Visions in Your Eyes, Shadows on the Wall

Visions in Your Eyes, Shadows on the Wall

The hunter stared at the few pieces of armor the outfitter had in stock. It was good for a start, he admitted, but after having been given a pickaxe, found that he preferred to gather materials for his own weapons and armor. Besides, it would net him a few more resource points.

"Maybe another day." He said, though that was more him hoping that, unlike the last outfitter he meet, this one could order armor that required rarer monster parts, even if it was ten percent more expensive than if he had had it forged himself.

He tapped his gauntlets impatiently as he scanned the square for whoever he was looking for, then took out some files from his back pocket and paged through, and stopped on a page which followed: "Dear Hunter's Guild, I have heard you have an Elite Hunter who has recently attained the rank of Master. If you could send them over I would be much obliged, sincerely, an Old Friend."

His mind flashed back to an earlier mission, a large, golden monster, underwater battle, and a group of hunters who had only just been titled "Elite", and then the voice of a dead man. Supposed at the time, and though untrue then, it was now true, he was sure it was a coincidence that someone would call themselves as such, and for the sake of anonymity, while still conveying the sense that this person was known to him, but even then they could have chosen anything else, why tell him that he knows this person, yet give no further clues unless the discovery of identity was imminent?

Suddenly the sound of an explosion echoed through the plaza. He turned his eyes to every corner until he sought the source elsewhere, then saw two women, both in Bnahabra armor, one for gunners, the other for blademasters, he smirked and shook his head, "How does milady fare this evening?"

"Quite well, I see you got our request...Rick, was it?"

"Should I know you, or are you confusing me with another?"

"You don't, but you should."

"Ah, well, I see she has her maid on duty...and just what are we doing?"

"Trying to kill the leaders of the Hunter's Guild."

"Ah, I see, that can't stand."

"It will, Hunter."

"Very well, then, Giggi."

"Don't call me by the name of such a disgusting creature…besides, I'm not aligned with that particular…faction."

"Then pray, with which faction are thou aligned?"

"Oh, how charming," one said while pulling a switchaxe off her back, "but you really should have said 'art', not 'are'."

"Many apologizes, your grace, now if you'd lay down your weapons no one will be hurt." He said as he pulled Cryo Cross out of its sheath and stood, watching the two women and planning to attack or counter, waiting for them to make the first move, "Or you could try to kill me here."

The gunner pulled out a bow and arrow, "Bow before milady or somebody will be hurt!" Rick held his shield up to meet the arrow, which spun back off the shield's surface when it crashed into it.

"You could poke an eye out if you're not careful, Ella, though I suppose that was the goal, wasn't it?"

"Sorry, Madame Melody, I'll get him soon!"

"Very well, I'll occupy our guests." Melody ran over to Rick and swung forward, he rolled off to the side and turned around in time to see a bow pointing at him, a second later and another arrow crashed off his shield, he turned around and saw the switchaxe swing towards him. He let go of the shield, which was still strapped to his arm, and grabbed the handle of his blade with both hands swinging the blade down and catching the curve of the axe, the woman holding the axe let the head of her weapon down and pulled it back up, transforming it as Rick bounced another arrow off his shield.

"There, now it's time to end this little dance!" Melody sang out happily as her blade curved through the air, a wispy sound heard as he leapt behind her view, and rolled forward, the roll sparing him from the tip of the switched blade. Rick looked up, befuddled by the archer charging at him, piercing his armor with an arrow.

Rick gasped in anguish as she tore it out of his shoulder. He yelled in pain and anger as he performed a round slash, she leapt away and gazed behind him, he turned and rolled out of the way in time to see the long blade pass in front of him, he gulped down a potion and winced as an arrow smashed into his shield, the sensation reverberating throughout his arm.

"Oh, so close!" Ella whined as she drew yet another arrow, "Oh well, let's try that again!"

"No, let's really not." Rick said, aggravated as he dodged the switchaxe, which had now reverted to its axe form.

Rick slammed his shoulder into Melody, knocking her to the ground, and took her switchaxe and turned it into its long sword form.

Rick dodged the archer's arrows for a while, eventually she was close to a wall, and then he lunged forward, letting his blade fly against the wall while she ran the opposite direction of where the blade went, and he leapt in her path, blade drawn.

As he stepped into Ella's path he felt a sharp pain in his back and fell against the wall for support, feeling sleep seep into his body, and fighting to stay awake.

"So, this is it…a knife drenched in a tranquilizer?" His thoughts slowly became muddled as he took another sleepy step forward, the archer collided with him a breath later and they fell back, he held the wall for a breath and ran as Melody lifted her switchaxe and let him run, in favor of checking on her partner, and satisfied that she was still alive.

