Double chapter time! Well, it's been quite a long time now. With so many exams coming up, I figured I'd upload the two remaining chapters of the story today. Hope you enjoyed this last chapter of Fire and Ice because the one after is an epilogue to the story.
...
Chapter 25
"HILDAAAAA!"
The hunters could only stare in absolute horror as the creature punctured Hilda with one of its claws. Blood immediately spilled out of the huntress's mouth as the beast pulled its claw out of her torso. It was a horrible sight that even Eris had to look away.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Rowan struggled furiously against the bindings, adrenaline, and rage coursing through his body. But not even that could get break him free from the incredibly durable silk. Meanwhile, the monster continued to stare at Hilda's bleeding body, twitching and letting out a small chirp as if it was satisfied with its job. It then turned its attention to the currently screaming hunter. Cocking its head to the side, it slowly made its way towards the hunter.
"You bastard…" Rowan growled in fury, tears flowing down his cheeks.
The creature merely bobbed its head to the side. The hunter could have sworn he saw the semblance of a sadistic smile on its mangled face. It then raised the same blood-stained claw into the air.
Romero went wide-eyed. "BROTHER!"
Rowan gritted his teeth and braced himself for what was about to come.
"DIE FOUL BEAST!" All of a sudden, a small figure leaped onto the monster's head. It was Pip! I won't be a coward any longer! His eyes glowed blue and two massive claws materialized and replaced his paws. In one savage maneuver, he dug those claws into the creature's eyes. It screeched and staggered back, waving its claws in the air. "YOU HURT MY FRIENDS! YOU'LL PAY!"
While Pip kept it busy, a bullet soared through the air and cut through the string holding Rowan upright. He landed with a hard thud on the ground but was otherwise fine. Seconds later, he cut himself free with his knife. Standing up, the hunter was stunned to see who had saved him.
"Luca! You're alright!"
The aforementioned man grinned through his broken glasses and bruised face. "It will take more than that to defeat me!"
Then in the distance, a familiar battle cry could be heard. "FOR HILDAAA!" It was Hanzo!
Luca grinned. "Pip makes a damn good healer! Anyway, go grab your weapon while I free everyone else!"
"Hilda!" Rowan immediately ran towards Hilda's location. Luca shot a bullet at the strings holding her up and Rowan caught her as she fell. He gently set her down on the ground, noticing the alarming amount of blood pooling around her. Her face was pale, and she was breathing heavily. Reaching into his pouch, he popped open a potion and poured its contents down her blood-soaked lips. But she didn't show any signs of recovering. Panicking, the hunter pressed his hand against the open wound, attempting to apply pressure. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Stay with me Hilda, please! I beg you!
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw Eris making her way towards him. She crouched down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me. Go help the others."
Rowan hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. "You better heal her or else."
Eris wanted to laugh at Rowan's attempt at a threat but logically refrained from doing so. She opted to give a reassuring nod instead. "I owe her Siegfried's life after all."
Immediately after Rowan left, Eris went to work. With one hand applying pressure to the wound, she took off the cloth tying her hair into her ponytail. She then poured a healing potion onto the cloth before tying it tightly around the wound. She poured the rest down Hilda's throat. She sighed after that. All that's left to do was to let Hilda's own body do the rest. The huntress carefully moved her towards the edge of the area where she'll be the farthest away from harm. "Hang in there Hilda…" Eris whispered as she stood up and ran over to assist the others.
"NYAAAH!" Pip was finally thrown off the creature. Now half-blinded and disoriented, it flew into a rage once again. It jumped back and shot out several lines of silk into the ground. The hunters anticipated its next move, waiting for what it will pull out.
They did not expect it to pull several Dragonators out of the ground.
"INCOMING!"
It launched the Dragonators at the hunters like harpoons. The hunters frantically dived out of the way as the creature immediately began to prep for the next attack. This time it pulled a massive concrete pillar out of the ground. It then swung the pillar around like a flail, intent on hitting the hunters all at once.
Instinctively, the hunters dropped to a prone position, narrowly evading the attack as the pillar flew over their heads. However, the weight of the pillar caused the creature to stumble back, leaving it temporarily vulnerable as it attempted to regain its balance.
