Monster Hunter: The Dragon Crops
In this chapter I'm going to reveal a little about the character Kusaka and his past reflected through Zell's dreams. Enjoy.
Chapter 10
Although he didn't like to admit it Zell was knackered, completely beat. Every step he took only caused his ribs and body more pain. Instead of continuing up the mountain to have a look around he and Benkei returned to the base camp for some much needed rest. Benkei was more than pleased by that because the Tigrex roar still echoed frequently.
Zell crawled onto the bed and made himself comfortable. It would be very doubtful that any hunters would be passing through because the guild master would be trying to prepare everyone possible for the upcoming battle against Lao Shan-Lung and Shen Gaoren. Zell hated the fact he wouldn't be able to battle them, for him any battle with a Lao was a grudge match because one was responsible for killing his father ten years back.
Benkei curled himself up in a ball at Zell's feet and began to purr frequently as he slept. Zell soon found that he himself was tired and threw the blankets over his body. He'd drew the wooden curtains for protection and closed his heavy eyes. A wave of relieve washed over his entire body as the strain was lifted slightly. It wasn't long until he was dreaming…
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A man with straight spiked black hair approached a young Zell. They were standing in the arena with a Yian Kut-Ku caged in the background, the man was Kusaka. Kusaka was probably one of the best young instructors the guild had ever seen, he was kind, strong and respected by all who meet him. He held a large Greatsword over his shoulder, it was the Steel Ice Blade, a powerful weapon crafted from Kushala Daora materials. Kusaka wore a suit of sleeveless armour that was blue in colour with a set of shoulder guards protruding from them, however he wore no tasset, save for a belt which held his whetstones and throwing knives.
"I'm gonna show you how you defeat a Yian Kut-Ku" he said with a deep voice "Instructor keep them all back".
The attendants nodded towards Kusaka and released the angry bird-wyvern which immediately charged towards him, releasing a steady stream of fiery balls from its mouth in whatever direction it pleased! Kusaka draped the Steel Ice Blade over his shoulder before finally holding it out behind him. Despite his appearance he was incredibly strong, effortlessly wielding the heavy sword with one hand. Before the Yian Kut-Ku got too close for comfort Kusaka rolled to the right. The wyvern lost its balance and fell face first upon the ground.
The students looked on with worried expressions upon their faces. Zell watched as Kusaka walked calmly towards the wyvern, the sunlight reflecting off the edge of his sword. The bird-wyvern regained its footing and released a shrill shriek. Nothing but a cocky smile crossed Kusaka's face as he suddenly burst into a quick sprint, closing the distance between him and the wyvern in a matter of seconds.
The wyvern attempted to peck him but he simply sidestepped and lobbed its beak off with a swift horizontal stroke! The monster flailed around violently before Kusaka severed its neck. The monster fell lifeless as the young students cheered loudly. Kusaka placed the Steel Ice Blade on his shoulder and smiled "When I'm done training you you'll be able to kill monsters easily, but that doesn't give you any right to be cocky. Monsters are strong and if you haven't a sharp head on your shoulders it won't be long until your making the rounds through a wyverns stomach"
Zell awoke for a split second after hearing the Tigrex's roar. He looked around before falling back to sleep, a broad grin on his face.
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This time he saw Kusaka teaching them the proper way to use the Greatsword. He was the training schools Greatsword instructor and at the moment was training them in the medium-sized arena. A young Zell found himself there also, hanging on every word Kusaka said. He wasn't a great deal older than they were, only six years but his skill seemed to be many years beyond them. He effortlessly swung the weapon in his hand, performing a series of combos that seemed to completely ignore the weapons lack of speed. Every strike he performed was focused more on defence in case a monster surprised him.
He was also very patient and would repeat his instructions as many times as it took for his student to get it right. Zell placed his hands on a Bone Slasher which was a relatively weak Greatsword but still capable of killing a wyvern. Kusaka watched him eagerly and always stepped in whenever he thought he could give pointers. Kusaka shook his head without impatience and spoke calmly "When you bring the sword back to a ready position don't just bring it back. You need to place the weapon in a defensive manner so you don't get surprised" he said in a kind manner "I'll show you".
Zell watched as his trainer brandished his Steel Ice Blade. Kusaka slashed down vertically before swinging his large weapon horizontally. As he brought it back into a ready position he took his left hand from the handle and placed his left forearm against the flat edge of the sword "Now attack me". Zell nodded his head and smacked the Steel Ice Blade with his Bone Slasher. Just as Kusaka expected his stance wasn't broken "See? This way the blade and your forearm absorb the majority of the impact. It ain't a good tactic to use all the time because it reduces the sharpness of your sword and numbs your arm, but it can get you out of a scrape" he said as he laughed quietly "Keep practicing and you'll get it eventually".
