Beta read by Phoenix Commander
August 29 Day 6: Part 1 - Not My Morning
I woke up optimistic. Then, I actually woke up. There's no need for details, but the after effects of being tackled by two Barroth yesterday wasn't the only pain I felt when I rose out of bed. Fortunately being a hunter means being used to pain. Unfortunately, I'm going to spend the next few days smelling like prey.
Anyhow, even that time of the month wouldn't break my enthusiasm for the day, or at least I kept telling myself that as I checked my gear, and did an inventory check before going out to the Ancient Forest for Tobi-Kadachi hunting.
Suffice to say, the only bit of optimism I had on this fine morning was that it was a sunny day, perfect for this evening's date, everything else looked bleak.
Considering my situation, I was impatient in getting the day's jobs done, and I rushed after the scoutflies upon entering the forest in search of tracks for the Kodachi. They led me upwards a bit to what looked like a nest area, and a dead end.
Well, visibly it was a dead end. Audibly, I heard the leaves rustling around and above me, but couldn't pinpoint an exact spot. By the time I did, I only had a second to react to the great white fox-like creature. The average monster's length was five meters from it's nose to the tip of it's viciously sparking tail as it lunged forward and left a current of electricity where I previously stood.
Its eyes locked onto mine before it leapt back into the surrounding trees, making essence harvesting a challenge. I quickly gave up on that and recalled my kinsect, at the same time I began to also try bouncing around.
All I managed were a few shallow cuts here and there, before the Kodachi eventually tackled me, and trapped me within the membranes that stretched from its forelegs to its hind legs. It was these membranes which gave it the mobility to pull off the attack. I attempted to recover from the tackle before it slammed that sparkling tail in my face, but I wasn't entirely successful.
I'm pretty sure it lunged to attack me again but Herald and some other Palicos carted me to safety, where I immediately rushed back into the fight. If I sat back one moment, I feared my body would quit on me in pain.
Upon my return to the nest of vines and roots, I managed to land a few favorable cuts to its back before the monster left for less vicious food. I used the brief opportunity to check myself over, and sharpen my glaive, before chasing down the beast. I was fortunate I did so, because upon finding the Kodachi, I discovered it had started to fight with a Great Jagras.
I decided to stand back and let the beasts have at it while I stood back and pestered the Kodachi with my Kinsect. The Jagras almost immediately left upon my intervention, leading to the Kodachi chasing me around a tree. It clearly knew better than to hit said tree like I wanted and kept circling it until I went in for a strike with my glaive.
I really am learning to hate the Tobi-Kodachi. It veered out of my path and swatted me with its tail before following through with another full body tackle. Next thing I knew, Lily was whipping up a vegetable platter for me back at camp, and after eating my fill, I was limping back out after my target again.
This time I found it fighting a Rathalos. I put on the ghillie mantle, a camouflaged cloak meant to help hide my presence, and watched as the Rathalos beat on my target. The Kodachi took a blow from the flying wyvern's venomous tail before it managed to get away.
Tracking it from that point on was easier, since it was now moving with a heavy limp, and it's forelegs begged to give out. It practically dragged itself back to its nest where the beast fell asleep unaware of my presence. The Rathalos' tail and venom clearly drained it of its energy reserves.
I had my culldrome begin pestering it immediately, and managed to harvest the three essences before I took to the air, having learned my lesson about the ground. I even managed to latch onto its static charged fur, and dig in with my knife, before tearing into the monster's tail with my glaive. It felt marvelous returning the favor from the earlier beatings it gave me.
The Tobi-Kodachi's limbs clearly were as weak as they appeared, and it collapsed from my assault, giving me an even larger opening to lunge into. The feeling was very cathartic, especially when I felt my glaive pierce the flesh of its throat filling the air with the drowning sound of its death wails.
That fucking sucked. Lily got a chuckle at my spontaneous celebratory dance over its corpse. It couldn't be helped, I was delirious from pain and stubbornness by that point.
Afterwards, she had the heart to help guide my aching body back to Astera. Once there, Dorian seemed oblivious to my state of pain, and immediately began explaining the Anjanath's route. He didn't even give Lily and I the chance to tell the chief Botanist, Henry Collin, that the coast was clear for harvesting.
Once we did tell Henry about the Kodachi's fate, he told us about a new project of his, an Ancient Tree sapling he had just recently planted. Lily and I watched as the little shrub grew, alongside his words, into a reasonably sized tree. I told him to turn around, and his squeal of excitement that he immediately denied, was worth it, alongside the promise of crops that'd grow overnight around the base of the tree.
