The Lost Civilization: Driven
By: Thomas A. Hawk
Edited by: dashboardgecko
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The rights of the game belong entirely to Capcom. This is a fanwork taking place in the setting of The Lost Civilization, another fanwork of the Monster Hunter games. The world and its characters, aside from those newly created for the sake of this story, are property of dashboardgecko
Chapter 5: The Journey
"No no no, your form was all wrong, Lloyd! I thought you said you were good with swords?"
"Ugh… Ow. Not ones that weigh this much. Heaviest one I ever had was six pounds, and this thing must be almost fifteen!"
The huntress let out a short sigh before reaching down and offering him a hand up. The group had stopped a little earlier than usual so they could arrive at the next town in the morning. For whatever reason, their next destination didn't take too kindly to nighttime arrivals, and due to a surprise Jaggi raid earlier that day, they were slightly behind schedule. While Selipa was tending to Mister Popo and making stew, Rosa had offered to spar with Lloyd a little to help him grow accustomed to her sword in case another large monster decided to attack. They'd been going at it for about half an hour or so, and the sun had already dipped below the tops of the trees now.
Dueling with sharpened blades had put him on edge at first, but he quickly learned that he really didn't have anything to worry about. Rosa wasn't actively trying to hit him, and she easily outpaced him with her back-up blade, resulting in the only injuries sustained being strikes to his arms or legs with the flat of her blade.
While he had used the sword fairly easily before, when they had fought the Rathian, he now attributed that completely to adrenaline. Hunter swords were much, much heavier than the ones he collected back in his time; he assumed that was to make cutting into plates and hides easier for them, but it made trying to swing the blade a full body effort for him. How Rosa could not only swing it with one hand, but to do so with any kind of fluidity and grace confounded him. He supposed that was just one of the differences between Therians and the Lost.
Then again, his own exhaustion was holding him back as well. While it didn't happen every night, the mental strain the Alatreon put on him during its 'visits' was wearing down on him and making it hard to sleep at all. Most mornings he woke up in a cold sweat, and he couldn't stop his hands from shaking, even during the ones where he hadn't been mentally assaulted. Selipa had made a few concerned comments about the large bags under his eyes some days as well, but he just passed it off saying it was from staying up later to keep watch. The dragon had made it abundantly clear that he couldn't say a word to them about his current situation, else it would come for them personally.
Fortunately they hadn't run into too much trouble since the Rathian. There had been some excitement when a herd of Aptonoth took about half an hour to cross the road in front of them, and there had been one attack by a small group of Jaggis that left one of the carriage wheels damaged and needing a quick replacement (at least, he wished it had been a quick process). Apart from those events, though, it had been remarkably peaceful for the last few days, something that he really appreciated. After the events of the last few weeks, a little breather seemed like just the thing he needed.
And yet, here he was willingly clashing swords with a woman who could readily kick his ass in a matter of seconds, quite possibly with her eyes closed and most definitely with one arm tied behind her back (that was a rather embarrassing session). Maybe 'breather' wasn't quite the best word he could've used.
"Hey, stew's done, you two!" Selipa called from the small campfire she had set up. "If you're done beating the snot out of Lloyd, come and get it!"
"Ow, right in the pride," he muttered dryly, sheathing the hunting blade across his back before lumbering over to the fire and taking a seat on a stump. "So, about how far from this next village is Hasara Landing?"
"It's just a couple days. I imagine we'll be in Loc Lac within the next week," Selipa replied, passing him a bowl and a spoon. "We'll be stopping for a few days so I can sell a few things in Azale Town, of course, but we're almost there."
"Within a week, huh…"
It was hard to believe that they were almost at their destination after all of this. Pretty soon he'd be able to reunite with Fala and Zack. They must still be worried sick about him… He'd definitely have some stories for them though. He just hoped their journey wasn't any rougher than his had been so far.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news Lloyd, but it might not be as simple as you're thinking," Rosa said, drawing his attention. "Just getting to Loc Lac doesn't mean you'll be home free."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a really, REALLY big city. There's a lot of hustle and bustle constantly, day and night. It might take you weeks to find your friends there, and they could be almost anywhere."
"Now now, Rosie, you know that isn't exactly true," the trader commented after seeing Lloyd's expression fall slightly. "Most Lost tend to stick around the Southern District, right? And they've got a Hive there like the one in Nastre, so it's not like it'll be a needle in a haystack for him."
"Well, sure, but I just want to make sure he gets that Loc Lac isn't exactly the ideal place for a Lost to be, even if that's where most of them are."
"Why, cuz of the tension between Lost and Therians?" he asked, taking a few bites of the stew and glancing between the two. "It can't really be that bad… right?"
"Last time I was in Loc Lac there was a rumor that some people were trying to kick the Lost out of the country entirely. Some powerful members of the government were supposed to be in on it too."
"Ah. Well isn't that just a kick in the teeth. Don't suppose you have any other bad news to share with me, right?"
"Actually, there is one other thing…"
"WONDERFUL."
"This next town we're going to be stopping in, Azale, it gets a good bit of Lost traffic trickling into the city," Selipa stated, setting her now-empty bowl down beside her. "It's mostly because Loc Lac closed its gates to large numbers of Lost entering at a time in an effort to avoid overpopulation, and Hasara is one of the smaller ports they can trickle on in through. Unfortunately, some of the residents aren't particularly fond of that traffic…"
"And by 'some' she means 'most'," Rosa added, earning a quick glance from the trader.
