How Did I Get This Far?

I'll see it every now and then. I hate going there, because its all I can think about. Pieces of the past, my beginnings. I wasn't always like this you know. I had a family. I didn't even want to do this when I started, but as it turns out; its what I was made to do. Just like my old man.

...

"Shane! Get out of there! Do you have any idea what that is?" Yelled my pa. I didn't know what the big deal was.. I always liked the little bugs. I liked how big their butts got after they ate a mushroom. Then they would waddle back under their log. They always made me laugh.
"Those things can kill you! what would ma think?" He was right, ma didn't like the creatures. I guess that's just how she was raised. She was born in a small village in the sandy plains. She met my father when he was on a mission from the guild. "Slay a Querpecco" I believe it was called. They always liked that story. He got so burned, he had to be carted out of there by those cat things. Feynes I think. Ma was the daughter of the villages doctor. Apparently as soon as my he woke up, he saw my ma and left immediately to 'slay the creature' to impress her. He didn't even let them try to heal his burns.. Idiot. That's why hes covered in scars now. Ah well, it worked out. That little story at least explains my mothers flintstone necklace. Something about how 'our love burns more fearsome than my flesh.' Kinda warped. Sorta gross.

We lived under a big tree next to a large cliff on some island. It didn't even have a name, so they just called it, "The Deserted Island." Ma liked it there, nice and cool she would always say. Not many large monster either. My father still did some minor things for The Guild for some money, but nothing too dangerous. For my mother, she worried about him. If it was something easy, like someone needed mushrooms for a local doctor for medicines or mining for certain ore, he would take me along. I liked going with him, he never seemed as happy as when he was helping other people. He would take a cart with him, it slowed him down, but he said he needed the exercise, sometimes if we were out too late, he would let me sleep in the back on the way home. He would always make these weird meowing sounds and tease me about failing my mission and pretending he was a Felyne taking me someplace safe.. I never liked that very much, but it made him laugh so I put up with it.

Sometimes at night I could hear Ma and Pa arguing...
"You shouldn't take him out there, what if you get ambushed? its never actually safe out there you know.." Ma would say,
"Oh you shouldn't worry," Pa responded with a nervous laugh, "I still have my old sword just in case!"
I heard nothing after that for a few minutes.
"The fact that you even take that old thing with you is why I get nervous.."
She was right, sometimes just playing in the garden I would see large shadows dart across our yard. Ma would always run outside and drag me back in and set me against the wall away from the windows. Half the time they were just clouds on a windy day..

It was such a nice day.. Pa was going to collect some kelbi horns for some lady across the sea. It must have been a good job, cuz he was whistling the whole way up the trail. I liked seeing him happy like this. A bump on the trail knocked back the cloth covering the wagon to reveal some of his supplies. One thing in particular caught my eye. It had a handle like a sword, but where the blade would be was something that looked like a black metal that was just taken out of a smithing oven, it was still red hot.
"Pa, whats this?" I said reaching for the handle.
"Don't touch that!" He he yelled slapping my hand away. I was shocked and scared, I could feel my eyes start to tear up but acted like it didnt bother me.
"I'm sorry Shane, that's very dangerous.. Its my old sword called a Djinn. If you touch it wrong, it could.. Well it wouldn't feel very good. Just promise me that you wont touch that okay? I don't need your ma badgering me anymore than she already does." He explained with a laugh.
"okay pa," I said. I wasnt understood why he was nervous, he just wanted me to be safe. I whipped the tears out of my eyes, "I promise.
"Atta boy, he said messing up my hair, "Now how would you like to learn how to cut off a kelbis horns without hurting them?"

