By the time the group got back to the nest, Little Gig had already tried waking up once. Unfortunately, finding out that a Deviljho was carrying her was too much for her to handle. She promptly passed out again, slipping out of John's arms and to the ground for the third time in an hour. He was getting better at holding her, but it was strange for him.
He laid her down in Joan and Sparks' nest and sat himself down. Their cave wasn't as big as most caves were. Even though he ducked down, he bumped his head on a low-hanging icicle, breaking it off and dropping it on Joan. The Deviljho girl was surprisingly bold when she kicked him, not showing the fear from before. Sparks, however, was still nervous about him. That was understandable though. John would be nervous too if he had to deal with a monster as big as him if he was as small as a Khezu.
Surprisingly, John wasn't so desperately hungry at the moment. It was almost like the pain had driven him to keep eating. There were times he would go days without sleeping while out on the hunt. Then he would practically fall over into his nest, only to wake up some time later, starving again. But now, he just felt like sitting down for the first time in ages. He didn't really know what to talk about because he would normally have everyone for dinner.
His ribs hurt a lot, even with the treatment the two wyverns gave him. It didn't help that he had a horn piece stuck in his body, which Joan had torn from his body. Now he had a hole in his side, covered in frozen goop, and he could still smell his own blood on Joan's breath. It was a strange thought that a Deviljho would actually help another Monster, much less another of their own kind. Elder Dragons were capable of many things. Deviljho however, weren't one of them.
Being driven by unending cycles of pain and hunger stripped them of their capabilities of reasoning. He wouldn't be surprised if his kind were once a clan like the other Elder Dragons. His kind must have ended all memory of their rule long ago after devouring their servants and anyone else who knew. Now the only legacy they had were as walking extinction events. It was a wonder that they stopped long enough to have families.
On that thought, he looked around and saw that, besides a nest and some bones, their cave was empty. "No eggs." When he realized that he had said that out loud, he looked at the pair.
Sparks had his face covered by his hood and Joan was turning a shade of pink no Deviljho has ever manage. She ran outside and rammed a large tree, dropping a pile of snow on her. John knew from their reactions that the two had never considered eggs before. One would think they might have, seeing as they were friends with a Gigginox. He remembered somewhere in the past that he once had to shake three dozen Giggi off his back. Their mother got away after her poison threatened to spoil his appetite. He never did figure out whatever happened with her.
"Better now?" John asked as the smaller Deviljho came wandering back. She nodded her head, still a bit embarrassed. She went to the Khezu's side, who started to turn red himself. It was an impressive feat, considering that he was so pale.
"W-what happened?" the Gigginox asked as she stirred in the nest.
"Hey, no passing out this time. We need to talk."
Little Gig looked up to see that it was John who spoke. She froze on the spot and before she could fall unconscious and just looked at him with a blank look on her face. When he tapped her on the forehead, he got her attention back.
Unfortunately, it also caused her to scream in fear. Joan and Sparks had to run outside as icicles began falling. One would have fallen on the Gigginox, but John was able to catch it in his mouth. His arms were not very quick or nimble as the rest of him, so he chose to use his mouth. He put it down and the white wyvern just glared at him.
"T-thanks," she mumbled. "Thank you."
"Is is true that you're a mother?" John asked.
She gave him a weird look, "I'm a Gigginox, young and healthy, and totally poisonous so don't think about eating me or you'll get such a stomach ache and Joan will have to eat you." She got up and kicked her tail out of her way of her legs, which had him raise an eyebrow. "What, did you mistake me for a man?" she stomped close to him and stamped on his foot.
John, taken aback by this sudden change, said, "Um, no, I was just wondering about you as a Gigginox. I know your kind have lots of children, that is a given. I was just wondering if you were a mother too, because...well...you look so young." Great, now he sounded like an idiot. Now there's a first. A Deviljho who thought he looked like a fool. As if they didn't look bad enough when they start drooling all over the place.
But she just blushed and turned away, "I am. I've had about four dozen babies in the past year. I know most of them won't survive, but I know that I am doing my part to help them to survive."
"Do you love them?" John asked and she came right at him, making him stumble into the wall.
