A/N Start:

This story contains extreme and sexual themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

If the following themes are unsettling for you, I advise you to leave the page:

- Monster Sex

- Vore

- Size difference

- Domination

- Violence

Not all themes have been introduced yet, though are planned.

It's kinda fun to go on the MH wiki and read random facts about the monsters, then jump to online threads and see how the facts compare to the fan's interpretations of widespread lore.

I'm no expert, but I think you'll come to appreciate the reveal as it progresses this chapter.

A/N End

A fox leviathan. I had never encountered a Mizutsune before, and what I was expecting was not this. Village paintings and the word 'fox' made me think it was a somewhat small monster.

Sleek and huge were more fitting terms. The drawings were more colorful too, for this one looked dull. Black fur covered its chest, running along the underside and wrapping around the perimeter of its long tail.

On other areas of the body were small fins. They were primarily a weathered-looking white, with a faded pink along its back. Larger fins protruded like a fan around the head. They were also faded and pink, making the white face look even brighter.

What stood out were the eyes. In the middle of a light blue pool were red slits for irises. They stared past a long snout and at me with fear and warning. I scanned other parts of the body for lethal features, leaving me to note the leviathan's unique-looking feet. In the water, I imagined encountering this monster was a death wish for inexperienced hunters.

"The only reason I can stand here is because she's parched. I got blasted earlier by the bitch." I broke eye contact to glance at Barnes, who glared pridefully at Mizutsune. I looked back and the pieces began to click.

I had never seen or heard of a female Mizutsune. All depictions of the lithe creature were of the males, which were all that hunters were asked to hunt, especially during the mating season.

"You followed us." I assumed, standing with precaution. The space between me and Mizutsune was maybe fifteen feet. Why she hadn't killed me while I was in here was a mystery.

"So many dead people," mused Barnes, scratching his chin. He then looked up at me. "Do you share my pain? Do you ever wonder if the people who died here didn't have to if you simply trusted me?"

It was hard to ingest his words while eyeing Mizutsune. She was agitated, and now that I was awake, I did not want to look away from her. I couldn't feel her emotions, meaning she never touched me and initiated the bond.

"Where are my friends." This time, he answered back swiftly.

"Far away. I didn't need them. I needed you."

"You abandoned them," I spat.

"They'll be fine." He waved his hand a few times and crossed his arms. "So what, you just change the subject rather than address your mistakes?"

"There's nothing to concede in when what you were doing was inhumane and a shot in the dark." The more I talked about this, the more my focus shifted to him and my anger rose. "We proved you wrong and you left with a tucked tail. Now you're just showing yourself."

With a dejected sigh, Barnes rubbed his eyes. "I've always shown myself. That doesn't mean what I'm doing is wrong if I'm having to perform drastic measures, like now."

"Is that what you told the hunters?" Barnes was confused at that. He raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Of course I did, and they helped me capture you." The way he carried himself felt as if he should be admired for his actions. It made me want to abandon all politeness and throw hands.

"Sounds like you drummed up quite the lie," I growled through grit teeth.

"Hm, let's see..." Barnes began to pace back and forth in front of the cell. Me and Mizutsune watched with mutual anger. "A child, orphaned and sick, was given front-and-center treatment by someone with the most qualifications." He forced a fake act of concern with a parental glance. "Your condition, along with other patients, was desperate. I had a theory that either would or wouldn't save you, but it ultimately didn't matter because my patients were all in critical condition." Barne's corrupt passion drooped with his head, sullying the ground with non-piteous realism. "Patients would accept any procedure available if there was even a one-percent chance at success."

"We weren't-" Just like that, my initial disdain tore down his pseudo-integrity.

"YOU WERE A KID." Mizutsune hissed and shrunk back. His yelling changed her posture to a defensive one. I didn't have the headspace to investigate her behavior and retorted with fury.

"A kid who pieced together your bullshit procedure! The people who were sick were given fake diagnostics by you to justify your asinine treatment! My situation was simply the worst, and so you were able to use me with fewer hurdles!" I don't even think Barnes was listening. The rage in his eyes told me he was waiting for me to finish, just so he could go back to his vengeful gibberish. I didn't give him a chance to answer.

"Y'know Barnes, it fucking sucks your wife ACTUALLY had a terminal disease." When I said it I had to hold my breath, my tongue circling my cheek. To talk down on someone doing what they believed could save the person they cared most about, was sickening. One look at my wrist, then at the neighboring cells quieted me. My voice grew tired but remained terse enough to let Barnes know that though I pitied his situation, it didn't excuse his way of navigating it. "I wasn't about to let you experiment on me in a way that would fail, just for you to green-light a misleading procedure for a bunch of other people." Barnes slammed his fists against the cage. The clang of the bars was like a switch flipping in my brain, resurfacing the anger I had swallowed. My fist was clenched, seeking his face that now hovered within striking range.

