The Guild Hall, the place many a hunter called home, as well as the place in which quests are taken. Hunters would drink, eat, sleep, fail, and compete alongside one another. Even in the dead of night did cries of joy and excitement explode from the Hall's open doors. Mugs of ales and beers clanked and splashed as the men and women of the Hunter's Guild prepared for late night hunts or for the long journey elsewhere. After all what was better to cool the nerves than a mug and friends.
Mersé couldn't agree more as she too kicked back on her stool mug in hand and arm around the shoulder of a fellow reveler. The ale burned in her throat, but the taste was exquisite, and the people around her only added onto her spirits. She had long sense forgotten why she was here, or why she was drinking. It was only by the morning did she realize what had happened.
Waking up she found herself laying in a pile of hay in the back of a cart, the tails of the two furballs she was working with swirling overhead, and a man with what looked like a cannon mixed with a crossbow sitting on the end. Groaning, she slid herself up the wall of the wagon, and took in her surroundings.
They were in the middle of a steppe, not a bar or tavern, or whatever she could call the Guild Hall. Great monolithic rocks hung overhead like links of a ribcage, beneath open blue skies and fluffy clouds in which distant wyverns flew. Turning to the front of the cart she saw the sun in all its glory peaking out from a tunnel of hanging rock. And to the back she took in the great snowy peaked mountains in the distance. The autumn-colored great trees soon loomed overhead; impossibly large and beautiful.
The hero of the Order blanked before the open world and snickered, "I have a feeling that we're not in Lescatie anymore…"
"Haven't been for awhile," Ace glanced back at her and softly repeated himself, though with a sense of nostalgia, "haven't been for awhile."
Leaning back, Mersé nursed her slight hangover, and watched the great trees turn the sea of blue into an ocean of orange. She had never seen such massive trees before, she had of course traversed great redwood trees back home, but this flora extended so much further. Eventually she turned her attention to the man sitting alone on the end of the cart.
"Who are you?", She asked casually, "Don't remember you coming on this field trip."
The man turned back to her, with a questioning look, before sighing and taking off his helmet. He was old, bald, and had a walrus mustache hiding his lips. He reminded her of her old superior, a gruff man who had his fair share of stories to tell if he ever felt like it. The old hunter, by the looks of it, even had that same harumphing voice.
"I am your supervisor Miss Dascaros," he grumbled, "I am here to make sure you come back from a high rank quest. Tis procedure when inexperienced hunters are issued quests beyond their ranking."
Mersé gave him a questioning look, "But I'm not a hunter?"
"I am well aware," his mustache bristled as he popped a piece of jerky in his mouth, "the only reason you were allowed to join this hunt was out of favor for the Ace Palico."
Chuckling, Mersé laid back into the hay cart, and watched the branches slowly encompass the sky. Engrossed in the nature of this new world, she found herself watching the little fauna above flick from tree to tree, until they eventually came to an abrupt stop.
Ace was the first to hop off, then the werecat, and eventually the old man would usher the hero out of the cart. She found herself at a campsite, one that was regularly used by the looks of it. A tent in the heart of the camp laid a long bed in which four pillows laid. She noted that there was no blanket, but the hero supposed she could deal with some spartan conditions for a new weapon. While the rest of the camp had a myriad of supplies littered about the place ready for use.
Ace had scampered over to one of the piles and fished out some rations and first aid potions, while the rest watched. Mia was unsure of what to do, while the hunter checked his ammunition and crafting supplies. Mersé was the only one curious enough to question what they were here to do.
"So, what are we after?", She peered into the vast steppe below them, "I see some big duck things and a couple of… apto-somethings, but no monster."
Ace came up to her potions and other utilities in paw, and handed her a couple. He pointed to the green elixir and said, "This is your first-aid, drink this after you've been roughed up and make sure to flex afterwards; do not treat them later.", Confused she nodded and he continued after pointing to the blue spheres, "These are nullberries, eat them when you are afflicted… in this case when you're electrified.", She raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded as he produced a whetstone for her, "And this is your whetstone, you will need to sharpen your weapon if it starts to blunt… You got all of that?"
