After Life - Part 1

Dragonsphire

Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. All characters in this story are mine, unless noted otherwise.

Edited by: Hoenn Master96 and Thomas A. Hawk

This one-shot is NOT CANON with The Lost Civilization

There was a knock at the front door, and Levin grumbled sourly to himself as he fumbled with the belts and latches on his armor. Every single time Ellie was out and he was right in the middle of something, they'd come knocking on his door! It never failed!

"Give me a second!" he shouted.

"Take your time!" a cheerful voice called back, and Levin winced. It was a familiar voice, that of Perir Town's local Guild representative, Bahn. Of course it would be him! Levin felt tired already…

At the moment he was in the far back of the house, in a narrow room he and Ellie had deemed the 'armory', which they specifically used to store all their armor, weapons, and carved materials. Cinching up the last straps on his armor, the hunter grabbed his item pouch and strapped it to his belt as he pushed his way out of the room. He cursed to himself as the wide, jagged edges of his Deviljho switch axe nicked the door frame, cutting lines into the paint. Ellie was going to get on him about that when she got home; that was the third time this month! Now he was in an even worse mood, but made his way towards the front door.

"If this another paperwork snafu or surprise research journey with Harker-"

"Oh, don't worry! I'm actually bringing you good news today!"

"First time for everything…"

To be fair, Bahn really was trying his best as the head Guild officer in town, and Levin couldn't fault him for that. But Perir was still getting its foothold as a self-sustaining town, and there were a lot of issues that needed to be sorted out: defense, trade, farming, mining, housing, business… politics. Ellie had a better grasp of all that stuff than he did, since she spent a lot of time in town these days. But with all the hunters around, Lost or otherwise, and the surprisingly high number of hunting apprentices, Bahn had his work cut out for him.

Even now, five years since the death of the Alatreon, it seemed there was still paperwork, reports, and a thousand other things the Guild needed to pester Levin and Ellie over. Reworking the legal system to get Levin, Ellie, Harker, and Miller out of life in prison had been a trick, since they were technically guilty of aggravating the Alatreon in Hearth, not to mention that Ellie and Harker had pulled off a prison break with Kerry. Then there had been getting questioned over what happened in Malefica, since the investigation of that had been blown apart thanks to Stergo's arrest and the subsequent riots. All that, and there were those who blamed Levin, perhaps rightly, for the devastation of Loc Lac as well as numerous other villages. It had gotten to the point where both he and Ellie were seriously contemplating just faking their deaths and running off under new identities…

They'd stuck it out though, and things finally seemed to be leveling out. Just in time, too, since Ellie was getting shockingly close to giving birth to their firstborn child, and that was going to make life busy enough on its own. With luck, things would settle down enough that they'd be able to have a relatively peaceful life raising their child… well, as peaceful as a pair of hunters could make life.

Reaching the front door, Levin pulled it open, revealing Bahn on the other side, smiling good-humoredly at him and carrying a small, detailed wooden box in his arms. He was tall, standing several inches higher than Levin did, though quite hefty and jovial for a man in his line of work. He was balding, his formerly brown hair vanishing back over his head as grey hairs began to take prominence over his scalp, more signs of the stressful nature of his work. But he always kept a friendly disposition somehow, which made it hard for Levin to really dislike him.

"Mind if I come in and set this down?" Bahn asked, glancing at the box in his arms.

"Yeah, fine…" Levin sighed, holding the door open and letting the man stride into the living room. Levin shut the door behind them, before following Bahn as the man set the box onto a side table and wiped some sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Awfully warm today… I do wish you and Mrs. Geisel didn't live quite so far on the edge of town… and climbing up that hill is rather tiring as well."

"We like the privacy."

"Yes, yes, I know… Don't you look armed and ready today?" the Guild man smirked, looking Levin up and down.

"I was preparing to leave on a hunt," Levin replied, rapping his knuckles against the golden Rathian materials. "Since Ellie's on maternity leave, that leaves a lot of Perir's hunting to me. I'd leave it to the apprentices and rookies, but… well, a Gobul's been sighted in the area, and that's a little beyond their abilities right now. And really, this is my best armor, despite how… vibrant it is."

"A finer armor set few hunters could dare ask for," Bahn said with a smile. "You match now, you and your wife: she in her Silver Sol mail and you in your Golden Lune mail. Quite the pair the two of you make. Though, and I may not be the most qualified person to ask this, is that not the… high-rank bowgunner design for Rathian armor, not the blademaster design? I would have thought that such rare and sturdy materials would have warranted a more unique design, like your wife's armor. I hear that smiths can make quite elaborate armor designs if they're given quality materials from the most powerful of monsters."

"Well… with my eye missing, I need all the visibility I can manage, and those faceplates on the blademaster designs provide really poor vision. These caps are a lot better in that sense than the helms. And besides…" Levin flushed slightly and lowered his eye in mild embarrassment. Bahn raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I liked the design better… I had that Shinra guy make my armor look like this instead of the design he came up with. It's just as sturdy as the blademaster armor would've been, but looks like this instead…"

Bahn stood silently for a moment, before chuckling. "Well, well. I'd heard you were a more pragmatic sort, but I suppose even the 'legendary' hunter Levin is not immune to the pull of vanity, is he?"

"I'm hardly legendary," Levin sighed, shaking his head.

"Give it time," the Guild man laughed. "It takes a few years for a good tale to warp into something so exaggerated and absurd as to deem it worthy of being a 'legend'. The stories they tell of you in Loc Lac are already rather ridiculous; just imagine the tales people will be weaving of you and your comrades in a few decades, or a few centuries."

