One of the men of the village volunteered to go gathering with me. He was weary of running minor errands for the Blacksmith on his own, and would be glad for the company. He was a man who was genuinely resourceful. He had stolen a bit of the Jaggi's hide from my first hunt, and with the tools from the fishermen, tattooed a basic map of the valley into the underside of the skin. He said he made it as a gift, gratitude that I would come all this way just so that he can focus on raising his family.
He had been nominated to be Hunter, had my mentor refused their offer. He told of how he was the best at some of the games the village hosted during celebrations, and so based on that, the people had nominated him to be the best at slaying colossal beasts. He was no happier about the nomination than his wife, and if his daughter had been old enough, she would have protested, too. He was, however, a wonderful map maker by experience.
"I really needed this." I smiled. I figured it was the best way to give my thanks. "I kinda got lost, yesterday."
"We know."
"Oh? How?"
"You dragged the net through a special mud, that only...pools in a certain part of the valley. Thankfully, it's not toxic or anything. It does, however, stain."
"So that's why the fisher let me keep the net."
"At least you were able to get the smell out. We didn't know that was possible."
"You'd be surprised what I am going to get covered in, while I'm away." I chuckled. The chuckle dwindled into a groan. I wasn't sure if I could get the proper weed out in this field. I would have to sift through the lake to find a substitute. "There's just a lot of tricks to know."
He pointed out herbs, and even some whetstone spots that he had discovered on his errands. He mused that the tattoo of the map wasn't big enough to mark all the good gathering spots on, and this I would have to simply remember. I joked about erasing some of my tricks from memory to learn a new map. He begged me to write them down first.
My days became routine. I would cover the Grandson's post and look out over the valley. I would memorize it. I would see where beasts were going, what they were up to. I would have my breakfast, usually fish, then go down and gather some resources from the fields. On the end of my trip, I would claim a couple of Jaggis, two on most days, my record after the second week was five. I would bring back Bhanabras, Aptonoths, herbs and honey.
On my third week, I was rewarded for my steady deeds with a little fire pit. It was brilliantly made, and it folded. On that day, the Blacksmith and I became friends. I started sharing his grocery list with the Mapmaker, and on days I focused on Jaggis, he made sure I got my share of things from the fields.
I still kept my eye on the wind, looking for signs of a larger menace. I saved up resources, I wove traps, I told the village about the monsters that were likely to come. They told me that they didn't need to worry- I was here for them. After a while, I began to believe it.
That morning, when I came to relieve the Grandson, he was wide awake. He was staring at the Jaggis' corner, weary but wary. He looked at me, and relaxed just a pinch. He pointed to the Jaggis and their shadows. I nodded. I was warmed up for Jaggis; I was warmed up for what I knew was coming.
"It is more than likely a Great Jaggi." I explained to the Chieftain and his council. "To retaliate against being culled, they have fed one of the stronger of their numbers a special blend of meat and, well, spit. There's more to it, but the end result is a much bigger Jaggi. One that acts as a Queen."
"What does this mean for the village, Hunter?" The council were visibly nervous. I was, visibly, not. This comforted some, and this strained others. The Chieftain was stone-faced. He was focused on listening, not predicting. "Are we in danger?"
"The Great Jaggi will not come up to the village. However, it will demand more territory, and will start harassing other beasts. More importantly, it draws attention to the Jaggi and their home. That's my main concern."
"Attention from whom?" The Chieftain asked. His chin rested on his fingers. It looked painful, with both his hands and his face so tight around the bone. "Do you mean it will draw other great beasts?"
"Yes, I do."
"So instead of helping us, you have caused a bigger problem. If you kill this one, they will make another, and more monsters will come." One council, apprehensive to stand, pointed a finger. "If we leave it alone, they will ignore us. Tomorrow morning, I say you go back to your city."
"Do not be so hasty." Another leaned back. "Large Monsters are risky, yes, but they can be defeated. We know this to be true. The Hunter's Guild is swimming in gold and ribbons. If these large monsters come, we simply stop them before they become a problem. Then we sell the bits and bobbles of the beasts. They are a source of great wealth. Risk, and Wealth. Isn't that the nature of things? Is that not how the world turns?"
The Chieftain dug his eyes into my own. "Can you defeat this Great Jaggi?"
"Yes." I answered. That was certain. I had done it before. That day, my mentor watched and made sandwiches while I struggled to learn how to use a bow. Today, I would come home with a Great Jaggi and a longing for sandwiches. "I certainly have enough resources gathered up to make the fight much easier. If you like, I can even catch it alive."
"Those are bold words." The wary of the council sneered. "Do not be cocky."
"True, fine." I folded my arms. "That would be a bit much to drag back, with it kicking and squalling. No, I will gather my things, and I will kill it."
"I agree with the Hunter-girl. I want this village to prosper, and if we let these Jaggis parade with a Queen, it will only turn to trouble. Soon they will be raiding us in the night and I refuse to let a hissyfit of a lizard take my breakfast from me."
After some murmuring and minimal counter argument, the matter was settled, and I was finally free to have my own fast broken. I had a special recipe made up, that day. The Kitchen Girls spread the rumor that I was headed off to a bigger battle, and the whole Village was astir before I got down to the Vigil Point. The Grandson nodded to me, for good luck, and then nodded off.
