Telepath
Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. All the characters in this story are mine, unless otherwise noted.
Edited by: Hoenn Master96 and Thomas A. Hawk
Oakroad really was a quiet place, Logan discovered the next morning. It was a small neighborhood on the southwest side of the second tier, supporting a middle-class population in sturdily-built stone houses that looked as though they'd been around for several centuries.
It had been tricky to ask for directions without arousing suspicion from the others. Vi had been the one he'd asked, but he'd still been unsettled by the dream conversation he'd had, and wasn't sure whether the huntress had caught on. Asking for directions to a side of town that he'd never been to and had no good reason to go to, the day after he'd been released from the Guild? Not exactly something he could explain easily. Thankfully she said she'd promised to accompany Sonia to the northern side of town today, and he hoped that he'd been able to discourage her from following him… though considering her invisibility skill, maybe she was. He'd never know for sure.
As for Oakroad, apparently the people who lived here didn't care for noise or bedlam, and that meant hunters weren't well-received. Logan had gotten several side-eyes from people, and it put him even further on edge than he'd already been. Nobody ever approached him, but they still kept their eyes on him.
The neighborhood's namesake made itself clear as soon as he'd entered the area, especially since Logan had nearly tripped over it: most of the streets, though well-maintained, were frequently distorted or broken through by the thick roots of a tree. They were nearly everywhere as well, and Logan couldn't go thirty feet without spotting another gnarled root punching a hole through the path. It was an odd spectacle to find in such a well-off neighborhood, and it wasn't until Logan reached the intended meeting point that he found out why: at the core of Oakroad sat an ancient and weathered oak tree. It looked as though it had been here for centuries, and old 'wounds' showed that it had taken some damage over the years, refusing to die. The thick roots crawled across the soil and dug into the road, unearthing the bricks and leaving Logan to wonder if the roots were the same ones which spread out across the entire neighborhood… if so, it was little wonder this old tree was the source of the area's pride.
...You're here, I assume?
Logan winced as a dull pressure squeezed his mind, and the voice from the previous night crept into his mind. He'd been clinging to a small hope that it had all truly been only a dream, and that coming here would lead to nothing, but it seemed those hopes were dashed now… He quickly glanced around in search of the source, though he couldn't guess where he was supposed to look in the first place.
I suppose that reaction is proof enough. Don't bother looking around yet. You're by yourself, right?
"Uh… ja," Logan muttered nervously. None of the local residents were close enough to hear him talking to himself, but the voice in his mind seemed to have heard him, one way or another…
Hmm… you seem to be telling the truth. Alright, I'm going to give you some instructions on where to go next. It's somewhere closeby, don't worry.
"But I dunno what you want me to-"
Don't talk too much at the moment. Don't want anyone nearby thinking you're too suspicious… though I suppose the locals here always have their eyes on hunters.
"I guess… but where-"
Head west, first of all. We'll talk in person soon enough.
With that the voice vanished. Logan looked towards the western road, a small path leading deeper into the residential housing. He pondered if it would be better to run… but despite his uncertainty, he found his feet carrying him down the road. He didn't really have any choices right now, and no answers to any of the questions plaguing him. Still, he kept his eyes open, trying to conjure plans of escape, despite how pointless the efforts might seem at the moment.
The voice said little more after that, only poking back into Logan's mind for a moment to tell him to take a right at an intersection, leading him along a row of homes that lay built right near the edge of the city tier; through the gaps between buildings, Logan could make out the long drop on the other side, plummeting down to the tier below. There were fewer people on the roads here, only one or two passing Logan on the road now and then, and a few people out in front of their homes maintaining flower beds or other such business. He wished he knew where he was going, but the voice in his head had been silent for a while…
He was caught by surprise when he spotted a familiar face, standing near the gate at one of the houses. As tall as him, with rust-brown hair, a broad and powerful build, and a long scar crossing across the whole of his face: the Shield of Dundorma, Klaus ka'Damien. Did he live in this part of town, Logan wondered? A few passers-by walked past him, greeting him politely, and he would smile and nod to them each in turn, giving Logan the impression that he was a familiar figure around here.
As Logan neared, however, the man's eyes snapped up to meet his, and Logan immediately felt as though the man was appraising him. Then the man smiled politely and nodded at him. "Morning."
"Uh. Morning…" Logan muttered, glancing further up the path and wondering how much further he'd need to go before-
Stop. I said we'd talk in person. So, let's talk.
Logan froze, turning back to face Klaus once more, to find that the man's amicable, polite expression had vanished, and now the man looked… highly unamused, looking the hunter up and down as though trying to get a gauge of him.
"I'll admit I'm a little surprised you actually came. I was half expecting you to not show up at all," the Shield said, and now that Logan heard his voice out loud, it sounded very similar to the one he'd heard in his head before. "Where have I seen you… Oh, right! The recent hunter's exam, right? No wonder you looked so familiar."
Logan stared at the man in disbelief, and Klaus eventually rolled his eyes and motioned for the hunter to approach. "Come here, Logan. Keep casual, and try not to make a scene."
Logan frowned, walking towards the man nervously and looking around. "You… Is you the one who told me to come here?" Logan whispered, and Klaus met his gaze with a flat expression.
"Yes, I am. But you can calm down. Though I admit our… encounter yesterday may not have been entirely friendly, I didn't call you here to hurt or threaten you. Well, not unless you give me a reason to. I'm just here to figure you out."
"What… what exactly you trying to figure out?"
The man eyes flicked around for a moment as he ensured nobody was close enough to hear him speak, before meeting Logan's eyes with a sharp gaze. "How a boy your age managed to have a telepathic conversation while he was asleep. How he managed to hear both sides of said conversation when it should be impossible. How it was he developed these powers." The Shield's casual expression shifted into a concerned frown as he crossed his arms. "There aren't many telepaths in the world, Logan, and for good reason. I want to know how you learned how to do this… and who taught you, if anyone."
"I don't- Wait, telepathy? That's what all this is?"
Klaus stared at Logan blankly. "Of course it is. What did you think all of this was supposed to be?"
"I don't know! How was I supposed to figure out all this, hey? All this crap didn't start happening 'til a couple months ago, and they's only been happening while I is sleeping, and they's visions, and weird voices, and threats from people I don't even know, and I was going crazy, and-"
"Okay! Okay, calm down, Logan," Klaus cut in, looking around nervously. A few passersby were giving them odd looks. "Alright, this isn't the best place to talk about this. Follow me around back and we'll talk in private."
However, the hunter didn't immediately move, staring at the Shield warily. Klaus sighed, rubbing the brim of his nose. "If you're worried about your well-being, Logan, you don't need to be. You're in no danger from me right now."
"...Really? You wasn't that friendly yesterday."
"...That's fair," Klaus admitted. "But I thought you were a threat then. It's not exactly comforting to realize that someone you don't know is listening in on your thoughts. If what you've said is true though, however, it's not your fault."
"But I don't even know what that means!" Logan replied. "I dunno anything 'bout what's going on! How's I supposed to trust anything you say?"
"I… once again, you're right," the Shield sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just… I've never been put in a position like this before. But you have abilities I've never seen before, and I'm not sure how to deal with you."
"But you said this was telepathy?" Logan asked. "I thought you knew 'bout all this!"
"I do! But you're an anomaly, and I don't-" The man froze, looking around uncomfortably; their voices had been rising in volume, and a few passers-by were giving them concerned looks. The Shield sighed, lowering his voice and looking apologetic. "I realize that it's hard to know whether to trust me or not, but I'm not sure what exactly I have to do to prove to you that I mean no harm. But I swear on my honor as Shield of Dundorma that I will not harm you. I just… I want to understand what's going on, and in return I might be able to help you understand this power you've gained. Is that alright with you?"
Logan stared at the man, trying to get a read on him. He seemed honest, and he didn't like to imagine that the lauded Shield of Dundorma was leading him into a trap. But the raging storm that was the man's anger remained lodged in his memory, reminding Logan that if Klaus DID find a reason to cause him harm, there wasn't much he could do to stop him. However, as far as he knew, Klaus was also the only man in the world (save for whoever 'Three' was) that might be able to provide him with answers to these voices in his dreams…
"...Hokay, fine. I'll talk with you."
Klaus nodded, a distinct look of relief on his face. "Good, good… Now, follow me around back and we'll talk."
Logan stared after him for a moment and he pushed through the gate he was standing in front of and approached the house, wondering if it would be better to run… but despite his uncertainty, he found his feet carrying him after the Shield. Danger or not, the man seemed to have answers to Logan's questions, and that was worth the risk.
Passing through the gate himself, Logan took a moment to study the house itself, and found that it stood out from the rest of the structures around it. It was a smaller house, but a far cry more wild. Vibrant rose bushes and sprawling flowerbeds stretched across the front of the home, clinging vines crawled up the walls, with flowers blooming in dozens of colors, making the entire building stand out in stark contrast to the well-kept dwellings nearby.
Instead of approaching the front door, Klaus circled around the side to a gate leading behind the structure. The man motioned for Logan to follow him through, and on the other side Logan found himself in a wide garden, filled with several dozen bushes and rows of flowers. At the center of the garden grew another oak tree, only slightly less aged than the one in the center of the neighborhood. And at the far side of the garden stood a chest-high stone wall, beyond which lay a beautiful view of Dundorma's merchantry district and the western wall of the city.
A rustling sound caught Logan's attention, and he found a little old woman tending to a cluster red flowers. The woman had seen them both, but her eyes were on Klaus as she smiled broadly.
"Why, Klaus dear! It's been so long! I don't think you've been by for nearly… well, not since before that terrible blast, I suppose," she said, glancing sadly off to the west; the magnificent view had a clear line of sight towards the caravan staging grounds, and Logan could easily make out the reconstruction efforts. "I imagine you've been quite busy, poor dear… But it's wonderful to see you again. My garden's missed you."
"I've missed it too, Ma'am," Klaus replied, smiling warmly.
"And who's your friend here?" she asked, eyeing Logan over. "A young hunter?"
"Yes, he is. Do you need any help in the garden today?"
"Oh, that would be absolutely lovely! Would you be willing to weed the asters for me? Some of that nasty felvine got itself rooted in there and these old hands just don't have the strength to pull them all loose."
"Don't worry. Logan and I can take care of that for you. Right, boy?"
"Uh… sure," Logan muttered. "Can do that, I guess…"
"Oh, you're one of Titania's boys, are you?" the woman asked deviously. "Is this going to be a stern talking-to from Klaus?"
"Aha, not exactly," the Shield grinned sheepishly.
