Ok geez that took forever. But in all honesty, I can't decide on what to do. I got four other stories I'm working on and none of them close to finished. But I finally took the time to do this one. Italics are thoughts and bold is the hunter's notes, you'll know what I'm talking about.
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I bust through the leaves and foliage of Everwood as I sprint through. Dodging any bnahabras that were in my way. Loud roars emit from the area in front of me. Four seconds left. I take a deep breath as I begin to focus only on the target. Three seconds left. Almost mechanically, I unsheathe my charge blade from its strap. Two seconds left. The cliff becomes visible as I burst from the thicket, the roars are getting louder. One second left. I transform my blade into its axe form and a bomb goes off from the base of the cliff. Target is stunned. Now. I launch myself from the edge of the cliff and look down to the target. It's reeling from the blow of the explosion. I swing my axe down as the head of the axe is leaking liquid from its vials. The target finally notices me and swivels its head to take a final glance. For that split second we meet eye contact. I see the fright in its eyes and it sees mine. Desperation in his, and determination in mine. Without giving it a chance, the blade slams on the middle of its forehead, which fractures the skull and the blade lodged in the thick bone. The target's eyes widen even more, it barely being able to process the pain yet. Without hesitation, I click the button on the shaft of the weapon, activating the vials. The impact vials release its volatile liquid and the fluid ignites. The liquid that seeped into the target's head start to combust. Small explosions in side its face blow away flesh and bone until the final explosions fully destroy the head. The blade is then loose and the roars die. I fall down to the forest floor, landing on my feet, stumbling as I do so. The smoke clears, revealing the headless body of a nargacuga. The stump's wound already cauterized due to the sudden and fiery explosion. Pieces of the nargacuga's beak and gore seldomly scatter around the underbrush. The black furred and scaled body of the beast twitches for a couple of second before it ceases its movement. Bittersweet. We won but it died. At least it ended quickly. I take a breath. It was approaching Val Habar and destroying the felyne villages on its way. It wasn't in vain.
A gruff and boisterous voice booms behind me, "Hey Aiden! We're gonna go on ahead back to Val Habar so we'll meet you there! I'm going to summon the cart the pick up this thing." I turn toward the iron and scale clad hunter.
"Yeah sure Drun, I'll also pay for the meal when I get there this time." He nods and sheathes his own charge blade. The bulky, Gravios armored hunter and his small troop walk off into the woods. I turn back at the beheaded corpse. I can't help but feel sorry for killing it so brutally. Clean and quick kill Aiden, it didn't feel pain. Well I guess I'll wait for the felynes to get here with the cart. As I look over the nargacuga, I notice a slight glimmer on its chest. A shine of unusually reflected sunlight. The scales on its chest are normally dull, it shouldn't be shiny in the slightest. I go over to investigate and lift the chest a little, barely being able to budge the hefty body. A foreign gem is merged within the chest as if it's bonded with it. The gemstone although black, is greatly lustrous and glossy. It's brilliance appears as if it was recently shined. How and why is it here. This obviously not natural. It's too perfect. It's too artificial looking.
I draw my knife from my back strap and probe it along the edges of the gem. Making lacerations along the sides of it, I procure the mysterious jewel. It looks nothing like any Wyvern Gems or jewels I've ever seen. Taking a closer look, I notice that the gem's sides are encrusted with a black scaled material. It feels like nargacuga scales. It probably is. Strange, too strange. I need to inspect this further. I place the unnatural stone in my item pouch, just in time when I hear the felynes coming around the brush.
"Meow what big meownster you got there! We'll need your help," One of the transporter felynes says.
"Of course," I respond. The felynes begin extending the cart to fit the nargacuga while I make my way to the back.
"Geez hunter, you sure did a number on this meowster, anyway start pushing from the back, we'll do the lifting!" They'll do the lifting? How strong are they? I barely even start to push the nargacuga and the beast begins to rise.
"Woah, guys how are you lifting him!" I call out to the other side of the beast.
