Enter the next chapter! I've decided to write longer chaps, so be prepared to wait a bit longer. Anyway, this chap is devoted wholly to plot with some new characters. Have fun!
And once more, please review! I know you're already reading it, but I need your feedback. It isn't that much work to post a simple comment and I'd really appreciate it.
EDIT: Now I got one! Sincere thanks to Lord Voldios for his encouraging words. It is a reward for me to know that you like what I do.
EDIT2: After finding out that the capitols name is actually Dondruma, I changed it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Monster Hunter
Chapter Five: A new beginning
Slowly, Reena ascended from the darkness that surrounded her. She could see a weak shimmer of light through her closed eyelids. Muted noise came to her ears. Now that she knew she was somewhat awake, the impressions quickly became clearer.
She opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was her sore muscles all over her body. The second was Dalmins grin.
"Oy, princess! Well, you awake?" he asked happily but in a volume that hurt in her ears. She frowned at him.
Ezakiel appeared at his friend's side and pushed him aside with more than just gentle force. He looked at her worriedly. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," she said weakly and rose. She was hurting all over and Ezakiel had to hold her shoulder to prevent her from falling back. Dizzily she looked around.
She was sitting on the barren ground at the foot of the mountain and was wrapped in a blanket. Ezakiel and Dalmin blocked her view to the sides and just a few feet away Zeshen was busy with the campfire. She looked briefly at Reena and smiled, then nodded and turned her attention back to her work.
"How long have I been asleep?" Reena asked.
"About a day", Ezakiel answered. "You've been pretty exhausted after your battle with the Khezu. Ah, yes, by the way, you did a great job with that. You've defeated it all by yourself. With that you reached your goal, right?"
Instantly her memories of the battle returned. Now that the fat monster was no longer standing before her, it seemed to be a dream. Hesitantly, she reached into her pocket, ready to wake up anytime.
She could feel something flabby and pulled it out. It was a rolled-up, burned, bloody piece of Khezu-skin. She looked at the disgusting thing with a smile, as if it was a nice birthday present.
"It's still some time 'till dinner", Dalmin said with a grin. "But if you're that hungry, then feel free to eat up!"
Confused, she looked at the stripe of skin, then at Dalmin, and her face darkened. She unrolled the skin and slapped it across his face, leaving a trail of slime on his cheek. He made a disgusted sound and stumbled to his backpack to get a towel, swearing all the way. He didn't find one, though, and ended up rubbing his face clean with the backpack itself. Ezakiel cracked up laughing and Zeshen shook her head with a smile.
"Well, now I want to know how you finished it off", Ezakiel said and Zeshen, who was done with the fire, came over to listen as well. "After all, it was only slightly injured but at the same time almost roasted. How did you do that?"
Reena told them about her battle and strategy. When she had finished, the three hunters looked at her in surprise. "You mean…", Dalmin said slowly. "…that we would only have needed to ram a sword into its body to make it kill itself?"
"Basically, yes", she answered.
"Who would've thought it's that easy to kill a Khezu!" The giant crossed his arms.
"We should tell the Guild", Zeshen remarked. "That would make future encounters with Khezus much easier."
"You mean I should tell them", Reena interjected. "It would be pretty suspicious if you could report about how I cleared my initiation. Besides, it was my idea in the first place."
Ezakiel scratched his chin. "Right, that fame goes to you." Then he smiled. "You fought a monster for the first time and already found a great new strategy. If you keep that pace up, you'll raise your Guild-Rank in no time."
Reena blushed at his praise and quickly changed the subject. "Um, how did you kill the red one? You haven't told me about that yet."
Even if it seemed impossible, Dalmins Grin widened again, and Reena thought that someday he will swallow his own ears. "I fed it with my Wyvern Fire. Blew up like a balloon. Don't think it'd do that great on a children's birthday party, though." He then flexed his muscles and slammed his fist on his breastplate.
Zeshen slapped him on his bald skull. "Stop gloating. If Ezakiel and I hadn't fixed its head, it would've bitten off yours." He slumped his shoulders and rubbed the spot where Zeshen had hit him.
"It was a wild battle", Ezakiel said. "We had to keep it from jumping after you or it might have eaten you." Something seemed to suddenly come to his mind. "By the way, how did you survive that fall? Don't get me wrong, but actually, you should be dead."
"I fell into that heap of snow where the Khezu slept in. Its skin cushioned my fall." She scratched the back of her head with a crooked smile. "I think I owe it my life." Ezakiel raised his eyebrows, and for the first time since she knew him he didn't seem to know what to say.
Zeshen interrupted the silence. "Dalmin, the fire is ready."
"Ah, great. I'll go to work immediately." He went to his backpack and took out a large piece of meat that was carefully wrapped in a wide piece of cloth. "We found a few wild Popos when we carried you down the mountain just a few hours ago. Meat stays fresh forever in this cold", he explained while putting up the skewer.
