After having suffered restless dreams all night, Meira gave up on sleep shortly before dawn. As she made her way out of the ship in which she had a cot, she took a moment to notice the sky brightening from the pitch black it had been as the sun was beginning its ascent. At the canteen, several palicos had already begun preparation for breakfast. They were grilling sausages, breaking open large eggs, and cutting all kinds of fruits. Money was a tad scarce, but one of the palico chefs handed her a mug with hot water and some leaves. Mint, by the smell of it. She gave the cat a grateful smile and made her way to one of the lower decks where not a lot of people seemed to come. There she sat on the ground, rested her back against a pillar, and watched the sky brighten in a wide array of colours, going from a beautiful shade of pink, to orange, eventually to light blue. It reminded her of the beauty that was left in the world they were in. Masking a yawn with the back of her hand, she did not get up after she finished her drink. The world seemed rather quiet now and Meira wished to enjoy it slightly longer.
Behind her, the first people began to arrive at their stations. They carried notebooks, consulted large tomes, and compared notes. Meira assumed them to be the ecologists, whose research department was responsible for the writing of the new world guidebook Meira had studied by heart. She got up and made her way to them, slowly as if approaching a flock of birds. They did not seem to notice her. A bit deeper underneath Astera, they had several empty cages, each with claw marks, scorch marks, or otherwise damaged by some monster. Still, the iron structures seemed solid, possibly made by the local smithy. On every possible empty wall, they had pinned sketches of Jagras and their patriarch Great Jagras. There were also sketches, varying in level of detail, on other monsters that could be found on this island. Driven by a morbid curiosity, she sought out the Pukei Pukei, which was rumoured to be responsible for the deaths of two of the newest hunters. There it was. Long tongue, long tail, and wings as well. A flying amphibian, it seemed. Its bulging eyes gave Meira the shivers.
Closer to the centre of Astera, some ecologists were discussing animatedly around a small sapling. The poor thing barely consisted of a sprig with a single budding leaf, yet the early waking ecologists treated it as the most important living creature in this entire town. Nearby notes described it as an offshoot of the elder tree, which, Meira knew, was the biggest and most important tree of the entire continent they were on. All life originated from that tree, or so current theories went.
A board Meira had overlooked amidst all the sketches contained various requests placed by the ecologists to help them in their research, unlike the requests from the smithy for materials, from the chef for edibles, or from the headmaster for security. Many of these requests asked for creatures Meira had never seen before and wouldn't even know where to begin searching for them. But one request seemed doable enough. They needed three Jagras, freshly killed, for their brains. A small note underneath said that if they were to help with the skinning, they could have all the other materials for themselves as a secondary reward. Taking a decision for the team, she grabbed the paper from the board and headed back to Bergen. The sun was well up, and Meira felt hungry again.
Back at the dorm, their loud roommate had left already, judging from the lack of snoring. Kneeling in front of Bergen's cot, she brushed her hand over his upper leg to lightly wake him and then pressed her lips against his. His morning breath couldn't even ruin the pleasure to kissing him. When his hand reached up to tangle in her hair, she knew he was properly awake. She kissed him for a moment longer before pulling back. His sleepy smile made her stomach clench in love. Smiling fondly back at him, she kissed him on the forehead and sat back, holding out the request. He sat up, took the paper and read through it. As he did so, Meira gently brushed her hand over his bare chest, feeling the texture of his chest hair against her fingers. He squirmed and swatted her fingers away. With a giggle, she sat back and let him read.
"Well, what do you think?"
"Killing three Jagras? No problem at all. The money isn't too great, tho."
Meira nodded. "True, but the materials could be worth it. We could get more familiar with the ancient forest while doing it, and I like helping the researchers."
"I know, honey. I'm down. Let's go get some breakfast and we'll head out." Bergen worked his way out of the small cot and stretched.
"Maybe put on a shirt, too?" She grinned in appreciation, crossing her arms as she enjoyed the view.
"You think? Oh well," he sighed dramatically and grabbed a shirt from the ground. He gave yesterday's shirt a sniff, shrugged, and put it on. Then he wrapped his arm around her, gave her a big kiss on her temple, and headed out with her.
