The Lost Civilization: DLC

by dashboardgecko

A collection of one-shots and mini-stories based off MH fanfiction 'The Lost Civilization,' written to sate my thirst to write! Let's see what sort of adventures and antics the heroes, villains, and side characters of TLC get up to after the main story as we wait for MH4 and the sequel to The Lost Civilization!

20. After Life - Part 3, Realm of the Dead

After Life – Part 3

Realm of the Dead

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

Edited by: Hoenn Master96 and Thomas A. Hawk

This one-shot is NOT CANON with The Lost Civilization

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The Alatreon, the greatest, most dangerous dragon York had ever known, strode towards him across the platform, gusts of flame jetting from its mouth and lightning dancing across its horns. The black dragon was practically sauntering, it looked so smug and confident.

York winced slightly as the familiar pressure of the Alatreon's mind pushed into his own. Well now… this is a surprise, isn't it? We never imagined we'd have a chance to meet with either of you again, especially not like this.

The elder dragon's gaze fell on York first, and the beast bared its fangs in a twisted smile. That's a fine expression on your face, York, so baffled and shocked. I wager you never expected to see me again, did you? Never expected to gaze upon this glorious form of mine once more? How satisfied you must have been, destroying my cult and shattering my dragongem! All that effort and work, only to meet me here!

As for you, Levin… The Alatreon's attention turned towards the switch axe user, and its eyes narrowed. I see you are just as surprised by my appearance. You have gained some prominent new wounds since last we met. I cannot say I'm not pleased by that. But that stone… is that a dragongem of mine within that black metal? And I can sense another in your ankle as well! How intriguing…

York glanced sharply towards the golden-armored hunter he'd been fighting. Two dragongems? He hadn't noticed the second one! Yet now that he looked at the switch axe user's leg, there was indeed a dim azure glow swelling from within the golden armor near the ankle. But how could there be a third gem? What kind of contingencies had the Alatreon made to stave off death? If this servant of the elder dragon truly had two of the stones within his possession… York would have trouble trying to ward off both him and the elder dragon at once!

However, as his gaze fell on the hunter's face, his eye widened in surprise. The gold-armored hunter had a look of utter shock on his face. That wasn't exactly a sign of someone who served the Alatreon… but how could the elder dragon be alive again with this man in possession of two gems that could used to revive it, and there be no connection between the two of them? A moment later though, the other man's expression turned to a look of hatred, sweeping his switch axe along with him and aiming it directly at the dragon. That certainly wasn't something a member of the Brilliant Darkness would do! If this switch axe user really was his enemy, he was playing a very long con.

York's attention snapped back to the elder dragon as the creature sauntered towards them. Now then, what should we do with the two of you? Needless to say, this is a rare opportunity… and yet perhaps we-

The Alatreon never finished its sentence, however, as the switch axe user bellowed in anger, dashing towards the elder dragon across the obsidian. The dual blade user felt a pulse of agitation slip through the bond as the Alatreon hissed angrily, but at the same time he could tell the beast was excited at the prospect of a battle. The elder dragon bared its fangs at the approaching hunter, in what York could only imagine to be a twisted smile on the creature's face.

The Alatreon lowered its head, hissing at the switch axe user as the wisps of white in its maw shifted to flames, while bolts of lightning danced across it horns. The hunter paused as the flames in the creature's mouth swelled, and dove to the side when a massive fireball roared out, rocketing through the air and smashing into the ground several yards behind him. York winced as a wave of heat washed over him, even as far as he was from the blast zone. The gold-armored hunter seemed unfazed by the heat though, continuing his charge as the Alatreon pulled its head back. The beast didn't move at all as the hunter approached though, only just pulling its head back before the hunter could take a swing at its skull. Lightning jumped across its horns, and a bolt jumped down towards the switch axe user, smashing into the platform behind him and forcing him to leap towards the Alatreon's legs.

Rolling back to his feet, the hunter swept his switch axe up towards the Alatreon's chest, but before the blow could land, the elder dragon reared back, bringing up its forepaw and swatting the blade away. A jolt of dragon element jumped across the Alatreon's talons, but the creature hardly seemed to care. The man swung the blade again, and once more the elder dragon swatted the blade away. Before the hunter could swing a third time, the Alatreon's head snapped forward, shooting a gust of flame at the switch axe user's feet , making the man yelp in surprise and stumble back to avoid the fire. As the hunter pulled away, the elder dragon swung around, cracking the tip of its tail against his chest and sending him tumbling across the obsidian.

From where he stood, York began making his way toward the Alatreon as the beast's attention was focused on the other hunter. However, as York approached, a deep blue light began to mix with the bolts of dragon element jumping across the creature's horns, and the beast's attention snapped towards him.

Come now, York. You didn't think I forgot about you, did you?

York slid to a halt, bracing himself for an attack, but as the Alatreon snapped its neck down, there was a flash, and the hunter winced, covering his good eye from the glare. Damn it, when had the Alatreon learned to create flashes of light? He felt the air grow charged with energy, and moved to leap away from any impending attacks, but as he tried to dodge, he was jolted to a halt and nearly slammed into the ground. His foot was stuck! Looking down, he realized that… something had completely covered his foot, a strange blue crystalline rock. The material was glowing slightly, and had completely wrapped around his boot, crawling over his ankle and several inches up his calves. The crystal was spread out across the platform as well, branching out like a star which latched tightly to the obsidian beneath him. York tugged desperately at the strange blue rock, but his foot was stuck tight.

There we are. That should keep you still for a while. York's eyes snapped up to the elder dragon again as the creature gave him a smug, satisfied look. Weren't you ever taught that it's impolite to interrupt, York? Now you just wait there while we entertain our other guest. Don't you worry, we'll have time to play with you later.

With that, the Alatreon returned its attention to the other hunter as York continued to struggle against this strange blue crystal. Damn it all, what was this stuff? The Alatreon had never shown this kind of ability before! Thankfully, the elder dragon truly seemed to be ignoring him at the moment, duking it out with the switch axe user in the meantime. York worked to pry himself free of the crystal, driving the tip of his swords down into the gemstone. Thankfully, the stone seemed to be relatively weak, and pieces were breaking off quickly.

As York managed to fully uncover his foot, wrenching his boot loose from the blue substance, there was a crack and a cry of pain as the gold-armored hunter was thrown backwards across the platform by a bolt of lightning. The elder dragon followed up with a barrage of ice spears, but the spray was wide, and the switch axe user was able to leap to his feet and dive out of the way before being impaled. The ice spears shattered upon impact with the ground, sending frozen shards in all directions and forcing the gold-armored hunter to protect his face with his arms.

The elder dragon truly seemed to be ignoring York for the moment. The dual blade wielder dashed to the side and circled around the monster, hopeful that the Alatreon wouldn't anticipate him breaking free of that blue crystal as quickly as he had. With both the beast and the switch axe user distracted with each other in their battle, York focused his mind and allowed himself to become enveloped in a white aura. This was his most secret technique, an ability similar to the demonization mode which dual blade wielders could use, but more powerful, jolting York's physical abilities to supernatural levels. Sheathing one of his dual swords and drawing the pure dagger, the hunter launched himself towards the elder dragon's hind legs. In one moment he had covered several dozen yards, and in another he'd be upon the Alatreon, severing the tendons in the beast's legs.

Before he could reach the black beast, however, the creature's head suddenly snapped around, the Alatreon's sharp red and yellow eyes gazing directly at him and following his movements. Bolts of dark energy swelled across the elder dragon's body, coalescing in the beast's long, jagged tail, and with a crack, the Alatreon swung the appendage down towards York with terrifying speed.

The white aura may have been the only thing that saved the hunter, giving him the agility to see the attack coming and leap out of the way. As the tail struck the platform, however, splintering the obsidian structure and sending cracks out from the impact zone, tendrils of dragon element jumped in every direction. York cursed, leaping away as dark energy chased after him, bolts punching into the obsidian platform. The Alatreon brought its tail down a second time in a low swipe, and even more bolts of energy jumped around, filling the air with energy.

As the Alatreon came in for a third swipe though, York dashed forward, sliding around in the opposite direction of the elder dragon's swing even as bolts of dragon element jumped around him. The creature grunted in surprise at the motion, trying to twist its head around to the other side to spot him again, but it wasn't quick enough. Before it could bring its tail around for another swing, York was under the beast's legs, and the hunter swung the pure dagger towards the Alatreon's tendons.

But as the dagger struck the monster's leg, the edge ricocheted wildly off the elder dragon's plating, barely even scratching the elder dragon's scales. York cursed, swinging again and aiming for a gap between the creature's plating, but even as the edge struck against the Alatreon's unprotected hide, the dagger barely left a thin line in the dark flesh. The Alatreon huffed in irritation, twisting around where it stood, pulling back a foreleg and taking a low swipe at the hunter and forcing York to leap back.

York staggered back in surprise, staring down at the blade in shock. What the hell was going on? This dagger was a pure blade! It should have cut through the Alatreon's scales and hide like warm butter! And this was the second time that the weapon had failed him! He'd tried to shatter the dragongem in the other hunter's 'arm' back during their fight, but the dagger had deflected off the stone in the exact same way! Now that he looked at it, the sheen of the dagger looked far less lustrous than it usually did, but…

Best pay attention, York.