"I'll make a Spice-soup along with it. There are more'n enough herbs around here and water's no problem because of all that snow."
While the giant prepared the meal with unforeseen care and Zeshen helped him with the soup, Ezakiel decided the next steps. "I suggest that we take a rest after dinner. Reena could use some more sleep. Dalmin, you take the first watch, I take the second and Zeshen the third."
Reena noticed that he voluntarily chose the most unpleasant watch for himself, for the second one parted the sleep. He really is a good leader.
The meal was ready soon after, and once they had eaten their fill Reena curled up in her blanket and fell into a deep sleep.
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Two days later they reached the erratic boulders where Ezakiel, Dalmin and Zeshen had waited for Reena six days ago. They decided that she should go directly to the village while they camped there for another day.
When Reena entered the Guild Hall she approached the desk. The receptionist she talked to before her journey was standing behind it and smiled her fake smile again.
"Greetings, Hunter. I see you have survived your quest. Now I need some sort of evidence to be sure that you actually did kill the Khezu."
Reena decided to give her a piece of her mind, pulled out the stripe of Khezu-skin and dropped it on one of the papers on the desk. It was almost done and the ink was still wet, so when the flabby thing came down on it, it ruined about half an hour of work. Now the woman had to start all over again. Serves you right!
Reena gave her the cockiest look she could muster and placed her fists at her sides. "This should be proof enough. A piece of skin, just like you suggested."
The smile stayed on the woman's lips as if it was sewed to them, but her gaze was dripping with poison. A young hunter who approached them with a small piece of paper in his hand quickly about-faced and studied the blackboard as if he found something extraordinary interesting on it.
However, before the silent duel could escalate, a tall woman who seemed to be in her late forties stepped close to them. She had long, jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes. Her body was covered in a long, open white coat with orange lining that reached her knees, with a black shirt beneath it. She wore white linen pants and leather boots of the same colour.
It was the usual Uniform of Administrators of the Hunters Guild.
"Ah, Lady Reena! It's nice to see you in good health", she said honestly. "I'm Erris, Administrator of the Hunters Guild branch in Pokke." The two shook hands. "I received a letter from Head Administrator Temura just the other day. Your father seemed to be very worried and asked me to keep him up-to-date regarding your initiation. I'm glad to be able to tell him about your success."
The receptionist inhaled sharply and became as white as a sheet when she realized just who she was dealing with. Reena couldn't resist the urge to give her a wicked smile and wink. Erris noticed that and raised an eyebrow in wonder.
"Is something the matter, Mira? You look pale. Aren't you feeling well?" Mira regained a bit of her composure but was still pale. "No, Mylady, I'm fine", she said hoarsely.
"Wonderful!" Erris stated with a smile. Then she turned back to Reena. "Now, then, let's go to my office. I'd like to talk to you before we get to business."
Reena followed the Administrator into a spacious office. The room was scarcely furnished: A massive granite Desk was placed in the middle, with an opulent arm chair made of wood and bone behind it. A similar, albeit not as valuable chair was standing in front of the desk, apparently for visitors. The walls were covered with trophies, mostly the heads of monsters. Among others, Reena could see a Blangonga and a Rathalos, but the actual centrepiece came into view the instant one stepped into the office.
The front wall was occupied by the perfectly preserved head of a Tigrex. Blue and yellow scales covered the skull and the maw was slightly opened to reveal rows of long, razor-sharp teeth with eerie red stains on them. The eyes looked like they were alive, even though they were probably made of glass. Even in death it seemed dreadful, and Reena could perfectly understand why even experienced hunters were afraid of this beast that was said to be wild, brutal and unpredictable in battle.
"Please, have a seat", Erris said and gestured towards the visitors chair while making herself comfortable in her own. Reena sat down on the comfy piece of furniture and looked at the Tigrex once more. She cringed in shock when the Wyvern seemed to glare at her with pure hatred. She noticed that the eyes were precisely arranged in a way that made them stare at anyone who sat in this chair.
Erris smiled when she saw Reenas reaction. "Impressive, isn't it? Don't worry; it can't do any harm anymore. Except frightening visitors, of course. Your reaction is nothing special.
Reena looked at it uneasily. "Is that real blood on its teeth?"
"It fought rather aggressively before I put it into this state."
"You killed it? But that means…"
The Administrator nodded grimly, slipped out of the right sleeve of her coat and put her right hand on the desk. The shirt she wore beneath was sleeveless, so Reena could see the tight netting of scars that reached from her wrist up to her shoulder.
"It simply bit through my long sword, so I had only my hunting knife left. I managed to slit its throat with it."
"And how did you get these scars?" Reena asked while trying to fight the nausea this sight caused her.
Erris cracked a grim smile. "Its shell was way too hard. I had to cut its throat from within.
Reena paled instantly. The thought of sticking her arm into the maw of a raging Tigrex to slit its throat with a hunting knife while the monster bit her made her blood freeze solid.