Breakfast was fried eggs, ham, and some of the mushrooms they had gathered yesterday. Knowing they helped stock the canteen made the meal taste even better. All around them sat young hunters, fresh from the Fifth Fleet, and eager to begin their day. Most sat in groups of four, likely with those they boarded with, while only several sat alone. Hunting alone was discouraged, Meira had read in the information pamphlet, distributed by recruiters in the Old World.
At the exit towards the forest, a large crate stood. One of the provisions managers asked to see their mission and gave them a few free supplies for going out. Bandages, green potions that disinfected and stimulated healing, dried meat, and a small whetstone for Meira's blades. Bergen thanked him with a smile and a handshake, and then headed out.
Well-rested and filled with fresh courage, Bergan and Meira set off towards the ancient forest once again. The tall trees seemed less imposing now. The shade brought a respite from the summery warmth that was inescapable in Astera. Bergen seemed especially happy; he identified Jagras tracks and could even distinguish them from the ones the docile Aptonoth left behind. Suddenly, Bergen grabbed Meira by her hand, halting her in her tracks.
"Shh," he whispered and pointed ahead. The redhead squinted to see what he saw. Only then did she hear the belt.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Aptonoth? They were supposed to roam here as well, but we hadn't spotted them yet. See those skulls on the big ones? Those are the males, by the way. They fight by headbutting with that big skull. Packs quite a punch, or so I've read. Supposedly enough to knock a hunter out."
"Cool! Let's approach them!" Bergen whispered with a grin and crouched forward. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Meira followed. She rubbed the bare skin of her forearms, where a few bugs had landed, attracted to the unprotected skin. It would soon be time to get her some gloves and braces. Bergen had one glove, to protect his fingers while wielding the bow. She hoped to buy some with the money of this assignment.
From a safe distance, Meira sketched the tracks left by the Aptonoth. She needed Bergen's help to spot them, but once she had her eye on them, the sketch came easily. Maybe the researchers would buy some of her sketches?
"I wish I could draw like you, Meir," Bergen lamented quietly, making his wife smile.
"Practice makes perfect, honey. But without you, I wouldn't have anything to sketch. Your eye for these things is amazing." Bergen shrugged, slightly bashful, and didn't reply. His eyes already scanned the surroundings for their objective.
"I think we should put some distance between us and those Aptonoth. I don't think they're a prey the Jagras go for and therefore, we won't find any nearby them." Meira made a thoughtful sound but followed easily, creeping away until they were out of earshot. Not too long after, they found a similar cave system as they had before. The narrow scratches in the ground indicated the Jagras claws. The earth seemed freshly overturned so the Jagras weren't far, likely.
Something tightened in Meira's tummy as she unsheathed her dual blades for the first time since picking them. This was it. She really was going to kill something. She had to, if she were to survive in the new world. Her sketches wouldn't support them.
As Bergen grabbed an arrow and loosely notched it on his bow, Meira knelt down to run her whetstone over the blades once more, despite the blades already being as sharp as they would likely be. They weren't too high quality and wouldn't be able to slice through scales as easily as they would through butter, although the idea of using a blade as long as her forearm on butter was ridiculous.
Distracted as she was, she failed to notice the Jagras creeping up on her, until she was sharply tugged back by her braid. With a shriek, she lost her balance and fell back. At that same instant, another Jagras burst through the foliage and lunged at her throat. Only basic combat training made her protect herself by raising her left arm. Sharp teeth sank into her unprotected forearm instead of her exposed throat. Still, the pain made her scream as blood ran down her arm onto her tangled legs and discarded whetstone.
With a twang, an arrow embedded itself into the eye of the Jagras biting her, causing its hold to slacken. Grabbing the nose with her right hand, Meira pried open the dead Jagras's jaw and freed herself. With a quick spin, she grabbed one of her blades from where she dropped it in shock, and swung at the Jagras behind her, who had released her hair. Her swing hit true and caused a deep cut in its neck. Another hack, and its head was off. Panting hard from adrenaline, Meira stared at the twitching, decapitated body and with a sneer, she gave it a good kick. Tears of humiliation and pain ran down her cheeks.
