This is by far the longest chapter in the story so far and quite frankly, it was actually quite fun to write as well.
Nothing else to say other than the hope that you guys would enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 10
"I am going to need you to recall every single detail you can remember. Everything, from your encounter with the beast to the slaughter of your comrades and finally, when you were rescued by other hunters. Do you understand?"
"I…I do."
Edmond sighed as he attempted to adjust his position on the bed. The round stump that was once his arm made sleeping wholly uncomfortable. And it was not like he was still in pain anymore. In truth, his body had already fully recovered in a span of a few days. His wounds had regenerated, and his energy restored, yet nothing would be able to bring back his severed arm. It made him incredibly unmotivated to move off his bed, made even worse by the recent harrowing nightmare he had a night before.
"I'm a failure…" he muttered wistfully, remembering how he watched helplessly as the raging beast slaughtered his men in front of him. His recent nightmare happened to be exactly that. He could never forget the face of one of his guards, contorted into a terrified and fearful expression just seconds before he was grabbed and had his head bitten off. Until now, Edmund felt the taste of nonexistent blood against his mouth, a reminder of that horrible event he had fortunately survived. "Some Guild Knight I am…"
Edmond shuddered as he recalled what the creature was. To think the perpetrator was theorized to be a Gore Magala in the middle of molting, the pain heightening its aggression to a point where it would kill anything that moved. It had been pure bad luck that Edmond and his men had stumbled upon an agitated Gore Magala as it crash-landed right in front of them, the pain from molting causing it to drop from the sky mid-flight. The combination of the darkness of night and how ill-prepared the guards were thinking that no monster would attack a guarded caravan in the middle of the night, had been their downfall.
Edmond planted his face against the pillow, already in a depressed state, "And I can't even go back to my job, now that I'm missing an arm..."
Suddenly, the curtains to his room flew open, interrupting his reverie.
"Sir Edmond, I have good news!"
The bed-ridden knight simply glanced at the doctor standing beside his bed. "What?" he replied half-heartedly.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and clapped his hands in excitement, "Well, I may or not have…persuaded the local blacksmith to umm…forge you a so-called "prosthetic" arm in replacement of your lost one."
"…Thanks."
Dr. Althalos visibly frowned. "You know, I expected a lot more positive response coming from you regarding this news. What happened to you?"
"It's just…Well, getting a prosthetic arm is great and all but I…" Edmond sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just, tell the blacksmith to prepare the arm. I'll come to him when he's done with it."
"If you insist…"
"Good, now leave me alone. Please."
Somewhere in the Snowy Mountains…
Wasting no time, the beast pounced, its strong legs propelling it a considerable distance across the snow. Its target, the huntress in front of it. The huntress, however, anticipating an attack held her blade in front of her in a parry stance. The moment the beast made contact with her blade, she immediately countered it with a lightning-quick slash to its face. Staggered, it drops to the ground as the momentum from its leap sends it rolling forward over the huntress, who merely slid underneath its body to avoid the collision.
"Hmmph!" She huffed as she turned around to face the monster again. The monster in question – a Barioth – slowly rose up onto its paws, shaking its head before letting out a fierce roar of anger. Fresh blood trickled down from the open wound on the side of its head, staining the white snow red. Furious, the Barioth barreled towards the huntress at maximum speed. Eris readied herself for the attack, once again holding her blade in front of her for a parry opportunity. Suddenly, the monster leaps to the side and behind her, just a few meters away from her. Caught off guard, the huntress instinctively rolled to the side…just in time before the Barioth hopped forward and clamped down its jaws on her. But it wasn't done yet, for immediately after it leaped high onto the air and hovered above the huntress. With accurate precision, it shot out an ice projectile towards Eris. Still recovering from before, she just barely managed to leap out of harm's way, only to get briefly pushed back by the ensuing ice tornado that followed.
It was only thanks to her cold-resistant armor and her own physical resistance to the cold (thanks to years of training) that prevented her from turning into a hunter snowman.
In the brief amount of time she got staggered, the Barioth followed it up with diving pounce. Even experienced hunters like Eris cannot always predict the behavior of the beasts they hunt and as result, the side of the Barioth's hardened wing collided violently with the huntress, who attempted to block the hit with her sword to no effect. Sent flying a considerable distance, she crashes against an ice wall, her sword lying just a few meters away from her. She had been lucky enough that the damage had been reduced thanks to her blocking with her weapon, but the damage had been done. She laid there, leaning against the wall, coughing out blood and holding her fractured chest armor in pain. She licked her lips and tasted her own blood. However, her eyes burned with determination. The taste of her own blood brought upon a familiar sensation she hadn't felt for the past few days.
"Oh, now you've really got me fired up." Aroused by the thrill of the hunt, the normally calm and composed huntress smiled wickedly. "I'm going to enjoy cutting you up!"
The Barioth, not realizing what it had awoken, roared and charged at her again. Eris quickly looked around her, noticing the icicles on the ceiling. Her eyes landed on a shard of ice that broke out from the wall when she crashed into it. Slowly rising onto her feet, she grabbed the shard and with all her might, threw it at the icicles above her. And in a sudden burst of energy, Eris dashed to her right, narrowly avoiding the Barioth as the beast crashed into the wall.
"Gotcha!" she exclaimed as she picked up her weapon off the ground. Recovering from the impact, the Barioth turned around to defend itself when suddenly, the icicles above it crashed onto its body. One of the sharp icicles dropped onto its head, dazing the beast and leaving it vulnerable. With the Barioth open to attacks, Eris sprinted towards the stunned monster, using its body as step as she jumped high into the air. She then brought the sword down with her, slicing off the monster's wing spikes. The Barioth roared in pain, reeling back from the shock. In retaliation, it recklessly pounces again, but the huntress slides underneath the monster, dodging the attack. With its wing spikes broken, the Barioth stumbled and slipped, leaving it open to attacks. At that moment, Eris charged forward and stabbed her sword clean through the monster's exposed neck.
"GRAAAURGH!" roared the Barioth as it writhed and struggled. But Eris remained unfazed, jamming her sword even deeper through its neck. In its struggle, the monster swatted the huntress away with its claw, leaving her blade stuck in the monster. Eris however, quickly recovered and instead took out her carving knife.
"I'm not finished with you!"
She dashed towards the downed Barioth, leaping over its wing before bringing her knife down onto the beast's neck.
"Die, die, die!" she exclaimed as she repeatedly stabbed her knife onto the Barioth's neck, splashing blood against herself and the snow. Her mind clouded by bloodlust; she could no longer think properly.
By the time she had finished, the Barioth had been long dead. Its neck was riddled with deep puncture wounds as blood flowed like a waterfall, turning the snow a deep shade of red. The huntress dropped her knife and almost immediately, her senses returned as her breathing turned to normal. Bewildered, she stared at her blood-stained hands and armor. "Wha- What happened?" She looked at the lifeless corpse of the Barioth in front of her. Her confusion turned to mild disgust and she averted her eyes away from the horrible sight. Without looking, she pulled her sword out of the monster's body and stood up, trying to make sense of what happened.
I remember getting hit by its attack and then everything just turned black. Then it hit her. Oh no did…did I lose myself again? She glanced at the monster's corpse and back at her blood-stained armor and hands. It was all too obvious. Damn it, I did it again…Why did it have to resurface after all this time? It wasn't there when Siegfried and I were- She stopped herself immediately after that, not keen on accepting the possibility. No, there's no way…
Suddenly, a seething pained emerged in her chest and she spat out blood. "Damn it…" She swiftly took out a potion and poured the entirety of its contents down her throat. In a matter of seconds, the pain subsided, and she felt much better.
She then remembered the dead Barioth behind her. Oh, better take care of that first before those damn scavengers arrive. She took out a flare from her and signaled for the Wyverian ship to pick up her kill.