"Nah don't worry about us! We hauled plesioths everyday at Sunsnug Isle since forever! This is nothing! We just need you to push it because it's so huge." Well okay then. I push the nargacuga and it is put on the cart. Surprisingly easy.
"Okay this meownster won't be wasted! You and your team will receive the payment at the counter at the guild. Do you know how it works?"
"Yeah I do."
"Nya! Bye meownster hunter!" They then speed off into the woods with the limp corpse sprawled on the cart. I fish the strange ornament from my pouch. It's seems as it's radiating some energy. Or it's just my imagination. I don't know maybe I was stung by a bnahabra.
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I walk into my small abode, more like a hut anyway. My notes and pages scattered across the floor near my desk and on the desk is my research. The research I that, most of the time, takes too much time and energy to do. But yet I choose to pulI all nighters discovering and collecting new species. I remove my Barioth armor and Rathalos charge blade and place them on their stands. Letting myself be overcome with fatigue from doing five back to back missions, I collapse on the bed. Four of those missions being hunting threatening wyverns and the last the nargacuga. I should stop overworking myself. But that nargacuga, I'm being constantly reminded of him. Although I killed him fast enough, I can't help but think that he was still in great pain. Sure Drun's bomb hit him but that wouldn't be enough to hurt a nargacuga as much, just stun them. There was still something off with the nargacuga anyway. Its movements, its roars, its behavior, all seemed that it was new to the nargacuga. I get up from my bed and toss the item pouch onto the desk, letting the contents spill out on it. Unknown flora and bones fall out but as well as the gem. The strange 6 inch tall anomaly from the nargacuga. Time to study it I guess. As I sit down I still see the energy pour out from the jewel, a little more than last time but still not a lot. The black energy seeps out like smoke but it disappears when it gets a half inch far away from the source. I take a spare nargacuga scale from my container and compare it to the pendant. The encrusted edges match up with the scale. Definitely nargacuga. But why? Why is the gem decorated with nargacuga? I grab a magnifying glass and use it on the gem. The lens reveals only the flawless surface. I try putting it in water, to find the jewel being able to float in water. Even more unusual. I sigh. I'm too tired to try more complicated stuff, I'll do it tomorrow. I put the gem back in the pouch and I make my way to the bed again, falling asleep this time.
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Hunter's Notes by Aiden Rhogar
The Great Dragon War took everything. Absolutely everything. From both sides. Humans lost civilization, monsters lost themselves. Elder dragons' population dwindled and they are now avoiding us humans. Remembering the catastrophic events, they refuse to start another war. They are more concerned with the monster's safety and we are more concerned with our safety. But both sides think that safety is the destruction of the other side. There shouldn't be a reason to begin destruction unless there is an immediate threat. But the morals and respect of the hunting tradition and protection have also been mostly forgotten. Same with the monsters, but unlike us they have an excuse to hunt to kill, they weren't the ones who molded dragons into a weapon.
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I walk into the Val Habar Gathering Hall. Lively hunters eating a pre Hunt meals and leaving to their missions. Walking through the crowded room, I go pass the quest desk, and with my key, entering a separate room, the guild meeting room. A circular chamber with a wooden table with a map on it, surrounded by chairs, in the center; around the circumference of the room, more doors that lead to the guild knights' private escritoires. But unlike usual emptiness of the room, the guild commander, the Mezeporta guild master, and several other guild knights.
"Ah guild researcher, thank you for coming," welcomes the guild master.
The guild commander perks up at my entrance, "AIDEN!" Drun shouts,"We need an immediate attack plan, a Shagaru Magala has been spotted advancing towards Val Habar from the Verdant Hills!" This only makes me sigh, I really didn't want to kill today.
I begin giving plans, "Ok, get your Ace Squad and-" but I was cut off.
"SIRS! There is another immediate threat approaching!" Drun's Ace Gunner interrupts, running towards us from the Gathering Hall, covered in sweat, "A gogmazios has been spotted charging towards Val Habar!"
