The journey was long. Tomoko already knew this would be the case. She'd only left Kamura a week back after escorting Matt there and whilst it wasn't how she had planned on bidding the village and its inhabitants farewell, she did find it rather fulfilling in the end.
"Alright this is as far as I can go. The harbour is just ahead through the clearing. Be shocked if you miss it." Tomoko jumped out of the wagon that had been her mobile home the last few days, grabbed her belongings and walked past the driver.
"Thanks for the help. Have a safe journey back," she cheerfully said. Tomoko waved off the wagon before turning on her heels and walking off in the direction of the harbour. Then with a whistle, she fastened her bag over her shoulder. The walk was really peaceful; the chirping of spiribirds and the other signs of endemic life brought the world to life.
"Hmm. Wonder how Matt's fitting in. Sure hope there hasn't been any conflict yet," the huntress pondered out loud. Suddenly there was the faint smell of saltwater and the sounds of crew members hard at work. Tomoko pushed the last of the foliage in front of her out of the way and immediately held her hand over her eyes as the sun burst through them. It wasn't long before a massive smile appeared on her face and she rushed forward to explore.
"This stuff is way ahead of what we have in Kamura! The Research Commission really isn't kidding around with this expedition," Tomoko exclaimed as she shot about, investigating each and everything she could. She greeted every last person she came across while subconsciously searching for something. After a while she grabbed a bite to eat from one of the supply barrels and continued on towards the ship that would take her to the New World.
At the ramp was a woman; wyverian to be exact. Appearing rather professional, she seemed to have a hair ornament made from feathers of different bird species. Tomoko approached her with a smile and upon being noticed the woman gave a small smile and straightened out the floral-patterned robe she wore.
"Greetings hunter. It is an honour to have you joining us." Her tone was kind and soothing yet held a degree of determination. She held her hand out which Tomoko gladly took.
"Thanks for having me. And it's good to see you again Celeste." Tomoko winked jovially to which the wyverian smiled softly.
"The feeling is mutual Tomo." Within seconds Tomoko had pulled Celeste into a warm embrace that was returned very quickly, "Or do you still not like that nickname?"
"Nah it's fine. Besides I've missed you far too much to care Cel. How've you been?"
"I have been very well thank you. My position in the Guild has changed in the time since our last 'meeting'. In fact, I will be the Fleet Master for the Research Commission's Third Fleet." Tomoko's eyes widened in surprise and she stepped back quickly causing Celeste to show mild shock on her face.
"Wait! You're the Fleet Master! You're who invited me?!" she cried out in shock. Celeste composed herself and smiled. Tomoko realised the situation she was in and quickly stood up straight and scratched the back of her hair awkwardly, "Sorry."
"Don't be. You had no way of knowing." The wyverian nodded, "Besides your skill wasn't the only reason I suggested you. In all honesty I missed you.
"I missed you too Cel." Tomoko placed her hand on her hip before looking Celeste up and down with intrigued eyes, "And you're still as pleasing on the eyes as always." The Fleet Master chuckled at the huntress' comment before tapping Tomoko on the nose.
"Later. For now, tell me about your ward. How is Matthew getting on?" Tomoko chuckled and shrugged.
"Oh you know how it is. Takes after me more and more every day. He's been going solo for a while though so I haven't seen him much as of late." There was a sadness behind her words that Celeste immediately picked up on. She knew Tomoko was fond and protective of Matt, but she always felt it went deeper than that.
"And yet you chose him to take your place in Kamura. I'd say you have nothing to worry about." Tomoko ran her hand through her hair and energetically grinned.
"Yeah I guess you're right there." A moment passed before Tomoko's excitement could be contained no longer, "Wait if you're the Fleet Master does that mean you'll be taking the reins more often?"
"That's something you can find out later. Now please come aboard." Tomoko needed no further instruction and rushed past Celeste the instant that sentence was spoken. Then as she reached the top of the ramp she turned.
"My quarters then?!" She called out in both a flirty and cheeky tone. Celeste gave a small smile and nod to confirm her attendance and Tomoko laughed, "This is gonna be great!"
