Hello everyone! Sorry about the delay for this chapter. It was a mixture of being caught up on other projects and temporarily losing interest that kept me from finishing this one.
The Megaevolved Pony: I'm glad you like it so much! I'm honestly baffled I've managed to draw in such a large crowd. I hope you guys stick with me.
Luine Mercury LWG: Ship it like FedEx my friend. However, there are many routes one could take...
RoseSeraph: Ah, the joy of writing wholesome dialogue and someone enjoying it. I'm glad you like this chapter. It was a bit hard to write the suspense of Nergigante teasing Sundancer.
Thejkshadow: Hey, gotta have some obstacles for the hero right? Plus I got my ass kicked by Nergy too and I've been playing since Tri. It's all about how you handle a monster most of the time.
Onward with the Story!
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"Alright then! I'll meet ye' at the forge."
The Head Smith said loudly as he walked out the door, the schematics for Nergigante's new weapon held tightly and securely under his uninjured arm.
Eclipsen watched intently as the Head Smith walked down the stairs towards the Workshop. The Hunter was still somewhat attached to the creation, despite having made it for someone else. But the Head Smith was a good man, alleviating any fears that it would be damaged or stolen.
Nergigante had refused to fully give up her hold on the Hunter, with her right hand holding firmly onto Eclipsen's left arm. Her grip was tight, yet her claws were noticeably held back from poking or stabbing the Hunter. Meanwhile, her head rested gently on Eclipsen's shoulder, her horns being just long enough to graze his long white hair when she moved.
Eclipsen let out a sigh as the Head Smith continued his trek towards the Workshop. He had agreed to let the older man take the schematics so he could start forging it as quickly as possible, along with agreeing to drag the Elder Dragon to the Workshop for proper measurements. Nergigante had visibly stiffened upon mentioning anything as personal as measurements, but both men had assured her that the Armory Lass would take care of it instead of another of the opposite gender.
But Eclipsen first had to pry the clingy Elder Dragon off so both of them could clothe themselves. The Hunter was fairly sure that he wanted to avoid the PR nightmare that would be allowing Nergigante to walk about Astera nude.
Hether groaned slightly from the floor.
-Transition-
Eclipsen held almost deathly still as Nergigante pulled the string to his Odogaron chestpiece, tightening the side that he had failed to adjust thanks to his injuries. He still had a fair few broken bones, even though the daily Mega Potions were speeding up the healing process. Unfortunately, today was the one day that he was in more pain than usual.
Nergigante gave another tug before lifting her yellow eyes to meet Eclipsen's in order to check that she had tightened them way he wanted them. The Hunter gave a solid nod, making the Elder Dragon huff as she let go of the white string. She had never considered the possibility of having to help the Hunter put on his gear. The thought of human armor still disgusted her, but the one wearing it made the task more bearable.
Eclipsen took a moment to pat down his armor before nodding. The armor was situated perfectly on him, despite the help he needed to get into it. In his younger days, he would've considered it embarrassing to not be able to put on his armor without help, but age had brought down that youthful arrogance. Now he was just happy that he could have someone else buckle a clasp or tie a leather string without having to worry about it coming loose later thanks to human limitation.
Sundancer sat quietly on the bed in what Nergigante could only consider an adorable manner. She swore she could see the Palico twitch his ear from time to time. Sundancer was still missing his armor, but it seemed that he wasn't worried about retrieving it from wherever it had gone.
Eclipsen rolled his sore shoulder for a moment before walking around the bed, staring at the hungover Handler who still resided on the floor. She had adjusted her position once more, with her forehead pressed onto the cool wooden floorboards. The rest of her limbs were splayed out across the floor like someone who was trying to do a cartwheel and failing horribly at it.
The Hunter took a casual seat on the edge of the bed and rested his arms on his knees. Nergigante watched curiously as Eclipsen leaned forward in his sitting position.
"Hether? You feeling any better?"
The only response he received was a low groan. The super enchanced antidote was still clutched firmly in her left hand, the blue liquid not having a drop missing from it. Eclipsen sighed before continuing.
"Drink the Antidote, and if I find you here when I come back tonight, I will dunk you in cold water."
This time, the Handler responded with a long, drawn out and desperate 'noooo'. The feeling the exchange gave off suggested that this happened a lot more than Eclipsen preferred. His tone was that of an annoyed father who was tired of pulling porcupine quills from his children's hands only to repeat the process the next day.
