Greetings, my faithful reader! Tis a great day for us all; I finally got MH3U for the Wii U, you all get to enjoy another chapter of The Hunter's Oath... How else can it get any better? ...Actually, reading the chapter might help, so why not do that instead of listening to me babble? Well, that'll probably happen once I stop typing this, won't it? And I suppose you can't listen with your eyes either... Whatever, as much fun as this is, it's time for chapter 37! Enjoy!

Chapter 37- Brother

As the airship neared the Flooded Forest, a light drizzle began to fall. The area was afflicted with an endless downpour, due to its climate. Because of this, the forest was overgrown with vegetation and teeming with life; the perfect place for a hunt. Everything seemed oddly… peaceful, considering what had just transpired there. As the ship neared the center of the forest, one of the airship workers gave the three hunters small backpacks.

"It ain't safe fer us ta land, so here's yer ticket off," the man said, handing Hugh one of the packs containing the cloth parachute. "I always hated that about quest airships… They're faster, sure, but you'd have to be crazy to actually jump off of one," Karah said, strapping on her chute. "Karah, if there's one thing you should know about us, it's that we're all crazy," Zephyr stated, sliding his helm on. "I'd argue if he wasn't completely right," Hugh said, watching as the long sword user leapt off the side of the ship.

Hugh and Karah followed after Zephyr, and as the group neared the canopy, they deployed their parachutes, slowing down to a crawl several dozen feet above ground. "Look, over there!" Zephyr said, pointing off towards the north. Hugh and Karah saw what he was gesturing towards; part of the forest was burned away, revealing an area nearby a large cliff with several small fires burning throughout!

"That must be it! Come on!" Hugh shouted, cutting his chute loose and falling the remaining ten feet. He landed hard on his bad foot, but Hugh ignored the pain he felt as he recovered. Karah and Zephyr landed behind him, and the three ran towards the sight of the attack.

"…This is horrible…"

Karah covered her mouth in shock as they arrived at the charred mess of a clearing. Numerous trees were blackened by the intense fire the wyvern had been breathing not long before. The ground was almost completely barren; a few flames razed what was left of the local vegetation, hissing as the rain fell upon them. Near the center of the area, numerous broken trees lay splintered into numerous small chips of wood; something big had crashed through them. All the trees were felled in the same direction; towards a large cliff that dropped into a murky river some hundred feet below.

The hunters quickly surveyed the area, inspecting the damage done by the flying wyvern. Hugh pulled an azure scale from one of the splintered trees. "I think this is proof enough of our culprit," he said, grasping the scale in his hand. Zephyr was looking down the cliff into the river below, while Karah was checking some of the trees on the other end of the clearing.

"…Where is it? We didn't see it flying around while we were in the airship, so where did it go?" Zephyr said, gazing down the cliffside. "Could it have flown off already?" Karah asked, walking over to where he stood. "I don't think so; the surrounding area's filled with outposts; they'd notice if it had left," Hugh said, also joining Zephyr. The long sword user turned from the cliff to face the others; "We might as well search for it. Let's stick together, though," he said.

A deep growling sound suddenly filled the area! The three instinctively drew their weapons, backing away from the cliffside and towards the center of the area. "Where is that coming from?" Karah quickly asked, vigilantly scanning the area. "I don't know; it sounded almost like it was… beneath us…" Hugh said, watching the ground.

Zephyr once again approached the cliff, carefully peering over the edge. "I think I can see a cave entrance, but…" He suddenly yelped in surprise and backpedalled away from the cliff as a large azure colored monster flew out from the cave! It beat its wings several times, flying higher and higher with each flap. The Rathalos flew several circles around the area, watching the hunters that stood with their backs to each other.

"Wait… what's that on its back?" Hugh asked, squinting to try and focus better on the creature. Even at that distance, one could pick out a figure sitting on the flying wyverns back. He wore armor made from the same materials as the monster he rode, except he was helmetless. He had medium length silver hair, and brandished a large ivory great sword in one hand. "Looks like we know who was behind this…" Karah said, tightly gripping her sword made from Gobul parts. "Zeph, you owe me five gold for being right," Hugh quickly stated. "Hugh, now is not the time for our bet to-"

The hunters were forced to quickly dodge as the Rathalos suddenly dive-bombed them! It flew a few feet above the ground, its claws tearing up the earth as they passed. The beast swiftly turned to face the hunters, who were by now recovering. It flapped its wings with great force, sending dirt and soil flying as it hovered in place. The azure wyvern let out a loud roar, sending several birds in the trees fluttering away and causing Hugh and Zephyr to wince at the piercing sound. The man sitting on its back studied the three, his gaze falling to Hugh last. A mad grin suddenly broke across his face.

