Ericks hands trembled slightly as he pulled the rope away from the Anjanaths snout. The binding fell to the ground and a few wisps of smoke curled upwards from the creatures nostrils. He spared a glance toward Kenichi as he untied the last restraint, scanning fearfully for any signs of sudden movement from the monster.
"HA!" Zoyla screamed behind him and grabbed his shoulders, causing Erick to whirl in fright. He was greeted by the sight of the huntress giggling maniacally at his terror. Her dark hair falling over her burnished copper face as she doubled over.
"Damn it Zoyla!" Erick moaned as his pale cheeks flushed red.
Zoyla pushed him playfully. "Oh, stop being such a wuss! We've got ages before the sedatives wear off!" She gingerly leapt onto the platform and patted the deadly predators head. "See? She's well out of it. I bet Sonia isn't afraid, you want to touch her Sonia?"
Zoyla gestured behind her to a Sonia who was standing inquisitively at the edge of the platform. "Well, if she's not going to wake up…" The young girl clambered up to join them.
"See!" Zoyla retorted. Erick groaned and shook his head, heading around to join Kenichi coiling up the rope. "How long will we have to wait do you think?" Erick asked the team leader.
Kenichi slung the rope over his shoulder. "An hour at most. We can't afford to wait any longer. I've already found a spot where we can safely observe." He pointed to a number of hanging vines that dangled down from a huge tree. "We should set up there and get comfy."
Erick smiled. "And I seem to have forgotten my pillow."
"You'll soon learn to love tree branches kid." The team leader began making his way up the vines.
Soon all four of them where huddled in the canopy, waiting intently for the Anjanath to wake up. Sonia was scribbling down notes as best she could on her perch, a habit she had formed during their journey. She seems to have fallen right where she wants to be. If only Erick could do the same.
The mournful screeching of the Tobi still haunted him, crying out endlessly for a mate that wasn't coming home. Erick knew that the team leader had only been trying to help, to get him to come to terms with reality of his situation. In truth, it only made him think of Anya.
Does she cry out for me on the Dundorma walls? He thought. Does she wait patiently for me to come and save her, or curse my name and wish she had never met me? Then another thought had occurred to Erick. Does she even know where I am?
Erick had lain awake that night and considered abandoning the whole thing. Run back to Astera, smuggle himself on a ship, find her and disappear. To where? He could not think of a single place. Come to think of it, he could not plausibly conceive getting back to Astera without being eaten. And so he had rolled over in his sleeping bag chasing a good nights rest. He did not catch it.
The only silver lining he supposed, was that Erick had finally allowed himself to accept he was stuck. There was no way back. A harsh reality, but a true one. The question was, what did he do now? I suppose I'll just tag along with these until I work it out. The whole hunting gig might yet suit him, but if not he would have to consider other options.
He was struck from his contemplation by a low rumbling growl. All four of the group stopped and stared. Both the monsters yellow eyes had slid open, and regarded her surroundings with suspicion. She quickly found her feet with a speed that belied her size. Sniffing, scratching, and scanning the world around her.
Must be confusing, last thing you remember your in a frantic battle with a hunter, next you wake up with no idea where you are. The Anjanath seemed unsure of what to do, she had no idea where she was or how she had got there.
"She's searching for familiar scents." Zoyla whispered. The animal hoisted her massive head into the air, took a quick sniff, then whirled around in a western direction. "She's found something."
With an irritated snarl, the Anja plodded off into the jungle. No doubt some unlucky prey was about to be on the receiving end of her displeasure, but at least she was free.
The group waited for a little while longer before making there way back down the tree. Zoyla was visibly pleased, and Sonia still somewhat awestruck. But for Kenichi there was no time to waste. "Come on, we have to get to Leopolds hut, the Commander is expecting."
They left the platform used to carry the Anjanath, there was no time to bring it with them. Kenichi set a breakneck pace through the ancient forest that Sonia and Erick struggled to keep up with. Erick could see why though, the sun was starting to set, and the shadows of the jungle where growing long. Has so much time passed already?
As was her wont, Zoyla began to fill the silence. "So, how did it feel releasing the old girl back into the wild?"
Erick answered first. "Rather satisfying, I must admit."
Sonia continued. "It was great! Much nicer than dissection, I don't think I would have liked to see that."
Kenichi snorted. "I still can't believe you do that across the sea, capture a monster alive just to dissect it?" He shook his head. "Sometimes I'm glad I'm not officially part of the Guild."
Zoyla spoke up. "You know why it was so important? That we put her back where she came from?" Zoyla explained. "Anjanath are apex predators, feeding on whatever they can find. We know from study her main source of food are the jagras packs that scatter her territory. If we where to remove her, the population would explode out of control, and we would be forced to cull their numbers ourselves before they damaged the ecosystem."
