Monster Hunter: The Telepathic Hunter; Ch37: Black Horns Vs. Heat Ray!
Afternoon, September 5th, 2098. Rekusara City.
Alex, Anna, Corra and Clarence were here today in the sandy city attending a party for Viridia's birthday. They had earlier completed a quest to capture a Black Diablos, a rare and extremely tough variant. It was a job well done, and everyone was celebrating festively. A feast was being enjoyed to the fullest.
Everyone, except for Alex, that is. You see, even now after all of this time, he had not worked up the courage to inform the Princess of Rekusara about his relationship with Anna. He was dreading the fact that if he failed to handle this properly, he could have a repeat of what occurred between him and Ai. And by taking so long, he was virtually already failing. He could vividly picture the inevitable disappointment on her face.
"Hey, Alex. What's the matter?" asked Viridia as she went up to him. They were on a balcony on the third floor of the Rekusaran Castle. Alex had stepped out to enjoy the view over the city, and to process his thoughts.
"Wha!?" Alex jerked in surprise. "Viridia…! Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't register your approach, and so you scared me."
"Oh, sorry. You seemed so… lost, so I came to check up on you. Something must really have you going… or is my party not to your liking?"
Alex grimaced. "No, no! The party's great… I just needed some air… Yeah…" Alex kept his gaze out at the view. This developing situation was not good on his nerves.
"Alex… I feel that something is really bothering you. Would you please be willing to share it with me? I would prefer it if you were happy on this special day. So, tell me what's on your mind." Alex began to look down. "Ummm… Can you at least look at me?"
Well… No time like the present. Wish me luck, Maxwell, Mom, Dad. Alex finally turned to Viridia. His countenance was of sadness. "There is something… that I must confess to you… and you're not going to like it."
Much to Alex's confusion, Virida broke into a big smile. "Oh, so that's what this is about… I figured as much."
"Huh?"
"Alex, I… I know. I know about you and that Anna woman." Alex's confusion turned into shock. "I'm not blind. I kind of noticed about a couple of weeks back, that time you and her came to hunt two Daimyos for Father, and I have to say I was pretty disappointed."
"Viridia, I… I'm…"
"You don't have to apologize, or feel bad about it. I'm actually pretty happy for you. Anna is a great girl, from what I've seen so far. When you left after your first hunt against the Cephalos for their livers, I realized that you were simply not interested in women yet. I really hoped that I would be the one when you finally decided to open your heart, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be."
Alex stood straight, and fully faced Viridia. He then did a little bow. "Viridia, I'm truly sorry for the way things turned out. After working with Anna for so long, there came a time when she was in grave danger. I felt such desperation, that it finally dawned on me how much I truly cared about her. My heart and body just began to move. I used so much of my power to… retaliate against her attackers, that I ended up losing my Thunder Element Affinity. I became weaker, and then I became stronger in a different and more profound way. That's how I would explain it, I guess,"
"Alex, don't make me repeat myself." Viridia sounded a little stern. "Or I'll start using 'Sir'." Alex grimaced and stood straight again. "Like I said, I understand. I'll support you no matter what, because we'll always at least be friends."
It was then Alex's turn to smile. "Okay. Thank you, Viridia. You have no idea how heavy a burden you've taken off of my shoulders."
"Don't mention it, I guess. But, there is an alternative. If you are willing, I wouldn't mind sharing you with Anna." Alex's features instantly dissolved into a look of incredulous shock. Viridia giggled mischievously. "Joking! I'm joking! You don't have to look at me like that..."
Alex's expression became neutral. "I'm not sure what I would have done if you weren't. The thought of polygamy has never, ever crossed my mind. Just finding the one was challenging enough on its own. I had to relearn myself."
Viridia laughed. "Well, anyway… How about we get back to the party? If we take any longer, the food will run out on us."
As soon as Viridia uttered her final syllable, an audible growl came out of Alex's belly. He chuckled lightly, embarrassed. "I didn't eat much before I came out here. Yes, let's go."
"You'll definitely have space for the cake, at this rate."
The two returned to the dining hall. "Hey, Alex! Where were you?" asked Anna. "I saved you a bowl of Piscine Liver Soup! You've got to try this! It's better than it sounds!"
"Okay! I'll be right there." Alex went over to his seat, which was next to her.
"Here, let me feed you. Say ah." Anna held out a spork-full of soup to his face
Everyone stared at the two. Despite Alex's embarrassment, he complied. "Aah…" Viridia just giggled at the scene. "Whoa! This IS GOOD!" exclaimed Alex. "This is much better than Popo liver!" The exquisite flavor of the dish enraptured Alex, allowing him to forget about his prior embarrassment. Without another word, he swiftly snatched the bowl and spork from Anna and began chowing down.
"What? Hey!" Anna exclaimed with a pout, and the room erupted with laughter.
Pokke Village. September 13th. 8:51 AM.
That morning, Alex was at home sorting through his mail. He still had not obtained a secretary yet, so he was forced to sift through the truckload of it himself. As usual, there was tons of fan mail and a few direct requests. But then, he stumbled upon a Guild Sponsored Event Invitation. GSEs were often rare fundraising events that the Hunters' Guild would host. "What is this?" Alex began to read.