"So basically I'm walking into a shitstorm just waiting to happen. I'm not going to get lynched, am I?"
"Not exactly, but… it won't be pretty if you do get into trouble. So, the plan is for you to keep a low profile while we're in town. If anyone asks, just say you're Therian, maybe even Rosa's hunting apprentice."
"He's a little too scrawny for that," the huntress mused, and Lloyd shot her an irritated look. She really loved taking pot shots at his ego, didn't she? "Nah, I think it would be better to say he's in the trading business with you. Ooh, maybe you could act like you're a couple!"
"WHAT?"
"Rosa, no!"
The huntress laughed while Selipa looked away from the campfire in embarrassment and Lloyd gave her a harsh look.
"Relax, I was just joking around a little, geez!" she chuckled, waving him off and getting another helping of stew. "Still, it would be considered normal for a couple to travel together, especially if it's a trading business like this. I wouldn't be surprised if your friends had to do something similar too. Hell, they might even have to put up a front in Loc Lac while they wait for you. Or maybe they've even become a thing to make it easier on them!"
"Don't talk like you know them," Lloyd shot back, shaking his head and looking off towards the trees. "There are certain lines that we don't cross with each other, and my relationship with Fala is one of them. That's not something Zack would do."
"I dunno Lloyd, a lot can change in a few hectic months," she teased coyly, poking her spoon in his direction.
"Rosa, stop with the teasing…" Selipa warned in a hushed tone, glancing between her and Lloyd uneasily.
"Oh come on, Sel, I'm just having a little-!"
THUNK!
The huntress let out a short yelp as Lloyd released his grip on her broadsword, the tip of which was embedded several inches into a thick root about a foot to her side.
"Take your damn sword back."
Neither she nor Selipa spoke a word, both of them simply staring wide-eyed at him as he stood up straight.
"I'll take watch tonight."
"But-"
"Don't. Even try."
He turned about and walked off towards the carriage then, leaving the sword wobbling slightly beside the huntress and leaving the campsite eerily quiet. He set himself down against the wheel and set his sights towards the road a few dozen feet before him, doing his best to ignore the twitching of his eye and the shaking of his hand.
He wasn't sure how much later it was before Selipa told him that she and Rosa were going to sleep, but frankly, Lloyd didn't really care at the moment. He was still fuming over what the huntress had been implying about Zack and Fala. It was completely out of line.
After the pair had retired to their tent, Lloyd moved back to the remains of their campfire, the light of the moon overhead illuminating the area relatively well. He unbuckled his sword from his belt, removed his pistol from his holster, and set the weapons down on either side of him as he sat down. Both weapons had seen their fair share of use in Theron, and while he'd been careful to maintain them, they were showing signs of use. They were some of the only ties he had left to his time, apart from a couple of the things in his bag. In fact, he might even have a few more things from Theron in there now…
As he sat there, he began to think that Rosa might have been right about one thing. A lot could change in just a few months, especially for a Lost. They had been forced to adapt to this new world, give up parts of their heritage, even forget some of their old lives just to keep moving forward. He'd likely never drive a car again, or fly in a jet, or go to a drive through restaurant… So many things that seemed so normal then were now completely gone without a trace. He even found many of his memories of his time had grown hazy: he barely recalled the name of his old boss, the names of the schools he had attended, even the street he had lived on for his entire childhood was foggy at best.
So much had been left behind already, he hoped Zack and Fala hadn't left him behind too.
He looked up at the sound of whispers coming from the tent, and Lloyd quietly picked up his pistol in case someone had snuck into the camp before taking several careful steps towards the canvas. He relaxed as he neared, though, realizing it was just Rosa and Selipa talking to each other from within. He was about to make his way back to the stump when he overheard a part of their conversation.
"…was just heartless to say something like that to him, you know? Can you imagine how much he's already been through?"
"That doesn't mean reality doesn't matter, Sel. Sure, I was just teasing, but I have firsthand experience with that same sort of thing. It's never easy, but at least he'll be ready for when it happens."
"IF. If it happens. Neither of us know what kind of people Lloyd's friends are, and he's always talked about how loyal they are to one another. Give some credit where it's due, Rosa."
"Well, what about you? I know for a fact you'd prefer it if what I said happened… I know how you are. Once you fall for a guy, you fall hard. Can you blame me for trying to play matchmaker a little bit, considering your luck? This isn't the first time something like this has happened, after all. It's always guys who already have someone else with you."
"…It doesn't matter what I want for myself or how I feel about him. He already has someone special to him, and I'd rather they be together than live with the guilt of tearing them apart."
"Sigh… You always did look out for others first, even in love. I'm sorry for trying to force you two together then, Sel."
"You should really save that apology for Lloyd, don't you think?"
"Irk… He did almost stab me earlier…"
"You know he wouldn't hurt you, Rosa. Besides, to be honest, you were kind of asking for it. You know how defensive he gets about these things. He can't help it."
"I guess you have a point… Fine, I'll apologize to him in the morning. Don't expect anything sappy or whatever though. I have a reputation to maintain."
"Yeah, yeah, just get some rest for now, alright?"
"Fiiiiiine… G'night, Sel."
Lloyd quietly made his way back over to the stump and set himself down with a heavy sigh. That certainly wasn't a bit of information he had been expecting to learn…
"Good lord, the one time I decide to be a little nosy…" he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. After a few moments, he grabbed his katana and pushed himself back up, drawing the blade and making his way back over to the small clearing he and Rosa had been sparring in earlier. He felt that maybe a little solo practice would help him blow off some steam.
