Written on a lark with a fellow hunter. I do not own Monster Hunter.


The blistering heat of the day gradually gave way to the freezing temperatures of the night. Guided by the desert moon, the small troupe of hunters marched across the luminous wasteland. Although the sight was beautiful, the night was infamously more hazardous than the day. Keeping this in mind all of the hunters kept their weapons close at hand.

"Where are we going?" Cassandra chattered, hugging herself.

"We're headed for Fort Eden." Responded Seid, handing her a hot drink

"Thanks…" she said blushing slightly. She gulped it down and immediately stopped shivering. The trainee smiled and flexed her warmed fingers. "Much better."

"By the way, what were you three going to do for the night after you finished your hunt?" asked Seid over his shoulder.

"Well," began Sigurd. "We were most likely going to go to a plateau that we spotted earlier and set up camp. It was entirely rock so no Cephalos would be able to take us by surprise while we slept."

The Royal and his second shared a glance. A small chuckle escaped Seid and brief smirk flitted across Dante's normally unflinching face. The trainer gave them both a confused look as Seid turned to address him.

"A pretty decent plan…except you forgot one small detail."

"Cephalos sleep on plateaus at night, hundreds at a time" said Dante. "The sun heats the rocks all day so the packs sleep on them to stay warm at night."

"Yeah," Seid agreed cheerfully. "You woulda probably been torn apart by the arriving Cephalos while you slept. A good thing we showed up, huh?"

While Seid laughed good-naturedly, Sigurd glanced down in embarrassment. As the leader of his small hunting party and as a Trainer, he should've known more about the environment that he was taking them into. It was often small details that separated success from failure, life from death. Even though he was the youngest certified Hunter Trainer in the Guild he still had a lot to learn. Sigurd stumbled as Seid smacked him on the back, still chuckling.

"Aw don't look so glum. Everyone makes mistakes. You learn something new every day, right?"

The trainer allowed himself a small smile, infected by Seid's optimism.

"What exactly is Fort Eden?" inquired Bright.

"It is the second largest fortress in Guild territory, aside from Fort Lao-Shan." Dante replied. "Fort Eden is also the base of the Desert Rose hunters, lead by Ashvelt Sandstorm and his second-in-command, Ashvelt Bloodhorn.

"We're going to see more Royals?" gasped Cassandra.

"They're probably nothing like Seid and Dante though." Sigurd said. "I've heard a lot of bad rumors about Ashvelt Sandstorm and Ashvelt Bloodhorn. Like how they torture and mutilate monsters before they kill them."

"That's horrible." whispered Bright.

"Well Vindel's not that bad once you get to know him. I mean, yeah, he's sadistic, brutal and just plain old mean, but he does have a soft spot for all the members in his group." Seid shrugged. "Outside of that he's just about as welcoming as his namesake."

"If he's a Royal and he has a group, then do you have a group as well?" asked Cassandra.

"Seid is the leader of the Dragon Fang hunters." Dante said, a hint of pride in his voice "The best hunter group on the continent."

"Yeah, I guess so." responded Seid. "But just because we've never failed a hunt doesn't mean that we're perfect. To be completely honest, everyone but Dante and our blacksmith is pitifully lazy."

"After collecting our reward we are headed for the city to reunite with our comrades." continued Dante. "Seid and I have been absent longer than previously anticipated and they're probably very worried."

"But we'll see you off first, like we promised." Seid added.

"Ummm...If you have a group then do you need new members?" hazarded Cassandra. "Could I join the Dragon Fang?"

Seid turned around and gave her an appraising stare. Not bothering to be polite or reserved, he let his eyes rove over her. After a few moments she began to fidget and blush at the intensity of his scrutiny. Eventually though he gave her a small sad smile.

"Sorry, but you're way too inexperienced to join us. Go on more hunts, pick up some skills, make a name for yourself. Then maybe when you've reached the fourth hunter rank we'll talk. As you are, a first rank hunter trainee, I can't accept you."

