January 11th, 2098. Jumbo Village Gathering Hall, 3:40 PM…
"Well done with the Kut-ku and the Velocidrome, Alex!" congratulated Patty as she handed him his reward money.
"Thank you," replied Alex as he replaced it into his pack.
"So, Alex, how is Pokke Village? Is Maxwell doing okay? I've wanted to visit ever since I heard about his retirement."
Alex turned to Ryuu with somber expression. "I thought bad news travels faster than good. Maxwell is… gone."
"He's WHAT!?"
"He… was killed by a wyvern." Alex shed no further details on the subject.
Ryuu, quickly observing that Alex was very close, decided to leave the subject. "Man, what a loss. But, what of Pokke?"
"Things were out of whack when I first arrived, but my comrade Anna and I have been doing our best. It's slow going though. We don't even have access to the blimp service yet. This is why I ended up here in the first place." Alex explained about his quest with Mr. Sanchez to Rekusara.
"I spoke with Mr. Sanchez about it, actually."
Viridia spoke up. "Um, Alex, can I have a word?"
Alex turned to her. "Sure." He and her broke off from the group and went out of the gathering hall. "So, what's up?"
Viridia looked nervous. "Well, you see, your rescuing of me is a much bigger deal than you think." Alex gasped. "I was actually visiting my friend Patty. Uh, my father does not even know I'm here. I'm sure there's a raging sandstorm waiting for me back home. I'll get the scolding of a lifetime." The two laughed. "I'm sure my father will be more than willing to help you out with your blimp problem. Ah, I know. I'll get him to give you one of our hot air balloons. We have many, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem."
"Wow, that's really generous of you."
"I wish I could do more, Sir Alex."
"Well, you could start by just calling me "Alex"," Alex laughed.
Viridia laughed too. "Okay, okay, Alex. Oh, I want to give you something else." Viridia took out a simple necklace from her dress. It was decorated with a single ornament, a triangle-shaped greenish stone. "This is a sample of Dragonite ore, an ore which is even more valuable than Machalite. Father will be more willing to recognize you if you have this, as it is the mark of my family."
Alex, to his credit, said nothing and lowered his head. Viridia placed it unto him and he looked back to her with a grand smile, causing her to blush. I think she likes me. But, I'm not really into love just yet. I still have a ways to go before I make a name for myself. Besides, she's probably at least four years younger than I am.
"Okay, tomorrow we will take my balloon to Rekusara. I'll give you and your clients a free ride."
Alex perked at that. "Awesome."
January 12th.
The next day, just as the sun was coming up, four folks were standing before a Hot Air Balloon. The newly formed quartet, having bidden their farewells to their friends of Jumbo, was setting out eastward.
Alex looked down over the edge of the basket at the far sea below. "It's so cool you know how to operate this," he commented to Viridia, who blushed.
"It pays to have a few skills up your sleeve," she replied with a smile.
"Hey, Alex, I need to tell you something," said Sanchez suddenly. Alex turned to him. "I think it's time I tell you more about my request."
"Okay, shoot."
"Have you heard of the Cephalos?" asked Sanchez.
Alex grimaced worse than usual as he answered. "Y-yes, I have…"
"Whoa, are you okay? Was it something I said?"
"Well, you see, I'm kind of… well…" Alex looked hesitant.
"You're afraid of them?"
"Yes…"
"But, you are a hunter. You're supposed be able to handle all sorts of things. I understand that hunters are humans too, and everyone has fears. But, you need to face up to this."
"I guess you are right. But, what do they have to do with anything? Do you want me to hunt a few of them?"
"I want you to collect their livers. You can sell them to my trader friend for a very high price, as they are a popular item requested from the Guild. Piscine Liver Soup is all the rage in society."
"That's seems a bit much. But, for the sake of Pokke, I'll cross this bridge if only this once."
"I suppose that's fine. I'm sorry for pushing you to do something as lucrative as this."
"It's fine, I guess."
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Mr. Alex," said Sam. "After all, you're strong too!"
Alex blushed. "If you say so, Sam."
An hour later, the balloon came upon land. A vast sea of sand could be seen known as the Dede Desert. The Village of Rekusara was just on the coastline. Viridia steered the balloon towards the village and lowered the heat. This caused the balloon to descend. The balloon landed in an area to the left of the Village's main gate. In this area were many other balloons, and one large blimp. Alex stared wide eyed at sheer size of blimp, as it was even bigger than the one which flew him to the edge of the Furahiya. The mark of the green triangle decorated its helium balloon.
"Here we are. Please do watch your step," said Viridia as she unlatched the basket door.
The quartet got out of the basket, and made their way to the main gate. Two hunters and the Border Guard greeted them, followed by the approach of an imposing, royal figure which had poor Viridia grimacing at the sheer anger and disappointment on his face.
