Fun fact about me: I'm not that fond of happy endings. They are boring and quite overused unless utilized properly. Thus, if you had expected this story to be light-hearted, well…think again. I had originally planned to make this M-rated, but I realized that M-rated stories tend to have fewer viewers.
Yep, I sound pathetic. But I digress.
Starting from now, plot armor is almost non-existent for some of these characters. This is where despair starts! Hahahaha!
That is why I won't be surprised to find a lot of hate comments in the next chapter or so. So, readers…enjoy this chapter for now.
…
Chapter 29: Final Destination (Part 1)
"It is unfortunate that Siegfried won't be able to join us in this final task. However, this means that we cannot just give up. We've come too far to stop just because one of ours won't be able to continue. I'm sure that Siegfried would have wanted us to go on without him. That is why we, as hunters, must not disappoint a "fallen" comrade. We will return victorious!"
The hunters raised a loud hurrah in response to the Ace Lancer's words. Now, they were ready. Their entire journey has finally led to this moment, and that is why they couldn't stop now. Nothing would be able to stop them. For the Guild, fame, fortune, these hunters were determined to come home with the head of the Ahtal-Ka.
"We would be leaving in half an hour so until then, feel free to do anything you want."
Eris immediately ran towards the clinic to bid farewell to Siegfried. The man had been confined to a bed due to his injuries and thus, rendering him unable to move until his body recovers. Though, as the doctor mentioned, even if he walks again, he won't be able to hunt anymore. He was noted to have damaged lungs, a missing eye, a fractured arm, dozens of fractures on his body and pieces of armor embedded within him. It had taken the doctor and multiple surgeons, an entire day of nonstop surgery to remove the armor pieces from inside his body, repair his damaged lungs through an intense operation, and more than hundreds of stitches as well as a constant flow of medicine. To say that Siegfried survived was a miracle.
Eris entered the clinic and came across Althalos talking to a nurse, "Doctor, how is he?"
"Ah, Eris. Sorry, one sec…" The nurse left and Althalos walked up to Eris, "How may I help you?"
"I'm here to see him, one last time before we leave."
"Alright. Oh, and how's your shoulder?"
Eris lightly grasped her shoulder and winced, "It hurts when I touch it, but otherwise it's not really a bother."
It had only taken nearly a dozen stitches and a few medicinal herbs and medicine to heal her torn shoulder; it was also helped by the fact that she, as a hunter, have a much stronger regenerative ability than that of regular people. Even then, it was a relief that the damage to her shoulder hadn't been deeper. Otherwise, her hunting career was pretty much over.
"Doctor, I came here to see him."
"Ah, yes. Gladly. Now follow me- "
Suddenly, they heard a loud and terrible scream. Immediately, they rushed towards the source of the sound, which so happens to be Siegfried's room. Pushing the curtains aside, they came upon an alarming sight.
Siegfried lay sprawled out on the floor, curled up and gripping his own head tightly. The room itself was a mess, with the tables turned, the sheets on the bed thrown off, the glass of water shattered on the ground and the chairs flipped over. What was even more alarming was the amount of blood on the floor.
Reacting quickly, Dr. Althalos took out a syringe from his pocket, "Restrain him! Nurses, help!"
Acting with impulse, Eris rushed forward and grabbed Siegfried, holding him in a tight lock. She noted that his eyes were closed, possibly a nightmare. He, however, writhed and struggled in her grip and ended up headbutting her face with the back of his head.
"Hold still! You're acting like a child!" Eris said through a bleeding nose and a cut lip.
Althalos bent down and quickly injected the contents of the syringe into Siegfried's body. Moments later, he stopped struggling and fell asleep, "There, that should do the trick." He gestured for the nurses to come closer with the necessary materials. They set to work, cleaning up the blood and applying medicine to the now open wounds before wrapping more bandages around them. Althalos then opened Siegfried's eyepatch to check for any extra damage and sighed in relief when he found none. After treating Siegfried, together with Eris, they lifted him off the ground and laid him gently on the bed.
"Damn, he must have had a terrible nightmare, "commented the doctor. He examined Siegfried's body closely, "Huh, it looks like the damage has somewhat reduced. As I expected from hunters, their regenerative abilities are top notch."
"But I'm guessing he is still not fit to hunt yet?"
"Exactly. Until we can cure him, I'm afraid he would have to postpone his hunting. Which reminds me, I should go ahead and inform the Guild about this. That way, they can keep his card till he fully recovers." The doctor turned to Eris.