"I'd rather not," Levin sighed. "Fame was never really my cup of tea anyway… though that might sound outlandish for a hunter to admit. I've always enjoyed telling stories to small groups and friends, but the whole country knowing about me is a little… Oh, never mind. So what are you here for, anyway? The Guild doesn't usually pay me visits without good reason these days."

"Yes, yes, we know how you like your privacy. We have a gift for you, of sorts," Bahn told him, patting the top of the box. "The Guild… or rather, Guild Master Stergo, feels we have not adequately reimbursed you and Eleanor for what you did for us, for the entire country of Theron by slaying the Alatreon."

"I didn't want a reward," Levin replied, shaking his head. "Loc Lac was almost completely destroyed! The city's still recovering as far as I know…"

"You'd be correct," Bahn noted quickly, and Levin nodded.

"Exactly. The Guild had… still has more important things to be spending their money on then offering me some compensation for killing the Alatreon. I would have done it anyway, reward or not… hell, I went against legal precedence to do it! The Guild should keep their money, rather than offering me anything…"

"Surprising words, coming from a man that most who know you describe as… 'stingy'."

Levin scowled at the Guild man. "I'm frugal, not greedy. I may… abuse the system every now and then, but I'm not going to take money from Loc Lac. After all, it's… it's pretty much my fault the Alatreon attacked in the first place anyway…"

"Few would truly blame you for the attack, Mr. Geisel."

"Enough do, though," Levin muttered. But he shook his head before reaching up and rapping his glove against the golden armor he wore. "Besides, as you can see, I can keep myself afloat without payment for something that happened five years ago."

"Yes, it would seem as though your reputation continues to develop, even beyond the slaying of an elder dragon: it's quite an accomplishment to take down a Gold Rathian."

"Well, actually, it was Harker who-"

"Oh, we know," the Guild man grumbled, his expression souring. "But… well, trust me, it's easier to say you slayed it than to let the public know what really happened up there. Harker's got enough of a reputation, and not all of it good; he borders more on infamy than fame these days. The Lost are still building up a respectable reputation in the country, and if word got out that a Lost, especially one like him, had built a… a death ray or something…"

"It wasn't really a ray…" Levin's words petered out as Bahn scowled at him. "You know what, never mind."

The Guild man sighed and shook his head. "Well… Gold Rathians and their methods of death aside, the Guild has seen fit to finally reward you for taking down the Alatreon. And if you do not wish to wish to accept payment, perhaps you will accept a trophy?"

Before Levin could reply, Bahn reached forward, unlatching the small box and flipping the lid open, and Levin whistled at what lay within.

Inside, lying on soft red velvet, was a large, azure gemstone. It was almost as big as his fist, and shockingly smooth on all sides from what Levin could see, shaped into an almost perfect sphere. While the surface of the stone seemed darker and somewhat bleak, deep within the core of the stone glowed a cool blue light, pulsing gently as Levin gazed upon it. The light seemed hypnotic, and Levin found himself lost in the glow for a moment, before shaking his head and forcing the fuzzy feeling away.

It seemed… familiar. Frowning in realization, he quickly unlatched his right gauntlet, pulling it free and revealing the Dark Metal limb beneath. Bahn shifted uncomfortably at the sight, but didn't say anything as Levin held up the arm, staring at the wrist of the dark arm, where the Azure Dragongem that gave it power was embedded. The stone in his arm was smaller and flatter, with sharper edges and a lesser internal glow… but Levin was certain that these stones were similar. And that meant…

"The Alatreon?"

"You have sharp eyes… um, eye, I suppose. It's as you suspect: this gemstone was carved from the body of the Alatreon, just as those dragongems implanted into your 'limbs' were. While Farren managed to take those gems and use them for his… purposes, this particular stone was kept by the Guild. It was hoped we could glean some sort of power from it, much like whatever energy the gems in your limbs use to give motion to the Dark Metal. But the Guild has found nothing. After five years, we've ascertained that this gem is just that: nothing more than another gem. If there is a power to be gleaned from it, we don't have the ability to tap into it."

Bahn reached forward, pushing the small box towards Levin. "And now it is yours, a trophy to keep, symbolizing your defeat of the Alatreon. We have dubbed the stone the 'Azure Dragonsphire'."

Levin's arm dropped back to his side, though his gaze remained riveted on the smooth stone for several more moments, before the Guild man's words clicked in his head and he looked up. "Sphire? Don't you mean sphere? Or sapphire?"

Bahn scowled at the words and huffed irritably. "No… I meant sphire. I should mean sphere or sapphire, but… Well, let's just say that the researcher who named this particular gemstone made a typo on his report and was too stubborn to admit his mistake. So, unfortunately, when I say 'sphire' I mean 'sphire'. It's official now. We're hoping to properly change it to sapphire someday, but… well, you know how it is."

Levin laughed. "Guild bureaucracy at its best, huh?"

"Don't I know it…" the Guild man grumbled. "Anyway, like I said, the sph… the stone's yours now, to do with what you will."

Levin frowned, leaning over the table and taking a closer look at the… 'dragonsphire'. The dark stone kind of creeped him out, to be honest. It seemed… alive and dead at the same time, though he couldn't explain why. It was dull and cloudy, though he still half-expected it to pulse with life as the gems in his arm and leg did. It was eerie…

"What exactly am I supposed to do with it?"

