Derek reached the villagers together with the remaining hunters, the Felyne Comrades were carrying some burned companions. The azure hunter spotted Yoru crouched on the ground. ``Is everyone okay?!´´ the hunter asked, he saw the burn marks all around the villagers. ``Everyone is fine, I think.´´ Shen stepped forward, he pointed to the fallen huntress. Meanwhile Gray rushed to see his crew. ``Yoru! Yoru! Are you okay?´´ the azure hunter shook the huntress, she stood up and suddenly hugged him.
``I thought you were dead…´´ she murmured, sobbing. ``Ouch!´´ the hunter exclaimed so let huntress left him. ``Elvis?´´ Yoru asked, ``He´s fine.´´ Derek pointed to the medic hunter which was checking the villagers, the huntress sighed. ``How many?´´ she asked serious, her expression was dark. ``Deaths? 23 hunters, 2 of them are fatally injured and…3 burned felynes´´ Derek looked back at the Felyne Comrades, they were being checked by Gray. Yoru rushed to meet the cats.
The burned felynes were on the ground over some emergency sheets brought by their comrades. Wai was taking care of Pasir. ``Oh…Nightfury.´´ Pasir mumbled trying to stand up, the rest looked at the huntress with a mix of joy and sadness. ``Pasir! What happened to you?´´ the huntress crouched and grabbed the felyne with her arms. ``Meow. That Rathian was way nastier than the one we fought before, hehehe.´´ the felyne coughed. ``But we defended our home! We fought the monster…are the people safe?´´ he asked losing his voice, the huntress nodded. ``Then we did our job, protected our home while Nightfury was away. It feels good…´´ the cat coughed again. ``Don´t talk anymore, you need to rest.´´ she fought the urge to hug the felyne but it would only cause pain to the cat. Wai saw a tear falling from the huntress face.
``I´m sorry Pasir…for not being here. You did a great job, you did a really good job. You can rest for the next week or month if necessary. Just rest okay?´´ Yoru snuffled, Pasir smiled, ``Meow…thank you. Don´t worry, I won´t die. It takes more than a fireball to kill us.´´ the felyne closed his eyes, Yoru noticed that his belly was still going up and down. Felynes were actually more resistant than they looked, they could survive extreme heat and cold without too much trouble and there were reports of some surviving even nasty injuries (one of them was Yoru´s watcher).
Wai felt guilt, it looked like Pasir was telling the truth in the end, slowly she walked to talk with the huntress. ``Meow! I´m sorry, Nightfury.´´ Wai said with arms crossed in the front, ``I remember you. Water isn´t it? Or it is Wai? For what are you apologizing?´´ Yoru asked. ``Pasir and I had a discussion some minutes ago, before he rushed to help the hunters, meow. I said you were scary and violent. He argued that you were kind and I didn´t believe his words…I´m sorry.´´ the felyne bowed. ``You´re right, I lose control sometimes. It is just…THAT DAM RATHIAN!´´ Yoru shook her head, Wai backed away as the huntress gritted her teeth. The red haired woman looked at Pasir which was sleeping, with great control she calmed down and then sighed.
Yoru searched something in her pouch, she found a small flask containing a orange liquid. ``This is an immunizer, it will make his burnings heal quicker. Pour on his burnings after he awakes, he will probably scream and move so don´t be surprised. For now let him sleep.´´ the huntress gave the flask to Wai. ``Where are you going?´´ the felyne asked. ``I have to find a certain person…´´ Yoru clenched her teeth and closed her fists, she walked back to the villagers.
Meanwhile Kai caught Yue trying to sneak away, the man had caught the huntress when she tried to flee through the small streets of the village. ``Let me go! Do you know who I am?!´´ the rich woman protested, ``You´re a thief, we found your jewels with the bandits. You are under arrest!´´ the guild master stated with glaring eyes, Yue shivered at the look. Kai started to make his way back to the villagers. ``Don´t even think about offering me jewels.´´ the man said as he saw the woman looking around for a way out.
Yoru spotted the duo and so made her way towards them. ``Oh no! Don´t let her get closer! Please no!´´ Yue panicked when she saw the huntress slowly getting closer. ``I would have thought better before demanding the theft of a weapon.´´ Kai simply said. Yoru stood in front of them, the blue haired woman tried to flee but the hunter´s grip was strong.
