Here's an extra long chapter for you guys. I wanted to put a lot into this one so I can make the next one a bit more detailed. Plus I wanted to bring some more drama in. Hehe...
blackx57: Intense is usually how you'd describe a nightmare, right? I plan on continuing until I finish this one and then in to Iceborne! There is sooo much juicy potential in the DLC!
Guest: I'm glad the detail is the way I want it to be. I've never been a good drawer, so I decided to make it so that each scene is really easy to imagine. Some of the books I've read don't give any kind of detail at all, which bothers the hell out of me.
Luine Mercury LWG: It's too bad that Elder Dragons can't be captured. Glad I got you back into the game! Especially with new material in Iceborne. My fingers are itching to write a fic around it! I gotta finish this one first.
Cactus (Guest): Here is your wish! A new chapter! Also thank you for the praise. I am trying my best.
On with the story!
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The night ended up being calm. Hether was moved to the hammock after she had fallen asleep, Nergigante reclaimed her place clutching Eclipsen's arm and he himself slept like a baby.
He had to admit that it was nice waking up with someone next to him other than Sundancer, who was nowhere to be found. Whatever the Palico was doing, Eclipsen was sure that it somehow involved Ayla's Palico Strida.
He had woken up somewhere around ten in the morning, with the sunrise shining into the window brightly. The Elegant Coralbird was just starting to rouse itself from sleep with a few gentle tweets.
Nergigante was still sleeping deeply, her arm curled around Eclipsen's own. Her wings were once again spread out and her tail was hanging off the edge of the bed.
Eclipsen stared at the cieling for a bit, thinking about the night before. He didn't feel as if he had a hangover, which was nice. He knew that Hether wouldn't be feeling well once she woke up.
He then realized that he was becoming fond of Nergigante. Though he had been slightly intoxicated the night before, it didn't change the fact that her touch ignited something within him. The rest of the night before had been tame, besides him helping the Elder Dragon remove the clothes she had on.
Nothing else had resulted, as by now he was comfortable with the fact that Nergigante liked to sleep nude. Though he wasn't much better as he had not bothered to remove his Girros Greaves.
With a sigh, Eclipsen began to lift himself from the bed. Nergigante gave an offended huff before pulling her wings in and rolling over. All the three actions taking place while she slept.
The Hunter allowed himself a tiny smile before he readjusted his pillow to support his back and sat up.
The morning was calm, the sound of the water wheel outside providing a gentle background for the upcoming day of rest.
Eclipsen's crimson eye found something non-specific to focus on, lulling him into a state of mind-wandering. It wasn't complete mindlessness though.
A great typhoon of memories swirled about his mind, both familiar and alien in nature. He remembered his first few steps at the age of six months, then the painful burning of the broken bones he had received in his many battles. He remembered the loving embrace of his mother, who still lived peacefully in the Old World. Then he remembered the dark flames of an Elder Dragon he couldn't recall the name of, as he had fought too many to fully relive the hunt.
Then, a thought struck Eclipsen. A weapon. One that could be feral, yet sophisticated enough to sheathe itself away from harming those who were not a target. A bladed weapon, like the claws of an Odogaron that hid behind the original four talons.
He looked over at Nergigante, who still slept soundly despite her recent movement. He stared at the blackening spines that lined her wings, tail and head. His eye focused on her arms, before the thought began to take form in the eye of his mind.
The Hunter quickly leaned over the bedside, sliding his arm under the mattress and pulling out the collapsible drawing board with the purpose of a charging Diablos. The stands couldn't flip outwards fast enough as Eclipsen opened the drawing stand with lightning speed, sliding the blueprints of his previously designed weapon behind a set of blank papers before lifting a few fresh sheets onto the drawing face.
He withdrew the feathered ink pen from the bottom of the drawing board, twisting the the front of the drawing tool and bringing out the metal stencil that leaked a small drop of ink onto the blankets. Eclipsen placed the pen onto the paper and began his handiwork, ignoring the tweets of the Coralbird as it flew out the window. The Hunter knew it would return, as it always did when it left. Somewhat like Sundancer, who always returned to hunt with him.
