Monkey Business
Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. All the characters in this story are mine, unless otherwise noted.
Edited by: Hoenn Master96 and Thomas A. Hawk
"Careful… careful… care- oh, sh- urk! Dang it, not again."
"Hold up, guys! Bram slipped again."
The archer grumbled in agitation as he worked back to his feet. It wasn't exactly easy to do so, as his entire left leg was dangling through a gap between intertwining tree branches. Sonia appeared next to him a moment later, grabbing his arm and pulling him back onto his feet. Bram just couldn't figure out how the huntress was able to keep such steady balance on such precarious footing; she looked completely unfettered as she planted her feet firmly on two different branches.
"Mercy, how are you so bad at this, string bean? Even Logan's got better footwork than you."
"The branches are still wet…"
"They're not that wet, Bram; they've been drying out all morning. And everyone else is dealing with the same thing, but you're the only one that's gotten stuck. Four times now, for that matter."
"Erm. Well, I've got a full quiver of arrows rattling around on my belt-"
"Sound like excuses to me. You know, for someone who's so good at climbing, you kind of suck at balance."
"My balance is perfectly acceptable. I simply feel most comfortable with solid earth under my feet, or at least decent stability, not wet branches-"
"Damp at best."
"...Fine, damp branches that are swaying in the wind. I can't exactly aim accurately when my foothold is undulating beneath my feet."
"Didn't we do that one mission back home where we rode that riverboat and they had you shooting Ludroth that got too aggressive with the rudder? Should I have been worried about getting shot in the back, Mr. Undulating Foothold?"
"This and that are two different things, Sonia. The deck of a ship has good stability. And you were standing behind me."
"Hmm. Violetta said Kechas make their homes in places like this. What do you plan to do if you fight a monster on top of branches like this while they're… undulating?"
"...Cry. And stop using that word."
"Wonderful. Is it too late to take up bowgunning? 'Cause I feel like I should stand behind you as long as we're hunting in this country."
"Hurry up, you two!" Tuulikki called from ahead. "We still have a couple miles to go, and I'd like to meet this Kecha before nightfall."
"Yeah, we're coming!" Sonia replied. "Want me to hold your hand, string bean?"
"I'll be fine, Sonia. Though… stick close to me."
"That's what I thought. Oh, yeah… undulate."
"I'm going to push you out of this tree."
"Haha!"
Turns out, the stormy weather hadn't let up for another couple days, leaving the hunters to spend their days watching the skies in hopes that the clouds would part. The skies remained grey and desolate as if in defiance of their desires, however, and rain continued to fall until the water of the gully was only a few scant feet below the Therian hunters' huts.
Caravan Stellazzio did their best to sell their wares, unfolding wide awnings to protect their goods, but it was a mostly futile effort. Only a few bold Lintukoto locals wanted to brave the downpour for the sake of what the troupe was selling. Bram did manage to get to Cleyra and ask about a switch axe upgrade, but was told that Seltas and Velociprey materials were not suited for switch axes: Seltas materials lacked maleability, and Velociprey materials tended to deteriorate when phial energy were sent through it. Kechas, however, did have rather compatible materials, giving the archer an even greater desire to see the rain come to a halt.
They finally managed to set out on the third day after Caravan Stellazzio returned. The earth was wet, the trees were moist with droplets of water, and the sky was still mostly overcast, with dark clouds blotting out sections of the sky like patchwork. However, flashes of warm sunlight occasionally filtered down to dry the earth, and the haze in the sky was ever so slowly fading away. It wouldn't be truly clear for another day or so, but that was enough for the hunters, and the six of them set out just after breakfast. They weren't the only ones leaving the village, either: at least half the hunters in Lintukoto set out that day, eager to get back to work.
Their party was a little large with six people, and it didn't help that traveling was a bit tricky; the earth was completely soaked from nearly a week's worth of rain, and the hunters had to watch their footwork as they worked their way across the uneven terrain. Two months of training didn't help much when slick mud covered every square inch of the forest. The muddy earth made climbing some of the slopes an act of slow and steady patience above all else.
On the bright side, the area to the northeast of Lintukoto had less drastic changes in elevation than usual. That area of the wilderness replaced the wild crags and ledges with tall hills covered in thick, sturdy trees. This would have posed no challenge to the Therian hunters; the Flooded Forest back home was much the same. However, the roots of the trees often stretched out of the dirt in large tendrils, forcing the hunters to climb over them or duck beneath them. Sometimes the roots twisted themselves between the trees so thickly and tightly that the hunters were forced to climb up the upper branches and balance their way across the intertwining canopy.
The archer sighed in relief as he dropped down from the third treetop pathway they'd needed to traverse in their search for the Kecha. They'd reached the edge of a narrow valley, circling around a small pond that had been created by the intense rain. While walking, Sonia sidled up next to Leon, eyeing him up and down a couple times. The lancer returned her gaze uncomfortably as the huntress smiled up at him.
"So… I've never asked before, but what kind of armor is that? What monster did it come from?"
"Oh… is that all? This is Gendrome armor," Leon replied, holding out his arms to show her. The set consisted mostly of brown scale mail with slight green tint, wrapping around a solid iron cuirass and plating.
"Gendrome? Is that like the Velocidrome?"
"Similar, yes. They're essentially the same except for color and the shape of their frills, and the Gendrome has long fangs with paralyzing venom."
"Ugh… that sounds nasty."
"It can be, but as long as the creature's fangs don't pierce your skin you should be fine. If you don't get a set of sturdier armor before confronting one yourself, you're going to have to show caution; the Gendrome's fangs cut through low-rank leather like butter. It doesn't spit its venom like an Iodrome does, thankfully, so speed and distance will keep you safe."
"Iodrome?"
"Yes. A red-colored variant that spits globs of poison."
"So those ones are like Wroggis? How many of these things are there? Are you going to tell me there's one that spits sleep mucus like Baggis too?"
"Sleep mucus? That sounds agitating. No, there's just the three. I've heard that Schrade has another kind called a Giadrome, but I don't know anything about it other than its name."
"Hmm… Well, what about you, Vi? What's a Pink Rathian like?" Sonia asked eagerly, looking up and down the horn wielder's armor. "There's a lot of them back home, but I've never seen one, not even in the Orage arena."
"Oh…" The pink-armored huntress shook her head in embarrassment. "Actually, I'm afraid to admit it, but I've never actually fought a Pink Rathian before."
"What? Then… that isn't your armor?" Bram asked, and Violetta shook her head.
"Sorry, no. It was actually my mother's, and she passed it down to me when I got my license. I didn't think anything of it at first, but I got quite a few upturned noses when people realized I was wearing armor beyond my rank." The huntress shifted uncomfortably. "Other hunters tend to be callous when you're wearing armor they don't feel you've earned."
Bram glanced down at his own armor, tugging at the dull yellow sponge, and Sonia did the same for her Jaggi armor. "I can understand where they're coming from, I suppose. Sonia and I worked rather hard to defeat enough Royal Ludroths and Great Jaggis to make our armor, and we're proud of it. There's something to be said about earning what you have."
"Kinda feels like cheating, getting something nice without any effort," Sonia agreed. However, the dual blade wielder shifted guiltily when she realized that the Violetta had hunched over and was wringing her hands. "B-but I mean, that's just for people that, like, buy their way into good stuff. It's completely different when it comes to heirlooms or things that are bequeathed, you know? I mean, if my mom had offered to pass down that glowy green sword she used to use, I… well, I don't think I would have accepted it, but…"
"Ain't nothing wrong with heirlooms," Logan spoke up in front of them. He grinned at Violetta and pulled out his hunting knife. It was a bulky, heavy-looking kukri blade that had clearly seen more use than Logan himself could have put into it. "This was my, eh, my poppa's old hunting knife. Momma gave it to me long time ago, and I been using it since I became a hunter, hey? Is an old thing, and ain't as sharp or precise-like as some of the newer ones, but I ain't gonna replace it. It's got meaning for me and for her.