The hunter's eyes snapped up as the Alatreon opened its maw with flames welling up in the back of its throat. Almost lazily, the elder dragon sent a jet of flame towards him, and York leapt out of the way as a thin stream of fire shot past him, before dying away in the creature's gullet.

"Hey, dragon!"

York and the Alatreon's attention turned towards the switch axe user, who had pulled a silvery canister from his item pouch and was preparing to pull the pin from the primer. A flash bomb, perhaps? The shape of it was odd… but that wouldn't do much good against the Alatreon! However, the elder dragon actually seemed worried by the motion, and quickly beat its wings forward towards the other hunter. To York's surprise, the single motion kicked up a mighty blast of wind that sent the switch axe user sprawling backwards, the flash bomb tumbling from his grip and clattering across the ground before getting wedged into a thick crack in the platform.

Let us keep that nuisance from causing any trouble, shall we? As the switch axe user pushed back to his feet, his gaze snapping towards the flash bomb, the Alatreon's horns began to glow with a deep blue light. There was a sudden flash of light, and York winced, but as the light began to fade, he realized that the flash bomb had been covered in the same thick blue crystal that the creature had used to ensnare him before. Since when was the Alatreon so fearful of some flash bombs? You don't think we'd really let you use one of those annoying creations, do you Levin? Do you have more in that pouch? Perhaps we should keep you from getting into those as well, and any other contraptions you might have.

York heard the switch axe user cursing under his breath, but it quickly turned into a shout of surprise as the creature hissed, sending a spray of frigid air down onto the platform. The switch axe user leapt back, but the ice crept across the ground, coating the obsidian in a white sheen. Soon it had surpassed the gold-armored hunter, and the man slipped against the icy ground, dropping to a knee. The Alatreon turned its head, aiming the blast of icy mist towards the hunter, yet at the same time the beam seemed to narrow, becoming more precise.

The hunter hissed in shock as the haze washed over him, but the Alatreon cut the attack off almost immediately. As the white mist faded away, York realized that part of the man's side had been completely coated in a layer of ice. As the switch axe user got to his feet, he didn't seem hurt at all, but soon the man started patting his pouch, and York's eye widened in shock. The Alatreon's ice beam hadn't hurt the hunter at all, but it had completely frozen his item pouch shut! Since when had the Alatreon had that kind of precision and accuracy?

Take a break, Levin. The Alatreon chuckled in York's mind as it sent a spray of ice spears towards the switch axe user, forcing him to scramble back to avoid being struck by the massive frozen lances. More and more spears flew from the creature's maw, punching into the obsidian floor one after the other until a wide frozen barricade had been erected, sealing off the switch axe user from getting to the elder dragon. It looks as though York here is eager for a turn of his own against us. Who are we to deny him, if he's so eager?

With that the Alatreon turned, facing York once more and baring its fangs. York braced himself, preparing to fight the creature. He spared a glance over towards the other hunter; York still wasn't sure what it meant for the other man to have a couple dragongems in his possession, but he seemed to have his own antagonism with the Alatreon. The dual blade user would have to figure out more once the elder dragon was dealt with, though it wouldn't be easy with his pure dagger being atypically useless. He still had his aura ability up his sleeve, though the Alatreon seemed to be expecting it now. The power should have been able to make York faster than the elder dragon could keep up with, yet the creature had somehow managed to see him coming earlier and swat him away like it was nothing. Was the aura somehow being affected like the pure blade was?

York didn't have time to contemplate too deeply though, as voltage roared over the Alatreon's horns and a bolt of lightning cracked down towards him. The dual blade user instinctively activated the aura, leaping backwards as the electricity ripped into the obsidian. Sliding to a halt on the platform, York ascertained that the aura seemed to still be working; he may not have been able to dodge that bolt without the speed boost the power offered.

With a lunge, York dashed towards the elder dragon, covering the distance in a moment and lashing out with his swords at the creature's legs, but the Alatreon reacted immediately, pulling its forelegs back and swiping them out. The black beast's long talons clashed against the blue and green blades, deflecting them as easily as another sword would in the hands of a skilled blademaster, before the creature lashed out with an attack of its own, swiping its claws down at him. York was forced to swing his blades up to block, parrying the talons with his swords as the creature clawed at him. York could hear the Alatreon's telepathic laughter rolling through his head as the beast clawed at him again and again, beating its wings to keep itself on its hind legs as it repeatedly swung its talons at him.

After a few moments, York realized that the Alatreon was attacking faster and faster with each swing, growing harder to deflect with each swipe and pushing York to his limits to keep up, even with the aura activated. How the hell was the Alatreon doing this? It hadn't been nearly this fast the last time he'd fought it! He needed to find a moment to dodge before the creature could overwhelm him, but at the beast's speed, it would be nearly impossible for him to move without the Alatreon's talons cutting into him!

However, before he could find a moment to leap back, the Alatreon's assault cut to a halt and the creature twisted around, swinging its thick tail around towards the dual blade wielder. York was nearly struck full-force by the appendage, but managed to dodge at the last moment, leaping straight up and over the tail as the scales scraped against the ground under it. While he was in the air though, the Alatreon continued to spin and its wide black wings stretched out, its right wing catching the hunter in its webbing and flinging him towards the ground. York cried out in pain as his back smacked into the obsidian and he tumbled across the platform for several yards, before managing to right himself and push back to his feet.

Damn that had hurt! Though, not as much as York had been expecting it to; he'd expected to be thrown into the ground with the force of a small meteor. As the hunter pulled himself into attack stance again though, the Alatreon turned back towards him, its fangs bared in the smug smile that it had been wearing since it had first showed up. Was it playing with him? This whole fight seemed to only be amusing it, despite York throwing his all into it. It hadn't been using any heavy attacks, only hindering them when they were trying to attack him. York had little doubt that the Alatreon could have attacked him while his foot was trapped in that blue rock, yet it had focused on the switch axe user instead, and rather than hitting the golden-armored hunter with its frost breath full-force, it had merely frozen his item pouch shut and trapped him behind a wall of ice spears.

How was he supposed to match this creature? It was faster and tougher than York remembered, and his pure blade was useless for some reason. Why would the Alatreon be showing any restraint? He needed to find some other way to damage the creature if he had any hope of-

Before he could finish the thought, there was a flash of motion from the Alatreon's right, and both he and the elder dragon turned in surprise as the golden-armored hunter appeared again, swinging his switch axe towards the Alatreon's legs. The beast yelped in surprise as the Deviljho-material blade crashed against the elder dragon's ankles, forcing the creature to leap away from the switch axe user. The Alatreon seemed largely unfazed by the surprise attack though, tapping its leg gently against the obsidian but having no injury save for some lingering dragon element from the weapon's phial. The Alatreon growled in mild irritation, its gaze scanning over to the wall of ice that it had put down. York realized that the switch axe user had smashed his way through the ice with his weapon, something that had gone unnoticed while York and the Alatreon had been battling each other before.

The Alatreon hissed at the switch axe user, flames licking its maw before a jet of flame roared from its gullet, blazing across the platform towards the hunter. The gold-armored hunter dove out of the way as the wave of fire rushed past him, and the flames crashed into the remaining wall of ice behind him. York cursed in shock as the inferno crashed off the ice, and even as the fires melted the frozen spears, they were cold enough that waves of fire were sent in both directions, nearly catching York in the flames himself and forcing him to leap back to avoid them. The gold-armored hunter was sent scrambling away as the Alatreon chased him with its flames, forcing him to dash away to avoid being consumed by the fires. York took a chance to try and dash towards the elder dragon as its focus was on the switch axe user, but before he could get close enough, the Alatreon snapped its head towards him again, its horns crackling with lightning as bolts of energy lanced out, crashing into the obsidian in front of him and forcing him to leap away for fear of being struck.

Both hunters staggered back from the Alatreon's assault, and the creature's laughter rolled through the dual blade wielder's skull. How greedy you humans are, each wanting to be the one that slays me! All that's on your minds is my head, and figuring out how best to take it! Thank goodness the two of you aren't working together. You're making this much easier for us than it could have been, and we can truly enjoy ourselves in this battle.

York stopped in his tracks. He and the other hunter glanced at each other in realization at the elder dragon's words. The Alatreon was right, of course; neither of them were working together at all. They were fighting the Alatreon at the same time, but they were each using each other as convenient distractions rather than actually working together. York still didn't exactly trust this gold-armored hunter, even if he was fighting against the Alatreon as well. The switch axe user had two Azure Dragongems on him, and York certainly hadn't forgotten the danger they posed! Then again, if the other hunter actually wasn't an enemy, he really had less of a reason to trust York, since the dual blade wielder had effectively introduced himself by trying to slice the other man's throat…

But York realized that he wouldn't be able to take on the Alatreon alone, not like he was now. This hunter claimed to have battled the elder dragon, and the creature at least seemed wary of what he could do, so maybe there was something they could do if they actually teamed up. York quickly pulled a smoke bomb out of his item pouch, and though the Alatreon caught sight of him, it wasn't quick enough to stop him before the dual blade wielder pulled the pin and dropped the canister. The bomb burst as it struck the ground, throwing out smoke and coating the platform in a misty haze once more. York had to blink a couple times as his eye acclimated to the sudden change, but he could hear the gold-armored hunter cursing sourly over where he'd been standing, and could feel the Alatreon's shock and agitation through the bond.

