For The Living

by Ezakiel

When an ancient threat rears its head yet again, the Monster Hunters have to take up their arms to claim their future. Former "An Unusual Assignment"

6. Desert encounters

Here I am again! Sorry for the late update, I didn't have the opportunity to work at a computer for several days straight. I'll make up for this by submitting the next chapter a lot earlier.

Now I want to thank my reviewers, for they really help me with my motivation to write.

Thanks to Hirof2 for his overall great rating and the will to endure longer periods of waiting.

Also thanks to Kuzosama for his faith in my work. I promise to see this through to the end.

And of course special thanks to LordVoldios for all his help.

This chap's gonna be special. Not only is it long again, part of it is co-written with Lord Voldios. There are several references to his "By Our Blades". I suggest you read that, for it's awesome.

Anyway, enter the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The characters Seid, Dante, Merquel and Vindel as well as the Desert Rose Hunters and the location Fort Eden are property of LordVoldios.

Chapter six: Desert encounters

Reena walked towards the Guild Hall, Ezakiel and his friends by her side. Her mind wandered back to the conversation they had the other day – and to what she learned about Ezakiel.

---Flashback---

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up", Reena said worriedly.

Ezakiel only shook his head. "It's all right. I can't change the past, that much I know. I just try to always do my best to honour his name. That's my motivation as a hunter."

"To avenge him?"

Ezakiel closed his eyes. "That was the idea at first, yes. But soon I came to realize that revenge would bring me nowhere. It wouldn't return my father. Then we got the news that Mordecai slew the Akantor, and that was where the whole idea of revenge ended."

Reena didn't know what to reply to that, but he continued anyway. "I was ten when he died, eleven when Akantor died. I had a lot of time to think about it. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, and his death only made me want that harder." He opened his eyes again. "Five years later, we completed our initiation together and started to rise in the ranks of the Hunters Guild. Ever since, I fought to honour him, but my own life has to go on, too."

---End Flashback---

They had parted soon after that. There had been silence, and before it could get too awkward, Ezakiel suggested that they should meet here again the next morning to go to the Guild Hall together. Then they excused themselves and left. She was left wondering about his words for the rest of the day. It must take quite a lot of resolve to get over the wish for revenge after such a loss.

She turned her attention back to the group. Dalmin and Zeshen were bickering over something again and Ezakiel rolled his eyes He seemed to be in a much better mood than he was the other day, probably because of his friend's distraction.

Soon they entered the Guild Hall. Liva saw them and immediately waved them over. "Greetings, Hunters", she said, but somehow her smile seemed slightly worried.

"Is something the matter?" asked Ezakiel.

She sighed. "Actually, yes. You see, we just received a letter from Fort Eden. Apparently they have trouble with a monster that continues to elude their grasp."

Ezakiel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Fort Eden? Why in the world do they have problems with anything? I know of at least two Royals stationed there."

Reena was clueless as well. Everyone who had anything to do with the Guild knew the term "Royals". They were the most powerful and experienced hunters of all, the few who occupied the sixth and highest rank in the Guild. Each of them had a special name they were awarded upon attaining such an esteemed rank. For example, one of the more famous ones, Seid, was called the "Silver King" due to his shining silver armour. They also had an official title given to them by the Guild: Ashvelt.

Her father has been a Royal, Ashvelt "Windaxe" Temura, as well as her grandfather, Ashvelt "Dark Knight" Mordecai, but since Temura practically retired after her grandfather's death, he had long since abandoned that title. As far as she knew, there were ten of them at the moment, but she had no idea which of them was stationed in Eden.

"That's right", Liva continued. "Ashvelt "Sandstorm" Vindel and Ashvelt "Bloodhorn" Merquel are there right now, but the letter said that they 'have other matters to attend to'. The Desert Rose Hunters tried to pin the monster down, but they haven't been successful yet."

Dalmin scratched his chin. "What kind of Monster are we talking about, anyway?"

"It's a Monoblos, but not a normal one. They say it is white."

"Those are quite rare", Zeshen said. "They are said to be fierce fighters, even more so than the normal ones."

Reena was wondering. "But why are they sending letters to Pokke? We're not exactly close to the Desert."

Dalmin huffed. "Because the only village that's close enough is Randua. But that place is a dump. There are almost no hunters, and those who are are hardly experienced enough to feed the village." His voice was unusually angry, as if he was accusing the village for something. "I guess the only reason it still exists is because it's so close to Eden. The Desert Rose Hunters are a hundred times tougher than Randuas lazy lot."

"Dalmin, do you have aversions against this village or something?" Reena asked.

"Nah, it's nothing", he answered evasively. "Forget about it."

She frowned, but decided that he would tell her if it was important. Instead she addressed Liva again. "What about Kokoto? It's even closer, and there are some good hunters there."

"They received this letter, too."

"Eden seems pretty desperate about finding that monster", she mused. "Have there been any casualties among the Desert Rose Hunters?"

Ezakiel answered in Livas stead. "Most likely not. Ashvelt Vindel leads them, and he is known to be quite obliged to the well-being of his group. If there had been any casualties, he would have hunted it himself."

Zeshen nodded. "True, but that still might happen. I say we should accept this quest. This Monoblos sounds dangerous."

Ezakiel glanced at Reena, but before he could say anything, she spoke up. "Don't you dare reject me now. I'll come with you, and that's that."

He raised his hands in defence, the shadow of a resigned smile appearing on his lips. "I didn't say anything."

Liva nodded. "Very well, I'll register you immediately. But don't forget, this quest comes from Eden, so you will have to report to Ashvelt Vindel. He will also be the one to give you your reward."

Reena was confused. "Why him? I thought he is a Royal."

"Yes, but he is also the elder of Fort Eden."

She was baffled. Two high ranked jobs at the same time? He must be on his feet all day! Talk about pressure…

Liva continued. "I suggest you stop by there to get more details."

"And we can stock up there on supplies", Dalmin added. "There's no better place to prepare for a hunt in the desert than Fort Eden. The bazaar there offers everything one can wish for."

"You seem to know pretty much about that place", Reena said.

He didn't look too happy about that question. "Well, you know… oh, forget it. It doesn't matter now."

She was puzzled, but didn't ask further questions.

"Anyway, I suggest we prepare for our journey to Eden", Ezakiel said. "It's a long way to Eden, so let's get going."

They turned to leave the Guild Hall, but before they could make another step, they heard a disappointed squeal from behind them. Reena, Dalmin and Zeshen turned around again, but Ezakiel froze.

The person who just squealed was Administrator Erris herself.

"Ooh, don't tell me you're leaving again already. You've barely been here!" she said in that strange tone that one uses when they want to make someone feel bad and pity them. "You could at least stay for another day."

Ezakiel turned around, too, but only hesitantly. "I'm a hunter. I need to hunt", he said plainly.

"Sure, but you don't have to make such haste. Do you want to make your mother feel miserably?" she accused exaggeratedly.

"Of course not! Never!" he replied desperately.

Erris expression softened. "Aw, that's good to hear."

Before anyone could do or say anything, she walked over to him, hugged him and gave him a big kiss on his cheek.

Reena was shocked. What was going on here?

Erris noticed her astonished face and smiled while still holding on to Ezakiel. "What's wrong? I told you that my son is a hunter. Couldn't you tell?"

Son!? The Administrator is Ezakiels mother!?

Erris seemed to wonder. "By the way, what are you doing here with them anyway?"

