Hello and greetings. I'm Sanctierium!
With many hours poured into Monster Hunter World as of late, I felt quite inspired to write this story, as I'm a huge fan of the series (even if their story doesn't make tooo much sense sometimes).
Disclaimer: This story is a…'edited' - for the lack of a better word - version of the MHW story. Not everything will be accurate, as the views and scenes will be taken from whole new perspectives and angles. I of course do not own MHW, and all rights and reserves belong to Capcom.
This chapter is to get the story up and off the ground. Let me know what you think and if you're looking forward to more! I'm happy to write it.
It was the perfect arena. A burned creator, surrounded by jagged mountains of scorched rock. Standing at the edge of this creator would be a white armour cladded woman, covered in blood that wasn't her own.
Laying next to her, just to her left, was a hand...severed by razor sharp teeth, covered in thick hide that was supposed to protect her. Now it was all that's left of the woman the figure used to call sister.
Before her were three large, black scaled beasts...Elder Dragons. Their long tongues licked their blood soaked maws...all that remained of their victims. They'd eyed the last, figure still standing - their final meal...after taking everything from her.
They almost looked like they were grinning at her…'What are you going to do?' they silently mocked 'You will meet the same fate if you dare oppose us' she heard them say.
Her white, spiky hair flicked in the hot winds blown around the creator, her silver eyes filled with unbridled rage as she stared her three opponents down. In her right hand would be a beautifully crafted feathered Bowgun...in her left, three crude metal syringes.
Each one was filled with the prototype Demon Drug; stronger than ten Might pills, it'd give you the potency of a God and more...at great risk. And she was going to use three of them, one for each of these mocking dragons.
Slowly, she raised them to her neck, her white tattooed face stained in red blood as she tilted her head to the right and slammed all three into her neck. She pushed the valves down, injecting the potent drug into her bloodstream before she yanked them out and tossed them away carelessly to clatter against the scorched earth.
The woman felt the energy coursing through her...she felt stronger, powerful. Her senses heightened, she found herself overflowing with energy. She saw her three opponents slowly start to get restless, the two smaller Elder Dragons prowling forward.
She was going to make them pay...loading a clip of piercing rounds into her bow gun before her hand came back to draw her carving knife. Her mouth opened, revealing to sharper than average caines as she steadily lets out a fierce roar
"Haaaaaaaaaar…!"
"HeeeeRAAAAAH..!"
The two Elder Dragons started to break into a run, charging towards the lone Huntress. She didn't flinch...she let them come. She waits for them to be half way across the creator before she suddenly surged forward with inhuman speed.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The roar would drown out any sound for miles...the angry lemant of a vengeful beast who lost her pack.
Waking with a start, Alidina Arthrel was woken up by a black haired girl who - like herself - wore standard leather armour most rookie hunters wore "Ali wake up." She murmured softly.
Alidina slowly blinked, raising her hands to rub the sleep from her eyes "Valki..?" She murmured tiredly, her hands falling soon after to take in her surroundings. She was still at the Hunter's Academy in Verudo...though it would appear she had fallen asleep on the bench in the courtyard.
It was just another lazy, grey day...with barely anything going on. Though if Valki was here..that means "..I'm late for class, aren't I?" She'd say, looking up to Valki. Valki herself was a half-Wyverian, with long black hair, crimson eyes and shorter pointed ears. Her legs weren't as digitigraded as the usual wyverian, and instead of the four fingered trait most of her Wyverian kin have, she had the standard five.
Many found her mix blood to be quite exotic, and Ali has had quite a few people - male and female - expressing jealousy that she had befriended her...or simply asked about their chances. Ali shook the thought from her mind, smiling up at her companion "Thank you for waking me."
Valki chuckled, extending her hand for the woman to take - which Ali does gratefully "You keep this up and Teacher Kornier is going to throw a fit, you know." She says, her voice soft as silk. She always was a kind and soft spoken girl, even when they were kids.
Ali shook her head chuckling softly, gesturing to Valki's figure "Well that's why I have you around, isn't it? To keep me in line?"
Valki rolled her eyes, though smirked and pushed her friend to the side "Go freshen up while I figure out an excuse for you...again."
Alidina smiles giving the wyvernian a two fingered salute before vanishing into the washroom. Coming to stand before the water basins and the mirror, the washroom was illuminated by a single window of which light streamed into.
Ali herself had long, messy brown hair. It was hard to keep it tame these days...only really managing to brush it to make sure it didn't form knots or become matted. She remembered being scolded by her mother for keeping it in such a state, often getting two maids to help her straighten it out...with much protest on her part.
