"Jumbo Village, inbound!" The helmsman shouted as he began pulling a lever, making the airship descend towards the bustling settlement. Every able bodied crew mate scurried around the ship as Dreigul groggily sloshed out of the cabins. The captain remained stoic as he oversaw the crew's duties, before turning to the young boy.
"We're prepping to land now. Do you have all your stuff together?"
Dreigul nods in response.
"Good, we'll be landing momentarily." the Captain replied, setting his gaze to the village below.
Dreigul places himself beside the Captain.
"I don't think..I will put you in the report."
"What brought that on?" Dreigul asked, turning to him.
"You're marked, it's best if you had one less issue to worry about. Besides, you're Wyverian heritage makes you a person of importance automatically."
"I guess if my father was there, it'd be safe to say they'd start a search for me." The boy admitted.
A commotion took the two out of their conversation, the Captain notices his crew had begun releasing the airship's hauling lines to the village's receiving ground team.
"And now son, you must make your own path." The captain stated, patting the boy's shoulder as the ship maintained a balance suitable for disembarking supplies and travelers.
Dreigul let out a sigh, and marched off the airship stairway, each step felt like weights added onto his shoulders. He turn and turned back once more to the captain, observing him from a different light.
The man's eyes never wavered, remaining adamant with each command he fired off at his crew as he paced slowly across the deck made from the spines of the Black God. The mere sight inspired Dreigul to own the responsibility, hoisting it upon his shoulders like a cloak made of Jaggi hide.
"I don't think I ever got your name, sir." Dreigul stammered, for he couldn't thank the man enough.
"Yldegrah..." He replied as he disappeared from view.
Dreigul nodded and left for the center of town, onward to the beginning of the rest of his life.
The village swarmed with Feylines, and Humans alike going from place to place in organized chaos. From what Dreigul could tell as he walked past them, he knew most were hunters from other settlements. He noticed as clearly exausted hunters with weapons the size of himself shuffle by with relative ease, complaining not of how heavy their gear was but of the monsters they had to deal with.
"Damn it all, remind me to never hunt two Cephadromes at the same time again!" one of them said.
"Just be grateful you didn't have to hunt a Plesioth." another reassured.
"Do you know how long it's gonna take to get every grain of sand out of my armor? I'd rather take the Plesioth!" The first hunter fired back, causing the other hunters to laugh while they passed by the marked Wyverian boy.
Dreigul wanders towards the village smithy, who was an elderly Wyverian woman. After dealing with a customer prior to the boy's arrival, she perks up slightly.
"Well, well, well, it's quite the rarity to have a customer like you" the smithy chuckles lightly, "what brings you in the limelight of hunting dearie, business or pleasure?"
Dreigul pondered for a moment thinking on Yldegrah's situation, attempting to find a good excuse, but to no avail.
"I just needed to get outta the house," he said flatly.
"Hmm," she muttered before continuing, "it's a shame you're getting in so young, I'd give you the heavier stuff but you don't got any meat on those bones of yours just yet."
"What do you think I'll be able to use?" the boy asked, unsure of his options.
"Well, it all depends on how you want to hunt. Perhaps you'd like to test some for yourself?"
The smithy went around the back of the forge and opened a blue chest, struggling as she dug through the mass of metal and fine leathers inside. She emerged from the chest with an assortment of weapons in her grasp, and gently placed them beside the forge for Dreigul to inspect.
"This is the surplus the Armory crew threw out. I'm fixin' to smelt down whatever you don't choose." she said as she stretched, cracking her back.
The boy sifted through the pile and dug up a light bowgun.
"At first glance, I wouldn't have expected you to be interested in that sort of firepower..."
Dreigul hefted the weapon's stock to his underarm, then hoisted the handguard with his other hand to the same level. He aimed down the sights of the bowgun, shaking due to the bulk of the weapon. Before he could settle into the weapon a sudden image flashed in his mind, only to reveal something aiming down his sights.
The Fatalis' eye.
Terrified, Dreigul dropped the bowgun back in the weapon pile.
"Seems my gut was correct," the smithy said unphased, sifting through the pile, "maybe a sword and shield is more your speed at this time. "
She grabs a shield that had perpendicular protruding crystals embedded within, as well as a curved blade with a bone-like hilt.
"These should be good for now," she said while handing Dreigul his weaponry.
"Fasten to your waist like so," She says, demonstrating where to sheath the blade, "As for your armor, I'll have you start with leather all around."
As the smithy tossed the armor as if it were nothing at his feet, Dreigul grabbed the armor set, dusting off each piece prior to equipping.
"That'll be 950 zenny all together."
The boy stopped in his tracks, dropping the helm he had yet to put on.
"Relax, I'm only joking," The Smithy giggled, "you don't get charged for your first equipment set, silly!"
The Smithy grabbed the helmet off the ground, cleaning it of any debris before fastening it to Dreigul's head.
"The new hunters are getting younger in droves, I swea-" She muttered before she halted motion, noticing a strange look in the boy's eyes.
Dreigul's turquoise eyes seemed to quiver slightly, and almost fade in color as if the light never graced them. She then took a whiff of him, not realizing prior that a fume was abundant upon him.
It was the scent of ash and cinders, all too recently, it seemed.
"You've seen death, haven't you?"
Dreigul's eyes lower as he nods in response.
