Hey there, StartersoverLegends here with a brand new story! It's been quite a while since I've written something new, so I'm excited to hear your guys' thoughts on this ;]
I figured since I've written for Pokémon and FNaF, I might as well write for another one of my favorite game series- Monster Hunter. Consider it a mixture of adoration for the MH universe, and an outlet for my hype over the upcoming game MH Generations.
*Name Pronunciations*
Riaku Haidoji - (Ree-Ya-Kuu) (Hi-Doh-Shee)
Gaia - (Guy-Yuh)
Without further ado, enjoy!
Fire...
The first thing I can remember is fire being everywhere. I doubt that at the time I had any idea what the glowing orange lights surrounding me had been, though as I keep looking back at the memory, aged and blurry as it is, the fact is unmistakable to me now. The flickering pillars of heat and crackle around me were definitely fire.
The nearby screams of anguish and terror had all but confirmed that the ravenous flame was spreading ever faster, consuming thatch and other dry wood houses in order to grow and reach more of the villagers. I can still faintly remember shadows rushing about between the flames- some carrying buckets of water in a vain attempt at fighting the line of destruction that crept ever forward. Others would willingly run into doorways or freshly seared holes in walls, only to return momentarily with certain precious belongings.
Unfortunately, some of these brave few would never make it back out.
Given the integrity of such primitive buildings, some would simply collapse under the strain of ravenous fire that descended upon us. Many of the more dry structures would even combust upon contact with the heat, instantly trapping people and pets alike inside an ungodly vertex of flame.
It was this horrible and tragic scene that began the chronology of my memories, all the way until present day. At the time I was only a year or so old, and had been sleeping peacefully through a deceivingly tranquil night. Later events would completely erase the illusion of peace from that evening… and rather quickly at that. By the time that I had been jostled from my rest by the sounds of snapping wood and panicked shouting the situation had already become incredibly dangerous for our entire village.
Like all nights I had been in my parent's hut and sleeping soundly in my crib, which was placed beside an opening in the hardened clay wall that made up our home. This opening was a window of sorts, providing me ventilation from outside as well as providing a limited view of the village. Through that opening I suppose I would usually hear the sounds of local music, songbirds, and emperor crickets… That night, though, introduced me to a new sound. One that I still hope I'll never have to hear again.
Our village, being a small and independent settlement in a contrastingly vast region of hills and plains, was very compact compared to a lot of the city-settlements like us. Even places like Pokke were larger and more branched out, if that gives a reference of size. This tight-knit setup meant that houses and shops alike were mostly within an arm's length of each other, which was great for bringing the community together. But fire breaking out? Not so good.
It was an issue that had never needed to be addressed before then, as the area my village was settled in was also beside the branch of a large river. I know this much because the river was the source of water that the villagers outside were using to fight the flames. So why then was our settlement being engulfed by flame? For a time this was fleetingly pondered by those outside as well. If any of them had actually known the answer they likely would have run like hell for their lives rather than battle the fire on foot.
Shortly after I was roused from sleep by the commotion outside my window another sound met my ears- this time from within my house. From one of the few other cramped rooms within the hut came a violent rustling, followed by voices arguing back and forth. Groggy infant that I had been, I lazily looked over at the doorway to my room only to see my father rushing past while frantically shouting something. It was only when my mother also came into view that the full effect of the dire situation hit me. She was obviously in a panic, exclaiming after my father with a look of worry and dread. Then she cut a look at me, and hesitated only for a second before quickly making her way into my room.
At that point I must have begun crying aloud as a result of the confusing and negative atmosphere around me. I know this much because my mother wasted no time in lifting me into her arms and pulling my head close to her chest, bouncing me up and down gently while whispering comfort into my ear. Maybe this would have quelled my outburst had that same expression of worry not been still residing on her beautiful face. Additionally, she wasn't looking at me as she usually did when utilizing this technique, but instead was staring out of my window.