Eclipsen stood up from the bed and moved back over to Nergigante, who was still processing the situation she had watched unfold.
"You ready to go?"
Nergigante shook the thoughts from her head before nodding. Sundancer promptly jumped up from the bed and leapt off it, landing perfectly next to the Elder Dragon's ankle. Eclipsen nodded in response as he took a step forward and opened the door, allowing the two to go before him. Sundancer practically sprinted out of the door, followed by a much more composed Nergigante.
The day was bright and Astera was lively with the sounds of people talking, the cooking of food and the stacking of wooden crates. The footsteps of the trio added to the noise as they made their way to the Smithy, the rattling of Eclipsen's armor giving another layer to the sounds.
Nergigante gazed about Astera like a child in a candy shop, but more out of curiosity than the desire to have a snack. The feeling of the human settlement had changed from the casual celebration of night time. Instead, it had been replaced with the collective will to work and do something productive. It fascinated Nergigante. How these humans could band together to make such a shared feeling of productivity was an almost alien concept to her. In the wild, it was to each their own and alliances were rarely formed, and even then they were shaky alliances at best.
Eclipsen maintained a friendly grin as they passed by the Sisterly Fourth, who watched Nergigante's widening pupils as she walked by. Sundancer had already run off to the Canteen, probably to grab a bite to eat before joining the other two at the Smithy.
Nergigante once again had her mind blown as she turned her head towards the engineering marvel that was the chain operated elevator that was built into Astera. She watched as a group of three Fourth Fleet workers held a stack of crates steady while they rode the elevator down to the Tradeyard. The three gave friendly waves as they passed, aimed more at Eclipsen than to Nergigante as she was too intrigued to respond to the gesture.
Eclipsen gently tapped Nergigante on the shoulder, drawing her attention away from the various sights and sounds of Astera. He gestured towards the Workshop with his head before restarting the walk towards their destination. The entire movement came off as a friendly reminder rather than an annoyed one, something that Nergigante was also curious of. How did these humans have such a complex shared language? How did it come so easily to her?
She quickly shook the questions from her head before following, having to speed up her pace for a moment in order to reclaim her place at Eclipsen's side. The heat of the Workshop hit the Elder Dragon like a wave of water, causing her instincts to kick in and fan her wings out to ward off the heated air. Eclipsen suppressed a chuckle at the sight as he continued his walk onto the Smithy.
The Head Smith sat in his usual spot behind the conveyor belt, a confident and prideful smile on his face. The two Young Blacksmiths behind him hammered away at another set of materials that were visibly different from the ones from the previous days. The Head Smith offered an energetic lifting of his uninjured arm as greeting.
"Oi! Ye' made it!"
The Head Smith called, his voice dripping with anticipation. He didn't get to forge a unique set of armor for an Elder Dragon every day, after all. The Hunter's smile widened a bit as the younger blacksmiths stopped for a moment to look behind them, beholding as Nergigante entered the Smithy.
"Don't know why I wouldn't."
Eclipsen said with some extra feeling as he walked towards the conveyor belt. Nergigante gazed about the Workshop wearily, noticing that the floor was grated as she walked. It was a strange place to her, as the atmosphere sang of sweat and hard work while the heat made it somewhat uncomfortable to her now less heat resistant skin.
The Head Smith let out a barking laugh before gesturing for Nergigante to come farther inside. The two young blacksmiths quickly went back to hammering the materials. If it was something really important, the Head Smith would tell them.
"Aye, fair point Fiver. C'mon lass, none 'o the equipment's gonna bite 'ya."
The older blacksmith said as he responded to the Hunter's comment and beckoned her further inside at the same time. Nergigante glanced around, taking a few steps farther into the Workshop. It was a very different environment from the normally hot places she visited. While places like the lava filled areas of the Elder's Recess were unwelcoming with their heat, this place was like the flamed themselves were as friendly as the Head Smith.
Nergigante finally allowed herself to walk forward freely as the Head Smith lifted a small stand from the other side of the conveyor belt. On it rested two gauntlets bearing the color and style of a Rathalos. The older man them waved over another person in the Workshop; A stern looking woman who was polishing the blade of a sword.
"Fæna, c'mon and let's see what we can make for our Elder Dragon over here."
