newlyn and Strom, chattering away like two school kids. Maxi was busy exercising with Echo (She's found a new way to exercise: continuous suplexing. Kinda like a cartwheel except... Suplexy) and Leandre was busy trying to convince Tammi to stop lying in the way of his tent. Joseph was flicking through a series of notes and other assorted documents. Blake and Gardar were taking a time out underneath a shady tree.

    "Oh! That's right! Strom, I was wondering if you'd help me get my new set of armour for me... I kinda, lack it at the minute," Newlyn blushed as she giggled.

    "Of course! Anything to get you back to what you want to do," Strom gave a thumbs up an a large smile. Newlyn returned it.

    "Hm... Parris hasn't shown up in some time. Wonder what she's up--" Joseph's thoughts were interrupted by a distraught Parris stepping into his tent.

    "Joseph! Joseph, I have bad, bad news for you," Parris was serious. She wasn't acting in her high-and-mighty way she usually acted.

    "Bad news? Well quick quick, tell me!" Joseph started leaning forwards on his chair.

    * * *​
    We now return to where Parris was, a little before now. When we left off, she was ready to showdown with a Shagaru.

    Parris stared down with the Shagaru. For a moment, silence dampened the air, the buzz of a fight igniting. Twirling her insect glaive out, the Universus, Parris smirked then proceeded to dash for the Shagaru. Seeing the signal for battle, the Shagaru charged forward also, its horns pointed down. Parris, in a swirl of glaive swings, swung her weapon into the Shagaru's horns.

    A mighty clashing sound rung through the treasure room. Jumping away from each other now, they circled the room staring into each others eyes., before turning and clashing once again, this time breaking the synchronization that had been taking place. Shagaru struck left and right, then left again, flinging its large wing-arms at Parris again and again. Each time, Parris blocked the strike, and after a series of blocks proceeded to unleash her own assault against the Shagaru.

    In similar fashion, the Shagaru deflected the shots using its sturdy wing arm claws, one after the other. Parris pulled back and started twirling her glaive intensely, then proceeded to slam it into the Shagaru's wing arm, breaking the claws on it. The Shagaru stepped back in a howl of pain, its expression turning more determined. Roaring, the Shagaru started to cause rising explosions around Parris. Twirling her glaive, she dashed for the Shagaru, collecting juices from it using the kinsect on her arm.

    The shagaru leaped forward, and then pulled itself up high, readying its wing arms for a large smash attack. Parris moved as fast as she could out of the way, rolling to the side of Shagaru then vaulting on top of it, slashing it as she went down the length of the Shagaru's back in a blazing whirlwin. Landing at the tail she started moving along the side of Shagaru, slashing it as she went. Out of nowhere swung a Shagaru wing-arm: taking Parris by surprised, she got swept up in the attack.

    Yelling out, Shagaru smashed Parris into the ground, breaking through to the slope underneath: some sort of trap for intruders? Regardless, in the rush of the attack, Parris broke free and was now sliding down the slope. She looked right: there was Shagaru. Standing up as best she could whilst sliding, she twirled out her glaive and proceeded to once again clash with Shagaru. The Shagaru again and again used its horns to deflect the attacks. The slope suddenly hit into solid ground, tripping up both Parris and Shagaru.

    Rising to her feet, Parris hopped towards Shagaru, her blazing glaive spinning wildly at her side. Pulling it back, she homed in on the Shagaru, who was still trying hard to get up. In the flash of an eye, Parris lunged the glaive forwards and along the Shagaru's sides, cutting through it as she moved along its length. The Shagaru stopped struggling. It was tired. It lay on the floor, panting from exhaustion.

    Parris swirled her glaive flashily and stabbed it next to her feet in a showoff-ish fashion. She breathed heavy from the fight, but with good reason she could wear her smile with pride. "So, *huff* you finally *puff* admit defeat *huff*," Parris laughed to herself. The Shagaru almost smiled too. After the both of them had become less tired out, Parris directed to the Shagaru to get them out of here. Nodding, the Shagaru leapt up the slope that lead them down here, eventually bringing Parris to the treasure room.

    Helen nearly dropped all the things she was carrying. "Ma'am! You're flying that thing!" Her jaw was about as dropped as it could get.

    "Eh, I just tell him where to go and he goes there. Now how about you get on yourself Hel?" Parris signaled to the Shagaru to land, and then bow down for Helen to get aboard also. Tentatively, Helen climbed up the Shagaru (whilst still maintaining the balance she had holding all of Parris' objects) and onto its back. "OK! Now, let's get outta here!" With Parris' signal forwards, the Shagaru reeled back, and then in one mighty leap rocketed forwards like a jet on steroids. In a matter of seconds, they were out of the cavern. The rain seemed to have eased up now, the skies clear and reflecting the evening glow.

    Parris thought to herself. She then liked what she was thinking of. Helen didn't like the look that crept across Parris' face. "Hey, Hel. Why don't we check up on that Raviente that was spotted some time ago? I'm sure that the others will appreciate it," Parris formulated the perfect excuse to keep flying on Shagaru. Helen wished she'd just said "Let's stay flying a little longer." Helen didn't even answer back.

    Have you ever flown on a Shagaru? No? Huh, you're missing out. Maybe you live in some dimension where Shagaru don't exist! Hahahaha! But that's impossible! Anyway, flying on a Shagaru is an exhilarating experience. It flies incredibly fast, almost like a jet-powered wyvern, but it flies so smooth at the same time, making for an incredibly comfortable ride. Provided you get past the back spikes. Helen couldn't.

    They were now flying over a massive island, much bigger than any before. This was the correct place: and in the distance was the Raviente the guild was keeping their eyes on. They flew over to see what it was doing. Currently, it was on the move, leaving trails of dust in its wake like tidal waves of dust and grit. So far, however, it seemed to not be making any moves. Then Parris looked closely at the head of the Raviente.

    Was that... A person!?


    Chapter 31: The Struggles of New Truths

    Joseph had his hand gripped tightly to his table. He looked like he had a blood vessel that was about to pop. "A-are you serious with this?"

    Parris sternly looked at Joseph. "As serious as I can be. That was Elliot I saw on the Raviente. But... To control a monster THAT large! No Jurei stone can do that! The limit is just over that of a Jhen Mohran but that's it. But Raviente? I can only assume one thing: that Elliot is in possession of the Queen stone."

    Joseph brought his head down low. "The Queen Stone... This can't be happening-" Joseph lifted his head quickly. "He's in possession of it!?"

    Parris nodded solemnly. "That would explain why I didn't find it where it should've been. I had assumed that it was moved to somewhere more secure, but after further research... That cavern I found the pedestal for it in was filled with traps, tricks, and all sorts. And all were disarmed recently. I thought it was just a poorly protected cavern, but... That place was weaponized to the seams."

    "... This isn't good. Not at all, but... We need to keep this secret from the rest. At least for now. Their mood recently has lifted now that Strom and Newlyn have opened up, I wouldn't want to ruin that," Joseph started taking down notes. He held his head in his hand, his hair flung over his fingers.

    Outside, Leandre had just overheard. He hadn't meant to, but when he heard Joseph's shout he needed to know what was going on. Tammi was next to him.

    "... Not you too Joseph. You want this secret from us? Why? Why all the secretism?" Leandre caught himself talking to Tammi. "Sorry Tammi, it's not your fault. Come on, let's go for a stroll down the woods again," Leandre made his way down his usual route, with Tammi following closely.

    But no matter what, he couldn't enjoy it like he usually could. These walks through the woods would calm him down, especially in Tammi's presence, but today Leandre was seriously miffed. Like if you've dropped your food for the 24th time in a row and you're sick of having to remake it each time, except worse.

    They finally made it to the clearing they usually laze in. Leandre fell backwards, his arms outstretched. He sniffed. His eyes welled up. "Why guys... Why betray trust like that? With all these secrets and such... How are we meant to work as a team when we can't be honest?" Leandre closed his eyes. He needed to get away from it. Then occurred a roar from up on high. Leandre's eyes flashed open: there was nothing up above him. He stood up and looked through the trees in the clearing: they were rustling. And then all of a sudden:

    A loud screech was heard, a monster accompanying the screech leaping out of the trees. Its body sheened a mixture of purple, pink and creamy-yellow, leaving a trail of what looked like soap. Tammi tried to make a break for it but it was too late: the attacking monster had a strong grip of Tammi.

    "What... A Tamamitsune!?" Leandre stood back as he witnessed the Tamamitsune take on Tammi brutally. Tammi tried to fight back, oh it tried, but the other Tamamitsune had size and strength on its side, not to mention a strong bloodlust. Leandre was frozen with fear. Finally he convinced himself to attack the large Tamamitsune, drawing his sword and furiously attacking the larger monster. It hissed at Leandre, but decided it wasn't bothered staying here. It did enough damage. It galloped out as fast as it could. Leandre put away his sword and ran to Tammi.

    "TAMMI! TAMMI!" Leandre wrapped himself as best as he could around her. She was still breathing, but... This was some serious blood loss for her. He needed to get her to Camp as quickly as possible. Lifting Tammi's front half over his shoulders, Leandre pressed forward as quickly as possible to base camp. For normal hunters, such a task would've been an ordeal, but Leandre ignored his pain. He had to. For Tammi.

    "GUYS! GUYS, HELP, PLEASE! GUYS!" Leandre chanted over and over, to get the attention of the base camp. Eventually everyone had turned their heads, first confused, then shocked. Gardar stepped up and ran towards Leandre.

    "Wh... What happened!?" Gardar started examining Tammi all over. He checked everywhere, and deduced that Tammi should be left here for him to work over. "Leandre! Get a grip-" Leandre's eyes had gone pale, his body quivering. He looked to Gardar. "-Get me all my medical supplies! Everything you can carry! She hasn't much time left!" Gardar quickly turned back to Tammi to do his best for her with what he had on hand.

    Leandre ran to Gardar's station like a bolt of lightning. Grabbing practically everything off of Gardar's work table, he charged back to Gardar with everything ready. "Set it next to me! Quickly!" Gardar couldn't turn from Tammi just now. Leandre dropped the stuff next to Gardar, and then slowly backed away. His eyes welled up. He fell backwards: but then the floor didn't catch him. He kept falling. Where was he now? He didn't know. He didn't care. This was better than what was happening.

    * * *​
    Was that a tent roof? It was, but... Not like the others. It was new. Clinical. Leandre suddenly remembered: Tammi! He flung himself up and looked around. He was alone. Standing up now, he found himself feeling a bit woozy, but getting past it, Leandre stepped out of the tent. It was night now. Everybody had a sunken look on their face: they all turned to Leandre, and then proceeded to flood him with "You're awakes!" and the like.

    "Please, move, I need to see Tammi!" Leandre pushed past them, and looked around. There was another tent like his own. He rushed towards it and barged in: there was Gardar and Tammi. Tammi was out of it. All over, she was covered in bandages.

    "How is she?" Leandre nearly shouted it before he modulated his volume. Tammi looked like she needed the rest.

    Gardar stood up. "She's... Alive. She'll make it. We just need to give her enough sustenance to build up the blood she's lost already, not to mention plenty of rest. She's very lucky," Gardar couldn't help but cringe at the statement.

    Leandre's face got dark. "I'm sick of this happening. I'm sick of it," Leandre started clenching his fists tight. He stormed out of the tent. The rest of the group moved away from him: Leandre was not his usual self. He looked terrifying. He moved past the group and looked to the sky. "Why? Why does this have to happen?"

    "Oh, Leandre... She'll get better soon, trust me," Newlyn did her best to reassure Leandre.

    "Trust you!?" Leandre turned 180 degrees, his eyes shooting daggers. "You want me to trust you? Oh sure, I'll trust you! Except wait, I won't! You LIED to us about yourself this whole time! How am I meant to trust someone I don't even know anymore!?

    "Leandre, calm down-" Joseph didn't get to finish.

    "CALM DOWN!? Don't make me laugh! You're no better! I heard you: you were keeping it secret! The information about Elliot! How he has this, Queen stone, and is now linked to this Raviente! Why the hell did you keep that secret? What the hell is a Queen stone!? Why the HELL should I calm down!?" Leandre fell forwards. Nobody was brave enough to answer. Leandre started sobbing. "I don't know how we can just sit easy now... We've been lied to, we got beaten up by that Ceadeus, Tammi's life nearly ended! What next? We get betrayed!?" Leandre glared upwards at Joseph, his eyes bloodshot. Joseph glared back.

    "So you heard? Well I'm sorry it hurt you, but may I make it known: that suggestion was shot down moments after I made it. Parris convinced me to reveal it to the rest, including you, and brought up good points. We were stressed enough. You talk about trust, yet how can I trust you now after listening to a private conversation? And may I remind you who saved your life against that Ceadeus? None other than Newlyn. Leandre, I don't want to have to do this, but... I hereby ban you from hunting for the next week. No more teamwork. No more meals. No more hunting. You are to live it on your own in the forest. You may take your belongings, and Tammi too," Josephs face went stone cold.

    Leandre lost grip. Suddenly everything went hazy. Was his reaction right? Or had he made a mistake? Whatever had happened, he lost this weeks wages. He lost this weeks bonding. He lost his friends.

    And that struck harder than any monster could.

    Leandre pulled himself up. He made his way to his tent, grabbed a bag of items quickly, then went to Tammi's tent where he convinced her to wake up. They made their way out of the camp.

    Parris turned her head slowly to Joseph. "Wasn't that a bit harsh?"

    Joseph covered his eyes, his lips trembling. "I had to do it. It's for his own good."

    "You say that, but you just cut him off!" Parris sounded angrier now.

    "And you think that was EASY!? I would've paid anything to be a pushover there! But he has to learn how to forgive the matter, and how to trust. The issue here isn't how we've betrayed his trust. It's how he betrayed ours. And he has to learn that. I'm going back to my tent," and with that, Joseph turned around and went to his personal tent to mull things over. Everyone else stayed silent.

    And it stayed that way for the rest of the night.

    Chapter 32: Work Towards Trust

    About half an hour passed. Leandre was tired. Tammi was tired. They let themselves fall over in exhaustion, deep within the woods. Leandre looked at the sky, and then at Tammi. First thing's first, he needed to figure for himself out why a Tamamitsune attacked Tammi? Seeing one on the island was rare enough. Unless...

    "Hey, Tammi?" Leandre turned his head to Tammi, panting with tiredness. He got a tired look back. "If I'm right, I want you to make a noise, okay?" Tammi let out a tired growl. "Okay. I need to know... Are you far from your home?" Tammi growled again. "Was that monster back there from your home too?" Tammi once again Growled. "I see. It was after you, wasn't it?" Tammi let out a final Growl before falling asleep again.

    Leandre figured it out. Tammi was a runaway Tamamitsune, and clearly a runt at that. That other one back there was out hunting Tammi after she had abandoned the pack, and had now achieved it. But knowing a monster, it'll most likely return to confirm the kill. Leandre couldn't let that happen. Leandre stood himself up then moved next to Tammi, and placed himself next to her and sat down. He drew his sword, ready to fend off anything that would come his way.

    * * *​
    Morning finally approached. Leandre hadn't slept. He was still wide awake, keeping his eyes peeled for the other Tamamitsune, or any other monster that would take advantage of Tammi's state. Tammi stirred. She rose up. She'd definitely gotten better, but looking at her, she still had a ways to go. Yawning and stretching, she made herself comfortable behind Leandre.

    "Ah... Good you're awake. I got tired there, haha," Leandre rubbed his eyes. His helmet was still on. He removed the helmet and tried again. "Alright, I might as well look for some food for you or something... I think I have some raw meat and a portable spit here..." Leandre searched through his belongings he had with him. Ahah! There they were.

    Leandre spiked the meat onto the spit and started turning. For a second he swore he saw dancing cats, and then next thing he knew something was burning. "Aagh, crap, nononono," but it was too late: Leandre burnt this one. No way was Tammi getting this.

    OK, time to try again, but this time focus. Once again Leandre started turning the spit with a piece of meat spiked on. Round and round, he watched every turn. Timing was key. He couldn't screw up now, not when he had Tammi to look after! He started sweating. His eyes focused in hard on the meat. The meat began to change tone. Leandre lifted an eyebrow. He was close. Just a little bit longer now...

    FWISH! Leandre flung the meat up away from the meat, holding it in the air triumphantly. A well-done steak! Leandre smiled to Tammi whose tail began beating wildly. Handing the steak over to Tammi, he got to work on another. Tammi swallowed it whole, as per usual.

    About 5 steaks later, Tammi was finally full. Leandre fell back. He couldn't stay awake much longer. Tammi moved over to Leandre and proceeded to wrap herself around him.

    Roughly 10 hours passed. Leandre woke up and decided to stretch when he realized there was something fluffy stopping him from stretching. He looked around. He was surrounded by purple fur. He looked up. Well, there was the sky at least. Leandre stood up to see what the purple fluff was, and as it turned out, it was just Tammi. Leandre had no complaints. "Alright then-" Leandre said this in a stretched tone, to match his stretching away his stiffness. "-Guess we should find something to do whilst we wait to get back... Get back. It's only been a day and I miss them. Man..." Leandre pressed his hand to his head. "What was I thinking!? Yelling at Joseph like that! He's the boss! I should've just saved it for another day..."

    Tammi had turned to face Leandre, but was now moving away from him with a sour expression on her face. She curled up next to a tree. "What? Did I say something out of place?" Tammi just let out a huff. Leandre fell backwards. He was genuinely confused. What did he say?

    * * *​
    It had been a day and Tammi was still keeping distance between herself and Leandre. She even put off eating. Leandre was genuinely confused: what had he done to offend his friend?

    Offend his friend.

    Oh.

    Like a lightbulb, Leandres mind clicked. He'd been at the wrong end of the stick this whole time. "Wait... Tammi. I think I figured it out. Why you're being like this. It's me. All of it, it's me. I was unreasonable back there... I was the bad one in this. In getting caught up in worrying about being betrayed, I let myself betray them. Man... I can't believe this. I'm supposed to be the one in charge of the other 3, and this is what I do with that responsibility?" Leandre fell forwards onto his knees. His face turned to the sky. "... I have to apologize for it now. I've been a jerk."

    Tammi's ears twitched. She looked round at Leandre: he genuinely looked like he was about to flood with tears of remorse. Uncoiling herself, she slowly walked over: and nudged at Leandre's pack containing meat. "Oh, so you're hungry now that I admit I'm wrong? Haha, alright. I'll get you more steak cooked up."

    Nothing much happened over the next few days. Leandre spent his time taking care of Tammi, and in no time at all she was near perfect in condition. With each day she grew stronger. Monsters are good at sleeping off their injuries, with a little food on the side. Tammi was no different.

    Finally the last day came. Leandre started getting set to return back. "Ugh... Tammi, I feel like I've got Flutterflies in my stomach haha. What will they say!? I betrayed their trust! Will they even welcome me back? Oh man this'll be tough..." Leandre started slipping down towards the ground. Tammi caught him, pushing her head under his arm. "Heh, well I guess I won't find out till I try. I'll be strong."

    The woods suddenly started shaking as a familiar screech filled the area. Leandre stood dead still, wrapping his arm as best he could around Tammi. There it was again. Leandre turned his head to where it came from: the trees started rustling.

    "Tammi, you ready for this? It won't be like last time. This time, we're beating this thing together," Leandres eyes turned determined. Tammi pulled the same look.

    SCREECH! ROAR! The large Tamamitsune leaped through the overgrowth into the open. It stared down Leandre and Tammi, who stared back. "You ready Tammi?" Leandre looked to Tammi, who looked back.

    "Let's do this!"

    Chapter 33: Trust's Test

    Leandre had his hand ready to draw his sword. Tammi was standing on edge, ready to move at the drop of a hair. The large Tamamitsune was hissing and glaring at them. It coiled up backwards, and like a spring moved forwards in a lightning fast dash. Thinking quickly, Tammi and Leandre split apart and then thrust themselves into the large Tamamitsune as it moved past them, bashing it in both sides. It shrieked out, before turning around quickly in a tail whip attack. Leandre dived out of the way whilst Tammi leaped to another part of the area.

    The large Tamamitsune turned to Tammi, its eyes glowing with bloodlust. Growling and screeching, it leaped for Tammi who coiled around the large Tamamitsune, before grabbing on with its own bite. Leandre ran up towards the enemy: jumping onto its tail, he ran along the back, slashing as he went, before bouncing off its face, turning to face downwards, then slamming his sword into the large Tamamitsune. The Tamamitsune managed to move just enough for the blow not to be fatal, but that was some strike to the side of its head.

    Leandre spun around, slashing at the chest of the large foe, and then proceeded to hack at it more and more. The large Tamamitsune prepared a bubble attack: Leandre had no time to move! In the rush Tammi slid across on its own bubble mix, picking up Leandre, and then circling around the enemy. Round and round, faster and faster, Tammi picked up speed as Leandre held on ready to strike. Suddenly Tammi changed angle and flew directly into the side of the enemy, Leandre's sword outstretched forwards plunging it into the side of the beast.

    The large Tamamitsune skidded across the ground, but regaining its control it turned and lunged into Leandre's shield arm. Leandre yelped in pain: even if one set of fangs hit the shield, the other set hit his arm. Tammi, quick as a flash, swayed around the large Tamamitsune and thrusted herself into the foe. The large Tamamitsune fell over and started to squirm as it wrangled for balance. Leandre and Tammi took the opportunity to leap at the foe and pull off more attacks.

    Eventually, it swerved back up, its tail tripping up Leandre, making him drop his sword. Smack! Leandre's face hit the ground. Looking up, there it was: his sword! He just had to reach it-- But the large Tamamitsune was not having this. It slammed down onto the fallen Leandre, preventing him from moving. It started preparing a strong bite. Leandre gasped as the mouth came close to his arm. Then a bolt of pink struck into the side of the enemy.

