The Master Corps
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear belong to me, unless otherwise stated. Arious, Nex, Scarlet, Ivory, and Wyld belong respectively to MonsterHunterNation, Nex224, IvoryLagiacrus, redman48, and MassacreDemonDiablos.
Edited by: dashboardgecko
Chapter 43- Calamity's Dawn
The journey to Tanzia was largely uneventful, though after transitioning from land to sea a vicious storm and a Ceadeus sighting caused them to lose several more hours. The elder dragon thankfully didn't pursue them, simply breaching the surface of the ocean about a mile away, but it didn't help allay the ominous atmosphere pervading over the deck of the Forever Breeze. Wes couldn't shake the feeling that it was all an omen. First the Jhen Mohran in the desert, then the Ceadeus? Elder dragon sightings didn't just happen like that… and it hadn't even been half a year since his encounter with Amatsu during that trip to Yukumo. Supposedly the city of Dundorma in Jaagazuela saw frequent elder dragon attacks, but this was something else.
The second day of the journey was spent planning for the various scenarios they could find themselves in upon reaching the port. Originally they had surmised that they would have at least a day to act and stop Miralis' resurrection, but the various obstacles they had run into left them with maybe a few hours at most, possibly less. As such, speed was critical, and they made sure to drill every plan into their minds.
Corrin would be instrumental in dealing with the local Guild if there was an arrest attempt. They tried to make him rehearse what to say, though he repeated numerous times that it would actually be a bad idea.
"I really suck at memorizing speeches, but improvisation? THAT I can do," he laughed nervously, leading to all present aiming deadpan stares at the officer. "Hey, I don't wanna mess this up either! And I'm not just saying that because all of you are terrifying!"
Zephyr assured that he would make sure Corrin at least learned the bullet points of what needed to be said. With the negotiator's role squared away, the topic shifted to how the hunters themselves should proceed. It was quickly decided that splitting into two groups would be most effective, as there were two fronts they had to handle.
"Balestra himself will likely be at Tanzia's Lighthouse," Ruby explained, pointing out the structure on a map of the peninsula they had rolled out on the table in the center of the group. "There's a tablet at the top of the structure he'll have put the Dragongems into. We should find him there."
"And Miralis? Where will it appear from?" York asked, watching as the hammer user pulled her finger to a large cove.
"The Tainted Sea. The lighthouse overlooks it, but it's on the other side of the Tanzian Ridge. A cave system runs between them, but the entrance on Tanzia's side is more than halfway to the lighthouse. It'd be easier to have a team of hunters sail around the peninsula instead. Plus, we'll need the firepower."
"So one group heads through Tanzia to reach the lighthouse, and the other sails around to the Tainted Sea," Snow surmised. Ruby nodded affirmatively before looking around at the hunters present.
"One other thing: I think the Tanzia group should be the larger of the two. What we have now just… isn't enough to handle Miralis. It's too powerful for a dozen hunters to handle, no matter how good we are. But, if we recruited more of the hunters in Tanzia…"
"We'd have a pretty decent army on our side then," Zephyr mused. "I believe the average number of hunters usually in Tanzia is around three hundred. That doesn't count Guild officers or knights. If we play our cards right, we may even get a Guild warship or two on our side."
"That's why I think it's important for my team to head through Tanzia," Ruby said. "We can focus on recruiting the hunters and the Guild to our cause. Plus, if we run into any trouble, Tanzia's team will need the most people to get out of it. We'll split up partway through port: the Gems will head through the caves and assist on the beachfront."
"Not gonna try to take a swing at Balestra himself, huh?" Viper asked, narrowing his eyes on the huntress. Ruby away with an uncomfortable expression, but Wes stepped in.
"Viper, Balestra is her father. Regardless of what he's done -of what he's doing- I can't imagine she'd be able to give her all in a fight against him. She just doesn't want to risk the entire country because of it."
"Hmph… fair enough, but I'm still suspicious."
Ruby gave the dual blade user a grateful smile before returning her gaze to the map. "So, who wants to come with us through Tanzia?"
"I say Storm," York immediately suggested. Wes raised an eyebrow at his father, and the man continued. "If Balestra bonds himself to Miralis, he'll gain far more power. Control over elements, superhuman strength, nigh-impenetrable armor… very similar to the leader of the Brilliant Darkness my team fought a few decades back. You can expect the same and more."
"That doesn't really explain why Storm has to go, Pa."
"Well… you're the reason. Or, more accurately, your swords are." Wes glanced over his shoulder at the twin blades for a moment, and York nodded. "His armor- if it's anything like Alteos' like I think it is- will deflect any and all weapons that aren't infused with pure energy. Those swords, like mine, are just those kinds of weapons. They can tear through the field protecting the dragons and the person bonded to them, and leave it down long enough for your allies to land a few hits themselves."
"He mentioned an aura once…" Ruby frowned. "You say it can deflect anything that isn't one of these 'pure' weapons?"
"As far as I know conventional weaponry won't work. So, it's important that Wes and I handle the threats separately. Storm has more experience working with your team, and us old dogs have a bit of a history with fighting these dragons. Zephyr, Hugh, any complaints?"
"Not from me."
"We'll knock that overgrown lizard silly."
"Maybe… hmm. Perhaps you three should join us at first, actually," Ruby muttered after a few moments of deliberation, leading to a few raised eyebrows aimed at her. "Think about it. Fighting alongside living legends like yourselves is a chance many would jump at. It wouldn't be for long, but if we had a few of the better hunters in Tanzia, some of the higher ups see the three of you there? Imagine how much easier it'll be to rally them to our cause."
"Hrm. Can't really argue with that line of thinking, considering they have a statue of me in Loc Lac."
"Bet it ain't as flashy as the one I have," Hugh grinned with a light jab at York's arm.
"Wait, the two of you… have statues? I never knew that. Do… do I have one?"
"We'll look around for it when we get back to Loc Lac. I doubt they'd have forgotten you."
"For some reason I can't be too sure they haven't…"
"Anyways, once we've gotten a substantial enough following, York, Hugh, and Zephyr, you'll load up on ships and immediately head for the beach. I'll need you out there so I can communicate with each of you, so all of you will need to be on different ships."
"If we get more than the Breeze."
"When we get more than the Breeze. No ifs. Snow, you can lead Storm into the lighthouse after we split up, yeah?"
"I've led this team pretty well for all this time. One more day won't kill me."
"That's what I like to hear. So, Storm and the Gems will head through Tanzia before splitting up. Myself, Sabrina, Emelia, and Annabel will head through the caves to regroup with the rest at the Tainted Sea, and Storm will take the lighthouse. Kat, Harlin, you'll stick with the Forever Breeze to keep all our fronts will need a couple able hunters on board -and let's be honest, I mean anyone besides Lyle- with the 'old dogs' elsewhere."
"Hey now, no need for-"
"Fair enough, but what about the civilians?" the switch axe user asked, cutting off the one-eyed hunter as he glanced up from the map. "Can't imagine anyone would want to stick around for this mess if they aren't the ones doing the fighting."
"With any luck Corrin will remember to tell the local Guild to prep some evacuation transports," Ruby said, though a frustrated sigh from Emelia earned their attention.
"Or, maybe they'll be competent enough to focus on protecting the population without the need for a reminder. Y'know, like what their JOB is?" Those present shrugged in agreement with the dry statement before returning their attention to the map.
"So what are we supposed to do to prepare then?" Kat inquired. "Apart from standing there with weapons drawn to look menacing, is there anything we could use to fight? Ramparts, ballista, cannons… couple hundred kegs of anti-dragon bombs, I dunno. Anything we can use that can make Miralis go 'boom'?"