"Ain't just this either. Back when I first hit high rank, Momma even gave me his old great sword to use, big ol' knobby thing made outta Uragaan bits, and I was proud to wear it. Had some folks talk bad 'bout me once or twice, but those that did got they lights knocked out, hey? Used that blade for a couple years while I worked my way through the ranks. Eventually replaced it with the Zinogre blade I got now, once I carved the bits I needed to make a better weapon than Poppa's. But that was still a real good sword for as long as I had it, and I was real sad to give it up… Thinking when we go back to Theron, I might try and improve it a bit, take down some of them Steel Uragaans to get the parts. Erm… ain't gonna be fun… heard some nasty stories 'bout them stinky beasties…"
The hunter paused, scratching his head. "Eh, point is, ain't nothing wrong with using you momma's old armor, girlie, far as I'm concerned. Isn't like they bought the armor or made it 'specially for you. Was something they used theyselves, something that they put they trust in and passed on to you. Thing 'bout stuff like that is like, that armor protect you momma, and now it protect you, hey? Ain't any real effect or nothing, but is something that someone can be proud 'bout, like they strength is you strength now. Ain't nothing wrong with wanting to earn things youself, but there ain't nothing wrong with using something you family passed down either.
"'Sides, truth of the matter is, is skill that makes the hunter, not just equipment," Logan said as he grinned at the horn player again. "Sharp blade and sturdy armor is nice, ja… some of the nastier beasties ain't gonna die if you don't got something sharp to stab them with. But if the hunter ain't got skill, is easy to see what they really worth in a fight. All the nice armor and weapons in the world ain't gonna make up for someone if they ain't got the experience to use them right. Ain't seen you fight for real yet, girlie, but I thinkin' you probably good enough to have earned that armor by now."
Violetta was beaming with delight as Logan finished speaking, and the great sword user flushed slightly at her pleased expression, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "Eh… that's just my two zenni on the matter, hey?"
"I wouldn't have thought you felt so strongly on the subject," Tuulikki noted.
For a moment Logan was quiet, before crossing his arms and returning his attention to the path ahead of him. "Ain't a big fan of the way people do 'lotta things here in Gahiji, but if they's one thing I like about this place, it's how important family is to folks. Folks here put lotsa emphasis on where they come from and the folks that made them who they is, hey? Is in they names, is in what they do… Can't say I don't like that."
"Well, that scores him some points in my book," Violetta said cheerfully. Tuulikki didn't reply, but nodded and pressed on through the forest.
Soon enough, they reached the willow grove, which sat in a relatively flat, wide valley filled with thick buttes shooting up from the earth, rising like pillars into the sky. Bram found the area quite beautiful as they passed under the intertwined boughs. The branches of the trees stretched out over their heads, binding into a thick mesh which cast dark shadows onto the forest floor. Strings of leaves hung down, creating green curtains that the six hunters were forced to push through. It was relatively easy to traverse, and the only trouble came from the thick, knobby roots crisscrossing the ground and the slick leaves that had fallen during the rainstorm.
"This grove should be the nesting ground of the Kecha Wacha," Tuulikki told the Therian hunters. "With fortune it should not take us long to find its trail."
"Keep your eyes open for long vertical claw marks on the sides of trees," Leon said. "That's how Kechas mark their territory."
"I'm just pleased that the ground is more stable," Bram noted.
"I bet you are," Sonia laughed. "You sure you don't want to walk across the canopy, just for fun?"
"I'd rather not."
"I would almost say it would be wiser for us to do so," Tuulikki muttered. Bram gave her a hopeless expression, and the huntress motioned towards a nearby shrub. "You see that?"
"Is a shaker bush," Logan replied, though the other hunters looked at him curiously. "Eh… scatternut bush. Momma used to call 'em shaker bushes…"
"They've got a few fields of them near Nastre that they sell to the Guild for bowgun ammunition. So what?" Sonia asked.
"So, do you know anything about scatternuts?"
"They're somewhat fragile," Bram replied. "If a nut bursts, it'll 'scatter', and that it likely to set off the rest of the bush. Sonia knows that from experience."
"That was not my fault."
Violetta's eyes lit up in interest. "Ooh, what did you do?"
The dual blade user groaned and covered her face with her hands. "When I was small we visited Nastre to see Bram's family. There's a scatternut farm - Orchard? Grove? - whatever it was, just outside of town. Some of the other local kids told me that scatternuts were edible… and that to get them out of the bush you needed to hit it with a walking stick."
"Ah… I bet the farmer wasn't happy about that."
"He wasn't."
"Hmm… well, Bram is correct," Tuulikki told them. "If you are going to try to take this Kecha by surprise, it will not help if we set off a scatternut bush and let every living creature in a half mile where we are."
"Also, avoid those bushes too," Violetta said, pointing at a thick shrub that clung to the sides of the trees.
"What is those?" Logan asked.
"Bomberry bushes. They're… worse. If you find yourself in a situation where you're either going to fall into a scatternut or bomberry bush, fall into the scatternut bush. It'll make less noise… and won't hurt as much."
"Eh… Noted. So we gonna climb up or what?"
"Perhaps it would be best if we don't," Bram replied. Sonia opened her mouth to comment, but the archer quickly pointed towards the sky. "You may not have noticed, but the sky has been growing darker in the last hour or so."
"Hmm… That's not good," Leon muttered. "Do you think it's another storm?"
"Hold on, allow me to check," Tuulikki replied. The huntress leapt up one of the nearby trunks and quickly pulled herself through the branches. A few moments later the shuffling ceased, and a few moments more after that the huntress called down to them. "There's clear sky on the horizon! This may just be the trail end of the storms we've had."
"Either way, it could be trouble," Violetta replied as the glaive wielder worked her way back down to the ground. "We should try to find the Kecha quickly, before there's a cloudburst. It may run off to hide if there's a downpour."
"We aren't going to just leave if it rains, are we?" Sonia asked dejectedly.
"At this point it might be best to find a cave or hollow to wait out the rain in, should there be a downpour," Tuulikki replied. "But we should seek out the Kecha even if it does rain. We've come this far already, returning to Lintukoto would only take time, and we could be caught up in the rain. This area is fairly stable, so staying here would be safer than trying to make our way back."
"Then let's get going!" Sonia said eagerly. "The faster we get the Kecha, the better."
The hunters carefully and quietly made their way through the willows, searching for signs of the Kecha Wacha while trying to keep themselves discreet. At first it seemed as though there wasn't anything particularly dangerous living in this part of the forest, save for a few Konchus and Altaroth that skittered around eating mushrooms. Signs of the Kecha's passing appeared deeper into the grove, though: large gashes were sliced through the bark of the trees, several branches had notches cut into the upper sides, and some trees had large hollows carved away which revealed destroyed insect hives.
However, as they journeyed through the trees, Violetta brought them to a sharp halt and motioned ahead. Bram braced himself for combat, but was surprised when he spotted a few black-furred Felynes slinking through the trees. There were four of them, armed with paw-shaped clubs across their backs, small reed satchels slung around their waists, and green bandanas covering their lower faces.
"Ah… why, pray tell, are we being cautious about Felynes?" Bram whispered.
"Those aren't regular Felynes," Violetta replied. "Those are Melynx. Rogue Felynes. They're not that dangerous, but they're notorious theives. If you're not careful around them, you could find your entire pouch empty before you blink."
"So… what do we do? Wait for them to pass us by?" Bram frowned slightly as the Melynx paused in their movements and began to sniff around. Had they caught the hunters' scent? What would happen if the cats realized they were there? These weren't exactly fierce monsters, and Bram didn't want to hurt them…
"No… let us simply scare them off," Tuulikki sighed. "We outnumber them, and seeing that the odds aren't in their favor should make them flee. They are not killers, just thieves, and they won't take big risks just to pick our pockets."