The lines of the schematic in his head seemed to draw themselves as he let the pen glide across the surface of the paper. The lines were thin, showing just how lightly he pressed the stencil into the paper, and also hiding the enthusiasm and passion he was putting into the weapon he had thought of. Those who would look upon the blueprint in the future would think a cold calculating machine had drawn them, instead of a man inspired by the many things he had experienced.
The weapon was not complicated like a Charge Blade or a Switch Axe, instead it was a simple thing. It was a combination of the simplicity of the Dual Blades but also the advanced design of the Slinger.
The image formed on the paper, mirroring the thought that had brought it into existence. A pair of thin blades, twenty inches in length strapped onto a gauntlet. The blades rested on each side of the top of the forearm and with a flick of the wrist and the whirring of a few mechanisms, the blades would lunge out from their resting places on the arm. They would stay in their outstretched position until the mechanism was activated again, in which case they would slide back into their sheathed state.
Eclipsen felt as if he was simply a passenger in his own body as his hands and the pen put his idea onto the paper. This kind of drive came rarely, and it was his goal to act upon that drive whenever it made itself known.
So, he fell into the same stupor that he did in battle, the simple thought to finish what he had started remaining. Meanwhile, the image of the weapon remained in the front of his mind, drawing itself onto the paper like it was trying to solidify it's own existence.
-Transition-
It had been almost an hour since Eclipsen started his project, rarely ever taking a break in order to rest his arm. The limb didn't seem to object, as it's mission had yet to be completed.
He even ignored the hunger that struck him, as he had more important things to do other than feed a body that was already doing little to waste it's energy. Now he had assumed a cross-legged position with the drawing board sitting in his lap. He was leaned forward, his face painfully close to the paper as he wrote down the mechanisms of the weapon and added precise angles and lengths to the blueprint.
He almost failed to notice when the sound of knocking emanated from the door. Or he would have, it it wasn't for Hether's loud groaning at the noise. Eclipsen looked up from his project, seeing the Fiver Bro standing at the door with a platter of food held tightly in his armored hands.
Fiver Bro, whose true name was Brandon, was a man of pure muscle. He was obsessed with building up more muscle, so much so that even the Meowscular Chef was worried with the amount of ingredients Brandon consumed with each meal. But beyond his desire to consume the best muscle building meals, he was a passionate man that wanted to see people succeed. He was the personal trainer of Astera, helping many of the Fifth Fleet hunters improve their hunting techniques as well as their muscle structure.
Eclipsen waved for him to come in, also adding a finger to the lips in order to convey they he needed to enter quietly. Brandon nodded from the behind the door window before balancing the tray on one arm and opening the door as gently as he could, which was much quieter than Eclipsen expected it to be.
Brandon tip-toed into the room after closing the door with his foot, the tray of food held carefully as he moved.
"Hey dude, the Chef asked me to bring you some breakfast."
Brandon whispered. Eclipsen gave a grateful smile as he folded the legs of the drawing stand and set it further down in the bed. The fellow Fiver handed the tray to Eclipsen, who set it carefully onto his lap in the same place where the drawing stand had rested.
"Thank you."
Eclipsen said just as quietly as Brandon had. Said Fiver lifted the chair that the Tracker had sat in before moving it closer to the bed and taking a seat.
Eclipsen looked down at the dish that Brandon had brought, feeling his hunger come back full force. The meal was a simple bowl of beef stew, with a mug of what Eclipsen guessed to be strong herbal tea and a side of bread. The Hunter lifted the spoon placed at the side of the bowl before dipping it into the stew and lifting the bite to his mouth.
The taste was exquisite, as always. The Meowscular Chef somehow made every meal he cooked into a tasty dish that no one in Astera could turn down. It made up for the sub-par liquor that the Canteen provided, but the Argosy usually brought in better spirits every other week. Said alcohols then would be used in a single night during the weekend, which the Commander was never happy about.