The furious glare of flame outside caused an orange outline to form on the features of her semi-tan skin and illuminated her slightly widened sapphire eyes. Curious, I turned my head to follow her gaze with tears still blurring my vision. Within an instant of doing so, before the image of the road outside could even register within my young mind, things took a drastic turn for the worst.
CRRRAAAACK!
With a terrible crash and a sudden scream from the woman holding me, the whole world was flipped on its side. The house was still shaking when I realized that my mother was no longer cradling me, but was instead laying on the ground with my body clutched close to hers in a defensive posture. A bright flash from outside of the hut illuminated the room around us for a moment as the shouting and panic outside suddenly turned into screams of complete terror and anguish.
My mother quickly rose to her feet and faced the window, holding me tightly as she did so. From where I was in her arms it was easy to hear an abrupt gasp escape her throat when she saw what was going on outside. She was frozen in the moment for a beat, staring outside with an expression that was growing more and more horrified with each fraction of a second. Then she quickly turned away and began running out of my room. From this new vantage point I received a fleeting view of what was going on through the window. Every single house adjacent to us was completely engulfed in a yellow-white flame that extended well past the rooftops, like a stacked bonfire. Below the billowing towers of fry were the darkened figures of scattering villagers rushing every which way…
…And above the canopy of dancing white fire was another pitch-black shadow. One that was very different from the people running down below. This one was large… very large. It was probably as long as two of the burning houses, with a wingspan that likely doubled this length. As the shaded wings that lifted it above the destruction below swung up and down slowly its head remained still, fixated on its next target. This was proven by the two glowing orange orbs glaring down from above a maw brimming with fresh fire.
Even at my age, without a single clue what this beast was or what it was doing in my village, I knew to be afraid of it. It was evil, and as its glowing eyes shifted onto my home I experienced my first ever encounter with the feeling of dread.
My mother must have felt this as well as she bolted from my room to the front door. My house was still miraculously untouched by the monster's wrath, which became even more unbelievable as she threw the door open before us. Immediately a gust of intense heat and raining embers met us, though she shielded me as much as she could with her slender arms.
The next few moments would be forever engraved into my mind. As my mother ran as quickly as she could out of the house and away from the giant shadow I was exposed to the reality of death several times over. Burning and decimated corpses lined the streets in various unnatural and twisted positions. Even worse than these were the still living, who each fought to escape despite the injuries they had sustained. Some of the living even refused to part from the dead- such was the case of a middle-aged woman who desperately cradled her unmoving son with wails of despair. I was watching from over my mother's shaking shoulder when a nearby house collapsed amid a torrent of flames onto the woman, engulfing both of their bodies whole in an instant.
Many people would have trouble running away from such a horrible scene, from the cries of despair and the horrible stench of burning flesh. My mother, however, wasn't one of those people. With a series of broken sobs as her only reaction to this chaos she stared straight ahead, holding me tightly as though I were the most precious thing in our village.
Her steps were heavy and rapid as she fled the scene, one arm holding me while the other held my head tight to her breasts. However, my face wasn't trained on her- instead I was staring at my village, the entire world as I knew it, burning to ash at an incredible and terrifying pace.
It was a ground-shaking roar that finally caused me to look up from the flaming houses and bodies, as my young ears rang with the shrill cry. My mother flinched against this sound as well, but didn't react when I too let out a sudden scream. She probably figured that my outburst was a response to the destruction that we were finally exiting, as we approached the edge of the village.
The truth was much worse than that.
As she had her back turned to the majority of the ruin, running away with all of her strength, my mother couldn't see what I could as I stared past her shoulder. If she had, perhaps she would have ducked, or sought some cover. Though I doubt she would have had much time to do so.
A fireball, great in size and shining with intense heat, was hurling at us from beneath two distantly glowing eyes, set in a deadly glare. The orb of heat grew in my vision as it quickly shot over the rest of the debris to reach my fleeing mother.