"ATTACK NOW!" Eris shouted as the remaining hunters charged towards the beast.
As all the hunters converged towards the creature from all sides, a strange yellow gas began to leak out of the creature. Luca immediately noticed this through his scope. "Wait, guys! Stay back!"
But his warnings were too late. The moment they closed in, the gas exploded out of the creature, sending all the attacking hunters hurtling back.
"Ughh…"
"That…was not fair!"
"This shit stinks!"
Now covered in the pungent odor from the gas, the hunters stood up and regrouped once again while Luca kept firing shots at it to keep it occupied.
"Every time we get close, it pushes us farther away," Jason said, popping his last potion. "It has the advantage at a distance. We have to somehow close the gap."
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Hanzo asked.
"…With a properly coordinated attack that's what." Everyone looked at Eris.
Romero raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising coming from you."
She rolled her eyes. "It's hypocritical of me to say this…" She took a deep breath. "I know we've all had our differences but right now, killing that thing is what matters the most. At this rate, we'll run out of healing items and exhaust ourselves first!"
"She's right." Everyone turned to Rowan. "If we don't work as a team to take that thing down, we'll never succeed."
"Sounds about right," Amber agreed. The rest of the hunters nodded in agreement.
"Guys hurry! I'm running out of ammo here!" Luca yelled as the creature began to slowly shave off the bullets.
"Then what's the plan?" Romero queried.
Eris thought about it for a moment before it came to her. "We have to disable it. Limit its movements and do anything to prevent it from retaliating." She closed her eyes for a second before speaking again. "Here's what we need to do…"
Several moments later, the hunters grinned and went with the plan. Pip took this opportunity to spread some healing powder onto the hunters. He then took out a large horn and blew into it as the sound magically restored their energies. "All set!"
Eris popped a jerky into her mouth. "Alright! Let's go!"
The creature let out a gurgled screech as its eyes glowed red once again. Shooting out several more strings into the ground, this time it pulled out a massive wheel which it strapped onto its back.
Rowan could only shake his head in astonishment. "What in the world…"
Then, to everyone's surprise, it placed the wheel in front of it and using its strings, forced the wheel to roll all across the area, carrying the creature with it. It would have made a hilarious sight if it weren't for the fact that more than several tons of pure concrete rapidly can be seen moving to crush the hunters.
"MOVE!"
Immediately, the hunters leaped out of the way before the wheel could crush them. But it soon made a U-turn and came back once again. Romero, who was the closest could see the wheel barreling directly towards him. "Oh, shit…"
"ROMERO!" Rowan stood up and sprinted as fast as he could towards his brother. Just then he felt a blur rush past him. It was Amber!
Romero turned and saw the huntress sprinting towards him. Before he could open his mouth, she tackled him out of the way just in time as the wheel rolled past them.
"Thanks…" Romero grumbled, not keen on being the one saved.
"Don't mention it."
Soon, the creature stopped in its tracks, dropping the wheel beside it as it sat there to recover. Now was the time to strike!
"Amber! Romero!" Eris shouted as the two fastest hunters smirked at each other. Unsheathing their dual blades, they bolted forward at blindingly fast speeds. Once there, they proceeded to land a flurry of spinning slashes at the creature's legs. It squealed in pain, unable to defend itself against the speedy hunters. Seconds later, green blood burst from the open cuts on its legs, causing the creature to topple over. With the tendons on its legs now fully severed, it was now unable to move.
Raising its abdomen behind it, it prepared to shoot out its strings once again. However, Eris anticipated this. "Luca! Jason!"
"Hell yeah!"
Luca fired a single shot at the creature, stunning it momentarily and interrupting its attack, giving time for Jason to run over to it and jump onto its back. He jammed his ax's sword form onto its back, rapidly pumping energy into a powerful explosion! The attack ruptured the creature's spine, now paralyzing it and rendering it unable to lift its abdomen.
"Go!" Hanzo charged forward. The creature screeched at him and raised its claws to slash at him. But the hunter countered this and swung his large blade across the air, completely slicing off the creature's claws!