"Where?" she asked.
"A village in South El De."
"You're Tingravord's kid, aren't you?"
He nods again, earning a sigh from her.
"This must be one of those parental defiance stages of life, you're running away to nomadic lifestyle. I can only assume that you've yet to take the hunter's exams, therefore lacking a Guild Card." she concluded, prepping to take back Dreigul's gear, "I knew something was a little off about you, the Guild won't stand for this..."
"I'm sorry to put you in this kind of position. Even so, I can't afford to stay here. My home is gone, and I haven't seen my father since last morning! Please, don't report me..." Dreigul pleaded, bowing his head.
The Smithy eyed him momentarily and sighed.
"You've got a lotta gall and determination to attempt this in your condition. If I do this I want you to promise me something..."
"Anything..." Dreigul replied, not raising his head.
"Promise me you'll survive, kid. You're too young to be on any monster's menu."
The Smithy moved to her storage unit, pulling out a small metal plaque. She carves engravings into the plaque, and grabs what seems to be a branding seal to stamp it. Dreigul was handed a Gulid Card, steaming from the branding it was given.
"Here you go kiddo," she murmured, "just because you're in quite the situation it doesn't mean isolation is healthy, ya hear me?"
"Th-thank you." he replied squeamishly, putting the card in his sleeve and began rushing out of the shop.
"One more thing, boy..."
Dreigul stopped in his tracks, and turned to the Smithy.
She grabs a capsule out of her pocket, and tosses it to him.
Upon catching the vial, he takes a quick look at it, confused.
"It's Deodorant. You reek like a burnt steak." She said with a smirk.
Dreigul grinned in appreciation and ran out of the Smithy.
Dreigul ran to the local shopkeep, but was beaten to the punch by an older hunter who donned amor that had a bluish crustacean touch to it. The hunter purchased 8 stocks of dung, and prepped to leave. The marked boy merely eyed the batch of droppings the hunter purchased, until said customer turned to him.
"Pickles, son. Pickles..." the hunter uttered whilst walking past him.
Though confused by the hunter's words, Dreigul found it better to focus on the task at hand. He didn't want to stay any longer than he needed to.
"Hi, I'd like to purchase a Barbecue Spit and 5 potions please." He said, trying to be as polite as possible.
"Coming right up," the shopkeep replied, placing the requested supplies on the counter, "That'll be 890 zenny."
Dreigul puts the bag of zenny on the table, and the shopkeeper slowly grabs the bag and poured out its contents in his hands to count out.
"You've given me ten too many, kid. Here." the shopkeep says, handing the 10 coins back to the marked boy.
Dreigul reaches to grab the coins, but falters as he realizes what's printed on them.
It sees the Fatalis would haunt him in more forms than just physically, but monetarily too.
"Keep it," The Wyverian boy decides.
The shopkeeper shrugs and gives Dreigul his supplies, who then leaves shortly after.
The boy reaches the village gate, aiming his sites down the only road that leads out into the vast wilderness. He could almost witness the natural beauty he'd encounter as his foot prepped to make its first step into the great outdoors...
"Hold it, kid!"
Dreigul flinches and twitches his pointed ears, turning to the source of the outcry.
A woman in a green dress walks up to him, and studies him.
"Judging by your gear, I'd say you're a novice hunter. A wyverian one, too! Good to see the hunting community diversify more." she said with an analytical glare.
"Y-yeah..."
"Good thing I caught you. Usually, you're supposed to check in with me to head out on hunting quests..." She said.
"Oh, I am sorry. I've just been in a rush to get out there." Dreigul said sheepishly.
"No worries! Due to the success of the Research Commission in the New World, the Hunter's Guild has allowed celebratory expeditions, so you're in the clear! I just wanted to check your credentials." She smiled sweetly.
"Cr-Credentials?" asked Dreigul, unaware of the word.
"You don't have a Guild Card?"
"Oh, that's what you meant!" Dreigul chuckled, grabbing the card out from within his sleeve.
The woman inspects the card for a moment, and nods in approval.
"Alright, you're good to go," She said as she left the gate, "Safe travels, hunter!"
Almost as if he'd waited his whole life to, Dreigul began running out of the village gate down the singular road. It was the last he'd see of civilization for quite a long time, and he was slightly reluctant to leave.
I got out! I'm gonna get out and make sure I pay Yldegrah every coin back! I'm gonna do it! All by my...self...
Alone...
Dreigul started slowing down.
Alone.
Gone...everyone...no.
The odor upon him of the crimson night had seeped into his nostrils, causing his hands to twitch lightly at the very reminder that he was there. He began hyperventilating, almost to the point of wheezing as tears of horror and grief descended onto his leathery mitts. Shaking uncontrollably, the marked boy pulled out the Deodorant vial, and began tightening his grip on it. He allows deep seethes to escape his gritted teeth before smashing the vial, causing a blue smoke to emanate from the broken pieces. Breathing in the fumes, his mind returns as his body no longer had the scent of cinders. He turned back once more to the village gate, and cleared his sinuses before continuing to march out into the wild.
AN: Yeeesh, I lack consistency. So terribly sorry about that on either of my stories. Hope everyone is doing okay in these trying times, it's personally been rough for me. If interested, feel free to leave some reviews on what you like/hate/etc. Also I have a poll regarding this story in particular so please check that out as well.