The Aquila vs. Jhen Mohran
The Aquila, Connor, Haytham, Achilles, Jaagers and Grenadiers, and the Jhen Mohran and the Delex and all other characters and places that appear in the Monster Hunter and Assassins Creed Franchises are the intellectual property of Ubisoft and Capcom Games. I do not own them, and their names and likeness are used in this story for non-profit entertainment and educational purposes only.
If one does not know what the Aquila is, it is a ship commandeered by Connor in Assassins Creed 3. It is equipped with cannons and swivel cannons; the latter is a high precision weapon which could directly engage enemy weak points, with the former being a highly destructive weapon capable of destroying several vessels in its immediate vicinity. While there is an unlimited amount of ammo in the game, there will be a limit for the sake of this fight. In addition Connor will not be accompanied by his in game ship crew members but by his mentor Achilles, his father Haytham, and around a dozen grenadiers along with several British Jagers. (For those of us who have not played AC3 Jagers are these really annoying German marksmen, who are able to counter most of Connor's attacks, and Grenadiers, have slow attacks but they sport lethal bouts.) Oh, and because the Jhen Mohran is terrestrial this ship will be as well, but only for the sake of the fight. (And Aquila is Latin for eagle)
The Jhen Mohran is a monster that makes its debut in Monster Hunter Tri and 3 Ultimate. Slightly less than a hundred metres long, it sports a pair of massive tusks. Otherwise its only weapon is its size and sheer brutish will. Its body is surrounded by packs of ravenous sand fish known as Delex, and these fish jump aboard ships causing some mischief, but only to the extent of what fish can do.
Achilles POV:
He was not accustomed to the dryness of the desert breeze, and the unremitting glare of the sun made matters worse for him. Achilles had grown up in the midst of a humid maritime climate and the desert was at the very least unpleasant. In addition his old age worsened the expedition for him as he was prone to coughs and his lungs were already diseased before he ventured into the sea of sand. Veering his head away from the inestimable horizon he turned instead towards his crew. He had never thought that in his life he would work with the British, and yet a major component of the crew was comprised of them. Grenadiers positioned themselves at the cannons while several jagers marched along the deck complaining amongst themselves about the heat or monotony of the voyage. Fixing his eyes to the helm Achilles recognized his pupil, Connor, and the Templar, Haytham, who was surveying the horizon with a spyglass. A shaky truce had been established between the Assassins and Templars, for both parties were affected by the invasion of a race known as Monster Hunters, and had agreed to unite against them in an effect to drive them away from earth.
They were on a campaign to attack one of the hunters' major cities, a desert town run by the mysterious Hunter's Guild, which was an organization of dainty young women and ugly goblin men. Strangely they beheld a most beguiling control over the hunters, and it was clear that defeating the guild would be enough to plunge the Monster Hunters into disarray, perhaps leading them to civil war. But Achilles knew that Haytham had other plans. Once they defeated the Guild, the Templar would likely crown himself the title of guild master, and with an army of Monster Hunters at his disposal he would make for a formidable adversary to the Assassins Creed. Staring into the cobalt blue eyes of Haytham, Achilles sighed, for he was reminded that there could never be permanent peace between their people, and as he was old he sometimes yearned for an end to all the fighting.
Jhen Mohran's POV:
There was a craft not far from him which seemed ill suited for traversing the dune sea. He was accustomed to seeing ships in his desert, and he had sunk a share of them during his lifetime, but no ship appeared as unusual as the one parallel to him at the moment. It was not composed of bone, and steel as dragon ships were, but appeared to be a wooden craft enrobed in a luxuriant coat of blue and white paint. As it was built of wood, Jhen knew that it would be frail and easy to sink, its non-military appearance meant that it was likely a merchant vessel, and if it carried food, it would be a light snack for the elder dragon. Dipping his head below the sand he altered his course and stealthily approached The Aquila.
Haytham's POV:
Haytham was just commenting on the almost perfect blue hue of the sky when he was interrupted by a sudden swerve in the ship. Staring down at the deck, he noticed that the jagers were almost tossed overboard. Had his son gone mad? Why would Connor attempt to kill all of his men, when they had agreed to work together?
"Unless"
He thought to himself…
"Those Assassins plan to sabotage the mission"
Realizing that Achilles was nowhere to be seen (In reality he went below deck for some refreshments) Haytham's fear was vindicated. His only option was to assassinate Connor before he completely ruined the mission. He had to admit it would be difficult as the days he had spent with his son seemed to rekindle a family bond between them, but ultimately his son was an assassin, and had rejected his invites into the Templar Order. Stepping behind Connor, Haytham unsheathed his hidden blades, but his motion was hindered by relent, and Connor was able to detect his attack, countering it with one hand still on the wheel.
"Are you mad?" Asked Connor, with a note of panic, and surprise,
"Are you?" Returned Haytham haphazardly brandishing his free hand,
"Look behind you" Instructed Connor,
And surely the sand behind them burst with the likeness of a trip mine being detonated, and a massive whale-like tusked beast launched itself into the air where they were moments ago. Haytham swore, partially due to a blinding spray of sand upon his face, and more so because his eagle vision did not detect the presence of the creature.