Zell tried his best to get it right but he simply didn't have enough strength in his right arm to hold the weapon effectively. Every time he released his left hand his right arm shook under the weight of the weapon, but he was doing better than the other students who dropped it every time they attempted to hold it in one hand.
Kusaka looked at him and grinned "Good job guys your getting the hang of it! Zell" he said as he looked towards the youngster "Come with me".
Zell followed him without hesitation. Kusaka stopped at a large stone and pointed at it "This stone is heavier than a Bone Slasher, when you can lift it you'll be able to hold the Bone Slasher in one hand" Kusaka had a basic method of training, but it was incredibly effective and simple, another fact that made him popular among the students.
Zell placed the sword on the ground beside him and dropped to the ground. He started to do push-ups. Kusaka had told him push-ups and sit-ups were some of the most effective exercises a hunter could perform. Push-ups increased the strength in ones arm and push-ups helped to increase durability and defence. Kusaka was strange in the fact he wore very little armour, save for a padded suit of leather which tightly guarded his vital organs. He was probably one of the only hunters in Minegarde that relied on speed to defeat his enemies, he only had a handful of scars and those were mainly received during training.
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Deacon was still watching over Ellie as she slept, he didn't want to risk leaving her alone because he knew the men who attacked her knew she was here. He didn't know why he intervened, didn't know why he sheltered her, or even why he was nursing her back to health, all he knew was that it felt like something he needed to do. Garet still wasn't back and Deacon wondered what his reaction would be when he saw Ellie recuperating in his home, he guessed he wouldn't care.
Sheila was more than happy to help, she knew medicine like the back of her own hand and was arguably the closest thing Pokke Village had to a herbalist specialist. Ellie had a fever and Deacon couldn't help but be worried. There was something about her, he couldn't put his finger on it, she just seemed familiar to him.
Sheila wasn't around either, she'd slipped away after brewing a few concoctions for Ellie's condition. Deacon thought if they tasted as bad as they smelled then he'd prefer the natural way to heal, but he remembered his mother telling him the more bitter the thing is the better it is for the body. A cold wind blew through the open window, but it was pleasant. The felynes were restless as usual, playing cards and arguing among each other. Deacon moved them into Garet and Zell's room but he could still hear them "Shut up in there will ya!?" he shouted in an angry tone "There's a girl trying to sleep in here".
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Garet stalked up the path slowly, his mind straying back and forth between different subjects. The recent increase in monsters was beginning to worry him more than it did in the past "Yian Kut-Ku's and Daimyo Hermitaur are one thing, but a Lao and a Gaoren? This is getting ridiculous" He thought as he dragged his feet through the melting snow. The sun had come out again and bathed the village in a warm, welcome heat. Garet stopped and looked skyward. Birds flew past in flocks, he guessed it was time for them to migrate "Come to think of it the Spring Night Carp should be returning to the lake near the farm soon. I could eat those things all day"
A slow wind was blowing, despite the fact the sun was high in the sky the prevailing wind from the mountain was enough to cancel it out. He squinted as the sun shone upon the large piece of Machalite ore near the village elder. He couldn't understand where such a large piece came from but decided he'd walk on. Merchants were pushing their way past him as they rushed to sell their wares.
Despite Pokke being a small village the merchants loved coming because it was the only region with Anteka, Popo and Blango and their skins fetched a nice price in other areas, especially from the women of the guild town. Garet found only a few uses for merchants: Ferrying him from place to place, bringing him valuable materials and the stories they told were among the useful things they done. Merchants travelled anywhere they could make a quick buck and were often the source of a hunting bill. Garet couldn't begin to count how many times hunters like himself were called upon by merchants to kill a monster who had either blocked their trade route or attacked their caravan.
He finally tired of walking around aimlessly and walked towards his house with long strides. Nothing would please him more than to go in and sleep but he knew rightly that he wouldn't be fit, he was too worried about Zell. The door opened with a creek.
Deacon turned instantly and walked towards Garet "Hey buddy" said Deacon in a suspicious manner "How you been?"
"Are you on drugs?" said Garet in a sarcastic manner "What do you want this time?"
Deacon scratched the back of his head and smiled in a comical fashion "Am I that easy to see through? Okay get this" he said trying his best to look innocent "There were these guys, well it was really a girl".
Garet raised an eyebrow and sighed "…Where is she?"