``So! I heard you asked those thieves to steal my sword!´´ Yoru said cheerfully giving small taps on Yue´s shoulder, the blue haired huntress was shaking more than a naked man in the Southern Snowy Mountains. ``I didn´t know you wanted it so bad! You could have just asked!´´ the red haired huntress grabbed her longsword. ``Wait! Yoru, I know you are angry and everything but you can´t kill her! She will be locked in a cell for a very long time.´´ the hunter said.
``Where did you get the idea I was going to kill her?!´´ Yoru asked surprised, still keeping her cheerful voice. ``If she wants the sword, then I will give my sword! Can you turn her?´´ the red haired asked, Kai shook his head to the left and then to the right. `` Come on! I won´t strike her back or anything like that! I will simply put the sword on her back´´ the huntress smiled. ``Oh! Now I understand.´´ the hunter said forcefully tuning the huntress, ``Won´t she be crushed by the weight?´´ Kai thought. ``You´re doing it again.´´ Yoru denoted, she held the sword with both hands and raised it so she could put the blade on the supports.
After putting the sword into place Yoru still held it, ``Since none of my closest friends died, I am considering being "nice" with you. But 23 hunters died and that number could be way lower if I were here…I don´t know if I should do the worst way. Well, houses were burned and I HOPE some of them were your family´s deposits. Okay! I won´t do it!´´ Yoru gently pushed Yue as she left the sword on her back.
Yue fell on her back with a gasp, Yoru had to dodge to avoid the crushing weight. ``Wow! I didn´t thought it was so heavy!´´ Kai stated as he watched the blue haired huntress struggling to get up. ``This is what you get! You should be happy you know, if I didn´t push you your legs would be broken by now.´´ Yoru stood in front of Yue. ``But we can´t forget the most important! If you wish to keep the sword you have to feel what it took me to get it!´´ Yoru drew her one of her twin swords. ``No! Please don´t kill me!´´ Yue begged, Kai was going to interfere but the black armored huntress raised her left arm. ``She will feel what I felt right before I reached the sword. I didn´t die so she won´t die. I will treat any injury she receives, believe me. There won´t be any more deaths today.´´ the huntress stated, ``Because in the end, I AM a huntress of Kokoto, I can´t kill my fellow hunters, even if I want to.´´ Yoru sighed.
Yoru had a burning rage inside her body, enough rage to act as fuel for a furnace for yeas straight. However, this rage was focused on the monster responsible for most of her problems and it was far greater than the hatred for the pampered huntress. So, for now, she decided to keep this hatred in check.
The red haired huntress pointed her sword at Yue´s left eye, ``First! You must lose part of your vision!´´ Yoru stated with the blade dangerously close to said eye. ``Please! I will do anything! Money! Items! Armor! Anything!´´ Yue suggested, Yoru retreated the sword. ``Anything?´´ Yoru asked as she rubbed her chin. ``Just say! I have a lot of money anyway!´´ Yue said breathing heavily. She knew the black armored huntress hadn´t too much money but the huntress was also well known to be type of huntress who wanted to get the money by hard work. It was a 50% chance of success, 50% of blindness and 100% chance of great loss but now her life was more important.
``I have a proposition.´´ Yoru said looking back at the huntress, Yue sighed. ``I want you to help in the reconstruction of the village, I am speaking about money.´´ Yoru explained. ``But it will cost a fortune!´´ Yue questioned, the blade got closer to her eye. ``Fine! I will see what I can do!´´ the rich huntress said. ``Okay! Now let´s get the sword from your back!´´ Yoru stood up and went to the fallen huntress´s side, with a grunt she turned the woman on her belly so her back was exposed with the sword attached. After getting her sword back the red haired huntress turned to face the guild master. ``She´s all yours. I don´t have any more business with her.´´ Yoru said.
(Later)
The villagers walked back to their homes to see if the buildings were still intact. The most damaged area was the one close to the South Gate where many houses were utterly obliterated by the monster´s fire beam. Some houses in the East and West part of the village were also burning due to the Rathian´s fireballs when it made its way back to the forest.
The villagers gasped when they saw the bodies of some of the fallen hunters, there were a group of three gunners completely burnt on the southern part of the village. ``I told you it was a demon!´´ the messenger hunter said pointing to the bodies. Derek sighed, he wondered if the familiars would recognize the bodies so they could perform the death ritual. Yoru looked at the bodies in silence, if only she had arrived sooner!