Reena didn't know what to say, and the things she just saw and heard didn't help much, either, but luckily Zeshen answered for her. "We heard about her initiation the other day. She seemed smart, so we invited her on a quest."

Erris' face brightened and she absentmindedly tightened her embrace, making Ezakiel look even more uncomfortable. "That's great news. I'm sure you'll be a very great team. I hope you'll have some interesting stories to tell when you return."

Ezakiel spoke up. "But to return, we first have to leave. So could you please let go of me?"

Erris' good mood vanished and she looked at him with the unique mix of divine anger and indomitable authority only mothers are capable of and that no one dares to oppose. "Not until you promise me to stay another day. If necessary, I will keep holding on to you until the sun sets, so don't try to squirm out of it."

Ezakiel resigned. "All right, I promise. But we will be off first thing in the morning."

His mother instantly beamed again. "Good choice!" The fact that she practically forced him into this didn't seem to disturb her at all. She let go of him and he instantly took a deep breath.

Suddenly her face grew serious. "Just one thing. When you reach Fort Eden, you will meet Ashvelt Vindel, correct?" Ezakiel seemed puzzled, but nodded. So she continued. "You should be careful around him. He's quite infamous and said to be somewhat cruel. Ashvelt Merquel isn't much better. I'm not saying that they are dangerous or something, but you might get in trouble if you don't watch your manners. I've heard stories about Merquel. He's supposed to have beaten up a few hunters who insulted him." She looked sharply at Dalmin. "You in particular should not forget to show respect." He made a disgruntled face but kept quiet. Erris turned back to the others. "No matter their personality, they have done a lot for the Guild and the people, and they know it well. They demand the respect they deserve. Don't mess with them at any cost."

Reena was worried. "I always thought that Royals were all gallant knights or something. At least my father was like that, and I guess my grandfather too."

"Some of them are quite nice", she assured her. "Ashvelt "Silver King" Seid for instance is quite the nice guy. That and handsome, to boot." Ezakiel cleared his throat at her mothers swooning. She quickly snapped out of it. "Anyway, they are just like you and me, only much more experienced as hunters. Taking on a Tigrex wouldn't be a problem for any of them."

"What do you have to do to become a Royal?" Reena asked.

"If I recall correctly, Ashvelt Seid told me that he had to slay two Tigrex at once, and he did that on his own", Erris answered.

Reenas mouth gaped open. "Two at once? Is that even possible?"

"Apparently, yes. At least that's what he told me."

The four hunters were quite impressed, and rightly so. To be accepted into the Guild, one had to go through the initiation, during which they had to fight a strong monster. But to raise the Hunter-Rank, there were far tougher conditions. Firstly, one had to have slain some powerful beasts and proven them worthy of achieving the next rank. But that was just the qualification. After that came the trial. This is similar to the initiation, except that the Guild chooses the opponent. It is also a lot harder, for the higher the rank that is to be achieved, the stronger the monster.

"I never knew you met him", Ezakiel said.

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" she asked confusedly.

"No", he answered dryly.

"Oh well, it was no big deal. He comes here every now and then for quests. We've crossed paths and talked a bit. That's all. He left immediately after I gave him the reward."

Dalmin grinned. "He seems to have made quite the impact."

"Whatever are you implying? Sure, he was a nice guy and quite the looker, too, but that's all. I don't fall for just anyone."

"Anyway," Ezakiel interjected. "As interesting as this is, we need to get going. We still have a lot of ground to cover, so..."

Erris glare cut him off in mid-sentence. "I haven't forgotten your promise, young man. Once I'm finished here, we'll go home so I can attend you lovingly for the rest of the day. And before you even think about it: If I learn that you set off while I'm at work, I'll come after you and drag you back myself."

Ezakiel sighed in defeat.

xxxxxxxxxx

Reena awoke early, just before dawn. She wasted no time donning her gear and filling her pockets with everything she could need. They had spent about two hours buying necessary equipment such as hot drinks and cool drinks.

She decided that it was still early enough for a breakfast, so she took a loaf of bread and a large sausage out of the pantry and got seated at the kitchen-table. However, before she could start eating, she heard a firm knock on the door. Again.

Will this happen every morning, now? She smiled at the thought and went to open the door. Zeshen was standing in front of her, apparently alone.

"Hey, Zeshen", she greeted. "I was just making breakfast. Do you want something, too?"

"Yes, thank you", the other woman answered.

They sat down in the kitchen. Reena cut off a few slices of bread and sausage and put them on a wooden plate between them. "What's up?" she asked while starting to eat.

"Ezakiel told me to pick you up. You don't know your way around here yet, so I'm supposed to lead you to the southern gate."

"Right now?"

"In theory, yes. But we don't have to rush. I came a little earlier to make sure you're ready, and you already are." Zeshen smiled a little. "Besides, Ezakiel will need some time to wake up Dalmin. He tends to oversleep."

Reena smiled as well. "I can totally imagine that." She thought for a moment. "By the way, just out of curiosity, how did you meet each other?"

Zeshen looked at her, revealing no emotions. "Why are you asking?"

"It's nothing big!" Reena quickly said. "I'm just curious, that's all."

"Well, I guess I could just as well tell you." She stopped for a second, probably thinking about how to say it. "I was six when I came to this village. Ezakiel and Dalmin were already best friends. They were a year older than I am, always playing hunter." She smiled reminiscently at the memories. "One day I approached them, and they let me play along. Ever since, we spent every bit of free time together. We prepared to become hunters, and about nine years ago we completed our initiation together."

"Oh, right. Ezakiel mentioned it", Reena said. "What did you hunt?"

"We hunted a Congalala. It was an easy enough opponent. Besides, I wanted to hunt one anyway."

"How comes?"

"You see, I was born in Kokoto. My mother, Keles, worked in the Guild Hall and my father, Karn, was a hunter. But he had no talent. One day he set off with a friend to hunt a Congalala. The battle didn't go well, and my father ended up with a crushed leg. It had to be amputated."

Reena nodded understandingly. "So you wanted to hunt one to get it back for that?"

"That's right."

"But how did you come here, then?" Reena asked confusedly. "Why didn't you stay in Kokoto?"

Zeshen didn't say anything for about a minute, then she sighed. "It's because of my mother. She… she stole some secret documents from the Guild and sold them to someone. I never found out what kind of documents these were, but they must have been pretty important. My mother was excommunicated and banished from the village. We never saw her again. The other villagers started to behave differently towards us because of that, and resentment turned to anger, then hatred."

Reena was shocked. "You had to flee from your home?"

"That's right. You can imagine what a journey that was: a small child and a one-legged man. We barely made it. If it hadn't been for a hunter we met halfway there, I'm sure we would have died."

"A hunter saved you?"

"Yes. We never saw any monsters; the fatigue was just too much, especially for my father. But this man, even though he said he was on the way to a hunt, helped us get to Pokke." Zeshen smiled again. "I remember how he supported my father with his left arm and carried me with his right. He kept that up all the way to the village."

Reena was quite touched by that. "Wow! That must have been a pretty decent man."

"Indeed he was, altruistic to the core." She paused for a second, then looked Reena deep in the eyes. "His name was Nathan."

Reenas eyes grew wide. She didn't know what to say. She knew that Ezakiels father was a good hunter, but this really impressed her.

Zeshen continued. "He abandoned his quest to help us get a footing in the village, found a house for us, even a job for my father, who is now working as an accountant for several of the merchants here. But most importantly, I met Ezakiel because of him."

Reena thought about what she had said. "So that's how it was."

