VII

Mysteries Unveiled

A few days had passed since the tragic hunt. Though Vance paid no heed to the Elite Quad's loss he did feel a shred of sympathy for them. The event brought more than those feelings for the young hunter, and the past few nights was a testament to his memories of the tragedy he witnessed months ago. This time however the pain seemed less agonizing, and only prevented him from sleeping properly. So for the past few days, he found himself sitting atop the roof of Garyold's house and gazing out into the horizon at the sunrise. This was an event he rarely sat through, but right now it seemed to help him cope with the pain.

As he gazed out into the purple sky, the sun slowly peeking over the distant mountain range to the east, his mind started to shift to different memories. Happier ones instead of the painful, despairing cluster. He thought about his friends he left behind in Loc-Lac, and where they could possibly be right now and what they were thinking. Sydd, the aged veteran and blacksmith, was more than likely taking his break from hunting by roaming the world for rare types of ore. Grenn, the ever valiant and nomadic minimalist, could possibly be traversing the world as well. Living off the land as he normally would. Craven, the sex crazed, gun powder obsessed demolitionist, was probably causing havoc within Sydd's shop again. Though since he started a family he calmed down a lot on certain aspects of his personality. Vance remembered the many experiments him and Craven would work on. Mainly trying to improve hunting traps and tools. To which on some they were successful, and some was better off being left alone.

A soft smile formed on the young hunters lips as he remembered the fond memories as they shifted to another set. A huntress whom he met a few years ago when he and his friends were passing through a village in a range of northern mountains, Pokke. Her name was Mythril, and to Vance she was almost like his wife since the two were very fond of each other. They were both the same height almost, with her being an inch or two shorter. They almost had the same hair color, though her hair had a brighter tint of blue, where Vance's was just silver. The style in which they had their hair was nearly the same, at least before Vance's grew into the long mane that it was currently, except Mythril kept any hair out of her face, and the young hunter would have some bangs drop down the sides of his face. Their eyes set them apart, asides from the obvious female parts the woman had. Her eyes had a soft gaze, and were like sapphires. His eyes had a fierce look to them, and shined green like emeralds in the sun.

He could remember their first quest together. Upon arriving in Pokke, the four were approached by the Village Elder and asked to take care of a pair of Blangonga's, a large ape-like monster with a vicious attitude, that was causing havoc near the village. The huntress happened to be in the village at the same time, so her, Vance, and Sydd set out to take care of the problem. It took the three a few days to subdue the two monsters, since both seemed to strategically work with each other when attacking them. When they came back, Vance and Mythril seemed to have started a new friendship, so during their stay in Pokke, they went out on small quests where they had to gather rarer items for clients. They took their time, enjoying each others company and sometimes even staying camped out for days before coming back to the village.

The young hunter smiled to himself as Mythril's beautiful features appeared in his mind. He missed the woman dearly, and knew he should make an appearance soon so she wouldn't think him dead. The first thing she would probably do to him would be to beat him with her own hands for making her worry so much, though he was sure she understood why he disappeared. Out of everyone, she understood him the most, and could tell what was going through his mind as if she was reading it like an open book.

With a sigh the young man brought himself back to reality and watched at the bright half circle of the sun that was above the mountain horizon. The sky turning into more of a mixture of purple and blue, and the stars slowly starting to fade away. The people of the city were slowly waking up, a few merchants getting their stands ready for yet another day of business. Vance watched them for a few moments before going back to the sunrise. But as the bright disc rose from the mountain range he could feel his eyes start to hurt from the glare. He looked away then, turning back towards the hatch that would take him back inside. He slipped back into the house silently, like an assassin creeping up on it's victim. If it wasn't for Garyold still being asleep the old man would probably think it was a thief. He quietly walked towards his room, and just as he got to the door a loud knock echoed throughout the silent house. Vance blinked a few times, almost tempted to ignore it but remembered that people here would not stop knocking until the door was answered. So he quickly went down the steps and to the door. He put his ear against the door, but all he heard was the distant sounds of merchant stands being put up. When he opened the door though, he felt his heart skip a beat and his skin go pale. Before him stood a man, slightly taller than him and was dressed in the traditional Averan colors.

"Greetings! Are you the hunter who participated in the quest a few nights ago with the Elite Quad?" the young man said in a high pitch, and almost feminine voice. Vance only nodded in return, and it seemed to put the guest in a nervous state of mind. "Y-you have been invited to a grand lunch with our most noble king!" he said, and handed Vance a red envelope.