"Bro! It's been way too long!" he shouted. Hugh blinked twice in amazement. Was… was that…? "Slate? Is that you!?" Hugh shouted back. The silver haired man laughed in response. "Good, you do remember me! Although I'm sure the hair probably threw you off…"

Zephyr looked at Hugh, and although his helmet masked his expression, it was pretty clear he was surprised. "You have a brother?" Karah was just as shocked. "You never told us this!" "That's because I thought he was dead," Hugh responded, keeping his focus on the azure beast before them.

"What the hell are you doing riding an Azure Rathalos?!" Hugh shouted, taking a step forward as he did. "Isn't it obvious, little bro? THIS is what real power is! I can fight anything now, be it on the land or in the sky! I've found a way to become stronger; the strongest, even!" Slate responded, a broad grin across his face. "Just think; the first hunter to ever fly on a Rathalos! And it listens to me alone; just think of all the monsters I can hunt this way! It's the greatest feeling to know that you're on top of the world, bro!"

"You think you can call me 'bro' after siding with those bastards?! They kill people, Slate! For no reason!" "Well, there's a lot more to it than that, Hugh. Why would we go about senselessly killing people for no purpose? Trust me; our plans go a lot farther than this." "What do you mean?" Karah asked, worried. Slate merely laughed at the response. "That, babe, is something that I'd love to tell you, but unfortunately I can't. If you want to join up, though, I'd be willing to do more than just share stories with you..."

"Shut up!" Hugh shouted angrily, getting an amused expression from Slate. "Oh, so you finally got a girl then? Bravo, Hugh!" "Why did you join them?!" "...Alright, I see you don't want to chat then. Tell me something, Hugh; you know what it's like to freeze at the bottom of an icy ravine for three days straight after losing a pint of blood? Knowing that the people who should have been there to help wrote you off as dead? It definitely changes your opinion of things, bro. It also makes you more grateful when someone saves your life!"

"So, murderers save your life, and you decide it's smarter to join them than to stop them?" Zephyr asked. "I'll admit, it took some getting used to, but last thing I want is that fucking Guild to allow people like my old partners to hunt! Not a care in the world for a lost comrade, stealing supplies from others..." "So that's what you're all trying to do? Destroy the Hunter's Guild?" Karah said, dumbfounded at the idea.

"Nah, that's just a personal vendetta. You thought I'd say what our real plans are? Not a bad plan you had, actually. I always did like smart women... You sure you don't want to join?" "Slate, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but there is no way I'm gonna let you keep doing this!" Hugh shouted, his voice seething with anger. "What, trying to pick up a hot babe or the whole 'wyvern-riding-death-machine' thing?" Hugh's response was to tighten his grip on his great sword; sparks began to flash along his blade as electricity crackled about it. The thunder element within the Lagiacrus sword seemed to respond to Hugh's rage; the electricity soon began to spark about him as well, the intense energy he was building up streaming around his armor.

"Personally, I don't want you doing either, ya bastard!" Hugh began to charge at the Rathalos, dragging his sword behind him! The thunder his blade released kicked up the earth from behind him as he approached the wyvern, lighting up the whole area with incredible brightness! "Hugh! Wait!" Karah cried out as he dashed madly at the beast.

"That's what I want to see! Looks like you may have gotten better after all!" he shouted. His mount began to back up a few feet into the air; it was going to charge at them again! Slate propped his ivory great sword over his shoulder, a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Alright, look out! I'm comin' atcha, bro!"

The Azure Rathalos flew straight at them yet again; Hugh was unfazed by it. As the monster neared, he unleashed a vicious roar and swung the broad side of his blade at the side of its head! The blade smashed into the Azure Rathalos's skull, knocking its head aside and forcing it to crash land!

Slate had jumped off at the last minute, though, and swung his massive blade down at Hugh! Hugh quickly blocked the strike, bracing his other arm against his sword to defend against the weight of the impact. He slid back a few feet before quickly recovering and swinging his blade at Slate! The silver haired man also swung his sword, the blades connecting in a flash of lightening!

Sparks danced from the large swords as Hugh and Slate struggled against each other, neither one backing down an inch. Jolts of electricity ran through the blades and into each of them; they were both soaked from the drizzle, conducting the elements from the swords.

"Not bad, little bro! But don't expect me to go easy on ya after hurting Blaze like that!" Slate said with a devilish grin. Hugh also grinned back, but it wasn't at all with any sort of kindness. "You better not, cause I'm gonna beat the shit outta you either way!" Hugh shoved Slate back before swinging his great sword at him!

