Summary: Silvia Snow isn't what one would call your A typical Monster Hunter. Born an orphan and leading a life of seclusion she is not one to take to social gatherings. Aside from the love of the head mistress at the orphanage, who raised and cared for her alone, solitude had always been Silvia's answer. If her own parents could not love her, because of her strange markings that spread from the back of her neck down her spine, what man ever would..? This is why solitude was her answer. This is why solitude was her inner peace. But what happens when that solitude and inner peace get thrown upside down? More importantly... what happens when it's not a man, but a Monster that's behind it..?
Authors Note: For the record I know its been forever since I've uploaded anything. Secondly I also realize this is way out of the norm of what I've written in the past. However as of lately this piece of fiction is what has been plaguing me for quite some time now. I'll be forth coming in the fact the realm of Monster Hunter is not one I'm completely familiar with, not as much as I probably should be. But I can not deny my love for the DS version of Monster Hunter Stories. Thus it is that game in particular that gave birth to this piece of writing. With that in mind please keep an open mind with the intent and direction this story will take, specially if the love between a monster and human will make you uncomfortable. If so than this story may not be for you. With that out of the way lets dive in with the knowledge that this opening piece is in the point of view of Silvia.
This winter was perhaps the worst I'd seen in all my years of walking this earth. A shift in the winds from north-west to south-east brought with it a bitter cold; one that took hold of Pondry Hills and the Monsonne Plains. These lands usually rich in greenery, even during winter, were now covered in an unforgiving blanket of snow and ice. Its wintery grip had even reached the outskirts of the Babda Rainforest and Trese Desert, where it is here it's icy tendrils gave way to their heat fighting it back to keep it at bay.
As a creature of habit that wanders between areas and prefers solitude over social contact, this winter made travel almost impossible. In fact the cold had escalated so badly that people were fleeing to the settlements found in the Trese Desert and Dovan Volcano to where the bitter cold could not reach. Except for me... I had set up refuge within the abandoned settlement of Babda Rainforest. Out here I only had to worry about the native monster habitants, which were easy enough to handle or avoid. However... with winter being as bad as it has been, monsters not native to the area have gradually begun to filter into the area, much to my surprise. Fortunately for me none of these beasts strayed near or into the abandoned settlement I set up in. That is until today...
Imagine my surprise at seeing an unfamiliar face approach out from the jungles foliage. If not for the sound of his approach I may have not been able to hide as quickly as I did in one of the broken down buildings. But oh what a sight he was to behold! Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to see a Great Baggi nonchalantly stride out amongst a broken down settlement within a Rainforest.
As I sat crouched down cautiously peering out with my heart racing in my chest I was left with questions, few options, and a sense of awe. Great Baggi's were native to Mt. Celion, an area just further north of Darj Snowfields, but both locations were always covered in snow and ice all year round... To see one here, well... that could only mean one thing... This winter was even forcing beasts built to withstand the harsh cold to leave, because it was even too much for them to handle... Still for one to have traveled so far south-east is unheard of... More importantly though was that where there was a Great Baggi there were several other Baggi's being led by them. Oddly enough though he seemed to be alone and as the minutes passed by he remained that way. I suppose I should consider myself lucky on that half, but even a lone Great Baggi was not something to take lightly. For my sake I prayed he would just pass through without incident.
From my hiding position I watched him survey the area with a sense of apprehension and fascination. Apprehension at being spotted or sniffed out, but fascinated by the one thing that stood out about this Great Baggi. He was truly unique and unlike any Great Baggi I have ever seen in images before. A typical Great Baggi's crest of fur, underbelly, and lower half of their legs was a darker shade of blue to almost black, but his... His was that of a blood maroon reddish black completely out of the ordinary for this species. I could only speculate on what this could mean; perhaps a genetic mutation and if so how did it alter its behavior and fighting capabilities? Either way I boil it down this oddity could be why this Great Baggi was alone now and not leading a pack of his own.