"Oh, no need to be coy, dear," she laughed. "I know how that woman's family can get. I gave that old girl a piece of my mind more than once when I was more spry, but she never listens to anybody."
"Ha… she never does change, does she?"
"Not a bit! But I suppose a couple of youngins wouldn't appreciate it like someone so long in the tooth as me. You know, she doesn't look a day older than she did when I was knee-high! Perhaps a few inches taller though… Ah, but enough about that, you're here for a chat, aren't you? Why don't you two get started, and I'll brew up some tea for you?"
"That would be absolutely lovely, thank you."
"Then I'll be back in a jiffy," the old woman replied, moving past the Shield and towards Logan. "Lovely meeting you dear, and thank you so much for the help."
"Erm… right, no problem, missy," Logan muttered as she shuffled over to a side door and disappeared into the house.
"Right," Klaus said, motioning towards a cluster of pink and purple flowers. "You start on the far side, I'll get the end closest to the house, and we'll work towards the middle."
"Huh? So… we really gonna weed the garden?"
"Of course we are," Klaus scoffed. "It's the least we can do in exchange for the tea."
Logan frowned, following Klaus' instructions and making his way over to the flowerbed. He couldn't remember a time in his life that he'd actually needed to weed a garden… Most of his early life had been spent in a desert, where only the wealthy or extremely dedicated had the money or motivation to maintain gardens. By the time he moved to Orage he was an experienced enough hunter that gardening wasn't a hobby he cared for. Felvine was a familiar enough plant though; aside from a few gathering jobs he'd done when he was younger, a few of the Felynes who lived near his mother's bar grew some on their building's roof, and it wasn't considered a weed to them… well, not in the literal sense.
"So, uh… So who was she?" he asked, reaching down and trying to find the core of the Felvine roots.
"That's Griselda," Klaus replied, already on his knees and removing strings of vine with a practiced hand. "Old friend of mine. Her house has the best view of the city I've ever known, and that's saying something. I, uh, I happened upon this place a few decades ago and found her here taking care of her flowers, and volunteered to help. Since then I've come here every so often when I need to unwind… or when I want to talk to someone in private, since this garden is out of sight."
"She's, uh… she's in on this whole thing?"
Klaus chuckled under his breath. "She doesn't know about telepathy, if that's what you're asking, but Griselda respects my privacy, and she'll take her time making that tea. In exchange for being able to have these unseen conversations, I help her keep the garden."
"Oh… hokay."
"So, let's get down to business. You said you didn't know how you overheard me and… my friend talking. How did this happen? When did you start developing this ability?"
"Guess… 'bout two, three months ago? 'Bout a month after the exam, I think. Maybe earlier? I ain't sure."
"You've been listening in on our conversations for that long?" Klaus asked irately.
"What? Hoy, no, I wasn't even in town. Me and my friends was… uh, 'bout halfway to Harth, hey?"
"Really? That'd still be in the range for some folks."
"What you mean?"
"...We'll get there. So you actually spoke to me while you were sleeping, right?"
"Uh, ja."
"Interesting… I suppose I've heard that the mind tends to be more receptive while subconscious… Might have to look into that later. But who were you listening to, if not me?"
"Um. Goa."
"Goa? Someone else that can use telepathy?"
"No, he… Well, I guess so. I only talked to him while I was dreaming, hey? Thought he was… well, didn't think he was someone real. Guess I know better now…"
"Right, right, you did say that…" Klaus frowned. "But this Goa person, he would've had to know that he was talking to you telepathically, right?"
"Don't know 'bout that. He seemed pretty convinced that I was a voice in his head same as I thought he was one in mine, hey? When we realized that wasn't true, he was just as shocked 'bout it as me. Can't figure he knew any more 'bout it than I did."
"I guess that means I'll need to talk to this Goa too, eventually."
"Think that ain't gonna be so easy. Goa ain't human, he's… a monster."
Klaus froze, holding a weed half-pulled from the ground, before turning and staring at Logan wide-eyed. "A monster?!"
"Ja," Logan nodded solemnly.
"What?! That's-! You… It can't- Have you told anyone about this?!"
Logan blinked, staring at Klaus in surprise. "Ja. Told His Immenseness and the rest of the Guild 'bout it just yesterday, hey? Goa's the monster making all that Frenzy Virus stuff. Didn't you know 'bout all that? Thought you was the Shield."
"That's… a monster's been doing that?! An intelligent monster with telepathy?! I thought-" Klaus paused, scrunching his face up and letting out a deep groan, raising his hands to rub his temples. "I… No. I have not been privy to the details surrounding the virus. My job mainly revolves around the defense of Dundorma itself, and while I have been informed about the Virus, I was only told to ensure that the city has preparations in place to deal with outbreaks. But I wasn't aware that a monster was causing the trouble, or that it had the power of telepathy."
"Huh. Maybe I shouldn't've told you," Logan muttered.
"No, that- ugh. Never mind. Tell me about this 'Goa'. This monster. You said you were talking with it. It was… intelligent? Like you or me?"
"Ja, he's pretty clever. A bit bestial sometimes, but didn't even figure he wasn't human… or didn't figure he wasn't just a crazy voice in my head 'til I got into a fight with him in the Everwood…"
"A fight?! That- Ugh, you couldn't have- Why didn't-!" The Shield hissed sharply, muttering dourly under his breath. For a moment Logan heard him shift into another language… or maybe just a dialect so thick that he couldn't understand it. "That's… troubling. But the Guild has a report on this?"
"Ja. They know 'bout everything I know."
"Right. Fine. That's fine! I'll just… I'll look at the information later," Klaus groaned, crossing his arms and staring at the ground in deep concern. "Let's return to that topic later. First things first, I want to clarify what you're capable of. Just to verify: last night, you overheard a telepathic conversation I was having while you were dreaming?"
"I think so. Mean, that's what I think happened."
"Right. But - and this is important - you heard me talking to someone else? You heard both of us speaking?"
"Ja. You and someone named 'Three', I think. And he was calling you Four. That a codename or something like that?"
"...Something like that," Klaus replied carefully. "Can you recite anything that, uh, 'Three' said? Can you remember anything, like how his voice sounded or his mannerisms?"
"Um… talked about a show I think. A play? Said he wanted to play a witch? Said he was learning 'bout lighting and 'lectricity for some reason too. As for his voice, was kinda… loud? Sorta felt y'know, proud, or uh… Don't wanna say nothing bad."
"Go ahead, I won't get angry, I promise."
"Felt a little self-absorbed. Egotistical, I guess?"
"Heh, that's Three to a T," Klaus chuckled. "But that does mean you did hear him talking… somehow."
"'Somehow'?" Logan asked. "They something wrong with that?"
"More than you can know," Klaus replied. "What you did is impossible, Logan. Or… that's not right. It's more like it's…"
Again the Shield scowled, talking to himself under his breath. He shook his head a moment later, reaching down and yanking out a cluster of Felvine.
"Don't stop working, we've still got to earn that tea," he said. Logan frowned, but did as he was told. Another minute of silence followed, until finally Klaus spoke up again. "It… Okay. Let's try something else. Just… be quiet for a moment."
"Uh… hokay."
Klaus turned to give the hunter a new, far more piercing look. Logan shifted uncomfortably as the Shield appraised him, as though trying to unravel some great mystery that had just presented itself, until eventually-
Can you hear this?
Logan jolted in surprise as the voice echoed through his skull, wincing slightly as a subtle pressure pressed against his mind. He looked around in confusion before realizing that the voice was Klaus', only… the man hadn't spoken. Not audibly at least. "Ja, sure I can."
Interesting… That shouldn't be possible either.
"Hoy… This is what telepathy's like?" he asked. "How do I… ugh. How to do I talk back?"
Well, normally you'd just THINK back what you'd want to say. It's not actually that hard, but this isn't actually telepathy. I haven't opened the bond with you yet so-
Like this?
...Or not. Okay, you just… Didn't need to do that, apparently. Okay… okay, okay, okay, I can figure this out. It's just- You shouldn't be able to-
This kinda creepy. Is my head supposed to be all squeezed? Was kinda like this with Goa and-
"Wait. Wait, stop," Klaus said out loud, and Logan felt the pressure in his skull vanish. "You aren't doing things right. Or… not wrong, per se, just… I don't-"
"What you mean? You keep saying I is doing things funny, but I don't know how nothing works in the first place."
The Shield raised his hands, as though the gesture would be enough to get the point across, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out and his hands flew around in front of him aimlessly. Finally, he threw his hands up in defeat and toppled backwards onto his butt, hitting the ground with a heavy thump that Logan felt through the soles of his boots.
"Screw it! I can't explain why what you did is strange unless you have a baseline understanding of how telepathy is supposed to work in the first place. So here's what's gonna happen: I'm going to give you an explanation of the basics. I just have to pretend you're not some crazy anomaly doing things you shouldn't be doing, and… and we'll figure things out from there."
"Um. Hokay," Logan replied, leaning away from the flowerbed and staring at the Shield intently.
"Alright," Klaus sighed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "First of all, telepathy isn't as fluid and malleable as you seem to think it is. It's not just an easy way to speak with people that aren't sitting next to you. And it's not supposed to happen while you're asleep, it's supposed to be an ability consciously developed and fostered over time."
Klaus reached down, grabbing hold of a small stick from the ground and pressing it into the dirt, drawing a stick figure in the dirt, followed by drawing a circle around the figure. "Let's pretend this is your mind. The circle is… let's call it a barrier that encompasses your mind. Your thoughts can't be projected out through that barrier, and other people's thoughts can't get in."
Klaus paused a moment, sweeping the stick along one part of the circle, creating a break in the line. "Now, people have the ability to create 'holes' in the barrier, allowing them to project their thoughts out into the world around them. That is the core of telepathic powers. It's not a simple thing to accomplish, and normally requires training and practice to pull off, but it can be done by all living things."
"...All living things?" Logan asked. "Everyone can do this?"
"Yes, with practice. Different people have different affinities to it, however. Some take to it easily, but most people would struggle getting a knack for it, and they'd lack in ease of connection and range."
"Range? You talked 'bout that before. This ain't a thing you can do from anywhere?"
"No, not at all. Telepathy relies on a person's talent and metal strength to determine the distance which they can communicate. The average person can communicate only a couple miles at most-"
"That's still pretty far, hey?"
"I suppose. But if you have particularly low affinity, you might only be able to communicate with someone only ten feet away tops, and no further. Some people have enough telepathic strength to communicate on a continental scale, but as far as I know there hasn't been one with that kind of talent alive for a long time."