He was grateful to have the familiar weight of the curved blade in his hand this time. It sort of reminded him of the times he'd clear out some space in his studio to practice, of the times he'd swing a little too high and accidentally nick the ceiling. Those times when everything was still normal.
He twirled the blade once on either side of him in a quick figure eight before grasping the hilt with his other hand and taking in a long breath. A moment later, he brought the sword up and took a step forwards, quickly slashing the katana downwards with a wind-splitting whoosh. He let out a short grunt before slashing horizontally, striking down an invisible adversary before him. He turned to the side and slashed diagonally upwards twice, once to the left and once to the right, as though he were cutting an X into the torso of some unseen enemy.
From there, he threw himself into a simulation of sorts, imagining enemies charging him while he fended them off with fast, fluid swings every which way. He would envision a blade swinging towards his back, and react by pulling his own blade over his shoulder and across his back to block before counterattacking the imaginary assailant, or ducking beneath a swipe at his head and kicking the legs out from a pair of attackers. He tossed his katana into his left hand in a reverse grip and drew his handgun from its holster, taking aim at a number of the attackers approaching him and picking them off one by one with mouthed "bangs". He found himself facing off against a veritable army of figments of his imagination, and with each one he felled, a little bit of his frustrations seemed to vanish.
After a while, though, he let out an exhausted huff and planted the tip of his sword into the ground to take a break. He'd had similar simulations back in his time too. He called the things from his civilization normal then, and a part of him still considered all of those things ordinary now too. Yet… He had to accept that there was no going back from here. This world, these monsters that occupied the wilds, these strange people and their culture, THAT was the new normal.
"Guess that makes it my new normal too," he muttered, holding his blade out before him and running his eyes along its edge. "Some things have to be left behind to move ahead, but not everything. Fala, Zack… I won't be left behind too."
It was then that he noticed Selipa standing off to the side, leaning up against a tree as though she had been watching him since he had started practicing. She blinked in surprise as she realized Lloyd had seen her.
"Oh, uhm… Hey."
"I... didn't know you were still up."
"I just thought I might get a breath of fresh air, see how you were doing, y'know? I… take it you're still kinda pissed, huh?"
"Just incredibly frustrated with your friend at the moment, but I'll manage," he replied, sliding his katana back into its sheath. "Don't worry, I wasn't thinking about trying to get back at her or anything. Chances are she'd beat me to a pulp if I tried, even in her sleep."
"Give yourself a little more credit, Lloyd. You're a good swordsman, even if you learned most of it from the… what did you call it? The internet? I mean, you were doing a great job guarding the carriage before Rosa joined us, after all."
"I'm not upset about her showing me up or anything. Believe me, I actually do know when to fold 'em and say 'yes, you are tougher than me'. I just don't want to be forgotten by the people I care about, and her saying that they might've moved on really… got to me."
"She was just talking about some of her older relationships that went south for similar reasons. You can't have thirty-seven different relationships without some drama, right?"
"Guess not," he sighed, strapping the katana back to his belt and resting his hand on the pommel. "I can't exactly speak from experience there, but that's why it got to me. Zack and Fala are pretty much the only real friends I've had for my entire life. I honestly can't imagine life without them. We were a team, almost like a miniature family. The things we'd get up to... Zack and I especially. I still remember planting a fart bomb in one of my school teacher's chairs with him, and that's not even scratching the surface of what we got up to. We'd skip classes to go hiking through the woods sometimes, or grab a bite from a place that actually had decent food compared to the cafeteria. Sometimes we'd get into scraps with other guys over who knows what. Fala would always do her best to bail us out when we got in trouble, but man, we did not make it easy for her. Then after the rebellious teen years were over, and we actually had our shit together, we still made sure to stay close. We'd go on trips together, help each other out with work... And I'd occasionally bail Zack out of trouble myself when he really screwed up. I didn't really mind, even if I would give him some shit about it. Thinking back on all of that, it's just... really hard for me not knowing how they're doing, let alone actually having doubts about our friendship. I really couldn't take it if they did do something like that to me."
"I can imagine why," she said with a light smile, and Lloyd cleared his throat after a moment.
"Yeah uh... Sorry about going off a little there, I really shouldn't be boring you with all the details about our past."
"Oh no, its alright, really! If it helps you vent a little, go right ahead."
"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure I just finished getting everything off my chest. Anyways... you can leave the night watch to me this time around. I'd just like some time to think."
"A-are you sure?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in concern as he strode over to where she stood. "I mean, it just seems like you don't get any rest some nights. You shouldn't force yourself to stay up so late if you don't have to. I'm sure Rosa or I could keep watch for a few hours."
"I appreciate it, really, I do, but I'd just prefer to stay up this time around. Besides, what better way to lie low in Azale Town than to lie in bed sleeping all day?"
"You have a point, but still… Just make sure you don't overwork yourself, alright?"
"Trust me, I've had worse nights before. I'll be just fine."
"I hope so…"
The pair headed back towards the camp then, Selipa first, followed by Lloyd. Shortly before reaching her tent, though, she stopped.
"Listen, Lloyd, can I… tell you something?"
"Sure, is something the matter?"
"No, no, just, I… I want to let you know that even if you think you're being left behind -and I really doubt your friends would do that to you-, you've still got a place in this crazy, weird world here. And... while you might've had to leave a lot behind to move forwards, there's always more ahead for you to pick up along the way too."
