Chapter 6 - Zugzwang:
Author's Note:
Alright, here we go again. It took a bit longer than I wanted. I thought long and hard where I wanted this chapter to start and where I wanted it to end. But I think this order is best. Enjoy!
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Zugzwang: The pressure of making a strategic move when you'd rather do nothing.
Zim trudged into Val Harbor, hollow was his soul. He headed straight for his home, hoping that it was finished. He had left enough money behind for the builders to have no reason to stay. Blast walked beside him, head bowed in solemn silence.
The Palico carried the Magala in a bag on his back. Even the Magala, who had been quite active during the battle, was completely quiet. That, or it was asleep. Zim passed the smithy without looking at the man who was waiting for a weapon to be made.
"Zim! Hey man, I haven't seen you in a few days, what happened?" Wolf said walking over to him. Blast looked up at Zim who nodded his head towards the house. The black Palico ran towards the building, not stopping for any reason.
Zim turned towards his comrade, "I was hunting."
"I had figured that," Wolf grinned, "You were gone quite a while!"
"I was hunting Zinogres at Heaven's peak," Zim said through clenched teeth, not wanting to speak of his hunt.
"Heaven's Peak, huh? That's only a day's ride from here to there, you were gone nearly a week!"
Zim glared at him, "I did not have the fares to pay for a balloon ride. I had to take a carriage, a three days ride there and another three back." Zim turned to storm away. He did not wish to speak to Wolf.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, halting his movement. Zim turned his head to look at Wolf, and noted the concerned look on the man's face. "What happened?"
"A displeasing quest to say the least," Zim ground out. Wolf, hand still on his shoulder, walked towards a table, Zim following against his will. The duo sat down and Wolf ordered two drinks. "I'm not drinking… never again."
Wolf snorted, "Whatever you say. Did you fail the quest?" The beverages arrived at the table. Wolf paid for both of them and set the spare one in front of Zim, in case he wanted it.
"No."
"What was it? The quest, I mean," Wolf said, taking a swig from his mug. Zim said nothing, but glared at the mug in front of him. "High rank?" Wolf whispered too loudly for Zim's taste.
Zim immediately glared at the man, "I thought you had too much to drink that night. You imagined that," he growled.
Wolf snorted, "Not too much to drink. I'll keep your secret if you tell me what's going on. You know that I want to be a high rank hunter one day, right? And so does Eve and Rose too."
Zim nodded, "And you're well on your way, thanks to me." He sighed and grabbed the mug, taking a slow drink. "My quests are supposed to be confidential, due to the secretive nature of my assignment… but if you must know, I was hunting Zinogres. Two of them."
Wolf grinned, happy that Zim confided in him, "Zinogres, eh? I've yet to see one, can you tell me about them?"
Zim smirked, "They are wolf-like in appearance. Massive, yellow and blue wolves with lightning surging around them." Zim leaned back on his seat, "And they carry themselves like royalty. Like they're the princes of the forest."
Wolf nodded thoughtfully, "And were they any good in combat?"
"They're surprisingly agile creatures, jumping and flipping all about, lightning ever flashing around them," Zim said, looking down once again, "But even two of them at once were no match for the mighty hunter."
"Then why aren't you celebrating?" Wolf asked, draining the rest of his drink. "Victorious men should celebrate!" he cheered, raising his mug.
"Because I only killed one of them," Zim said, not looking up. Wolf raised an eyebrow when Zim suddenly stood, refusing to make eye contact. "The other one ran herself upon my blade of her own accord because I killed her mate."
"Is that why you're upset? A monster couldn't bear to live in this world without her beloved? So we slaughter all of their mates and they kill themselves! It's a good thing that you didn't have to fight her," Wolf said, placing his mug back on the table, "Might be a bit boring, but for the better that you don't…."
He was interrupted when Zim lunged across the table and grabbed him by his chest plate. He dragged the confused man over the table and hissed in his ear, "Let me be clear. A good hunter knows his prey, and I know that the female was an exception. She was not a monster, just an innocent bystander."
Wolf collapsed to the ground, "I'm afraid that I will not be joining your hunting group again. A different band of pathetic fools needs my help, then perhaps I can get back to hunting alone," Zim growled while walking away.
Wolf struggled to his feet, hand over his heart. He's lost his mind! Wolf said to himself. He pondered telling Eve and Rose of what happened, but decided against it. Zim had done him a kindness, covering his debt for him even though he didn't deserve it. He would repay that kindness how Zim wanted it, with his silence. Though, he would tell his sister and girlfriend that they needed to find a new fourth person for their hunting group.
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Zim approached his home once again. He planned to rest for a very long time before setting out to find that other band of fools he had promised Wolf. He snorted to himself, he doubted it would be his last group of fools. He would have to be careful not to reveal himself to any of the new hunters.
He was so deep within his own mind that he missed the man standing next to his home. "Master Zim," the voice drew him out of his thoughts. I cannot catch a break, Zim sighed to himself, but turned towards the voice anyways. He was so close to the door, he could just walk in and forget that the man had ever shown up.
"Guild Chancellor," Zim greeted respectfully, bowing slightly. The guild Chancellor dealt with specific hunter assignments and special missions, such as the one Zim currently working on. The Chancellor was second only to the Guild Master, the oldest and wisest of all the hunters who made most of the guild's decisions.
"I have heard talk of your prowess, but two Zinogres at once was deemed suicide. And yet here you are, mission completed," the man said walking towards the hunter. He extended a hand, which Zim accepted in a simple, firm handshake. "We must talk, may I?" he gestured towards the door.
Zim barred his path, however. He could not allow the man to see the Magala. It was a risk he could not take. "I'm very sorry, Chancellor, but my humble abode is undergoing renovations. It would be best if we speak elsewhere."
The man nodded, "The guild hall then. Please follow." The two made their way towards the guild hall, a massive building filled with tables and bars. At the very front was a stage. Although the stage was empty, there was still remnants to the festivities of the previous night.
The Chancellor took a seat at the back. He looked around carefully and waved his hands. Several large men surrounded the table, covering the two from what was happening outside of the circle. "I was wondering where your guards were," Zim smiled.
The Chancellor took a deep breath, "They give us a sense of privacy. I had hoped to do this in your home, away from prying eyes, but this is good enough, I suppose."
"Well, I'm listening," Zim said, leaning back slightly. The armored men provided a sense of claustrophobia that Zim had never experienced. He did not feel like he was in private, rather as if he had no escape.
"We received a report from Malakai, he claimed that you nearly single-handedly slaughtered a Deviljho at Bherna. And protected the Wycademy. For that we give you thanks," the Chancellor bowed his head slightly.
"I do not need thanks. I got plenty of that the night it happened," Zim sighed. The villagers and professors at the Wycademy would not leave him alone. They made it difficult to leave.
The Chancellor let out a loud laugh, "I had heard that's how you are, but I did not believe it. A hunter who wants not praise." Zim smiled weakly. "You are in a position to garner much praise. You have ten years of experience over all these hunters here, you could easily become their idol. And yet you chose not to."
Zim sighed, "They would cast me out when they realized what I was."
"A prodigy? The youngest hunter to ever start hunting? All the more reason to praise you, I would think," the man said.
Zim shook his head, "I'm afraid not. The lower rank hunters… are arrogant, to say the least. The believe that they are the best hunters on the planet, they just need to prove themselves as such. Keep fighting, keep working up through the ranks, keep slaughtering, never stop. That's why they'll never progress."
The Chancellor nodded, "That's your observation?" Zim returned the nod. "Then is it not worth showing them in the right direction, like you're doing?"
"Perhaps, but it would be better not in secret, I believe. The hunters with real potential would flock to me and see the difference between our skills," Zim said, "Then they will learn."
"You'll find no one flocking to you that way," the Chancellor sighed, "But I think you know that. Is this your way of saying that none of these hunters have potential? Are they all really worthless?"
Zim sighed, "Not entirely worthless. In my time undercover I learned that we need these weaker, arrogant, foolish hunters. The weak ones feel the need to be strong, so they are willing to hunt. They must be arrogant, believing they are deserving of a higher rank so that they will keep hunting. And foolish so that they will fight even the most dangerous monsters without a second thought."
The Chancellor nodded, "You've matured much from the young boy who killed that Lagiacrus threatening your village."
"Was this for my sake or for theirs?" Zim asked, leaning forward, glaring at the man.
"Both, really. We figured that you would find the best with the most potential and that you would learn what an average hunter must go through to achieve even low rank. Most high rank hunters tend to forget their low rank days because their pasts are beneath their futures," the Chancellor conceded.
Zim took in a deep breath, "So what is this all about? This is about more than my mission, isn't it?"
The Chancellor nodded, "Unfortunately. The guild wants to congratulate you on your excellent job over the past few months. We want to end your mission a few months earlier than we had predicted."
"Because…"
The Chancellor's expression darkened, "A great threat is approaching Dundorma."
"So ask the G-Rank hunters for help, that's what they're for."
"Do you not think that's exactly what we've done? There are twenty-seven G-Rank hunters, but the calamity is deserving of only the top ten. Of the top ten, only three have responded," the Chancellor sighed.
"Responded? What of the other seven? I know that Malakai is busy at the moment, but surely the others…"
"Unlike high rank and low rank hunters, G-Rank hunters can pick and choose what quests they wish to go on. We cannot just order them to defend Dundorma. Number eight, six, and four all responded," the Chancellor said.
"So you come to me? A threat deserving of only the top ten hunters in the world and you come to a lowly high rank hunter masquerading as a low rank?" Zim raised an eyebrow.
"Malakai said in his report that you were as good as, if not better than him. You are an excellent hunter, Zim. We are sure that three of our best hunters can take this threat on themselves, but it's better safe than sorry."
Zim nodded, "What of the best hunter in the world? Can he not help?"
"He is… occupied at the moment. I am very sorry, but we are asking you, just to be sure."
Zim sighed deeply, "Very well. What will I be facing?" The next words out of the Chancellor's mouth instilled fear, even in him.
Fatalis
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Zim had dug deep into his item box, trying to find his strongest set. When he was still a boy, not even thirteen, he had stood against one of the strongest monsters ever recorded by the guild. The Alatreon.
The Alatreon was a peculiar beast, it was an unstable entity. On the ground it would use fire and the red lightning of the dragon element. But in the air it would switch to lightning and ice. He was forced to find an armor set that could defend against all four, and he managed to find one.
There was a particular set that resisted fire to a tremendous degree and lighting as well. It had neutral weakness to dragon, but was weak to ice and water. Zim, not caring about defending against water, managed to gem out the weakness with ice resistant gems and a talisman for ice. That set: the Agnaktor.
He remembered the grueling days in the Volcano, hunting dozens and dozens of the fire leviathan. Until finally, he had made the perfect anti-Alatreon set. Nostalgia swept through Zim as he placed the set on his body. He had made it larger as he grew, but he only ever used it once. It still fit, and still was gemmed for ice resistance.
He removed the talisman and the gems and added extra fire defense. The Fatalis, though a more frightening beast than the Alatreon, only had fire at its disposal. Comforted by the extra defense, he grabbed his weapon. A longsword curved in the shape of a cruel scythe. An Alatreon longsword, Dark Claw "Demise."
It was his strongest and rarest weapon. He cherished it so much so that he had never taken it into battle before, as to not mar the edge with blood. Because he had saved Loc Lac, the guild had allowed him to take as much as he wanted from the felled beast. Enough to make a single longsword with red lightning running down the blade.
Zim traveled quickly to Dundorma and went straight for the exit gates. There he saw the Chancellor with three other hunters, all dressed in their best G-Rank gear. One wore what Zim assumed to be a Rathalos set, another had Teostra, a monstrous fire-drake, and the third one wore a type of gunner's set he did not recognize.
"Ah, Zim. This is the hunter that will be accompanying you for your hunt," the Chancellor said. Zim bowed slightly in respect for his superiors. "Allow me to introduce Elm," he pointed towards the man in Rathalos gear, "This is Alexander," he pointed to the man in Teostra armor, "And this is Ruby," he pointed to the woman in the unknown gunner set.
"How is this kid high rank? He doesn't even look old enough to be a low rank hunter," Ruby said, glaring at Zim.
"I assure you, Zim is a high rank hunter. True, he is younger than any other hunter, but he has been hunting for ten years. He is a prodigy," the Chancellor claimed, gesturing towards Zim. Zim only nodded.
Ruby snorted, but Elm responded, "Malakai said that you were better than he was. That you didn't even need his help slaying that Deviljho, despite you not having any potions and after taking a hit that cracked your ribs."
"I can attest to what Malakai has told you. I must admit, however, this will be my first time hunting with hunters of your caliber. As I have only ever hunted with low ranks," Zim said respectfully, dipping his head slightly.
Ruby scoffed and walked towards the quest counter to post the quest. The three of them walked over to the quest board, ready to accept the posted quest. "Is that Agnaktor armor?" Alexander asked, pointing towards the red armor Zim wore.
"Aye, it is. You don't have any around here?" Zim responded, to which Alexander shook his head.
"You've never been hit by a G-Rank monster before, have you?" Elm asked, accepting the Fatalis quest Ruby posted. Zim and Alexander followed suit.
"Unless that Deviljho was G-Rank," Zim smirked, "I have never had the pleasure of fighting a G-Rank monster."
Elm chuckled slightly, "Bherna doesn't have G-Rank, much like Moga." The three of them walked towards the exit gate and prepared to leave. Zim double checked his item pouch, making sure that he had brought his best equipment. Mega-potions, demondrugs and armorskins, and items to make more.
"I hope you're good at dodging, high-rank," Ruby snarled as she set out on the quest, the other three following behind her. Zim cracked his neck. He was standing among legends, about to fight a God. He didn't have time to dote on the Zinogres. He had to be ready.
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And we'll get the Fatalis fight next chapter. This chapter is a bit shorter than the last, just because we were setting up the Fatalis fight next chapter. Will Zim be able to keep up with the G-Rank hunters? Stay tuned to find out!