He sadly backed up. I yanked my hand back before he could grab it. Whatever comeback he had prepped was forgotten. He looked so angry that he was probably seeing nothing but black. When I thought we were about to enter a senseless shouting war, he underwent a chilling shift in demeanor. His posture grew calm, and it only became more off-putting when Mizutsune stopped growling. I didn't have any more to say, and Barnes' silence told me he had abandoned spouting hot air. With a genuine and calm disposition, he whispered. "All of those people loved someone, and were willing to go through anything to save a loved one." His eyes met mine, tears welling up.

"I loved her." He searched me for empathy. Though I had it, it wasn't the time for it. Giving it would justify his practices. Even with such a sad presence, I knew that deep down, he probably wanted to strangle me, blaming his misfortunes on my existence.

"Then why didn't you do to her what you wanted to do to me." Barnes did not answer this. He glanced down at my stone, losing sight of my presence and drifting off into space. As he backed away, resolve lifted him. He wiped the tears away, revealing a strong expression and straightening himself up.

"I need to get the hunters." He said to himself, walking off. This spelled bad news for me and Mizutsune. I could only imagine what he wanted to do, and after our argument, I was sure he'd find a way to enjoy whatever was going to happen.

Mizutsune had stopped growling. Turning to face her, I was too quick and desperate. She growled and devoted her full attention to me. I held both my hands up, sighing and trying to ease the tension.

"Easy now..." Talking aloud had only worked after establishing a bond. It was a way to help convey my emotions in the early stages of an established bond. Without the bond established, I was an emotionless, gibberish human who screamed danger. Despite a calm appearance, my body thumped along with my heart and I was getting cold sweats.

"Nargacuga? Ratha?" My telepathy received no response. I looked at my stone, channeling my desperation into it and chanting their names. It glowed a bright white, but I received no response. My submissive and calm approach was having negative effects. Mizutsune was instilled with confidence, now growling at me and showing off her size bravely.

Am I always going to be this scared?

It had happened with Nargacuga, with Ratha, and now Mizutsune had me trembling. I tried to utter soothing phrases, to keep my hands held up, but what did any of that mean to her? With a deep breath, I reevaluated the situation and reflected on her behavior. She seemed non-confrontational, and if I was unharmed while I had been unconscious in here, it was either because I was under protection from a hunter, or Mizutsune saw no reason to attack me.

Okay then...

I had a ridiculous idea. I really didn't want to try it, so I decided I'd go with a more upfront approach. I shuffled forward, my feet sliding across the dirt. Her growl grew, staring me down. I shuffled again, and this time she moved her head forward slightly. Both hands shakily retreated, which caused her head to move back and louden. We were ten feet apart. If she wanted to, she could lurch forward and grab me, and that would be it.

But she wasn't doing that. She remained cautious, warning me with every ounce of lethality she could portray. If I weren't in this situation, I would have walked away long ago. However, I wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. I needed her and was pretty sure my unfavored idea was the route to go.

With a sigh, I sunk down and submissively lowered my head. Once she left my sight, it was the most intense staring contest with dirt I ever had. Her growls felt in tune with the shivers I was experiencing. Instincts made my body tingle so alarmingly that I swore my ears were starting to ring.

When the growls stopped, so did my breathing. I could practically visualize the twitch of her yellowish nose when I heard heavy sniffing fill the air. It crescendoed closer and closer until I was now praying with closed eyes.

Please, just touch...

It felt like my body lost all feeling when one wet nose pressed lightly against my outstretched hand. I was completely numb, only able to feel the paw-like texture of her nose that ever so slightly graced my goosebumps. I risked a glance upward, seeing my stone glowing to signify bond initiation. My veins glowed with signs of the black blight, flowing throughout me and establishing a connection with Mizutsune.

The victory was short-lived. Mizutsune did not like the flashy display I wielded. Before I could react, she snarled and clamped down on my body. I gasped, my hands tightening into fists as I was lifted off the ground. Teeth poked at my stomach, eliciting a distraught response of light punches against her partially agape maw. Within a couple of fist slams, I stopped. The more frightened her complexion grew, the closer I felt to being thrashed within her mouth and torn to pieces.

"Calm down," I repeated in a hushed voice for both of us. I wanted to scream, but if anyone caught onto what I was doing and saw this, they most likely needed me alive and would kill her. Her bite worsened, teeth piercing my skin. I stifled a moan and forced a recuperative breath in me. With closed eyes, thoughts flew in front of me. They were like unreachable ideas that spelled death each time I failed to make a decision. A growing panic sat beneath the cacophony of indecisive thoughts, screaming at me to save not just myself, but her. With frightening realization, no answers spawned from this moment. My body responded to my blankness by going limp. My fists unfurled, resting against her mouth. Tension loosened, my frame sagging, only to tense slightly as my stomach shifted against her canines.