"Oh, uh, you... you heard that bit, huh?" he stuttered, glancing off to the side out of embarrassment.
"Well, I'm not the only one who can eavesdrop, after all," she smiled. Lloyd let out a short gasp and turned back towards her, realizing her knowing expression had a hint of sadness to it as well.
"Uh, I-"
"I saw your shadow on the side of the tent. Look, you don't have to say anything about it. Honestly, I'd rather you didn't. This isn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last. It's almost like a curse, really... I don't want you feeling bad about anything just because I can't stop my feelings. I'd rather we just move ahead right now like this didn't happen at all, and... just stay as friends. Fair enough?"
"I... Alright, sure," he sighed. He wasn't even quite sure what he could say at that point. This was not territory he was used to being in. Still, it probably was better to just let it go.
"Good night, Lloyd."
"…Y-yeah, good night, Selipa."
Lloyd walked back towards the stump after the trader disappeared inside her tent, setting himself down on the makeshift seat and resting his face in his hands. The night had pretty much just begun, yet it felt like it had dragged on for ages already…
"Ugh, why do I do things…"
The group made it into Azale Town without much trouble the next morning. The village was at least four or five times bigger than Aries Town was, and many of the stone and brick buildings were a fair bit taller as well. Lloyd really didn't pay much more attention than that, though.
"Morning, tough guy. How did the night watch go?" Rosa had asked before they got moving.
"I am not fine," he groaned tiredly, clambering into the back of the carriage and sprawling himself over a box. He'd remained there ever since, only getting a view of the town through a few open sections of the canvas over the wagon through his tired, bleary eyes.
"First things first, let's get a few rooms at the inn and drop him off there," Selipa said, giving the photographer a sympathetic look before spurring Mister Popo onwards. "We can set up in the market after that, alright Rosa?"
"Can I at least get a drink at the tavern first? We ran out of alcohol four days ago and I miss iiiiit."
"Rosie, the last thing I need is for you to get drunk while Lloyd is already delirious from a lack of sleep."
Lloyd let out a string of slurred curses as the carriage bumped over an uneven section of the road, sending him tumbling off of the box in the process.
"See?"
"Fine, but you better believe I'm going to have a huge tab open tonight!"
"What am I going to do with you two…"
After halting the carriage in front of an inn, Selipa and Rosa helped Lloyd stagger up to one of the rooms they had rented out for the next few days, where he promptly collapsed face first on the mattress. An actual bed. After several weeks on the road. He might as well have died and gone to heaven.
"Rosa's bringing up the rest of your stuff now," Selipa said. "Do you need anything?"
"Darkness…"
The trader let out an amused chuckle before closing the blinds over the window.
"Thank you…"
There was a long scraping noise as the huntress dragged his item chest into the room before setting it down with a loud thump, earning an irritated grunt from the photographer at the loud noises.
"We'll be back later this afternoon, probably before sundown. Hope you rest well!"
He didn't.
Lloyd awoke sometime later clutching at his head in agony, covered in a cold sweat, curled up into a tight ball, while the covers were a tangled mess by the foot of the bed. While the room was still dark, the edges of his vision were tinted with red, and the thumping in his head was almost as fast as his strained breaths.
"That f-fucking dragon…" he spat, closing his eyes tight as an explosion of pain erupted inside his head once again. This had been a particularly brutal visit of the Alatreon, perhaps worsened by his lack of sleep. He didn't even want to think about what the black dragon had done to him this time… He was just glad everything was still attached properly.
He tried to calm his breathing and regain his composure, but the dull throbbing in his head made it nearly impossible to do so. He'd had migraines that felt better than this. He shifted his hand over the nightstand beside him, feeling around for a glass of water or something to help calm himself, only to find a flat table.
"Right… Tavern…" he grumbled, forcing himself up despite his aching skull and heading towards the door. By some miracle he made it down the hall and to the stairs without much trouble, though the light coming in from the windows only served to make his head hurt more. Even then, he forced himself down the steps, nearly falling down about halfway, before stumbling over to the bar and slumping into a seat.
"You look like you've had a rough time, buddy," the barkeep said. "You want a drink or something?"
"Water… Lots of water…"
A minute later, a massive tankard of the clear liquid was placed in front of him, and he immediately chugged down about half of it, wincing slightly as he set the wooden container down on the counter. He took a deep breath and brought his hand up to cover his eyes. From what he could see in his reflection in the liquid, his eyes were almost completely bloodshot.
"Few too many drinks on the road?"
"I wish," Lloyd responded, massaging his forehead in an effort to make the throbbing in his skull go away. The water certainly helped, but it was hardly enough to make it all go away. He'd kill for some Ibuprofin right about now. But no, that wasn't a thing anymore, was it? What even equated to a CVS in these parts anyways?
After downing his third tankard of water, Lloyd finally felt like he could deal with some light again, though he still found that keeping both eyes open was a large strain on his head, so he shut his markedly redder right eye tightly.
"You do got some zenni to pay for those, right?" the barkeep asked, wiping out the inside of a mug with a somewhat dirty rag. He hoped to whatever gods existed that this place was more sanitary than what it appeared to be.
"Water didn't cost anything in Aries Town…" Lloyd mumbled in reply.
"They aren't as close to the desert as we are. I'll cut you some slack this time around and say it's just a hundred zenni. Normally I'd charge about three times that."