I watched as Luxo, as I decided to call him, sauntered slowly past each rubbled down building seemingly looking each one over with a slow calculating gaze. Did he already smell me here? God I prayed he did not... Perhaps his slow deliberate movements were simply Luxo trying to determine if any humans actually lived within these buildings at all. As I'm sure he was finding out, they didn't. Except for me that is... With each passing minute he drew closer and closer to my location forcing me to weigh my options.
Ducking down I pressed my back against the remnants of the building's wall contemplating the best course of action. My only way out of this disheveled building was the way I came in, which wasn't ideal in my current situation. I could easily be cornered in here, but to make my way out of here meant walking straight into his path. Then again, as I glanced around my confined space, perhaps being cornered wouldn't be so bad... In here Luxo's movements would be limited, maybe even to the point where I could slip past and make a break for it. Ideally though no confrontation was the preference, but with each passing second he got closer the more unlikely that seemed possible.
Nervously I licked my upper lip as I slowly reached behind my back to grip the hilt of my sword. At some point I had stopped breathing, opting to hold my breath despite my racing heart wishing to burst from my chest. And as I kept myself down low and flat against the wall I saw his shadowy silhouette through the window I had been peering out from beforehand. My racing heart had lodged itself into my throat at this point as what felt like eternity had passed, before finally I saw the silhouette of his head begin to move away. It wasn't until I could no longer hear his heavy footfalls did I finally release the breath I had been holding.
Slowly I eased myself up right from my position after allowing some time to pass for good measure. I allowed myself a shaky sigh of relief and disbelief even now, still hesitant to peer out just yet. When I finally gathered enough courage I hesitantly looked out at the surrounding settlement, but Luxo was nowhere to be seen. Had I really managed to avoid a potential confrontation with the Great Baggi so easily? Shifting I turned away from the window only to freeze in my tracks as I came face to face with Luxo standing in the threshold of my only way out.
Instinctively I moved to reach for the hilt of my sword, but hesitated with following through as his stance dropped into an offensive one. Maybe I was being reckless, hell some would say crazy for attempting this, but slowly I moved my hand away, raising my other one to expose my palms to him.
"Okay..." I licked my lips nervously, "Okay you got me big guy..." I watched him with a small sense of relief as he slowly stood back up into a more relaxed but defensive stance. This was a good sign, no a telling sign of Luxo's intelligence. He could have ambushed me from behind if he had wanted to, but... he didn't oddly enough...
"You knew I was in here the whole time, didn't you, you clever beast." His gaze never left mine as he cautiously moved into the room, moving off to my right slowly then back to my left. All the while he kept his head slightly tilted up and tentatively sniffed the air between us. It dawned on me that he was pacing me and that curiosity had drawn Luxo to me for whatever reason that may be...
"Yeah... I bet you did. You just wanted me to think you didn't. " Maybe I was seeing things, but for a small moment it looked as if Luxo had smirked. Did this Great Baggi understand what I was saying? Maybe these beasts were far more cunning than originally given credit for...
"You're quite the bright one aren't you, Luxo?" He cooked his head slightly, perhaps not sure what to make of the word 'Luxo;' given time maybe he'd realize it was the name I had given him. Of course that was with time. I doubted I'd see him again, or if he or I would walk away from this to begin with...
"It would seem other Hunters don't give you guys enough credit for your cunning..." As I spoke I shifted my hands out in front of me, almost cupping them together with my palms facing up and out towards him. Again he tentatively sniffed at the air, but this time he stepped forward towards me.
"Question now, my cunning Luxo, is what is your next move?" Another step forward and a tilt of his head. Within this moment he was so close to me that all I had to do was step forward and I would be touching him. His snout was literally a few feet away from my out held hands.
