Monster Hunter: The Dragon Corps

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Unlike the games I'm going to include more traps because I always thought it would make the hunt more like a hunt. Hope you enjoy the second chapter!

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Chapter 2

The party received transport from a travelling merchant and talked most of the way. It got much colder as you approached the mountains. The mountains were home to some powerful and deadly monsters, the strongest Garet had ever faced was probably the Tigrex.

Zell stretched his arms, his Red Wing sitting beside him "How much longer? I want to kick some ass!"

Sheila shook her head in disappointment "Zell! Show come courtesy" shouted Sheila with a demanding tone "This merchant didn't have to take us anywhere you know!"

Zell raised an eyebrow "What do ya mean courtesy!? I could get out and run faster than this! All I'm saying is that I don't want to die of old age before I get there!"

Garet looked at the two as they continued to exchange words and insults. He simply shook his head and shrugged his shoulders "There more alike than they think…" thought Garet.

He tapped the merchant on the shoulder "We'll get off here, thanks for the lift".

Garet basically pulled Zell from the cart as Sheila jumped down gracefully beside them. They walked towards the base camp. Zell was eager for the hunt while Garet and Sheila weren't. Garet knew that every monster was dangerous in their own way, the Khezu was no exception. It's ability to attack with electricity had been the downfall of many a hunter. A cold chill ran Garet's back, but it wasn't caused by the harsh wind of the mountain.

Zell looked at the trampled grass near the foot of the mountain and smiled "It's been here recently. Look at this". His voice was quiet, knowing the Khezu hunted by smell and sound.

Sheila smiled "Oh you can tell from the footprints?" she was obviously teasing him and he knew it.

Zell shrugged his shoulders "What can I say? I'm that good!" His voice had a certain level of confidence Garet knew only to well and it often led him and the others into greater danger. Garet sighed, his breathe quickly turning to steam in the cold wind. He got up and slapped Sheila on the hips before ducking below her incoming hand!

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Zell suddenly became cautious. Although he acted boisterous he knew to be careful when hunting. He stalked through the icy tunnels of the mountain. He guessed the Khezu would probably be in the larger tunnel with the wyvern nest, but he could also be on the summit. Zell hated the summit ever since the last Khezu knocked him off it.

Garet placed his hand on Zell's shoulder "Hear that?"

Sheila was the first to reply "Is that a Giadrome? I killed one not long ago!" Her voice was one of surprise, but mostly shock.

A smile crossed Zell's face as he turned to face the others. His scar seemed to light up slightly "We might as well kill the Giadrome first. Heck it might even help us lure the Khezu" said Zell "We should do it quickly if were to lay our trap".

Garet had to admire Zell's cunning. He was good at setting traps, once catching a Blangonga with only a few pieces of rope and a pitfall trap. They continued until they existed the caves. They found themselves on the summit overlooking the mountainside. Zell seemed to tense up a bit as he peered over the edge "I ain't falling this time, maybe if I say it enough times it'll come true. I ain't gonna fall, I ain't gonna fall!" thought Zell.

The group looked to the right as the Giadrome approached, at the moment oblivious to their presence. Zell placed his right hand on his Red Wing and drew it, holding the large weapon in both hands. Garet drew his Eager Clever as Sheila backed up slightly. She looked at the boys "Let's hope those rumours about the Blangonga aren't true!"

A smile crossed Zell's face. Excitement coursed through his entire body as the Giadrome ran towards them! He nodded his head to Garet who began to run in a sweeping arc towards the Giadrome. Zell held his ground as the monster jumped into the air, it's sharp claws ready to tear him to ribbons! Zell raised the edge of his Red Wing and blocked the attack! He was knocked backwards slightly but the Giadrome couldn't follow up as two arrows pierced it's hide!

Garet circled back again and readied his Eager Clever! He slashed horizontally catching the Giadrome in the back! Blood sprayed from the open wound as Zell rushed forward! With one powerful strike he split the creatures skull straight down the middle! Blood covered his face and armour as a proud expression crossed his face "We've baited the trap so now we wait".

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They waited quietly in the cold of the mountains. They all had heard the rumours of a Blangonga in the mountains and now there was a Khezu. The group had noticed the recent increase in monster activity around the mountains, heck it was happening everywhere. A few weeks back Zell and Garet were hired by a group of fishermen who couldn't fish because of an explosion of Daimyo Hermitaur that stopped them obtaining the rare golden fish from the Desert.

Then a week after they were hired again to slay several Yian Kut-Ku who had appeared in the Jungle near their village. It was obvious to see that the monsters were increasing in number, despite how actively they were hunted.

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Zell looked into the sky, nearly pissing himself in the process! A large white Blangonga appeared from out of nowhere and now stalked around the summit. The group looked at each other in disbelief. Garet walked slowly towards Zell "That's a Blangonga. Well? Are we hunting it to?"

