Monster Hunter
A Blurred Line
Author: DeliciousCake218
Chapter 01:
The Silver Horn
Disclaimer: I don't own Monster Hunter. Capcom does.
Fairy tales and such were usually frowned upon in Minegarde. Things often had extravagant stories which held testimony to their origin. When a mother tells her child not to stay up too late because a Rathalos may bite out their tongue, it's no surprise that the parent is berated by those around her for doing so. The king of wyverns is real after all. To ordinary passerby, the initial reaction to the mention of such creatures was fear. Naturally, people do not like to converse about things that they are afraid of... much less with them. But I digress.
These stories... I didn't believe in any of them, of course. In fact, I detested the idea of fairy tales altogether. That's why I was disgusted to hear that the person that I cared for the most was just the next page added to the epic saga that I never took seriously. I wanted to wring the neck of the man who turned the glorious legacy of my older brother, the legendary hero of Kokoto, into just another fairy tale.
"Guild designation: White Monoblos. Approximately 2,000 centimeters from horn to tail. Weight is slightly under two metric tons. Flightless, but demonstrates the ability to burrow, and travel underground, completely disregarding soil density. Additional details about this wyvern are unavailable at this time." Mune Delphine, a hunter in the employ of the Hunter's Guild, reported from the paper that he had been handed by one of the guildmaids earlier. He promptly folded it and shoved it into his pocket.
"It makes you wonder how they got that information if this the first sighting we've ever had of it." Dio Altiel joked, sharpening his short sword, sweating under the scarlet mail of the king of wyverns. Their battlefield felt very confined, the fierce sun beating down on them and turning the rounded box shape of the canyon into a gigantic oven. Their leader, Xion Sephira, shook his head, sweat dropping from his face, arms crossed, his shoulder-length blond locks swaying with the light desert breeze. He was ready before they had started preparing, and his impatience was clear.
"Idiots. They should stop giving us meaningless reports that don't tell us a thing we don't already know." He scoffed, promptly spitting onto the hot bed of rock that sat beneath their feet. Xion eyeballed the ground a moment, then gestured at the other two with several hand signals, and they prepared themselves for the battle that was about to come. He lifted a large beige horn to his lips and began to droll out a deep tone that would bring their target to them. He stopped playing abruptly when the dirt beneath them began to quake violently.
"Is this the Monoblos?" Dio questioned, trying to hold his footing. Xion put the horn away.
"Break!" He ordered, and they split in all different directions. The earth broke into tiny fragments as their opponent, the White Monoblos, burst from below the surface of the desert. A dazzling white shell covered the abomination, light glinting off in every direction. It stood on two gray legs that seemed very disproportionate to the rest of its body, and wings for arms that were even tinier. The two pronged tail was a thorny silver bulb that hung out, fully extended, parallel with the rest of the creature's body. Its forehead was very large, and the horn at the front of its face was yet another distinguishing feature; the head itself was most comparable to the likes of a triceratops.
"Alright, here goes!" Mune started forward, readying his massive hammer. Xion followed suit, running forward for the first attack, bringing his massive great sword above his head and slamming it against the White Monoblos' tail, placing a large dent into the hard shell of the creature. He braced himself from the shock of bouncing off of the tough plate, and was too busy reeling from the attack to avoid the tail whip that proceeded to swat him aside like a crumpled piece of trash.
I'm not sure why, after he died, that I decided to become a hunter. Maybe a part of me just wanted to continue the legacy he had left unfinished. I practiced everyday with a weapon that was obviously too heavy for me, intent on becoming strong, just like he was, and started by taking local village requests. Gathering herbs, things like that. And then, I saw the chance to prove myself. My first real monster hunt was requested to me, and I set off to slay the beast.
I didn't really appreciate the surprise when I returned. It made me feel as if they sent me out there, hoping I would die. From that point on, I began taking on many monster hunts. And I always followed through with them until the end. Now, I was just an ordinary hunter... a pawn of the Guild. And instead of scowling at my existence, the villagers displayed a distinct apathy to me. It was an improvement, for sure, but something about it was still a little saddening.