The man returned his attention to the drawing in the dirt and drew another figure in the dirt as well as another circle surrounding it. "Now, putting affinity and range aside, the problem is that even if someone learns how to open the barrier around their mind, since every living creature has their own barrier, even if they project their thoughts, nobody else can hear it. You following me so far?"
"Um… ja, think so. But what if two folk got holes in their barrier at the same time? Wouldn't they hear each other?"
"That- No, Logan. That's… Look the barrier thing is just a metaphor, and not a perfect one either, so let's just pretend it makes more sense than it does, alright?"
"Uh, hokay."
"Now, there's only one way for two minds to connect and speak to each other," Klaus said, drawing a line connecting the two circles. "You can create a sort of communication tether between two minds, which we refer to as a 'bond'. Using this bond, two individuals can communicate with each other with telepathy."
The Shield paused again, drawing a third man inside a circle and connecting it to the first one. "However, these bonds work as a connection between two people. ONLY two people. You can't connect three people to the same bond. Two people, one connection. You can create bonds with other people - as many people as you want, really - but the bond only connects you and that one person. If you have a bond with two people, and one of them uses it to speak with you, the other person won't be able to hear their side of the conversation through their bond with you."
"Huh… then, what I did last night was-"
"Impossi… Not normal," Klaus paused, correcting himself. "It's why I was so convinced you were a threat at first: I assumed that you were someone who had learned how to use telepathy and was trying to peer into my mind and find blackmail material. I, uh, that's why I reacted so harshly. I'm sorry about that…"
"Uh. Is fine, I guess."
"But at the same time, you telling me that you could hear Three talking was what tipped me off that something about you wasn't normal. If you'd been prying into my mind, you should've only been able to hear my thoughts, not Three's, which set you apart from the more villainous telepaths that have popped up over the years."
"Huh. Is they really folks that know 'bout telepathy and try to do sneaky things with it?"
"They're far and few between, but anyone can do so if they're taught or somehow develop the ability themselves, and there have been a few unpleasant people that figured it out," Klaus admitted. "And in my position, I do make a compelling target to try and get power over. It's always rather… cathartic, teaching these people that they're not nearly as much of a threat as they think they are."
"...Hooookay…"
"But anyway, do you have any questions about what I've said up to now?"
"I dunno. Is a lot to take in. Is what I do that… weird?"
"Very much so. I've only known a couple people over the course of my life with enough experience to even slightly alter the methods I've mentioned. But you're able to do what shouldn't be possible.
Like now for example. What I did a couple minutes ago, and what I'm doing at the moment could be considered akin to shouting into the void. Speaking at nothing. If you send telepathic messages outwards but you're not connected to anyone with a bond, nobody will… nobody SHOULD hear it. Without the bond, my 'voice' should never be audible.
"Hokay… but I can hear you just fine."
"I'm well aware of that," Klaus replied, speaking out loud again. "But that's what makes you strange. I can't say for certain how your ability works, but if I had to guess, I'd say that you don't have a barrier around your mind, or perhaps your barrier is thin enough to allow you to hear thoughts from other people and project your own out from within. That allows you to hear the shouts to the void, as well as the conversations that are traveling through other people's bonds… assuming you're within range to hear them."
Logan furrowed his brows in thought. "You think… you think maybe that's what Goa was doing? Maybe he got these telepathy powers, and was just thinking into nothing, and I could hear it?"
"That… may be the case."
"But I don't get it… If telepathy got so many rules, so much stuff you can't do, why is I able to do things nobody else can? It don't make any sense."
"Well, about that… While my first instinct is to say that what you do is impossible, you're not actually the first person I've ever met with the abilities you have."
Logan's eyes snapped wide in surprise. "They's someone else that can hear what they ain't supposed to hear?"
"There… was," Klaus replied solemnly, and Logan felt his heart sink at the finality in the words. "He was… well, I never actually knew his name. We all just called him the Eldest, and he could hear the telepathic voices that shouldn't be possible to hear."
"And he's… dead?" Logan whispered.
"Yes," the Shield nodded. "I'm sorry. I never suspected that anyone else could ever use telepathy like he could, so I never tried to learn about it. He was old and wise, and powerful in ways we could barely comprehend."
"Was he a Wyverian or something?"
"...He was more than that. He was… indescribable." Klaus waved vaguely in Logan's direction. "I know I kept saying that it was impossible for you to use telepathy like you do… like he did, but to me it'd be like saying that a human could learn how to fly, just because I'd seen a Rathalos do it."
"Oh… guess that makes sense," Logan muttered.
To his surprise, a smile cracked the Shield's face once more. "And yet here you are, doing the impossible. Perhaps I should check your back for wings while I'm at it. You have a unique power, Logan. I don't know how you developed it, but maybe it's an ability that can really just… randomly develop in a living creature's mind." Klaus leaned back, looking up at the sky. "To think, all this time people like you might've been out there… and we just never thought to look."
"You think they's others?" Logan asked hopefully. "People that can… hear all this without trying?"
"Well, if you can, surely others can as well. It might just be exceedingly rare, or require specific circumstances to develop," the Shield replied. "Though, the only method I can think of to find them would basically amount to wandering around the world, telepathically shouting into the void and waiting to see if anyone responds."
"Think that worked for me, hey?"
"...I suppose it did."
"So, uh… can you teach me 'bout how to use it? The regular way I mean," Logan asked.
"I suppose it would be best to give you basic lessons," Klaus replied. "You've got this power now, and there's no getting rid of it, so it's better that you have a grasp of how to use it, rather than letting you fumble around on your own."
"Is it hard to figure all this stuff out?"
"For most people. I'd guess that it'll probably be simpler for you than most, but we'll have to see for ourselves whether or not that's true. Though, you'll have to forgive me if I'm not the greatest teacher… Truth is I've never taught anyone how to do this, and it's been a long time since the Eldest showed me the ropes."
"I take what I can get at this point," Logan sighed, and Klaus nodded empathetically.
"Well… I suppose before we get into lessons, we should first go over what you should avoid doing or outright NEVER do."
"Really?"
"Well, you'd think bowgunners would be smart enough to not shoot themselves with their own weapon, but every few months you hear a story… So I figure we should start with the warnings so that you don't accidentally do anything dangerous when you don't know any better."
"Hokay, that's fair."
"There's two primary bits of advice I can give you, Logan. The first is this: to the best of your ability, I advise you to keep your telepathy a secret, and to try and keep the number of people you have a bond with to an absolute minimum, even among your friends."
"Huh? Why? If me and my buddies could use this kinda power, that'd make hunts and other stuff all sorts of easier, wouldn't it? If anyone can use this power, why keep it a secret? Actually… hoy, wait, if you know so much 'bout telepathy, you could probably help with all the stuff we doing with Goa-"
"No!" Klaus snapped sharply. "I can't- The Guild can't know that I have this ability!"
"What? Why not? Ain't you the Shield? Ain't you supposed to protect folks? You said that they's folks out there that learn 'bout telepathy sometimes, and try to use it for bad stuff! And they's Goa, and if they's all these problems caused by telepathy, and you know what's going on-"
"It's not that simple, Logan!" Klaus growled. "It's… Look. I won't deny that it would help the Guild right now to know what I know… but telepathy is a dangerous power because it might fall into the hands of those that would abuse it. A bond is a permanent link between two people's minds. While it's primarily a communication tool, imagine if a criminal or sociopath learned how to use telepathy. I've mentioned that there are people out there that try to abuse that power, imagine what sorts of torment you could inflict if you could reach into someone's mind."
"Oh… Yikes."
"It's one of the reasons why I don't want the Guild to know I can use these powers, why I want to keep the public at large from learning about it as well. Even if it's only among a small few higher-ups in the Guild that I trust, I can't guarantee that the people they in turn will teach are trustworthy. If someone with cruel intentions got hold of these powers, the results could be disastrous. And if the knowledge spreads on to the general populace… better to keep those in the know to a minimum for as long as possible."
"But they already know I got this power."
"True, but they only know you've had conversations with this Goa creature. Do they know you're a telepath? Do they know what you're capable of? Do they know that you can learn how to control those powers?"
"Um… don't know."
"Exactly. As far as they know, you might just be suffering the same fate as that Therian hunter that ended up being tormented by the Alatreon. What's his name…"
"...Levin."
"That's it. Perhaps the Guild thinks you're suffering a similar fate, just a young man caught up in trouble bigger than himself."
"Huh… Speaking of, I remember back when the Alatreon attacked Loc Lac-"
"Wait, what?" Klaus cut in. "You remember?"
"Uh, sure. I was actually in the city at the time. Wasn't much older than a few years old, but… Still kinda remember it."
"Mercy…"
"Anyway, they was this thing it did where it talked to pretty much all the Lost in the city all at once, hey? But you said folks can only talk to one person at a time. If that beastie was able to do that with telepathy, y'think we might be able to? Talk to a whole buncha people all at once?"
Klaus furrowed his brow in frustrated thought. "I don't know. Elder dragons might have different rules than humans. I've certainly never done anything like that, and I've been at this a long time."
"But if me and you master is able to do crazy rule-breaking stuff with telepathy, then ain't it possible?"
"I won't say it isn't… but it's also possible that it can only be developed with age. The Alatreon was over ten thousand years old from what I've heard, and I doubt you'll live that long."
"Oh. Never mind…"
"But back to your question from earlier, I won't force you not to create a bond with your friends. I only advise you to make sure that you can trust the ones you do, and be sure that they won't spread these powers around willy-nilly either."
Logan nodded solemnly, wondering who, if anyone, he'd be able to make a bond with. Sonia and Bram came to mind first, but Sonia might be a little too eager to let others know about this power. Bram was sensible enough, but his curiosity might lead to him studying telepathy and making it well known. And if one of them was a bad choice, they both were; Logan had no illusions that, if one of them learned how to use telepathy, the other would be the first bond they created.
As for the others… Leon was hard to figure. Strong moral fiber, certainly not the type to abuse the power, but he'd probably want to spread the ability around for the sake of the greater good. Vi was bubbly and outgoing, but given what he'd been told about her past, she wasn't likely to reveal any secrets that she was given to keep. As for Tuli… Logan wasn't sure about her. She was loyal, but he knew that she could get unhinged at times, especially when her brother or Progressives in general were involved.
"I keep that in mind, I guess…" he muttered. Klaus nodded solemnly.
"Just so long as you understand the gravity of the situation. As for the second piece of advice I'll give you, and this one is by far more important: if you create a bond with someone, or overhear someone's conversations with your ability… If you think that they might die soon, sever the bond."
