Birds chirp, the trees sway in the wind and the sounds of a large creature's roar silenced the forest.
"Did you guys here that?" Phoenix raises his shield.
"Of course I did, how could you not hear something like that?" Dragoon reaches for the handle of his sword.
"I swear the thing is taunting us."
"It's probably looking for us as we're looking for it, Mara." Phoenix looks around the forest floor and the canopy for the new creature.
"We've been out here for months Phoenix, I don't know if this thing is even real." Orpheus stops for a second and rubs his stomach.
"We ate just a few hours ago, how can you be hungry already, Orpheus?"
"We're not all as manly as you Dragoon, some of us need to eat." Orpheus and Mara laugh together.
"Ya know even if I didn't know you guys were a couple, it would be a little too easy to tell." Dragoon smirks.
Mara raises her hand as though were going to slap Dragoon.
"Guys were hunting monsters not each other." Phoenix grabs Mara's arm.
"Uh guys, is it just me or is there a giant pink monkey staring at us?"
"What?" Phoenix looks over at...
A ten foot tall pink monkey eating a mushroom with it's tail.
Everyone stares at it for a second as it stares back at the party. It stops chewing with the mushroom still in its mouth.
"Uh, what should we do?" Dragoon looks back at the rest of the group.
"Dragoon look out!" Phoenix unsheathes his lance and raises his shield.
As Dragoon looks back he see the monkey is right in front of him but with his butt just a foot from his face.
"You gotta be kidding me..." Before Dragoon could finish the monkey shook a bit and then farted so hard it blew Dragoon twenty feet backwards into a tree.
"Oh my, that smells horrible Dragoon." Mara says as she covers her face with her hand.
"It's getting away!" Orpheus says pointing at the monkey that is now running on all fours away from the party.
"Go get it Orpheus, Mara you go with him!" Phoenix yells as he runs over to Dragoon.
"You got it!" Mara gives a thumbs up as she runs to catch up to Orpheus.
"Are you alright Dragoon?" Phoenix says as he looks at Dragoon as he is getting up from the ground.
"I.. hate.. monkeys." Dragoon grunts as he tries to shake off the smell of the fart.
"I think that's a Congalala, the guild maid warned me about them before we set out to the Great Forest. She also gave me this." Phoenix reached into his pouch and pulled out a canister and sprayed it onto Dragoon.
"This smells... girly."
"It's just some deodorant." Phoenix laughs as he hands it to Dragoon.
Now let's catch back up to Orpheus and Mara, I sent them after it while I checked up on you."
"Oh don't worry I'll smack that monkey around good for what he did." Dragoon cracks his knuckles.
Phoenix and Dragoon run a few hundred feet through the forest when they come across Mara and Orpheus, they have the Congalala backed up against a stone wall.
"Don't fight it until Phoenix and Dragoon get here, Mara."
"What it's just a monkey, what can it do?" When Mara looked back at the Congalala just as it reached it's arm over to her and poked her helm and then took a few steps backwards. "That's it, it's dead!" Mara started to charge at the Congalala with her Gun lance. The Congalala stood up on its hind legs, placed it's hands on its hips and expanded his stomach outward. "Yea, you think you're so bad?" Mara yelled as she thrust her gun lance into it's stomach, her lance hit it but immediately bounced off.
Orpheus laughed as she stumbled back a few feet. "Oh man, that was hilarious."
"Shut up and help me!"
A bullet suddenly hit the Congalala in the shoulder and it rolled over in pain.
"You damn monkey, I got you this time." Dragoon yelled as he ran in from the bushes to the side raising his greatsword into the air. Right as he went to land a blow the monkey turned over and let out another very powerful fart, it sent Dragoon flying into tree.
Phoenix holstered his bowgun and unsheathed his new lance and charged right at the Congalala. The Congalala stood up and charged at Phoenix, it tried to punch Phoenix but he blocked it with his shield as he thrust his lance into it's right thigh. The Congalala's leg collapsed and began to spasm uncontrollably. In a fit of rage and fear the Congalala slammed his fist into Phoenix's shield and sent him skidding backwards.
"Wow, I can't believe how fast that toxin works." Phoenix said as he came to a stop and looked at his new lance.