Zeshen nodded. "Nathan really was our saviour. It has been a hard time for all of us when he died." She put her hands together and leaned back in her chair. "And that's about all there is to tell about me."

Reena smiled at her. "Thank you for telling me your story. I really appreciate your trust."

Zeshen seemed to blush slightly at that, but it was hard to tell because it was still barely dawn and the colour of her skin hid the blush effectively. "It's no great secret or something", she said evasively.

"But still, thank you", Reena insisted. Then her face grew a little darker. "I haven't been too lucky myself."

"What do you mean?"

"It's because of my parents. You know about my father. Well, my mother, Isabel, is kinda special, too. You see, in fact she is part of the old royal family." Zeshen raised her eyebrows at that, but said nothing, so Reena continued. "No one important, though. She's a cousin of a cousin of the queen." She giggled. "Since she would never have had a chance to claim the throne, she abandoned her family and duty altogether and became a receptionist at the Guild Hall in Dondruma. That's where she met my father. Soon after that she gave birth to me."

She paused a little. "My childhood has never been too happy. After all, I was one of those 'elite-children', so I never really had the opportunity to make any friends. The only one I ever had was Liam, the son of a colleague of my mother. He always supported me and comforted me when my father was angry again. He's like a big brother to me. He was also the one who gave me the opportunities to train to become a hunter by asking his mother to organize training lessons and the like. You see, I was really proud of my father, who was such a hero. Of course, when I was six, my grandfather died and my father lost his zeal, but I still wanted to be like him. But when he found out that I was training, he got really mad."

"What did he do?" Zeshen asked.

"Nothing, really, except yelling a lot. He must have realized that he couldn't stop me anyway, so he occasionally helped me a little, albeit rather unwillingly. About two months ago he finally let me go to Kokoto to train my skills in real quests, and when I told him that my trainers considered me ready for my initiation, he looked for help. And, well, you know the rest."

"I see", Zeshen said.

By that time they had finished their meal. Zeshen rose and headed for the door. Reena quickly followed her, but stopped when something came to her mind. "Oh, right, just one more thing." Zeshen stopped and looked at her, but didn't say anything. Somehow this reminded Reena of Liam. "Could you tell me what the problem is that Dalmin has with the desert? He seemed to know a lot about it even though he doesn't like it."

Zeshen didn't move a muscle, but her gaze grew a bit softer. Just a bit, though. "Before you start guessing: There has been no tragedy whatsoever. It's nothing big, actually."

"But he seemed pretty secretive about that topic."

"He just wasn't in the mood. That happens sometimes." Zeshen paused. "I could tell you, but it would be best if you just asked him yourself. Anyway, let's go. He should be awake now."

xxxxxxxxxx

When they arrived at the southern gate, Ezakiel and Dalmin were already there. They seemed to be in the midst of conversation, but greeted the newcomers as soon as they saw them.

Ezakiel simply waved, but Dalmin hollered from afar: "Yo, Zeshen! Princess!"

They reached the two men. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting" Zeshen started. "We had breakfast."

"You had?" Dalmin asked crestfallen, before shooting a glare in Ezakiels direction, who pretended to not notice.

"I take it you haven't?" Zeshen asked with obvious amusement.

Dalmin crossed his arms and pouted his lips, but Ezakiel answered. "We would have, but Dalmin took forever to wake up. The time simply didn't suffice anymore." He gave Dalmin a mischievous smile, who glared at him again.

"Bah, whatever!" the giant said, annoyed. "Let's just get going. It's a ways to Eden."

"But before we leave..." Zeshen interjected, "…Reena would like to ask you something."

Reena looked at her in shock. She had planned to pick a better time, but now there was no return.

Dalmin raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Um, I just, uh, wanted to ask you...", she started nervously, then gathered all her courage. "...what kind of issue you have with the desert. You didn't seem to like it."

She had expected a few responses: Him getting mad or sad or simply evasive again. But he actually burst out laughing! "Yeah, I guess I sounded pretty mysterious yesterday. Don't sweat it! It's no big deal. You see, I was born in Randua. At that time the place was already falling apart. My father, Goras, was the blacksmith of the local Guild, but since there were no good hunters, he never had much work, so he earned only very little. When I was two, we moved to Pokke. This village was flourishing, so he was pretty busy. He earned a lot, so we had no problems anymore. My mother didn't even have to work, so she always looked after me 'n Ezakiel when his parents were out hunting. Her name's Esmerelle by the way."

"She's the one who taught him to cook", Ezakiel added.

"Yeah, she started when I was still a nipper. I could barely use a spoon."

"But if you were just two when you left, why don't you like the village?" Reena asked.

"Ah, you know, my father used to tell me about the life he had there. It didn't sound too pleasant, so I got some kind of aversion against it, I guess. But don't worry; I won't throw a tantrum or something. After all, we won't even go there."

"Speaking of which..." Ezakiel said. "...we should get going. There's no point in wasting time. We can talk on the way." The others nodded in agreement. "Okay, then let's be on our way."

xxxxxxxxxx

It took about four days to travel from Pokke to the territory of Fort Eden. The further they proceeded southwards, the hotter it became. Soon they walked through the outskirts of the desert. The heat was scorching. Only because of the cool drinks they were able to keep up a quick enough pace to cross the desert without getting short of supplies. Eventually, they stood on top of a high cliff, looking down at the structure.

Fort Eden was gigantic. Since it was build inside a large mesa, they could only see part of it, but that was still impressive. Not only was the mesa an unbreachable defence in itself, the walls of the actual fortress almost rivalled it. They were several stories high and at least ten meters thick. There were several braziers on top of them, most likely to help hunters find it at night. The gate was almost as massive as the walls and armed with ballistae.

Reena marvelled at it in awe, amazed that people were able to even build such a thing, but at the same time worried that they had considered it necessary.

"Quite a sight to behold, huh?" Dalmin asked proudly. "It's the second largest fortress the Guild has ever built."

Reena looked at him questioningly. "The second largest? Then what is the largest?"

"Fort Lao Shan. It dwarves Eden, and it has to. It's located deep in the mountains, at the outskirts of the Dragon Lands. That's what we call the Lao Shan Lungs territory.

"My father told me about it. Is it true that that area is flocking with them?"

Ezakiel laughed mirthlessly. "It's nod that bad, but still bad enough. Those monsters are quite territorial, so they hardly ever cross paths. But the area is enormous. I spoke with pilots of the observation balloons that patrol it. They said that when you are in the middle of it, you can't see anything but rocky plains and scorched savannah, up to the horizon in any direction. That's why no hunter ever goes there. It's not only too dangerous, but simply not worth it."

Reena thought about that. "So that means that the Fort is under constant attack of the strongest monsters there are?"

Ezakiel huffed. "If that were the case, they would have broken through long ago already. They learned to stay away from it, mostly because those who tried came back either severely wounded or not at all. But it is under constant alert. You never know when one of those dragons gets brave enough to attack."

Reena looked back at Fort Eden. "How do we get down there?"

Ezakiel scratched his chin. "I haven't thought about that yet. We don't normally hunt in this region of the desert. Maybe we could climb."

"That's too dangerous", declined Zeshen.

"There should be a cave around here somewhere", Dalmin said. "My father told me about it. It leads all the way down to the valley. That's what we travelled through when we moved to Pokke."

"Sounds good", Ezakiel said. "Do you think you could find it?"