Drun's eyes widen at the mention of the elder dragon, "WHAT! Those devils normally attack Dundorma for their gunpowder! The hell is it attacking us for!"
The Ace Gunner puts her hands up in defense, "I don't know! But it's marching towards us across the Great Desert!"
The Wyverian guildmaster then speaks, "Well I and a couple of guild knights will take on the Shagaru Magala and the rest of you will take on the Gogmazios, I've heard this commander has fought with a Gogmazios in the past, so he seems to have the most experience with those of its kind."
"Only because I managed to repel it! I never killed one and that one time it didn't even seem close to death!" Drun objects.
"Yet you survived, inform everyone on its moves and behavior, and its destructive capabilities. In fact, the guild knights that were supposed to go with me will now help defeat the gogmazios, you will have the help of many hunters and I will go alone, is it fair now?" Drun just mumbles in defeat, the guildmaster continues, "then it is settled, Aiden prepare an effective formation and strategy with the help of Drun. Don't die on me," She then exits the room.
I turn to Drun, "Drun, tell me what you know about a gogmazios."
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All donned in our armor we line up on the remnants of a crashed desert ship, facing the open sand. A speck of black can be seen charging us on the horizon. The sun in its peak, blazing its unrelenting heat. Four gunners are posted on the ship, 5 heavy weapon and shield wielders are posted in front and the rest, which includes a two sword and shield knights, a long sword user and Drun, and I are in between.
"Gunners! The target is determined to obliterate absolutely everyone here. It will try to keep an eye on all of us in order to kill us in one fell swoop. It will most likely attack starting with a volatile oil attack, either its beam or it will spout oil. Now on my mark, I want you people to split up, half of you will flank its left, and half of you will flank its right. Unloaded effective immediately. This might disorient it and it will most likely change targets due to your threat, so be on your guard to escape!" The black speck is now bigger and it assumes a rough shape, I continue ordering, "Charge Blades and Lancers! I need you to be brave! Although it will seem to attack you first, it will attack the gunners before it reaches you. But just in case, brace yourselves. When it is stunned, charge it. Drun and I will charge as well. And you lost three, charge after the heavy wielders inflict damage." The target is completely visible and will reach out destination in, "FIVE! FOUR! THREE!" the target begins charging its beam attack, "TWO! ONE! NOW!" Before the beam is releases, the gunners flank it and begin firing rounds. Every shot barely nicking its hide and the blast is halted. The target faces its right flank and produces a deafening roar. Ignoring the ringing of my eyes, I then charge with the others. Some slash its legs and others attack its arms. Drun and I advance towards its front. Drun stops in front of it and places his charge blade's shield above his head allowing access. I briefly step on the shield and I then launch myself up to the chest. But yet again I notice an anomaly. Amongst the secreting oil, is the familiar glint and shape of a gem. Instead of black like the nargacuga, it's purple. Although distracted, I still stab the gogmazios in the chest with my sword, but with enough force to pierce the muscles and stay latched in the target, despite the oil. The target screams in pain, while the wound continues to spout blood that mixes with the oil. I'm not leaving without this gem! I grab my carving knife and repeat the same procedure from last time. The target wailing in pain as I do so. As I continue to carve it, the target stops putting up a fight. It just stops moving and groans in pain. Like it gave up. This is too unusual.
"CEASE FIRE!" I call out. The rest of the troops halt their attacks and shots and I stop carving. The target still isn't putting up a fight. Carving it alive? What was I thinking?! I was too interested in this damned jewel. The jewel is still connected to the chest by a few dangling tendons. Leaving it like this is hurting it more than taking it out, the damage is done. I somberly slash the last few tendons and secure the jewel. The gogmazios the exhales and collapse on the ground. Blood slowly oozing from the the new hole in its chest. The gogmazios is dead. The chest no longer rising and falling. But how?! The hole isn't even deep or big! It's only six inches tall and an inch wide! A normal gogmazios normally can endure billions of worse things, one even survived a Dragonator! I look to Drun, his face plastered with shock.