Erick pondered on that. "A clever tactic. I hadn't even considered that."
Kenichi sighed. "Most hunters don't. They just read the contract, kill the monster, come back and get paid without actually thinking about the problem."
The statement was met with silence, and Erick found his thoughts turning to Hirio. He certainly didn't strike as someone who respected the natural order, and would probably have no qualms about shattering it if it stood in his way. Although…
During their time on the boat, Erick had seen, glimmers he supposed. Whenever they talked about monsters, he always seemed to harbour a certain respect for them. His first reaction when the Lagiacrus attacked was to scare it off. Thoughts of Hirio always brought forth a swell of contradictions and questions. The man was a complete enigma to Erick.
Even during their time together on the boat, Erick had not been able to puzzle him out. The hunter was clearly chasing something, yet acted with a complete disregard for his own well-being. He pushed everyone away, and yet had offered to train Erick.
Admittedly, those weeks spent with Hirio had done him more good than he cared to admit. He put the bottle aside, mostly, and focused on what Hirio was trying to teach him. What Kenichi was still trying to teach him. It seemed as though there was a place for him under the team leaders wing at least, whether he would accept it… Is that where my path lies? Erick could not say.
The sun sank lower, and soon they where travelling in pitch black, with only the scoutflies to light the way. "We're not far." Kenichi assured them. "Just a little further."
Before long they came upon a modest hut built into a cliff face. "Here we are." Kenichi took the lead. "Leopold isn't fond of strangers, so let me do the talking." He said as they approached the house.
Zoyla frowned. "Kenichi, the door is off its hinge."
The team leader paused, seeing it was true. He gripped his sword hilt and approached the hut at a more cautious pace. "Stay behind me." He crept through the doorframe, regarding the boot shaped dent in the wooden planks of the door. "Someone kicked this through." He observed.
"Who?" Sonia wondered. "Hirio?"
"Who else?" Erick answered. "The question is, why?"
"Come on, lets explore the rest of the house." Kenichi said. Erick made his way into the living room, fairly modest as they go. The smell of cooking was still fresh. On the floor in the centre of the room lay a single polished horn, Erick picked it up. Someone must have dropped this, perhaps they where shocked? One wouldn't handle such a prized item so carelessly.
Suddenly the eerie silence was shattered by an ear splitting roar, followed by a more human like scream and the sounds of blades clashing. Erick looked around startled. "Where?"
"Up here!" Kenichi shouted, pointing to a back door leading through to a staircase. He barrelled out of it and sprinted up the stairs as the rest struggled to follow. The sounds of fighting grew closer, and louder. Monstrous snarls and desperate cries intermingled with the rhythmic clang of sword meeting sword.
Kenichi reached the top first and froze, followed by Zoyla, who adopted a similar position. When Erick finally reached the top of the stair, he could not help but join them.
Something vaguely humanoid wrapped in crimson armour was standing over Hirios bleeding body, sword raised and ready to deliver a killing blow.
Kenichi stammered. "Wait… that's…"
Sonia interrupted. "What are you waiting for! Do something!"
Zoyla snapped out of her trance and strung her bow, no time to apply any coatings. There was a whoosh as her arrow flew and struck the armoured figure in the back of his neck, where his helmet and breastplate met. The arrow went straight through, with the head protruding out the other side. The creature sputtered and gurgled, dropping the sword and turning to face them.
"Leopold!" Kenichi choked.
The creature tried to respond but Zoyla fired another arrow, this time at his face. The bestial warrior brought his hand up and knocked the arrow aside with his gauntlet before descending into a coughing fit, spitting blood everywhere.
"Kenichi, we have to kill him! We won't get a better chance!" Zoyla screamed as she notched another arrow.
The team leader grabbed her bow. "Wait, that's Leopold-"
"No it isn't Kenichi, not anymore!" Zoyla struggled to free herself as the thing in crimson armour stood and began barrelling it's way out of the glade. "No!" Zoyla cried. Faster than the eye could follow Leopold bolted into the trees as a red blur. The huntress loosed her arrow, and it whizzed uselessly into the darkness.
What under the light of the Sapphire Star was that? Erick could barely comprehend. His shock was broken by Sonia screaming "Hirio!" He turned to face the old hunter lying on the floor. Oh god, is he…
Erick ran to where Hirio lay unconscious. Blood, so much blood. The hunter had a huge gash along his stomach, weeping a river of red onto the moonlit glade.