I have no doubt that the fireball from that beast would have been the last thing I'd ever see had my mother not noticed it and reacted. Tightly clinching my head and bending over me in a defensive stance, my mother braced herself while pulling my tiny form toward the center of her body. A split second of peace met us after she did this, in which my mother stared down at me protectively.
And then… everything in my tiny, simplistic world changed.
There was the sound of an explosion before my mother and I were sent flying through the air, flipping wildly several feet above the ground. I heard a high-pitched shriek of pain coming from all directions as the world spun in streaks of black and fiery red.
A second impact shook us as my mother's body finally crashed into the ground, bouncing hard off of the earth before rolling to a sudden stop. Despite the fact that we had stopped moving, my head was spinning and stars danced in my vision. I must have started to cry out again because I felt two firm yet soft hands pull me closer into my mother's embrace, as a soft voice came from above me.
"Shh, Shh… It's all going to be alright…"
I raised my head to look at my mother, and only then realized the impact of what had just happened. Her hair was wild and matted with blood, some of which was now trickling down her wounded face. Deep cuts and bruises were scattered across her cheeks and forehead, while her nose was bent in an unnatural manner. One of her eyes, seconds before beautiful and blue, was now swollen shut while the other was barely focused anymore.
"Riaku…" She murmured, her voice now soft and weak, "Riaku, my dear child…"
Now her grasp on my body was weakening, and I started to slide away from her embrace. Regardless she stared at me with her one working eye, tears now beginning to well and run down her hurt cheek.
"Riaku, you're going to do great things… That's why… Y-your father and I…"
Her body suddenly hitched as a loud cough ripped from her mouth, bringing with it a spray of dark blood. She fought for a moment to regain herself before collapsing, and turning back to face me, though now her breath was much more labored and slow.
"We love you very much… I hope you'll remember… Riaku…"
And with that, the rest of her life faded from her. Her eye suddenly lost focus, though it remained trained on me as I lay beside her. The warmth from her body slowly left with her spirit, and it wasn't long then before my infantile cries mingled with the cries of those still perishing within the flaming husk of my home.
Embers danced in the sky that night as all of the other voices were gradually silenced. By the time that the sun had risen only one small, broken cry remained.
…
"Who have we here..?"
I pulled my face away from the tear-drenched garment that my mother was wearing and looked up toward the source of the deep voice. Above me stood three men, whom had approached without my notice. All three wore bulky suits of metal and hide, accompanied with different types of swords that hung around their backs.
"A babe. Mother must have fled when the beast attacked." Another one of the men said, his face hidden behind his helmet.
"Who would have guessed that the only survivor would be a child…" The first voice again spoke, now revealed to be a man in a similar getup to the other. The only difference between them was the color, as this man wore a suit comprised of deep blue scales, while the other's was red. "Do you know who this woman is, Makai?"
"Yes. She's the woman of the Haidoji household."
This particular man was very different from the other two. Instead of armor he wore a heavy fur coat, despite the fact that the morning air was cool at worst.
"Wife, mother, and tailor. Her husband and I went on a few local hunts years back. Became friends, and I even attended their marriage."
"So her husband is a hunter?" The red man asked, "Could that mean he's still alive?"
There was a grunt and the man in the coat crossed his arms. "I knew him well. The last thing he would do is leave his wife and child alone like this." He paused to shake his head, then continued in a somber voice. "He must have fought the monster alongside the other village hunters. And if he's not here now… Damn it…"
There was silence for a moment before I let out a whimper, causing the three men to direct their attention back to me.
"Must have been a hell of a beast to do this." The blue suit said, "I suspect an Elder Dragon. But we need to do something about this kid before we can investigate any more."
"Well said." The man in the red suit agreed. "Got any ideas, Makai?"
The man in the coat grunted in the affirmative. "There's a woman back in Pokke- a farmer, named Gaia. Always wanted a family of her own but she's infertile. To make matters worse, her own husband passed away a while back." He paused to look down at me, his face overshadowed by the fur cap he was wearing. "I'll take the young Haidoji to her on my way back to the Guild. With any luck she'll take care of him."