"Dear Hunters, the Elder Dragon Observation branch of the Guild proudly presents, "Black Horns Vs. Heat Ray!" This special event, held at the scenic Battleground in the Volcanic Belt, will finally answer the age-old question: Which wyvern is stronger between Diablos and Gravios? Don't miss it! Coming September 16th. See you there!"
"What the heck? The Guild is going to pit a Diablos against a Gravios in the Volcanic Belt? The Gravios will have such an unfair advantage… This is no way to answer a question. This is too rigged. Shame on the Guild." Alex began to think. "I don't like the idea of this, but I can't say I'm not curious. I'm going. I'll put my money on the Diablos, even with the odds stacked against it."
After breakfast, Alex sought out Anna and Corra for their opinions on the upcoming event.
"Two wyverns tearing each other apart? I'm down to see that. My money is on the Gravios. No contest." Corra was as spirited as always.
Anna however, did not like the sound of this. "Alex, don't you think there is something wrong about an event like this? Pitting monsters against each other for sport? I don't know… It wasn't but 200 years ago that humans and wyverians were under the stranglehold of monsterkind. We ought to be more respectful, lest we call upon some form of wrath upon us. We were only able to reverse the stranglehold not just because the Guild was formed, but also due to the miracle of the power of Chikara."
Alex gasped. He had not even considered it like that. "Anna, you make a good… No, an excellent point." Alex then had a bad feeling. "You two, I'm starting to think that something bad might come out of this. If we're going, we should be fully prepared for battle. The Battleground is a dangerous and unpredictable place, right?"
"Yes," answered Corra. "I hope you're just being paranoid, but I won't be caught dead because I ignored the Taboo of Negligence."
"Neither will I," added Anna.
Hunter Stats
1. Alex Kasai (HR5)
Weapon: Cutlass Plus Dual Blades (Water Element)
Armor: Fatalis Blade Master (Modified, Low Rank)
Skills: Telepathy, Kasai Potential, Strength Up, Reckless Abandon +2, ESP, Dragon Wind Breaker, and Dragon Resist, Vitality Down, Cursed Protection, Heroic Failure, Hunger Increase.
2. Anna Frost (HR5)
Weapon: Snow Poison Dual Blades (Ice Element, Poison Attribute)
Armor: Cephalos Blade Master
Skills: Heat Negate, Cold Increase, Hunger Halved, Water Resist
3. Corra Kasai (HR5)
Weapon: Wyvern Blade "Fall" Longsword (Fire Element)
Armor: Khezu 'D' Blade Master
Skills: Telepathy, Kasai Potential, Recovery Level Up, Wide Area, Thunder Resist, Water Damage Increase.
September 16th. Battleground, The Volcanic Belt.
Our Pokke hunter trio, along with some twenty-odd other hunters, were up in the air at a low altitude on one of the Guild's largest Airships. It had a huge oblong basket, and a gargantuan array of hot air balloons to keep it aloft. There were two others, and the total turnout was fifty-something hunters, some guild members, and even a few interested civilians; about eighty-ish people. This event was big, to say the least. While everyone was waiting, there was food and drink being served by Felyne workers.
Down below, Alex could make out one of the contenders, a majestic black Gravios. To him, it seemed to just be happily minding its own business, feeding on rocks, completely unaware of the fact that it was about to be challenged by an opponent that it may have never been able to face were it not for human intervention.
A fourth airship was joining the others, albeit that this one was much smaller. It was the type used to transport monsters taken from capture quests. "Huh? Isn't that…!?" Alex caught something. Sure enough, haphazardly dangling from fastened ropes, was the very same Black Diablos that Alex and company had captured back on the day of Viridia's party. "Okay, I don't care if this is just a wyvern; this is so wrong on so many levels. I never would have imagined this is what would become of that quest straight from Guild Headquarters…"
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience! The main event is soon upon us. Please direct your attention to the Battleground," announced the host for the event, William Mizuha. Mizuha was a wyverian blacksmith and a top Hunter as well. He was the author of the Mizuha Armor Set, which was produced from Chameleos mats.
"Whoa." The three mega-ships were descending a bit more, to about 1100 feet mean-sea-level (MSL) from 1500. The Battleground was about 600 feet MSL. Alex watched as the Diablos began struggling. It had awoken from being tranquilized.
"And our challenger is wide awake! We will let him fully snap out of being drugged, so that no one can say he was totally handicapped."
"I suppose it don't really matter, seeing that he was brought to such a far off environment than what he's used to," went the thoughts of someone.
"Hey! What do you filthy humans think you're doing!? Bringing me all the way out to this ridiculous place! Ooooh! If only I could just ram you all through with my horns!" The Black Diablos was not pleased with his situation, not in the slightest.
I truly apologize, thought Alex. Most likely, he and Anna were the only people here with a shred of sympathy. Everyone around them was cheering loudly.