Sonia and Kenichi soon joined him, with Sonia almost in tears while Kenichi desperately tried to stop the bleeding. "Press here!" he screamed, and Erick grabbed a rag and pushed it over the wound. Hirio convulsed again, descending into a shaking fit as Erick desperately tried to keep Hirios guts in his body.
"Zoyla!" Kenichi screamed. "Get over here!" The huntress was still standing with her bow notched, scanning the trees. "Zoyla, he's gone!" the team leader called again. With one last look Zoyla slung her bow and ran to the dying hunter.
When she arrived she sucked in her breath. "Give him a potion!" Erick cried.
"We can't." Zoyla said. "Not until he stops convulsing like that, he'll just vomit it back up." She opened her pouch and began fishing through a number of glass vials. Quickly she pulled out one containing a yellow liquid. Kenichi eyed her warily, "Zoyla, what are you-"
The huntress cut him off. "As I said, we can't give him a potion while he's convulsing like that. I can stop it by using a paralysis coating, and then use a funnel to pour the potion directly down his throat."
Ericks eyes widened. "Are you mad!" He looked down again at Hirio, he was fading, dying. "Your going to paralyse him! Like this!"
Kenichi spoke up "Zoyla, his heartbeat is already dangerously low, and there's a risk of him choking on the potion. Is there no other way?"
"We don't have time." The huntress responded. "If we don't act, he's going to die." Sonia began sobbing, and Erick felt sweat forming on his palms. The team leader simply nodded. "Alright then, do it. Quickly."
Zoyla opened the yellow vial and carefully measured it into a needle, then tore Hirios gauntlet off before shooting the needle up his viens. The man thrashed wildly for a few seconds, then went still. Erick felt his arms go limp in his grip, and his hand slowly fell out of Sonias.
"Kenichi, go and grab one of those palm leaves." Zoyla barked, Kenichi sprinted over and grabbed a leaf while Zoyla tilted Hirios head back and placed it in her lap, quickly she pulled out the potion vial as the team leader returned. "You want to use this as a funnel?" He guessed. Zoyla nodded, and began rolling it into a tube.
Paralysed, they where able to force the tube down Hirios throat relatively easily, and then Zoyla poured the potion down the makeshift funnel. The group held their breath, bringing a deathly silence to the glade.
Slowly, Hirios bleeding began to stem. A faint green mist arose from the wound, and the flesh began knitting itself back together. Its working! Ericks heart soared. But before the wound could close entirely the green mist faded, and the healing stopped.
"Quick, give him another one!" Erick urged.
"No." Zoyla said. "The bleeding has stabilised, and we've already taken a massive risk." gently she pulled the funnel out as Kenichi checked Hirios pulse. "He's still alive." He confirmed.
Erick let out a massive sigh of relief, and Sonia began to cry again. Zoyla collapsed on the ground, panting. "Thank the star." She whispered, her hands where shaking, and her bottom lip quivered.
Kenichi knelt in front of her. "Hey." He reassured her. "You did good." He smiled, and Zoyla simply nodded, still in shock. The team leader came to his feet. "Bandage him as best you can, then put him on a stretcher, we'll need to get him back to Astera for proper treatment."
"What about that thing!" Sonia cried. "Could it still be out there?"
Kenichi went quiet, then turned to Zoyla. "You seem to know more than me, that was Leopold wasn't it?"
Zoyla grimaced. "I never thought, we would come across Fatalis armour all the way out here. How Leopold got it and why he donned it, I don't know. But I know that those who wear it cease being human."
"Can a suit of armour really do that?" Erick wondered.
"One made by a Fatalis, yes." Zoyla answered. "Even when killed, the Three don't really die. Their hearts will continue beating even if separated from their bodies." Zoyla stood. "As I said, before I was a hunter I was a researcher, and I spent some time studying the Elder Dragons. The Fatalis armour is still a living part of the dragon, full of its malice and hate. Slowly, they will take over the wearer. That, is what we just saw."
Erick looked down at Hirio, a thousand questions swirling in his head. Who are you? How are you involved in all this? Is that armour from the Fatalis you killed? Who is Leopold to you then? The more Erick saw of Hirio, the more questions he was left with. Well, we can't have you dying here, or I may never get my answers.
Erick began to unpack the bandages and started removing Hirios armour. "Come on. as you said, we cannot stay here."
Kenichi nodded, and the group began preparing to leave. Is this the world I live in now? Erick pondered. It was strange, terrifying. He looked down at Hirio, now placed on a stretcher and fighting for his life. Do I really want to follow you down this path? Again Ericks thoughts threatened to turn towards home, and he struggled to beat them back. Nothing that way but bitterness. Still, the memory haunted him, of that girl with sunlight in her hair. And as another night fell on the New World, Erick wondered if he would ever find his place in it.