"Sure. He said that it was just a few minutes away from a cliff, and this one is the only one I know of. Shouldn't be too hard. Come on, follow me."

xxxxxxxxxx

Soon enough, they found the cave. As Dalmin had said, it was part of the cliff itself. The walls were of rock, with some holes that provided enough light to see were they were going.

Reena felt ill at ease. "Do you think this place is safe?"

"Who knows?" Dalmin said nonchalantly. "My father said it was when he crossed it, but that's been more than twenty years ago. Let's just stay alert."

They marched for another half an hour before they reached a larger room. It was darker in there, if only a little, and there were a few openings in the walls where no light shone through.

"Those must be tunnels, leading deeper into the earth", Ezakiel said. He looked around to see a large opening that was far better lighted than the others. "That should be the right one."

Zeshen looked around suspiciously. "I wonder whether this cave is as abandoned as it seems."

They walked on, but after a few steps they heard a quiet scream which they easily recognized. One moment later a Genprey jumped out of one of the tunnels and blocked their way.

Reena looked at it cluelessly. Preys weren't exactly the brightest of creatures, but this one seemed to be just plain stupid. A single Genprey didn't pose any kind of threat to them whatsoever. Still, the mere boldness of the monster's action made them stop dead in their tracks.

Dalmin crossed his arms and gave it a suspicious look. "What's its problem? It doesn't move at all." He was right, for all the Genprey did was staring at them.

"Um, guys?" Zeshens voice sounded somewhat urgent. Reena turned to look what was up.

Behind them two more monsters had shown up.

As if on cue, many more cries could be heard, and all of a sudden several Genpreys came out of the tunnels all around the hunters.

"Defensive circle!" Ezakiel shouted. Immediately they turned their backs to each other, facing the monsters in all directions. In the meantime, even more had shown up.

They quickly drew their weapons. Ezakiel raised his sword beside his head, the blade following his gaze. Zeshen held one weapon at hip level, the other one above her head. Reena chose her sabre for the swift Prey were hard to hit and a bow was no good when one was surrounded. She held it before her in a fencing position, her free left hand held behind her. For some strange reason, however, Dalmin just stood there, slamming his right fist into his left palm.

"What are you doing, Dalmin?" she asked worriedly.

He just flashed a confident grin at her and spread his feet to get balanced.

"What do you think how many there are?" he asked.

"About twenty, maybe thirty", Ezakiel answered.

"There might be a Drome" Zeshen said. "Keep your eyes open."

"Here they come!" Reena shouted.

Ezakiel tightened the grip on his sword. "Charge!" he roared. With that said, they jumped into battle.

Reena intercepted one of the monsters with a horizontal slash and effortlessly severed its head. Two more took its place, though, and jumped at her. She quickly pivoted to the right, almost colliding with another one, and struck the Genprey that was now to her left, cutting deep into its flank with an upstroke. She flicked the blade around and thrust it behind her, skewering the one she nearly bumped into two seconds earlier. It let out an anguished screech and went down. She was now facing three more, two to her right and one to her left. From this position she could see the others as well.

Dalmin was the first one she laid eyes on, not only because of his size, but because of what he was doing. He still had his weapon and shield strapped to his back and didn't seem to plan on using them at all. Instead he used his massive, stone clad fists to pummel the monsters. Right now he had lifted one of them up by its neck with his left while hammering his right on another's skull. There were six more just a few more steps ahead.

It took a second to make out Zeshens dark, lithe form. She was dancing amongst the beasts, her blades slashing almost faster than the eye could see. Even though none of her attacks was severe on its own, her enemies already bled out of several wounds and two of them lay on the ground, motionless. All in all, she was facing five opponents, excluding the fallen.

The most impressive performance, however, was Ezakiels. He wielded his sword with great strength and speed, killing the monsters faster than they could engage him. He hopped back as another one tried to bite him, cleaving the Gaelic Flame down and cracking its skull. He shoved the dead Prey aside and charged at one jumping towards him, tearing his weapon up again. The monster was hauled over his head, bleeding profusely out of its opened stomach, and before it hit the ground he slashed his sword around in a wide arc, decapitating two more. He was standing in front of a tunnel, and there were still Genprey pouring out of it.

Reenas attention turned back to her enemies. All three of them jumped at her, so she quickly rolled forward and thus behind them, then whirled around. Her sabre bit deep into the back of the one she injured earlier. Before it could even finish its scream, she forcefully twisted the blade, snapping its spine. It instantly went limb. She then jumped at the other two, slashing her sword from side to side in an "X" shaped pattern. The first slash slid the throat of the left one, the second severed the remaining ones arm. Reena followed the momentum of her last attack and made a perfect pirouette, hacking at the monster wildly and cutting off its head.

With all her enemies dispatched, she exchanged the sabre with her bow and decided to support Ezakiel, who had to fight the most monsters. She killed several Genprey while his sword homed a bloody harvest. Soon they were driving them back, so Reena glanced to the others.

In the short while she had looked away, Zeshen had already disposed of her enemies and started running to Ezakiels assistance. Dalmin still had a few left, but they stood no chance against him. He didn't even try to evade or parry their attacks, rightfully trusting his armour while flailing around with both arms.

Reena almost forgot to breathe when he grabbed an attacking monster by the neck, lifted it up and started rotating around his axis. He looked like a barbaric hammer thrower, batting the Genpreys aside with their own kin. After a few rounds he released his makeshift weapon and hurled it at the last one standing. The two monsters went down and didn't rise again. Two of the others were trying to regain their footing, but Dalmin didn't allow that. He grabbed one of them like he did before and smashed it right on top of the other, crashing its skull. He then put a foot on the one he was still holding, pinning it down, and ripped it's head clean off. Since there was nothing left, he ran towards Ezakiel.

Reena returned to the others as well and saw that the battle was almost over. Ezakiel and Zeshen had decimated them to just a handful. Surprisingly the Gendrome was among them, hissing and growling but not attacking. When Dalmin reached his friends, he drew his gunlance, aimed it at the monsters and pulled the trigger.

The wyvern-fire broke free with brute force, singed the walls of the tunnel and hit the Gendrome. It was too far away to be seriously injured, but its face was slightly burned. Apparently that was too much for it, for it about-faced and ran off into the darkness. The other monsters quickly followed, equally intimidated by such a display of power.

Reena watched them leave, slowly calming down. She had never experienced anything like this before. Everything had happened so fast, making her act on instinct. It was a strange yet pleasant sensation to feel the adrenaline in her body subside after a victorious battle.

They put away their weapons and took a deep breath. Dalmin spoke first. "Wow! That was fun!"

"If you call almost getting eaten by dozens of Genprey fun, then yes, it was", Reena said breathlessly.

"Aw, come on. They were just small fry. Besides, you kept yourself pretty well. You were, like, untouchable."

"I agree", Ezakiel said. "That was a good performance, I can tell."

She blushed slightly at this praise. "It really wasn't that good. I'm just a rookie, after all."

He chuckled. "You don't have to be so modest. You did great."

She scratched her cheek, unsure what to say. "Well, if you say so..."

Zeshen cleared her throat audibly. "Sorry to interrupt you guys, but we should get going. You never know when that Gendrome might return with reinforcements."

"Huh?" Reena said. "You say there are even more of those?"

She nodded. "I'm not positive, of course, but there could be. Either way, I'd like to be far away from this place. The best fights are those you can avoid."

"She got a point there", Ezakiel agreed. "Let's be off. It shouldn't be much longer until we reach Eden."

xxxxxxxxxx

They quickly left the cave and headed towards the Fort. On their way they passed an oasis that was littered with the carcasses of numerous Cephalos. They seemed to have been killed by a variety of weapons. Some of them were cut with blades, some impaled with a lance, and a few even had small explosion marks that seemed to have been caused by a bowgun.