"But enough of old horrors. The present ones are bad enough. Speaking of which, how was your hunt? You don't look chewed on at all, so I surmise it went well."
Reena decided to ignore the Administrators strange humour and told her about her battle. When she eventually explained how she killed the Khezu, Erris burst out laughing.
"You used perfume to make a Khezu commit suicide! That's the craziest story I ever heard since my battle against the Tigrex!" She calmed down a few seconds later and looked intensely at Reena. "Does this really work? The electricity kills it when you pierce its fat with a steel blade?"
Reena nodded. "It's quite simple actually. You just have to come up with leaving your weapon in its body."
"It's good to know that today's youth knows how to use their heads. My son has a knack for unusual solutions too, you know. He's a hunter as well and, with his friends, gives the monsters a hard time. Unfortunately they are about the only ones who think beyond their weapon. I held too many speeches at graves to count, but in most cases the Hunters died because of their lack of creativity. I'm glad that there are still people you can depend on even in difficult times."
Reena blushed again upon being praised so generously. Her father was always pretty reserved when it came to her abilities. He probably wanted to discourage her with that to make her abandon her dream of becoming a hunter. If it weren't for her best friend Liam who always supported and encouraged her, she knew she would have given in to his urging.
But that's over now.
Erris didn't seem to expect an answer, for she continued. "Well then, I don't want to keep you waiting any longer. After all, you're here to be accepted into the Guild, not to listen to my rambling about the present dunces." She rose from her chair and Reena followed suit.
"Before I include you into the ranks of the Guild, you have to swear an oath. Please do not forget that it will bind you to the Guild for the rest of your life. Break it and you will be cast out and left without an opportunity to renew it. You would be excommunicated and marked as a traitor forever. Do you accept this?"
"Yes, I do", Reena said determined.
Erris gave her a curt smile, then stood erect and looked deep into her eyes. Reena followed her example and returned the gaze.
"Reena, are you willing to devote your life to the people?" the older woman asked with an authority in her voice which Reena had only heard in that of her father before.
"Aye!" she answered with resolve in the official fashion.
"Are you willing to be ever faithful to the statutes of the Hunters Guild?
"Aye!"
"Are you willing to carry out your duties to the best of your abilities?
"Aye!"
"Are you willing to pledge these words on your life?"
"Aye!"
"Then pledge!"
Reena took a deep breath before she continued. "I am willing to devote my life to the people, to be ever faithful to the statutes of the Hunters Guild and to carry out my duties to the best of my abilities. That I pledge on my life!"
Administrator Erris nodded gracefully at her. "Then you shall be a hunter from this day forth. I welcome you into the ranks of the Guild of the Hunters. The words have been spoken. Now let your deeds follow in their footsteps."
"I will."
Erris' features lost their formal tension, making way for a cheerful expression. "And that's all there is to it. You did great!" She gestured to Reena to get seated again, dropped in her own chair and took something out of a drawer and gave it to her.
It was a small card carved in bone, polished till it shined. The symbol of the Hunters Guild, an archaic red cross on a black background, was artfully painted on the right half of it. Engraved on the left half was Reenas name and also a row of three stars.
These stars showed her rank in the Guild and defined which quests she may accept and which she may not. There were a total of eight stars, which meant eight difficulty levels and six ranks. With rank one she was allowed to accept quests of the first three levels. Every rise in rank added one more star to her card. Higher-ranked quests could only be accepted if she was in company of a member of the Guild who had the necessary rank.
These rules had saved the lives of many hunters in the past, for the differences between each level were distinct. One-star-quests for instance were mostly about the gathering of specific items in monster-infested areas such as mushrooms or herbs, or the hunting of small monsters like Velocipreys, which were hardly more than an annoyance for experienced hunters.
On higher levels things started to get serious. Strong monsters had to be slain, which was mostly a task for a group of hunters, although there were a few cases of hunters who could do them on their own, like Erris.
However, the most dangerous Monsters were the elder dragons such as the Kushala Daora Ezakiel slew. Only the best were allowed to challenge these beasts and even those didn't always return.
Reena put the card in her pocket. "Thank you, Administrator Erris. I won't disappoint you", she said with a smile.
"I'm sure you won't." The woman said. "I can see a lot of potential in you and I have a knack for that. I will watch your progress with interest." The hunter was aware that these words were not only a praise but a warning as well.
"Well then", Erris said as she rose again. "Everything's said now. If you have any questions, ask them now. Otherwise, an employer is waiting at the entrance of the Guild Hall to bring to the house we prepared for you."
"There is indeed something." Reenas lips formed a small, somewhat wicked smile, making the Administrator raise her eyebrows. "The woman at the reception, the one you called Mira…"
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Reena showed Mira a sugar-sweet smile when she went past her and left the Guild Hall. A man in the uniform of employers of the Guild was waiting outside. When she recognized him, her face brightened instantly. She closed the distance between them almost running.
"Liam! It's so nice to see you", she called from afar.