"Like I said, keep it as a trophy!" Bahn replied. "Show it off! Use it as a symbol of your victory over the Alatreon! Or, if that doesn't suit your tastes, sell it, and Stergo will be pleased to know the Guild has properly rewarded you for your efforts, if not directly. I'm sure there are people out there that would pay quite handsomely for such a rare gemstone, especially one which came from the ruined corpse of the Alatreon itself. Mercy knows Loc Lac's reconstruction efforts have been aided by selling Alatreon scales and hide to merchants and nobles willing to pay good money for even the smallest scrap."

"I don't know how I feel about that…" Levin murmured, but Bahn leaned forward intently.

"You shouldn't feel guilty over such things, Levin. After all, you and your wife have a child on the way, don't you? And Eleanor has been promoting some… goods and trade business in Perir, hasn't she? You could use the money right now. Besides, as I've said before, it's the least the Guild can do for what you and your wife have done."

"What about the rest of my comrades though?" Levin asked. "I wasn't the only one that fought the Alatreon."

"They were duly compensated as well, don't you worry. The Guild sent bits and pieces of the elder dragon off to the other hunters as they saw fit. Though you may have been given the singular most unique, undamaged item, they were all fairly compensated for their bravery and valor. Scales, hide, marrow, and even a sizable chunk of the tail; all were sent out and offered to the hunters to do with them what they would. There was likely not enough to make a proper weapon or armor set, but scraps are better than nothing. The only thing the Guild is keeping for itself is the creature's head. Disturbing though it may be, it does make a rather notable trophy in Loc Lac, even if we could never manage to pull your switch axe from it."

Levin frowned, staring at the orb before shaking his head. "But-"

"Ah, look at the time!" Bahn suddenly said, staring out the window. "Sorry, Levin, but duty calls. I'm afraid I need to get back to the Guild office. No time for me to listen to your arguments about whether you deserve to receive a gift from the Guild for your service."

"But I don't-!"

Levin paused as Bahn smiled at him though. "You should learn to accept thanks for what you've done, Levin. You don't need to blame yourself for what happened in Loc Lac, and you don't need to turn down other people's kindness because of it." The man nodded towards the box. "Why don't you just hold onto that for a few days and think about it? See what your wife has to say. If you still don't want it after that… well, the Guild can find something else to do with the sph… the stone."

Levin crossed his arms uncertainly, but Bahn simply grinned as he turned, making his way out the door, leaving Levin alone. The switch axe user sighed and shook his head. What did Bahn know about blame? It really had been Levin's fault that Loc Lac was destroyed, with his actions agitating the Alatreon. If anything, killing the Alatreon just barely made up for everything else he'd caused. What had he done to deserve receiving a gift like this? Maybe he'd keep this rock, this 'Azure Dragonsphire'… but only if Ellie thought she could use it for something.

Levin leaned over cautiously, looking down at the dragonsphire again. It was really unnerving, seeing the dim glow within the stone. It was a lot like the dragongems he had in his arm and leg, but at the same time there was something about it that was just didn't sit right with him. The Guild had been handling it for several years now though, and they were encouraging him to sell it to whoever he chose to, if he chose to, so it couldn't be dangerous… right?

He carefully extended his dark limb towards the dragonsphire. The Dark Metal seemed to shiver a bit as it approached the stone, though Levin wasn't sure if it was a reaction from the metal itself or the gem within the wrist. Or maybe he was just imagining it, his subconscious trying to trick him into not touching the thing at all… But he quickly pressed forward, intent on getting it done and over with. He wouldn't allow himself to be scared of a fancy-looking rock! Reaching towards it, he tapped a finger against the azure stone once or twice. The dragonsphire let off a light clinking sound against the Dark Metal, and the light within pulsed lightly, but other than that nothing truly interesting happened. Levin sighed in relief; he hadn't known what to expect, but nothing was better than… well, anything else, really.

Levin chuckled to himself, reaching down and plucking his gauntlet from the table. What had he been afraid of? It really was just a rock after all. The dragongems in his arms had never done anything really odd in the last five years, so why should this 'dragonsphire'? Latching his gauntlet back into place, the hunter reached forward with his good arm, plucking the stone from its box for a closer look.

However, as he held it up, the glow from the sphire suddenly flared to life. Brilliant azure light swelled out of the stone, coating the walls of his house in its hue. Levin gasped in horror as the light crawled over him as though it was alive, creeping up his arm and enveloping his shoulder and throat. He tried to drop the stone, but something was forcing him to clamp down on the dragonsphire, unable to drop it.

Levin shivered as a cold feeling swept through his body, coursing through him in a moment. He felt his consciousness fade, and it was as though his very life was being drained from his body. Mercy, it was like when he'd first come in contact with the Dark Metal! But he could do nothing to stop it. No matter how hard he tried, the dragonsphire remained firmly in his grasp. With one final swell, the light from the stone enveloped him, consuming him and pulling him into unconsciousness.

There was a heavy thump and the crunch of rock rubbing against metal as a small sandskiff bumped against a stone platform jutting out into the sandsea. The sails were lowered, and there were a couple sharp shouts as ropes were tossed out onto the ship, the sailors onboard working quickly to tie down the skiff. As soon as the vessel was secure, a gangplank was raised, and two pairs of boots made their way up onto solid land. There were whispered, harried voices, and a pair of men pointed the two that left the ship down the rocks and towards a large, gaping cavern that seemed little more than shadow.

The first man was fairly tall, with medium-length brown hair. Under the pale light of the sliver of moon, he stood out in the darkness; his armor consisted of multiple layers of monster leather, topped off with a bright white, hooded long coat that brushed against his calves as he strode across the stone. A single look showed him to be well-armed, with a dagger and hand axe hanging from his belt, while twin swords hung tight in sheaths across his back. Only his face was exposed to the elements, revealing a weathered face with growing stubble sprouting from his chin. A scar decorated his left cheek, and an eye patch covered his right eye, leaving only a single blue eye staring into the darkness.