"What? Why?"
"I mean that you need to close the bond if you think you might be connected to someone at their moment of death. This is very important, Logan! You do not want to be connected with someone when they shed the mortal coil, no matter if- no, especially if they're someone you care about!"
Logan stared at the man in shock. The intensity of his request was unbelievable, and Logan could see the pain and desperation in Klaus' eyes. "What happens if… Have you- has that happened to you?"
Klaus winced, pursing his lips and looking away from Logan. His eyes looked pained at the question, but he took a deep breath and allowed the tension in his body to slacken.
"...Yes. I… felt my brothers die." The man released a strained sigh, shaking his head and staring at the ground. "They… they were murdered when I was younger, fighting off men who'd come to kill the three of us. I'd run away, and had the bond open, hoping to hear that they were safe, but… they weren't and I felt it when they…"
Klaus paused, turning away from Logan and staring out over the city. "Mortals aren't meant to know what death feels like, Logan. It's not a pleasant experience. When a person dies, for the briefest of moments, anyone who is connected to them through a bond can feel death. When my brothers died, I felt this… cold, empty void. A darkness and despair unlike anything I've ever known before.
"To touch death is horrible, made even worse by the fact that they were people I loved. It can drive a person mad. I've seen it happen, and it nearly happened to me as well. For weeks after they died I was a shivering, nervous wreck, barely able to sleep or eat. For several years following their deaths I was… barely able to function, a creature of blind anger and despair. I barely managed to pull myself out of it. There were others I've seen who ended up even worse than me."
The man's face was distant again, traipsing through some long-held memories. "That's why you have to keep your wits about you when you're talking to someone through a bond… In fact, with your power you might need to be even more careful. I don't know how the Guild will end up dealing with this Goa, but if they have to kill it, and you happen to be close enough when that happens…"
Logan paled at the thought. His life as a hunter made him no stranger to death. He'd seen friends die under the fangs and talons of monsters before… as well as a few significant others who'd met their end in his line of sight. Suffering through their deaths emotionally had been hard enough on its own, but actually experiencing their deaths personally, to feel their souls snuffed out of existence… the idea was chilling. The thought of feeling Sonia and Bram dying, two kids he'd known since they were babies… it was just too much.
"I understand," he whispered. "But I don't… I don't know how to stop that from happening, hey? All those times I talked to Goa, they wasn't any way for me to just cut things off. Can I even do that with this weird no-barrier power I have?"
"...I'll be honest, Logan, I don't know. But I'll do whatever I can to help you figure it out," Klaus replied, giving Logan an encouraging smile.
"Thanks, but… why you gonna go so far for me in the first place?"
Klaus chuckled to himself. "You said it yourself: I'm the Shield of Dundorma, and it's my job to help people. Besides, with your powers, you might be able to do great things in the future. I want to learn about how you got your powers just as much as you want to learn how to use them. Perhaps this will work out for the better for both of us in the end."
"Hope so. So… this something I gonna be able to learn quick? The Guild's gonna want me to head off back to join the search for Goa again soon, and I dunno when that's gonna be, hey?"
"That depends entirely on you, but we can get started right now if that's what you want." Logan nodded eagerly, and Klaus grinned slightly, motioning towards the flower bed. "Though we will need to keep weeding while I teach you."
"Ugh, really?"
"Think of it as a price for the lessons," the Shield laughed, patting Logan's shoulder and leaning back over the flowers. "Alright, first of all you need to learn how to recognize your own barrier and how to pierce through it in the first place…"
"This… isn't as bad as I thought it would be," Sonia said, glancing around.
"Well, Lowtown isn't that terrible a place to live, truth be told," Leon replied, looking over a small stall selling fruits and vegetables at a corner. "Don't get me wrong though, there's a lot more crime on this side of town, and you'll find all sorts of shady shops down every alley."
"Really?"
"Yep!" Vi replied from Sonia's other side.
"But there are measures taken to prevent things from getting too rough," Leon continued. "The Guild has an arrangement with the hunters living in the area: if they bring in any criminals, the town guard will look the other way over bar fights and other minor infractions."
"That seems a little abusive," Sonia replied.
"I'm sure they'd rather have a bunch of rambunctious hunters around rather than drug dealers and thieves and murderers. Besides, the Rohkin live here too, and they get the same deal that hunters do."
"Oof… and they really like to fight."
"Exactly. Criminals need to watch their backs in Lowtown, since the Rohkin just need an excuse to get into fights."
"But… what about all those 'shady' shops you mentioned?"
"Well, shady in the, uh, the moral sense, I guess, not the legal. Most of the stuff you can pay for is 'legal', just… y'know, not what people typically admit they partake in, or show off in polite company."
"I see…"
"The illegal stuff is around too, don't get me wrong… It's just kept out of sight."
Lowtown certainly gave off a more ramshackle appearance than the other parts of the city, and nearly all the buildings in town were tightly clustered together, usually raising three or four stories off the ground and frequently looking like each story had been built on top of an existing building with completely different materials; it reminded her of Orage Dell, actually, which had gotten more condensed a couple decades earlier after a Lost awakening. Most of the roads were dirt rather than cobblestone, and the shops and restaurants were little more than holes-in-the-wall, rather than the 'proper' stores seen in other parts of town. And it took little effort to glance down alleys and see the signs indicating the existence of shops that sold goods you wouldn't display on any of the main streets.
As for why they were on this side of town in the first place, the Lost that had been rescued in Silverbrook had been relocated here, and Leon had volunteered to show Sonia and Vi around. Despite living with Vi for nearly two decades, he apparently knew his way around.
As they curved the next corner, Sonia caught sight of the housing development that they'd sought. It was surprisingly easy to make out; there was just some… aesthetic difference in the decorations that hung outside the buildings' walls that gave away the foreign nature of the people who lived within.
Alongside that, the building had undergone several 'renovations', or at least attempted efforts. It had a feeling of 'functional incomplete'-ness to it. Sonia had seen similar work back in Perir and Orage, the typical work of Lost trying to rebuild using techniques that they might not have had the materials to properly see through. Advanced in theory but lacking the proper tools, that was the best way to describe it. Whatever the descriptor, the design simply felt too 'Lost' to anything but the building they sought.
Sonia caught sight of several young Lost hanging out on the stoop of the building as they approached, wearing clothing that was clearly manufactured with technology beyond what was possible in this era, cotton weaves with intricate designs and cultural references that Sonia couldn't hope to understand. As they neared, she realized that they were finagling with a strange little contraption. It was grey colored, made of that plastic material that older Lost frequently talked about (but had yet to reproduce en masse), and consisted of two little rectangular slates hinged together on one side. One of the slates had a collection of buttons on each side, and a glass-covered black screen on the other.
The oldest-looking of the group - a boy who couldn't be any older than fifteen at most - was messing around with a cartridge that opened on the back while the younger ones watched eagerly. Sonia thought she might recognize him, and she wondered if she'd at least seen him in passing back in Silverbrook. In one hand he held a small, glowing object, which Sonia believed to be a shard of a Zinogre's shocker, though it had been covered in small wires and padding, with bits of metal placed at the ends.
"C'mon, c'mon!" one of the younger boys whined, looking over the oldest boy's shoulder. "Put it in! I wanna play again!"
"Calm down, already. I don't know if this'll work or not," the older boy replied sullenly. "Apparently batteries don't exist anymore, so I had to ask around to see if anyone had a workaround. The guy I bought this from said it might work, it might not. For all I know, it'll make the whole thing blow up, so you'll excuse me for being a little wary about this."
"Hey! Whatcha doing there?" Vi asked, stepping forward and leaning over the group.
"Trying to get this handheld to work again," the older boy muttered, not looking up from the device.
"It ran outta power," a little girl said sadly, before turning to scowl at one of the boys. "Isaac used it all up!"
"I did not!" the boy yelled back. "Garet was the one who used it up! I only had it for five minutes before it ran outta power!"
"You all used it up!" the older boy snapped at them. "I told you all that I didn't know when we'd find replacement batteries, but you all went and wiped out the charge in a day and a half! And don't try to pretend you didn't help it along, Jenna. It took me a month to find a replacement, and it wasn't cheap, so unless you punks want to spend another month without playing, you'd best learn to take your stretch out your game time… Or cough up money for more of these crystals. I don't know how long this Zin-thing shard will power it."
"Is it some kinda game player?" Sonia asked, looking down at the machine. She could see now that it apparently had a lot of intricate wiring hidden inside. "My dad told me he had something similar when he was younger."
"Yeah, it can play games, but since batteries don't exist anymore, it's basically an intricate paperweight." The boy sighed despondently. "A paperweight that I put hundreds of hours into…"
"Um… sorry to hear that?"
"Eh, don't worry about it. Now step back, all of you! Hopefully this crystal doesn't explode, but better safe than sorry."
The hunters and two of the children moved back a couple steps, but one of the smaller boys - Garet, Sonia remembered - remained where he was, and Sonia grabbed his collar and pulled him away as well. The older boy winced, connecting the makeshift battery into the slot in the back.
A moment passed in silence. "Well, it hasn't exploded," Vi noted.
"Yet," the boy replied, flipping the machine over. "Well, moment of truth."
With a nervous touch, he pushed a small button, and the black screen began to glow with pale light. A few multicolored letters appeared on the now white background, and Sonia could see the younger children grinning eagerly… before the screen abruptly flickered and the machine fizzled out.
"Whoops," the older boy muttered. "Well, it works, at least."
"What?!" the other boy, Isaac, cried. "It's broke!"
"No, the battery just slipped out of alignment. Give me some time to make it so it stays together and it should work just fine." The children groaned in frustration as the older boy slid the gadget into his pocket and pushed to his feet, before looking up at the hunters for the first time. He glazed past Leon, hesitated on Vi for a moment, and came to a stop on Sonia, at which his expression changed as the gears turned in his head. "Hey… Hey, hey! It- You! It's you! The huntress from Silverbrook!"
"She is?!" the girl, Jenna, gasped as she stared at Sonia wide-eyed with delight. The other two boys were just as awestruck, leaving the huntress fidgeting uncomfortably under their gazes.
"Um… That's right," she muttered. "You were all part of the Lost that woke up, right? Sorry, I wasn't in good condition to properly meet everyone back then."
"Oh yeah… I heard you got pretty messed up," the older boy nodded, as the younger ones circled around her curiously as Vi giggled in amusement. "To be fair, I spent most of those days huddled in one of the tiny rooms of the- the feline house they had me and these brats shoved in. Oh, uh, I'm Felix, by the way."
