The Dragon Corps: One-shot

This is a One-shot about Garet's failed hunt of the wolf-like creature he encountered when he finally graduated from the Training School. I played Monster Hunter Frontier so I could get a better grasp of the things move set and found that it was around the size of a bloody Blangonga! So, this one will be a smaller, much younger version of the same creature to keep it the same as my story.

There's a lot to cover in this One-shot, so it will be longer than my other chapters.

It'll take a little longer than I hoped to churn out the 2nd One-shot about Kusaka. The problem is the fear that I may reveal too much about Kusaka's past before I reveal it in the actual story, so I'm tryin' to work my way 'round that little problem. I'll definitely post it though, but I may actually wait until I've revealed his back-story in the main story, then go into it in detail during the One-shot.

Well, I've gone on enough. Enjoy!

Garet's Eagerness

Garet and Zell stood in a straight line with the rest of their fellow students. This was the day the Instructor would call those who were considered good enough to leave the Training School and enter the dangerous world of hunting. For Garet, it was a world filled with excitement and fun, with no one day being the same as the last. Zell felt the same.

Thanks to Kusaka's tutelage, the two aspiring hunters had far more experience in actual combat than two or three of the other students combined. Kusaka had a fun, but brutal regime of training. For Zell - who used Greatswords in an attempt to mimic the man who kept them from getting kicked out – he had to continually lift stones - one-handed! – So he'd be able to wield his sword effectively and string together faster combos.

For Garet, things were different. Since the blade of a Longsword was long and slender, blocking was a no-go against larger monsters like a Rathalos or Basarios. Kusaka set up a device that continually fired small stones that Garet had to dodge while striking dummies. Kusaka said it built his ability to dodge and then find openings in an opponent's pattern. Garet found it was really good for acquiring an aching headache at the end of a day and the occasional concussion. They'd been in and out of the Guild Medical rooms so much they'd practically moved in.

The Instructor stood at the front of the room, elevated from the dais he stood upon. Kusaka was off to the right, leaning against the wall, arms folded at his chest, eyes scanning the crowd intently. He looked like a wary leopard. His eyes rested on Garet for a few seconds longer and he flashed a smile before moving his gaze onward.

"You already know why I've called you all here." Began the Instructor, voice firm and loud enough to easily reach the back of the room. His head suddenly darted towards Garet and Zell, eyes like daggers. "And if a pebble strikes me, I'll personally skin the perpetrator! I'll name no names." Murmurs rose through the crowd and Zell dropped the pebble that rested in his right hand, an innocent look upon his face, arm working nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

The Instructor cleared his throat before continuing in a more normal voice that was nearly fit for conversation. "Your names will be called and you will leave through the door to your right. The ones who don't get their name called will remain where they are. Okay, let's begin. Kusaka," He said, turning to face the raven-haired young man to his immediate left. "If you would do the honours,"

Kusaka sighed, he hated anything that didn't revolve around hunting or training and would rather do something constructive with his time.

"Okay, okay." He mumbled, accepting the piece of paper with several names written on it. He counted them quickly and smiled his third honest smile since entering the room. "We have roughly twenty new hunters. First up is Nash. Go to the right."

After Nash left, he continued, his deep voice carrying easily through the room. "Next is Sheila." She walked past him on her way towards the door. "Good job," He muttered as she past, just low enough for her to hear. Sheila glided happily through the door and yelled in delight! Garet nodded, a genuine smile crossing his face. Good job, Sheila. Hope she gets stationed with Zell and me...

Names were called one after another. Zell had left three names ago, but refused to walk through the door without Garet. The man was stubborn as a mule when he wanted to be. Kusaka simply smiled and nodded, knocking down the complaints from the Instructor with a glare afterwards.

Two more names were called before Garet's name was announced. He walked towards the door and clasped his hand with Zell's. He stopped and lowered his head in acknowledgment for his mentor before continuing on to meet the others who graduated with him. Sheila hugged them both fiercely before they were even fully through the door! However, she jumped suddenly because Zell couldn't resist a "congratulation pinch", earning him a well earned slap across his scarred check. The room all laughed, even Zell who held his flushed jaw furiously.

That event was still crystal clear in his memory; after all it had only been two weeks ago. Garet was currently standing in the middle of the Guild Room in Pokke Village. Hunters brushed past him as though he were still a trainee, probably because he was still up for pulling a prank on his superiors. He actually broke the Guild Master's leg straight after their graduation party when Zell got the bright idea to try and stand on a barrel while someone rolled it downhill. That earned them more than a tongue lashing.