Deacon raised a single finger and waved it around "Let me finish. These guys were gonna, you know" "No I don't know Deacon, explain" retorted Garet. Deacon paced back and forth before finally pointing into the kitchen "They were trying to force themselves on her as I walked past. I did what I had to".
Garet walked straight past him. He suddenly clenched his fists in anger and punched the closest wall, hurting his already broken finger even more "Ellie? Who did this? Speak!"
Deacon was actually greatly surprised by Garet's reaction and stood speechless. He finally spoke "That wasn't the reaction I was expecting" he said as he scratched the back of his head "…Do you know her?"
"Know her?" replied Garet angrily, his hands clenched so tightly Deacon thought he'd draw blood "She's my fucking sister!" The words were like a hammer blow to Deacon who stood with his mouth basically dangling by his feet "Come again?"
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Zell lay staring at the ceiling. He didn't want to fall asleep because he knew he'd only dream about Kusaka again "This is getting ridiculous. I see the grim reapers double and automatically assume it's Kusaka. This must be what its like to loose your mind" he thought as he closed his eyes "I'm going to regret this". The mighty roar of the Tigrex became less distinct as Zell once again fell into his dream world.
This time he was in the Jungle with Kusaka. Kusaka was tasked to kill as many Yian Kut-Ku's as possible because the area had experienced a recent boom and he decided to take Zell and Garet along for the hunt. Kusaka was skilled enough to kill them himself but he saw that Zell and Garet needed first hand experience more than his lectures.
It was raining, but Kusaka didn't mind in the slightest, in fact he proffered it because when it was raining there was less light which helped him ambush his opponents. The rain dripped from Kusaka's shoulder guards as he walked ahead of Zell and Garet so he could easily defend them if something attacked from the front. Zell also noticed that his instincts were top notch, Kusaka was always aware of his surroundings and the people and monsters around him.
He suddenly stopped and looked around "Move to the right" he said in a quiet tone. The two boys moved quickly to the right seeking shelter under the leaves of a tree and a hedge at the trees base. Kusaka joined them and pointed at the spot they were standing on a few seconds ago. A Blue Yian Kut-Ku flapped its wings as it descended. Zell and Garet looked at each other in disbelief and gripped their weapons tighter and tighter.
Kusaka remained perfectly still, only moving once and that was to grab his Steel Ice Blade. The bird-wyvern released a quiet shriek before walking away. A broad grin crossed Kusaka's face as he walked silently towards the wyvern. As he walked into the open he suddenly broke into a sprint! The wyvern turned as though it was responding but its skull was soon split clean in two, splattering the area with wyvern blood.
The two youngsters looked at Kusaka and smiled, they couldn't help but admire him. He turned his back on the dead wyvern and walked back towards Zell and Garet "The biggest tip I can give you is trust your instincts, if you have a gut feeling then go with it" he said slowly before looking skyward "Get ready boys, I'm leaving this one to you".
Zell and Garet looked at one another with dumb looks on their faces before finally looking skyward through the small gaps in the leaves. Another Yian Kut-Ku landed, only this one was red. Kusaka flicked his head in the direction of the wyvern and pointed at it with his Greatsword "If you get in trouble I'll intervene, go get it lads" he said in an upbeat tone.
Kusaka walked past the youngsters and sat upon a nearby rock. The two couldn't understand why he was being so lax and decided they'd fight the wyvern. Zell drew the Bone Slasher while Garet drew the Bone Katana Dragon, weapons given to them by Kusaka himself. Zell wore an average suit of battle mail while Garet wore an average suit of hunters mail, again given to them by Kusaka.
They hated the Jungle. The lush green vegetation and monsoon-like weather annoyed them more than they thought. The leaves and trees made visibility poor at best while the rain dulled it more. Every step they took they found themselves standing in wet mud, a thing no one liked. It was dark currently despite it being the daytime, the rain clouds saw to that.
They edged closer and closer to the wyvern before it turned and spotted them. It shrieked loudly before charging towards them, pecking the earth repeatedly as it moved. Zell slashed upwards before swinging the Bone Slasher horizontally, mirroring the moves Kusaka showed him exactly. As the weapon cut through the wyverns scaly skin he brought the sword back and removed his left hand from the handle. He placed his left forearm to the flat edge of his sword and managed to block the Kut-Ku's angry peck!
Zell was sent skidding several meters away but his stance wasn't broken. Taking advantage of the situation Garet weaved towards the wyvern and struck its left leg, knocking it over in the process. Without hesitation he brought the weapon down and managed to lodge it halfway through the Kut-Ku's wing! Blood sprayed from the wound and stained the earth, the leaves and Garet.