The eeriest sight however was a Daimyo Hermitaur, lying on its shell, the legs stretched towards the moon. Most of the durable plates of its exoskeleton were missing, so they assumed it has been salvaged. However, when they looked at its body, they froze. The monster seemed to have been gutted. Blood and shreds of flesh were everywhere; the body itself was merely a deserted mass of gore and torn innards. Reena had to avert her eyes to fight the nausea this sight caused her.

Even Dalmin was appalled by this. "What in the world could have done this?"

"It could only be the work of hunters", Ezakiel said quietly. "But this... I've never heard of a monster being as brutally slaughtered as this one."

Zeshen put a hand to her chin in thought. "Didn't your mother say that Ashvelt Vindel is 'somewhat cruel'? Maybe this was his doing." Everyone looked at her in shock. If what she said was true, then they would have to report to a madman.

Reena couldn't stand the sight any longer. "Please, can we just keep going? I want to get out of here."

Ezakiel uneasily glanced at the shredded Carapaceon for a last time, then nodded. "Yeah, let's quit this place. We're almost there anyway. I can see the lights of the braziers."

xxxxxxxxxx

After another hour of wandering, they finally reached the massive gate of Fort Eden. It looked even huger up close, and they wondered if it could be opened at all.

Ezakiel stepped a little closer and raised his voice. "Is anybody there?"

A few seconds later, a human shape appeared on top of the wall. "Who goes there?"

"We are hunters from the village of Pokke. We came on Ashvelt Vindels request to slay the white Monoblos that plagues this area."

"I see", the man replied and vanished. They could hear him yelling orders, and soon after that there was a deep rumbling sound coming from the gate. It slowly swung open. Reena couldn't believe what she saw. This gate was at least fifteen feet thick.

They wasted no time entering the Fort. The inside was impressive as well: The buildings were arranged in a circle around a large plaza where there seemed to be a large bazaar. The nearer the houses came to the centre, the smaller they got, looking like rows of seats in a gigantic amphitheatre.

A man approached them, obviously one of the Desert Rose Hunters. "Ashvelt Vindel is not available until tomorrow. I'm told to show all hunters who came for that quest to an inn. Please follow me."

Without further ado, he led them to a large building. "This is it. Just go on in and don't worry about money. The Desert Rose Hunters will come up for the fee. Please have a peaceful respite." He then left without waiting for a reply. Ezakiel shrugged and entered the inn.

A small wyverian man greeted them. "Welcome, hunters. I have already been informed. Should I show you to your rooms or do you want to eat something first?"

Normally they would have loved to have a bite to eat after their march through the desert, but the Daimyo Hermitaur still lingered in their memories, spoiling their appetite. "We're not really hungry", Ezakiel said. "Please show us to our rooms."

The small man did just that. They had two rooms: One for Ezakiel and Dalmin, the other one for Reena and Zeshen.

They wished each other a good night and went inside. Reena scanned their room. It wasn't exactly big, but also not small, and despite the little space they had it looked comfy. She sat down on the bed, finding it surprisingly soft for a bed in a desert stronghold. Both women took off their gear, put it on the floor next to their beds and went to sleep.

xxxxxxxxxx

They met up in the inn's lobby early the next morning. "We should go to the bazaar now", Dalmin suggested. "They should sell everything we need there."

"Right", Ezakiel said. "Let's stock up on supplies, then ask for Ashvelt Vindel."

However, when they left the inn, a strange sight hit them. The stands were being removed, Merchants scurried around, carrying their goods inside the buildings and a stressed air hung over the entire fortress.

"What's going on here? Why are they closing the bazaar?" Dalmin asked cluelessly.

"It's because a sandstorm is on its way here", a voice said behind them, and they turned around.

The man who walked toward them had a kind smile and sparkling green eyes. He wore only his greaves and an open leather vest, due to the heat, but the silver scales covering his legs were enough to give his identity away. Something about his body language, the confident, relaxed manner in which he walked perhaps, instantly put the hunters at ease. The man behind him was likewise clad in his Tigrex scale greaves. However, his demeanour was a bit less than welcoming.

"Yeah, on days like these Vindel keeps everyone inside their homes. You never know what blows up over the walls during a sandstorm", chuckled the man. "I remember this one time, an entire Genprey pack was thrown into the fortress! Hell of a clean up that was!"

As one Ezakiel, Zeshen, and Dalmin crossed their right arms over their chests and bowed at the waist. Rena looked around confused for a second, but a glare from Zeshen made her emulate the others' behaviour.

"Esteemed Ashvelt "Silver King" Seid, it is an honour to be in your presence", Ezakiel said formally "I am Ezakiel and this is my hunting party; Zeshen, Dalmin, and Reena."

Seid ran a hand through his short hair and sighed.

"Well met Ezakiel, Zeshen, Dalmin, and Reena", he said, nodding as he addressed each of them. "But you should save your formalities for Vindel. We're all hunters here, regardless of rank. And please, just call me Seid, okay?"

Ezakiel blinked, taken aback by such a lack of decorum. Usually the Royals, while addressing lower ranked hunters, were referred to by their guild title. To call a hunter by their name either meant that the hunters were good friends, or one was deeply insulting the other by refusing to honour their title. Reena cut in, trying to break the awkward silence that had descended.

"Ummm...Speaking of Ashvelt Sandstorm, sir", she asked shyly. "We accepted a quest for the white Monoblos that's been spotted in the area. Would it be possible...for you to get us a brief meeting with him?"

"Yeah, sure. Vindel usually supervises the bazaar while it's being broken down, just in case anyone needs any extra help."

"He's over there", the other man said flatly, pointing at a group of people carrying goods into a warehouse.

Ezakiel, Zeshen and Dalmin flinched as they heard his voice. They recognized it, albeit only barely. Ezakiel didn't know what to think. Unpleasant memories returned to his mind. They were still perfectly clear, even after sixteen years.

"Come on, I'll introduce you", Seid said, walking away, followed closely by his second.

After sparing a glance between them, the hunters walked to meet the leader of the fortress. The Royal called out to the throng of males and females moving various sized boxes.

"Hey! Vindel! I got some guests here for you!"

A few of the citizens stopped what they were doing to stare, astounded at such bluntness.

"This better be important", came the cold reply from somewhere in the crowd.

Even though it was only said at normal speaking level, Vindels voice carried a deadly weight sending a chill up their spine. After a few moments, a bald man slipped between two other men carrying a large box. He patted one on the back reassuringly as he passed, and stood before Ezakiels group, crossing his arms. Vindel only wore working shorts and an open vest, revealing a deeply scarred chest and torso. Even dressed as simply as he was, he emitted an aura of command, amplified by the upside down 'y' scar on his face that set his mouth in a permanent frown.

"What do you want?" he said, glaring daggers.

Swallowing down the urge to flinch, Ezakiel repeated the bowing gesture, followed flawlessly by the others in his group.

"Esteemed Ashvelt "Sandstorm" Vindel, it is an honour to be in your presence. I am Ezakiel and this is my hunting party; Zeshen, Dalmin, and Reena. I beg your pardon for disrupting you while you are attending to business, but I and my group are here on a quest to slay the White Monoblos that has been menacing your desert."

At the conclusion of the hunters' speech, the ghost of a smile flickered across Vindels face.

