Chapter 3:

He saw it again. A hideous, evil visage staring at him out of the darkness, eyes glowing with pure malevolence. It seemed pleased somehow, and this made him turn and run away... But everywhere he looked, the grotesque face was there, mocking him. He groped feebly in the darkness surrounding him, hoping there was something there; a door, anything. It was then he noticed he had no hands; only shriveled stubs where his hands should be.

He cried out in horror.

Richard Isahn suddenly awoke up in a cold sweat, sitting bolt upright in his bed. Another bad dream… Rich tried hard not to dwell on the increasing frequency and intensity of his recurring nightmares, and after taking a few deep, relaxing breaths, lay back down.

There was no way he'd be able to get back to sleep, however. The psych had told him these dreams were a subconscious reaction to losing his memory, as similar phenomena were occurring to others who had also lost theirs, although as far as Isahn knew, he was the only one experiencing actual nightmares on a regular basis.

Ever since the Great Light reappeared, certain people had inexplicably began suffering from amnesia. To Richard's knowledge he was one of the few that hadn't had some kind of friends or family to fall back on for support, and the information on his background in the Motavian Citizen Database was woefully inadequate. Only information about his name, age, gender, and some genetic data were available. He had been told that although uncommon, it was not unknown for the Citizen Database to have incomplete or missing records. Some of the staff at the Guild offered their sympathies to Richard, for which he was grateful, but his lack of memory didn't bother him nearly as much as those damn nightmares did. Still, he occasionally wondered about where he'd come from, and if he still had any living family remaining. Since the database searches for possible relations had turned up inconclusive, Richard decided not to worry about it. With his typical positive outlook, Isahn figured he'd rediscover his own past eventually. In the meantime, the members of the Hunter's Guild had become his new family in a way, with the exception of Jake perhaps.

Richard groaned as he recalled the last few days spent with his senior "partner." After getting left behind in the club back on Termi, a very intoxicated Isahn discovered Jake back in their hotel room, in the embrace of not one but TWO women. After having various objects thrown at him in an effort to drive him away, Richard left and forgot where exactly he passed out; he only recalled waking up in an unmarked alley in lower Termi, missing all personal identification and one shoe. Although with the modern technology available it wasn't hard to get these replaced, it was inconvenient and not at all pleasant considering the titanic hangover he was experiencing at the time. By the time he had finally caught up with Jake, ready to give him a piece of his mind, Jake was already visibly upset because apparently one of the women he'd slept with that night had somehow stolen some meseta. Richard secretly decided Jake had simply paid them, and didn't want to admit it. It was a rather interesting week, Richard reflected with a chuckle, but he was certainly glad to be home.

It was night in Aiedo, the central nexus of the Hunter's Guild on Motavia, and insects buzzed while nocturnal birds chirped their subdued chorus. There was just enough of the city lights filtering through the windows to see, and Rich looked down at his hands. Instead of the bloody stumps he had seen in his dreams, ten fleshy digits greeted his gaze, and he flexed each one in turn, as if making sure they were real. What was really happening? Almost every night for the past few months he experienced some kind of nightmare unless he drank himself to sleep, and it was getting tiring. Although he believed the psych, he had a feeling there was something more to the dreams than mere subconscious substitution.

Pulling himself out of bed, he went to go find the restroom. After finishing, he turned on the light and scrutinized himself in the mirror. Shoulder length, light blue hair framed a strong but handsome face, which complemented the rest of his lean, muscular body well. Although not particularly tall, Richard wasn't short either, and for that he was thankful. Still, all things considered, for a Hunter he was depressingly average, even amongst the other recruits. Uncomfortable with this thought, Richard stared hard into the mirror, determined not to give in to any doubt. Emerald green eyes gazed back at themselves, but after seeing their confusion, Rich turned away, disgusted, and crawled back in to bed, knowing fully well his efforts were pointless.

Well, he consoled himself, you're just unsettled because of that dream. Just give yourself a few hours and you'll be back to normal again…

Dawn was rapidly approaching. The balmy glow of Algo's sunrise created a portrait of splendid abstraction across the sky, and Isahn smiled. Already, thanks to nature's beauty, he was beginning to feel better, and the sunlight was beginning to refill his spirit with determination.

He picked up his datapad to read over the next mission, but stopped, scowling, as he saw most of the details were listed as "unknown." All he could determine was the assignment was in Zema, and involved a missing Motavian girl, who had almost definately been kidnapped. Hopefully Jake had gotten more information than he had, or else this was going to be one rough assignment… Shaking his head, Rich picked up his sheathed Ceramic Sword, slipped his Motavian-made Titanium armor over his crimson Hunter's Jacket, and prepared himself for his upcoming mission. Fortunately, the Guild commanders hadn't seemed to notice or care that both Richard and Jake were dirty, unshaven, and generally disheveled after returning from their last assignment (Isahn would later find out they had come to expect nothing less from Jake), and although they hadn't discovered the exact whereabouts of the missing weapons, the information contained in the datapad Richard found was enough to fulfill the terms of the contract, and so it was considered a success nevertheless. From what he had heard, however, the Military was not satisfied in the least, although they refused to disclose the exact reasons why. A potential legal battle was brewing, but both Richard and Jake had been paid, which was enough for them. Still, Rich was still curious about the Military's stance on the matter, but Jake had informed him in hushed tones to keep his nose out of it.