The young hunter blinked a few times, and took the envelope from the man. Debating on listening more or just closing the door. Within the back of his mind, Vance could hear himself screaming no. He looked to the messenger, a brow slightly perked. Somehow the young man seemed even more nervous, like he was staring a wyvern in the face. Which was amusing to Vance but at the same time it confused him.

"T-thank you g-good sir! W-we hope to see you t-there!" the messenger said, and with a curt bow he quickly walked off. Even that was feminine as well.

Vance stood in the door way for several moments looking at the red envelope in his hands. Weighing his options while calling himself an idiot for not ignoring the messenger. He couldn't ignore the invite, because to disrespect the king like that could get the guards after him. Closing the door he immediately went to his room and straight over to the mirror. Looking at himself he knew that the guards wouldn't recognize him with his silver locks and the goatee on his chin. But for King Parves, he would recognize him on the spot, though he had his doubts that he would throw Vance into the dungeon.

"Well, guess it's time…" he said to himself as he walked out of his room, down the steps and out the front door.

~VL~

Things were starting to look up for Frances since the death of Max. The parts they got from the Diablos turned out to rake in loads of money, which half went to paying off a burial place for her fallen friend, and to her surprise the king of the city wanted her and her group to attend a lunch with him. Dorian and Johnny decided against going, since Johnny was never good around the upper class and Dorian didn't want to leave him alone. So it only left Frances to go to the lunch. That thought didn't stay long, since her mind started thinking about that hunter who was with them a few nights ago in the oasis. Would he be there? If so she would have to find some way to entice him to her. Though without making herself look or act like a whore that one would pick up off the street.

She sat on the bed in her room, looking off as if she was under some type of trance. Not realizing that her door swung open with Dorian entering the room. Only his yelp brought her back to reality and made her realize she wasn't clothed at all. She screamed, grabbing the covers and shielding herself as Dorian ran out the room.

"Dammit! Knock next time!" she screamed as she ran to the door and slammed it shut. Making sure the latch was locked in place and testing the door. Satisfied that no one else would come in to bother her, she went to her closet and started sorting through what she had for clothes. As far as casual clothing was concerned, she was ok. Formal wear was never her strong point, and she only had four dresses. One pink, one red, one purple, and one green. Pink was too girly, and why she had it bugged her. Same with the purple dress, and since red would be too obvious as to what she was up to, it left her with the green dress. It was designed to hug the body close, to show off curves. It had one strap that went over the right shoulder, and the bottom was only an inch below her mid thigh. It left little to the imagination, and she was sure it would attract that hunter.

She had a little over an hour before the gathering, and so she quickly got herself ready, making sure her hair was perfect and her body completely washed. She kept giggling manically to herself, thinking of how she could entice her target. If only she knew the real truth about the hunter she was so attracted to.

~VL~

It was noon, and King Parves was waiting within the main hall of his castle. His cooks and maids spent all morning preparing a large meal for his guests, and since the Ambassadors of Loc-Lac were still in the city, he knew it would be the biggest feast he's had in a long time. He never really invited hunters to banquets, but with the ambassadors here he figured he'd show off a bit. At that moment his son was with them in the main dining hall keeping them company as they waited for the remaining guests to arrive. The king himself wanted to greet them himself when they walked in.

The main doors opened with a guard escorting a beautiful woman with flowing, curly locks that were blonde. Her figure slim, as it would be of someone whose career was monster hunting, and the green dress she wore left little to imagination. Showing some of her bosom, though small, and her long legs. Her face was like an angel, where her eyes glowed a beautiful blue like azure jewels. King Parves could feel a bit of agitation creep up within him from the woman's choice in apparel, but he did admit her beauty surpassed the harem girls he kept in the palace. As they approached him, the guard gave a salute, and the woman bowed respectfully.

"Sir, I bring you Frances Bragetson as you requested!" the guard said firmly, holding his salute. The king nodded to him, and the guard quickly relaxed.

"Thank you sir. Ma'am, it is a pleasure to meet you. However I was told that there were three others?" the King asked, and almost instantly he found himself regretting the question when the woman's expression went from happy to a depressed look.