"My God Aiden! Did you rip out the bloody thing's heart!" Drun says in disbelief. I look at the bloodied gem. It's emanating that strange aura again.
"I don't know Drun."
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After hours working and testing, it is revealed that both gemstones are practically the same. All tests I've been doing all yielded the same results, the only thing that's different is the color of the gem and what it's encrusted with. Does this have anything to do with the Ancient Civilization? What other inhumane experiment did they do besides their ultimate weapon?
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Hunter's Notes Aiden Rhogar
The Equal Dragon Weapon, the Wyvern Machine Soldier, the AC Ultimate; call it what you will, it was the most cruel act by any species done in our world. By combining, by merging over 30 dragons, the ancient civilization created an abomination. It lived to kill and the blood granted it life. It's corpse is still in the warehouse today, immovable due to its massive size and the unstable pathway to it. May it never breathe again.
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With the two gems in hand, I set out into Everwood. Everwood still conceals secrets of the ancient world, maybe I will find an answer for these pendants. Trees upon trees, thickets upon thickets, bushes upon bushes, trekking through Everwood although slow, is quite serene. No monsters in my path, I find myself at ease for once. I lay down on the trunk of a tree. Taking in the carefree scenery and the lush forest. But the break was short lived when I spot ruins in the distance. Through the vines and wood I travel to a collapsed stone building. Massive in size, the building doesn't seem recognizable through any sketches or documents on it. Broken statues of zinogres and rathians litter around the grand entrance. Vines and ivy entangle the broken pillars and stairs. This might help me. Before I am able to step foot inside the temple, I hear roars approaching. I dash to the left and jump into bushes, smearing dirt on my exposed skin to mask my scent. I slow down my breathing to further hide myself. First gushes of wind then the ground shakes, whatever was approaching has landed from the sky. Then I hear that sequence again, there are two flying wyverns. I hear sequences of grunts and small roars, as if the two beasts are conversing. I glance from the bushes to see two rathalos prowling the area. One rathalos takes a glance at the other and snorts, and prepares to take off. But then the other rath halts the other and looks straight at me. I duck back into the brush, further stilling my breathing. Heavy footsteps approach and I hear the crackling of fire, he already prepared a fireball. Cursing the white barioth armor I have, I shrink into the bush even further and put my hand on the hilt of my blade. The footsteps then halt, the head of the rath peers down to where I was, now mere inches away from my current position. I have a clear view of the rath's neck, a long wide gash snakes along it. I hear the rath growl while the head pivots to the right and left. In a firm snort, the rathalos lifts his head up and leaves with the other, leaving nothing but floating leaves from his launch into the air. I thank my luck as I exhale. A rathalos' sense of smell would have sought me out immediately, is this because of the pendants? More of a reason to further investigate them. Going back to the temple, I enter this time. Grander and more detailed statues of various monsters decorate the entrance and walls. In the center of the room is a grand pillar, decorated with more zinogres and raths. The more I walk closer, the more intricate details are revealed. Every inch of the pillar is engraved with a wyvern. The only thing connecting to the pillar is a small indented pedestal. The indent is the exact shape and size of one of the pendants. I look around the walls for any textiles or drawings that might help me understand what will happen if I insert the gem, only to find nothing but even more statues. I grab the nargacuga gem, the aura is practically seeping from the gem, mesmerizing me to place it in the pedestal. Without forethought, I insert it into the pedestal, and the gem sinks into the marble structure until it's barely visible. The eyes of every monster decorating the pillar radiates the same hue of the gem's aura. The eyes, becoming more and more intense as time continues. At the lights' peak, the pillar releases a blinding light, but not before I see the same pendant being shot out from the pillar to me. I feel and strong and sharp pain on my chest, millions of claws trying to my lungs. Feelings of pain spikes from all over. Fire dancing along my skin and pulling it apart. I feel tension everywhere. Ignoring the pain as best as I can, I pull off my armor and weapons, being free from its prison. My underclothes aren't saved as they snap and tear everywhere. An invisible force pulls and dislocates my bones and organs. My bones snap and move to an unknown place. Feelings of fire snakes across my skin, as if I'm slowly exploding. I can't endure this anymore. I release a scream of agony, but instead comes out a familiar roar. A nargacuga's roar. I feel my face being pushed out forward and my spine extending outwards. Legs and arms shifting themselves along my body. The pain is overwhelming. The pain makes me pass out.