Cassandra deflated, disappointed at being put down so quickly. Bright's posture sagged as well, he had been wondering the same thing. An awkward pall descended on the group. Not wanting to travel under such conditions, Sigurd quickly cleared his throat.

"How much farther do we have to go?"

"Just past the oasis over there." stated Dante, pointing to a patch of vegetation.

Bringing out his binoculars, Sigurd scanned the area around the oasis. The desert plants obscured the pool itself. He could vaguely make out the glow of fire light coming from behind a large dune that towered over the oasis, forming a miniature valley. For a second, he thought he saw a flicker of movement from behind one of the tall bushes.

"We should hurry," Dante advised, picking up the pace. "Nocturnal monsters often wait for prey around oases."

"Yeah," Seid remarked. "It's usually only bottom feeders. However with the luck you guys have had so far, I don't want to take the chance of it being something really annoying."

Dismissing what he saw as a trick of the light, Sigurd jogged with the group toward the oasis. They had just reached to the foot of the large dune when the hair on the Trainers neck spiked. Swiftly he turned toward the pool, hand on Arbalest, ready to blast any ambush into oblivion. The only movement came from the plants that rustled in the breeze. Sigurd relaxed, but noticed Seid and Dante staring at him.

Dante frowned. "You felt it too?"

"Felt what?" asked Bright. "I didn't feel anything."

"Neither did I." Cassandra added.

Still keeping his eyes on Sigurd, Seid knelt and placed his palm on the sand. After a few seconds, he stood and addressed Dante.

"Fifteen...No, maybe twenty."

Without another word Dante unsheathed his sword. Taking the hint Cassandra and Bright also brought their weapons to bear. Sigurd unfolded his cannon and loaded a round of normal bullets. They maneuvered themselves in a tight circle near the oasis, ready from every angle. Seid produced a large sonic bomb from one of his pockets, but the Trainer shook his head.

"I'm sure that trick only works with the Cephadrome. We'll just have to wai-"

The Silver King casually tossed the sonic bomb at his feet. Sigurd flinched when the bomb detonated, longer and louder than any he'd ever heard. Large plumes of sand exploded around the group as several Cephalos hurled themselves skyward. They all fell at the same time showering the hunters with grit and sand as they thrashed wildly. Seid smirked at Sigurd's stunned expression before drawing his own sword.

"You have a lot to learn."

Sigurd's attention was brought back to the current situation by a rasping choke coming from his periphery. He was about to duck to the side when Bright materialized and took the impact of the sand blast on his shield. Not missing a beat, Sigurd rolled from behind the lancer and fired off a quick volley of bullets. The beast fell under the barrage but was quickly replaced by another.

Gritting his teeth, Bright took a heavy step forward, planted his feet, and thrust his lance toward the monsters pointed head. The lance went all the way through with a wet squelching sound, spraying him with dark blood. Before the trainee could remove his weapon a tail blindsided him, ripping his lance from the falling corpse and flinging him a few feet away. Sigurd went to aid his ward but was blocked by another Cephalos.

Before he could fire a shot, a small sword whipped under the beasts head. The fleshy, unscaled patch gave way to the blade as blood spilled from its throat onto the sand. The Cephalos gurgled once and fell on top of the other fallen wyverns. Cassandra flicked the blood off of her blades and offered Bright her hand. Shaking his head, the lancer took the hand and nodded toward a group of approaching fins that parted the sands. Before joining them, Sigurd cast a glance back at the remaining two hunters.

Back to back, the royal and his second were surrounded by a score of dead wyverns. Their singing blades reflected the moonlight and each stroke met its intended target with deadly accuracy. A fast approaching fin caused Dante to break away and thrust his blade halfway into the ground. With the lower half braced against his foot, he easily absorbed the impact as the Cephalos slammed into his blade, darkening the sand. Another Cephalos launched itself at him, jaws wide. Unblinking he ducked, flicked his blade up and caught it beneath the jaw, its own momentum to split it from throat to tail. The monsters intestines dropped into a steaming trail before it crashed, twitching atop the sands.