"One died during the quest. The other two wished to be by themselves. " She replied quietly, looking down at the ground.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but please. Enjoy yourself.", the king patted her bare shoulder, nodding to the soldier to escort her to the dining hall. The woman gave another bow before walking off with the guard, disappearing behind the doors of the dining hall. The king stood in silence for a moment, slightly disappointed that only one showed up. Those thoughts changed however when another guard walked through the main doors, escorting a man who was wearing more casual like clothing. His pants similar to haidate and black in color, where his fine leather boots of the same color stopped them just under the knee. On his chest he wore a finely sewn white shirt that hugged his body tightly, showing his thin physique, with a small black cloaked draped across his shoulders. His face was young and handsome, free of facial hair and impurities save for a scar that ran down the left side of his face. His hair was silver, and cut to a short length where it spiked in the back in layers and parted to the sides on the top naturally, with several strands falling down the sides of his face. King Parves felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at the young man, recognizing him almost instantly.

"Vance?" he asked shocked, almost excited, and the young man gave a low bow, then smiled as he straightened himself out.

"Shall we throw him in the brig sir?" the guard escorting him asked, his tone more apologetic than accusing. King Parves caught the tone, shaking his head with a smile. The king grabbed Vance by the shoulders, a look of great joy on his old features.

"That won't be necessary. His sentence is pardoned as far as I'm concerned, and I don't hear a riot of citizens about his return so I'm sure it'll be ok." the king replied. The guard nodded, saluting him before walking off outside, closing the main doors behind him. The two stared at each other for a moment, the king hardly knowing what to say.

"So, you've invited me for lunch." Vance said as he procured the invitation he was given by the messenger earlier that day. The king released a hearty laugh, guiding Vance to the dining hall.

"There is one other hunter here, whom was supposed to be accompanied by three others, but I was informed by her that one died and the other two wish to mourn and be left alone." the king said, and Vance stopped in his tracks upon hearing the words. Parves looked back to him with a perplexed look.

The young hunter sighed inwardly, knowing who the king was speaking about, and he dreaded the fact whole heartedly. He wondered if the dungeon would be a more peaceful place for him than in the company of that huntress who annoyed him so much. He took a deep breath, nodding to the king as he continued walking to the dining hall.

"Had to remember who you were talking about."

~VL~

Prince Terry, along with the ambassadors, felt their brow moisten upon Frances entering the dining hall. None of them could keep their eyes off her legs, and their imaginations ran wild on what was further up between them. The woman smirked, knowing that they stared at her like pigs, and how easy they took to her figure as well! The moment was lost when the Prince seemed to regain his composure, and stood to greet the woman. After exchanging pleasantries, the ambassadors introduced themselves with one giving a rather odd in pleasantry that sounded like it came from an Aptonoth Farm. The five sat down, exchanging in conversation (Which was mostly the men asking Frances personal questions.) and the woman found herself having to dodge questions that seemed to invade her personal life. They all stopped and looked to the door as the King entered. All confused to the smile the old man wore on his features, until a young man walked out from behind the king and stood next to him.

It took Frances a moment to recognize him, and upon doing so she was impressed with his looks. He looked much different with his hair being much shorter and face clean of any beards and moustaches. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead found herself nearly falling out of her chair upon hearing one of the ambassadors scream out with joy. She quickly regained her balance, sitting up straight in the chair and looking to the ambassador with a confused look on her face.

"That's him! I thought you said he was banished from here!" the ambassador exclaimed loudly, his voice echoing off the massive walls of the dining room. The King held up his hands as if putting up a defense, though he held a smile.

"The sentence has been lifted. Turns out Vance happened to be in the area at this time." he said, looking to the young man. He sat down at his chair, motioning for Vance to take his seat.

The young hunter kept silent, ignoring the quiet snickering and whispering coming from the ambassadors as he took a seat directly across from Frances. The woman stared at him in awe, confused about the entire situation, and the young hunter only offered her a shrug. He looked over to the three ambassadors, recognizing the Loc-Lacian clothing they wore, and he felt a bit annoyed at the situation he was in.

"Good sir! Where did you vanish to? After your teams successful hunt of the Alatreon yo-"

"Yes. I'm well aware of what happened. I missed some…ceremony of sorts. I had more pressing matters to attend to." the young hunter said, cutting off the ambassador. He didn't even offer a look in the mans direction, but he held up a hand to signal that he did not want the matter to be pressed further. He heard a huff of frustration come from the man, and Vance merely shrugged in reaction.

"Well, now that we are all here. Let's get started shall we?" the king said after clearing his throat, grabbing his glass and raising it up in the air. Everyone did the same, with Frances taking a few seconds to get hers since she was so distracted by the hunter across from her. After a toast to the meal, everyone started to eat and drink. The ambassadors and Terry asking Vance a plethora of questions about his adventures. The only one who sat quietly, and barely touched the food, was Frances. She only stared at the young hunter across from her, studying his features and seeing how increasingly annoyed he seemed after each question unless it came from Prince Terry or King Parves.