The ship's deck was bustling with people hard at work and enjoying themselves. The huntress admired it but then shook her head. She wasn't here for that.
"Alright. Crew quarters here I come." It didn't actually take that long for her to arrive and upon arriving she immediately took a seat on a table and beckoned a felyne waiter over to her.
"Hey there little guy. Would you mind getting me the chef's special? I've worked up quite the appetite." The palico purred and excitedly ran up off towards the kitchen whilst Tomoko made herself comfortable. The room was bustling with life. Hunters all around were either forming hunting parties for once they arrived in the New World or they were simply drinking and laughing.
This gave Tomoko ample time to place her bow against her table and check her arrow coatings. Her Silver Wrathbow seemed to shine bright under the lights from the nearby hanging lanterns, "Close range, power, poison. Oh and blast! Took a lot of work to get that working so I wouldn't want it to go to waste."
Tomoko was so enamoured by her usual checks that she failed to notice the palico had returned with her order. When she did notice, she apologised profusely, tipped the felyne some extra zenny and got about consuming her meal. Hot food was always appreciated amongst hunters and Tomoko was never one to turn it down. Now the question was did she prefer Kamura's bunny dango or regular meals?
With her meal now completely devoured, Tomoko gulped down her beer and wiped her mouth with a cloth before clapping her hands together and bowing slightly at the empty tray, "Thank you for this delicious meal." The huntress stood up, making sure to pack away her coatings and pick up her bow. Then, after asking for guidance from a crew member, she headed straight for her private quarters where she quickly took off her armour and weapons.
Slipping into her gold and scarlet kimono, Tomoko sighed in relaxation as she finally laid down on her bed. Relaxation that vanished the instant there was a gentle knock at the door, "Coming!"
The huntress hopped off her bed and was quick to the door; opening it to find Celeste standing before her, "Oh hi Cel. You sure took your time didn't you?"
The wyverian smiled and tilted her head slightly to the side; almost as if she was eyeing the bed, "Apologies. Being Fleet Master is rather demanding. But I'm sure the wait will be worth it. I do hope you don't disappoint me."
Tomoko smirked and stepped aside, "When have I ever?" Celeste entered the room whilst her 'hostess' closed it behind her gently. When Tomoko turned around she flinched back slightly as Celeste closed the gap very quickly. Then as her face neared the huntress', she whispered two words.
"Good girl."
Their lips met and the lights went out.
Tomoko couldn't sleep. Several hours had passed since Celeste had arrived at her room. Both women were currently naked with the latter silently snoring next to the huntress. Tomoko had enjoyed herself. A lot. So what was on her mind?
"Matt." She just couldn't wrap her head around why she was thinking of him. As far as she could tell, there was no cause for concern or worry. Matt was incredibly talented and a skilled hunter. She'd trained him after all.
Tomoko's sigh and sudden hand on her head roused Celeste who snuggled into the huntress lovingly, "Hmmm. You're awake?"
"Yeah. I couldn't sleep. Nothing to worry about." The response was soothing, but dripped with the essence of a lie. It wasn't something she could easily talk to another about. Hell she still didn't even know what was going on.
"We could always go again if you want?" Now that was something Tomoko could agree to with ease and seemed to be just the thing to get Matt out of her head.
"They always come back for more." She joked before turning over and gently pecking Celeste's lips. Everything seemed to be going amazing. However, just as the lights were about to go out once more there was an ear-splitting roar that immediately ruined the mood.
There were no words between the two, only actions. Tomoko lept from the sheets, threw on some undergarments and then immediately put on her armour. Celeste meanwhile put on her own uniform and made herself look presentable, "See you out there?"
"Indeed."
Tomoko ran out onto the deck and was horrified by what she saw.
"No way…" There were monsters of all species rampaging through the camp and causing chaos. The scholars that were still on the land, fled for the ships with many of them setting off in a panic. Celeste, who had just joined her, turned to the captain of the ship.
"We need to set off now. We cannot allow this mission to fail! Abandon the harbour!" She commanded. The captain of the ship saluted and began to bark orders.
