This is hopeless, Hirio despaired.
Gripping his great sword, he readied himself for Ericks next attack. Smartly, he went low. Putting his lithe physique and short range weapons to his advantage. Hirio allowed his sword to swing over Ericks head as he practised the manoeuvre. He had been training with him for weeks now and knew what to expect, others wouldn't, and most monsters wouldn't be clever enough to anticipate the attack.
He let Erick inside his guard, and this is where the problems started arising. From this point, Erick should have been able to easily control the duel. Too close to effectively swing his great sword, Hirio was forced on the defensive.
And yet, Erick couldn't.
He lost his footing, missed vital openings, allowed Hirio to widen the gap between them and start swinging his sword again. Once that happened, the duel was over. Above all, he seemed distracted. He couldn't fully concentrate on the task at hand, and if he arrived at the New World without learning to focus it would get him killed.
Hirio had noticed it straight away, and it wasn't getting any better. No matter how many times the old hunter slammed him on the deck. Something was on his mind that couldn't be battered out. He had hoped Sonia would talk to him, get it off his chest and all that crap. But thus far, she had been too shy to broach the topic of 'Anya' with him.
"You're a receptionist, surely your good at listening to people?" Hirio had told her. She seemed to get offended by that, not that she'd deliberately show it, oh no. She'd get a little twitch in her smile and struggle to make eye contact, but that was about it.
"He, might not want to talk about it. It would be rude of me to intrude on something that could be highly private!"
"I don't give a jaggis backside what the kid wants. If he doesn't get his head in the game he's going to end up as food for wyverns."
Sonia tried to politely suggest some other options, which Hirio supposed was her way of arguing, but eventually he got tired of listening and decided to just carry on and see if things got better with time. They didn't.
Erick went flying across the Red Maiden as Hirio landed his strike, after being able to manoeuvre the young hunter into facing the oncoming sunrise. Erick slammed his fist on the deck, frustrated, before coming to his feet again. "That'll do kid." Hirio sheathed his sword. "You let me move you into the sunlight, again, pay attention to your surroundings."
Erick nodded. "I used to find that sunrise beautiful, but it seems to betray me every time!" He cracked a wry smile. Hirio shook his head, perplexed at the boys good cheer. Where does he get it from?
Erick left to bathe, but Hirio went to have words with the captain.
To the mans credit, he had lost a fair amount of weight since the pantry flooded. More than half their available food stock had been washed away, or so waterlogged it was rendered inedible. All that survived where preservatives sealed in barrels.
"How goes our heading Mills?" Hirio called. The captain grinned and rubbed his hands. "Very well, master hunter, very well! If the wind stays behind us, we could reach Astera before nightfall!"
So close. Hirio thought, he almost slavered with anticipation. Soon, you lying wretch, soon I'll watch you die. He still remembered that night, the fire and screams hadn't gone away.
He would have to leave Erick once they got there, the boy could not come with him. Not for this. Sonia would have to find another hunter to take him on, otherwise he'd have to strike out on his own, and he wasn't ready for that.
To the boys credit, he had heart. He proved that when he swam to face the Lagiacrus, in some cases, that was enough. But not in the New World. And Sonia, she seemed to think that as his 'handler' she would go on hunts with him, but that was a ridiculous idea. She didn't have the metal for it, moreover, Hirio wasn't hunting monsters. Neither of them had tried to further pry into his reasons for going to the New World, but they had both gathered he wasn't going for that reason.
"I think he's looking for someone." He had heard Erick say to Sonia one night, when they thought he was asleep. "Who?" She had asked.
"I don't know, but whoever they are might consider jumping into a volcano. Because I'm quite sure he isn't planning on having a chat."
Let them speculate. Hirio thought. What's it matter to you anyway?
He headed below deck to the bunk room, and found Sonia sat on her bed, looking out at the ocean from her window. She turned to face him, and let out a small sigh. "Hirio, if you're here to talk about Erick, you should-"
"We will arrive at Astera by nightfall." Hirio interrupted.