"Very pretty words indeed, Ezakiel", said the Royal bluntly. "So you lot will kill the white Monoblos for me? Fine. I will offer you 50,000 Zeni for its head-"

"What?" Dalmin gasped. "That's a fortune!"

"You didn't let me finish", snapped the Royal, silencing them instantly. "I said I want its head...intact. I want you to bring me the head of this monster, horn and all, to collect your reward. If the horn is broken your reward will be reduced to 25,000 Zeni."

"Why would you want and entire Monoblos head?" asked Reena, momentarily forgetting her etiquette

Instead of lashing out at her, Vindel gave her a twisted smile. The girl took a step back in alarm.

"Simple", said Vindel. "I like trophies. Now, go back to your quarters. You will leave as soon as the sandstorm is over."

The Royal gave them one more glance before walking back into the crowd of bustling people.

"Well, were leaving for Dondruma after the sandstorm dissipates. See you around!" said Seid, extending his hand.

Ezakiel took the offered hand and shook it.

"Thanks again, Seid. Not that you'd need it or anything, but good luck."

"And you as well."

Seid waved to the others one last time and walked up the street. Dante lingered long enough to give them a cool nod and left as well.

"I never expected a Royal to be so normal", Ezakiel said as he watched them leave.

"You must be referring to Seid", Dalmin snarled. "That bastard Vindel sure ain't normal. Bloodthirsty creep. This head-thing perfectly suits him."

"Just forget it, big guy", Reena soothed him. "There's nothing we can do."

"She's right", Zeshen added. "Let's see if we can lend a hand somewhere."

xxxxxxxxxx

After they had helped the citizens, they returned to the inn. Since there was nothing left to do, they had a late breakfast.

The sandstorm arrived only minutes later. Even though strong shutters had been placed to cover the windows, the noise made them feel ill at ease. No one dared to look outside, let alone leave the inn.

Dalmin looked at the shutters. Amusement sparkled in his eyes. "Wouldn't it be funny if there really were a few Genpreys being blown over the wall? We might even see our friends from the cave again. Then we could warm up a little before the actual hunt."

"Given that the three Royals here leave any to you", Zeshen said nonchalantly.

"Or that guy with the Tigrex-greaves", Reena added. "He looked pretty tough, too."

Ezakiel, Dalmin and Zeshen shared a quick glance. They knew that he was, even though they had never imagined him to accompany a Royal. Not after all that happened.

Reena didn't seem to notice their silent conversation, for she giggled. "Say, Ezakiel. What would your mother say if we told her that we met Ashvelt Seid? Almost topless, no less."

Ezakiel was just drinking his tea when she said that. Caught off guard by her remark, he choked on his drink and started to cough excessively. Dalmin slapped him on his back, and after a minute he had recovered enough to answer. "I won't say a thing", he said flatly, not wanting to talk about that.

"Okay, then I'll tell her. I can't wait to see her face."

He sighed and returned his attention to the current situation. "Dalmin, how long could this storm take?"

His friend put a hand to his chin. "That's always different. I heard that there have been storms that only lasted for minutes, while others took days to dissipate. We just have to wait and see."

"Days?" echoed Reena, shocked. "I don't want to sit here for days, doing nothing!"

"Relax", Ezakiel said. "If you can't change it, don't mind it. Patience is the bread and butter of a hunter's life. We'll wait here until we can leave. There's nothing else we can do anyway."

Fortunately, the sandstorm ceased just a few hours later. Once they were able to leave the inn again, they helped the citizens clean up the plaza and then rebuild the bazaar. After all, they needed to stock up on supplies.

They were gathering in the middle of the plaza after they had bought everything they'd need.

Reena seemed confused. "Why didn't we buy any sonic-bombs? I heard that those are useful against a hiding Monoblos."

Dalmin chuckled. "Oh, they are. If you happen to know where it's hiding. After all, it's hiding because it doesn't want to be found, and the desert is big. If you have a few thousands of those, you may have luck, but I still think that those are worth shit when you're hunting a Monoblos."

"Oh", she said simply, unable to think of anything better to say.

Ezakiel cleared his throat. "I think we should leave immediately. It's not long until nightfall. That way we don't have to put up with the heat." The others agreed. "Okay, then let's get going."

xxxxxxxxxx

They were overlooking a vast plane of sand littered with large boulders that protruded from the ground. After what little information they could gather among the Desert Rose Hunters, the Monoblos has last been seen here. They had even found a few half-eaten Apceros' in the vicinity.

Reena looked at the endless row of dunes, feeling lost. "However are we gonna find it? It has eaten just recently, so it won't come out to hunt for some time. We can't dig up the whole desert."

Dalmin put a heavy hand on her hat. "Relax, I got it all covered."

"Huh?" she replied.

He just gave her a thumbs-up and walked forward a few steps. To her confusion, the three of them drew their weapons. Not willing to take any chances, she readied her bow and stepped back a bit.

Suddenly, Dalmin raised his shield and started to slam its edge on the sand, stomping with his right foot to increase the force even further. Ezakiel noticed Reenas puzzled expression. "Monoblos' normally hide under the sand, only coming out to hunt or to defend their territory. Since the prior is unlikely for a while, we go for the latter. Dalmin is shaking the ground to pretend to be another Monoblos, challenging our prey."

Reena smiled, amused by this odd strategy. "Did you come up with this?"

He laughed a little. "Actually, Dalmin did. You see, we've been hunting a Monoblos before, a year or so ago. Dalmin somehow stumbled and rolled down a dune. He made quite a ruckus. The Monoblos came out really close to him, already prepared to attack. That struck me suspicious, so I came up with this. We're testing it for the first time now."

Zeshen interrupted his monologue. "Let's come up with a plan. If Dalmin succeeds, it should be here soon."

He nodded, scratched his chin and looked around. "It can easily outrun us out in the open, and there are no caves like last time." He paused for a bit, further scanning the area. "These rocks can be somewhat of a cover. We should keep close to those, that way it can't charge at us as properly."

"How should we attack it?" Reena asked.

He thought about it for a few seconds. "You and Zeshen have to trip it somehow. Aim for its knees. Dalmin and I will try to keep it fixed on us. Don't aim at its head, it's armoured far too good to do any damage. We will go for the flanks."

"What should I watch out for?"

"Against a Monoblos, you have to watch out for just about anything. If you stand in front of it, it tramples you over. If you stand behind it, it will swat you away with its tail. It can roar pretty loudly, too, so you'll need the earplugs again. Never forget, this is far more difficult than a Khezu. It is stronger, faster, tougher, and unlike a Khezu, it can see you. Considering your armour, you would most likely be either rendered unable to fight or downright killed if it hits you. It would be best if you stay close to the rocks and cover us from there."

"I'm gonna keep it busy", Dalmin called over his shoulder. "That's what I can do best. Just be quick about it, I can't…It comes!"

They could see the sand ahead fly up, as if something big was rushing along just beneath it. And that was just what it was. It came closer at a high speed. Quickly, they ran over to the rocks, positioning themselves in front of them. Reena stood a little behind the others.

Suddenly, the rush stopped, and a second later a huge cloud of it was thrown skywards as the impressive white wyvern broke free. It was huge, about fifteen feet high and at least two times as long, towering before them. It spread its wings and moved its head from side to side, obviously looking for a challenger that didn't exist.

Without further ado, Dalmin charged at it, yelling and cursing loudly, trying to gain its attention. Ezakiel was just behind him and Zeshen followed in some distance. The monster stopped searching and turned to face them. It made a challenging roar, ducked low, then sprang forward and charged.

