A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I truly appreciate your kindness. For this story, characters from MHW have the following names:
The Commander: Marten Blake
Field Team Leader: Richard Blake
More to be added later as required.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: A wish upon the Mother Star was all it took to flip Velkhana's world upside down. She had exactly one year to learn about the Hunters. One year to realize her purpose and question everything as she came to know it.
Chapter 2
Upon dawn, Hunters raced across the icy terrain, chasing an elongated, shark-like beast with razor-sharp teeth and thick hide. Beotodus sliced through the snow like butter, evading four would-be Hunters. It roared, thrashed, and lunged and fought for its life. The beast whipped its thick tail, connecting with one of the Hunters, sending her airborne into a rickety tree. Her armored frame slammed into the brittle tree, causing an avalanche of snow topple onto the beast and her huntsmates. People cursed and groaned. Others hastily dug out of their temporary tombs to continue the hunt.
Velkhana soared above the hunt, eyes absorbing every slash and hack performed by humans. The ice empress flapped her wings, propelling her forward into a ball of light shot from a flash pod. It was too late; her eyes were blinded by the sudden flash of light, disorienting her senses and sending her face-first into a wall of jagged ice. The dragon tumbled, rolling down the mountain's scarface into a deep valley. Velkhana landed awkwardly with a vicious thump, crushing her wing. A whimper of pain escaped her mouth, feeling the cartilages in her wings bent in unnatural ways.
She laid on her side, wings throbbing and head rested over a large rock. Velkhana weakly moved one of her arms and noticed a trail of red liquid. She tried to lick her wound, but the beast was unable to lift her head. Another whimper escaped while her eyes moved to the clouded sky.
Like clockwork, day soon fell into the night. Creatures of the day buried beneath the snow-covered land and Hunters of the night were on patrol. Velkhana remained immobile. The beast tried to move her wings, and a jolt of pain rippled through her body when she did. Digging her arched claws into the ground, she tried to stand up with all her might. Her muscles screamed in agony as she crashed down, causing a small explosion of ice beneath her. She refused to let gravity best her. Trying again, she applied more pressure into her limbs, but the outcome remained the same; she could not move.
The ice dragon tilted her head skyward at the sea of twinkling stars. Her golden eyes singled out the Mother Star, shimmering above her head. Her tail whipped in annoyance. Velkhana huffed and tried again and was met with the same result. Ultimately, her body gave way and refused to do as commanded. The dragon closed her eyes as a cool breeze rolled across her body. Her heart rolled back to its normal beats. The idea of death loomed. She knew it was only a matter of time before hunger-driven, ravenous beasts stumbled onto her frail form. The dragon mildly growled.
Up in the sky, the Mother Star glittered above the fallen dragon. It emitted a soft glow, cloaking Velkhana's icy body with pure light. Ice shards glittered, illuminating the sleeping dragon. Clouds rolled in, cloaking the Hoarfrost Reach in perpetual darkness. The only creature that glowed was Velkhana. If anyone had been there, they'd think they'd witness the birth of a goddess into the human realm. The Mother Star pulsed and quickly faded, devoured by the expanding darkness from above.
It had begun.
"Hey! I found something here!" The voice of a man traveled across the air.
Footsteps zeroed in on the sound. Clusters of humans arrived at the man's side as he pointed at the ground, at a body. Jaws dropped. Others murmured. Some looked at each other to make sense of it all.
One of the Hunters snapped out of his stupor. "Well, don't just stand there! Hurry and find something warm to cover her up!"
Sleeping on the ground slept a fair-skinned maiden in the nude with long blonde hair and blue accents painted at their tips. Hunters swiftly shielded her exposed body with thick blankets, protecting her from an icy breeze drifting from the south. The Hunters talked among themselves, deciding on what to do with the woman. They questioned her origin and whereabouts; no one could supply a decent answer.
"Let's take her to Seliana," A short, stocky hunter suggested. "When she's awake, we can ask where she's from. Poor thing, I wonder how long she's been out here all alone."
"It's a miracle she didn't freeze to death." Another man piped up. "Brrrr!"
The Hunters nodded among themselves as one of the bigger-bodied Hunters gently lifted the woman into his arms. Summoning the reptilian wing drake, the Hunters departed to Seliana.
Marten leaned by the Council Table, discussing the Commission's next objectives with his grandson, Richard. The two men pointed to different locations on the hand-drawn map, figuring out where to dispatch Hunters to complete research objectives. A cool waft rolled into the room, forcing the flames in the fireplace to dance on cue.
"Do we have enough warm clothes for the Hunters?" Marten looked at his grandson.
"We should," Richard responded. "We've received several new shipments this morning plus extra rations. Grammeowster Chef is excited to experiment on a new soup made from Banbaro meat. She said Banbaro meat is tough but melts like cotton when heated."
Marten laughed. He could see her doing that. "The Hunters would appreciate the change."
"Commander!"
The older man looked up, locking eyes with a trio of Hunters. One of them carried a bundle wrapped in a thick wooly blanket.
He approached them. "Did you find something?"
The hunter nodded. "We found a civilian passed out in the Reach," he responded. "We don't know how long she's been there, but our team decided it was best to rescue her and bring her here to recuperate."
Marten's aged eyes scanned the bundle. One of the Hunters gently pulled back the blanket to reveal the woman's face. The Commander was speechless.
"Grandfather?"
"Take the woman to the infirmary," Marten spoke with authority. His voice mildly rattled. "Report back when she awakens, understood?"
"Yes, sir."
The hunting trio left for the infirmary. Marten returned and sat on the edge of the Council Table. Richard gingerly approached his grandfather's side and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, are you alright? You're as pale as a ghost."
"I'm fine," he answered pointedly. "Nothing to worry about."
"Grandfather…" Richard trailed off. "I know that look. You have something on your mind."
"It's nothing, really." Marten insisted, watching the flames dance.
"Understood."
Richard knew it was in his best interest not to push the envelope any further. He watched his grandfather excuse himself and headed out to clear his head. Something shook him to the core, he noted. His grandfather wasn't someone who easily got spooked. He wondered, what did he see to make him act this way?
"Grandfather…"