Sonia sat with her mouth wide open for a while, caught mid-sentence. Finally she gathered herself. "That's great news! Seems like we've been sailing forever!" She beamed, bouncing up and down on her bed in excitement. Why? It's just another port. But he kept as much to himself, he had somewhat learned to tolerate Sonia's childishness.
"What will you and Erick do when you get there?" Hirio asked
"Well, first I intend to bathe and get a change of clothes! Wearing the same two outfits for weeks has been a bit drab. Then food! After losing half the pantry I feel I could eat a whole canteen out by myself."
"Right, and what are you going to do about Erick?"
For the briefest moment, frustration marred Sonias smile, then vanished just as quickly. "I told you, I don't want to intrude on his personal matters. I thought, perhaps if you just keep training him…"
"I won't. I have my own hunt to pursue, Erick can't come with me, nor can you."
Sonia chewed on that for a moment. "Hirio, I'm your handler, and you were to safeguard Erick. You signed a contract, I have it here somewhere." She gestured to the mass of books that populated her bunk. "Will you break it to pursue…whatever it is your chasing?"
Yes. Hirio had spent years chasing this, he could not, would not, let it slip away over a scrap of paper.
"I cannot ignore this, I have to find him."
"Him?"
Hirio stopped himself. Dammit Sonia! Angered, Hirio took the offensive. "Why are you so hesitant to intrude on Ericks privacy, but will not leave me to my own?!"
Sonia stuttered. "That's, I, It's not the-"
"Not the same? Why is it not the same? You pried through my records, question my motives, and now, outright refuse to let me pursue my own goals!" Hirio loomed over her, swallowing the frightened girl in his shadow. "What will you do, little girl? Will you and Erick stop me from leaving? Will you force me to stay in Astera? You and that whelp?"
Sonia was shaking now, but he didn't care. He was tired of it. Tired of them, angry that he had been shackled to drag them along behind him like a pair of wayward children.
Screams in the night, a long sword between a woman's ribs. Don't forget Hirio, don't forget what he did.
"When we land in Astera, I will leave you both behind. You can probably find work at the reception, and Erick can find someone else to teach him."
Sonia stared at her feet, sniffling. She mumbled something under her breath.
"What?" Hirio roared. The girl looked up at him with teary eyes
"I don't want to work at the reception." She whispered, voice cracking as she spoke.
Hirio shook his head. A child, I am speaking to a child.
"Life doesn't give us what we want girl. If you learn nothing else in the New World, you should learn that."
Hirio turned and left. Hoping to find somewhere to be by himself, leaving Sonia crying on the bunk behind him.
The crows perch had become Hirios favoured abode during his time on the Red Maiden. It was quiet, no one came up to bother him. Even the gulls, shameless and stupid birds, seemed to avoid the hunter when he stood up here. The wind, and the rocking of the ship he found familiar, and if Hirio closed his eyes, it almost felt like he was sailing the Great Desert again where he grew up. The thought was pleasant for a few fleeting seconds, then left a bitter taste in his mouth. Even that memory is poisoned.
He sat, thinking. I should never have taken those two with me, I should have refused, found another way. He cursed, vocally, loudly, and fiercely. Cursing the contract, Sonia, Erick, Bron-
"Still grinding that axe are we?" Hirio leapt to his feet and grabbed his sword, thinking someone was intruding. But when he saw to whom the voice belonged, it was nothing but a ghost.
Hirio had changed much over the years, his hairline slowly creeping backwards and his body riddled with scars. But Lira always appeared the same as the night she died.
A tall woman, with a strong gaze and proud posture. She wore her armour as though she was born in it. A deep, precise gash marred the breastplate, and blood poured from the open wound. She raised an eyebrow at Hirio. "I wish you'd cared this much while I was still alive, I swear you almost choked every time you said 'I love you'" Lira approached him, playfully pushing his great sword aside.
Hirio let her, but kept his hand on the hilt. "You where never one for petty sentiments either."