With his back undefended Seid launched into a blinding whirlwind of attacks, his offense overcoming any need for a defense. One of the monsters shrieked and fell after its leg had been completely severed before being silenced by a swift downstroke which led into an upstroke behind him, splitting the head of another. The attacks blended seamlessly together, a trail of death that was only made more unnerving by the savage grin that distorted Seid's normally serene features. A shiver crawled up Sigurd's spine. This wasn't the same man who made light of being one of the most powerful hunters in the Guild.

"Sigurd!"

The trainer focused on his trainees, who were engaging three Cephalos and quickly being surrounded by more. Sigurd focused once again and fired several rounds at the Cephalos, distracting them enough so that they could be dispatched with more ease. Just as they started to believe that they could stem the tide, an enormous horn burst from the sand between Bright and Cassandra. Both of the trainees danced back as the horn rose into a what appeared to be the hollow skull of a Monoblos.

Two large shield-like claws emerged and four long legs lifted the bulk of the skull. The large carpaceon gurgled and swiped a giant pincer, taking a meaty chunk out of the nearest wyvern and eating greedily. The Cephalos flopped helplessly onto the ground as the Daimyo Hermitaur continued to gorge on the fallen beast. Halfway through its meal the giant carpaceon noticed Bright and Cassandra who were still engaging the few Cephalos that remained. With a lurching gait, the Hermitaur stalked over to the hunters.

While preparing a volley of Cluster Shot, Sigurd caught another flicker of movement in the foliage of the oasis. Before he could react, a sharp twang followed by a whistling projectile flew from a particularly dense bush. The Cephalos nearest Cassandra suddenly squealed and fell, a single arrow protruding from its eye. Startled by the unexpected death, Cassandra failed to notice the Daimyo Hermitaur towering behind her, claw raised. Bright shouted her name as the pincer descended. The trainee ducked and covered her head with her arms, preparing for the pain.

A second passed...then another.

Cassandra opened her eyes. Above her the claw was caught at the base of the pincer by a crimson scythe, held in one hand by a hunter. The hunter cut an imposing figure encased in a large, horned heavy-looking suit of armor. An enormous crimson spike jutted from the helmet and the face guard was down. He held the scythe over his shoulder, weapon trembling with the effort of holding the jagged claw.

"You alright?" The voice was gruff and obviously masculine

Cassandra could only nod and stare. The hunter nodded in return and gripped the curved staff with his other hand. Pivoting beneath the scythe, he wedged the blade between the large fore claw and lower pincer and pushed upward. After a resounding snap the Hermitaur emitted a pained gurgle and scuttled backward toward the pool cradling its cracked claw. The hunter stood tall between the monster and Cassandra, scythe slung over his shoulder casually the blade glimmering in the moonlight.

"Its about time you got here Merquel." said a bored-sounding voice. "I thought you were going to hide by the oasis all night."

Seid strolled toward the hunter trailed by Dante and Sigurd. He sheathed his blade and crossed his arms, frowning slightly. The other hunter turned his helmed head toward the Royal.

"Me? Hide? Ha!" barked Merquel. "I broke sentry duty to save your friend, and you call me a coward? I should've just let her die if I knew you were going to be so ungrateful about it."

Bright leveled his lance at the hunter, glaring. "Don't talk about my friend like that."

Merquel looked sidelong at the trainee and snorted, batting aside the pointed tip.

"Watch what you say to a royal, first rank. You might get hurt." The scorn in his voice was palpable.

While the two hunters stared each other down, the Hermitaur recovered and a froth appeared around its mandibles. Gurgling angrily, claws raised, the carpaceon lurched toward the them.

Another arrow whizzed through the air and bounced off the Monoblos skull. The enraged crab did 180 and raise its pincers threateningly toward the dense foliage. As if in response a thin whining sound, like the wings of a Vespoid, radiated from the dense brush. The Diamyo Hermitaur hissed and lurched forward, claw snapping with anticipation. The whine doubled in volume and depth, transforming into a fierce growl. The giant carpaceon towered over the brush and lifted its cracked claw for a powerful swipe. As the claw descended the growling hit a sudden crescendo.