The huntress stepped forward, walking slowly towards the Melynx but not attempting to hide herself, and the other hunters followed. There was a sharp hiss from one of the cats, and all four of the creatures turned to face them as they swept out their clubs. At first it looked as though the Melynx were going to charge the huntress, but they paused when they realized that there were six hunters there. Bram met eyes with one of the Melynx for a moment, and the creature eyed him up, probably trying to determine if he had anything valuable. However, one of the others yowled at the rest and they turned tail and ran, vanishing into the thicket.
"You see? They all fled," Tuulikki said. "They're not bold enough to attack when the odds are against them."
"I don't get it," Sonia muttered, looking in the direction that the Melynxs had fled. "How come they're stealing things? How come they don't live in cities like the rest of the Felynes?"
"The reason they steal is the reason that any other living creature does so: because they're greedy, and would rather take from others rather than working for themselves. As for why they don't live in cities or villages… I'm afraid I can't answer that."
"Some Felynes like to live away from the cities," Violetta said. "Sometimes they build entire villages out in the wilds, hidden away from the world. Those types usually aren't bad, but Melynx are a different breed altogether… I guess every species has their collection of bad eggs."
"I'm surprised you haven't heard of them before. Melynx are quite common in Gahiji," Tuulikki noted. "Do you not have any in Theron?"
"I've never seen any," Sonia replied.
"You just ain't seen 'em," Logan interjected, shaking his head. "There ain't many in the area 'round Perir, but you can find some most places. Desert's got a lot of them, and they's a good number of them 'long the coast. You see a Felyne outside town, just watch you pockets, hey? 'Specially if they wearing a mask. And if they get too pushy, give 'em a good smack and that'll usually get 'em to buzz off."
"Only outside?" Bram asked. "They don't try and steal things inside towns?"
"Not usually," Violetta replied. "I've heard of some hunters getting their pockets picked by Melynx in towns, but it's pretty rare. I think city Felynes crack down on them or something so they don't get a bad reputation. It doesn't stop Melynx from robbing people blind out in the wilds, but villages and towns are generally safe places…"
"That's rather strange. I don't understand why-"
Bram paused, however, as a flicker of motion through the trees caught his eye. He turned, looking intently through the trunks, and caught it again a moment later: a flash of orange and yellow loping up and down through the trees. He gave a hushed call to the others, sliding behind one of the nearby trees as the rest of them followed his lead, leaning around the edge to try and catch sight of the creature once more.
Bram recognized the Kecha Wacha instantly. He'd seen drawn pictures in the Gahin Guild bestiaries he'd bought, though the artist's rendition certainly didn't do the creature justice. It had a very monkey-like appearance, with a long, floppy trunk, wide, pointed ears, and a long tail that was barbed at the end. Of course, the bright orange and yellow fur was certainly a giveaway of its own; not many monsters in Gahiji sported colors like that, if the guidebooks were to be believed.
"That's our boy," Leon said quietly, leaning up against a tree and peeking his head around it. Bram nodded; he could see the cuts in the creature's ear, and the singe marks along the fur of the creature's forearm. Both fit Steward's descriptions of the wounds left behind by the hunters that had chased it away from the caravan.
As the Kecha swung through the trees, it paused near the trunk of one of the thicker trees in the area. The creature cocked its head back and forth a couple times before twisting around and hanging upside-down by its tail in front of the willow. The Kecha leaned forward, planting one of its large ears against the trunk and sliding its face around. Eventually it paused, its mouth splitting open in a wide smils, huffing excitedly and pulling back. It reached its long, hooked claws forward and tore into the side of the tree, peeling away at the bark and chipping into the trunk beneath. A few moments later there was a sharp splintering as a chunk of the trunk ripped loose, revealing a dug-out hollow within the core of the tree. The Kecha Wacha bounced around excitedly as it reached into the hole and dug around. Soon it pulled its hand back, revealing a handful of plump insect larva, immediately stuffing the grubs into its mouth and reaching greedily for more.
"I don't suppose seeing that thing eating bugs sets you off, hey?" Logan asked, smirking at Tuulikki.
"I am not as obsessed with insects as you seem to think I am," the glaive wielder growled.
"I don't know…" Violetta giggled. "I remember you being particularly brutal towards that one Kut-Ku after seeing it swallow a bunch of Konchu."
"That-! Vi, you're supposed to be on my side!"
"Haha!"
"Come on, let's go get it while it's distracted!" Sonia said eagerly, grabbing hold of her dual blades.
"Hold on…" Tuulikki started.
"Are you going to ask us to try to sneak up on it again?" Bram asked, but the glaive wielder shook her head.
"No, not this time. Actually, I was going to ask Vi to do it instead. I want you to see what a true master of stealth is capable of."
"Hmm? Yeah, that's fine with me," the hunting horn wielder replied. "You just want me to sneak up on it and give it a good wallop before backing off?"
"If you could. After that we'll leave the rest to the apprentices."
"Okay, got it. Stay on your toes, kids, and watch closely."
With an encouraging smile, the pink-armored huntress slipped through the foliage. Bram had to admit that he was impressed; he was straining his ears, yet not a single jingle from the dozens of bells could be heard as she weaved through the brush. The way the huntress slinked hardly had any unnecessary movements, and it just seemed so natural for her. No matter how silent she was, however, it still didn't explain how a woman in vibrant pink armor would be able to sneak up on anything that wasn't completely blind…
However, as Violetta passed behind a tree, she vanished. Bram blinked in surprise, waiting for her to reappear on the other side, but she didn't, and as he craned his head to try and see around it, he couldn't spot the pink armor standing out against the greenery.
Sonia leaned over to him and whispered in confusion. "Where'd she go?"
"I don't know," Bram admitted. "I was hoping you had seen her. What about you, Logan?"
"Don't look at me, I ain't got a clue."
"Now do you see why she has so many bells?" Tuulikki asked with a haughty smile. "Even the sharpest eyes can lose sight of her in a moment."
"Then where is she?" Logan asked, and Tuulikki's smile faltered.
"Ah… well, she is… Most likely…"
A quiet chuckle drew their attention to Leon, who grinned in amusement. "That's what Vi can do. If she wants to disappear, she'll disappear. Monster and human alike, if she doesn't want you to see her, you won't. She's showing off a little right now."
"That's right," Tuulikki nodded. "Though we may be similarly skilled at hunting, even I can't follow her movements when she is being stealthy."
"So none of us know where she is?" Bram asked, and Tuulikki shook her head with a sigh.
"No, I can see her." The other hunters turned in surprise at Leon as the young man stared across the forest. "She's over there, by that tree with the split down the middle."
The lancer pointed off further into the trees, and the Therian hunters - and Tuulikki - stared in that direction. Bram spotted the tree sitting only a dozen yards from the Kecha Wacha, but didn't see anything.
"Did she move?"
"No, she's still there," Leon replied. "She's sort of half-behind it."
Bram squinted slightly, but still couldn't see anything. Beside him, he heard Sonia growl in frustration. "Is she really there?"
"Yeah, of course."
"How can you see her, then?"
Leon scratched his chin thoughtfully and shrugged. "Because she wants me to see her, probably. I don't really understand how she does it, but if she doesn't want you to see her, you won't, and if she does, you will. Chances are, she's letting me see her so that I can tell the rest of you where she is."
"Then why can't Tuulikki see her?" Sonia asked. Bram looked towards the glaive wielder, who was pouting and trying to hide it under her cap. Leon just shrugged again.
"Like I said, she's just trying to show off… Oh, she's approaching the Kecha now."
Bram returned his attention to the Pelagus and searched around for Violetta, but still he couldn't see her! A moment later though, the huntress materialized out from behind a tree a few yards away from the Kecha Wacha. Bram almost couldn't believe his eyes as such a glaring vision of pink popped into existence amidst the lush greenery.
"How the hell are we supposed to replicate that?" Sonia muttered. "I didn't even see what she did!"