Although Jake was one of the more disagreeable members of the Guild, Isahn had to admit things always seemed to work out when around him. Maybe he was good luck, or some such nonsense. Isahn smiled at this thought as he pulled his shiny new Hunter boots on. After everything was finally ready, Rich picked up his equipment bag, slung it over his shoulder, and strode out the door of his residence.

"What took you so long? Were you dreaming about me again?" Came the very irritating, reedy voice of Jake. Isahn just stared at the smirking numan silently. Like all numans, Jake had long, pointed ears that stuck almost straight up, in a somewhat horn-like fashion. His short, violet hair was messy as always, and he wore a ferro-steel breastplate over his Hunter's Jacket, which mimicked Isahn's own, and Rich uncomfortably noticed he once again had obnoxiously tight pants on. Richard had to remind himself that was the current fashion among numan men.

"Shut up, Jake," Isahn replied. Rich was still annoyed about getting left behind in the club back at Termi, and wasted no opportunity to show it.

"Hey, don't go getting all pissed off at me already. There's plenty of time for that later." Jake responded with casual disregard.

"Fine. So are you ready?"

"Sure. Might want to grab a telepipe on the way out, though."

Isahn caught up with him and they walked side-by-side, "It's too bad we can't use Ryuka. It's so much easier, from what I hear." Rich was referring, of course, to the powerful technique that allowed instantaneous transportation across a planet's surface. Because of its heavy potential for abuse, the secret of Ryuka was carefully guarded, and everyone able to use it was meticulously cataloged and monitored. The Hunter's Guild encouraged any of its members with the innate ability to learn it, however, as it greatly increased their usefulness. Richard was eager to try and see if he had been gifted with the ability to master Ryuka, as if there was anything he wanted, it was to be useful to the Guild.

"Yeah, but telepipes are a lot faster, which is handy in case Clertha shows up or something." The numan shuddered slightly.

Isahn just rolled his eyes, "well, there's no need to worry, since I have a couple extra 'pipes just in case."

Jake nodded in acknowledgement. They walked on in silence for another moment or two, and Richard caught himself yawning more than once. Damn those nightmares he'd been having! For once he'd like a full night's rest without having to rely on medication or drink.

"So, what do you think we're going to find in Zema?" Rich finally asked, hoping the numan could shed some light on their assignment, "the mission description was kind of lacking." Although he hated to admit it, he relied on Jake for a lot of the intelligence surrounding the jobs they took together, since because of his memory loss, he no longer knew much about Motavia, or anything else for that matter.

"I have no fucking idea," Jake muttered angrily, and Richard was suddenly sorry he asked. A few moments passed in awkward silence before Isahn remembered there was something he'd been wanting to ask his mentor, but was dreading his reaction. Isahn decided to just come out and inquire anyway.

"Do you really think the Great Light is punishing us?" Isahn asked, trying to sound casual.

"What? What's this? Are you actually scared?" Jake turned to appraise his partner with a smile.

"No! I just mean… you know… this thing is supposed to be our Creator. How could it turn on us like this?"

"Who knows? I've heard everything from the Church's explanation, to some crackpots saying it's really here to bring us all in to paradise or some such nonsense. The Dezolians think it just finished off Palma to rejuvenate itself, as it's supposedly converting the matter it absorbs into energy."

"That's right. I remember reading that. Well, it's good news for us if that's true. Maybe that's why it hasn't attacked Motavia yet."

"Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. I mean, the Palman asteroid belt is pretty extensive. Surely there's enough energy contained there to fully restore that thing, or whatever."

Isahn considered this. "If not, it could come after us next."

"What? No way. This isn't Dark Force. It's not going to openly attack an entire populated planet. I think those workers trying to restore Palma just ate it because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, " Jake replied with conviction.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Isahn agreed. Although something about this whole matter still bothered him, Richard was reassured by his partner's opinion. Richard wanted to believe in the Great Light, and while never being a devout worshipper (as far as he could recall), he always knew in his heart that it was a Good and Pure being… however, the actions the Great Light had taken since its return had Isahn second guessing his gut feelings, filling him with doubt regarding the Great Light's true nature. To assuage these mixed feelings, Isahn had posed similar questions to friends he'd made in the Guild, and their sentiments were similar to Jake's. Certainly, this was a good sign.