Next stop, the smithy. It was, as usual, incredibly warm inside the smithy easing some of my soreness, but not nearly enough. Hector saw the materials I was carrying in and grinned. He immediately went to the drawing board and showed me his ideas. I apparently had enough for a Pulsar Rod, a Kodachi inspired glaive that used the fox's internal electricity producing glands to shock enemies on contact. Surprisingly, he told me the weapon could be finished within the hour. Along with making the Pulsar Rod, he said he could upgrade my neglected Kinsect, whose classification I forget, and making it a windchopper, a violet moth-like beetle that focused on severing.
I gratefully payed for that as well, before heading out to prepare for the Anjanath of course, when I saw a door off to the upper left of the smithy and started to wander as per my usual. The door led to an uneven path that looked relatively unwalked by others, and continued on to the side of the mountain everything was built into. Considering Astera's size and activity, the fact that it looked unused says something,
The path ended in a roofed deck far out of sight of the majority of Astera, but gave a view that still overlooked the port region of the base to one side. To the other, I could see the Wildspire Wastes and Great Ravine, that we intended to capture Zorah Magdaros in, stretching before me. I smiled at the sight, amazed at the beauty, and knew how I'd tell Lily of my reason tonight.
Until then, I had an Anjanath to slaughter. I groaned at the fact I'd be in even more pain before the day was out. Considering I write these before going to sleep, I'll simply note that yes, I am so sore most of my body has gone numb.
Day 6: Part 2 - Swatting an Anjanath
Considering previous encounters with the Anjanath, plus Dorian's lecture, tracking the beast was easily accomplished. Distracting it upon finding it though was a bit more challenging. I gathered what I could for slinger ammo and made it up as I went.
The bipedal, fire breathing, purple monster of pure leg and jaw muscle was occupied with making sure it's prey, a Great Jagras, was dead by thrashing the corpse around between its jaws and slamming the Jagras off the ground. Nearby were some rocks trapped in vines, and hanging precariously above the five meter tall beast. How they got there probably has something to do with the Ancient Tree and debris from monsters fighting up above over the ages.
I had only managed to find two torch pods. I used the first to lure my prey under the natural trap. The second followed up by disrupting the vines, spilling their dangerous load on top of the Anjanath.
Somewhere during that success, I was detected, most likely by scent if I had to guess, and the Great Jagras corpse was sent my way. It was easy to get clear out of the way, but it told me to prepare for an angry brute wyvern.
The beast's roar was deafening, and left me vulnerable enough for it to charge at me. It might have been my first successful dodge on a follow-up attack since getting to the New World, but if not, I'll take it. In the time it took the Anjanath to turn around, which was very minimal, almost three seconds give or take, I somehow managed to gather the three essences and take to the air.
I quickly propelled myself sideways to avoid its next charge, then came from behind twirling my glaive, focusing my efforts on its tail. The Anjanath let out another roar to ground me before it turned to glare at my offense.
I take pride in how I handled what followed. The Anjanath rushed again and once more I dodged, before taking to the air. Shortly after my ascent, I latched onto its back and used my glaive to propel myself to the tail. I dug in with my knife and began to hack away, bracing myself repeatedly because of how determined the Anjanath was.
Eventually I gave up on using the small blade and began to cleave into hide with my Pulsar Rod. Sparks lept from its tip as it dug in, and the Anjanath recoiled from the shock. I then proceeded to hack away even harder now that I was on my own two feet. By the time the monster got back onto its two feet, I had dealt some serious damage to the tail. I could see several deep cuts, alongside chunks of hide missing from it.
The Anjanath let loose yet another roar, and fled from my assault. It made me feel great, being treated as the greater predator, and I intended to have it take that sensation to its grave.
The Anjanath took to the upper levels of the tree, strangely it was the same area of vines and roots the Tobi-Kodachi had resided in earlier. It apparently decided to use the spot to set a trap and rush me, exactly as yesterday's Barroth had in the canyon. This time I used my glaive to avoid the charge, and ended up falling down two stories of roots that took my fall for me.
The Anjanath followed, fire frothing from its mouth. I moronically leapt directly at said area, landing a satisfying hit to its nose, before the flames reached me and began to eat away at any loose cloth. I had to land and roll in the dirt for a bit to recover from the sensation, not having the current mental capacity to isolate the burning area and extinguish it.
My mind had been focused on not dying at the time, and my frantic rolling helped that goal by avoiding one of those muscular legs, which almost crushed me, as the Anjanath leapt at me again.
I retaliated with my new kinsect, the windchopper, it charged at the Anjanath's face. Hector helped by imbuing the kinsect with thunder much like my glaive, so the impact of it to the Anjanath left the great beast reeling from shock. Amused with the distraction, I sent the kinsect to hit the tail while I did the same.