"I don't expect you to meet that standard," Tuulikki replied. "This is just an example to show you that she does know her stuff."
"Well, I'm convinced."
The pink-armored huntress turned and waved at them with a wide smile on her face before pulling out her hunting horn, all without getting the Pelagus' attention. Before it knew she was there, she pulled her horn behind her head and swung it down, cracking it against the Kecha's head. The Kecha Wacha screeched in shock and pain at the sudden assault and lost its grip, crashing to the ground.
"That's another bell for her," Leon muttered, before pushing himself to his feet and swinging his lance forward. "Come on, now's our chance!"
With a grunt, the lancer charged over the twisted roots towards the fallen Kecha Wacha. Sonia was grinning excitedly as she dashed after him, with Logan close behind them both. Bram merely stood up and drew his bow, stepping to the side to get a clear shot at the orange creature. He'd grown rather fond of the tactic he'd used against the first Seltas they'd beaten, and would try to pester the Kecha with surprise arrows until the creature managed to figure out where he was.
Violetta pulled away as Leon and Sonia closed in, slipping into the shadows of the trees. Bram watched her carefully, but the huntress vanished again as she passed behind the trunk of a tree. The archer tried and catch sight of her again, but returned his attention to the Kecha as Leon was nearly on top of it.
The Kecha was just rolling back to its feet as Leon crashed into it, his lance catching the creature's side and tearing a shallow gash across the creature's lower back. The Pelagus shrieked and lashed its talons against Leon's shield, but the lancer stood firm, jabbing his lance at the Kecha Wacha's chest and piercing its orange fur and hide. The Kecha howled angrily and pulled its arm back to smash it against the lancer's shield again, but Bram slipped out from behind his tree and fired an arrow at it. The shaft pierced the creature's forearm, making it wince and allowing the Leon to jab it in the shoulder once more before hopping away.
The creature looked in confusion at the arrow protruding from its arm and tried to figure out what happened as Sonia slipped behind the beast, ducking in and attacking the Kecha Wacha's flank. The Pelagus shrieked as Sonia's dual blades sliced into its hind leg and lower back, and sharply snapped its hooked talon at her. The huntress slid under its arm, however, getting in close before lashing out at its belly and leaving a long gash across its gut. As the Kecha winced backwards, the huntress slipped around it once more, slicing into the creature's other leg with her right blade while spinning the one in her left into a reverse grip and preparing to drive it down into the Kecha's back.
However, the Pelagus twisted its long tail low to the ground and hooked the barb around Sonia's leg, and with a sharp tug the Kecha Wacha yanked the huntress' feet out from under her and dropped her onto all fours. It twisted around, backhanding the huntress and flipping her onto her back before raising its forearms to smash them down on her. Bram cursed, pulling back and shooting another arrow which pierced the Pelagus' chest, staggering the creature and making it take a step backwards, but not stopping it from continuing its attack.
Before the Kecha could smash its claws down on the huntress, Logan barreled in from the side and swung his weapon down towards the creature's head. The Kecha shrieked in shock, but leapt backwards to let the sword splinter the intertwining roots along the floor of the grove. Logan wrenched his weapon loose, but the Pelagus' trunk suddenly swelled up before spraying a goopy blob of viscous mucus at the great sword user. The hunter couldn't bring his weapon around to block and quickly turned his head, taking the splatter of fluid into the side of his helm. Some of the gunk still trailed across his face, and while Logan sputtered in disgust and wiped the mucus off, the Kecha backflipped upwards, hooking its talons over a couple of thick branches and yapping menacingly at the hunters.
As the three blade wielders slowly circled in on the Kecha, shouting tactics at each other, Bram slipped from tree to tree, waiting for a chance to shoot. He was hoping to shoot the Kecha's arms and knock it to the ground, but he needed to wait for the creature to have its back turned; the Kecha Wacha had yet to catch onto him, and he wanted to keep it that way for a little longer.
He was caught by surprise when the Kecha suddenly lowered its wide ears, however, dropping them over its eyes. The guidebook he'd read said that this was a defense mechanism to try and frighten predators, and Bram would've agreed with the sentiment if he didn't know better: the illusion gave the impression of wide, yellow eyes, and the barbs along the edges of its ears made the Kecha look like it had long, curved fangs. But Bram did know better, and realized that lowering its ears would only blind it and make it easier for him and the others to attack it.
However, the creature took a deep breath and snapped its head forward to unleash a powerful screech that ripped through the grove like shattering glass. Even at the distance he was at, Bram winced in pain and raised a hand to block out the sound. That had been loud. He'd never suspected that the Kecha would've had that kind of vocal capacity… had it used its ears as some type of amplifier? That certainly hadn't been in the guidebook. Perhaps this Pelagus was a craftier monster than he'd first believed.
Bram watched carefully as the Kecha Wacha's head snapped back and forth, trying to search out the hunters around him. Sonia, Logan, and Leon were all trying to press towards the Pelagus, but the Kecha seemed to have acute enough ears to hear them coming and push them back with a swipe of its claws. Bram would have an easy time pelting the monster with arrows with its eyes covered, though. He snapped around the tree and fired at the Kecha, feeling satisfied as the arrow sunk into the creature's shoulder. He was on Sonia's side with this one: after a month of fighting Seltas with their hard shells, it was nice to hunt a monster that his arrows wouldn't bounce off, and drawing blood from a monster without needing to make pinpoint shots made him feel less ineffective than he had been recently.
He quickly darted between a few trees to circle around the Pelagus as he prepared his next shot. However, as he twisted around the side of the tree and drew his arrow, the Kecha Wacha's head snapped his direction and one of the creature's ears lifted up to show the Pelagus' bright yellow eye staring directly at him. Bram's heart sank; how had the creature known he was there?
Bram cursed as the Kecha immediately turned and swung through the trees towards him. He fired his arrow at the creature's chest, but the shot was poorly released and the Kecha simply swung to the side and let the arrow sail past it. The archer tried to dash away, but the Kecha tailed close behind until it was right on top of him. It released its grip on the branches above it, hitting the earth and snapping a talon around Bram's leg, yanking his feet out from under him and dropping the archer onto his stomach. With a screech, the Kecha raised its arms to smash them down on the fallen hunter.
However, there was a loud clang as a green and tan shape appeared between Bram and the Kecha. Leon had appeared and planted himself between the Pelagus and the archer. The Kecha shrieked in fury, but paused in confusion as Leon thrust his shield forward; the metal- and bone-reinforced Kecha Wacha shield seemed to confuse the Pelagus, resembling one of the Kecha's own ears. Leon used the opening to thrust his lance into the Kecha's chest, and the creature yelped in pain, leaping backwards and swinging several yards away before turning and howling at them.
"You need to be more careful," Leon told him, stabbing his lance into the earth and offering his hand to the archer. "It may cover its eyes, but its ears are sharp; pointing down at the ground like that, it can pick up on your footsteps."
Bram nodded, grabbing the lancer's hand and pulling back to his feet. "Wish that guidebook I'd bought mentioned that. Thank you for the information though."
"Was it written by someone named Professor Flam?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Don't buy his stuff for hunting information," Leon sighed. "His books give good bionomical data, but he intentionally keeps all the useful hunting information out. I think he figures that a hunter should learn things the hard way rather than getting their information ahead of time. One of those 'run before you walk' kind of people."
"Wonderful…" Bram muttered. "I suppose I should thank you for that information as well."
"Don't mention it."
Back near the Kecha, Sonia had slipped under it and was attempting to slice at the Pelagus' hind legs while avoiding the creature's long-reaching claws. The Kecha flipped in the air, latching onto the branches with its tail and using both hands to slash at the huntress, forcing her to stay at out of reach. The huntress was pressing in closer and closer though, so the Kecha sent a spray of mucus towards her, forcing her to leap behind a tree to avoid being hosed down.