The pair were now passing through the center of Aiedo. There was a small, grassy park to the south of them dedicated to the memory of the courageous heroes that finally destroyed the Profound Darkness once and for all an entire millenia earlier. In the center was an expertly crafted statue of Alys Bragwin, the legendary "Eight-stroke warrior," although nobody ever seemed to agree on what that meant. Jake, naturally, had his own perverted ideas regarding the "stroke" portion of her title.

Nearby were figures of Chaz Ashley, the latest savior of Algo, and Rika, who fought alongside them and was later wedded to Chaz. There were statues of their other companions as well: Hahn, the physically weak but determined scholar; Gryz, the vengeful Motavian who had lost his parents to a follower of Dark Force; Kyra, an upbeat Esper that never gave up; Rune, an incarnation of the ancient Esper Lutz; and finally Raja, the Dezolian Priest whose bad jokes were the stuff of legend. Although each of these people had sacrificed and contributed in their own way to the defeat of the Profound Darkness, their statues were smaller and not as prominently placed. Isahn's gaze lingered on the statue of Rune; it made him uncomfortable for some reason.

"Damn, Rika's beautiful. You don't know how many times I've wanted to grab that statue," Jake said, eying the marble with a sly grin.

"She's been dead for almost a millennium, you realize, as well as being your ancient ancestor," Isahn reminded him.

"Yeah, we numans are all related, though, when you put it like that. But thanks to your human genes, we're not inbred."

"Too bad. It would explain a lot."

"Was that a joke? Did you just make a joke?!" Jake just giggled, staring at Rich disbelievingly, "I do believe there is hope for you yet." Richard was trying hard to pick up on the art of jovial banter (also known as talking shit), which seemed like a necessity being partnered with Jake.

Isahn nodded, smiling, and kept walking. Although Aiedo wasn't quite as busy as Termi, there was still quite a lot happening. Despite being known as the Capitol of the Hunter's Guild, Aiedo was also one of the main commercial centers on Motavia, and the Aiedo Stock Exchange was rivaled only by that of the restored Planetary Capitol of Paseo itself. Malls and assorted shopping centers of all sizes competed for space with tall, commercial office buildings, with only the massive Hunter's Guild Headquarters itself dwarfing them all. Retaining its classic domed structure, the Guild Headquarters had continued to grow and expand even back when demand for the actual Hunters themselves was at a minimum. It was determined by Aiedo's City Government that a large, powerful-looking Guild was essential for the City's continued commercial success, and everywhere people went there were constant reminders of how close Algo came to destruction, only being saved by the courageous efforts of Hunters Chaz and Rika Ashley (the latter who also became an official Hunter after the Profound Darkness was defeated), as well as Alys, who (according to the ads) nobly sacrificed herself for what she believed in. Accompanying these advertisements were all manner of merchandise whose sales would support the Hunter's Guild in its continued efforts to fight evil and keep Algo free…and put meseta in the City coffers. Although Richard respected and admired the previous saviors of Algo as much as anyone else, he was getting sick of having their accomplishments shoved in his face, especially now of all times. It also seemed a bit hollow that their trials and tribulations had been reduced to mere marketing ploys; somehow he felt they deserved better. Still, Aiedo was a prosperous city because of this, and the Guild was thriving once again. Richard couldn't help but smile whenever he saw a young child playing with a Chaz or Rika toy, and idly wondered to himself if he'd ever owned one as a child.

Recognizing them as genuine Hunters, some of the passing pedestrians waved or otherwise greeted the pair as they passed. Although Isahn always made sure to return the sentiment, Jake generally ignored them unless it was an attractive member of the opposite sex in question. On the occasion another Hunter spotted the pair, they usually just shook their head and walked off.

Soon enough, they were at the city gates. All manner of vehicles were arriving and departing, most of them simply flying over the ancient gates that were really only there out of homage to Aiedo's past; at one point they were necessary to protect the city from roving biomonsters. Although newer, high-tech devices such as city shields were now in place to protect Aiedo from any incursion the biomonsters may attempt to make, Isahn still found it reassuring that live guards were still posted as lookouts, although the position was almost entirely ceremonial.

The guards eyed them wearily, and allowed the pair to pass with a quick gesture. Although they could have opted for vehicular transport, Hunters were allowed the unique privilege of owning items such as telepipes, which were essentially charged techniques stored in a device. Now beyond the confines of the city, whose shields also prevented entry through techniques, including telepipes or other means, it was time to get to their destination. Rich dug through his bag and picked out a telepipe. He handed the oblong device to Jake, since he had remembered being to Zema before. One of the requirements for using a telepipe, or Ryuka, the technique a telepipe was derived from, was that the user had knowledge of the intended destination.

"You know, once they get that teleporter up and running again, this will be a lot easier," Jake complained. He held aloft the telepipe, and with a white flash they were gone.