What's this? Smoke bombs? How irritating… Are you trying to flee? How disappointing! Or are you merely trying to hide in the haze, hmm? Where are you…?

York ignored the Alatreon's jabs, quietly making his way over to where he'd last seen the switch axe user. It took him a few moments to find the other hunter; the gold-armored man had moved around a bit, apparently trying to circle around to the Alatreon's flank, but York was able to catch up quickly enough. The switch axe user was glancing around cautiously as he appeared through the haze, listening for the sound of the Alatreon skulking through the smoke. York could hear the beast's heavy footfalls and its talons clicking ominously against the obsidian, so instinctively walked carefully as he approached the other hunter. The plan nearly backfired however, when the gold-armored man seemed to sense his presence, and upon turning and spotting the dual blade wielder approaching him, he growled defensively, preparing to swing the weapon towards the white-robed hunter.

York cursed, raising his hands quickly and hissing quietly. "Wait wait wait! I'm not trying to attack you!"

"Really," the gold-armored hunter replied flatly, though he halted his attack on the dual sword user, eyeing him warily, and York sighed.

"Well… not this time at least," he said, opening and closing his hands to emphasize that he was unarmed. The switch axe user was still uncertain though, his eyes dipping back and forth between the hilts of his swords, the dagger strapped to his chest, and York's wrists, where the bumps of the wrist blade mechanisms could just barely be seen bulging through his sleeves. Well, York supposed he didn't blame the man for being cautious… "Look, the Alatreon's got a point… okay, never thought those words would ever leave my mouth. But it's still true. I can't kill this thing by myself. You can't either, I'm guessing. If we want to kill this thing, we're going to have to work together."

The switch axe user continued to scowl at York for several moments, before his eye darted to the side as the Alatreon's footsteps thumped nearby through the smoke. It sounded as though the elder dragon was only a couple dozen yards away through the smoke, though York couldn't be certain… Both hunters tensed for a moment, waiting until the footsteps began to fade as the Alatreon made its way off to the far side of the platform in search of them, before the gold-armored hunter returned his gaze to York.

"Fine," he grumbled, lowering his switch axe into a less aggressive stance. "We can team up for the moment."

"Seriously?" York asked, trying to mask his shock. He hadn't expected that quick of an answer, much less a positive one. "I was expecting a bit more of an argument."

"It wouldn't be the first time I've had to trust someone that tried to kill me…" the switch axe user sighed ruefully, giving York a poignant glare. "But I figure if there's one thing in the world that's able to unite people towards a common goal, it's killing the Alatreon, right? You wouldn't shut up about that earlier, claiming you'd killed it."

York paused for a moment before nodding. This guy had said he'd killed the Alatreon… maybe he was telling the truth? York hadn't given the man's claim much credit earlier, but wasn't it possible that the Alatreon had revived itself somehow and this switch axe user had taken care of it? But how had the Guild not heard of it? They would have at least informed York of the incident, considering his role in the fight against the Brilliant Darkness, wouldn't they? But that still didn't explain what the gold-armored man had been babbling about earlier, saying that Loc Lac had been destroyed, and he didn't seem to know about the Brilliant Darkness cult or the Alatreon's use for the Azure Dragongems. York could save those for later though… for now he at least had a temporary comrade against the Alatreon.

"Yeah, you're right. Got any ideas on how to take care of this? Its scales are a lot harder than I remember them being, and I'm not having much luck piercing them with my swords."

"I might be able to kill it if I can hit it with a phial blast," the gold-armored hunter replied, looking down at the glowing phial in his weapon. "If nothing else, the dragon element should weaken its plating enough for us to start getting in some real damage."

"Dragon element weakens monster scales?" York asked, surprised. He didn't recall dragon element having an effect like that before… He knew the dark element magnetized armor, but weakening scales was something unfamiliar. Maybe it was just something that happened in large bursts. That switch axe did have a rather powerful phial blast.

"It has from what I've seen. It's how we weakened the Alatreon enough to kill it before."

Well, the other hunter seemed confident if nothing else. "Alright, fine. I'll try and distract it while you sneak around behind it and hit it when it's not looking. You… can be stealthy, can't you?"

The hunter frowned and motioned to himself. "I'm wearing full, vibrant, gold-plated armor. Do I look like I'm made for stealth? The question is, how distracting can you be?"

"Guess that was kind of a stupid question… Alright, I'll try and keep the Alatreon's attention. Just try and not be too aggressive until you're ready to hit it hard. It shouldn't be too hard to stay out of sight as long as this smoke doesn't wear off too quickly…"

However, as the dual sword user finished speaking, both hunters were nearly knocked off their feet as a powerful gust of wind ripped through the smoke around them. York winced as the air blast sent him sliding backwards across the obsidian, and the haze his smoke bomb had created was blown away in an instant, rushing over the sides of the platform and leaving behind only about a foot of haze hovering over the ground. Looking up, York realized that the wind was coming from the Alatreon; the beast was beating its wide, powerful wings and sending gale-force winds down to the ground and forcing the smoke away. As the hunters were revealed, the creature raised its wings back upright, before striding towards them intently.

I think that's enough of this game of hide and seek. Come on now, don't run and hide! You were both so bold, attacking me earlier! Has fear taken hold? Do you wish to run? You wouldn't be the first humans that fled in terror of my power.

"If you think I'm running away, you've got another thing coming!" York shouted, calling the elder dragon's attention to himself as he dashed towards the beast. "I've killed you once, I can do it again!"

Ha! Well, aren't you fired up! If you're so eager for a fight, then we'll-

York didn't give the elder dragon time to finish its sentence, lurching forward and dashing straight towards the Alatreon. The beast hissed irately at the hunter, but white mist swelled in its maw, and a moment later a white beam shot from its gullet. York leapt to the side, dodging out of the way, before turning and dashing to the side to try and circle around the Alatreon so the switch axe user could sneak up on the beast. The gold-armored hunter seemed to be using the opportunity as the elder dragon turned to follow York's movements, but its gaze would occasionally flicker back to the other hunter; York needed to do more to keep the creature's attention! The switch axe user seemed focused on the elder dragon at the moment, so York quickly allowed the white aura to envelop him. As York had hoped, the Alatreon took immediate notice, and its attention snapped fully to York, determined not to lose sight of the dual blade wielder and bracing itself for a quick attack from the hunter. Now the white-robed hunter just needed to keep the Alatreon's gaze.

The elder dragon began firing ice spears at York, and the hunter zigzagged across the obsidian to avoid the shots. He had to be careful though; the Alatreon's accuracy and rate of fire were hellishly sharp, and the frozen projectiles got frightfully close more than once. But he had an idea, something he'd been meaning to try, but hadn't had a reason to use the aura in a long time…

As the Alatreon welled up to fire another spear, York abruptly deactivated the aura. The Alatreon, taken off guard as York's speed suddenly plummeted, fired the frozen lance wildly off aim, and the white spear punched into the obsidian nearly a dozen yards in front of him, by far the most inaccurate shot the elder dragon had fired. The Alatreon hissed angrily, adjusting itself as more white haze welled up in its throat, but as the creature prepared to fire again, York reactivated the aura, snapping himself forward. Again the frozen lance missed, this time striking the ground several yard behind him, and the elder dragon screeched in anger and frustration.

York continued to dart around the platform as the Alatreon fired upon him, switching back and forth between activating and deactivating his aura. The elder dragon's shots began to grow increasingly inaccurate as it tried to keep up with the abrupt changes in speed, and its eyes began to have trouble following the hunter as it tried to adjust to the shifts in acceleration. Soon the beast was so flustered that it York would find it looking in a completely different direction than York actually was. Finally, with a bellow of rage, the Alatreon gave up on trying to spear the hunter, and a gush of white erupted from its maw as it switched to the white beam of frigid air. Swaths of obsidian were coated in ice as the beast tried to envelop the hunter in the beam, but the beast still couldn't land a hit. However, the platform around York was slowly coating over in ice; if the switch axe user didn't hurry, York might lose his foothold…

But the dual blade user needn't have worried; before the Alatreon could coat too much of the obsidian in ice, there was a flash of motion underneath the beast as the gold-armored hunter slid between the elder dragon's legs and planted himself directly under its chest, his weapon primed for a phial blast. It had worked! With a twist of his arm, the hunter snapped his blade forward, intent on wedging the tip into the elder dragon's ribcage.

However, at the last moment, the Alatreon looked down, spotting the gold-armored hunter before the blow could land. York cursed, but rather than moving out of the way or retaliating, the elder dragon did the unthinkable: it leaned into the attack.