I felt good about this. I felt confident. I was headed to my first proper fight and I felt ready.
~~~~~~~
I climbed to my vantage point, hammer in hand, and peeked out over the grounds for the Jaggi. They were riled, agitated, and I knew that dance of theirs. They were waiting for their adversary. They were waiting for me. I peered into the mouth of the caves- they Jaggis were pouring out, each more energetic and violent than the next. Then one came out, and it was bleeding.
Suddenly, my confidence waned. The Great Jaggi would not attack its own. It was a neck wound, closer to the shoulder, almost a warning bite from a predator than a attempt to kill. The next one had a nearly shredded tail. It was wailing. The Jaggis grew more excited, more angry, and then one of them sensed me.
They rallied beneath my vantage of a rock, and had they learned to go around the rock, I might have been trapped. Instead, they refused to leave their nest. Instead of focusing on me, they kept looking back.
"What is it, boy?" I asked the Jaggi. "What are you so afraid of?"
More Jaggis poured out of the cavern, all of them significantly wounded. Wailing and thrashing, attempting to throw off their wounds and the memory of making them, the Jaggis scattered across the dirt and dust. I climbed closer to the edge of my rock, and peered harder into the caves. Unable to be seen, the beast decided to come out to meet me.
What I was looking at was not a monster I had seen before. The monster was fuzzy. I considered it being a cousin to the Lagombi, but instead of long ears in the tundra, it looked more like a rat, bathing in dust and whatever filth it could find.
I wasn't sure if I was staring at something new, but until then, I named it the Ratombi. It was fitting; The Thing That Wasn't the Logombi, and Looked Like a Rat; Ratombi. The teeth on the Ratombi were the most prominent feature- they were massive, ragged and at the moment, had a touch of Jaggi skin caught between them. Brown fur, possibly with split ends, was matted with the meatspit provided for the one Jaggi chosen as Queen. I now noted that none of the Jaggis out in the yard had been eating it. If the chosen one was still inside the cave, it was unlikely to be growing into a Great Jaggi.
Though it wasn't the beast I had intended to fight today, I wasn't going to come home without one. I waited for the Jaggis to pool about the Ratombi instead of my rock and I slid down. I let loose my Hammer and leaned back. For once, the Jaggis seemed happy to see me. They backed off the Ratombi. I ran in.
The Ratombi didn't roar, as I expected. It dropped on all fours and ran to meet me. I dodged the charge with a roll to the left. The Ratombi slid past, and I used my roll to power my hammer. I swung up against it's rump- slamming it just below the tail. The tail was longer than my hammer, than I was tall. It had no fur on, but a good amount of ribbing. Best of all, in my end, was that it was vulnerable. As my hammer peaked, I let it fall, right into the center of the long, ropey bit of the Ratombi. The sound was caught between a yelp, a howl, and a hiccup. I smirked. I was bringing home this tail today.
The Ratombi pivoted, screeched, and then lunged at my face with its teeth. I swung the hammer up, but without the momentum, it didn't go as high as I wanted. I managed to bump it in the chest and tip off the aim. The Ratombi still nailed my upper arm, and now I was the one howling. It was worse than a simple bite. It felt like an infection. Gunk and spite in slimy form drizzled into the cut from its teeth, and stretched as he pulled back up. The saliva off the creature was off-coloured, I realized, and I wondered if I was going to die this day.
In response to the screech, I heard a rapid pattering. About the size of dogs, the cave mouth regurgitated purple rats. They were, logically, the offspring of the Ratombi, but they were thinner, and a striking colour. They didn't seem like they would grow into the Ratombi, not properly. My spine wriggled in place. The Ratombi Babies spread out and struck the Jaggi, The Ratombi locked eyes with me. This time, I was ready for his face. I switched to my other hand for the power of my Hammer, and I swung up. I slammed my hammer into it's ugly muzzle. It reeled.
"Ha!" I should not have let out a cry. The Ratombi took it as a challenge. It stood up on its hind legs, then slammed down with its tiny forelegs. I stumbled backwards to get out of range, and my hammer dropped on one of its toes. Staring into its face, I knew I had to take out the teeth first. I had to break them, before they tore me up.
Lying on my back as I was, I picked up the handle with my hands, and supported the head of the hammer on my feet. With it's face so close, I rammed the hammer into it's long teeth, once, let it recoil, twice, let it roar, and then as it lunged in to steal one of my legs, a third time. The Ratombi scrambled backward. I imagined what it might feel like, having my teeth hammered. My skull began to ache. I shook the thought and got to my feet. I swung my hammer low, building momentum like a pendulum, back and forth, to and fro, rocking as I walked up to the Ratombi. It screeched at me, and the cry hurt my ears, but I was not going to let it back me off.
I threw the hammer back and guided it back to my front. The hammer hit on a diagonal; hitting the side of the teeth against the gums. The face off the hammer hit the long of them, spreading the shot through the tooth. As I had hoped, the teeth fissured along the top. It wasn't a clean shot, but at least it broke both teeth at once. The Ratombi panicked. I rolled in, picked up the teeth and shoved them in my pocket.