"Hurry!" Hanzo said, moving out of the way as Rowan and Eris ran over to them.
"You ready Rowan?"
"Ready as I'll ever be!" He unsheathed his hammer and began to charge up. However, this wasn't for an attack on the monster. Stopping in front of the monster, he held his swing back as Eris moved into position.
I have to time this right! She ran in front of Rowan and jumped into the air. At the same time, the hunter let go of his swing. Using the momentum, the huntress used the hammer's swing to launch herself even further into the air. Raising her katana above her head, she swung downwards as she descended.
SHIING!
Her blade cut cleanly through the creature's head. Eris landed on her feet and looked up to see the creature's entire upper body split open vertically after a short pause. All of a sudden, streams of silk burst out from its abdomen before its lifeless corpse then slumped onto the ground as all the hunters stood there and watched. For several seconds, nobody said a word…until-
"FUCK YEAH! WE DID!" Romero exclaimed in utter joy and began to pump his fists into the air. The hunter's cries of joy were infectious that soon enough, all the hunters rejoiced as well.
Jason presented the monster's corpse with both his middle-fingers. "SUCK IT BEASTIE!"
"HOORAY!" Pip squealed, running around and happily blowing his horn.
The rest of the hunters continued to cheer, jumping around and hollering in joy.
Even injured, both Luca and Hanzo headbutted each other before falling onto their backs in a dazed but happy state.
"Hell yeah!" Amber cheered as she and Eris fist-bumped, the latter unable to contain her joy as well.
Nearby, Rowan shook his head with a smile before walking over to Hilda. He crouched down and took off his helmet before cradling her in his arms.
"Hey, we did it," he whispered. Her hand shakily reached up towards him and he held it, squeezing reassuringly.
Weakly opening her eyes, the huntress let out a pained laugh. "Yeah…"
Eris smiled tiredly at the scene before sitting down on the floor. She leaned back and straightened her legs, slowly allowing herself to rest. Amber settled down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That was amazing by the way," she said, flashing her a grin.
Eris blushed at the compliment. "Thank you."
Suddenly, the entire area began to shake. Alarmed, the hunters glanced around, only to see the structures around them began to crumble and fall while the sandstorm raging in the background faded away. And then, the sun appeared in the sky, almost as if the creature's presence had blocked the sun.
"Woah," Amber muttered, in awe at what she was seeing.
"Woah indeed…" Eris said moving to lie on her back. She closed her eyes and let out a satisfied sigh.
Just then, a loud gasp could be heard. "Shit, we need to carve this bad boy up! That gem is mine!" Romero said, quickly taking out his knife. The hunters blinked at each other briefly before immediately standing up and rushing towards the corpse, forgetting their exhaustion in its entirety.
"Oh, hell no!" Amber swiftly caught up to Rowan, laughing after tripping him and causing him to fall flat on his face.
Around the same time on Siegfried's side…
Siegfried braced himself for the inevitable…
"…"
But it never came. He then heard a cough and felt something wet and warm fall onto his face. He opened his eye…and it widened to the size of a saucer. On top of him, blood spilled out of Rosa's mouth, her blade falling from her hands and onto the floor. "S-Shit…it w-wore off…" Her face turned alarmingly pale and before he knew it, she slumped forward and fell on top of him.
"R-Rosa?"
Slowly regaining his strength, he sat up and cradled the woman in his arms. She was deathly pale, sweating intensely, and appeared to be in immense pain. She coughed out blood…and what looked like green liquid.
What the hell? He used a finger and wiped a bit of the liquid off her mouth. Curious, he sniffed it briefly before realizing seconds later what it was. This is…This is the serum given to graduating hunters in order to enhance their bodies! He was stunned, trying to grasp how she had acquired a substance only the Guild had access to. Unless…
He didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was here. There's a traitor in the Guild…
Siegfried turned his attention back to the now dying woman in his arms. The serum's effect only worked properly if the person's body was in absolute peak condition, a trait only those who have graduated from the Hunter's Course could achieve. Otherwise, in a regular person's body? They won't be able to properly absorb and at best, the person would receive a temporary boost to their physical abilities. It was clear that Rosa's body hadn't been in peak condition compared to hunters like him. With the substance clearly wearing off, the effect of her injuries began to take effect. "You fool…What were you thinking?"