*BONG* His shield made a funny sound when he popped out of the bushes and knocked the little green deer in the head.
"What the Hell pa? You said you wouldnt hurt them?"
Ohh hes fine. Just a little tap to make him sleepy. And dont swear." he said bending over the Kelbi. "Now c'mere, let me show you something"
I walked over to him, starring at the kelbi. It was still breathing.. Thank goodness.
"Here, I got you something" he said reaching behind his back. "Its a hunting knife, you use it to.. Borrow things from the animals."
It just looked at it. I hated things that caused harm to other creatures.. It was a large knife, carved bone for the handle and some strange blue metal for the blade. It seemed to almost glow. At the base of the hilt was a small carving that I couldnt quite see.
"What is this for?.." I asked.
"I made this for you, I made it myself! look down here, it has your name on it! I even made the blade out of some mechalite I found the other day."
"It doesnt look like yours.." I said carefully reaching for the knife, "What would I even use this for?"
He could see I was afraid of it, so he slid it back in its case with a satisfying click and handed it to me.
"Yeah, I know its not like mine, but thats because I made it with you in mind. My pa made me my knife and same with his pa. Its sort of a tradition we have. Plus, mine kinda sucks. Its getting really dull. Yours wont have that problem." He said with a grin
"But what is it for?" I asked again, still confused.
"For when you become a hunter of course! You come from a long line of hunters and you wouldnt wanna disappoint now would you?" he said raising an bushy eyebrow.
"N-no i dont want that.." I said clutching the small blade "I love it, thank you" faking a smile.. I would just keep it with me. I wont ever use it.
There was a rustle in the bushes. I didnt notice at first
"Atta boy, now lets carve this sucker up" said pa.
I saw something dart out of the corner of my eye. Pa saw it too, he stopped smirking and stared dead ahead. Listening.
"What.. is that? Pa whats going on.." i started to get nervous. Ive never seen him like this.
"Shane" He said sternly, "I want you to run home." We were a good hour or two walk away from our house.
"But pa wh-"
"Get going!" He yelled at me as he ran for his cart, "Do as youre told and youll be fine!"
He was just a few feet away from the cart when It jumped on him, knocking him back further away. It was a Great Jaggi, I know this because of his hunting reports. It was big, almost five times my size.
As he held its mouth shut keeping it from biting his chest, all I could see him mouthing the words "Run. Run" I couldnt hear anything. I couldnt move. I was so afraid I dropped my knife.
As it hit the ground, *Click* the blade got knocked out of its case, almost glowing in the sun. The Jaggi had one of pa's arms pinned now, leaving him with nothing more than his right hand to try to hit. Pa wrapped his legs around the creatures neck, drawing it closer to him, with his free hand, he punched the monster in its eye, causing it to close and let out a yelp. It jumped off of him and rubbed its eye.
Pa got up and started to run towards me, still telling me to run, but the jaggi swiped him with his tail, knocking him into a log, causing more distance between us.
I snapped out of it, "Pa! I yelled! Come on! We need to go home for dinner!" I yelled choking back tears, he couldnt hear me. he was unconscious.
The jaggi walking toward him, drooling.
Is this all im good for? Crying? He gave me this knife to be brave hunter like him and all I can do is sit here like a baby in a pool of my own tears.. No. I'm better than this, for once Pa could use my help. And that's when I saw it. On the ground next to the cart. Pa Djinn. I ran to it and snatched it from the ground. It let out an explosion of flames, causing me to drop it and scream in pain. It burned my hand, pretty bad.
I looked over to notice the Jaggi letting out a roar above my pa and then looking down letting its drool pour over his chest and face.
There was no time to cry now, I gathered up my shirt into a bunch and grabbed the handle.
It was so warm, but it didn't explode this time. I set it carefully in my good hand.
"Hey!" I yelled. The Jaggi turned to look at me.
"Leave him alone you bastard!" I screamed at him. Then rearing back, i threw the sword. Ive never thrown anything so hard in my life. It flew through the air making some sort of a metallic whistle.
It came down directly on the beasts forehead with a loud boom. Fire and blood flew everywhere, even the frill on its neck burned and got covered in holes. Letting out a yelp and falling back, the Jaggi stumbled
"Holy shit." I muttered. I didn't think that could cause that much damage.. The Jaggi recovered. Picking up its burned scarred face to look at me.
It began to run straight for me, it might have just been hungry before, but now the thing was just pissed.
I tried my best.. maybe pa will still be okay after its done chewing on me..
I accepted my fate, but then I was surrounded by a bright light. I couldn't see or hear anything. I could feel something grab me. No wait.. A few things? It wasn't scaley like a jaggi.. it was..furry?