A/N and disclaimer.

I do not own anything associated with Monster Hunter franchise, all rights go to their respective owners, this is a purely fictional story for entertainment purposes only.

Life in the New World

Astera was full of hustle and bustle as usual, the town was always busy in the daytime hours, if you would even call it a town. It was more of a collection of shipwrecks that had been scavanged and engeneered to make a town really. After coming to the New World everyone worked endlessly to make the place livable, constructing walkways from other destroyed vessels that had crashed upon the rocks of the coast, gathering food, and even keeping the place safe all fell to every able bodied soul available and that was just the beginning. Once the place had been secured and constructed Hunters and researchers poured in from all over the Old World to join the Guild and Research Commission. It was something new, something exciting, it got people buzzing and ready for adventure. Everyone was eager to get a piece of the pie.

Viri awoke from her slumber with the sound of bells tolling, a sign that more goods were being delivered, it was a rare occasion considering how far from the Old World they actually were. The young Woman rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat up slowly to stretch, she had been up late last night due to a perticularly good book on Monster behavior. Her eyes were blurry as she looked around her small room, first at the large stack of books on the nightstand that even led to the floor, then to the rest of her messy room. The small living space was filled with clothes strung around the floor, books in corners that had already been read a dozen times, and her small dining table in the middle of her bedroom that still had leftovers from the night before on it.

Viri yawned as she covered her mouth and slid her legs off of her bed, it felt like it was going to be another hot day and she was thankful for the private quarters she had been given when she arrived to Astera. The bunk houses held multiple people in them and were stuffy and hot almost all of the time, plus she couldn't cool off by sleeping naked like she could in her new room, overall it was a huge step up for her. Viri stood from her bed and grabbed the red silk robe from the floor and wrapped it around herself, it was too hot to be wearing full clothing until she absolutely had to, besides, the light fabric helped her relax while she got herself ready for the day.

"Ugh. This heat is something else." She sighed as she felt a cool breeze roll off of the Ocean into her bedroom windows.

"And it doesn't look like it'll let up anytime soon." She exclaimed when she saw the bright sunshine on the coast.

The young Woman walked over to her dresser and grabbed the bone handle brush from the top, it had been a gift from her father in the Old World and she had never left home without it. She began brushing her long dark red hair to work the knots out from a night of heavy sleeping, she stared at her reflection in the mirror in a daze as she did so. Dark red hair, emerald green eyes, and a tone face just like her Mother's. Just seeing her own reflection made her miss home. After brushing her hair Viri began cleaning the mess that was her room, throwing her dirty clothes in homemade wicker baskets beside the bathroom, throwing her left over dinner into the garbage shute, and stacking her many books in straighter piles. Once she had finished she smiled approvingly, anyone else might still think her room was a mess but it was spotless in her eyes.

"That should be good enough, I'll finish the rest later!" She said with a happy nod, though, she always said that when she did her morning cleaning routine. She heard her stomach growling and realized what time it was, breakfast time.

"All this hard work is making me hungry, I wonder what the Palicos are cooking for breakfast?" She quipped to herself as she placed a finger on her chin, she began imagining all of the delicious sizzling foods the Felynes were so good at cooking and it only made her drool with excitement. Viri took one look at the sun beam shinning under the curtain that acted as her door and sighed heavily.

"Guess I'll have to put actual clothes on to get there, can't go around showing you bad boys off to the whole Village." She said as she looked down to her large breasts, though she often wondered how many heads she would turn if she did walk around in nothing but a skimpy silk robe, it's not like she was ashamed of her body, quite the opposite actually.

After getting dressed in hide leggings, boots, her utility belt, and a short sleeve shirt Viri decided to brave the Coastal heat and head to the Canteen for some food, it was a public eating area where both Hunters and Researchers got most of their food. The Palicos there would cook pretty much whatever you wanted to eat, they loved to cook and as long as the ingredients weren't too rare the prices were very fair. Viri sat down at one of the wooden tables and a white and brown Palico rushed over to take her order. The furry Cat Creature waved at her happily and she returned the gesture with a sweet smile as she scratched him under his cheek.

"Good morning Gindur! You aren't overworking yourself are you?" She asked as the Palico purred at her touch, he shook his head and meowed in response. Viri laughed as she looked at her menu eagerly.

"Today I think I'll have the..." She thought for a moment as she looked to the bright blue sky above.