More blood flowed out of her mouth. "I-It was the only way I…We could beat you freaks…"
"Damn it…Rosa why?" His voice was laced with sorrow and disappointment. "How could you do this to yourself?"
The hunter could tell that she didn't have much time left. He shook his head sadly. Carla, forgive me…I couldn't save her in the end. Letting out a saddened sigh, the hunter simply cradled her closer, wiping the sweat off her face and adjusting the position so she was somewhat comfortable. There was no saving her at this point, and so he decided to end it there. The dying woman couldn't grasp the meaning of his actions.
"W-Why are…you…"
"I'm sorry Rosa…so sorry. Shh, please just…sleep." He raised a hand and covered her mouth with it as she began to weakly struggle. She made muffled noises, twitching as the hunter firmly kept his hand over her mouth, his face now blank and emotionless. A few minutes later, he felt her still in his arms. He released her, gently laying her on the floor. The entire place shook furiously as dust and sand fell around him. Time to go, I guess… The hunter grunted as he stood up and he wordlessly limped towards the entrance, not looking back.
…
"Everyone we need to get out!" Becky shouted, ushering everyone up the ladder and onto the ship. The entire place was crumbling and if they didn't escape now, they would be crushed under the rubble. There was no time to load the supplies back. She handed Catherine's injured body to two of the knights. "Quickly bring her to the ship! I'll stay behind to make sure everyone is accounted for!"
The knights nodded and hastily made their way up the ladder.
Becky fidgeted in her spot, watching and waiting for the hunters to arrive. But as the structure began to deteriorate even further, she realized that there was simply not enough time. Biting her lip, she was just about to climb the ladder when she remembered something…or rather someone.
"Shit! Siegfried!" She forgot! He wasn't here during the evacuation. As much as she didn't want to help the man, she knew that a certain huntress would never forgive her if she did. Spotting a nearby Knight about to climb the ladder, she handed him her hammer. "Hold this!"
"Wha-"
Before he knew it, Becky sprinted at blindingly fast speeds towards Siegfried's last known location.
She turned around the path, nearly crashing into the wall due to her speed. Crap. Becky continued to run, hoping to find him quickly before the entire structure collapsed on top of them. Just seconds later after she arrived at another corridor, she saw a shape in the distance, leaning against the wall. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was. The figure appeared to stop before collapsing. Alarmed, Becky picked up speed before abruptly digging her feet into the ground and coming to a stop near the figure.
"Up you go." She lifted the hunter up into a bridal carry and sprinted back towards camp.
…
A knight stood near the ladder, anxiously waiting for Becky to arrive. C'mon, c'mon… His eyes grew wide as the structure continued to crumble and fall. Behind him, Catherine groaned as the medics began to treat her wounds. She hissed as they poured medicine over her cuts. As they continued to treat her, she looked around the ship, desperate to find those knights she sent over to the dungeon in hopes of rescuing any prisoners. Soon, she spotted a familiar group of people sitting at the corner of the ship.
"Ace Hunters…" she mumbled. Looks like they're still alive after all. She smiled in relief at that. With this, the Guild shouldn't worry about losing their best knights. But…there was someone missing, someone she had hoped to see amongst the survivors. She sighed wistfully. Ed…if you're really gone…I…I don't know what to do.
Suddenly, hysterical shouting could be heard nearby.
"It's her! Becky hurry!"
"Quick, stabilize the ladder!"
Twisting her head to the side, Catherine watched as a figure climbed onto the ship. It was Becky…and on her back was a heavily wounded man. Siegfried. Two knights quickly helped carry the hunter as Becky dropped to her knees in exhaustion. The redhead noticed Catherine looking at her and smiled before heading towards Siegfried, who was immediately treated by other medics.
Feeling her body weaken, Catherine closed her eyes and drifted off, content knowing that they lived to see another day.