Tomoko didn't respond, choosing to stand and watch the chaos as multiple thoughts swirled around in her head. Finally after much deliberation she came to but one conclusion.
"I have to stay here. I'll hold them off while you escape." Removing her bow from her back, Tomoko moved to jump from the ship only to be stopped by Celeste quickly grabbing her arm.
"Please don't go." Celeste pleaded as best she could but even she could tell Tomoko's mind had already been made up. Thus was the tragedy of being a hunter. Deep bonds just weren't in their futures.
"I have to. Things are worse than I thought. Go uncover the mysteries of the New World." Tomoko's comforting tone left Celeste slightly taken aback but she knew that deep down the Fleet Master understood. With one final nod and smile the two parted ways.
"I'll wait for you. I'll even give you the grand tour."
"I'll hold you to that."
With that, Tomoko rushed down the ramp and deep into the heart of the chaos. The flames caused by the nearby Aknosoms and Rathians were swelteringly hot and within moments she had sweat dripping down her face.
"This is insane. The Rampage only ever affects Kamura. So why?" The huntress came to a halt in one of the only areas of the camp not on fire and wiped her forehead. Taking a deep breath in, she composed herself and turned at the sound of an approaching growl. A bear-like monster crashed through a burning hut and charged towards her.
"Here we go!" She dodged to the side; just barely getting out of the way of the monster's claws. The beast roared and swiped at her only for it to cry out in pain as Tomoko loosed an arrow from her bow straight into its shoulder.
The fur on the monster stood up on its ends in anger and within seconds it was enraged. The Arzuros raised itself on its hind legs and snapped its maw at its opponent but its size worked against it as Tomoko was far too quick. Years of experience kicked in as Tomoko dodged and coated her next arrow with blast slime. Then when she was ready and the Fanged Beast had tired itself out, she placed the arrow in the quiver, pulled back and fired it straight at its chest. The monster cried out in pain as the impact from the blast-coated arrow caused it to stumble backwards and to the ground. It struggled to correct its posture but the still active slime, combined with its shoulder wound, proved a difficult hurdle to overcome.
All the while Tomoko readied her next arrow, again coated with slime, and slowly approached.
"Something feels off. Was it trying to attack me or was I simply in its way?" She muttered. The beast's eyes showed fear as it looked in her direction and at first it was fair to suggest she was the cause. It was only when the same roar that had disrupted Tomoko and Celeste earlier came from behind the huntress, did she get her answer. With a cry of pain and fear, the Arzuros finally got to its feet and began to limp away as quickly as possible. Meanwhile Tomoko froze up though not out of fear. It was more so out of sheer disbelief.
"No way…" She slowly turned and looked up into the plume of smoke that was bellowing forth in front of her. That wasn't what she was fixated on though. It was what remained hidden within it.
Towering before her was a monster adorned in flames; devil red eyes and fluorescent blue pupils glaring through the smoke. There was a flick of a tail, and a red glow emanating from behind its razor sharp teeth.
The huntress remained still but tightened her grip on her bow. With a thunderous roar, the monster charged forwards with an intent to kill.
There was but one phrase that went through Tomoko's head in the split second before the battle began.
"Long time no see. 'Old Friend'."
"That… was fun. I hope you enjoyed it as well." Matt spoke in a soft tone as he faced Hinoa. The quest maiden smiled and blushed at his comment though was clearly eager to continue.
"Very much so. Want to go again?" Her question was sheepish but filled with a sense of excitement and once their eyes met there was no stopping them.
"I'll lead…" Matt reached towards Hinoa and she also reached out her hand. They were mere inches away when the door suddenly slammed open and Utsushi rushed in with panic in his eyes.
"Ace! What the hell are you doing with Hinoa?!" Utsushi had been on his way to inform Matt of his next quest and yet when he heard the voices of both the hunter in question and the more lively of the two maiden sisters coming from the room he couldn't help but eavesdrop. He heard strange noises followed by words of encouragement to 'keep going'. Then when he heard the two gasp he grew more suspicious and panicked. Then to make matters worse, Hinoa's suggestion to 'go again' was finally the straw that broke the camel's back.