She had a athletic build, though unlike her Wyvernian companion, she was more on the petite side, despite being a full foot taller than her. It really didn't make sense...though she didn't mind. Cup size didn't make you a good huntress anyway!
Opening the tap to let the water flow, she cupped her hands beneath the stream and raised it to her face, washing around her eyes to remove the crust that had formed while she slept. Looking into the mirror once more, she made sure she had removed it all before closing the tap.
She makes her way back out to meet with Velki, who'd been flipping through the large book she always carried. Seeing Ali, she shuts it with a heavy 'thud' "Good?"
Ali grins, hands on her hips "Never been better! Come, let's go."
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
The amphitheater classroom was buzzing with noise as the students spoke amongst themselves. Loudest amongst them were the trio of guys who have been known to be savants when it comes to hammers and greatswords.
It was mostly just another day for Kornier - a man in his thirties who was in his hunting prime before a Rathalos took his leg, forcing him to a wheelchair and crutches for the rest of his life. Still, with his wealth of knowledge and experience, he signed up to be teacher at the academy.
He had a very important announcement to make...though of course he couldn't make it without two key students. He looked towards the window, the grizzled ginger sighing "...I swear to the Heavens...those two are a special case."
As if on cue, Ali and Velki burst through the door "Sorry we're late!" They say in union. The classroom falls quiet, all eyes on them. Given how frequent this has occured, most of the students continued to speak more softly to each other. All but the trio.
"Laaaaaate agaaaaaain, Arthrel!" Hollars the blond man in the middle "I swear, I'm surprised they haven't thrown you yet."
Alidina ignored him, used to his consistent hollering. It bothered her at first, though now it's like ignoring a dog that wouldn't stop barking. Her and Velki came before Kornier, bowing respectfully "She was feeling ill, Teacher." Velki explained, despite it being a blatant lie.
Kornier knew it was a lie, because he saw Alidina sleeping on the bench prior to class, though despite this, he smiled and played a long "I'm sure that was the case...you know, Ali." The man says, looking to the wild haired woman "If you're constantly sick, the Guild will see that you are unfit for becoming a Huntress and will send you back home...you sure you want that?"
Ali swallows a lump that rose in her throat. The thought of her having to go back to her home...she refused to even humor the thought "It'll be the last time it happens, Teacher, I promise."
Kornier stared the two down before waving his hand dismissively "Go sit. Alright listen up!"
As Ali and Velki moved to their seats in the front, Kornier rolled his wheelchair behind his desk "Now that our usual late comers have finally arrived, I've got some interesting news!"
The class falls silent, all eyes on the man as he pulls a letter from his leather jacket and holds it up "..This! Is from the Research commission!" He places the letter on the desk, smiling "Given your high grades and outstanding performance...you've all been selected to be apart of the Fifth Fleet's trainee core. You're all being shipped off to the New World, where you'll be assigned a teacher to hone your hunting skills."
There was resounding gasps and cheering. They all knew what the New World was, though little word has ever come back. Kornier would have reminded them that if they didn't want to go, they can simply stay here and be assigned to another village...though given the excitement in the room, it was safe to say that they were all excited at the chance to see the New World.
"I hope I get assigned the Singing Angel! I hear her mastery with Dual blades is unmatched!" One student said.
The blond hair man, otherwise known as Shokren, laughed "No way, I hope to be signed up with Lon Ken, the Windblade. They say his Long Sword is able to cut through the thickest hide with one cut! Right fellas?" His companions, green haired Veork and Blue haired Korev high fived each other over his head "Right!"
Many names were thrown around the room..mostly names of big, high ranked hunters and Huntress' that made names for themselves before making their way to the New World on their respected fleets. Alidina and Velki remained silent however, Ali not really wanting to get too hyped up of who they might be put with. That was, of course, until Velki raised her hand.
Kornier was quick to notice, as Velki was always the most respectful of the class "Alright alright! Settle down...yes, there are many famous hunters in the new world. Now hush up!" He gestured to Velki "..Velki, you have a question?"
"Wasn't there an incident a few years ago regarding the New World? Something about Elder Dragons going on a rampage against some...demon?" She asked, lowering her hand shortly after.
Kornier looked around the classroom, eyes falling to him. Even the rowdy three were quiet, as if eager to know the answer themselves. After a moment of thought, he pushed himself up on his one good leg, leaning against the desk "You mean the Triple Threat, yes...three elder Dragons - not usually known for working together - started hunting the Hunters of the New World mercilessly…it had became a serious problem."