About half an hour later after the Felynes hauled her kill onto the ship, Eris decided to explore more of the mountains. She was running low on herbs so she figured this would be the best possible time to gather some mountainous herbs that she might need later on. However, as she walked, she noticed something peculiar out of the corner of her eye. Intrigued, she moved closer to investigate.
"Hmm?"
She found herself looking at a large circular imprint on the snow. The imprint was roughly as big as her and had some distinct grooves along the edges. She immediately knew that it was a footprint, belonging to none other than a large Gammoth. Judging from the size of these prints, she surmised it must be a bull, as males tend to be larger than females. But what really caught her eye, were the smaller, deep prints on the snow. Human prints…or maybe Wyverian?
The depth of the prints indicated that the individual was heavy.
Someone with heavy luggage…a merchant bringing heavy goods…or a hunter, wearing armor and carrying a weapon. The blood trail following these prints was a dead giveaway. Eris looked ahead and saw more of these prints leading up higher into the mountains. It would appear that the hunter pursued the injured Gammoth higher into the mountains, where the air was frigid cold and frequent snowstorms pelted the area. Only the most stubborn and foolhardy of hunters would dare to endure temperatures that even many polar monsters would tend to avoid.
"Whoever it is…sure is an idiot. But…" Perhaps if I assist this person then I would be compensated for my efforts? And if this person ends up dying in the process…Well, not my fault.
With a shrug, the huntress chugged down a hot drink and proceeded to climb up further into the mountains.
Bherna village…
"Do you like it?" the doctor asked Edmond.
The man in question simply kept quiet, moving his now metallic fingers and clenching his fists repeatedly. "It feels very different yet isn't at the same time. It feels as if I had never lost an arm in the first place. I can't say I don't like it though. It may take some time getting used to…"
"That is alright. The blacksmith did tell me that it was entirely experimental and that he actually didn't expect it to work as perfectly as it would. In fact, he did tell me that there was a chance your flesh might get infected due to the nature of the alloy used…"
"Thanks for the input doc…I really appreciate it…"
Dr. Althalos shrugged. "Just stating facts. Anywho, since you're feeling better it's time for my favorite part of my job." He then held out his hand. "Payment."
Edmond smacked a hand to his face. "Bollocks…"
Snowy Mountains…
Having trained for many years in freezing cold biomes, Eris had developed a natural resistance to temperatures below zero. However, not even she could expect the frigid air to be this harsh. No, not even her cold-resistant armor would protect her.
"There is no way that hunter would survive this…" Eris muttered, hugging herself as she continued to trek higher into the mountains. Her ears felt numb and she shivered constantly. A regular person would have already succumbed to hypothermia or worse, die in a matter of minutes.
A massive snowstorm brewed in the area, limiting vision. The huntress chugged down another hot drink before tossing the empty vial away, where the snow soon buried it within seconds. I only have one more vial left. I swear this better be worth it… She continued to climb the mountain, the snowstorm growing thicker as she neared the top. Just how far did this hunter and Gammoth go anyway?!
Just when she felt like giving up, a distinctive sound caught her attention.
"BAHRUUAAA!"
It sounded just like a trumpet. And only one creature in this area makes that kind of noise. Finally! With renewed energy, Eris picked up the pace.
After a few minutes, she found herself standing in what looked like a large open plain. Visibility was almost null here but just then, a large silhouette in the distance catches her eye.
Even from a distance, it was massive…and Eris guessed that it must be the Gammoth. She unsheathed her weapon and moved closer. The constant bellows of the monster echoed throughout the area. The monster appeared to be agitated and occupied with something. Must be the hunter… Eris thought as she moved even closer.
She positioned herself behind what looked like the beast's rear end. Alright, Eris please do NOT lose control as you did before. We don't want to risk killing someone by accident and getting into trouble. She observed the monster for a brief moment before quickly deciding to target its hind legs. Preparing herself to attack, the huntress pulled down the visor of her helmet and poised herself. In a sudden burst of speed, she dashed forward, holding her sword behind her. In one graceful movement, she slashed at the Gammoth's hind leg, leaving a large laceration on its armored skin. In response, the massive Fanged Beast roared in agony before retaliating with a backward kick aimed at whatever attacked it from behind. Having anticipated a counterattack, Eris dodged out of the way as the Gammoth kicked up ice and snow behind it. She focused her next attack on the same leg again, inflicting an even deeper wound than before. Another loud bellow of agony and the mighty Gammoth is forced to kneel on one leg. Yes! Now onto the other le- Before she could make her next move, a powerful gust of cold air crashed into her, sending her tumbling onto the ground, courtesy of the Gammoth turning around and blasting her with its trunk.
"Ughh…" Eris groaned as she shook her head. She picked up her sword lying next to her and rose onto her feet, preparing to make her move again. However, before she could, a loud scream caught her attention…followed by what looked like something flying in the air. Then about a moment later, something crashed towards the ground next to her, splashing snow against the huntress. When the snow fell off the object, Eris's eyes widened.
Red armor, helmet, Greatsword. You have got to be kidding me…
Covered in snow, the figure attempted to stand up. "Son of a- How strong is that goddamn trunk anyway?" The figure's voice was deep and rugged. A man.
The armored hunter took a moment to get his bearings straight, glancing around briefly before his gaze landed on the huntress next to him. The low visibility made it difficult to identify the person. Frowning, he spoke. "You must be the hunter that just barged in unannounced. Well, if you think you're such a big help then I would appreciate it if you would not just stand there and help me!"
Offended by his rudeness, Eris retorted back. "Well excuse me! If I hadn't stepped in and wounded the monster, you might have been long dead by now! Especially in weather like this! What were you thinking?!"
That voice…No way. "Wait a minute, wait just a whole fucking minute…Eris?!"
"And hello to you 'Mr. Fire King'!" Eris responded with a huff.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!"
"I'm hunting, but more importantly…What is someone like you doing here in a frigid cold area like this?! Without proper thermal wear, you'll freeze to death!"
"Worried about me are ya?"
Eris glared at him from under her visor, "This is no time for jokes!"
Siegfried sighed, "Right, sorry. In any case, since you're here I would appreciate it if you would assist me in slaying this damn thing."
Eris smiled, "What would you do without me?" She offered him her hand, to which she received a confused expression. The huntress faintly blushed, "H-Hey don't take this the wrong way alright? I'm simply acting out of the kindness of my heart…" She attempted to pull her hand back when he grabbed it, much to her surprise.
"I know," the hunter said with a chuckle. Suddenly, his body fell limp and the hunter dropped to his knee.
Alarmed, Eris tightened her grip on his hand, "Are you alright?"
Siegfried waved her off, "I-I'm fine…" Eris however, noticed that the hunter was shivering intensely.
"You're freezing."
"…I know. That's why- LOOKOUT!" Before Eris could realize what happened, Siegfried forcefully shoved her away…just in time before a large piece of ice crashed into him.
Curses! We were talking for far too long! Eris quickly rushed to Siegfried's side. The hunter was sprawled on the ground, his armor fractured in multiple places. His armor was also cold to the touch. He needed immediate warmth and medical attention. Immediately, she took out a flash bomb from her pouch and threw it at the beast.
A blinding flash of light and the Gammoth is left dazed.
"Let's get you out of here first." She positioned his arm over her neck and lifted him up onto his feet. Before she could move, however, the hunter firmly planted his feet onto the snow.
"C-Can't…If I don't kill…p-people will…die…"
"That's not important right now! Let's go while it's still stu- "
"N-No!"
He pushed her off and dropped to the ground. Shaking, the hunter reached into his pouch and took out a yellow vial. Eris recognized that vial as the same one he used after Claudius stabbed him. She watched as he chugged down its contents before seconds later, he slowly stood up and picked up his weapon.
"Let's finish this," Siegfried said, fixing his helmet. She didn't question him further.