Logan tried to strike while its attention was on Sonia, but without even turning around the Kecha pulled itself upwards, dodging the metal blade before striking Logan in the chest and throwing the hunter into the dirt. As the hunter struggled back to his feet, the Kecha bobbed up and down in gleeful amusement before swinging back and throwing itself towards Logan. The great sword user cursed, rolling out of the way as the beast's long claws chopped into the tree roots. Bram prepared to fire at the Kecha's back, but the Kecha Wacha snapped its head around to face him as the bow creaked. The archer grumbled in frustration and fired, but the Pelagus ducked under the shot before charging towards him.
"How good of hearing does this thing have?" Bram muttered, leaping behind a tree. He tried to juke back the direction he'd come from to catch the Pelagus off guard, but the Kecha swept around the same side and nearly clipped Bram with its claw. As Bram stumbled backwards, he awkwardly drew an arrow, and the Kecha hesitated at the sound. The moment's pause allowed Bram to fire at the Kecha's shoulder, though the arrow only pierced deep enough to draw a trickle of blood before falling loose.
Deep footsteps thundered towards the Kecha from behind, and the Pelagus turned sharply as Leon bore down on it with his lance. On impulse Bram grabbed the string of his bow and pulled it taut as the beast spun to leap out of the way, and sure enough, hearing the bowstring stretch made the Kecha cock its head in Bram's direction. The distraction was enough for Leon to cover the last few yards and punch his lance into the Kecha's upper arm. Blood poured from the wound, but the creature quickly recovered, shoving against Leon's shield to push the lancer away before leaping up to latch onto the canopy with its tail. The creature raised its left arm up to touch its wound, and visibly shivered with rage before unleashing another screech.
Logan recovered first and charged, but the Pelagus snapped its arm out and forced him to step back to keep from being struck. Sonia rushed in even as the Kecha was in mid-swipe, kicking off a thick root to try and get some elevation, but the orange beast snapped its feet up and kicked her in the shoulder back to the ground. It dropped to the earth and rushed her while she was recovering, but ducked back as Leon slid in front of her, leaping away before the hunter's long weapons could pierce it.
Bram snapped his bow up, aiming towards where the Kecha would land from its leap, but again the Kecha's head snapped in his direction at the sound of the bow creaking. While in midair, the Pelagus opened its arms wide, and a thin membrane of skin and fur stretched out from its wrists down to its knees, its gliding patagium. With a swing of its arms the Kecha pushed its membrane down like wings, launching itself backwards through the air another few yards and out of the arrows path, letting the projectile sink harmlessly into a tree.
Bram cursed and nocked another arrow. He'd known that Kecha Wachas could glide, but he hadn't thought they would be that versatile in using their patagium. He could already see the Kecha's head tilting in his direction, his footsteps and the creaking of his bow giving him away. He fired anyway, but the Kecha leapt up and grabbed the limbs to swing out of the way.
"How can its ears be so good?!"
"You think you got it bad? This thing's dodging me 'fore I'm close enough to swing, hey?" Logan snapped back. "Least you arrows don't make noise in the air!"
"Hey, Leon!" Sonia shouted. "You got any tricks for getting around this thing's stupid hearing?"
"Now that he knows we're here, that might be challenging," the lancer replied. "I doubt any of us are stealthy enough to get him to lose track of us. Rushing it all at once is a possibility, but with four of us that would only end in a mess. The only thing I can think of is if we make enough noise to drown out our footsteps."
"Like a sonic bomb? I've got one of those."
"If its ears were up, that would probably stun it for a while, but while they're down? It might lose track of us for a second or two. If we had something that lasted longer, that'd be better, but…"
"How 'bout them shaker bushes? The scatternuts?" Logan suggested. "They supposed to be noisy, ain't they? Just kick one of them."
"That… that could work."
Bram looked around, and sure enough there was a scatternut bush about six yards behind the Kecha. "Get ready!" he shouted, drawing an arrow and aiming towards the bush. The Kecha tensed at the sound of the bow creaking and swung to the side as Bram fired, but this time Bram hadn't been aiming for it.
The arrow flew into the bush and must have hit one of the scatternuts within, as there was a loud cracking sound and the clattering of seed pots. The Kecha Wacha's head turned sharply at the sound for a moment before returning its attention towards the three blade wielders closing in on him. A moment later, however, there was another crack and more clattering as the seedpods struck and set off other scatternuts within the bush, and those burst to set off even more. In a couple seconds, the entire underbrush was filled with cracking and popping, and the Kecha Wacha's head snapped back and forth as it tried to get its bearings straight over the noise.
"Now! Attack it!" Bram shouted over the din. "While it's confused!"
The Pelagus' head turned in Bram's direction at his shout, but Sonia had lunged at the creature from behind, slashing her dual blades into the hide just over its tail. The Kecha screeched in shock, losing its grip on the branches and crashing to the ground. It was on its feet in a flash and twisted around, but tilted its head back and forth to try and get her position.
From its other side Logan charged in, and though the hunter's loud footfalls and rattling armor warned the Kecha that he was coming, the Pelagus wasn't able to get out of the way in time. The hunter's great sword dropped down as the Kecha raised an arm to block, but the heavy blade smashed into the Pelagus' arm and cleaved into the creature's shoulder. The Kecha shrieked in pain as it was thrown across the ground, painting the roots beneath it red with blood. Bram thought the attack had been a killing blow, but a few moments later the Kecha rolled over, pushing itself to its feet while clutching its bleeding arm.
"Damn it!" Logan cursed, glaring at his weapon. "I should've cut its whole arm off!"
"Kecha bones are very hard!" Leon shouted. "The higher-quality ones are called 'leadbones' for a reason! Be glad you did as much damage as you did!"
"Hoy, you gotta be kidding me… First the Seltas' shell, now this thing's bones made of steel? Why everything in this country gotta be so hard to cut up?"
Though it was still alive and kicking, the Kecha Wacha was clearly suffering. Its fur was already matted with blood on its arm and shoulder, and the creature was holding its wounded arm tightly. It was still able to move the appendage, and without a thought the Kecha reached down and picked up some mud off the ground before slapping it over its wounds, stopping the bleeding for a moment before howling at the hunters angrily. It was still treating its arm gingerly, though.
"Keep your focus on its left side!" Bram called out. "No matter what it does it won't alleviate the pain!"
"Understood!" Leon called out, approaching the Pelagus slowly.
The raucous noise from the scatterbush was still going, so the Kecha only turned its head slightly towards the hunter before he got close enough to jab at the orange creature just below its left shoulder. The Kecha shrieked and twisted its left side away from the lancer, staggering backwards and swiping out with its right arm. Leon let the claws scrape harmlessly against his tower shield before jabbing repeatedly the Kecha's chest, slowly pushed the creature back. The orange beast kept trying to figure out the lancer's attacks, but with the noise still echoing it just couldn't do anything.
Finally it had had enough, and as Leon pulled his lance back to deliver a powerful strike, the Pelagus' ears lifted up to reveal its wide and furious yellow eyes. As Leon thrust forward, the Kecha grabbed the side of the shaft and pushed it down into the dirt. Leon staggered slightly at the sudden change of momentum, and the Kecha released the lance and swung its paw forward, backhanding Leon against his helmet, knocking him back a step before leaping in the air and kicking its hind legs against the lancer's chest. Leon was thrown onto his back, coughing in pain, while the Kecha backflipped in the air and latched its tail barb onto the limbs above it.
Bram cursed and nocked his bow, but the Kecha spotted him and pushed itself through the branches and up over the canopy before the arrow could hit it. Bram stared worriedly up at the bobbing limbs above him as the Kecha darted around, only being able to see the creature's shadow and hear its panting breaths. Bram frowned, trying to follow the creature. The partially overcast sky made it hard to follow the Kecha's shadow, and its huffing breaths weren't easy to get an exact pinpoint on.