Behind her, Bergen skins the Jagras taken down by him and goes to look for the other one, giving Meira a short moment to compose herself. Wiping her tears angrily caused red smears on her face from her bleeding arm. Bergen returned after a short while, without the second Jagras skin but with a beckon to follow him. Sniffling, Meira followed him, watching the leather bag her husband carried, filled with teeth, claws, and one intact skin.
He had found them an abandoned nest, burrowed into one of the trees. A grapple hook embedded in the wood above the opening got them in easily and protected them from any other predators. There, Bergen washed out the wound, rubbed it with a green potion they had received upon entering the ancient forest, and bound the wound with a bandage. Only then did he pull her against his chest and rocked her as she cried. This whole time, he was silent, rubbing her back and caring for her.
"Want to go back?" he asked quietly. Meira shook her head stubbornly. The weight of her braid swinging back and forth made her cringe. The memory of the Jagras hanging from it was fresh in her mind.
"No. We still need two more skins to finish the assignment."
"Go home, I meant. The old world. Hot baths, comfy beds..."
Meira sighed. "But also, awful jobs and impossible housing prices. We would be homeless if we go back. No, I don't want to leave yet. This is our life now, and it is time to be serious about it. Astera is beautiful and there's a place for us here. That headshot was crazy, by the way."
Bergen allowed a small, proud smile. "I really did that." Meira nodded.
"Totally. You rock." She punched his shoulder playfully and hissed in pain. "Ouch. Wrong arm."
"You took the head off that Jagras, bleeding and with only one of your blades. You looked so badass, sweetheart!" Bergen exclaimed, mimicking the twirl she had done to get that attacker off her, making Meira laugh a bit.
"I love you, Berg."
"Love you too." He cupped her cheek and kissed her slowly. He broke away and pressed his forehead against hers. "You're alright. We're alright. I'm so proud of you."
His words made her lower lip wobble again and she pulled him into a tight hug. When she's got her emotions under control again, she sat back, grabbed a bit of dried meat and chewed thoughtfully.
"We could work together more," she said in between bites. "It sounds obvious, but hear me out. I'm close combat, so I draw their attention. They'll likely try to ambush again, but this time, I'll be prepared. What if you're in the background, arrow notched, ready for more of those headshots? They will be too focussed on me, leaving themselves entirely open to you."
Bergen frowned. "I don't like it. How am I to protect you when you're playing bait?"
"Because you're no good in close quarters and I am rather useless if I'm not within arm's reach."
Bergen sighed. "I hate it, but it's solid. Please be careful, sweetheart. I've got your back. We'll take these little bastards down." Meira smiled and kissed his nose.
"We only need two more. Then we can go back, claim the reward, and spend the rest of the evening together." The look of interest on Bergen's face made her giggle. She secured the bandage on her arm, tested its flexibility, winced, and grabbed her weapons. "Let's do this."
Bergen shook his head at her. "And you call me stubborn." Meira gave him a smile and used the grapple hook to swing out of their protective nest.
Together they prowled the forest, kneeling deep in the mud to hide their scents. Jagras hunted in packs larger than what they could handle. A band of four hunters would be much safer, but they did not have that luxury right now. When they discovered three secluded from the main pack, they went for it.
With her blades out, Meira approached them slowly. The Jagras noticed her quickly, turned towards her and hissed, reminding her more of cats than lizards of death. With her blades outstretched, she appeared a much larger foe than she was. Meanwhile, Bergen crept to flank them. Despite his tall frame, no leaf rustled and no branch cracked. Making little clicks with her mouth, an improvisation on her side to keep their attention, she waited for Bergen to make the first shot or for the Jagras to attack. Twang! There it was. The Jagras on her right fell down with an arrow going in one eye and going out through the other. The force of the blow knocked the creature into the middle Jagras. Taking advantage of this, Meira attacked the leftmost Jagras with her dual blades, decapitating it with ease now that she was familiar with how much pressure was required. The middle Jagras crawled from underneath the body of their fallen kin, but before it could flee, another arrow from Bergen took it down. This one hit it through its earhole, slightly off mark but still lethal.
"Curse these arrows!" Bergen exclaimed, coming out from his hiding spot. "How am I to fire at anything with arrow this poorly crafted?"