"Let's have three Mernos eggs, two Aptonoth steaks, a side of sausage, grilled whetfish aaaaand a side of Bacon please!" Viri said excitedly as she pictured her delicious meal in her mind. Gindur simply saluted her with a happy meow and darted back to the kitchen to place the large order. When her food finally arrived her eyes widened and a string of drool escaped the corner of her mouth when the smell reached her.

"Good morning Viri!" A voice called out to the Redhead snapping her out of her daze. Looking over Viri could see her Friend Milly approaching, she was wearing a light skirt with leggings underneath and a white top to match. Viri's eyes squinted when she noticed the leggings under her Friend's skirt and wondered how she wasn't also dying from the heat.

"Milly, good morning!" She greeted her Friend as she sat down beside her, Milly was adorable in Viri's eyes, she reminded her of a Palico in Human form. She had medium length blonde hair, stunning blue eyes and light freckles running across the middle of her face that Viri was always jealous of.

"I see your eating a mountain of food like always huh?" Milly asked as she looked at her Friend's large plate, she really had no idea where Viri put it all.

"Of Course! I don't want these bad boys to shrink!" Viri yelled as she grabbed her large bust, Milly looked down at her smaller chest and her expression grew more disappointed.

"I wish I could say the same, no matter what I do I can't get mine to grow!" Milly whined in frustration, Viri grew a devilish smile upon hearing her statement. She loved teasing Milly and made a point to do it often just to get the poor girl flustered.

"If you'd let me massage them for you they'd grow!" Viri yelled excitedly as she reached for her Friend's chest causing Milly to cover herself with a blush.
"T-That doesn't work... does it?" Milly asked as she tried to hide her embarrassment, Viri's eyes lit up and she smiled.

"Of course it does! Come by my room tonight and I'll show you!" The feisty young Woman exclaimed.

"I already told you, I'm not having sex with you Viri!" Milly shouted, her face reddening even brighter. Viri heard this and sighed as she pouted..
"Man, you're no fun."

"I told you I like boys!" Milly yelled quickly just to drive her point home, it hadn't been the first time Viri had tried to sleep with her, she had almost succeeded one night after a few drinks but Milly passed out before she could get very far.

"So do I, that doesn't mean I can't like girls too!" Viri shouted back cheerfully as she winked at her Friend. Milly's mouth hung open in shock, she furrowed her brow as Viri laughed at her.

"Ugh! Sometimes I wonder why I even talk to you!" Milly said with a heavy sigh.

"Because I'm awesome obviously! Don't worry Mills, you won't have time to talk to me for much longer, the Fifth Fleet will be arriving soon." Viri said as she turned her attention to the large amount of food in front of her.

"Oh that's right! I had almost forgot, are you still going to gather supplies for the research team until then?" The blonde girl asked as her eyes widened.

"Yeah probably, I might try my hand at hunting when the A-Listers get here though, shouldn't be too hard to convince one of them to train me if I just wear something cute and smile real big for them." Viri explained while she scarfed down large bites of food.

"I wonder what the A-Listers will be like, have you heard anything about the fifth?" Milly asked as she watched her Friend gorge herself. Viri smiled and swallowed a large bite of food before answering.

"I haven't heard much but hopefully the fifth will have some cute guys and girls I can talk into training me." Viri explained as Milly sighed and shook her head.

"Ugh! you're insufferable sometimes Viri!" Milly groaned as she crossed her arms.

"Aww don't get jealous Mills, you're still number one on my list of people I want in my bed!" Viri yelled as she hugged her Friend tightly, she snuck in a surprise squeeze on Milly's breast causing the shy girl to shriek in surprise.

"Sto- Stop it Viri!" She screamed out laughing as she tried to hide the red on her cheeks. Viri laughed and sat back in her own chair.

"By the way, I was wondering if you wanted to gather ingredients with me later in the Ancient Forest?" Viri asked happily.

"Well I have a lot of things to get ready before the Fifth Fleet arrives but after that I'm free, what time were you wanting to go?"

"Whenever this damn heat dies down, anytime before that and I'd be going naked." Viri exclaimed as she sneered toward the sun. Milly giggled when she pictured Viri gathering ingredients in the massive forest in the nude.

"Knowing you I bet you'd do it too!" Milly said with a chuckle.

"You know it! The only problem I'd have is the amount of attention I'd get from the Monsters!" Viri said and both girls laughed heartily.