York frowned as he made his way across the platform. It was dark… very dark. It had to be getting close to midnight, and though the skies were clear, the moon was waning heavily, hardly a sliver of light in the sky above. Yet here he was, deep in the middle of the desert, without even a torch to use. At least his eye had time to adjust during the journey here; it had been several hours since they'd left Loc Lac. He'd expected there to be at least a few flames lit here once he arrived, but no, the only light was that of the moon and stars…

"Do they expect us to feel our way through this place?" a gruff voice behind him grumbled.

York smirked to himself as he glanced back at the bulky figure behind him. The other man was just barely taller than him, though much broader and far more muscular. His weapon only emphasized his frame, a massive Ivory Lagiacrus great sword slung across his back. His armor was plated mail made from Rathalos materials, though he lacked a helmet to cover his face, revealing shaggy, sandy blonde hair over a square jaw. A long, thin scar stretched down from his upper-left forehead and down across his nose, calling attention to his brown eyes, which were darting around warily.

"Damn it, as secretive as the Guild was about the whole thing, I was half-expecting them to blindfold us before bringing us here… But I can see why they didn't bother now, what with how dark it is and all."

"What, don't tell me you're afraid of the dark, Hugh?" York asked with a smirk. Even in the dark he could see the man scowl at him.

"You've known me long enough to know that ain't true. It's just… this isn't exactly the nicest place, York. Not exactly somewhere either of us have fond memories of, you know? The last time we were here, it was daytime and all lit up… You can't blame me for being a little on edge seeing it all pitch-black like this, can you? And considering how fussy and insistent those Guild men were being about the whole thing, I can't help but wonder if there's something nasty lurking in the shadows. Or someone, considering the type of people we've run into."

"You didn't have to come with me, you know," York replied, returning his gaze to the darkness in front of him. "I'm the only one the Guild needed for this job, so I was planning to do this job alone."

"Ha, and Rose wouldn't have any of that, now would she? Neither would I for that matter. It's not a bad thing to ask your friends for help, York. Probably didn't even consider asking for help either, did you? I know how you can get, running into trouble trying to shoulder everything yourself."

"Yeah, yeah… I got an earful enough from Rose before I left," York sighed. "Well, the Guild certainly wanted us here in a hurry… but not that much of a hurry. Whatever they want us here for must be important, but probably not too dangerous."

"You seem pretty confident in that, especially since you left that fancy white sword back in Moga."

"Well, I wasn't exactly planning on going on an adventure when Rose and I came to visit her parents in Loc Lac. One of the Guild men just showed up at their door, telling me Calistro wanted help with something confidential. I'm lucky I even had my equipment with me at all, or I'd be here in some of the Guild's mass-produced armor sets with a pair of cheap metal swords." But York shrugged as the two men stepped off the makeshift dock and further into the darkness of the room. "Either way, there shouldn't be anything here. The Alatreon's dead, and the Brilliant Darkness cult is gone. The Guild seems to care more about keeping whatever we're doing here a secret than trying to kill something. All that's left here are shadows and bad memories."

"Well, I'll still be on my toes until we're both back on the sandskiff and getting out of here."

York nodded as they made their way further into the ruins of the hideout. They were quickly running out of moonlight to see by, and even as their eyes adjusted to the darkness, it was getting harder and harder to see. However, just ahead, through a small archway leading into a narrow room, there seemed to be the light of a small flame flickering, just barely more than a candle's worth.

As he and Hugh approached the entrance, a dark form appeared in the archway. It was hard to make out who it was for a moment, but as they grew accustomed to the dark, they realized it was a bespectacled man in a dirty white lab coat. He eyed the pair of them warily for a moment. "Mr. Adler… and Leovirtus, I presume?"

"That's right," York replied. "Weren't you the ones that called for us?"

"No… well, not exactly. I sent a message to Calistro requisitioning… assistance in a certain matter. I didn't know who they'd find to help us. But I appreciate your timely arrival. I only sent the message last night."

"Yeah, and they roped us into this earlier this afternoon."

"Hmm. Well, I would like to apologize for the disruption of your life. But please, come in. It's rather dark out here, don't you think?"

The two hunters followed the man into the room where, sure enough, all the light there was came from a small candle in the far corner, and even that was dimmed by a thin sheet that blotted out the light to little more than a glow. There was a rugged-looking hunter sitting next to the candle, a long sword user wearing dark Gigginox robes. He eyed them warily, but didn't say anything as the researcher led them on through a short hallway and to a tall wooden door.

"Come through quickly, now," the researcher told them, before pushing the door open.

Both hunters winced, blinking in surprise and shielding their eyes as light shone through the doorway. York pressed forward, Hugh trailing close behind as they entered the next room, blinking quickly to let their eyes adjust as the researcher swept behind them and pushed the door shut.

It took a few moments for their eyes to acclimate, but they soon realized that they were standing in what appeared to be the base camp here in the ruins. There were small tents, a couple lanterns, and a large bonfire directly in the center of the room. Wide wooden tables filled with notes, maps, and other documents filled the spaces between the towering columns that lined the sides of the rooms, lit by small glowstones. There was a guard keeping watch near the center of the room who stared at the two hunters uncertainly as they entered, and it seemed that several of the bunks were being used, as the sound of low snoring filled the room. Other than the guard and those that entered, the only other person awake in the room was a man on the far side, who was rolling a few barrel bombs down a hallway.