"Sounds good." Red said. "But it's quite a trek from here to Pokke. You sure you can carry him all that way?"
Makai chuffed and shook his head. "Ever have to deliver wyvern eggs before? Well I've done that, but with Khezu whelps. Compared to those high-voltage volatiles, this youngster won't be a problem."
The other two men nodded and said their farewells to Makai, before walking off toward the low-burning embers and rubble that lay in the distance. Once they were gone, the man in the coat looked down at me and gave a sad smile from under his cap.
"Come now, we'd best be on our way."
He bent over, his arms outstretched toward me. At first I willingly let him lift me into the air and cradle me, until he turned and took a step away from where we were. When I realized that the man was carrying me away from my mother I cried out and reached out toward her crumpled form from over his shoulder.
"Now, Now," He said in an attempt to calm me down, but the further we got from her body the more panicked I became. Before long I was screaming and thrashing in his arms, desperate to return to my mother. But before I could make any progress in escaping the man lifted me by my underarms and turned me so that we were eye level with each other. From this perspective I could get a better look at the middle-aged man who held me outstretched in his arms. His deep brown eyes were weary and sympathetic as they met with mine, though his facial features were stern.
"Please be calm, Riaku. It's all going to be alright."
I paused. Those were the same words my mother had used before…
I saw her face in his features. Her deep blue eyes, her friendly smile. Her reassurance, her compassion, her love…
"It's all going to be alright, Riaku…"
"You're going to do great things Riaku..."
"Your father and I love you very much Riaku…"
"I hope you'll remember… Riaku…"
I began to thrash more, screaming louder and louder with a mixture of fear, pain, and sorrow. I didn't want to be taken away, I wanted my parents. I wanted yesterday, a time before any of this ever happened. And yet, despite how loudly I wailed, I could still hear my mother's voice…
Riaku, Riaku, Riaku…
"Riaku! Riaku, wake up!"
With a powerful shake Riaku Haidoji was roused from his sleep and shot upward in his bed. With wide eyes blue as sapphires he rapidly looked around the room, his breathing heavy and sweat running down his face.
As the terrible dream he had been having slowly dissolved into reality, Riaku realized that he wasn't in the arms of the man who took him from his mother- rather he was in his bedroom, which was now illuminated by the morning sunlight filtering in through a window placed beside his bed.
"Oh good, you're finally awake," A soft, feminine voice said from beside him. Turning his head, Riaku could see the person who had woken him up and relaxed.
"I'm sorry Gaia… I woke you up again, didn't I..?" He spoke softly, rubbing the back of his head apologetically.
The woman sitting on the bed beside him sighed but shook her head.
"Don't be sorry sweetheart, I know you can't help it." She reassured him with a small smile.
Gaia Sol was a tan woman with average height and a healthy build for someone in her forties. Right now she was closely watching her adopted son with worried hazel green eyes from the side of his bed. It was obvious that she had just woken up as her dark hair, which usually fell past her shoulders save for a braid that wrapped around her head, was a mess yet to be tamed.
"…Was it the same dream again?" She asked, her tone serious.
Riaku hated making Gaia worry about him, but also knew how vain it was to try lying to her. The woman's intuition always seemed to be perfect- a lesson that he had learned several times over since he had started living with her.
"Yeah…" He said quietly, looking down to avoid her gaze.
She didn't say anything in response, and for a minute only watched the pained expression on his face as he recalled the events from his reoccurring nightmare. Then she slowly scooted closer and pulled him into a loving embrace, one of her hands slowly running through his hair in a gentle and rhythmic loop.
"You know that I'm here for you dear." She whispered, before planting a kiss on the top of his head.
"Yeah, I know. Thanks Gaia." He answered.
Gaia hummed in acknowledgment before releasing him from her hug and standing from the bed.
