The Hunting Raven chapter 4

Enter the Mime

Michael heaved as his armful of equipment landed on the desk. Swords and hammers clanged against a few axes. It felt very odd, having money. It felt even wierder, however, being able to pick out his own weapons.

Of course, his selection was much more limited than that of the other Rathbane members. He could afford to buy any weapon that he wanted, but he chose not to waste cash and bought items that weren't cheap, but were useful all the same. But he was not able to use any of the available lances, bowguns, longswords, or short swords.

The first lance that he had tried out had bent backwards as though he had peeled it like a banana with the first hit. The bowguns' finger guards were too small for his gauntlets. One look at the gossamer thin longsword told him that it would snap with the first blow. The short swords disappeared into Michael's gauntlets when he held them, while the shield would function better as a knee pad than protection for the rest of him.

That brought him down to switch axes, hammers, and great swords. He had gotten several of each. As for which one to use, he would have to know what hunt Thardus was going to suggest for him.

At that moment, Thardus appeared in the doorway of Michael's guest room. He did not look happy.

"What is it?" Michael asked calmly.

"It's that damn Guildmaster," Thardus replied tersly. "He didn't believe me." Michael wasn't surprised by that news. "And he won't even isee/i you until you've completed the latest urgent!"

The Astartes frowned. "What would that be?"

"Qurupeco," Thardus answered. "It shouldn't be too hard, especially for you, just...aggravating."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked.

Thardus launched into a dissertation about the abilities, temperment, and habitat of the birdlike reptile called the Qurupeco. He also explained the rules of urgent hunts and quests. They were lenient, all things considered, all that had to be done was complete it without undue injury to the hunter attempting to increase his or her rank.

"At least the 'master trusts me enough not to send one of his advisors. With you bein' the main hunter, it could've complicated things."

Michael could definitely see how.

"Well then," Thardus said abruptly and loudly, clapping his hands together. "Grab your stuff while I get the group together. It's time to go huntin'."

The four man (three men and a woman, with Cydni) group watched from afar as their wyvern prey strolled around its territory, head jutting forward slightly with each step. Cydni, Jazz, and Thardus used binoculars. Michael had no need for them, his enhanced eyes could see the monster clearly without them.

"Alright," Thardus said as he lowered the binoculars. "Here's the plan: Cydni, you need to-"

"-I will kill it myself," Michael interrupted.

The Rathbane leader looked at him disapprovingly, obviously also miffed about being interrupted, but only said, "If almost anyone but you had said that, I'd have told 'em to shut up and listen...Fine, you c'n go ahead in. But we're gonna wait here just in case."

The Marine nodded. Though he knew that Thardus had acquiesced because of his strength, it was also wise not to order a Space Marine unless you were his superior.

Michael moved down the hill toward the flying lizard, which paused to look at the knew arrival. It twisted its head from side to side with a chicken-like clucking. Its scaled feet shifted in a small jumping motion on the sandy soil.

With a deep breath, Michael drew his Hi-volt axe. Its twin blades slid forward with the click of a switch on the handle.

The 'peco flinched and recoiled backwards, showing remarkable intelligence as it recognized the gesture. The beast's mood completely changed. Its fan-like tail flared out, showing the red skin connecting the three bones to each other. The red pouch on its chest became a deeper shade of the color and inflated. The Qurupeco then raised its head to the sky and made its call-

-No, a call. It certainly wasn't the monster's. It was a scream that pierced painfully through Michael's eardrums. The volt axe dropped to the soft ground as he clapped his hands over the sides of his helmet.

When the ringing had finally stopped, he quickly picked up the axe, expecting an immediate attack. Instead, the creature was just sitting there, almost as though it was waiting for something...

That was when the ground started to rumble.

Before Michael could react, a massive, tan figure burst out of the ground, flipping him a couple dozen feet into the air. He flailed his arms and legs as he attempted to control his flight. Being launched into the air was not something that Astartes were used to.

What happened next was both lucky and unlucky: it was lucky for Michael, but very unlucky for the two monsters. He landed head first into a spot of soft sand. It was lucky for him, because it meant that he wouldn't have a wounded neck. However, it was unlucky for the monsters because it meant that he sank into the sand head first, ending up in a position similar to a sleeping ostrich.

The Qurupeco began hopping up and down and making a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter. The much slower Diablos merely cocked its horned head in confusion.

Michael grunted and picked himself up before glowering at the Qurupeco and Diablos. They were indeed very unlucky.

There was nothing in the universe more dangerous than a pissed off Space Marine.

Michael charged forward with a roar unlike any he had given before as he flipped the switch on the axe's handle, changing it to a sword. With speed disproportionate to his size, he swung it in an uppercut as blue bolts danced along its length.

Too late, the Qurupeco danced backwards even as the now spinning teeth of the blade made contact with its jaw. With the grinding of metal against bone, the bird-reptile's head was sawed in half from bottom to top. Its blood was vaporized mid-air by the megavolts of electricity being emitted by the sword. The dead trunk and both halves of its head crumpled to the ground without a sound.

Michael brought it back to his side with a savage grin, liking how much the Hi-volt axe was similar to a chainsword. He looked over to the Diablos, who just now realized that Michael was still a threat.

But then, Diablos weren't smart, but they also weren't quite ithat/i stupid. The bat-like monster took off and flew to the west, toward the edge of the plains and into the Endless Desert.

Michael walked over to the dead Qurupeco, which was now surrounded by a pool of its own blood. With one hand, he tore off one of the flinty claws on its wings, proof that he had defeated it. He then turned to his teammates.

Their faces had gone completely pale, which was quite a feat for Thardus and Jazz. However, this was nothing for Michael. He was a Space Marine. He had faced off against the worst that xenos and Chaos alike could throw at humanity. Certainly no mere monster was greater than his abilities.

Soon enough, however, he would find out just how wrong he was...