Zell cast him a sad expression and reluctantly nodded his head "Sure why not? We'll only be asked to hunt it later anyway". Zell removed his giant sword from his back and walked towards the Blangonga. He was strong enough to hold the weapon with one hand but swinging it was a different story. Garet followed him, his Eager Clever at the ready.

The Blangonga noticed them immediately, his loud roar echoing throughout the mountain! The two boys flinched for a second and then readied themselves. Garet rolled to the right as the Blangonga charged towards them! Zell held his ground and swung his Red Wing horizontally, striking the Blangonga right in the mouth! One of it's fangs broke off and landed beside Zell. The Blangonga suddenly planted it's large hands into the ground and tore up the snow, Zell along with it!

He landed with a thud, nearly breaking his neck in the process! Sheila released an arrow, which stuck in the Blangonga's snowy hide! It turned towards her and roared as it ran towards her! Garet ran towards her and jumped at her, knocking her to safety! The Blangonga raised it's mighty hand into the sky and brought it down towards Garet!

He rolled to the side as he barely avoided it's destructive punch! The Blangonga repeated it as Garet rolled to the right and burst into a sprint! He put a fair distance between himself and the mad ape. It beat the ground with it's knuckles before bursting into a leaping jump attack! Garet thought he was done for but Zell got between the two and used his Red Wing as a shield! He was sent flying backwards by the Blangonga's sheer level of strength. Garet removed his carving knife and jumped towards the creatures face! He plunged it into it's face!

Garet struggled to hold onto the handle and was soon sent hurtling into a nearby wall by the creatures great strength! Zell had a trail of blood running down his face and back. He gripped his Red Wing tightly and raised it above his head, readying himself for a powerful vertical slash! The Blangonga pawed at it's faced, desperately trying to remove the carving knife.

Garet shook his head in an attempt to clear his vision. He glanced across and noticed his Eager Clever lying in the snow near him. He ran towards it and picked it up. Zell brought his sword down upon the Blangonga who simply jumped back! "Get back here you furry bastard!" shouted Zell!

Garet looked at the Blangonga that landed a few feet from him and gripped his Eager Clever tightly. He moved slowly towards it and released two kick slashes! Blood poured from the Blangonga's leg as it began to limp away. Sheila released another volley after another. Soon the powerful ape was reduced to a limping beast, too injured to even roar!

Zell stood above it and brought his great sword down upon it's skull! It seemed to struggle a second but then it fell lifeless. The proud monster was no more. Garet pulled his carving knife free and placed it in it's sheath upon his waist. Sheila walked quickly towards Zell and inspected his wound. He had several wounds upon his neck and back.

"That's what you get when you don't wear your helmet!" said Sheila "That's why you made it didn't you? Id say it provides better protection than a protection piercing!"

Zell rolled his eyes and looked at his surroundings "This is getting ridiculous. How many monsters have we slayed in the last month?"

Garet couldn't help but nod his head in agreement "You've got a point. You'd think there'd be less monsters judging by the amount of hunters out there, but in reality there numbers are increasing. They must have found new nesting grounds we know nothing about" came the reply from Garet "Think about it. How many of the mountain caverns in the Forest and Hills are there that we can't reach? Not to mention the ones in the Jungle and the Desert".

Zell placed his hand on his neck "We need to find that Khezu. There's now plenty of meat to bait the trap".

"You need rest" came the worried reply from Sheila "Let me have a look at that". Sheila inspected the wound further and soon found the cause of the bleeding. His armour had been dented and cut into his skin. She removed some bandages from her pouch, another item she considered an essential when Zell was on the hunt. She wrapped it around his neck "That'll have to do it for now".

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For the trio time seemed to stand still. They were eagerly awaiting the Khezu's arrival, Zell more than the others.

Garet looked into the sky and smiled "Guys get ready. Our Khezu has decided to join us!"

Zell readied his weapon and walked towards Garet "You ready?" said Zell as the Khezu drew ever closer.

Garet smiled at the comment "Oh yeah, no falling now!"

Zell screwed his face up at the comment "That's a low blow man! And here was me saving your ass while risking my own! That's real nice man".

The two laughed and clenched their fists. They punched each others hand gently and looked as the Khezu landed.

It was truly a disgusting blob in Garet's eyes. He couldn't stand the things and hated anything to do with them, often avoiding quests associated with them altogether! He didn't know why he hated them he just did. He'd rather fight two or three Elder Dragons than even look at a Khezu, he hated them that much. Zell on the other had didn't have much love for them either, but that simply made him want to hunt them more.

Sheila stood back slightly and began to fire arrows into the creature! It sniffed the air and soon released a powerful electric attack across the ground towards Sheila! She didn't have enough time to get out of the way and the electric engulfed her!