    It yowled, skidding across the area and into a tree. Hissing even more, it picked itself up and dashed towards Tammi, leaving foamy trails as it went. Tammi stood her ground waiting for the attack. CRASH! The two clashed into each other and proceeded to coil around each other in an attempt to squeeze and crush the other. Quickly picking his sword back up, Leandre pulled back, waited for his chance and then-

    He leaped forwards, his blade outstretched and cutting along the side of the enemy Tamamitsune. It wasn't prepared for that: in the moment it let its guard down, Tammi bit in strong into the Large Tamamitsune's leg. Screeching, it unwound itself from Tammi and began to wriggle on the ground. Tammi looked at Leandre: Leandre looked back. Now looking towards the large Tamamitsune, they ran up towards it in perfect sync, and in just as equal a sync they roared out towards the foe.

    Pulling back his sword, Leandre dashed forwards, before unleashing all his strength in one mighty blow into the face of the foe. Just as equally timed, Tammi headbutted it into oblivion. The large Tamamitsune went limp. Leandre sheathed his sword: Tammi shook her head off from being dazed by that attack.

    Leandre looked down at the large Tamamitsune. "And this is why nobody messes with my dragon," Leandre chuckled. He always wanted to sound like a manga character of some sorts. Tammi let out what sounded like a laugh, except with her dragony, growly voice. Leandre looked up and smiled at Tammi, who almost looked like she was smiling too. "Come on then. We better head back to camp."

    Tammi put her head under Leandre's good arm. And albeit slow, the made their way back to camp.

    * * *​
    "It's been a week now. Do you think he's okay?" Parris stared intently into the campfire. She was still somewhat salty about Josephs actions.

    "Knowing Leandre he's probably fine. What I'd like to know is if he figured out why we banned him from coming here till now," Joseph rubbed his hand against his head, before deciding he liked his hand being there and placing it back for his head to kneel on.

    "... Hey, look, there he is," Strom could see the silhouette of two figures, one large one human-sized, heading back for camp.

    Everybody stood up as Leandre walked towards the camp with Tammi. Eventually the light hit him well enough for everyone to see him: his shiny Azure armor was stained with red along the waist, as well as on his right arm and from under his helmet. Tammi looked relatively healed up.

    "Leandre! Hold on I--"Gardar was stopped by Josephs hand.

    "Don't go near him. Not till we know he's learned his lesson," Joseph kept as stern a look as possible. Gardar knew better than to fight with Joseph over this: that didn't stop him from cursing under his breath.

    Everyone stayed silent as Leandre approached. He looked like Tammi had been supporting him this entire way. "Ugh... My back is killing me haha..." Leandre put on a smile, then realized he still had his helmet on again. He pulled it off, and flashed a large smile to everyone. He got worried, awkward looks back. Leandre dropped the smile. He got himself away from Tammi and walked to Joseph, and stared at him for a second. He fell forwards.

    "Joseph! I realize I've been... I've been a bad member of this group. I betrayed everyone's trust! I turned against my friends! But... So what if one of them had to hide that they were a woman? So what if you have to keep secrets? I realize now that I was selfish! I was a bad friend and teammate! Even if you never trust me again guys..."

    "... I'm... I'M SORRY!"

    Leandre's words rung through the camp. Joseph walked towards Leandre. "You know, what you did? You're right. You betrayed our trust-" Joseph held out a hand. "-But a good friend knows when to put it behind them, right?"

    Leandre looked up, tears flooding his eyes. He smiled, grabbing hold of Joseph's hand, Joseph smiled back through foggy eyes. "Gardar! Quick! He needs help, now!"

    Gardar was there in an instant, itching to get to work on Leandre's injuries. Now content and back at his base camp, Leandre let go: and everyone once again went pitch black.

    And as if in an instant, light flooded back into Leandre's world. He looked around. It was the medical tent again. Surrounding him was everybody, including Tammi.

    "Hey, you're awake. Now, don't move Leandre, you're in bad shape. I'll ask about it later but for now get yourself rested," Gardar was washing his hands. Leandre looked at Newlyn and Strom. He blinked.

    "Hey, Strom... Your armour, it changed," Leandre weakly pointed out. Strom looked down at himself, forgetting he ever changed his armor.

    "Oh yeah... You're probably wondering about that. I decided to make a new set after finding out my old armor set was much further beyond repair than I thought. I decided to make it as I worked on Newlyns armor: I took the White Monoblos armor that she had made and converted it to something for her build," Strom placed a hand behind his head. Newlyn had a wide grin on her face.

    "And about before... You were right. I should've said earlier... I was just so scared to," Newlyn's grin faded a little.

    "Nah, you revealed at your own pace... That's what matters. I shouldn't have... Shouldn't have been so mean about it," Leandre coughed with a raspy voice. Newlyns grin grew back again. Kane walked over.

    "Hey. I'm back again, and... Well, I have bad news for you. The rest know, but that was during whilst you were away..." Kane sat down to tell Leandre the bad news. "It's very possible that..."

    "That Mad Darren is alive."
     
  11. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    Next few chapters published and ready to read! Just, take fair warning. 34 can get rather grim, so be ready for that.

    Chapter 34: Leandre's Lamentations
    The day disappeared faster than you can say Steak. Despite them accepting Leandre back, most of the hunters there were still shaken by his actions. Needless to say that wasn't very like him at all, so why the sudden explosion? After enough requests, Joseph finally made it his business to go ask Leandre about it.

    "Leandre? You mind if I come in?" Joseph poked his head through the medical tent. Leandre gave a thumbs up. Joseph strolled in. "Leandre. We're glad to have you back, but we need to know: why the sudden explosion of anger? It seemed so out of character for you, so I need to know."

    Leandre sat himself up a bit. "Ah... Yeah. Yeah that's fair... Alright. I'll tell you. Back in the day..."

    * * *​
    We now step back in time 12 years, back to when Leandre was 16 years old. It was the day before the guild festival, a celebration of the guilds creation. I forget myself how long ago that was! Before Leandre's time anyway. My time? No I'm a narrator, I'm immortal. It's just been that long that I've forgotten.

    Guild-castle city was the venue of this festival, the location where (rather obviously) the Hunters Guild of this side of the world was situated. The entire city was surrounded by high walls, the insides filled with bustling streets both wide and narrow, the houses both tall and short, wide and thin. In the very center of the city was a large, heavily fortified building: the guild center itself. It stood magnificently above the city, its multiple flags blowing in the wind. All around it were different colored lights and lanterns, not to mention a whole series of stalls dedicated to Hunters and Hunter fans, selling anything from novelty collectibles to themed food to actual weapons.

    Leandre walked down the streets. Just two more years and he could be buying those weapons! Well, that was something to look forward to. But being just 16 there was no way he was getting a position as a hunter just yet.

    "HEY! Leandre!" a girl ran up behind Leandre. Leandre turned around.

    "Hey there Maxi!" Leandre turned round to the young Maxi, who was 13 at this stage.

    "The floats'll be coming SOON! Hurry UP and get GOING!" Maxi was bouncing on the spot, pouting. Leandre knew better than to deny her request. That would lead to a thorough suplexing.

    Yes, even at this tender age of 13 Maxi was just as loud, just as threatening, and just as Maxi as she is now. Maxi never really changed.

    "Alright alright haha, I'll take you," Leandre grabbed Maxi's hand to take her to where the floats would be. He got twisted around and thrown onto the ground.

    "No holding HANDS! I'm big enough to hold my OWN hand!" Maxi pulled that pouty face again, her shoulders hunched up and her fists clenched. Leandre received the message loud and clear. Picking himself up, he signaled to Maxi he was moving on now, and Maxi followed. She then lead. Leandre had to run to keep up.

    "Look, look, here they COME!" Maxi had reached a wall upon which she jumped on top of. The wall overlooked a wide and long street, along which multiple floats of varying shapes and sizes strolled along.

    "Hey, get down from there you're gonna get in everybody's way! Not to mention the height risk!" Leandre did his best to convince Maxi to step down. Maxi wasn't having it.

    Eventually Maxi was convinced to at least sit on the wall, They looked over as the floats moved along one by one. Eventually there came a float with 3 very famous hunters on it. One stood up and started blowing kisses to the crowds. Then he stopped: he flashed a devilish smile. Drawing a sword he turned to one of the hunters, and--

    "Wh... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"

    "What happened to them!? I can't see!"

    "The blood... It's gotten everywhere!"

    The crowd began to scream in terror as the man turned away from the hunter he just deprived of life's privileges. He looked at the third hunter on the float, then lunged at them too. He cackled softly. Turning to the crowd, he spoke out: "So who else here is a hunter eh? Come on over! I'll be nice, heahheeaheehaea." His teeth flashed a brilliant white. He started to grab at part of his neck, and then slowly peeled away what looked like a mask.

    "It's... M-M-M... MAD DARREN!" someone in the crowd yelled out in terror. The hunter killer cackled even more.

    "This fair will be made all the more fair after I punish a few hunters here kyaaaahahaha!" Darren stepped off the float and started seeking out more hunters. One by one screams were heard all across the city as more and more hunters were found by the brutal man.

    Leandre stared, distant from this world. The hunter he just seen kill those other ones, Mad Darren... He was disguised just like Leandre's father. Leandre nearly let his stomach get the better of him. He breathed heavily.

    "Leandre... What's all that red?" Maxi watched confused from her perch. Leandre looked swiftly upwards to her. "And... Why are those men sleeping?"

    Leandre scooped up Maxi in his arms and through her over his back. "Come on, we've gotta get out of here!"

    "And that man, with the face-changing... Wasn't that your dad?" Maxi looked down at Leandre from her saddle.

    "I.. I don't know! But we have to move!" Leandre couldn't stop now.

    "Why did he remove his face? Does he like wearing masks?" Maxi was completely unaware of the situation.

    "MAXI! THEY'RE DEAD. THEY WERE KILLED. MURDERED. D-E-A-D DEAD!" Leandre snapped at Maxi. Maxi's expression blanked.

    "... They're... Dead?" Maxi started zoning out. She lost all connections to the outside world. "... As in... Asleep... Forever?"

    "YES! YES NOW PLEASE BE QUIET AND LET ME FOCUS!" Leandre had to keep running. There had to be a way out, but Leandre had gotten lost now in the fluster. And then, there he was.

    "Oh! Pardon me children ahehaeaehaeahe..." Darren stared down at them, his perfect smile reflecting the sun. In his right hand was what looked like a sword that would usually be accompanied by its shield. Whatever the sword was, it was hard to tell under all the red. Nearly everything about Darren was hard to tell under the red, but his smile flashed through. He had a body held in his right hand: he dropped it and started walking towards Leandre slowly. The body didn't move.

    "No... No... Nonononono," Leandre started to step backwards.

    "Oh, how I love children... I could just eat them up-no that's gross... But, they make great target practice, eheeeaaeheaeaa," Darren slowly creeped along with Leandre, the red covering his armor dripping over Leandre and Maxi. "MmmmmMmMmmmmmMMMM, what do you think? Eh? I KNOW YOU PLAN TO BECOME A HUNTER!

    "M I G H T A S W E L L S T O P A M E N A C E B E F O R E I T H A P P E N S!"

    Leandre tripped: remembering he had Maxi on his back, he stopped himself from falling. Leandre turned and made a break for it. "COME BACK CHILD! I A S S U R E Y O U W E ' L L H A V E F U N!"

    Leandre didn't stop. He was now pushing his legs to the limit. He turned around: Darren was on his tail, cackling as he went. SMACK! Leandre hit a wall. This time he'd fall for sure: he swiveled himself around to protect Maxi from feeling the fall. But I doubt that she'd feel it now.

    Leandre stood up. He shakily turned his head up: more red dripped on him.

    "Well, that was fun... But all good things come to an end right? S O T I M E T O E N D I T!" Darren started slowly approaching Leandre, his cackles becoming more and more crazed. DING!

    Leandre covered his eyes. Nothing happened. He looked up: Darren had disappeared. To his left was Darren lying on the floor. He stood up quickly and brushed himself of, leaving a large mark of red where he fell. Just next to Darren was a hunter with a lance: that and his mighty shield.

    "Kids! Get out of here now!" The hunter stopped Darren from approaching. "I'll take care of this!"

    Darren laughed. "So I can't have the children? Fine, fine... I'LL JUST TAKE YOU INSTEAD!" in that moment, he leaped at the hunter. Leandre high-tailed it out of there.

    "Don't worry Maxi, I'll get you some place safe! We're clear of him for now though," Leandre burbled through the red sticky liquid that dripped on him from Darren.

    But Maxi stayed silent.

    Chapter 35: Why the World Never Trusts
    The sun beat down. Today was gloriously beautiful, or at least it was. Leandre was still running, now outside of Guild-castle City, and he wasn't stopping, not yet. There was a forest just outside the city, to which the dirt track that lead out of the fortified city was heading. And that's where Leandre ran to.

    Leandre finally came to a stop. He wheezed as he caught his breath from all the running, the sweat dripping off his face. Looking to his left there was a small section of bushes that looked perfect for some cover. He crawled in. It was fairly cramped in there but there was enough space to make do with. He set Maxi down. Maxi was still out of it.

    "Hey, uhm... Maxi? I'm sorry for back there... For snapping at you. It wasn't fair of me, I just needed to get out of there fast. You did nothing wrong," Leandre flung his head back, before realizing that doing such smacked his face full of twigs and leaves from the bush.

    "They... Died... Leandre? Does this mean... We'll die too?" Maxi's eyes were still blank, her expression pale and distant.

    "No, no... No, we won't die. Not yet," Leandre did his best to comfort Maxi, squeezing her to hisself.

    "Promise?" Maxi started coming back to the world.

    "Promise," Leandre squeezed Maxi tighter.

    Some time passed now. Maxi feel asleep by now in Leandre's arms: the shock from earlier had seriously tired her out. Leandre kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious. He was worried that Mad Darren would come after them again, but considering his massive unbias to who was killed earlier, Leandre was doubtful. According to what Leandre could see it had been 3-4 hours now. The sun was setting. Still nothing. It was about time he got moving: there was no way he could look after Maxi and himself here. Leandre stood up, picking up Maxi as he moved out from under the bush.

    Maxi's eyes lazily opened. "Hey... Are we, moving?" she spoke in that lazy, half-asleep tone most people sound like when just waking up.

    Leandre got Maxi atop his back again. "Yeah. Just sit tight, we're gonna be moving forwards again. We need a better place to stay than that bush after all," and with that Leandre moved on down the track through the woods. The sun was falling over the horizon, its golden glow silhouetting Leandre and Maxi.

    A light could be seen down the track as the night rolled in. Leandre strained his eyes to look: it was like some sort of wagon stocked to the hilt. Leandre continued forwards. Eventually the wagon slowed and stopped next to Leandre.

    "Hey, what're you two doing out this lat- my word, what are you two covered in!?" the man on the wagon was just noticing the stains on Maxi and Leandre. Leandre looked up through the corner of his eye. "Wait! Wait, hold on now... Are you two needing a ride? If you like I can take you to my place." The man held out a hand.

    Leandre looked at it and thought about it, before deciding that there was nothing to lose for it. If they were a threat he could just bail from the wagon. Getting up, he sat himself beside the man. The man didn't look particularly flashy: he wore a standard set of Derring gear and had on him an Iron Gospel longsword. Nothing superb, just there as a comfort more than anything.

    "We can talk about... Whatever that is staining you later, but first I want to know: why are you out here alone with that girl there? Don't you have parents fussing over ya or something?" it was only fair that the man was questioning into it, anybody in the right mind would.

    "My parents, and hers... They're dead," Leandre stated firmly.

    * * *​
    The man finally reached his destination. It was a simple single-floor accommodation, with a very oriental look to it. Most of the walls were made out of a translucent glass-like material with various patterns painted across them. Heading inside, the man directed Leandre and Maxi to where the bath was so they could clean themselves of the dried red stuff. Maxi got dibs on going in first, promptly shouted "No PEAKING!" and then slammed the door before humming to herself.

    "So, what's up between you two then?" the man promptly started scratching his head. "And the lack of parents?"

    "Well, Maxi never really had parents as far as I know. When I was 9 years old, I found her sheltering from the rain. She was alone and shaking, soaked to the bone. I walked over to her and asked her if she had a family, but... She stayed silent. So I asked her if she wanted something to eat, and she followed me to my house. It was then when we became like brother and sister. As for me, well... I lost mine recently..." Leandre clenched his fists as he recounted what happened at the Guild-castle City.

    "My word... I'm so sorry to hear about that. So the stories are true: there's a hunter killer out there now. You guys have had it rough. Here, stay with us for a while. We'll provide for you for as long as you need. For the record, my name is Gregg," the man placed his hand through Leandre's hair.

    About a year passed. Life wasn't the easiest, but it wasn't the worst. The homes resources had to be obtained through the houses member's own steam, which meant Leandre and Maxi had to perform a lot of the duties there. But, it at least meant living, and they had a nice man, Gregg, looking over them. Ultimately the biggest test for Leandre and Maxi was the woman he was married to.

    Not a week passed without her complaining about there not being enough money to look after Leandre and Maxi, and not a week passed without Gregg sticking up for Leandre and Maxi. It could get stressful at times needless to say, but for the most part it didn't go anywhere.

    * * *​

    The bell hung outside the sliding door rung. "I'll get it!" Leandre ran to the door and slid it to his left, to be greeted by a hunter in Guardian X gear.

    "Excuse me, is this the home that's housing Leandre Bulwark and Maxi Caladbolg?" the soldier-like hunter stood with a slip of paper in one hand.

    "I'm Leandre yeah. Maxi's here too," Leandre confusedly looked up at the hunter. Why were they interested in Maxi and him, and how did this hunter know their names?

    "We received a message from this house about two kids that needed to be taken into care by the guild-" the hunter got caught off guard by Gregg's wife.

    "Oh! Yes! Yes I was wondering when you'd get here! Yes, please take these kids away from me!" Gregg's wife rushed up with a purse in hand. The hunter handed over a large sum of cash to her. Maxi came running in worried.

    "Wait, what's going on here?" Leandre looked back and forth confused at the occurrence. The hunter grabbed Leandre's arm.

    "We've been asked to take you to a location where you'll grow in a financially stable climate: a carehome for the young. Come along now," the hunter tugged Leandre away, grabbing Maxi has he went

    "Wait! Why's this happening!?" Leandre got no answer back. He turned round to look at the house: Gregg's wife looked positively ecstatic at the money she was given. Gregg however, looked down at his feet, as if to shut off what just happened. Leandre watched in disbelief as he was towed away from what was his home, if only for a year.

    "... I see. You've been betrayed several times now, with your father actually being Mad Darren in disguise then your new mother selling you out. That sounds rough..." Joseph looked down at his hands. He clenched them hard. He suddenly realized something about Leandre's story. "Wait a minute... You knew Maxi from that long ago?"

    "Yeah. We've been like brother and sister ever since then. I didn't have to stay at the home long thankfully, but Maxi had to wait another 4 years, till she was 18. I decided to put off my hunting career till she was out. That way we could start together. Maxi... Well I have a lot of trust in her. But everyone else has had to deal with a skeptical me. I feel like such a jerk now..." Leandre placed his hand to his head. Joseph grabbed Leandre's arm.

    "You were a jerk that much is certain. But you admitted to being wrong and faced up to retelling your past. You've done enough now," Joseph stood back up. "I'm going out now. You get some rest."

    * * *​
    Some time ago, in a lab under Guild-castle City...

    "Ms? Permission to come in?" a soldier spoke through a door, knocking as he spoke.

    "What is it?" a distracted voice with a notable highness of pitch shouted back.

    "You have a letter Ms," the soldier called back.

    "Just hand it to Mota there if you please," the distracted voice kept on with what she was doing.

    The door opened, and in it stood a jet black Melynx, with its paws outstretched. The soldier handed it the letter then left: the Melynx having been handed the letter shut the door. "Ms, it's a special seal nya! Your 'Do-nyat-open-for-fear-of-death' seal!" the Melynx ran towards the woman who stopped working now, considering this was a letter with the Do-nya--

    Ahem. With the Do-not-open-for-fear-of-death seal. The woman took it and unbound the seal. Her face turned pale. "So... That's how it is," she looked up to her ceiling. "... Fine. Fine! I'll do it. Ugh... I better write back with confirmation to the proposition."

    "But this kinda work just isn't my thing, blegh."

    Chapter 36: A Stranger in the Mix
    Joseph and Kane were busy the next day in the work tent. A lot had to be discussed. For the most part, it was just facts, figures, boring stuff from the Guild council meeting. Eventually, they got onto the important info: the stuff on Mad Darren.

    "Hey, is... Is that your cat?" Joseph leaned to the right of his desk, spotting a jet black cat in the entrance way. It yelped and leaped a little into the air, before covering its mouth: it had been caught! It swiftly turned around and got moving as fast as it could. "Quick, Kane! After it!" Joseph skidded to the right of his desk and made a break for the cat. It gave Joseph a decent runabout that's for sure.

    It eventually ran into and behind a series of bushes, through which Joseph started hacking through.

    "Wait, wait Mota WAIT NOT HERE--!" a higher pitched voice rung from behind the bushes. Getting through to the other side of the undergrowth, Joseph found a woman in Seltas Z gunner gear, the cat clinging to her.

    "... Who are you?" Joseph looked down at her confusedly.

    "Ah, AH! Mission objective breached, gotta get outta he-YOWCH!" Joseph grabbed her by the collar before she could make a break for it. Joseph lifted her up, and only now realized her shortness. "Let go of me, I AM NOT SOME COLLECTABLE!"

    "Oh I'll put you down: When you explain to me who you are and what you're doing here!" Joseph wasn't gonna put up with an intruder.