``This was the most brutal fight I have ever seen.´´ a deep voice said, Yoru looked at her left. A heavily armored hunter stood at her side, his armor was made of Gravios parts though it had many scratches and missing scales, a silver lance was attached vertically on his back. ``You´re one of the equipment guards!´´ the huntress said surprised, ``That´s just a side job, my turn ended a few weeks ago. You are what those cats call Nightfury, right? I remember guarding your armor months ago.´´ the man moved his shoulders as if trying to adjust the armor.
``How did you survive the fight? I heard many hunters died.´´ Yoru asked, ``Survive is the key word. I lost my shield when the Rathian fired its fire beam at me and was knocked out several times. You want to know why I still stand here, don´t you?´´ the man looked at the huntress with his helm on. ``I am going to kill that Rathian, no matter what.´´ Yoru answered, her eyes shined with the Moon´s light.
``Your confidence won´t be enough. The only reason I am here tonight is because I have my sister to protect, she is the only family I have and I will protect her with my life.´´ the hunter said taking off his helm. ``That creature killed my parents…tried to kill me with a dam spike and now it attacked my home, my friends, innocent people. I WILL kill that beast.´´ Yoru stated, ``Revenge? That´s not powerful enough. You may try! But think of what would happen if you die!´´ the hunter walked away.
``What would happen if I die?´´ the huntress looked at the moon, ``Hey Yoru!´´ Elvis called running until he stood in front of Yoru. ``I heard some screaming a few minutes ago, do you know what happened?´´ the medic hunter asked, ``Uh…yeah. I found someone willing to pay for the reconstruction of the houses.´´ the woman answered. ``Who?´´ the hunter asked and the huntress pointed to the Moon. ``You´re joking, right? The Moon can´t pay for the houses.´´ Elvis said skeptically. ``Of course she can, with all the shining blue stars she has, they cost a fortune you now?´´ Yoru snickered leaving a hunter confused.
``I´m talking about Yue Sapphire, her first name means "Moon" in the old language.´´ Yoru explained, ``You´re going to have a bad reputation if you keep talking in the old language.´´ Elvis crossed his arms. ``Why?´´ the huntress asked. ``Most people don´t speak it, dead language and all. I think only the wyverians use it sometimes but only if necessary, like translating an old text.´´ the medic hunter answered.
``My parents taught me for some reason, maybe they thought it would be useful some day.´´ Yoru shrugged. ``Anyway, I bet you threatened Yue to help us. You know she can…´´ the hunter was interrupted, ``Yue must be locked in a cell by now, she is the one who ordered the theft of my sword. Kai, the "Retrivers" guild master, found a hideout in Jumbo with a box filled with sapphire. The bandits confirmed they received it from a woman which asked them to steal my sword.´´ Yoru kicked a small rock. ``So you actually helped in the prison of the daughter of one of the richest families in Kokoto? ´´ Elvis clapped his hands.
``Actually I was going to kill her…but the village is more important. Now all we need to do is send a messenger to Jumbo to ask for materials.´´ Yoru said, ``Shen already sent a group of hunters. The ones who lost their homes will have to sleep in other houses and we will need to keep watch over the village, bandits will soon hear about the attack and try to steal what is left from the destroyed homes. In general, it will be a long month.´´ Elvis rubbed his belly, his thirst for knowledge was very useful when learning about strategies.
``How many houses were destroyed?´´ the huntress asked, ``I don´t know, the fire beams pierced the buildings, I bet each attack destroyed at least three aligned houses.´´ Elvis answered. ``I expected you to be running into the woods by now. Why are you still here?´´ Elvis asked. ``When I was searching for Unknown, or Naruga, I left Rick behind to his own luck. Later I went to his camp but the monster was already there, we fought it together but he died. No, I won´t risk going to the forest and put the village in risk.´´ Yoru answered.
Yoru and her friends stood in front of the North Gate together with a group of villagers, they looked at the battlefield in front of them. Yoru crouched to inspect a fallen gunner who was pierced by the beast´s spike, in fact there were five hunters disposed in a straight line. ``He is dead.´´ the huntress checked the neck, ``They too.´´ Derek and Elvis confirmed seconds later. ``But I don´t understand. Their armors are way sturdier than mine and they are dead. They should survive the attack.´´ Yoru frowned.
``They didn´t receive emergency treatment like you did.´´ Derek answered, minutes ago Yoru had talked about the fact that the monster had killed her parents and also tried to kill her. Derek already had his suspicions when he saw the monster firing spikes from its wings.
