Red Hunter Redemption: Chapter 3
It had been a few more days since the gang had hunted and killed the Kestodon pack and the Great Jagras.
Arthur had decided to head to the canteen today. Supposedly, the Van Der Linde's cook, Mr. Pearson, had stabilized there for the time being. As Arthur walked to the counter, he was greeted by the giant muscular cat that he met at the meeting a couple of days earlier.
« Can I get something to drink, kitten? » Arthur greeted the feline. The creature glared at him slightly and growled a bit. « Sorry, sir. Could you please avoid calling him "kitten"? He doesn't seem to like it. » a hunter next to Arthur translated the giant cat's growl.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. « You know what he says? » he asked incredulous. « Yep. He's a Felyne. A Lynian, a sentient breed of monsters. » the hunter explained. « Oh. » was all Arthur said, before turning to the chef.
« Sorry there, partner. » the outlaw apologized. He then sighed. « Kitten…what the hell was I thinking. » he scolded himself. « You ain't no god damn kitten, you're a god damn cougar mixed with a gorilla. » Arthur then complimented the Felyne.
The latter simply emitted another growl. « He's asking if that's a compliment. » the hunter translated. « If course it is. I don't know much about gorillas, but a cougar ain't something to mess with. » Arthur explained.
« Gorillas aren't either. » a voice came from behind the Felyne chef. « Morning Mr. Pearson. Working with the cougars, aren't you? » Arthur greeted the man. He was portly, balding, middle-aged man with collar-length brown hair and a bushy moustache.
« If I wanna cook food while avoiding poisoning someone, I need to know which parts are edible and what aren't. » Pearson explained. « When I was in the navy, » he told the group, before being interrupted by Arthur who sighed exasperated.
« Look, not everyone here wants to know what you got up about in the navy. » Arthur rudely interrupted. « We remained stranded in the Pacific. Had to fish our food. And one day, we caught some pufferfishes. Didn't know how to handle them. But these bastards are poisonous. Lot of folks died that day. » Pearson continued with the sad memory.
« But you unfortunately survived. » Arthur sarcastically commented. « So far most of the body parts are edible, including jaws, tenderloins, body, tails and ribs. And the feet are gourmet food around here. » Pearson explained.
« Now, if I knew these damn cats language better, I wouldn't need to keep pestering some of the cooks here. » the man admitted. « Well when you're transported on another world filled with world ending beasts and prehistoric freaks of nature, sometimes language barriers are the least of your problems. » Arthur commented.
He then turned to one of the cooks. « So, is he behaving? » Arthur asked. « Yep. This mewster is also telling us a lot of stories of the navy. Some are scary, thought. » a cook commented in English.
Arthur simply sighed. « Mr. Pearson, please try to avoid telling stories to folks while eating. Ain't nice to throw up after a meal. » Arthur told the man. « Then please avoid telling any stories right now! » an enthusiastic voice came from behind Arthur.
« Ah, Miss Eden. Any new jobs from the commission? » Arthur asked. « Yep. And it's a pretty important one for that. » Eden explained. « Anything we can help with? » another man asked, a member of the Van der Linde gang.
He had a very muscular build. He had very long, free-flowing black hair with dark skin, with light stubble and scarring on his face. « I think so. Remember what we found the other day? » Eden remembered the group.
« You mean that damn flaming rock coming from this Zora Magdaros fellow? » Arthur asked. « Yes. We're planning to send a research team, but it's pretty hard to do so with a pissed-off Pukei-Pukei. » Eden explained.
« So that thing we saw the other day ain't a Rathalos? » Arthur asked. Eden raised her eyebrows. « You actually thought THAT was the king of the sky? » she asked incredulous. « I dunno. Seemed pretty big. » Arthur shrugged his shoulders.
« A Rathalos is probably double the size. » Eden commented. « And you avoided remaining in the stone age how exactly? » Arthur asked shocked. « We had our ways. » Eden shot back. « So, do we need to kill it? » the dark-skinned man asked.
« Not yet. First, we need to re-establish the forest camp for supplies. » Eden responded. « A camp? Right now? » Arthur asked surprised. Eden raised an eyebrow. « Well, what's wrong in doing it now? » she asked.