On the first glance Liam was a plain man. His brown hair was short and neatly done. He had brown eyes that didn't miss a thing and his voice was as calm and collected as usual. Liam was the most patient person she knew. The two of them had been friends since their early childhood and were as close as siblings. He was an employer and ambassador of the Guild even though he was no hunter and also a master of the sword who was said to be the best fencer of the continent. However, above all he was the secret right hand of her father, serving him unofficially in family-matters. It had also been him who hired Ezakiel and his friends to help her with her initiation.
She embraced him curtly and then took a step back. "What are you doing here?"
He had his hands folded in front of him and stood very erect, a posture that looked stiff and military, but Reena knew that he stood like this when he was relaxed. "I'm supposed to lead you to the House you will live in during your stay in Pokke."
"So Erris was referring to you when she mentioned an employer", Reena said.
"That's right. She told me to wait for you the instance you were seen on the road." His features relaxed. "I'm glad you're well. I've been very worried about you."
"Thanks, but that really wasn't necessary. You know I can take care of myself."
"But I also know that you tend to take unnecessary risks", he chided her. She pouted her lips and pretended to be hurt, but that ruse had long since stopped working. "Come, let's go. It's a bit of a way to the house. We can talk just as well while walking."
He led her along a small path. The houses of the villagers were standing at both sides of it. "Now tell me. How was the hunt?"
"It was… unusual", she answered.
"What do you mean with that?"
"Well, things went a bit haywire."
He looked at her chidingly. "I wouldn't like to pull every single word out of your nose, so please, be a bit more precise."
She sighed and told him what happened in the mountains. His frown grew more and more worried with every word she spoke. Her fall and the second Khezu in particular made him ill at ease. When she had finished, he was silent for a while.
"You are aware that your father won't like to hear that, no?" he eventually asked and looked at her. "That was very careless. In fact it was pure luck you survived."
She lowered her head in guilt. "I know. I made some misftakes. Without Ezakiel and his friends I would have been killed for sure. Two Khezus would have attacked me and eaten me or fed me to their larvaes."
"Now, now, don't be so pessimistic. You should only care about what did happen, not what could have happened", he said in a calming voice. "In the end it only matters that you defeated a Khezu all by yourself, defying all the difficulties you had to face. Your companions protected you, just as they were supposed to, but you could still prove your abilities. I say this mission was a perfect success and I will tell your father the same thing. I'm truly proud of you, Reena."
She smiled thankfully. They continued walking in silence for a while. It was no awkward silence, though; there was just no need for words. Eventually Liam walked towards a house that lay a bit more distant from the road. It was also taller than the average.
"Here we are", Liam said when he came to a halt at the door. "This house once belonged to one of the Hunters of the village, a man named Nathan. He was a renowned hunter, but he died fighting the Akantor about sixteen years ago. Ever since his death it is given to hunters who stay here for a while. The Guild kept it in good shape so you should find everything you need."
Reena looked at the house, her mind wandering. "Akantor, huh? The monster that killed my grandfather." Hesitantly she opened the door and looked inside. "Did he have a family?" she asked eventually.
"I'm not completely sure, but I think so." He thought for a moment. "Ah, yes, I have one more question. Where are Ezakiel and the others? I still have to reward them."
She looked back at him. "They wanted to camp outside another day so we aren't seen travelling together."
"A good idea. Well, then I will find out were they live and bring the reward there."
Reena failed to stifle a yawn. Even though she didn't really have to exert herself this day, the excitement of her acceptance in the Guild was taking its toll and the prospect of sleeping in a real bed after almost a week of cold earth seemed like a paradise.
Liam laughed quietly. "You look tired. It would be best if you got some rest. I have to wait until the day after tomorrow anyway, since I'm leaving with the trade-caravan. We can talk more some other time.
"Yeah, you're right", she said weakly. "I'll go hit the sack. Until tomorrow, then!"
He nodded and stepped back. "Good night, Reena." Then he turned and walked away.
Reena looked at the front of the house once more, and then entered. It was spacious and comfy, with walls and floor made of dark wood and several carpets lying around. There even were curtains, which couldn't really be taken for granted for a remote village such as Pokke.
When she finally reached the bedroom, she marvelled at the huge bed that took up half of the room on its own. She would have loved to simply collapse on it then and there, but forced herself to change into the thick, woollen attire that hung in the wardrobe and replaced usual nightgowns in this cold area. She left the pieces of her armour where she had dropped them, put her hat on one of the bedposts and crawled under the blankets.
She fell asleep the instance her head touched the pillow.
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Ezakiel looked at the stars while absentmindedly polishing his sword with a hand full of moss. About half an hour ago the moon had shown itself behind the horizon and the three friends had made a fire behind the rocks, where it couldn't be seen from the village. Since they hadn't really done anything all day, no one was tired, despite the advanced hour.
There was just nothing to do. Had there been a ceiling above them, it surely would've dropped on their heads by now. Ezakiel kept polishing, even though the blade already shined like it was just forged and reflected the moonlight. His thoughts went to Reena as well as another woman. He knew they had met by now and wondered what might have happened.