"Alright, alright, just gimme a second…"
Lloyd reached into his belt in search of the coin pouch Selipa had given to him, only to be met with empty space. Which pouch had he put those things in again? He searched through a few of the pouches, pulling a few things out and setting them on the counter in front of him before finally locating his coins and tossing a handful on the table.
"You can keep the change…"
"Alrighty, but clean that junk up, would you? I don't appreciate people leaving stuff all over my counter."
"Yeah yeah…"
As he began to put away some of his things, he heard a few footsteps behind him, and a hand reached into view, taking hold of a crumpled red and silver piece of metal.
"What the heck is this?" a voice grumbled, and Lloyd turned to face a relatively tall and scarred man. Probably a hunter or something. That seemed to be the default job nowadays.
"It's a can," Lloyd sighed. He didn't actually take that out of his pouch before, did he?
"A 'can'? What's it for?"
"It holds soda. Held soda. Whatever."
"Soda?"
"Drinks. It's garbage now, keep it if you want. Have Yoda make it into a nice little hat for you or something."
"You're a Lost, aren't you?" the man scowled. "One of those freaks came through here spouting some crap about 'soda' and 'pop' before too."
"Does it really fucking matter?" he shot at the man.
"As a matter of fact, it does."
"Bryant, don't start anything again," the barkeep warned. "I told you last time that you wouldn't be allowed back in here if you keep terrorizing my customers."
"What, you actually like these freaks and their 'advanced civilization' nonsense?!"
"No, but I'm willing to put up with it if they're paying customers. Like this fine gentleman here, who hasn't said anything about his civilization at all."
"Hah! That's rich! Calling this sack of shit a gentleman?" the hunter scoffed, grabbing hold of Lloyd's shoulder. The photographer shook him off violently not even a second later.
"Get lost," Lloyd muttered, shaking his head as he moved to get out of his seat and head back up to his room. Before he could take more than a step, though, Bryant grabbed hold of his shoulder again with a much tighter grip.
"What was that, punk?"
Lloyd let out a short sigh.
"I said… GET LOST!"
The photographer whirled about and slammed his fist directly into the hunter's nose, feeling the bones within break beneath his fist before Bryant stumbled back, clutching at his face and howling in pain.
Lloyd turned to make his way back up the stairs, but yelped in shock as he felt himself pulled back towards the tavern. He grunted in pain as Bryant threw him into the wall, just barely pulling his head up in time to avoid the hunter's fist slamming into the wall where his head was a second before.
"You are so going to pay for that, you Lost piece of shit."
The photographer let out another yelp as the hunter pulled him off the wall and threw him onto a table several feet away, causing the patrons sitting there to hurriedly pull themselves away to avoid the fight. Despite the throbbing in his head, Lloyd forced himself up and shook the stars from his vision before realizing his hand was resting on a glass bottle. He smirked lightly as he heard the hunter storming up behind him, and he turned about quickly, intending to smash the bottle against the side of the man's head.
He gasped in surprise, though, as the hunter's arm shot up and caught his wrist a moment before the bottle connected.
"I've been in my fair share of bar fights, punk. That's nothing new."
"Well then. Guess I'll try something else."
"Wha-"
Ptoo!
Bryant let out a surprised yell as Lloyd spat a wad of saliva directly into his eye before kicking him in the abdomen, sending the hunter back a few paces. Lloyd winced as the throbbing in his head suddenly increased as he got to his feet, nearly stumbling over, but he managed to stay up. Getting into a fight with a migraine was the last thing he wanted to do, especially when his opponent was a veritable gorilla.
Bryant furiously wiped his eye before shooting a glare at Lloyd, punching his fist into his open hand before storming back over to the photographer. He weakly raised his arms in something akin to a defensive stance, but Bryant simply grabbed him by the collar and lifted him about a foot off the ground.
"You Lost are always talking about having been able to fly like wyverns before, huh? How's this compare?!"
Bryant turned and tossed the man through the air onto an empty table, and Lloyd let out a pained grunt as he hit the counter and another blast of pain tore through his skull. Before he could even react, he felt the hunter's hand grasp his ankle, and Lloyd was pulled from the table and sent sliding across the floor into a few chairs.
"How's that for a 'fast land speed'?! How about we see how long you can last underwater without a 'submarine' next, you Lost punk!"
"How about… you kindly… kiss my ass?" Lloyd gasped as he pushed himself up on all fours. Why he thought talking back to the hunter in this condition was a good idea, he'd likely never know.
Bryant let out a curse before stomping back towards the downed Lost and made to grab him once again. Right before his hand could connect, though, a white gauntlet appeared from the side and caught hold of the hunter's wrist, stopping it dead in place.
"Why, hello there, Bryant. How's Keith the great sword doing?"
"What the hel-?! Ah… Ah! R-Rosa! What are you doing here?!"
"I see you've been having a swell time beating on my friend here. How about you pick on someone a little closer to your size? Or, better yet… How about I show you what a real smackdown is?!"
A short while later, Lloyd was back in his room. Rosa was sitting in a chair by the window drinking a tankard of Hunter Cola while Selipa was busy tending to Lloyd's injuries from the bar fight. He wasn't quite sure where the huntress had learned the finer points of wrestling, but after seeing her perform two lariats, an elbow drop, a double axe handle, and a… something on Bryant, he decided that some things are best left to the imagination. Or just forgotten entirely. That sounded good too.