« Well it's just…. didn't expect we were gonna expand any time soon while them damn Jagras still patrol the area outside the camp. » Arthur commented. « Yeah, there's a lot of them. You're actually killing quite a few. » Eden admitted.
« Well, it's good business. Or at least it's going to be. » Arthur responded. « So, you coming? » Eden asked. « I'll help. If you're ok with it. » the dark man told Eden.
« Well, might as well. » Arthur said, as his drink arrived. « If you three are going, and so happen to kill some of the local beasts, bring them to me. I might find new meat to cook. » Pearson proposed the trio.
« All right. » Eden responded. « Oh, and as a sign of gratitude to you folks, have a little cultural exchange. » Pearson then told Eden, as he handed her a small jar. There was something written in it, but Eden didn't seem to be able to read it.
So far, the locals could speak English with the outlaws, so language barrier was not too big. But the native alphabet was far different, with hieroglyphs instead of Latin words.
« Uhhh…. what does it say? » she asked, before Arthur grabbed it and examined it. « "Assorted, salted offal." » he read, before giving it back to Pearson. « Starving would be preferrable. » he told the man.
He then turned to the dark-skinned man. « How's the hand, Charles? » Arthur asked. « Mostly fine. Definitely can use it again. » the man, Charles, responded. He then turned to Eden. « When out hunting, don't use your fireflies. They'll scare all the game out there. Think you can hunt without them? » he told the girl.
« If I can hunt without the scoutflies? I've studied for an entire YEAR before coming here in the new world without the scoutflies! » Eden protested. « I'll take it as a yes. Come on, let's go. » Charles motioned the duo.
« You planning to take on those freaks of nature with that? » Arthur asked incredulous, pointing at Charles's bow and arrows. « They'll do the work just fine against smaller game. If we meet something bigger, I either use a bigger gun, or we hide. Alternately, we flee. » Charles responded.
The trio had ventured outside of Astera for a bit, with Eden being on Arthur's horse, when they found a small Wyverian. « Hello there. » Arthur greeted the Wyverian. « Oh hello! I'm a researcher with the Commission. » the Wyverian introduced himself.
« Hardly think there are any other sentient beings in this God forsaken jungle other than us and the Commission. » Arthur commented. « Oh but there are indeed! The Grimalkyne are an example! » the Wyverian exclaimed.
« Grimalkyne? Are they human beings? » Charles asked. «Not at all. Grimalkyne are a type of Lynian that are native to the New World. » the researcher explained. « You mean like our furballs at the canteen, or Miss Eden little pet? » Arthur asked.
« You must refer to the Felynes. They are indeed related, but are a different specie. I wish to communicate with them and learn their lingo, but these creaky old bones just can't keep up with the flighty little chaps! Perhaps you could be of help? » the researcher asked.
« We'll see what we can do. One world of advice. I may not know anything about these Grimalkyne, but I know you must not betray their trust. » Charles warned the researcher. « Why, I would never! » the Wyverian protested.
« Good. » was all Charles responded with. Arthur then turned to Niko, who was on Eden's lap. « You heard that, partner? We're meeting your feral cousins. » he joked, gaining a small mew from the Felyne.
However, after a while, Niko jumped down from the horse, sniffing the air. « Niko? What's wrong? » Eden asked concerned. « I think your friend has picked up something. » Charles commented as he got down from his horse.
« All right, little furball, let's see what you found. » Arthur commented, before helping Eden getting down from the horse and handing the two creatures to the Wyverian. After a short walk, Niko had stopped dead on its tracks, waiting for Arthur, Eden and Charles.
He emitted a few cat noises, before pointing at a cave. « So, what's the little feller saying? » Arthur asked. « He says he has found a familiar smell. Like a Felyne, but not quite. » Eden explained.
« I think he's referring to this. » Charles said, pointing at a cave. Inside, large paw drawings and cat figures could be found everywhere. The trio looked at the structure, with Eden being a bit more in awe.
Arthur was just confused. « You making any sense out of this? » he asked Eden. « I think it's a holy site. The cat figure must be some sort of Grimalkyne god. » Charles hypothesized. « Probably as helpful as a god as ours when dealing with Jagras and other critters around here. » Arthur commented.