It also wasn't really that bright inside, York realized. The bonfire, lanterns, and glowstones weren't really letting off that much light altogether, but compared to the near pitch-blackness of the dock and first couple rooms, it was lit up like a city at night in comparison. Even now there were dots in his eye, the last few spots fading away from his vision.

"Is it supposed to be this empty?" Hugh asked, looking around. "Thought the Guild would be scouring this place up and down…"

The researcher shrugged, motioning towards a nearby hall lit with torches and leading the two hunters that way. "At this point, there are exactly fifteen individuals working with us on this little research expedition: three researchers, three workmen, five guards, and four sandskiff sailors."

"Kinda small group for such a big place, don'tcha think?" the great sword wielder grumbled, glancing up at the tall arches and tunnels.

"We've been doing our best to keep the numbers to a minimum," the man replied simply. "The Guild would like to keep this entire structure and everything that occurred within on a need-to-know basis. You recall how there were no torches lit outside, and how there were very few lit within the first couple rooms? All in the name of secrecy. With the sandstorm dissipated, several sandship captains have begun passing through this area once more, and the Guild would very much like to avoid what lies here being discovered. Simply declaring the area off-limits would only incite curiosity. During the day, the skiffs can be hidden, and this place would appear as nothing more than a lifeless island in the sandsea. But at night, a torch or fire would indicate life to any night voyages, and we do not need any adventurous individuals coming to investigate."

"Sounds like a lot of work for a campout," York noted with a hint of sarcasm, though the researcher only nodded in response.

"Indeed. We've even started receiving glowstones instead of candles to light the place up."

"Isn't that really expensive?"

"Yes… but as I've said, secrecy is key; glowstones don't need to be replaced like candles, torches, and firewood do, and this deep in the earth, we go through all three rather quickly. Glowstones may be pricey, but in exchange the Guild doesn't need to make extra trips just to bring us firewood and spare candles. It's all quite efficient."

"Yeah, yeah, impressive…" Hugh muttered as they passed through a wide, empty room. Another researcher stood nearby, holding up a glowstone and taking notes of the images and hieroglyphs carved into the walls. He barely gave the three of them a passing glance before returning his attention to the carvings and his notes, and the researcher leading York and Hugh paid him just as little attention as they carried on down a winding staircase. "So… you guys find anything yet?"

"One or two things of interest," the researcher replied vaguely. "There is not as much here as we would have thought… but there is enough to keep the Guild invested in the endeavor. We have even managed to recover a few… artifacts, lying about. Most were relatively easy to come by. I assume the Brilliant Darkness didn't put too much effort into hiding their valuables, as they likely never expected that sandstorm that walled them off to be overcome."

"Sounds like a cakewalk, then," York said, glancing up at the walls on each side.

"Not always," the researcher replied simply.

York frowned at the words, before realizing that the hallway they were being led down was a dead end. Before he could say a word, however, the researcher reached out lazily, pressing an inconspicuous knob in the relief carvings in the wall. There was a low groaning, and both hunters looked around worriedly, before the dead end in front of them began to shift. With the scraping of stone against stone, the wall slid to the side, revealing another long stairwell that dropped even further into the earth. The researcher pressed on, hardly perturbed, and the hunters glanced at each other for a moment, before the groaning began again and the walls began to close. Both of them yelped in surprise, dashing through the gap before the door could close and darting after the researcher.

"The Brilliant Darkness were not completely without their little tricks, even here in their most impregnable fortress," the researcher continued, as though nothing had happened. "Hidden passages aren't too common, but they're here. We've found at least a dozen of them so far, but it seems they were rarely used, even during the cultists' occupation of this place five years ago. Perhaps their leader at the time chose to keep them to himself… or perhaps he didn't know of them at all. That luxury may have been reserved for the Alatreon itself. Once you get through the secret passages and hidden doors, though, there's not much stopping you from taking whatever you find within."

"What's so urgent that you needed to call us in, then?" Hugh muttered.

"Well, there is a slight problem," the researcher muttered.

"And that is?" York asked.

"Well, we've discovered an artifact recently, and while we know where the artifact is, the trouble is…"

The man paused as they turned a corner, and the path abruptly cut off as a wide room opened up before them. It was a wide and cylindrical, nearly sixty yards at the widest and filled with a thin haze. The walls were almost perfectly smooth, with only the slightest of indentations showing where the bricks and stone had been laid, though age had worn down the mortar work in several places. The ceiling was far above them in the darkness, but seemed to curve into a tall dome over everything. Several decorative murals lined the walls surrounding the chamber, elaborate depictions of the Alatreon and its servants. Several large, highly elaborate and menacing carved busts of the elder dragon's head protruded from the walls as well, their gazes aimed towards the core of the room.

At the very center was an upraised platform which appeared very out of place. Most of the Brilliant Darkness' structure was shadowy and foreboding, and while the platform was made of the same materials, upon the top of it grew a very old tree. It had had no leaves, and appeared so ancient that it had long since petrified over time, its trunk and branches having turned grey and ashen. Its long branches stretched up to the ceiling however, brushing against and following the curve of the dome. Below it, sinuous, dangling roots broke through the stone of the platform and hung over the side, crawling downwards.

However, below the platform and beyond the hallway they stood within was a long drop. The path they'd been walking on had fractured and broken apart, and what once had likely been a bridge now consisted of only a few broken pillars leading out towards the center of the room. Several other ruined remains sprouted up from below, but they were far enough away that trying to get to them would be a challenge. The platform stood suspended in the very center, the sides of it dropping down close to twenty yards straight down, before splitting outwards at a sharp angle towards the walls, creating a wide conical slope even further downwards.