The Alatreon dipped forward, lowering its chest and impaling itself on the blade, right at the base of its long neck and just above the thick, jagged plating protecting its chest. The beast lowered its head over the weapon, bringing itself face-to-face with the switch axe user even as dark dragon element roared through the sword form, its red and yellow eyes boring into that of the gold-armored hunter. The hunter returned the gaze with a look of incomprehension in his eye, but kept his grip on his blade as the weapon's phial reached critical levels.

There was a thunderous blast as the phial ejected the remaining energy through the sword, creating a massive detonation of pure dragon element at the tip of the blade. Dark energy ripped through the Alatreon's scales and hide, searing through flesh and burning into the beast's body as arcs of red electricity jumped across the creature's hide. The blast was powerful enough to knock the elder dragon back onto its hind legs, nearly toppling onto its back, and was more than enough to send the switch axe wielder skidding across the top of the platform as tendrils of energy danced across his golden armor. York could feel the force of the concussive blast even from the distance he was at; did the other hunter really use such dangerous attacks from such close range on a regular basis? Maybe he'd been lucky to get away with only being inflicted with minor dragonblight during their battle earlier… The switch axe user didn't even seem too bothered either; the sparks jumping over his armor were vanishing already, disappearing between the gaps of the gold plating.

As for the elder dragon, the beast was reeling a bit, but was still standing, even as a wash of blood poured from its chest and neck. But York didn't understand: the Alatreon had just… taken the hit! It had practically shoved the tip of the switch axe into its chest itself, allowing the gold-armored hunter to strike it full-force with that devastating phial blast! The explosion had shredded through the scales and plating across its chest and neck, yet the beast didn't even seem to care! In fact, wisps of white were already hazing over its fangs as it prepared to attack with ice again!

And with that, your phials are empty, aren't they Levin? The Alatreon sneered, apparently ignoring his profusely-bleeding chest. One blast against York there, and one against our chest. You hunters only carry two at a time, correct? That means you're out of dragon element, and we're still alive to fight.

"You're not as tough anymore, though," the switch axe user replied.

Dark red and black sparks jumped across the elder dragon's body, around its torso and even up its neck and down its legs. From the agitated look the creature had, it was clear that the effects were lingering from the phial burst, and not the Alatreon's own elemental power. York was somewhat shocked to find that the switch axe user had been right: the elder dragon's scales and plating really did seem to be looser and less tightly knit. The dual blade user imagined that he could peel off the scales closest to the blast with a butter knife, or even shatter them like glass. The effect wasn't as prominent the further you got from the center of the wound, but it still covered most of the creature's torso and neck.

Tough enough still to deal with you two.

The Alatreon snapped a talon forward, swiping at the gold-armored hunter. But the swing was sluggish, slow enough that the hunter was able to easily duck out of the way. The man quickly countered by swinging his axe at the creature's foreleg, smashing the edge down onto the beast's ankle, and there was a satisfying crunch as the blow shattered scales and plating, cutting into the Alatreon's hide. The beast staggered back a bit, walking awkwardly on its wounded leg, but the gold-armored hunter was close behind, swinging his switch axe around in a wide swing towards the elder dragon's other foreleg.

There was a spray of blood as the jagged blade of the switch axe slammed into the Alatreon's ankle. The elder dragon squealed in surprise and pain as tendons were severed, and the force of the blow knocked the beast's leg out from under it, sending the Alatreon down into a crouch and staining the obsidian with its blood. The gold-armored hunter was forced back for a moment to keep from being crushed under the beast's bulk, but he charged forward again quickly enough, hacking into the elder dragon's underbelly as it lay on the ground.

York grinned in excitement; this was his chance! He quickly leapt forward, sprinting towards the Alatreon's head as the elder dragon's serpentine neck twisted around in search of Levin. However, as York approached, the Alatreon's gaze abruptly snapped down to him, glaring intently. But again, rather than attacking or dodging, the elder dragon opened itself to attack, tilting its head to the side and stretching out its neck as though presenting it to him to attack. One of the elder dragon's eyes remained on him though, an expression of condescension in its gaze as it practically dared the white-robed hunter to try and kill him. York felt himself seeth in anger.

"You egotistical son of a bitch!" he roared. "Let's see how you like this then!"

Checking to make sure the switch axe user wasn't able to see him, York felt a rush of energy as he activated his aura. The dual blade user launched himself forward, closing the distance in a moment and lashing out at the elder dragon's neck with his dual blades. The power of the aura increased his strength, and yet there was still a spray of sparks as the swords clashed against the thick scales along the Alatreon's throat. However, this time the scales gave way, fracturing apart under the force of the blows, and York pressed on, slicing at the dragon's neck until he cut into a gap and tore into the black dragon's hide. There was a spray of blood as the blade cut into the Alatreon's throat, severing sinew and muscle and tearing straight through the Alatreon's windpipe.

York grinned in pleased excitement. Finally, some leverage against the creature, after his pure dagger had proven so useless earlier! As the Alatreon wheezed, sending a spray of bloody mist from the wound in its throat, York dashed towards the elder dragon's skull, slicing up and down the rest of the creature's neck and leaving a zigzagging line of shallower cuts along the rest of the Alatreon's throat before stopping at the dragon's skull. The Alatreon's left eye was still on the dual blade wielder's face, even despite the cuts that had been torn into the beast's neck; the elder dragon's eye had a slight wince to them, but even despite the terrible injuries that had been dealt to it, the creature's expression seemed… disappointed, and a little bored.

Growling in anger, York pulled the blades away from the elder dragon's throat, pulling them back and driving them down towards the Alatreon's eyes. For the first time, the dragon actually pulled away from the attack, though not enough to avoid damage entirely. The blades weren't plunged into the Alatreon's skull like York had intended, but the tips of the swords still managed to pierce into the elder dragon's eye, slicing through the red-and-yellow orb and producing a gush of blood from the eye.

The elder dragon hissed in pain, and York pulled back to attack again, but before he could, the Alatreon retaliated, twisting its horns around a smashing them into York's chest so quickly that he didn't even have time to react before he was flung backwards across the obsidian. York hit the platform hard, but spun back up onto his feet in a moment, allowing the aura to fade away as his eyes darted up towards the Alatreon. The elder dragon had knocked him away, but York had managed to do the damage he'd needed to: with the creature's chest ripped and seared, its throat cut up, and one eye sliced apart, the Alatreon was done for! Even now, the beast was kicking wildly at Levin, who had managed to chop some heavy gashes into the creature's belly before being forced back by the creature's flailing.

However, as he gazed upon the Alatreon's form, York's eye widened in shock. The wounds were closing! The Alatreon was rapidly healing from its wounds!

The long cuts along the beast's legs and throat were closing together almost instantly, knitting back into smooth hide and plating as though the injury had never been sustained. The tendons along the beast's forelegs sprang back together, binding themselves tightly and allowing the beast to stand again, and the dark blood pouring from the creature's throat petered to a halt as the hide melded together once more. The steaming dragon-element burn marks that the phial blast had created were fading away, and the shattered scales were re-growing and forming together before York's very eye. The sliced eye of the dragon even swirled a bit in the socket, before sticking back together and forming a single orb.

In a few short seconds, the creature was whole once more, completely unmarred by the battle and a look of bored agitation in its eyes. York staggered back from the creature in horror. What the hell was going on? How had the beast managed to heal itself so quickly? It was as though he and the other hunter had done nothing at all! No wonder the beast had been so keen to take the hits like it had! Cursing worriedly, York prepared himself for the Alatreon's next attack. The elder dragon was sure to-

Alright, that's enough of that.} The Alatreon sighed, a gust of flame jetting from its mouth as the hunters pulled away from it. To both the hunters' surprise, rather than assaulting them, the elder dragon instead lowered itself down, folding its legs and lying down on the ground. It returned its gaze to them, its bright yellow and red eyes looking at them wearily. Again the Alatreon's voice slid into their minds, but it was quieter this time, and less heavy. {Communicating with such force is so tiring, so let's tone it down a notch, shall we? Now then… are you two quite done? It's been amusing, but playtime is over, we think. We can entertain this foolishness for as long as you wish, and you can pursue this fracas to its final stupidity, but we are growing weary, and you are getting yourselves nowhere.}

"How… How are you not hurt?" the switch axe user snapped, hoisting his blade up and pointing it at the elder dragon. "Those attacks should have killed you! You shouldn't be alive! It's… it's impossible!"

The Alatreon suddenly made a low rumbling sound from the base of its throat, and wisps of white haze puffed from its jaws. York realized that the beast was actually laughing! Not a sinister laugh like he was used to hearing from the creature, just… a good-humored chuckle. {How odd… I would've thought you of all people would have realized the futility of a word like 'impossible', Levin. I do so mistrust that word these days. After all, I did spend many hours bellowing that it was impossible to pierce my scales or harm me, and yet here I am, despite you killing me.}

"But I killed you!" York interjected, brandishing one of his own blades at the creature. "What do you mean this guy killed you? I slit your throat in seven places and stabbed you through the eye! I clearly remember killing you that way, and I shattered your damn dragongem to top it all off! How the hell are you alive again?" York swung a blade and pointed towards the gold-armored hunter. "Is it him? He's got two dragongems, you said! You came back from one of those, right? Or was it that gemstone in your desert hideout?"

