The Capital City. It was built in the early ages to symbolize the first alliance between different tribes to combat monsters who lurk in the vicinity. It was the center of trade, arts, entertainment, and even migration. It's vast variety of people quickly made it the most popular city in the known territory. Many battles were fought there, many times its walls were destroyed, and many times it has been rebuilt. But not anymore. The Lao-Shan Lung that the defense force failed to stop has decimated the whole city, literally taking it down to the ground. The army was forced to retreat and scatter after taking heavy casualties. The citizens followed the tail of the army, clinging to their only hope of protection.
A few weeks after the fall of the Capital City, the Army marched into Pokke Village and razed the village, burning the houses down, and rounding up all the villagers. The Elder Council refused the army's wish to eradicate the Village along with everyone who lived in it, for fear of corruption by Ian. Instead, any and all villagers from Pokke Village were exiled to the Unknown Territory. To their dismay, they did not find any trace of Ian or any of his loyal accomplices. The villagers continue on with their exile, fending for themselves in the Unknown Territory.
"Let me go!" Mikan yelled as she tried to pull her arm away from Ian's grasp.
They have been travelling towards the Elder Council even before the Capital City was destroyed. Right now, Ian and his two subjects, along with Mikan, were in the forests right outside of the Elder Council's tower. It was still a day or two's hike away, but they were close.
"No. You're coming with me, and you're staying with me because I'm your husband!" Ian slaps Mikan harshly.
Mikan retailiates by punching Ian straight in the jaw, which staggered the man. His two fledglings quickly restrained Mikan as Ian recovered.
"I always knew you were feisty."
"Shut up! I don't want to be with you, or have anything to do with you, now let me go!" Mikan struggled to break free.
"Take her into the carriage. We'll deal with her later." Ian ordered.
Mikan was thrown harshly into the carriage, as Ian ordered, and was locked there. She sighed and looked at her hands. Tears of anguish and hatred rolled down Mikan's cheek as she saw the wedding ring. Ian threatened to kill Kaoru if Mikan didn't marry him, and she unwillingly accepted. Even though she has been married, been made love to, and even abused by Ian, Mikan's mind always lingers on the last time she saw Azen. His blank eyes and bloodied appearance were seared into her mind. The last bits of warmth she felt from his body remained on her skin. His smile remained in her heart.
She never really openly admitted it to Azen, or rather, she did admit it to Azen already. But he was too injured to even properly comprehend what she said to him. Her confession of love to him marked a turning point in Mikan's life. Never had she been so soft, so caring, so worried, about anyone else before. She's grown used to living alone, being snobbish, and somewhat arrogant. She refused to show her gentle side to anyone, because she strived to be viewed as on par with the other hunters. Her slender body often times gave off the wrong idea that she was weak. She sighed. The leather of the Nargacuga Set that she was wearing felt rather slimy, and the fishnets made her feel cold whenever night time comes.
Mikan's orange eyes glistened with tears. She still felt responsible for Azen's death, and never before had she been so sad about one person. She's seen plenty of people die during quests, but Azen's death struck her heart in particular. Perhaps it was because she had feelings for him, and that in itself explains a lot.
"If only... If only I was strong enough... to help him..." Mikan whispered to herself.
She lay down in the carriage and cried herself to sleep.
"What business does a traitor have in these hallowed grounds?" asked the Chief Elder.
"I come to let you hear my demands!" Ian said.
"Well, considering this could be your last request, let's hear it." replied the Chief Elder.
"I want power. I want to rule the Known Territory. All of it will be under by leash, and you shall be my tool!"
"Sadly, you don't have enough-"
"Authority? Power? Worry not old man." Ian snapped, and a whole pack of velociprey came jumping into the tower. The Velocidrome killed the Honor Guards in an instant, since they were not prepared for this.
The Elders sat there, shocked at what has just unfolded in front of them.
"So. What say you to giving me, my friends and my wife a city to live in, as well as complete rule over it, hm?"
"Wake up." Vaela said, pouring water on Azen's face.
Azen awoke with a jolt, but then sighed quickly after seeing that there was no real danger. There was, however a large group of armed people. "What's going on...?" asked Azen as he sat up.
"You're in exile. We'll have to get you to the Unknown Territory, or we'll have to kill you. It's your choice."