"Sonia. Nice to meet you guys."
"Wooow…" the boy Garet muttered, taking hold of her left arm, rubbing his finger along the lightning burns that raced up from her palms towards. Sonia winced a little but let him continue. "Did you get these fighting the, uh, the Thunder-Dog?"
"Thunderlord," Vi corrected, kneeling down next to him. "But yes, Sonia fought it by herself you know. Very brave of her, don't you think?"
"Yeah!" Jenna said excitedly, grabbing Sonia's other arm and poking at the scars there. Sonia turned and glowered at Vi, but the other huntress simply smiled innocently back to her.
The other boy, Isaac, looked across her arms and exposed abdomen. "Did you get all these scars from the Thunderlord? Oh, that one on your face too?"
"What? Oh, no, these have come from all sorts of monsters," Sonia replied. "The one on my face I got from a Nerscylla."
"What a Ner-see-la?"
"A really big spider," Leon replied, and all three children's eyes widened in horror, making him struggle to keep from laughing.
"Are you two hunters too?" Felix asked.
"Oh, right," Sonia nodded. "These are my friends, both hunters too. You might've seen Vi before; she was with me in Silverbrook."
"Yeah… I would've helped with the fight against the Thunderlord but I was hospitalized at the time," Vi explained.
Sonia nodded. "The other one is Leon. He wasn't with us at the time."
"Nice to meet you guys," Felix replied. "So what are you guys doing here? A huntress like you wouldn't live on this side of town, would you?"
"What's wrong with Lowtown?" Leon asked.
"I mean, nothing really," the young man shrugged, "but I would've thought a great hunter like her would be staying in one of the nicer parts of town."
Sonia winced as Vi let out a snort. "Ugh, geez… look, Felix, I appreciate the thought, but I'm not that great of a hunter yet. I'm still low rank, after all, I'm not living in luxury or anything like that."
"Really?" Jenna asked with a frown. "Where do you live?"
"Oh, I'm bunking at Vi's place," Sonia replied, motioning to her friend. She noticed, however, that the horn player's mouth was curling into an amused smile. Before she could figure out why, Isaac spoke up.
"Where's that at?"
"It-" Sonia paused, quickly realizing an issue in her argument. "Um. Middle tier west?"
The three smaller children looked between each other, hoping the others would have a clue where that was, but Felix was the only one with a look of recognition on his face. "Middle-west? Isn't… isn't that area of town like ninety percent mansions?"
"...Yes."
"...Right. 'Not living in luxury', huh? So why are you here?"
"We came by to see how the Lost were settling in," Vi replied. "Sonia was worried for them."
"Oh, in that case, you'll want to talk to Don and Dana. They run the place. I think they're older Lost that awakened twenty or thirty years ago and managed to build this place. They're good people."
"That's a relief to hear," Vi replied.
"Right, um… In that case, you three!" The smaller kids snapped their attention to him. "Go show them around. I gotta try and get this battery fitted, okay?"
"Gooot it!" Jenna replied happily, grabbing Sonia's arm and dragging her into the building. The two boys proceeded to take hold of Vi and Leon, 'escorting' them into the building in much the same way.
The children's pace barely offered Sonia a chance to look around, as they were pulled through the halls of the apartments, but she managed to catch sight of a few interesting things. A surprising number of doors were open, giving a communal sort of feel to anyone passing through, and Sonia saw several families and other groups clustered together in their own rooms and dorms. She vaguely recognized a few of the Lost as she passed, and the recognition was shared by some of them as well, their eyes widening with surprise matching the expressions the children had given her outside.
Jenna led her towards a dwelling at the back of the structure, which seemed a little more important than the others due to the centralized location. The door was open, and within Sonia could see an older couple sitting together in a cozy little living room.
"Oh, hello children," the woman, likely Dana, smiled as the hunters were dragged through the door. "Who are these people? Friends of yours?"
"They're hunters!" Garet replied eagerly.
"You don't say?"
"Yeah, and this is Sonia!" Jenna added, tugging on her arm. "She's the one that beat the Thunder-dog in that place we woke up in!"
"Really?" the man, likely Don, asked, looking her over appraisingly. "Is that so? We've heard quite a lot about you, young lady."
Sonia sighed wearily. "I promise, whatever you've heard is probably-"
"A gross exaggeration?" Don smirked. "Oh, I'm sure. We've met our share of hunters, and we've learned that you could cut half the fat from any hunting tale and still have a story with a bit of padding left behind."
"So what brings the young lady who's captured our residents' admiration to our doorstep?" Dana asked. "I heard you were off near the Teeth, and most hunters are hard to rein in, considering their wanderlust."
"I… We came back to Dundorma for certain reasons, and I just wanted to know how the Lost here were doing," Sonia replied. "Mom and Dad told me a lot of stories about how they and other Lost were treated back home when they first showed up, and I was… a little worried."
"Ah, suppose that makes sense. But we've learned how to do it right the last couple decades, not all that fear mongering that was common at the start. I can show you around and you can talk to folk, see how they're settling in, if that'd ease your mind."
"Thank you, I'd like that."
"Alright, let's get you a tour," Don grinned, pushing upright. "Can't promise everyone's here right now, but there should be enough."
The older man and woman motioned the hunters to follow them as they led them through the building, checking in and introducing them to all the Lost living within the building, both the new ones who'd recently arrived from Silverbrook and a few who'd apparently been living there since the last awakening several years earlier.
Sonia had to admit, she felt a little awkward meeting most of the Lost. Those who didn't recognize her on sight were immediately informed of who she was with all the enthusiasm that the three children tailing them around could muster. What praise and admiration she received left her a flustered mess, much to Vi and Leon's amusement.
She couldn't understand what had changed about herself, or what was so different about their adulation compared to what she'd received before. She was no stranger to bragging about her exploits with her friends or complete strangers, and had never felt any sort of embarrassment at being the center of attention. But the way these Lost treated her as a hero made her want to curl in on herself. Was it just the difference between being treated as just a warrior with an entertaining story and being treated as an actual savior? Sonia didn't know.
However, while she nearly wasn't able to handle the praise, she did find herself absorbed as they told her about their lives since their awakening. Their stories of the journey from Silverbrook, their efforts to come to terms with this brave new world as well as the various types of madness that now lurked in their minds, and how they were doing their best to acclimate and survive. Not everyone was happy with their circumstances, and there were a number of them who spent every breath in Sonia's presence complaining, but a majority of them seemed to have already come to terms with their new life.
More than anything, Sonia felt an indescribable swell of emotion any time one of the Lost thanked her for saving them. Some were open about it, bringing back that uncomfortable feeling from before. Others were expressed their thanks quietly and left it at that. But either way, each expression of gratitude for keeping them alive left a lingering sense of fulfillment within her that she'd never felt after any other hunt before.
"Is… is this everyone?" Sonia asked, as they left the last room, which had held a mother and her infant son.
"Pretty much," Don replied. "There's a few off in town working or job hunting, but some just ain't around anymore."
"What do you mean?" Vi asked.
"Well, some Lost have real bad madnesses that we can't help 'em with. We provide community and support, but the worst madnesses are beasts beyond our ability to tame. There's a few groups in town that specialize in helping with those issues though, and they took the poor souls off our hands. There are others who set off elsewhere to seek their own lot in life; bold, if you ask me, considering the culture shock most Lost suffer." The man took note of Sonia's frown, however. "Something wrong, young'n?"
"No, it's just… There was a girl in Silverbrook that I spent a lot of time with, but I haven't seen her yet. Emy Jones."
"Emy? Ah! Right, the girl that wouldn't take off her clothes!" Sonia gave the man a concerned look, before his wife nudged him and shot him a sour look. "Right, that probably wasn't the best phrasing. The girl who… didn't want to show skin, I think? Wore too many layers. Long sleeved shirt, long pants, boots, gloves, a shawl around her head, even here in the middle of summer. Panicked if you even suggested she lose a layer?"
"That's her!" Sonia nodded eagerly.
"Right, right. Poor girl, don't envy her that madness, not at all," Dana sighed. "Gahin summers aren't gentle, and having to wear so many clothes out of some tweak in your brain? Little wonder the girl fled north; probably couldn't handle the heat."
"Wait, what do you mean she 'fled north'?"
"Oh, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but your friend ain't here anymore. She seemed like a pretty quiet, demure girl for a few days after she arrived. She was always just kinda… listening to people talk. Then one day she up and says she's gonna become a hunter, easy as you please, just like some hero of hers from Silverbrook. Can't imagine who that could've been."
"...Oh."
"Yup," Don nodded. "Way I heard it, she went running 'round the city looking for someone who'd train her, and managed to get some hunter who lived up near the Frozen Seaway to accept her as an apprentice. Some mildly famous fella called Abominable Winston."
"'Abominable'?!" Vi gasped.
"The name's a misnomer from what I hear, don't worry. Name gave me a start as well, so I looked into it. He's actually a pretty nice guy, but some Lost gave him the name due to him resembling a legendary Lost creature. Really tall and strong, bushy white beard, Lagombi armor."
"I didn't think monsters existed back wherever the Lost came from," Vi noted.
"They don't… or I didn't think they did," Sonia replied curiously. "What about Emy though? And this Winston guy?"
"Well, from the rumors I picked up, this Winston fella never took apprentice. Least, not before Emy. Maybe he saw potential in her, or she managed to talk him into it, but either way she got him to take her with him back up north for training. Probably the best choice for her; that madness of hers would've made her life here hellish, least until autumn. Best to live somewhere cold where she has an excuse to stay bundled up. She'll probably be up there for a couple years though; apprenticeships take a while."
"Shame you missed her though. She only left about two weeks back at most," Dana said.
"No, it… It's fine," Sonia replied. "It sounds like she's doing well now. At least, better than she was back in Silverbrook."
"Back then she was afraid of almost everything unless you were around, Sonia," Vi reminded her. "But it sounds like she's found her courage, if she's looking to become a hunter. Huh, I wonder if he lives near my hometown?"
"I've been watching the Lost for years now, though it's been a spell since the last awakening filled these halls," Dana told them. "Usually they're acting about as confused and, well, lost as their namesake, bumbling around for a couple months before they get their heads right. But that girl hit the ground running in comparison."
"Suppose she just had a good role model to look at, eh?" Leon grinned.
"I… don't know about that," Sonia replied sheepishly. "But, uh, I'm glad to hear she's alright…"
"Or as alright as a hunter can be," Vi replied. "There's some nasty nasties up north, depending on where you hunt. But if this Winston guy is skilled enough to be known this far south, I'm sure she's in good hands."