The two then rushed towards the monster. The Gammoth, having snapped out of its stunning state, prepared to meet the hunters head-on.
"I'll draw its aggro, you target its legs!" Siegfried commanded, running towards the Gammoth's front.
"Got it!" Eris replied, picking up speed and moving towards the beast's side. She, however, did not attack until Siegfried draws the monster's attention.
The hunter in question then attacked, dragged his sword on the ground before unleashing a powerful rising slash aimed at the Gammoth's armored head and trunk. Unable to move due to its crippled hind leg, it received the full brunt of the hit. Staggered from the force of the blow, the might beast reeled back. Blood flowed from the open wound on its head, its armor plating just managing to protect its brain from the impact. Furious, the might beast attempted to grab the hunter with its trunk. But the hunter expertly rolls out of harm's way, causing further frustration for the Gammoth.
"C'mon! Is that the best you got?!" He taunted the beast, intent on provoking it even further. In response to his provocations, the Gammoth let out a booming roar of anger before swinging its trunk furiously in front of it in an attempt to swat the hunter with its powerful trunk.
With its attention now fully on Siegfried, Eris made her move. She dashed forward and slashed horizontally at the Gammoth's other hind leg, inflicting a deep wound on the beast as the razor-sharp blade pierced through the hard skin and tissue. The Gammoth bellowed in agony from the searing pain in its hind leg, forcing the beast to its knees. With both its hind legs crippled, it was at the mercy of the hunters.
"Awesome!" Siegfried exclaimed before ducking under another swing of the Gammoth's trunk.
Pushed to the edge, the towering Fanged Beast huffed with rage. Smoke puffed out of its nostrils and its veins became visible. It let out a bellowing roar before slamming both its front feet onto the snow repeatedly, kicking ice and snow everywhere. The two hunters quickly moved out of the way as the raging beast continued to pound onto the snow.
"How are you holding up?" Eris asked Siegfried, noticing his more slumped posture.
"I'm…doing fine." Shit, why is it wearing off now?! The hunter bit his lip and steeled himself for the rest of the hunt.
The Gammoth finished its maniac-like stomping a few moments later. To the two hunter's agitation, its front legs were now covered in a snow plating, making it difficult for Eris's blade to pierce through.
"Oh great…" Siegfried groaned. It didn't help that his weakening state made it already difficult to stand concentrate.
Eris noticed this and shook her head. "Then we have to finish this. Quickly. For your sake as well."
"…For once, I agree."
With renewed determination, the two hunters faced the monster, hoping to finish this once and for all. The Gammoth growled and huffed at them, its eyes red with rage.
"GO!"
In a large burst of speed, the two hunters rushed forward for the final time. Siegfried increased his speed as he held his sword above his head. The Gammoth stood its ground and swung its trunk at the hunter and at the same time, Siegfried propelled himself off the ground with his powerful legs.
"YEAARGH!" Siegfried yelled out as he brought his sword down onto the beast's trunk, inches before it smashed against his body.
SPLITCH!
The Gammoth reeled back, screaming in agony as blood freely gushed out of what's left of its trunk, severed by Siegfried's sword. But Siegfried was not done, for he immediately kneeled down and held his sword horizontally above him.
"NOW!"
Eris rushed in, jumping high and landing on Siegfried's sword. The hunter then pushed upwards with all his might, propelling the huntress vertically into the air like a trampoline.
SHIING!
With a single stroke, the huntress brought her blade down, slicing vertically down from the top of the Gammoth's head to its trunk. The result was devastating.
The Gammoth let out another roar of agony as blood gushed out from the long vertical cut spanning its entire head. The combination of wounds and exhaustion proved too much for the lumbering beast as its eyes rolled to the back of its head and it collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. It whimpered for one last time before drawing its last breath as the mighty Gammoth succumbed to its wounds.
It was over. The hunt had finished.
"We did it…" Siegfried said shakily, supporting himself on his sword. His breathing was labored, his body weakening and his vision becoming darker by the second. He attempted to move his fingers, to no avail, for they had already been frozen. At the very least, I can sleep now…No longer able to keep himself upright, the hunter closed his eyes and collapsed as Eris immediately rushed to his side.
Bherna Village…
"Are you sure you don't need anything else?"
Edmond shook his head, "There is no need. I'm fine now."
Dr. Althalos sighed, "Alright. Take care then."
"Will do."
Donned in his Guild Knight attire, Edmond stepped out of the Bherna clinic fully recovered. He concealed his prosthetic arm with the sleeve of his coat, not keen on attracting any unwanted attention.
"Such is life…" Edmond muttered as he began his walk. He instinctively knew the first thing he had to do was report to the Guild in Dundorma but the thought of it filled him with dread. He feared the prospect of punishment he might receive for his failure. He also knew that running away would only make the situation worse. There was simply no way around it.
At the very least, he gets to keep his job and status after his punishment.
The Guild Knight sighed wistfully and continued towards the Bherna airship port where he hoped to find a ship ready to take him to Dundorma immediately. If he was going to get punished, then he had no more qualms about it. After losing an arm, my squad and my integrity, I guess punishment is all that's left for me…
He was in luck as a ship destined for Dundorma was just about to depart.
A few hours later…
As Edmond arrived at the Dundorma port and prepared to head to the Guild Hall, the sound of marching coming from behind him caught his attention. He turned around to find himself looking at a squad of armored men standing there. Their attire was that of the Guild Guards stationed to protect the town and uphold the law.
"You there! Are you Sir Edmond Curtis?"
"Yes, I am. Is there something you need gentlemen?" he replied tiredly.
The guards looked at each other and nodded before suddenly moving forward and grabbing hold of the Guild Knight. Edmond's eyes widened with confusion.
"W-What is the meaning of this?!"
"Sir Edmond Curtis! You are under arrest for the violation of Guild Knight protocols!"
Huh? Violation? What in the blazes did I- No! There's no way!
"Who gave the order?!" Edmond demanded.
"Sir Jacob did and we're arresting you under the jurisdiction of His Immenseness. Now stop struggling and come with us!"
Jacob! That no-good shit-eating conga bastard! Filled with rage over the mention of his involvement, Edmond elbowed the guards behind him and broke free from their grasp. He broke into a sprint and pushed through the crowds of people in an attempt to escape.
"Get him!"
As he ran, a million thoughts flew through his head. Jacob you goddamn cunt. Is this really how far you're willing to go to "beat" me? Some Guild Knight you are. His thoughts slowly turned murderous the more he thought about his fellow Guild Knight. "You'll pay for this Jacob Marcellus…I swear it!"
Edmond spotted an alleyway and dived towards it, concealing himself in the darkness, but not before throwing his signature hat away, letting it fall towards the ground and onto a dirty wet puddle. Damn it, there goes my favorite hat… He pressed himself further against the wall as the stomping of the guards got closer. The fugitive Knight then held his breath and watched as the armored men ran past the alleyway, trampling his beloved hat into the ground.
At the very least, they aren't very bright, Edmond thought with a chuckle. Once he sensed that the coast was clear, he moved further down the alleyway. To his luck, there happened to be a garbage disposal bin on the alley. He cringed at the disgusting sight. This is absolutely horrendous, but I must conceal myself with something… He dug through the bin, gritting his teeth in disgust as his armored hands shifted through each piece of garbage. Then he hit the jackpot.
An old and dirty ragged hooded cloak. As he brushed off the dust and dirt off it, he noticed a strange symbol engraved onto the inside of the sleeve. "Hmm? What's this?" The symbol was circular, with what looked like a dragon's head spewing flames on it. Indeed, it was a peculiar symbol.