Having gotten used to the unending cramps and pain by that point, I moved with my usual grace to pester the monster from above, and on one such pass, I even severed the tail outright. The natural heat of the Anjanath unfortunately cauterized the wound , but that was one less threat to deal with so I took it as a win.
Enraged, but even more fearful, the beast roared in order to buy time to escape. I quickly gathered up what I could of the severed tail and had Herald return it to camp while I continued my hunt. He fortunately left me to it, and scurried off.
I eventually found the Anjanath in the biggest mess I'd ever seen. Kestodon, regular Jagras, and a Great Jagras were all in the area, crowding it horribly. I tried to get to my target from the air but it was always out of reach, and my blades were dulling on Kestodon hide. The Jagras and Great Jagras took my intervention as their chance to escape, and did so.
The Anjanath however was frothing fire again, and anger had by this point overridden fear. That, or I had officially cornered the beast and it was fighting on its last breaths already. The Kestodon remained a consistent obstacle in my way. The problem got so bad that the Anjanath unleashed a torrent of fire that I recall mere days ago knocked me unconscious.
Today however, I remained upright but definitely covered in flames. I lucked out on standing right beside a creek, and dove into it, successfully avoiding more serious burns, but still feeling drained from it.
I began a game of cat and mouse with my target, I would uncork a mega potion to regain my strength, and it would lunge. This happened four times before I got in a truly successful chug and could resume my assault.
The Anjanath felt the shift in roles and yet again proceeded to run off. However, this time it had a profound limp. A limp I took advantage of and got several minor cuts in on the beast's legs. I'll admit to feeling some guilt as I recap my mercilessness towards this Anjanath. It caught me at a really bad time it seems.
The beast led me to its nest, a bed of springy vines that could easily entangle massive limbs should they flail around too much and dig in. That was fine with me, same went for the regular Jagras that gathered to the scent of nearly dead prey. There weren't enough to willingly advance, but I'm sure if things continued as they had been, they'd join in the butchering.
The Anjanath curled itself into a ball, almost adorably so with its oddly high squeaking sound, and had fallen into a pain filled sleep. I decided to wake it by slamming my glaive into its skull. The resulting shock jolted it to it's feet too fast, and the next thing I knew, there was a giant purple beast thrashing waist deep in a tangle of vines.
I took the chance to strike when I saw the perfect opening to finish it off, and sank my glaive deep through an eye, staring down its throat as it cried its last cry.
With that over with, I began the harvesting process, forgetting the Jagras in the process, and let the adrenaline of the hunt fade from my system. With a calm mind returning to me, I could see exactly how relentless I was, and I did apologize to the Anjanath before picking off the Jagras so I could leave.
The return was soothing. Lily gave me space to calm the last vestiges of the hunt from my system, and I was able to behave like myself again by our return to Astera.
Commander Sace greeted us upon entry alongside Dorian as usual, who awaited our report on the hunt. With the all clear given, the Commander gave us an hour to freshen up for a meeting on the situation with capturing Zorah Magdaros.
An hour, and a long hot soak later, I returned in my old leather gear, since it was in the best condition after everything. Lily wore her usual Handler attire, and waited for me to join the rest. She was brimming with excitement to hear how his plans were coming along.
The answer, within a week everything would be set up and ready in the Great Ravine to await Zorah's migration. He was expected to arrive at exactly one week from sunrise. I was honestly shocked we had that much preparation time, but knew I'd be spending it getting new clothes since that Anjanath did a number to my Kulu armor.
With the meeting concluded, all that was left on the schedule for the day was my date with Lily.
Evening 6 - Date Night
Lily's grin was ear to ear as we left the planning table, and it was infectious, to the point that I returned the smile. "And what, Lily, exactly has you this excited? I highly doubt it's finally getting a meal."
She slapped me for my playful teasing, but the grin never broke. "Many, many things. For one, we are doing what would be considered unimaginable back home. We are going to capture an elder dragon!" The cheer in her voice made my smile feel more genuine, her energy for life consistently fueling my own.
"Then there's the fact I'm finally going to get to hear what brought you here. You seem so tough in the field that I can't even imagine what it could be. But most importantly to me, we're on a date!" I notice that her never faltering cheer brings even passersby smiles, and also that no one batted an eye at her saying we are dating. I mean we do already act that way, always at each other's side, understanding each other without thinking too hard on it. It could've been justified as good friends, but I guess the fact we just met makes that doubtful.
I return that infectious grin, returning my wandering lilac eyes to her own blue ones, only to see them too brimming with joy. "I'd almost expected that to be reversed considering you never quit questioning me on it. I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only one looking forward to this evening."