If anything, though, the experience reminded him entirely too much of the last bar fight he'd been involved with, back in his time. Zack had been the main aggressor there, of course... Now Lloyd could sort of see where his friend had been coming from when he said 'sometimes they're just asking for a beating'. He really didn't regret slugging Bryant at all. He regretted not being able to do it again. Guess he'd have an interesting story to tell him when they reunited, though he could already hear the 'and you said I was bad!' Zack would likely respond with now. He'd have to make sure to tell it in a way that didn't make it seem like he was getting beat too badly though.
"Alright, that should stop the bleeding on your head. Feeling any better?"
"Much, yeah, tha-"
"Then what the hell were you doing?! You were supposed to keep a low profile! Getting into a barfight is the exact OPPOSITE of keeping a low profile!"
"I just wanted some water for my migraine, for crying out loud! I wasn't expecting to run into one of Rosa's thirty-seven evil ex-boyfriends, who also just so happened to be a racist prick."
"Yeah, he always was kind of a prick," Rosa commented. "Thinking back, I don't even know what I saw in the guy. Made for a great punching bag today though. Kinda wish I could've broken his nose first though. That's usually the best part."
"Oh, well, so sorry to steal your fun," Lloyd remarked dryly before giving a curious glance towards Selipa. The trader was staring intently at him with her fingers interlocked before her mouth as though she were trying to solve a hard question on an exam. "Do… you need something?"
"I'm just trying to figure out why you keep getting these migraines so often," she said after a few moments. "It doesn't make any sense. You drink tons of water, you usually get just as much rest as Rosa and I, you mostly clean your plates of food… Those are the common symptoms I know about, but none of them apply here. Something doesn't add up."
"Selipa, I've been getting migraines since before I even arrived in Theron," he said. "I'm sure you don't have experience working long nights on computer screens, but trust me, that shit fries your brain. It's probably just residual or something."
He had to admit, he was relatively impressed with that lie. The parts about getting them back in his time was true- oh lord was it true- but he knew exactly why he got them now. He just couldn't say a word to them. He could never really tell if the Alatreon was watching or not, but considering the kind of pain it could inflict on him without even being there, he didn't even want to risk it. He wouldn't give in to that dragon's torture for anything. He wouldn't bring that end down on these two.
The trader gave him a concerned look, but otherwise seemed content with his answer, and sat back in her seat with a sigh.
"Well, whatever it is, I hope we can find a way to deal with it. If Rosa and I hadn't shown up when we did, who knows what could've happened to you."
"I'd have been fine… Probably." The two women gave him a look, and he laughed nervously. "Maybe?"
"Yeah, sure," Rosa chuckled sarcastically. "You'd have been deader than Qurupeco trying to call for a Deviljho."
Selipa had shown him an ecology book about Deviljhos before. He had a hard time telling which they resembled more: giant pickles, or Godzilla. They were considered to be some of the most ferocious beasts in the land, though. Considering Qurupecos were only a two star threat… Yeah, that was an insult. Unsurprising, really.
"Alright, I don't know about you two, but this girl thinks she could use a nice long wash," Selipa said after a few moments, patting her knees and getting to her feet. "Thank heavens we were able to get rooms in the inn closest to the bath houses."
"Ooh, I'll come along in that case! Lloyd, try not to get your butt kicked again while we're out."
"What? Can't I come along too? I was on the road just as long as you two!"
"Azale Town's bath house has times reserved for men and women," the huntress explained. "Can't have any funny business going on inside- not that people haven't tried, mind you- so they have time slotted for each gender."
"Alright, well, when can I go then?"
"Tomorrow morning or tomorrow afternoon. Women get midday and nighttime. I'd suggest you not take the morning one, since that's usually when most guys go, and… well, I'm sure you wouldn't want another run in with dear old Bryant."
"I could've taken him if I wasn't suffering from chronic headaches… Doesn't this inn have a shower room or anything?"
"I mean, probably, but I wouldn't expect it to have nice, relaxing, clean, warm water like the bath house," Selipa commented. Lloyd simply let out a defeated sigh before falling back into his bed.
"I really, really hate this place."
Fortunately for them, their stay in Azale Town was mostly uneventful after that first night. Selipa made her sales, Lloyd managed to avoid having any further trouble with the members of the town (and got in some much needed bathing time) and Rosa got completely wasted, requiring Lloyd and Selipa to carry her back up to her room and Lloyd to babysit her hangover the next morning. And, since he didn't exactly have much zenni himself, Selipa ended up helping him pay off the bill for damages done to the tavern from his and Bryant's tussle- like it or not, Lloyd did throw the first punch, so it was technically his fault that things escalated. Understandably, he now owed her big time. All in all though, the group could say that the entire ordeal was, at the very least, entertaining.
The trio headed out of the village in a different wagon drawn by an Aptonoth after three days, which Selipa explained was to avoid having Mister Popo overheat in the desert. He hated to admit it, but Lloyd actually thought he'd miss that giant furball. Regardless, he couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief as he watched the gates of the town close behind them.
"Promise me that if I ever end up on a road trip with you two again that we'll never go back there. Azale Town sucks."
"Sorry Lloyd, but there's good business there!" Selipa replied apologetically. "Normally I'd stay for a week minimum."
"Hear that? The girl made an exception for you, so quit complaining," Rosa chuckled as she lied back on the floor of the carriage. "I for one had a wonderful time!"
"That's because you got to beat up your ex and drink yourself into a stupor," Lloyd remarked. "The grown-ups actually had to deal with important things."