A small group of hunters sat near a table, all engrossed in their conversation about a "mysterious monster that was lurking about the swamp". The tallest of the four spoke, his voice said he was male. "I heard it's the size of the bloody monkey's ya find in the Mountains."

"That's not true, ya big oaf!" Replied one of the girls opposite the large man. Her black hair hung loosely at her shoulders. "I heard it looks like a Teostra minus the wings."

"What?" The third hunter nearly choked on his drink. He was a massively wide man who wore a suit of armour that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Volcanic Belt, or a mine for that matter. He looked annoyed despite the tankard that rested in his equally large right hand. "It's supposed to look like a wolf of some kind with a Mohawk running up its back."

The fourth and final member of the party sighed before adding a contribution to the conversation. "So, all in all we have a wolf the size of a Blangonga, with a Mohawk running up its back that resembles a Teostra without its wings? What have you guys been smokin'? It's obviously some merchant who's jumpin' at shadows. Remember the last time it happened?"

Garet stopped listening at that point and walked towards the Guild Master. "Hey," He muttered. "What's this thing they've found in the Swamp? Is it even real?"

The Guild Master lifted his eye from his paperwork and sighed. "Foolhardy youngster..." He murmured, just loud enough to hear. "Scouting missions are incredibly dangerous, Garet. Mainly because we know next to nothing about what you're going to be up against. This isn't a small band of Giadrome, Garet. This is serious."

"...I know, and I'm prepared for it. All I have to do is identify the creature, learn a little about how it lives and how it fights and slay it if possible, right?" Garet stated simple matter of fact. He was lucky the Guild Master was in a good mood. He didn't feel up to another round with the man in a bad temper. The guy had a temper that could make a Tigrex shy away.

"Textbook answers, eh? What would Kusaka say?"

"Probably something like, "Better than any half-assed answer that you're gonna be bluffing through."

The Guild Master rolled his eyes and sighed. "Very well, you may go. But, you must be careful! If things get to dangerous then get out of there, immediately. Don't smirk, boy! Listen to me. This won't be a walk in the park. Go quickly, but go prepared."

"Goin' after the wolf, eh?" Garet turned to see Zell standing at the door. "Wish I could go with ya. But I promised Sheila I'd go to the Farm with her today. You watch yourself, eh?" With that he was gone, walking through the doors and disappearing.

"I was born ready. This'll be a cinch. I have to be odds on favourite." Garet gave the master a two-finger salute and walked off toward the Guild Transports. Climbing into the back of a cart, he removed a flute from his item pouch and played a happy tune that was once played to honour great hunters. Maybe the tune would rub some sort of luck off on him.


Garet awoke some two to three hours later, feeling stiff from his sleep in the back of the wooden transport. "I'll be about three hours before I'm back again, kiddo. Keep your ass alive until then." With that the man was gone, speeding up the trail towards Kokoto Village. The full moon cast its pale light throughout the area. Night time was a dangerous time in the Swamp.

Garet fingered his Iron Katana nervously. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all... Then Kusaka's voice echoed in his mind. "Never second guess yourself! That leads to disaster, instead, look forward and tackle whatever life throws at you head-on!"

Garet took a deep breathe and walked away from the base camp. The Swamp was an annoying place for a hunt. It was naturally darker than any other location on Minegarde; poison lay in small pools around the place at night and monsters like Khezu's and Gypceros called the place home. God I hate those white blobs! How could anything be happy cursing the world with one of those!?

Small monsters like Kelbi and Mosswine inhabited the particular area Garet entered first. The Kelbi bounced lively while the Mosswine sniffed at the ground, trees and hedges for their favourite source of food: Special Mushrooms. A small Mosswine, no bigger that Garet's ankle, approached and began sniffing at the boot of his leather armour. He left it alone, better not to provoke one and end up provoking the entire pack. Besides, they had hard heads more times than not.

He walked off toward the caves, taking the path to his right that would take him in roughly near the ore and crystal deposits. The area outside the cave mouth was completely desolate, branches tore and the ground uprooted as though something had dug itself in and jumped out. A dead carcass lay near the poison pool a few paces from the caves mouth. The Iron Katana was in his hands before he even knew he drew it. His hair stood on end and a cold sweat ran down his back and forehead. What the hell am I doing here? I bet those hunters at the Guild were right. This thing probably is the size of a bloody Blangonga! Trust my luck, or lack thereof.

