IV
The Elite Quad
There was no movement in the city. Torch lights were put out, any music playing was stopped, and the citizens were required to stay indoors for the remainder of the night. Only the city guard was about the streets, patrolling the different areas in search of any who would try to get out or if the city became under siege from a monster. However, there were seven forms standing at the city's main fountain at the center due to a possible request for a hunter, and so they stood awaiting for any news.
Vance was one of those forms among them, his form still dressed in casual clothing. A tight fitting white tunic, and black pants that stopped just below the knee due to the bottom being wrapped and folded around the top of his black leather boots. Along his back were two objects. A quiver that sat at an angle just below his waist, and a folded, blue contraption that was secured snugly on his back by straps. At a first glance one would mistake the object as a pair of swords, since they had ends that seemed to have the same curve similar to a scimitar, but where the two thick ends seemed to meet was a dull gray colored piece of steel that attached the two, and around that seemed to be two pieces of a circle with blue spikes that hung down from their frames.
He stood further off to the side from the other six, arms crossed over his chest and eyes fixed on the fountain before him as he waited. Though his physical appearance was meant to tell others he wasn't paying attention to anything, he could hear the whispers that came from the group near him. Words like 'idiot' and 'novice' were caught by the young hunters ears, and he silently scoffed. Holding his composure he watched two forms break away from the main group and approach him from his peripherals. When they got close, the young hunter turned his head to them and gave a short nod that was more curt than polite. The two stood before Vance side by side. The one on the left wore a set of plated armor that had portions of green scales and shells covering various parts of the body such as the chest, elbows, around the knees, and the waist coat. The man wore a helmet that looked like the traditional knight's head wear, where the front came out in a pointed end with only the top being able to open at the eyes on a single pair of hinges. It was open now, revealing a pair of beady brown eyes that seemed locked onto Vance's form. On his back was a large sword that was bigger than it's owner. The blade mainly composed of a bone that had a tan-greenish color, with the top covered in a series of green, spiked shells.
The man on the right was dressed in what seemed to be a mixture of armor. About his chest was a bright red plate that was made of a thick looking carapace with bulging, spherical shoulder plates. His arms covered with a series of blue interlocking plates with a single "blade" type object protruding from his left arm. His right arm only being covered with the blue plating to the elbow, with the rest protected by a fine chain mesh. His legs were covered with the same type of blue plating that covered his arms, the only physical clue of metal being around the feet where the foot of the boot was made. A single spike rose from each knee about six inches, giving the man a rather odd appearance. Atop the mans head was a single pair of goggles, his face completely revealed. It was round, his cheeks low and seemed flush, jaw line as round as his shoulder plates, and his eyes were huge and brown, and he stood taller than his companion. Strapped to his back was a simple, light bow-gun and it added to the mans odd appearance.
"Well met good sir!" said the gunner, his voice scratchy. Vance nodded in response, and returned his gaze to the fountain.
The two hunters looked to each other, the shorter one giving a short shrug. The gunner let out a small hum and returned his gaze to Vance. "I'm Braneld, and this is my friend Copperston."
"Nice t' mee' ye!" yelled Copperston. Voice muffled from the helmet he wore, and had a thick accent to it that made it even harder to understand him. However Vance still didn't really pay any heed to them, so Copperston released a muffled 'Bah!' before turning away. Braneld looking as if he was gritting his teeth together. The gunner went to speak, but Vance spoke first.
"I'm only here to see if my presence will be needed and worth my time." The young hunter kept his tone stern, and he turned his head to face Braneld with an expression that matched his tone. The gunner merely blinked a few times and went to protest, but he swallowed his words when Vance's expression changed from stern to one of anger. Giving him a rather intimidating appearance. So the gunner nodded and walked off, leaving Vance to himself again.
As he stared at the fountain again, his mind started to wander through many thoughts. Mainly going back to Loc-Lac and his conversation with Garyold earlier that night. The death of his friend replaying vividly again and again. He even thought he heard her screams of agony as her form thrashed about in the boiling magma. Vance felt his body cover itself with goosebumps and his belly start to tie itself into knots. But almost instantly he shook his head and tried to think about something else. To his luck, the other four from the group approached him. Giving him a needed distraction from his thoughts.
"Yo rook! Leave your armor at home?"
Vance blinked a few times and turned to regard the group. Seeing a very short form dressed from head to toe in armor. The entire set a mixture of metal plating and red and black carapace plates which came from a wyvern named Rathalos. The helmet proportionally larger than the rest, with the visor being a few vertical lines that curved outward to form a beaklike shape with the bottom half of a metal sphere. The rest had wing-like fixtures that sprouted out to cover the rest of the head. Hiding the mans head completely. The chest bore a simple type of plate that wrapped around the mans core, the shoulders having more wing-like fixtures sprouting out to the side. Around the belly was a fine mesh of red and black scales that was made from the same type of carapace on the rest of the armor though it seemed kind of off to Vance. This person must've been pretty skinny since the top portion was larger than the top. The rest of the armor, save the waist coat that was mainly a leather lining with black and red plates interlocking with each other, was pretty much the same. Metal plating with portions of red and black scales that focused on covering the elbows and knees. Strapped to the mans back was two hilts to blue blades, and at certain areas of his back Vance could see the fan like blades.