About a dozen yards away, the Kecha's head broke through the branches, and Bram turned to fire an arrow. Before he could, the Kecha's nose swelled and sprayed several blobs of mucus towards him. The archer dived behind a tree as the wet globs splattered against the trunk before swinging around the side to fire an arrow, but the Kecha had already withdrawn over the canopy. There was a flash of orange to Bram's right as the Kecha burst its head through the canopy again, unleashing another spray, and Bram leapt to the side as the mucus splattered against his feet.
The other hunters were closing in again, trying to get a bead on the creature's location above them. The shaking of the branches made a wide stretch of the canopy shiver over them, dropping dead and dying leaves down from above. The spiraling leaves made it even harder for the hunters to catch sight of the Kecha, and soon they could only rely on the creature's footsteps and panting, but even with the sounds of the scatterbush fading away it was hard to make out.
"Bram!" Sonia shouted over the noise. "I know you don't like it, but I think we're going to have to climb up there!"
"I am well aware!" the archer called back. "Can we make our way over to one of those rock pillars?"
"Be careful with your voices!" Leon warned them. "The Kecha may be able to hear us!"
"But how else are me and Bram supposed to-"
The Kecha's face burst through the leaves before Sonia could finish her thought, not a couple yards in front of her. The huntress jolted in surprise as the creature's nose rolled upwards and sprayed its goopy mucus right into her face. Sonia was left completely soaked from the chest up, gasping and coughing as she stumbled backwards and tried to wipe herself off. The Kecha panted excitedly and pushed its way through the canopy, swiping its talons towards the huntress.
"Get away from her!" Bram shouted, making the Kecha turn towards him sharply. Bram snapped his bow up to point towards the Pelagus and loosed an arrow.
It missed its mark slightly, but the shaft tore straight through the Kecha's left ear before embedding into one of the branches behind it. The Kecha shrieked in shock, yanking its head wildly to free itself, but the arrow held fast and the orange beast only ended up tearing the flesh of its ear. It reached up and tried to pull the arrow free to avoid hurting its ear any further, and was forced to pull itself back under the canopy to do so. Logan and Leon rushed the Kecha's exposed back as the beast gingerly tried to free itself.
Bram was focused on Sonia, however. The huntress was coughing and gasping for air and having trouble getting back to her feet. Slinging his bow, Bram dashed over and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her behind one of the nearby trees. The huntress nearly collapsed as she leaned against the tree, her face growing pale.
"What… what's going on?" the huntress wheezed as a scared look covered her face. "I can't… I can't breathe!"
"Calm down, Sonia. You can still breathe, Sonia, you just need to calm down and do it slowly. It's only waterblight. The Kecha's mucus filled your lungs with moisture, making it hard for you to breathe properly. Here, put this on," Bram replied calmly, reaching into his pouch. He pulled out a small leafy object, an air filter, and passed it to the huntress. "Hold this over your mouth and take slow, deep breaths. The filter will absorb the water when you exhale. Remember: breathe slowly."
Sonia nodded nervously, pressing the filter to her face and breathing deep. The first few breaths were sharp and ragged, but as the filter cleared her lungs and her breathing became easier, she slowly relaxed. Bram watched as several drops of moisture leaked through the green mask, dribbling down her face and onto her lap. Soon there didn't to be any more liquid seeping through the filter and Sonia had calmed down, but Bram stopped her as she started to pull the filter away.
"Keep it on for now. It should keep the mucus from doing it to you again."
"Thanks, Bram," Sonia replied, tying the mask to her face. She still looked a little pale, but color was returning, and Bram knew she'd be fine now that her breathing was normal again.
"Give it a little longer. We'll keep it distracted until then."
"R-right…"
As Bram rushed around the side of the tree, he realized that Logan and Leon, as well as the Kecha Wacha, were no longer there. The arrow was still embedded in the branches where he'd fired it, and a streak of blood seemed to indicate what had happened to the Kecha itself. He could hear the Kecha running around above the canopy, and by the sounds of things, Logan and Leon had both followed the creature up there. Bram glanced around, finding one of the rock pillars sprouting from the earth several dozen yards away and heading in that direction. He frowned nervously, however. He really, really didn't want to try and fight the Kecha while trying to balance on tree branches.
However, he got lucky as the wide shadow of the Kecha Wacha flew over him, landing on the branches above him. The archer quickly nocked an arrow, aiming it up and firing it through the limbs. Fortunately, the shot went straight through the gaps of the branches, and a screech of pain could be heard from the other side of the canopy. Some thumping footsteps and a loud crash of metal signaled what he thought was Leon barreling into the beast with his lance, though Bram couldn't be certain.
"Hold it down!" Logan's voice bellowed overhead. "Hoy! Bram! You down there?"
"Yes, I'm here!"
"Nice timing with that arrow, but this thing a pain to fight up here! You better move, 'cause I'm bringing it back down!"
"How are you-"
Bram's answer came before he could even ask the question as a powerful crunch ripped through the canopy, followed by a wave of snapping and cracking. The entire canopy seemed to shake as nearly half of Logan's great sword tore through the branches, severing half a dozen of them before being yanked back again and chopping the boughs once more. Bram backed away fearfully, pushing himself up against the trunk of a tree as the canopy began to sag downwards, and he could hear the panicked howling of the Kecha and the clattering of Leon's armor.
Bram winced and covered his head as whips of vines and limbs fell onto him, stumbling away from the epicenter. Then the roof of the forest opened up as the canopy collapsed. There was a shriek and a flash of orange as the Kecha plummeted from above with Leon close behind, and as the beast smashed against the earth, the lancer crashed down on top of it before rolling to the mud. Logan had somehow managed to avoid the initial collapse, but the hole in the canopy began to spread, and the great sword user found himself sliding down a knot of branches and hitting the ground with a hard thud.
Bram saw the Kecha starting to recover from the drop, but the collapse of the canopy had left the archer stuck behind a curtain of hanging branches that he needed to push through. Logan managed to recover enough to approach the Kecha Wacha, but by then the Pelagus was rolling upright as well. The Kecha tried to pull away at the sight of the approaching hunter, but its injured arm gave out underneath it. Logan tried to cleave his great sword down onto the creature's head, but the Kecha ducked to the side and lashed out with its good arm, knocking the hunter away. Even before Logan had hit the ground, the Kecha's ears dropped over its eyes once more, and the creature let out a shrill screech.
"Its ears are down again!" Bram called out.
"It's on its last legs!" Leon cautioned. "But be careful; you know what they say about cornered prey."
"Ja, ja… Shoot another of those bushes, Bram!" Logan shouted.
Bram searched around, but cursed under his breath; there were several more scatternut bushes within sight, but Bram wasn't sure whether they were close enough to be as effective. The archer fired a shot towards the nearest bush and managed to set the bush shaking, but all it did was make the Kecha turn its attention towards the noise warily for a moment. When Logan tried and hit the creature with an overhead swing, the Kecha reacted instantly, leaping out of the way. Just as Bram suspected, the Pelagus had to be closer to the bushes for it to be disoriented, and Bram wasn't sure if they could lead the creature close enough. He might be able to distract the beast slightly though…
However, as Bram drew another arrow, the Kecha turned to face him before charging towards him. The archer cursed and fired, but even though the head struck the creature in the chest, the Pelagus refused to slow down. As it closed in, the beast somersaulted forward and used its good arm to launch itself through the air.
Bram leapt to the right and rolled back to his feet, but froze in disbelief for a moment upon seeing that the Kecha had never hit the ground. A shadow passed over him and he looked up sharply, and there it was: the beast had opened its gliding membrane to sharply alter its course in the air. Bram tried to dodge again, but the Kecha abruptly dropped out of the air, sweeping its long talons sideways in a sharp cross-swipe. Bram couldn't dodge this one; the Kecha Wacha's reach was just too great.
