Heyo! Back for more! Btdubs, if you haven't read my first story yet, then you probably don't know that I'm doing all of this just with my phone's memo and web browser. :/ Anyways, feedback is much appreciated, Besides that, not much to say here, so read on!

heyo! Future me here. SO sorry this took ages to put up. To sum up why, there was my dad going home, almost five days of no Internet, writer's block, my stupidity, and an owl city concert. Because of that, the first chapter is most likely going to be a two to three parter. ~_~" Anyways, back to the present me!

XvX

The soft jingle of keys can be heard across the halls of the apartment, the bustle of the town a dull sound through the walls. As the balding hunter entered his temporary home and put down his great sword, he let out a cough, alerting the snoozing blue Kelbi on the couch of his presence. 'Good evening master, how was your walk?' The deer-like creature said, her voice echoing in the hunter's mind, bowing down with grace only it's kind can do. With a sweet smile, the middle-aged man sat down beside her, gently ran his hand through the Kelbi's fur and projected his own thoughts towards it. 'All these years, and you still call me that? Sometimes I think you're almost royalty, Kira.' Glancing at the radio's clock, a look of concern slowly seeped into his time-worn features. 'Is something wrong master?' Kira said, sensing the change in mood. "He's getting close, Kira." The hunter said aloud, elbows on his knees. The Kelbi faced it's human companion, her eyes telling all. "He's the one that's slaying the elders, and from what I've gathered from the local monsters, I have a feeling he's heading this way, and fast." The hunter said, getting off the couch and heading for his supply box. 'So he's responsible for the loss of the little ones' parents?' Kira asked, her gaze resting on the three wyverns sleeping in a basket, each giving off a faint glow of their respective color. "And you're going to take them to a better place, just until I have that bastard thrown off the other elders' scent." The old man continued, gathering the last of the things he'll need for the task at hand. 'I can help' the Kelbi insisted, rising to it's feet and nuzzling the hunter's side. With a heavy sight, the hunter stopped his preparations and went down to the creature's level, facing her eye to eye. "I know you can, but I need you to keep three of the heirs safe. I promise I'll catch up with you in a few days." She could only stamp a hoof in protest, snorting in ignorance. 'But Hector-' "No buts." The man interupted. "I promise I'll come back. I will keep my word. "He pulled out a photo of a young man with a grey felyne beside him. "Follow this man until he reaches his home. We'll meet up then." The Kelbi nodded, sadness in her eyes. 'May the elders guide you well and true.'

The sizzle of rain within the flooded forest always distracts one from their troubles. But not today, not for Hector. "*Sigh* I'm sorry Kira, I'm sorry I had to lie to you..." he whispered as he made his way past base camp. Over the years of being a hunter, there were some monsters that were vaguely... different from the others. They're mostly sighted in unstable environments, and those foolhardy enough to fight them fail, their attacks barely touching the special monsters. Before Hector had the gift, he would have thought these were a special subspecies of their respective monsters. Now he knows that they are the elders, immortal creatures meant to keep the balance. And to prevent a terrible evil from destroying all. To think that someone is actually killing off the elders, fighting off that someone is going to be a death wish. Reaching area one, the rain began to get worse, as if the weather itself is also protecting the elders. But determined as he is, the hunter trudged on, hoping to get there in time.

By the time he reached area four, he is greeted by the pained cry of a Royal Ludroth. "Shit, no no no no..." the hunter swore as he approached the scene before him. Ludroth were scattered everywhere, slain protecting their elder. There were Royal Ludroths as well, the beasts badly wounded or dead. Save for one. The elder Royal Ludroth, bigger than the rest, its spongy mane, once large and vibrant, forming brows and a beard on the great beast's face, now torn and tattered. It's tail, once slick and powerful, is severed, tossed to the side, and a large slash covers the side of it's face. Standing between Hector and the elder was another hunter in full steel armor, with what appears to be a sheathed Tenebra longsword, his back turned away from him, slowly approaching the downed elder. Seeing all of this is, Hector readied a smoke bomb, and lobbed it between the two. As it plunked at the hunter's feet, the spherical projectile began to spin rapidly, spewing out white smoke, effectively causing a distraction. 'Go now, I'll take care of this.' He projected, hoping that for once, the elder was not as prideful as it's kind is. 'Thank you human, but this is not your fight. Stand down.' The booming voice of the elder replied, the creature roaring its pride as it readied itself to fight again. The sudden, sinister chuckle from the hunter caught the both of them off guard, as he pulled out the Tenebra longsword. Only to reveal a thin pole instead of the great blade. Taken aback by this peculiar weapon, Hector could only witness his soon to be demise, as the hunter twisted the hilt, causing the thing to hiss, and soon after the smoke began to get sucked in, along with the surrounding debris, the trees all but uprooted by the sheer power. And just as quickly as it started, everything stilled within the longsword's blade, before practically exploding, everything getting thrown away from the hunter, and in his hands, the longsword now glows, the blade a murky razor of pure elemental power. As soon as the blade formed, the hunter turned around, and said something with a slight English accent. "Looks like this isn't fair at all. Two against one? Let's even things out shall we cinder?" The reply was a shriek from above, the wind whipping around behind Hector. As he turned to see who's the hunter's "backup" he is greeted by the sight of a Quropeco, it's plumage a tainted hue, it's rubbery beak replaced with sinister chrome, it's eyes a pulsating glare, and it's body strapped up with armor. "With pleasure Void, with pleasure..." came the gravely growl of the tropical wyvern. As the hunter returned his attention to the elder, the Quropeco known as Cinder let out another deafening cry, causing Hector to make a mad dash for the hunter, paralyzing daggers in hand. Just as he was about to throw one, he was suddenly lifted up in the air, and looking up he saw Cinder clutching onto him, carrying him off to who knows where.