York could see several slots circling around the base of the pillar, just above where it branched outwards, unleashing a violent torrent of water that covered the entire bottom of the room in a deadly deluge which gushed to the outer edges of the room before vanishing into four drains which dropped into darkness. The jets of water were rushing out with enough power that everything below their level was filled with a misty haze, despite the dry climate they were in.

"The trouble is getting to it," the researcher sighed. "We're not sure where all that water is coming from, but it's suspected that there's a geyser or spring swelling up from below. Likely that's how the cultists managed to get water all the way out here in the middle of the desert. We're not sure where the water jets empty out, but… Well, we're not exactly eager to find out. We are in the middle of the desert after all, and the knowledge that there's this much water gushing out from the earth is surprising by itself. With no known oases anywhere within forty miles, I doubt being pulled in by the water would end well for anyone."

"So… where's the artifact?" York asked, looking around the room.

"Over there," the researcher replied, pointing towards the tree. Sure enough, near the base of the tree, York could just make out a stone dais sprouting up at the center of the platform. The dais was almost completely enveloped by the tree, and near the top of it the trunk had warped around it, forming a dark hollow. From within, York could just make out a dark, bluish light, but couldn't see what lay within.

"Like I said, we know where it is, but we simply can't get to it. The bridge seems to have collapsed within the last decade or so, perhaps during the battle with the Alatreon itself, and it seems that whatever is out on that platform is valuable enough that the cultists didn't want any other routes to it. We wanted to try and launch a harpoon at the tree and have one of our… braver men climb across to rig up a solid line for a bridge, but the tree's petrified; hard as a rock. We're not going to be able to lodge anything in it from here. And climbing down to the floor and constructing a ladder up is unfeasible as well, since… well, let me show you."

Near the edge of the drop-off were a couple large sandbags, and the researcher reached down, lifting one and carrying it towards the edge. "Our first idea was to try and cut off the flow of water coming from one of the slots in the central pillar. However…"

With a grunt, the man hurled the sandbag forward, throwing it surprisingly far for a man of his profession. The bag flipped a couple times in the air before smacking against the water close to the base of the column. However, rather than sinking or fighting back the water, the force of the jet launched the sandbag down the slope like a cannonball. At the bottom of the slope, the sandbag smashed into the wall, striking with such force that it abruptly exploded in a gust of sand, ripping the bag to shreds. That wasn't the end for the bag either, as the curved walls and force of water quickly dragged the torn bag and sand around the edge and into one of the drainage basins. The whole scene, from the sandbag hitting the floor to its disappearance, had taken less than three seconds.

Hugh whistled low under his breath and the sight, and York nodded in agreement. The researcher pulled away from the edge, a slightly nervous expression on his face, before straightening himself. "As you can see, the water flow is rather… powerful. Essentially, if you fall… the water smashes you against the wall and then drags you underground. It's… almost certainly fatal."

"So why did you ask the Guild to send help?" Hugh asked.

"Well, like I said, we didn't request anyone specifically. However, we did notice that there were some cracks in the walls, and the age of the brickwork made it possible to climb across… for someone skilled in such things. We requested a mountaineer or rock climber, and I suppose the Guild decided to ask Mr. Adler to do it, since you were already involved with everything that occurred here."

York scowled at the man. "Wait, so let me get this straight… The only reason you called me out here was because I was the only one that could climb across this gap?"

"Essentially, yes."

"See?" York said, glancing at Hugh. "I could've done this myself. You didn't need to get involved."

"Actually…" the researcher cut in, glancing at Hugh, "while that glowing light indicates that there is an artifact of some kind within the gap in the tree, we are not aware of what consequences or traps might awaken once the artifact is recovered. The Brilliant Darkness were reported to have been able to tame monsters through some method… who's to say that there isn't some creature down here, ready to strike out at those that would intrude or try and take the artifact? Our guards are certainly skilled, and it has been five years since the Alatreon was slain… but who knows what could pop out of the shadows in a place like this? Another experienced hunter would be a boon if the worst occurred."

"Well, it's a good thing I came to help then, isn't it?" Hugh said, grinning back at York.

"Anyway, Mr. Adler," the researcher continued, "we've acquired some ropes and rock climbing equipment; harnesses, belaying equipment, rappelling devices and the like…"

"Don't need them," York replied, glancing around the room.

The dual sword user leaned out into the chamber, studying the walls. Getting to the center of the room certainly wouldn't be easy, especially not via the path directly in front of them, but it wasn't totally impossible. The walls were mostly intact, but age and weathering has worn down the mortar between the dark bricks, allowing for some handholds and footholds in some places. Some of the broken pillars that rose up from the pit were close enough to jump between, and if he could get to them, it would be a simple thing to leap across to the central pillar.

"Don't… need them?" the researcher asked uncertainly. "Mr. Adler, I feel I must remind you of the… certainly perilous drop that lies below us should you fall."

"I'm aware."

"The equipment we've gathered would easily prevent that should the worst happen…"

"It would just slow me down."

"...As you wish, I suppose. It's your funeral. I suppose any condolence money your family will receive from the Guild won't need to be wasted on a casket, as we won't be able to recover your body."

"He'll be able to do it," Hugh chuckled.

"I guess we'll see."