I knew it was only a matter of seconds where this could turn badly for me, but it was a risk I was willing to take. He could easily bite my hands off or even go for my jugular at this close proximity and I was on high alert for any sudden changes in his movements or behavior. It was an attack that never came though as he stepped forward once more ultimately closing the distance between us.
My heart was fluttering wildly in my chest as he stood before me with his muzzle hovering above my hands. In this moment his intense gaze left mine to glance down at my unarmed hands for just a moment, seemingly contemplating something. Amazement, shock, and a sense of excitement washed over me as he lowered his snout into my awaiting hands. Flabbergasted and bewildered I was half aware I released a nervous laugh as I hesitantly caressed my fingers into the fur of his jaw. He emitted a low rumbling like sound; one I didn't recognize as hostile or even a warning and judging by how he eased into rubbing his head more into my hands, it wasn't too far fetched to think it was a sound of contentment or pleasure.
"You're not all that bad are you, Luxo..." Half lidded eyes looked down in acknowledgement before closing once more as I continued to caress and delicately scratch the underside of his jaw. The sound he was emitting never stopped only solidifying my belief of it being an indication of satisfaction, but also encouraged me to continue petting him.
"Nah, you're just sadly misunderstood aren't you, boy?" A slight change in his tone and vibrato was the only indication I got of a response, but overall he continued to murr or purr I suppose would be the best way to describe it.
I wasn't sure what to make of this strange chance encounter with this Great Baggi, but I just knew that this was important. Whatever was happening between us, whatever this was, it meant something. I just didn't know what that was exactly... This strange bond seemingly forming between us was more than I could ever hope for though. He was completely relaxed in my presence and I took full advantage of it. Boldly, though hesitantly, I moved a hand to touch the top of his snout where a thick patch of fur started and extended up the span of his muzzle to the top of his head in a maroon crest of fur. I could feel the heat of his breath on my palm and it was at this moment that there was silence between us.
Fearfully I turned my gaze to his own pausing in my actions as he stared right back at me. It felt like an eternity as we held each other's gaze, the only sound between us being that of the rainforest around us. Eventually though he gently nudged his snout into my palm, almost like a sign of permission to continue. Feeling more at ease by this and not one to pass up on the opportunity I more then happily continued my course of action. I took note that the further up I went up his snout the more he gradually lowered his head to give me further access, and he was murring again...
I can't begin to tell you how delighted I was to have this opportunity to bury my fingers into his thick crest of fur. This was nothing like touching the hide of a deceased Great Baggi; the experience didn't even come close to touching a living breathing one like Luxo... Minutes ticked on and still he remained, allowing me to go so far as scratching his scalp through his thick fur, while my other hand was caressing the underside of his jaw. I literally was basically holding his head between my arms and he was completely at ease with it. That's not to say Luxo wasn't watching me closely, because God knows he certainly was, but likewise I too was watching him in return.
"You're something else you know that...?" I murmured under my breath as I gently massaged my fingers into his fur, my one hand going so far as to the beginning of the underside of his throat. In turn he responded in a curious vocal sound like cawing or cooing of sorts, but it was two distinct short clipped tones of acknowledgement. I couldn't help but smile slightly at this, it was like Luxo knew he was different...
"But you already knew that didn't you, Luxo?" I paused momentarily as I looked him over, "Yeah I bet you know perfectly well that you are unique from others..." What was originally a sound of contentment altered to a deeper throatier vocalization, in fact his jaws had opened slightly almost as if... " Are you laughing...?"
Immediately he stopped, jaws closed once more, and almost in an innocent fashion he looked at me with a tilt of his head. It was almost as if he was silently saying, 'Who me? I didn't do that.' Despite myself I couldn't help but laugh lightly given the circumstances.
"Well at least you have a sense of humor." Still it just proved my point. Luxo knew and was very aware he wasn't like other Great Baggi's.