"If recent news is to be believed, there's a wrecked warship beached somewhere around there. That should still have quite a few weapons on board you could get some more use out of. I can't say much else about what we'll be able to use than that, though. I just don't know what all the garrison has to offer yet. Once we get there, I can work out some more in-depth strategies, but until then we should also discuss…"
Wes was just glad that they had both Zephyr and Ruby to rely on for strategizing. Zephyr always had a keen mind for this sort of thing, sure- particularly battlefield strategy- but Ruby very well may have been superior in that category. On top of her own knowledge of every former Corps member's strengths, she was also incredibly familiar with Balestra's plans and the port's layout. She was able to predict where the Guild likely had the most personnel stationed, where they could expect resistance, alternate paths and branches they could take to avoid being cut off… and that was just the start. She delivered each outcome, every circumstance, with such clarity and confidence that Wes could practically picture each one playing out as vividly as reality.
Any time they weren't talking strategy, the hunters either kept themselves busy maintaining their weapons or talking amongst themselves. It was clear the foreboding air was affecting almost everybody on the ship. The uncertainty of the future, the gravity of what failure meant, weighed down on them immensely, sometimes even leading to moments where not a voice could be heard on the ship. Only Frost and Snow seemed to be unaffected.
"The prospect… thrills me," Frost had stated to the dual blade wielder, dragging a whetstone along the electric blue edge of his longsword. "If Dire Miralis' power can turn Balestra into a truly powerful, worthy foe… Before, I would not happen a second glance at his combat prowess. But with this news... I'm looking forward to it."
"I understand the anxiety, really, but… I just can't help but feel excited," Snow said during a separate conversation. "Maybe it was just my fight with Arroyo, but having a chance to really let loose? To not have to hold anything back? I don't think I know a greater pleasure than that. So, uh… just make sure to keep clear of my swing, alright? I don't want to hurt you accidentally if I get too into it."
Viper and Wes agreed that, terrifying as it was, having powerful allies with that kind of mindset was probably a good thing. Wes was just glad that Viper was trying to reach out to the Hybrids, though. He still admitted to feeling suspicious, but it was clear he was trying to learn more about them and understand them better. He was more trusting of them than the Gems, but Wes insisted that there was no need for scrutiny on the ship. So long as they could all band together and trust one another, he felt they'd pull through.
Still, he couldn't deny that he said that as much for his sake as anyone else's.
By the morning of the third day, Port Tanzia was visible on the horizon. The hunters all assembled themselves on the deck, armed and armored, as Dustin brought the Breeze closer to the docks. The town itself was rather narrow, built around an upper and a lower path near the base of a tall, jagged ridge lined with windmills spinning in the sea breeze. The town itself was very bright and garish, with large cloth banisters and ribbons hanging over the stone tiled streets. Flags bearing the Guild emblem fluttered in the breeze at various points, from flag poles to the tall masts of dragon ships. Expansive docks reached out over the bright cyan water, where many ships of various sizes were moored.
The most impressive sight, though, was by far the lighthouse. A massive, greyish-white pillar reaching high into the sky with a massive blazing fire visible at the peak. Hundreds of platforms were attached to the exterior by ropes and scaffolding, likely some kind of maintenance or restorative effort, which gave the tower a very complex silhouette. While not quite as tall as the Loc Lac Tower, it was obvious that the lighthouse was man-made, which alone counted for much more in Wes' eyes.
He soon pulled his attention from the lighthouse and back to the docks, though. Already a large gathering of red-uniformed Guild officers were assembling at the docks, as though preparing to meet them. York furrowed his brow when they caught sight of the force, though.
"Why not sail out to meet us?" he grumbled. "There's no way they didn't see us coming… why risk letting us get so close?"
"We'll find out soon," Ruby replied, keeping a hand clenched on the grip of her hammer. "Corrin, better get that improvised speech ready."
"R-right!"
Much to the group's surprise, though, as the Breeze approached the docks several men ran out to help tie the ship down. With their assistance the mooring process went rather quickly, and a gangplank was set down for the hunters to disembark on. Storm, the Gems, and the older hunters filed down onto the dock warily along with Corrin, allowing the Corps officer to take point as they approached the mass of Tanzian Guild members. At the front of the group was a familiar face.
"I knew you'd come, guys!"
"Trance! What's this all about? Did you do this?" Corrin asked, jogging up to the Corps officer, who nodded quickly in affirmation.
"I've been working on convincing the Guild here that you all aren't the threat. I think I did pretty good!" Trance grinned, glancing back at the gathering behind him before turning back towards them. "But we… haven't been able to get to Balestra."
"There's some kinda barrier at the top of the lighthouse," one of the nearby officers said. "Balestra's been up there since the day he arrived, and none of us can get up there. It just keeps pushing us back down the stairs. And the airship we tried flying up there… well, it isn't much of an 'air' ship anymore."
"Trance, have you told them what Balestra's plan even is?" Wes asked, shimmying past the others to talk with the man. "What he's trying to do?"
"I, uh… Well, I don't really know all the details. All I know is that he's trying to bring a dragon here. Hunters have been informed and are standing by to repel it as we-"
"What about the civilians?"
"Uh… well, there haven't been any evacuations planned. The scale of the threat wasn't-"
"You need to get everyone that isn't a hunter onto some ships and get away from here!" Ruby urged, forcing her own way forward on the narrow dock. Wes yelped and staggered to the side due to a lack of space, though Frost caught hold of his arm and yanked him back before he could fall in the water. "The monster he's trying to summon here -Dire Miralis- it's unlike anything you've seen! The entire port is in terrible danger!"
The group moved onto solid ground to explain the full situation after informing those still on the ship that they weren't in any danger with the Guild. It took some convincing, but they were eventually able to get the local Guildmaster- a small Wyverian man in a sailor outfit named Dukamis, who spent about half of the conversation drinking from a flask- to evacuate the port. The effort would take most of the ships they had available, though he was able to spare two fully equipped ships to assist on the Tainted Sea, which Hugh and Zephyr said they would board. Additionally, it seemed that there were a few striders moored on one of the docks farther down, which Trance explained was because the water models were being developed under the Tanzian Guild; it was difficult to test watercraft in the desert, and they didn't want to chance polluting the Loc Lac Oasis. Ruby suggested York take one, as its smaller size and maneuverability would allow him to get closer to Miralis while in the water, and she quickly set out showing him how to start up one of the vehicles.
"And you're sure I won't crash this thing?" he asked, keeping a hand on his chin as he watched her prepare the vessel.
"Trust me, Wes could drive one of these like an expert the second he jumped into the driver's seat. If you actually are as great as he says you are, I think you'll be just fine, 'old dog'."
"Okay, I said it once. One time. You can drop it at any point."
"Duly noted… 'old dog'."
Like they had hoped, many local hunters jumped at the opportunity to face Miralis, even if it didn't seem like some understood the scale of the threat. Many, many high and even some G rank hunters agreed to lend aid for a variety of reasons- glory, defending their homes and families, because there was nothing else for them anymore already… the reasons were numerous, but it left them with an incredible force nearing a hundred in number. They insisted anyone of low rank escape the port and assist with the evacuation though (leading to more than a few complaints). While some hunters wished to join with Storm and the Gems to evacuate civilians and rally any other hunters they could find, others moved towards the ships to join the older hunters in sailing to the Tainted Sea. Some of the hunters were of considerable renown themselves.
"You're Wes, correct?" one hunter had said, approaching the dual blade wielder. He was a very tall, powerful-looking man wearing heavy stone-like armor- based on the appearance and the very distinctive shoulder pads, Wes thought it might be made from a foreign creature called Gravios. "I've heard a lot about you lately. Saw that showing in the arena a couple years back too. I'm looking forward to seeing you in action again!"
The man extended a hand towards the hunter, and while the blue- and green-eyed hunter blinked in surprise, he shook his hand a moment later. "Uh, thanks. Sorry, I'm not sure I know you as well as you know me. What's your name?"
"Geralt. People call me 'Stonewall'."
"Wait… you're that lancer I heard about. You're the guy that turned down a position in the Master Corps, right?"
"Yeah, didn't like the way things ran over there. Not enough freedom for me. Don't misunderstand though, I have plenty of respect for you all. I'm just hoping for a showing like with that Gear Rex thing!"