"Well I should get back to work, come and get me when you want to go, I'll be taking stock of supplies on the lower levels." Milly said as she stood up.

"Yeesh, that sounds real fun." Viri sighed at the thought of Milly's task but at least she got shade over her head working on the lower levels. Viri wasn't so lucky, her job for the day was assisting the Botanists in Harvesting various ingredients in the sun.

"Oh stop complaining Vi, just focus on work and I'll try to finish taking stock so we can go gathering in the Ancient Forest." Milly said with a smile as she waved goodbye to her Friend. Viri simply waved as she stuffed more food into her mouth. After finishing her meal Viri sat back and sighed happily as she rubbed her stomach.

"Guess I better head down to the Botany Garden then." Viri said as she laid her Zenny payment on the table for Gindur to collect, she left him a nice tip as well. When she looked back over to the Palico he was bringing another Customer his food and she smiled at him as he balanced the large dish over his head. He deserved a nice tip, the poor thing seemed like he was always at work, when he spied her staring at him he waved happily and she returned the gesture before turning to leave.

Once Viri had reached the Botany Garden on the floor level of Astera she spied Ivan the Chief Botanist and a devilish smile grew on her face when she noticed he hadn't seen her yet. Milly wasn't the only one she loved to tease, Ivan was easily flustered, perhaps even more so than Milly since he was a Man. Viri crept up behind the Scientist and wrapped her arms around his left arm in a hug being sure her large breasts pressed up against him. Ivan jumped in surprise and his face reddened when he noticed who had grabbed onto him.

Ivan was a tall dorky Human with a slender frame, he wasn't a Hunter by any means, he had medium length black hair and wore glasses that covered his brown eyes. He may not be built like a Hunter but Viri still thought he was cute in an innocent sort of way.

"Good morning Ivan!" Viri said sweetly as she gave him her usual puppy dog eyes, Ivan's face reddened as he straightened his glasses nerviously.
"Ah g-good morning Viri!" He half yelled out of nervousness causing Viri's smile to grow, she loved seeing how much of an effect she had on him, it was always a confidence booster.

"What are we doing today?" Viri asked as she looked across the wooden table he was standing in front of, it held various plants and herbs in pots and baskets. Ivan collected himself when Viri let go to examine the crop in front of them.

"Today we're just pruning the Garden and fertilizing the plants." Ivan stated as he pointed towards the bags of fertilizer laying next to a large man made pond with a tree in the middle, it was placed in a nook in the side of the mountain and a frame of Monster bones covered the top with various vines and shrubs acting as a canopy. Viri smiled devilishly again when she heard him say "Fertilize". Viri's eyes took on a sultry look to match her tone as she leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"I know something else we could fertilize." She said lowly so no one else would hear her, Ivan's eyes widened and his face returned to it's previous crimson color.

"P-Please control y-yourself Viri!" Ivan shouted causing the young redhead to giggle. She gave him a serious salute and turned to begin her work. As much as she loved to tease Ivan she loved working in the Botany Garden more, she absolutely loved plants. Their beautiful colors, delicate frames and sweet aromas excited her for reasons she couldn't quite explain. Viri tied her hair into a long ponytail and put on some Gardening gloves to begin spreading the rich fertilizer around the plants of the Garden, humming softly as she worked.

Time always seemed to fly when she was placed on Gardening duty and she always hated leaving the plants at the end of the day, but the thought of gathering fresh specimens with Milly made her anxious for her work to end. After fertilizing the plants she set out trimming them and gathering the various spices and seeds they yielded, she placed them each in small glass jars and set them out neatly on a separate table for cataloging. once she had finished she wiped the sweat off of her dirty forehead and smiled contently. A few hours and a lot of sweat later she had finally finished her task, Viri removed the gardening gloves from her hands and placed them on the table beside the jars as she turned to see Ivan approaching her.

"Good work Viri, I can always count on you to work hard, even if you do get filthy in the process." He said with a chuckle when he saw the dirt on her arms, legs, and face. Viri's devilish side awakened once more and she placed her arms behind her to push out her chest toward him.

"You wanna join me for a shower, I'll show you just how filthy I am." She said in a husky voice causing Ivan to blush even harder than earlier in the day. Ivan corrected his glasses again even though they hadn't moved and cleared his throat.

"A-Anyway, here's your payment for the day!" He said nervously as he held a small bag of Zenny out toward the feisty young Woman, Viri giggled as she took the bag, she made sure to gently rub the back of Ivan's hand as she did so causing him to jump a little.