So here he was, having kicked down Matt's door to give him the biggest earful possible. Except there was one minor problem. What Utsushi had pictured was the complete opposite of what had actually happened. He had expected to find hunter and maiden in a rather compromising situation. Rather he found Matt in his kimono, Hinoa in her usual attire and between them?
Several flavours of dango laid out on a tray before the two with skewers sat in a cup nearby. His entrance had startled the duo so badly that they hurried to hide their sweet treats as quickly as they could. Millie, who lay in the corner, simply sighed in what could only be interpreted as disappointment, "Utsushi! What the hell man?! Ever heard of knocking?!"
Utsushi stumbled back in embarrassment with frantically waving hands out in front, "I didn't know okay?! I thought something else was going on!" Both Matt and Hinoa looked at Utsushi, looked at each other and then back at him. It was here that the realisation of what he meant slowly began to dawn on the pair and their faces flushed red with embarrassment.
"Master Utsushi! To imply such an indecent thing is unbecoming of you!" Hinoa's ears twitched from the sheer humiliation she was currently feeling. Matt didn't have quite the same response but he did share her sentiment.
"What made you think that?! I may have been trained by Tomoko but that doesn't mean I'm exactly like her!" Matt chose to completely ignore the confused look that Hinoa gave him regarding that comment. He had seen some things that he never wished another to hear of. Clearly Utsushi understood for he also turned slightly pale.
"Sorry Ace. It was an honest mistake. I'll let you guys sort yourselves out." And with that, Utsushi took his leave as quickly as possible.
To say the air was brimming with awkwardness was the understatement of the century. Matt had quickly helped Hinoa pack up their food, promised to continue later on and made his way to the Gathering Hub. When he entered Utsushi spent no time making his way towards him, "Before we forget this whole thing I have to ask. What were you two even doing?"
Matt shrugged nonchalantly. Not like it was meant to be a secret anyway, "We were trying to find my favourite combination of bunny dango."
"And did you?"
"Of course not. They're a lot tastier than I first assumed."
"Yeah that makes sense." After a few moments passed with nothing said, Utsushi cleared his throat and regained his energetic demeanour almost instantly, "Anyway! That quest of yours! I've gotten reports of swarming Altaroth. All I need is for you to quell their numbers. Little refresher after the other day don't ya think?"
"Yeah. Refresher…" Matt meekly replied as he subtly shivered. Altaroth were Neopterons; the creepy crawlies of the monster world. They weren't anything special and were fairly easy to deal with but a swarm of them could pose a problem for an ecosystem. Thus these sorts of quests were common, "Aiko and Shen gonna be tagging along?"
"If you'll have us Matthew-san." Aiko entered the conversation from Matt's right. She seemed to have come from the Gathering Hub's very own smithy and judging from her repaired armour and sharpened blade, she was fit for duty once more. Shen, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen, "I'm eager to get back out there."
"Glad to see you're up and at 'em." Matt's words from the other day still echoed in the back of her mind, but why? It's not like she hadn't been comforted before and yet his response to her condition meant the most. An enigma she still couldn't quite crack. Not to mention his fluency in the regional dialect had caught her off-guard as well, "You ready to go?"
"Of course. Let's take our leave." The duo walked out of the Gathering Hub side-by-side whilst Utsushi watched. Had he not worn a face mask they would've seen the entertained grin on his face.
Shrine Ruins - Later:
"I hate this so much." The altaroth burst into pieces as it was struck by Matt's blade. It hadn't taken the party long to find the swarm for they were pouring out of nearly every nook and cranny they could. The problem was Matt's reluctance to even get close to them.
"Quit your whining and do the job. We're only required to slay twenty of them so the sooner we do that the sooner you can scurry home." Shen was being as 'polite' and considerate as usual. Obviously Matt's rescue of Aiko the other day had meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. Though, surprisingly, Matt was so focused on the small monsters he had to slay that he couldn't even muster a retort.
"Are you afraid of Neopterons Matthew-san?" Aiko asked sincerely as she crushed another of the insects with her shield before wiping off its remains. When she saw him shiver again, she got her answer, "May I ask why these particular monsters bother you so much?"