The Congalala pounded his clenched fist into his thigh a few times until the spasm stopped. It stood up and looked at Mara who was charging at him again, he once again stood on his hind legs and expanded his stomach.
"Not this time." Mara's gunlance started to emit fire from the front of it. She thrust it at the Congalala's stomach but stopped just before hitting it. The Congalala looked down at it right as a loud bang sounded and the Congalala was engulfed in flame. Mara went skidding backwards and the Congalala came flying out of the cloud of flame and rolled across the ground partially on fire and screaming.
"That's it you damn monkey!" Dragoon ran at it and slammed his sword onto the Congalala's back. There was a loud snap and the Congalala stopped moving.
"Wow that thing was crazy." Orpheus said wiping his brow.
"Jump in and help anytime, Orpheus!" Mara yelled.
"It's okay. Nice work guys." Phoenix said walking over sheathing his lance onto his back.
"That's definitely not the monster we're looking for, it was just a Congalala." Dragoon said pulling his greatsword out of the corpse, it's eyes wide open and mouth open as though it were still in pain.
"That was pretty messed up, Dragoon." Mara said looking at the now dead Congalala.
"This is hunting, not some kid's story book Mara get used to it." He sheathed his greatsword and walked away.
"Alright, so is everyone okay?"
"Yeah we're okay, Phoenix." Mara said sheathing her gunlance. "That's one deadly lance you got there, never seen anything like that before."
"Yea it's a prototype they're having me field test. Let's head towards the a nearby lake for some water."
The party headed towards a large lake marked on their map. When they arrived everything seemed calm.
"Alright guys get some water and take a break for a while."
Orpheus and Mara took they're chest armor and helms off to rest, but Phoenix and Dragoon left their chest plates on. Orpheus and Mara sat at the beach talking to each other while Phoenix and Dragoon talked.
"They seem like they get along well. What do you think Dragoon?"
"Eh, if it works, good for them. I'm good the way I am. By the way, are you worried about leaving Keira back there?"
"She'll be fine, she's in good care at that hospital. Hey, Dragoon."
"Yea?"
"What do you thinks in that cove over there?" Dragoon and Phoenix looked across the lake at a rock formation that have a sunken cave entrance.
"I don't know but have you noticed there aren't any fish in this lake?" Dragoon says in a brooding manner.
"Yea, I was getting the same feeling. I don't think we should linger around here for too long." Phoenix picked up his helm and walked closer to Orpheus and Mara. "Hey guys, get suited back up we're heading out!"
"Sure thing, Phoenix!" Orpheus yelled back.
Right as Mara and Orpheus got their armor back on they heard a loud roar coming from the direction of the forest, followed by screaming.
"Let's get going guys, we'd better check that out!" Phoenix called over to Mara and Orpheus.
They ran into the forest for a few hundred feet when they saw a guild scout running towards them.
"I found it! I found the.." Right before he could make it to the party a very large black catlike monster pounced past the guild scout and blocked his escape. It made no sound as it's tail went flying by the the location where the guild scout was at just behind it. All they saw was a large red splash. It roared then began to charge at the party.
"Phoenix, what do we do?" Mara yelled.
Phoenix reached for his bowgun and aimed right at the creature, he fired off a shot and before the bullet could hit the monster it jumped over it and into the canopy.
"What the hell is this thing? It can dodge a shot from a bowgun!" Dragoon said as he unsheathed his weapon. The others did the same and formed around Phoenix.
"I have no clue, it has a pseudo-wyvern build like Tigrex, but that thing is way smarter and faster."
"Do you think it's gone?" Orpheus said with a very worried look on his face.
"I would say 'don't worry' Orpheus but I think right now.. we might be out of our league"
The party moved slowly in formation towards the guild scouts remains, he was torn in half.
"What kind of thing has a tail that can do something like this?"
"I have no idea. Phoenix, we need to be very careful." Dragoon said with a worried look on his face.
"Mara, are you okay?" Phoenix said as he looked over at her, she was almost in tears.
"I just never seen someone die so easily. It killed him with no thought and no hesitation."
"That's why we have to hunt it down, something like this shouldn't be in this world." Phoenix said with a angry look on his face.
The party began to search area nearby and found no signs of it's movements.