"W-What? What did I do? I only helped with the defense, I didn't do anything wrong!" protested Azen.
"It's not because of what you did. It's because of one of your villagers. He controlled a Lao-Shan Lung and ordered it to attack the Capital City. If you don't remember, it's the one that you failed to stop." stated Vaela. "The Elder Council has placed Pokke Villagers into exile. All of them, and that includes you." she added.
"Well... where am I supposed to go...? Where exactly in the Unknown Territory?" Azen asked, now standing up.
"We don't know. There's a reason it's called 'Unknown Territory', you know."
"I see..." Azen stared at the ground.
"Well, get going! The Unknown Territory is that way." Vaela pointed to a mountain in the distance. A rather large forest separated Azen from the mountain. "I'm ordering my men to attack if you don't leave this instant."
Azen scowled. There was absolutely no justice in exiling all of the Pokke Villagers for one man's act. He stood there and glared at Vaela in defiance.
"Very well." Vaela snapped, and arrows quickly flew towards Azen. Four arrows stuck out from his chest, and two more at his leg. "Are you going to leave now?"
Azen hesitated, then limped away towards the forest. His armor didn't hold up at all against the arrows. Perhaps bowguns were the one that shot the arrows.
It took a long while for Azen to finally reach the Unknown Forest. He left small blood trails, and he quickly dropped to his knees when he reached a stream in the forest. The ambient sounds of monsters in the area can be heard, and it was somewhat soothing. It gave off the feeling of being in the wilderness without the controlled environment. The lush green grass and the occasional swaying of the tree's soothed Azen. He sighed, then blacked out.
"Hey princess, come look at this." A short, red-haired girl who had jade-colored eyes and a smile that resembled a Felyne peered down on the slumped over body of Azen. "Looks like he was in one hell of a fight."
"Don't touch it, Misaka." said a tall, elegant woman with smooth long, onyx hair tied up in a ponytail. Her eyes resembled the midnight sky, and there was an air of authority around her.
"Aww... but come on, this is the first time we've seen someone using Genprey scales mixed with some metal for armor... And look at this sword... It's really really long, and if I'm not mistaken, the sheathe's covered in velociprey hide!" exclaimed Misaka, making quick observations on Azen's gear.
Azen slowly opened his eyes from the noise Misaka was making, and he looked at her.
"Ah! Look, he's awake!" Misaka said to the elegant woman.
The tall, slender woman crouches in front of Azen and asks him, "Who are you, and where are you from?"
Azen furrowed his brows weakly. The girls were talking in a language he did not understand. He didn't know what the slender woman just said, or what the lively one was saying. It was all foreign to him. He made a grunt and tried to stand, but the slender woman puts her foot on him and he falls back down.
"That's what you get for ignoring the princess's questions~." commented Misaka. However, she quickly noticed the remains of arrows embedded into Azen's chest and leg, then looked up to the princess. "Princess, please lift your foot from him. There seems to be something on his chest..."
The Princess did as Misaka asked, then rolled Azen over with her foot. Both of them had a slight gasp when they saw what had happened to him. "It's somewhat surprising to see he's not dead yet." said the Princess.
Misaka scooped some water from the stream and poured it towards Azen's mouth. He coughed at the sudden intake of water and started to panic, thinking that he was drowning, but Misaka held his head and pets him like a lost animal. Azen calmed down. "Aha! Can we keep him, Princess?"
"As long as you're the one to take him back." replied the Princess as she starts walking. Misaka grabs Azen by the collar and drags him as she follows the princess.
The princess and Misaka returned to their village, hidden deep in the forest. The girls were on a long range patrol around their village when they spotted Azen. It was a woman-ruled village, with the men being the minor population. The villagers seem to be using everything from the forest to survive, from the wood on the trees to the sap it gives. When the Princess gave the word to have the medical house prepare to treat Azen's wounds, the village was in a buzz. Some went off to help the medical house and call the medical women, and some would question Misaka and the Princess as to how they stumbled upon this strange man.
When the preparations were done, Azen was brought to the medical house. There, he was treated for his wounds, both new and old, and the treatment lasted a few hours. Afterwards, it was revealed to the Princess and Misaka -who visited Azen when they were informed that he was done being treated- that Azen was too weak to even stand by himself. He was to be nursed back to health, but until then, he must remain in the medical house. The Princess was a bit upset, because she wanted to know where Azen came from, if there was more of his people coming, or if he was here because he was a criminal.