He then turned to the Wyverian. « Hey there partner! We just found the Grimalkyne's church! » he shouted. The Wyverian walked forward alongside the horses, but looked confused at the trio.
« My apologizes…. what's a church? » the researcher asked. « Really? You don't have churches around here? » Arthur asked confused. « Religion sites? Anything? » Charles then asked. « Oh, so you found a religious site. How quaint! If possible, continue to search for any traces of the Grimalkyne! It would be very important for our research. » the Wyverian bypassed the questions, excited by the finding.
« By the way, I actually wanted to ask you something. » Eden turned to Arthur and Charles. « Every now and then, you say something along the lines of "thank god", or "god forsaken land." Not just you, but everyone in your gang. Do you actually worship a god? » she then asked.
« Well I don't know about Charles, but I worship THE God. Created all life where I came from. » Arthur responded. « What about you? Any god you place your believes and soul in? » he then asked.
« Elder Dragons are considered gods in some cultures. But even then, they're still treated like living creatures. Living creatures with immense power, but still creatures. » Eden explained, as she got on Arthur's horse.
« So, tell me more about your god. Has your kind ever met him? » Eden asked genuinely curious. « Some rare times. He's more reclusive than your Elder Dragons. » Arthur responded. « Anything else of interest? » Eden asked again, as the trio begun to ride again.
« Well, if you behave, be righteous, and generally are a good person, you get to hang with the feller in a nice place called heaven. You do the opposite, and you can rot in the flames in hell. » Arthur responded.
« A sort of poetic justice, huh? He must believe in Karma. I like that. » Eden commented. Arthur simply groaned. « Just don't expect much when you ask for his help in times of need. » he commented annoyed.
« Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he loves us deep down. Wouldn't have allowed the Romans to nail his boy in a cross for our sins otherwise. » Arthur continued. « Your world has a really fascinating story, you know? » Eden admitted.
« Perhaps we can have a little history exchange when this is over. Aside for dangerous world ending beasts and prehistoric abominations, this world does seem to have much to offer so far. » Arthur commented.
He then sighed. « Been a few wild days, all right. » he told his companion. « That ride across the Grizzlies, getting stranded on this sort of prehistoric hellhole, going out for John, that thing with the Great Jagras. » Arthur commented.
« You've had a lot put on you. You too Miss Eden. I wish I could have done more. » Charles commented. « I didn't mean to put it like that, it's just…. a lot to think back on. » Arthur responded. « I still find it weird that we're on another world. » Charles said.
« Me too. » Arthur responded. « So far you guys have any regrets staying here in Astera? » Eden asked.
« None that I can think of. I mean nobody died yet, so that's a start. » Arthur responded. As they continued to ride across the small valleys inside of the forest, they finally met Mercer, alongside another woman.
« Mercer. » Arthur greeted the man. « Ah, Arthur. Good to see you. » Mercer responded. He then pointed at the woman. « This here is our Endemic Life Researcher. » Mercer introduced her. « Fancy meeting someone new here! » the woman cheerfully greeted the trio.
« Yeah, especially when coming from another damn world apparently. » Arthur commented. « We met your researcher partner a while back. The Lynian researcher. Found him a nice little cat church if he wants to convert into catolicism. » Arthur joked, gaining an annoyed groan from Charles.
«Well, I'm the editor in charge of the field guide! It's my job to learn and disseminate as much as possible about the endemic life here! » she introduced her profession. « Discovered anything that won't try to kill, bite, stab, rip apart, swallow us? » Arthur asked.
« Well, there are also smaller critters that are much safer to handle. And I love 'em all to pieces! » she responded. « My research tasks are to capture, observe, study, verify, record and play with any endemic life I find…I'm a busy bee! » the woman enthusiastically explained.
« Well as long as these critters ain't venomous or don't stink like a skunk, I think you have it easy so far. » Arthur joked. « The New World is literally crawling with undiscovered specimens. I don't even know where to begin! I don't have enough hands! » she exclaimed while waving her hands.
« Don't have enough sanity as well. » Arthur mumbled. « Excuse me? » the woman asked, not having clearly heard what he said. « Could we help you in capturing some of the critters around here? » Eden intervened to defuse the situation.