    "Like hell I'll tell you!" She folded her arms and started huffing, her face puffing.

    "Hm... Alright, I'll just take your cat! I'm sure he'll fetch a good price on the black market!" Joseph decided to have a bit of fun with this intruder. So long as he got the truth out of her at least.

    "No! My Melynx! Mota, scratch him or something!" the girl started swinging about frantically.

    "A Melynx? That'll fetch even more on the Black Market!" Joseph flashed a devilish grin.

    "NO please NO!" the girl panicked, trying to grab for the Melynx.

    "Then talk. Now," Joseph held her up higher.

    She let out a tired sigh. "Fiiiiiiiiiiine. FINE! The tag I have been given is Tekli Alset, and the title that I've been bestowed is the illustrious title of head scientist at the Guild-castle City lab! Now, gimme back Mota!" once again the girl started reaching frantically for the Melynx. Joseph gave her back her little friend. He then dropped her.

    "Well, guess there's nothing for it. You're now my prisoner," Joseph dusted his hands off.

    "WHAT!?" Tekli's eyes went wide with disbelief.

    "Hey, you're trespassing here. You never got permission to spy on me did you? Obviously, you've been watching us for a while now, haven't you?" Joseph leaned over, imposing himself upon Tekli.

    "... Yes, I guess I was technically spying on you-- BUT I HAD GOOD REASON!" Tekli waved her arms around in defence.

    "Really? Then why'd you do it?" Joseph placed a hand to his chin in contemplation.

    "... I can't say. I would but, it could be... Compromising," Tekli started sweating. Joseph left it at that.

    "Well then. That's fine and all: but for spying on us I'm gonna have to keep you under our custody here. You can have free reign of the camp, but there'll always be someone watching you. Got it?" Joseph grabbed Tekli by the collar again.

    She growled. "Fine, FINE! Do what you want! It's not like it'll stop my science!" She flipped down a visor then once again folded her arms, puffing her face up. Joseph dropped her.

    "Good. Now follow me to the camp," Joseph lead the way back as Tekli and Mota slumped along grumpily.

    * * *​
    Tekli stared intently at Maxi. Maxi stared intently back. They kept staring at each other.

    "Why have you been staring at me for the past 43 minutes?" Tekli had to pick the worst person to get associated with first, didn't she?

    "First Newlyn comes along with her bigger chest, now YOU come along with barely any! I guess there's MORE variety than I thought!" Maxi, that's... Have you not figured out that that's not exactly how you talk to females?

    "Well DON'T tell me how to talk to them! Not when you call them FEMALES!" wow, sheesh Maxi alright. No need to hit me for it.

    "My... My chest? WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT EXACTLY!?" Tekli went red as a Bnahabra.

    "It isn't, I'm just CURIOUS at the difference in this world!" Maxi didn't stop staring.

    "... Uh, yes. The diversity. It's there. Woo. Stop staring. Now. Please?" Tekli was getting rather uncomfortable with all this. She looked behind Maxi. "Why is there a Brachydios there?"

    "Oh you mean ECHO!" Maxi jumped up and posed: Echo did the same.

    "You gave it a name? What is it, a pet?" Tekli scratched her head in confusion.

    "No, she's like my daughter..." Maxi got very quiet all of a sudden.

    "D-d-d... DAUGHTER!?" Tekli burst out laughing, nearly rolling on the floor. "That's a good joke! I didn't know we had a comedian on this team!"

    "... I wasn't joking. AND YOU CAN'T COMPETE WITH WHAT I BELIEVE IN MY HEART! YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Maxi pulled another pose, thrusting her elbows behind her with her fists clenched, like she was powering up or something.

    "For real? Huh. This was not something I calculated. It seems emotions go deeper than the usual black and whites..." Tekli stood up and started thinking about it.

    * * *​
    Strom was busy fishing in the nearby waters. Tekli sneaked up on him. "Hey, where's the other one? The one you're all mushy around?"

    Strom nearly leaped out of his skin. "Tekli! Don't... Don't just sneak up on people like that," Strom did his best to regather his composure. Living with Maxi does teach you to do that quick, that's for sure. "Anyway, you mean Newlyn right? She's not here at the minute. It's not like we have to be with each other 24/7 or anything."

    "Interesting... So a human relationship is not as intimate as I first thought," Tekli pulled out a pad to scribble notes onto. "Fascinating. So what's she doing now?"

    "Oh, just out gathering for herbs to spice up her cooking," Strom threw a line back into the water. Tekli rubbed her hand to her chin.

    * * *​
    Newlyn strolled through the woods, looking this way and that for various herbs and spices to use in her cooking. Eventually she spotted Tekli hiding behind a tree.

    "Tekli? What are you doing behind that tree exactly?" Newlyn tilted her head in confusion.

    "Egh, stealth has been compromised. I was watching your activities here, curious of what you were up to. So chefs sample their own wares?" Tekli picked a mushroom from the ground and looked at it closely.

    "Well, usually we just purchase the stuff fresh from a market... But out here I kinda can't do that," Newlyn smiled a little. "You know that Mushroom would go great in a stew. Mind if I have it."

    Tekli blinked. "Uh... And... WHY WOULD I GIVE IT TO YOU? This could be valuable research material!" Tekli looked at the shroom even closer.

    "Well you can have it if you want, I was only asking..." Newlyn shied away.

    "... Fine, FINE! You can have the stupid mushroom. My visor told me enough that it's uninteresting to me!" Tekli flicked her visor up, her face trying to be stuck up.

    Newlyn giggled. "You know you're rather cute when you pull faces!"

    * * *​
    "Call me cute, grrrrrrr, I'll show her a thing or two!" Tekli had wandered into Leandre's medical tent. She was pacing back and forth grumbling.

    "Tekli, I know Joseph said you had free reign of the place, but I'm trying to sleep here..." Leandre tried to speak up, but he didn't seem to get through to Tekli. After three or four more paces, Tekli blinked and realized she was in a medical tent.

    "Huh? AH! YOU! You're not... Infected with anything contagious or deadly are you!?" Tekli started backing away slowly.

    "What? No... I'm just quite badly hurt from a fight with a savage Tamamitsune," Leandre coughed out.

    "A Tamamitsune? But those aren't native to this region... What in blazes are they doing here?" Tekli didn't get this at all.

    "It was chasing after the Tamamitsune I have as my partner, Tammi. She fled the original pack for reasons unknown to me, and one chased her down to here," Leandre tried to get back to sleep desperately.

    "Partner... Maxi earlier used the term Daughter for her Brachydios earlier. So by that token... Does this make Tammi your romance partner?" Tekli said this with a genuine innocence.

    "Get out of my tent now," Leandre firmly directed Tekli towards the exit.

    Stepping out, Tekli continued grumbling to herself, pacing along once more. "What was THAT abo-- oooh, nobody marries monsters. Of course, this isn't the same as the other side of the world. Haha, whoops!"

    "Still, it's a current possibility. I'll take note of this!"
     
  12. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2014
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    Here you go guys! More Hunter Story. A few lighter ones this time, hopefully things will get faster soon enough, but for now here's some nerdy fun.

    Chapter 37: Tekli's New Lab
    Tekli sat atop a tree. She stared out at beyond the sea, wondering if she'd ever get back home, back to all her technology. She felt helpless without it, but at least she had her Seltas Z custom suit to help her, modified with all her latest tech, She sighed, and proceeded to climb down carefully, landing with a little bounce and then trudging over to the campfire to receive the recently prepared food.

    "Want some Tekli?" Newlyn was serving out some steak stew (Leandre's idea, since he's struggling with solids). Tekli looked up, pretending like she wasn't paying attention.

    "Hm? Well I wasn't planning on eating but I shall sample your... Stew," Tekli was as a matter of fact, starving by this point but she did very well at hiding it. She didn't do very well, however, at hiding her joy of receiving this stew.

    "Tekli, you sound like a NERD!" Maxi had practically swallowed the stew in one go, to which Tekli found to be a very perplexing feat.

    "Wait, what? What's the point of that statement? And HOW DO I SOUND LIKE A NERD!?" Tekli would've thrown her arms about if she wasn't holding stew.

    "You just sound like a NERD! It's so CUTE!" Maxi started wiggling from left to right as her face almost turned cat-like. Meanwhile Tekli was once again going that Bnahabra shade again.

    "Oh YEAH!? Well... AT LEAST I DON'T SOUND LIKE AN ADOLESCENT TEENAGE MALE!" Tekli proceeded to laugh. She didn't realize Maxi joined in on the laugh.

    "YEAH! It's just how it GOES!" It's hard to insult Maxi. She either pays little attention to them or proudly acknowledges them. In short: you can never win an insult contest with her, as Tekli has learned the hard way here. Taking her soup with her she went to see Joseph, who was busy at work in his work tent.

    "Mr Devin! I know I'm in your custody but that doesn't give you the right to allow others to mock me!" Tekli nearly started her arm shake routine, before remembering she still had stew. She took a sip.

    "Joseph. The name's Joseph," Joseph stopped looking at his notes for a minute. "And I don't see how you're getting so worked up! They're just having fun!"

    "Since when was fun making fun of others?" Tekli paused for a moment as she mulled over this statement. Interesting choice of words there from her brain.

    "It's called joking around. There's no ill-meaning behind it, and if you're trying to joke to Maxi, you're joking to the wrong person. You're not gonna win against her. But if that's not fun to you, then go ahead and tell me what you want."

    Tekli was taken aback by the offer. She'd only been here a day and already it was like she was part of the family. It made her feel uncomfortable. "WELL! FIRST, MIGHT I ASK... Uh... Why are you guys being so accepting of me? I thought I was a prisoner..."

    "Well, here's the thing. I never actually told the others that you were in custody," Joseph smirked, winking at Tekli.

    Tekli gaped. "What? But, that's a major breach of security! Without following good protocol I could escape right now!" Tekli sipped another sip of stew.

    "Well if that did happen, I could get the others on you in a heartbeat. Like the snap of a finger-" Joseph illustrated this with a finger snap. Tekli nodded, sipping more stew. "-But I don't want the others to think of you as a prisoner. Tekli, you're good and I know it. For a start you were hired into the guild, and into guild science at that! Not just anybody gets that sort of job, you've gotta be trustworthy. True, for whatever reasons you've began to spy on us. Maybe the guild doesn't trust us, or maybe somebody wants dirt on us. But you must've had a good reason to do it right?" Joseph nearly expected an answer.

    "If you think I'll disclose why I came here to survey your actions, then you're on the wrong track," Tekli sipped again.

    "That's fine, that's totally fine. You're not comfortable talking about it. Now, about what you'd like for fun, that's what I want to know. If you're gonna be under my custody you're gonna enjoy your time here. So tell me: what is it you enjoy most?" Joseph stood up, his hands kneeling against the desk in front of him.

    Tekli took a moment to think about it. It wasn't a long moment. "Well, I'm a scientist and inventor. What I would want for fun is my own laboratory. I miss my own so much, it's been exactly 36 days, 3 hours and 25 minutes since I was last in it! I want to get back to building!" Tekli was nearly bouncing up and down, before she realized she had to keep calm about this.

    Also it would've flung the precious stew everywhere. She took a sip.

    "A lab? Well sure thing, We can build one! It may take a while, in fact it may be crude but-" Josephs thought process was halted.

    "So long as it functions as a laboratory! It will need a forge, a workbench, shelves, a sink, cupboards, a latched door, maybe some auto-security too..." Tekli lost herself in her ambitions again.

    "Wow wow wow, hold it there. No auto-security in this place! Everything else I can do for you though. Actually, we could get started now: I believe Strom has a forge nearby, so we can use that to get a start! Oh, but we better ask his permission first," Joseph immediately left out of the tent to get Stroms attention. Tekli waited till Joseph was gone.

    She sipped stew.

    "... HELL YESSSSSSSS! I'M GETTING A LAB, I'M GETTING A LAB YEAAAAAAH!" Tekly practically spun around in a little dance.

    She spilled stew.

    * * *​
    "This here's my forge. If you want to build a lab here go ahead. I'll find materials for a workbench," Strom monotonously aimed at the forge with a finger then moved off to find materials for the supposed workbench.

    "Is he... Always like that? Why be so same in tone? nobody's gonna get you!" Tekli needed to get all the arm-wave out of her system, so she took this moment to do it.

    "Well at least he talks now. Till recently he was semi-mute! And hey, we've got the starts of your lab now, a forge, so that's something," Joseph dusted his hands off as if he had done some real hard work. He began questioning why he did that.

    "Well, thank you for this kind peace offering. I'm sure this'll lead to a good symbiosis between I and the rest of you," Tekli almost immediately gravitated towards the forge, examining its every nook and cranny to see if it was up to scratch. "It's... Primitive, but nothing I can't work with. Yes, yes this will do nicely." Tekli proceeded to pull out her notepad and scribbled down a series of perfectly written notes.

    Guess you can hardly call that scribbled, but it's a nice word. Sc-ur-ih-bull-de. Rolls off the tongue nice.

    The forge was located at the back-end of the camp, a bit behind Josephs tent (which was at the edge of the camp). It had a simple steel roof on it and was made of stone, rather crudely but functional.

    * * *​
    About 2 hours passed. Strom had made a simple workbench for Tekli to start work on. He was taking it to the future lab site with the help of Newlyn, who carried the opposite end of it. Tekli was still making notes after notes after notes: in fact she'd already plotted out the dimensions of her lab and was busy figuring out how much tent she'd need to cover this laboratory for her.

    "Well, you've made progress," Strom settled the workbench down beside the forge.

    "Oh no, not there! The other side, the other side, don't ruin the structure! It has to be as close to my old one as possible!" Tekli grabbed an end of the workbench and started tugging it. It was heavier than she thought: Strom grabbed the other end and helped her move it where she wanted. "There, much more optimal to my needs." Tekli smiled at the Workbench. "Good job on the bench Strom, it fits perfectly, give or take a few centimeters."

    "Glad to be of service. Is there anything else you need?" Strom folded his arms.

    "Hmm... Yes, I'll need a large metal skeleton for the tent to sit on, considering we're working with a forge here... Whilst you're at it we'll need a non-flammable material for the tent so it doesn't go up in flames or anything. It'll need a chimney for the smoke to rise out of and a latched door for my privacy. In fact, here-" Tekli handed Strom a list of materials: he looked down. The handwriting was perfect. "-Everything on this list is exactly what I need for this structure to work. I can do the rest." Tekli got back to work on her planning.

    Joseph decided to take a look for himself, and had a similar reaction to Strom, except maybe less monotonous. "I see you gave Strom a shopping list."

    "Well if you can shop for the materials here then yes, it's a shopping list. It goes through everything I will require for my laboratory to be built, such as Iron Ore, Machalite Ore, Earth Crystals-" Tekli was interrupted.

    "Okay, I get it! Still, I'm excited to see this come to fruition myself. It'll be like you're a proper part of the family!" Joseph smiled.

    Tekli smiled back, then caught herself in the act. "Wait, But... Why are you being so nice? I could've been a threat! I could've been using this as a way to get to all those juicy secrets! How can I be trusted?"

    "... I thought we'd been over this Tekli. It's because I don't believe that's you! Don't try to hide that you've been trying to hide your joy recently!" Joseph thought about this statement. So now he was doing it too.

    Tekli blushed a little. "So it was that obvious then? Well... YEAH OK I ENJOYED MYSELF! Is that a crime?"

    "Enjoying yourself is my only rule. Right now you're not breaking that!" Josephs smile only widened.

    "... I see. You know... I'm glad. It's been only 9 hours and 31 minutes but already I feel like part of your family. If there's one thing I'll admit whilst I was surveying over you hunters, it was that I was somewhat jealous, if you will. I've never known proper human company. Well, outside of this one per-" Tekli covered her mouth. She didn't want that to be known just yet. Joseph simply pretend zipped his lips and threw away the zipper. "-what's that you're doing with your mouth and fingers?"

    "It's zipping my mouth and throwing away the part that opens it again. It means I won't tell anyone," Joseph kept on smiling.

    "Thank you. But yes, I was jealous. I didn't know what it felt like to be part of a family, not in the way you hunters were acting. And I wanted part of that," Tekli pushed her index fingers together. And then out of nowhere started neatly scribbling notes onto her notepad.

    Chapter 38: Social Training
    Tekli had begun work on the tent materials, now that they had been collected. She was busy sowing, stapling and welding the materials needed together to form a sturdy overlay that wouldn't catch fire from the forge. Newlyn stopped by to drop off some metal supplies to build the steel skeleton of the tent structure, and was about to go on her way when a disturbed Tekli called out after her.

    "HEY! Hey, I have a question!" Tekli turned away from her work, her notepad at the ready. "Relationships. What is it like to be in one with a human of opposite gender?"

    "What is it like? Well I'm not exactly sure how to describe it... You've gotta be in one to really understand it I guess!" Newlyn rubbed against the back of her head, her expression blushing a little.

    "I see... Newlyn! I will need to borrow Strom then for a few weeks, or months give or take. I must learn of this human ideal!" Tekli put away her notepad and started marching towards Strom (who was busy on the steel skeleton, banging it into shape) when Newlyn stepped in her way and shook her head.

    "No! No that's not how it works!" Nelyn giggled at Tekli. Tekli went bright red in the face.

    "What? Why!?" Tekli smashed her foot into the ground, her fists clenched and her face puffing.

    "Well, you can't just steal another girls man for one," Newlyn winked at Tekli. Tekli blinked back. "For another, you can't just waltz up to a man and assume it'll work out. It takes time, and it's gotta be with a man you feel you could get along with."

    "I see... So sociology is more complicated than I first thought it was. Guess I'm not borrowing Strom any time soon huh?" Tekli noted this down in her notepad.

    "Say, why did you ask anyway?" Newlyn placed a contemplative hand to her chin.

    "Why? Well, uh... It's for a paper! YEAH! A paper on social science and relationships! It's just a side project, you know how it is with the guild and all!" Tekli's smile wasn't well executed: her lips were twitching.

    "... That's a lie isn't it?" Newlyn grinned at Tekli.

    "Well, uh... Oh fine. FINE! It's a lie. The truth is I've never known what human contact is like, not truly anyway. Back in the laboratory at home I rarely saw anyone else, and even before that I didn't get out much. Social interaction confuses me, so I want to understand it. IS THAT SO WRONG!?" Tekli flailed her arms about again.

    "No, no! Honestly, I find that rather sweet of you, trying to understand how we act like that!" Newlyn gave Tekli a thumbs up. Tekli looked at the gesture and got back to work, acknowledging it with a nod.

    * * *​
    "Well I'll be! The lab looks like it's getting on fine now," Joseph had walked up to check on the progress of Tekli's work, not to mention Strom and Newlyn's help. The lab had taken some major form now, with the steel skeleton set up on it. Tekli was now just calculating the best way to get the tent material on top.

    Newlyn walked over to Joseph to say hi back. "Sorry about the others! They're just a little too engrossed in their work to be talking now," she giggled a little, rubbing her hand behind her head.

    "Aw that's a shame. I was hoping we could all just chat or something," Joseph puffed a heavy breath of smoke: away from Newlyn mind you, he wasn't going to be mean like that.

    "I doubt that she would be up for chatting, even if you somehow convinced her," Newlyn shyly spoke behind her hand.

    "Well, it's worth a try. Hey! Tekli!" Joseph called out for Tekli, who lifted her head, then turned to find what called out for her. "Wanna take a break with Newlyn and I? Just have a friendly chat! Strom, you can join us too!"

    Strom nodded, and set the steel tent skeleton he was working on to the side. Tekli sighed. "Well, I suppose it'd be good research for me. Partaking in a social activity might widen my horizon on how humans act in social interaction." She marched over to Joseph who was now settled on the ground, with Newlyn opposite him. "Is this the usual chat position? A cross-legged seating on the floor?"

    "... Well that's one way to chat, but it's not essential. In a chat you're just best getting comfortable," Joseph put away his cigarette into a portable ashtray.

    "Oh, I see! Noted!" Tekli noted it down, then sat with her legs folded perfectly. "So! Shall we commence with the chat?"

    "Well alright. Tekli, how was your day then?" Joseph sat back a bit.

    "It was fine. Progress was made," Tekli answered the question in a very matter-of-fact way. Silence rolled through the area. The wind audibly howled in suspense, then disappointment.

    "... Aren't you going to say anything else?" Joseph waited expectantly.

    "I was supposed to?" Tekli pulled out her notepad ready to jot more down onto it.

    "Well, yes. This is a chat. We go into a bit more detail about what happened, or usually ask what others did as well, and sometimes you get into discussions about bigger matters," Joseph demonstrated this using various gestures with his hand. Tekli didn't get the hands bit.

    "I see, so a chat is like a casual conversation? An interesting development indeed... Another thing to be noted," which Tekli did. "So, shall we continue in our chat?"

    "Yeah, I think we shall Tekli," Joseph prepared the next chat topic.

    * * *​
    "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? The Tigrex card is so overrated! Lagiacrus shuts that monster down!" Wow, what'd I miss? Tekli just pulled out what looked like a large-ish tin of cards, each with a different monster art on them.

    "But Tigrex has no elemental alignment, it covers all bases and has really high attack to boot. It's a great member to any deck," Joseph was holding up his prized gold Tigrex card proudly. He spent ages looking for it.

    "But if you want to talk about covering all bases, then why not use Nargacuga? It's more likely to make an attack miss! Not to mention its still good attack!" Tekli was a real collector about this: she had 10 ore cards already.

    In case you're wondering about what's going on here, let's just say Joseph casually brought up the Monster Card Game "Frontier Fight" which Tekli is incredibly nerdy about. It's a popular card game in this part of the world, and a big collectible series too. The rules are simple: using your monsters, take down 5 of the opponents. You can attack once per turn and each monster has a set of stats. A lot also have elemental bonuses, which will affect play by either boosting damage to the foe or lowering it.