"You are getting old" Taunted Connor.
"Shut up"
With that, Haytham jumped onto the deck and asserted control of one of the Aquila's Swivel Cannons. Using eagle vision, he detected a line of weakness in one of the creature's tusks, and he fired. The shot was successful, and the tusk shattered into pieces. However the creature resumed its course without flinching. Noticing a Jager grovelling fearfully behind him, Haytham grabbed the German by the collar and demanded him to control the swivel cannon. As the Jhen approached the stern for another attack, Haytham withdrew his pistol. A school of large, colourful, finned crocodiles splashed onto the deck, and the clumsy creatures were swiftly exterminated by the Axe Wielding Grenadiers. Realizing that the creature was within range of his flint-lock, Haytham fired. The bullet made its mark between the creature's eyes and tunneled its way into the beast's forehead, leaving a bloody hole. The Jhen opened its mouth to roar but the Jager manning the swivel cannon managed to place a shot directly into the Jhen Mohran's maw, shattering its tongue into a gray pulp of pulsating sinews. The great beast bellowed with pain as it abandoned its attack and slowed down.
Connor's POV:
Seizing the moment he spun the ship around so that its gunwale would face the head of the creature. Realizing his intent the grenadiers ceased their butchering of the odd sand fish and resumed their duties at the ship's cannons.
"Wait For My Mark!" Screamed Connor,
The Jhen Mohran shook its head and regained balance. Rejuvenated with rage it approached the ship with a series of arches, jumping out of the sand and diving back down, the bizarre movement seemed to increase its overall speed.
"No Sail!"
"Full Stop," repeated a Jager, to the crew to ensure they heard Connor's command.
The creature was now perilously close to the Aquila. It was possible to count every individual tooth in its mouth, and smell the ammonia of its breath.
"Wait… Don't fire"
The grenadiers eyed Connor fearfully, their matches lighted, they waited anxiously for his mark.
The Jhen had come so close that a trained assassin could jump on it from atop the mast.
"MARK!" Yelled Connor
Jhen Mohran's POV
Although he had witnessed the force of a dragonator once in his life what he endured that moment was unprecedented. He instinctively dove below the sand just before the projectiles made their mark, but he was too slow and his back spines could not submerge in time, he imagined his back would have been cracked like an egg, for pink viscera of blood and fat dribbled down his face, and across his eyes, and the force of the impact had launched fragments of his carapace into the air, which landed before him. For a moment he did not feel any pain and his spine was completely numb, but the pain came, and it came with a vengeance. A jolt of agonizing despair rang through his body when he realized he had lost control of his left arm, and he had lost vision in his right eye. Tired, the Elder Dragon would have turned tail and run, but he knew the humans would not show sympathy to him and would not hesitate to murder him in his weakened state. Furthermore he knew that even if he managed to escape, his injuries could never heal. In a final act of bushido grade dignity, he pulled himself from the sand with what remained of his strength and limped defiantly towards the unscathed hull of the Aquila.
Achilles POV
He was in the midst of a peaceful nap when his ears were stabbed by the tumultuous blast of cannon fire. Curious, he left his chamber and made his way towards the opening that would take him above deck. Fearing intruders, Achilles packed several rope darts into his vest, and sheathed a sword which was hung above a mantelpiece on the wall. Pushing open the deck door, he realized that all sails had been taken down and every Grenadier congregated along the length of the Port. Using his trademark Assassin Shove, Achilles pushed his way to the gunwale and saw Connor, and four Jagers in the distance approaching a strange sand beast. The creature's back glistened sickly in the sunlight and half of its face was shaved off. As the creature limped towards them it leaked pink, blubbery masses on to the sand. Haytham was at the helm, and he called out to Achilles.
"Enjoyed your nap?"
Achilles replied out of curiosity. "Is everyone alright… What is that beast?"
"It's hard to say, but I bet the Monster Hunters were involved in this" Said Haytham, brushing a few grains of sand from his navy blue suit.
"Ay, tha beastie packed a punch I swear it did. But it ain't a match for us I say, what say ye, men?" Added a grenadier,
"Ay!" Answered the crew,
The Grenadier went on complimenting "the Captain's impeccable timing," and etcetera, but Achilles knew that Connor would not be able to handle the creature by himself.
"I'm going to help him," spoke Achilles stately,
"Alright" replied Haytham, "Carry on"
But Achilles Davenport did not move, instead he fixed a stern stare on Haytham's face.
"What?" Asked Haytham with a hint of annoyance,
"He's your son"
"So?" inquired Haytham, "He practically volunteered for this"
"So you should help"
Haytham rolled his eyes. Loading his pistol, he stared blankly at the Jhen Mohran.
Connor's POV:
He could not help but sympathise with the creature, and admire its defiance, but the beast had its eyes set to destroy them, and the only way to daunt its attack would be to kill it. A Jager walked up to the side of Connor and stirred up a conversation.