Sliding his fingers into the cracks in the wall, York began to work his way around the curve of the room towards the closest carved relief of the Alatreon's head. It was tricky, slippery work; the dark stone that had been used to construct the interior of the fortress seemed to have been surprisingly sturdy, and the cracks and wearing along the edges of the brick were far and few between, offering sparse places for York to cling to. On top of that, the haze rising up from the water jets below had left most surfaces slightly slick, making his grip precarious.

York had done this before, however, and in worse conditions. It took time to shimmy his way around the wall towards the carving, swinging himself from handhold to handhold, until he finally found himself directly under the massive dragon head carving. Thankfully, the bust looked like it was pretty big; the cult seemed to have designed the relief to scale. York prepared himself, checking his grip and planting the tips of his boots into a small wedge below him before kicking off from the wall, leaping upwards towards the muzzle of the carved Alatreon.

At the top of his jump, York swung his arms up, grabbing hold of the two tusks on each side of the carving's fanged jaws before he could fall into the pit below. York cursed to himself at the feeling of the bust; was this thing carved out of obsidian? With the moisture dripping down the sides of the statue, this thing was even more slippery than the walls! He'd managed to secure a good grip though, and with a grunt of effort, he hoisted himself up onto the carving, crouching onto the snout of the Alatreon.

"Wish you had been this useful when you were alive," York muttered, patting the side of the carving's jaw. "Though I don't appreciate your horns digging into my back like they are…"

Turning around, York scanned the area in front of him. Sure enough, one of the broken pillars he'd seen earlier was close to where he stood now, near enough to be within leaping distance of his current perch. From there, several more broken supports were close enough together that he'd be able to jump across the gap all the way towards the central platform. Some of the supports were a fair distance apart, but they'd be close enough for York to at least grab the edges.

Preparing himself again, York leapt forwards from the Alatreon's statue towards the closest of the pillars, landing in the center and grabbing hold of the sides to steady himself before looking towards his next landing point. But a deep groan emanated through the chamber, and the support beneath him shivered unstably. There was a loud crack, and the pillar York stood on suddenly dropped a couple inches, before starting to tilt forward as it gave way.

York cursed, twisting around and immediately leaping towards his next platform, landing just at the edge of the broken top. However, a moment later there was a loud crunching as the pillar he'd just leapt from smashed into the one he was on now, jolting it forward and splintering it in half. Again York cursed, and was forced to leap towards the next in the line of supports, but this time the distance was almost too great, and his chest slammed into the edge of the pillar as his arms grabbed the far ledge, pulling himself up on top.

As York pushed back to his feet, there was another dull thump as the pillar behind him clipped the edge of the support he stood upon, and York braced himself to jump again. This time, however, the pillar he stood on remained intact, teetering slightly from the impact but quickly regaining its steadiness. Unfortunately, the broken pillar that had struck the one York stood upon continued to fall, passing by his perch before striking the base of the pillar York had planned to leap towards next. There was a deep crunching sound as some of the stone near the bottom of the support was broken, and the pillar began to wobble unsteadily.

York glanced around quickly, realizing that if that pillar fell, he'd be stranded out here. None of the remaining pillars were anywhere close to where he stood, and everything else had fallen into the geysers below to be smashed apart by the torrent. The teetering pillar in front of him was his last chance. With a leap, York launched himself towards the pillar, landing on the edge of the column. Unfortunately, his weight was just enough to push the pillar over the edge, and the stone at its base fractured, causing the support to start falling towards the central platform.

Looking up, York realized that he'd never be able to reach the edge of the platform with the pillar below him collapsing. However… the dual sword user leapt forward, jumping from the falling column and towards the wall of the platform, where he just barely managed to grab hold of the petrified roots of the tree which grew up on top of the platform. York sighed in relief, looking down behind him as the pillar he'd stood upon smashed against the edge of the platform, breaking apart and falling into the pit below before being swept away by the current.

Looking back upwards, York began to climb his way up the tree roots, thankful that they were sturdier that the rest of his traversal across the room. The petrified roots were as easy to climb as a ladder, they were so aged and so hardened, and soon the dual sword user was able to hoist himself up over the side of the platform, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Made it," York called over to the entrance.

"Nicely done, York!" Hugh called back. "Thought you might'a been a dead man there for a second!"

"Yes, yes, good work," the researcher muttered. The man reached down again, grabbing hold of a long rope with a weight at the end and passing it over to Hugh. "Mr. Leovirtus, if you would be so kind."

"Yeah, sure," the great sword user replied. Taking hold of the end, he held the rope a couple feet from the weight and began spinning the rope. "Get ready York!"

York prepared himself as the great sword user spun the weight faster and faster, until finally he let it fly, allowing the rope to sail across the gap all the way over to the pillar. The weight sailed high, arcing downwards towards the platform, and though it was nearly too short, York managed to lean forward and grab the weight out of the air before it could fall into the pit below.

"Aim a little higher next time, Hugh! I'd rather not have to risk death for trying to save a rope."

"Yeah, yeah, just start tying it to somethin', smart ass."

Pulling in some of the rope, York wrapped the long cord around the trunk of the tree a couple times before tying it together nice and tight. Hugh and the researcher had busied themselves with binding their end of the rope to a metal sconce bolted into the wall. York plucked at the string a couple times, making sure it was sturdy before nodding in satisfaction. At least he'd have an easier time getting back across than he did getting here.

"Now, how about this 'artifact'," he muttered, standing up again and striding over to the hollow in the tree, looking in.

It was a gemstone, a nearly perfectly spherical, azure gemstone the size of his fist. It had to be one of the largest gems York had ever seen! The stone was resting in a small bowl carved into the pedestal that the tree had grown around, and seemed to be glowing from some internal light, filling the small nook with a deep blue hue. York whistled low under his breath at the sight.