"Why would I need a whetstone mid combat?", Mersé asked, "We're just hunting a monster right; wouldn't the blade be fine by the time we slay it?"
Ace sighed before calling Mia over, he presented the uncomfortable werecat to the hero, "Unlike the mamono of your world… who are squishy and soft and human-like.", He then presented his poleaxe, the scale-blades flaying open for her to see its true nature, "The monsters of my world have far tougher hides. Don't be surprised if your weapon pings off the carapace after round one."
Now that he mentioned it, Mersé realized that her personal halberd was not with her. Frustrated she glared down at the palico, "That's nice and all but we didn't pack my weapon. What am I supposed to sharpen after round one?"
"Relax, relax," Ace grinned knowingly, "don't get your panties in a twist. We got a weapon for you right here!"
He guided her back to the cart and presented a weapon far longer than her halberd and far thinker. He introduced it as the Insect Glaive. The actual blades of the weapon were attached to both end of the rod, with one being of significantly longer length than the other, but it was still twin-bladed and of proper weight distribution. She took it into her hands and held it aloft, before taking a couple test swings with it to find that she would not being using it as a replacement halberd.
"How am I supposed to use this thing?", Mersé hefted the blade in both hands, "Every way I hold it feels wrong."
Sighing again, Ace grabbed her hands and took one off before situating the glaive into an underarm hold in her nondominant left hand. She felt the weight even out and then idea of the weapon started to come together for her, but she found the one-handed hold of the weapon odd. However, Ace was ahead of her and had already produced the weapon's namesake. A large beetle, about the size of her head, sat in the palico's paws. It was strangely comfortable being held, it didn't even twitch like other insects; it simply rested.
When he brought it closer, she took in its details in full. It had a large pyramid horn which took up the entirety of its head with little black dots for eyes beneath it. Its wings fluttered slightly as it noticed the glaive in her hand, and the tan coloring of its wings gave way to a lime green carapace.
"This is a kinsect, specifically a Mauldrone," Ace patted the bugs back and smiled warmly, "they are the companion piece to the Insect Glaive and your new teacher," he presented the giant beetle to her, "say hello."
Awkwardly, she pressed her palm against the blunt horn of the Mauldrome, and it pressed back before climbing onto her right arm. Frightened, she threw her arm out trying to get the creature off only for its hold to tighten enough to keep itself on. Ace tried the calm the hero, and would continue to try and fail as they made their way to their target.
-0-
…The monsters of the other world, the mamono, are of a conflicting nature. They are simultaneously of a human nature, whilst exhibiting features of a monstrous quality. My companion for example, Shizuka, is a Bunyip; a mamono with a large serpent tail with soft tufts of fur lining the entirety of her body, and yet when I look upon her, I see a woman. Despite her monstrous form I behold her beautiful human features, and I cannot exactly say why.
I believe this to be an influence of the Demon Lord, though I am uncertain. As I have described earlier the Monster Girl Encyclopedia states that the Demon Lord is a succubus, and her influence as a creature of lust and desire changed the monsters of the other world into a species designed in her own image.
From my readings I can only state that the Demon Lord's love for humanity has changed the other world to such a drastic degree that it is nearly unrecognizable from their recorded history. Creatures that once fed upon the souls and blood of mankind now metaphysically merge themselves in some sort of form of symbiosis with their favored human. Though I have read of and seen mamono who exhibit a nature closer to parasitism, they are often exceptions that prove the rule. I require more study to produce a better understanding of these monsters.
I myself have attracted the sexual attention of two mamono, Shizuka the Bunyip and Estrid the Minotaur, and I believe that the influence of this Demon Lord has come made me reliant on their affections. I feel a sense of attraction to them and they to me, but I cannot say whether or not these feelings exist on their own or because of their succubae nature.