He reached forward, taking the skull of a small Jaggi and sliding it towards him "...Though two of them were brought down and.." He raised the skull up, turning it this way that "It's said those skulls are mounted on the wall of the room who played them."
"Who slew them?" A man asked from the back.
Kornier lowered the skull "Their name was never given to the Public out of respect for that fact she requested it. She did, after all, lose some very close friends that day, including her sister."
"She's female though, that much we know," Ali said, disgruntled. She heard about the incident..though it was like her Teacher said, little information was ever posted about the details that transpired that day.
"While we were never given her name, we were given the Title she got when she arrived...covered in Elder dragon blood and dragging the two heads AAAALL the way back to Astera...the White-Haired Demon."
"Sounds pretty cliche if you'd ask me." Shokren scoffed. Kornier smirked "Cliche? Probably...though accurate, given she looked like a demon when she arrived. That fight forever changed her...to what degree, I'm not sure, though it's said to have baffled researchers."
It was Alidina's turn to raise her hand "Do we know what she used to kill them?"
Kornier took some time to process that question, delving deep into the back of his mind for an answer "...Many assumed her bow gun, as she was a crack shot of a Huntress that rivaled the Great Gunner themselves, though when she arrived, it was nowhere to be seen. All they say as that she arrived in scraps of armor and undergarments, battered and bloodied with only her carving knife and her scoutfly disc on her person.
Murmuring filled the classroom as different theories began to be thrown left and right, though it was all to much for Ali and Velki to keep up with. Kornier raised a hand "Alright alright, settle down. I'm dismissing you early today! You're to move to your dorms and pack your things. Next morning, you're shipping out! Be sure to choose a Handler too! That's how things run in the New World!"
Given they didn't have to unpack anything for the 'class', Alidina turned to Velki and nodded towards the door, the two making their quick exit amongst the after class chaos.
"So will you be my Handler?"
Velki looked up from adjusting her nightgown and towards Aldi, who laid on her bed staring up at the half-Wyvernian with this big smile on her face.
Velki sighed "Is this because I'm good with paperwork?" She'd ask, tying the final string of her gown before sitting on the edge of her bed, watching as Ali crawled over in her nightwear to sit with her "C'mon, pleeeasse?! You'd be great! You wouldn't be just some rando Guild Girl who puts on those bright smiles and goes...ahem." Alidina straightened her posture, raising a hand to her chest and makes her most happy, derpy expression of one of the 'Guild Bimbos' as she so described them.
"Hello, sir! Or ma'am! Would you like a new quest? Whoopsie! Hehe! I'm so clumsy. Would you like a drink before you go? I'd looooooooove to have dinner later, sure!" With a final, derpy face and peace sign fingers to match, Ali stuck her tongue out at Velki to really make her look like a 'Guild Bimbo'.
Velki just stared at her for a moment, completely expressionless, then looked away and raised a hand to take the tip of her chin, seriously considering it "I suppose I have the boobs for it...unlike you."
Ali looked like she was struck with a paralyzing shot, a mixed expression of shocked, hurt and baffled. She starts to pout, slowly reaching forward to wrap her arms around her friend, it sounded like she started to sob "That's sho meeeeean! How could you do dis to meeeeeeeeheheee…" She cries.
Velki just sat there, blank of all emotion before she finally cracked a smile and raised a hand to gently stroke Ali's head "Ssssh, it's okay. You know I'm only joking."
Ali slowly raised her head, giving the halfling an angry pout "Bully."
Velki stuck her tongue out at the woman, her crimson gaze meeting her amethyst own "But yes, I'll be your Handler. No one knows your wild nonsense better than I do, and I can't just let you go get yourself killed on your own, now can I?"
Once again she was tackled by the woman, who pulled her into a tight hug and rubbed her face against the halfling's own "Thank you thank you thank you thank you~!"
Velki blushed furiously, though doesn't stop her. This was just their friendship in a nutshell after all "So what do you think about this Mysterious White-Haired Demon?" She asked after letting her friend cuddle her a bit longer.
Alidina pulled away, placing her hands on her lap as she thought about the question "...Not sure if I'm honest. I suppose I'll get a better opinion once I actually lay eyes on her, provided she's actually still around at the New World."
Velki stared at the woman beside her in thought "You should see if you could become her student. She can teach you how to be a great Gunner."
Ali chuckled, bashfully rubbing the back of her neck "I-I'm not too sure if that's even possible...though the thought is pretty nice to entertain, huh?"
Nodding slowly, Velki smacked the woman's back "Off my bed."