"That creature has got nerves trying to sink us, and why would it? We had not attacked it, let only threaten it,"
"What do you think?" Quizzed Connor,
"Why I think it ought to die," spat the Jager, "We should rip off its hide and make it wear it... inside out!"
Connor paused for a moment, and replied, "It did what it had to,"
And so Connor left a puzzled jager in his tracks and sprinted towards the beast. The other Jagers also ran towards the Jhen.
Haytham's POV:
Haytham would much rather watch the battle unfold from the comfort of the deck, but the old man, Achilles, had insisted him to help his son. As the duo walked towards the creature with eight grenadiers tailing them Haytham started talking to Achilles.
"When I was his age my father left me to settle my own scraps,"
Achilles paused allowing him to finish, realizing he had no more to say, Achilles replied.
"Maybe that's why you veered off the path"
Walking off, Achilles could have sworn he saw a tear trickle down the cheek of the Templar.
Connor's POV:
The Creature's rough scales and abundance of horny protrusions made it easy to climb. Although he was the first to reach the beast's spinal shelf (or what remained of it) the Jagers were quick to follow. Making his way to the head of the beast he noticed the distinct green crystals of Sulfur Oxide growing on a part of the creature's back. From what Achilles had taught him about chemistry, the crystals were highly flammable and would explode to the slightest disturbance. Knowing that, Connor fastened a trip mine to the crystalline growths and proceeded towards the creature's head. Realizing that the Jagers would be incapable of detecting the trip mine Connor warned them to stay away from the green crystals. The jagers abided. (Oh right and in this story the trip mines explode overtime by themselves, even though their name implies they must be tripped to detonate.)
Although part of the creature's scalp had been removed the naked head proved to be extremely hard. (It managed to splint Connor's hangar sword as he cut down on it,) Knowing that the Sulfur Oxide crystals would detonate soon, Connor needed only to keep the beast from the ship for just a few more moments. Unsheathing his hidden blades he pierced the one good eye of the Jhen Mohran. Stunned, the creature threw itself onto its flank, tossing the inattentive Jagers off its back. Realizing the creature's mouth was open, Connor seized the opportunity and planted his last trip mine onto its fractured tongue. Forsaking the mouth, Connor called to the Jagers making sure they could get out of the way in time. As the creature regained its senses it closed its aperture and set off the trip mine in its mouth. The relatively small explosion was magnified by the effect of the sulphur crystals on its back and the resulting detonation was an eruption of viscera and carapace, a phantasmorgic display of flying innards and glistening flesh. The Jagers and Grenadiers began to cheer, and even Connor's mouth formed a smile of relief, but the creature had other plans. Once the smoke cleared, it was evident that the Jhen Mohran… was still alive.
Achilles POV:
The sand beast's lower jaw hung by a hinge to its head, and virtually its entire hide had been blown off to reveal a revolting musculature, of gray sinews and pulsating veins. The creature's scalp had been lifted as well, and Achilles knew what must be done.
"Haytham… The head,"
Haytham's POV:
Using eagle vision Haytham detected a golden gleam on the cranium of the Jhen's head. The explosion had weakened a specific part of its skull and its cortex had become so brittle that, with a well-aimed shot, it was possible to puncture its skull and destroy the brain. Aiming his Flint Lock, Haytham took one shot at the creature's scalp, but in a final gesture of defiance, the Jhen, sensing the whizzing of the bullet with its secondary sensory organs, swerved its head just enough for the projectile to miss.
Haytham's frustration echoed through the expanse of the Great Desert. With the verse of a well-placed swear word; his voice was comparable, in magnitude, to the mating call of a Black Diablos in heat.
Achilles POV:
Noticing that Haytham had failed to finish off the beast Achilles ran towards the creature with a level of vigor and endurance that was characteristic of his younger years. Since he did not possess eagle vision the old man relied on intuition to confirm the weak spot on the head of the beast and with a perfectly executed shot which came from decades of experience, he secured a rope dart onto the head of the creature. The dart penetrated the cranium of the Jhen, gripping to its skull with the cohesion and soundness of a diamond chain. Achilles swung to the creature, on the rope component of his bladed whip, and landed directly on the left side of the creature's face. With the same skill and strength that had brought death to many a Templar, Achilles climbed on top the skull of the Jhen Mohran and thrust his sword into the skull of the great beast.
Next came, the convulsive contortions of the Jhen Mohran. As it collapsed from its own weight, its knees burst from their sockets, and it released a final unintelligible wail, which sounded more like gas escaping from the gaps between its scales. A wave of elation swept across every member of the crew. The Jagers flocked around Connor, shaking his hand; they praised his skill and asked him to teach them, the ways of the Assassin. Humbly Connor agreed and it was clear from the way they tore the badges from their suits, that the Jagers would no longer serve the British.
Patting Haytham on his shoulders, Achilles spoke softly, "It is a shame… You would have made a great assassin."
Finito,
JK,
This is my first Fanfiction. Please REVIEW! I don't care if what you say is negative or positive, any feedback would be nice. Furthermore thank you for spending so much time reading my writing, Thank you.