"Whatever it is…I better hide it." I wouldn't want to attract any unwanted attention after all. He donned the coat and cautiously walked out of the other side of the alley. He scanned the area for any guards before hurriedly walking out in search of information. The taverns inside the walls are bound to contain more than a few guards. That would mean those outside the walls are my best bet. The only problem is…
As he arrived at the Dundorma gates, Edmond pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "The Border Watch…" They were the guards responsible for letting people in and out of the walls as well as defending the town from rampaging monsters. They were notorious for their extremely thorough inspections and especially well-trained soldiers. Edmond himself had sparred against a few of them and he too admitted that these men and women were quite the skilled fighters, though they did lack the superhuman strength and healing of hunters like him. No criminal would ever pass by under their radar without them knowing.
"I wonder if she's here too…" Edmond shuddered slightly at the thought of meeting that woman. Shaking his head, he placed that thought aside and confidently walked towards the line of people in front of the gate. He straightened his back and pulled the hood further over his head. It was better not to look suspicious and wound up getting arrested before he could even pass inspection, was what he thought.
He lined himself up in the queue of people and waited for his turn. As the minutes passed, Edmond began to grow impatient. He desperately wanted to uncloak and present himself to the guards, allowing him to pass without any trouble. But present issues pertaining to his fugitive status made it nigh impossible to do just that. His patience gradually began to run dry and Edmond groaned tiredly.
How long is this line? What's taking them so long-
"You! Stop right there!"
Siegfried dreamt of a time where he had been happy.
He dreamt of his parents and his village life. His family, friends, and childhood.
He dreamt of a time where he had never joined that dastardly organization.
He dreamt of a time where he never became a hunter, instead, he lived the rest of his life as a farm boy. A rather dull dream, he thought.
Lastly, he dreamt of his life as a hunter. How often he dreaded it at first and then the gradual acceptance. But most importantly, he dreamt of her.
And Siegfried woke up.
"Ughh…" The hunter groaned as he sat upright and shook his head. He took a moment to make sense of his situation, his vision slowly clearing up as he glanced at his surroundings. All I see is white…Wait, am I still on the-
"Oh, you're awake."
He turned towards the source of the feminine voice. Sitting on a frozen wooden log adjacent to him whilst stirring a pot of soup over a bright flame was Eris.
"What the hell…"
"I'm afraid this is the best I can do. I don't know where your camp is and mine was too far down the mountain, so I carried you here, to a secret camp location only I know of."
"Eh?"
The huntress sighed, "You collapsed from the cold and hypothermia. I saved you and brought you here. You nearly died. Be thankful."
Siegfried scoffed, "Pfft, I appreciate it, woman…"
"You better be."
"Also, what happened to the Gammoth we were hunting?"
"About that. The harsh weather and cold made it impossible for the Felynes to haul its corpse back. The Wyvern ship captain, however, told me that he would explain to the Guild what happened. You're likely still going to receive your reward, so don't fret."
"Thank god."
"Of course, since I assisted you, I would be receiving half of the reward money as well."
Siegfried shook his head and kicked off the warm blanket covering him and sat on one of the frozen logs. He shivered, hugging himself and moving closer to the fire. "It's still bloody cold…"
"Oh man up. You're not a child, are you?"
"Of course not. I'm a hunter."
"Then act like one now." She grabbed a wooden bowl and poured some soup into it. She offered it and a wooden spoon to Siegfried. "Take it."
You're acting like my mother. "Gee thanks…" Siegfried mumbled, taking the bowl. He stared at the bowl of brownish liquid with bits and chunks of things he didn't know. Hesitantly, he sniffed the soup. It kinda smells good…
Eris rolled her eyes, "Oh, for Gog's sake, just eat it."
"How am I going to be sure that you didn't poison this woman?!" he said, expecting a retort from her.
"…Is that what you really think of me? Even after all this?" the huntress asked him, face turned away. At that moment, Siegfried realized that he may have gone too far.
"…" The hunter attempted to speak, but no words came out.
"I thought as much." She wordlessly went back to quietly eating her bowl of soup. The air, filled with unbridled tension, so thick that Siegfried felt it. He stared at his bowl, wondering what he did wrong. Shit, I may have gone too far there… He took a deep breath and attempted to make amends.
"Look Eris I…" He hesitated, unable to form the words.
"I didn't mean…to…well, you know…" Siegfried was not one to apologize genuinely to someone. To him, it might as well be the same as lifting a large boulder on one's back and carrying it uphill. It was more difficult than he imagined. Please say, something woman!
Unfortunately, Eris ignored him, continuing to silent finish her meal. Great, she's giving me the silent treatment now…
"Just…Shit, I was wrong to…say that to- "
"Your soup's getting cold."
Siegfried flinched at her cold remark. He looked back towards his bowl, idly stirring the spoon in the brown liquid. For the love of Gog Siegfried why can't you just… The hunter closed his eyes and took a deep breath and gently placed the bowl down onto the ground. He clenched his fists before violently smacking himself in the face. Startled by his sudden display of self-harm, Eris watched with widened eyes as the hunter repeatedly punched the sides of his own face. He then turned around and spat a bloody tooth at the ground before he reached for his pouch to take a potion. Eris could not understand the implications of his actions.
Phew, that felt better… Siegfried thought as his tooth magically grew back and his bruises healed. He then turned towards Eris. "Eris. I'm sorry. I did not mean to…to say those words to you. I admit I may have gone too far with that when I should have been grateful that you saved me and treated me instead of just leaving me to die in the snow. I cannot thank you enough for that." Finished with his apology, Siegfried turned away and back towards his bowl. Eris did not reply. I do not expect her to forgive me for that but at the very least, my chest feels a lot lighter now.
Siegfried held the bowl in both hands and slurped down the entirety of it in a matter of seconds. "If you want me to leave, then I have no qualms with that." He couldn't bear to look at her. Defeated, he placed the bowl and spoon down and stood up to leave. He had just moved to grab his gear when-
"That wasn't so hard now was it?"
His eyebrows rose and he turned around to find Eris smirking. This time, Siegfried couldn't help but scowl, his face flushed and red. "Y-You…"
"I knew you weren't actually serious back there. I just wanted to mess with you." She laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face when you tried to apologize to me. Hilarious!"
Siegfried couldn't believe it. The woman had tricked him and coerced an apology out of his mouth. The Fire King apologizing? Preposterous! "Is this your attempt at getting back at me?"
"Perhaps?" Eris replied with a cheeky grin.
Siegfried blushed. "Tch. Annoying woman." He moved to sit back down on the log. The moment he did, Eris took his bowl and gave him a smile. "Would you like another helping?"
Siegfried felt a rumble in his stomach. Begrudgingly, he nodded. Eris chuckled as she filled the bowl with more soup before handing it over to the hunter. "Don't worry about running out. There's enough for both of us." Eris was aware of how much food hunters like she and Siegfried needed, which was the main reason why she had filled the pot to the brim with the special soup she had made.
"Thanks," Siegfried mumbled as he began slowly eating the soup, savoring its flavor this time. The warm soup filled him with a pleasant and relaxing warmth eased him to the core.
"I can tell that you enjoyed it. Well, that is to be expected. Be thankful that you're the only other person other than my family that gets to experience my cooking."
"Never change woman, never change…On a side note, what did you make this with?"
"What, you plan to steal my recipe?"
"What kind of person do you think I am?!"
"A lecherous idiot who doesn't give a single damn about his own safety."
"I…Never mind." Siegfried quickly gulped down the last remaining bits of what appeared to be meat on his soup. "Look, I'm just curious alright? Besides, I'm perfectly capable of cooking gourmet cuisine. Why would I need to steal your recipe?"
"You can cook? Well, that's something…"
"When you live on your own for 5 years, you learn a thing or two about taking care of yourself."
He was alone for 5 years? Huh… "Hmmph! Well, it's a family secret, so only members of my family would know."
"Then I guess I'd had to marry you to learn the recipe eh?"