Quickly, the two men jumped aside to avoid it and struck its flanks when it passed them. Ezakiels sword only scratched its shell, though, and Dalmins thrust had no visible effect at all. The monster came to a halt and, without turning, lashed out at them with its massive tail. They managed to jump back again, so it only kicked up the sand just a few feet before them.

"Earplugs!" Ezakiel shouted. He stuffed the flabby, white balls into his ears and the others followed suit. A roar from this beast would give it enough time to kill at least one of them thoroughly. The Monoblos turned around again.

Right now, it was standing between Ezakiel and Dalmin on one side and the boulder on the other. Reena was still standing close to the massive rock and Zeshen dashed forward to attack the distracted monster from behind.

Upon reaching it, she started slashing away at the hollows of the beasts knees, but had little success as it eventually noticed her and started spinning around. Zeshen had to hop back to avoid getting trampled. The tail flailed around, too, barely missing the other hunters. After it had stopped, they quickly backed away from it, anticipating the next move.

The white monster shook its head and let out a deafening scream. Even with their earplugs they flinched, albeit only a little.

The Monoblos then faced Zeshen again and growled. However, just as it was about to charge again, Reena fired; the arrow pierced the skin of its knee. It roared in pain, but this alone was not enough to stop it.

She quickly hid behind a small rock, knowing that her blue form could easily be distinguished from the sand and boulders around her. She put in another arrow and looked around the edge of her hiding place. The monster was looking her way, but didn't seem to see her. As the others attacked it again, it turned its attention back to the battle at hand.

Again and again, the hunters attacked the beast. However, it wildly flailed around its tail and head, preventing them from getting close enough to attack.

Suddenly, Ezakiel saw an opening and attacked again. His sword cut into its side again, doing as little damage as it did before. But this time he kept hacking, directing most of his hits on its flank and thigh. The leg he was attacking buckled a little, as if it was too weak to support its body. Seeing the opportunity, he raised the sword high over his head, ready for a fierce strike.

An instant later a devastating blow hit his chest, slammed him off his feet and hurled him several dozen feet away. The Monoblos had not flinched in pain, as he had thought, but actually prepared a hip-check. He landed close to Reenas hideout. As she saw him lying there, she ran to his side, lifting up his head and pulling out an earplug.

"Ezakiel!" she shouted. He grunted and slowly got up on his knees, shaking his head to get rid of the dizziness. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. He looked back to the battle and she followed his gaze.

Zeshen and Dalmin were just as shocked as she was, but kept their cool to occupy the monster, except that the giants swearing became louder. He attacked it head on, blasting shell after shell in its face, but with little to no effect. Zeshen hacked away at the knee again.

Reena helped Ezakiel get back to his feet. He staggered a bit, but didn't seem to have suffered any serious injuries due to his armour and the sand that had cushioned his fall. After he had collected himself again, he started looking around, searching for his dropped sword.

"There it is!" she called, pointing to the boulder. The Gaelic Flame was lying on the sand just before it. Quickly, they ran there to get it. Ezakiel arrived there first, picked it up again and turned around towards Reena.

His eyes widened in shock. "Jump aside!"

Not wasting any time looking back, she leaped to the right, now clearly hearing the thundering footsteps of the white colossus' approach. The next thing she heard was a loud crunching sound, followed by an angry howl. She looked back up and couldn't help but smile.

The Monoblos had been charging at them with full speed, hell bent on skewering them, but it obviously underestimated its momentum. Right now, its horn was sticking deep inside the rock, resisting all efforts to pull it out again. Suddenly, she could hear Ezakiels voice from the other side of the monsters head, roaring loudly. His sword raised high over his head, cleaved down with horrible force and chopped off the horn.

The beast was freed with a start, stumbling back and furiously shaking its head. The others had closed the distance between themselves and the monster by now and prepared for another attack.

Reena noticed something suspicious happening. "Um, Ezakiel? What's up with its head?" Somehow some strange red spots had appeared on the shell that protected its skull.

Ezakiel paled. "It's raging. Watch out!" One second later, the monster charged at them again, a lot faster now. They sprinted to the side, barely avoiding being hit, and regrouped with the others.

"You okay, lad?" Dalmin asked after pulling out an earplug.

"I'm fine, just bruised a bit."

Yet again, they had to avoid a charge. Reena and Ezakiel fled to the right, Dalmin and Zeshen to the left, trying to encircle it. But the Monoblos had gone completely berserk, flailing around with everything it had. The hunters couldn't even come close to it; only Reenas arrows hit it, but seemed to do little more than fuel its rage.

"What's up with that thing?" she asked, panicking when it was momentarily busy trying to bite Dalmin and Zeshen. "It's raging", Ezakiel said. "When it gets in a tight spot or really angry, it throws some kind of temper tantrum and goes berserk. It becomes stronger and faster. That goes for all monsters, but Monoblos' and Diablos' are the worst." He then charged ahead, hopefully going unnoticed by the beast. Reena followed him, keeping some distance, and continued her assault. Zeshen and Dalmin attacked again as well.

The Monoblos turned to face Ezakiel and Reena, but looked back over its shoulder and raised its tail. It then flung it at Zeshen, missing her only barely. The raw force of the attack shook the sand she was standing on, making her loose her balance and fall on her knees. The next blow came down on Dalmin, and he wasn't as lucky. He could barely raise his shield and yell a quick "SHIT!" before the tremendous impact hurled him away. Without wasting a second, it then charged at the two still standing. Ezakiel dodged at the last possible second, but apparently only because it wasn't going after him in the first place.

It was actually aiming for Reena.

Knowing that she couldn't possibly evade this, she came up with a desperate action. Just before it could smash her to a pulp, she let herself fall over, flat on her back. The Monoblos passed over her, its lowered head missing her only by inches. Obviously confused by this, the monster stopped for a second, unsure what to do. That gave her enough time to get back up on her feet. She readied another arrow, looking for a good target. Just then it bent its neck to look between its legs. This turned out to be a mistake, for Reena let the arrow fly and hit it right in the right eye.

It thrashed around wildly, roaring in agony. The force behind its scream flooded her head in pain, for she had forgotten to put in her second earplug again. It whirled around again, now more furious than ever. The others came to her side again.

"It's far too strong! We need a plan", Zeshen said, almost out of breath.

"Yeah", Dalmin agreed. "Come up with something you two.

They were interrupted by a furious cry. The Monoblos rushed forward again. This time, however, it forcefully batted its wings and jumped just before reaching them, rising high into the air. Ezakiel grabbed the still stunned Reena and jumped back with her, as the monster came crashing down on again. It barely missed them, but threw them off their feet.

After regaining their footing, Reena and Ezakiel looked at each other and nodded. They started to avoid attack after attack, all the while conversing. Eventually, they had a plan.

Ezakiel waved the others over to regroup. He then assigned Reena to Dalmin and Zeshen to himself. While they kept their distance from the monster, they explained the plan to their respective partner. Both Dalmin and Zeshen seemed ill at ease, but there really was no other way to stop this behemoth. Eventually, when the Monoblos came to a stop after another charge again, they got into position.

Dalmin made the first move. He roared loudly, getting the monsters attention. Just before it could face him, he pulled the trigger and held it. Reena was standing a little to his side. The wyvern-fire was unleashed right into its face, making it roar in pain and lower its head. He quickly dropped his weapon and shield, grabbed Reena by the waist and threw her.