It wasn't just his unusual coloration that made him different though. As I looked him over the highest point of his spine was roughly a few inches taller than me. He didn't tower over me like one would expect a Great Baggi to do. Originally I wrote this off as maybe he was an adolescent male moving into adulthood. However as my hands moved past his head to the underside of his throat I could feel hidden beneath the fur the delicate signs of scar tissue, very old ones at that. It wasn't just that I could feel them, I could see them too. Luxo had scars across the span of his frame; from his arms to larger nasty looking ones down the span of his back. One in particular was a massive looking thick scar that went across his right thigh making its way to the side of his tail, before tapering off into thicker fur.
This wasn't an adolescent male at all, this was a seasoned warrior, one clearly in his prime with one major difference. He was relatively small for a Great Baggi, one would probably classify him as a runt in fact. But the fact that Luxo was standing before me, scars and all, proved that his smaller frame didn't hinder him. The majority of the scars clearly came from rival Great Baggi's, except maybe the one on his thigh to his tail... Its size seemed too large even for an average sized Great Baggi to inflict...
"You're hiding a dangerous secret aren't you, Luxo?" I whispered softly, turning to look at him as I currently had his head down and his neck extended out from me; in a sense itching the underside of his neck. In turn he had to slightly turn his head to glance back at me since I was no longer in front of him, but closer to standing at his right shoulder.
"Of course you are..." I looked back to his back side then down to the more prominent scar on his right thigh, "How else could you walk away from such battle scars..."
He crooned at me then, one of the more lower delicate sound frequencies I've heard from him yet, as he gently nudged his snout into my arm to draw my attention back to him. It hadn't dawned on me that at some point in my observation of him I had stopped my thorough scratching of his neck. Realizing this I sheepishly smiled in a nervous apology and started where I had left off. He turned away with a shake of his head emitting a slight chirp like sound followed by the resume of murring contentment. It became apparent he hadn't liked the fact I had stopped petting him with how quickly he returned to a relaxed state. If I kept this up I'd end up spoiling him to the point he could end up craving for this kind of attention...
Though below the average height Luxo still stood tall enough to tower over a typical Baggi, which was a good indication he could still potentially lead a clan of Baggi's. At least he had that going for him... That and given the circumstances that the highest point of his spine was inches higher than me he could still easily pin me down. His arms alone, as I looked them over, could easily hold me down, if not literally hug me to the ground. Stunted height or not Luxo would still give any Monster Hunter a run for their money...
I still had to wonder how he'd fair when standing alongside what some Hunter's would claim to be myths, rumors or possibly simply rare Matriarch or Monarch Baggi's. These Baggi's were strictly female from my understanding, but significantly larger than a typical Baggi, thus the title Matriarch or Monarch. If I had to take a wild guess though I'd image Luxo would still stand taller than a Matriarch Baggi, maybe not by much, but still tall enough to outweigh an over-power one I'm sure...
Changing tactics I slowly eased my hands further down his neck till I was positioned between his arms; itching essentially his chest. Immediately his tone changed and I wasn't entirely sure if it was for better or for worse as he shifted his body standing a bit taller as he stretched himself out. Extended out as he was ultimately brought his pelvis and tail lower to the ground, at some point even resulting with his tail swaying and slapping the ground at brief intervals. He had his head raised and turned slightly where I could see his tongue sticking out to the side as he panted in what I could only hope was delight.
"Heh..." a nervous laugh, "You really seem to like this huh Luxo?" The sound he emitted next was like a cross between a roar and that murring sound of his, but a direct vocal response nonetheless. Clearly I must have found a sweet spot that was pure heaven or relief for him. I'd have to keep that in mind if the opportunity presented itself again in the future...
Now with Luxo fully immersed in what I was doing it allowed me to ease one hand away to move to the beginning of where his neck met his spine. If he noticed he made no indication of disapproval towards it and continued his delighted panting. Curiously I moved my hand along and up his back touching scars as I made my way with only one thought crossing my mind. Could I ride him? Would he even let me attempt to ride him? He was certainly the perfect height for it, but he'd probably have to squat down for me to do so... I wasn't confident I could swing myself up there on my own after all. Sure it was a pipe dream idea, but it would still be an exhilarating experience all the same...