"Is your nose okay? Do you need some extra treatment?"
"It's fine. I've had far worse."
Althalos chuckled as he recalled a certain past incident as well as a more recent one, "I'm aware."
"Heh…" She gazed at the sleeping Siegfried, "How long until he can at least walk?"
"Well, if his body wills it, I'd say in about 2 days. But this is Siegfried we're talking about here. He is perhaps, the only hunter I've ever treated who recovers extremely quickly from terrible injuries. I can't figure out how. But if I were to use a less professional term, I would say that Siegfried simply has a very strong "spirit". He doesn't give up that easily and it would seem his body won't either."
"That sounds exactly like him; always stubborn and refusing to give up."
"But that doesn't change the fact that he won't be allowed to hunt in the meantime. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading over to the Guild. Goodbye."
…
"Hey Eris, you're late! Come on! We're leaving already, "called out Amber.
"I'm coming," Eris said as she quickly hopped on the airship. The massive airship slowly ascended into the sky as the people below waved goodbye to the Caravan. Minutes later, the town of Val Habar was no longer visible from the sky.
"Where were you?" Amber asked her as they all gathered in the main deck.
"I was checking up on him."
"Oh…" she paused for a moment, "How is he?"
"He's…not fine. All he needs now is plenty of rest."
"I see. However-" Amber pointed a finger at Eris's chest, "You better take responsibility. It was, after all, your fault that he ended up like this."
Eris flinched at her remark. For some reason, her words affected her greatly, "I know…"
Amber retracted her finger and crossed her arms, "But, even then I can't blame you entirely for that. I know very well what PTSD does to you so to be frank, I can't stay mad at you forever." She then placed a hand on Eris' shoulder, "You're the person he needs right now. Someone strong, skilled, caring and strict. Someone who can change him. In any case, I'm thanking you for being there for him. So please, take care of him, will you? Even if my brother won't admit it, we care about him. No matter how much of an asshole he has become these past 5 years, it doesn't change the fact that he is still our friend."
"Never took you for the sentimental type there, "mocked Eris with a smirk, causing Amber to pull back her hand and glare at her.
Eris chuckled, "Do not worry. He is in good hands."
"G-Good, because if you hurt him…" Amber's eyes turned dark, "I will never forgive you."
Unfazed by her threat, Eris simply grinned, "Do you dislike me that much Amber? Frankly, I'm hurt. And here I thought we could agree on something for once."
Amber clicked her tongue, "Tch."
With a smug grin, Eris watched as Amber walked away huffing. I never once liked you Amber – and I never will. But I respect you, as a hunter and as a person. Until this is all over, I hope to never see you again.
A voice from behind her broke her train of thought, "You know, that wasn't very nice of you Eris."
"I was never a "nice" person to begin with Johann."
"Oho? But your actions towards Siegfried say otherwise."
In response, Eris blushed slightly and turned her head away, earning a chuckle from the old hunter.
"I too hope that you would be the one to change him for the better. He won't listen to us anymore; he would only listen to you. And that's saying something."
"Can't help it. I am, after all, the more dominant one in our relationship." Eris said as she puffed out her chest with a confident smirk.
Johann sighed, "You don't say…"
He walked off with another sigh to join the irritated Amber.
Eris soon noticed her two least favorite people in the Caravan standing just near the entrance to the ship's cabin. Seeing those two brought about a surge of hatred coming from her. She had noticed that they cared little to none about Siegfried's state compared to the rest of the Caravan. Once again, she was reminded just how similar those two were to her and Siegfried's past selves. The parallels were just too obvious.
The arrogance? Check.
The lack of empathy for others besides themselves? Check.
The cold and rude disposition? Check.
It pissed her off knowing that they were supposed to be her comrades. But she decided to do nothing. If they were going to be like that, they were better off dead. She knows just how dangerous arrogance was as a hunter. Which is why she simply chose to look away and tend to other, more important matters. After all-
[1]Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer.
She moved towards the front deck and looked out across the horizon. The breeze blew against her in a similar fashion to the way it did in the desert.
"Not much of a people's person, are you?" Marku said as he joined Eris on the front deck.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"I think you should open up to people more Eris." Reyba joined in.
"I'd rather not." Great, there goes my solitude…
"But you seem very comfortable talking to Siegfried."
"That's…different. Siegfried is…well, just different."