"Well, if we've got more people like you on our side now, maybe things here will go better than I thought."
"Ah, trust me, I know more than a couple hunters around here that'll tango with just about anything. Even if its big, I doubt any elder dragon will last against all of us."
Hah! Get a load of this guy.
Be nice, Silver. Not everyone has the same information about Miralis we do yet.
Wait, did YOU just give ME the lecture this time? This feels wrong.
Deal with it.
A few other hunters introduced themselves as well. A switch axe user in Green Nargacuga armor named Scarlet (Viper rubbed in the fact that 'Green Nergacuga armor was more popular' to Emelia almost immediately after catching sight of her) a Duramboros-clad great sword wielder named Wyld who seemed more than a little eager to kill or be killed, no questions asked, and a more reserved foreign hunter named Nex who also had a switch axe, although his and his armor appeared to be made from a Kecha Wacha (at least, Wes believed it was based on the patterns and similarities to the beast he saw at the hunter's exam many months ago). More would have introduced themselves, had they not been interrupted.
A massive quake caused the earth to violently shudder underneath their feet, knocking many to the ground and forcing those that stood to struggle to keep their balance. So forceful was the magnitude that large splits formed in some of the windmills up on the ridge, and several banisters and flags cracked and fell to the ground. Stalls were damaged, the few Aptonoth in a nearby pen began to bray and howl in fear, and many, many terrified screams were audible even over the seismic quaking.
Eventually the shaking ceased, and the hunters slowly found their feet again, pushing themselves up onto unsteady legs while surveying the damage around them.
"Uh, guys? Were there always spooky black cloud rings around the lighthouse?" Viper asked, his gaze fixated on the peak of the structure. Their eyes immediately shot upwards; sure enough, dark rings had begun to form in the sky and expand outwards, blotting out the view of the blue sky and casting a shadow over the entire port and surrounding sea. The glow of the lighthouse flame seemed to filter into the clouds, turning the air a stifling red color. Almost at once the entire area grew incredibly hot, perhaps not as bad as the desert, but remarkably sweltering compared to just a few seconds prior. Wes didn't feel it bothered him too much, but Frost and Snow definitely looked like they did- both went for cool drinks in their pouches almost immediately.
"Gods, it's already starting! Trance, Corrin, help with the evacuation! Ruby, we have to get moving!" Wes shouted, glancing over at the hammer user. She nodded quickly and turned towards the older hunters.
"You three, get going! We'll make do with who we have for the time being!"
"Right. Dustin, start getting that ship ready! Hugh, Zephyr, let's move!"
With that, the hunter split off, and the former Master Corps teams took off running towards the lighthouse with their new hunter allies in tow while the Guild personnel began the evacuation of the port.
"And here I thought we actually managed to catch a break!" Emelia huffed as they raced up the streets passed the crowds of civilians the Guild was ushering towards the docks.
"We never catch breaks!" Viper retorted with an exasperated tone. "That's not how this has ever worked, Greenie!"
"Would you both just shut up?! We're on the same side here, remember?!" Sabrina chided. "Now's not the time for- heads up, incoming!"
The only other warning they had of the incoming projectile was a glowing orange circle on the ground ahead of them. The hunters slid to a halt and leapt out of the way just before a ball of blazing flames crashed into the stone path, blasting several unlucky people away and sending a wave of heat rolling over those it didn't directly strike. Wes shook his head clear and pushed himself up, looking towards the patch of flaming earth before them. The projectile had left a decent sized crater in the ground, but there was something odd about the flames… and where had that even come from? Miralis shouldn't even be close to Tanzia!
His answer came with the sight of more flaming spheres raining down from the dark clouds above, some crashing into the ocean and sending large pillars of water into the air while others slammed into the ridge and town, blowing apart stalls and windmills. Debris rained onto the street far ahead, and the panic only grew as the civilians began to scream in terror. Given that the entire port looked like literal hell now, Wes couldn't blame them. Some of the flaming spheres struck behind them too, leading to a few casualties already. As the hunters pushed themselves up and Wes glanced towards the impact zone, though, he noticed that the flames in the crater seemed to flicker more oddly. They looked almost like they were condensing…
As they watched, rocks and debris began to drag towards the middle of the crater, melting and molding into a hard magma-like substance that hardened into a shell of stone. More and more of the rocks formed and collected in the crater, eventually taking the shape of a human figure that rose to its feet. The rocks took on an unnatural reddish-purple hue, and bright lava-like streaks formed along its body, running down from its 'face' and chest, to all its limbs. The air around it seemed to shimmer and contort from the heat it gave off, and a large molten blade formed over its right hand, while a hardened plate appeared over its left.
"Ruby, uh… did Balestra happen to mention anything about this?" Snow asked, reaching a hand back to the grip of her sword as the golem lifted a leg and stepped out from the crater. The hunters collectively took a step back as it did so. More and more golems spawned from the other blast zones, and the hunters grouped up to cover all sides from the magma creatures.
"No, he didn't… The legends didn't either," she snarled, eyes flicking from one golem to the next. "But I'm not letting a few rocks slow me down!" The huntress whipped her hammer from her back and raced forwards, letting out a short shout before slamming the head of her weapon into the golem. The creature whipped its shield up to block with a surprising amount of dexterity, but not even the hardened stone could withstand the force of the Deviljho weapon, cracking to bits from the impact and knocking the golem flying several yards back into one of its stone brethren, sending both sprawling. "I would hope the same goes for all of you! Come on!"
At her urging, Wes whipped Cryfder and Datrys from the straps on his back and raced forwards, leaping into the air and slashing the right hand falchion down at one of the golems. The mass blocked the swing with the plate on its arm, causing the glowing blade to grind off the hard stone, and the golem lunged for his gut with its magma blade, but the hunter quickly parried the strike with his second blade and thrust Cryfder into the golem's torso before pulling the weapon's trigger. The resulting blast of white energy completely shattered the golem, spewing shards of rock outwards away from the dual blade wielder, while the recoil of the burst pushed him back a step.
"Whoa! These guys sure pack a punch!" he whistled, glancing at the shimmering blade and taking note that the light it gave off was somewhat dimmer. As he did, one of Viper's green bolts shot past and impaled itself in another construct's shoulder before detonating, similarly busting its torso to pieces. Its legs stumbled back a few paces, but slowly the fragmented bits began to float up from the ground and begin reforming on its body.
"Ah, c'mon, they rebuild?!" the archer groaned, summoning another bolt and nocking it on his bow. "Now that's just not fair!"
"Then let's not stand around! The lighthouse awaits!" Sabrina called, rushing forward to engage the stone constructs herself. Her blade clashed with the nearest golem's, spraying a burst of water element from the sword's edge and causing a violent hiss to fill the air. Far behind the sounds of combat had already begun as the Tanzian hunters also engaged the Dire Golems.
Wes swiped Datrys to the side and joined the rest of the hunters' surge towards the stone beings. A veritable army of the creatures stood between them and their objective, but they weren't about to let that slow them down. The battle for Tanzia- and perhaps the whole of Venatoria- was beginning.
The sensation of the Dire Dragongems' energy washing over the port made Perry smile in glee. Sir Balestra had done it! What a happy day this was! Soon, Dire Miralis itself would arise, and he would be the first to research that wonderful creature. Its power, its physique, everything about it he would analyze and report. An ancient dragon not a single man or woman had seen in centuries... it would be a scientific breakthrough the likes of which have never been seen! Joshua had failed to properly record the specifics of the Alatreon all those years ago; such a waste of an opportunity. He would not make the same mistake as that eccentric fool.
But of course, there was another project he needed to see through first. He grunted as he continued to drag the Zealot's body from their hiding place towards the airship docks, though the researcher's eyes landing on the hollow segments in its head and chest. After removing the Dire Dragongems from its head and chest, the figure had remained as still and lifeless as the corpse it was. After the energy coursed through the area, though, a peculiar glow of crimson occupied the hollows of the helm and chest plate. He grinned widely and continued to drag the body until he was almost all the way to the airship landing, where he pulled the command device from his belt.