His shoulders quivered and his mouth was dry. He actually felt sick with fear. His eyes scanned the damaged area quickly. Two trees were snapped at the trunk and lay downed, creating a small bridge across one of the many poison pools that claimed more hunters that one would expect. Garet eyed the pools nervously and gulped. That doesn't look good; better stay clear of t-!

He turned suddenly and jumped to the right, a human sized wolf-like creature, fangs bared, barely missing his skull! He pivoted and turned to face the thing that nearly ended his life. A snarling, wolf with sabre-tooth fangs and a red Mohawk running down its back greeted him. It looked very similar to a Teostra minus the wings. It was no larger than an average sized Kirin though, and Garet was thankful for that. Those hunters in the Guild were pretty spot on with the description…Well, minus the Blangonga part.

The thing launched at him again and he barely had enough time to dodge, let alone counter! It was fast, quicker than any monster Garet had ever fought before. Garet recovered and attempted to put a bit of distance between himself and the fangs of the wolf, but it simply bounded over his head and landed softly in-front of him, growling – it sounded more like a grumble – loudly.

Garet cursed and sheathed his Iron Katana, opting for the carving knife instead. For this battle he'd need speed, not power. Okay, its fast and judging by the scenery, it's powerful. Those fangs don't look to inviting. He sighed and took in a deep breathe, not caring if it was poisonous or not. It's a meat eater that lives in forested areas, or caves. Okay, now on to its attacks.

Before he could even finish that trail of though, he was nearly deafened by two mighty roars! Covering his ears frantically as he turned, he stopped. Fear gripped him, his legs wouldn't move and his arms were lead. Two much larger wolves left the cave and now moved toward him in a dead run! One was brown in colour with a mixture of red while the other was white with a mixture of orange. They both had long, very sharp fangs.

Move. C'mon, body! Move damn it. MOVE! And he did. His hand gripped the Iron Katana on his back and for once adopted the style of fighting his best friend Zell preferred, instinctual. Kusaka always told him to be "One with the sword" and "It's all in the mind. Conquer fear and you're already halfway to victory." Funny enough, old man Blaze had told him something similar, only his involved feeding a flame so your mind floated in emptiness.

Garet fed all his emotions, anger, hate, fear and even happiness into a single flame he conjured in his mind. The flame roared and he dropped to his knees, slashing the white colored wolf across the underbelly as it bounded over him with a single vertical slash from his Iron Katana! Red, frothy blood poured over him, the white wolf shying away, blood dripping.

He turned and stared coldly at the other, slightly larger wolf. It must have been the leader. Its hungry eyes looked like they thirsted for his flesh. Garet's Iron Katana wanted to bathe in its blood. The two ran forward, wolf roaring, Garet yelling…

…And they crashed, sword meeting fang and the wolf fell, mouth cut badly. Garet allowed himself a moment to gather himself, and that was probably the worst mistake of his life to date. The small wolf he basically threw out of his mind bounded at him, teeth barred and growling. Its sharp fangs tore through his right shoulder, sending pain the likes of which he'd never experienced before through every fibre of his being!

Garet buckled under his own weight and dropped to his knees, vision blurring, heart racing from fear and adrenaline. He could see the blood dripping down his arm, dying the dirt of the ground red. His shoulder pulsated with pain as the blood flowed. Slowly, then faster and faster until his entire right hand side was covered in warm, red blood that seemed to flow like a river from the gaping wound on his shoulder.

He wanted to cry out, shout his defiance and stand again, but his body was limp and he could barely move from pain alone. His vision darkened. So this is it? Huh, my first hunt after graduation and this happens?

Then he fell flat on his face, breathing heavily as he turned his head a fraction to gaze upon the wolf moving toward him, blood covering the thing's maw, which strangely, lacked one of its distinctive fangs. That was embedded in his shoulder. Sorry…guys, I…tried…

He became aware of something, or someone shouting, a hulking man on the edge of his vision, brandishing something through the air. And then darkness took him…


A loud, booming voice resounded through the Guild Hall. Kusaka, instead of barging through groups of hunters, cleared tables and knocked over tankards in an attempt to reach his pupil. The blood drained from his face as Tai, a massively tall man with grey in his hair carried Garet in both arms; a bandage draped his right shoulder that was originally white but was now coloured red. Zell was already there, looking at his friend with a face contorted with pure fear and worry.