Zell's left arm was numb but that didn't stop him, he ran forward with all speed and swung the Bone Slasher with only his right hand and lodged it in the wyverns back. The monster shrieked in agony as it rose to its feet, a red flame surrounding its beak.
The two backed away as the wyvern rose into the air and began to circle around them. Before they could even hit the deck the wyvern swooped down, its feet aimed for both hunters! They dove for cover barely avoiding the wyvern. Kusaka noticed immediately and mobilized quickly. He threw a sonic bomb skywards and knocked the Kut-Ku out of the air. Without hesitating he slashed the beast across the chest with a powerful blow before looking at the two "You did well, never allow a Kut-Ku to take to the skies, they either attack or flee, but it's mostly flee" said Kusaka in a kind tone "Okay there's still more we need to deal with, let's go".
They now walked towards the sandy shore near the base camp. The area was particularly dangerous because powerful piscine wyverns and leviathans swam in the depths of the raging water. Waves battered the shore and soaked the three hunters. Kusaka simply removed a pair of goggles from his belt and equipped them. Zell and Garet did the same. It was an easy method to stop water and improve visibility and it was working.
The two stopped instantly as Kusaka raised his fist into the air "Get back to the base camp" worry engulfed his usually kind voice "Go!" The boys nodded and rushed back to the camp. Zell looked at the water and then at Kusaka who was standing very still.
Something suddenly burst from the surface of the water, it was a Plesioth! The massive piscine wyvern landed roughly ten feet from Kusaka who turned his body to face it. Before Zell and Garet could even move to help their master he cast them a warning nod which basically said come here and I'll kill you myself.
The Plesioth took notice of the hunter immediately and whipped its large tail around to hit him. Kusaka ducked beneath it but the tail kept going and collided with the side of the cliff, knocking rocks and boulders onto the sand below! Kusaka backed up and breathed out in relieve as a large rock landed where he once stood.
Zell and Garet knew he needed help but they also knew he wouldn't want to place them in danger. They watched helplessly as the man they admired and trusted fought alone. Kusaka was sent skidding across the sand, barely blocking the hugely powerful tail of the Plesioth. His breathing became heavy as he was sent skidding again, he was being sent further and further towards the water.
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Zell suddenly jumped awake as he saw Kusaka hit the surface of the water! Sweat covered his forehead and body, his breathing was heavy and his ribs ached. The room was blurred but his vision soon refocused. Benkei had awoken also and sat staring at Zell with large eyes "Nya? What's wrong nya?"
"Nothing" said Zell in a tone that said otherwise "Just a bad dream" He rose from the bed and grabbed his small sword. "Come on Benkei, were going back. Its to dangerous up here with a Tigrex on the loose". Benkei was actually surprised at the news and followed his companion eagerly, the small katana now in his hand.
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A lone hunter stood on the summit of the Snowy Mountains, the roar of the Tigrex didn't seem to affect him due to the fact he was wearing a full suit of Yian Garuga armour with the Garuga mask. He was equipped with a Tigrex lance. The wind suddenly hissed and he turned as if to check if there was something behind him. He looked relieved when there wasn't.
"Good day Nitro" A deep voice echoed from behind the man who turned slowly to face it "W-Who are you? What do you want?"
It was the mysterious stranger who wore the death stench armour. He reached for his Fatalis Scythe "What do I want? You already know Nitro, I want vengeance for what you and the guild done to me".
Nitro screwed his face up under his helm and backed up slightly "It couldn't be!" The mysterious suddenly ran forward and slashed once, bathing the snow of the mountain in blood… The man returned his scythe to his back and walked away. The lone hunter lay dead, a large wound spanning the entire length of his chest, the blow had easily cut through the left-hand side of the armour. Blood flowed freely staining the snow.
The mysterious man's face was hidden by his hood, the only part of his face visible was his mouth which moved into a sickly smile as though he was pleased by his action. A lone felyne approached him and bowed at his feet. The felyne was black in colour and wore armour mimicking its master. A small notepad with a list of names rested in his hands and he ticked of Nitro "Nya master, your revenge is almost complete".
"Yes Raven, but there are a few things we must take care of first" he said in a happy tone. Raven smirked "Nya, I will lure them here when he heals". The two turned their backs on Nitro's dead body and walked into the distance as the roar of the Tigrex echoed loudly…
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I'll have the next chapter posted soon; any help or comments given are greatly appreciated, thanks for reading!