"Ezakiel!" Dalmin yelled, apparently not for the first time. "You still with us?" Ezakiel flinched startled and almost severed one of his fingers. He laboriously sheathed his sword again. "Excuse me, what did you say?" he asked.
Dalmin rolled his eyes. "You can dream all you want when you sleep. I asked you what you're thinking' about."
Ezakiel looked up again. "I'm wondering how their meeting went."
"She'll be accepted in the Guild already and getting some rest by now", Zeshen said. "She decently cleared the initiation and defeated a powerful monster. That's all she had to do."
"You're right", Ezakiel said. "She'll be having a restful sleep."
"Except…", Dalmin added with a grin, "… she's dreaming of a Tigrex chewing on her arm."
Ezakiel had to laugh. "I'm sure she was pretty startled when she sat in that chair. That happens to every new one."
"Why is Erris doing that in the first place?" Zeshen asked.
"She want's the new members to realize that the life as a hunter is no picnic. You can be killed anytime. That's why she shows her scars to them. They are the perfect proof for the risk we take every day."
Dalmin scratched his chin for a while. "I really gotta hand it to her that she didn't retire after that. Must've been one big trauma."
Ezakiel nodded. "Indeed she looks at her wound with mixed feelings. On one hand, it reminds her of a horrible experience and is also a symbol to have failed in a way. On the other hand, however, she sees it as an incentive to excel herself time and time again. That's why she's out hunting every minute she can spare."
The giant burst out laughing. "Well, she sure has surpassed us. She probably could've taken on both Khezus at once and told us a story 'bout real trouble while she's at it."
"What do you think she'll think about Reena?" Zeshen asked.
"I'm positive they get along just fine", Ezakiel answered smiling. "She likes it when you use your head. 'Hunting is a form of art, so be creative!' she keeps saying. I bet she enjoyed Reenas strategy."
After that, everyone was musing for a while. Eventually Dalmin cleared his throat. "By the way, guys, what should we do with all that money we'll get tomorrow. After all, that'll be 31000 Zeni per head."
Ezakiel looked at him suprisedly and Zeshen didn't seem to have expected that question as well. Indeed he hadn't thought at all about the reward yet, which was the very reason they accepted this quest in the first place. He thought about it a bit. "I think we should save it for the time being. You never know when you might need it.
Dalmin nodded. "Maybe we get to see a Lao Shan Lung some day. We could use that money for equipment like that."
That made sense. Though the equipment of hunters was made mainly of the monsters they hunted, the actual crafting was done by experts of the Guild who bill every assignment. Since the monsters were exploited by specialized teams of the Guild, all the materials went to it. However, the hunters who killed the monster had the first priority when it came to the creation of equipment of these materials. That was supposed to spur them to hunt the more dangerous monsters, for these gave better materials.
Of course the value rose with the quality. Lao Shan Lung-resources were the most expensive ones by far, since these elder dragons were said to be the most powerful monsters yet alive. Ezakiel doubted that even the huge amount of money they would get the next day would suffice to buy such equipment.
"I heard that their horns can be crafted into outstanding swords", he mused. "I could use one of those."
"And I could use a whole armour. That would be even sturdier than this one" Dalmin said.
Zeshen snorted. "Such equipment is far too heavy. I stick to this one. That's what I fight best with."
Dalmin grinned at her with exaggerated cheerfulness. "Well, then you won't need your share of the reward. You're free to give everything to me. Lao Shan Lung is costly."
"Forget it!" she hissed.
"Don't be so mad, you'll only get wrinkles", he continued teasing.
She glared daggers at him, and he was smart enough to keep it at that.
Ezakiel just rolled his eyes. "This banter will get us nowhere. We just save the money. There will be a use for it some day. End of the discussion."
They started to think for themselves again. Ezakeils mind wandered to his mother. She would be overjoyed to see him again and ask one question after another. He wondered what he was supposed to tell her, for he hadn't told her about the secret mission. She would be quite angry that he broke one of the rules of the Guild, even though he hadn't assisted Reena in her actual battle. He decided to keep that a secret and only tell her about the scouting quest and his encounter with the red Khezu. With that he wouldn't have lied to her.
Eventually Zeshen interrupted the silence. "Have you considered what we should do next?"
"Not really", Ezakiel answered. "We should rest for a day or two and stock up on supplies. After that we can choose something from the bulletin board."
Dalmin scratched his chin in thought. "What do you say, should we ask Reena whether she wants to come along?"
Ezakiel and Zeshen looked at him in surprise. "Where did that come from?" the latter asked.
"Well, you see, we could use her help and it's also more fun. A little cover-fire ain't bad and we could show her a trick or two. We'd all gain somethin'"
Ezakiel considered that. "I admit, she could be a help to us, but nevertheless, she is just a rookie. The quests we accept are a bit too much for her yet."