Eris disliked talking about her feelings to those who she doesn't trust completely. Like Siegfried, Eris' circle of friends was very limited. And as such, she has difficulty opening up to those willing to talk to her.
It was not to say that she disliked them, however. Rather, she was uncomfortable with the amount of social interaction she had been doing these past few weeks.
"You really care about him, don't you?"
Eris twitched slightly at that question. As much as she would want to deny it, there was simply no use doing so. She could just imagine her past self-laughing hysterically at her right now.
"I do…a lot."
"Hmm, good to know."
When he had awoken, he had no idea where he was, "Wh-Where am I?"
"Ah Siegfried, you're awake. You're currently resting in Val Habar's clinic."
"Clinic?"
"Yes. You were fatally injured by a Magala during a hunt."
"Magala…" Suddenly, he shot up from the bed, "Wait! Is Eris okay?!"
The doctor chuckled, "She's fine, and already on her way to kill that Ahtal-Ka."
"Oh, well then I'd better help- "Siegfried said as he tried to get off the bed.
The doctor quickly stepped over to him, "Not so fast there Siegfried."
The hunter looked at the doctor quizzically, "Huh? What do you mean?"
Dr. Althalos straightened his glasses and kneeled down next to him, "I'm sorry to say but I'm afraid I forbid you to go with the rest."
"Huh? What the hell doc?"
"I said, you're going to have to postpone hunting."
"Bullshit! Whatever, I'm getting out of here!"
The moment he stood up, he immediately collapsed back onto the ground. A searing shot of pain seethed throughout his body. He also found that he couldn't see anything from his left eye. His hand reached to touch his left eye and he found that a medical eyepatch had been placed around his eye.
"I told you, already didn't I? You are yet to fully recover from your injuries, hence why I told you to stay in bed."
"This is outrageous! How can I – a hunter, be confined to a hospital bed?!"
"I assure you, this is for your own good. Please understand that should you go out there to the field again, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to save you."
"No! I'm a hunter! I will not waste time in a place like this!" He quickly stood up and shoved Althalos away as he ran as fast, he could out of the clinic. Behind him, Althalos shouted, "GUARDS!"
Two knights stationed in the clinic moved to intercept Siegfried. But the fiery hunter, summoning all his strength, landed two powerful punches directly at their faces, briefly staggering them and allowing the hunter to exit the clinic.
Siegfried soon found himself standing in the middle of the Val Habar market. The passerby's around him gave him weird looks but he couldn't care less. He had to find a way to join his team.
As he frantically searched around the market for any modes of transport, he failed to realize the small group of knights trailing behind him.
"Stop right there Siegfried Montague!"
Oh shit! Siegfried thought as he broke into a sprint. He pushed past people, grunting and gritting his teeth to hold back the pain as he ran. He spots a shopkeeper selling a customer a potion. Thinking quickly, he snatches the potion of the shopkeeper's hand.
"Hey! You need to pay for that!"
"I'll pay you back next time!" Siegfried called out as he popped open the vial and chugged down its contents. Immediately, some of the pain subsided. With his health somewhat recovered, Siegfried increased his pace and shoved past more people with ease.
But his moment of freedom was sadly ended when he found himself surrounded by the Val Habar town security and the Guild Knights. Having been alerted of a runaway, the security forces of Val Habar had set up a defensive perimeter while the knights blocked the path behind him. And Siegfried had fallen straight for their trap.
"Hunter, be at ease and stand down peacefully, or else we will use force."
"Over my dead body!"
The guards moved closer, "Do not resist hunter."
"Why should I listen to you people when the person I care about the most needs my help?!"
"Stand down Siegfried," Althalos said, having caught up to the guards, "This is for your own good."
"I'll fight you all if it means getting out of here!"
Althalos sighed and signaled the knights and guards to move closer. They formed a circle around the hunter, effectively trapping him.
"So, what will it be? Its 6 against 1. Your chances of escaping are abysmal."
Siegfried raised his fists, "I've handled far worse adversaries."
One of the Val Habar guards moved to restrain him but found himself in the receiving end of a jab straight to the face. Another one of the guards grabbed the hunter in a vice-like grip but crumpled under the relentless blows to his stomach from Siegfried's elbow.
"Anyone else?!"
This time, the last remaining guard and one of the knights moved towards him and he was once again grabbed from behind. The knight then jabbed his fist straight into Siegfried's abdomen, eliciting a loud ack from the hunter. The force of the punch would have caused any regular person to immediately collapse; luckily, Siegfried wasn't an ordinary man.