"That was…the only time other than my first sight of the Lagiacrus where I ran."

"From what you told me, the girl with a switchaxe was a pretty tough customer…you made the right call."

"Did I make the right one, though, if I had stayed, could I have stopped them, or would I have died…was it merely fear, did I at that point in time have the upper hand?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad you came back to me, I was worried, when the Guild told me our high ranking hunters were being targeted…I-" she cut herself off and leaned silently against him.

"It's alright, I'm here now." He said, sighing as she leaned up and hugged him, he returning the hug, "Julie, I ran because I was scared, there was that pesky voive telling me I might not be back, in hindsight it may have been a bad move, but I didn't think, only reacted, because I saw a future where I didn't come back, where you waited and wondered if I'd come back, and then you hear the news that Rick was killed by two ex-hunters."

"Don't say that!" the Guild receptionist said, shuddering as she leaned against his shoulder, "I'm just glad you're back…is this awkward, I mean, talking about death and stuff, and all I want is to not worry about it and enjoy our time together, I just don't want to seem unaffected, but at the same time…can we just pretend like no one's trying to kill you?" she asked, looking up at him, looking back at her, and he looking down into her eyes, while she stares into his, their noses a centimeter apart, and then, "Hey, Rick—whoa, sorry! Oh, oh, man, that just…I didn't mean to…you know what I mean, right?"

"Junior!" Rick gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, sorry, but now that you two are snapped out of…wherever you went, I have a question, does the Guild know the name of the faction trying to kill you?"

"Nope, but they are working on that…Junior, is your training complete enough yet to get started as a hunter?"

"Nope, they say I'm low on their list of priorities, they won't even look at me."

"Well, they do have a secret organization trying to kill them."

"One that's not as crippled as what you've done to the Brotherhood of Giggi, I take it."

"Not by a long shot, these people, so far as I know, are hunters, not with the Guild, I don't know who they're with, but I intend to find out."

"I'll ask Sally and Sammy to do some looking around."

"Who and who?"

"Sally's the girl who works as receptionist in Tanzia, Sammy's the other one who sends people to their deaths…I mean the arena, of course."

"Oh, alright…I actually never asked their names, they just told me they were sisters."

"Oh, but you asked my name?"

"Well, you were always acting carefree, so I decided we might as we be on a first name basis."

"Took you long enough, I've got to say."

"Just a couple days of your silliness, that's all it took."

"I will take that as a compliment."

"I'm glad that you do, but, uh, how did we end up in this particular conversation?"

"I just wanted to know what made me stand out from the other Guild receptionists, I got a satisfactory answer."

"Good for you…so how will you learn the identity of this organization?"

"By once more breaking the rules, I'll take a look at highly classified documents reciting the names of retired hunters, particularly young women, these two might have just left the Guild, if they just got out they'd be easy to find in the files, considering we list the names according to the most recently added, most recently retired."

"Forget what I said about the report you gave the Guild back in the dragon crisis, this time you'll most certainly get canned."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, but last I checked, I was the one moving my arms and legs, and you to report for duty, the Guild needs you to lay low, and they have decided that the best way to lay low isn't by staying invisible, give them something else to look at."

"Distract them, how?"

"Find a base and take it out."

"Where would I look, and what with to destroy?"

"First, go back to where you started, the Guild will drop you onto an elevated terrain, from there find somewhere near where you started, but far enough to avoid catching any eyes, the Guild will retrieve you as soon as you light your torch, do that in the valley, that's where the Guild will be looking, primarily, but they have protocol to keep an eye out for suspicious activity anywhere near where you ought to be…you'll be given a schedule, if something bad happens, set out a barrel bomb and torch it."

"How many torches do I have?"

"There will be an item box on the terrain from where you were dropped, it'll have four other torches."

"How many barrel bombs do I have?"

"You'll have as many as you can carry, they'll provide before you head off and have more waiting in the box."

"They thought of everything."

"Except…if they don't see the first explosion they won't know you're in danger, I persuaded them to let you have some knives, citing that if you need to hit something from a distance, that you'd need knives, I wanted you to have something to set the bombs off with, I hope that'll be enough."

"Of course it will, when do I set off?"

"Tomorrow, they want you to hurry and find this group's base, when they pick you up, you'll give them a location for the base, and they'll handle the rest."

"You seem unhappy about it."

"You could get caught."

"As I could any given day…and I'm given this one, so let's spend it in Tanzia?"

"Sure…you're buying."