"Oh please, you just spent three days sleeping in your room or taking baths. You call that 'important'?"
"Very, yes. But I actually had a pretty in-depth conversation with another Lost about dark room printing. Apparently he's trying to recreate black and white photography using the different materials and chemicals we have access to here in Theron."
"Okay?"
"…That means I might actually be able to do something with my skillset after finding Zack and Fala. Going back into photography would be great, especially if I could get some good shots of monsters in the field. I... really don't think I'm quite cut out for the hunting life, after all."
"You're kinda losing me here, Lloyd…"
"Okay, let me put it this way. You know how those monster information books always have really crappy drawings or symbols to represent the monsters? Imagine if instead of those, you could actually see what the monster looked like. Not just someone's sketch, but an actual monster, with every bit of detail captured like you were right there, looking at it in the flesh."
"Eh, you'll have to try harder than that to impress me. I've seen pretty much every monster native to Theron in the flesh already."
"Well, as someone who usually only gets to see live monsters in arenas, I think that it sounds pretty cool," Selipa laughed. "Are you going to have a way to contact this guy?"
"At least somebody here appreciates the finer things in life," he said, giving a condescending look towards the huntress. "And yes, he gave me an address to find his place in Loc Lac. He was in Azale Town to purchase some supplies for his studio."
"It was lucky that you ran into each other like that."
"Maybe even too lucky," Rosa said, poking her head through the canvas in front of the wagon to 'join' them up front. "Maybe there's some higher power that preordained your meeting, like some sort of divine plot, or maybe it was… DESTINYYYYY."
"…Is she still drunk?" Lloyd asked, shaking his head in confusion as Rosa pulled her head back into the carriage and began laughing.
"I wouldn't put the possibility past her. Make sure she doesn't try to climb on top of the wagon or something, would you?"
"Got it."
Hasara Landing wasn't much farther then, only about a day and a half traveling north. The first thing that Lloyd noticed was that it had become very, very hot. The air had shifted from a clean and crisp feel to an airy, dry one. The grassy fields, trees, and mountains that he had grown accustomed to gradually turned into flat, cracked earth with a few tufts of dried grass here and there.
Then there was the sand. He loved beaches as much as the next guy, but with all the sand blowing around he was finding it hard to open his eyes or speak. Selipa had directed him towards a newer-looking crate in the wagon, which upon opening he found long tan colored cloaks, face wrappings, and some goggles with glass lenses.
"Those are designed for traveling on the sandsea and in the desert," she explained. "I sold my last set a few months ago, so I picked some new ones up for everyone. That way we wouldn't have too much trouble with all the sand."
"Your preemptiveness is appreciated!" Lloyd called up to the front, pulling the cloak on over his leather armor and pulling the face cover up over his mouth. He opted to wear his sunglasses instead of the goggles, though. Fortunately the things had survived the journey with few scratches; they were made to survive extremes, sure, but he honestly wasn't expecting them to hold up so well.
A few hours before they reached the landing, the Great Desert came into sight. Lloyd hadn't been quite sure what to expect, since Rosa and Selipa had just told him to wait and see for himself. Now he could understand why. The desert was a massive expanse of blazing white sand that churned and sifted about like waves on the ocean. He couldn't help but feel that walking on the surface of the sand would be impossible, and when he questioned Rosa about it, her only response was:
"Make sure you have a rope around your waist and something strong to pull you out."
Lloyd was… largely unimpressed by Hasara Landing itself, though. He'd been expecting an actual settlement or something, but all that he found there was two buildings- an inn and a smaller hut-like store that one could buy passage to Loc Lac from- and about a dozen docks. Most of them had long, thin skiffs tied to them that somehow kept above the burning white sand of the Great Desert without sinking. One of the ships was significantly larger than the other ones, and had a giant drill-like protrusion sticking out the front that Rosa referred to as a Dragonator. It didn't really take much for him to understand what it did, but he was more concerned with what kind of creatures such a massive weapon would have been necessary to fight. He almost asked how effective they were against the Alatreon, but he decided it would be for the best to keep a lid on that.
Rosa and Lloyd unloaded the boxes and crates from the wagon while Selipa bought passage for the three into Loc Lac, and after a quick bite to eat in the inn, their sandskiff shoved off from the docks. He was relieved to learn that the journey wouldn't take more than a day. He gawked, though, when the crewmembers told him that there weren't enough rooms below deck and that they'd have to share a space.
"Whew, this Barioth gear really doesn't do well in hot places, does it?" Rosa had said as they stepped into their cramped cabin, fanning herself with one of her hands. After a moment, she turned and gave him a coy wink. "Say Lloyd, wanna help me get-"
"NO."
"Aww, you are no fun some days, you know that?"
Despite a rather uncomfortable night aboard the vessel, Lloyd woke up bright and early the next day and made his way up top to make sure he'd be able to see the desert city as soon as it appeared. Rosa and Selipa joined him not long after, and the trio watched as the city appeared from behind a large outcropping of rock their skiff was sailing around.
All he could say was, they had not been kidding about this place being huge.
Even from that distance, he could see that the walls of the city rose several hundred feet up from the ground. A peculiar set of structures hung over the side of one of the walls in a manner similar to that of the Lost Hive in Nastre (and which made Lloyd worry for the sanity of whoever thought living over a two hundred foot drop into the sandsea was a good idea), but most impressively was the massive tower-like protrusion rising up from the middle of the city, dwarfing even the city walls in height.