"Enough hunter."
Siegfried spat at the ground, "Go to hell."
Before the knight could punch him again, he headbutted the knight and jabbed the guard holding him in the stomach, freeing him from their clutches. He then grabbed one of the guard's swords and held in front of him in a threatening manner.
"Come any closer and I won't hesitate to gut you!"
The knights prepared to unsheathe their weapons but stopped when Althalos held his hand in front of them, "Do that and you'll be deemed a criminal. The Knights will execute you without hesitation." Althalos paused for dramatic effect and continued, "How would Eris feel if you died right here and right now?"
Siegfried flinched at the doctor's words. How would Eris feel?
"…"
If I died right here, would she grieve for me? She loves me, right? I love her, but does she love me back?
"I-I…"
Stop it, Siegfried! Of course, she does love you. If you died here, she would grieve for you and cry for you. Without you, she would descend down a dangerous path once more. You don't want that right?
"Stand down Siegfried, "ordered the doctor again.
She would want this…and neither do you. Once again, the voice in his head commanded him to stop. This is a pointless endeavor.
Siegfried slowly lowered the blade as Althalos grinned, "Now that's more like it. Just submit peacefully and nobody gets hurt even further."
Slowly but surely, the hunter lowered the blade before dropping it onto the ground with a loud clatter. He closed his eyes and with resigned obedience, did not resist further as the knights seized him.
There it was. Lying somewhere in the middle of the Great Desert. The Forlorn Citadel, an old ruined fortress, now the newly discovered home of the Ahtal-Ka. An intense fog of sand covered the area surrounding the fortress, making it quite difficult to see unless one venture closer.
Slowly, the ship descends onto a large opening in one of the broken structures. After landing, they began to set up a camp. This was a crucial step in case they suffer tremendously during battle.
The Ace Commander then called for everyone's attention, "Ok, here's the plan. Seras, Luca, and Haidi would stay on top of the platform firing shots at a safe range, while we melee users stay close to the monster. Heavy weapons, you are in charge of aggro and damage dealing. I and the rest of the lighter weapons would assist you in part breaking and weakness targeting. We melee users must not let the monster hurt the gunners, as they are arguably the most important factor to success. Remember, this a team effort, so I don't want anyone charging in and dying on me. Got it, everyone?"
"Yes!"
"Excellent. Now, are you ready hunters?!"
"Yes, Commander Sir!"
"We've all come this far and so we cannot back down now. You people made this choice to join us and thus, you will follow us till the very end. Remember, we are G-Rank hunters! The best of the best! And we, as the best, must not tarnish our titles! Hunters, it's been an honor working with you all. We of the Ace Hunters thank you for joining us on this quest, and we as Ace Hunters, would sure as hell won't let anyone die on our watch. So, let us commence! We shall bring home the head of the Ahtal-Ka and emerge victoriously!"
The hunters cheered in a brave hurrah and pumped their fists in the air. This was it. No turning back now.
"Let's go!"
They charged out of the structure and jumped down onto a massive and sandy open arena like area while the gunners stayed behind on the platform, reloading their shells and readying the coatings. Awaiting them down below…was the Ahtal-Ka.
Classified by the Guild as a Neopteron, it was quite possibly, the most powerful and dangerous Neopteron alive. Sporting a large, hood and crown-like structure on its head and neck and a golden and blue coloring, it was an impressive sight to behold. The monster was also equipped with a twin pair of razor-sharp sickle claws and six legs, complete with a hooked tail. The claws themselves were of top priority, as they could easily slice through armor like it was nothing, something that the Ace Lancer witnessed with his own eyes.
"There it is."
"Alright everyone, you know the plan. We work as a team in order to bring it down."
He signaled for Luca to shoot. He catches the signal and readies his bow gun. Entering a prone like position, he aims down sight, looking into the scope of his gun as his finger reached for the trigger. Carefully, he aims the shot at the monster's head….
BANG!
It was hit! The bullet crashed into the monster's crest, startling it and causing it to stop what it was doing. Shit, that didn't even hurt it?!
It noticed the hunters and in retaliation, raised its claws in the air and roared at the hunters.
It was their queue to attack, "Let's go!"
The battle to decide the fate of the Hunter's Guild begins.
…
[1] Darkest Dungeon quote
Short chapter I know, but please bear with me. I have a plan so please dear readers, this is intentional.
All according to keikaku.
Anyway, thanks for reading and see you, readers, next chap!