"…"
"…"
Edmond, froze in his spot, unable to move. He gulped nervously, his sweat dropping to the ground and staining his hood. His hands unconsciously reached for the dual swords on his back hidden by the cloak. Oh no, no, no! Did they see through my disguise?! He looked around frantically, desperate to find the source of the voice.
To his surprise, it came from the front of the line.
Edmond's hysteria began to fade as he leaned to the side to get a better look at what happened at the front. To his surprise, the source of the voice happened to be one of the guards standing by the gate. The guard forcefully pulled a young woman out of the crowd by the hand.
"You, what are you carrying there? It better not be that new drug that has been going around for some time. What was it called again? Opam…OPM...Opifam?"
"Opium," answered another guard.
"Thank you, Steve. Now, tell me."
The woman responded, albeit meekly. "T-This is just a gift for my father…"
"Hmm…I don't buy it." He clicked his fingers and another guard moved out for formation. "Take her to the room. Inspect her more thoroughly."
Edmond could have sworn he saw the guard smirk. "Understood sir." He then watched as the guard escorted the terrified woman out of the line and towards the inspection room inside the wall. Edmond however, fumed with rage as he watched the exchange. The people in front and behind him murmuring didn't help either.
"I heard that's the 3rd one for today."
"Poor girl."
"Nothing we can do, however. They'll have our asses if we report them to the higher-ups."
"Maybe even the higher-ups are just as corrupt as they are…"
During his time as a Guild Knight, Edmond had been aware of the corruption slowly growing within the Guild. The once esteemed Hunter's Guild had been gradually going off rails for many years now. Power, money, and fame had tainted the solid foundations of the Guild over the years and as a result, the people suffered for it. He feigned ignorance for his entire time working with his colleagues when in truth, he had been secretly investigating the organization he worked for. But seeing the events happening in the flesh – right in front of him no less – brought forth copious amounts of rage and disappointment. The Knight had always known the "Border Watch" weren't what they seemed to be but reporting them to his superiors did no good the last time he tried. They would sternly brush him off and warn him that insolence is punishable so in the end, he kept quiet. Edmond so desperately wanted to walk up the front, reveal himself and beat the living daylights out of those soldiers as a form of retribution.
But he knew it would only do more harm than good. He gritted his teeth and continued to wait in the queue of people, hiding his growing murderous intent.
As it neared his turn for inspection, Edmond realized something. They're going to tell me to take off my hood! Crap, crap, crap! I should have thought of this sooner! He stood there, thinking desperately of his next plan. He looked forward, eyeing the guards standing by the gate. If I get caught, perhaps I can make a run for it? No, there's too many of them. And on the off chance that she's here…He failed to realize that there was now only one person in front of him in the line.
"Alright, you're clear." The person in front of Edmond sighed in relief before walking forward. "Next!"
Oh no… Edmond gulped and slowly moved forward.
"Take off your hood," the guard commanded.
Shit, shit, shit…Oh god, help me… Slowly, he reached for the hood and hesitantly pulled it…
"What the hell is going on back there?!"
Edmond stopped, pulling back down his hood in response to the commotion behind him. He looked back, to find a group of people in what appeared to be a fight. The knight noticed that one of the men in the group looked remarkably drunk. Typical drunkards…
The drunk man had apparently joined the line of people and managed to aggravate a few of the people queuing up. The verbal spat escalated quickly into a fistfight.
"Hey, all of you stop!" The guard pointed at the group as his colleagues moved forward to intercept.
"So, can I pass?" Edmond asked the guard, changing the tone of his voice to avoid detection. The guard, however, didn't respond, too pre-occupied with the fight happening behind the line.
The guard didn't respond again. His eyes were glued to the fight and he continually barked orders at his men, who were attempting to stop the brawl. "Hello? Can I pass please?" Edmond asked again.
When the guard still didn't respond, Edmond asked for the third time. "May I please pa- "
"Just shut up and go!"
What an idiot. Thanks anyway! "Thank you." Edmond briefly bowed before hurriedly making his way past the gate. That was way too close…For a second there I thought-
His thoughts were interrupted with a halt when a familiar figure entered his field of vision. In response, he quickened his pace.
Their gazes met briefly as an armored woman marched past him towards the opposite direction, accompanied by a squad of armored guards trailing behind her.
"Was that…" she muttered, looking back as the cloaked individual exited the walls and disappeared amongst the crowds of people in the outside market. "Edmond?"
Having arrived at Val Habar, Siegfried was greeted with a blast of warm, hot air. A pleasant exchange compared to the freezing cold climate of the Snowy Mountains. However, an entirely different feeling of coldness made Siegfried shiver. Almost.
Me and my big mouth… Siegfried thought with a sigh. The woman beside him radiated such a cold aura that the people they passed visibly shook and moved away from them.
"H-Hey Eris…"
"What?"
"…Never mind."
She shook her head angrily, "Unbelievable."
The moment they entered the Val Habar Guild Hall, the entire place went silent. Head turned as they attempted to make sense of what they were seeing. One thought simultaneously flew into their heads. 'The Fire King and Ice Queen are together?'
The two ignored the questioning stares and murmurs and proceeded towards the quest counter. Eris slammed her hand onto the desk, startling the sleeping Guildmaster off the table.
"What in the heavens…Oh?" The small Wyverian man hopped back onto the table and gave the two hunters a cheeky grin. "Well, well…It's been a while you two. I see that my efforts have paid off."
"We are not together," the two said simultaneously.
"Oh? But I thought- "
Eris was the first to snap, "Can it midget! I didn't come here to discuss my non-existent love life. I came here for my payment." She took out a rolled-up paper and handed it over to the receptionist. "It's the quest, to slay a Barioth."
"Ah, that one. Please wait for a moment."
"Mine too," Siegfried interjected, handing the receptionist his own rolled up piece of paper. "Gammoth slaying quest."
"Oh, that one as well. We were informed by the Wyvern Watch that you were unable to extract the corpse? That is alright. One moment please then."
As the two waited for their respective payments, a group of familiar faces approached them. "Eris Marianne Havencroft."
The aforementioned person turned to see a Glavenus armored huntress approaching her. She frowned, recognizing her. "Hilda… Is there a problem princess?"
"Oh, you remember who I am? Funny, I was told that you don't bother to remember the names of insignificant folk like us."
"Don't be crass. I always make sure to remember the names of those who annoy me the most. Why fucking hello there Hilda."
The two women glared fiercely at each other as the rest of the Fated Four and Siegfried gulped nervously. The tension in the room rose exponentially. It was one thing to piss off a strong huntress, but it was a whole other thing to piss off two of the most fearsome huntresses of the Guild.
"I-I'm sorry but, do you two know each other?" Siegfried asked the two, immediately regretting his decision.
"Oh, I forgot about you as well. I believe I've never properly introduced myself. My name is Hilda. And to answer your question, she and I- "
"-were classmates back at the Academy." Eris finished, still scowling at Hilda.
"And my rival."
"Self-proclaimed rival." Eris corrected.
The people gasped and began to whisper amongst each other. "The Ice Queen and Hilda were classmates?" was the most common question tossed around.
"But didn't you two meet back at the ship to Bherna?"
Hilda huffed, "That? Well to put it simply, I didn't care. I mean, what's the point of greeting a former classmate after so long? It's a complete waste of time and painfully awkward, especially if it's... you, we are talking about. But I digress. What matters is the present and now after what you two did, I do happen to care now."
"Oh, great what did I do wrong this time? Got a higher score on a written test? Aced the physical exam? Or perhaps, did I "steal" one of your boyfriends again?"
A loud oooh came from the crowd. Hilda glared at them. "Quiet!" She then averted her glare back at the huntress in front of her, who grinned smugly. "Insufferable woman…Are you purposely trying to make people hate you?"
Eris rolled her eyes, "I couldn't care less if people hate me. In fact, it's better that way. I won't have to deal with annoying deadweights, especially one that doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut."