Her eyes take on an inquisitive squint as she stares me down, both of us not even acknowledging where we are walking. "You say that as if it's all that kept you going earlier-"
And now I'm blushing because I will not let her draw this embarrassing fact out. "It was."
Her expression is briefly of shock before returning to its usual joyful grin, only I can tell she is restraining laughter. "So, the vicious Elizabeth Heron is actually a romantic at heart-"
"And I hope you don't intend on sharing that information around, it's embarrassing." My cheeks are tomato red by the time we round the last stairway to the canteen. "Can we just get to our seats?"
Lily's grin doesn't break as she calls out for two chef's choice platters, then returns to look at me. "There's no need to feel ashamed of having a soft side you know? Look at me, soft as they come!"
She launches her arms to her side as she talks, letting me take in her face that is undeniably cute when she looks so innocent, but I snort at her words, devolving into a light chuckle. "There's no denying that, you love life with a burning passion that makes Zorah's back look like a frozen tundra."
"You got that right! Speaking of, how do you think this mad plan will work out? I have high hopes considering the Commander told the science team to take their gear with them. He clearly isn't delusional."
"Honestly, I think we have a chance. It is madness yes, but according to Hector over at the forge, we're all a bit mad for coming here in the first place. So in the end, if we can hold it off long enough to learn about it, then it'll be set free, or we salvage what we can as it breaks free. Either way we do this, we learn from it."
I'm certain my eyes have a wistful look mixed with a bit of crazy as I talk, but I am confident in this madness. Lily appears the same as she gives me an excited look.
After that, our discussions calmed down to more normal things, like hobbies and that. Apparently Lily has been learning how to cook since she got here, while I'd been focused solely on work, and maybe some dancing and drawing. But both hobbies still had an impact on my job.
Our meals eventually arrived, two steaks alongside equally large salads, and eating quickly overtook talking. The meals were dug into with our usual gusto, and vanished quick enough, giving a feeling of the date coming to a close.
That in mind, I patiently waited while everything was cleaned up, then told Lily I found something earlier I wanted to show her. Her usual curiosity took root, and I guided her through the backwoods of the forge.
The path seemed even more abandoned with the setting sun, and it made me eager to see the Wastes in the fading light.
I was not disappointed, the shadows stretched on, creating claws grasping out at the dunes and sea. I turned to Lily, and she was just as equally lost in the view. "It's just like when we first got here." She leaned over the railing beside me, giving me a good look at the wonder in her eyes.
"Yeah. It kinda is." I can't help but feel my blush returning as I gather the courage to share my thoughts. "So, ready to hear why I came here?"
Lily turned to me, meeting my uncertain eyes with her own. "Yes, I've been dying to know."
I start weaving my fingers together, my awkwardness really taking over. I refuse to lose eye contact however. "Well, as we've said before, everyone read the reports and the stories of all the new creatures roaming everywhere. When I read those, I could picture the beauty just waiting to be seen for the first time. I came here just for that, to see the unseen beauty the New World had to offer."
By the time I finished, Lily's cheeks were just as red as mine, I knew even in my embarrassed state, that my message would get across. It clearly did as she looked down and scuffled her feet mumbling, "I… don't know how to follow that up."
My confidence returned with that, and I reached out to brush Lily's cheek to get her attention, before wrapping my arm around her waist. "One way to reply would be like this." My words are soft, but my actions speak for themself as I lean in. Lily's head mirrors mine to meet me halfway for a kiss.
The kiss is slow, and tender. The two of us just learning each other as we go. I felt her melt into my arms, and grab my shoulders to pull me in more, before breaking away for air. We let ourselves then just relax into the hold, her head on my shoulder.
"That works." Her breathless, quiet words make my lips twitch in joy while she leans in more to practically snuggle into my standing form. Her head resting against my chest as she spoke. "Can you hold me like this a bit longer? The sound of your heart is just as beautiful as the view."
Now I'm breathless, the grin locked in place, and all the pains of the day long forgotten. "Gladly."
Notes: Sorry if that end is extra fluffy. I am a hopeless romantic and just had to write that. Commander added a little bow on top to make the hug even cuter. Thanks Commander. Anyhow, don't expect the beta thing to be a constant thing, I'm mostly going to want to upload as they come, but these scenes I want done right will have backup to do so.
Anyhow, expect chapter 5 within the week as it's hunts were all farming so that means interactions. I need to have other charactersshow their faces, or I'm gonna suffocate all of us in fluff. I'm trying to hold myself back lol.
That said, thoughts? Fav, follow, review, do as you do, and have a great life. Until next time!