"Zealot, rise."
Perry pressed one of the buttons on the device, though he frowned when the body didn't respond more than lightly twitching its fingers. He was of the belief that when Sir Balestra unleashed the power of the Dire Dragongems over Tanzia, the Zealot would absorb some of their energy and be empowered enough to move as though it had the Dragongems embedded in it, drawing power from the very air around them. That was what he hypothesized, at least. The fact that the body moved at all meant his theory wasn't wrong... he wanted better results, though. He NEEDED better results.
"Zealot! I command you to rise!"
Once more the researcher pressed the button on the device, his eyes lighting up when the body's head twitched upright and the glow in its chest intensified. The head light remained dim, though. Still, the body's arms and legs twitched and jerked about for a few moments before, finally, the Zealot began to push itself upright.
"Yes, yes! Marvelous! Zealot, I command you to stop Balestra's enemies from reaching the Tainted Sea! Eliminate York, his son, the Hybrids, and all the rest! Show me your true potential, my creation!"
The man pressed the button once more, grinning widely, though he paused as the Zealot simply raised its arm before its head and began to flex its right hand, as though inspecting it.
"Zealot, need I remind you of my orders? Do as I said!" Perry growled, pressing another switch on the device. The figure twitched slightly before turning towards the researcher, and he once more smirked as the Zealot turned towards him fully. "You understand, yes? Then g-"
The researcher let out a surprised gasp as the figure suddenly crouched and drew its blade, swiping it through his body in one swift move. He stumbled back a pace and brought a hand up to the wound in his chest, glancing down at his blood-soaked hand. The crimson liquid began to stain his white coat as it flowed from his body, and he dropped to his knees as the wound erupted into pain so intense he couldn't even find his voice.
What was going on? His hypothesis... the Zealot should be obeying him! It should be listening to him! Why had it attacked? Sir Balestra couldn't have done this! What was the cause of this unforeseen outcome? He had to know! He-
Perry's eyes widened as the Zealot brought its blade up above its head, and he let out a horrified scream before the razor-sharp edge came down upon him.
A quick three swipes of his blade sent the trio of constructs that had attacked York to the floor in six pieces. A mighty roar from Hugh preceded a flash of thunder element and about four other golems flying past in various degrees of damage and dismemberment. A blast and a cool wind blew past as well from Zephyr's longsword leaving its scabbard and taking another group of the golems down. A few other hunters were fending off the remaining constructs while the rest ushered civilians towards the evacuation vessels.
York grimaced at the sight of the raining meteors over the darkened skies of the port. Even the Alatreon hadn't displayed the ability to do something like this… and they hadn't even seen Dire Miralis yet. If that quake was its awakening like he thought it was, then it should still be miles offshore! Perhaps it was Balestra's doing… though York feared that was something he might never find out. The treasonous Corps Head was Wes' problem, not his.
"Dustin, give me a timeframe on how long it'll take to reach the Tainted Sea," he spoke into the communicator device pinned onto his collar. "Hello? This thing on?"
"Half hour at most, and that's only if we get moving now," the captain's voice crackled over the earpiece. "It's a miracle we haven't gotten hit by one of these damnable balls of fire already!"
"Think we'll beat Miralis there?"
"With any luck, no," Zephyr answered. "It's like we discussed with Ruby. If we close the lip of the bay, we'll trap it in a circle and have a clear shot on it from almost any point. It may also give us a chance to launch an attack on it first."
"Heh, element of surprise! I like it," Hugh said. "Hit 'em hard and fast, and maybe we'll take it down in time to get a shot at Balestra too!"
"Somehow I doubt that's going to happen, but keep the enthusiasm, Hugh."
"Hey, we ain't getting any younger here! Zephyr, c'mon, let's get on our ships! York, we'll see ya at the Tainted Sea!"
"Likewise!"
York watched after the hunters as they raced towards the Guild warships before turning and slicing another golem in two, kicking its upper half back with a short grunt. The other hunters had mostly finished dealing with the few remaining golems after another minute or so- very few overall had formed around there anyways, most of the flaming meteors striking farther into the port. He was about to turn towards the docks when something caught his eye.
A man in a white coat, falling from the airship docks further up the ridge directly towards the marina below. York furrowed his brow in confusion- the way he was falling looked like he had been thrown, and there was a heavy splotch of blood across the man's chest. He slammed into the ground hard, the sound of his bones audibly cracking and breaking reaching York's ears even from that distance. Already York's eyes had traveled further upwards to the figure standing high above, on the edge of the airship landing.
"Zeal…"
The figure leapt from the side of the landing and plummeted to the marina below, tearing through a bannister and skidding down the ridge onto a shop roof before slinging into the space before the hunter. A nearby hunter had rushed to inspect the body that struck the floor, and let out a shocked yelp when Zeal landed beside him, only for his voice to be cut off by a single offhand swipe from the black blade in Zeal's grip. As the hunter collapsed to the ground, Zeal crouched low and stuck his sword in the ground, making to reach for his grey helm. Prying his fingers into the opening, Zeal broke the plated helm in half, splitting it down the middle and throwing both halves to the floor as his long, raven hair fell to his shoulders.
"You who I once called 'friend'…" The man's voice was nothing more than a raspy, guttural, emotionless choke at best. He glanced up at the hunter; most of his facial features were hidden behind the long strands of his raven hair, though York could still see the burn wounds between the black, as well as his familiar, yet blank yellow eyes that occasionally flickered with a reddish glow. His cheeks and eyes were sunken in, and his skin was chaffed, flaked, and cracked, leaving Zeal a veritable shell of his old self from twenty years prior, like a hollowed-out husk that shouldn't even be standing. The sight actually horrified him.
"Zeal, are you… Can you understand me?"
"York… don't believe you… could have forgotten who I am… even after all these years… Are you… prepared to die?"
York's eye widened before Zeal shot towards him, pulling his blade from the floor as he did, and slashed at his neck. York blocked the strike with the side of his own blade, grunting from the effort of halting the man's strength and throwing him off to the side to put a little distance between them. Zeal simply gave him a blank look before pressing towards him again and slashing at him once more. This time, York was ready: he parried the attack and rammed his foot into Zeal's gut, kicking him some ten feet back in the process.
"Of course. What was I hoping for? You're not Zeal," York spat, twirling his sword once and sheathing it. "Not anymore. You're just corpse bearing an old curse that keeps bringing him back again, and again, and again! You're just an insult to his memory!"
York closed the gap between them and drew his sword, slashing the pure blade downwards. Zeal met the attack with the flat of his blade, and quickly moved to block another two swipes from York's weapon before attempting a counterattack. The hunter swiftly deftly twisted out of the way of the thrust, sheathed his katana and hopped into the air, slamming the back of his heel into Zeal's head with a powerful shout, sending the armored figure to the floor a couple yards away. His opponent quickly righted himself, as the one-eyed hunter closed the gap once more and pulled his blade from its scabbard, stopping the powerful overhand chop aimed for Zeal's head, locking blades with the man.
"You… are the reason for this pain… You, who I once called 'friend'… It begins…"
"You never called me friend, bastard. Zeal did. Now I'm breaking this curse today, and you will leave. Him. Be."
York snarled and broke their lock and shoved his opponent back, striking Zeal with his weapon's scabbard as he twisted about, then sent the man skidding back with a powerful slash across the chest. Zeal skidded to a halt some ten feet back, a large cut in the front of his suit, and York deftly twirled his blade once before sheathing it. The strike hadn't bisected him, though- it seemed that even without the barrier around him, his armor was still somehow resistant to the pure blade.
Zeal lurched forward and charged again, and York ran to meet him halfway, ducking into a slide as his opponent took a wide swipe at him. The hunter slid through the opening between Zeal's legs and popped up behind him, drawing his sword as he turned about. With a powerful shout, York leapt into the air and sliced his blade upwards across Zeal's back, knocking his opponent a few feet into the air with him. Twisting about once more, the hunter struck the armored figure with a horizontal slash, sending him flying back to the ground. York dropped to the ground and slid his weapon back into its scabbard as Zeal rolled to a stop, though the figure immediately began to rise once more.