Ali quickly sat up as the halfling pulled back the covers to tuck herself in, though Ali walked around to lift up her pride and joy from the floor her bedside. Complete with her family crest - The image of a flying wyvern in flight - the bowgun was light and sleek. It had a round chamber of which she could load ammunition with ease.
She starts to pull at latches and levers, making sure it could reload and discharge used shells with ease. Velki watched her work; her friend had always been obsessed with bowguns, though usually stuck with light ones as she didn't want to put in the extra effort to use a heavy one "Going to 'wow' all those New World hunters with your skills?"
"Aren't you?" Ali responded, smiling at her friend "You've got fantastic skills with a glaive...even as my handler, there is no one I'd trust to be at my side to hunt monsters with."
Velki smirked, "Maybe, though I don't think I'll learn new glaive techniques from a gunner."
"You don't HAVE to choose the same teacher as me...that and we don't know how it'll work until we get there." Ali responds, doing one final check with aiming down the sights of her gun before she lowered it and rest it against her bedside table "Just think...tomorrow, we're going to be New World hunters, taking on the investigation of the Elder Dragon Crossing!"
"We'd also be very far from home…" Velki said shortly after, a bit more solemnly.
Silence fell between the two, yet despite Ali's quite determined look, Velki knew her well enough to know that there would be a nagging hesitation deep down inside of her "...You sure about this?" She asks finally.
Alidina's expression fell somewhat, hands lowering to pull back the covers of her bed and tuck herself in. She laid there, thinking over the question "...Mmhm, I'm sure. Thaler would have wanted us to pursue this...away from that Witch and drunkard. From now on, it's you and me." She looks over to the halfling, extending her hand across towards the woman, given their beds were close enough to reach across and touch each other's hand.
Velki stared her down for a moment, then reached forward to take it gently "...The great Dynamic Duo, forging ahead on a path of Elder Fire. That's what we said to him when we were kids, right?"
Squeezing her friend's hand tightly, Ali smiled "It may sound cheesy now, but the goal is still quite the same. Tomorrow, we board that boat to the New World."
Velki held on for a few more moments before her hand slipped from her friend's own "And so we shall…" She says softly, returning the smile "For as long as we may live." She reached forward towards the lantern that illuminated their room and turned the knob to cut the air to the flame, shrouding the two in darkness so that they could rest for the day ahead.
The day had come...with such little time to prepare or think. The faces once filled with excitement in class, were now filled with uncertainty. Ali could only guess that the real weight of the situation set in when they got back to their rooms: they may never return to this place once they boarded that airship, the one to take them to the docks and set them on a ship on a one way trip to the New World.
"If you find you don't have the stomach for this…" Said the captain assigned to see the Hunters safely to the docks "...Turn back now. You shall not be judged."
Alidina stood side by side with Velki, both in standard hunting gear and bags full of their belongings, watching as a few people stepped back and walked away, muttering something about responsibilities they still had here Verudo. Ali couldn't blame them...as far as they were concerned, it was a one-way trip.
When the Captain, a grizzled man with a grey beard and a uniform worn by most Guild Captains, saw no one else would be leaving, he nodded "Very well...then climb aboard, brave hunters. May the Sapphire Star light your way!"
The two young women stood still as they watched their class step forward. Others joined them: engineers, researchers, other hunters… all who wished to brave the New World. Down this hall was their future...one Ali was hesitant to step towards.
She felt a hand grasp her own. Looking towards the source, she found Velki staring up at her, pointed ears bobbing up and down a few times. Ali knew that look, a silent 'Are you still sure?' sort of look.
She looked back to the city...it's large walls, cramp space. This was no way for a hunter to live!
Alidina squeezed her friend's hand, turning forward to take that first step with Velki following without question. 'Daft girl' she could hear that Witch cry behind her 'Stupid girl, wanting to roll in the filth with that lot!'
Well, now she could leave that life behind for good, the wind lashing at their faces and sending their long hair flailing in different directions. The two would be the last to board the airship before the plank was raised and the ropes untied. The two turned just in time to watch them steadily leave the dock...and fly off until the city were nothing more than scenery as it grew smaller and smaller the further they got from it.
"We're really doing it…" Velki murmured as she raised a hand to tame her black locks as it flailed in the wind. Ali held her hand firmly, if not a bit more tightly as she watched the city get smaller and further away "That we are...Velki, today we're no longer cowards behind stone walls. Today, we set our sights on the New World!"
And there we have it. A Young gunner and her bright half-wyvernian friend seek a better life outside of tall city walls. What will await them in the New World? Find out in the next chapter…Smooches. Also please feel free to leave feed back! I love it. Chapter length will possibly increase down the line, let me know if this length suits you though 3