CHAPTER-4 Bitter News
The morning was dark and foggy today. A thunderstorm taking place, the citizens' usual cheerful mood was non-existent. The Guild Manager summoned all hunters in the area to the Great Guild Hall. The serious expression on the Guild Managers' face made everyone nervous.
"I bet it's Lao Shan-Lung again!" Mumbled a young hunter, amongst the crowd.
"What?! Are you crazy? There's no way Lao Shan could be back!" Replied an experienced hunter with a moustache.
"Silence." Ordered the Guild Manager, finally ending the small-talk.
"I have a task for a group of brave hunters." He continued.
"What is it sir?" Asked Gordon, who had pushed out of the wall of hunters.
"'Tis the Kusharudaora, it is invading the town, and its' forts, 'tis also at the brink of adult-hood according to our sources, who claim it is shedding its' metallic skin, therefore it must be slain before it can become stronger." The Guild Manager was interrupted by a loud crash, the strong wind caused this.
"What can combat this beast effectively?" Asked a veteran hunter over the heads of others.
"According to our documents, poison is effective at temporarily disabling the Kusharudaora's defensive technique, and due to the metal-like skin it has been found to be weak to weapons of the thunder element." Replied the Guild Manager, scanning the crowd.
Upon hearing the word "Poison" May's attention rose, when the Guild Manager had finished she stared down at her Poisonous Rapier.
"I wonder if this will work." She thought out aloud.
"I will help." Called out Katto, who seemed to be by a group of Felynes.
"I'm coming too." Claimed Gordon, with a smirk to Katto.
"Then so am I." Said May, who was pushing past the other hunters to the front.
"...I will too." Said a quiet, yet familiar voice... It was the weapon craftsman - Junior!
"Ah, Junior, the Guild has alot of confidence in you, please feel free to use any spare materials to improve your equipment." Said the Guild Manager, cheerfully, for just a brief moment.
"You shall travel to the town today, make haste and you should arrive there by morning." Ordered the Guild Manager, whose serious tone was back.
After a few salutes from the fellow hunters, Junior bade the rest of his group to come down to his armoury and weaponcraft shop. Gordon, May, and Katto dashed through the rain with all haste, they could waste no time, as they reached the back door to the armoury and weaponcraft shop. Upon entering the hunters looked in all directions at the materials and pieces of equipment aligned along the walls. While May was doing this, she tripped over a felyne worker, Gordon and Katto holding in their laughter.
"Oww... Nya." Cried out the felyne.
"Oof... Sorry!" Replied May, who helped the felyne back onto its' feet.
The hunters found Junior, who was with his other felyne workers.
"Ahah! There you are... Moreover the Guild has supplied us with many rare materials, so let me see your equipment." Ordered Junior, head to one side.
The hunters layed out their weapons, Gordon's Anvil Hammer, May's Poison Rapier, Katto's Rahjan Bowgun.
"Ah I see, I see, we have just the right things to upgrade these weapons into a fine master piece!" Cried Junior, who was rummaging through a few boxes, which had names according to what the items inside were, then he seized the hunters' weapons.
"Give me three hours, the upgrade should be done by then, as long as you help me." Requested Junior, who was giving a felyne worker some materials to carry.
The hunters agreed and they set to work, helping the felynes. May carried some assorted bone, Katto carried ores and bars, and Gordon sat there, examining some weapons. The three hours seemed to pass all to quickly, as if in the space of just one hour.
"Your weapons are complete." Claimed Junior, triumphantly.
"For Gordon, I call this hammer the War Stamper, it is reinforced with rare ore, it is very powerful. For May, I call this the Princess Rapier, it has a huge amount of venom and other various toxins inside, never knew you could get so much into a small sword. For Katto, I have added a Long Barrel to your Bowgun, your ammunition will travel through the air much further, with a deadlier force, the Guild has also supplied you with a large amount of ammunition." Junior continued.
"Can't wait to use it!" Bursted out May.
"I myself will use this Great Sword, it is a sharp blade, infused with the Electro Sacs of the Khezu, and the hides of a Gypceros." Exclaimed Junior, who proudly showed the blade to the group.
The hunters packed up everything that they could fit in their bag, some supplies for the journey and the fight. Power seeds, rations, vials and bottles filled with various potions, some small tablets, said to unfreeze one once it had been digested. The group of four hunters set off immediatly, they could not waste any time, for there was a town in peril. The hunters sprinted through the storm, it was somewhat risky to be travelling under these conditions, after an hour of running without rest, the hunters came across a rocky moutain, and a pass through it, this is the route they must take to get to the town, it was a local business and merchant route. The hunters took a rest in a small cave nearby which Junior had spotted, the hunters heard screaming from outside.
"Did you hear that?!" Asked May to the other hunters, turning her attention to the cave exit.
"Yes, let's go and see what it was." Replied the hunters in unison, and they dashed out, forgetting the fact they were tired.
"Help!! I'm being attacked, someone help!!" Cried out a voice.
The group got closer and discovered it was a merchant with fuzzy brown hair and a beard, on an Aptonoth, he was surrounded by a pack of Ioprey, luckily there were no Iodromes present. Katto pulled out a boomerang from his backpack and flung it towards an Ioprey, which hit it and flew back to him. The pack of Ioprey turned their attention to their new meal - the group of hunters. Junior rushed one of the Ioprey and fell the blade on the monsters back, cleaving it in half. While Junior was tugging at his Great Sword, trying to pull it out of the ground, an Ioprey dashed at him, with its' head down in some sort of speedline position. May jumped in the way and let out a flurry of graceful cuts, the Ioprey started to limp away, but fell dead in seconds, even the Ioprey could fall victim to this menacing poison.
At last, the group of Ioprey was cleared, and the hunters fell to the floor, exhausted.
"Thank you so much, fellow travellers, please rest and allow me to give you some food." Said the merchant, shakily, his Aptonoth still in a state of shock.
So the hunters fell back to the cave which was about half a mile back. When they arrived they lit up an abandoned camp fire, and the merchant started handing down well-cooked steaks, and loafs of bread. Soon enough the hunters and the merchant started exchanging stories over the fire while nibbling at the food the merchant had supplied them with.
"My father was a weapon and armour crafter too, according to my Mother, she said he died an accidental death by falling on a fire poker, so I never met him." Said Junior, in a whispery voice, with a saddened face.
"That's rough." Replied Gordon, who was the first to dare say anything.
May hugged Junior, in an attempt to comfort him, and before long, the group left the cave, the hunters and merchant exchanged gratitude and went their seperate ways. After a few hours of, so far, undisturbed walking, the hunters noticed a felyne, who seemed to be unconcious on the side of the road. May rushed up to it and prodded it. It was breathing, but was over exhausted. She didn't have time to stay by its' side, so she picked the felyne up, and continued the travelling with it in her arms. By the time morning arrived the storm had stopped, and the tired hunters came across a great gate, which took several men to open.
Upon approaching the gate, there was another small man, who was awaiting the arrival of the hunters from the other town anxiously.
"Four people headed this way sir." Claimed an archer, from his look-out.
"Ah, they're here!" Cried out the small man, who rushed out of the fort to greet the hunters.
"Greetings skilled hunters, is it you who has come to help us against the invading dragon?!" Said the small man, in a voice similar to the Guild Manager.
To Be Continued.