"I hope so," Sonia nodded, giving the apartment building one last look. "Well, I'm happy to hear that the Lost are doing better now."
"Of course," Dana nodded.
"Thank you for showing us around," Leon told the two older folks.
"Not at all, young man," Don nodded. "I know you hunters live fast-paced lives, but feel free to stop by whenever you wish. I'm sure the folks here would love to hear about your exploits again."
"Yeah, come back and tell us stories!" Jenna said excitedly, and both Isaac and Garret nodded enthusiastically as well.
"I'll keep that in mind," she grinned, before she, Vi, and Leon made their way back into the streets of Lowtown.
Sonia found herself humming quietly as they wound through the cluttered streets, and Vi gave her an amused grin. "You seem happy."
"Huh. I guess I am," Sonia admitted, continuing to hum until they returned to the Manor.
A knock at the door to Bram's room pulled his attention away from the notes on his desk. The sound of the knob turning before he'd even said that his visitor could enter told him that it was Sonia, and sure enough a moment later she poked her head in.
"Still working on that music box?"
"It's not a… Yes. I'm still working on the music box."
"Any progress?" she asked, leaning against his back and looking over his shoulder.
"I think I've got the design down, I just need to make sure it's wired up well enough that I can guarantee that it won't break or explode. Once that's done, I can work on making it more efficient and durable."
"Uh huh… This design doesn't look like the music box though," Sonia noted, pointing to the drawing at the top of the pile. "I thought it just used half a barrel, but this one looks like it uses an entire barrel."
"Oh, that's a new project I'm working on. Mina, Quincy, and Seward keep pestering me with 'helpful' ideas in their letters… and as much as I hate to admit it, some of the ideas are good." Bram reached over, pulling a thick, newly-purchased book out from under a stack of papers. "I bought this yesterday, and ever since I've had a flash of inspiration on a new creation."
"Really… 'Professor Coriander's Big Book of Combos: a Definitive Guide to Basic and Intermediate Alchemical Concoctions, Volumes 1-3'? That's a mouthful… I think Daguerreo had a copy of that in his alchemy wagon."
"I wouldn't be surprised."
"Does this teach you how to make those red potions like the one he made me?"
"That's probably in one of the later volumes, but I'll need to get some more experience with alchemy before I look into those mixtures though."
"Ha, knowing you you'll have it down in a week and a half."
"You give me too much credit," Bram smirked. He paused his work, however, turning to face Sonia. "You seem to be in a better mood. Did something good happen?"
"Oh! That obvious? Vi said the same thing," Sonia replied, plopping down onto the bed. "I guess talking to the Lost from Silverbrook just cheered me up a little. Kinda… made me feel like I can still accomplish good things, even if I feel out of depth sometimes."
"You don't say."
"I'm not sure how to describe it. It's just… I feel like I've been floundering ever since Dad's letters stopped coming, since trying to rescue him feels completely out of my grasp, y'know?"
"We are facing off against a rather well-coordinated group of kidnappers, Sonia," Bram reminded her. "It's not a challenge we can handle on our own."
"I know, and that's what's been bothering me. I've been feeling so… useless. Inadequate. I know I can't be expected to face on my own, or even with you and our friends with us, but I just felt like I should be able to do something more than relying on the Guild's help."
"And talking to a bunch of Lost made you feel better about that?"
"It did," she grinned wanly. "After all… I couldn't handle the Thunderlord on my own either."
"...Aha, I see what you're getting at."
"Yeah. The Thunderlord was… a wall. I can't imagine winning against it even if both of us and all our friends teamed up on it. I barely even hurt it when we fought. But despite being completely useless in battle against it, I was able to keep all those Lost safe somehow because I fought. They're doing… about as well as they can, I think."
"And you hope you'll be able to do the same in the search for our fathers?"
"Exactly. I'm sure I can't help the Guild find Dad at all, and mercy knows I won't be able to do a damn thing to help Logan and Rikki's team chase down Goa, but… I'm sure if I stick around and do whatever I can to help, there's gotta be something I can help with. Maybe not, y'know, 'save lives' kind of help. But something."
"...I hate to admit it, but I think Leon's way of thinking is rubbing off on you."
"Ha. That's not necessarily bad you know. But, anyway, the reason I came here in the first place was to invite you to Vi's room. While we were out restocking our potions and stuff - y'know, I already miss just being able to go buy them from Daguerreo. But we found this guy who was selling…" The huntress paused, however, as her eyes landed on a large box sitting next to her on the bed. "Oh! What's that?"
"A care package from Jonathan. I picked it up from the post office this morning."
"Awesome! He always sends the best stuff!"
Bram rolled his eyes as Sonia grabbed the package. Jonathan was Mina's twin, and one of the more enthusiastic of his siblings, which was saying a lot. He specialized in designing equipment for hunters, and while his creations weren't as grandiose as you might expect from a Renfield, they were still dangerous in inexperienced hands. From what Bram had heard, most of Jonathan's creations had potential, but the Guild was trying to tone them down before mass-producing them for public use.
Sometimes Jonathan sent some of his experiments Bram's way for field testing. Bram normally wouldn't even humor the idea of testing a Renfield invention - and he did realize that the legacy applied to him as well - but his family knew that anything they sent to Bram would probably be played with by Sonia, and so they put in extra effort to ensure their creations were relatively safe. It was agitating that they went to such lengths for her sake and not for his, but he couldn't argue with the results.
However, as Sonia leaned her head against the box and shook it slightly, he reminded himself that 'relatively safe' was still dangerous. He leapt to his feet and snatched the box out of her hands, holding it away from her. "Be careful. It might explode for all you know."
"Aw, c'mon! You know as well as I do that your siblings always send explosives with all the solvents in separate canisters."
"...That is true. Nonetheless, you can read the letter to me while I open the box," he said, peeling off an envelope taped to the top and passing it to her.
"What?!" Sonia replied indignantly. "I wanna open the box!"
"Too bad. The post isn't always gentle, and some of these inventions have fragile parts. The last thing we need is for a wire to snap or a spring to launch at your face."
"So it'll launch at your face instead."
"Maybe, but I know what I'm doing."
"Ugh, fine," Sonia grumbled, tearing open the letter while Bram set the box on the floor and carefully unsealed it. "Let's see now:
"Dear Bram,
"I heard from Mom about what happened with Dad. Guess that explains why he's been away so long. Mom's been raising a fuss with the Guild, trying to get Elhart to help. I don't know if you'd be able to get in contact with someone from the Gahin Guild and try to organize- Oh. I guess he hasn't gotten word about our meeting with His Immenseness yet?"
"Not likely," Bram replied. "I sent a letter home this morning, but even the Felyne Post can't deliver a letter to the opposite side of the continent in less than a day."
"Huh. Let's see… yadda yadda, couple paragraphs about how to get the Guild's help, can probably skip all that. Um… Oh! Sheila's supposed to give birth in a couple months! You're gonna be an uncle soon!"
"Hopefully, we'll have my father back before then."
"Yeah… Um, what else? Oh, here we go:
"Anyway, I figure now's a good enough time as any to send you the latest contraption I've been working on. I had a stroke of inspiration when I heard about all the crazy terrain you have to deal with over there, so for the last few months I've been working on something special to help with that; I can't guess how your search for Dad will go, but this should make it easier if you find yourself having to trek through the darkest parts of the Everwood. I've happened to hear from Mrs. Geisel that you're clumsy when it comes to traversing some of the rougher terrain. Should probably thank Sonia for giving me a heads-up.- Ha!"
"Yes, yes, very kind of you to mention that to my family," Bram muttered.
"I just told my mom. Not my fault she told yours. Not my fault you still stumble when we're dealing with roots and tricky terrain either."
"Whatever, just keep reading."
"Yeah, okay… In the box you'll find the JRU-125 Hunter's Arm-Mounted Terrain Traversal Facilitator/Projectile Range Increaser. - That's a mouthful. - The name's a work in progress. - Oh. - It's basically a specialized slingshot/grappling hook combo. - Cool! - There's an instruction manual in the box, but the summarized version is that it attaches to your arm (left or right, I've made adjustments for either), and there's an internal grappling hook built in. If aimed properly it should pull you towards whatever you've attached the hook to in a hurry. Up walls, across ravines, etcetera, assuming you can actually hook it to something solid. I've added a 'swing' function as well, which will allow for about ten feet of slack instead of retracting all the way. Don't need you slamming headlong into a rock wall if the hook latches into the wrong place. That's what alpha testing is for!"
"I feel bad for the people who sign on to test his early designs," Bram sighed.
"At least he pays well," Sonia replied. "And provides health coverage."
"I suppose that is a plus in that line of work."
"Right, moving on… The slingshot function's pretty much the same, you just have to detach the grappling hook from the slinger bit ('slinger' isn't a bad name, now that I think about it). Anyway, you should be able to launch projectiles by placing them on the mounting channel. We've tested throwing knives, flash/sonic bombs, and other ranged equipment. If you can throw it, the launcher will allow you to throw it FARTHER. Our longest distance clocked is a throwing knife that traveled about eighty yards with decent accuracy. I'm sure you can imagine how useful that could be. That being said, there's not a universal latching system yet, so any ammo will fall out if you're not careful. We're working on creating disposable canisters to put launched goods in, but it's a work in progress.
"It took awhile for me to get materials that were sturdy enough to function without being too heavy, and you wouldn't believe how much work I put into making it compact enough to wield without giving up functionality. But I believe the current design is just about as good as I can get it. Well, as good as it can get without field testing, but that's where you come in! I'll leave it to you to read the instructions and conduct a trial run.
"I've included two models in the package for you, one for you and one for Sonia. - WOOHOO! - Hers is the purple one, which is her favorite color I recall. - That's right! - You may need to finagle it a little; they don't universally attach to every type of armor. Not yet anyway.
"One last thing: don't tell Sonia know you've got a second one - What? - or if she finds out, don't let her use it - WHAT?! - until you've tested it properly. Actually, what am I thinking, she's probably reading this over your shoulder. Sonia, don't use this until Bram's done with it. - And why not…? - The strength of the grappling hook is a little strong, as it needs to be to pull a person in full armor through the air. Problem is we haven't perfected the tension levels for the retracting mechanism, and it'll probably need to be calibrated based on the individual's weight and constitution; what works for Bram could completely dislocate your shoulder or worse. I know you're both hunters, but he's built of sterner stuff. Best let Bram take time to adjust his, and he can help you get yours situated. Which means you'll need to wait a couple weeks or more as he figures out the kinks.