    Joseph himself was a casual player, so Tigrex was the perfect card, but Tekli was deep into this game and as such, tended to use some of the higher tier ones.

    "You seem to know your stuff Tekli. Mind if I asked where you got all that knowledge?" Joseph wished to learn from a master of Frontier Fight.

    "Well... Back at the lab I had a partner who'd help me with my work there. But on Fridays we'd always have a game of Frontier Fight. And it ended up like a tug of war: every time I beat him, he'd beat me the next game. It was what you'd call fun. He's the closest to human contact I ever got," Tekli started to look distant. "BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT! Joseph! Thank you for your peace offering of teaching me how a 'chat' works. Now I must continue working," with that, Tekli picked up her cards and began work once again on the planning for her Laboratory.

    Joseph thought to himself for a second. There was a second person? Well this was new to say the least. Regardless, he kept to himself about it, instead of pestering his "prisoner." But Joseph couldn't help but murmur to himself.

    "... Must get that Nargacuga card."

    Chapter 39: What You Miss
    It had been about 3 days now since Tekli's capture by Joseph. In the time she already got herself pretty settled, if still an awkward part of the group. She still kept very much to herself about her personal issues, and was quite the nut to crack there despite her constant slipups in letting bits and pieces out on it.

    "Tekli you better be careful with how much you talk, if you're not careful that all-precious secret of yours will slip out one day," Joseph was writing away at some notes of his once again. Ever since this business with Elliot and a possible Mad Darren, things have gotten much more busy.

    "... Ugh. Fine. FINE! You want me to tell you right?" Tekli slammed her hands onto Joseph's desk.

    "Hey, that's up to you. I don't want you to tell me unless you want to. So do you or don't you?" Joseph looked up from his work for a moment, then quickly got back to it.

    Tekli pressed her index fingers to each other. "... Yes. Alright I'll say it: I trust you now. Happy? You've manipulated me and now I feel like I can trust you! The person I was spying on! I mean how cou--"

    "Manipulated you? I never did that. I just treated you like I would a guest. This is you're decision, so quit it with the act and be frank with me," Joseph this time looked up at Tekli with a much more stern expression. Tekli bounced back.

    "Alright, alright! I admit it's my decision. Over the past 3 days 2 hours 12 minutes I've really learned to trust your team. In fact my trust probably dates back to approximately 11 days ago when you returned from hunting elsewhere. There you're trust in Leandre, and his trust in you, was put to the test. And watching it made me realize how trustworthy you hunters were. And then when Mota got me discovered... That was my part to blame too. I let myself grow careless in order to be tugged out of being a surveyor.

    "I never wanted to leave my lab to survey over anything, but part of me is nearly glad that I was asked to, because it brought me close to a group of humans who I wished to be a part of in terms of being a family. But at the same time... There was a reason why I became a surveyor. There was a ransom, which could only be paid with my surveillance of your group. Otherwise they'd kill the person they held ransom. And that person was my laboratory assistant.

    "One day he didn't show up for work. Then it became two, then three, before I finally received a letter, detailing that my assistant was kidnapped, and that I was needed to survey over your hunters. I have no idea who it was, but it shook me enough. I didn't want harm to fall on my assistant, not when he was the closest thing I could call a friend," Tekli started to slump downwards into the floor.

    "... I see. Well, as far as I can see there's only one person who'd want surveillance on us: Elliot. It's so obvious! He wants to make sure we don't mess with his plans. This gives us the perfect opportunity to break into his HQ!" Joseph started getting excited. He now had a viable reason to infiltrate into his worst enemies place of work: Tekli's need of assistance.

    "Elliot? You think that man's the perpetrator?" Tekli mulled it over in her head. Even she heard of the man. That said, if you have an ego like Elliot's it's kinda hard to miss.

    "Yes. Elliot has a thing against us see, not to mention he's clearly plotting something here. It makes sense that he'd hire someone to watch over us so we didn't ruin his schemes or anything," Joseph dropped a clenched right hand into his open right hand.

    "I see... Well, that seems logical. So I assume this means that we're traveling to the Guild-Castle City?" Tekli's eyes started twinkling in excitement: it's been so long since she'd been there! She'd finally get to go back!

    "Yep, that it does. We'll need time to prepare, but we should be able to leave soon. I assume you want to join us? This is your problem after all, so if you want to be part of the search then just say," Joseph held out a hand. Tekli grabbed it. She had to reach up a little.

    "Consider me part of the operation!"

    * * *​
    "So, that everything Joseph?" Leandre was finally out of bed now. He'd been given crutches to stand against for now till he could walk properly, and had just met up with Joseph who was readying up a ship to set sail for mainland.

    "Yeah. Everything we need anyway... Leandre, I can trust you with the islands care right? You'll have Kane, Echo and Tammi to back you up, but I want to make sure this is OK by you," Joseph stood waiting for an answer, half-on half-off the ship.

    "Yeah, I can hold the fort for you. It's like you said! I have these 3 yahoos helping me," Leandre through a thumb sign to behind him to indicate Kane, Echo and Tammi, who were all standing in wait.

    "You ready Mota? It's back home with us now!" Tekli started to get very excited all of a sudden. It was like she was returning home after years, even if really it'd only been over a month now.

    "Alright. To Guild-Castle City!" Joseph cut the ship loose from the dock, letting it set off to sea. Leandre and the rest on the island waved the ship goodbye, as did Joseph and everybody on the ship back to Leandre.

    The journey was yet again, an uneventful one. Tekli had spent most of the time throwing up overboard: she really couldn't handle all this ship business, but it'd be worth it to get back home. Or at least she kept telling herself that.

    Finally, after about 12 hours of voyage, the ship pulled into port. The sun started to fall over the horizon, setting alight a brilliance of colour across the sea. In front of the ship was a great wall of concrete brick, the inside filled with whole series of stairs and corridors leading up to the main city. Above the great wall could be seen a whole plethora of differently colored and shaped buildings, each one adding a unique addition to the city.

    "Alright, everyone ashore! We've made it to Guild-Castle Cit--" Joseph was interrupted by someone zooming past him.

    "FINALLY! LAND! Ugh I'm tired of sea traveling, I still feel positively ill from it," Tekli had collapsed onto the solid port ground, soaking in the solidity of it.

    "Well, first thing's first, we're gonna hafta find the Guild building. Not that it's hard, once we get to the top of this wall we should be able to see its roof. It's just I need official proof to search Elliot's HQ. Everyone you ready?" Joseph called out to the ship. He received a group yelling the word "Yeah!"

    "Indeed, but... First let me regather my balance," Tekli was still on the ground. Her eyes nearly looked like they were spinning in circles.

    "Soon... Soon we'll see what Elliot's up to." Joseph stared intently at the edge of the city.
     
  13. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    Hey guys! Here's chapters 40-42 for you all. They're a bit shorter, but considering what I have planned that might be for the best haha. Hope you guys enjoy!

    Chapter 40: Guild-Castle City
    "Hmm... There's a lot of stairs up to say the least. Is there an alternate method to get up at all Tekli?" Joseph really did not like the thought of climbing all those stairs. Nope that was too much.

    Tekli managed to recover her balance, wobbling a little as she got back up from the ground but otherwise being steady. "There is another way for us to get up: a Gargwa cab. I have a personal one waiting here for us. So long as it's been fed properly that is..." Tekli thought about it for a moment, then dashed to a large opened up area filled with Gargwa.

    "Well alright! That sounds like what we need right about now," Joseph walked over to where Tekli had gone. She was inspecting all the Gargwa, and after seeming to see what she wanted she breathed out a sigh of relief.

    "They're good and alive. Now to get them fitted with their carriage: oh but it'll only fit two of us in it. I'm afraid that only one of your team can take the cab, the rest have to take the stairs," Tekli shrugged and then proceeded with getting her Gargwa out of their pen.

    Joseph nodded then proceeded back to the other hunters who had all gotten off the boat. "Hey guys, so uh... Tekli has a Gargwa cab but unfortunately only one of us can fit in it with Tekli. I'm going to have to ask you guys to take the stairs here, but hey! It means a night out in the city for you guys!" Joseph tried his hardest to make light of this.

    "There was a CAB!? SCREW THAT! Stairs means more TRAINING!" Maxi sounded like she was powering up for some sort of fight. "STROM! NEWLYN! GET ON MY SHOULDERS I'M CARRYING YOU TWO UP!"

    "Wha- wHAAAAAA--" before Newlyn could do anything about it she was hoisted upon Maxi's shoulders, along with Strom. She held tight to Strom as Maxi charged away, climbing up the stairs like a Tigrex on 10 shots of caffeine.

    "... Well alright then. What about you Blake and-- oh yeah, you're back at the base with Leandre," Joseph had forgotten those two hadn't come along. Gardar needed to keep a close eye on Leandre and Blake was just too lazy to leave his sleeping/grape soda drinking position. Guess this made the argument null and void.

    Walking back, Joseph could see that the Gargwa cab was all set and ready to go, with Mota at the reigns. "So your Melynx runs the cab?" Joseph was impressed. Melynx are usually selfish creatures, to see one so willing to help out was a surprise.

    "Yes, he's my non-human assistant. Mota was the oddball from a choice of Felyne's so I picked him when looking for an assistant. My choice still stands as the best!" Tekli was clearly proud of her little Melynx companion, who had grown a large smile by this point. Joseph got up on to the carriage along with Tekli, before signaling to Mota to drive forwards towards the Guild Council Castle. There was a large slope upwards which was specifically for Gargwa cabs: you get caught walking up it casually and you'll be punished.

    How cruel. Nobody likes stairs apart from Maxi.

    * * *​
    Newlyn opened her eyes. She was finally off of Maxi's shoulders, now at the top of the wall she was only recently at the foot of. How in the world did Maxi run that fast up those stairs? She was now casually stretching, from left to right then right to left.

    "Well, Joseph said to enjoy ourselves whilst we're here. You know there's a Ramen bar I've been meaning to visit... Strom you wanna go?" Newlyn looked to Strom, who was still trying to figure out what speed Maxi went at with two people on her shoulders plus her greatsword. He gave up.

    "Sure, I'll go--" Strom was easily interrupted.

    "RAMEN BAR!? WHERE!? I've been SAVING for the occasion-" Maxi searched through a satchel she had on her and pulled out a bursting purse of cash. "I KNOW! I'll buy us ALL Ramen! Alright, on my SHOULDERS again!" And with that, Maxi slung Newlyn and Strom onto her shoulders and made a break for the Ramen bar. She almost moved faster now that there was food involved. But I wonder why Maxi asked where... She knew where it was.

    * * *​
    "We'll need to stop by the Guild Council building first to get permission. I just hope we get it, otherwise that'll make things much trickier," Joseph waited patiently as the Gargwa tugged them to their destination. Tekli kept very silent and deep in thought the entire time, almost blank to what Joseph was saying.

    Eventually the Gargwa had reached their destination: the front of the Guild Council building. The building stood tall above the city, stretching even higher than a Gogmazios; it was like a giant bullet in shape, starting wide at the bottom then tapering off into a tip at the top, where a dragonwatch was hooked to; all along the sides of the building were dragonators and cannons to prepare for any monster attacks that should happen; it was coloured in all sorts of reds, oranges and yellows, and at the lower half was what looked like a castle wall with a series of battlements to watch and attack from; the door was massive and made of a combination of wood and steel, its height stretching 3 times taller than Joseph could on his toes with his arms reaching for the heavens. The door was wide open, and lead into a guild hall for hunters of all ranks to explore.

    Joseph strutted over to the guild lady desk as Tekli was busy instructing Mota to look after the Gargwa for her. He reached the information counter woman, who was busy noting things down. "Excuse me?" Joseph somehow stayed both casual and stern. Truly a skill to behold.

    The Guild lady looked up. "Yes, how may I be of service?" Her tone was sweet, her manner easygoing and easy to read.

    "I need the Guildmasters permission to search the Headquarters building of Elliot Test. My friend has a missing person case on their hands and we believe that Elliot may be linked to it," Joseph placed both hands on the desk.

    "Oh, I'm sorry sir. I know you're big in the council but unless the person who went missing is important then I can't just give you that permission-" the guild Lady's sweet tone was interrupted by a nerdy voice.

    "They're very important I'll have you know! The person in question is my laboratory assistant, so give Joseph and I the needed permission!" Tekli was practically breathing smoke.

    "Tekli? You're missing your assistant? Oh well this won't do now, here: sign this and we'll be able to give you special permission to look into Elliot's Headquarters in about 2 hours," the Guild Lady handed over what looked like a contract. Joseph and Tekli both signed it. "Alright, now to send this up. Please wait patiently: there's a bar if you need food or drink."

    Joseph stared down at Tekli. She smiled smugly. "Just how important are you to the Guild Council exactly?"

    She turned her head up to Joseph. "I'm head of science here, I'm of utmost importance!"

    Joseph blinked. "Wait, you're the head? But you look so young! How long have you worked here? How old are you even?"

    "I'm eighteen years, 5 months, 18 days and 3 hours, and I've been chief for 4 months, 12 days and 13 hours now!" She smiled up at Joseph who just looked at her in disbelief.

    * * *​
    "ANOTHER!" Maxi called out to the bar owner, licking up the remains of her fourth bowl of Ramen. Newlyn and Strom watched in disbelief as she wolfed down more and more of the stuff: they still hadn't finished theirs!

    "Maxi, you know chewing is how you usually eat right?" Newlyn was concerned for Maxi's health.

    "Mmmph, mm mmm mph MPHHMM!" Maxi mph'd from a bowl of Ramen.

    "Well alright."

    * * *​
    "Alright Joseph and Tekli, you're both authenticated to enter into Elliot's Headquarters, but just you two. You're lucky we got you two in at all for this," The Guild Lady provided Joseph and Tekli each with a "Proof-of-Permission" slip.

    "Thanks, the two of us will be enough. Ready Tekli?" He looked down to Tekli who was busy scanning over her Slip.

    "Definitely! Let's infiltrate and retrieve!" Tekli flipped her goggles down over her eyes and turned them on. The two made their way out of the Guild Council building and once again took the Gargwa around to another portion of city, this time to Elliot's HQ building.

    The HQ Building was an official Guild Building assigned to Elliot. Big league hunters who own large squads of hunters containing 10+ hunters were permitted to own Headquarters buildings for their teams. Joseph had his own but because he's away from it for most of his time, usually there was another who'd look after it. They're unimportant at the minute. Elliot's one was nothing special: it was a simple functional building that reached about 3 stories high. Despite the simplicity, it was a rather wide and long building, probably to compensate for the number of team members Elliot has.

    "Here we are. In there we should hopefully find our man. If you see him let me know OK?" Joseph looked down to Tekli, who nodded back.

    "I'll find you. Trust me," Tekli whispered to herself.

    Chapter 41: Elliot's HQ
    Joseph burst in through the double-doors of Elliots building, and was immediately faced with 4 hunters in Garuga X gear all pointing their swords at Joseph. "You can't touch me: I have official guild permission to be here, so back off," Joseph pulled out his guild slip. The hunters reluctantly backed off and let Joseph through.

    "Come on, we've got to go deeper in," Joseph marched forwards, looking left and right as he moved. He suddenly realized he had no clue what this person looked like or who his name was. "Wait, what do they look like? And their name too that's kind of important so I can shout out for him."

    "Well, usually he'd wear Tigrex Z gear and his name was Numair Tue," Tekli said casually whilst looking for him.

    A bell rung in Joseph's head. That was a person he remembered, and all of a sudden a cold shudder hit him. "Tekli... About Numair. I don't know if you know about him fully, you see--"

    "Well! Looks like you've made it here finally, Tekli. Oh and you brought company! But I never expected it to be Joseph of all people! Priceless!" a man in Tigrex Z was walking down a nearby set of stairs conveniently close enough to hear Joseph and Tekli. He must've been waiting there for a while now to time this so perfectly.

    "Numair! Wait... Why are you moving freely? You were kidnapped!" Tekli had become confused at what was happening now.

    "Ah, well I suppose I should tell you the truth now. I was never actually kidnapped. No, in fact, it was a case of you losing your use. You see for 3 months I was your assistant, for 3 long months I helped you, simply to get the scientific info I needed from you. Once we had it, we no longer had a use for you, at least in terms of science. So, we plotted to use you as a way to keep our eyes on Joseph and his squad, and used myself as the ransom-" Numair flashed a devilish smile. "-All this time you were used for our schemes, for something great! You should be happy!"

    Tekli lost her words. She was frozen solid. After a moment she managed to say something. "... So what were your schemes?"

    "Heh, well it's not going to alter the course of things, so I might as well say. We needed your science on top of the help of a native of the uncharted islands to attempt to locate what's known as the Queen stone, a Jurei stone with the power to control all monsters. It took us around a month, but we now have it! And as we speak, Elliot is using it to move a great monster closer to the city. Once it gets here, Elliot will be able to prove his righteousness as the strongest hunter alive!" Numair got caught up in the moment and proceeded to laugh maniacally.

    Tekli fell forwards. Her expression blanked. "So, you lied to her about yourself Numair? Not to mention using her for the work towards obtaining an illegal artifact? To help someone commit one of the largest crimes known to the Guild? You're a sick man Numair. You're worse than sick. Come on Tekli, I'll take you back now," Joseph lifted up Tekli who was still out of it.

    He walked out of the building and to Mota who was waiting outside and got on the Gargwa cab. "To the Guild Council building please," Joseph said softly to Mota, who nodded solemnly. Joseph set Tekli next to him, letting her fall over onto him as she stayed lost in thought.

    Finally Tekli came back to the world, her skin regaining colour. "... Joseph?"

    "Hm? What is it Tekli?" Joseph looked down at her.

    "Elliot's plan will likely involve the destruction of Guild-Castle city, right?" Joseph nodded at Tekli. "... In that case, I presume you will be going after him right?"

    "There's no way in this world I'm letting him do this. I'm going to fight him and stop what he plots. Even if I get brandished a criminal, it's for the good of this world," Joseph looked up to the sky, determined to protect the world he was made in.

    "Then let me participate also. I'm part to blame for this in helping those people! Even if I didn't know what I was doing, I still have to set it right, at least for my own sake!" Tekli sat up, her fists clenched. She felt Joseph run his hand through her hair.

    "You're part of the family now. And if you wanna be part of it then I'm gonna let you," Joseph smiled down at her. She smiled back.

    "Family... I like that. It'll help me with my research, but more importantly, it'll give me more purpose... More than just doing things for science. So let's do this!" Tekli's confidence had returned to her. She was still trembling but there was no doubt about how she felt about this: she was ready to go through with it.

    "That's what I like to hear! Once the others get to the Guild Council building, we'll inform them of the situation, and then we'll get going!" Joseph was just as determined with the new plan.

    * * *​
    "So you're telling me Joseph docked in here some time ago?" a man in Cham X armor stood at the Guild-Castle City port, inquiring to one of the Soldiers nearby.

    "Yep, him and a few others. I believe his plans were to head to the Guild Council building. If you're new here I can show you there," the soldier in Guardian X gear motioned towards the nearby stairs.

    "Yes, that would be helpful. It's important that I meet Joseph as soon as I can," the stranger followed the soldier up the stairs.

    "If only to see her once again."

    Chapter 42: To Become a Hero
    Joseph and Tekli were now waiting patiently at the Guild Council Hall. They'd been there for about an hour now waiting for the rest. It was already midnight: thank goodness the Guild Council Hall was open 24/7. After all that waiting, Maxi along with Strom and Newlyn had arrived, Maxi carrying them around like she was their cabby.

    "Oh hey, you finally made it!" Joseph looked behind himself to see Maxi and her two passengers.

    "... Please put me down now Maxi." Newlyn may have gotten used to this by now, but that didn't mean she liked it. Running to the table Joseph and Tekli were sat at, Maxi placed Strom and Newlyn each in a chair at the table.

    "So what's UP!? Cause I worked up an appetite from that RUNNING!" Maxi sat herself down at the table and started calling for service.

    "Alright guys so here's what's happening. We now know that Elliot has the Queen stone for real. What's worse, is that it's confirmed he's controlling Raviente with it. So to cut a long topic short, I'm going to go after him and stop him. What he's doing is breaking the law on several levels so I have every right to hunt him down, at least as one of the active Guild Council members. However, I'm not sure if I'll be brandished a criminal for this. In short, there's the risk, so I won't force anybody here to come. Tekli has already agreed to it but if the rest of you don't want to join us you don't have to," Joseph had completely forgotten about the food in front of him.

    "What? And MISS OUT on a hunt with RAVIENTE!? No WAY am I gonna say no!" Maxi stood up and slammed the table. She nearly flipped it with all the force she put into that slam.

    "I've already stood by you this far Joseph. Where you go I'll go too," Strom folded his arms.

    "Yeah, Strom's right! I'll support you how I can too," Newlyn gave Joseph a thumbs up.

    "Is there room for one more?" a man in Cham X gear stood in the doorway. He walked up to the table then sat himself down next to Maxi, and immediately regretted the decision. But it was too late now: he was sat there and couldn't move without looking like a jerk.

    "... And who are you?" Joseph had never met this person before in his life.

    "Oh, pardon me: I'm Cameron, and I need to be part of this. I'm a native to the series of islands you and your group have been exploring. One day, out of nowhere, a man came up to me and forced me to help him with finding something, the Queen stone. The man was the same man you're discussing now, Elliot Test. I turned him down at first, but then he... He explained to me that if I didn't comply, he'd hurt somebody special to me. He'd hurt... My wife," Cameron looked down at the table, his eyes flooding.