Kusaka's eyes widened as he gazed upon Garet's shoulder. "Tai, what the hell happened? What did this!?" Kusaka wasn't normally one to loose his cool, but when something befell his students, he wanted to know what. "Speak man!"

Tai handed Garet to the awaiting Guild Medics carefully before rounding on Kusaka. "I found him surrounded by three wolfs. Never seen the like before in my life, the entire area was upturned and in ruin. The things were faster than a bloody Kirin and stronger than most medium-level wyverns. I found this youngster lying face down in the dirt with the smaller wolf moving toward him. I managed to scare them off with a few barrel bombs, but the damage had already been done. I didn't even need to see the wound; the colour of the ground told me all I needed to know. The kids lucky to be alive, Kusaka and that's the story. He'll be lucky if he makes it at all. The kid lost a hell of a lot blood between here and the swamp; it'll be nothing more than miraculous if he does survive." Tai sounded worried himself as he told the tail, fists clenched in a grip that could probably crush stone, or steel.

"Thanks, Tai. Without you, he wouldn't even have a chance now. You have my gratitude. Stick around will ya? If he pulls through, I'm sure he'll wanna thank you." Tai nodded and took a seat at a nearby table.

Zell dropped his head, trying unsuccessfully to hide the tears falling down his face. Zell was never one to show much sadness, but he and Garet had been like brothers since they were born. They had done everything together whether it be hunting, acting the clown or working. "Hey, Zell, c'mon, let's get a seat, eh? All we can do is wait, and hope."

Zell whipped his head round instantly, anger covering his features. "You expect me just to sit here and wait!? I should have gone with him! This may not have happened!"

Zell was silenced by a vicious glare from Kusaka and Tai. "You think you'd have made any difference? Tai's a Guild Member, Zell and it took all he could to get them to run away!" The raven-haired Instructor moderated his tone and calmed his features. Placing both hands on Zell's shoulders, he spoke quietly. "You'd have ended up the same, maybe worse. Be thankful he came back alive and help him get through this. That's all we can do."

Zell sat down on a set, although reluctantly and began fingering the carving knife he now held in his hands, striking the steel with a whetstone, even though the blade was sharp enough to cleave through wyvern shell. Now the waiting game…

--------------------------------------------------------4 days later--------------------------------------------------------------

"Good to see your awake, Garet. How do you feel?" Kusaka loomed over him, eyes intent on his heavily bandaged shoulder and arm. "Can you move it?"

Garet flexed the muscles and immediately wished he hadn't! The wound pulsated pain in every direction. "Yeah, but damn does it hurt!"

Zell rolled his eyes and sighed. "You scared me half to death you moron! Were makin' a deal right here, right now. You ain't dyin' without me, buddy. You go, I go. I go, you go. And you ain't leavin' this room until you agree to it." He cracked his knuckles to make good his threat.

Garet couldn't help but laugh, which of course was another bad idea. "You'd threaten a sick man, eh? That's a deal, Zell. Thanks man. Kusaka, how the hell-"

"We can talk about that later. Right now, you concentrate on getting' better. Sheila's practically climbing walls with worry. Not to mention the guy who saved ya…Tai, c'mon in."

The door opened and a massively tall man entered, wearing a relieved expression upon his hard face. "Good to see you pulled through, kid. I'm Tai, the guy who saved your hide. Thank me later by joinin' me on a hunt when you're fit and able."

"I'll hold you to that, Tai. Thanks again. Kusaka, how long will I be bed bound?"

Garet's Instructor simply shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "That depends entirely on how quick you heal. I'd say a month, maybe two. It'll take a while to get the strength back in your arm; after all, it got split in two. Oh yeah, we found this embedded in the wound."

Kusaka handed him over a clean, sharp white fang that belonged to the young wolf. "…Thanks, Kusaka. Hey-"

"Excuse me?" The Guild Nurse walked into the room with a serious expression on her beautiful face. "The patient needs rest. You can come back tomorrow, if you like."

"We'll see you tomorrow Garet." Zell delivered a two-fingered salute before he left with the others. Garet settled himself into the bed again and closed his heavy eyes. Maybe it was the loose of blood 4 days previously, or maybe the realization that he wasn't in fact dead, but alive and able to hunt another day. For now, however, sleep was a good idea, and one Garet done almost immediately…


Thanks for reading! If you've got any more ideas about a One-shot you may want written, then drop me a message. Any help or comments given are greatly appreciated. Thanks again!