"I love all my children! They're my babies!" She leaped up, climbing up his chest to meet up with his face. "Have you ever had children?"
He was going to reply, but then he realized that he never did have any kids. Any time he met with a Deviljho woman, all she would want to do was try to eat him. They failed because he was bigger and stronger than just about all his kind. But now, somehow, this tiny woman was making him nervous.
"Want some?" she asked.
John toppled over as soon as those two words registered in his head. He didn't move when he realized that she was still on him. Her face was so close to one of his eyes that he could see the shock in hers. He didn't know how or why, but she forgot that she was up in a Deviljho's face. If that wasn't a serious folly, he didn't know what was. He was glad he wasn't hungry enough to try to eat her. Of course, he would regret it in more ways than one.
"Uh, Little Gig, is that really a good idea?" Joan asked.
The Gigginox suddenly changed color when she realized that somebody was watching. Sparks had his hood down, but that didn't mean he wasn't listening. Her whole body's color faded, turning her a bright pink as she slid off.
"I wasn't being serious! I can have kids all on my own for at least another few months. I'll find myself another man and I'll be having more kids before you know it!" She was quickly turning red when she realized she just said that around Joan. The smaller Deviljho slipped on a chunk of ice and hit the floor. Now Little Gig had brought down two Deviljho with just words alone.
John pulled himself up and chuckled while Joan did the same, at least until a shadow appeared at the entrance of the cave. Everyone looked to see a Barioth standing there, wondering what the ruckus was. She quickly realized that John was around and slowly stepped back. Some snow from the tree above the cave fell and hit her back, sending her into a panic and she ran for her life. Everyone looked at each other with such surprise that they all started to laugh.
"Okay, I think it's time for me to go eat. I thought I smelled a carcass a few miles out from here." John started to leave.
Joan shocked everyone by giving him a hug goodbye, "Alright, but try not to get hurt too much. If you do, just find either Sparks or Little Gig and I'm sure they can help you heal."
"I'm sure they can. The real question is whether they will or not."
Little Gig jumped up to the ceiling so she could talk with him a little more personally, "I live in a cave just a few miles down the road. If you ever feel like it, come and visit. Just promise to eat first. I don't want to find out any of my children are missing before their time to leave the nest."
"Alright, I'll do that." He stepped down, hitting his head on another icicle as he went. He shook himself off and walked out.
Now that he was able to relax, Sparks toppled over. Joan tried to catch him, but he hit the ground when his slick skin slipped out of her grasp. She and Little Gig carried him into nest and once doing that, the two Monster women stepped out to get some food. The Giggi would be alright without their mother around. Anyone foolish enough to wander into a cave full of them would quickly lose blood to their many mouths. But Joan needed something more to eat and wondered if she could catch some fish or a Popo.
She knew the Popo didn't like most people, but that was because most people had a tendency to eat them. The Kelbi who came around were just the same way. If anyone bigger than themselves came around, their first reaction was to get the hell out of there. Joan wasn't sure just how Sparks was able to catch them so often to store away for later. It was a good thing that he didn't eat as much as she did. She really didn't need the competition.
She went out and sniffed the air. The sky was clear, so here was no
Today, it seemed another group of Hunters around. She kept herself low and followed them. They looked like they were searching for something, or someone was the more likely choice. Surprisingly, she was able to sneak up this group with more ease than usual. They seemed to lack the awareness of their surroundings that most of their kind had. But she kept her distance anyways because their weapons looked dangerous. She wasn't about to risk her neck just because she was curious.
She knew a few monsters who stuck their head out going after one Hunter, only to lose it to another waiting with an explosive. Fortunately, this group were all together. She didn't understand why they usually came in groups of four, other than that meant they had a better chance to find her food.
One of them said something and she ducked for cover. It was unfortunate that she couldn't understand their language because they sounded like they were saying something important. They kept pointing towards the mountain in the distance, as if it was important to them.
But that all changed when the carcass of a small Popo suddenly dropped among them. Everyone looked up in time to see an orange flash come down upon their heads, scattering them to the winds. As they ran, one Hunter got swiped by powerful claws and sent flying into the bushes. He was alright, but he didn't stick around.