"Aw… Alright, I guess that's fair…" Sonia sighed.
Bram grinned at her, finally opening the box and digging through the packing straw. Sure enough, he found an arm-mounted object within, with several straps dangling down under it. A quick scan gave him a pretty good idea of how it worked (though he'd still read the instructions to work out the nuances), and flicking one of the levers made a pair of curled bowstring limbs snap out, pulling the line taut.
"Cool," Sonia said.
"This is definitely one of Jonathan's more interesting creations…" Bram agreed.
"The bows look like they're made of bone," Sonia noted. "I would've thought they'd be made of metal."
"I noticed that too," Bram replied, brushing his fingers along the limbs. "Monster materials are typically more flexible than metals, while retaining equal or better durability. I wonder what kind of monster they came from? If they're rare, it would make it hard to mass-produce…"
Turning it over, Bram couldn't help but feel that it looked more like a crossbow than a slingshot… but he could see what his brother had been going for. A gentle tug on the string showed that it had some strong tension behind it; if he wasn't careful he'd shoot a hole through the wall. And at the head of the weapon he could see the head of the grappling hook poking out, connected by a wire to a tightly-wound spring-reel to draw it in. Little switches and adjusters lined the edges of the construct, placed to be as unobtrusive as possible. Bram had to admit, Jonathan had created quite an intriguing toy, and he was looking forward to giving it a try.
"Oh! Try it, try it, try it!" Sonia prodded.
"I'm not trying anything until I've read the instructions," Bram stated, digging through the box again. The second slinger was buried nearby, and even deeper lay the promised manual. It was larger than he'd assumed it would be, but Jonathan was always a stickler about details.
"Aw… that'll take all night!"
"If that's what it takes," he sighed, flipping the booklet open. "Besides, I'm not going to test it out here. If I slip up I'll punch a hole through a wall, and this is Vi's house."
"Pecker. Killjoy…"
"Yes, yes…" Bram muttered, scanning down the lines. "That reminds me. Weren't you going to tell me about something that you and Violetta purchased?"
"Oh, right! While we were out, me and Vi sorta had an, um… Impulse buy."
"What did you get?"
"A poogie!"
Bram paused, turning to face Sonia and raising an eyebrow. "You and Vi bought a poogie?"
"Yep!" Sonia grinned. "It's really cute! We happened to pass this wagon selling pets, and one of them was a poogie! It was up for adoption for cheap, so me and Vi just went for it! You should've been there earlier when we bought it. I think you would've found it interesting!"
"Interesting how?" Bram asked, returning his gaze to the booklet. "Pet purchases don't sound that exciting."
"Not that part. While we were there, we got to watch another one of the poogies hatch from an egg… not the one we bought, a different one. Ours is about two weeks old, I think. But I've never seen an egg hatch before. It was really something."
"Sounds like fun. Maybe next time."
"Yeah, yeah… Anyway, if you wanna come meet the poogie, feel free! Me and Vi haven't settled on a name yet, so if you think of anything clever in the next hour or so, come on by."
"I'll do that," he nodded, continuing to examine the slinger. He could feel it as Sonia rolled her eyes, before turning to walk out the door.
Bram hummed to himself for a minute as he plucked the bowstring of the slinger - it was pretty taut, comparable to his own bow. Drawing the string back into place was pretty easy, though Bram wondered how long the equipment could hold tension before wearing down-
"Wait…" Bram muttered, looking up from the gizmo. "'Hatch from an egg'? Poogies don't-"
With a grunt he pushed himself to his feet, tossing the gizmo onto his bed and walking briskly out the door, turning left and marching over to Vi's room, where the door was cracked. He didn't hesitate and pushed his way in, finding Vi and Sonia sitting on the bed and looking over a waist-high barrier that had been built up around one corner of the room.
Within, Bram could see a small swine was scurrying around, sniffling the air and any furniture it could poke its snout against. It was… poogie-like, sure, but there were several obvious differences. First of all it had a layer of fur covering it from head to toe, save for its bare snout. It wasn't as bushy as a Bullfango, but still far fuzzier than any of the common pink poogies.
But it was also purple. That was unusual. Bram doubted that Sonia and Vi had gone out of their way to dye its fur in the time between its purchase and now, so did that mean that the color was… natural? Atop its head was a short tuft of black hair between its ears, thicker in fiber and stuck up straight, making Bram wonder if they would grow out into the mohawk that Bullfangos had. Behind it, rather than the standard curly tail that poogies usually had, the swine's tail was straight and longer than typical, with another tuft of black hair sprouting from the end. Most prominent, however, were two small protrusions just ahead of the creature's ears. At first Bram thought they were birth defects or deformities, but the placement and the potential shape of them was just too defined to be anything but horns.
"Oh, hey!" Sonia grinned as Bram carefully approached the fence. "That was faster than I thought. I figured you'd be playing with that slinger all night."
"That… that is a poogie," Bram sighed in disbelief. It was purple, it had horns, but for all intents and purposes, it was a poogie. Or it certainly played a good look-alike.
"Uh, of course it is!" Sonia replied, raising an eyebrow. "That's what I told you before. What did you expect?"
"Not… not this," Bram admitted, shaking his head. "You said it hatched from an egg."
"It did. Well, I mean, the one we watched hatch wasn't this one specifically, but a different one. I assume this one did the same since it was purple and horned like the newborn."
"That's…" Bram groaned, closing his eyes and rubbing the brim of his nose. "That's impossible."
"No it's not," Vi chimed in. "We watched it happen ourselves."
"Poogies don't come out of eggs! They're mammals! They're birthed!"
"I know that! I mean, normal poogies do, but this one's special!" Sonia replied. "It's supposed to be a rare poogie subspecies! One that hatches from eggs!"
"That's… he can't be-"
"I didn't believe it either at first, but me and Vi watched it hatch ourselves! Right?"
"It's true!" Vi verified eagerly. "The guy at the adoption wagon said it's weird like that."
"...Who the hell did you buy this from anyway?"
"Uh, some guy named, uh… Zaghnol. I think."
"Yeah, that's right," Sonia nodded. "'Zaghnol's Exotic Pet Emporium'. That was the name on the side of the wagon!"
"'Exotic' pets?" Bram muttered. "An 'exotic' poogie? Why would you go to an exotic pet store to buy a poogie?"
"I told you it was impulse! We saw the wagons with all the little birds and stuff in the cages, and decided to take a look. We got to watch a baby poogie hatch, and the guy said he had one that was a few weeks old that he was willing to sell to us for a discount."
"...A 'discount'?"
"Yeah, he said he'd been planning to sell the poogies to one of the nobles in town, but apparently a purple poogie wasn't exotic enough for some of them," Vi replied with a sigh. "I know the type: the kind of people with second homes out in the country where they can 'secretly' raise large monsters and pretend they have the ability to tame them into faithful pets. Likely they were hoping for something that could shoot lightning or fireballs and grew to the size of their house, not a poogie with horns and a different color palette."
"But that's… ugh. Fine. Okay, this guy who sold it to you, this Zaghnol. Did he tell you where this poogie 'subspecies' comes from? I've never heard of them before, I've never seen them in any ecology books, so they can't be Gahin or Therian. Where exactly did he find purple poogies?"
"Um… you know, we didn't ask."
"Figures… Okay, where was this guy's caravan? I want to talk to him."
"Uh, actually, he told us he was leaving town today. He said he was heading over to Harth, I think, then on to the eastern coast, so… think you might've missed your chance."
"You're making this sound sketchier and sketchier with each word, Violetta."
"I… huh. Okay, I'll admit, that sounds bad, but come on, Bram, it's a poogie!"
"That's right!" Sonia nodded. "It's not like we bought a Rath egg. It's purple. It has horns. It hatched from an egg. But it's a poogie, not a monster! It's the same as any of the pink ones that thousands of other people have as pets, but a different color. What's the harm in keeping him, just because he's a little odd?"
"That's… ugh. Well, I guess that's a fair point," Bram admitted. He'd never seen a poogie in his life that could do anything more dangerous than poop on the floor. Color swap or not, this one probably wouldn't be that big a threat. "I guess it's just a little strange, and I'm worried you guys got yourself roped into something dangerous."
"Don't worry so much," Vi grinned. "There won't be any problem. Look at him, he's just so cute!"
Bram turned, looking down at the creature as it nuzzled the carpet, sniffing around. However, the pig abruptly let out a small squeal, turned, and charged towards the nearest wall. With a crash it smashed headlong into the baseboard, puncturing two small holes into the wood with its horns. The blow staggered the piglet for a moment or two, but in seconds it had its bearings again and was squealing in outrage.
"And very angry," Bram muttered.
"He's just getting used to his new surroundings," Vi shrugged. "He'll calm down once he's more comfortable."
"I certainly hope so. But fine. I suppose if he's some terrible monster, we'll find out one way or another. So have either of you decided on a name yet?"
"I have!" Vi grinned eagerly. "I'm not totally settled on it, so if you think of a better on before the week's out, I'm willing to change, but-"
"Let's hear it."
"Right. I'm thinking I'm gonna call him… Baron William Harold Bacon."
"...What?"
"Okay, Baron Bacon fits with some of the common names I hear poogies get," Sonia replied, "but 'William Harold'? Why those?"
"So that I can call him Baron Billy Barry Bacon!" Vi laughed.
Bram scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Might as well throw Robert and Benjamin in there too if that's your theme."
"Oh! Baron Billy Barry Bobby Benny Bacon! Good idea!" the huntress laughed again, pushing herself off her bed and walking over to the cage. "How do you like the sound of that, buddy? Oh, that's another one!"
The purple poogie gave an indignant squeal as she reached her hand out to pet it, stamping its hoof against the carpet. However, it hesitated for a moment, leaning its head forward to sniff her hand, before slowly approaching and allowing her to brush her hand through the streak of black fur over its scalp, and the poogie's tail wiggled happily.
"See? He can be perfectly friendly once he gets to know you!" she grinned, stepping over the enclosure and sitting down next to the pig to pet it properly. "Well, unless either of you think of a better name, I'm gonna stick with Baron Bacon… with all the extra middle names that I can think up."
"It's not my poogie, do what you want," Bram shrugged, glancing at Sonia.
"I'm fine with Baron Bacon," the huntress replied, hopping over the fence and kneeling down next to Vi. The poogie bristled as she approached, sniffing her cautiously, but some encouragement from Vi calmed it down and the little creature allowed Sonia to pet it as well. "I'll leave the extraneous names to you though."
"Aw, but it's fun!"