…
With both Becky and Siegfried now on board the ship, it was finally able to move. And just in time too, for immediately after Becky boarded climbed onto the ship, the entire place crumbled into nothingness, leaving behind bits and pieces of debris on the expansive desert it was found. Strangely enough, the sandstorm that had been raging nearby disappeared, replaced with clear blue skies and sunlight.
"Over there! I see them!" a knight exclaimed, pointing at the distance. Sure enough, they could spot more than a few small figures in the distance. It was the hunters, and it looked like they had succeeded in slaying the beast. A wave of relief cascaded over them as they cheered and shouted in victory. Without hesitation, the captain steered the ship over to the hunters.
It was over. They were finally going home.
Their return to Dundorma was met with triumphant praise and celebration. Of course, all the hunters and surviving Knights were immediately admitted to the medical ward to receive further treatment before they could begin the aforementioned celebrations. For now, these brave warriors will use this time to rest and recuperate…
In the medical ward…
"Damn woman gouged my eye out…" Siegfried grumbled as the nurses began to stitch his wounds.
"I'm sure you'll manage anyway," Jason said nearby, lying on his back on one of the sheets. He had fractured ribs and was told by the doctors to lie down for several hours until the medicine properly regenerated his bones. Amber had gone off somewhere, presumably to grab more medicine.
"Fuck off." Siegfried then glanced around the area. All the hunters and knights were sitting or lying down on the sheets provided by the clinic. Dozens of nurses and doctors moved here and there to treat each of the injured warriors.
"Hey." Eris walked over to her partner and kneeled down beside him. She didn't sustain any major injuries and had simply been told to rest. "You alright?"
"Aside from my compromised vision? I'm doing fantastic thank you very much."
Eris rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "Don't act like a prick when I'm actually being concerned for you dumbass."
He grumbled again but didn't let out a retort. He continued to idly scan the people around him. He saw the Fated Four currently being attended to by several nurses and doctors. Out of the three, Hilda had needed immediate medical attention. She would have died of blood loss from the hole in her abdomen if it weren't for Eris's quick thinking. Dutifully sitting next to her sleeping form was Rowan. Like Eris, he hadn't received any major injuries and after a quick rest, was back on his feet. He had stayed by Hilda's side throughout the entire time the doctors operated on her. His brother on the other hand was nowhere to be found.
Aside from Hilda, the other person to receive major injuries was Catherine. Unlike the others, due to her weaker physique and lack of regenerative abilities, she had been immediately hauled off to the operating room and has not been back since. Siegfried disliked the woman, but even he had hoped that she made a quick recovery. She had been exceptionally brave that day, challenging superhumans on her own despite the clear disadvantage. He couldn't deny her skill as a warrior.
She would have been a great hunter… he thought.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Eris said to him, upon noticing him seemingly stare off into the distance.
"Ah, no I'm just thinking of how fortunate we are to survive this," he replied.
"But it's not without its losses…"
"Yeah," he muttered, reaching up to touch his bandaged eye. He would have to get used to this somehow.
Eris noticed this and quietly squeezed his hand. "…If you need help, you know I'll be there for you."
He squeezed back, a smile forming on his lips. "Thanks."
…
After recovering from their wounds, our heroes were congratulated by the Guild and were compensated for their efforts. Aside from the hefty sum of money given to them that would have sustained them for years to come, they were also given honorary titles within the Guild. Siegfried, who had redeemed himself in the end was pardoned from all his past crimes and was given back his license and gear, much to the joy of the hunter. The Guild had also, much to their relief, were informed that the Ace Hunters had all survived the ordeal as well, having been found tortured but alive within the dungeons. None seem to know why they had been spared. They would return to duty several days later, albeit with bruised egos.
The monster slain had also been properly classified and given a name. Ahtal-Ka. An entirely new species of Neopteron that has the ability to use an incredibly strong type of silk and is highly intelligent for an animal. They have been deemed an Elder-dragon level threat due to being able to seemingly use human weaponry and as such, the Guild will be on the lookout for any more members of the species. It was an incredible feat for the hunters to emerge victorious against potentially one of the most dangerous non-Elder dragon monsters out there.
However, the victory was not without its losses.