I rolled back, and drank some medicine to sooth the effects of the first bite. I needed my arm back, and death by spit was not my dream death. If I was going to die by a monster, I was going to be stomped into the ground. The Ratombi couldn't hope to do that and so I was determined to bring it home.
The Purple Babies tuned into the main event. They cried for their leader, and the Jaggis took it as an opportunity. I was surprised to find myself rooting for them. The fight was turning in our (huh, 'our') favour. The Jaggis were digging their tiny teeth into the backs and the bellies, working as a team. I almost shouted orders to them. I almost forgot that I had my own fight on my hands.
The Ratombi was keen on reminding me. It charged forward with its forehead on the front. I rolled, this time to the right, and tossed my hammer into its side. The hit pushed it off the charge, stumbled into a dance in attempts not to topple. I followed the strike with another into the flank, then up against the back of its leg, and down over the base of its tail. I had to run to get away from it's pivoting. It lunged with its face, but without its teeth, the bit wasn't as effective. The teeth had given it range that it was quite accustomed to, and now it had to adjust. The puzzle of enemy distance was something I was not keen on it learning. I rolled around to its opposite, and magically warped my hammer around to slam up against the side of its head. Right by the ear, I struck it, and the Ratombi's eyes popped.
With its hearing so clearly prominent, I almost danced. I looked around to the Jaggis at the scrap. If it was sound that it relied on, I would provide it. There are a myriad of sounds I know well, and one of them was the cry of the Great Jaggi. I had certainly heard it enough times. I took a deep breath and I did my best to imitate it. Just as I planned, the Jaggis took to the cry and responded with their own.
The sound was high pitched, unnerving, and for the Ratombi, insufferable, inescapable and impossible to squelch. The Purples certainly tried to quell the din, but the Jaggis only grew louder. They bit harder, those little dinosaurs, and their behavior grew more erratic. The din began to soften after a moment, and all I had to do was imitate the Great Jaggi again. I patted myself on the head before returning to the Ratombi. The creature was suffering. I slammed the hammer against its head again.
I began to work on its hind quarters to wound its speed, and keep it from powering up on its larger legs. I wanted that tail. After some elbow work, and some winning spins, the leg in the left of the Ratombi began to give. The beast wasn't about to limp, but I knew it was going to slow down. At the same time, it was growing desperate. I dug the spike of my hammer into the middle of its tail and I ground it in. Ratombi's squeal was lost in the cries of the Jaggi. I realized I would not be able to hear well for the next couple of days.
It took a few more strikes and pummels to weaken the tail. A grove, then a break, and then it was a matter of breaking skin. It would have been easier with a blade, but I was never good with them. I had to break away from attacking the tail to make a few strikes on the head. Without the big teeth the bites of the Ratombi were not as ferocious, but I was still wary about being bit. That saliva was worrisome, and I was sure that some of the other teeth could still break skin.
A couple of cracks to the spine left it stunned, and I finally had the freedom to bring hell down on its tail. With a few wacks, assisted by a strong tug, the tail broke free and the Ratombi's howl broke the din of the Jaggi. When the Jaggi noted the break of the tail, and the current state of their invader, they began rejoicing. The noise got louder. I considered taking up a language for my hands as opposed to my ears.
The Ratombi turned to me in agony. It face pleaded for mercy. It's heart wanted to leave. It seemed lost and afraid. I took this pause of the beast to slam it in the face. Shocked, and a touch stunned, I finished the blows, one into another, smashing in the Ratombi's face. The Jaggis quieted to watch, and I had to repeat my Great Jaggi impression (which was improving) in order to start them up again. The Ratombi couldn't handle the beating. It couldn't handle the sound, the pain, and the fact that it just might die.
The Purples abandoned their fight against the Jaggis to focus on me, but the Jaggis were too excited. The Jaggis now had the collective confidence to fight them off, proceeding to eat some of the Purples. One or two got to me, but not for long. One Jaggi tossed up a Purple to snap it between the jaws. I pet its head as a thank you, and I believe we were both surprised at the interaction. It gave me an odd look, then looked to the Ratombi. It was trying to leave the dusty yard, limp by limp. The Jaggi blinked at me.
Go after it.
It didn't have to look at me twice. I ran up, held my hammer up, and slid past the Ratombi's face. I slammed the hammer into the crown of the beast. It looked into my eyes, whimpered, and dropped. It gave its last breath as its skull broke beneath my hammer.
I looked up, and the few Purples left scattered off into the field as fast as their tiny legs could carry them. Only a handful managed to escape. The Jaggis stared at me, waiting to see if I would start to beat on them, now that I was finished. I walked into the crowd, some still eating Purples, and I grabbed the Ratombi's tail, and shoved it into my belt. I looked the closest Jaggi in the eye. It backed up. I smiled.
I took out my net, wrapped the Ratombi up in the net, a tight fit, and began to drag. It was heavier than the Jaggis, and I prayed the Mapmaker Man would meet me half way. I realized that if I was going to work with him so much, I ought to get his name.
Damn, that thing was heavy.