Again the Alatreon's laughter rumbled in its throat as the switch axe user gave York an utterly bewildered look. {Levin's dragongems do not have the power to revive me as the one you shattered did, York. And he would not allow me to do so, had he a say in the matter, considering his disdain for me.} Then it turned an amused eye at York. {Besides, we never did 'come back', as you fear we did.}

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

{It means that we are dead.}

"What… What are you talking about? You're moving around, talking to us and attacking us! How does that qualify as 'dead'?"

{Just because you can see something, hear something, touch something, and just because something moves and thinks and feels doesn't necessarily indicate that it lives. What you see before you is something different. We are indeed your nemesis, both of you, the Alatreon, the Brilliant Darkness. We are at once the dragon you slew in my cultists' lair in the desert, York, just as we are the dragon which you slew in the so-called Sacred Land, Levin.}

"What? But that… that can't be right!" the gold-armored hunter, Levin, snapped at the beast. "You… the Alatreon died! My comrades and I hunted it down and killed it! They mounted its head above the Guild hall in Loc Lac! And yet you say that you're that Alatreon, and that this guy killed you too? How is that possible? You can't die twice!" The hunter frowned thoughtfully before pointing an accusing finger at the dragon. "The Sacred Land! You… you've got to be one of those other Alatreons that you… that were trapped in those crystals, aren't you? Damn it, the Guild said none of you were a real threat!"

York turned, staring in shock at the gold-armored hunter. "Other Alatreons? What are you-"

A harrumph from the Alatreon cut the dual blade wielder off however, as the elder dragon looked intently at Levin. {I guarantee, I am the Alatreon you slew in your world, Levin. I recall quite clearly when I attacked your civilization, wiping it from existence. I recall when I killed your family, burning them alive while you watched. And I laughed, watching you suffer before placing you within the blue crystal, those stones which condemned the Lost to madness and kept them sleeping for countless years. I recall tormenting you through your dreams, and attacking Loc Lac, and sending she who would eat the world to destroy your village. I remember you and your band of comrades chasing me to my nest in the Sacred Land on that flying machine of yours. And I remember dying by your hand, when you detonated your weapon within my mouth.}

{And you, York.} The elder dragon turned its attention to the white-armored hunter. {I recall you just as clearly. I raised an army of followers in your world, bent them to my will, and had them sacrifice others in my name to achieve immortality. I did fall numerous times, but my soul container remained, and from it, a new body could rise. I tormented your ancestors for countless years, and I even took the life of your father before I met my final end in battle with you and your own comrades. You thrust the pure blade through my soul container and crushed it, truly killing me for the first time.

{As you can see, humans, we are the Alatreons which both of you considered your mortal enemies, both contained within the same body, though we come from separate worlds.}

"This doesn't make any sense," York grumbled sourly, before pointing at the dragon. "What's all this about 'my world' and 'his world', and what you said about… more Alatreons? How can you be twoAlatreons at once? There was only one! And you say you're dead, that we killed… the both of you, but how are you alive now? And… dammit, why the hell can't we hurt you? You should be dead from those injuries! Er… dead again!"

The Alatreon chuckled in amusement. {So many questions… well, you are human, so I suppose that's to be expected. As for your first question, there are many worlds, many different dimensions of reality. Some are similar to each other, but most are vastly different. The two of you come from worlds that are… nearly the same, though there are some very notable differences. In your world, York, there was I, the Alatreon, mighty in power, the only one of my kind, and with the power of my dragongem I could revive myself over and over, no matter how many times I died. In Levin's world, I was just as deadly, feared by all humanity, and though I lacked the ability to revive as the I in your world did, time and experience made my scales nearly impenetrable to all but the most powerful attacks. While I was not the only one of my kind, I was certainly the most powerful and intelligent. There are other worlds as well, ones where I am practically of no concern at all, or where my goals towards dominance were successful.

{As for why we are unharmed…} The Alatreon puffed out its chest, baring its fangs in a devilish smile. {Because, humans, we are immortal! It is impossible for either of you to…}

The elder dragon paused, looking down on the hunters. Both were sighing in irritation at the words. {Ah. Hmm… Now that we think on it, we've given you both this speech before, haven't we? We are a god, a demon, terrible and powerful, our scales impenetrable… yes, we have said all of this before.

{In that case, let us reiterate. We are indeed immortal, but only within this realm. You killed us, remember? The both of you did. We are dead, humans, and you cannot kill that which has already died. What you see before you is indeed the Alatreon, and we do have a corporeal form, but we are more spirit than flesh now. Blades cannot harm the soul, humans, no matter how sharp they are. Which isn't to say that they cannot shatter soul containers, as you may recall, York. You did a fair job shattering my dragongem in your world.}

"Now hold on," York snapped, glancing around. "If you're dead, then where are we? I'm not dead yet! I don't know about this Levin guy here, but…"

"Well, I'm not dead either!" Levin replied. "I was… mercy, I was in my living room. I wasn't fighting a monster or anything, I was just poking at that… what's it called, Azure Dragonsphire? Then there was a flash of light, and now I'm here."

"Sure that wasn't a bomb or something?" the one-eyed hunter asked wryly. "Trust me, I know first-hand how badly an explosion to the face can hurt." The golden-armored hunter blinked in surprise, turning and scowling at York with his good eye as the dark prosthetic arm tapped irately against his armor. "What? How else would you explain the whole 'dead' thing?"

"Well then how are you here, if you're so certain you're still among the living?" Levin replied tartly.

York crossed his arms, furrowing his brow in thought. "I was… exploring a temple for the Guild, the old remains of the Alatreon's desert fortress. The researcher there had asked me to cross this treacherous gap and grab some artifact they wanted to study. I remember… I got across and there was this blue gemstone there. I picked it up, and then there was this bright light, then…"

"Fell off the gap to your death?" Levin asked. "You were in a more precarious situation than I was and you're questioning my mortality?"

"I wouldn't die that easily, after everything I've been through! That's almost too easy a death for me. I'm not dead!"

"Well, I'm not dead either! I didn't survive Malefica, the Gullet, fighting the Alatreon, and Farren's experiment just to bite it poking at a rock the Guild gave me!"

York opened his mouth to retort, when a blast of flame shot between the pair of hunters, forcing both of them to take a step back. The dual sword wielder shot a glare at the Alatreon as the fire emanating from the creature's gullet died down, and its eyes glittered in amusement.

{Quit bickering you two. We are always impressed with how childish humans can act when they don't want to admit to something they disagree with. Denial is such a immature reaction to harsh truths. And turning so pointlessly on either over nothing? Honestly, we wonder why we bothered killing your species in such numbers; you do such a fine job of it yourselves.}

"You're one to talk," Levin muttered sourly. "You threw tantrums every time I didn't do what you wanted me to, even if what you wanted me to do was die or let my friends die."

{Hmm… Perhaps so, but nonetheless, will arguing with each other over nothing solve your current predicament?} Both hunters muttered quietly to themselves, and the Alatreon huffed a quick chuckle. {However, if it will ease your minds, we can guarantee that you both still live. We can sense the life in you. Besides, due to the circumstances of this realm, we wouldn't be having this conversation otherwise.}

"Well… that's a relief, I guess…" Levin sighed. "One less thing to worry about."

{Yes, yes, you're not as post-mortem as most other creatures in this realm. Congratulations. But now that we're in agreement that you are alive, and we are dead, perhaps you can sheath your weapons and we can discuss this like civilized beings? We're in no mood for killing right now, so perhaps you can share the sentiment?}

Looking down, York realized the Alatreon was right: he still had his dual swords in his hands, and Levin in turn had his switch axe at the ready. But he tightened his grip, pointing one of the blades at the beast. "After everything you've done, and you want 'civilized conversation' from me?"

{You've already killed us, the both of you. We even let you cut into us earlier, though we made no motions to attack either of you in the first place. What more would you do to us? You've seen how effective your attacks are to us here, and we are trying to be cordial. Besides, we're sure your curious little human minds have questions, and if you'd like answers, our only stipulation is that you try and be polite. You have our word that we will not attack you, unless you attack us first.}

"And that's supposed to sway me? I'm not exactly used to having light-hearted chats with dragons!" York snapped. Levin, however, seemed uncertain, looking curiously at the elder dragon.

"You really swear it?" he asked cautiously. "The… the Alatreon from my world swears it?"

{Of course.}

"You're not actually believing him, are you?" York asked in shock, but Levin nodded.

"The Alatreon from my… world was certainly a bastard," the golden-armored hunter replied. "However, if nothing else, it kept its word. At one point, it swore that if I walked away from it, it would never give me the chance to try and kill it again. It kept its word, and avoided me like the plague, even going so far as to attacking everyone except me when it attacked Loc Lac… well, it did until it was driven half-mad, at which point it pretty much attacked everything that moved. If the Alatreon from my world is making that kind of promise, it intends to keep it."