    "So he went as far as to threaten your love-life... What... What utter scum. That's it! We're leaving now! There's no time to lose! Cameron! Get ready, cause we're doing this with your help!" Joseph stood up, offering his hand to Cameron. Wiping his eyes Cameron nodded and placed his hand in Josephs. They shook on it.

    "But how will we get back to the ship? The Gargwa carriage carries only 2 people max, and there are now 6 of us here," Tekli looked at everyone around her.

    "Oh I'm sure Maxi will offer her services again," Joseph looked to Maxi, who smiled an excited grin. She cracked her knuckles, then proceeded to lift Strom, Newlyn and Cameron onto her back, before dashing for the port. Joseph turned to Tekli. "Okay then! We'll take the cab back!

    * * *​
    The boat made it back to the island camp after another 12 hour voyage. Everybody apart from the sailors had slept on that journey back, but now they were finally back at the camp. Leandre walked up to greet them: Joseph was first off and told them the story, after which Joseph asked if he wanted to help out.

    "I see... Well, sure, I'd love to help. These injuries are bearable now, so I'll be fine honest!" Leandre laughed off whatever pain he felt. He then found Maxi walking off the ship. "Hey... Maxi? Mind if I talk to you in private?" Maxi nodded and followed Leandre to a piece of land overlooking the sea, secluded from the rest of the camp.

    "Maxi... You're the strongest of us here. Even after years ago, your spirit outdoes us all. So you're the best person to ask... Am I... Am I strong enough for this?" Leandre looked out at the ocean in front of him.

    "What DO you mean Leandre? Of course you're STRONG!" Maxi fist pumped for emphasis.

    "No, no I need this genuinely. Look at me: I'm injured from head to toe and I hurt everyone in the camp with my trust issues. Even now, how I can I trust anyone? And how can anyone trust me? What use am I to anybody?" Leandre closed his eyes tight to hold back what his eyes were filling with.

    Maxi wrapped her arms around Leandre. "Leandre... Even if the world didn't trust you, and even with your injuries now: even with what's happened... I trust you. You're strong Leandre, and even if the world screams at you for it... You'll always be the strongest person I know." Leandre looked up at Maxi, his eyes reopening. "Don't worry now. I'm here for you, and I'll stay there for you for as long as I'm alive. That's a promise."

    Leandre couldn't hold back the floods in his eyes any longer. He threw his arms around Maxi.

    "Thank you, Maxi. Thank you."
     
  14. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    Here we go guys! Chapters 43-45! I hope you guys enjoy them.

    Chapter 43: Island Bahut Barā
    Everyone lined up, ready to depart: Leandre, Maxi, Strom, Newlyn, Kane, Blake, Cameron, Tekli and Joseph. At this point Shiloh was already sent back to the main HQ with Parris: If Joseph was deemed an outlaw because of this, he'd end up giving the same status to whoever was accompanying him on this venture. He needed at least one person to look after his squads in his absence, so he picked Parris for it.

    Tammi and Echo were designated as the island protectors for now, and were to keep on watch for intruders whilst protecting the camp, which they seemed to take on with excitement. Joseph moved away from the rest of the hunters and turned to them: today however, he wasn't wearing his normal Esurient Z set like he'd usually be, rather he was wearing a Tigrex X set. His cape blew dramatically in the wind.

    He turned to the other hunters, "This is your last chance. If I do get branded as an outlaw, then you all will be to. The mission is risky, but it's one I must take. If you're in, then give me your approval!" Joseph lifted a fist into the air. He received the sound of everyone saying "YEAH!" to him at once. "Good! We'll be finally going to a new island. The island known as Bahut Barā: the Frontiersman's hunting grounds."

    The boat was prepped up and ready to set sail. With everyone now aboard, they waved the island goodbye as they set off for this island of Frontier class monsters. Everybody psyched themselves up for the long day ahead of them.

    * * *​
    The ship docked itself at the island as the team finally arrived at the place they needed to be: Island Bahut Barā. For a moment they were captivated by the expansive field glistening with yellows and greens in the sunli- but now was not the time for that. Already in the distance was seen the Raviente as it snaked along in a path of destruction. Everybody ran towards it without a word. Eventually the Raviente was reached, where it stopped right in front of them. On top of its head a figure was spotted. He stood tall and proud, his arms crossed as the sunlight above silhouetted him.

    "Well Joseph! Glad you could be here to see it all unfold!" the voice grotesquely laughed atop his lofty perch.

    "Elliot! What is there to gain from this? Have you gone completely mad!?"Joseph drew his weapons, a Lightbreak Sword.

    "What have I to gain? Only the status of the ultimate hunter that's what! Yes, soon I will take this world by storm with my ultimate hunting technique! That being THE CONTROL OF ALL KNOWN MONSTERS!" once again Elliot laughed in a detestable way. "Now... Have fun all you! I'll be watching from up here!" Elliot hid himself behind the height of the Raviente's head. With that, the Raviente proceeded to move and coil around the hunters on the ground.

    "Dammit! We have to get him down from there, but how?" Joseph looked around him for a way for it to work. "... Newlyn!"

    "Yeah?" Newlyn was busy loading up some ammunition in her Heavy Bowgun, getting ready to start a volley of shots.

    "Can you reach Elliot from down here with your Clust shots?" Joseph inquired desperately. Newlyn shook her head.

    "There's no way I can from down here! I need a shot from above!" Newlyn started her barrage.

    Joseph continued to look for solutions. He looked to Strom: suddenly an idea formed in his mind. "Strom! I need you to launch me with your charge blade!"

    "WHAT!? And risk your life in the process?" Strom was not expecting this today.

    "It's the only way I'm going to reach Elliot atop the Raviente! I need this aid here!" Joseph was begging Strom for the launch.

    "... Fine!" With that, Strom pulled back his Charge Blade. He swung it forwards in axe mode for Joseph, who jumped up and onto the flat section. Strom did a twirl, taking his Blade with him, and in one large motion- "Catapult shot!" -flung Joseph up towards the Raviente head. Joseph landed towards the back of its neck, turning to face Elliot who turned to face him.

    "Mr. Devin, you're as persistent as ever!" Elliot started walking towards Joseph. Joseph readied his sword. Elliot pulled out a pair of Duel Blades. "But can't you see? I've won this! With this Raviente I'll take Guild-Castle City by storm!"

    "Don't get too cocky Elliot! That was always your Achilles heel, and today's no different!" Joseph started walking towards Elliot now. His glare burned into Elliot.

    "Oh but that's one of my best traits!" Elliot looked like he was waiting for an answer: he got none, outside of a sword strike from Joseph. "Ooh, naughty! Starting the fight whilst we're talking! Well, if you're gonna be THAT excited about it, then let me join in that fun!" Elliot slammed his Duel Blades together above his head, covering them in a red glow. In a moments notice the two ran at each other, ready to clash blades.

    Back on the ground, the rest were busy trying to take down the Raviente. Almost immediately after Strom had launched Joseph into the air did he run for the Raviente's sides and started cutting and hacking away with his blade. The Raviente turned its head towards Strom and slammed it into the ground, just shy of hitting Strom. The attack hurled a series of rocky clusters around the Raviente, who proceeded to lift their head.

    "OW! OKAY Ra-vi-en-tay! IMMA DECK YOU NOW!" After being hit by one of the flying rocks, Maxi made a charge for the Raviente's face and leaped into the air, swinging her Greatsword into the Raviente's face as hard as she could, before swinging it back round again to get a shot at the body.

    Leandre meanwhile was using his new-founded slash-dash technique to hack away as he ran along the length of the Raviente, cutting through it bit by bit as he ran along its length. He stopped for a moment to block another attack from Raviente before getting on with his attack pattern, furiously slicing along the monsters length.

    "Your hunters are doing pretty well!" Elliots blades clashed into Joseph's sword as they charged at each other. Joseph swiftly swung his shield forwards and knocked back one of Elliots attacks with a shield bash. "Not to mention yourself!" Joseph kept on deflecting strikes, keeping silent with each one. Elliot pulled a grumpy face under his helmet. "That's where you're supposed to say "you ain't too bad yourself!"

    "Screw you," Joseph swung a heavy swing at Elliot, then flung a kick at him tripping him up. Elliot scrambled, picking up his dropped weapons as Joseph struck down heavily for Elliot. He dashed up the length of the Raviente, Joseph following him, practically venting steam from under his helmet, then swinging a violent slash at Elliot: Elliot dodged quickly out of the way.

    "My first frontier monster and it's a Raviente, this is highly undesirable," Tekli loaded some pellet shots into her Orcus Barqus Light Bowgun and proceeded to fire a volley of shots at the Raviente, quickly dashing to the side when the Raviente coiled back round to her. The Raviente stopped as it prepped up a fireball attack: but Tekli wouldn't be able to dodge in time!

    From seemingly nowhere a flash of blue hit Tekli out of the way and took the attack for them. "... Ngh. Alright now to hit you back," the figure, now visibly Blake, stood up and dash towards the giant serpent, drawing his SwitchAxe and striking into its face with a mighty leap. He quickly turned and started hacking away at the rest of the body as it passed through.

    Kane let loose another volley of shots from his Akantor Chaos Bow, loading more coating onto his bow, then dodging to his right as splashes came off from the fireball Raviente had thrown into Blake. He readied another volley of shots as the Raviente continued its brutal coil around the hunters.

    Gardar threw a Life Powder in the air, refilling the health of the other hunters before revealing his Longsword skills to the rest of the team as he hacked away at the Raviente's length, chopping through the armored layer bit by bit. He quickly sheathed his Longsword to restore more health to the teama before crafting more Life Powders then continued to slash down on the Raviente.

    Clang! Once again Joseph and Elliot clashed blades. Elliot quickly bounced back, striking for Joseph, who dodged in the nick of time, tearing his cape in the process. He then quickly switched this into an opportunity, shield bashing Elliot off the edge of the Raviente's back. Elliot regathered his senses, standing up and realizing now that he was no longer on the Raviente's back. He looked up at Joseph, who leaped down swinging his sword forwards towards Elliot in the process. Tripping out of the way, Elliot made a berak for it to the nearby mountain: Joseph followed in a furious pursuit.

    "Crap! WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHOVE OFF?" Elliot yelled behind his shoulders before turning a corner into the winding valleys of the mountain. Joseph just kept running, not wasting an ounce of energy on shouting. For every twist and turn Elliot took, Joseph took the exact turns and twists, not letting up in the chase: through caves, along a ravine, down a valley, until eventually Elliot hit a dead end: a cliff leading to the sea.

    Joseph slowed down now, walking towards Elliot as he regathered his breath. Elliot fell over, shuffling backwards till he hit the edge of the cliff side: now there, he turned round, and not liking what he saw turned back. Turning back he realized the sea-view was much better.

    "Wait! WAIT! WAI--" Thwack! Elliot's face received a bash from Joseph's shield once more, and was now hanging over the cliff side. Back to the sea view. But not for long: Joseph lifted Elliot by the collar, holding his sword in one hand. "You'd kill an unarmed man, would you? Look, I have no more blades! I lost them when I fell off the Raviente!"

    "Killing you was never my intention. Doing that would be as bad as putting myself on your level-" Joseph struck at Elliot's side with the sword, causing him to yelp in pain. "-But that doesn't mean I won't hurt you," Joseph dropped Elliot, then threw his sword into the ground, along with his shield. "I'm done with putting up with your crap. So I'm gonna knock you out here. No more weapons: just our fists." Joseph cracked his knuckles, along with his neck.

    Joseph folded his arms waiting.

    Chapter 44: Clash of Wills
    Elliot stared Joseph down. Joseph returned the stare. They were waiting to see each others moves.

    "Elliot. Why? Why do you want this? What's your purpose, to destroy everyone around you?" Joseph heald his arms out in a questioning manner.

    "Why? It's because of fame. Power. Glory. All of that! You know what I am Joseph, and what I need is supremacy! I can only accept the most elite of hunters, of weapons, of armors... And of myself! I am the very incarnation of elite before you! And it'll only get better once I can control every monster there is to see! The Queen stone, it's made me see! That if I use it, instead of that Morning Dew guy... Then I can be the most supreme hunter alive!" Elliot held the stone visible to see, before cackling... Unusually. Joseph shuddered.

    "So all in all, your goal is to become the worlds greatest eltisist? In short, to become the worlds most hated person?" Joseph stared Elliot down hard, who continued to laugh out of control.

    "YES! Yes, and unlike YOU, I don't NEED the opinions or beliefs of mere MORTALS! So what if I'M mortal too? I'm still POWERFUL! POWERFUL! POWERFUL! AND NOBODY CAN COMPARE TO ME!" Elliot's laughter got more and more unsteady and uncontrolled as he held the orb tightly in his hands, his stare fixed on it.

    "I see... Well in that case!-" Joseph dashed up and kicked the orb hard out of Elliot's hands. The orb flew through the air, Elliot watching its flight path for every millisecond. He turned, attempting to catch it, but instead fell over, his hands failing to reach the Queen stone. It fell into the ocean. "-No more stone for you. It's already clear that the stone has made you loopy."

    Elliot's eyes turned to pinholes, his jaw hanging. He started clawing himself forwards towards the cliff side, and looked over the edge into the sea below. He clawed at his face in anguish. "No no no, nooooooo no no! No! NO! NO! NO! NO! MY STONE! My beloved stone..." Elliot hung his head forward letting his arms hang. He removed his helmet and began to cry uncontrollably. Turning to Joseph with bloodshot eyes, he started growling. "You think you can JUST get AWAY with THAT!? Heh... Haha... Hahehaheheaheaeahehaeheahhaaaaaaaaaaahahaha!" Elliot's laugh lost all meaning as he stood back up, his head slung forwards.

    "That stone was powerful yes, but look at you now. It's ruined you. You're not even worth fighting," Joseph turned to walk away. He had to quickly turn back when he heard Elliot steaming up towards him from behind, blocking the assault thrown at him.

    "FIGHT ME JOSEPH! FIGHT ME NOW! I NEED... A FIGHT!" Elliot looked hard at Joseph, his eyes glowing red from tears. Whatever sense he once had was now gone. Joseph turned the attack against Elliot slinging him onto the ground through use of Elliot's own pushing force. He readied an elbow slam into Elliot's stomach, plunging it as deep as he could. He went in for another one, but missed; Elliot rolled himself out of the way.

    "Fine then! If it's a fight you need!" Joseph dashed forwards for Elliot.

    * * *​
    The Raviente begun to fight more furiously now that Elliot was no longer on its back. It proceeded to dig into the ground, causing eruptions of volcanic rock around the hunters as it tunneled underneath. Shaking the ground brutally, it finally surfaced directly under Strom who moved just in time to not take serious damage: instead he was carried up with the Raviente as it continued its coil around the Hunters. Taking advantage of the new opening Strom started striking down on the Raviente's head.

    The hunters were hard at it, hacking, cutting, shooting and blasting at the Raviente as it continued to attack, its attacks getting more frequent and more deadly. The fight dragged on for about 15 minutes now before the Raviente finally started showing some signs of weakness, occasionally slipping a little and now stopping every so often to take a little breather or two.

    "Haha! The beast is weakening steadily!" Tekli sounded out triumphantly, loading more ammunition into her Light Bowgun. She had to make more Lv 2 Pellet shots. "At this rate it'll suffer a quicker death than I first anticipated!"

    "Don't get your hopes up, more likely than not we're only gonna repel it! But if we achieve that we can send another squad out to deal with the Raviente," Kane also found himself making up more coating for his bow.

    "Well just as long as we win," Tekli puffed out her cheeks and unloaded another barrage of pellet shots onto the Raviente. For once she wasn't noting something down: I guess even people like Tekli have to take breaks from their habits.

    * * *​
    Elliot charged up to Joseph once again, this time swerving to the right as Joseph attempted to block Elliot's charge forward: he hooked himself under Joseph's arm and flung him backwards into the ground, next running up and preparing a strong stomp: he missed as Joseph rolled out from underneath then sweep-kicked Elliot, knocking him over now. Dazed on the ground, Elliot received a large kick in the side from Joseph, before picking himself back up slowly. He coughed hard.

    "Please... At least tone down the rubbing in! I KNOW YOU'RE STRONGER, THERE'S NO NEED TO MESS ME UP!" Elliot spat into the ground. Cracking his knuckles he readied himself for the next round of fighting.

    Joseph shown no sign of holding back. He threw a punch at Elliot, who managed to move his head out of the way in time, before hooking Joseph with his arm and head locking him: he fell backwards smashing Joseph's face into the dirt. Joseph flailed for a bit, his head buried into the dirt. He then went limp for a second before kicking hard into Elliot's head and breaking free of his grip. He scoffed up dirt and debris.

    "You've calmed down Elliot. Since when could you act sensible?" wiping his mouth, he charged forwards, throwing his fist behind him ready to throw it back forwards with all his might.

    "Heh, if you've tasted insanity then sensibility is so much easier to see," Elliot let out a short laugh, before doing similar to Joseph: he flung himself forwards, reeling his fist back to bring on the next punch. They proceeded to let out a large yell in each others directions, before colliding their fists together, shockwaving the surroundings. They both stood back from each other, staring down at each other.

    Elliot twitched. "Yowch! That was a mean punch, my hand is practically shattered!" Elliot started flailing his right hand around, blowing at it in an attempt to ease the burning sensation.

    Joseph cringed. "Urgh... It wasn't much better my side. Dammit!" Joseph clutched his right hand in his left, desperately trying to ignore the pain as he fell forwards. Eventually after shaking off the pain enough, the two looked at each other squarely.

    "... Joseph. I know I'm not going to win. I'm of weaker mind and soul. You know that too, but you didn't hold back. So... Continue in that fashion please! Let this fight be a glorious one for the ages!" Elliot flew forwards at Joseph, who was standing ready for the next attack.

    * * *​
    "Watch out for the eruptions!" Gardar flung himself out of the way of a volcanic spout that started up beneath him. Raviente was once again digging through the ground, shaking everything around it and causing severe distortions in the environment: finally it surfaced again, only to start into a face slam, sending chunks of rock everywhere.

    Maxi jumped into the Raviente's face with her Greatsword, hooking it on one of the beasts massive tusks. Pulling herself up she moved to the top of it's head and started laying down some hurt onto the Raviente's face, breaking off the tusks in the process. It wailed out in pain, counteracting it with smashing its face into the dirt (I guess to evenly distribute that pain so the tusk pain was less noticeable) and shaking Maxi off as it smashed in.

    Meanwhile, everyone was taking cover from the massive rock shower the Raviente had just sent their way: Leandre pushed through as he deflected the rocks, and continued to slash furiously along the Raviente's length. Strom followed suit, performing a similar technique to Leandre.

    Kane loaded up another arrow into his bow , pulling back then unleashing it as it clustered midair into the Raviente. He'd run out of coating by now but he was still hitting hard. Tekli had to resort to other shot types in her pouch, as did Newlyn. Gardar had ran out of Life Powder and ingredients for it. But they still kept on hard at it, hacking into the Raviente with as much might as possible.

    The Raviente shook. It started to slow down, its face getting closer and closer to the ground beneath it. And then... THUD! The face fell onto the ground and started digging into the dirt as he slowed, and then eventually stopped. It went completely silent. It stayed completely still. Everyone gathered round the face of the fallen beast. Maxi punched it: nothing happened. She punched it again for good measure. And in equally good measure still nothing happened.

    "Stop it Maxi it's dead," Leandre put his arm in front of Maxi who proceeded to huff over not being able to punch it (in her words) a couple hundred more times. But true enough, this Raviente was totally and utterly... Dead!
    * * *​

    Joseph shrugged off the dust from his shoulders as he cracked his neck. Elliot swiped his arms of the debris on them, stretching his legs out in the process. Out of nowhere, they both bounded towards each other with a flying punch: they hit each others fists and deflected off of each others momentum, but held their ground. They started punching again, and again, and again, over and over, and as one threw a punch, the other deflected it with a punch then punched back, only to have the same done to them. Joseph ducked down and through an upper cut which got returned by Elliot's downward strike.

    They shuddered then toppled backwards, once again shaking their hands around as they attempted to dissipate the pain. Once again they jumped towards each other, their fists outstretched: this time however, they landed them successfully into each others bellies. Both of them coughed up as they felt the wind getting knocked out of themselves. They fell backwards, exhausted.

    Elliot looked to Joseph. Joseph looked back. "Joseph... I think, it's time I stopped," Elliot got up slowly and unsteadily, trying to find his balance with each centimeter he moved upwards. He stretched his arms out. "I'm giving up. There's no more merit to this fight."

    Joseph looked up at Elliot confused. "No more merit? What do you mean? How can you give up now!?" Joseph stood up just as unsteadily, his voice shaky. Elliot smiled back but this time... It didn't look so grotesque.

    "What I mean is... I no longer have a goal to fight for. You kicked that stone out of my hands so there's no way I'm gonna take down the guild. I thought myself perfect but you knocked that out of me. I thought I could win, but instead I'm losing. The next hit would most likely take me out for a good while. Over the fights course, I managed to get a better grip of reality. And coming back to what I recognized... It was like a realization of what I've been doing wrong"

    Joseph was taken aback by this Elliot. "You're definitely the real Elliot right? Why are you acting like this?"

    Elliot looked solemnly to the ground beneath him. "I can't win. Even if I had your conviction, I'm not strong enough to take you on. And after seeing what I had become after I obtained the Queen stone... I didn't like it. But it was like I was overtaken by that stone. Its shine controlled me, like... Like..."

    "... Like you were a monster yourself," Joseph stood back for a moment.

    Elliot nodded. "Indeed. In fact I'm sort of happy that it did make me insane for a short while however. Because through it I learned one thing: Perfection, the very thing I sook out, is an impossible commodity. No matter what you think you can do, or how close you get, you'll always be a hell of a lot of miles away from it. But you know what? That's okay. I always punished people for failing me, but now... After failing myself, I guess I can say that I understand its importance now. We all fail, that's nothing we can control. But failing isn't bad in the least: it's a lesson. And what you do with that lesson? That's your own choice. And I aim to make the best of the choice handed to me."