"You're too cute Ivan, I'll see you tomorrow!" She said with a happy grin as she waved goodbye. Ivan sighed heavily as he did the same.
"See you tomorrow." He responded not knowing how much more his nerves could take. Viri hooked her Zenny pouch onto her belt and made her way to meet Milly.

"Maybe I should take a bath first?" She thought to herself as she looked at her dirty hands.

"Nah! I'll just get dirty in the Forest again anyway, I'll just wait until tonight, hehehe maybe Milly will join me!" She said as she thought of her Friend covered in dirt. When Viri reached the lower level she had to navigate the maze of boxes and crates of the storage level, Milly could be anywhere by now so she followed the scraps of paper that had been stuck to the crates listing their contents.

"Mills! You in here!?" Viri yelled hoping Milly was still down there somewhere.

"Yeah I'm back here!" She heard Milly's voice call from behind some large crates. Viri followed the voice to find her young Friend placing a Monster pelt in one of the crates before writing something on a notepad. When Milly saw her Friend she smiled and chuckled at her dirty appearance. Viri returned the laughter when she saw how much dust and dirt had gathered on Milly as well.

"You look like you had fun at work!" Milly chuckled as she laid her notepad down on a nearby crate to hug her Friend. Viri hugged her back and smiled when she pulled away.

"You too! How did it go?" She asked.

"Booooring! and mentally draining!" Milly groaned out causing Viri to chuckle again.

"Do you still want to go gathering with me?" Viri asked.

"YES! I haven't had anyone to talk to all day and I could really use some fresh air!" Milly said excitedly as she smacked some of the dust off of her clothes. Viri smiled as they turned to leave, they still had a few hours before dusk and they were determined to make the most of it.

After putting on some light leather armor the two girls left Astera to head to the Ancient Forest, they admired the massive bones decorated with red ribbons as they crossed the draw bridge. They didn't know where the bones had come from but they looked old, a lot older than Astera anyway. On their way out they passed a Female Hunter on her way back, she wore light blue pelt around her waist and they could see shiny steel armor underneath, her shoulders were wrapped in white pelt and they knew she had gathered the armor from a Tobi Kadachi.

"You two heading into the Ancient Forest?" The female Hunter asked from beneath her blue and white helm, both girls nodded with a smile.

"Yep, going to do some gathering before it gets dark!" Viri said happily as the female hunter's blue eyes watched them questioningly.

"Well... be careful, there's an Anjanath running around and it seemed pretty pissed off. The Bastard came out of nowhere and attacked me while I was tracking a Pukei Pukei for the researchers. I don't need to tell you how aggressive they are, I barely got out of there with my skin attached." The Hunter said as she shook her head.

"Thanks, we're not going too deep into the Forest, but we'll still be careful!" Viri said as she and Milly waved to the Hunter respectfully. The Female Hunter simply nodded and waved back to them before continuing to Astera.

They continued down the beach before Viri noticed the anxious look on her Friend's face.

"Hey what's wrong Mills?" She asked as she turned to her Friend. Milly looked up at her cautiously.

"It's just... maybe we shouldn't go gathering today, I-I mean neither of us are Hunters and an Anjanath is really dangerous!" She said, her voice full of worry.

"Don't worry Mills, if we even catch a hint of one we'll run back to the town." Viri said as she placed her hands on Milly's shoulders to comfort her with a smile. Milly nodded as she looked to the ground.

"Either that or you could always seduce it with those huge tits of yours." Milly chuckled as she looked up to her brave Friend. Viri laughed as well and raised an eyebrow.

"You're right, I might just have to!" She said as both of them laughed.

"I'd rather seduce you with my huge tits though." Viri said enthusiastically, Milly chuckled and shook her head.

"You don't even have an off switch do you, how many times do I have to tell you no?" she laughed at Viri's dirty mind.

"No I don't, and only until you say yes!" Viri responded.

"Well the answer is still no!" Milly yelled jokingly as they continued their walk.

"It was worth a shot." Viri said as she clenched her fist in front of her in faked disappointment causing Milly to giggle and shake her head.

After a few minutes the two girls reached the point where the Beach led up to the edge of the Forest and marveled at the massive tree deeper in the Jungle that rose into the sky.

"I wonder how old that tree really is?" Viri asked as she examined the huge roots that sprawled out through the jungle and even spilled out onto the Beach in places.