"Why you- "Hilda attempted to attack, but Hanzo quickly grabbed ahold of her. "Let go!"
Hanzo sternly spoke to her, "You need to calm down. Do you want the knights to come here and arrest us all?" He then scowled at Eris. "And you! Learn to treat others with respect for once in your goddamn life!
"Hmmph!" Eris huffed, crossing her arms.
"Now with that out of the way…" Hanzo released Hilda, who had calmed down quickly. "Hilda."
"I appreciate it Hanzo. Now then, about- "
"Just a sec." Eris suddenly turned around and walked towards the quest counter. She returned a few moments later holding two envelopes. "Your payment," she said, handing Siegfried the envelope.
"Thanks."
Hilda coughed, "As I was saying, you two idiots had already gotten yourselves into a whole lot of trouble."
"The heck did we do?" Siegfried asked, growing increasingly irritated.
"A certain esteemed Knight informed me that you two…fled from law enforcement and injured numerous guards attempting to arrest you. If that doesn't count you as a criminal or fugitive, then I don't know what will. Now, explain yourselves before I personally hand you over to the authorities."
Frozen in place, Siegfried and Eris mentally cursed their carelessness. Discretely, Eris glanced at the exit, noticing Siegfried next to her doing the same exact thing. It would be troublesome if they were to get caught in a brawl here. Not to mention, the Fated Four outnumbered them and unlike Claudius and his men, they knew how to fight properly. A brawl between beings with superhuman strength would have caused more destruction and mayhem than an attack by a single rampaging Wyvern.
"Well? Aren't you going to say something?"
"…Oh, would you look that! It's time, right Eris?" Siegfried laughed nervously asked the huntress beside him.
The huntress quickly caught on to his plan and laughed nervously alongside him. "Indeed, it is…Yup!"
Slowly, they backed away towards the exit.
"Huh? Time for what?" Hilda asked them, failing to realize their slow and steady escape.
"…TIME TO RUN!"
In a blink of an eye, the two hunters rushed out of the Guild Hall, as the crowd watched with open mouths. The Fated Four stood there for a second before reality hits them and Hilda sprinted towards the exit.
"Don't just stand there! Get them!" she commanded as she ran at full speed out of the Guild Hall, her teammates trailing behind her. All but one.
"It's ok, I'm fine. Just…leave me here…Pip wishes good luck…" the unlucky Palico said as he sat on a nearby stool. Curse these tiny legs and small body…
When a female Felyne waiter passed by carrying a tray of drinks, the Palico lit up.
"Why hello there," he said, batting his eyebrows and wiggling his ears.
The female Felyne simply rolled her eyes.
Edmond quickly dived towards another alley. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath. By the gods, that was way too close! I think she recognized me as well…
Catherine Sawyer, a woman one-year Edmond's junior. Captain of the Border Watch. A former classmate of his before dropping out of the Academy due to family issues. A stern, tough and commanding 26-year-old auburn-haired woman and one of the few who can go toe-to-toe against Edmond in a fistfight. The matriarch to her men, who hold fear, respect, and admiration for her.
May, or may not have held romantic feelings for Edmond, ever since their time in the Academy, though the aforementioned person is oblivious to her decade long crush.
The fugitive Knight took a deep breath and walked out of the alley. He placed the thought of her aside and focused on the current problem at hand. "The tavern where I met those two would probably be my best bet…"
He quietly walked towards his destination, moving in a way that won't attract attention. He waded his way through the market, trying his best not to push anyone and instigate conflict. When he spotted a patrol squad marching towards his direction, he swiftly moved behind people and hiding amongst the crowd. Once the guards were out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued towards his destination.
The tavern itself wasn't very hard to find. Edmond recognized the broken window on the front and the way the structure stood out amongst the rest. It certainly wasn't difficult to locate a tavern that had the words "THE CAT'S PAW" etched boldly onto the front. It pains me to enter such an unscrupulous establishment like this…But, I guess I have no other choice. He steeled himself and entered the tavern.
Inside, Edmond was greeted with the sight of hunters arm wrestling each other, Felyne waiters serving drinks and rowdy men laughing and drinking. He also noticed your usual group of shady looking people at the corner, a common sight within a tavern-like this. He sighed and moved towards the bar and seated himself there. Now to eavesdrop…
A gruff looking Felyne bartender greeted him, "What can I get for you, Sir Guild Knight?"
Alarmed, Edmond stared coldly at the Felyne. "How did you…"
"When you work in a place like this for more than 10 years, ya pick some unusual skills. Don't worry though, in here nobody gives a fuck on who ya are. All that matters is that you know how to defend yourself in case of a fight." The Felyne then frowned, as if remembering something. "Just please don't get into a fight. The last time that happened, the bastards broke this bar table and I had to work my furry ass off to pay for the damages."
He eased back in relief, "Thank you."
The bartender growled, "Don't mention it. Now, what can I get you, Sir Guild Knight? Or should I say…former Guild Knight?"
"…I'll have some beer."
"Gotcha."
As he sat there with a mug of beer, Edmond decided to ask the bartender. "Hey, do you know any good way for someone like me to redeem themselves in front of the Guild?"
"Why the hell are ya asking me?"
"I…never mind. Forget I asked."
"…Okay, I may know something."
Got him. "Enlighten me."
The bartender looked around before ushering him closer. "Do you know of a group called…the Revenants?" he whispered.
Intrigued, Edmond held his chin. "No."
"Well, to keep it short and simple. They are rumored to be the ones behind the corruption happening within the Guild. Some say that some individuals within the Guild are members of the Revenants."
"Who are these 'Revenants'?"
"I don't fucking know! All I know is these guys are bad news and that they are supposedly wiped out some decade ago by the Guild."
Edmond pinched the bridge of his nose, "Can you then tell me who else knows more about this?"
The Felyne pointed a finger at two people at the corner of the room, "Those two."
"Thank you." Edmond tossed him a few coins before standing up and making his way to the corner of the room. He cautiously walked towards them, anticipating hostility. It's now or never…
"He- "
"What do you want?" interrupted the blonde hair hunter sipping a mug of what looked like ale. He donned Lagiacrus X gear on his body.
"Well, you see- "
"If you're here to sell us that opifam…opam stuff then buzz off," said the brown-haired woman in Hermitaur X gear.
They think I'm some kind of drug dealer. Is it because of the hood? "No, no. I'm not going to sell you that horrid stuff. I have another proposition in mind."
The two raised their eyebrows but nonetheless relented. The blonde man clicked his tongue, "Fine. But if I catch anything suspicious well…I did warn you."
"Oh, I'm perfectly capable of defending myself so there's no need for shallow threats like that." The man glared at him, but Edmond was unfazed. The knight bowed briefly. "May I take a seat here?"
"Go ahead," the woman answered.
"Much obliged," Edmond said as he grabbed a nearby stool. "Now, a certain passing bird told me you two know of something."
The man shrugged. "Be specific."
Edmond grinned. Hook, line, and sinker! He spoke in a whisper, "Do you two know of the 'Revenants'?"
Suddenly, the man grabbed Edmond's wrist while the brown-haired woman's posture tensed. "Where the hell did you learn that name?" the man whispered back harshly.
Edmond smiled victoriously, "Got your attention, didn't I?"
The woman slammed a fist onto the table, "Who…the hell are you?" the woman inquired with a fierce glare.
"Well as you can clearly see, this isn't the best place to talk. So, why don't we continue our little chat…outside."
Outside the tavern in an alley next to the building…
He was pushed up against the wall, a hand gripping the front of his cloak. The one pushing him against the wall was not the man, but the woman, who was shorter than him. Edmond made sure to take note of the woman's strength. She could be very useful later on…
"Explain yourself!" she commanded.