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Hunter's Notes Aiden Rhogar
The Ancient Civilization had a prosperous and successful human society. But they were ruthless, merciless, cruel, and spiteful towards the monsters. Although some had respect for hunting, including wyverns, most humans killed for no reason what so ever, in mass. Everyday, practically thousands of monsters were slain and used for buildings alone. Especially the Tower.
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My body is sore. Nothing feels right. I try to get up, only to fall on my chest. Soreness sweeps across me upon impact.
"Whoa there! You were cut all over, let your body heal for a moment," A strong yet laid back voice shouts to the left me. Did someone help me? Who? I open my eyes and find myself in a large nest made of vines in a clearing in a forest. Probably still Everwood. I turn to the voice and see a rathalos staring back at from across the nest. Letting my reflexes take over, I jump on my feet ignoring the pain. But my stance feels off.
"Now hold on there's no need to freak out. I'm not keeping you captive or anything. I just dressed your wounds nargacuga, you were bleeding all over your body," the rathalos says in defense. But how? How can I hear the rathalos talking to me? And did he just call me nargacuga? I'm a human, why hasn't he attacked me yet? Looking down at myself, I find that, I'm not myself. Black scales and fur replace what was once my human skin. Now that I notice, my face now has a strange protrusion in front of me. A muzzle and beak. Strong paws replace my hands and feet, my forepaws having the wings of a nargacuga. There's no denying. I've became a nargacuga.
"Are you okay nargacuga? You're looking a little frantic," the rath says on concern, "Well you don't have to worry, there aren't any hunters around and you already killed that one hunter." Excuse me?
I finally respond to him in a raspy voice, "What hunter?" My voice is too foreign to me. The rathalos looks at me with a puzzled look on his face.
"Pardon me? I didn't understand what ya said? Is it because your voice is too messed up? You should stop talking if that's the case." That's strange, I spoke to him in pure English. Wait this is a wyvern, they don't understand English. But I can still speak English? Why is that? Apart from that, I'm still a wyvern myself, how did this happen?
"Man that hunter did a real number on you then if your voice is ruined. Not even when my throat was injured did my voice go." His throat was injured? Looking closer, I see a long laceration along his throat. It's the same rath from before.
The rath continues, "Well anyway, what happened? What did that hunter do to you for you to now have that crystal on your chest and all of those cuts?" Crystal? I look back at my chest and see the familiar gem from the nargacuga, fused to my chest. Like the other nargacuga and the gogmazios. Does this mean...that I...I killed humans who were monsters?
"Oh wait you can't answer that, sorry. Well I'm going to grab a meal, stay here if you want to eat," the rathalos says. The rathalos launches itself into the air flawlessly, leaving me to comprehend the events that just unfolded and accept the fact that I am now a nargacuga.
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Hunter's Notes Aiden Rhogar
Due to the collapse of humanity and monsterkind, little is known about the Tower. Except of it's materials. Shifting through some dilapidated parts and pieces of the Tower, hunters found remains and parts of kushala daoras, that were used in the Tower's construction. The Tower is said to hold various underground chambers as well as special chambers on the multiple floors. But no one has returned with enough data. The only passages hunters survived through is our current passage to the top of the Tower. It is also said that elder dragons are stored in certain chambers.