However, he realized that the stone looked very familiar. The blue glow of the stone had the same ominous hue that York remembered seeing in the Alatreon's dragongem, the stone that the elder dragon had kept its soul inside and used to possess the body of Zeal, York's late friend. This was the artifact that the Guild wanted to collect? They'd be better off destroying it, if it had any of the same powers that the dragongem had possessed; York again wished he'd thought to bring along his father's sword on this journey, as the weapon seemed to be the only thing capable of breaking the Alatreon's gems.

"Well, if worst comes to worst, at least I have Felix's dagger," he muttered, glancing down at the short blade sheathed on his chest, made of the same pristine white metal.

Then again, the stone didn't seem to be doing anything… It had been over five years since the Alatreon had been permanently slain, and nothing seemed to have happened since then. There had been several cultists of the Brilliant Darkness that had managed to escape, but none of them had returned to try and claim this stone as far as York had heard. Also, if this stone had some value, some purpose that the elder dragon or its followers could have used, then wouldn't they have used it during the final battle? Why keep it down here, hidden away from everything else in the fortress, placed in such a hard-to-reach location? The Alatreon seemed to have been confident in the indestructibility of its dragongem, what other power would it have placed in another object?

Looking back towards the entrance of the room, York could see Hugh talking with the researcher, motioning between the rope and the pillar he stood on, probably planning on how to best construct a bridge to cross the gap. If the researcher got hold of this orb, would the Guild be able to deal with it if the stone actually did something nasty like the dragongem had? Should he try and take it and destroy it himself? Either way, it'd probably be best if York took a look at this gem before the Guild tried to study it. He was probably the most experienced man in the world when it came to the Alatreon's true nature, and if there was a part of the elder dragon's soul in the stone, there were few that would be able to resist its sway.

However, as York reached in and pulled the gem from the nook, the stone suddenly flared to life, brilliant beams of azure light filling the whole room. The once dark chamber was now completely lit, shaded a deep blue hue by the sheer intensity of the stone's glow. York winced painfully as the glare temporarily blinded him, holding up his other hand to try and blot out the stone's brilliant shine.

He could hear Hugh and the researcher shouting at him, telling him to drop the artifact quickly, but try as he might, York just couldn't bring himself to do it. Some unknown force was seeping into his body, forcing his fist to clench down even tighter on the stone. Not only that, but some horrible, frigid feeling was seeping up his arm. It was as though his whole body was freezing alive, the chill racking his body like ice.

From within the gem, several exceptionally brilliant beams of light burst out, and seemed to solidify into shining tendrils. The glowing objects curled around the hunter, wrapping around York's body and slowly enveloping the man in vibrant azure light. York tried to wrench himself free from the gem and the light it was releasing, but he couldn't manage to overpower the glowing tendrils. Finally, the beams of light enveloped him fully, the frigid feeling washing up into his skull and making York black out.

York, Hugh, Rose, and Calistro belong to Thomas A. Hawk

Author's Note: Please Review! A couple weeks later than I wanted to release this, but I hope it's worth the wait!

I suppose there are a few of you dear readers that are rather stunned by this chapter. So, just to clarify what some of you have already figured out, After Life is a collaboration in storytelling between myself and Thomas A. Hawk, the writer behind The Hunter's Oath and The Master Corps stories. I honestly didn't think this would develop into the story it's become when Hawk first suggested the idea to me many, many months ago, and yet here we are. While most of the storytelling and writing is mine, Hawk had a heavy hand in the editing and brainstorming process, as well as taking the lead writing one of the fight scenes.

For those of you who are wondering, yes, Levin is wearing Golden Lune armor, but the design is made to look like the high rank Rathian bowgunner armor. I don't think I've made any secret on how I think the bowgunner armor designs are way better than the blademaster armor designs. I think if there was an option to adjust the appearance of the armor, I'd always have the bowgunner design on… even though I can count the number of times I've used ranged weapons in MH3U using only my fingers and toes.

Also, I got a PS4! Yay! For now I've only got a couple games, GTA5 and The Last of Us, but I'm planning on getting a few more within the next few weeks. Assassin's Creed Unity and The Shadow of Mordor are on the list, as well as the impending Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy XV (though the last two are going to be a long wait to buy). Maybe Destiny and the next Battlefield game, though I've fallen out of love with FPS games the last couple years. I need to see if there's any good indie games for download too… If anyone has any other good games they'd recommend, let me know, and I'll look into them!

{Testing, one two. Testing, one two.}

Watching: GenerikB livestreams, MH4G livestreams, Patema Inverted (GREAT MOVIE, HOLY CRAP), Yogscast Jingle Jam livestreams
Playing: Bastion, Final Fantasy III, MH3U, Mario Kart 8, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (AARGH! Finally going back to finish this like I always meant to!), Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Pathfinder, Hyrule Warriors, Pokemon X, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, Super Smash Bros. WiiU
Reading: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohika Araki, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari by Aneko Yusagi, Spellcross by Stefan Martello, The Silent Kingdom by Freedan the Eternal, Aura Knights and Faber et Filia by Hoenn Master 96, The Master Corps and Frontier Lineage by Thomas A. Hawk, Jormungand by Takahashi Keitarou, Boku no Hero Academia by Horikoshi Kouhei, Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio, Stand Still Stay Silent by Minna Sundberg
Listening: Yeasayer, Switchfoot, Pet Shop Boys, REM, AC/DC, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Animal Collective, Keane, Mystery Skulls, Cold, The Thrilling Adventure Hour Podcast, The Friendzone