The King of Rekusara was livid, breathing very hard. He took a moment to reign in his composure before shooting a parental glare that could stop any child cold. "My daughter, Viridia Diana Greene! Is this some kind of game!? Why do you insist on trying to make a ruin of me like this!? How many times have I told you not to run off on your own!?"
Viridia hung her head in shame, and Alex, Sanchez and Sam remained quiet. The situation was too intense to say anything amiss. "I'm sorry, Father. I really am."
"I bet you are! What if that darned wyvern had killed you on the spot? Oh, I was beside myself with worry!" The King looked at Alex, who tensed. "You must be the hunter who recovered my prodigal little girl. Alex Kasai, is it?"
Alex, remembering that he was in the presence of royalty, got down on one knee and lowered his head. "Your Majesty! Yes, that's me."
"You may rise, my boy. I can be strict, but I'm not a hard-tonoth." The king's voice was softer now.
Alex rose. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I received word from the Chief of Jumbo." He acknowledged Sanchez and Sam's presence with a glance. "Come with me, all of you. I will decide my foolhardy daughter's punishment later. But for now, I'm sure there is a lot to talk about. Wouldn't you say, old friend?"
Sanchez chuckled slightly, and cleared his throat as Alex turned to him in shock. "What, I didn't want to spoil the surprise!"
"I thought you said your friend was a trader!" exclaimed Alex.
"My dear, boy, I was," said the King. "The name's Nathaniel Greene. You may address me as Nathan for short. Well I am still a trader, I just happen to be the king of Rekusara for the last five years too. A bit of charisma can take one places, Alex."
"I see…"
At the grand home of the Greene Family...
"So, Alex," began Nathan once everyone was seated to some food, "how do you feel about hunting some Cephalos and bringing back their livers? I promise to pay you handsomely. Sanchez told me all about Pokke's plight."
"I'll be honest, Mr. Greene. I'm terribly afraid of them. However, I won't back down. I'm a hunter too, not a coward."
"I see. Well, okay, here's a deal. I just need you to bring back at least three livers. Oh, and if you feel up to it and a Cephadrome appears, bring back its liver as well."
"A Cephadrome… the alpha leader of a pack!?" Alex grimaced.
"It's not a must. But, it would do you well to cross the bridge all the way."
"You're right."
"Once you're ready, we will set out for the White Night Dunes this afternoon. I'll personally take you there, and wait for you at the base camp."
"Really? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"Nonsense!" laughed Nathan. "I sometimes accompany my hunters on their quests!"
"Wow." He's definitely a trader alright. I won't disappoint him. Pokke is counting on me, too.
"Happy hunting, Sir Alex," wished Viridia. Alex turned to her with a smile. "And please be careful."
She really does care for me, huh? "Thanks. And I will."
Sekumeaya Desert, 2:00 PM…
Alex, Nathan and Sanchez stepped out of the balloon into base camp, which was on a rocky hilly area near the sandy plains. Alex looked around and spotted what looked like a well. "Hey, what's that?"
"It's a shortcut to the underground lake within the rocky area west of the desert," answered Sanchez. "Oh, catch!" He tossed Alex a Cold Drink. "Drink up, or the desert heat will eventually kill you with dehydration. At night however, you'd best bring some Hot Drinks instead, or you'll be sapped of your strength."
"Yeesh, this place is a nightmare to monster and human alike." Alex downed the Cold Drink and its refreshing effect filled his being.
"Bring a few with you," said Nathan. "Oh, and take some Sonic Bombs. They'll really come in handy against those land sharks, especially if you get into a pinch."
"Thank you, you two. Alright, I guess I'm all set. See you when I get back." Alex faced the exit of the camp and began his way down the hill."
"Good luck, Alex!" called Sanchez.
White Night Dunes Area 2.
Alex came upon the sandy plain. It was a large zone, ending at what looked to be a giant chasm. Alex ventured out towards the center of the zone, keeping his eyes peeled for movements. Three fins suddenly began to circle around him, causing him to stop. He changed looking directions multiple times to try and keep up with their movements. Ok, Alex. You're in the middle of your nightmare now. Let's try to keep a level head.
The fins took up positions in a triangle shape with Alex at the center. Three arrow shaped heads popped out to survey the scene, and Alex tensed. 'Arrrk, Arrook!' The brown land sharks barred their serrated teeth, roaring. 'Harrsh! Harrsh! Roar!'
They jumped up and spat sandy projectiles at high speed towards Alex. "Whoa!" He rolled forward between the two which formed the base of the triangle to avoid it. These two turned quickly and launched themselves at Alex, who simply rolled away again. The sharks crashed head to head into each other with a resounding BONK! Now's my chance! Alex quickly got up and made a few slashes at both of their necks while they were stunned. Explosions of ice were released on each hit. They died instantly as their bodies went into spasm for a few seconds. Phew, they're easier than I thought! What was I so afraid of?