"Cause he's the sort of idiot who will look a Rajang in the eyes and feel nothing but get scared of some harmless bugs." Now this comment from Shen did deserve a retort and thus Matt was quick to respond.
"Firstly, that Rajang was just business as usual. You really missed a great hunt yesterday Aiko." Matt trailed off as he thought back on the quest itself. Difficult but overall entertaining. When he did return to his original line of thought he did so with a dark look appearing on his face, "And secondly. You try fighting an insect the size of a fortress and not developing a fear…"
Aiko recognised the description, vague as it may be, and pounced on the chance to ask more, "You were involved in slaying Ahtal-Ka alongside Tomoko?! She never mentioned it."
"Probably because I was fairly young and only just starting my hunting career. As such she ordered me to assist with the siege weapons." Matt explained. Then he felt it. Aiko had inadvertently distracted him long enough for an altaroth to climb up onto his back.
"Matthew-san… Don't panic…"
"Easy for you to say." Matt spoke with grit teeth. Every fibre of his being was telling him to yank it off and crush it but the 'flight' part of his brain had kicked in first. Now Matt was frozen stiff with fear and unable to even think straight. As the insect positioned itself further up his back it began to cover his dual blades, thus eliminating his main 'defence'. He still had a carving knife though, to be honest, Matt was mainly focusing on not passing out.
Aiko meanwhile began slowly approaching, her own carving knife drawn and ready to be thrown with pinpoint accuracy. Shen was meanwhile leaning against a tree, uninterested in helping but somewhat enjoying the show. Specifically Matt's unease and terror. All the while this was going on, the trio failed to notice the rest of the altaroth scattering in various directions. They abandoned the individual upon Matt's back without a second thought until it too sensed the impending danger. With a panicked scurry, the insect climbed off of Matt, to the hunter's relief, and bolted into the greenery.
"It's over. I think I need to sit down…" Matt went to do just that when the creature that had frightened off the altaroth emerged from the trees. Yet when the three hunters noticed and readied themselves to engage in combat, the wyvern took no notice and carried on its way.
"Incredible." Aiko whispered in awe. She sheathed her carving knife and took a few small steps forward to walk alongside the one monster she admired most. Matt and Shen meanwhile simply observed silently; the former a little lost and the latter, surprisingly, smiling. Not a big smile, but a smile nonetheless.
Walking on two legs, its wings held in and being adorned in rough green armour plating with pink spikes, was a terrifying wyvern. Despite this, the Espinas was a very docile species among its brethren. It had little reason to fear most other monsters afterall due to its fearsome capabilities in combat. And Aiko was absolutely gushing at the chance to not only see one, but walk alongside it, "You are just gorgeous. I wish to know more about your species everyday."
Aiko, being careful not to touch one of the poison laden spikes, gently placed her left hand on the Espinas' body and continued to walk alongside it. The wyvern paid no mind and continued on its way, "Matthew-san! Shen! Did you know an Espinas has the power to not only rival an Elder Dragon, but defeat one as well?!" There was a glow in her eyes that Matt had never seen before and as such he couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.
"I had no idea. Though I'm curious about if you can name one it would easily defea…"
"Teostra!"
"That was quick!" Matt laughed at the speedy reply, "You really love studying them don't you?"
"Everyone has a monster they admire most just as they have one they despise with all their heart. Aiko's no different." There was a sincerity to Shen's voice that Matt hadn't heard before. Even if it was for just a moment, the young hunter began to see the 'real' Shen for who he truly was; someone who cherished his Kamura family. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished again, not that Matt particularly minded. He had refocused on Aiko and the Espinas; the latter of which was laying down and going to sleep. As he observed something about Aiko captivated Matt and he couldn't help but warmly smile.
"Arigatou." Aiko bowed to the wyvern for its time before silently making her way back to her hunting party, "Sorry for the delay."
"No worries Ai. The quest practically ended the moment those bugs scattered," Matt admitted before turning on his heel and removing his helmet. Taking in a breath of fresh air he broke out into a slight job, turning his head so that both Aiko and Shen could see his cheerful face, "We've got some time to kill and I wanna explore the ruins! Come on!"