They rushed each other again, and York drew his blade in time to meet his foe's. Sparks flew as they traded swipes and circled about each other, looking for any openings they could find. Zeal still had the advantage of pure power, but his techniques were no different now than they were twenty years ago, meaning York was still able to counter him almost completely. He dealt half a dozen blows to his foe while Zeal only managed to land a single shallow cut on his arm, drawing blood. The grey-suited man staggered to the side when York struck him with the pommel of his sword, retaliating with a strike aimed for the hunter's shoulder, but York once more blocked and countered, tossing his weapon's scabbard up into the air in the process. He turned quickly and delivered a powerful two-handed slash at Zeal, cutting a deep gash through his suit and torso and sending him flying back several feet.
York reached his arm out and catching the falling scabbard in his free hand before sheathing his sword while Zeal forced himself back up again and leapt into the air towards him, slashing downwards at him as he descended. York hopped to the side to evade and partially drew his sword to block a second attack, forcing him back with a shoulder charge.
"C'mon, let's dance!"
A short flash of white energy surrounded York's katana before he rushed towards Zeal and drew the blade. Zeal moved his sword moved to block, and while the glowing white edge was halted, the ghastly white blade that appeared and swung at him in the same arc a moment later was not. The sword struck Zeal's shoulder unopposed, slicing a deep gash into the suit Zeal wore.
With the assistance of his father's arm, York battered through Zeal's guard, slowly pushing him back across the marina towards the forge. Every attack came as two at once, relentlessly enough that Zeal could barely even attempt a counterattack. The first chance he had, though, the man lunged York with his left hand, the prongs on his wrist jutting out as the red glow in his chest intensified.
A brief recollection of his previous fight with Zeal prompted York to halt his attack and knock his foe's arm upwards, and just in time: a massive burst of energy was unleashed from the figure's palm, the shockwave of which was powerful enough to send York flying several yards back with a pained shout. He hit the ground hard and rolled over to his feet to right himself and slide to a stop. York dropped his katana's sheath and drew his dagger in its place. A white flash surrounded it as he pushed himself up.
Zeal rushed towards him again, and York took a step back to dodge the first swing, then blocked a second aimed for his neck with his katana. The blades grated against each other as York dipped low and slashed at Zeal's abdomen twice with his dagger, once left and once right. After his second swing, another ghostly white arm appeared, clutching a dagger much like his own in the exact same manner he did. The apparition mimicked his attacks, slashing Zeal twice just as York had. The one-eyed hunter twisted to the side in time to dodge a downwards swing from Zeal and slashed him once more with the dagger, and the ghostly apparition likewise appeared, striking along the exact line York's had cut in the raven-haired man's side. Zeal staggered back a couple paces from the attack, though he righted himself quickly. A deep red aura surrounded him a moment later, and the crimson light in his chest intensified as it did.
"You… My eternal suffering…"
"Your suffering hasn't even begun yet," York scoffed, jutting a blade towards Zeal's body. The raven-haired figure crouched and charged towards him again, his yellow eyes having long been lost to the ominous red. York readied himself as Zeal bore down on him, meeting his blade with his dagger and lashing out with his katana and its after image. Zeal quickly blocked the strike, though the second strike sliced a deep gash through his side, and swung at York's neck with a guttural howl.
York feinted beneath the attack, though, stabbing straight up at Zeal's arm with his dagger. The tip managed to pierce through the man's wrist with the sound of grating metal, and the hunter twisted the blade to lock Zeal's arm into place. He then lifted his right arm and brought down a heavy swing on Zeal's elbow, delivering a clean strike to a thinner portion of the man's armor that couldn't quite stop the pure cutting power of York's sword. Even if it could, there was no halting the ghastly follow-up, and with the sickening noise of metal rending flesh and bone, the sword severed Zeal's arm cleanly in half. Yanking his dagger to the side, York threw the severed limb behind him, sending the raven-haired man's sword clattering across the floor noisily.
Even dismembered, Zeal attacked without hesitation, lashing out at York with his other arm. The hunter leapt back in time to avoid the palm strike, though the burst of energy that erupted from his hand still sent him flying back a fair distance. He hit the ground hard on his back, rolling over and slamming to a halt against a wooden railing with a grimace of pain. York winced as he pushed himself back upright, pulling a large splinter from his side with a gasp of pain. Zeal had already begun to advance on him again in spite of his missing arm, kicking loose stones and fragments away as he approached from across the ruined marina.
York pushed himself up and summoned the aura of Spirit Mode around himself, launching towards the raven-haired man. Zeal's remaining arm shot up in time to block an overhead chop from York's katana, the blade of which buried its way partly through the limb, though York grunted as the prongs once more appeared on Zeal's arm. Reacting quickly, he slashed up at Zeal's arm with his dagger, striking one of the extensions with the pure blade and severing it. He pulled his katana free from Zeal's arm and leapt into the air, slamming both feet into his opponent's chest and knocking him back about two yards. The blast went off as Zeal fell back to the ground, though the focus of the energy had been disrupted by the missing prong, sending a powerful shockwave across the marina. York was once again sent hurtling backwards, slamming into a staircase leading up to a small overlook forcefully enough to dislocate his shoulder.
He rolled down the steps to the floor after a moment, grimacing as he pulled the orange pauldron off and popped the arm back into its socket, causing his vision to swim from the mix of pain and relief. He blinked back into focus, and his eye quickly landed on Zeal. His foe was missing his other arm now too, and a massive burn was covering the left of his body, the suit covering having been badly damaged by the blast.
Even then, Zeal rose to his feet, though it was clear it was a struggle to do so without arms. York huffed lightly as he picked his swords back up and leveled the blades at the body of his old friend, and the raven-haired man once again took a few staggered steps towards him. His body was ruined and broken, yet he still wouldn't drop.
"You… who I once called 'friend'…" Zeal groaned, continuing his futile limp towards the hunter. "I'm not… one to quit… Die…! Die! DIE-"
Before Zeal could utter another word, York shot forwards and drove his sword clean through the gap in the man's chest, impaling him up to the hilt on the pure blade. The hunter let out a shout before driving his dagger into the side of Zeal's head and forcing the body of his friend to his knees. He withdrew both blades a moment later and leveled the katana over his head, and with one last shout, slashed the blade downwards, cutting through Zeal's head and body effortlessly now that his armor was so badly damaged. The man's body seized up a moment before the split formed, and two halves collapsed to the floor in a cascade of blood, and the red glow in his chest died out at last. York breathed out a heavy sigh and staggered back a few paces, taking a seat on one of the steps and returning his blades to their sheaths while the white aura around him faded.
"Damned curse… A father's sins aren't the son's to bear," he murmured a moment later before gritting his teeth. "Fuck you and your generational bullshit! Let him rest in peace already, gods dammit! His story is done!"
York took a few more moments to collect himself before pushing himself back to his feet with a groan. All the shockwaves had knocked him around more than a little, and his entire body was feeling it now. He pulled a potion from his pouch and downed the green substance before turning away from his old friend's body and making towards the strider Ruby had prepped for him.
Ruby heard resounding metallic clang as Sabrina knocked one of the golems almost ten feet into the air with a jumping uppercut-shield bash. The blue-haired huntress landed lightly in a crouch, glancing up as a second golem rushed towards her from the front, but Wes raced ahead and flipped over her before the attacker could reach her. The dual blade wielder landed and turned swiftly, slashing his left hand blade to the side to bat aside his opponent's thrust before running him through the abdomen, blasting it to rubble with a pull of his weapons trigger. The recoil pushed him back a pace though, leaving him vulnerable to another construct's lunge.