Meira wiped the blood of her blades and reached for her carving knife. "Can you craft better ones?"
"Of course I can. I just don't have the materials." He looked up and made a disappointed sound. "It's getting dark soon. No time to hunt for feathers today." A deep roar sounded from the nearby cave systems, chasing away any birds that might have been easy pickings for Bergen. "Ah shit. Let's finish this up and get the hell out of here. I do not want to deal with the big one today."
With a bag full of valuable gore, they rushed towards the Mernos point that would take them out of the ancient forest. By the time the winged drakes landed near Astera, the sun had gone down. Wordlessly, Meira and Bergen rushed over to the research department. Only two ecologists were still around. One of them was small and ancient, with a long beard draped over a nearby stack of books. He appeared to be asleep, judging from the snores. The other one was young and Meira's height. When the two hunters approached him, he stumbled and dropped the papers he was holding. As Meira reached out to help him, she saw how filthy she was: her hands were caked with blood and mud. Her nails were black-rimmed and would undoubtedly leave stains on the papers. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Meira stepped back.
"We would like to report a quest as completed. Three Jagras, freshly killed." Bergen overturned a nearby fruit bowl and deposited the Jagras brains in it. The squishy sounds they made made Meira wince.
"A-ah, thank you, hunter." The ecologist nodded, hardly looking at the brains and withdrew a small purse of coins. "Your reward. Good work."
"Thanks." Bergen took the coins and walked off with the leftover materials. Wherever he stepped, muddy footprints remained.
"Well, ehm, have a good night." Meira smiled yet the ecologist did not look at her. Slightly dejected, she rushed after Bergen. At their dorm, Bergen dropped the bag of loot against the side of his bed and stored his weapons. He didn't speak much to Meira and mostly kept his back to her. Without their armour, they headed to the common pools together. In the dark, during dinner time, the pools were thankfully abandoned. Bathing around others still made Meira uncomfortable. From nearby, a small waterfall supplied fresh water from one of the mountains in the distance, and over the edge of the pool, the surplus of water was discarded into the sea. As awfully exposed as these pools were, the view was amazing. It looked straight out over sea, with uncountable stars and the occasional sea creature breaching the water surface below.
Out of sight as much as possible, Meira took off her thin clothing and hastily climbed into the water. The frigidity made her gasp sharply. Within a blink of an eye, Bergen was in the water with her, concern written all over his face.
"I-I'm fine. The water is so cold." She dared a little smile, even though she shivered like a leaf. Nodding, Bergen undressed as well, unbothered who might see him, and climbed in as well. In the meantime, Meira had curled her hair into a bun on top of her head. There were a few natural stone steps in the pool but they were too deep for Meira to sit comfortably on them, unless…
She swam over to Bergen, who sat on one of such seats and was scrubbing his face with the icy water. She slid in between his arms and sat on his thigh, keeping her injured forearm out of the water by wrapping it around his shoulders. His skin felt so warm compared to hers, so she snuggled close and sighed deeply.
"Do you regret it?" Bergen asked, quite suddenly. Without opening her eyes, Meira asked what he meant. "Marrying me."
That made her open her eyes and look at him with a frown. He looked dead serious as well, with that slightly sad look on his face. "What makes you think that?"
"You could have been an ecologist like that welp back there. Now you're stuck hunting with me." He shrugged, not looking at her. "It even got you injured."
"Oh honey," she sighed and turned his face towards her to kiss him. "No, I do not regret trading a life of paper and ink and books and backaches and snooty old men, for this thrill and excitement and you. Gods above, you alone make it all worth it."
A small, pleased smile curled on Bergen's lips and he hugged her close. "There was a bit of soap left," he revealed, holding the slightest sliver of soap. "Let me take care of you."
And so he did. He made sure every part of her was soaped up and free of mud or blood. He even rinsed out her wound and rebound it. Then he made love to her until she forgot how cold the water was or that anyone could have seen them.
Cuddled together under both their sheets, they shared a fruit pie they bought with the money they had earned. A rare, sweet treat, made even sweeter by the giddiness of love. They slept together in her bed, most away from their roommates. Their gear and skins laid unminded near Bergen's bed, temporarily forgotten. Even the stink of the skins didn't bother them that night.