"Oh of course. Right away Matthew-san." Aiko nodded to Shen before following after. She just failed to hide her slight stutter and obvious blush from the older hunter.
"He called her 'Ai' huh?" Shen shook his head in disdain, and followed after the duo, "What a moron."
However, out of the corner of his eye he spotted movement. Not an Izuchi or a Spiribird. It wasn't even the Espinas for that wyvern was still fast asleep. What Shen saw was a prowling movement. The movement of a predator stalking its prey. As of yet it was simply observing the three humans and keeping its own identity secret.
"You wanna play a game? Fine. Come and get us."
Later:
"Wait wait wait. So there used to be gods here? You're pulling my leg right?"
"Not at all Matthew-san. The legends and history of these ruins makes clear mention of these deities and how they vanished during a storm."
"Only to then drive the humans who, predictably, moved in back out again?"
"So the legend goes."
Shen had put up with this back and forth between his juniors for the last twenty minutes now. While it was nice to hear Aiko being cheerful considering her usual mood, it would be a lie to say the constant talking wasn't starting to grate on him. Especially considering he had other, more pressing matters to attend to. Whatever it was that had been stalking them earlier was still doing so. To make the situation worse, Shen was beginning to lose track of its exact location more frequently. All the while neither Matt nor Aiko were aware of the potential threat.
"Hey Shen! You're more distant than usual. What's up?" Matt's voice snapped Shen's attention over to him and as such incurred his full disdain, "Ouch. What'd I do this time?"
"Congratulations you fool. I may have just lost track of it all together now…" His voice trailed off as his eyeline returned back to the foliage. As he quickly scanned the area he grit his teeth and swore under his breath.
It was gone and yet somehow he could still feel its gaze upon them. He just didn't know where from now, "Shit. Shit shit shit!"
Shen's sudden outburst combined with his punching of a nearby tree made the other two hunters jump in surprise, "Shen is something the matter? I hope we didn't interrupt your 'alone time'?"
"Yeah you did. And unfortunately for us my 'alone time' may have just cost us the element of surprise." Shen's growl was clear and loud enough for them to hear.
Or they would've heard it had there not been an ear piercing screech the exact same instant Shen had made that noise. A rapidly approaching screech that came from behind Matt and Aiko. A screech that was accompanied by overjoyed laughter and screaming.
"I know of only one wyvern capable of screaming like that." Aiko winced in pain as a Yian Garuga burst out of the trees and charged straight towards them.
"I advise moving out of the way!" To the surprise of the three, there was a huntress clutching the back of the wyvern and, judging by the sweat pouring down her face, had been doing so for quite a while now. As both Matt and Shen dove out of the way, the former putting his helmet on moments before, Aiko stood her ground and swung her shield arm around as the bird wyvern lunged towards her. There was a crack as the shield connected with its face and the Yian Garuga careened off to the side and crashed to the ground at the same time the huntress atop backflipped off and landed right beside Matt. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, the newcomer looked to the hunter beside her, tucked a strand of her light blue hair behind her ear and winked at him.
"Hey. Wanna see something cool?" For the first time since leaving on this expedition, Matt had been left completely speechless. As he stood motionless and silent, the huntress turned her attention to Aiko and the Garuga who had engaged in combat whilst Shen loaded a Wyvernsnipe round into his bowgun and began going through his checks. With a whistle, the huntress caught his attention and flashed a toothy grin before sprinting forward with her right hand on the hilt of her Long Sword, "Keep your eyes on me!"
The fur of her armour, made courtesy of a Nargacuga, stood up on its end and began flowing in the wind giving her increased speed and momentum. In fact she was now moving so fast, that when she dropped to the ground and slid under the monster, the creature didn't even acknowledge her presence due to its fixation on the 'beak wrecker'. Aiko was caught off guard by the sudden assistance and this allowed the Yian Garuga to swing its barbed tail and bat her away. The good news was her armour prevented the barbs from poisoning her. However, the bad news was she was propelled into a still motionless Matt, knocking both of them to the ground with quite some force.