"Not today!"Viper shouted just before loosing another astral bolt. The green flash of magical light shot past the dual blade wielder, embedding itself in the attacker's torso with pinpoint accuracy, throwing the creature off balance and keeping the dual blade wielder from taking the hit. He struck another two golems with his shots before detonating all three, blasting large chunks out of their bodies and leaving them unable to act until their bodies reformed. He let out a short grunt when he caught sight of a third golem rushing his position; he didn't have time to summon another shot and draw it! Before the golem was on him, though, Snow darted in and slashed her spiked sword across its chest, slammed her shield into its 'face', and sent it flying with a spinning kick.
"Gotcha covered, bow boy!" she said before moving to engage another one of the magma-bodied golems. The one she had struck soared about fifteen feet to the right, though before it even came near to the ground, Frost leapt up into the air, kicking off its cracked and damaged body in midair to propel himself a little higher while sending the rock construct careening to the ground below. The Hybrid turned about in midair, flipping his sword into a reverse grip as the blade began to glow bright blue with thunder element.
"Too late for you!" he roared as he shot towards the ground, sinking the blade into the cobblestone and loosing a powerful arc of thunder element into the crowd before them, breaking or at least badly damaging more than a dozen golems and filling the air with a charge of electricity. More quickly moved to take the place of their destroyed brethren, though.
More for Ruby to knock flying with her hammer, at least. The red-haired huntress moved past the members of Storm and slammed the head of her Deviljho weapon into the nearest golem, breaking it to pieces in spite of its guard. She turned and let out a mighty roar as she swung the Devil's Crush hard to the side, slamming into no less than three golems that approached her from behind, smashing all three and sending them hurtling into their allies farther up ahead. The repeated bangs of Annabel's bowgun followed, preceding five blazing shots flying into the golems ahead of them from her position on top of a nearby merchant stall. She pulled a detonator from the side of her weapon and held it up beside her head, waiting a few moments for more of the golems to draw near the ones she had shot.
"Aaaaaand… Boop."
Upon pressing the button, each one of the slime-infused shells detonated violently, blasting a line clear through the horde ahead of them. She hopped down from the stall to join the others moving ahead to engage the next wave of the stone creatures, though one of the hardened magma constructs reformed enough to step into her path and attempt a swing at her.
All it found was a trio of arrows embedding themselves into its torso. With a furious shout, Emerald charged towards the momentarily stunned creature, leapt into the air, and drove both feet into its gut, cracking the still-forming creature in two in the process. She landed behind the two halves and rolled to the side, pushed herself up, and slammed her right foot down on its 'head', breaking the crumbled stone easily.
"Not so tough now, are ya?!" she spat before pressing on with the bowgunner.
"Keep pushing, we're almost to the hub!" Ruby called over the sounds of battle. Thankfully the numbers they were running into seemed to be thinning out somewhat, as far as she could tell. Frost and Snow were definitely doing most of the heavy lifting, their magically empowered attacks doing wonders to clear through crowds of attackers with ease. Seeing the twins well and truly in action was equal parts amazing and terrifying. Viper's astral bolts were like weaker, yet more numerous versions of Annabel's slime shots, and with them the archer was downing golems left and right. Wes and his twin falchions also made quick work of the constructs, cleaving through stone and blasting them to pieces with their pistol mechanisms. He had just clashed blades with another golem, outmaneuvering the rock creature with his swords and slicing a deep cross into its torso before stabbing it and blowing it apart.
Another golem managed to blindside him from the left, though. Somehow he turned to face the creature, almost unnaturally fast, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to block the oncoming attack very easily. Right as the blade came down on him, though, Sabrina leapt in from the side, slamming her shield into his attacker with enough force behind the flying tackle to send the rocky figure crashing into a post a couple yards away. She landed with a roll and rushed after the cracked being as it attempted to push itself up, only for the huntress to repeatedly ram the thick metal plate into its body with several loud, resounding rings of metal.
"Just... stay down!" Sabrina huffed, shaking her shield arm for a moment before turning away from the pile of rubble at her feet and towards the dual blade wielder. "I'll protect you, Wes! Count on it!"
"I owe you for that!"
Ruby smirked lightly before pressing ahead. Just because Storm was putting on an impressive display didn't mean her team was doing any less. Sabrina's shield had broken plenty of the golems to bits, and much like she had just done for Wes, she'd covered almost everyone from taking a hit by now. Annabel's slime rounds tore through the golem's numbers, and even her regular shots were capable of chipping them down for one of the others to smash. Emelia may have had a harder time breaking the stone-bodied creatures than the rest of them, but that didn't keep her from shooting down ones that went after Annabel or one of the others- or crushing the ones that were attempting to repair themselves. And then there was Ruby herself, plowing her way through hordes of the things with her hammer. Even with their hardened shields, the golems just couldn't stop the power behind her weapon.
What really was carrying them all this far, though, was how well they were working together. They were moving as one group, not two teams: Wes had struck down a golem that blindsided her, Annabel had shot down another that had been preparing to impale an unaware Viper, and Viper in turn had even blasted one of the constructs that attacked Emelia. That was only a few instances too, and as a result, they all suffered far, far fewer wounds than they would have otherwise, and they were pushing ahead far faster as well.
Along the way they had encountered other Guild officers and hunters attempting to fight off the magma constructs, many of whom Ruby urged to join them if they weren't busy trying to evacuate civilians or other non-combatant Guild personnel. This left them with almost twenty other people backing them up, which was nothing short of a huge comfort. While it was very difficult to deal with the golems without a large weapon, enough strength, or a powerful explosive, the new allies they had made still proved capable of handling the few that remained in Storm and the Gem's wake. At one point Wyld, Nex, and Scarlet had actually managed to catch up and fight alongside the group.
"And a two, and a three!" Wyld had roared, slamming his massive blade down on another one of the golems, shattering it completely. Scarlet leapt over him with an enthusiastic shot as her weapon came down on another construct. A few hacks from the weapon left another three golems on the ground in many, many pieces. Nex's own axe shifted to sword mode as he raced past the others, and delivered two powerful upwards-diagonal cuts, launching a pair of constructs into the ocean almost twenty feet away.
"Would you both try and keep a cool head?"
"But where's the fun in that?!" Scarlet grinned right before leaping forwards to attack another golem.
As they rushed onto the platform that made up Tanzia's quest hub, Ruby spared a quick glance around. To their left was a long bar, and a grill set up beside it with a staircase leading up to a balcony with a single table on it that overlooked some of the piers down below. Ahead to the right was the quest counter, while beyond that was the path leading towards the lighthouse and another row of docks, as well as a thinner path that led up to the cave in the ridge that ran through the center of the peninsula. And of course, there were plenty of dire golems waiting for them. While most of them had already begun to advance on the hunters, two of them already seemed occupied by a huntress in Ivory Lagiacrus armor and a hunter in Ceadeus mail nearby the quest counter, both of whom were looking rather hard pressed to fight off the constructs. She thought she could hear another woman's panicked shouts from behind the counter too.
"Let's clear 'em out!" she heard Wes shout before darting past her. He twisted beneath one of the golem's swings and caught a second construct's attack with his left hand sword, using his right to cut off the first one's leg and topple it. He then batted the second one's blade aside and slashed two glowing white lines into its chest and kicked it back a few paces.
Ruby leapt forwards and slammed her hammer down on the one he had crippled, then pulled the weapon from the small crater it had left in the ground to block a swing from another dire golem's blade. She parried the strike and slammed the bottom of her hammer into its chest with a forceful spin, forcing it back a step and putting it in range of an overhead swing from the Deviljho weapon. Another golem swiped at her as she recovered, and the huntress barely leapt back in time to avoid the hardened obsidian edge, only to find herself pressed back to back with Wes, who had similarly been forced back by another attacker. The two hunters circled to the side and readied their weapons while their teammates got to work attacking the crowd around them.
"Once we clear the hub, we'll split up," Ruby said, keeping her eyes on the golems that inched towards her and the dual blade wielder. "We'll take our new friends up the ridge. You'll be fine storming the lighthouse?"