What I know so far is that mamono know this influence as a baser urge, an instinct. With civilized mamono having far greater control over their lust when compared to their wild counterparts. I would not describe it as taming or domestication, but it appears that most mamono revert to a traditional role of a wife after fully securing a mate. I cannot state why this is or how this change occurs.
If I could question the Lilim or the Demon Lord herself, I could properly explain exactly how this demonic phenomena works, or how successful mate selection causes a change in behavior. My thoughts fall to Druella, as she has implanted Chloe the Hellhound into our party, maybe I could understand what exactly this succubae nature entails.
I ask myself why mamono are solely female, and why the male Elders and felynes of our world, under the Demon Lord's influence, remained male…
The opening of the Elder Hall's door drew His Immenseness's attention away from Dawn's report. The little hellhound had entered, cautious of the guards watching her, but her focus mostly lied on the giant wyverian. Humming to himself, he placed the note to the side, and beckoned her closer.
"What brings you here, little one," he bellowed, "do not be afraid. Speak freely!"
"You speak with Druella," the hellhound's eyes flicked from orange to red, "I was not prepared to speak with you before, but I am now. I ask of you, Your Immenseness, will you grant me this audience."
His Immenseness ran his clawed hand through his beard and said, "Granted, speak and I will listen."
"I have come for your motive," she spoke quickly and to the point, "what is it that the Hunter's Guild wants with my world? Will you support the Order, or my Lord and mother? And if you would be so kind, I would like to speak on a private matter that occurred not too long ago. A hunt that the hunter, Dawn, had undertaken."
His Immenseness eyes narrowed on the possessed mamono, curious, yet calculating. He leaned forward, placing a claw on his knee and gestured with the other as he spoke, "I can answer your first question, but the second will remain unknown to even myself for the time being. As for privacy I think not… The Elder's Hall is secluded as can be. The guards nor the staff will speak of what is said here today."
"Did the hunter sympathize with the Order?", Was her first response, but the shake of wyverian's head assuaged some of her fears.
"And of the mamono?", Came her second, but again the wyverian denied her any concrete stances. Finally, she beckoned him to continue.
His Immenseness leaned back and gestured to the window openings, "As you are well aware these rifts have begun to appear in remote and semi-remote parts of the world. The Hunter's Guild is an organization renowned for our explorers, researchers, and especially our monster hunters. Thus, an expeditionary force was sent to discover what lied beyond the breach between worlds. You are acquainted with the Master Hunter Dawn I presume?"
"I am."
"Then you should already know why we are in your world," he leaned forward again, an accusatory glint in his eyes, "and you should know already that the hunter had wrote to me of your exploits, Druella, forth daughter of Lilith."
The lilim bowed but refused to display the arrogance Dawn had described of her. The hellhound's expression was that of stone firm and static. Silently, the wyverian studied this supposed trickster character, and mentally made a note to discuss her character further with the hunter.
"I hope my political stances do not sully your view of me and the mamono," Druella calmly defended, "I am aware that my faction is seen as extremist in nature. I assure you that our war will not follow me here and that I understand the consequences of it does."
The wyverain glared down at her, "That remains to be seen," he rubbed his chin in thought, "now tell me of the hunt."
The hellhound's face darkened, and control flickered back and forth between the young mamono and the lilim. If only for an instant their eyes became shot in panic, but were soon quelled as the lilim regained her composure.
"I speak of the black dragon Fatalis," the movements of the guards told her exactly what seriousness the name held, "I wish to know if the monster still lives after the battle of Schrade."
-0-
The kinsect clung snuggly to her arm and had a certain weight to it that made her feel like she was carrying a shield. Mersé didn't believe for a second that it was any good as a shield, but the weight was more of a comfort than actually looking down at the beetle. It bothered her that it didn't skitter like a normal insect, but the stillness of the creature did offer her some ease of mind.
Regardless of her distaste for the thing she marched behind the cats while the hunter followed from behind her. His weapon was attached to his back snapped in half at the clamp in the middle, while her strange glaive sat comfortably between her shoulders. Quietly, the hero took in the pieces of his equipment. The armor was made from fine metals she couldn't say she had ever seen before, and the scales that made up his breastplate, shoulder and armguard were emerald, green in color.