One day, when Azen was staring blankly at the ceiling, he would hear the sounds of monsters being slain. After that, Misaka would come cheerily with the hide of some monster. She would talk to him in the language foreign to Azen but she would look happy. Sometimes she looks like she would brag, then she'd pretend she was wearing the hide, and she'd display it to him. It already seemed like a tradition between them, but every time she was about to leave, she would stroke his hair like he was her pet.
There are those rare occasions where the Princess visits Azen. However, after his third week, she started coming with what seemed to be books. She would sit there and read silently to herself, occasionally looking at Azen. Azen concluded in his mind that she was probably keeping watch, just so he wouldn't do anything funny. However, she did nurse him when he needed. She would get a hot towel if he was having a fever, but there were things Azen didn't really remember. Azen always took note of how the Princess - however not knowing of the Princess's role - had a cold look in her eyes. To be honest, he would feel threatened, but his mind is put to ease when she returns to her reading.
But then, the Princess decided to sit on Azen's bed and helped him sit up. She would read a book to him while pointing to the words. She made him repeat some of the words, and over time, Azen formulated simple sentences by himself. However, after that, the Princess would only drop by to give him a letter filled with sentences that increased in difficulty to Azen. Little did he know, he was being educated to speak their language so that they can interrogate him.
Azen's dreams consisted of Mikan, Pokke Village, and snow. He longed to go home, yet every time he tried, he would end up somewhere further away. He would dream about the gentle breeze that circulates in Pokke Village, or of the white pure snow. But what always appeared in his dreams was Mikan. Her orange eyes delighted him, and he longed to see them again in person.
Azen awoke from a vivid dream. The sun was high in the sky, and the trees rustled and swayed with the wind. He looked around. The medical house was empty. Azen sat up, and swung his legs around the bed. Surprisingly, his armor was repaired, and was placed neatly on the bed next to his. He was wearing his everyday clothing, and he slowly walked outside, and he was greeted with a punch to the arm.
"Good to see you can walk by yourself now, pet! I always admire men who strive to be strong like the women!" Misaka said.
Azen scowled a bit, then spoke. To his surprise, it was as if Misaka's language was his native tongue. "I am not 'pet'. I am Azen."
"Ah, nice pronounciation! No accent whatsoever."
"Thank you."
"So, want to have a little walk with me?"
"Where?"
"Around." Misaka said, then grabbed Azen's wrist and started walking.
At first, Azen thought they were just walking in circles, but it became obvious that it was intentional, so that he could get a glimpse of the village and have a good idea of the layout. However, Azen and Misaka stopped on top of a hill. It had a nice view of the Unknown Forest, and on the hill was a rather large open arena. It was actually just a plot of land enclosed with wooden fences, and the audiences stood outside and around it. It seemed like there was a battle going on.
"Come, come!" Misaka insisted, as she pushed the people to the side in front of her and dragged Azen to the fence to get a good view. The Princess was having a spar with another woman from the village.
The spar ended quickly with the Princess taking the win, and the audience dispersed as they returned to their work. The Princess wiped the sweat off of her forehead, and Misaka jumped over the fence to meet her.
"That was spectacular, as always, Princess!" Misaka said.
"Thank you. ...What's he doing here?" The Princess said, looking at Azen.
"Oh, I decided to take him for a walk!"
"Hmm..." The Princess pointed to Azen, "You there! Come here."
Azen perked up exactly as how Misaka viewed him as, a pet, then went into the arena.
"Good. Tell me, why do you wear tools and armor made out of monster material?" asked the Princess.
"I am a hunter." Azen replied promptly.
"A what?" the Princess asked with a confused face.
"A hunter."
"...I see. Alright then, show me what you can do." The Princess nodded to Misaka, who brought two wooden long swords. The Princess took one, and Azen took one. "You may attack when you're ready."
Azen nodded, then held the long sword. His hands were shaking, and his arms felt weak. Ignoring his current disadvantage, Azen swung his long sword at the Princess, which she blocks with no difficulty. She kicks his leg so that he would fall to a knee, then held his chin provocatively. "Too slow. Work on recovering from your strikes so that you can strike again without delay." Afterwards, she let her index finger slide off of his chin as she retracted her hand, and resumed her position.