The Pelagus' claws slammed into the left side of Bram's chest and right leg simultaneously. A sharp burst of pain tore through the archer's torso, but the feeling was immediately forgotten as the world spiraled out of control. Bram was hurled through the air, crashing into the ground and tumbling over the earth before slamming into the base of one of the trees, sliding down to flop gracelessly into the mud and dirt.
He might have blacked out for a moment or two before his mind snapped back into control. He might have heard his name being called, but his head was hazy and throbbing. He vaguely reached up to touch his shoulder as a spike of pain lanced through it, and he felt something warm seeping into the dull yellow Ludroth coat. His vision swam as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up, automatically reaching for his pouch to pull out a potion, but the first thing he saw was the Kecha Wacha grabbing some branches and swinging in his direction. Bram vaguely noted that the tips of the Kecha's talons on its right arm were tipped in blood…
However, there was a furious shout from the side. A lavender blur raced from the side as Sonia leapt up and kicked off one of the trees, flying through the air before crashing headlong into the Kecha Wacha and plunging her blades into its orange fur. The Kecha shrieked in pain, slipping from the branches and crashing to the ground. Sonia landed on top of the creature in a heap but immediately sat up and began stabbing her dual blades into its chest and side. The Kecha howled and tried to dislodge her, but her position made it a challenge until a random swipe clipped her side and knocked her off.
The Kecha Wacha rolled back to its feet, but Sonia's assault had left a large bloody swath along its left side, soaking its fur in red. The huntress launched herself at the creature again before it could fully recover, however, slashing her blades into the arm it was using the support itself. The Pelagus nearly toppled over again, but managed to whip its tail at the huntress, the hooked barb at the end slicing a shallow line into Sonia's arm and making her flinch, giving the Kecha time enough to leap away and grab hold of the branches above.
Sonia leapt forward again to slash at the Kecha's feet, but the creature lashed out and hooked its talon into the huntress' leather armor. With a sharp tug it yanked her off her feet and threw her into the mud. The Kecha's nose swelled as it prepared to spray mucus at her, but Leon caught up and swung up his shield to block the gush of viscous water. The hunter's lance thrust forward, punching into the Kecha's chest under its left arm, and the beast flinched and leapt backwards. Sonia was already back on her feet and shot around the lancer in a bull rush towards the Pelagus, and the Kecha spread its gliders out to push itself away further. However, its injured arm faltered and it twisted unevenly in the air before crashing to the ground only a couple yards away, only to find itself on the receiving end on Sonia's onslaught again.
A flash of pain drew Bram's attention back to his own poor condition, and the hunter quickly uncorked and drank the potion bottle he'd pulled out. He still hurt though, and pulled out another bottle to drink before reaching down to collect his bow from the wet ground. Some heavy footsteps caught his attention, and he spotted Logan rushing his direction. As soon as he reached the archer, Logan grabbed Bram and helped him around to the other side of the trunk.
"Hoy, how you feeling?" the great sword user asked worriedly.
"Not… not fantastic," Bram groaned. "I don't… think anything's broken. Mild concussion, maybe… I think there's a gash on my shoulder too."
"You need help fixing up?" Logan asked, reaching for his pouch, but Bram shook his head.
"No, I… I think I have it, just… Keep the Kecha Wacha from coming this way."
"Ja, got it," the great sword user replied, glancing around the side of the tree. "Sonia and Leon got that thing's attention now. Think you girlie's not happy it hurt you, hey?"
"I imagine not," Bram groaned, unfastening the top few buttons on his coat and pushing the left side over his shoulder. Logan winced slightly at the sight of a crooked gash curving over his shoulder and the matted blood staining the inside of the yellow materials, but Bram paid it no mind. He carefully wiped off the excess blood and covered the injury with some antiseptic before pressing a bandage over the wound and binding it. "That should hold it for the rest of the fight."
"You way too calm about this."
"It's not the worst injury I've ever had to treat, Logan."
"That's not-" The great sword user tensed, however, at the sound of rapid footsteps and shouting from Sonia and Leon. A moment later the Kecha Wacha slid around the other side of the tree, yapping angrily at the two hunters.
Logan leapt between the creature and Bram and swung out his great sword to defend the archer, but the Pelagus leapt into the air and swung over the great sword user's head. Its left arm was still wounded, but it was coming towards Bram much faster than the archer could run right now. Bram tried to push to his feet, but his legs were still unsteady. He tried to nock an arrow, but his mind was still hazy and he fumbled with the grip. He could slide around to the other side and recover, but that would only slow the Kecha down for a moment or two… and the beast was nearly on top of him!
However, before the Kecha could attack, there was a sudden gust of wind, and the orange creature paused as a rushing sound filled the air. A pattering against Bram face was almost all the warning he got before the sky opened up and a deluge of rain cascaded from the sky. In less than a second the archer was soaked to the bone as the water rushed through the canopy.
The Kecha Wacha screeched in shock as its bright orange fur was soaked through. Red-tinted water poured down to the ground, mixing with the puddles that were growing below. Its head tilted back and forth wildly, but the sudden cloudburst had filled the grove with sweeping sheets of rain pattering against the leaves, dripping down and splashing into the mud and growing puddles below. The rain was even drumming against the Pelagus' ears themselves, likely filling its head with its constant pounding.
As the creature twisted around uncertainly, Bram noted that the Kecha was sinking lower to the ground as well. Looking up, the archer could see that the branch it was hanging from was bending. Bram realized that the creature's weight was increasing as the water soaked into the Kecha's fur. The branch groaned, and the Kecha looked up a moment too late as the limb snapped, sending the Pelagus to the ground with a wet splat, spraying water and mud into the air.
Bram reached for his arrows, but found himself fumbling to nock it as the sheets of rain left the shaft slippery. He was nearly knocked off his feet by a gust of wind, and the archer was forced to concentrate on the bowstring just to get the arrow drawn. His fingers slipped as he pulled back on the string, however, and sent his arrow sailing off into the trunk of a tree. Bram cursed, pulling another arrow out and forcing himself to draw his next arrow more carefully. This time the arrow punched into the Kecha's back, and Bram prepared to fire again. The Kecha pushed itself to its feet, swaying its head back and forth, but the pouring rain was simply too loud, and Bram was easily able to fire another arrow close to the beast's neck. The Kecha snapped around as it tried to get a bead on him, and the Kecha finally raised up an ear to use its eyes, focusing on Bram.
With its ears up though, it couldn't hear the other hunters. Leon crashed into the Kecha Wacha's side, his lance tearing a long gash across the Pelagus' stomach. However, his shield caught the beast head-on. The Kecha attempted to push back against the lancer, but its feet lost their grip on the slick earth and it was pushed backwards. The lancer continued his rush, pushing the orange-furred creature through the mud before slamming the beast against the trunk of a tree. The lancer quickly swung his weapon over the creature's shoulder and punched the tip into the trunk of the tree, effectively pinning the Pelagus as it thrashed around.
"Now! Finish it off!" the lancer cried as the Kecha lashed out, trying to strike Leon's exposed back.
Bram fired an arrow, which sunk into the creature's shoulder as it tried to attack Leon. The Pelagus squealed, raising its arm to block before a second arrow punched into its wrist. The beast tried to find a foothold against the roots below, but Sonia slid in and drove her swords into the Kecha's leg, forcing the beast's legs out from under it again. With the creature pressed against the tree and both its arms otherwise occupied, Logan rushed for the creature's head, swinging his sword around to cleave it down onto the Kecha Wacha's skull.
However, the Kecha finally managed hook in its claws into Leon before Logan could bring down his sword. The curled talons caught against the hunter's greaves, and with a sharp pull, the creature yanked the lancer's feet out from under him. Leon yelped as he dropped to a knee, and the Kecha followed up by grabbing hold of the hunter and swinging Leon directly at Logan. There was a clash of steel as the two men collided and were sent sprawling to the ground. Sonia leapt towards the Kecha, sliding her left blade under the Pelagus' arm and thrusting it towards the creature's chest, but the Kecha bobbed its head down and unleashed a spray of mucus right into the huntress' face. The air filter was still strapped to her jaw, but the force of the spray made her stumble and slip on a root and falling into a puddle.