    Joseph nodded in agreement. Elliot continued on. "Joseph! You're a monster hunter! It's what you do, and damn, do you do it good! I ask of you, do me this favor! Knock me down with one mighty slugging punch, one that'll put me out of commission for a good while! I need... Time to think of a way to repay you. Once I know what I'm doing, I'll come find you, and then turn myself in. It's the only way to do it right. So for me Joseph! For the people you cared about till now!"

    "Please! Hit me with all your might!"

    Chapter 45: What it Comes to
    The waves of the ocean rocked the ship gently as it left the large island behind, the spoils of battle lying in waste there. Aboard the ship was an unusual air, one unlike what the hunters had experienced before. The hunt was successful and Elliot was stopped (And secretly to Joseph, he was permanently changed) and that was giving a positive air. But there were still a multitude of questions needing answered...

    "Hmmm... I want to know. Why did that Raviente die easier than it should have? I've fought them before, and none before fell that easily. And that one was fresh out of the box," Kane twirled his fingers round as he attempted to figure this out.

    "Well... From what I learned fighting Elliot, it seems the Queen stone has adverse side effects. In his case, he lost control of his sanity, and became very detached from himself. Maybe in Raviente's case, the stone's massive power drained its life force easily. The Queen stone must cause a lot of stress on individuals after all if it can control monsters like that..." Joseph couldn't help but think back to how different Elliot was after he lost the stone. Maybe the stone also brought a sense of clarity when lost? He couldn't say.

    The voyage stayed silent. Not the sky, nor the waves, nor the people on the ship made a peep.

    * * *​
    Footsteps crunched through the debris of earlier's fight: two sets of feet. Ahead was Elliot unconscious, his face smiling. He got kicked awake.

    "Elliot. What are you doing here. Have you failed me?" the figure looked heavily upon Elliot.

    Elliot opened his eyes. "Oh, Morning Dew. Funny seeing you in my morning..."

    "It's. Evening." The Morning Dew sounded weary and annoyed.

    "Whatever. Yep, I failed. I got the Stone but decided to betray you, then it got thrown into the ocean by Joseph and I got pummeled. Hoo boy. I'm a crying shame. Look, a tear," Elliot sarcastically pointed to his eyes which were stained by earlier's tears.

    "So you betrayed me and failed me anyway? Hm. Then I hope you enjoy the consequences of your actions!-" The Morning Dew reached for the sword that Joseph had thrown earlier, raised it high and threw it down with all his might. Elliot's body went limp. "-Hope that was to your liking, failure."

    The person accompanying the Morning Dew started shaking in fear. The morning Dew turned to him. "Numair! See what happens when you cross me?" The Morning Dew gestured his hand towards Elliot who had lost all control of himself, lying on the ground. "I hope you will be more successful than your weak failing boss."

    Numair nodded weakly, shook himself back together then saluted. "Good... Now, I will be away for a while now. So long as I want my schemes to go how I want, I'll have to disappear on other business. Numair: find the Queen Stone!" The Morning Dew was facing towards the sea now.

    "Th-th-the Queen stone? But... That's at the bottom of the ocean! How will we find tha-" Numair got cut off.

    "You WILL do as I say! Do you want to end up like your boss there? No! I dare say you don't! So do! As! I! Say!" The Morning Dew stood high above Numair, his 7 feet of height towering high up like that of a monster. "Now, I must convey a message... I will be off."

    * * *​
    "Ah, Morning Dew... How pleasant of you to come here," a Woman in Nephilim gear strode up to meet the Morning Dew. They were inside the Guild Council building, in the staff room of a Samantha Chao.

    "Now's not the time for pleasantries. It's all work from now. I have some important information to share," The Morning Dew folded his arms. Chao was listening.

    "First and foremost, Elliot is now dead. I found him dead by the hands of Joseph. He had never done anything wrong: rather this looks to me like a grudge killing on Joseph's part. It's vital that him and his allies are outlawed immediately," The Morning Dew rather silverly spoke to Chao, his connection to the guild.

    "I see... Well that's news. It'll be brought up immediately. And what about you sir?" Chao stood up to receive a sheet from the Morning Dew listing all those who were to be outlawed.

    "I will be disappearing for a while. Expect no more information from me for a good while, possibly never. I have business to attend to in other places far from here," and with that, The Morning Dew left the room.

    * * *​
    "Joseph! JOSEPH!" Joseph was awoken the next morning by the sound of a glitzy woman. He looked up through hazy vision.

    "... Parris? What are you doing here?" Joseph pulled himself up slowly out of bed.

    "There's something I need to tell you..."

    A little time passed. Then all of a sudden Joseph burst out of his tent and shouted out to the rest of the camp to wake up and get out.

    "I have bad news... I don't know who told the Guild Council the lie, or how this got pinned on us in the first place but... As of today, we are outlaws in the name of the Guild Council. So it's vital now that we take this time to pack up and move off. As of now we're moving to the sea."

    The rest of the camp was silent, and yet, nobody was actually surprised. This was the risk they took. And Joseph was right. Everyone was about to go around their business when they noticed Joseph pull out an armor stand from his tent wearing his Esurient Z set. Leandre moved up to ask.

    "Joseph... Why are you not wearing your armor? Actually more importantly why did you put it on this stand?" Leandre had his hand to his chin in question.

    "... For as long as I'm outlawed, I don't want to wear this armor. I didn't want to stain it with the reputation of fighting a hunter, hence why I changed my armor before fighting Elliot. In a similar vein, I don't want to tarnish this armor as an outlaws armor. At the end of the day, the armor doesn't make the man: the man makes the armor. Sure, it's there to protect you and make you look 'cool' but that's it. It's who's wearing the armor, who's in control that makes it. And I want it to be made a righteous set of armor. One that won't be ruined by any wrongdoing I do. It serves as my reminder for who I am: but for as long as I'm outlawed, it'll stand watch out here on this island." Joseph stood up and looked at the armor intently.

    Leandre disappeared into his tent then pulled out his armor in a pile. He set it next to Joseph's armor set. "Then I'll follow suit. We'll let our armors protect the island as we wait to come back," Leandre smiled at Joseph, who smiled back.

    And then, one by one, the rest followed suit, aligning their armor sets in a line, all with the helmets set upright and watching the island. Even Tekli, who rather disappointedly dropped the tech suit (She kept the goggles however. Those were too important to her). Joseph looked at the hunters around him: he was met with a series of smiles (Yes, even Tekli managed to smile a little)

    "Heh! Alright then! From now on, we'll wear different armor! We'll be outla-- no! I don't think that word sounds the nicest. From now on... We are pirates!" Joseph's smile widened to the edges of his face, his face determined. He raised his fist up into the air, followed by the yeahs of the rest there.

    "... Well, you know the situation Joseph. I can't join you y'know..." Parris held her arm guiltily.

    "I understand. The hunters back at the HQ need a leader. And you're the best for that job. Go. Take it on with your iron will!" Joseph placed his fists to his hips, standing proud. Parris nodded and smiled, as she made preparations to set sail. Joseph turned to the rest. "Hope you all have suitable armor... Because we're to set sail as soon as we can get it!"

    * * *​
    The ship waited in the dock. Joseph was all ready, standing now at the front of the ship waiting for the rest of the hunters. He was wearing Gobul X gear with Tetsucabra X leggings. Eventually, the rest all ran towards the ship in their sets they had spare, ready to leave. Joseph smiled. "Well guys! I'd say we all look rather spiffing for the occasion! Let's get this show on the road shall we? Come aboard, and bring along all your hopes and dreams!"

    Kane walked onto the ship, his Plesioth Z gear glimmering in the sunlight. "Together, we'll find everything we're looking for!" He was followed by the rest: Leandre, Tammi, Maxi, Echo, Strom, Newlyn, Gardar, Tekli and Blake. The ship set sail.

    "So, where we headed captain?" Leandre walked up to Joseph, his Yukomo armor settled nicely on Leandre.

    "Who knows! We left our compass behind, it'll only slow us down! Your heart will be your guide-" Joseph was interrupted by a loud booming.

    "Raise the SAILS and take the HELM guys!" Maxi was busy getting excited over the new adventure ahead of them.

    Strom had a map on him as he stood in his Hermitaur X armor and looked at potential courses to take. "Hey Newlyn... That legendary place that the end of the map reveals-"

    "-It's only legendary till we prove it real Strom!" Newlyn, now in Hermitaur Z gunner armor, took the map off of Strom and threw it behind her.

    Tekli sat up in the crow's nest on her own in her Velociprey X gear. "Through it all... Through all the troubled times, through the heartache and through the pain..." Tekli looked over the edge of the crow's nest to the other hunters down below. "Know that I will be there to stand by you, just like I know you'll stand by me-" Tekli was greeted by Tammi who climbed up with Echo on her back. She smiled at the dynamic duo.

    "Guys shut up already there's work to be done," Gardar, now wearing Khezu Z gear, was flicking through a list of "to-do's." "Let's get this boat as shipshape as possible!"

    And Blake was just sleeping in Blango armor.

    Epilogue: The Test Arc
    So guys! That's it!

    What do you mean it?

    Oh... It's YOU narrator 2.

    Yes, it's me. Excuse me as I borrow the Morning Dews caps for a bit. Have to distinguish myself somehow.

    Well I guess. But why are you here? You were too late to take part.

    I was? DAMMIT! Can I at least make the announcement?

    I dunno. You don't deserve it.

    But bold makes it look more important!

    Well... That's true. Alright fine you might as well have some part to this. But I'm saying the intro part.

    Seems fair.

    Alright... Readers! Thank you for reading Hunter Story up till now. It's been great fun writing this, and in actuality this was originally gonna be where it ended. But somewhere around chapter 20 or so, the idea of the story grew and grew. And now here we are! There's a lot to be answered and a lot to find out! However this is the end...

    Of the Test Arc! Yes, there's in fact going to be arcs to this. It'll keep things more organized. At the minute we can't really say the names of arcs till their end, as they might spoil the story in them! But yes, there's to be much more now!

    Indeed! We've already started work on the next arc of story. I'm sure you can guess the setting. Pirates! Adventure! Excitement! But no plundering--

    NO PLUNDERING!? BUT THAT'S WHAT PIRATES DO!

    True, but I ain't sure these guys did any plundering. They were like... Nice pirates? I guess. Either way they were technically outlaws, but they just liked the thought of being called Pirates. Unofficially we'll call the next arc...

    THE PIRATE ARC! Or alternatively, the Great Pirate E--

    Shhhh that's taken. We're using Pirate Arc.

    Aw, no fair...

    Anyway. Once again thanks readers. We'll be sure to update the story soon with a new adventure out on the seas! Until then--

    "Hey is this an EPILOGUE!? NEAT!"

    Maxi, what... What are you doing in our bit?

    "Looking around, you KNOW, stuff."

    But this is our one chance to say stuff without you listening. You don't know what it's like when you're always monitored by a crazy person.

    "Heh, well TOO BAD! I'm here now! Oooooooh, can I say it, can I can I CAN I!?"

    FINE, fine, you can say it.

    "Oh YES! *Ahem*"

    "Welcome... TO THE NEXT RANK OF HUNTER STORY!"
     
  15. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
    Level 2
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    Hey guys! Welcome to the first 3 chapters of the pirate arc of Hunter Story! I hope y'all enjoy it as we move on to our next segment of story.

    Chapter 46: The Shipwreck
    Blake yawned as we woke up from 20 hours of sleep. Yawning again he stepped to the door to look at the outside surroundings. The sea was fairly misty but overall had a nice glow to i-

    "Blake! Thank goodness you're awake help us out here!" Joseph appeared from the side, fending off a young Seregios. It was shorter than Joseph.

    "... What's going on?" Blake yawned as he nonchalantly looked across the deck: everyone as it turned out, was fending off other young Seregios' in the area, protecting their goods as the infants attempted to steal their belongings.

    "Keep OFF! You CAN'T take THAT!" Maxi was busy grappling with an infant Seregios over a well-done steak.

    "These infant Seregios' just flew outta nowhere and started stealing our stuff! Hey, that's not yours!" Leandre ran after an infant that was toying with one of Leandre's swords.

    Blake blinked. "Can I harm them?"

    "Of course you can't! They're just infants, how could you suggest that!?" Joseph was now locked into a fight with the young Seregios he was fighting earlier.

    "Oh." Blake shut the door in front of himself. Joseph sighed deeply. Finally after some time, the infantile Seregios' stopped the theft: a loud whistling roar sounded through the air, and following it the infants left the ship. Everyone trawled around the deck to see if anything had been lost. Thankfully nothing except–

    "Wait... Where's my STONE!? It was JUST HERE!" Maxi started searching all around her for the Jurei stone that was originally hung on her neck. "Oh no... Oh no oh no OH NO! Those DAMN kids! I'm gonna DECK THEM!" Maxi let out a roar of battle.

    "We better be quick then, if we move now we'll be able to keep them in sight," Joseph as quick as a bolt of lightning ran up to the helm of the ship, turning it towards the direction of the infant Seregios: the rest of the team raised the sails to prepare moving the ship in the direction of the Seregios'.

    * * *​
    The Seregios' all finally landed at a nearby island: an island upon which was a large shipwreck. Joseph looked hard forwards. "Hey, a shipwreck. Though it looks fairly new... I bet the Seregios' live on that ship there," Joseph pulled the ship up along the shoreline. True enough, this was a recent ship. The wreckage was fairly new, almost completely clean of the Oceans rage. "I think half of us should stay here to protect over the ship. I'll go in with Maxi, since she's the one that lost something. Anybody else?"

    "I better go too then," Leandre wasn't gonna say it, but Maxi was still like a daughter to him, and he needed to make sure she was safe. Even if she could handle it ten times better than he could.

    "It looks... Curious. Most curious. I think I'll participate to evaluate and research the shipwreck," Tekli pulled down her goggles as she noted something down in her notepad.

    "ECHO! You should join TOO!" Maxi ran over to Echo to pick her up. Echo was definitely bigger now, as she now reached to just under Maxi's chest in height. I'd be surprised she could pick it up if she wasn't capable of suplexing Diablos. She set her back down realizing that Echo was big enough to move on her own. She still held Echo's hand at least.

    "Very well then, she might be good company should more Seregios' appear. Alright, in we go-" Joseph stepped forwards into a hole in the side of the ship. He gestured to the rest to follow him. "-It seems structurally stable at least. No harm in entering." Joseph continued forwards, the rest of the exploration party following him.

    "So the native infantile Seregios' use this location as a nest huh? Interesting. It looks to me like this was a class C merchant ship: perfect territory for Seregios' whose eyes are caught by all that shines," Tekli was furiously writing on her notepad in that perfect manner as always.

    "Hey, looks like we can go down this way," Joseph stopped at a large hole in the ground of the ship. He looked down through the hole and saw a nest: and there it was! Maxi's stone! "Hey Maxi, your stone is down th--"

    "IT IS!? GREAT!" Maxi completely cut off Joseph, leaping down the hole and dashing towards the nest to pick up her stone. She lifted it and then came to the sudden realization: she was surrounded. But not by Seregios'.

    As she turned around herself, her eyes grew smaller and smaller.she started sinking towards the ground as everything started spinning. Her eyes welled up. The rest of the hunters fell down the hole now. Leandre looked towards Maxi.

    "Oh no... Oh please no no no!" Leandre started running towards Maxi. He just realized what the nest was surrounded by himself.

    And out of nowhere, Maxi started screaming. She lost all connection to the world, her eyes streaming with tears as she wailed out in pain. Leandre ran up and wrapped himself around her. "No no no, don't worry, don't worry, it's not your fault, it's not your fault..."

    "Leandre! What's happening!?" Joseph ran up to Leandre, disturbed and restless at Maxi's wailing.

    "Listen... I'll explain later but right now we have to get her out of here!" Leandre lifted Maxi up steadily as she continued to scream out as if she didn't need to breath.

    "I can't believe it... There's something that can make Maxi like this?" Tekli was taken aback. She'd never seen Maxi like this before. Nobody had.

    There was no sense to be talked or had. Maxi had lost all control over herself. She wailed out as her armor got soaked in her tears, her face going more and more red with every second, her eyes shrunken and detached from reality. Echo tried to run over to comfort her adoptive mother, but it did nothing: Maxi was even disjointed from the monster she called a daughter.

    "GUYS, JUST, GET HER OUT! NOW!" Leandre wasn't having dithering. Everybody moved Maxi out as fast as possible, even getting help from Echo. Leandre looked back, wishing she had never seen what was back there... Back there...

    ... Were the dead blood-soaked bodies of the past crew.

    * * *​
    The crew had made it back to their ship. Maxi was dozing off, deep in a sleep in the ship medical room: Gardar had been examining her for any signs of bodily disfunction. Once he was satisfied with Maxi being stable, he let Maxi have her peace. Leandre and Tekli stayed behind in the room. Joseph stepped in for a second.

    "Hey, guys. I want to stop by the island we killed Raviente on a couple of days ago. I want to check something there... You guys alright with that?" Joseph was semi-hiding behind the door. Even he couldn't hide very well how worried he was.

    "Yeah, that's fine. Tell us when we get there, I doubt Maxi'll be up soon," Leandre nodded in understanding at Joseph, who nodded back and left, shutting the door quietly behind himself.

    "... I've never seen her like this before. Maxi's usually so strong... So what caused her to push over the edge like that?" Tekli didn't know what to think. She stared down at the now fast asleep and out-of-it Maxi.

    "It's whenever she remembers a part of her history that hurts her at the core, at her heart. A story I've kept secret for Maxi's benefit: the rest of the team know that there's a secret, and they acknowledge that it's one I have to keep hidden away. Usually anyway. But you Tekli... Maxi hasn't spoken of anyone so fondly in quite some time now. She considers you one of her best friends," Leandre wrapped an arm around Tekli, who uncomfortably shifted Leandre's arm off her shoulder.

    "That's... Flattering but why? We're basically opposites of each other!" Tekli's sense of logic was being tried here.

    "Maxi is a very caring person. It's hard to get on her bad side. She may act all boisterous and crazy most of the time, and that's just how she is. But inside she's like a mother. And that seems to give off some sort of aura or whatever that people gravitate towards. I've noticed that you yourself have been getting on better with her," Leandre looked down to Tekli who quietly nodded. "Besides, if you're a true scientist you'd know how opposites attract."

    "... I guess. Well alright then, I'm listening, but only if you wanna tell." Tekli pulled out her notepad, ready to take anything down she needed to get.

    "Alright then. Well..." Leandre begun his story.


    * * *​
    The wind howled. Elliot was lying dead still on the ground, the sword The Morning Dew had thrown into him. He twitched. He stood up, slowly and weakly, holding the sword in place to stop the bleeding. He spluttered. Nobody was around. He cringed in pain: there wasn't time to waste idling.

    Elliot limped dawdled forwards. He needed help: some sort of medical help. There was Guild-Castle city he could go to, but how when he lacked a method of transport? He gripped tightly around his side: that blood was gonna leave a mark in the armor for sure. He'd have to make sure to look into new gear later.

    He stopped for a moment. He blinked. This was... Joseph's sword right? But it wasn't Joseph who left it in him. He waited for a moment: he remembered it. The scene that took place earlier. He smiled as he realized how the Morning Dew failed to kill him. Wait, but how would he get off this island? Was his ship still here or did the Morning Dew hijack that?

    He slowly moved down the mountainside, making sure to seal up his wound as best as he could. He stopped ripped some fabric from his shoulders, wrapping it around his wound to seal up the bleeding even more. Hopefully that'll hold. He continued down, finally making it to the site of the dead Raviente. It was nearly unbelievable, but there was no time to gawk at something nearly unbelievable. He can do that when he gawks unbelievably at someone helping him.

    Someone to help him. Who in their right mind would after all the stunts he's pulled? Still, it's highly unlikely anybody knew of this rather large one. For one there's no longer evidence that Elliot had caused the Raviente attack plan. For another, despite his mishap failure of a kill on Elliot, the Morning Dew was too careful at least for it to get out that he was wanting the stone all along.

    He moved on, making his way to the coastline, and once there keeping his eyes peeled for any ships on the horizon. Just hoping one would appear soon. He collapsed onto the sand as he finally ran out of stamina. He spluttered for a second, deciding that perhaps it'd be a good idea to rest up for now. After all, he can move later if he needs it.

    "... Joseph. I need to find you. I owe you so much for letting me live..." Elliot graspe the sand tightly in his hand as he let his wish be known out aloud.

    "Now please, let me pay for my sins in your behalf."

    Chapter 47: The Machinations of Maxi
    We now step back in time about 7 years, to when Maxi was on the verge of becoming 18.

    It was at this time she was still being taken care of at a childcare home. Leandre was busy working part time as a retailer to earn his wages as he waited to become a hunter. And now, more and more frequently was Maxi spending time in the outside world beyond the Childcare home, in anticipation for the soon-to-be happening day where she'd be able to get out. Each day was brighter and brighter.

    It was around a month before she'd become 18.

    "Take care Maxi! And make sure to come back before dinner, last time you let it get cold!" the nurse of the building waved Maxi goodbye as usual. She technically was in charge as well, but she preferred her nursing role.

    "Of COURSE! I don't wanna miss EATING again!" Maxi dashed off to find adventure, excitement, and possibly extra food.

    "Why do you let her run off like that? The other kids don't get those privileges, so why her, Ms Nami?" one of the Nurse's coworkers had overall been opposed to their allowance of Maxi's running about.

    "You know what she's like, she's unstoppable! Besides, she gets to leave in a month, so I think she should get acquainted with the outside world ahead of time," Ms Nami began to get to work on hanging out the washing.