As I was contemplating this, even considering testing the waters on it, something suddenly grabbed his attention. It was faint, sounded far away or possibly at the outskirts of the forest, but it was definitely the cry of another beast. Judging from how Luxo responded to it, it was clear it was something he recognized. Whatever or whoever it was he didn't seem to be happy about it.
Abruptly and without warning he extended to his fullest height and raised his head to release a blood curdling roar, most likely in response to the call heard in the distance, before shifting to turn away from me. Without thinking at all I found myself stepping forward reaching out to his receding frame...
"W-Wait... I..." Honestly I don't know what possessed me to speak, or why I had this overwhelming sensation that someone truly dear to me was about to walk out of my life again. I know it doesn't make sense. Trust me I know it doesn't. In fact it's absurd all things considered since this was some once in a lifetime freak encounter. But... I can't rationally explain it, I just knew I wasn't ready for whatever this was to end just yet.
To my surprise Luxo paused in his footsteps to look back at me. In much softer tones then in comparison to his previous vocal cry he cawed, crooned, and even hissed with an odd vibrato like sound in my direction, before leaving the area just as suddenly as he appeared. Alas I don't speak Great Baggi so I could only speculate what it was he even said to me...
It was a situation that ended without incident for both parties, and yet as I watched Luxo disappear from sight I felt an explainable heaviness take root within my chest. The one thought that plagued my mind was, 'Would I ever see him again?' and, 'Would it be peaceful like this again? Would he remember me?'
In hindsight as a Hunter such feelings and thoughts were absurd by all normal standards. Any normal Hunter would have jumped at the chance to kill a Great Baggi like Luxo as some trophy or prize. But I suppose one wouldn't really classify me as being your A typical Hunter...
As a lone Hunter I didn't make it my life's goal to kill every beast I came across for sport. Other Hunters are usually like this; at least from my observation, taking on odd jobs for any amount of coin as long as they get to kill some Monster in the end. That's not to say I don't take on a job from the bounty board myself here or there, but only when it involves special circumstances... Personally I prefer to live off the land and kill only in a means of life or death or simply for a source of meat. Money of course provides access to other resources that are not readily available within one's environment, which is where those special circumstances come into play...
Normally I don't mind taking on odd jobs that others may find below their standards, such as a simple request for items or herbs for a quick small amount of coin. But then there are the more special occasions worth a large bounty. No matter how big the price I still have standards I live by. These standards strictly involve one thing in mind, and one thing only... If the beast in question being requested for its untimely demise is causing destruction to a local farm land or its cattle. This was my one rule of thumb to live by. Any bounty that requested the death of a Monster simply for its hide and any irrational reasoning for it was uncalled for in my eyes. It didn't matter how much was being offered for such a job. I would never par-take in such an act of senseless bloodshed and massacre.
I sighed quietly to myself as I stared at the empty space before me that once held the maroon red Great Baggi, "Stay safe, Luxo... For I pray that we may one day meet again..." I all but whispered to the wind.
Authors Note: Well there you have it. My first dip into Monster Hunter. To clear one thing up I take full responsibility of the creation of the Matriarch/Monarch Baggi. This is not a Monster that exists what so ever in Monster Hunter, but one I've made to fit into the purpose of this story. I have noticed with certain Monsters there can be a female counter part to the species that gets its own name, but when looking at Great Baggi's or Baggi's one doesn't seem to exist for them... So I took some liberty to bend some rules, after all what is fanfiction without tweaking some things, right? More rules will get bent in the future, but hopefully you will all come to see and understand why as this story unfolds. Until then, please be kind and leave a word of advice and encouragement. Forever yours, Rin Sessys Girl.