Slowing down she leaned over and asked, "Are you a dragon slayer? Those scales could only come from a wyvern by the looks of them."
His mustache ruffled as he cleared his throat with a grunt, "Tis true, my armor is made from wyvern scales, a Rathian's specifically."
"So, are all you veterans dragon slayers or are you a special one like that Dawn fella?", She continued as their march slowed into a walk.
"I wouldn't call myself that," he lowered himself and began taking position, "I'm just an old hunter like any other. Wouldn't personally compare myself to the Dawn Breaker."
Mersé stopped beside him, noticing that Ace had given orders for them to halt, and that he and Mia would be moving forward. Casually, she sat beside him as the hunter pulled out a small bundle of nets attached to a small metal tool.
She watched him put the net inside, watching it wined and wined until the tightness caused the ivy threads to strain. He moved forward and set the trap on the ground, before backing away. A spike shot out from the center of the tool and then into the ground. Then the spiral of the net shot out and anchored themselves into the dirt. What stood out however was how suddenly deep the trap had become. He had created a pitfall the size of a wagon they came in on in but an instant.
Deciding to ignore what she believed to be blatant use of magic, she asked, "What makes Dawn so special then? Sure, the guy took on two of those dragons in Lescatie, but he is just one guy… was he blessed by a god of this world?"
"No, he's a one of those once in a generation hunters," he mused, "like the Saphire Star in the New World and that young man from Yukumo who hunted the Amatsu. Dawn successfully defeated the Shagaru Magala and took part in the hunt of the great Dalamadur. He's far from what I would call an ordinary hunter."
The hero sighed, not understanding anything he was telling her, "That's a lot of names and places and I don't get any of them. Let's skip the history lesson and you can tell me what exactly we're after here."
"We're after an Astalos," he said quietly, "a particularly troublesome one at that. The wyvern has been hounding the trade route nearby, and has evaded many a hunter for the past month or so."
"Okay," Mersé nodded along, "but what does it look like, what are we up against?"
The veteran calmly loaded baby-blue colored rounds into his Heavy Bowgun and pointed in the direction Ace and Mia traveled, "It's a flying wyvern that uses electricity. Its aggressive beyond territorial and will thrash around in melee. Do not let it come to you, you need to put it on the defensive. Your role in this hunt will be toppling it, do you understand?"
"Alright… then why have you set a pitfall for a wyvern?", The hero asked, "Surely the monster will attack from the air."
"This is true, however," he loaded another set of ammunition, rounds far larger than the ones before, "this monster likes to be up close and personal. The trap is to stop its first rush, and then you will leap onto its back and keep it preoccupied while the rest of us bring it down again."
"Keep it from fighting back eh," Mersé smirked, "you hunters are crafty. Most heroes back in the Order would want to fight a wyvern mono e mono."
"We can do that as well," the hunter shrugged, "but you and Mia have never hunted before, and thus we are making sure this hunt goes smoothly."
"I've hunted plenty monsters. Scoured forests and swamps alike. I," she grimaced, "I just haven't hunted a wyvern before."
He gave her a comforting smile and a pat on the back, "Then figure this as practice."
They waited until Ace and Mia returned, they had scouted out the steppe for the Astalos to find neither carapace nor scale of the beast. The two had joined them by the pitfall, Ace scratching his chin in thought, while Mia tried her best to maintain her composure in front of Mersé. The werecat knew that the hero meant her no harm, as odd and contradictory as that statement was; she understood she was in no danger. Even still she stifled a shiver whenever the hero's bored gaze fell on her.
Night soon fell, and the veteran hunter's of the group had to kill the idea of setting up camp. Not only would a fire give away their position at night, but it would also cloud their natural scents with smoke and flame. Both of which would only make this long hunt drag on further, or possibly alert the monster prematurely.