"What the!? What is all this commotion all about!?" Alex turned his attention back to the Gravios, who was studying his surroundings. "What in blazes!?" it exclaimed as it noticed the Diablos being lowered before it, several meters away. "Grr! What are those stupid humans doing this time? Hey buddy, you alright!?"
"Do I look alright, you walking pile of soot!?" the Diablos snapped. He finally tore himself free of the ropes and began beating his wings to slow his fall and land gracefully onto his feet.
"Hey! No need to be rude! You're black, too!" the Gravios replied, slightly ticked off. "And here I was trying to be a nice guy..."
"Well, I'm sorry. I was just in captivity for some time now, and then those bald apes decided to bring me out here. For what, your guess is as good as mine."
The longer the conversation was going, the more unnerved Alex and Corra were getting, the only two people who even knew it was going on. The crowd had fallen silent as they waited for the two wyverns to begin fighting. "This… is not what I was expecting," said Corra.
"I don't even know what I was expecting," replied Alex.
"Wait, are they talking to each other?" asked Anna. Alex nodded. "Why don't you let me in on it?"
"Please let everyone hear," requested a random hunter. "You're Alex Kasai, right?"
"Um, I've never had the opportunity to add so many people to a mind link before," answered Alex as a bunch of the nearest people began asking as well. "I'm not even sure if it will work. It might be too taxing, even if Corra helps."
"Hey, I think those people want us to fight."
"Like heck I care what they want. Do you want to? You seemed like you were having a good day."
"I don't. Hey, let me give you a gift. I'll shoot down one of those flying things. Let's teach those humans a lesson… together."
"You can do that? Show me, and I'll be all for it."
"With pleasure."
"OH, NO!" exclaimed Alex. "Everyone! We're IN DANGER! Tell the pilots to get these airships away from here, NOW!" Alex turned to the Gravios. It was powering up its most devastating attack.
"What!?" exclaimed Anna.
"Fire Element: Super Heat Ray!" A massive swirling lava-colored beam was fired. Everyone watched in horror as one of the mega-airships was hit. The beam tore through the basket and disabled few balloons. That ship began falling, but it surely had quite a few casualties just from that one attack.
"NOOO!" exclaimed Alex as the ship crash landed. All remaining ships immediately began flying away, lest they suffer the same fate. The fun had been replaced with carnage and loss.
"Everyone, please remain calm," a few Guild Officials were saying, trying to keep order. "Rescue parties are being formed as we speak. They will recover as many survivors as they can."
"They probably won't make it in time." Alex's Dragonite pendant began glowing, a clear sign of his emotional state. He was determined. "I'll go." Alex turned to the nearst parachute station.
"Alex, you're not seriously…" Corra started.
"I seriously am. I'm a Hunter. I have to go. If I can help even one struggling and afraid person down there, I have to try."
"Sir, you might reconsider…" an official started, hoping to dissuade Alex from his insane plan.
"No can do, ma'am." Alex dashed to the station, grabbed a parachute pack, and then promptly jumped out of the basket. Just like that. He did not even give Anna time to try and stop him.
Actually, Anna was just as headstrong this time. "I'm going too," Anna said, as she quickly did the same.
Everyone stared in shock as the two free fell through the sky. "Ugh… Fine. I guess this is what I signed up for. They'll need me, even though they left me behind." Corra made her decision and began to act.
"Ma'am, let's not add more bones to the pile, or wood to the fire," said William, standing before the parachute station.
"Sir, please stay out of my way. That's my nephew and his girlfriend that just went down here to fix your mess. If this were several months ago, I would not have cared enough to try. But I treated my nephew horribly before, and he forgave me. I am under no obligation to do anything less than my best for him. He's the kind of man who can turn hate into love, and replace sadness with joy. He's a bit of a clumsy idiot, but he's well meaning and hardworking. Even if he lets you down once, he'll win you back twice over."
With tears, and probably regret, William handed a parachute to Corra. "Corra Kasai, right? I won't forget your speech, as long as I live. Now go. Do as you wish. No one can stop you. If I were one of those wyverns, I'd be shaking in my claws."
Corra smiled before taking her aerial dive from the ship.
Back at the Battleground, Alex and Anna were just landing in what seemed to be a burnt forest. They took off their parachute harnesses. "Do you think Corra will join us?" asked Anna.
"I don't really know, and we can't exactly wait to find out. She'll catch up. Let's get going."
The two began traveling north-westerly. They were somewhere to the north east of the South Elde District. "Where do you think you're going!" exclaimed Corra as she was about land a few feet in front of them. She unharnessed herself in mid air and dropped, leaving her parachute to sail away somewhere. "All together again. Shall we get a move on?"
Alex smiled widely. "Let's go, we've got a lot of ground to cover."
So, the trio resumed their march. Only the ever increasing ambient temperature indicated that they were getting closer at all, as the terrain continued to blend into itself. Occasionally, Alex needed to stop and eat. Perhaps this occasion was not the best for making his Fatalis Armor's debut hunt.
Within an hour, the group finally arrived. And the sight they beheld was not pretty.