« Why not? You could even let them loose in your rooms for some first-hand observations! » the woman exclaimed. « Sure, guess Jacky-boy could use a little pet that won't try to claw his eyeballs out. » Arthur commented, before turning to Mercer.
« So, what do we have here? » he asked the Team Leader. « Looks like they found the perfect place to camp. » Mercer responded, pointing at a small patch of land on top of a steep cliff.
Arthur groaned at the sight. « Oh, you're joking… » he complained at the sight. « What's wrong with it? » Eden asked concerned. « Perfect place my god damn ass! What the hell were they thinking while building it!? » Arthur protested.
« What? With its elevation, it's definitely monster-proof. » Mercer shrugged his shoulders confused. « Yeah but it's also HORSE proof. Where the hell are we supposed to place the horses in!? » Arthur complained.
Soon Mercer and Eden realized where the problem was. « Oh bother…. » was all Mercer said. « Oh bother indeed. » Arthur then said. « We'll figure something out later. I'm sure the supply team has something in mind. First, let's examine the camp. » Mercer then motioned the group.
The trio, alongside Mercer, begun climbing up the vines, which had become analogues of stairs essentially. It wasn't necessarily an easy climb, but the group managed. However, once on the top, they found out that the camp had been occupied.
A large beast was inspecting the ground for food. It had a body shape similar to a raptor. This monster was covered in light brown scales and had a face that greatly resembled a Dodo. There were feathers on its head and arms.
The creature looked at the group curious, and soon all had their weapons drawn out. Suddenly, the creature picked up a reasonably large rock from the ground and threw it at the direction of the four.
As the group dodged, the beast made a run for it, and soon it was gone. Arthur turned to Mercer with a disappointed look. « Monster proof, huh? » he sarcastically commented. Mercer simply sighed.
« Didn't expect that pest to show up here in the Ancient Forest. » he justified himself. « Has the supply team even bother to get out of Astera and check if the place was safe? » Arthur asked annoyed.
« Apparently not. » Mercer admitted. « What matters now is that we take care of it. Otherwise, the camp won't stand a night. » he explained. « Camp? What god damn camp!? This place is a damn hole in the ground, it is! » Arthur complained.
« If we're to take that thing out, we need to know everything about it. What was that creature? » Charles asked. « That thing was a Kulu-Ya-Ku. » Eden explained. « Kuluya-urgh, how did you even come up with them worlds? » Arthur asked annoyed.
« That's rich coming from Mr. "Wiski". » Eden shot back. « I sure as hell hope you meant Whiskey. » Arthur responded. « So, what the hell is this Kulu-Ya-Ku? » he then asked. « It's a frugivorous endemic of the New World. However it's supposed to live in the Wildspire Waste. » Mercer explained.
« You think Zora Magdaros forced him to move here? » Charles asked. « Very likely. Just like with the Kestodons. » Mercer responded. « As you sawed earlier, it's also capable of grabbing object to defend itself, alongside that beak and its claws. » Eden continued.
«Which region has the most fruits here? » Charles asked. « Up north. Plenty of trees there. » Mercer explained. « Good. Then we'll find it there, looking for food. We'll lay an ambush there. » Charles proposed.
He then turned to Eden. « That ballista of yours. I heard around that it can hold many kinds of ammunitions. Are there also venomous ones? » Charles asked. She nodded, and gave him her poison ammo.
« Here, the venom is contained inside and it's extremely dangerous. So be careful. » she explained. « Don't worry, I will. » Charles responded, before opening one of the bullets, an operation easy to do, and putting the head of his arrows in the purple substance inside.
« Let's go. » he motioned the group.
As the group walked, looking for the northern area and its fruits, Charles noticed something on the ground. « Tracks. I think they may belong to that creature. » he explained. « Yep. Definitely a Kulu-Ya-Kut. Maybe even the one we sawed in the camp. » Eden confirmed Charles hypothesis. « Keep a low profile. From what I saw, Kulu-Ya-Kut is easily frightened. » Charles warned the group.
« They will fight back if necessary, but mostly prefer to flee, yes. » Eden explained. « Luckily the wind isn't blowing towards our direction. It should not be able to smell us coming. » Charles then said.