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No matter how many times I go over the process, I still find myself bewildered by it. The Ancient Civilization created a machine that transformed people into wyverns. And these gems are the source of the transformative power. These gems are also a weak spot, as proved when I tore it out from the "gogmazios." If they created a machine that transforms, then the ancients created a machine that reverses the process. I can only hope that it survived all these centuries. Tearing me from my thoughts, the rathalos lands in front of me, clutching the carcass of an adult aptonoth.
"Here, let's split this one, you need it," the rath offers. He nudges one side of it to me, which invokes my hunger. I immediately find myself divulging into the flesh, tearing apart the meat with my beak.
"Whoa I guess you were hungry," the rath says between bites, "Is your voice any good?"
"Can you understand me now?" I say, trying to avoid speaking english. The rath answers my question with a look of confusion on his face. I try to focus more on my instincts than human thoughts, hoping that it will help invoke this new language. But I feel something other than instinct appear and then the gem on my chest begins to glow.
"Can you understand me now?" I repeat, with a voice less raspy and damaged than before.
The rathalos perks up from his meal with delight, "Ah yes, you can speak after all!" This new voice that I have is unlike my human one. It is more deep but also more, devious. I'm not sure I like it, but a voice is a voice.
I bring up my first question,"What hunter?"
"What do you mean?"
"When I first woke up, you said something about a hunter, what hunter?"
"Well when I found you, you were cut all over on the ground of a human structure. Not only that but there were those mutilated pieces of barioth that hunters sometimes wear, scattered along the ground with you. I assumed that you were attacked by a hunter and you won the fight, was I wrong?" That seems like the perfect cover story. It's way better than saying the impossible truth.
"Oh that hunter, I remember now," I lied, "But how did you find me?"
"Well every morning and night I do rounds of checking the area for hunters, sometimes with other raths just in case there is any groups of humans. Last night I checked that structure and found you there."
"Why did you save me?" The rath looks away after I ask.
"Well to be honest I thought you were dead, so I was gonna eat you." I'm going to pretend he didn't say that. "But when I saw you breathing still, well I couldn't bring myself to kill you or leave you alone to die. So I used the strange green liquid on the ground that was next to the other stuff that hunter had to heal your wounds and I brought you here." This rath knows what potions do?
"You used the po- green liquid?"
"Well it's a long story but I discovered that the liquid heals when I got this scar." What a strange rathalos.
"So are you going to still eat me?"
"Nah," the rath simply says. Well that was a straightforward answer. The rath continues, "Welp, it's getting late, I'm going to my nest, you can stay here if you want to."
"Wait this isn't yours?"
"Heck no, what mate would want a place like this?"
Without another word the rath blasts up into the sky. Leaving me once again. Well I don't really have another place to go. I scour the area for a suitable place to sleep, quickly finding a large tree in the darkness close by. I jump at the trunk of the tree and attempt to climb, find my efforts futile, I fall to the ground. What nargacuga can't climb. I try to focus on my natural capabilities and then attempt to climb again. I climb up the trunk and onto a thick branch easily, as if this is just a menial task. Thank these instincts. I get comfortable along the branch and succumb to sleep, which takes over me easily.
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Hunter's Notes Aiden Rhogar
The Chaotic Gore Magala, the entity of life and darkness itself. These form when the molting process of a gore magala has been disrupted. This transforms the magala into a more terrifying and unpredictable individual than the shagaru. It's frenzy abilities are unstable, it's attacks are spasmodic, facing one can endure one's doom. The Chaotic Gore is practically the testimony to life and death.
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I wake up expecting to find myself in my old house but to no avail. Jungle vines and leaves replace the wooden walls of my house. I can't just refuse that this happened. I manage to skillfully pounce off of the branch and onto the ground, finding myself more accustomed to this body. I then hear the blows of wind from a flying wyvern landing. I turn to see the rath again.
"Well I see that you didn't leave," he says.
"I didn't get your name."
"You're a strange narga indeed, name's Brynioth, what's yours?" There's no harm in using my real one, right? It's not like he knows of a hunter named Aiden. Well maybe I should just use my last name.