Anger swelled within Zell and before he knew what he was doing he was sprinting towards Sheila, his great sword trailing in the snow behind him. Garet was left facing the Khezu alone and fear began to grip him! His legs felt like jelly and his hands became sweaty. A cold sweat broke on his forehead as the creature lunged it's head forward!

Garet finally came to his senses and jumped to the side just in time! The Khezu took another sniff and turned to face Garet. He rose to his feet, snow covering his Kushala Daora armour "God I hate these things!" he thought as he gripped his Eager Clever tighter.

Zell cradled Sheila in his arms, she was unconscious but alive. Anything could happen on a hunt and he wasn't going to leave her in a place the Khezu could reach her. Although he seemed the 'ladies man' of Pokke Village he had grown to like Sheila, heck sometimes he even thought he loved her. He looked at his friend as he avoided an electrical attack.

Zell noticed a small ledge and carried Sheila towards it. He placed her gently on it, elevating her from the battlefield "I'm sorry Sheila, but I've got to help him. Please be alright".

He gripped his sword tightly and ran towards the Khezu! Garet slashed it across the underbelly as it landed. His armour was good in that it resisted wind well meaning he could stand below it without flinching. He slashed vertically creating another wound upon it's belly!

He rolled to the side as the large blob fell, trying to squash him! He was shaken by the attack and had to shake his head several times to clear his head. He looked up as the Khezu lunged it's head forward, a strange acid dripping from it's teeth! Garet's life passed before his eyes, the good times and the bad, seemed to pass by in moments. He closed his eyes ready to accept his grim fate!

"Yeah right!" shouted Zell as he stood above Garet, the edge of his Red Wing blocking the Khezu's serrated teeth! Garet looked at his childhood friend "You know I was wondering when you'd appear. How's Sheila?"

Zell was struggling to hold it back "Cheerful talk later! Unless your as blind as that Khezu I need help!" Garet lifted his Eager Clever and slashed the Khezu across the neck, it was a shallow slash and Garet knew it, but still enough to make the Khezu back away.

Zell felt the strain upon his arms and sword lessen as the Khezu backed up. The two gave each other a hesitant glance and then leapt for cover as the Khezu surrounded itself in an electric field! Zell was the first to regain his footing. His Rathalos armour was still digging into his skin but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind.

Garet got to his feet. His helmet had come loose and he threw it to the side. The two friends looked at each other as the Khezu continued to sustain it's electric field. It finally stopped and Zell wasted no time closing the distance between it and his Red Wing "DIE!" He slashed vertically, barely missing it's extendable neck!

Sheila awoke with a throbbing head and numb body. She stared at the battle from her high perch. She reached for her bow but it was lying a good ten feet away from her. She was thankful for her Kirin armour which had absorbed a great deal of the electricity, but her body was still numb. She was useless to Zell and Garet at the moment and she knew it…

The Khezu cloaked itself in electricity and jumped towards Garet! He leapt to the side, but he misjudged the distance! He was sent flying across the snow, steam rising from his limp body. Anger engulfed Zell as he ran towards his friend. He lifted him in his arms. He was still conscious but only barely "Z-Zell…finish…it".

Zell clenched his fists in anger. His vision fixed upon the white blob "You attack my friends and think I'll do nothing!?" Zell burst forward his Red Wing great sword trailing in the snow behind! The fire element imbued in the blade melted the snow as he dragged it through! The Khezu lunged it's head forward, bearing it's serrated teeth once again!

Zell sidestepped the attack and brought his large weapon down upon it's neck with enough ferocity and power to cut it clean in two! The Khezu flailed around frantically before falling dead upon the snow covered mountain, it's blood staining the snow…

He breathed heavily as he looked at Sheila who was walking towards him. A smile came to his face but it soon turned to grief as he looked upon Garet. He dropped his Red Wing and sprinted towards his friends body "Come on Garet! Don't do this to me man! Come on breath!"

He ripped the armour from his body and thumped his chest frantically "Breath!" He placed his hand on his friends, glancing at the weapon he held in his palm. Zell remembered the conversation they had when they were preparing "Yeah but your swords got a fire element. Mines lightning, not great when facing a thing that's basically made of rubber".

Zell gripped the swords handle and slashed him gently across the chest! As expected lightning was released from the blade which gave Garet a jolt! His heart started beating again, much to Zell's amazement "Ha-ha it worked!"

Zell lifted his friend and carried him down the mountain, they're hunt was over and they were returning for some much needed R and R. Sheila followed with their weapons and Garet's helmet…

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I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. Any comments or tips you can provide then please do so. I based the quest after the marathon quests in Freedom Unite because I really like the idea, although the trio didn't know that it was a marathon quest. If you have time then please leave a review, thanks for reading!