"So why is the wyvern here?", Mersé broke the silence, "Does it steal the supplies off the trade route or is it just looking for something to eat?"
Ace clicked his tongue and looked onto the horizon, "Astalos trend towards attacking other monsters, so it might see the popo the locals use as intruders. They don't hunt humans, and they only really predate on bugs…"
The palico flexed his night vision to look off into the darkness and to his surprise there were distant flashes of electricity in the trees above. He pulled Mia closer to him and asked if she could see it too beneath his breath. The werecat nodded but she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking at. Confident he got to his feet and began giving out orders.
"Mersé you, Mia, and I are going to be drawing the monster's attention, and you Gale, will be setting up bomb barrels at that entrance over there! We'll topple the monster there and then move it over to the pitfall!"
The now named Gale, nodded in acknowledgement as he began carrying the barrels of gunpower over. Mersé simply raised an eyebrow at the sight of giant bomb barrels, but decided to simply follow the cat's lead.
"We're not climbing that tree, are we?", Mia asked though she had the feeling she knew the answer already.
"Oh, its fine," Ace disregarded her worry, "it'll just a couple minutes of tree climbing. Now follow me I know this place like the back of my paw."
The three set off into the dark steppe land, with only the moonlight showing their sole human companion the path forward. Ace maneuvered over drops with ease, while Mia struggled to find footing on the more curved roots that blocked their path. The two cat both had to guide Mersé forward as the shade of the great branches above obscured the moon's radiance.
Stamina was becoming an issue for the two women as it began to fail them at the inclines that were becoming steeper and steeper as they climbed higher. It finally came to ahead as they found themselves roadblocked by a sheer cliff face. Multiple of them in fact, for even at the bottom they could see another cliff top peeking over the edge.
Gasping for air the hero and werecat caught their breath beneath the first one, while Ace hopped onto the wall and began rock climbing his was up heedless of their haggard condition. Cursing beneath her breath Mersé swore to strangle that felyne, but she too began to climb up the rock wall with Mia in tow.
"Your boyfriend is trying to kill us cat," Mersé groaned, "haven't burned this hard since heroes training!"
Mia for a moment forgot her fear of the hero, and agreed, "This is probably usual for hunts," she groaned in unison, "climbing mountains and running over the entire place looking for the monster! I'm starting to think hunters and palicos are just heroes and champions of this world! This can't be normal!"
"C'MON YOU SLOWPOKES," Ace roared from above, "WE AINT GOT ALL NIGHT!"
Irritated, Mersé bolstered her resolves and began to move fast. Mia wiped the sweat coating her forehead and followed after her. They pulled themselves up, flopping onto their backs in exhaustion. The cool rock beneath them gave them some relief as the heat from exertion left them slowly. All the while Ace stood over them with an expression that both read proud and pity as he watched them catch their breath.
"You too aren't used to mountain climbing, are you?", Ace leaned over them, careful as to not be within Mersé reach.
Mia rolled onto her stomach, and whined, "I've never done anything like this before. Why couldn't we just draw the monster with some food or something?!"
Mersé was more composed with her response, "Believe it or not cat, Heroes training doesn't entail climbing mountains to then climb a giant tree. And yeah, your little girlfriend made a good point, why didn't we draw that stupid wyvern down here?"
"Point 'A'," Ace stuck a claw out as he switches to a condescending tone, "we don't want it to dive bomb us cause that will likely kill you two, and point 'B' Astalos eat insect via snapping them out of the air with electricity. They do not hunt like your traditional fanged beast… Now if you two are too tired to continue I'll drag the monster back here. Rest up cause we're going downhill after this."
Irritated and exhausted the two women laid there. Staring up into the sky they could barely see the twinkling sprites of stars in betwixt the great branches of the ancient tree. The cold stone cooled them off and they eventually were able to pull themselves up into a sitting position. In the silence of night, they took in the nature of the steppe.