Then this new figure roared like no monster Joan had ever heard. He had a body shape like a Barioth, but his scales were orange with blue stripes. Whoever this was, he was not one of the locals.
He looked around and saw Joan standing there before he roared again. She knew better than to stay and ran, but the strange monster charged after her. He had the blood lust that couldn't be outmatched by any Deviljho, which only put more fear into her heart and made her legs pump even harder to get away.
"Help! Someone, please, help me!" Joan cried, but it was futile. What sort of monster would help a Deviljho? But when she heard a crash, she turned to see another Deviljho attacking the monster. Unfortunately, it wasn't John. This one was a different Deviljho man, probably seeking new territory. But the orange monster didn't care and lunged, sinking his teeth into the Deviljho's leg.
The Deviljho, still bigger than this invader, slammed his foot down on the ground and created a shockwave that forced the monster to release his grip before being kicked in the head. Joan kept running because this was not something she could deal with. She was almost the size of this new monster, but she didn't have his skill or blood lust.
As she crashed through the trees, she came across one of the Hunters who had tripped and fell to the ground. So she did what any Deviljho wouldn't do, she ducked her head and snatched him up by his armored belt and ran for both their lives. Who would have thought a Deviljho would be saving a Hunter, one who would willingly take her down?
Once she got back to the cave, she dropped the man and leaped into her nest to hide. The fear had ruined her appetite and left her curled up in fear with her bone. When she peeked up to see the Hunter standing there, he was holding his weapon, a long sword, as if wanting to strike her down. She stared at him with such a shocked expression on her face that it must have shown, for he lowered it.
He was obviously confused about why she didn't simply eat him. It also helped when he heard the roar of the two monsters fighting in the distance, even from here. He looked at her, holding a bone as she hide herself. When she didn't react as he backed away, he ran back outside to find his comrades.
It didn't matter to her, she was inside her home again. And once again, she had to go without food. It bothered her greatly, especially now that she was getting pretty hungry. But the fear was enough to hold her here. It was good that there were at least some frozen Kelbi in the snow pile that she could have.
But while she was digging into it, something grabbed her tail and she screamed, flopping into the pile. She tried to hold a frozen Kelbi in a menacing fashion but that proved useless as her 'weapon' was soon gulped down.
"Joan, what are you doing in my freezer pile?"
"Sparks!" she leaped out, nearly tackling the Khezu to the ground. She was sobbing from a mix of fear and hunger. "I was so scared!"
"Wow, wow, what's got you scared?"
"Some new monster appeared and chased me! Another Deviljho appeared and they started to fight so I ran back home! And I'm so hungry!"
"Then it's good thing I caught a small Popo this time. I had a strange feeling like you would need it." He dragged the furry thing into the cave so Joan could eat. She stripped the Popo pretty quickly and was happily snacking on a frozen Kelbi's head while Sparks hugged her.
"You've been getting bigger lately."
"No I haven't. I haven't grown in a long time."
"I'm serious, you're getting bigger. Here, stand in front of me."
She did as he asked and found that she was looking at the top of his head and not into his eyes. She looked down and chuckled. For some odd reason, she was growing again. She was going to need more food soon. But what could she even hunt that would prove good enough? Things were going to get hard with those strange monsters out there.
Deep in the Molten Ridge, a harsh place where only the strongest survive, a lone Gravios woman was chewing on some of the rock that would become a part of her shell. Her Basarios triplets, a rarity for her kind, were wandering about, looking for softer stones to eat. The woman chomped down on a piece of hard stone and contentedly chewed as one of her children came to see if there was something to eat.
Her shell was thick and strong, a common sight for any Gravios of her age. Some day, her children would become just as large as she was. But first they had to prove themselves by surviving this place. Only then could they gain the right of the name of Gravios.
But even for one such as her, there were dangers. When the first roar came, she let out one of her own that sent her children into the ground and digging to another site. She looked around for the strange voice she heard, but whoever it was, they weren't making it easy to see them.
She hoped it wasn't the lord of this area, the Akantor. Their kind was ferocious and only cared about power and the will to survive. She had beaten this one back a few times i the past and will do so again.