"Who knows, it's probably hundreds of years old, maybe even thousands!" Milly answered as she swiped some of her silky blonde hair out of her face. She heard Viri squeal with excitement as she jogged over to gather some mushrooms on the ground. Milly chuckled at her Friend's excitement and rushed to help her, gradually moving closer to the Forest's edge with the more ingredients they found.

"So what weapon would you use if you start training as a Hunter?" Milly asked as she gently plucked some blue Nulberries from a tall stalk, Viri smiled as she gathered herbs here and their.

Viri thought about the many weapons that Hunters used to slay their foes and shrugged. "I don't know yet, I obviously couldn't use anything too heavy yet. I haven't exactly been training you know?"

"Yeah, but what weapons do you like the most, you know, out of the ones we've seen Hunters training with?" Milly asked.

"Well it's a hard choice, they say Hunters should choose weapons that fit their personalities, I don't really know what weapon that would be." Viri smiled.

"Knowing you the only weapon that suits your personality is lewdness!" Milly chuckled as Viri put her hands on her hips and scoffed dramatically.

"I'll have you know I'm a stand up member of our community!"

"More like a lay down and spread your legs member of the community!" Milly yelled back as she laughed. Viri's mouth dropped in surprise at her Friend's feistiness, her eyes widened and she laughed.

"You little Bitch!" Viri shouted as she threw a glob of mud at her already dirty Companion. Milly screamed as she returned the assault.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Both girls screamed and laughed unaware they were being watched with hungry eyes. A massive roar tore through the air and they turned with wide eyes to see an Anjanath standing in the clearing of the Forest's edge, blocking their escape to town. Their mouths dropped and their hearts started racing as they stared at the beast's razor sharp teeth and it's piercing yellow eyes. Before either of them could react the large bipedal Monster lunged for Milly, the closest of the two girls. Milly spun around causing the Anjanath to barely miss her and slam it's nose into the soft earth beneath her, the force of the impact sending Milly onto her stomach.

"Milly!" Viri screamed as she ran to help her Friend, seeing the Beast almost get her made Viri's heart sink and spurred her to action. Viri darted toward her friend and unsheathed her carving knife from it's place on her belt.

"Hey! Ugly!" The crimson haired girl yelled causing the Anjanath to snarl and turn it's attention toward her. As it's head turned to look for the cause of the noise Viri slashed her knife through a swarm of flash flies causing a bright flash of light to explode into view. The massive Monster roared in anger as it turned it's head away.

Milly pulled her face out of the mud and looked around desperately as Viri pulled her to her feet so they could run.

"I'm okay, I-I think I'm okay!" Milly said with a choked voice as they ran to the nearest thicket of vines.

The Anjanath shook it's head as it growled, it's vision coming back just in time to see it's prey escaping, the large beast let loose a gut wrenching roar causing the two girls to stop running and cover their ears. They could hear heavy footsteps approaching behind them and decided not to look and just keep running, they ran as fast as their legs would carry them, they ran through large passageways, around corners and up steep hills all while being chased by a hungry Anjanath. They had been running for a while but it was still hot on their tails, it made huge strides that made up for how fast the girls were running. They saw a golden opportunity when they spied a massive thicket of vines and trees ahead of them. The two girls dropped low onto their butts and slid under a large vine above them and deeper into the Forest. As soon as they passed under the large vine they heard a thundering boom as smaller leaves rained down on them, the Anjanath roaring angrily at it's missed meal. Neither girl stopped running, they darted through the thick foliage of shrubs and vines until they came to a small clearing, they stopped together and began gasping for air. Their lungs burned and they felt like fire was coursing through their muscles.

"A-Are you... Okay?" Viri asked as she panted.

"Just some small scratches... and a few bruises!" Milly exclaimed as she put her arms up behind her head for air. Viri looked back toward the way they had come and sighed.

"We really got lucky back there."

Milly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but we aren't out of the woods yet... literally."

Viri gave her Friend a soft smile once she had caught her breath and pulled her in to hug her tightly, Milly yelped at the sudden action but smiled softly as she returned the hug.

"I'm so sorry Milly! I'm glad you're okay!" Viri said as she rested her chin on her Friend's shoulder, water welling up in her eyes. MIlly just smiled and shook her head as she wiped her eyes as well.

"No, it's not your fault Vi, and I'm fine! Please don't blame yourself, It's my fault too." Milly said softly.