``Actually, two of them died instantly, their hearts were completely pierced. The rest died a minute or two later.´´ Elvis stated checking the wounds. ``How do you know this?´´ Yoru asked, ``Because I tried to heal them as Derek and the others fought.´´ the medic hunter answered. ``Now I am impressed, how the hell did YOU survive?´´ Elvis asked pointing to the huntress. ``I am asking myself the same thing.´´ Yoru admitted.
(Tavern)
Everyone was talking but the content was different than the normal and no one dared to laugh. The lower ranked hunters were talking about the destruction of the village or dead friends. The dead hunters were receiving their funerals by this moment but capable hunters were ordered by Shen to be ready for another attack, so they couldn´t attend the ritual. Yoru sat at one of the tables with her friends, they had ordered their meals minutes ago and so had a lot of time to talk.
``By the way, how did you stop the Rathian?´´ Elvis asked, ``I didn´t, she just threw some spikes and then fled. It is like she didn´t want to attack the villagers.´´ Yoru said. ``I thought it would try to eat them or eliminate the "intruders", it wouldn´t make sense to just destroy the village and flee.´´ Elvis spoke. ``She ignored our attempts of distraction, it was focused on the village.´´ Derek said, ``Wait! She? Are you implying that this Rathian is aware of what it is doing?´´ Elvis asked.
``This Black Rathian adapted to our strategies. When we used the bowguns she started to dodge and then throw spikes at the gunners. When we attacked together she jumped and fired a fireball at each one of us. Yes, I believe she is aware of what she is doing.´´ Derek admitted. ``But Rathians only worry about their territory and their nests.´´ Elvis argued, ``Does that look like a common Rathian for you?!´´ Yoru punched the table.
``You saw with your own eyes, didn´t you?! That is not a painted Rathian!´´ Yoru screamed at Elvis´s face. Derek pulled the huntress back to the bench. ``You´re making too much noise, calm down.´´ the azure hunter said. Yoru shook her head, ``The enemy is the Rathian, not your friends…´´ the huntress mumbled to herself with closed eyes. ``Tomorrow I will hunt the Rathian.´´ Yoru casually took a sip from her drink, Derek and Elvis spitted their food.
``You are kidding right?!´´ Elvis shouted, ``You are planning to fight the Rathian?! Ouch!´´ Derek hug his belly. ``Yeah, that´s why I was training during these last months.´´ the huntress explained. ``I don´t want to sound rude, but you can´t take that thing alone, we could only contain it for a short time. When it gets enraged it is unstoppable.´´ Elvis said. ``Just like you.´´ Derek smiled, he had to move his head to the side to avoid a punch from the huntress. ``Just joking.´´ the azure hunter said.
``Don´t compare me with that assassin.´´ Yoru glared, ``You are justifying what I said.´´ Derek caught an incoming fist of the huntress. ``Sorry.´´ the huntress lowered her arm, ``What is more important? Your revenge or your village and friends?´´ Derek asked. ``I´m doing this for my family AND the village. I won´t let this Rathian kill any more people!´´ Yoru tightened her grip over a wooden cup, the material cracked but the iron rings kept it in place. ``You can´t take it alone, I´m coming with you.´´ Derek said, ``What? You can´t be serious! You barely escaped death today, you two can´t beat that thing down. We have to rebuild the village first and we will need all capable hunters to protect it.´´ Elvis said. A faint roar echoed through the tavern.
``It returned!´´ a hunter kicked the tavern´s door open, ``What?!´´ Yoru rushed to the exit, all the hunters followed behind. The Black Rathian was flying in the sky, flapping its wings to stay in the same place. ``You coward! Get over here so I can smack your bones!´´ Yoru defied the creature with her sword drawn. The Rathian roared, it dived at the huntress and grabbed the woman with its claws before flying away. ``Yoru!´´ Derek extended his arm but the monster was too far away out of reach of any projectile they had. ``YOU BASTARD! LET ME DOWN!´´ the huntress shouted trying to free herself, it was a long fall to the top of the trees.
Yoru squirmed and cursed as the beast entered deeper into the jungle and after a few minutes the huntress spotted a large clearing. The Rathian dived and when it was about to hit the ground opened its claws, allowing the huntress to fall into the ground. Yoru rolled to minimize the damage and then stood up with the longsword ready. The Black Rathian landed at the other side of the clearing and turned to face the huntress.
``Now you want to face me, don´t you?! I won´t let you escape this time!´´ Yoru shouted at the monster, the beast was slowly walking to the side in a circling trajectory as if to analyze the huntress. ``You will pay for your what you done!´´ the huntress charged at the monster.