But when he didn't show, the woman began to wonder what she could have heard. When she saw the Akantor tusk fall from the sky, the first chill in her entire life brought a shiver through her hardened body. She looked up and opened her mouth to unleash a fire beam that lit up the sky.
Unfortunately, the intruder speared through the chest before she realized her mistake that he wasn't there. The monster's horn sliced through her shell with such terrifying ease that she didn't know that she was dead until the monster tossed her to the ground.
She let out a rumbling groan with her last breath, a signal to her children to run. Although they wouldn't like it, they left the Molten Ridge, their home since the day they hatched. They had no hope of fighting off a monster who killed one of the Fire Lords.
x
Damn it! This one tasted worse than the other! This one tasted like rocks and volcano ash. But she needed the sustenance anyways. She quickly ripped into the body of her latest victim and let out a great roar that could be heard a long ways away.
She was the master of this world, not these 'Lords' as they called themselves. Though she had slept for so long, it didn't matter to her for she was awake now. She was awake and would retake her throne. It didn't matter who got in her way, for she would destroy everyone in her way.
Once she got her strength back, she would hunt the one who forced her into her slumber. She would taste blood and flesh and bone before she was to be finished.
As the ancient Yama Tsukami floated through the air, he thought he heard a voice he remembered long ago. The memory of his youth flashed through his mind, a rare thing these days. He was the oldest of his kind, an elder in many ways.
He reached down and tore up an entire tree, crunching it between his teeth. Then he floated off for his destination. He had someone he needed to see, but it would be a few days before he would reach them.
And so he made his way, only stopping to feed and build up the gasses he needed to float. Many monsters honored his approach by ensuring they were not in his way as he fed on trees and earth, or when he dipped down to drink from a lake.
By the time he reached the ancient mountain top, a place long forgotten by the Hunters, he stopped and waited as a regal woman with purest white scales approached. She held such power that at her very movement, the air crackled with energy. She was one of the oldest of her kind as well, old enough to have her scales turn white as her power grew.
She was the Great Lord, a rare title to hold. She remained far removed from the world, where only those who knew how to reach her could even make an attempt. No Hunter could hope to find her here, a most sacred place to monsters.
But even as old as she was, the Yama Tsukami remembered her when her egg was freshly laid down on the ground. He was there when she hatched and as she grew into a fine woman. She had giving birth to seven of her own, an event that rarely came. But she had lived long enough to have it come so many times.
She was so powerful that any man of her kind would be greatly honored to give her a child. If she were to but ask, they would give their body and soul over to her. But to the Yama Tsukami, she was still the young dragon he taught how to fly. There were no other monsters still alive who held such an honor of knowing her since then, for all others have died of age or by another's actions.
"Elder Yggdrasil, it is an honor to see you after all these years." Even as she spoke, the air dance with electricity. She did well not to move her lips very wide, lest she strike the ancient monster down with her power.
"I have grave news that takes precedence above all else. She has returned."
The woman's face didn't change, for she could split the sky if she did. Instead, she remained perfectly calm and serene while the clouds around her thundered suddenly. The woman knew of the one he spoke of. His memory went so far back, and yet he could remember it all. He could even remember the scent her mother had, something even she could not remember in her age.
"I knew this day would come when she left her mark on me." She traced a claw across her ribs, down a deep scar that only healed in the past three centuries. It was a wonder she had lived so long despite her wound. Or was it because she sustained such a wound and lived that she earned the right to live?
"Yes, but there seems that there is another. I have dreamed of the Lost Clan, of the return of the Lord of the Hunt."
At that, the woman flicked her tail and a lightning bolt cackled with enough force to smash into the mountain. It left the spot where it hit glassed over with its power. Even the great Elder Yggdrasil only knew of the Lord of the Hunt from his great-grandmother. As a result, they were only two of the few who knew that such a being had existed.
"She will come in a time of great darkness and will bring the return of the Lost Clan to their rightful place."
"But will it happen in our lifetimes? And how many lives will be lost needlessly before that happens?"
"Even with all I have, I do not hold that answer. All we can do is wait for such a monster to appear. But I sense another presence still exists today. One who was the cause for the Lost Clan long before the War of Hunt and Ice."