"I'm so glad you aren't hurt I... I don't know what I would do... without these!" Viri said causing Milly to scrunch her eyebrows in confusion, what was she talking about? As soon as the question crossed her mind Milly felt two hands grasp her butt as they fondled her. Milly screamed out a yelp and pushed her perverted Friend away with a chuckle. When she looked up at Viri she realized she had really been crying, tears had streaked their way through the dirt on her cheeks. Milly gave Viri a soft smile as she wiped the rest of her eyes dry.

"I'm glad you're okay too Vi." Viri nodded and sat down on a log, she patted the spot next to her with her hand and Milly sat down.
"What now?" Milly asked.

"Well, the Anjanath is an extremely aggressive and territorial Monster so it won't be easy to get out of here now that it has our scent." Viri explained as she remembered the passages of a few of her books.

"So what do we do?" Milly asked again, she was nowhere near the bookworm Viri was... well, at least not with Monster books anyway."

Viri sighed and pulled a short wooden tube out of her item pouch, it had a metal wire leading to a steel ring on the bottom. Viri pointed the tube into the air and pulled the wire at the bottom, with a loud pop a bright glowing light shot out of the tube and flew through the Forest's canopy into the darkening sky.

"Now we wait and hope someone sees the SOS flare I guess." Viri said quietly as Milly nodded.

After a few hours the sun retreated beyond the Horizon, it had been dark beneath the Ancient Forest's canopy before but now, without any stars or the Moon It was almost pitch black. Viri started a campfire as Milly retrieved some firewood, careful not to stray too far from their camp. She was uncomfortable in the dark woods but one look back at Viri as she blew the hot embers of the campfire made her smile, she was glad Viri was here with her. She saw her Friend look up and smile comfortingly at her, she obviously felt the same way. Milly walked back to the campfire and laid her arm full of wood down close bye, they would use the logs throughout the night to feed the fire. Both girls shivered when they heard the Anjanath's roar in the distance, they were trapped as long as that Monster was out there. Milly sat down next to Viri on the log and laced her fingers together.

"um... Viri?" She asked hesitantly, her Friend leaned back and took on a concerned look.

"Yeah?" She said softly, wondering what was troubling the girl.

"Do... Do you think we'll get out of here?" Viri put on a brave smile and nodded, Milly was scared, Hell she was too but she needed to be strong for her Friend.

"Yes. Yes we will! It's only a matter of time before a Hunter responds to the SOS Flare if they haven't already entered the Forest." Viri said with half faked enthusiasm, she had no idea if they would actually get out of there alive, anything could happen, and as far as a rescue team went, well, they had run pretty far into the Forest already. It could take a while for any Hunters to find them if they were actually looking, even longer if no one had seen the Flare, if that were the case they would have to either make a run for it and pray for the best or, wait for a Hunter team to randomly happen across them.

"I'll bet the old Commander has already sent his best Hunters looking for us!" Viri exclaimed with a smile.

"Knowing him he's already figured out how he's going to tear into us when we get back!" She added with a laugh causing Milly to nod as she chuckled with her.

"Thanks Vi..." Milly said softly as she watched the flames of the campfire, Viri nodded as she watched the fire with her, she felt Milly lean against her and looked to her right to see her silky blond hair on her shoulder.

"You know... That shower you offered earlier is sounding pretty damn good right now." Milly sighed causing Viri to smile.

"Yeah... Yeah it does doesn't it?" Viri agreed as she stood up, Milly watched her start breaking large leaves off of shrubs and layed them in a pile, Milly quirked an eyebrow.

"What are those leaves for Vi?"

"A bed silly, you don't want to sleep in the dirt do you?" She replied as she ripped another large leaf from a fern. Milly had been so caught up on how bad their situation was she had forgotten about sleep all together.

"Here, let me help!" Milly said as she began gathering leaves as well, she felt like she was putting too much work in Viri as it was and wanted to make herself useful. Milly grabbed a bundle of the foliage and lifted it to her chest but dropped the leaves as she gasped in pain. Viri saw her and took on a concerned expression.

"Are you alright Milly?" She asked as Milly held her hands on her chest.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" She blurted out not wanting to worry her Friend.

"Milly?" Viri said with a suspicious tone, her Friend's behavior proved she wasn't okay.

"It's... It's my boobs..." Milly said as she looked away in embarrassment. Viri scrunched her eyebrows.