"This thing must use the trees to get around. There's no disturbances on the ground."
"Then how do we know when it's going to attack?" Mara said with a scared face.
"I don't know, but I guess we'll.." Phoenix suddenly went flying forwards.
Everyone looked back and it was right there getting ready to strike Orpheus next with it's claws.
"Back off!" Dragoon grabbed his sword and swung it at the monster's claw. They clashed and Dragoon began to push it back as it stumbled with it's claw stuck on his greatsword. "Get him now, Orpheus!"
Orpheus unsheathed his weapons and in a fit of rage, charged at the monsters side. He began to slash wildly at it, but the monster put up his other arm and unfolded metal like blades. Orpheus weapons collided with it and made sparks that flew everywhere.
"I can't do anything!" Orpheus said falling back, his weapons were all chipped up and the bladed wings didn't have a scratch on them. The monster roared and then spun sideways flinging Dragoon away.
Mara ran over to see if Phoenix was okay.
"Phoenix!"
He stood up breathing heavy. "What hit me?"
"It's back!"
Phoenix looked back at Orpheus trying to fend it off on his own rolling away from it's tail swings and swipes from it's claws. Phoenix unsheathed his lance and charged in after it. "Fall back Orpheus, this thing is mine!"
Orpheus dove out of the way as Phoenix charged in at it. It lunged at Phoenix with it's claw but he side stepped the blow and slammed his shield into it's face stunning it. He thrust his lance into it's right arm and it began to spasm and fell to the ground. As he went for a killing blow with his lance he looked up and the creature's tail rose up and came strait at him. He stopped and put his shield up to block it, the stinger at the end of the tail impaled in his shield and came within an inch of his face. Phoenix took his shield off his arm and grabbed his lance in two hands. He pulled a switch and barb like claws protruded from his lance in a row. He slammed it on top of the creatures neck and pulled back in a saw like motion and tore away a lot of flesh. The monster screamed in agony and jumped back.
"Hit him now, Mara!"
Mara ran in with her gunlance drawn and slammed the tip of her gunlance into it's ribs and fired off six shots into it.
The monster swiped at her shield sending her skidding backwards. It was wheezing heavily but still was able to move very sluggishly. Dragoon emerged from throw earlier and came right at it with murderous intent. "You still want to fight?" The creature lunged at him with his claws, he slammed his sword onto it's arm and crushed it. As it tried to bite at Dragoon he raised his sword up and slammed it onto the things skull. There was multiple cracking sounds and the creature roared very loudly.
"Just die!" Phoenix ran at it and impaled his lance into it's chest. It began to spasm violently, thrashing about everywhere. After a second it roared one last time tried to jump back into the canopy but it's broken limb collapsed as it tried to grab the branches and it fell back to the ground.
Phoenix walked over to it and tried to pull his lance out but it was lodged into it's chest. "Screw it, let's send a message to the guild to come collect this damn thing." He sent out a messenger bird and they waited for a team to come help them.
A few days later a team of twenty guards and a science team of ten showed up. They arrived to a makeshift camp next to the corpse.
"Phoenix?" The science team leader yelled.
Phoenix emerged from one of the tents. "Yea, I'm here."
"You finally were able to track down the beast and slay it?"
"Yea it's right over there." Phoenix pointed to the corpse.
As the science team got to it they were speechless. Most of them looked at the corpse and saw the mangled and broken body.
"It took all that to kill it?"
"You have no idea. My lance is lodged in it's chest, I can't get it out. My shield is also stuck on it's tail."
Once of the guards looked over at Phoenix. Phoenix looked back at him. "Got something to say?"
"Yes, Sir Phoenix. I don't see how any man could slay a beast like that."
"No man can slay something like that, but four can. You need people at your side if you want to live in this career."
The guard placed his clenched fist on his chest then saluted Phoenix. Phoenix saluted him back.
"Now if we could get on our way back to the village?" Phoenix said looking at the science team leader.
"Certainly, Sir. It has been almost nine months since you have been back to civilization hasn't it?"
"Yea, there's something I need to get back to check on."
"Ah yes, I have a message to deliver to you. I was told to say she is doing fine and everything is going well."
"Ah, so the guild representative told you huh?"
"Not the details Sir, just the message. Also he told me that Guild Master Raiden will be waiting for you when you get back."