"Yeah, but if you keep it up, there will be too many names for me to remember before today's even out! I'll keep it simple, thank you."
"You're no fun," Vi sighed, looking up towards Bram. "How about you? You'll remember all the names I give the Baron, right?"
"Up to a certain point, I'm sure. But saying them all would be a needless waste of time, so I'll stick his, ah, his title of nobility or his surname."
"Aw, you're both so boring!"
"We'll see how long you keep up with it," Bram scoffed. "What do you think, Sonia? I'm betting she gives up on the mouthful of names after a week."
"Nah, I have faith in her. Maybe a couple months before he's just Baron Bacon."
"Oh, ye of little faith," Vi scoffed, leaning over and brushing her fingers through the poogie's mane. "I'll make sure to remember every last name and title I give you, don't know worry."
"Good luck with that," Bram smirked.
Another knock at the door drew his attention that way, but the precise rapping was too formal to be any of their friends. Sure enough, as Vi called out for the visitor to enter, one of their family's Felyne housekeepers poked their head in.
"Oh, hey, Carrot," the huntress noted, standing upright. "What's up?"
"Oh, pardon me, Madame, but… there's a visitor asking for you and the others, nya," the Felyne replied. "Um… Master Leon was nearby and went to meet them, but…"
"What's wrong?"
"Well, the visitor goes by the name Ysengrim, and both of them seem a little-"
"Oh, jeez…" Vi muttered, leaping over the poogie's fence and darting towards the door. Bram and Sonia shared a concerned look before following, tailing her back to the entrance of the manor.
Sure enough, they found Grim standing just inside the door, with Leon just ahead of him. The air felt tense just seeing them standing apart from one another. Grim was trying to hold a neutral expression, but there was a sharpness in the look he was giving the lancer. For Leon's part, he looked nervous, but was still trying to put up a strong front. Both of them looked relieved when Vi entered the hall.
"What do you want?" Vi asked waspily, but Grim raised his hands defensibly.
"I'm not here to cause any trouble. Rey or Rikki might be willing to raise a fuss with certain people living here, but I'm just here on Guild business."
"Really. Then tell us what it is and be on your way."
"Fine by me," the hunter nodded, reaching into a pocket and pulling out an envelope, holding it out for her to take. "The Guild's sent us our orders. Rey, Rikki, and I will be setting off to rejoin the Frenzy research team in three days' time. It is the Guild's intent to include Logan on the trip as well, unless he's decided he wants nothing to do with this 'Goa' business anymore."
"Fine," Vi replied, snatching the letter. "In that case-"
"I have no illusions that you and your friends intend to tag along with him if he chooses to join us. However, the Guild won't be providing any wagons or draft animals you'll need to tag along, understood? I know you and the pipsqueak have wagons, but that's bound to get uncomfortable trying to squeeze six of you into two wagons. Up to you to decide how to deal with that, got it?"
"Three- That's not much time to buy a new wagon," Bram noted.
"That's your problem, not mine," the gunlancer shrugged, turning towards the door. "Logan's the useful one in this endeavor - if you believe what he's said about the 'Goa' - and the Guild's willing to sponsor him joining the team. The rest of you just happen to be in the know, and most of you are low-ranked. If you want to follow, you'll have to make your own way."
"Fair enough," the archer nodded, though the other three frowned at the statement.
"At least one of you seems to understand the pragmatism behind all this… Well, I've said my piece. I'll see you all in three days, if you manage to get what you need."
As the man opened the door to make his way out, however, Leon finally spoke up. "Wait," he sputtered out nervously. Grim didn't turn around, pausing halfway through the door. "I… I don't…"
However, no other words left the lancer's mouth. Grim stood in the door for a few moments, waiting for words that never came, before grunting and pushing into the night.
"What was that about?" Sonia asked. Leon stared at the ground miserably and shook his head.
"I just… I wanted to apologize for what happened when we were younger. I thought-"
"No!" Vi snapped sharply. "You don't need to apologize to him! Not for that."
"But…! I should've done something-!"
"Is this… about when your parents died?" Sonia asked, and Leon nodded.
"Yeah. After the epidemic took them, Vi and her family took me in. But… I should've asked if Grim and Rey could live here too, rather than-"
"You tried to help them," Vi replied sternly. "They were the ones who were too stubborn to accept your help just because they felt betrayed. You have nothing to apologize for, especially not to two jerks like them."
Leon sighed, but didn't make any effort to agree or disagree with the huntress. "I still wish there was more I could've done."
"I know you did. It's in your nature. But some people are too spiteful to be worth your time. They haven't accepted your apologies or help for fifteen years now, and have been outright vicious to you for no reason besides, so just don't bother with them anymore."
"...Maybe you're right."
"It happens every once in a while, you know!" the huntress grinned. She turned her attention back to Sonia and Bram as they stood nearby though. "But putting that aside, I guess we need to figure out what we're going to do about wagons, aren't we?"
"I'm fine with the current setup," Sonia replied. "I don't mind tight quarters in the first place. Sharing three people to a wagon is fine by me."
"Says you," Bram scoffed. "I'd like to sleep in an actual bed if we're going to be marching around the country, not on a cot on the floor or a hammock. I get enough poor rest from camping out in the forest, I'm not giving up a restful sleep if I have other options."
"Oh, stop being a drama queen," Sonia sighed, rolling her eyes. "If you wanted good sleep you could go to bed at a decent time, rather than spending all night working on the music box."
"It's not a- Forget it. But that's another point. I'd also want some personal space to work on my research, without shoving it all into a corner. This is a good enough time as any, so point me in the direction of the wagon dealerships and I'll see what's available."
"Well… alright," Leon shrugged, glancing towards Vi. "But even if you want your own wagon, do you have the money… or do we even have the time to get one in the next three days? Can you just buy one and roll it back to the manor?"
"Uh. I dunno," Vi admitted. "Mine's a hand-me-down from Mom, and Tuli's is the same. I've never bought one before. Guess we'll just have to head to town tomorrow and find out for ourselves."
"Money shouldn't be too much of an issue," Bram noted. "Titus paid us exceptionally well, and even with the money I've been pouring into my experiments, I have a rather decent amount of money saved up, assuming purchasing a wagon won't break the bank."
"It might, just warning you…" Vi sighed, before glancing down the hall towards the bedrooms. "Um, what about Logan? Has anyone seen him come home today?"
"I never saw him," Bram admitted. "Where's he been all day? I thought he was with you guys in Lowtown."
"No, he went over on the middle-west tier this morning for some reason. Never said why though… I'm kinda worried, considering everything that's been going on-"
As though on cue, the front door clicked and slowly swung open, revealing Logan as he pushed his way into the room. He looked absolutely exhausted… though to Bram's surprise, a lot of the tension and stress that had hounded his expression for the last couple weeks seemed to have dissipated from his face. He was lost in his own thoughts, muttering under his breath with a glassy-eyed stare.
"Speak of the devil," Leon muttered. "Where have you been all day? You alright?"
Logan blinked, coming out of whatever haze he'd been caught in and realizing that the four of them were standing there. He quickly straightened up, giving them all a small grin.
"Hoy, sorry 'bout that. I is fine. Just… spent the day walking round, trying to get my head together, hey?"
"Really?" Sonia asked curiously. "Well… seems like it worked. You look better than you did yesterday."
"Heh, good to hear," Logan chuckled. "But- uh, be honest, I'm running on empty right now. Think I'm gonna hit the hay early tonight. See you in the morning."
"Oh, hey, wait, we gotta talk about-" But Logan had already vanished through the door leading to the room, leaving the other four behind. "Or not… Guess we'll just, uh, talk about it in the morning?"
"Wonder what happened to him?" Vi pondered.
"Whatever it was, it looks like it improved his mood."
"Hmm… If you say so," Vi muttered, though it was clear she was still concerned. "We'll see how he's doing in the morning. For now, I guess we should get some rest ourselves. We might be walking around a lot tomorrow."
"Guess you're right… See you in the morning."
Author's Note: Please Review! Thanks for reading this chapter about learning mysterious skills!
Seems Logan's received a rather unique skillset, huh? A crash course in telepathy is probably not what a lot of readers were expecting from the story, but this has been something that's in the story ever since the Alatreon first crept its way into Levin's mind back in TLC. We'll probably skip the actual lessons and time it takes for Logan to properly learn how to use his powers, or at least the skills he can learn from Klaus right now. Obviously, given that Logan's abilities are something different from standard telepathy, Logan can't learn everything from Klaus that he's fully capable of, so he'll have to experiment and figure out certain things on his own.
But there's a lot to take in there, and I don't think I can go over everything. It's a little tricky to describe without being able to use modern terms. Honestly, the easiest way to describe telepathy would be like having a phone call with someone; anyone listening in couldn't hear the person the voice on the other side of the line. But phones don't exist in SOP, so that's not a comparison Klaus can make.
Also included are little fragments of Klaus' mysterious past, and a bit of information about Libra and their members, especially the founder, the Eldest.
Moving on, we have Sonia, Leon, and Vi visiting the Lost complex that was built in Dundorma once Lost started awakening in the country. I find that Sonia's feelings at this point in the story are fairly complicated when it comes to her fame, in that she enjoys being praised for 'unimportant' hunts, but she finds her uncomfortable receiving adulation for genuinely heroic deeds. Still, the thanks itself gives her a sense of fulfillment.
Then, the introduction of the slinger! It really did seem like the kind of weapon that would originate in Theron of all places, considering their favor of technology and invention compared to other countries. Astera won't really be a part of this story, save for sparse mentions here and there as well as Armin's presence in the story.
And Sonia and Vi have decided in the spur of the moment to purchase and raise a pet 'poogie'. If it's not obvious, it's actually a baby Behemoth/Minion Behemoth/Behemoth Prince, depending on how which particular variant of the creature came from Eorzea. I actually looked up some information on the FF wiki to learn more about Behemoths (or at least the FF 14 versions), and it turns out that Baby Behemoths have looked like poogies since the Realm Reborn's release in 2014. I'm not sure if that means someone as Squeenix is a really big MH fan, or if it's really just a huge coincidence, but turns out that infant Behemoths really do look like poogies, so the 'costume' you get in World may not really be a costume.
And that's about it. Not sure when the next chapter will come, but hopefully it won't take too long.
Playing: MHW, MHGU, Fallout 4, SSBU, Octopath Traveler, Red Dead Redemption 2, Kingdom Hearts 3, Persona 5
Reading: The Nightblade Epic by Garrett Robinson
Listening: Hozier, Carbon Leaf, Stardew Valley OST, Persona 5 OST