The Head Smith said as he lifted a part of the conveyor belt and stepped out from behind it. Eclipsen looked at the gauntlets for a moment before withdrawing a small bag and handing it to the older man. The Head Smith jingled the back for a moment before nodding respectfully and hooking the bag to his belt.
Meanwhile the woman stepped out from behind her own counter, still polishing the blade in her hands with a damp looking cloth. Nergigante met the woman's steely blue eyes with her own, fearless yellow orbs. The two women held their staring contest for a moment, with Nergigante turning to look at the woman fully as she finished polishing the blade and set it on the counter.
Nergigante found something that she liked in the woman's gaze. It was as if the woman shared her strong spirit, and Nergigante felt as if she could also understand her as well. The woman finally placed the cloth down on her counter before stepping forward, her eyes scanning Nergigante's body before meeting her gaze once more.
Eclipsen and the Head Smith watched with interest as the two ladies continued their interaction, with Eclipsen lifting one of the Rathalos gauntlets and slipping it onto his bare arm. The Hunter leaned against the conveyor belt as he did so, giving him a front row view of the two as they seemingly faced off. The Head Smith retained his happy smile, as he knew the woman named Fæna well enough to understand that it was her own form of communication.
Fæna crossed her arms as she looked into Nergigante's face. She let out a breath as she seemingly accepted what she was looking at.
"Elder Dragon, huh? Should be easy enough. What do you want? Light? Heavy? Medium?"
"The lass can't speak, Fæna."
"Hm. Nergigante, right?"
Fæna questioned as she glanced over at Eclipsen. The Hunter nodded somewhat absentmindedly as he twisted a piece of the gauntlet he had on, tightening it onto his forearm. The Head Smith maintained his smile, through a hint of another emotion had creeped into it. Nergigante continued to glare at Fæna, who disregarded the look with ease.
"I'll go with heavy then. Come on, let's get you measured."
Fæna said as she turned and walked towards the door on the left side of the Workshop. The fitting rooms were actually built into the small mountain Astera had been built around, which rested behind the Workshop and near the small lookout. Nergigante glanced over at the Head Smith who offered an apologetic smile in return.
"Please don't take it personally Lass. She can be bit rough 'round the edges, but she's gifted in her craft. Go ahead, she won't hurt 'ya."
Nergigante levelled a small look that the old Smith couldn't decipher before following Fæna slowly out of the Workshop. The Armory Lass was fairly patient with the Elder Dragon as she walked slowly towards the Smithy exit.
As the two women finally left the warm forging area, the Head Smith slipped back into his place behind the conveyor belt. Eclipsen was busy fitting the other gauntlet into his arm, fiddling with the Slinger that was built into it.
"How does it fit?"
The older man asked as he picked up a full blade from the conveyor belt and began to sharpen it on the grindstone. Eclipsen quickly adjusted a few things with both gauntlets before nodding to himself.
"Perfectly, as always."
"Aye. So what do 'ye have planned now that the Lass is occupied?"
"I don't really have many choices. I doubt they'd let me go on a hunt, so I guess I'll just stick around here for a while."
"Fine by me lad. Maybe 'ye can help one of the boys with some of the more intricate things. Etching and carving ain't our forte."
Eclipsen answered that comment with a small nod and chuckle. They didn't have time for intricacies like etchings on armor and weapons around Astera, as every weapon or piece of gear was more similar to mandatory military wear. It was meant for reliability and durability, not fanciness and pomp. But there were still some hunters who wanted an etching on their Insect Glaive handle or the front of their shield.
And plus, the Head Smith and his apprentice blacksmiths weren't exactly skilled with etching patterns onto a material. They were more familiar with forging, tempering and strengthening weapons. They lacked the patience and precision that etching normally called for. Eclipsen had tried to teach one of the apprentice blacksmiths to etch, but after a few hours their only progress had been a rough trace.
"I suppose I could. Anybody actually want any etchings lately?"
Eclipsen asked as he pushed off the conveyor belt and turned to the Head Smith. The older blacksmith set the sharpened blade he had been working on back down onto the conveyor belt before picking up another one.
"Aye. Little lad named Michael wanted one for his bowgun. Something about always wanting an eagle on the barrel."
Eclipsen nodded. Bowguns were one of the few weapons that could have etchings on almost all of its parts without decreasing the integrity of the weapon overall. Of course, Eclipsen didn't mind etching a weapon for someone. He had to etch his own weapons back in the Old World, and he somewhat missed the feeling of spending time on an etch and seeing it come out exactly the way he wanted it.