"That's the Loc Lac Tower," Rosa explained. "Pretty much everything in the city is run partially within it, but you'll see a lot more to do with the government and the Hunter's Guild inside."
"Exactly what is that thing made out of?" he marveled, staring up at the spike-like protrusions jutting out the sides.
"The legend is that a massive elder dragon crashed into the middle of the oasis in Loc Lac," Selipa said. "That's supposed to be one of its teeth."
"T… that's… Your expect me to believe that thing is a giant tooth?"
"I guess 'tusk' would make more sense considering the elder dragon it probably came from, but technically…"
Towers made from giant monster teeth. That was certainly a new one.
Their skiff made its way towards the city, as well as several other similar vessels that drew near to them in order to squeeze through the entryways into the city walls. After a few more minutes, the skiff came to a stop, and after the crew tied the ship to the dock, he was allowed to disembark along with the others.
He didn't really get to enjoy that privilege at first since they had to unload all of Selipa's things first, sure, but afterwards he got to see what this hunting capital was all about. Admittedly, the city wasn't quite as impressive as the locales from his time, but there was a certain charm to that. He typically didn't like being surrounded by tall skyscrapers before, and the only thing that could equate here was the Loc Lac Tower. All around the cobblestone streets, civilians and hunters garbed in armor of all kinds mulled about, selling or buying wares from the stalls and bazaar-style shops. He saw quite a few interesting things for sale, but he couldn't go check since Selipa had stuck him with her wares while she and Rosa rented a wagon for them.
As he looked about at everything going on around him, though, something to the side caught his eye. He saw a small cat-like creature with a calico coat seated against the outer wall of the shop Rosa and Selipa were in. He supposed it wouldn't have been a stretch to assume that cats had survived this long into the future, but this thing was at least three feet long. Plus, it was wearing a red jacket and a hat.
Now, there were very few things in life that Lloyd would outright admit were cute. Cats were one such thing. He took a few steps towards the creature and cocked his head to the side curiously, and as he drew near the creature looked up at him.
"Can I help you, nya?"
"Ack! It talks!" he yelped, taking a step back in surprise as the creature continued to look up at him with its large blue eyes.
"That's a little rude of meow to say," the creature huffed before pushing itself up. "But purrhaps the reason you reacted like that is because you're a Lost that's never met a Felyne before, nya?"
"A… a feline? Well, uh… I've never seen cats that can speak before…"
"Well, you'd best get used to it, beclaws there are plenty of us around Loc Lac. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have impurrtent business to attend to, nya."
Lloyd wordlessly watched the cat creature shake itself slightly before scurrying off into the crowds and disappearing from sight, leaving him standing there with his mouth agape. He was still like that when Rosa and Selipa came out of the building a few moments later.
"Something the matter, Lloyd?"
"T-there was a talking cat! Nobody told me there were talking cats! It was wearing a little jacket, and-and a little hat with a yellow plume, and it walked! It stood upright like a person and just walked off! What the hell was it and where can I get one?!"
Lloyd was rather disappointed to learn that Felynes (apparently it was spelled with a 'Y') were not in fact pets at all, but rather actual species of creatures that had lived alongside humans for ages. Apparently some offered work as servants or housekeepers (and Lloyd decided that once he got a house he would hire at least three), and in some places they even fought alongside hunters against the monsters they faced. After loading up the wagon, the trio began to make their way through the city once again, and Lloyd got to see even more of the city.
Loc Lac was set up with lots of thoroughfares and connecting streets, which Rosa explained to him was a way to help prepare for monster attacks, though he wasn't quite sure how even after her explanation. Apparently it was a style shared by a lot of the villages they had visited though. After moving away from the docks, most of the structures were turned from bazaar-like tents and stalls into three or four story high buildings and houses that were clearly meant to be permanent settlements. He could see a portion of the oasis as they crested a hill after a few more minutes, and he marveled at the sight of the clear blue water off which the sun reflected in several places.
"The inn I planned for us to stay at shouldn't be too far from here," Selipa said. "Once we arrive and unpack, we'll see about looking for those friends of yours, alright?"
"Yeah…" Lloyd replied quietly, keeping his gaze fixated on the sprawling city before him.
He had finally made it. He was in Loc Lac City. It wouldn't be long before he found Zack and Fala now.
Just a few steps behind you now, he thought as Selipa spurred the Aptonoth onwards towards the inn.
Author Notes: Please Review! So the alternate title of this chapter was "Lloyd has a Bad Time". I'm pretty sure you all can understand why.
I'll be honest, for a shorter story like this one, I wasn't quite sure if the love triangle thing would work out too well, but I tend to create characters with so much details about them that I find it rather difficult to leave some of them out. Frontier Lineage was an exception, since most of the characters were exaggerations of the characters from The Hunter's Oath and that story was even shorter than this one. Trying to cram all of those bits of information into a story without detracting from the plot is a little hard to pull off, but I'm quite pleased with how this turned out.
One other detail that went into Lloyd's character is that he is absolutely a cat person. After I realized that I never had Lloyd meet a Felyne before, I decided it was almost integral to his arrival in Loc Lac, especially after the three day hell that was Azale Town. Though fitting with the theme of this chapter's working title, I almost had that same Felyne give him a claw to the face after he got a little too excited about the prospect of a talking cat. I felt he'd suffered enough this chapter.
Playing: Hyrule Warriors Legends, Super Smash Bros 4, Fire Emblem Fates
Watching: Noragami, Silver Spoon, The Jungle Book