    "I suppose... Still, I'm not sure it's the wisest thing. Especially since it's Maxi," the coworker slithered off to another section of building.

    The day went by like normal, and as the sun began to set, Maxi made her way back to the home. She'd spent it (failing at) searching for food and (succeeding too well at) suplexing small monsters that got in her way. Part of the day was spent nagging Leandre as he worked again too.

    "Oh hey Maxi! How's life treating you?" Leandre was busy at his stall, polishing up some more of the fresh goods at it. He had to make sure those apples looked genuine! After all, with that fake apple scandal recently...

    "GOOD! I'm so EXCITED though! In a month I can HUNT THINGS!" Maxi threw her arms into the air as she towered above Leandre. Leandre still couldn't believe Maxi had grown to 6 foot 7 inches now.

    "That's great to hear haha. I'll set aside something special for when you're a viable hunter! In the mean time, you interested in anything I have here for you?" Leandre gestured to the produce on his stand, feeling slightly inferior with his 5 foot 4 inches. What happened to the days where he was bigger than Maxi?

    She picked out a few of the apples there, handed Leandre the change, and then ran off as she scoffed all of them whole. Seeds, stalk and all. After some gentle sprinting (Maxi has perfected this to an art) Maxi had made it to her home.

    All of a sudden Maxi noticed: the washing was out. Good! Her favourite shirt was ready to be worn soon. Wait a minute, there's something odd here: the lights were off.

    The sun was setting, and usually by now at least one or two lights were switched on. But there was nothing. Not a lamp in sight glowing. Maxi walked into the house not-so-tentatively (she thought she did but, well, it's Maxi. Take a wild guess)

    The entranceway was totally dark. She moved down through the hall, looking left and right. It was dead silent. Wait... There was a faint noise. Somebody... Crying? Laughing? Maxi didn't know what to think, but it was something that struck her. She needed to see what it was.

    It was coming from the living room door. A faint light was seen shining under the door, its glowing crackling and erratic. She slowly opened the door. And there, she froze.

    She looked around herself: everybody she knew was gone from this world. They all lay around the room, soaked in something familiarly red in colour. Everyone except Ms Nami, who lay barely alive in the arms of the laughing/crying man. He continued to perform his ominous mix of noises as he turned to look at Maxi.

    Maxi's eyes shrunk to pinholes. "Oh, are you... Scared?" the man began to walk up to Maxi, dragging along Ms Nami as he moved, his right hand soaked in red by the knife he held tightly. "... Don't worry. I am too. With this Darren of Madness guy running around... There there... Let's make it all... End..." Maxi was frozen solid. Suddenly the man collapsed: Ms Nami had hit the man hard over the head with a candle holder. She turned to Maxi and handed her an orb.

    "Take this to remember me by... Looks like you're leaving early," Ms Nami desperately held back her tears, trying to smile to Maxi. "Now go! GO! Don't let me stop you, just run!"

    Maxi backed away slowly. Finally, she regained enough sense into her being that she'd be able to move now. She smiled back through the streams on her face, burbling out a simple statement as she ran.

    "Goodbye."

    * * *​
    "... Maxi has to hide that memory for herself now. The pain is too much for her to bare herself. For the most part, she can conceal it, but when it gets out, all she can do is scream. Shout out to the world in agony, before finally collapsing in exhaustion and reworking her mind to forget the memory. That's why retrieving that stone was so important to her: it wasn't just how she befriended Echo. It was a connection to one of the people she loved," Leandre had his head in his hands, his eyes welling up a little.

    Tekli gaped, her hands hung by her sides lost to gravity's powers. "... Wow..." Tekli was at a loss for words.

    "Maxi was always taught to care by Ms Nami, which already combined with Maxi's conviction to defend everybody in the world with her heart. It's funny. When she switches to her motherly state- when she's not loud- she almost reminds me of Ms Nami. It's like how she remembers her through her stone. I remember her through Nami. After all I too was in her care once!" Leandre was looking a little calmer and collected now. Tekli was party to this plan.

    A few hours later, and Leandre had fallen asleep, as per the advice of Tekli who was making sure to watch over Maxi for him. Her eye was focused keenly on Maxi: she stirred, groaning a little as she turned over, waking up. Tekli shook Leandre back to the land of those not dreaming.

    "Leandre! Leandre! Quickly, she's waking up!" Tekli nudged and poked at Leandre who managed to pull himself out of his comfort area. Almost immediately he jumped to the alert when he saw Maxi waking.

    "Just... Be careful now. Maxi takes a while to recharge fully: right now she'll need to regather her memories together as she remembers where she was again," Leandre had previously been explaining it to Tekli how Maxi, when dealing with her past memory of pain, would usually end up going a little over the mark a bit as she figured out her way around the bad memories.

    Maxi got out of her bed, stretching and yawning. She looked tiredly round the room. She fell back onto her bed again.

    "... Oh. I went to far again. I'll sleep some more to get it back..." and with that, Maxi fell asleep on her bed.

    Sideways.

    * * *​
    Elliot looked down at the sword embedded in him. It was still sticking out of his back and through his front. It was grim but it was protecting him from more blood loss at least. All the same it was an incredible discomfort to himself: have you ever tried to move around with a sword stuck through you? Not pleasant.

    Wait, was that a ship? On the horizon? What was it doing here!? Wait, why did Elliot care? It was a ship! And hopefully this time not a mirage ship. Not like off-scenes just now. Shame you missed that, there was sand eating and everything.

    "Hey! HEY! OVER HERE! PLEASE! HELP!" Elliot waved his arm that wasn't holding the sword in place towards the ship. The ship seemed to notice him: it turned and started heading for his position. He continued to wave, tears of joy rolling down his face. At least till he realized who was on that ship.

    "Oh... Oh no! Not yet, I can't show myself to you guys yet! Oh CRAP why'd I have to make myself obvious? Where's a place to hide when you need it!?" Elliot looked frantically around as he scanned for hiding places. Of course he was in the one place that lacked caves and rocks. If only he stopped a mile or two earlier! He'd have an easy hiding spot!

    The ship pulled up, a familiar face in unfamiliar armor hopping over the side. It marched towards Elliot who began to whistle nonchalantly.

    "... Elliot. You're alive I see. Nice accessory," a deep voice puffed through a cloud of smoke being emitted from an object in his mouth.

    "Oh you like it? That Morning Dew guy gave it to me, I've grown rather attached to it," Elliot struck a pose. Funnily enough, it was kinda attached to him now so he could mean it.

    "... I assume you'll need help then. Come on then, we'll lower a ladder for you," the man turned back to the ship as he called another aboard to throw down a rope ladder.

    Elliot hesitated for a moment but it was too late now, he was roped into this. "... Thanks. You have a doctor right? I distinctly recall you having a red-clothed one."

    "Yeah, we do. His attire is different at the moment, but it's still red at least so he's easily spotted here. Come on I'll show you to the medical room. Oh but, do mind: we already have people there so be careful," the smoking man winked behind his clouds.

    Elliot entered in awkwardly, as 2 faces accompanied by a sleeping one looked towards him. He waved weakly. "Hi..."

    "... Oh no. Don't tell me Joseph has allowed you here, not here!" the man who had obviously been crying stood up quickly, arming himself.

    "Leandre, right? I'm not here to harm you, just to get repaired and get things straight with Joseph. We have a lot to talk about him and I... I owe him so much already. This is another thing to add to that list," Elliot sat down at another bed. The door opened, revealing a man standing in Khezu Z gear.

    "For crying out loud Joseph, he's your enemy! Why's he on the ship? Well whatever your reasoning I'm not gonna turn down his medical needs. Here, inhale this, it'll knock you out so we can remove that nasty thing from you," the man handed Elliot a cloth with some sort of liquid on it.

    "Gee thanks Mister... Gardar? Did I get that right?" Gardar nodded at Elliot. "But yeah. I'm so glad I'm knocking out myself now, I imagine it's such a strain for yo--" Gardar pushed the cloth to Elliot's face, sending him into sleepy land.

    "Shut up for once," Gardar prepared to remove the sword from Elliot.

    Chapter 48: The Road Ahead
    "... Well that's the roof."

    Elliot woke up. Last he remembered, Gardar had stuffed a piece of cloth into his face, coated in some sleeping agent. Wait a minute: the roof. He was on his back again. The sword prior had really restricted that, due to it having been stuck in through the back. Finally Elliot was comfortable: or as comfortable as he could be. He looked down at the masses of bandages wrapped around his torso. His imagination ran wild as he imagined the scar that'd be left.

    "... So you're awake now," Leandre was looking firmly at the floor from where he was sitting, his arms crossed. "Good. You can leave now."

    Elliot blinked. He would've contested but right now he was a little too weak to fight back. Standing up, Elliot realized that he was lacking armor. Sighing inwardly he went outside of the medical quarters: after all everyone had probably seen him in his shorts by now. On his way out he noticed Maxi was still asleep since he came in, albeit in a more reasonable position than lying half off and sideways.

    Elliot stepped outside to be greeted by sea air. That's right: the ship had been rocking about since he woke up. Guess he wasn't as woozy as he thought he was. Still, it wasn't rocking as much as Elliot thought it was because even if he wasn't as woozy as he thought he was, he was still woozy. Joseph was sitting next to the medical room door patiently.

    "Ah, you're awake. And alive. Better than I thought you'd be too. Sit down, I want to talk-" Joseph gestured to a chair in front of him. Well, I say chair with generosity here, it was more like a crate. Alright, it was a crate through-and-through. Elliot took a seat. "-I want to know: how are you still alive?"

    "What I'd like to ask is what's up with your armor and all this here," Elliot scratched his head. Since when did Joseph wear Gobul gear after all?

    "I asked you first," Joseph took a sip from a mug in his hands.

    "Fair point. Alright, so you thought me dead? Ha! Nah, I managed to fake it perfectly, even convincing the man who was convinced I was dead. That'll teach him, you can't just kill people left and right. It ain't healthy," Elliot laughed a little to himself. "So, you guys: why're you on the seas now in different gear?"

    "Well, we were charged with the murder of you Elliot. They claimed that you were blameless and that I killed you out of spite: the others were criminalized for being accomplices. So we've moved to the seas to live as pirates," Joseph smiled to himself as he said that last part. It was like one of the novels he read as a kid.

    "Wait but... You guys didn't do it! So... Who told the guild that you had?" Elliot sat back a little, scratching his chin. He clicked his fingers. "I'll bet it was the Morning Dew."

    "The... The Morning Dew!?" Joseph was unsure of how Elliot knew of this person.

    "Yeah. The Morning Dew. He'd hired me to find the Queen Stone for him, but ultimately I betrayed him after seeing the stones captivating glare. As such, he attempted to kill me with your weapon you left behind. It was a great way to shove the blame onto you alright, but look at what happened! He failed!" Elliot laughed to himself. He'd cheated death like the cheat he was.

    "I see... So there's no premise for us to be considered outlaws technically?" Joseph was happy but, at the same time a little disappointed: he only just got to be a pirate!

    "Pretty much," Elliot leaned forward and begin to twiddle his fingers together. "... Say... If I were to ask... Would you accept me into your crew if I asked it?"

    Joseph blinked. He jolted backwards. "WHAT!? That's out of the blue isn't it?" Elliot shrugged at Joseph. "... Ultimately, even if it discomforted the others for a while, I'd have to say yes. I can see that you've changed from what you've used to be, and want to build on that. Besides, the Guild will need someone to take you into their custody when they hear of what you did!" Joseph smiled.

    Elliot's eyes teared up a little. "Thank you... I'm glad you can see it. I just hope the rest do in due time--"

    "How low. You've resorted to trickery now Elliot? And you Joseph! You never allowed him into your Black&Golds squad, so how could you allow him in our group?" Leandre was standing in the door to the medical room.

    "Leandre, stop looking through your old eyes and look through your new ones! Elliot's different now, and he wants to change, so it's my duty to help him!" Joseph stood up now to stop Leandre from doing anything rash. He failed: Leandre sprinted towards Elliot and threw a punch in his direction, narrowly missing as Elliot shifted out of the way. "LEANDR--"

    "Stay out of this Joseph! Leandre needs this. Let him try all he wants," Elliot stood up and picked up a blade that was sat next to him: one of the dual blades he had on hand when he was picked up. He got into a ready stance. Leandre drew his sword. "Leandre... I don't want to fight you. I'm changed now. I want to be your ally! But if you're intent on this, then know I'm ready to protect myself!" Elliot's face went stony serious.

    Leandre threw a swing at Elliot, who promptly dodged to the side. Leandre tried again, and again and again, starting into his signature rapid slashing style. As he layered slash upon slash, Elliot continued to dodge, left right up right down left right right left. In the blink of an eye he raised his blade and deflected it off of Leandre's next slash, following it with a kick to the gut. Leandre slid backwards against the deck, his hand clutched to his stomach.

    Regaining his wind, Leandre charged at Elliot with even more rage than he had earlier: Elliot held his own blade ready as he prepared to deflect each hit thrown his way. All of a sudden, Elliot was knocked over by something from behind him.

    "Maxi!? What are you doing there!?" Leandre stood back. He was surprised Maxi was awake so soon. Maxi stood up from Elliot.

    "... Why are you attacking a man in pain?" Maxi's head was lowered down. Despite her height, Leandre was still unable to see her eyes.

    "Why? Well... It's cause he's Elliot! He's caused us trouble up to this point! I don't care if he claims he's changed, or if Joseph accepts him in! HE'S THE ENEMY!" Leandre readied himself to attack: instead he got hit hard by something like concrete out of nowhere. Maxi's fist was outstretched where Leandre's face was.

    "He WAS the enemy. Not IS. WAS. Joseph doesn't just accept random people in without knowing what he's doing. If he could accept that Elliot has changed, why can't you? What's so wrong with second chances? Why are you so incapable of doing that!?" Maxi lifted her head now, staring hard into Leandre's eyes through the tears welling up in them. "We already have enough hate! We already have enough loathing! Don't contribute!" Maxi lowered her fist shakily.

    Leandre rubbed his hand against his face as he came to grips with what just happened. This was Maxi, the one person who she confided in about what had happened 7 years ago at the childcare home. The same Maxi that believed in him. And she'd just hit him hard. And by that, he wasn't thinking about the punch.

    Leandre stood up shakily, and looked steady at Elliot who was watching distant and shocked. Maxi was trying hard not to cry. Leandre looked steadily at the two. He turned to run for one of the hanging nets that lead to the crow's nest and climbed up, his eyes semi-closed.

    * * *​

    Leandre had curled himself up in the crow's nest. He'd shut off from everything, his face buried into his knees.

    "... Leandre? Are you okay?" Maxi had put on her soft voice.

    "Why do you care? I'm a failure. I'm weak. I can't get past the 2 dimensional people I see in my head. I can't look at people without looking past what I believe I know of them. So why care about me?" Leandre didn't lift his head.

    "Well, that's exactly why I care about you. You messed up, true. But it's not the true you. Even if we mess up and succumb to another side of ourselves, the important thing is to look past that. I know you can learn that. And I wanna help, because I can," Maxi crouched down next to Leandre.

    Leandre lifted his head slightly. "But... The others. Joseph. Gardar. Elliot. I bet they hate me now... I bet--"

    "Then make it up to them," Maxi wrapped herself around Leandre. Leandre's eyes widened, incapable of holding back the tears that were struggling through anymore. Turning around to Maxi he wrapped his arms back round her and began to wail out. Maxi ran her hand through his hair. "There there Leandre."

    "You're not alone."

    * * *​

    "Enter!" a man writing a series of notes behind a desk called out to the sound of a door knock. The door widened open, a man stepping through it standing in Esurient Z armor.

    "Might I speak with you a second, Toby Deeds?" a deep voice rung through the chamber. The man behind the desk recognized that voice

    "Joseph? Of course, take a seat. What can I do for you?" Toby pulled himself away from his notes as the supposed Joseph walked up to a desk. Joseph procured from his hilt a sword and smiled menacingly.

    "What you can do... Is die!"
     
  16. Almandine-G

    Almandine-G All Men Are Equal

    Eggu-Sama
    (Odd Egg)
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    There we go guys! Next few chapters uploaded and ready to read. Hope y'all enjoy!

    Chapter 49: The Shocking Crew
    The crack of dawn once again yawned through the misty sea, and along with it rose another Dawn that we know well enough by now. Kane threw a pot onto a stove on the ship on the ocean on the-- You get the idea. He'd soon have to depart off to prove to the mainlanders Joseph's innocence, which meant a long voyage with Elliot.

    Hoo boy. Kane could only hope Elliot had really changed himself now. Otherwise that journey is gonna be absolute hell.

    The whole slip was still a sheep. Wait, no it's... *Yawn* look narrators need sleep to okay!? You can ignore one little slip up right? ... You're gonna hold it against me aren't you? Jerk.

    THE WHOLE SHIP WAS ASLEEP. Above deck was Joseph's quarters which he shared with Kane and Gardar: Gardar and Joseph were still snoring. Under-deck, the rest of crew were lazily hanging by hammocks, except Maxi who was too heavy for the hammock with Echo lying across her. She stirred as Echo's spicy breath got too close to her face for comfort.

    "Hey..." Maxi blinked. And all of a sudden sprang up yelling. "YEEEEEAAAAAAAAHH I'M BACK IN COMMISSION!" Maxi swirled her arms around as she de-stiffed from sleeping. Looking around everyone stirred then returned back to sleep grumpily. Except Elliot who was the only one not used to this routine.

    "... You do realize, it's the morning... The early morning? Don't yell..." Elliot sat up and dropped from his hammock, smashing his face into the ground by mistake. This was a lot to get used to for sure...

    Kane came dashing down the stairs to see what the commotion was: and turned out it was nothing abnormal. At least Elliot was awake now. "Hey, you're awake good. We'll be departing for mainland via the skiff soon so get yourself together." Kane signaled towards a box of armor. They weren't particularly special armor sets but Elliot needed something to defend himself with after his old set got torn to pieces. Pulling himself together and rubbing around his weak spot left on him from his injuries, he trudged over to the box and almost immediately had his eye caught by a white glint.

    "Wow now, hold up... You have GX Tempest armor just sitting around here!?" Elliot lifted the gear gently. It was as silky and smooth as the rumors said it was, its white sheen so pure it repelled dust. Elliot felt his hands tremble as he held the legendary set in his hands.

    "What? Oh that set. Joseph made it once to try out the evasion style but found it wasn't for him. You can have it," Kane shrugged and then made his way up the stairs to the top-deck. He wanted to get the coffee fully brewed and ready to drink. Elliot's hands trembled a little. He went to a secluded area and put on the armor.

    It was as silky soft as everyone had said. It curved perfectly around his body shape, it's interior like a cushioned cloud of softness. It weighed lightly on him, making him feel like he could jump twice as high now. He placed his hand to the sword wound weak spot: it still hurt but he felt the pain less in this cushiony softness. He walked up deck and boy! It was a joy to step around in. He went up to the top-deck and did some arm swivels to break in the gear. Joseph was finally awake now it seemed.

    He blinked. "Hey... That's my GX Tempest armor right? Hah, looks good on you," Joseph gave a thumbs up of approval. "I hope you get better use out of it than I did, I could never get the evade thing down with that set. I'll stick to my traditional methods." Joseph proceeded to flick through some files of unknown description.

    * * *​

    Elliot stood at the rear of the ship with Kane. There hooked on the back was the skiff, labeled "The Merry Ludroth." It wasn't a large boat but it was motorized and ready to skid out across the ocean. Apparently this model was one of the faster ones, great for transporting small groups of people to mainland. On the front was a wooden carved head of a Royal Ludroth, its mouth loud and roaring.

    "We'll head to the mainland on this here skiff. Got everything you need?" Kane yawned: he still wasn't fully awake.

    Elliot nodded confidently and stepped onto the Skiff, followed by Kane who operated the lowering crane, dropping it into the water. After waving the other hunters goodbye, they set sail onto the great blue horizon.

    We're not going to follow them because their voyage was boring and lame, where as what happens next back at the main ship is... Less boring and lame. Call it picking the lesser of two evils.

    The rest of group slowly but surely woke up one by one till only Strom and Newlyn were asleep. They got a rude awakening when Joseph called out about an incoming ship. Everybody was to get themselves ready for a fight: after all, out here on the ocean they couldn't tell who was truly friend or foe. The ship shone a brilliant light blue, its colors reflecting the sunlight that bounced off the ocean beneath it. It pulled up next to Joseph's ship slowly and steadily, and from the rear of the ship stepped forward a man in Lagiacrus X gunner gear. Fixing his hat into an appropriate angle he stepped forwards even more and waved at Joseph's crew.

    "Hey there! I see we have a new set of faces on these seas eh?" he spoke with a notably foreign accent as he sized up Joseph's crew. "Very well then! As a pirate of these here seas I hereby welcome you to the life beyond the law!"

    Joseph looked at him in a puzzled manner but all the same he waved back. Turns out this ship wasn't hostile at all! He laid down a plank for his hunters to walk over between the ships and boarded the Lagiacrus captains ship. After shaking hands they introduced themselves.

    "Th'name's Saito! Cap'n Saito of this 'ere fine ship, the Blue Bolt. I've been sailin' the waters fer some time now, can't say I r'ember how long now!" he let out a hearty laugh. The ship shook a little and then, out of nowhere lifted a large blue head from the water, launching water everywhere, even over the narrator!

    ... Yes I am actually there to get water flung over me. I'm rather salty about that.

    The monster's head revealed itself to be a saddled Lagiacrus. According to Saito, the Lagiacrus was one he befriended years ago in a wrestling match and convinced to tow his ship. "Their name be Thorden the Thunderclap! He's got a'real stingin' shock I tell you now!" after laughing some more, Saito guided Joseph's crew to his ship's lower deck where they gathered to get to know eachother.