Eclipsen could see why. How were a bunch of hungover hunters supposed to hunt an Apex Predator when they were busy emptying their stomachs every other minute?
Brandon looked over at the drawing board for a moment, staring at the well drawn blueprints resting on it.
"What are you working on?"
He asked, standing up slightly in order to get a better look at the plans. Eclipsen swallowed his bite of stew before placing the spoon down onto the tray.
"It's a weapon for her."
He said, gesturing to the sleeping Nergigante with his thumb. Brandon leaned forward a bit more, placing his hand on his chin as he looked at the schematics. Eclipsen knew that the Fiver was memorizing the plans, as Brandon was the one to lock a design in his brain if he thought it could be useful as a new weapon. Eclipsen was happy to let him. In case the papers were lost or destroyed, Brandon could re-draw them based from memory.
While Brandon stared at the papers, Eclipsen continued to eat his breakfast.
It didn't take long for Eclipsen to finish the meal, as he was already a very quick eater. It showed when he got into eating contests with some of the other hunters around Astera. No one could out-eat him, but many had come close. That was not the case for drinking though, as the Hunter could hold down his liquor like no other, with the sole exception being Hether. Even she had drank too much the night before.
Eclipsen stretched as he chewed the last piece of broth soaked bread, allowing Brandon to lift the tray from his lap. Brandon waited for the Hunter to finish his stretch so he could give his opinion on the meal.
"Thank you, Brandon. Tell the Chef that it was delicious as always."
"You got it, bro."
Brandon said before walking towards the door and leaving quietly. Eclipsen watched as the door clicked shut, glancing at the two sleeping women. Hether was still either passed out or trying to ward off her headache by being quiet and Nergigante was still in a sleep deeper than the water Ceadeus' swam in.
With that, the Hunter lifted the drawing board back onto his lap. He shifted the finished downward perspective schematic behind a fresh sheet of paper and lifted the pen from it's resting place on the nightstand. He began to draw a bottom view of the weapon, now starting to put the mechanisms into full detail.
-Transition-
After another half hour of fleshing out, the blueprints were starting to look at least partway complete. Even Eclipsen himself was surprised with just how fast he managed to progress with the plans. This had to be his most quickly completed project yet, and with the help of the Head Blacksmith it would be done even sooner.
The Hunter could already feel the pride he would have in the weapon once it was forged and put to the test. In fact, he was proud of the plans he had drawn up. He poured almost unnecessary amounts of detail into the schematics. How thick the blades would be, what the gauntlets were made of, the materials that the mechanisms would be made of, how quickly the blades were meant to launch outwards and retract back inwards.
With each pen stroke, he idea that had lingered in his mind became truth in the real world. Even if this creation had not been forged into a battle ready tool, it was still alive in the schematics that Eclipsen was still drawing up.
A faint meow drew Eclipsen's attention away from the project. He didn't mind, as at this rate it would be completed within the next two days. One or two distractions were easily forgiven.
The knob to the door slowly slid to the left, occasionally jerking back the other direction before quickly moving back. Finally, the handle clicked and the door swung open. Sundancer gently plopped to the floor before walking inside and shutting the door, his gear noticeably missing.
"Hello Meowster."
He said as the door clicked back closed again. Eclipsen spared a glance before proceeding to finish a particularly straight line. Sundancer's expression saddened a bit in response. The Palico then walked over to the chair that Brandon had be using, hefting himself up onto it before sitting quietly.
Eclipsen let out a sigh as he placed the pen down. He expected a distraction, but be needed to deal with the matter at hand.
"Sundancer, where have you been?"
He asked firmly. Sundancer looked like he was about to wither as the words reached his ears. The cat looked downward at his paws, which he somehow couldn't get to stop fidgeting.
"I... I was with Strida."