"You've been getting better." A voice told me one day. I whirled around and saw the infamous Xion Sephira standing there, smiling at me very lightly. Ever since that day, he had given up his title of hunter and assumed the role of guildmaster, managing the entirety of the Hunter's Guild stationed in the desert city of Miran. He was an arrogant one for sure, or, at least he used to be. "We could use someone like you."
That's nice. Thanks for letting my brother die out in the desert. Still, I felt wanted, and isolation had twisted my convictions in strange ways. I began considering his offer... and what it would be like. If I died, what would I be remembered for? Would I become just another story? Xion turned his back and cast a glance over his shoulder.
"I understand if you refuse. Please tell me if you reconsider."
"Take... that! And that, and that, and that!" Mune yelled, pounding his hammer into the soft underside of the beast repeatedly, and it consequently roared. The sound was a piercing, otherworldly howl, leaving everyone stunned, holding their ears from the sharp cry. The White Monoblos promptly turned, shoving Mune away with a thrust from the side of its hip, and he was sent flying back, rolling against the burning sand. Xion pushed himself up, and, upon seeing the white blur rushing towards him, dived forward, narrowly missing the monster's foot as it skid to a halt. Xion and Mune approached the monster from behind, but a quick swing of its tail batted Mune across the arena, then came back the other way to down Xion, but not before it made contact with his great sword.
"Hey! Over here!" Dio shouted, and the beast turned, only to see the flash bomb he lobbed exploding in its face. Xion and Mune both recoiled from the bright flash, but awoke to see Dio's excellent swordsmanship dancing around the Monoblos' misguided attacks, playing the creature's senses to his advantage. He pressed in with a jump slash, but this time, it saw his attack coming, and responded with a buck of its horn, throwing straight against the wall. Dio regained his footing quickly, but the Monoblos was already lowering its horn for a charging attack.
"Dio! No!" Mune called out, extending his arm in a vain attempt to save him. No attempt to avoid the attack was made. The White Monoblos rushed forth, earth trembling with every step, and the monster thrust its jagged horn powerfully into Dio's stomach, as well as the rocky cliffside behind him. Decisively, he stabbed the blade downward into the wyvern's forehead.
"Heh... heheh..." Dio laughed, delirious with pain. "How's it feel...? Heh..." A twist of the short sword inside its skull ended the White Monoblos' life, and it writhed in pain for several more seconds. The other two hunters rushed to his aid.
"Dio, you idiot!" Xion shouted at him. "Why...? Why didn't you...?" He let out, falling to his knees. Mune popped the cap off of a bottle labeled 'Potion'.
"Here, drink it." Mune said, forcing him to drink most of the thick green liquid inside. Dio smiled, a bit of the potion spilling down the side of his mouth. His senses were almost completely numbed by the concoction, and his vision grew blurry. He proceeded to vomit up a mixture of diluted green and viscous red onto the Monoblos' forehead.
"...Why...?" Xion observed the situation silently. Tears were spilling down his face. Dio sat, impaled against the wall, with the White Monoblos' dead body pinning him there. As if adding insult to injury, he recalled the Guild report that stated just how heavy their target was. Mune clenched his teeth, pulling another potion from his bag. He froze as Dio's hand clapped over his. He shook his head.
"Haha... at least... I get to go out feeling good, right? Thanks, guys... this is... probably the happiest thing I've ever experienced. I only wish I could apologize to Rin..." He said, before coughing up another smatter of crimson onto the creature's face. Mune grabbed hold of his shoulder.
"Don't say things like that." He attempted, trying to give him hope, but Dio just ignored it.
"No, no, if there's ever been a time I felt like I was about to pass on... now would be the time." He said, and Xion moved forward, tightly clutching his friend's hand. Mune gave a nod and took hold of the hunter's other hand. Dio tilted his head towards the blinding orb of light that sat there in the sky, and smiled. His last sentence came as a whisper, before his eyes fell shut for the rest of eternity. "You'd hit me for doing something so stupid, wouldn't you? Hahaha... I'm sorry, Rin... I'm so sorry..."