"What about your boobs?" She asked still confused. Milly gave a heavy sigh and looked to the ground.

"When the Anjanath attacked me and I hit the dirt... I landed on my boobs..." She sighed her response as she continued to stare at the ground. She knew if she mentioned it Viri's fiendish nature would take over.

"Show me." She said, there it is Milly thought, right on time.

"It's not that bad, I'll just-"

"Show me Milly!" Viri cut her off as she approached her, her attitude was serious and startled Milly for a second. Milly's face got red as she lifted her shirt up revealing her two fleshy mounds, she shut her eyes and waited for Viri to say something embarrassing but she never did, she only sighed.

"Take your shirt off, you scratched them up pretty badly, your chin too." Viri said as she dug in her bag for something. Milly hesitantly pulled her shirt off and sat down on the log next to their campfire. Viri retrieved some different barriers and herbs, along with a large tropical leaf that was shaped sort of like a bowl. Viri dumped the barriers and herbs in the large leaf and carried it over to one of the nearby trees, Milly watched her squint her eyes as she assessed the bark of multiple trees. When she had decided on which one she needed, the red headed girl stabbed her knife into the tree bark and then sheathed it in the case behind her back. She held up the leaf and Milly watched as dark tree sap started to ooze into the makeshift bowl her friend had made. Once Viri had collected the amount of sap she needed she returned to the campfire and sat in front of Milly on her knees.

"What are you doing?" Milly asked curiously as she watched Viri.

"Magic." Viri said as she looked up at her friend and smiled

"I'm making a salve that'll speed up your body's natural healing time." Viri explained as she used a round rock to grind her gathered ingredients into a greenish brown mush.

"Where did you learn that?" The blonde girl asked as she raised her brow in surprise.

"Well I read a lot remember? And I DO work for the botany researchers ya know." Viri said with a chuckle.

"WOW! You mean your brain is actually used for something besides dirty jokes and perverseness?!" Milly asked in faked shock. Viri looked up at her and laughed as she finished picking out all of the stems and seeds that would irritate Milly's wounds.

"They're one in the same!" She responded happily, causing Milly to become skeptical.

"Wait... What does that mean?" Milly asked when she was the dirty gleam in her Friend's eyes.

"Oh don't worry... you'll find out soon." Viri said with a devilish smirk as she rubbed the gooey salve on her hands.

"Wh- What does that mean? What are you doing?" Milly asked in concern.

"Calm down and relax, this is going to sting a little, only at first though." Viri explained. Milly took a sharp breath as both of Viri's slimy hands wrapped around her breasts. The salve did sting at first, it was cold and slimy on her sensitive skin. Viri wore a look of determination as she gently rubbed the salve onto the scrapes Milly had received in their escape. Milly noticed the more that Viri rubbed, the less pain she felt, the stinging had subsided into a tingling sensation that started to spread to her stomach and continued to grow. Viri began covering her breasts in the salve completely, massaging them, she brought her thumbs down and began slowly rubbing Milly's nipples in circular motions. Milly began breathing more heavily as pleasure replaced pain, a shiver ran down her spine as she felt her nipples begin to stiffen at Viri's soothing touch. The look on her red headed companion's face had changed from determination to that of intense awe, she was breathing heavily as well. Milly let out a quiet moan of pleasure as she felt the tingling sensation spread to her thighs, wrapping all the way around her legs and enveloping her womanhood.

"Viri, wh-ngh-what's happening?" Milly asked between barely controlled moans as she shifted in her seat, trying to explore the pleasure she was feeling, her legs moving back and forth rubbing together as she panted. Viri's cheeks had grown redish in the dim light of the fire, her eyes were low and she bit her lower lip as she let out a small pleasure filled sigh of her own, like she was entranced with Milly's body. She brought one of her salve covered hands up and gently rubbed Milly's chin where she had also received a few small cuts, continuing to massage her right breast with her other hand. Milly took a sharp intake of air as Viri's hand reached her chin, the stinging it had brought only making the wetness between her thighs grow. Viri slipped her thumb into Milly's mouth and gently rubbed her tongue, the sweet tasting salve coating the inside of her mouth. Milly pulled her hand out of her mouth and slid it back to her unattended breast, shaking as she did so.

"Viri." Milly moaned as she arched her back, shockwaves of warmth and pleasure running throughout her body. She felt her womanhood heating up and soaking her crotch with sticky wetness.

