Chapter. 21
Once Zane, Fenrir, Celes, and Leah returned to Val Harbar they found a park to rest. Fenrir laid in the desert grass while Leah began taking measurements of the zinogre. She opened the side of fenrir's mouth to see his teeth. "Your stygian looks healthy, what do you feed him?"
"Well done popo honey steaks. Fenrir loves them." Zane stroked Fenrir's fur, the zinorge cooed then placed it's head in Zane's lap.
"Hey!" Albert came running towards the group. "Where you guys been."
"To the sanctuary, to see some zinogres. what about you?"
"I got back from a hunt with Ivy and Andre."
"How was it?"
"It went well. Ivy went out for another hunt and Andre went to the blacksmith."
Celes snapped her fingers. "That reminds me, I have to get my new equipment at the forge. I'll be right back."
"I'll go with you." Said Zane.
"I'll be fine, back in a minute." The girl took off in a dash.
Zane and Albert watched Leah continue to examine Fenrir and take notes in her pocketbook. When she was done Leah looked over her notes again then put them away. "From what I have here Fenrir's about eight feet long, you keep up his diet and excise he'll hit sixty feet in a year and a half."
"Sixty feet? That's gold crown stasis!" Zane scratched Fenrir's chin. "Let's see those bad guys get you then."
"Makes me want to get a monster companion as well."
"What monster would you want Leah?"
"I don't know, something that can traverse any terrain and wouldn't mind if I ride it."
"We could get a rathalos." Pointed Albert. "What can traverse better then flying over it?"
"Thought you wanted a deviljo?"
"Right, after thinking about it... I don't think I can pay to keep the thing fed." Zane and Leah laughed. "Laugh it up now Zane, you won't be when Fenrir gets to full size."
"Maybe, for now he's my little pup." Fenrir backed lightly at the comment. "Okay, not so little."
"It's like you know what he wants."
Leah tapped Albert on the arm. "Actually a pet owner learns how to read their pets body language-"
Fenrir barked and bared his teeth at Leah. "Fenrir's not my pet. He's my partner."
Leah stepped back out of surprise. "He understood me?"
Zane patted Fenrir on the head, the stygian immediately calmed down. "Monster are smarter then we give them credit for."
"Interesting." Leah took out her pocketbook again to write in it.
"Hey where's Celes?" Albert looked around. "You'd think getting equipment would take that long."
"Oh no." Zane got up and ran to the forge, Fenrir at his side. once there he spotted Andre speaking to someone in seltia armor. "Andre!" Zane ran towards the duel blade user. "You seen Celes? She was getting something-"
"I'm right here." the seltia hunter took off her helmet, reveling herself as Celes. "Like my new armor?"
"Sorry Celes, you were taking so long I thought something happened. I like the green."
"Show him the new sword too." Said Andre. Celes reached behind her back and drew a dark blue long sword. The blade gave off a low humming noise and small sparks. "It's called the eager cleaver, Leah gave me some of the materials to make it.
"Andre looked her over and nodded.
"You look ready for action."
"Come on, Albert and Leah are waiting." Zane lead the two back to the park.
Back at the spot they found their friends were gone and a note stuck to the bench with a knife. Zane pulled out the knife to read the note.
Zane.
We have your friends, if you wish to see them again in one piece you'll come to the everwood to trade Fenrir for their lifes. The life of a beast is a light cost for the one's you hold dear, is it not?
Zane dropped the paper and fell to his knees. Andre picked up the note and read it with Celes, when they finished Celes kneeled down, resting her hand on Zane's back. "This isn't your fualt, this is the work of madmen. People who fear change."
Fenrir rubbed his head on Zane's arm, the boy pet his companion then stood up. "We're getting our friends back."
...
In the Everwood entrance Zane lead the way with his two friends and Fenrir. The tamer didn't have a plan per say but he was sure he'd come up with one when they got there. Andre opened the supply box, finding it empty. "Not suprised, This isn't a hunt. A beast hunt anyway."
Fenrir looked up at Zane and wimpered. "I'll never give you up, we'll show the people who did this what happens when you mess with a stygian." Fenrir barked happily.
In the woods the group held each of their weapons drawn, waiting for an attack as they slowly walked. They stopped as Fenrir stopped and began sniffing the air and took off in a dead run, the hunters sheathed their weapons and gave chase. After pushing through some brush Fenrir stopped and started barking, Zane came out a second behind and lowered down to the zinogre.
"What was that about?"
"Zane..." Studdered Celes.
Zane looked up and saw a Kirin, a blue and white unicorn eating barries off a bush. "We should go, now." Andre slowly walked to Zane, the Tamer stood up and walked to the elder dragon. "Zane!"
The kirin heard Andre and looked up, noticing Zane. The unicorn launched bolts of lightning, none of which hit Zane. Zane kept getting closer the kirin, he held his hand out and touched it's nose.
The unicorn's lightning settled down and gently pushed against Zane's hand. The other's carefully came closer to the kirin, joining in on petting the majestic horse.
"Zane, this is incredible. How did you do this?"
"It just felt right." As Zane pet the kirin a big grin grew on his face, a plan formed in his head. "Time to get our friends back."
...
Deeper in the everwood Leah And Albert laid stuck in a pitfall trip with large barrel bombs with them. Two hunters in deviljio armor with light bowguns stood guard, keeping the two rookies in the trap. A man in qurupeco armor and long sword paced, waiting for Zane.
"The hell is wrong with you all?!" Shouted Albert. "What do you all have against Zane and Fenrir." The two bowgunners aimed at Albert.
The qurupeco hunter drew his long sword. "You only need to know is that your life depents on if your friend shows up soon." The hunter leined down to Albert. "Does it bother you to know that your friend values a monster over you?"
"No I don't!" Zane found the hunters, he held his sword out and Fenrir growled. "All of my friends are importent to me!"
"Then hand over your beast and we'll hand over your friends."
"What do you want with him?"
"You don't need to know."
"And you expect me to just give Fenrir to you?"
The deviljio hunters held out small bombs, ready to be lit. "You don't have the leverage to ask questions, now give me the zinogre." the walked closer to Zane.
"Now!" The kirin leaped out of the trees with Celes on it's back. The horse rode on thunder, shocking the qurupeco hunter. Zane throw a flash bomb and Celes jumped off the kirin tackled one of the deviljio hunters as Andre ran out of the bushes and tackled the other.
Zane ran towards his trapped friends and sidestepped the qurupeco hunter's long sword. He swung at Fenrir but Zane blocked with his shield, the zinogre pounced on the hunter and Zane took away the long sword.
the deviljio hunters got Celes and andre off of them and readied their bowguns, Albert climbed out of the trap and shot the bowgun out of the hands one of the hunters, Leah got out too and slashed with her insect glaive, knocking the weapon away from him. The two hunters went to pick their weapons up, Celes held her sword to one of their necks and Andre crossed his duel blades on the other's neck as well.
Zane held his sword pointed at the qurupeco hunter's eye. "Now who's got the leverage? Now, what do you have against Fenrir?"
"Why do you care?"
"So I can find the guy who's attacking me and ask him why he's doing it." The hunter started speaking in another language, Zane shealthed his sword and grabbed the long sword. The hunter drew his carving knife and charged at the tamer.
"Zane!" shouted Celes.
Zane spun around, swinging the long sword and decapitated the hunter. The deviljio hunter broke away from their capturers and lit up their bombs, blowing themselfs up.
! #$%^&*()_+{:?"}
Please review, it keeps us writers going. Till next time CG out, Peace!