Many brave Knights lost their lives fighting the enemy and as such, they would be properly mourned. But perhaps the biggest loss belonged to Catherine. Even after thorough searching, nobody could find the missing Edmond, leading the Guild to declare the former knight as dead. It was a hard loss for them, as, despite his misdeeds, Edmond had shown himself to be one of the Guild's best knights throughout his career. However, none could predict the events that followed after.
They were in the middle of the awarding ceremony when suddenly, the doors burst open. The Guild staff and hunters turned towards the door…and saw none other than Catherine stomping her way towards them.
"Commander-"
"I quit." The entire hall fell silent at her words. Catherine scoffed and promptly ripped the emblem off her torso before throwing it at the ground. "I'm done with the Guild. I quit."
Before they could get another word in, the woman had already left.
After that display, Catherine seemingly vanished a few days later. They had found her house empty of her belongings. Witnesses say that they had seen her board a cart but when the driver was asked where they had dropped her off, they mentioned that she had gotten off midway and walked off on her own. When asked where they thought she could be heading, the driver simply shrugged.
…
After the awarding ceremony had ended, it was time for the hunters to leave and go their separate ways.
As Siegfried prepared to leave alongside Eris, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hey." He turned around…only to see none other than Hilda.
"What is it?"
"I…I heard about what you did back there. You've proven yourself to be on our side, and for that, I want to apologize for treating you like scum. I was just really angry and felt betrayed that a fellow hunter like you could have committed such atrocities."
Siegfried shrugged. "It is alright. I'm used to being treated that way."
Hilda shook her head. "Well, I hope that would no longer be the case." She looked over at Eris standing beside Siegfried. She gave her a simple nod and smile, and Eris smiled back at her.
"Siegfried!" Looking over Hilda's shoulder, the hunter saw the Beraja twins, the rest of the Fated Four, and his two former classmates Jason and Amber jogging over to him. Oh great, the posse is here.
"I think…All of us owe you an apology, Siegfried," Rowan said, glancing at the others, who all nodded. "You've truly proven us that you're not like those bastards and are willing to risk your life to save others. You're a good man and a true hunter. For that, we can't thank you enough."
Eris couldn't help but smile at the praise given to her partner. But when she turned to look at him, she noticed him looking away. Raising an eyebrow, she moved closer…and saw him blushing. Grinning, she nudged him with her elbow.
"Aww, someone's embarrassed!" she cooed. The man glared at her.
"Shut it!"
The hunters laughed as Siegfried grew even redder.
"Say, why don't all of us go drinking at a tavern as a celebration?" Romero suggested. "Drinks are on me!"
"I'm down for that," Amber replied.
"Hell yeah!" Jason exclaimed. "I could definitely use a drink."
"Me too!" Pip enthusiastically replied. Luca and Hanzo simply nodded in agreement as well.
Rowan chuckled, "I think a celebratory drink would the perfect way to cap off this mission."
"Definitely," Hilda agreed. She noticed Eris's hesitance. "And you Eris?"
"Oh no thank you, I don't drink-"
"Oh c'mon!" Rowan protested. "One drink won't hurt you!" Upon seeing everyone's eyes on her, Eris sighed.
"Fine. Just one."
"Great! Let's go!"
As the hunters began to head out, Eris noticed Siegfried standing there, unusually quiet. "Siegfried? Is there something wrong?" She touched his shoulder, causing him to flinch briefly.
"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking…"
"About?"
He lightly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just…This is the first time I've been treated this way ever since I became an official hunter. Throughout all these years, all I ever received were either terrified, spiteful, or jealous looks. Receiving this much positivity is…odd to say the least."
"Hey, I'm on the same boat as you. I was always looked at as an ice-cold bitch but recently, being treated as a normal person honestly felt really nice."
Siegfried smiled. "Yeah."
"Hey, you two! You both coming or what?"
Eris rolled her eyes. "Well, guess I'll be properly drinking for the first time in many years."
"What, you can't handle your alcohol?" Siegfried taunted.
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that a challenge?"
He smirked, staring right into her blue eyes. "Backing down already?
She stared right back at his green eyes, their faces centimeters apart. "Never."
….
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