"My name is Rhogar." The rath smiles in approval.
"Rhogar, eh? I like that name. Ya know what, you don't seem that bad of a narga, why don't you stay at my place til you find a mate, it's big enough," offers the rath. I gulp for two reasons, there mere mention of a mate and sleeping close to a rath. He is true about one thing, breeding season is pretty dangerously close, I need to find that reversal spell to fix this before then. But maybe I should take this offer, but then again, it is a rathalos.
"Why would you offer me such a deal? Don't you raths protect your territory from others?" I say.
"Aren't nargas supposed to also have their own territory and home? Aren't nargas supposed to also be extremely territorial? Aren't nargas supposed to be expert climbers?" The last retaliation surprises me.
"Wait what?"
"That's right, I saw you struggling to climb up that tree, you aren't a normal nargacuga and I know that. And because of that I trust ya won't kill me when I'm sleeping." I have no choice don't I. I'm practically defenseless in this new body, I don't know how to fight like a nargacuga. At least he will provide protection.
"Then I accept your offer."
"Then hop on."
"Excuse me?"
"My nest is in a mountain cave high above the ground, ya can't get up there."
"Nargas can fly!"
"But can you?" I have no response, and I'm not gonna try to attempt and fail at flying in front of him. I reluctantly get on his back. "Geez man you're lighter than I thought! When's the last time you hunted a big guy?" Brynioth says as he launches us into the air.
"Well um-"
"Don't tell me you can't hunt." I don't reply, "MY FATALIS! HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!" Fatalis? That sounds familiar. Was it from a book I read?
"Whose Fatalis?" I ask, sounding like a child discovering the world." Brynioth gives me a disturbing glare, did I offend him? He did substitute god for the word fatalis, is fatalis the wyvern god equivalent?
He looks ahead again to see where he's flying. "I know who you are." That statement alone nearly made me lose my grip on his back. He can't have, sure there may have been some clues but how? "You're human trained," he says with a snicker. Oh, well I guess that's my cover story. He continues with a slight laugh, "That explains it! You're domestic! You can't hunt, you can't fly, you can't climb, you don't know who Fatalis is, you couldn't even talk wyvern! You a domestic narga!" Brynioth's laughing almost makes me lose my grip again.
"Yeah yeah, I'm domestic," I say going with the story. At least he doesn't suspect me being human then.
"But to be honest I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?"
"Well clearly you were hunted by your master or whatever, right?"
"Oh yeah," I say trying to sound as apathetic as possible.
"Well then now I have a bigger reason for you to stay with me, I gotta teach you how to survive!" Now I really feel like a child, asking all these questions and getting taught simple things. I must look so pathetic. Brynioth then lands at the open platform of his nest.
"Well here ya are, just sleep anywhere I guess, I'll be back after my rounds." Now I'm definitely being treated like a child. Brynioth dives off the cliff and glides off over Everwood. Speaking of, this morning view of Everwood is absolutely amazing. People would kill to have a view like this. I see. Brynioth then fall down into the ground, fireballs and arrows then sprout from where he landed. Shit hunters found him! And I can't do anything to help him. I'm stuck watching from a distance, barely seeing the struggle. But then some peculiar noise appears behind me. The strange shuffling of metal and bags, which I used to hear daily in the past. One of the hunter's are here. I freeze up, readying myself for an attack as well as trying to look oblivious of the threat. My newly enhanced ears pick up the sound of the approaching footsteps. Step by step, inching towards me. Then I hear two pieces of metal clash together as well as a couple of grinding gears. It's a charge blade wielder and they just formed the axe. They'll most likely go for a vertical slash, probably to cut my tail of. I hear the footsteps more prominently. How do nargas sidestep? They do it so well and yet I don't know. The footsteps stop. They are readying the attack. Without any other thought, I attempt to jump to the side, surprisingly being able to. I guess I'm getting used to this body. The charge blade slams on the ground and the hunter grunts in frustration. The hunter who is clad in Gravios armor. Drun. Drun charges at me with the sword and the shield form, determined to slay me. I manage to avoid his next slash.