She landed precisely on its head and quickly climbed behind head crest, then readied her bow and pulled out her last three arrows at once. It was about to try and shake her off when Zeshen charged at it, screaming as loud as she could. Ezakiel followed in some distance. Angrily, it charged at them, ignoring Reena for the while being.

This was the most critic moment of their plan. It was all up to Reena now. One or two seconds before the opponents clashed, she positioned herself and fired all three arrows into the vulnerable base of its neck. Clearly not having expected this, the Monoblos reared its head in agony. Reena felt a huge relief; everything was going well.

Zeshen reached the tumbling monster. It was already lowering its head again, so she was running out of time. Without thinking, she bent her left leg and stretched out the right one. That way, she was sliding forward, closely beneath its approaching head. She then got up again in a split second and slashed her swords to both sides with every ounce of strength she could muster. The blades cut deep into the hollows of its knees.

That was too much. The Monoblos stumbled and fell to the ground, sliding forward on its belly by the momentum it had gathered, giving Ezakiel the opportunity he needed.

He jumped high into the air, holding his sword upside-down with both hands, and raised it high. "DIE!" he roared, thrust his blade down with all his might – and pierced its skull.

The beast's body stiffened, then lay still.

It was over.

Reena crossed her arms and rested them on the edge of the Monoblos' head crest, still holding her bow. Ezakiel was kneeling on its face, holding on to his sword as if to support himself. Dalmin and Zeshen approached them from both sides of the carcass.

Letting out a deep breath, Reena allowed her body to calm down again. She leaned back on its neck, finding this to be a quite comfortable position.

"Way to go" Dalmin bellowed and started to laugh like a maniac. Reena couldn't help but tune in when the adrenaline in her blood eventually subsided. Ezakiel climbed off the dead monsters head while Zeshen sat down on the ground, resting her head against it and closing her eyes. The others soon followed suit.

Dalmin was the first to speak. "That was one tough critter."

"I never expected it to be that powerful", Zeshen agreed.

"But you all did a great job", Ezakiel praised.

"Especially you, Reena. That plan was totally off the rocker, but it worked", Dalmin sad.

They all laughed at that. "I'm sure that your mother will be very proud of you, Ezakiel", Reena said with a giggle. He looked at her questioningly, so she continued. "She'll probably give you a big kiss in reward." He made a face and grumbled, making the others laugh again.

After a while, Ezakiel stood up again and stretched. "Let's go back to Eden. Ashvelt Vindel should be waiting."

xxxxxxxxxx

The skull and horn were heavy, but with all four of them working together, especially Dalmin lugging most of the weight, they made it back to the fortress within a few hours. The people of Fort Eden and even the Desert Rose Hunters were cheering and applauding when they carried the head through the massive gate. Ezakiel knew that Dalmin would have loved to wave and boast around, but that was impossible due to all that weight he had to carry.

Reena looked around, taking in the happy atmosphere. She clearly enjoyed herself. "Isn't this wonderful? Just look at how glad they are!"

"I agree", Ezakiel said, readjusting his grip on the skull. "This definitely doesn't happen every time."

"It really is a great feeling to be appreciated for something you did, for no other reason than having done it."

He lucked at her, clearly puzzled. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "Did you know that I'm some kind of celebrity in Dondruma? I'm the only daughter of Head Administrator Temura. Everyone knows me. Sometimes I feel like I stand out like a sore thumb. The people always look at what I'm doing, only because it's me who does it. They don't really care about anything else when it comes to me. Only Liam and my parents actually see me as a human being."

"That must be quite tough", he said sympathetically.

"I've gotten used to it. It has always been like that, so it never bothered me all that much. But now I see what true appreciation is like." She looked around again, clearly delighted. "I never knew it would feel so good."

Ezakiel smiled and concentrated on his grip again. Fortunately a few hunters came to their assistance and took the head, placing it on a small wagon that was being pulled by an Apceros. Ezakiel was impressed when he saw it. Unlike Popos, Apceros were quite wild and even attacked hunters when they encountered them. He didn't even know that they could be tamed in the first place.

After being relieved of the massive weight, the group reported immediately to the Guild Hall. The walls of the hall were filled with trophies. A myriad of claws, horns, heads, fangs and other extremities created an impressive display. A few of the Desert Rose Hunters were relaxing in the hall and nodded at them respectfully. They continued onwards until they reached the office.

It was no less decorated than the hall itself. The ornate desk was filled with paperwork. In the chair, however, was a man who was decidedly not Vindel. He had a very square jaw, deep brown eyes, and the deeply tanned skin of a lifetime in the desert. His hair was cut close to his scalp, a classic warrior hairstyle. While Vindel was lithe and slightly muscular, this man was practically a pillar of muscles. The man looked up at them and frowned slightly.

"Ah. You are the group that killed the white Monoblos, am I correct?"

"Yes, we are", Ezakiel said confusedly. "But who are you?"

The man's frown deepened, and he narrowed his eyes.

"I am Merquel", he growled. "But you will refer to me as Ashvelt Bloodhorn. Vindel is away on business and I run Eden while he is away."

Remembering his mothers warning, Ezakiel bowed and chose his words carefully.

"I apologize, Ashvelt Bloodhorn. I meant no disrespect. I am Ezakiel and this is my hunting group, Ze-"

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I know your names", interrupted Merquel, waving some papers. "It's all in the report."

"Yes...well...we failed to keep the horn intact, I'm sorry to say", stated Esakiel

"Not surprising", snorted Merquel. "I can hardly believe that you killed that thing in the first place."

"Well, maybe we're not as worthless as you might think", Dalmin snarled, earning shocked looks from his friends. Merquel frowned.

"Your reward is waiting for you in the hall", growled Merquel. "Now get the hell out."

They did as they were told. Dalmin was gritting his teeth all the way out of the Guild Hall.

Ezakiel approached him as soon as they were outside. "What's gotten into you, Dalmin? This is just what my mother told us not to do. We can't afford to rile up a Royal against us, especially not him."

Dalmin looked to the ground in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I just… his cocky attitude really makes my blood boil. I wish he wouldn't be in charge. I would crush this rotten bastard between my hands!"

"Calm down, Dalmin", Zeshen said with a sigh. "The problem is that he is in charge. There's nothing you can do about him."

"I know, I know! It just makes me so mad."

Ezakiel shook his head and dismissed his anger. "Well, the damage is done, and quite frankly, I have no intention of going back and apologize to this imbecile. I suggest we head back to the inn, get some sleep and then return to Pokke."

"You're right", the giant said. "And then it's good riddance to this place."

"Lighten up, big guy", Reena said with a smile and put a hand on his shoulder. "He's just an idiot who's grumpy because he has no real friends. You're far better off than him."

His trademark-grin returned to his face. "You sure got that right!"

xxxxxxxxxx

He closed his eyes and groaned. This was the fourth in one month. He hated them.

Crunching the paper in his hand, he walked towards the large window and looked at the sleeping Dondruma. "Four times, nine lives." His voice was rough, bent by age and duty. And by misery. Mostly by misery.

His gaze wandered to the south. He could see a red shimmer above the mountains. The volcanic belt was always glowing, denying even the night to fully claim it. What chances did humans have, then?

The man glared at the red. Why do they keep dying there?

It kept happening, time and time again. He could do nothing he hadn't already tried, and he knew it.

This thought made him let out a desperate sigh. "Some leader I am."

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This was the first time I did co-writing, so please tell me what you think about it.

PS: The next chapters are already partly done. You can expect very quick updates for the next chap at least.