"No" She agreed. "I prefer a more, thorough, test of dedication." She placed her hands on the hilt as well, overlapping Hirios. "And you always lived up to the standard, well, except that one occasion." Lira looked down at the hole in her chest.
"I was asleep, and wounded, I, I didn't think…I knew he was desperate but-"
Lira placed a finger on his lips. "Are you trying to justify it to me, or yourself?"
Hirio couldn't answer. Frustrated, he gripped his sword more tightly. Lira noticed it.
"Is this all you are now?" She asked him. "Just a sword?"
"I swear to you Lira, I will kill Bron, I will find him and take his head for what happened that night."
Lira sighed, disappointed. "I suppose you are. Once you've had your vengeance, sword, what then? Will you go back to hunting? A mindless weapon ravaging the New World?"
Hirio was taken aback. "I, I never knew you thought so little of me."
"You used to fight for things Hirio, you believed in things. What do you believe in now, killing Bron? Is that it?" Lira tried to force the sword from his grip, but he couldn't let go.
"I cannot forget what he did!" Hirio raised his voice
"You think killing him will make it go away? You think killing him will make me go away!"
"I don't know!"
"Is that what you want? You want to forget me?"
"Lira I-"
"Forget your guilt?"
"Lira-"
"Your shame?"
"I-"
"Your failure?"
"Leave me alone!" Hirio sat up screaming. A swarm of gulls flew away in terror, disappearing into the night. He looked around, he was alone. The soft breeze had given way to stronger winds, and there was a faint light in the distance. He was still gripping his sword.
Hirio stood, looking towards the light. Sun must be setting, how long have I been asleep? Cursing, he realised he must have missed a training session with Erick. He began making his way down the rigging, easily descending to the deck in mere seconds. Some glances where thrown his way, but no one questioned his long absence.
He found Mills, staring into the sunset. "Where are we? Did we lose the wind?" But the captain shook his head. "Not at all master hunter. We have arrived."
"What?" Hirio turned to look into the sunset again, and realised it wasn't a sunset at all.
The single light broke up, becoming many, hundreds.
Astera.
A twisting morass of wood and waterways, well lit, and surprisingly bustling given the time of night. Astera was a hive of activity, with people already rushing to the dock to see them in. A horn blasted, piercing the night and sending swarms of birds into the sky. No, not birds. Wyverns, flocks of them. So close to a settlement, and so many? Hmm, mustn't have learnt to fear humans yet.
A huge cheer went up from the sailors, Mills slapped his chest and laughed. Hirio could see Sonia and Erick smiling, clearly elated there journey was at an end. It's only just beginning for you two, don't celebrate yet.
For Hirio, his mind was only on one thing. Bron was here, somewhere. Maybe in Astera under a false name, or hiding out in the wilderness, but he was here. The thought perversely excited him. The way he used to feel during hunts, back when he was still fresh from Wycademy, a thrill all on it's own. "Is this all you are now? Just a sword?"
Maybe that was true, he certainly wasn't the same coming down that volcano, after fighting the Fatalis, as he was going up it. As for what waited after… "Will you become a mindless weapon, ravaging the New World?"
"Hirio!" Erick had spotted him, and pushed his way through the massed sailors to his side. "You missed our training session!"
"I was busy." Hirio told him.
"Ah, suppose there will be other nights, missing one won't hurt!" Hirio should have told him there on the spot. Let the kid know he'd have to find another way, get some other hunter to train him. Or better yet, find a different profession.
"Once you've had your vengeance, sword, what then?"
The old hunter turned to look at Erick, he was still lean, but his shoulders had started to pack on muscle. He stood a little straighter than when they had first met, and despite the rocking of the ship he wasn't struggling to keep his balance. Still plenty of room for improvement though.
"Perhaps." He told Erick, he looked at him quizzically, but didn't question him. Yes, perhaps. After it is done, I will come find him again. But that was far in the future, further than Hirio could see. Right now, only one thing lay on his path, Bron, and ultimately, his revenge.
Let the hunt begin.