« We reached the northern sector. I think Kulu-Ya-Kut must be nearby. » Mercer commented. « You guessed right. » Arthur said, as he pointed at the bird like creature being surrounded by a pack of Jagras.
The bird like beast opened its arms to seem more intimidating. The Jagras however didn't seem intimidated. One of them tried to bite Kulu-Ya-Kut in the head, but was met with a powerful kick. Soon, the Jagras bravado began to fade away, as the Kuku-Ya-Kut chased them down, almost killing one of them with its claws.
« Looks like they bit more than they could chew. » Charles commented. « Jagras packs rarely hunt creatures this big. They prefer smaller game. Kulu-Ya-Kut itself should not be here. » Mercer explained.
As Kulu-Ya-Kut continued to chase the Jagras, it found itself face to face with the parent of the pack, a fully grown Great Jagras. The creature hissed and puffed its back to seem more intimidating, while lifting its head back and down, while the Kulu-Ya-Kut opened its arms, showing its feathers.
« Oh wow! Looks like we're gonna have a turf war! » Eden exclaimed excited. « Not so much of a war and more like lunchtime for our reptilian buddy there. Kinda a shame, I was hoping to bring dodo head here to Pearson. » Arthur commented.
« It's not as one sided as you might think. Great Jagras can't swallow an animal as big as Kulu-Ya-Kut. » Mercer explained. The Great Jagras then attempted to bite the Kulu-Ya-Kut, who simply dodged. « Damn this is pretty exciting. Tell you what, 100 zennies for the big feller beating dodo head. » Arthur betted, referring to the local currency of this world.
« The Kulu-Ya-Kut seems to have gained the initiative. I bet on him. » Charles joined the betting. « Kulu-Ya-Kut sure has some nice claws. I bet on him as well. » Eden also joined in. « I think I'll stay out. » Mercer then said.
The Great Jagras attempted to bite Kulu-Ya-Kut again, but the latter responded with a bite with its beak and its clawed hands. This dance continued for a while, before Kulu-Ya-Kut attempted to slash the Great Jagras with its sickle claw.
The latter however was quicker to react and hit the bird like creature with its tail. It tried to bite the bird monster, but the latter simply jumper back. The Great Jagras hissed at the opponent, who had opened its arms again to seem more intimidating.
The Great Jagras attempted one last attack, but the Kulu-Ya-Kut jumped just in time, landing on its head. It was the perfect opportunity. The bird monster begun to stab its opponent with its sickle talons and to slash the face of the Great Jagras with its clawer arms.
Multiple times the Great Jagras tried to shake the Kulu-Ya-Kut off, but to no avail. After a while, the Great Jagras managed to push the opponent off, but was too injured to continue the fight. As such, it retreated back into the forest, while the Kulu-Ya-Kut went near a tree to feed.
« Damn, nasty nimble bastard. » Arthur admitted. « So, where's our 100 zennies? » Eden teased the man, who simply sighed, before putting a hand in his pocket. « Here you go; 50 zennies each. » Arthur said defeated.
« Excuse me? » Eden raised an eyebrow at the low prize. «I said I was gonna bet 100 zennies in total. So, you gotta share with Charles. » Arthur explained. « He didn't say he was gonna give 100 zennies to all the victors. » Mercer justified the man.
Eden simply sighed. « I guess you have a point. Still better than nothing. » she accepted the prize none the less. « So, ready to shoot our avian friend down? » Arthur asked. « I'll shoot first with the bow. The poison could even kill it in one blow. » Charles proposed.
« Good luck with that. You know, with the hand and all. » Arthur warned the man. « Like I said before, I should be able to use it. » Charles responded, as he prepared the arrow containing the deadly substance.
He took his aim and hit the bird beast in its flanks. The Kulu-Ya-Kut let out a cry of pain, before trying to remove the arrow from his body. Soon, the beast begun to collapse. While the venom was probably not in enough quantity to kill it, it didn't help that it was very likely that Charles had hit the beast in the lung.
« Damn it, it didn't kill it. » Charles admitted. The Kulu-Ya-Kut had collapsed on the ground, crying in pain while still trying to pull the arrow off. « Come on, that thing's in pain. We should finish it off. » Charles motioned the group.