"Sorry Matthew-san. I should've been more careful…" Aiko groaned as her brain finally caught up with what had just transpired, only to then completely shut down again once her eyes met the glowing red of Matt's helmet. In that instance she went bright red and pushed herself off of him. In the process she slammed him back into the ground, "Of all the outcomes!"
"What was that for?!" Matt cried out. With a jerk, he shot up and turned to find Aiko with her hands covering her face in an attempt to hide her blush. With a head tilt he examined her before jumping to his feet and heading off towards Shen's location just in case the wyvern decided he would be the next target. Speaking of…
"Look if this is about your roost, I didn't mean to disturb it! I just got lost is all!" The huntress admitted to the monster she was frantically dodging. Despite many openings being made, her hand was still very much on her sword hilt and had yet to do anything else. Eventually the Yian Garuga snapped forwards thus giving her the opportunity to side step and stab it in the right eye with a kunai; a kunai she then immediately used to slash at its side and leg causing it to buckle for a split second. That was all Shen needed for the moment the bird wyvern collapsed he pulled the trigger. The ammo round fired zoomed through the air and embedded itself in one of the gashes recently created. For a split second there was nothing until it blew itself apart and an explosion ripped the whole way across the monster's body, charring flesh, feathers and so on.
It crashed to the ground with barely enough strength to muster one of its iconic screeches before being silenced forever when the huntress leapt off its back and unsheathed her sword to deliver a powerful strike at its neck. With a very brief gurgle and twitch the Yian Garuga's head slumped forwards and away from the rest of its body, "And that is how you do it!"
"Impressive. Finally good to hunt alongside a professional." Shen remarked as he placed his bowgun on his back and approached her.
"I can't help but feel like that was aimed at me more than Aiko." Matt noted though his comment fell on Shen's deaf ears. That didn't stop him from speaking directly to the newcomer as he helped Aiko out however, "You looked exhausted and still managed to keep going. That's really impressive. Miss..?"
"Jennifer. The name's Jennifer. But everyone calls me Jen!" She giggled childishly despite still holding her bloodied blade, "Ooh! What are your names? I bet they're awesome just like mine!"
"My name is Takahashi Aiko… It's a pleasure to meet you Jennifer-san." Aiko meekly, yet politely, replied. She may have calmed down after her recent 'embarrassment', but standing in such close proximity to Matt had her on edge.
"The name's Matthew Lance. Call me Matt. I think you've earned that right at least." Jennifer smiled at him and eagerly nodded. She seemed to like the idea and Matt was already beginning to vibe with her energetic behaviour. That just left Shen…
"Shen Liang."
"Surely there's more you want to say than that?" Matt asked in disbelief only to be glared at instantly, "What'd I do?"
"You know damn well what you did. You two, but mainly you, distracted me long enough for whatever was hunting us to slip away. Now I've got no clue what it was, or why it was even here." Shen snapped instantly. So much so that Jennifer jumped in surprise from the outburst. Once she landed she shivered from the shock and finally got around to sheathing the Long Sword on her back.
"Oh come on. How were we supposed to know what you were doing? You've barely spoken the entire time we've been out here!" Matt's retort came as quickly as Jennifer's interruption.
"I'm interested to know what it was as well! All I've seen since arriving in these ruins are bugs, purple flames and that Yian Garuga. Nothing too special if you ask me.."
"Did you say purple flames?" Shen's eyes fixated on Aiko immediately. She had no idea why, or at least she didn't think she did. Meanwhile Matt was more interested in what the 'purple flames' meant to Shen. Jennifer just stood there, gazing into the sky with a dumb smile on her face. After what seemed like hours, Shen broke his own silence with one single phrase.
"We need to return to Kamura."
"You guys are from Kamura? That's great! I was headed there myself!" Jennifer joyfully exclaimed despite the raised eyebrows from the hunter trio, "I know that look! You're wondering why that is huh? Easy! A friend of mine requested my assistance!"
"And just who is this friend of yours?" The question came from Shen.
"His name is Utsushi! Do you know him?!"