"DRUN! It's me, AIDEN!" I try to communicate to him, but all I hear besides the words are a bunch of growls and roars. Why can't I speak English now? "DRUN!" I call out again only for it to come out as monster speak. I dodge another one of his attacks. His attacks, are made with such ferocity and anger, why?
"You fucking nargacuga! Stop moving! You need to pay for what you done!" Drun says those words between series of strikes, which I dodge, "ATTACK ME! ATTACK ME LIKE YOU DID TO AIDEN!" Does he think I died to a narga? Now that I think about it, my equipment is still in the temple, I probably left a couple of scratches on the floor while I was changing. The scene might look like a big fight if that is the case. Drun continues his onslaught without respite. I feel my own body tiring. I focus on english this time, concentrating on my prior language.
"DRUN!" I yell, hoping that it came out in english. Drun stops his attacks and looks around, as if ignoring the fact that I'm there, "Drun stop! It's me Aiden!" I hear my old voice finally coming out, and Drun hears it as well. He looks straight at me, dropping his weapons.
"What? How?" He says weakly and confused.
"It's this pendant, while I was in the temple, this pendant shoot into me and made me this. As difficult it is to believe, it is true." Drun picks up his weapons and sheathes them, walking off without another word, "But Drun, keep this a secret, I don't think it's wise to let the guild know about this." Drun continues to exit the cave without looking back.
A couple of minutes pass and I see Brynioth exit from the trees and fly back, when he lands, he's covered in many scratches and cuts due to blows from the hunters, but luckily nothing is broken.
"Bryn! Are you okay?" I say in monsterspeak.
"Bryn huh? I like that nickname. But yes I'm fine, nothing like a couple weeks won't fix."
"Well let's get some of those po- green liquids to heal you faster."
"Nah, ran outta those when I healed you." I guess I got to make them the old fashioned way.
"Is there an easy way up and down here this cave?"
"Well there is that back path in the back of the cave, it's too small for me, but it might be good for you, why?"
"Just stay here real quick." I go to the back of the cave, to the entrance Drun went through, and surely enough I manage to squeeze through the rather narrow gap. I charge through the cave going downward until I go exit into the wilderness. I immediately spot several herbs and certain mushrooms. Question is, how am I going to hold them all. Maybe one of those leaves can help. I snag one of the broad, dangling leaves and place the ingredients onto it. I try as best as I can to wrap the leaf to hold the contents, barely succeeding but it will do. I bite down on two different points of the leaf to hold everything. Carefully, I make my way back to Brynioth, who, when I got there, is already sleeping on the stone floor where I left him. I place the leaf down and mash the ingredients down to create, although chunkier than normal, a rudimentary potion.
"Bryn!" Upon my shout, the rath wakes up again, "I need help to put this on you." Brynioth looks at me in surprise.
"You made the green liquid? I guess there are benefits of being domestic." With my paw I smear the potion on his most prominent cuts and telling him to move so I can reach the other ones.
"Man I can get used to this Rhogar, treating me like a king." And he's making it weird.
"Okay! I'm done."
"Noooo! I was just getting comfortable, too. You're too cruel," He whines.
"Oh well, I'm outta the stuff anyway."
"Gah fine, goodnight or whatever, I'm taking some much needed rest." Bryn falls asleep to finally give me some privacy to learn how to be a nargacuga. It would be too embarrassing to do it in front of him. I slip out through the crack of Bryn's den and through the cave. But then I hear the shuffling of metal again.
-end of chapter-
I hope that this format is better than the first one I did for Exposure. I think I'll do this format for all of my stories. BLAH BLAH BLAH DISCLAIMER I OWN NOTHING. Also I had trouble with the document transfering so I can publish this. If you see any weird spacings or things of that sort it might have to due with that.