"Of course, it's in the name of my team, after all," Wes replied confidently, letting out a short yell as he batted one of the golem's weapons away and slashed it across the chest, knocking it a few paces away. "You can leave it all to us, Ruby. We'll handle Balestra."
"In that case, by the time you get down to the Tainted Sea we'll have a big dragon carcass to show you. Try to live long enough to see it, would you? It'd be a real shame for me if you croaked any sooner, Wes. I'm actually starting to like you now."
"Heh, mind saving a few carves for me in that case?" he chuckled, parrying a blow and sending a golem stumbling to his side for Ruby to smash with her hammer. "I might be able to have some killer gear made from ancient dragon parts!"
"Promise me a nice dinner for two when we get back and I'll think about it," she retorted before ducking underneath a swing aimed for her neck and ramming the head of her weapon into the attacking golem's torso. Wes dispatched the construct by darting behind it and running both blades through its back and blasting it with the trigger mechanisms.
"…Y'see, you're the only girl that's said what she wants before duping me into it." Wes rushed towards the huntress and skewered another creature readying an attack for her before knocking it back with a strike from his other weapon's handguard. In turn, Ruby deflected a blow aimed for the dual blade wielder's back and cracked off the attacker's arm with a swift blow from her hammer's pommel. She then slammed the Deviljho hammer into the construct's shoulder, causing it to crumple into bits beneath the blow. "Also, no one has tried asking me out in the middle of a battlefield. And y'know, I can actually respect that about you."
The huntress winced as another magma creature managed to get a swing inside her guard, forcing her to release her weapon to roll out of the way of another attack. Wes immediately leapt on the creature and impaled it with his left-handed sword, dragging it to the ground with his weight before blasting it. He tossed Cryfder to her upon seeing her empty outstretched hand, and the huntress caught hold of the weapon in time to turn and parry another attack. She slammed a fist into the last nearby golem's head, slashed it twice, then cleaved it in half with a single swing, leaving the pair surrounded by nothing but bits of broken stone chunks. She had to admit, despite the awkwardness of wielding a sword that weighed next to nothing, it was an impressive weapon.
"So, is that a yes?" she asked, glancing back towards him with a slight smirk.
"I can't promise it'll go anywhere, but sure, why not?" he shrugged, lifting his hand as she tossed the weapon back towards him and went to grab her own. "Think I might be buying everyone a meal if we all survive this anyways."
While they had been caught up in their own skirmish, the rest of their teammates had cleared out the hub of the remaining golems. The last one fell to a shot from Viper, who was currently standing atop the quest counter. The archer wiped his brow and glanced back behind him, kneeling down and reaching his hand for something behind the counter.
Something turned out to be someone, though. A woman with blonde twintails wearing a blue Tanzian Guild uniform grabbed hold of his arm and pulled herself up before bowing graciously.
"Thank you thank you thank you," she repeated with a nervous laugh. "All three of you, thank you! Really! I was sure my Qurupeco was cooked Crimson there!"
"Hear that Arious? We saved her!" the white-clad dual blade wielding huntress grinned while catching her breath, jabbing the great sword user with her elbow. "C'mon, whaddya say?"
"Uh… you're welcome…?" the Ceadeus-armored great sword user muttered awkwardly beneath his helm. "Ivory, you know I'm not good with people."
The Guildie stepped towards Viper with an excited look. "All of you were really awesome, but you! You especially! You came along outta nowhere like a macho hero hunter guy, shooting down those rock things like they were nothing! So cool! Like, the coolest!"
"Heh, anytime, Cupcake," Viper grinned, doing his best to ignore the looks from the other two hunters.
"Oh, it's Cathy! That's my name. Cupcake is good too though! I like cupcakes. Use whichever you like!"
"I might just take you up on that. But why were you hiding back here? You aren't a hunter! You should be evacuating with the others!" Viper said, folding his bow and sliding it onto its place on his back. The Guildie's face reddened somewhat, and the archer cocked his head curiously.
"Well… one of my coworkers had uh… a really nice-looking lunch they left behind when this all started, right? And I thought, maybe she'd want it if she came back, so I hid behind the counter with it. And, uh… during all that fighting, I guess it… sorta kinda maybe… vanished. I have no clue what happened! It was there one second, and gone the next! I mean, I might've had a bite or two, but only to make sure it tasted as good as it looked! Could you imagine seeing a meal that looked fantastic but tasted terrible? It'd be worse than awful! Like… Terrible!"
"So… the apocalypse is happening as we speak, and you stayed behind to eat food." The archer turned from Cathy and towards the rest of the hunters gathered there with wide eyes. "Guys, I think I'm in love."
"Oh for crying out- can't you be serious for more than half an hour?!" Emelia sighed with an exasperated tone while the rest of their newly-made allies began to enter the hub area as well. Cathy gave another quick bow before hurrying over to one of the Tanzian Guild officers, who assured that he'd see her back to the evacuation vessels before they took off running back the way they all came. Viper continued to stare after them, though.
"Seriously, that is the woman for me. I am one-hundred and ten percent positive that Cathy's my soul mate. Gods, I hope she isn't taken. Maybe I could catch up to her and-"
"In case you didn't realize, we're in the middle of a battlefield!" the green-haired archer snapped. "This is not the place for that!"
Ruby exchanged a slightly bemused smirk and a shrug with Wes before stepping forwards. "Anyways, Storm, this is where we part ways. Head to the lighthouse and take down Balestra. The rest of us will go and turn Dire Miralis back into the fossil it should be. You two. Arious and Ivory, was it? We could use all the help at the Tainted Sea that we can get. Want to come along?"
The pair nodded quickly and joined with the army of hunters as they surged through the hub. Storm and the Gems parted ways to allow most of them to file past and move up towards the caves, but as the last few reached the gate leading to the forked path ahead, another large quake shook the peninsula, sending most of the group sprawling while few of them managed to remain on their feet. The shaking lasted about half a minute, but as soon as it stopped a high-pitched whistling noise sounded from behind them… or rather, from above them. The hunters turned in time to see a massive fireball slam into the center of the hub, emitting a shockwave powerful enough to knock the rest of them back several feet, while assaulting the hunters with an intense wave of heat. Ruby protected her face from the blast with her arm before looking towards the point of impact, gasping at what she saw.
The hub itself had been almost completely destroyed. The grill, as well as the upper platform, was nothing more than charred, flaming wreckage, while the bannisters and flags were completely incinerated. All that remained was the cracked brick floor, charred into a sooty black hue. But in the middle of it all was a crater about ten feet in diameter, which the shards of hardened magma that once made up the golems they had destroyed were being pulled into. As the hunters set about pushing themselves up and recovering, they bore witness to a colossal beast forming before their very eyes. As if building itself around the flames that impacted the hub, the shards all began locking together into a huge conglomerate being resembling a wyvern.
The dire construct began to bear resemblance to a skeletal Rath, with two large 'wings' made of purple and white stone melded onto a long, serpentine body nearly thirty feet long, held upright by a pair of stone legs. Various cracks were visible throughout its entire body, allowing a crimson red glow to emit from within. Unlike the golems, though, the lava-orange lines didn't appear on its body, and the creature didn't move, though it was clear from recent experience that it wouldn't be that way for long.
"That must be why they stopped reforming…" the hammer wielder grimaced as the various pieces continued locking into place. The creature was easily already as large as a Rathian, and was swiftly gaining mass. She glanced back at her allies, all of whom were staring at the dire construct with a rainbow of expressions; fear, worry, excitement, awe… more the first two though. They'd have to deal with this thing too, but no one from Storm could afford to tarry while her father remained at the top of the lighthouse. But she and her team had to get to the Tainted Sea to deal with Miralis…
As she racked her brain for a plan of action, though, one of the hunters they had enlisted the help of stepped forwards. Wyld the great sword user, a hand already reaching for his weapon and a slightly-insane cackle sounding beneath his helm, approached the forming construct.