"C-calm..." I stuttered, then tried again with more resolve. "Easy..." The pain was what I imagined hot pieces of metal poking at skin felt like.

Mizutsune was confused, I could feel it. Being able to process my conciliative behavior was only alarming her further. What reason would prey have to submit itself within her jaws? Why could she feel my fear? These were the questions her emotions made me consider.

"I'm not going to hurt you." My hand was shaking so pitifully, but I ignored this and made sure my delivery was firm. For a moment, I saw her eyes change. The way her irises stopped shaking with fear, lightening up as her glare became less of an angered squint. She was processing my actions but was still skittish.

I was dropped without warning and landed on my back. I groaned and held my left side. The bite hadn't inflicted a deep wound, but there was a bit of blood that I immediately began applying pressure to.

Looking up, Mizutsune was a mere couple of feet from me. She was studying my every movement, seeing how I would react to being released. The pressure was suffocating. My thoughts ran blank, looking at her desperately.

I opened my mouth but was mute. Her growls had become tight-lipped thrums. Danger wasn't her concern anymore, for she seemed confident in being able to end me. Even so, she was now rendered waiting because of fear of the unknown. With a free hand, I opened and reached. Her snarl shook me, but familiarity with the gesture kept her idle. Emotions, pain -things I wished to convey- were now influencing her. Fear dismissed itself, much of it being hers when I had thought most was mine. The overabundance of emotions from both parties hid something I hadn't picked up on. An aching pain in my back was different than the type of pain you'd get from a hard landing. I scanned her back and realized she had lash wounds, multiple of them.

Amidst our shared chaos, I had thought all the pain I was experiencing was mine, but it wasn't.

"...It's okay." I reached further. When she growled, I simply "shhhhh'd" in response. All she knew from humans was pain, and if this didn't open her eyes, I didn't know what I'd do other than lay and wait. I could feel her gauging my intent with a piercing gaze. The little bit of fear that lingered was slowly batted away. As my hand waited, it became apparent that there was nothing to fear. Instead, a peck of curiosity turned the tables.

Ever so slowly, she made contact. Her nose was wet and warm, pressing into my palm and pushing me slightly. My fingers naturally curled and slid against her movement, moseying up the side of her muzzle a couple of inches. This small amount of distance was her doing, and I made sure to keep my hand in place, only pressing against her softly and barely moving my fingers.

Her interest was piqued. An idle hand became a less and less worrisome thing. Mizutsune's curiosity was becoming too much, her eyes darting to mine and my hand.

With a hesitant twitch, I moved further along, her small scales smooth against my skin. I did this until she watched me do so, stopping my hand to await her reaction. The next move stunned me.

Mizutsune pressed against my hand, pushing it down. Her eyes closed and we were now centimeters from each other. Relief coursed through me; a feeling she was also developing.

So beautiful...

She was a pretty monster. Though this was the first female monster I had encountered, there was something especially feminine about her. My impression needed time to develop, but my gut told me she was an exceptional, interesting mate.

Wait, what?

What the hell was I suddenly thinking? I groaned inwardly, ruining the moment for myself. Mizutsune knew no better, and when she opened her eyes, it was like a whole new Leviathan was in this cell with me.

Perusing my body, her nose twitched in sporadic little sniffs. She started at my feet. Her nose nudged my closed-toe shoes. While moving up my legs, she did not touch bare skin. She must have been able to distinguish the difference between clothes and skin because when she got to my shorts, her nose pressed against the cloth, acknowledging that my garments were detachable.

My shirt was the interesting part of her curious expedition. I had holes in yet another, my other hand still covering the wound. When she arrived at the bite marks, the twitching stopped. She contemplated quietly, her guilt swelling within me.

"You don't have to feel bad," I said warmly. This only earned me a half-second look. She was clearly troubled, and my words weren't cutting it. Nudging my hand aside, my stomach tightened.

I thought of Nargacuga, back when he had cleaned me and I had wounds at the lake. Sighing, I brought my hands to the bottom of my shirt. She backed up momentarily as I slid it off me, knowing she wished to see the wound more clearly.

"You were afraid and had every right to be," I assured. Mizutsune looked at me fully. With the tilt of her head, she expectingly guided my attention to her back. I sat up, looking over the lashes once more, then looked at her now at face level.

"I'm sorry it happened. I would be afraid of humans too if I received wounds like that." To my surprise, Mizutsune was not looking for sympathy. She looked back at my wound and huffed, the feeling of guilt continuing to live in my chest.

"Listen," I held her chin, prompting her to look up at me as I stood up and stopped pouting over my wound. "I forgive you. I'm going to be fine. More importantly, I need you right now."

We couldn't dawdle over our shortcomings any longer. Mizutsune could feel and see my determination, shifting gears and getting the memo. I became small again when she reared up, filling more of the cell and uncurling her body from its previously submissive position.

"We're gonna get out of here."