With that, the switch axe user slung his weapon onto his back, crossing his arms and staring expectantly at the Alatreon. York scowled uncertainly, before sighing in frustration. "Fine…" he growled, sliding his swords into their sheaths. With a scowl, he motioned to the area around them. "Now answer my question: where are we? If you're dead and we're alive, what is this place? Some… haunting grounds or something like that?"

{Considering where we are, you two would be the haunting specters, not us.} The Alatreon hummed to itself, tilting its head thoughtfully. {We suppose there are many names for this place in the human tongue; the great beyond, the hereafter, the underworld, the afterlife… You are certainly a very redundant species, creating so many needless words for the same thing. But it is as we say: this place, within the roots and branches of this bland and dreary tree, is the realm of the dead, as far as we are aware. As we are deceased, we belong here. It is you two who are the anomalies in this place.}

"The realm of the dead… Good gods, why do I always get dragged into weird crap like this…" York groaned.

"Wait, this is the afterlife?" Levin asked, a tone of horror in his voice. "This… this can't be it! There's nothing here! What about… what about things like Heaven? Or Hell? Damn it, I'd take a Valhalla or even being reincarnated over this place."

"Yeah, no kidding," York agreed. "There aren't any golden gates or chorus' of angels around, and I generally think 'fire and brimstone' when I hear 'Hell'. There's a whole lot of neither here. There's a whole lot of nothing here, save for these structures and all these vines."

{Heaven? Hell? We know only this place. We have only been here. Perhaps some souls do not come here. Perhaps some souls go elsewhere. But this is all we have seen beyond the realm of the living.}

"Then why's it so empty?" York asked. "I can count the number of living… well, moving creatures I've seen in this place on one hand. If this is the 'land of the dead', shouldn't there be more people around? More monsters? More anything?"

The Alatreon chuckled at the words. {Not at all. In fact, there will be far less.}

"How the hell does that work?" Levin asked. "There should be… trillions of living creatures that have died in the past! How is this place so, well, dead?"

{We suppose we can explain. You asked before how this form could contain two of my species, York, but let us inform you: there are so many more than that. Every Alatreon that has ever lived and died so far, from every world and dimension, rests within this single body, of single mind.}

"Well, I guess that explains why you keep talking with a royal 'we', if nothing else," Levin said.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too," York replied. "But jeez… You say 'all of them', and I'm still trying to wrap my mind around there being more than one of your kind, not to mention this 'multiple worlds' business."

{Then you're not going to like it when we say there are millions of us within this form. While there was only one in your world, there were others in separate worlds. In Levin's world, there have been many over the years, with only a couple dozen remaining alive now, though none are quite as powerful or intelligent as the I who destroyed Loc Lac was.}

"Gee, how modest," Levin muttered.

{It's only the truth. At the moment there are two Alatreons that are in more dominant control of this form than any of the countless others, those two which you particular hunters have slain from your own unique worlds. We have been granted this control by our brethren, who were generous enough to allow it, considering our relationship with you two. But we speak with the knowledge and experience of all Alatreons that dwell in this form.}

The elder dragon grumbled a low sound, like sinister laughter, and pushed itself up to its full height, leering down at them. {That includes battle experience, we'll let you know. We were merely playing with you two earlier to have a little fun. Perhaps you'd like to try and fight us again with us actually fighting back properly? You both had a rather harrowing time fighting against a single one of my species' power. Would you like to see the might and devastation a creature who has experienced many millions more lives and battles can do?}

York glanced over at Levin, looking concerned. "I don't know about you, but that's a fight even I'd prefer to stay out of."

"Same here," the switch axe user muttered. "Fighting the Alatreon once in my lifetime was more than enough for me."

The Alatreon chuckled to itself, lowering itself down onto the platform once more. {A wise choice. We can say with great modesty that we would have made short work of you both, even without the relative immortality this place offers us. At the very least we could have just placed both of you in the azure crystals I learned how to make in your world, Levin. Even your fancy little white aura wouldn't have helped you against that, York.}

York glowered at the elder dragon at the words. "If you weren't invincible this time, I'd have cut your bloody head off right then." The Alatreon scoffed in amused disregard, ignoring the taunt and returning his gaze to Levin.

{As it is with us, so it is with every species that passes through the veil and enters the next life. Upon death, their spirits are pulled into a collective soul, the core of their species' very existence. And there they teach and learn from each other, growing together and forming a consensus on their own existence.} The Alatreon arced its head, glancing around the area. {And here, in this place, a singular form is created, a physical archetype of their whole species, as is this form you see before you.}

"So that's it, then?" Levin asked despondently. "We get pulled into this… core, and become some conglomerated mass of spirits, wandering this bleak plane of existence?"

{In blunt terms? Yes.} The Alatreon replied, and Levin sighed miserably.

{However…} The Alatreon seemed to sigh contentedly, and looked upwards towards the spiraling haze above them. {That is not to say that such a thing is not worth looking forward to. When we came here, after our defeat at both your hands, we entered this form, both the I that was slain by Levin, and the I that was slain by York. So filled with rage were we, blazing with fury and hatred for humanity. And yet, when we joined with my kin, with all the Alatreons which came before me, we found… peace.

{When we entered this form, we were embraced. Every Alatreon, the entirety of our species, every single one which came before, in hundreds and thousands of worlds, greeted us, welcoming us as one of their own. They listened to us. We told them our histories, showed them our lives, every moment of it, and they patiently listened, taking in everything without interruption. They comforted us, instructed us, discussed every moment of our lives, every good decision we ever made… and every mistake.

{And in return, they showed us everything.

{We saw it all. Every moment of the lives of every Alatreon who has ever existed. We have seen such beauty and majesty like nothing we could ever imagine. And we have seen such terror and cruelty we had never known in our worst nightmares. We witnessed our species' entire existence, the good and the bad. We saw worlds where our species lived in peace with humanity. We saw worlds where our species had wiped out humanity. We saw worlds where every last one of our species was hunted down and executed. We have seen so much. We have been taught an infinite number of lessons. We feel as though we could but reach out and grasp the meaning of existence itself!

{But the beauty of the world, the wonders of the word which we ignored to seek dominance over humanity… All the years we were alive, and we never truly knew how wonderful life was. And to know it was so wasted on such petty desires!

{You ask about heaven, humans, some great unknown beyond the boundary of death, where a soul may live in peace for all eternity with their friends and loved ones. We know not of such things. But here, in this place, we have joined with our family. We have found comfort and peace and beauty like we have never known. And we wait; we wait for the passing of the rest of my kind, so we may share that comfort with them, and teach them what lessons we have learned, and learn from them in kind. We have found solace.

{We don't know what heaven is, humans. But we have found the place we wish to spend eternity.}

York stared in shock at the Alatreon as it finished speaking. He'd never imagined that he would hear the Alatreon speaking so… blissfully. "So every living thing that dies comes here and, what, gets enlightenment? All the knowledge of their species and inner peace?"

{Well, not all of them. Self-reflection and enlightenment are usually reserved for the more highly-evolved creatures. We Alatreons are actually rather fortunate, to be honest: many of the longer-lived creatures, like elder dragons, can eventually gain cognizance as they age, separating themselves from more base creatures. Indeed, most of our species came into this form as little more than instinctual beasts, but there were enough of us with more evolved intelligence to aid those others in their mental growth until they left the realm of bestial mentality and gained proper awareness. It is a slow process, and takes many years to help a creature grow to mental maturity, but if there's one thing that this realm provides, it is time.

{Unfortunately, most creatures will not have the power of higher thinking or introspection and will act out as their instincts demand. Some may have the opportunity, but are overrun by the sheer number of feral souls within a single core. I told you how there are many millions of Alatreons within this single form, but imagine the numbers of souls that dwell within other cores. Imagine the… what do you humans call them? Lagiacrus, and Diablos, and Nargacugas. They all could gain greater intelligence, and spread that intelligence to the rest of their cores, but their species are much more prolific than an elder dragon. Our species reproduce maybe once or twice every few dozen years at most; a single Rath pair can produce a dozen eggs a year! Where there are millions of Alatreons, there certainly must be billions or trillions of other, simpler species. And they cannot live as long, so fewer would age long enough to gain cognizance before death. It would take an astounding amount of time to bring all of them within the core to higher intellect. Certainly there must be souls within the core trying to bring reason to the others, but it will take many, many more years before the core is able to do anything but act out by instinct.

{Those instincts, however, will be quite sharp. We see the scuffs and dirt on your armors. Perhaps you have met one or two of them, hmm? Some small creature you should have made short work of, but proved more skilled and tenacious than you ever dreamed?}

The two hunters glanced at each other, both of them wearing concerned and exasperated expressions. "Rhenoplos?" Levin muttered.

"Bullfango," York replied. "Well, a couple of them actually. A really nasty pair."

{Oh, there was only one, we guarantee you that.} The Alatreon chuckled in amusement. {As I said, there is only ever one of each species in this place, the core of all their lives, both male and female in one form. Perhaps you overwhelmed it and assumed it dead? Its wounds healed as mine did, even the most fatal of injuries, and once it was ready, it came for you again.}

"But I stabbed it through the skull! It was dead!"