"Well now, might as well get a start on the day. Why don't you get dressed for school and I'll start breakfast?" She asked with a smile.
"Sounds good. I'll be down in a bit." He agreed.
Once Gaia had left the room and closed the door behind her, Riaku stretched then turned and hopped out of bed. With a yawn and a scratch of his back the teenager crossed over to his bedroom window and opened it, letting a cool gust of mountain air inside his room.
"Guess we're not the only ones deciding to get an early start on the day," Riaku thought aloud as he was met with the sounds of merchant carts, local music, and conversation from the street outside. Pokke being a relatively small mountain settlement, it was common for the village outside to be busy and full of activity. It also helped that a major Hunter's Guild hall was placed in the center of the settlement, drawing monster hunters from far and wide into Pokke.
Monster hunters… People who make a living by hunting and capturing dangerous beasts from all around the world. Of course their duties went beyond simply tracking and killing things, as monster hunters also have a variety of responsibilities regarding the safety of others.
Just like the three men who had rescued Riaku when he was younger.
That was one of the many reasons that Riaku aspired to become a monster hunter himself. Also, if he did manage to become one then maybe he could prevent tragedies from happening at other villages as well. Though he'd be lying if his reasons for becoming a hunter were all as selfless as those.
Riaku shivered against the chilly air flowing in from the mountains outside and turned toward his dresser. After stripping from his pajama pants and changing into fur trousers and a jacket he was now ready to face the day. However, before he could head out he turned to a lightly cracked full-body mirror that rested against the wall and examined his appearance.
His medium-length dark brown hair needed a little bit of taming before it would fall as it usually did, landing about halfway down his neck. His somewhat tan skin greatly accentuated his ocean blue eyes- the same bright eyes that his mother had once had. He stood a few inches shy of six feet, and was lean in stature. He might have actually been considered skinny, had Gaia not loaded him up with chores and garden work over the past couple of years. This, along with his own personal training, had earned the young man a muscular form fitting for his proportions. Not that he could see them now, as he wore a tan/grey fur and tarp outfit that combatted the chilly air outside.
Once he had ensured that he looked ready for school, the teenager crossed his room to the door and headed out into the hall outside. Well, 'hall' was a bit of an overstatement.
In truth, the house that Riaku and Gaia lived in was a step below quaint. Ever since her husband had died while on a hunt, Gaia had made a less than comfortable living off of selling fresh vegetables from her garden. It was honest work, but even feeding the both of them was a challenge sometimes. The house was a reflection of her financial struggles, and even with Riaku helping with the garden it was difficult to scrape by.
Therefore, the second story was nothing more than Riaku's bedroom, which had been converted from attic space when Gaia had adopted him. Outside of his bedroom was a short flight of stairs that landed in the relatively large living quarters- an open room with a heating furnace and center table, as well as a corner that Gaia had converted into a sort of kitchen. The kitchen was little more than a pantry, cooking kettle, and low counter, but Gaia made good use of the modest accommodations.
Four doorways lined the walls of the living quarters: the front door, which was placed opposite the room to the back door, which led to the outdoor garden. On the opposite wall to the stairs were two other rooms, one being Gaia's bedroom and the other a small restroom equipped with toilet, wash basin, and tub.
Riaku quickly made his way down the stairs to find that Gaia was busy in her kitchen area. As he walked over to the table in the middle of the room and took a seat, she too finished what she was doing and turned to him with a smile, holding a platter with two cups and a plate on it.
"I was just about to make sure you didn't fall back asleep," Gaia said with a small laugh, "It would be a shame if you were late to your last day of school."
"I don't think I would mind," Riaku said under his breath as Gaia set the platter on the table and sat down across from him.
"Now, now. I know that school isn't your favorite thing in the world, but one more day won't kill you." Gaia responded while passing Riaku a cup of herbal tea and a platter with a slice of toast on it. "Besides, tomorrow you get to leave that school for the hunter's academy. That's one step closer to becoming a hunter."