Eclipsen looked over to his partner before moving his gaze back to the drawing board. Sundancer didn't lift his eyes to meet his Master's gaze, but his body language said everything for him. He was slouched forward, his paws holding his feet in a strange sitting position.
Eclipsen didn't respond to the explanation for a bit, letting the silence drag on for a few moments. The tension was nonexistant, but the comfortable feeling between the two was missing. They had hunted together for longer than they both remembered, but issues were still a very real thing in their relationship.
"Are you angry at me?"
Sundancer asked, his voice holding more nervousness and pain than the wounds his Master had. Eclipsen let his eyes drift downward with another silent sigh. He moved his left hand, setting it gently on the edge of the drawing board. He rubbed his thumb gently across the surface of the board, feeling the perfectly crafted wood under his finger.
It was time to talk about this.
"No. I'm not angry. I never was. You are your own person, Sundancer. It doesn't matter to me that you've found someone you like to spend time with. That's to be expected."
Eclipsen said, eyes still locked on the blankets covering his lap. Sundancer nodded solemnly, his expression changing to one of deep sorrow. Thankfully, his head was bowed far enough that his Master didn't see it. Even if he did, he didn't comment.
"But..."
The Hunter continued. Sundancer prepared himself for words of reprimand. Ones about keeping to his duty as a partner, and that he should keep his Master above everything else. It was the code all Palico's were trained by.
"I miss my friend sometimes."
Sundancer felt every negative expectation shatter. Those words weren't the ones of angry correction, but ones of care. The words of a person who wanted to maintain a long relationship. Sundancer then realised that his Palico training had engrained in him more negative thoughts than he wanted.
"I miss you being around, Sundancer. The other day, before Nergigante arrived and I was bedridden, I only had the Coralbird to keep me company."
Sundancer remembered that day. He was out with Strida, enjoying a day of fishing and a quiet dinner. Meanwhile, his Master sat alone in his room, miserable thanks to his inability to move or work.
"The one thing that went through my mind was the days when you would be beside me when I was injured, helping me recover with Potions and Antidotes and helping when I needed to move around. And I wondered, 'where is my friend when I need him? I wish I had some company.'"
Eclipsen's voice carried a small sadness. He did indeed miss those warm days in the Old World, when all he and Sundancer would do was talk at the bar or undertake a particularly easy hunt, just to take their minds off things or to spend time with each other. They would even go to small carnivals together and watch as performers would throw small barrel bombs and successfully land them in a pool of water without it going off.
"I'm not saying that I want you to abandon your friendship with Strida. I'm trying to say... Don't let the relationships you already have go to waste. We've been partners for almost thirty years, Sundancer. I don't want that to disappear. Not when I need you."
Before the Hunter or the Palico knew it, Sundancer had leapt off the chair he was sitting in and landed on Eclipsen in a tackle-hug. His cat eyes streamed small tears and Eclipsen could feel the unsheathed claws dig into the blanket around his waist in an attempt to never let go.
Sundancer buried his face into the Hunter's chest, letting out small mewls of regret and sadness. Eclipsen gently let his hand drag down the Felyne's back, helping Sundancer through the small quakes that racked his furry frame.
The drawing board had flopped over, the papers still sitting safely on the face of it. It was like the object knew that the two partners needed some space and had moved to accommodate them.
The Palico and Hunter sat like that for a few minutes, with Eclipsen letting Sundancer let his feelings out while the Felyne dealt with the emotional whirlwind he had kept bottled up for the past months.
Finally, Sundancer lifted his head and began to speak.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know if you would approve of me and Strida. I... I just wanted to avoid it until it went away."
The Palico said. Eclipsen gave a soft smile as he placed his hand on Sundancer's head. The touch was gentle and conveyed more than words ever could.
"Of course I approve. Like I said, it doesn't matter that you've found somebody you care about. If I didn't, what kind of friend would I be?"
Sundancer nodded as Eclipsen scratched his head.
"All I ask is that you try to free up your schedule for me, okay?"