Small monsters scurried in the vines of moss below, following, or avoiding a large apelike monster which swung from the webbing to a patch of mushrooms. Mersé and Mia found the monster amusing, the beast after all was a giant monkey with a trunk for a nose. Its interactions with the little dog-like raptors brought their mood higher. The dark night of the Ancient Steppe was writhe with life beyond their imagination, and to the two other worlders found the view entrancing.
"Why does everything have to so big here," Mersé mused, "with all this open air I'm starting to miss the cramp spaces of Lescatie."
Mia on her part stayed quiet, letting the hero talk to herself rather than engage. Fear of the women grasped her tongue, and she could do little else, but try to ignore her presence. Though this strategy was a failing one at best as the hero eventually turned her thoughts to her sole companion on this night.
Casually Mersé stuck a ration in her mouth, and nudged Mia. Carefully the werecat took the piece of meat from her, before putting it in her mouth and awkward chewed on the tasteless energy meal. Silently they stayed there, waiting for Ace to come plummeting back to the earth with the wyvern in tow.
Until Mersé chose to break the silence, "So why are you so scared all the time?"
A crack of thunder shattered the calm and they sprang to their feet. Mia hefted her bonewedge in paw and Mersé equipped her kinsect and glaive. Up above a spark of emerald lightning brought light to sky and then a flash blinded them.
A clap of thunder, a roar, and then a flash and the wyvern fell with a small figure following it down. Their world tremble as the beast hit the ground with Ace landing on all fours beside them with only some singed fur for injury. The fall was nearly halfway up the mountain, and yet besides their scuffle neither monster nor palico were worse for wear.
"Enough chit chat," Ace grinned back at them, "time for runnin!"
The wyvern growled and before the three the beast stood tall and furious. Rearing back, it roared and the lightning it was famed for brought light to the world. Its wings, insect-like and vibrating with electricity, spread out with their claws rearing back before slamming into the ground. The horn a top its head shuddered and flexed its membrane siding the black carapace back and forth before sparking electricity filled its eyes. It took flight and the three were already sliding down the mountain ledges to flee from the enraged monster.
Ace leapt down the mountain and over vines and root, while Mia followed closely behind, mimicking his technique. Mersé strained her already tired body to the side, before falling down the slope and transitioning into a slide. Her kinsect took flight from her arm when she made an odd movement, and it began guiding her down as the great tree limbs obscured her foot.
For the first time she was glad she was stuck with it, and allowed the bug to help her. The ape monster took notice as the now group of four funneled down the mountain with the Astalos in tow. It took flight itself, sprouting its stretchy patagium from its armpits, and jumped over the rampaging wyvern and glided back to earth, while some of the raptors were trampled by the mad rush.
Mersé had a laugh at that, but was to busy climbing up the hill to the clearing to see where the fanged beast ran off to. Up the hill Ace gave the signal and she dived up and over the barrel bombs placed for the monster and Gale fired. A roar resounded and the wyvern fell to ground in a slump. Its scales charred slightly, and its talons bent at odd angles. Some of the bottom carapace shattered and laid beneath it along with some scales.
On its side the wyvern toppled back onto its feet before charging at the gunner. Electricity beating in its wings and horn as it sent him flying with a goring strike. He landed on his back and chugged a full dose of his megapotion before climbing back to his feet. Astalos roared before changing its target to Ace, and it took flight once more and rounded snapping pincher tail with lightning.
Ace leapt over the thrusting monster tail and began bounding over to the pitfall with the monster taking to gliding to follow after him. Mersé could see how thing weren't going to plan and began running after them with Mia in tow.
"Alright cat I'm going to need your help getting that wyvern down here!", She yelled as the beast sent crisscrossing lightning stakes down at Ace.
Mia looked to her with fear, but she understood the consequences if she let cowardice overtake her, "Throw me!"
"What?!"
Mia jumped onto Mersé back and pointed to the monster, "Throw me onto its back and I'll distract it long enough for you to come up with an idea!"