'Roar!' The last Cephalos began to swim towards Alex while his back was turned. Hearing movement, Alex stayed still and timed the ever closing distance. 'Arrroark!' The Cephalos shot out of the sand, flying its whole body like an arrow, as its head suggested, at our hunter.
Alex tensed and shouted as he did a powerful 270 degree spin slice, "HAAAA!" His icy blade hit the Cephalos across the face with a CRASH! Blood splattered across Alex's own face as he was crushed under the weight of the Cephalos as it fell on top of him. "Waahh!"
Through the pain, Alex pulled himself from under the terrestrial shark. He heard a rip and biting pain rushed. "Ouch! Ack..." His left leg was hurting a lot. He checked to found that his left thigh guard was cut down to his skin. He could already feel his leg going numb. "Oh my, that fin sure is sharp! It looks like it was filled with a neurotoxin, too… just my luck. Anyway, I'd better carve them up. I'm sure Vance will make me an awesome new armor set with the materials.
'BLAAAM!' A explosion of sand erupted, hurling the dead shark into the sky. The lifeless body landed a few meters away. 'ROOOAAARRR!'
"WHOA!" Alex was sent rolling. "Darn! What is it this ti... ti... ti...?" Alex went from annoyed to terrified in the shake of a Blango's tail flat! His pupils shrunk as a fantastic shadow loomed over him, gaunt and straight in the sunlight. "Time..." he swallowed his throat, and probably his voice box as well. His breathing spiraled into a fast paced unsteadiness. His mouth moved, but no words were coming out. He was not even shivering. It looked like his very soul was scared right out of him. He simply stared into the toothy jaws of death in front of him.
The huge dark brown boss shark brought its head to his, so close that he could smell its foul, fishy breath. It sniffed him and deemed him to be food. "Heh, heh , heh! I've hadn't had fresh hunter in quite a while," reminisced a sly, sharp voice. "How about it? Wanna be my dinner?" Alex stopped mouthing and held his breath, becoming motionless. "What's wrong? Melynx got your tongue? Oh, I get it! You're afraid of me! Well, since you're obviously too petrified to move, I'll just make it quick!"
Alex closed his eyes and began to think about the village, about the Chief, Vance, Dinah, Mathew Anna, Maxwell and Koto. He saw their smiles vividly. Then he remembered Sam, Sanchez, King Nathan and finally Viridia.
"Everyone..." Alex felt something flow within him. His confidence was stirring and so was his Chikara. The Dragonite pendant began to glow faintly in conjunction to his energy. "Hammerhead..."
"Hmm?"
"Prepare to die. I won't let you, or your kind, intimidate me anymore." Alex placed a hand on the hilt of his sword "I have to make it back to the ones I cherish!" Alex took an unsheathed swipe across the alpha shark's chin, then rolled away. Because of his leg, he could barely stand, but adrenaline was pumping through his system to allow him to pave through.
"OWWW!" RROOAARR! "D-darn you! I'll eat you up! You're mine!" Hammerhead launched himself at Alex. Alex crouched as the shark flew over him at high speed, before disappearing into the sand. He stood tall and at the ready. Movement could be heard below him. "Triple Sand Missiles!" said the shark as it raised its head and shot rapidly shot three sandy projectiles. Since there was no time to evade, Alex quickly shut his eyes and held up his shield. He took the attack head on and was pushed back a few feet. When opened his eyes, he was knocked off his feet as Hammerhead dragged himself across the sand at him. Hammerhead got up first and prepared to do a Hip Check attack. As Alex got up, he faced his opponent in time to see the shark slam its side into him, sending him a few feet again. Alex got up once more and did a jump slice. He struck the hip, but Hammerhead spun a 180, slapping Alex down with his tail.
"This is getting nowhere fast. I attack him and he just wails on me! How do I stop him?"
"Ha, ha, ha! What's wrong, Alex? Having trouble with my movements? Here, let me end it here! This was fun but it's time for you to become my dinner!" Hammerhead dropped into the sand again and charged. His dorsal fin was shredding through the sand.
Suddenly, Alex remembered something. He took out a Sonic Bomb from his pack. He watched as the fin sliced around him, constantly changing direction, creating as crazy network of sand paths. "NOW!" shouted Alex as he tossed the bomb at the spot he thought the shark would cross. 'PING!'
"AAAAAHHHHH! MYYYY EAAARRRSSS!" The Cephadrome burst forth out of the sand and Alex charged and jumped.
"Take THIS! Ice Slash!" Alex decapitated Hammerhead in midair with mighty two handed power slash. He landed into a flashy pose as the headless dark brown body crashed behind him. It flopped crazily for a few seconds before succumbing. "I am sorry, Mr. Hammer, but I don't have time to feel sorry for myself anymore. I am Alex Kasai, proud Head Hunter of Pokke. Whatever it takes, I have to defeat any enemy that I'm faced with. If Master Koto and Uncle Maxwell could do it, then I too will become a great hunter. Goodbye." Alex sheathed his sword and proceeded to carve the four carcasses.