There was a blur of motion followed by a battle cry and the sound of grinding meat. The Daimyo Hermitaur screeched and scuttled backwards as the giant extremity landed heavily several feet away. A tall, hooded figure lept out and pressed the attack. The growling emanated from the attackers twin blades whose edges flickered in the moonlight.

Sand and blood swirled into the air as the figure sliced relentlessly into the Hermitaur, clearly avoiding any vital areas. In an increasingly futile attempt to defend itself, the Carpaceon brought its broad claw in and thrust it forward. The figure swiftly ducked into the hollow made by the missing pincer and swung in a wide arc kicking up an enormous gout of sand when the swords touched the ground. The blades bit deep into the meat between joints and easily severed the remaining claw. The cloaked warrior hopped back and was about to rush back in when Seid called out angrily.

"Enough Vindel! Finish it already you sick bastard."

"We'll I wasn't exactly expecting guests..." murmured the Royal, gesturing at Sigurd, Bright and Cassandra. "And I'm having such a good time..."

Vindel's voice was like a dagger wrapped in silk, smooth but laced with underlying menace. Another shiver crawled up Sigurd's spine, it was the voice of a killer not a hunter.

"We have finished your contract and wish to collect our reward as soon as possible." Dante stated, stepping forward.

"You will speak when spoken to, fifth rank." hissed Merquel.

Dante turned to the armored warrior and gripped his sheathed weapon in an unmistakeable threat. Merquel hefted his scythe and took a step forward, daring him to draw. Seid placed a hand on his partners shoulder and shook his head. Vindel also waved his blade dismissively, and pulled back his hood. The Royal's dark head was completely devoid of hair and his features were long and sharp. A jagged white scar ran down his face, starting at the left temple and splitting in two at the bridge of his nose where it cut horizontally down the corners of his mouth making an inverted 'y' shape.

"The Tigrex is dead then? Well I suppose that I shouldn't waste your time...or our guests."

"Ummm..." peeped Cassandra, pointing. "Where did the Hermitaur go?"

Bright and Sigurd stared at the space the giant carpaceon had previously occupied. It was as if it had just vanished. Baffled as to how such a large creature could just be gone so suddenly, trainer and trainees noticed that the other hunters looked upward. The sky was clear so Sigurd couldn't tell what they were looking at until...

A hole had seemingly opened in the center of the moon, growing with each second. However as it got larger he noticed that it wasn't a hole but the Hermitaur, who had launched itself into the air in an apparent last ditch attempt to crush them.

Sigurd heard a faint rustling from near the oasis and watched as another dark cloaked hunter stepped from the brush, wielding a longbow. The slimness of the figures features suggested femininity, as did the graceful way that she dry aimed her bow. Vindel raised his hand. The archer pulled an arrow from the large quiver strapped to her back, aimed and fired at Vindel's unspoken command.

The arrow streaked across the night sky and was lost in the darkness. A pained hiss from above however confirmed the accuracy of the shot. The Hermitaur flailed its legs and crashed violently on its shell, underside exposed. The blades roared into life once again, and Vindel flew towards the fallen creature.

With a ferocity and power that could only be born from a lifetime in the harsh desert Vindel eviscerated the prone monster, howling like a lunatic. He danced in a tornado of sand and blood stripping away the hard shell, shredding the soft underside and pulping its insides. The Hermitaur flailed violently with it's legs for a few moments but eventually lie twitching at it's sides. The entrails and viscera didn't stop flying until until most of the organs lie steaming on the sand.

Sigurd was no stranger to blood and guts but he nearly gagged at the royal's mottled form. The violence, the howling, the unrelenting cruelty. This must be the reason he was known as 'Sandstorm'.

Slowly, Vindel turned to look in their direction. His amber eyes were cold and penetrating.

"Welcome," he declared. "To my Desert."


The plot thickens. I hope you enjoyed it.