"Ha, see, we both know I'll be back, it'll be over this time tomorrow."

The chief never had trouble falling asleep, not usually.

Only two occasions: Once when he had heartburn, once when he had premonitions, which he said must have run through his family, or how else would his ancestors have known to put the Ancient Mask where they did, in a place where it might be found, in a place where it might be used, in a place where they could, by the hands of time, avenge themselves against the Ceadeus.

The chief only rarely had trouble falling asleep, heartburn, or premonition, he often prayed it'd be by heartburn, but he knew he was being offered a glimpse behind the curtains of time, an all too rarely did he receive such a chance, he now took it every time he was offered.

He opened his eyes and he saw himself, wrinkles on his face, become young again, at first he imagined it meant he'd somehow be given renewed energy, but as soon as he saw it that it wouldn't be so. He saw his younger self fight the Ivory Lagiacrus, and as he knew how it ended he turned around and saw what would happen next, but to greet him was a suit of armor without a face, it was Ivory Lagiacrus, and he wondered what that meant? Did this mean that, had he watched the battle play out, that he would have conquered the Ivory Lagiacrus, and that this armor without a face was a past that could have been, in which he didn't face defeat, or that Rick would overcome that which should have destroyed him? But then, who's to say the kid was wearing the armor, wouldn't that explain the facelessness?

The still night air was undisturbed, Moga was at peace, the gently swell of the ocean rocking the boats at the docks, until a lone voice shattered the still night air.

"Eureka!"

"So, you're Sammy, right?" Rick asked, feeling stupid.

"Nope, that's me!" the other Guild receptionist exclaimed happily.

"Well, now I know I'm right," he said confidently, and took a sip of his drink, "because, you're Sally, the very…exuberant one, and so cannot be Sammy, the one who is not so readily enthused."

"Ah-ha!" the one he called Sally said, leaning over the table to pierce into his eyes with her own, drawing a gasp from him and Julie, who sat next to him, "I knew that would trip you up!"

"Huh, that was pretty good, I won't forget that, Sammy."

"Actually, I am Sally, you were right, I only did that so on the next round you'd doubt yourself, and pick me to not be me, when I really am! What say you to that!?"

"Umm, you're definitely Sally." Rick said, smiling as he took another sip from his mug.

"Next round," Julie called out, "close your eyes, Rick." The hunter closed his eyes and heard the bench creak as the sisters sat up and sat back down again, "Alright, open them and point at Sammy."

Rick opened his eyes and held up his forefinger, smiling as he did so, one of the sisters sat upright and glared at him and he shook his head, pointing at the still one, "Sorry, Sam, but you never get so easily frustrated."

"Yeah, I'll have to have a word with my dear sister about her expressions, come on."

"Sorry, it won't happen again." She said as they got up and headed down the stairs, passing by an old man they didn't recognize, but he had a lot of energy, she was surprised to see him running, but even more so to see him jump halfway up the steps.

"Rick, I had a vision! In it an Ivory Lagiacrus appeared before a younger version of myself, but first he was old like me, but he grew young, and in their battle…I thought I knew the end, that I would flee, defeated, for the last time, but I skipped that part and got to the next symbol instead; what I saw next was a suit of Ivory Lagiacrus armor, it had no face in the helm, but I could tell it wasn't a man's blade outfit, it could only be male gun, or female, either blade or gun. I thought about it…and I think that the armor wasn't me, it was either you defeating something that should have finished your career, or it was symbolic of you being the Ivory Lagiacrus, and that your foe will make armor out of you." at this time the sisters came back.

"Which of us is Sally?" Rick held up a finger and the one next to her jumped, "That's overkill, Sammy."

"Ah, we need a new plan!" Sammy exclaimed irritatedly.

"Well, it's not like they'll find enough Lagia Sapphires in the first round to be able to make anything out of me, but I just thought that maybe someone like you, or related to you will do this, I mean you did see yourself turn young, maybe it's a person that reminds you of yourself back in your hunting days, or someone who looks like you in the face…you told me once that if we know what we look like, we know what the future beyond us looks like, maybe your great-great-great-great grandchildren?"

"Kid, I don't even have grandchildren…though I do have a brother."

"You what?! You never mentioned him that changes everything; he's the one to kill me!"

"No, he isn't my brother, I consider him as much, though, the Argosy's captain."

"Oh…I didn't know you considered him a brother, though."

"I'm not sure I know if it's the same, but in a way, I would have been dead long before I met the Ivory Lagiacrus if it weren't for him."

"So, you're here because he was there, that means…now it's complicated."

"I ruled out indigestion."

"What?" Rick asked, raising an eyebrow."