Soon, the four walked toward the agonizing beast, who still had some fight left on it. It nearly hit Arthur with its feet and bruised Charles arm with its claws. « Woah, easy there! It's going to be over soon. » Arthur tried to reassure the animal, while taking out his knife for the finishing blow.
« Aim for the back of the head. It's the most humane way possible. » Mercer explained. « If I can find an opening, that is. » Arthur complained. He managed to get behind the creature, however, and he creeped behind. Soon, it was able to grab the beast hand while it was distracted, and delivered a quick stab.
The prey was killed instantly. « Good stab there. I was starting to feel sorry for the guy. » Eden complimented the man. « Well, we secured the camp. You can keep the carcass. You said you were going to bring it to Mr. Pearson, your cook, right? » Mercer asked.
« Sure. Always wondered what a dodo tasted like. » Arthur responded. « And what IS a dodo exactly? » Eden asked curious. « Some sort of extinct bird in a random island in the Indian Ocean. Big, slow and stupid. Can't say that this thing was slow, though. » Arthur responded.
« Neither it's stupid. It's one of the most intelligent creatures in the New World. » Mercer explained. « Well its sure is big. We're gonna need the horses to carry this thing back to Astera. » Arthur shot back.
« I'll get them. You three stay on guard. There might be predators attracted by the kill. » Charles then said.
Shortly after, the group had tied the carcass of the Kulu-Ya-Kut back on a makeshift cart. « Nice work, Charles. » Arthur complimented the man. « Nice work finishing it off. That beak could had done some serious damage to your hand, and our gang doesn't need another man with a damaged hand. » Charles responded.
«It's easier when they ain't shooting back. » Arthur joked. Charles laughed at that. « So, how's your stay here in Astera? Everything must be so new for you folks. Especially for you folks. » Mercer told the trio, then turning to Arthur and Charles in peculiar.
« Well it ain't so bad when the local folks ain't trying to maul you. » Arthur joked again. « Now that the camp is secured, all we need is to kill off that Pukei-Pukei, and then we should focus our efforts on that rock that Zora Magdaros likely left. » Mercer explained.
« Soon. We just need more ammunitions. I mean you saw how many bullets daddy Jagras took before going town. Need some more dynamite as well. » Arthur said. Indeed, the natives had learned how to craft some of the outlaw's tools from their world.
« We will manage. » Mercer responded. « And even if you make all the weapons we need…what then? What if this rock isn't a hint? » Charles asked. « So far everything leads to the contrary. And if it wasn't a clue, we'll continue our work none the less. » Mercer responded.
« The old man will have a plan. » he then added after a short pause. « So, if that rock leads to Zora…what then? » Arthur then asked. « We will have to monitor it's every move. Know where it goes, what it eats, and why it's here. » Mercer explained.
« And if it seems like it's going to be a threat, we'll have to stop it. » Eden added. « Hope you realize it's gonna take a bit more than a couple of rifles and some swords to take down what you say to be a living volcano. » Arthur commented.
« That's why we need to know everything we can about Zora Magdaros. if we can find its weakness, we'll be able to stop it from doing any harm. » Mercer responded. « I've been wanting to ask you…this Zora feller, how big and tough he is compared to other Elder Dragons? » Arthur asked.
« We haven't recorded much about it, but so far we believe it's pretty high up in the scale. Definitely one of the biggest. Probably as powerful as many Elder Dragons such as Lao-Shan Lung, the Old Mountain Dragon. That thing has been a threat to the city of Dundorma multiple times. » Mercer explained.
« Good to see that the Old World is in deep shit like our little piece of paradise here. » Arthur joked. « Can't say that we have it easy. But we're living. That's what matters. » Mercer responded, before halting the group.
« Not good. We have company. » he said, before pointing ahead of himself. Indeed, a giant creature was walking a couple of hundred meters away from the four. It was the same beast that killed the Great Jagras the first day the Van der Linde gang had been stranded in this new world.
It was carrying a dead Great Jagras in its mouth, probably the same Great Jagras that was defeated by the Kulu-Ya-Kut. « Did some research. That thing is an Anjanath. » Eden explained in a low tone.
« Yep. Definitely the same feller that greeted us in here. » Arthur confirmed. « We're not ready to take a monster of that size. » Eden admitted. « I reckon it's gonna take an army to take out that thing. » Arthur commented.