"Viri!" Milly said more loudly as she began to shake, Viri didn't answer her, she just continued rubbing her breasts, squeezing them gently.

"Viri! something's happening! ngh! I'm NGH!" Milly stuttered out in moans as her pleasure peaked, she felt a massive shockwave build up inside of her. Viri stopped rubbing and jumped forward to wrap her arms around her, both of them shaking in muscle spasms, they moaned and rubbed together, their orgasms sending them into panting moans, jerking and panting heavily. They held each other for a few minutes until their bodies regained control, they were panting and hugging tightly. Once they had calmed down Viri sat back down on her knees, still breathing heavily.

"Wh-What the Hell was that!?" Milly asked in shock and confusion. Viri smiled as she stared into her eyes.

"Remember when I said they were one in the same?" Viri asked huskily.

"Y-Yeah?" Milly asked, still trying to catch her breath.

"That salve speeds up your body's natural healing time... but it's also one Hell of an aphrodisiac when absorbed by your skin... and mine." Viri explained as she looked away sheepishly, Milly's already blushing face taking an even deeper shade of red.

"UGH! You're unbearable sometimes you know that?!" Milly shouted as she brought both of her hands up to cover her face in embarrassment. Viri only smiled more.

"Yeah, but you liked it and you know it!" Viri giggled. Milly peaked through two of her fingers.

"Th-That's not the point..." She mumbled into her hands.

The next morning Milly opened her eyes and blinked the sleep out of them, she could smell a sweet earthy scent and she was warm, it was odd considering how chilly the night air had gotten. When the girl pulled her head back she realized where she was, her face had been buried in Viri's large bosom. She remembered them cuddling last night for added warmth and her face turned a deep crimson as she recalled the events of the previous night.

Milly was about to wake her sleeping Friend when a massive roar shook the forest around them, both girls sat straight up and looked around frantically. The sound of an Anjanath in battle could be heard, and it was close. Viri stood up and listened closely, her eyes darting back and forth rapidly as she pictured what might be going on.

"What is it Viri? A turf war between the Anjanath and another Monster?" Milly asked.

"No, it's-" Her eyes squinted as she pieced together what was happening.

"It's Hunters!" Viri yelled in excitement.

"Really?!" Milly asked, relief and joy filling her.

"Yeah! It sounds like a whole team of them!" Viri said loudly, the sounds of battle still echoing through the forest.

"Then what are we waiting for!? Let's get out of here while we can!" Milly said. Viri nodded and grabbed her Companion's hand, leading her through the Ancient Forest's underbrush toward the sound of the Hunter Team battling the Anjanath. They ran through the mud and brush, jumped over logs and fallen branches until the sound of combat faded, replaced with the sound of whimpering, and then... nothing. Both girls busted through some bushes and into a large clearing covered by massive branches and roots. In the middle of the clearing was a limp Anjanath, it's yellow eyes still open and angry, it's chest was still and breathless. A single demonic looking Longsword stabbed through the top of it's skull, pinning it to the ground as thick red blood oozed from it's wounds. When their minds finally began to piece the situation together they finally saw the Person standing next to the large animal, it was a Man wearing very expensive clothing, black with an intricate golden trim design, both girls recognized the armor as that of the Arena. That could only mean one thing... This was an S ranked Hunter.

The Hunter turned around and peeked at the young Women from beneath his large hat, a single feather sticking out of the side, he spoke in a deep, calm voice that echoed safety and control.

"There you two are, I've been looking for you ever since I saw your flare yesterday." He explained in a calm, professionally tone.

Neither Viri or Milly said anything, but they exchanged glances that said "Dibs". His face was stern and commanding, he had an aura of confidence around him that neither of them felt unless in the presence of the Commander of the Initiative. It felt like he had years of experience under his belt even though he was likely around their age, maybe a little older. The Hunter before them spoke again sending a shiver down both of the girl's spines.

"You two ready to go Home?"

Both Viri and Milly nodded eagerly, he could have asked them to go anywhere and they probably would've said yes. Viri smiled devilishly, causing Milly to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh no... what are you scheming now?" Her Friend whispered. Viri leaned toward Milly and smiled.

"I know who I want to train me..." The red headed girl whispered. Milly watched her give the Hunter a sweet smile and a small flirty wave, it made her eyes roll.

"You want him to train you, huh?" Milly asked as she stared at her Friend.

"Oh he can train me as hard as he wants!" She whispered causing Milly to shake her head and chuckle.

The End.