"Sorry, not important, but what is important is that I know it's a vision."

"Brought on by a bad case of indigestion, no doubt."

"You may be good at putting things together, but when you can't comprehend something, you've got to take precautions."

"I'm not saying I don't believe you, but we're not getting into family ties, we're going beyond that, and it's getting very confusing, what did the you that you used to be symbolize? You or a brother, and now, someone like a brother? At first I thought descendants, but his or yours?"

"That's it, my brother…in law!"

"Oh, I see, so…was he a hunter too, or am I going to succeed where he failed?"

"As it so happens, he is, and you will!"

"What, really?"

"You already succeeded where I failed, so it wouldn't surprise me, he failed at trapping monsters, always, he was impatient, his impatient was represented by the Ivory Lagiacrus, to think of it, I often referred to us as similar in that respect."

"So, I'm already pretty good at trapping monster, so I'm not sure what else we're missing, we have everything down pat, regrets, analysis of the regret's cause and subject, and that the source will be overthrown by another who was to the regretting subject as I was to you, and that person was your brother."

"Maybe his ancestor's aren't the only spirits talking to him." Sammy said, shrugging, "It's just a suggestion, buddy."

"It's real, I saw it…I was even given a token, in case I had my doubts, now I don't, but you seem to, I saw a Great Jaggi and a Gargwa, Rick, or, rather, me looking out through Rick's eyes, was carrying a bowgun, I don't know what kind, only that it was a light bowgun, because as soon as his finger pulled on the trigger, the Gargwa was pelted by a stream of steady gunfire, I don't understand it completely, but the Great Jaggi started to morph and it's frill vanished, and it became a Jaggia, and when I looked up, for whatever reason, I saw two birds flying off a branch, I and in one's beak was a ring, while the other bore a necklace in its beak."

"Oh, alright, mister, that's not fair!" Sally said, glaring fiercely at the old man.

"Yeah, now see here," Sammy started, tugging her sister away so she could have his attention, "I get it now, you've been spying on us, you know that ruby ring was mine, and that the necklace belongs to my sister, it was the day we moved here, our parents gave us this to remember them by, in case we ever thought of going back, that we were to remember that they were there for us, that they supported our decision and would miss us, but wanted us to do what we had to, which was to come here and help the fishermen who, at the time, needed hunters to vanquish several different aquatic monsters, you knew it."

"Then why did I mention the Great Jaggi and the Gargwa?"

"I don't know, to be all mystic about it?"

"Well, that would explain everything but the occasion, why would I lie about having a vision, realize it was brought on by heavy drinking, and then mask it with an on the spot fairy tale, which is somehow very symbolic to you two?"

"I-I…you got me there…sorry about that, I, uh, guess I ought to apologize."

"No need, I understand how that would have sounded, anyways, I still don't understand the monsters."

"Yeah, well," Rick said contemplatively, "there's still some of us who want to know how you skip a vision, that's just…why would you do something like that?"

"I don't know, I just thought I knew how it turned out, I could have been wrong…next time I'll finish the entire vision."

"Well, you say they're rare, so I'm just curious."

"I thought I was wasting time…but you're right, it didn't involve me, it's about you, and now the whole vision's a mess…try to bear this in mind, and if anything lines up, use your noodle and figure out why."

"You got it…well, this has been an exciting day, but now I think I should head home and get some sleep. See you later, chief, Julie, Sam and Sal."

"Cha-Cha, Kayamba, you guy's back yet?" the hunter asked as he stepped inside his house, "Where are you two? Probably still back in the woods, I tell myself, looks like I'm going to have to find them myself. Junior, where did the rugrats go?"

Junior turned around as the hunter stepped outside and shrugged, "They said something about finding the sister mask of the Ultimate Mask, and the debated over whether it was the sister mask, or brother mask, I asked if there was another, they said no."

"Those two…I don't need them making a fuss while I'm out on my mission anyways, so it's for the best. According to this schedule, Captain's ship should be back, I'll set him out tomorrow."

"I spoke with him earlier, he said he'd be ready to hunt some monsters tomorrow, do you authorize the use of you resources to send him out to No Man's Land?"

"Yep, thanks a lot!"

"No problem, we need them to stay busy…you know, I've been watching the flow of resources under various conditions, I think I could send them out for you when they come back, of course, you might be out of resources when you come back."

"Go ahead, if I run out then just stop the presses…I'll entrust you with this bit of cash to, I hired some hunters to try their luck against a Deviljho, I'm excited to see what I get back."

"Man, you're pretty tough to send them out to bring those kinds of supplies back."