« Let's see if we can find a way around him. » Charles said, as he inspected the territory for an opening. Finally, he found it: a small canyon in the jungle. « There. Let's go. » Charles motioned the rest of the group.
Luckily, the giant predator was too busy with its meal to notice the group passing in the nearby canyon. Soon enough, the four were out of reach. And so, the group continued their walk to Astera.
« Say Charles, I think this is the first time you and me went hunting together. » Eden struck a conversation. « That hand was a real problem. Stupid mistake. Luckily you folks are good at healing burn injuries. » Charles responded.
« Well with all these freaks of nature around I'm sure a burnt hand would be the least of these folks' problems. » Arthur commented. « True that. » Mercer responded.
« And to be honest, you and me haven't talked much, have we? How long have you been in the gang now? Five, six months? » Arthur then asked Charles. « Something like that. » Charles responded.
« Bet you didn't expect this. » Arthur said. « Expect what? » Charles asked. « Any of this. The Grizzlies, being stranded here, all those prehistoric creatures lurking around…» Arthur responded. « As long as we stay with these folks, we're gonna be all right. That I can feel it. » Charles then said.
« True that. Any regrets so far? » Arthur asked. « Not at all. I could had joined any other gang before getting stranded in here, but Dutch…. Dutch is different, you know? » Charles responded. « You chose a good leader. He often discusses future plans with the commander. I think that with the arrival of the Fifth and you guys, we'll be able to solve the Elder Dragons riddle in no time. » Mercer said proudly.
« He treats me fair. Most of you do. And for a feller with dark skin, a black father and an Indian mother, that ain't normally the case. » Charles continued. Eden raised an eyebrow confused. « What's wrong with your skin? It seems fine to me. There are plenty of people out there with skin like yours. Is it rare where you came from? » she asked innocently.
« And what's wrong with having a black father and an Indian mother? They're still human from what I gathered, right? » Mercer also asked. Arthur and Charles laughed at the questions. « You know it's a good thing that it was us getting stranded in here. You folks are too good for our world. » Arthur said.
« In all honesty, I'm beginning to believe that the monsters in our world were a blessing in disguise. » Eden said with a serious tone. « Oh believe me, we have plenty of monsters from where we came from. Sure, they can't breathe fire, fly, swallow prey as big as them or throw boulders at people, but some of them I reckon that they could put an Elder Dragon to shame. » Arthur said in a melancholic sarcastic tone.
« What about you, Arthur? How long have you been with the boys? » Charles asked. « Me? » Arthur asked, before chuckling a bit. « 20 years, something like that. Since I was a boy. » he then responded.
The trio was shocked by the answer. «20 years!? » they essentially said in union. « Yeah. He taught me to read. John too. Taught me a few other things, him and Hosea. » Arthur responded.
« I've wanted to ask you something for a while now. You folks say that you're…outlaws? What's an outlaw? » Eden asked. « A folk that has grown tired of a corrupted government and its set of laws designed to keep us poor bastards to be free. Don't confuse us for criminals. We ain't. » Arthur responded.
«N-nonono, don't get me wrong, I didn't think you of a criminal or anything! Beside, even if you were, why on the Sapphire star you decided to stay in what essentially is a research base instead of…I dunno, taking a boat to the Old World? To actual cities? » Eden said embarrassed, thinking she was accusing the man.
Arthur simply laughed. « Sure wouldn't make sense. » he then said. There were a few obstacles along the way, but thanks to the horses, the group was able to be in reach of Astera. « Not gonna lie, I sure can't ride them, but I'm so in love with the horses. » Eden said as she admired how quickly they were in sight of Astera.
« You folks don't have anything that can be rid? » Charles asked. « Not really. We have Aptonoth and Popo, but they're used for transport at best. We tide a cart to them and tell them where to go. » Eden responded.
« Ever thought of riding one of them? » Arthur asked. « Tsk. Riding an Aptonoth would be suicide. They may be docile, but me jumping on an Aptonoth's back would be simulating a Jagras attack. It'd do anything to get me off its back. I would end up flat on the ground with a couple of broken bones. Beside I'm not a rider. » she responded. In particular, the last part was said with an annoyed tone.