"The Guild Master wants to see me?" Phoenix replied with a curious look on his face.
"Yes, so you should hurry back with some haste, Sir."
"Will do." Phoenix went back into the tent and got what was left of his gear and headed back to the village with the rest of his party and ten of the twenty guards for an escort.
After a week of travel they made it back to the village. As they entered the village they were greeted by Guild Master Raiden.
"Phoenix, good hunting. I heard this one was a hellish battle." Guild Master Raiden stood six feet tall wearing a black and gold wardrobe of guild knight clothing. He had long white hair and a large scar over his left eye.
"Hello, Sir. Hey I'll meet you guys later at the tavern."
"Later Phoenix." Dragoon said as he walked by Raiden.
"You wanted to see my about something, Sir?"
"Yes, well I've heard about your recent achievements and I would like to ask you if you would to join the Grayburg Dragon Riders?"
"The Dragon Riders?"
"It's a prestigious clan, very few members that, as the name states, ride dragons."
"I uh.."
"You don't have to decide right away, I know you have something to see too first. But please get back to me before sunset today."
"Yes, Sir." Phoenix saluted Raiden and went off to the hospital to check on Keira.
When Phoenix got the the hospital a nurse was waiting in front of Keira's door.
"Are you Phoenix?" The nurse asked preventing him from going into her room.
"Yes, why can't I go in?"
"She currently delivering the baby, we don't want anyone in there until the procedures done." The nurse smiled.
"I guess I'll just wait here then?"
"Yes, please do."
After about an hour the doctor came out. "You're Phoenix right?"
"Yes, is everything alright?"
"Yes yes, it's a healthy baby girl." The doctor smiled and patted Phoenix on his shoulder and walked down the hallway.
"Thanks Doc."
"The rest is up to you, good luck." The doctor laughed and waved as he walked down the hallway.
Phoenix walked into the room and Keira was laying there holding their baby girl. "Hey I'm back."
"What took you so long? You almost missed this!"
"Well I.."
"Oh just shut up and get over here and see your daughter." Keira smiled.
Phoenix walked over and looked down at her. "She's so beautiful, she looks just like you."
"Of course she does." Keira laughed. "Ya know I heard how tough of a hunt that thing was for you, sorry I wasn't there to help."
"Oh I don't know if you would have wanted to be there, it almost got me before we even realized it was right on top of us and it flung Dragoon around like he was a little kid." They both laugh.
"I wish I was there to see that oaf get his ass handed to him." Keira smiled.
They spend a few hours talking to each other.
"Oh by the way, Keira. Guild Master Raiden asked me to join some sort of elite clan of people called the Grayburg Dragon Riders. I wanted to run it by you to see if I should join them or not."
"It sounds like fun, if it's what you want to do go for it. Just don't get yourself killed before you raise your daughter."
"Okay, I got to go and tell him yes. He said I have to tell him before sunset. I'll come by later to check up on you."
"Love ya!" Keira smiles as Phoenix leaves the room.
"I love you too."
Phoenix runs over to the guild office to see Raiden.
"I'm here to see Raiden." Phoenix says as he runs into the office.
"Oh just in time he just got back from a conference with the guild representative. They should be in his office, go on in."
Phoenix knocks on the door before entering. "May I come in, Sir?"
"Yes, come on in Phoenix."
"Could I ask you to leave for a minute?"
"Yes, Guild Master." The guild representative left the room and shut the door behind him.
"So, what's your answer Phoenix?"
"Yes, Sir. I'll join. I just have one question."
"Go on."
"How many members are in this clan at this time?"
"Just one." Raiden said holding up a finger.
Phoenix got a confused look on his face. "What do you mean one, Sir."
"The last time Fatalis attacked the volcanic outpost we lost six of the seven members."
"I see, well when do I start my training?"
"Tonight. I'll take you to see your partner." Raiden smirked.
"Uh, partner Sir?"
"You'll see, go get some food and see to your friends. Then we'll begin."
"Yes, Sir." Phoenix saluted Raiden.
Phoenix headed over to the tavern to see his friends.
"Hey guys." Phoenix sat down at the table.
"Hey, hows Keira doing?" Orpheus asked.