{As am I. Was your assault on me earlier any less fatal? But as I've said, all things in this realm are already dead, save for you two, and are reflections of the souls of their species rather than true physical form. While you can certainly 'kill' those beings which dwell in this realm, they will not stay such. A fatal wound will stop the motions of smaller, more simplistic creatures for a few minutes, but their wounds close quickly enough, their core's heart begins beating again, and soon they are back on their feet, no worse for the wear.}

"So we can't truly kill anything while we're here?" Levin asked. "We're just going to have to book it every time we see something that wants to kill us?"

{Essentially. We suppose you could try to put down a creature. A 'fatal' wound takes time to heal, even here, so if you find yourself cornered, 'killing' your foe will grant you several minutes of respite with which to make an escape. But you might find that challenging. As I said, within these forms, you will find they hold the collective knowledge of every kind of their species which ever lived, and creatures such as Rhenoplos and Bullfango were never the strongest of beasts in the first place.}

"So, I guess the million-dollar question is: how did we get here?" Levin asked. "If this is the realm of the dead, and York and I are still alive, what brought us here? And how do we get home?"

{Ah, now those are indeed excellent questions. We have raised the query to the other Alatreons which dwell in this form, and it seems that none of them are truly certain as to how such a thing came to be. There are some guesses, however, if you like.}

"We might as well hear them," York replied quickly.

{As you wish. Now, both of you mentioned coming in contact with a stone of sorts before being pulled to this place, correct?}

"Yeah, the Azure Dragonsphire the Guild gave me," Levin replied.

York nodded. "And I touched that stone I found in the hidden chamber within your cult's old hideout. Were they the same thing?"

{They might have been.} The Alatreon huffed thoughtfully, turning an eye towards the dual blade user. {I, the Alatreon who came from your world, York, did create a second stone, much larger than the first, into which I desired to place my power… However, my cult was attacked by the Oath Keepers before I could turn the stone into a proper soul container, or mold my power into it for some other purpose, and I unfortunately met my end prematurely. I had my Dragongem around, thankfully, thus binding my spirit to the world of the living, but I suppose the second stone I had created was forgotten about. I am uncertain as to how it pulled you into this realm, however, and I fear the answer may never come, since I am no longer alive. Perhaps the stone gained some power of its own over the years…

{As for your gem, Levin…} The Alatreon shifted slightly where it lay, closing its eyes and shaking its head. {Forgive me, but I… The I that came from your world, Levin, is somewhat… bothered by all this talk of gems and sphires. They would appear to have power of their own; the gems in your world seem to be capable of granting a type of 'life' to both of your limbs, while in York's world they provided a method with which to contain a soul. And in both worlds, the sphires were capable of bringing the both of you somehow to this place. But I am… somewhat perturbed by how this could be.}

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with them?" Levin asked, glancing down at the dragongem in his wrist. The stone had been glowing rather brightly since the Alatreon had shown up, York realized, and he could tell that the switch axe user was bothered by it. The Alatreon itself looked up and stared at the stone as well, and despite the creature's inhuman face, York couldn't help but feel that the its expression was uncomfortable.

{I wouldn't say that there's something wrong with them. I cannot personally speak for the powers they can offer to those who collect them, as I never had need of them myself… Well, I suppose that's not true. I did have need of them, but not in the same way that the Alatreon from York's world did.}

"I don't… What are they, then?" Levin asked, stretching out his arm. "I didn't exactly carve these from you myself, the gems or the sphire, so I'm not really sure what they really are."

{They are, well… They are bezoars, essentially. Gizzard stones. When I would go out and hunt for food, off to devour whatever beast I felt particularly peckish towards, my particular biology would require me to consume several stones as well afterwards. These stones would aid me in grinding up whatever I ate, since my teeth are more meant for tearing than chewing. I suppose that over time, those stones which did not… pass through me, gathered up particular properties in my stomach which separated them from a regular stone, turning them into what you now refer to as a dragongem. Or dragonsphire, for the larger ones.}

Levin's expression soured, and York had to hold back a shiver. "So your dragongems are just… undigested food?"

{Undigested rocks, to be precise.} The Alatreon nodded somberly, but then it seemed to shiver slightly, and a low, rumbling laughter echoed across the platform. {Just imagine, York: my dragongem, that stone which ensured my survival, my ability to reincarnate again and again, was little more than a stone that I had one of my cultist minions pluck from my feces! And you humans cowered so fearfully from its power! Well, most did. Just think how amused I was knowing that my servants in the Brilliant Darkness were worshiping a gem that gleamed so brightly due to it passing through my bowels.}

"You're one sick son of a bitch, you know that?!" York snapped, scowling in distaste.

{You hunters hardly have room to speak. It's very much the same with other monsters, after all. It's amazing what flattering names you hunters have given the undigested lumps that gather in our intestines: rubies, sapphires, emeralds, gemstones of all types… And you humans covet our inevitable fecal droppings so! Enough that you are willing to kill creatures in the dozens for just one! I suppose they gain something from sitting in our stomachs and intestines for so long, but they are simply stones that were too big or heavy to immediately pass through our digestive systems. If fate had taken another path, those stones would find themselves in our manure, and I am fairly certain humans are quite repulsed by that.

{Perhaps you humans simply romanticize the whole thing with the knowledge that you 'pulled the glittering gem from the belly of the beast', hmm? It sounds better than claiming that you dug through a pile of droppings to find one, we imagine. Though honestly, if you hunters searched a pile of a monster's excrement, you'd probably have an easier time gathering these stones than you would by killing them.}

"Ugh… I'll pass, thanks," Levin groaned sourly. "So how do we get out of here? If these stones brought us here, are there others like them that can return us? I don't know about York here, but I really need to get back home, and in a hurry."

"Trust me, I'm just as eager to get out of this place as you are," York assured him. "So tell us, dragon, how do we get back to our own worlds?"

The Alatreon huffed at the tone in York's voice, a gust of flame jetting from its nostrils at his agitation. {We cannot tell you, human.} York scowled angrily and opened his mouth to retort, but before he could the Alatreon shook its head. {We do not mean that we don't want to tell you. We mean that we cannot, because we do not have the knowledge of how to do so. We have our suspicions, but they are only that: suspicions, not proof.

{We assume that, if there is a method for which those that have not yet passed through the veil of death can come here as you have, there must then be a way for the two of you to return. We suspect that, if you wish to escape this place, you must find this method. We cannot offer you guidance, however. If such a way does exist, we do not know its location, as we have neither the need nor ability to return to the land of the living in the first place.}

"Can't you just - and I can't believe I'm asking this - can't you just… ugh, 'make' another dragonsphire?" Levin sighed.

{Possibly. But this realm has taken away our need to eat. Dead, remember? As such, there has been no need to consume any stones with which we could… 'imbue our power'. Even if there was, the digestion process is random, and creating a bezoar of sufficient power may take several decades. You said you were in a hurry, so we assume you do not have the patience for such things.}

"No, not really. I don't suppose you have any guesses if there are any other ways out? Or can you at least point us in a direction?"

{We can offer very little, unfortunately. If we were to make a suggestion though…} The Alatreon's gaze turned skywards, and the hunters followed its stare. High above them, in the upper realms of the tree, York could see the swirling light of the orb high above them, continuing its shimmering shifting of color. {We would recommend heading upwards, and seeing what you can find closer to the top of the tree.}

"What's up there?" York asked.

{We don't know,} the Alatreon replied, and the hunters groaned in agitation. {Well excuse us, but we've had very little reason to go up there before. There has been no call for us to leave this place and travel around. The purpose of this realm is for personal reflection, not sightseeing. We have done a little exploring, but nothing expansive.}

"Great… So, what, we just head up top and take a look at that big orb up there?"

{If you wish, but we actually do not recommend getting close to the orb unless you have to.} York looked down curiously at the words, and the creature shook its head. {Go upwards, certainly, but be wary of that. The orb is an… oddity here, and other cores tend to locate themselves in interesting locations. Ourselves, we prefer this tower; it gives us such a nice view of the ocean. Needless to say, an object like that, glowing as brightly as it does, will have attracted at least one beast desiring it as a place to spend eternity. Chances are, what waits there will not be as friendly to you as we have been.}

"Alright, I'm fine avoiding any other nastiness that there might be out there, especially if that Rhenoplos and you are any indication," Levin replied. "So if we're not going to check out that orb or whatever it is, why do you recommend us climbing?"

{Is it not a common belief among humans that, once life has left them, their spirits 'ascend', provided they've met the proper prerequisites? The things we have found about humans is that, even in their strangest stories, there are generally at least one or two grains of truth in what they believe. So many human concepts revolving around death tend to believe that 'up' is the way to go once you have passed beyond the veil, there may be a sliver of truth to the matter. If you two have gotten here, perhaps other humans have come to this realm, and took back with them some knowledge of how to return from whence they came. Over the years, that knowledge changed, manifesting itself into the stories of 'heaven', or whatever you wish to call it.