"Karah, look out!" Zephyr shouted. She barely avoided another fireball the wyvern had launched, the heated ball flying past her and colliding with a tree. Flames burst from the impact, smoking as the rain began to douse the fire. The beast finally landed, sending out a forceful gust of wind in all directions! Zephyr shielded himself out of instinct, being pushed back by the gust. He recovered just in time to avoid the wyvern's spiked tail!

Karah quickly got to her feet and charged at the monster, jumping through the air and bringing her sword down on its side! She didn't cut deeply into the Azure Rathalos's hide, though; her blade bounced off as it began to sink in a bit deeper. Zephyr had also rejoined the fray, swinging his icy long sword at the creatures head. He managed to hit the right side of its head, a thin cut running along where the blade had hit.

Before he could do any serious damage, the beast took off into the air again, launching a fireball at him as it went! Zephyr narrowly avoided the attack, but was sent reeling by the shockwave from the impact; his helmet was blown off by the force. "Dammit! We can't do anything to it as long as it's flying around!" Zephyr shouted, shielding his face from the heat as he recovered.

"Hang on, I've got an idea!" Karah said, holding her sword behind her. Zephyr looked quizzingly at her. "What are you-" Karah suddenly threw her sword at the Azure Rathalos! It flipped end over end, arching through the air and into the monster's flight path! The blade pierced its side, releasing the paralytic toxins from within. With a surprised roar, the azure beast crashed into the clearing again, struggling to control its body. Her sword came free from the impact, landing not far from the two.

Zephyr stared in astonishment at her. "How in the blazes did you pull that off?" "Lots of practice," she replied, picking up her sword. She quickly glanced over at Hugh; he was still fighting with Slate, electricity sparking around them dangerously as their swords connected again and again. As much as she wanted to help him, it wouldn't be safe to get near them; it almost seemed as though a lightning bolt could form from the contact!

"Looks like we only pissed him off," Zephyr said. He was right; the azure beast had already regained its movement, and flames were filling its mouth in anger. The beast let out a loud roar before charging at the two again! Karah, unfazed by the sound, quickly shoved Zephyr out of the way before dodging the Rathalos herself.

Just then, Karah noticed that they were positioned with their backs to the cliff. "Zeph, we need to move, now!" she shouted, turning to face him as he got up. He looked past her, a surprised expression crossing his face. "Watch out!"

The Azure Rathalos had begun to swing its tail at the huntress! She brought her shield up just in time to block, several of the spikes protruding from the shield snapping off from the impact. The force sent her sliding back, though; Karah couldn't stop as she went over the edge of the cliff! Her sword fell from her grasp as she plummeted, frantically throwing her arm out to try and catch something to hold onto.

Luckily, she managed to grasp a thick root that had grown out of the cliffside! Fortunately, it held, and she stopped herself from falling. The sword, though, tumbled down into the river below, disappearing underneath the murky water. Karah sighed in relief, beginning to try and pull herself up.

She gasped as pain shot through her shield arm! She looked at her limb in dismay; the Rathalos's tail had severely damaged the shield, and the impact had felt like it had cracked several of the bones in her arm. Karah could do nothing as she dangled from the root, holding on for dear life. She gulped in fear as she felt her grip begin to fail.

"Karah!" Hugh worriedly shouted, seeing her go over the cliff edge. "You lost focus, Hugh!" Slate suddenly shoved him back, a wall of electricity seemingly assisting him. Hugh gritted his teeth as he felt the electricity surge through him, the shock dizzying him. He tried to bring his sword up to block as Slate attacked him, but the large blade was sent flying from his grasp! He dropped to one knee as Slate stood over him, propping his ivory white sword over his shoulder.

"Well Hugh, I thought you had more in ya. But, I guess I was wrong. Don't worry, I don't plan on killin' ya. Boss said we needed to leave at least a survivor or two. Same can't be said for your friends, though." Slate kicked Hugh hard in the chest, knocking him onto his back and denting his chest plate. Hugh coughed up blood from the forceful impact.

"Still, you kinda let me down. Next time, try not to get so easily distracted, little bro," Slate said, beginning to turn to face Zephyr, who was still focused on the Azure Rathalos that was flying around the area.

Hugh wasn't done yet, though; he quickly drew his carving knife and leapt to his feet! Slate barely jumped back in time as the knife whipped past his face, a small stream of blood flicking off the blade. Slate grasped his face in pain, before moving his hand away in shock. A large cut ran diagonally across his face, starting from below his right eye and on the left side of his forehead; the wound mirrored Hugh's scar. Blood flowed down over Slate's left eye from the cut. "Maybe you should listen to your own advice," Hugh said, wiping the blood from his mouth.

Slate looked at him angrily for a second before suddenly letting out a short laugh. "Looks like you aren't completely weak after all! Good; now I have something to look forward to next time we fight." The Azure Rathalos landed behind him then; Slate began to climb onto its back. Hugh continued to stare fiercely at Slate.