"Oh she's fine."
"So what's the little devil that she gave birth too?"
"Well, it's a girl and I we haven't picked a name yet."
"Pick one soon or Dragoon will end up naming her." Rikka laughed.
"Shut up and have another beer." Dragoon slapped the back of her head.
"Yes, Sir!" Rikka began guzzling down a pint of beer.
"So got any names in mind, Phoenix?"
"I got a few in mind, Mara. Since it's a girl I was thinking Seline."
"Oh Seline, I like it." Mara smiles.
"Well I got to get going."
"What's the rush? Not going to have an ale first?"
"Nah, not tonight I got some sort of training ritual thing with Master Raiden."
"Training?" Dragoon smirked.
"Yea, I've been recruited to join the Grayburg Dragon Riders."
"The who?" Dragoon chuckles.
"I guess it was a clan of seven members that took on Fatalis last time he attacked."
"Oh, those guys. I don't think they were right in the head trying to tame beasts. Monsters are better off dead not as a horse." Dragoon grunts.
"Well anyways, I got to get going. Catch you guys later."
"Later, Phoenix." Mara and Orpheus wave goodbye as Phoenix elft the tavern.
Phoenix headed over to the training grounds. When he arrived there were torches encircling a chest that Raiden was standing next to. The arena was quiet and completely deserted, except for Raiden.
"Welcome, Phoenix. It is time for you to see your partner."
Phoenix didn't speak he just walked over to the chest and opened it up. There was large dragon egg inside, it had runic rings wrote all over it and at the top it had a circle.
"All you need do is cut your hands with this blade and press your palm onto the top of the egg where the circle is at." Raiden handed him a dirk like knife with red runes along the blade, just like the egg. Phoenix followed his instructions and cut the palm of his hand and placed it onto the egg. The chest began to shake then suddenly caught on fire, Phoenix stepped back as the chest burned into dust and the egg fell to the ground and the egg began to hatch. Phoenix stared at the egg with great anticipation, it shattered and a small blue and yellow wyvern uncurled letting out a small yelp and walked over to Phoenix. Phoenix petted his head and it laid down on his feet.
"You're a lucky one, Phoenix. This breed is ferocious, hard to tame but this one seems to have taken a liking to you." Raiden smiled.
"Heh, they're kinda cute when their not trying to kill ya. Kinda like a dog."
"No! This is no pet nor will you treat him as one. He is your brother, he will stand next to you no matter what your foe and guard you with his life and he expects the same!"
"Sorry. So how do you train something like this?"
"Well actually the funny thing is there isn't much training needed. He will innately listen to you because of the ritual you performed. You just need to treat him well and he will do the same. Although you do need to think of a name for him."
"A name, how about... Fenrir." The baby Tigrex yelped and began to drool on his boots with his tongue hanging out.
"Take good care of him, Phoenix. I'll leave him in your care."
"Where are you going?"
"Back to the guild headquarters, there's matters I need to attend to now that you're one of us. Oh by the way, this is yours." Raiden handed Phoenix a very ornate looking black and gold cowl. "Wear it at all times." Raiden left the training grounds.
"I guess I'll take you back to the hospital and show you to, Keira. What do you think of that?"
Fenrir yelped and smiled to the best of his ability up at Phoenix.
As Phoenix walked out of the training grounds everyone stared at the Tigrex following him.
A guard came over with a very nervous look on his face. "Uh Sir, whats the meaning of that... thing following you?"
"It's my partner." Phoenix grinned and kept walking, Fenrir close behind him.
"Oh your back, Phoenix how did the..."
"I'd like you to meet Fenrir."
Keira eyes got very wide and stared at Fenrir.
Fenrir smiled back and started to drool with his tongue hanging out.
"He's so cute!"
Fenrir walked over and stood on his hind legs and tried to lick Keira's face.
"I thought you would have freaked out after what the last one tried to do to you."
"I was going to at first, but after I saw him smile at me.." Keira petted Fenrir's head and he sat down next to the bed and fell asleep.
"I guess I just treat him like a brother, Raiden said and he'll do the same."
"Well you're going to have a lot to do for a while." Keira smiled at Phoenix.
"That's an understatement."
Phoenix and Keira laugh and they spend the night talking about what the future holds.