Apprehensive the hero nodded, before grabbing the werecat by the scruff of her neck and throwing her with all her enhanced strength at the monster. Mia flew true and colliding with the hard carapace of the monster's back. It paid little heed to the small werecat and continued to fly after Ace. Mia crawled along the back bonewedge in her mouth as it continued to thrash. Carefully she saddled the beast and took her weapon in both paws and hooked the fang where the horn hooked above the monster's maw. Pulling its head away was the best she could manage.
"Mersé use your Insect Glaive to help me!", Ace called, "There's a button on the handle that'll get you airborne!"
The hero eyed her glaive confused and bewildered. Pressing the button, a jet of air shot out the front end of the folded blade. Shrugging she charged in while the Astalos was thrashing about, and shoved the blunt end into the ground. She hopped into the air about a foot into the air, before getting swatted by a stray tail swing.
Rolling to a stop she rubbed her bruised shoulder, before charging again and then throwing herself into a pole vault. She popped the trigger and incorrectly performed the maneuver that got her onto the monster's back as well. Now situated on its tail, she held on for dear life as the beast began tire from the constant punishment. Slowly she got to a balance on the monster's back before with a great swing she severed the pincer tail, and sent the Astalos sprawling into the pitfall trap below.
It was Ace and Gale's turn to capitalize while Mia and Mersé were shaken loose. Ace took his axe in paw and struck the horn, tearing into the membrane enough to shock himself, before lunging back in with a claw on the monster's jaw. It could only weakly whine as it grew weaker with every new injury. Gale was the one deal the finishing blow.
Loading a cluster bomb into his Heavy Bowgun, he got to his knees, and mortar fired the explosive ordnance into the Astalos back. The round launched into the sky before gravity caused the trigger within to split the explosive right before slamming into the monster and exploding.
Fire filled her vision as the beast let out a final roar. Smoke clung to the Astalos scales as it reared back weakly defying death to its last breath, and then finally falling limp. The dull thud of the flying wyvern sent shivers down her spine, but Mersé was ecstatic none the less. She had slain a dragon, a wyvern, or whatever specification the eggheads back home would call it, but she had done it; successfully hunted a dragon.
So thrilled was she that she picked up the closest person to her, that being Mia, and held her tightly while laughing as she spun in circles. And like that she passed out as the exhaustion and excitement finally got to her. Mia simple blanking at the hero as she found herself trapped beneath her with Ace's laughing at her all the while.
"QUEST COMPLETE!"
Review Responses:
KitsuneTheWhite:
The Hunter's Guild knows a remarkable amount of what the times before were like, the purpose of the machines they reverse engineer, and they like to keep a lot of that hush hush. I don't think it would sit well with people to know that mankind was once a global all-encompassing power, and that the ancient weapon of their own making had destroyed all of it…
There's a reason why Black Dragons are mostly only known in myth.
Shocknawe 425:
I'm conflict on whether a normal Fatalis would be restricted into a female form or not. My plan for the one in the story will be shared later, but Demon Energy of MGE tends to change any asexual or sexless creature into succubae. Take slime for an example, they took a female shape, as did every other monster, yet was sexless beforehand.
Guest 02:
Well, they are found in the wild… and I would eat a poogy myself.
Guest (equal dragon weapon question):
The original weapon was never finished by the looks of the concept art, but I doubt holy crusaders would see an abomination like the EDW as anything short of heresy.
Chris Chow and Evowizard25:
I am happy you two are enjoying the story and I'm striving to make the segments more than just a chapter aside as I continue to write.
Neb:
According to MGE nothing is innately immune to DE besides pure Order Heroes, and we know those are hard to come by. And I would like to add that they are not anthro-ized, it is not just a human shape, but much of their feature straight up change and become that of a human's. Mainly their faces, their change in biology the example being Ace as he technically has a bald spot across the entirety of his body signs his forearms and legs, and their general reproductive organs as DE made monsters of grotesque size and features into anime girls for us to make porn of.
I kid mostly on the porn part, but the sky leaches, the Qurios, would be akin to vampiric fairies in the MGE setting. Think Tinkerbelle but with a thirst for blood and the ability to empower their host.