They took me in, the Kelbi, when I lost my father to that Diablos...

"Where do you think you're going? Your fight's with me!" Cinder bellowed, a malicious grin evident on what's left of the wyvern's beak. Struggling to break free, Hector reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash bomb, and tossed it in the wyvern's face. The thing sparked for a second, but it was enough to warn the beast, quickly avoiding the projectile's bright flash, giving Hector the opening he needs. Grabbing for his wyvern jawblade, he twisted it around so that the teeth are aimed at the wyvern's crimson chest, and heaved it overhead. The blade hit it's mark, the sword wedged tightly onto the beast's thorax, causing the wyvern cry out in pain and surprise, plummeting back to the ground. now free of Cinder's grasp, Hector quickly positioned himself on top of the wyvern's chest, the blade still lodged deep in it, and braced for impact. "That all you got?" Cinder yelled over the wind rushing around them. As the ground neared, the Quropeco flipped over, catching Hector off guard, giving him the worst of the fall.

My dad and I were going for an unstable Barroth quest, hoping to get good materials from two large monsters. The Diablos got me first, pinning me down in area four. My dad got me out, blasting a cluster shot at the thing's back. The thing started to flee after that, digging underground.

Or so we thought.

The impact left him dazed, stunned on his back, his sword tossed aside by the wyvern. "You son of a bitch..." he winced as he tried to get up. Only to get stomped back to the ground by Cinder's webbed foot. "Stay down." The wyvern growled, sublty aiming a wing at the downed hunter, ready to pound him with it's flint. Not wanting to give up yet, Hector let out a defiant yell, pulling out ten paralysis daggers from his pockets, five in each hand, and lodged them deep into the Quropeco's ankle. The sudden pain caught Cinder off guard,making him topple over, miraculously avoiding Hector. Rolling out of the way, he quickly grabbed for his great sword, and as he heaved it overhead for a massive blow to the wyvern's neck, he felt a blinding white pain pierce his back.

It was my first encounter, so I didn't know that the Diablos was gonna strike again. It all happened so fast. Something exploded behind me, my dad shouted something, I was shoved away. When I looked back, he was pinned against a boulder, the thing's right horn through him. I was... my mind... blanked out... next thing I knew... I was next to my dad, the horn still embedded deep in the rock, the vile beast gone. "Stay with me pops, stay with me! Your gonna be fine, just hang on!"

The pain of loss... it never leaves... "H-Hector..."

Just a dull gap... a weak ache... "You have the gift, Hect... *cough* *cough* ... it's in our blood..."

But they will be there... there to help you... "the gift? Wh-what gift? Just... just... "

But all is never as is "D-Don't... worry... I'll be there... always..."

Finally, the rain has stopped, the beasts littered about, a massacre really, the two hunters, one locked in the clutches of death, all of this, oblivious to the outside world. In one clean pull, the hunter deactivates his sword, the blade of energy still embedded in the older man's back. "Apparently you needed a hand, Cinder. You're getting sloppy, master will not like that..." the hunter evenly lamented, a smirk on his face as he strolled back to an elder Royal Ludroth with several fatal wounds, it's demise a hair's breadth away. "Says the human that needed "back up". " the Quropeco growled back, glaring daggers around the area, looking for any more "distractions". "Ah... the essence of the tide..." Void said taking out the vial from the extraction knife, a yellowish fog sloshing about within the tiny container, and inserting it into one of the sockets made into his vambraces. "Five down..." he smugly said to himself, getting on Cinder's back. "five more to go..."

As the hunter and accomplice leave the forest, Hector remains, breath shallow. Though down, he is as valiant as ever. With great effort, the dying man painstakingly managed to pull the blade out his chest, tossing it away, lying on his back. The distant rumble of the felyne's cart, the soothing trikle of water, a blinding light in his eyes.

A good way to die.

Not as he'd hoped, but good enough. Staring up at the heavens, he closed his eyes.

"I'm comin dad... it's my turn to be there for someone..."

As much as one would love to continue, in order to do so, we must go back, to the days before...

"Sift? Sift!"

~v~

Thats part one fer ya folks! Already started on the second part, but as you know, writer's block sucks.

IwI

heyo! Just ANOTHER edit here, the first chapter will NOT BE BUTCHERED into multiple chapters. The thing just keeps getting longer and longer I had to improvise. Sorry for my stupidity.

IwI

Anyways, let me know what you think of this, feedback is much appreciated, and as always...

No H8, Mpixl8! ^=v=^