"Now, now there's no need for senseless violence…" Edmond responded calmly, removing her hand off his cloak. The woman's eyes widened, shocked at this stranger's immense display of strength as he easily removed her hand off him by sheer strength alone. His grip tightened on her wrist and she winced in pain.
"H-Hey, let go!"
The blonde man stepped forward; eyes filled with anger. "Let go of her."
Edmond released her, "Whoops, don't know my own strength."
"I'm going to ask you this again. Who are you?"
Edmond sighed, "If you insist…" He pushed the hood over his head, revealing his identity to the two hunters. Their jaws dropped.
"I-It's you! The Guild Knight!" pointed out the woman.
"Got that right."
The blonde man stepped back, "You're a fugitive! We saw the posters and warnings."
"Yeah regarding that… I was blackmailed. My personal information leaked to the entire Guild. I cannot lie about some of the dishonorable things I may have done, but knowing that arsehole, he must have fabricated most of the information. Now, thanks to him I'm on the run with nowhere to hide."
"That doesn't explain why you talked to us. What do you want and why do you know of them?" the man said, leaning against the wall.
Guess it's time to confess… "…You know, I'm actually going to be completely honest with you. I don't know a single thing goddamn about them other than that I was told they may be responsible for the corruption within the Guild. Which is exactly why I'm asking you two for information."
The woman gave him a suspicious look, "Why the sudden interest though? It's not as if you've been involved with them once in the past."
"…It's so I can change this world if you understand what I mean. Having worked for the Guild so long, you would begin to notice something is amiss. If I uncover this corruption within and expose the Guild, the world will probably never be the same again. But it's a price I'm willing to take if it means a better life for everyone. With your knowledge on this organization, together we can take them down and effectively – quote on quote – 'save the world' if that means anything to you two. Then, with my power and status, I could reform the Guild to better serve its people. "
"…"
"Well?"
The man crossed her arms, "First off, how can we know you're not lying? How can we be so sure you won't betray us or anything? What if…you're a member of their organization?"
How can I prove to them…Wait, perhaps this symbol would be of use? Edmond rolled up his sleeve, "Does this symbol ring a bell?"
The two hunters jumped, clearly alarmed by him showing the symbol. Edmond grinned. Jackpot! "So?"
"W-Where did you get that cloak?"
"I found it on a garbage heap. Based on your reaction…I can assume that this symbol means something does it?"
The man clenched his fists, "Do you know what that is? I'll tell you. It's their bloody symbol!"
Interesting… "Well, as you can see, if I'm the enemy I would have avoided trying to show off this symbol to anyone other than those in the same group as I. What kind of shady cult member would willingly expose their secrets to complete strangers?" Hopefully, they believe me. If they don't well…I'm out of options.
Edmond waited…and waited…and waited for an excruciating few minutes before he noticed them nodding at each other.
The woman spoke, "Alright, we'll take your word for you. However, until you really show that you're really not going to betray us, we will not be telling you our names. And, if you're really that Guild Knight…" Suddenly, she grabbed him by front again. "You will take us to Siegfried, the hunter you attempted to arrest back before."
If she insists… "Siegfried? You mean that Rathalos armored hunter with the foul mouth?"
"Yes. We received information that you got into a fight with him and his partner. A woman with long silver hair."
"Eris Havencroft…that's the woman's name. Yes, that is true. We did get into a fight, in which I emerged victoriously. I can take you to them if you'd like." I cannot tell them that they both disappeared a day later. Apologies but I have to lie to you for now…
The woman looked at the blonde-haired man, who nodded. "Very well then. It's a deal."
Val Habar, half an hour before…
Siegfried and Eris sprinted through the crowd, shoving people aside as they attempted to find a way to escape their pursuers.
"This feels rather familiar…" Siegfried muttered to himself as he and Eris ran for their lives.
"Not the best time induce in nostalgia here Siegfried!"
As they continued to run, they soon came to realize that simply won't do them any good. In a few more minutes, they would have reached the edge of Val Habar, providing them with no more space or places to run. Their only hope now laid on one of the numerous airships docked at the port. Either that or they essentially commit suicide by jumping into the expansive Desert sea.
Siegfried frantically looked around him, "Shit, where do go we now?!"
"We can't just randomly board a ship either. They'll toss us out!"
In the distance, Siegfried spotted the figures of the Fated Four getting closer. They were catching up – fast! We're fucked…Siegfried thought sadly.
Just when they thought all hope is lost, suddenly a pair of hands forcefully pulled them both away from the open. The mysterious figure led them to a secluded alleyway behind the numerous market stalls, hidden under the darkness.
Siegfried was still in the process of figuring out what happened. "What the- "
The two hunters then stared at their savior, a mysterious cloaked figure who oddly enough, stood as tall as them. The darkness concealed the figure's face, hiding his identity from the two. The figure made no sound, instead, pointed a finger towards a certain direction. The two turned towards the direction indicated and to their surprise, they saw what looked like an airship in the distance.
"Why are you- "
Eris went silent when the figure held a finger against what seemed to be the figure's mouth. You want us to be…quiet? She glanced at Siegfried, who only gave her a confused shrug. Then from behind them, familiar voices.
"Where are they?!"
The figure turned around and practically ran towards the airship in the distance. Siegfried and Eris followed suit, choosing to follow this stranger instead of getting arrested… a choice that will change the rest of their lives forever. Concealed by the darkness, the three moved quickly towards the airship – their salvation. As they arrived at the airship's location, the two hunters could only look around in a mixture of confusion and fascination.
"I don't remember this section of Val Habar existing…" The two stood at what looked like a hidden port, concealed from the public. It was small but had enough space to house a large airship, making them wonder how the hell has it stayed hidden so well. The ship itself was unlike anything they've seen before. Big, red and had what appeared to be a dragon head as its bow and a flat 'tail' on its end. A Dragonator jutted out of the dragon's 'mouth'. Its sails were also crafted to look like wings, large and wide – suited for flight. The most noticeable feature, however, was the large envelope of air attached to the top of the ship, a customary feature of every airship that kept it afloat.
The mysterious stranger leaped onto the boat, surprising the two hunters at how athletic this stranger is. The figure stood there, beckoning them to come. The two glanced briefly at each other before dashing towards the ship and leaping high, landing on the ship's deck.
"Now what?"
The cloaked stranger didn't respond and instead, vanished behind a door leading to the inside of the ship. The two hunters stood there, dumbfounded and outright confused at what had transpired these past few minutes.
"I'm having a hard time processing what just happened…" Siegfried said, clutching his forehead. "First, we were chased down by those guys, then this stranger pulls us into an alleyway. We follow him to a hidden port that somehow remained hidden. The stranger doesn't speak to us, is suspiciously athletic and can now pilot a ship? What the fuck is going on?"
Eris held her chin, "I have no idea. At the very least, however, we've managed to evade those four."
"But can we trust this guy? I mean, he hasn't spoken to us once and we don't even know who he is, let alone his appearance and name."
"At this point in time, what choice do we have?"
Suddenly, the stranger popped out from the door. The figure then moved towards the edge of the ship and unsheathed a…carving knife?
"Wait a minute, that knife. Only hunters use it! Does that mean you're- "
Before Siegfried could finish, the ship suddenly rocked violently, nearly throwing both hunters off balance. "Woah!" They watched as the stranger used the carving knife to cut the ropes anchoring the ship to the port. Before long, the ship had begun to float. The stranger then moved towards the steering wheel located on the helm of the ship. And then, for the first time, he spoke.
"…"
"You want us to hold on? But- Woah!" Eris immediately held on to the ships' railings, with Siegfried immediately grabbing hold of the mast. The ship then began to ascend into the air through the large opening in the ceiling.
Outside, the crowds of people watched with widened eyes as a large airship appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Its unique look drew in a large crowd as they watched, mesmerized by its ascent. On the ground, the Fated Four too watched in a mixture of awe and confusion.
