Hi guys, so after SUCH A LONG HIATUS, I'm finally back! Don't worry, I'm not dead, I just hit a writer's block and life happened. And I discovered a new game into which I've sunk hundreds of hours: Monster Hunter! Legends of Terra will be back soon, I promise, but I've decided to also give you guys a new story to skim. You're welcome.
Prologue
There is a place, one of rolling hills and valleys, where strange creatures roam. Wondrous beasts of every color and shape traipse the endless horizon or stretch wings upon the sky, each with its own niche in the ecological balance. They are the hunters and the hunted, from the oldest of the great Elder Dragons to the humblest herbivore, each in his place, and each faithfully documented by Man. Every evolution, every ecology is dutifully recorded and stored away, in hopes of usefulness.
Unfortunately, when men and dragons clash, the consequences... well... require no explanation. This is why the Guild was created, a society of combat-savvy men and women who became the first licensed hunters. Thus the hunters' art was passed down, and when the beasts attacked, the Guild was always there to counter them, keeping both human and beast casualties to a minimum. For hundreds of years, there was always a Guild to keep people safe, but in many regions the art was only passed down through a select few apprentices every generation.
This is the tale of one of them, his mentor, and her secrets.
Chapter 1: Selection Day
"It shall be done," said the headmaster, writing some notes on his scroll. "Marisa Rey will be apprenticed to Sir Keisi." It was Selection Day at the Academy of Monster Studies, and the senior hunters were being sent off for their apprenticeships with licensed hunters. Sir Keisi, one of the Guild's youngest licensed hunters, gave a single grim nod and smiled very briefly at his young apprentice, who eagerly followed him as he swept out of the building.
Felix sat in the middle of the line of soon-to-be-apprentices, eyeing the selection of mentors. There were many men and women in the line and a few caught his eye. A musclebound woman in a ponytail; a tall blond gentleman who could have been Sir Keisi's older brother; a small, fey girl with piercing blue eyes and a fluffy white cape around her bony shoulders. She caught his eye and grinned at Felix, and he shuddered and looked away. Dear Lord, is she creepy.
The headmaster's voice snapped him back to consciousness, announcing the next apprentice-mentor partnership. "Toren Braceman will be apprenticed to Nora Malone." Another student stood up and followed his new mentor out of the building. Felix gauged the line and saw that there were only two more students between him and his future mentor. He wondered who it would be and hoped it wouldn't be the crazy girl.
Another student stood, formally examined by the mentors, her talents judged before selection. Sometimes, a student was unlucky and failed to be chosen because he just wasn't cut out to be a Guild hunter. Felix was worried this might happen to him - he hadn't been doing too well recently. "It shall be done - Madaline Simmons will be apprenticed to Lancelot Keys."
There were five more mentors left - the blond gentleman, the crazy girl, and three other experienced-looking hunters. Only one student stood between Felix and the next several years of his life, and he clenched his fists tightly, his nails pressing tiny crescents into his palms. He felt a bead of sweat form on his temple as the next student left with his mentor.
"Felix Thoroforce, please stand up." Felix stood reluctantly, wiping his hands on his tunic.
The blond man walked forward and looked him over, from head to toe. After asking Felix some questions about his combat and asking the headmaster, he nodded. "I'm sorry, kid. There's nothing I can teach you," he said quietly, then backed up again, the next hunter stepping forward.
Felix was rejected by the second and third hunters as well. His spirits dropped as he realized the two options he had: either an apprenticeship with the tiny girl in the cape for several years, or a life of studying tracks and dung.
The crazy girl stepped forth and looked him all over, walking calmly around him and examining him from every angle, head to toe. She coolly prodded the calluses on his hands and inspected the sewn-up tears in his tunic.
Finally she stepped back and, in a very clear voice, said, "Sure, I can take him."
Felix breathed a sigh of both relief and resignation as the headmaster intoned, "It shall be done. Felix Thoroforce will be apprenticed to Kyra Alistora."
As they left the building, Kyra gave Felix an inquisitive glance, her head tilted to one side. "Cool to meet you," she said cheerfully, sticking out her hand. He refused to shake it. This might be a much longer five years than I thought.