She felt attracted to his looks, though she also felt a strong jealousy towards him for being so famous. Foreign ambassadors were praising his name and ready to drop to his feet, the king and his son also seemed to know him on a personal level. For her, she was just another hunter, and that thought made her angry. Looking down on her plate, she could feel the loneliness creep up on her, and she began to feel very small in the world around her. Wrapped in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that Vance was trying to shift the attention to her, until she heard him say something that caught her attention.

"I'm not the only hunter at this table." he said, with his eyes fixed on Frances. The woman blinked a few times, looking around at everyone who was looking back at her. Looking to Vance again, she could see the annoyed expression as clear as day, though she doubted it was aimed at her. However the fact that he helped her get some type of attention didn't sit well at all, and so she felt her anger boil again.

The king released a soft chuckle, enjoying the time they were all having. Though he didn't know the tension going on between the two hunters. He looked to Frances, clearing his throat and asked her a question. "So Ms. Bragetson. How long have you and your crew been hunting for our city?"

The woman looked to Parves, her expression blank as if she didn't know the answer herself despite being in the city for well over a year. When she did finally answer, her tone was soft and everyone in the room had to turn their head to hear her. "A year…and three months."

Nathaniel, sitting at the end of the table, stood up quickly from his chair with a laugh. "Look! Even she is surprised that she dines with an elite hunter!"

Vance winced at the ambassadors words, despite the truth of the title, and he cast a glare on the ambassador. He never bragged about his skills, and he certainly didn't like someone praising him for it while degrading someone else. Even if the person was someone like Frances, and because of the ambassadors actions, the young hunter knew he would have to deal with the woman's anger about it later. With a deep breath, he looked to the woman with a soft smile.

"No. She's fine. She's trying to be lady like, which in the profession she is in I can imagine the task to be close to impossible. Doubly so since most of the hunter populace are males." His words had a truthful ring to them, and everyone seemed to agree. Even Frances flashed a shy smile once she realized the compliment, but then realized that it was probably just a façade. Still, she held onto it.

The talk lessened as they all ate their meals, conversations keeping only to simple matters like city affairs and politics even. Vance still couldn't help but wish that he tried to sneak out of the city.

~VL~

It was later that day when the sun was still sitting high up in the sky, though slowly drifting down to the west, that the hunters left the castle grounds. The three Loc-Lacian Ambassadors nearly following Vance out of the gates, pestering him to come back to their city so they could further use his services. It took a promise that he would visit the large city in the near future, and even though the ambassadors didn't like the answer, they accepted it. The young hunter went to walk back to his home, but stopped short when Frances stood in front of him.

"Yes?" he asked with an annoyed tone, and with a facial expression to match it. The woman didn't back down from him though.

"You stole the spot light!" she said angrily, crossing her arms as she pierced him with her eyes. Vance merely let out a sigh and went to walk past her, but she jumped out in front of him. The two stood there, glaring at each other for a moment.

"What exactly are you getting from this?" the young hunter asked, and the woman narrowed her eyes and replied in a harsh tone.

"You. Stole. The. Spot. Light."

"You're an ignorant fool if you think that."

The young woman gawked at Vance with her mouth hanging open. The words seeming to hit a chord within her and causing her to look down at her feet while her body shook with anger. She heard the young hunter scoff, and out of the corner of her eye saw him walk away.

"Not every man is going to bow down at your feet, even if you have to dress up and make yourself look like the cities main harlot. Now, get over it and quit pestering me with your idiocy."

Frances released a gasp upon hearing those words, her stomach churning and tears forming over her eyes. She turned around, ready to say something but the man was already gone, leaving her alone in the street. She tried to control herself with some deep breaths and after a minute she seemed to regain her composure. Walking in the direction that would lead to the tavern she stayed at, she felt several bouts of rage trying to escape, with each round worse than the last. Barely managing to keep herself calm as she reached the tavern doors, she pushed through them and quickly ran up the stairs. The patrons looking in her direction but confused as to who just came in. At the top of the stairs she went into a dead run to her room, bursting through its door and slamming it shut. With her back to it's frame she started to breath heavily and quickly. Her vision almost blurry from the tears now flowing freely. She jumped into her bed, grabbing a pillow and stuffing her face into it and releasing a scream. When she couldn't let out anymore air she would lift her head from the pillow, take another deep breath, then release another scream into the pillow. She did this several times, until she passed out on her bed. Her breathing returning to normal and her body laying still.