Behind this short hunter was his three companions. To the left of him was a giant man armored in a tan suit of bone armor made from a wyvern called Diablos. One twisted spike rising from each shoulder by at least a foot and a half, with the helmet covering his entire face with a small horizontal line for the eyes and a mesh for the mouth. The rest of his body just covered with the bone like plating that lined over one another in one direction. This made moving a rather noisy process, giving grief to anybody's ears. This man carried a large hammer with him. The handle being a black bone, the blunt edge itself a huge cylindrical object that was painted half blue and half black. It almost looked like an oversized crack pipe. In the center stood another man about the same size as the man in the Diablos armor, however he wore a suit of armor that was a hideous gray color and looked rubbery. The torso bulging out from the belly, with the legs being extremely thick, same with the arms. Vance knew the armor was quite formidable, especially if it was made from high quality Gypceros hides. Making anything out of that wyverns body parts was a feat, carving being more difficult. This man carried a hammer that was the same as the other hunters hammer. The way he stood even mimicked the man in Diablos armor.
Behind the group was an average sized man, dressed in traditional gunner armor that was comprised of metal and leathers. The chest had leather that was dyed red, with metal covering the belly and sides to protect the most vital organs. The metal plating went up under the leather over the chest, offering even more protection, but it stopped at the shoulder, so the rest of the mail was nothing but chain mesh. Allowing for maximum movement, and for a helmet he wore nothing but goggles. His face tan, hair cut short and tapered to show his blue eyes, pointed nose, and firm jaw line. This man also carried a bow gun that was folded in half behind him, meaning the gun was possibly as big as he. Just below the folded weapon was a large pack, where Vance knew held many types of different ammo. This guy looked like he was ready for a war, which was a good thing in Vance's opinion. Since Monster Hunting was a type of war against nature. So there the four stood before him, the two big brutes behind the shorter one, with the gunner standing a little further behind, shaking his head.
"What's wrong rook? Too impressed by the Elite Quad?" The short one said, his voice muffled. Ending the statement with a pose of his hands on his hips, the two brutes behind him going into a superman pose, their arms pointing in opposite directions of each other. The gunner, merely shook his head and placed his face in the palm of his hand.
Vance had to keep himself from laughing, but let a smile slip. The short hunter dropped his arms to their sides, and he stepped up to Vance. Despite the young hunters short height of five foot six, this short hunter was at the most four foot nine. Vance looked down to the hunter, his shoulders shaking as he chuckled quietly.
"What? You think I'm funny?" the short hunter huffed out, and Vance's features instantly shifted to a serious look. The short hunter took a step back, somewhat surprised by the sudden change in the young hunters facial expression, but held his ground. Especially since the two brutes behind him took a step forward. "Well rook? Gonna answer me?"
"I'm no rookie." Vance stated flatly. The short hunter jabbed him in the chest with a finger, but Vance didn't budge. Though he fought to not show that it was uncomfortable.
"You smell like a rookie!"
"And you have the scent of idiot." Vance shot back instantly. The two brutes shuffled slightly, looking to each other then back to Vance. The young hunter took note of this, even without looking at them directly.
"You have no idea who you're talking to…" the short hunter said in a low tone.
"Hm. There's a bit of irony in that statement." Vance replied, still not missing a beat, and could tell he was striking a nerve since the short hunter's form started to shake slightly. Vance merely perked a brow and shook his head, and looked to the right as two guardsmen quickly came to them, one gently pushing Vance away, the other forcefully shoving the short hunter away.
"Save it for the hunt you two!" Said the one moving Vance away, regaining his composure and standing before the group. The other staying in front of the short hunter and his group. "We have a quest that needs to be taken care of. We believe there are two Diablos' fighting in an area here about three or four miles away. Just observe and only attack if they get any closer to the city. However, we prefer them to be alive."
The short hunter scoffed, shaking his head as he walked away towards the southern end of the city, his troupe walking behind him. The other two, Copperston and Braneld, stared in disbelief at the four and to Vance, but eventually went in the same direction. Vance went the other way, back towards Garyold's home. He only took a few steps when a guard called to him.
"You! Stop!" said the guard, Vance turning to regard the man. His left brow slightly perked. "Don't let Frances get under your skin. Skilled in hunting, but harmless none the less if the lackeys aren't following!"
Vance nodded and went on his way, leaving the guards alone. The two looked to each other, a perplexed look on their tan faces.
"Hm…something seems familiar with that one…" said the one who had to move Vance away. The other nodding in agreement, but just walked towards the southern end of the city to see the other hunters off.
"Indeed. But we don't need to worry about that now. Let's get back to our posts after seeing these hunters off."