"We can't keep an eye on her all the time, Dalmin", Zeshen said. "She could make a mistake again, as she did with the perfume. Without the tremendous luck she had to fall on a Khezu, she would have died before even entering the battle."
"Yeah, but she still beat that thing all by herself after that" Dalmin retorted. "She sure got talent."
Ezakiel was still not convinced. "Albeit all the threat they pose, Khezus are relatively easy opponents. Other monsters, such as Diablos or Shogun Ceanataurs, are a whole other story. She just isn't ready yet."
"We were no different when we started", the giant said. "We were uncertain as well, and we had no one to help us. I'd say she's better off. After all, she'll have to face those beasts sooner or later anyway; we can just as well help her. A little assistance at the beginning can't hurt, right?"
Nobody could object that. After some time Ezakiel nodded. "I guess we could ask her."
Dalmin grinned like a Cheshire Popo and Zeshen looked up to
Ezakiel nodded. "You're right. Let's put up the usual guards. You never know what might lurk in the darkness."
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They left the campsite first thing in the morning and headed towards the village. On the way there they walked past the great pasture where the village's Popos were kept. Ezakiel watched the big, woolly animals with the huge tusks while they were walking through them. Some were already pretty large and would give a great roast soon.
Suddenly they heard loud shouting, followed by some swearing. It came from a young woman in thick woollen clothes who seemed to have fallen on her butt rather unpleasantly. She held a big cast-iron bucket in her hand which she flailed around wildly, as if to threaten someone with it.
The target of her anger was a large Popo that stood before her, grazing peacefully while ignoring her completely. The shepherdess cursed at the animal once more before getting back up on her feet. However, when she tried to put the bucket below its udder again to milk it, it turned around casually and pushed her to the ground again with its rear.
"Argh, how dare you, you rotten beast!" she shouted angrily. She seemed to attempt to attack it, but then it turned to face her and lowered its head to her eye level. "What are you looking at?" she asked irritated. Somehow her voice seemed familiar to Ezakiel, but he couldn't put a finger on it yet. Thus he decided to kick back and enjoy the show.
Then a little girl approached the two wranglers. She was a shepherdess as well, Ezakiel knew since he had seen her several times before whenever they came back from a quest. Her name was Aki. "Ooh, my poor little Popo! Did the mean woman bother you?" she asked soothingly. The huge animal turned towards her and rubbed its face on her chest, baaing fretfully while she patted its head, speaking comforting words in its ears with a honeyed voice.
The older woman didn't like to hear that. "What did you say!? How dare you! That thing knocked me over!"
Aki glared at her accusingly while putting her arms around the Popos head. "Popos are very kind animals. If he did that, it's only because you were mean to him. So apologize now!"
"Like I would!" the other shepherdess shouted. "I won't crawl before a stupid animal. If you are so insolent one more time, you'll regret it!"
Ezakiel had heard enough. He and his friends came closer. "Please, calm down already", he said when they reached them. "It didn't do that out of malice."
Aki saw him first and waved at him. While he waved back, the other woman turned around. "Now who asked…" She didn't continue. She instantly paled upon recognizing him and he as well couldn't believe what he saw.
It was Mira, the receptionist!
While Ezakiel tried to understand what she was doing on the pastures, Dalmin started to laugh wildly and pointed his finger at her. Even Zeshen couldn't stifle a laugh.
"What happened to you?" Ezakiel asked. That made Mira blush and run away towards the stables.
Aki looked at her confusedly until she disappeared inside the building, and then faced the hunters. "Do you know that crone?" she asked.
"You bet we do", Ezakiel answered. "She worked at the reception of the Guild Hall." He scratched the back of his head. "What is she doing here anyway?"
The girl put a hand on her mouth to hide her giggle. "She came here yesterday. The Administrator herself brought her here." Ezakiel raised his eyebrows in surprise while she continued. "She had on that weird dress that was way to thin for this cold and trembled like an aspen leaf. She never stopped grumbling."
Ezakiel was still confused. "Why did the Administrator bring her here in the first place? Did she say something?"
Aki nodded eagerly. "I listened when she talked to Mommy. She said there had been complaints about that woman and she had to work somewhere else."
When Dalmin heard that, he grinned slyly. "Do you think Reena got somethin' to do with this?" he asked. Ezakeil only shrugged, but it definitely sounded like something she'd do.
"She also said…" Aki continued, "…that we shouldn't go easy on her. Somehow she looked angry at that crone." She looked at them curiously. "Did she do something bad?"
Ezakiel nodded. "She was also mean to us and some other hunters. I think a friend of ours snitched on her."
The girl looked indignant. "Serves her right, then. We'll let her have it, that's for sure!"
Zeshen looked to the stables. "It looks like she's shirking."
"Oh, no she won't!" Aki said determined and followed her gaze. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "Then again, since she is at the stables already, she can just as well tidy them out. We don't want her to get bored."