    "... So might I ask: why're you being so friendly to us? Aren't you pirates?" Joseph sipped down some of the Mead Saito had stored up and spluttered out. He was never one to drink.

    "Ha-hahaha! Not a good'un at holdin' yer drink 'ey? Nah but that's aside from the point. I'm what you call a dignified pirate. I may be outlawred but I got mah standards. I tend to welcome all you new'uns to the oceans. After all deez seas be quite the rough enchantress," He threw back nearly the entire chalice of mead down his hatch in the blink of an eye. Takes some skills that does.

    "OI! Yu've git sum landlubbers 'ere 'ave ye Saito Cap'n?" a man in red Kaiser X armor with a large flowing head of white hair stepped in. He held an empty bottle in his hand. "Well non mattirin', I haf tu aske ye: whur hath thi rum gon?"

    "The rum? O'ye it's about done now. I think Thorden was last to drink it all!" Saito slapped his knee and laughed out loud again. "Sorry 'bout dat Whitebeard!"

    The man with white flowing hair turned around and stomped off up to the main deck to have a word with the Leviathan. Ain't nobody on this ship gonna steal his rum!

    "Don't mind him that's just ol' Whitebeard. He's quite poss'bly the most pirate-like pirate I've evur met! His speech is somethin' else and his mannerisms are like that of the book pirates1" Saito let out another laugh.

    "Why do you call him Whitebeard anyway? He doesn't look like he has a beard..." Joseph stared into his near-full chalice of mead.

    "Well, 'tween you and me, that flowing head of hair he has is actually his beard. He's been bald all his life, so he grew out the beard and wore it like a wig! Plonk a mask on and suddenly you have luscious locks eh?" Saito swung back another chug of mead before pouring out more for himself. Joseph watched in awe: he didn't think anybody could handle this stuff let alone the amount Saito was drinking.

    "So... Any dangers on the seas we should know about?" Joseph looked over to Saito, handing Saito his near full chalice of mead. Saito passed the mead onto Whitebeard.

    "Well... There is another new face on these oceans. A man clad in deep crimson, glowin' armor, with a sparkin' sword of Lao-Shan Lung. He's earned a title on the seas already: 'The Laughing Blade.' His full name was... Kane? Kane Tori I believe," Saito suddenly looked serious. Joseph's jaw dropped.

    "K... Kane!?" Joseph reeled back. "Kane Tori!? He was a part of one of my divisions! Whatever got him back into crime?" Joseph started sweating. For your info, this is a different Kane to the Kane we know, Kane Lois.

    "Beats me, but I tell you me you now, he's to be avoided! Ol' Tori is scum. A slime. He kills other seafarers fer fun, and burns down ships with his blade, all the while laughing every second, like some twisted and sadistic little... GRAH!-" Saito slammed his hands into a nearby wall. He was lucky he didn't punch a hole into the ship with that force. "-It's scum like him that make me vomit!"

    "Y'know, I used to work with Tori... He was a good man. Or I thought so anyway. He often spoke of his old pirating days, and how he accepted his fate when he got caught out for it. I was the hunter assigned to watch over him during his 'rehabilitation' as it were. Sheesh, Kane- The other Kane I work with, Kane Lois -he won't be happy one bit about this..." Joseph looked to the floor.

    "... Other Kane? Rehabilitation? Could you please elaborate for me, I'm not so sure I follow ye," Saito began scratching his head.

    Joseph explained how he used to be part of the guild and managed three squads, Red, Silver and Black&Golds, and how he was falsely accused of the murder of another hunter, Elliot Test and as such was forced to live the life of a pirate. He also explained how Kane Lois (our Kane) was related to Kane Tori (the bad one): you see, they come from a foreign land where surnames are used first rather than last and are, indeed, brothers. Kane Lois stuck to being called Kane, whilst Kane Tori preferred the use of Tori (and thank goodness for that, otherwise we'd be suffering some major confusions here). Tori originally worked as a Black&Gold in order to pay for his crimes as a pirate.

    "Ah, it makes sense now. Sheesh that's flipping confusing!" Saito didn't actually say flipping but I'm not a bad mouthed narrator now. I do all my cursing off-script. As such just assume that any time Saito uses 'Flipping' or 'crap' he's actually meaning much worse words. "In any case... Well, I'm sorry you've bin forced into the pirate's life! Here, take this-" Saito handed Joseph a key. Joseph looked up, noticing that Saito had locked something round his neck. "-For as long as you hold that key, I'm forced to wear this 'ere object round my neck. That means I've obliged myself to you! I can only unlock this 'ere when we achieve your goals. And I'll assume those are to prove your innocence and stop Tori eh?"

    Joseph nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate the token."

    Chapter 50: Back to the "Bustling" City
    "Hey, looks like we're here," Kane pulled the skiff up to the Guild-Castle City docks. He couldn't help but notice the distinct lack of ships in the harbour. In fact even the soldiers were missing. Kane got off the ship and pulled Elliot along with him. Elliot was still pretty weak and the speedy Skiff had shaken him like an expensive cocktail.

    "Wait... Where's all the soldiers and stuff? I mean I know they love slacking off but there's usually at least one here," Elliot looked all around him at the expansive nothingness. He pulled himself together and started to walk on his slightly-less-stable-but-still-more-stable-than-jelly legs. Kane took a moment to write a note down and found a nearby messenger hut: inside was a series of birds all assigned for different locations. He found the one he wanted, a white one with black speckles.

    "Dahl, I want you to take this to Joseph's headquarters pronto. Quickly now," Kane slipped the note into the pouch slung on the birds back, then sent it flying. About an hour or so passed with nothing happening: not a single soul had appeared once, nor a ship. Eventually, a carriage was spotted coming down the roadway into the port, tugged by guild certified Rajang. It wore what looked like a postal hat with a guild collar rapped around it. The Rajang stopped and sat back as a carriage door opened and a small soft face popped out from behind.

    "Oh! Kane! Quick quick, come in~!" the face signaled Kane and Elliot into the carriage before shutting the door and telling the Rajang to move them to Joseph's headquarters. Elliot sat down in the awkwardly cute carriage. Nearly everything was pink.

    Across from Elliot and Kane sat a man and a woman. "Kane, oh it's awful how they've accused Joseph like this! First Elliot and now this new case, it's really caused a stir here!" the man spoke with a cutesy tone. He wore no armor at all, instead wearing a pink shirt that flayed out at the bottom and the ends of the arms: the arms reached only down to his elbows. Below this he wore soft black trousers and a pair of brown jogging shoes. In short: very casual clothes. His hair was about shoulder length and curled at the tips slightly.

    "Psh. They're all blind. Can't they see Joseph wouldn't do anything of that nature?" the woman spoke with a gravelly tone, her eyes pitched to the carriage walls. Unlike the man, she wore armor, and more specifically EX Borealis armor. Between her and the man lay a sturdy looking hammer made of Crimson Fatalis parts.

    The carriage stayed in silence the rest of the trip. Both Kane and Elliot had their eyes glued to the outside: the entire city was deserted. Most shops were closed and those that weren't had next to no visitors: or managers. They passed the Guild Castle: the doors were sealed tight, an unusual act for the guild. That being said, smoke still rose steadily from its multiple chimney's, meaning that there were people inside still. Kane looked around baffled at the scene: what in the world was going on here? This was a capital city, and location of one of few guild buildings no less! What caused such a major change in its atmosphere?

    Finally, the carriage pulled up to Joseph's headquarters. The woman stepped out first, followed by the man who guided Elliot and Kane to the entrance, then to the waiting area for "patients." He then told them to wait as he prepared a theatre for Elliot, which could take a while due to the notice and then left them. All the while, the woman just stood looking grumpy, only to follow the man grumpily.

    "... So... Who were those guys? More to the point who was that boy there? He wore no armor, yet he has access to this building..." Elliot scratched his chin. He wasn't used to seeing non-hunters having access to hunter buildings.

    "That would be Curley. He's not actually a hunter but rather, head of our medical team," Kane began explaining it to Elliot.

    "Head of your medical team? But I thought that was Gardar!" Elliot was shocked that Gardar, the person who fixed his wound like it was nothing, wasn't in charge.

    "Gardar is a hunter, Elliot. Whilst true it may be that he's a medic, his role as a hunter prevents him from full-time doctoring work making him unsuitable for a job as the head. Curley on the other hand is a full time practitioner in that field. He knows everything about it, and is dedicated to his job thus making him the best for the job. Not to mention his enthusiasm..." Kane looked to the floor, his head resting on his hand.

    "Yeah, the whole city's deserted, clearly something's amiss, and he's having to cater to a past enemy, and yet he still seems to be chirpy. Either he's really good at acting, or he has no hate whatsoever," Elliot looked the opposite direction of Kane, instead pointing his head to the ceiling.

    "The latter. That boy, he's 19 now, he's seen what the world can do to people, and he's been through the Mad Darren history. And even then he still manages to be a positive light. He's like a Mom of sorts," Kane chuckled to himself.

    "Mom? Don't you mean Dad?" Elliot blinked.

    "In terms of technicalities, Curley is indeed a Dad. But most of the time he's just like the combination of a Mom and a little girl. Curley obsesses over cute things and the colour pink, and more often than not is found doing his best to comfort everyone around him. You should see his personal study, the walls are lined with monster plushes," Kane continued his inward chuckle.

    "You two. Here now. Doctor wants you," the gravelly woman once again appeared, indicating impatiently to the two hunters to follow her. Without checking to see if Kane and Elliot had gotten the message, she walked off in the direction of what Elliot assumed was the direction of Curley's study. He couldn't help but think how opposite this woman was to Curley, Curley emitted total cheer and this woman seemed to just emit... A dark brooding aura.

    They reached the study of Curley-and walked right past it. It seemed they were to be headed to the room located next to Curley's study, a medical room with a large clinical bed and a series of shelves, tables and trays holding various assorted medical tools and gizmos. In terms of the era they were in this was probably the most high-tech place Elliot had seen in his life.

    "Ah, you're ready. Take a seat~," Curley cheerily aimed a gesture at the clinical bed. Elliot sat down on it: it was surprisingly comfortable. Guess this was the future of medical science: softer beds!

    "So... Why are you all prepped up like you're gonna perform some sorta surgery or something?" Elliot placed his hand to his sealed wound.

    Curley pointed to where Elliot was holding. "I noticed several indicators that told me that location was in some sort of pain. You keep clutching it, not to mention that part of your armor sticks out a bit more due to what I can assume is the dressings underneath and possible swelling. I'm going to examine and, if necessary, operate on it fully~," Curley tied a medical apron round himself and put on a large pair of gloves that reached to his elbows.

    "How... No, you know what I'll sum it up to surgeon's wizardry and assume your eyes have built in injury locators or something. Yes, there's a wound there, a sword stab wound. The sword was kept in for a while to stem the bleeding but was then removed by Gardar, our field medic," Elliot was amazed at how Curley saw through to his injury.

    "Ah, Gardar. He's so good at what he does isn't he~? But a field medic can't complete the job, so that's where I step in. Now, sit back, you won't feel a thing-" Curley was interrupted.

    "That's what they all say and then I end up feeling things. I feel hungry, confused and tired- oh and there's usually pain involved too," Elliot complied with sitting back but folded his arms in the process.

    "I meant for the operation. Obviously after you'll feel all those things so we'll provide accordingly 'kay~? Now, all that's left is to knock you out," for a moment, Elliot thought Curley would pull a frying pan on him or something. Instead he felt a cloth go to his face and once again he succumbed to the red swirls.

    * * *​

    That was the roof, but an altogether cleaner and less wooden roof than that of the ship he last woke up on from the "fun cloth" experience. Elliot sat up and looked to his left: there sat his armor in evenly folded piles. To his right was a desk: on it was a slice of cake, a note of the operation, a mug of coffee- and several painkillers.

    "They provided accordingly. Huh," Elliot took the cake and bit a large chunk out before devouring it. It tasted good it turns out, but then again even hospital food can taste good if you're hungry. In the corner sat Kane, who was now fast asleep. Elliot, despite his usual nature, decided not to wake Kane.

    He failed at this naturally and ended up dropping the plate his cake was sat on, shattering it against the ground. Kane stood to attention

    "WAIT WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Kane had his bow drawn and ready. When he looked down he realized it was just a plate. "Elliot, don't screw with me like that, I was content there."

    "Sheesh sorry man! I didn't mean nothing, it just happened," Elliot felt like nobody'd believe him which is pretty fair considering his tendency to snark.

    "You're lucky Manna isn't here, she'd have went ballistic," Kane rubbed the back of his head.

    "... Manna?" Elliot stroked his chin. It clicked in his head. "That wouldn't be the grumpy chick from earlier would it?"

    "Yes, that's Manna. Manna is... Well, manly in a sense. She spends most of her time hunting and working up her muscle, usually hiding her true emotions. The only tie she ever shows something is around Curley. They have a good thing going, Curley taught Manna some field medical techniques and tricks, whilst Manna taught Curley what weapons cause what wounds. Together their knowledge is astounding," Kane was always awed by the duo. Elliot missed them earlier when they fussed over Elliot's papers regarding his injury: it was non-stop talking and note-taking.

    "So... They're like working partners?" Elliot stroked his chin.

    "They're married," Kane stated bluntly.

    "M... Married!? But they're more opposite than the ground we stand on and the sky we stand under!" Elliot sat baffled at this.

    "Yes, married. I suppose it's one of those cases of opposites attracting, but their full names are Curley Myan and Manna-Lee Wou Myan. They've been married just over a year mind you," Kane paused for a moment. "It's odd though. Manna has been hunting much less recently. Wonder why... Regardless, that's what's up."

    Elliot sat in awe for a moment. He started thinking. Wait a minute... Were they forgetting something? And then it hit him. Why haven't they cleared Joseph's name yet? Elliot's being alive was proof Joseph had not murdered him, so it was of major importance that they saw someone about it. But there was something else bothering Elliot. What Curley said earlier about a second crime... What was this crime? And more to the point... How serious was it?

    How serious to cause the whole city to empty out?

    Chapter 51: To Maze Island
    After some waiting both Manna and Curley had come round to visit Elliot as he rested up. After seeing Kane was here they got to explaining the situation.

    "Well, you see... I'd say about a day or two ago, a high up official in the guild, Toby Deeds, was found murdered. No clues were left aside from the wound in Damon's chest, which was received from a short sword. However, according to a firsthand witness account, the perpetrator was...

    "Joseph Devin," Curley looked intensely at Elliot. Elliot couldn't take the look seriously: Curley's face was too innocent to look intense. "Because of the supposed murdering of Elliot, Joseph committing another murder was much easier to believe. But... I know he didn't do it! He's a killer of monsters, not men!" Curley's face went from innocently failing intensity to innocent determination. At least this face looked genuine. "So, the whole city is on shut down in fear of Joseph's seeming serial killing. Only people around are the patrolmen every now and then."

    "... I see. So in short, they believe Joseph has committed two murders now. Man isn't this a stinker... I doubt we'll be able to get Elliot to someone either then. Not until we bargain our way in. I'll head off after Joseph then. Thanks for the info," Kane stood up and readied himself for traveling. "Elliot? You fit to go?"

    "Well I just recently had to survive a good whack of time with a sword stuck in my side, followed by a gaping hole that it left behind, continuous pain, surgery and now being deemed dead by the guild on top of now being scarred for life," Elliot looked under his fringe at Kane with his lips widened out into a straight line, his eyebrows lowered slightly.

    "Right guess you're healthy enough. Curley, we'll need to use the carriage asap," it was of great importance that Kane delivered the message to Joseph that this was a mess they weren't gonna get out of easy.

    "Sure thing~ I'll get Rango ready to go!" Curley bounced up and swiftly speed walked off down the corridors to go get the Rajang ready. Kane turned to Elliot and lifted him up gently as Elliot stood up, helping him pick up his armor as he moved along.

    "Can't believe I'm leaning on your shoulder, of all the shoulders in the world. Your shoulder. I thought the next shoulder would be the bony shoulder death sports," Elliot trudged along, leaning against Kane.

    "I'm sure death would probably have dragged you instead of carrying you," Kane tugged Elliot along, nearly tempted to drop him and just drag him like death supposedly would.

    After a trip through the building (and a quick stop to get Elliot into his gear) Kane and Elliot finally made it to outside the building, where the Rajang was found... Taking notes? Elliot only just noticed now that there was text around the Rajang's cap. It read "Oran Rango Tan." Curley was already here prepping up the carriage. Kane and Elliot both stood waiting when they noticed two guild police members wearing Guardian X gear talking to a guild official. The guild official looked at Kane then double-took as he recognized the face.

    "Hey! HEY! That's Kane, Joseph's friend! Quick, arrest him!" the official pointed an angered finger in the direction of where Kane was standing. The two guild policemen turned and noticed the direction of the angry point, before charging in Kane's direction.

    "Crap! Quick, Curley, get out of here! You can't be an accomplice to this for now-" Kane gently pushed Curley out of the way so he could get into the carriage with Elliot. All of a sudden the carriage jolted as the Rajang named Rango bolted off. Curley did always train that thunder ape well.

    After a brief unleisurely trip through the near deserted Guild-Castle City (aside from those policemen giving chase) Kane and Elliot finally made it back to the skiff. After leaping out from the carriage doors, the two rushed over and jumped into the Skiff, quickly powering it up and then skedaddling it outta there.

    "And here I thought," Elliot waved Guild-Castle City goodbye with a large grin on his face.

    "That today would be more exciting."

    * * *​

    "So you know where he is!?" Joseph stood up and stared Saito in the eyes, who looked back over a chalice of mead.

    "Yeah. I make it me biz'ness to watch over th'men that sail the seas. I have a man soarin' up on high there on an Astalos," of course, the shocker captain Saito would own a shocker wyvern on top of a Lagiacrus, a shocker leviathan. "He reports ev'ry evenin' and last I heard, ol' Tori was spotted on Maze Island."

    "Maze Island? Then that's where I'll head. Soon as Kane and Elliot get back, we'll head straight over and confront him," Joseph looked a little distant. This was something he felt personally: Tori had been under his command and watch, and somewhere along the lines he failed in that watch. Joseph needed to do whatever he could to stop Tori.

    Maze Island, as it turns out, is otherwise nameless. The guild has on record stated that they will not name an island that harbors the "scum of the sea." However calling it nameless island is one of the greatest contradictions you could ever do because by naming it nameless island you've given it a name, making it not nameless and as such removing the meaning from the name. So it got nicknamed Mae Island due to its twisting tunnels and chasms that create a vast maze structure.

    That plus it's home to a farmer of maize. Go figure.

    Joseph returned to his ship to keep a lookout for Kane and Elliot's return, which as it would happen, happened in the span of about 6 and a half minutes. The skiff got hoisted up, whilst Elliot and Kane trudged off. Kane explained to Joseph all that happened and how even with Elliot alive they were still criminals for this falsely generated crime.

    "... Are you serious? Why? Why is the world intent on turning on us like this?" Joseph paced back and forth, then realized Kane didn't know about Tori. So he in turn explained everything Saito had talked with him about.

    "... Are you serious? Why? Why is the world intent on turning on us like this?" Kane began pacing alongside Joseph.

    "Maybe you should both get a sword through your chests and see how lucky you had it," Elliot spoke under his breath and fringe: the hair stuck out through a fold in his headgear.

    "So. Guess we're heading to Maze Island! Crew, get the ship together! We've got a Tori to Bash!" Joseph meanwhile ran to make sure everything in his personal room was tied down ready for the voyage.

    "I'll head along too. It's me duty to help yer cap'n!" Saito gave a slight salute then dashed to his ship, garbling all sorts of Pirate speech. Elliot seemed to be the only one who understood a word of it.

    Maze island wasn't far from where Joseph was now, at most about a half hour journey across gentle waters. Or gentle till you reach the island: the entire outside is filled with rocky spires and lumps sticking through the water, some still submerged and acting as invisible traps. By this point Saito's Astalos had shown up with a hunter on top. The hunter talked with Saito a little bit before taking flight and hovering above the ships. Saito called out to Joseph's ship.

    "Heyo! Our wyvern-riding friend is gonna watch from above to guide us! Follow me exactly now!" with that Saito slowed Thorden the Lagiacrus down in order to guide it correctly. The two ships slowly made their way through the twisting spires, avoiding as many brushes as they could until eventually docking at the island.

    "So Tori's in here somewhere?" Joseph looked at the nearby cavern. It seemed to emit a strange glow: in any case it wasn't dark down there.

    "I'd assume it'd be here he entered," Saito pointed to another cavern where their were burning cut marks along the ground: they were clearly made when Tori dragged his sword along, creating sparks.

    "Then we better head in," Joseph lead his squad in, followed by Saito and Whitebeard following up the rear.They continued to follow the burn marks until eventually coming up to a larger room. All along the way they had noticed small orange crystals emitting that warm yet strange glow from earlier. This cavern seemed to be filled to the brim with them.

    "Fluppin' Finalleh," a rather dignified voice signaled out. Everyone looked around for a moment then noticed a man standing up on a ledge in Akantor gear, a long katana-like sword hung in one hand. "I've been waitin' long enough! But you finally made it. Joe, Joe Joe Joejoejoejoejoe. Joe. You fell for it," Tori grinned, tapping his nose. "I have other people to annoy, irritate and frustrate, so I better do this quick-" Tori cut a rope that sat tied nearby. "-enjoy having one last crush! Gyahawahawahawahaaa!" With that, Tori dashed through the tunnel at the end of the ledge. The whole room began shaking, and as everyone realized what was happening, they dispersed and ran to the series of caverns that lined the walls like holes in a fine kirin cheese.

    With that the large cavern filled up, separating the hunters.
     
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