"How do you?"

"Well, some say the Deviljho's scale brings misfortune."

"Don't worry, I'm well warned, see, I figured that if something merely misfortunate should happen, then it would at least not be catastrophic."

"Ah, there you, looking at the worse thing the best way you possibly can."

"I have been ever since I got here."

"And that time hasn't long passed, considering all you've done."

"I've got the village to thank for that, well, I'm going to rest up a bit, prepare for tomorrow's mission."

"Master Gigginox," a light, raspy voice tumbled out of the shadows, "it took me a long time to find this, the Deviljho Gem."

"Very good, we begin tomorrow, make sure you have the claws."

"Yes sir."

"One more thing, do the other Gigginoxes think that I'm dead?"

"Yes sir, you're as dead as Rick will be."

"Excellent, this time I see him…he will pay for what he's done to me!"

The Gigginox rose from his chair and pulled back his bloody hood, an orange pumpkin with fiery eyes turned to his servant, "We will find more of these later this evening, when the new recruits for the Giggi are present…how many have held their vows so far?"

"I saw another speak today…he won't break his vow again."

"Prove it." the servant got down on one knee and pulled a box from her robes, pulling the lid back she heard a laughter that sent caused her to become nervous, "You've done well, report to me when your siblings are ready for combat."

"They said they were."

"Check again, and then come back…tell them I'm not feeling well, and that someone should go and bring a hunter's carving knife back, and they will lead the group…unless they are uncontested, in which case, you are to pass them my approval for being brave, tell them they will be commended upon return, and then follow the little group…don't let them know it's you."

"As you wish, Master Gigginox, I leave at you request." With that, she stood and stepped out into an open room, "Everyone, our master wishes to know if we are ready for our mission, if not, raise your hand…silence…it is decided then. Wait…master? Yes…I understand…he wishes to postpone this meeting, the spirits that power him are trying to revolt, he is going now to combat and subdue them again, until then we are to wait for his return."

"Hold a moment, if I may speak!" a young warrior said, she nodded.

"Speak, then Albert, and may it be quick."

"Yes, of course…it is simple, one of us must lead the group, I know it's dangerous, but if we are disapproved of by our master, and face punishment, then just say that I challenged you all and took you down, and threatened to murder you all if we didn't go…and that by some miracle I didn't run away with…whatever we are being sent to obtain."

The room echoes with murmuring from the room, Albert could understand some of it. "Why does he think we're being sent shopping for Master Gigginox?"

"I don't know, I think he only wishes to be useful to our master, and stand out."

"It seems he has a death wish, let us grant it, that his words of challenge not be false."

"No, what if Master is yet here, then what will we answer?"

"The truth."

"Everyone," the servant of Master Gigginox spoke, "it is true, we were going to collect a rare material-"

"How come Al knows so much, did you trust him and not us!?"

"No, that's not it," she said, silencing the angry voice, "it is a night that many of you should know about, the night when new Giggi recruits are taken into training. Truly, I am ashamed that I work with so many who have forgotten where they come from…this day is the day when humans are taken and turned into the most deathly beast alive, what is more dangerous than a full-grown, elastic, poison spewing Gigginox? Nothing is…Albert, you are wise, but surely we couldn't disobey orders…he did say also that one of you could lead, surely you are wise beyond your years, everyone, follow Albert!"

"Ella, are you alright?" Melody asked, stepping into the room she was resting in.

"Hmm, I'm sore all over, that guy Rick's just plain mean." Ella replied as she lift herself from the bed, wincing as she rose to sit up completely.

"He, I swear to you, shall rue the day he became a Monster Hunter."

"I'm glad to hear it, but I—my armor," Ella turned back from the box she was looking through, "it's not here."

"Is that so? Then there's only one thing we can do, and that is to wait, I shall send for something light to eat, perhaps start with a salad, and then something a little heavier."

"You took my armor and stowed it away, out of concern that he's going to kill me, presumably."

"I know he's going to, or try to, anyways…there were two of us, against him! Just one man, and two of us, the best in the Insect Kingdom, couldn't challenge him without coming to harm."

"He fought with such emotion."

"He had an advantage, he had experience…I've heard of a camp from a mission that was recently abandoned, the quest was to take out a Great Baggi…it'll be cold there, but we'll be able to train there, and I hear the little monster's still there."

"I thought we fought Great Baggi all the time, when we were still hunters."

"Yes, but this one's stronger, older, and has a larger pack than most, and it's just roaming out there like it owns the place."

"We must stop it!"

"Yes, and we will, now let's go."

"If it pleases milady, I would like some rest first, I'm beat."