Bram prepared another arrow, and the Kecha's attention snapped towards him. It lowered its ears and reared its head forward to screech, but Sonia leapt forward and plunged the point of her blade into the creature's haunches right as the archer fired. The Kecha shrieked and dipped its head, but the act lowered the beast's head just enough that the arrow slid right over the beast's shoulder and into its throat.
The Pelagus reared back and its eyes popped open wide in pain, but its cry was distorted and twisted by a sickly gurgling sound. It clawed frantically at the arrow in its throat as a trail of blood trickled from its neck, but the efforts only snapped the shaft and twisted the steel head, allowing the blood to flow freely and staining its orange and yellow fur with streaks of red. The Kecha staggered backwards as it clawed desperately at its throat, but it was to no avail. Its panic and terror and the slick ground made it slip over a wet root, and the creature toppled to the ground. The Kecha landed flat on its back, striking a thick root with a loud crack, and let out a sickly cough that sprayed the ground next to it with blood.
Though the beast waved its arms and legs to try and push itself back to its feet, Bram could already tell it was a futile effort. The arrow had punctured the creature's windpipe; it could no longer breath, and was slowly bleeding out. As the beast struggled, Bram drew one last arrow, aiming carefully and launching it directly at the Kecha Wacha's chest. The projectile pierced straight through the orange Pelagus' ribcage, puncturing its heart. The Kecha seized up in pain, wheezed a couple more times, and slumped over dead.
There was only a couple moments of respite after the orange creature died before another sweep of rain rushed through the grove, forcing the hunters to rush towards the nearest trees and hide themselves. Bram's quiver was sloshing with water by the time they managed to get under the boughs of the thicker branches, and even with the small holes drilled into the bottom it would take time to drain.
"Hoy… that was a bigger pain in the butt than I thought it be, hey?" Logan sighed, unslinging his sword and letting himself lean against the trunk.
"Are you okay, Bram?" Sonia asked nervously, staring noticeably at the red stain on his shoulder.
"Yeah… Yes, I'm fine, Sonia. I… I'll need to visit a doctor once we return to Lintukoto, but the bandages should hold until then."
"You sure?"
"For the most part. The doctor will make sure everything's shipshape."
"Alright… If you say so."
Bram sighed wearily, slouching as he leaned against the tree. However, as he rested his back against the bark, he winced slightly as a gush of water swept down his pants and splattered against the roots.
"Hey! What gives, string bean?" Sonia yelped, sliding a little away from him. "I'm wet enough as it is!"
"It's the coat," the archer groaned, tugging at the yellow materials. He wrapped his hand around his wrist and squeezed, releasing a small collection of water that rolled off his fingers and splashed to the ground. "Ludroth sponge, remember? Good for absorbing physical damage… but it retains water rather efficiently."
"So you is a walking fishbowl then," Logan chuckled.
"Don't you Therians hunt monsters underwater?" Leon asked curiously. "How would that kind of thing be useful when swimming?"
"It didn't hinder me while underwater. Ludroth swim with fully-saturated manes, so naturally it wouldn't make sense for it not to be hydrodynamic when wet. It was rather frustrating to have to dry myself off after every underwater hunt or trip through the Flooded Forest."
"Hey, yeah…" Sonia muttered. "I don't think I ever saw you wringing yourself out after a Gobul of Ludroth fight…"
"You simply never saw it, Sonia."
"You guys did really good!" Bram jolted slightly at Violetta's voice and turned to find the huntress standing around the edge of the tree, sidled up next to it just as tightly and wiping the water off of her face. "I thought I might need to play some songs for you guys if things got rough, but it didn't seem like you needed the help. I'm glad things didn't go too sour near the end; my songs get kind of wonky when my horn is waterlogged."
Tuulikki approached the four apprentices with far less subtlety, making her way towards them from where she'd been watching the fight by darting between trees as quickly as she could. Upon reaching the same tree as them, she took a moment to catch her breath and pulled close to the tree alongside them, removing her cap and shaking it off a couple times before returning it to her head.
"Your hunt there was passable," she told them.
"I think you're not being generous enough," Violetta replied.
"...Fine. The Kecha Wacha was much more aggressive than I believed it would be, even after Master Steward's claims. For such a violent creature, you did well adapting to its attacks and using your surroundings to your advantage." The glaive wielder paused for a moment. "However, I cannot say whether this hunt has been enough to develop your skills as you so desire…"
"Thinking we learned something or other," Logan replied.
"You are certain?" Tuulikki asked, though the great sword user shrugged uncomfortably, and the huntress sighed. "Either way, you have only a few more days to beat the Training Hill. If you have taken something from this hunt, you had best hope it's enough to accomplish your goal."
"We've still got a few days to train," Sonia huffed.
"So you do. Well, we shall wait for the rain to die off, and you can carve what you can from the Kecha. The Guild can send a crew to gather the rest once we return to the village and report it… Hopefully the materials aren't too waterlogged by then. Kecha fur tends to smell rather… foul when wet. You have the rest of the week off; use your time as you will."
"I'm sure you already know how we plan to use it," Bram replied as he wrung out the other arm.
"Very well. Your final test will be the morning before the caravan leaves. You have until then to practice what you can."
Author's Note: Please Review! Thanks for reading this chapter about a big orange monkey!
Another chapter that had to be split in two… I wanted to conclude this chapter with the running of the Training Hill on the last day, but I suppose that will have to wait for next time. Now, since the next chapter is going to be pretty short due to being cut in half, does that mean I should release it next week, or keep to my two-week release schedule so I have more time to write? Hmm…
Had another funny typo while writing this chapter; I've mentioned accidentally writing 'killed' instead of 'kissed' in TLC, which led to some amusing plot alterations. This time, instead of writing 'sonic', I unintentionally wrote 'sonia'. The idea of throwing a Sonia Bomb left me in fits of giggles.
I'm trying to take more weather effects into account over the course of the story. MH tends to have very… stable weather conditions, and I hope to have fun toying with the effects of rain and hail and the like. I mean, in the Najarala intro video, the area was dusty and hard to see; just imagine what the fight would have been like if the dust cloud had actually stayed around! When the Kushala Daora is around, it always starts to snow or rain, unless you're in the desert, so shouldn't that have some sort of effect on the hunt as well? In GTA5, there's always a bit of trouble driving when it's raining; just imagine the struggle of trying to climb sheer walls and battle monsters in a downpour.
Not even that, this chapter was HARD to write. Not the talking bits. Those were surprisingly easy, actually. The trouble was the fight scene. I was having a hard time figuring out how best to depict this fight against the Kecha while taking into account the rain, the scatternuts, the trees, and the elevation. It took a lot of tweaking to get everything right, so I hope you enjoyed it!
I know I keep track of the games I play, music I listen to, books I read, and shows I watch. But should I start writing down the kind of crap I look up while writing these chapters? Flying squirrels, pictures of willows, average rainfall for forests and jungles, the leg design of leaping monsters like toads… the list goes on.
Playing: MH4U (I… should probably start playing other games again), Bravely Default, Batman: Arkham Knight, Fire Emblem: Awakening
Listening: Mystery Skulls, Roman Candle, Owl City, Plain White T's, Pet Shop Boys, Silversun Pickups, The Decemberists, Rainer Maria, The Divine Comedy, Wilco, The Album Leaf, My Morning Jacket, Chavez, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Macha, Mad Max: Fury Road OST, Blind Guardian, Avenged Sevenfold
Watching: Overlord, Gate, Kekkai Sensen, Mad Max: Fury Road, Pacific Rim
Reading: Overlord by Maruyama Kugane, Gate by Takumi Yanai, Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Den by Fuse, The Rising of the Shield Hero Vol 2 by Aneko Yusagi, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline