Day 14: Part 3 - Stress Relief

After finishing our breakfast, and sitting through the torturous debriefing that reaffirmed our failure, I told Lily I wanted to take on some quests to ease my own frayed nerves from this dreadful morning. She understood and mentioned a request the Go-Getters, a group of researchers who wanted more details on the monsters, had placed on the public job board. The group wanted a hunter to study a Kulu-Ya-Ku out in the Wildspire Wastes to see how it behaved compared to those in the Ancient forest.

I gratefully took the quest, hoping it would help me vent my frustration. And that is how I found myself where I am now, hunting a Rathian. I had gathered extra trapping supplies as a precaution for the quest, because I'm not the best at this sort of thing, but that plan quickly changed when I saw the tracks.

I don't know what drove me, possibly it was my frustrations from not doing good enough during the failed capture. Or possibly even the simple fact I wouldn't be getting a rematch with Nergigante anytime soon. Regardless, the sight of those Rathian tracks upon entering the Wastes set me off after the wrong monster, determined to vent my frustration.

I found the green scaled beast in the same bit of swamp and growth as the last time I saw one, and threw on my ghillie mantle in order to get in close. Once I was at a comfortable range of the winged lizard, I announced my presence with my Windchopper targeting the key points for essence extraction.

One strike to the leg, a second to the body, and the final strike landed on the creature's head, with the opening volley out of the way I obtained all the necessary essences. With my glaive now coated in its enhancements, I leapt into the air. The whole time, my originally unintended prey, had been trying to figure out what was going on, and in its confusion I began twirling my glaive from its head to its tail.

It tried to counter me with its wings and tail, hoping to get me away from it, but I was never stationary long enough to be a target. Even when I landed to catch my breath I still harried it, leaving stinging cuts and gashes along the Rathian's body.

This only goaded the winged wyvern into charging at me in anger, and give me the perfect setup to land on its back. The poor monster wasn't ready for the downward spin to its head that launched me onto it and helped to hold me there. As it tried to dislodge me, I used my glaive to viciously drag myself along its back to the base of its tail where I pulled out my knife to hack away at its thick hide.

The Rathian tried to shake me off again, flailing around desperately, but its scales and tail spines made for excellent handholds. At one point it even tried to slam me against a wall, but I had simply spun and twirled out of the way leaving a slew of long cuts in my wake.

I did eventually cut deep enough to make use of my Pulsar Rod. I slammed the bladed end into hide hard enough to throw the beast to its side with a loud crash accompanied by a spray of water and muck from the small mire. With the monster down for the moment, I regathered the essences lost over time and began to leave a flurry of cuts on the venomous tail. I'd experienced Rathian poison before and the experience is one I'd like to not revisit.

The winged beast screeched in pain as it finally managed to get back to its feet and took to the air, my hapless prey couldn't stop me from taking off with it to continue my relentless assault. As we both leapt upward, my blade clipped one of its wings and then bit deep into the tail, severing the latter from the body in the process. The damage having been done, the Rathian collapsed, knocked off balance, and began to flail about again.

I moved the focus of my attacks to the wounded creature's head, hacking away at whatever I could, knocking scales off in the process. I think by this point I had let loose the remains of my temper and stress. The Rathian sensed the shift of my emotions through the attacks I rained upon it, and roared a retreat as quickly as it could.

I began to harvest the tail in order to give my prey time to readjust before I renewed my attack. As I followed its trail, I'd found it had run out to the dunes of the Wildspires. It had made the mistake of giving me plenty of room to hunt it in.

Ignoring the lack of essences coating my glaive, I leapt forward while the monster went to charge me. With a flick of my weapon, I had unbalanced it and avoided the incoming tackle. I had also managed to reposition myself to start tearing into the poor thing's wings, shredding them even further, to keep it from running too far away from me.

The Rathian tried using the bit of tail still intact to club me with, blood splattering from the severed stump. Unfortunately for it the effort it took to get in the air gave me all the time I needed to join it there. Its wings already in a delicate state after the mauling I had given them, after only three more cuts it fell to the ground.

Looking back, I can tell I wasn't in my right mind. I had truly let loose my frustrations, the usual regret for debasing something so strong was nonexistent. I normally relish hunting and I do honestly feel some regret at killing these magnificent creatures, even if I don't always show it. Then again, the absence of my usual regret could've just been from my history with Rathians.

Anyways, I had returned to essence extracting because my prey was now incapable of escape, and harnessed the increases to my glaive's effectiveness in order to unleash a flurry upon its skull. Enough damage and trauma was dealt that it may have whimpered before it could muster a roar to retreat.

I watched as it took off for a nearby cave network, wings jerking and limping heavily on injured legs. I quickly followed and checked my supplies knowing I had my prey now.

Shock trap ready in my hands and the tranq bombs in my pocket, I entered the cave that was its nest. The poor beast was out cold from my unrelenting assault, and yet I wasn't done yet. I set the trap that held it paralyzed and vulnerable, completely susceptible to the gas of a tranquilizer bomb.

With a blast of arcing sparks and a cloud of purple tranquilizing gasses, the beast slumped unconscious to the ground where it couldn't fight any longer. I shot off a signal flare to let Astera know to send a retrieval squad for the Rathian. The team was quick to arrive, Lily had followed with them. At the sight of me standing over the trapped and beaten Rathian, my freckled handler yelled at me for forgetting my actual target, the Kulu-Ya-Ku. With an ashamed look and a resharpened glaive, I set out to actually do my job this time.


Day 14: Part 4 - Actually Doing My Job

Lily was pissed. Not even half a day after promising to be cautious, I had gone off to fight a monster that was supposedly above my rank. It didn't matter I was literally untouched, it only mattered that I did it, and in a blind unthinking fury.

Her anger was obvious as I left the group to hunt down my actual target. I could feel the cold look of disappointment sent my way as I left the caves for the swamps, it only made my guilt deepen. I still had enough materials on me for the job, just now I had lost the steam in me to fight. I wanted, no I needed, to fix this problem before it escalated. The Kulu-Ya-Ku is a simple creature, and as such I wasn't worried too much about it.

Facing Lily again when we got home, on the other hand, I was very concerned about. I'd yet to see her mad, but based on her attitude towards Helen, I doubt she forgets and forgives easily. I had to find a way to explain myself, I started wracking my brain for ideas, excuses, logical reasons, anything I could say to her when we were alone in order to keep her from possibly thrashing me like an Anjanath. As I stumbled through the muck and mire, I spotted the bipedal wingless bird wyvern. It was scurrying around in search of something to eat, damned things were always looking for food.

I had my kinsect initiate combat while I stood back to decide my actions. Last time I fought one of these, it managed to hold me off by blocking my attacks with whatever it held in it's clawed hands and jumped after me if I kept my distance. That in mind I closed the gap and attacked it while there was no rock, or other tool, to worry about yet. My glaive sunk deeper than expected, injuring one of it's taloned arms before the other end of my Pulsar Rod smashed into it's head, knocking it to the ground.

A strand of my pink hair drifted in front of my eyes, having slipped loose from my headgear while I unleashed my practiced assault of blows upon its body. That single strand reminded me of another time Rathians gave me relationship issues, except those were with my brother. Maybe I could tell Lily of that. It wouldn't fix much, but it'd show I hadn't been completely reckless.

The Kulu-Ya-Ku began to get shakily to its feet and started to try and get away, prompting me to gather the necessary essences to batter it back down. . Unfortunately for it, I had gotten what I needed and swiftly hooked my blade onto its back and yanked myself on to it.

I dug my knife into the scavenger's scalp hacking away at it until it's head was slick with blood, tiring it out further, before finally using my glaive's blunt end to topple it again with a vicious strike. I had to remind myself I wanted to capture it, not kill it.

That in mind, my next flurry upon the skull and beak were all with the blunt end of my glaive, I left the Kulu-Ya-Ku barely able to whimper in pain before it regained it's footing once more and started trying to escape.

It wasn't capable of running very fast with its head injuries though as the blood from my first volley of strikes on it's head had started to blind it. I was able to race ahead of it and drop a shock trap in its path just as it made it into the canyon. From there all that was left to do was simply drop the necessary two tranquilizer bombs when it triggered the trap, and signal for the retrieval team. The Kulu-Ya-Ku gave a pained squawk as it's foot triggered the trap, it thrashed, kicking up clouds of dust on the dry ground of the canyon path. With a sigh I dropped the tranquilizers, its thrashing ceased almost immediately. As soon as I was sure it was out cold, I loaded my launcher and fired the flare.

With the job done, I looked at Lily, completely ignoring the team of hunters and palicos that were dragging the unconscious The Kulu-Ya-Ku onto a cart and tying it down, "Can, Can we talk a bit? About what happened earlier?".She gave a stiff nod, still clearly upset and making my innards churn in panic, but I wasn't in the clear just yet. I motioned to a more secluded corner of the camp, away from the comotion of loading the unconscious Kulu-Ya-Ku. I did apologize, and let her know why I felt my frustration guided me after the Rathian instead of the Kulu-Ya-Ku.

She waved me off, a small frown still upon her lips, "When we get home, go take a cold bath, you smell like the insides of a Jyuratodus with all that mire muck on you. When you're done and I've cooled off, we'll figure something out about all this over dinner."

Those words were a light to my panicking thoughts, and I nodded before we both took off to return to Astera on separate wingdrakes.


Evening 14 - I Learn From My Mistakes

Lily seemed calmer that evening, her books and food scattered about were scattered about her as usual, whether or not it was to keep her occupied, or in a wasted effort to be productive I wouldn't be able to tell until I got closer. Something I honestly was nervous to do. She seemed up until now, to be keeping her smile which was still concealing the storm of anger I had seen earlier, and now knowing it could fade at any moment I was scared to know how much she had continued to bottle up.

But I wouldn't be able to fix anything if I didn't at least make an attempt. That fact foremost in my mind I made my way, somewhat hesitantly, toward our table at the canteen. Sitting across from her, I could see the exhaustion of the long day plain on her face. I felt it more in my still tingling skin, but I understood the weariness that graced her usually happy face loud and clear.

She looked up from the journals that occupied most of her side of the table, I could now see they went untouched in a vain attempt to ease her running mind. "You said you wanted to talk Liz, so talk." It was clipped, tired, and grouchy. Exactly what I expected, of not a bit less venomous than I'm used to for being an idiot.

"I'm sorry about losing my head and going after that Rathian. It's kind of a habit of mine to hunt off stress, always has been, and back home we had a bit of a Rathian infestation around the time I started hunting." My head was bowed as I spoke, as I rubbed the back of my neck abashedly while I attempted to explain myself. I unthinkingly went to uncoil the mantle that covered my back as I carried on. "I guess you could say it's natural I'd go after one again when frustrated with myself."

Lily's eyes widened as I talked and the Anjanath pelt fell to my sides, falling to the floor of the canteen, and I turned around. There along my back, in between my shoulder blades and down to my hips was, as a few old friends from home described it, a long twisted and knotted mountain range of a scar. I could feel it on occasion when putting on my clothes, the ridges and crevasses of tissue where it didn't heal just right, my own personal mountains and canyons in a way. One hell of a reminder of how stupid I can be sometimes too.. "Back then I was new and unaware. I managed to keep a good distance and was more watching the older hunters to learn, but once that damn wyvern saw that I was the weak point, it soared over to me faster than I could blink, and used its tail to try and kill me. I was lucky it didn't clip my spine."

I picked up my cloak and readjusted it to cover the grievous wound again, and turned back to look into Lily's tearful eyes. Just then I wanted nothing more to hold her and let her know I was fine, but I felt that I needed to finish first. "That scar isn't the only one it left on me, Lily. Just the only one I can cover up. You know as good as I that those tails are venomous. Well, a wound of that size was bound to have pumped a lethal dose into my system easily. Only reason I survived was because the others had been prepared for such an event, but the venom has a side effect that only shows itself if the body absorbs too much."

Lily's tear filled eyes widened in surprise, realizing what I was implying. "Y-You mean y-your eyes and hair?"

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat and caving in to the need to hold her to me while I finish my story, taking her by the hand I pull her into my lap, wrapping my arms around her in the process as I slowly rock her. "Yeah, the venom being so thick in my system meant my body had to start releasing it somehow. Sweat and urination only cover so much of it. The rest affected the natural pigmentation of my once blonde hair and blue eyes."

Lily lightly, almost unnoticeably giggled against my hold. "I can't imagine your short hair being blonde. The pink and lilac suit you better." I smile lightly and hold her closer to me at those sweet words, grateful to know things will be ok.

"Thanks Lily. My brother took it much worse. After all, this was my fifth hunt since our parents died, and I had returned greatly injured, and my attitude changed. He might have been too young to understand why our parents called me a freak, but that visual change cemented the concept in him." My smile fades a little at recalling all the hate my parents had for me and how Ryan had picked it up.

I realized my sad thoughts had derailed the point of my story so, while clearing my throat I redirected my thoughts. "That was ten years ago. Ten years of hunting Rathians, and the like, and being known as a Vespoid for how my glaives would sting and impair any creature. Ten years of experience that Rathian felt today firsthand, without any hope."

Lily pushed off of me, the look in her eyes hard to read, but I'm pretty sure the overriding concern was all that mattered to me. "So in other words, you were an idiot, but you didn't risk your life?"

I go to lean in a give her a peck on the nose, only to be glared at into stopping, before just nodding. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

"So long as the next time you ignore a quest, and the Commission is forewarned, I'll forgive you." Her glare remains steadfast as I try, and fail miserably, to give a puppy dog look.

I inevitably sigh in defeat, doubting I'll ever win an argument against this woman. "I guess you have a deal."

A grin breaks across Lily's face right before she leaps at me to give a quick chaste kiss on the lips and drags me back to our respective seats. "Good, now let's eat!"


Notes: And back to the normal format we go. This and the following chapter are to help transition and set up the next story arc deemed "Searching for Answers." Hope it's to everyone's liking. That in mind, courtesy of Phoenix Commander's editing, this story is going to start an actual weekly schedule to be updated each Monday or Tuesday to avoid my IPad crashing or writing skills to gather more rust. I'm always up for ideas on interactions between characters so any ideas for casual chapters please feel free to throw them my way.

As always, fav, follow, review, do as you please, but most importantly have a great life. Til next time folks!