Ezakiel memorized never to get on her bad side and smiled nervously. Aki took a step back. "Sorry, but I gotta tell Mommy to tell that crone to tidy out the stables. See ya!" With that she turned around and ran towards the main building of the farm.
"Run her off her feet!" Dalmin yelled after her.
Aki turned around again and waved. "You got it! Toodles!" She then continued running.
They continued their way back to the village. Zeshen shook her head. "I almost can't believe it."
Dalmin grinned. "You really got it right, you know?" She looked at him in wonder and he continued. "Everything can happen."
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Shortly after that they entered the Guild hall. They approached the counter where they were greeted by a young woman with short, blond hair.
"Greetings, hunters", she began with an honest smile that didn't end at the corners of her mouth like that of her predecessor. "How can I help you?"
Ezakiel raised his hand to greet her. "Hello. Say, do you happen to have started here yesterday?"
Her eyes grew very wide. "How do you know that?"
Dalmin grinned. "We met your predecessor on the Popo-pastures."
"We were told that she had started working there just the other day", Zeshen added.
"That's one way to put it", Dalmin mused.
The woman's smile faded a little. "The Administrator told me that she had neglected her duties." She seemed a bit ill at ease. "I didn't know you can get moved to the pastures for that."
"Don't worry about that, it hardly ever happens. She was really horrible and used to discourage hunters before they set off. That had to be punished." He thought for a moment. "Since we're going to meet a lot in the future, I think we should introduce ourselves. I'm Ezakiel. This is Dalmin and Zeshen." The three nodded politely.
"My name is Liva", she said. "Nice to meet you." She made a quick curtsy. "However, I take it you aren't here only to chat, right? Do you want to go on a quest?"
Ezakiel shook his head. "We just returned from a scouting mission in the mountains."
"I see. Well then, please report what you have found there." She opened a small notebook. The sheets inside were the same that hung on the bulletin board.
"We found two Khezus, a red one and a white one. The red one attacked us, so we had to kill it. The white one was, to our surprise, already dead. It looked burned, but we didn't meet any other hunters. That's all."
Liva put a hand to her chin and looked at them in thought. "The white one was dead, you say?" She took a large file out of the desk and browsed through it. "Ah, here it is. That Khezu was killed by an aspirant named Reena. She completed her initiation with this and returned yesterday."
Ezakiel pretended to be surprised. "A Khezu for the initiation? Not bad at all. The way it looked, I thought it was the work of professional hunters."
"Be that as it may", Liva said. "I still have to check what will be your reward for the red Khezu since you haven't accepted a specific quest for it. That might take some time since we have to find it first. But the scouting mission is all set. That would be 1000 Zeni each. Here you go!" She gave them three small bags of coins.
"Thank you kindly", Ezakiel said. "We'll return before long for the next quest. See you later." The three hunters waved in parting and left the building.
Dalmin scratched his chin. "Now there's just one thing left."
Ezakiel nodded. "That's right, the reward."
"I decided to leave it in your houses for you already."
They turned around startled to face the person that appeared behind them. It was the employer that hired them a week ago to look after Reena. He had put on a professional smile and stood very erect.
"Lady Reena already informed me about the events of your quest. You fulfilled your mission to her utmost satisfaction. I can assure you that Head Administrator Temura will share that opinion once I report to him."
Ezakiel lowered his head with respect. "It was a joy and an honour."
"That is good to hear." His smile grew more serious. "I still have to remind you that you must not say anything about this affair to anyone. This Assignment has never officially existed."
"Naturally", Ezakiel assured and Dalmin added: "We'll take that secret to our graves!"
"Excellent", the man said. "If you would excuse me, I still have to make preparations for my return to Dondruma. There are matters I have to attend to that don't allow further delays."
Dondruma was the capitol of the continent Minegarde. The continental HQ of the Hunters Guild, where Head Administrator Temura resided, was there as well.
Something came to his mind. "One moment, please." The employer nodded, but didn't say anything. "Could you please tell us where Lady Reena will be living during her stay here? We'd like to invite her to hunt alongside us."
"Of course. She moved to a house at the outskirts of the village. It once belonged to a renowned hunter named Nathan. Do you know it?"
Nathan!
Ezakiel could feel his good mood vanishing. His friends looked at him worriedly.
Of all the houses…
He didn't think that Erris had something to do with this. She would've picked another one.
"Is something the matter?" the employer asked.
"No"; Ezakiel answered and shook his head. "No, everything's fine. Thank you for the information."
The man saw through the lie instantly, but decided that this was none of his business. "You're welcome. If you have no other questions left, I would like to take my leave."
"Of course", he answered. "Thanks and have a good journey."
"I wish the same for you. Farewell." With that the employer turned around and left.
An eerie silence fell over the friends. Ezakiel tried to push back the sad memories. Even after all this time, the wound in his soul still bled.
"Are you all right?" Zeshen asked concerned.
He took a deep breath. "I'm fine. It's… long since past."