"You're leaving?" "Ya know, I'd love to stay and fight, but even I have a hard time only being able to use one eye. Count yourself lucky, Hugh; maybe you can even save that girlfriend of yours! Nice catch, by the way."

Hugh's eyes widened at the mention of her. "Karah!" he worriedly exclaimed, rushing over to the cliff. Slate laughed as the wyvern took off into the sky and flew away, disappearing over the treetops.

Come on… I need help! Karah thought, her hold on the branch beginning to loosen. She looked down at the water below; at this height, the drop would probably be fatal; and that's not considering the rocky wall she'd collide with on the way down.. Her heart began to beat quickly as she felt her hand slipping, bit by bit. She fearfully looked up at the top of the cliff, hoping there might be some sign of rescue…

There was nothing.

Karah could hold on no longer, and her grip finally gave way! She screamed as she felt herself begin to fall! "Hugh!" she shouted, wishing he could help save her from her doom.

"KARAH!"

Hugh suddenly leapt from the top of the cliff, plummeting towards her! He fell faster than she did, quickly catching up to her and grabbing her around the waist. He had a thick rope tied around his waist; his descent stopped abruptly, and the pair began to swing towards the cliffside! Hugh positioned himself between Karah and the wall, blocking her from the impact!

Hugh grunted in pain as he collided with the wall, but maintained a fierce grip on Karah. She breathed heavily, gasping for air in relief, joy, shock, and surprise. "I got ya… You okay, Karah?" he asked, wincing at his injuries. Karah looked up at him for a moment in pure happiness. "Yeah, I'm fine. At least, I am now." Hugh stared straight into her green eyes for a moment, concern being replaced with relief.

"Damn, that was a close one. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner," he said. "I don't care; you're here now, and that's what matters," Karah responded. Hugh laughed a bit before answering. "Yeah, I guess. But as much as I'd love to have a moment right now, I'm pretty sure dangling from the edge of a cliff is not the place." He tugged on the rope a few times, and the pair began to be slowly hoisted back up.

Zephyr let out a grunt as he pulled the thick rope. "Dammit, Hugh! Why... do you... have to be... so goddamn heavy?!" He yanked the rope one last time as Hugh's arm appeared over the side of the cliff, and he ran over to help his friend. Zephyr helped Hugh and Karah back onto solid ground before sitting down in exhaustion. Hugh and Karah did likewise, sitting down next to each other far from the cliff.

"Thought we lost you there for a sec, Karah," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Almost did," she replied, still gasping for air. "The Rathalos took off, thankfully. I didn't know if I'd be able to finish it off on my own." Hugh let out a sigh of relief. "Well, at least we won this time."

Suddenly, Karah leaned over and kissed him passionately! Hugh was taken off guard, but still returned the feelings warmly. After a few seconds, the two separated, Karah smiling at him. "How's that for a 'moment'?" "…Better than the side of the cliff, that's for sure!" Hugh responded. The two quickly turned as Zephyr cleared his throat, his smirk returning to his face.

"Alright, you lovebirds, let's get back to the base camp. All the emergency flares are there, and we need to treat Karah's arm. Hugh, you've probably got a few broken ribs too. It isn't too far from here, at least. And I don't think our... friend is going to be coming back for a while."

Hugh stood up and helped Karah to her feet, supporting her as the group returned to the camp. Even though he had several more injuries than she did, he continued to ignore the pain as he helped her along the way. Any of the local wildlife was discouraged from attacking the pair by Zephyr; he was almost completely unharmed, and more than willing to keep the monsters at bay.

Before too long, Hugh and Karah's injuries were dressed, and Karah's arm put in a makeshift splint. Zephyr launched a red flare off into the sky, announcing to whatever nearby ships that they were waiting to be picked up.

"So, a brother, huh?" Zephyr said, tossing the flare. Hugh's expression darkened a bit at the remark.

"Next time I see him, he's dead."

Well, looks like we've got some sibling rivalry going on! Slate's practically the same as Hugh; same weapons and armor, just from stronger monsters! At least, they should be stronger, but I'm just basing it on color, not actual equipment strength. Hugh and Slate are basically equal in strength; only real difference is, well, an Azure Rathalos. Which is kind of a lot, if you think about it... But talk about a rescue; seems like jumping off of things is going to become a theme at this rate. Ah, and before I forget, as I mentioned before finally procured MH3U! PM me if you want to play sometime; I'm always up for a good hunt, and maybe it'll give me more ideas for future chapters! Anyways, thanks yet again for reading, review, follow, favorite, etc, etc...

And I thought my greetings were getting old...