"Next time he stops by let him know that I'm open to helping him out."
"I will. Thanks Fiver."
"Anytime."
Eclipsen responded with a respectful nod before turning and moving towards the large entrance to the Workshop. He flexed his hands in the gauntlets as he walked, gently adjusting the one on his left arm so that it didn't irritate his still sore and broken bones. The Hunter came to a stop as he exited the Smithy, feeling the cooler air of Astera hit his face as he stepped out.
He stood quietly for a minute, looking up and watching as the clouds in the sky drifted quickly towards the Ancient Forest. He wondered if that hunting party had managed to slay the Azure Rathalos yet. It was likely, as their numbers were more than enough to overwhelm the poor creature.
Eclipsen ignored the pang of guilt that hit him. The Monster had most likely just been minding its own business, but many needed the materials for armor or weapons. It was simply the way hunters did things, and it was hypocritical to blame them for what they did.
"Hey partner!"
Eclipsen's eye widened. It was not the voice of the Handler, who he often heard the phrase from. Instead, it was a more familiar voice. The Hunter turned, watching as a man with black hair and Seregios armor walked towards him.
"Richard?"
Eclipsen asked in disbelief. The man wore a warm smile as he stretched out his arms, allowing the sun's light to reflect off his golden armor and send a glare back into the sky.
"Who else would it be? Long time, no see, right?"
Eclipsen practically leapt for joy as Richard extended his arm, allowing the fellow Hunter's own forearm to smack into it with all the emotion that Eclipsen was feeling. Richard and Eclipsen then pulled each other into a firm and brotherly hug, with Richard patting Eclipsen on the back lightly.
They kept the hug for a few moments before the two separated, with each wearing a beaming smile. Eclipsen's smile was full of happiness and the fuzzy feeling you get when an old family member visits. Richard's was full of relief that his old friend was okay.
"How have you been? Where are the others?"
Eclipsen asked as Richard placed his hands on his hips. His Seregios armor had been recently polished, as it had that glassy sheen that polished items normally had.
"We've been fine. They're down at the docks getting our stuff unloaded. We had to hitch a ride on that... Argosy, was it?"
"That is what it's called, yes."
Richard offered a small chuckle in response to Eclipsen's quick answer. The black haired man looked over the rope railing towards the Tradeyard, watching as a few sailors stacked some crates and delivered things to the stockpile.
"The Captain wasn't very happy when we delayed his departure. We needed a quick way here and that ship is the only one going to and from the Old World."
Richard stated as Eclipsen joined him at the railing. The white haired Hunter allowed his hand to rest on the wooden stake that held a section of the rope railing up. He saw a person in full Ceadeus armor set a crate down next to the Elder Melder, who gave a thankful nod in return.
"Nina came with you?"
Eclipsen asked as he watched the person continue to help a few people with their own crates. Richard nodded, his vibrant blue eyed being drawn to the person as well.
"Yeah. It took some persuading, but she was eager to see you."
There was a silence as the two watched the bustle of the Tradeyard. The Argosy Captain was directions some of the sailors around, his posture radiating confidence and experience. Another hunter dressed in Diablos armor walked across the Tradeyard before ascending the stairs in from of the Council Table where the Commander was standing.
"Angela's already talking to the Commander. That was quick."
Eclipsen muttered that last comment. The woman named Angela was a very hotheaded hunter, but she was also the most professional person of his old four person team. She normally put off Guild affairs like paperwork and negotiations, but apparently she was taking the initiative. Richard nodded in response to Eclipsen's comment, having heard even the last part of the sentence.
The two allowed the silence to pierce the atmosphere. They hadn't spoken since Eclipsen left the Old World, and Richard was most likely waiting for all four of their old team to be together before they began to catch up on things. Richard looked about Astera with curiosity, watching as a few people ride the chain elevator.
"This place is nice. I like the way it's built."
Richard stated as he stepped away from the railing and looked upwards towards the Gathering Hub. Eclipsen did the same, but remained near the railing so his hand could rest comfortably where it was.
"Yes. I was starstruck when I first saw it."
Richard answered with a small laugh. They stayed silent for a second before Richard seemed to remember something.
"Oh yeah! I totally forgot to ask you if you still need help with that Elder Dragon."
Eclipsen proceeded to freeze.
This was going to be a very long story.