"Utsushi-sensei has a hand in our continued improvement as hunters. For many at Kamura he's the prime example of what a hunter should be." Aiko replied with a smile. If it wasn't obvious that she thought highly of him before, it certainly was now. Matt on the other hand just sort of shrugged.
"Only known him a few weeks but he seems like a good guy. Definitely knows his stuff I'll tell you that." The dragon element of his armour seemed to react to his emotions and released small specks of energy. His helmet's eyes also moved as if they were his own. Why mention this? Simple.
It's because Jennifer was up right next to him and latched onto his arm so quickly, the eyes widened in shock, "Well in that case let's get going! I wanna see him again as soon as possible!"
A Little Later:
"Jen! It's great to see you!"
"You too Utsu!"
Utsushi and Jennifer ran into a hug the instant they locked eyes on one another. The party of four had entered Kamura, informed the villagers of the Yian Garuga and carried on their way. Shen immediately broke off without even an insult to speak with Fugen whilst Matt took a seat next to Hinoa, who was already devouring dango, at Yomogi's kitchen. Aiko sat nearby though only to sharpen her sword and bang out a dent in her shield.
"Hey Matt. How'd the expedition go?" Hinoa asked in between mouthfuls of sweets. Matt chuckled and removed his helmet, making sure to place it carefully on the counter to his left.
"Same old same old. Though remind me to get back at Utsushi later." He shuddered at the memory of the Altaroth on his back, "I suffered far more than I should have." Hinoa's smile was all the comfort he needed and with a gentle whistle Matt gathered the young chef's attention.
"Matt! So good to see you! What can I get ya?" Yomogi had her pencil and notepad ready to go as she bounced on over. After a few seconds pondering, Matt ordered his dango, with a green tea to go alongside it, and Yomogi got to work. As usual she sang the song she always did and within no time, his order was complete and before him.
"Arigatou." Matt clapped his hands together and bowed his head in respect before carefully picking up one skewer and followed the example Hinoa had so graciously set him. Aiko watched with intrigue as Matt quickly finished his food and then drank his drink. It was peculiar to say the least.
Not because of why he did it, but because of how he did it. Every mannerism he demonstrated was that of a Kamuran. Tomoko really had trained him in all her ways.
There was a sudden noise coming from the Gathering Hub and before the two hunters and quest maiden knew it, Minoto had gracefully rushed out and towards them. In her hand was a parchment of paper; presumably it was a manuscript of some kind, "This is bad. This is very bad."
"Hey Minoto." The wyverian drew her attention towards Hinoa who had risen to greet her, "Deep breaths. Surely it's not as bad as you make it sound?"
"It's worse than that Hinoa. So much worse." Now Matt and Aiko's attention had peaked significantly. If the calmest of the twins was in this state, then they just had to know what had caused it.
"Minoto. Please relay your message to us. We will pass it on to Elder Fugen should it prove as terrible as you suggest." Aiko's instructions were clear, blunt and carried a soothing tone. As she spoke Minoto finally heeded her sister's advice to calm down and composed herself to a stable degree.
"No pressure or anything tho." Matt received a slight glare from Aiko and awkwardly smiled, "Too soon?"
"Ignore him Minoto and please continue."
"I've made a fatal mistake. This letter arrived last week but I've just been so busy I haven't been able to read it until now." She was ashamed that much was clear, yet this response still didn't answer the question of what was wrong. Luckily Matt actually contributed to the conversation this time.
"That's not your fault. Just tell us what it says and we can crack on."
Minoto looked between Matt, Aiko and Hinoa, all of which were smiling at her. In hindsight she wished the smiles on the latter two never vanished as she uttered the words:
"A horde of monsters was reported heading in our direction. We now have mere hours left until it arrives."
Author's Note
Hi guys. Been a while hasn't it? Got a bit busy with life but I'm back now to continue now. For those who know the next chapter will begin the Rampage proper and introduce a certain flagship monster though not as you might think.
Also with Jennifer now in the fray that's our main five hunters introduced.
I'm gonna crack on with chapter 4 so I'll see you soon.
Tombsie