Azen struck one more time, the Princess parries, but Azen spun in such a manner that he managed to get a second strike in. However, the Princess was still able to deflect it. "Better. I think I can make a good warrior out of you." she said with delight.
Everyday onwards, Azen spent most of his day training with the Princess and Misaka, both of them alternating days or even at the same day. His muscles would be sore and he would be bruised, but he was always rewarded by Misaka with an extra serving of food and drink.
"Why do you treat me like pet?"
"Why do you treat me like A pet. You missed a syllable." Misaka corrected Azen.
"Well, answer my question, please."
"I don't know. You just look really weak! Besides, every time I tell you to do something, or if I reward you, you act like a little dog. And the Princess said I can keep you, so you're my pet."
"That's rather odd, don't you think?" Azen retorted.
"A little bit. But who knows, you could have been a pet in your previous life."
The two would laugh by a bonfire, and slowly, Misaka introduced Azen to the culture of the village.
Misaka would sometimes punch him playfully hard, and they'd have a round of punching each other, but Azen always misses or gets blocked, and he gets beaten in the end. When it was time to retire to bed, Azen would pretend he was asleep, but when no one seems to be awake, he sneaks out into the arena and practices the lessons he had been taught.
Mikan awoke slowly. Her vision was a bit blurry, and but she quickly recognized the lavish decorations. She sat up suddenly, and saw that she was in some royal bedchamber. It was like in the stories, where there were a lot of fancy things around. She scowled, then walked to a window. She noticed that she was high up in a castle, presumably Ian's. There were monsters flying about, like a Rathalos or a Kut-Ku. Mikan took a look around, and saw that there was almost no one in the area. She snuck out of her room, and looked from corridor to corridor. She wore a shroud to conceal her identity, and she walked down the Servant's Corridors to avoid detection from the guards.
"Mikan, are you awake?" Ian said, as he walked into Mikan's room. He was shocked that she wasn't there, and that her sheets were ruffled. He cursed silently, knowing that she was trying to escape once more. He felt Mikan's bed and noticed it was still fairly warm. She couldn't have gone too far. Ian marched through the corridors, alerting the guards to search for Mikan while he searched for her as well.
The distinct sound of boots marching alerted Mikan. She frowned. The guards are looking for her. She was walking towards the end of the corridor when suddenly four guards appeared. She hastily retreated to the upper floor. However, the guards kept pursuit. They searched all floors for Mikan, and Mikan was forced to retreat one floor each time. When she reached the top floor of the castle, she sighed and quietly cried. If the guards caught her, she would be forced to be with Ian once again, and that was something she no longer could bear. However, time wasn't on Mikan's side. The guards were approaching the top floor, and there was no where else to go.
Mikan opened a window. The sheer height was enough to scare her, but the guards were getting close. She had made up her mind. Instead of spending her life with Ian, she will just end it here, and join Azen in the afterlife. Before the guards could come, she jumped out.
Never before had Mikan felt so relaxed. She was falling, and it felt entirely different from resting after a hard quest. She sighed. She was happy she met Azen. She was happy that she jumped. Her tears rose from her cheeks as she fell, but then she felt the sudden stop, as if something caught her.
She looked behind her to see a Kut-Ku's claw holding her, and she sobbed quietly. The monster carefully started landing on the courtyard.
Ian was there, and he ran to Mikan as the Kut-Ku released her. "Are you alright?" he asked.
Mikan didn't respond, and Ian was worried that she was injured. He had the doctor check up on Mikan.
An hour later, the doctor knocked on Ian's office.
"Come in." Ian said.
The doctor opened the door and bowed to Ian, then said with a rather flat voice, "Good news, or bad news, my lord?"
"Let's start with the bad news."
"Your wife is depressed. She wouldn't talk to anyone. I would recommend that you spend more time with her until she recovers. Fortunately, the good news has already done that for you."
"What do you mean? The good news cheered her out of her depression?"
"Yes. She was rather delighted when she found out, and she seemed even more beautiful than ever before, might I add."
Ian stood up. This was definitely something big if it was able to change Mikan's attitude in an instant. "Tell me, doctor, what is the good news?"
The doctor put a hand on Ian's shoulder and smiled faintly. "You're going to be a father soon, my lord."