{It's either that or going down. If you don't feel like climbing, you could always try and find out what lies under the tree instead, but as we recall, human theories about what awaits them if they go down once they die are less than pleasant. Those stories are just as likely to be true as the others, though you may not like wait awaits you there, assuming those have any slivers of truth.}

"I've got no problems with climbing," York replied.

"Wouldn't be the first mountain I've had to scale," Levin agreed, looking up into the sky. Then the hunter frowned slightly. "Wait… are we going to have to go straight up the side? I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that, especially with the armor I'm wearing."

{There should be a few tunnels and hollows that lead through the tree. You might be able to follow those all the way to the top.}

"Better than nothing," Levin shrugged. "Though, I don't suppose you could just, I don't know, fly us to the top rather than making us walk?"

The Alatreon's eyes snapped towards Levin and a huff of flame jetted from the creature's maw. {We may be dead, Levin, but we still have our pride. We are not a mere mount to be ridden by any living creature, least of all humans, and certainly not by you two. We may have found peace with our actions, and no longer savagely desire your blood, but if either of you try to ride us like a steed, the only reason we would take you skywards would be so you have further to fall when we dropped you.}

Levin chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I figured. Can't blame a guy for trying though."

{We most certainly can.}

"I did see a tunnel through the tree over in that direction, while I was trying to get to this platform," York said, motioning back towards the ledge he'd come from. "I was trying to get out of this tree at the time, not up it, so I didn't pay it much mind. Now that I think about it though, it did lead up, so it might be a path that'll take us a little further up the tree."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Levin nodded, before glancing back to the Alatreon. "We should probably head off immediately then. You may have been moderately pleasant company, dragon, but I'd rather not stay here any longer than I have to, especially with you around. Bad blood, and all that."

{The feeling is mutual,} the Alatreon agreed. {Be sure to show caution on your journey, however. While this is the realm of the dead, the both of you are strangely alive. How you got here, we do not know, but while those that dwell here cannot die, the two of you most certainly can. And upon your deaths, you will join with the soul core of the rest of your species, as so many others have before you. As such, we advise you to avoid any cores you may come across. While I have attempted to be cordial, and you both could handle the Bullfango and Rhenoplos cores, other cores may not prove as kind or as easy to overcome or escape.}

"I never thought I'd say this, but thanks for the tip, I guess…" York muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

{Oh, yes… one last bit of advice. We would not recommend coming in contact with the core of human souls, should you happen upon it. We… do not know what will happen, and we cannot guarantee that things will turn out well for either of you.} The two hunters looked at each other nervously, and the Alatreon shook its head. {We are merely speculating. For all we are aware, you may not be able to see the human core at all, as you are not dead. Or perhaps you can. It is unknown! However, if you get too close, your souls may simply be pulled from your bodies and into the core, effectively killing you and leaving your bodies as empty husks. We simply do not know. Either way, we recommend showing the greatest caution.}

"So basically, avoid anything and everything we possibly can on our way up to the top?" Levin asked.

{Precisely.}

"Yeah, okay, that's fine by me," the switch axe user sighed. Then he cocked his head curiously and gave the dragon a skeptical look. "Here's something I've been wondering about though: why are you helping us?"

The Alatreon cocked its head thoughtfully. {Hmm… We suppose that, all things considered, it would be more characteristic of us to hinder you, or to simply kill you. But what would that gain us? Some fleeting moment of satisfaction? A bit of blood with which to paint this dreary platform we stand on? Joining with the core of my species has given us perspective. We are dead, there is no changing that. And one day, you will be dead as well, and there is no changing that either. Such is the fate of all mortal beings. As we have said, learning from the rest of our species has given us peace, and we no longer need to rely on base amusements to comfort ourselves.

{Besides, we really don't have much faith that you'll leave this place at all. Chances are you'll be dead soon enough anyway. If our base desires must be sated, or thirst for vengeance quenched, why not allow you to be on your way, to suffer death by starvation, dehydration, or simply being run down by a soul core that you'll never be able to kill? That would give us greater satisfaction that simply crushing you both.}

"How altruistic," Levin muttered sourly.

"I'll take my thank you back," York remarked dryly, and the Alatreon bared its fangs in a vicious smile.

{Would you prefer a battle? Would you feel better if we were to rant and rave of our superiority and your inevitable demise? Our offer for you two to try and 'hunt' me still stands.}

"Thanks, but no thanks," Levin replied, rolling his shoulder. "I've lost enough body parts to you already. I'd like to keep the ones I have left."

"I don't suppose we could… carve some materials off of you before we leave?" York asked, scanning the Alatreon's body. "I managed to carve some pretty good materials off you last time. Your hide and scales and talons would just regrow, wouldn't they?"

{You'd have to earn them, hunter, in the same way others in your profession do,} the elder dragon growled.

"Ugh, never mind then."

"You could actually carve it?" Levin asked.

"Sure. Why wouldn't I have been able to?"

The switch axe user frowned. "Your Alatreon must not have put up much of a fight… There wasn't much of the Alatreon left to carve for us, it was such a bastard to kill."

{We always were tenacious creatures, weren't we?}

"Not tenacious enough, if you're here," York scoffed.

{More tenacious than most. Remind me, how many Oathkeepers did it take to finish off one elder dragon that was too stubborn to die? How many centuries did they try? How many of them are left these days?}

York scowled at the dragon before shaking his head. He wouldn't let himself be riled up by the creature. "Anyway, you ready to go, uh, Levin?"

"Yeah, sure… actually, give me a second." The switch axe user jogged across the platform, over to where his flash bomb had been covered by the blue crystal, and pulled out his hunting knife to chisel away at the material. "I need to get this back really quick."

"Do you really need it?" York asked dubiously. "It's just a flash bomb."

Levin paused for a moment, before continuing to chisel away at the stone. "Either way, I'd like it back. A friend makes them for me, and I'd hate for it to go to waste if I can get it back."

"Seems like a waste of time to me," York sighed, shaking his head as the gold-armored hunter continued to chip away at the blue stone.

{It would seem like that, wouldn't it?} the Alatreon chuckled cryptically, earning a concerned look from the dual blade user.

Thankfully, the crystal seemed just as fragile around the flash bomb as it had been around York's foot, and it only took a couple minutes. The switch axe user seemed pleased to have retrieved it though, and quickly put it back in his pouch, breaking off the last of the ice that was still stuck to his satchel.

"Alright, I'm ready now," Levin said.

"Good. Let's get out of here," York replied, then looked at the Alatreon. "I suppose I should thank you for the help, dragon. But if I have to be honest, I hope I never have to see or hear from you again after this."

{Trust us, the feeling is mutual.}

With that, the hunters began working their way across the platform, before hopping down onto the thick branch that York had walked across to get to the structure. The Alatreon watched them go; York could feel the creature's gaze on their backs as they traveled further and further away. But it made no move to follow them, remaining prone on its tower as the two of them reached the far wall. Soon enough, York found the pathway leading upwards that he'd seen earlier, and the two hunters strode into it. They both spared a glance back at the elder dragon one last time before making their way into the tunnel, but the Alatreon had not moved, and soon they walked out of its sight.

{Good luck.} The Alatreon's voice rang in York's skull. He could feel the pressure of the Alatreon's presence in his mind receding quickly as he and Levin continued walking away from the creature. Soon it would be gone, though not before he felt a low chuckle slide through the bond. {You're certainly going to need it…}

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York belongs to Thomas A. Hawk

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Author's Note: Please Review!

So, yeah, I've decided to toy around with the Alatreon's telepathy, and how to use it in writing. As you can see, in this chapter the Alatreon talks quite a bit, and some of its longer speeches really looked ugly to me when I just saw this huge wall of bolded text taking up space. I don't know how I put up with it during the writing of TLC… But I'm trying to get out of it, especially with the sequel to TLC approaching, for reasons.

I watched a movie recently called Patema Inverted, or Sakasama no Patema. It was amazing, for one, and I recommend anyone of you readers out there to go find it online and give it a watch; it's only an hour and a half. Secondly, it gave me some great ideas for future battles in my story… There's a hunting area called the Sky Mountain/Heavenly Mountain in MH4U, and if the area looks anything like I think it does, well, it'll certainly make the fights really interesting, I'll say that much. If none of you look up the movie, all the better for the surprise, but even if some of you do, there's still sure to be some element of surprise for once I actually get to writing it.

Watched the Nintendo Direct show on Twitch last Wednesday. I'm a little disappointed that they didn't give out information on certain things, like Bravely Second and the Zelda WiiU game, but there's still loads of great games coming out that I'm interested in. The next Fire Emblem game, Splatoon, Majora's Mask 3D… And of course, 4U has a release date! February 13! I planned to have the sequel to TLC come out around the same time as the release of the game, but I expected the game to come out in late March or April, not mid-February. I want to finish After Life before I start releasing chapters at the very least, and it's supposed to continue until March at my current release schedule.

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
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
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
Watching: GenerikB livestreams, MH4G livestreams, Patema Inverted (GREAT MOVIE, HOLY CRAP), Yogscast Jingle Jam livestreams