Riaku struggled to tear a bite off of the toast, before sighing.
"Also one step closer to bread that isn't stale."
See, that was the other reason that Riaku wanted to become a monster hunter so badly. Not only was it a noble cause in his eyes, but it was also good for pay. Monster hunters made commission from quests they completed, and the tougher the monster was, the more the job paid. Riaku had heard stories from school of hunters who made several thousand dollars from single hunts- and if that were true, then it meant he could provide a much better life for him and Gaia both.
Gaia looked at him with a sad smile. "I know how much you want to buy us a better life, but please promise me that you won't do anything dangerous. Money is nice, but I would take your safety over being rich any day."
He smiled at her reassuringly. "Nothing is going to happen to me. Not until you're living in a mansion with an entire farm of crops out the back."
"Nothing better happen to you even then," Gaia said seriously, "You know that you're the world to me. And if the only way to keep you from getting hurt is to lock you in your room, then so be it. I've got some chain laying around here somewhere."
Riaku smiled then took a long drink from his tea. That was what he loved so much about Gaia: even though he wasn't her biological son, she treated him as though he were her own flesh and blood. She gave him food even though money was tight, even if that meant she would go hungry. Of course Riaku would protest every time it happened, but she simply wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.
That's why she deserved so much better than this. He wanted to pay her back for everything she had done for him, even though he doubted that she would accept a cent for that reason. Regardless, he had already decided that his first reward from a quest would go straight to her, to buy whatever she pleased.
"So, Riaku," Gaia spoke again after a spell of silence, "I've been meaning to ask you something."
"What is it?" He asked once he had finished his tea and attempted to eat more toast.
"I know that you're eager to become a hunter, but are you sure that you want to attend the academy tomorrow? Right after you graduate from basic schooling, and on your birthday, to boot?"
"Yes, I've made up my mind on that." He answered simply.
"But sweetheart, while it's true that seventeen is the earliest age for academy registration, most hunters don't start their careers until they're in their twenties," Gaia explained as she took a sip of her tea as well. "Not that I'm trying to stop you, but maybe it would be better to hold off until you overcome certain… issues."
Riaku grimaced. He knew exactly which 'issues' she was referring to.
He was deathly afraid of fire.
It had all stemmed from that one night, the earliest point in his memories. Ever since his first village burned down, every time he saw fire he would freeze. He hated that fact, as it greatly clashed with his aspirations of becoming a monster hunter, but there was nothing he could do about it. Gaia was hopeful that with more time he would overcome the fear on his own, but Riaku knew somewhere deep down that the only way he could truly get over it was to face his fears with a weapon in hand. Yet another reason to become a hunter.
"It will be fine," He assured her, "With any luck I'll even get rid of that stupid phobia during training. What's important to me is that I start hunting as soon as possible, despite anything that might convince me to do otherwise."
Gaia studied his face for a moment before sighing. "You always were the stubborn type. But whatever you want to do, I'll support you."
He chuckled. "Thanks Gaia. And thanks for breakfast too. The tea was great."
The two of them stood, Riaku turning for the door while Gaia began to gather the dishes.
"Uh huh, and how about the toast?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Um- oh would you look at the time! I have to get going if I don't want to miss school." He explained, rubbing the back of his head and giving her a sheepish smile.
She hummed skeptically as she carried the dishes into the kitchen and set them on the counter.
"All right then, you better get going. I'll see you tonight." She said, "And don't forget about helping me pull turnips when you get home!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," He joked as he made his way to the door. "See you tonight!"
And with that, he was off. Running straight to school every morning then back home in the evening was a part of Riaku's exercise routine, so as soon as he was clear of the door he sped off into the distance.
Gaia stared at the door after him as she began washing the dishes, shaking her head and humming to herself.
"There goes my little hunter…"
Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed the first chapter to this new story :) I'm already working on the next instalment, so stay tuned and please leave me a review if you have the time.
Thanks guys!
-StartersoverLegends