"What in the name of…"
Luca watched through his binoculars as a familiar sight on the ship came to view. Both surprised and mildly amused, he handed the binoculars to Hilda. "You may want to see this." When the huntress used the binoculars, her jaws dropped.
"I-It's those two…How?! Oh, for fu-"
The huntress's curses were no more than faint howls in the wind as the ship ascended into the clouds. Soon, the image of Val Habar became nothing more than a small patch of land in the middle of a vast ocean of sand. A minute later, the ship now floated above the clouds, unmoving. The cloaked figure spoke again.
"…"
"Kokoto? Are you sure?" Eris asked.
"…"
"That's reasonable. Are you fine with that as well Siegfried?"
"…Yeah," Siegfried replied, albeit rather reluctantly. Kokoto huh…
The stranger nodded before turning the wheel to the right and pulling a lever. The ship turned around sharply, causing the hunters to nearly lose their footing again. Siegfried in particular, intimately kissed the hard-wooden mast…with his face.
Clutching his now broken nose, the hunter cursed loudly, "Hey, be careful when you turn this thing!" Siegfried shouted, shaking his fist angrily at the stranger. Nearby, Eris cackled with laughter.
The stranger seemingly chuckled as the ship began to move at a steadier pace, slowly moving through the air with the aid of its 'wings'. With their destination set, the three began the hourly long flight towards Kokoto. The Village of Beginning.
Home of the very first Hero.
…
Night had fallen as the clear night sky revealed itself. The airship, now operating on an autopilot function, continued to move through the deep blue skies. In the distance, the stars shone brightly, painting a beautiful picture of the night sky.
The stranger had bid goodnight to the two and retreated back to the captain's quarters, leaving the two, wide awake hunters on the ship, alone together. This brought feelings of consternation for the two, as being alone on the ship would worsen the already awkward relationship between the two. Tonight, however, the two were resolved to finally attempt to reach a solid conclusion to their odd relationship…unbeknownst to each other. Which was why the two of them now found themselves staring at each other awkwardly as they both stood on the ship's deck, wondering what the person they were trying to talk to, is doing outside the cabin.
"…Hey," greeted the two of them in sync.
"Sorry, you first." Twice.
"What?" Thrice.
"Stop it!" For the fourth time that night, they spoke at the same time. The realization kicked in and they both laughed out loud. Genuinely.
"Idiot…" Eris giggled, shaking her head and wiping away her tears.
"What a pair we make huh?" Siegfried said, gazing at the sky.
Eris rubbed her arm, "…Actually, that's why I came out here. To talk."
"About us…" Siegfried finished, averting his gaze. Oh god, I sound like I'm breaking up with her…Not that we're romantically linked in the first place anyway. Actually, that doesn't sound too bad- Wait what?
Silence permeated between the two. They were unable to speak, too embarrassed to speak first. The Fire King and Ice Queen reduced to a bumbling mess. If their past selves would see them now, they would roll on the ground with laughter and disbelief.
Steeling himself, Siegfried made the first move, "For these past few days I've been thinking lately. I'm a skilled hunter, a really skilled hunter. One of the best in the Guild in fact. Nobody matches me in terms of strength, intelligence and dashing good looks." The huntress in front of him rolled her eyes.
"Really now? Strength? You're rather average. Intelligence? Please don't joke. Appearance? Well, to put it mildly, I guess you're…okay in that department."
"Hmpf! You're just too stubborn to admit that I'm handsome, are you?"
Eris faintly blushed, "I take it back. Your appearance would give an Uragaan a run for its money."
Siegfried sighed, "Harsh woman. Harsh. But anyway, back to the point. You see, a rare specimen of perfection such as I would need an equal to balance myself out. A rival, so to speak. After all, that's how nature is intended to work right? As of now, there is only one person worthy of being called my equal. And that person is on this ship as we speak.
Eris chuckled, "I wonder who this person is."
"They say to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. A fine statement worth noting."
Eris raised an eyebrow, "Siegfried, are you perhaps…asking me to be your hunting partner?"
The aforementioned hunter grinned, hiding the anxiety building within. "Correction. An official confederate."
Eris restrained the urge to laugh. "Oh? Never thought we'd bring in politics to this. But, since this is hunting we're talking about, then I guess I have no other choice. After all, I do get to reap its benefits." She extended her hand. "I, Eris Havencroft, humbly accept."
Siegfried took her hand and shook it firmly, "The agreement has been set and all parties have given their consent. With this, it begins."
The two laughed out loud once more, causing the sleeping stranger to fidget uncomfortably on the bed. "…!" yelled the stranger.
When they heard the stranger curse out loud, they laughed even louder. "Looks like someone's in a bad mood," Siegfried chuckled.
"…!"
Eris's mouth made an 'oh, "Sheesh, talk about a foul mouth…"
"Perhaps our stranger isn't as unique as we think he or she is…"
The huntress wiped away a stray tear from her eye, "You know this feels…different. To think, the two of us used to hate each other so much. Well, probably still just a little. In all seriousness though, I'd like to give this…partnership a try."
Siegfried smiled. "Yeah...Me too." Perhaps, if it's her then this won't be as bad as I thought it would be.
Somewhere in the desert in an unknown fortress …
"This is a terrible idea."
"What are you talking about Seth? This is a brilliant idea!"
"I don't know Hugh. Couldn't we have gone for a well…a less destructive and dangerous way to awaken it?"
"What other choice do we have? You've seen the way hunters 'sleep bomb' their prey. Why wouldn't it work here?"
"This is simply too dangerous and- "
"What's taking you two so long?"
The two hooded figures turned towards the intruder. The figure hopped down from the top of the ledge onto the large open sandy area below. The figure was armored, donned in black armor and a covered visor hiding the figure's face. A cloak covered the figure's body, complete with a hood.
"Medea." Hugh bowed. "Apologies for the delay."
The figure named Medea stopped in front of them, "Well? What's the delay?"
Hugh gestured behind him with his thumb, "Seth here thinks it's too dangerous to use these explosives to awaken it."
"Dangerous? Really?" Medea turned towards Seth, who cowered in fear. But the armored figure sighed, "Fine. I'll do it myself. Both of you, stand back."
Seth and Hugh placed the last bomb on the stack and hurriedly dashed away. They quickly hid behind a broken-down ballista and waited.
Medea unsheathed a pair of blades. "Here goes…"
BOOM!
The two watched with widened eyes as Medea was sent flying across the zone from the ensuing explosion, before tumbling onto the ground and coming to a stop in front of them.
"Are you alright?" Hugh asked, concerned for their leader, whose cloak had burned off from the explosion.
Suddenly, Medea groaned and slowly rose up. "Never felt better. Now, let's get out of here." Seth and Hugh suddenly found themselves flung upwards before landing on the platform above with a thud.
"Ouch…" they both muttered as Medea leaped high and landed right next to them.
Their armored leader pulled them up onto their feet. "Come. I can feel it awakening."
Hugh rubbed his sore back, "How can you be so sure?"
Medea grinned under the visor, "Hunter's intuition."
As the three left, the ground trembled furiously behind them. The stack of scrap metal, debris and old construction parts began to shake, heralding the awakening of an ancient creature from its long deep slumber.
With this, our first step in fixing this world shall commence. Medea cackled, alarming the two men who attempted to hide their discomfort.
Those idiots won't ever know what hit them.
Can you guys guess who the mysterious stranger helping Siegfried and Eris is? If it isn't obvious enough, the fact that only those talking to the stranger can know what is being said is a clue of its own.
This chapter is also where I introduce the villainous organization behind the awakening of this story's big bad. These guys were in the previous version of Fire and Ice, but I'm going to make sure that they get a proper spotlight this time. Also fun fact: Did you know Opium was one of the most used pleasure drugs in the medieval times?
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Leave a comment and review as well. I appreciate it if you do.