« And what might a rider be? » Arthur asked. Eden sighed annoyed. « Just a bunch of hypocrites running around with their fancy monsters, or "Monsties", as they call them. Look, I know monsters are just animals trying to survive, but they still burn down village and kill plenty of innocent people. They're still wild animals, with their wild instincts intact. You can't just…start running around on their back! You're gonna get yourself killed! Or even worse, you'll get others AND yourself killed! » Eden ranted.
« Not to mention they're all about not killing these "innocent creatures". » Mercer added, before spitting on the ground in disgust. « Hypocrites. What do they think their fancy armours are made off. » he said in disgust.
« Well hypocrites ain't so different from where we came from. » Arthur commented. « With your horses I think it's different. They are domesticated animals! » Eden exclaimed. «Sure. I mean, I ain't gonna ride a wild horse any day now. Hell, tried to mount the Count, Dutch horse…buckled me off faster than a bull. Won't take no-one but him. » Arthur responded.
Finally, the group reached the gates near the canteen. « Open up, gentlemen! We bring fresh meat! » Arthur called the guards, who opened the gates quickly. And soon, the group reached the canteen.
«Well, well, well. What do we have here? » Pearson greeted the group. « This monster is a Kulu-Ya-Kut. A frugivorous, meaning it likes to eat fruits. » Eden explained. « I think I can work something out. » Pearson then said.
« So, mind if I take the bones, feathers and skin? » Eden proposed. «Sure, ain't much use for it anyway. » Pearson responded. In the canteen there was also another member of the Van der Linde gang.
He was an elderly man with a full beard and light grey hair, being bald on the top of his head. « What a surprise… » Arthur said annoyed. « The camp rat loitering around in the canteen. » he continued harshly.
« Is that any way to greet an old friend? I feel we haven't spoken in days. » the elderly man shot back. « I do my utmost to avoid you. » Arthur shot back. « Arthur! » Eden scolded the man. « What? I'm just sayin'. » Arthur responded.
The girl simply sighed. « How in the Sapphire star have you managed to stay in this gang for 20 years and not killing anyone? » Eden said annoyed. « He loves me really. It's his sad way of showing affection. » the elderly man mocked Arthur.
« No it isn't. » Arthur responded. « Hey partner! Can we get a drink for these folks? » Pearson told one of the Felynes, who were quick to bring bear to the group. He then pulled out a bottle and some smaller mugs, filling them with the liquid inside the bottle.
« This is also on me. You earned it. » he complimented the group. Eden was the first to taste the substance, but spitted it out almost immediately, coughing and wheezing for a bit. Arthur also took a sip, but he was taken aback by its taste.
« Jesus, what is that?! » he asked shocked. « Navy rum sir. It's the only thing, the only thing. Keeps you sane, it does. » Pearson explained cheerfully. « Yes, seem to have done a treat on you. » Arthur mocked the man.
« Why is everyone of your drinks so bitter and strong!? » Eden complained. « Well you ain't tasted real quality whiskey yet. Then things will change, miss Eden. » Arthur responded. She simply sighed annoyed.
«Ok, not that I mind THAT much, but could you please just call me Eden? You're making me feel older than I am! » she protested. « Just treating a lady with respect, that's all. But if you prefer it that way…» Arthur responded.
« Mind helping me with the skinning, Mr. Marson? You too, Miss Eden? » Pearson then asked as he prepared the knife. « Do I get to skin you? » Arthur joked. Pearson laughed at the question. « You're always one with the jokes, aren't you? » he said.
Soon the trio had finished up skinning the giant animal. « I'd say we did a pretty good job, huh? » Eden commented. « Yep. Just give me a few minutes. You'll get your bones, miss. I'm a man of my word. » Pearson told the girl.
« You just work on making something decent with that thing. » Arthur said, before walking off.
As you might have guessed, I've made some liberty changes in this chapter, like Kulu-Ya-Kut being a frugivorous animal instead of an egg eater (I based myself after Dodo birds for its diet, since its head resemble it a lot), and some hatred between Riders from Monster Hunter Stories and Hunters.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review so I can learn your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions, so stay tuned.
See you on the next chapter!