"Stop looking so gloomy! We should go back home and marvel at our fortunes!" Dalmin shouted cheerfully, obviously trying to lighten his mood.
Ezakiel nodded at him thankfully. "Then let's meet at the tavern in an hour. And after that we'll visit Reena."
The three hunters separated and went to their respective homes. Ezakiel looked to the eternal clouds of smoke to the south.
"After all this time…" he said silently to himself. He sighed once more and then continued walking.
xxxxxxxxxx
Reena woke up around noon, when the pale winter sun shined at her face through the open window. She stretched with pleasure and considered turning around again, but a whole day of sleep seemed enough to her. In fact she felt as if she could tear out trees with her bare hands. So she rose from the bed, stretched once more and put on a set of thick woollen clothes that hung in the wardrobe.
Then she strolled into the kitchen, with a small pantry adjacent to it. A great variety of food was lined up on the shelves. Thanks to the cold climate of this region, it took forever for something to spoil. She could see several sorts of meat, vegetables, bread, sausage and so on. Her stomach started rumbling instantly. It was then that she realized her greatest problem: She couldn't cook at all.
She scratched the back of her head in desperation. I should be able to make something out of this. After all, hunger is the best chef. She was just about to take a loaf of bread from the shelf when she heard a knock on the door.
"One moment, please!" she called, put the bred back and went to the door. When she opened, she was surprised. Ezakiel, Dalmin and Zeshen nodded at her happily.
"Hello, Reena", Ezakiel greeted. "May we come in?"
"Sure", she said. "Make yourselves at home."
They entered the House and got seated at the kitchen table. "It's nice to see you", she said. "What gives me the pleasure?"
"First of all, the hunger", Dalmin said grinning. "Have you eaten already?"
"No, not yet", she answered.
He looked to the pantry. "Is something in there?"
"A lot."
"Well, then I shall get to work immediately." He took a big tray that lay on top of one of the cupboard and went into the small room. From the kitchen she could hear his appreciating whistle. "You could feed a whole flock of Popos with this!" he shouted happily.
Zeshen smiled. "Then maybe it's enough for you as well."
His bald skull appeared through the door. "Say that again and you get the leftovers!" She smiled and shook her head at that, but Ezakiel didn't even seem to have noticed their banter, as if he was lost in his own thoughts.
Reena crossed her arms and looked at the two hunters in front of her. "I hope you're not only here to freeload on me. What's up?"
"First of all, we wanted to check on you. How was yesterday?" Ezakiel asked.
She told them about her conversation with Administrator Erris and proudly showed them her Guild Card. While she reported, Dalmin came back with a fully loaded tray and started to prepare the meal.
"Did you like the Tigrex-Skull in her office?" the giant asked.
Immediately a chill ran down her spine. "I was totally shocked. I thought it wanted to eat me." The others laughed understandingly. She pondered for a second. "It tried that with the Administrator. Her blood still stains its teeth." Quickly she cast aside these thoughts, after all they were going to eat soon. She continued and told them how Liam had brought her there. However, she didn't say anything about her friendship with the employer. Liam wouldn't want her to tell his secret to everyone who asked.
Ezakiel nodded when she had finished. "So, what do you think of Erris?"
"She seems to have a pretty strong will if she could continue hunting after all she went through. But she really has a strange sense of humour. 'You don't look chewed on at all', oh come on! What am I supposed to answer to that?"
The friends started laughing and Reena joined a moment later. When they calmed down again, she asked: "But enough of that. For what other reason are you here?"
The three exchanged a quick glance before Ezakiel spoke. "Actually, we're here to ask you whether you'd like to join us on our next quest."
She looked at them, stunned for a second, and then grinned. "Of course! I'd love to!"
Ezakiel smiled. "Great! We could really use your help."
"So, what do you want to hunt?" she asked.
"We don't know just yet. First, we got to check the bulletin board."
Dalmin stepped at the table and put the plates on the table. The meal looked delicious, partly because he could use so many good ingredients. "Let's celebrate that with a fine meal!" he called.
After they had eaten for a while, Reena spoke up. "Say, do you happen to know what's up with this house? I was told that it belonged to a hunter who got killed by Akantor. Is that true?"
The kitchen grew deathly silent. Dalmin and Zeshen glanced nervously at Ezakiel who had closed his eyes. The fork in his hand dropped onto the plate as if he had forgotten about it. Reena realized that she had made a mistake and wanted to apologize.
However, before she could say anything, Ezakiel opened his eyes again. "Yes, it's true", he said. Pain and sadness resonated in his voice. "Sixteen years ago. Nathan. He departed with his group to slay the Akantor, but never returned." He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath.
"He was my father."
Aaaaaand done! Wow, what a revelation! Expect a lot of those in the future. The next chapter will be a hunt again, so look sharp. And it's just a few more chaps until the real plot kicks in…
Anyway, I hope you liked the longer chapter. Please tell me what you think about it, and if you have any piece of advice or constructive critics, feel free to review them.