"Whoa, hold up, are you trying to get yourself killed?" the huntress in Green Nargacuga armor, Scarlet, groaned. Her hand still went for her weapon, though. "I'm all for a good fight and all, but you're going to get us killed trying to cover for you!"
"Pah! Killed, schmilled!" the Duramboros-clad man scoffed. "Look at this thing! This is a beastie! Leave the other junk to those Master Corps guys, I wanna tangle with the rock monster right now! Just imagine the stories they'll tell!"
"Well, he's got a point! These guys are here to deal with their own thing," Ivory stated quickly, drawing her pale, electric dual blades. "This thing obviously isn't one of them. Plus, they kinda did most of the work for us up until now, right? They saved Arious and I, at least. I say it's our turn to repay the favor."
"I agree," Arious grunted, hefting his own great sword from his back and resting it over his shoulder as he strode forwards along with the huntress'. He glanced over his shoulder slightly at one other hunter. "Ah, Nex, will you be joining us?"
"Naturally." The Kecha Wacha armored man also stepped forwards, reaching for his own weapon.
The pale-armored great sword user nodded in reply, and the five hunters all stepped towards the giant construct, weapons drawn. The beast had finished assembling by then, trails of orange running along its body while two large 'eyes' appeared on its vaguely draconic head. The creature reared its head with the sound of crumbling stones, like an organic mountain. It made no sounds save for that of grinding stone as its 'mouth' opened, revealing a bright red glow within its gaping maw.
"Alright, fine! Leave this boulder to us!" Scarlet said, glancing towards Storm, the Gems, and the few other hunters and Guild officers that remained. "We'll bust its rocky butt to kingdom come!"
"Go on now, go deal with that Dire whatever. We'll have our own fun with this little fella," Wyld chuckled, leveling his great sword at the giant stone wyvern. "C'mon, it's time to go 'wild'!"
"Ugh, he had to say it…" Nex sighed. The five hunters simultaneously let out ferocious battle cries before charging the Stone Wyvern. Wes spared a short glance towards the red-haired huntress, clearly concerned that they may not be able to handle it, but she simply nodded towards him.
"We have to keep moving."
With that statement on their minds, Storm, the Gems, and their allies raced towards the pass. Ruby and her teammates turned right and raced up the slope towards the cave while Storm took to the lower path, a long bridge leading over the water and to the lighthouse about a quarter mile away.
She stopped and ushered the hunters and Guild officers into the entrance before sparing a quick glance back at Storm. Wes, Viper, Frost, and Snow were dashing across the bridge side by side, growing farther away by the second. There weren't any golems on the bridge, though a number of craters were visible on the span. A solid chunk was taken out near the center by one of the meteors, nearly halving the width of the bridge at one point. As she continued to watch, a worried sigh escaped the lips of Sabrina; the huntress had been standing beside her, nearly making Ruby jump in surprise. The short sword wielder's eyes were fixated on Storm… or perhaps just one member in particular.
"I'm worried…" she said, her grip on her sword tightening as a loud rumbling sound and a few shouts sounded from the hub behind them. "For Wes… and Storm, and the guys back in the hub… All of us. Everything that's happening… if Balestra caused all of this, then how powerful is he now?"
"I don't know," Ruby sighed, turning her eyes towards the top of the lighthouse.
She couldn't see anyone atop the structure from this angle, though the flame atop it had seemingly burnt out during their mad dash through Tanzia. It left the structure as a looming, ominous spire against the foreboding sky, framed by red and speckled by the falling orbs of flames still careening downwards from the heavens.
Her father was up there. A part of her wished to confront him, to make him answer for everything he had done herself, and yet Ruby knew that she would falter if she tried. Even after everything, she just couldn't face her own father like that. She couldn't bring herself to kill him. Though her expression fell at those thoughts, she shook her head clear of them and turned back towards the blue-haired huntress.
"But those guys sure know how to do their jobs right, that's for sure. Let's trust them to do theirs, alright? They're trusting us to do ours too. So come on, Sab. Miralis awaits."
The short sword user nodded swiftly and took one last long, wistful look towards Storm before darting into the tunnel. Ruby sighed and followed slowly at first. She supposed she had kind of broken the rules back in the hub, though she was uncertain if Sabrina had actually heard the conversation. Still, with the possibility of some of them not making it back alive, Ruby couldn't help but take that chance.
She knew she might never get another shot.
Author Notes: Please review! And now at long last, the end game begins!
This chapter went through SO many changes with the inclusion of the Gems and a few other things… Editing has been a real fun time. Originally it was Sabrina, Storm, and the older hunters charging the port, and they were fighting the people that are now their army of allies, not a bunch of golems. Trance was supposed to have a duel with Balestra, Dukamis was supposed to be mortally wounded… but frankly, I'm pleased with how things are now. The scale of the conflict escalated far higher than it was originally, which is probably the most important part for an event such as this. Plus, I get a MUCH better set up for the Dire Miralis fight. If you could see me at the moment, I'd be rubbing my hands together from anticipation.
Speaking of conflict, York vs Zeal: round five. In the original, Zeal was actually supposed to be sentient and aware, and was pretty much begging York to kill him since he was still partially being controlled and was fighting against himself. I decided to nix that route and go for the current version of York fighting the curse instead though, since I realized all the dialogue and angst actually extended the fight substantially enough for Gecko to say he was bored by it dragging on so long since there was very little tension as well. It's a sad day when I manage to actually bore Gecko of all people with my writing. But if you know anything about me, I won't let a boring fight scene stand, hence the edits and revisions.
Now I will say, holy hell is writing large scale fight scenes with this many named characters hard and confusing. There's no less than eight named characters charging through Tanzia at the helm of an army of hunters, and even more named characters pop in too! Keeping it all straight was challenging, but I hope it was easy enough to follow- and most importantly, entertaining. I happened to find the combat flirting from Ruby aimed at Wes to be the most fun to write.
On the topic of ships, the Guild gal Cathy makes a cameo! In case you aren't aware, Cathy is the actual canon name of the Tanzia Quest Giver/Guild Gal from 3 Ultimate. I took more inspiration from her depiction in Generations, where she shows a pretty substantial love of food and her questline revolves around sending the hunter to collect food to bring back to port with her, only for her to eat it all a feign ignorance about it. So of course, who better to share a dialogue with her than Viper of all people? It was a match made in heaven.
I'm sure some of you noticed a few other named characters running around this chapter too. Apart from Stonewall Geralt, those were actually fan OCs! I actually have an iFunny account I use to post about Monster Hunter and my own writing, and surprisingly enough plenty of my subs actually read my works even before I 'outed' myself. So I held a special little submission event there, and voila, the five characters Arious, Nex, Scarlet, Ivory, and Wyld were welcomed into the world of The Master Corps! So here's a special thanks to iFunny subscribers MonsterHunterNation, Nex224, IvoryLagiacrus, redman48, and MassacreDemonDiablos for your submissions! I hope you enjoyed seeing your characters throughout the chapter!
Anyways, on to MonHun news! Perhaps the biggest thing I've seen apart from the Japanese Switch demo of Double Cross (which I still am hoping we get but eh) and the western release date of Stories is the weapon trailers for Monster Hunter World. Pretty much every weapon type looks spectacular now. Switch axe has new combos, charge blade looks way stronger than it is in Generations, the bowguns are packing new heat, the bow is just arrow hell-incarnate, and the dual blades… oh my, the dual blades. I'm not completely sure how I feel about Demon Mode swapping into a reverse grip style, but I will agree that the new attacks and combos look brutal and awesome. Plus, the new aerial attacks are just… wow. I don't think anything quite takes the cake like the insect glaive with its DmC-levels of airtime, though. All in all, I'm really, really excited for the game. What are your favorite weapons and changes made to them for World, faithful readers?
The final battle between York and Zeal uses the Voicians remix of Celldweller's The Last Firstborn, York's theme.
As for the charge through Tanzia, the battle theme was Ignorance by Paramore; that's sort of a secondary theme for Ruby.
