Chapter 9: Of x Pigs x and x Men
The end of the First Phase was finally in sight, and Orin was washed in the most relief he had felt in days. Or maybe that was just sweat. Finally! No more running! God, I forgot how much running sucks. He placed a hand against his side as the finish line drew closer. Ow.
The crowd of remaining applicants was clumped along a wall of stone bricks, their cream color standing in contrast to the greens of the Numere Wetlands. A large pair of metal gates stood between turrets with pointed roofs, which were clad in pale red shingles (almost the same color as his own shirt, the boy noted), which also sloped off of the top of the wall. Altogether, the whole thing looked straight out of a picture book, and a complete change of pace from what Orin just experienced in the swamp.
The group of Orin, Tenulan, Gon, and Kurapika slowed down their pace as they finally arrived.
"Looks like we made it in time," Kurapika said, trying to break the ice. No one said a word after Gon's confession, and the atmosphere between the four applicants had grown heavy. Orin sighed as he pulled on the front of his shirt to cool off. Only reason we made it at all is because Gon's crazy and could smell Leorio, somehow. Is that what growing up in the mountains does to someone?
Now walking, the four scanned the crowd.
"Where's Leorio?" Gon mumbled as they searched.
Orin stifled a short laugh from behind the other boy's left shoulder. "What? You could smell him from a mile away, but now that we're actually close to him, you've lost him?" Gon flinched as his head snapped to his left. "Oh. Is that a touchy topic? Sorry."
"No, it was just…" Gon trailed off as his head turned further left. "There he is!" Sure enough, Leorio sat dazed against a tree along the edge of the crowd. His face was dominated by a large welt that had formed on his cheek, which swelled enough to force his eye shut. But, other than that, Leorio looked about as well off as the other applicants.
Orin winced when he saw Leorio's injury. At least I don't look like that. But then again, people like me and Leorio just aren't meant to get far here. The boy furrowed his brow. Of everyone I've met here, Leorio seems to be the most… normal, in a way. Well, he can't be an average Joe if he made it to the Exam at all, but everyone else here is leagues above him. Same goes for me. If the Hunter Exam is meant to challenge people like Hisoka, then I'll be going through hell.
"Man, that stings," Leorio mumbled as he cradled his cheek in his hand. "How the hell did I get all these injuries?"
He doesn't remember?
"My memory's so hazy, I can hardly remember."
He doesn't remember. Orin sat across from the young man, lost in thought. So, one punch from Hisoka was enough to make someone forget stuff that just happened. Does that count as amnesia? Either way, should we tell him what happened?
On the one hand, knowing what happened would be helpful to make sure he doesn't try to start something with Hisoka. But he might just have a breakdown right here if we tell him he almost died. Or he might ignore logic and try to fight Hisoka anyway. The boy sighed through his nose as he set his head in his hand. Guess it's better if he doesn't know. He probably still knows that we're in the Hunter Exam, at least.
I mean, even if he doesn't remember it, he can probably figure out that we got our asses handed to us at some point. And that was just during the First Phase. God knows what else is going to happen to us.
God, I was an idiot to come here. I'd be better off if I never followed Tenulan. I was naïve to think he could just carry me through all of this. I have to pull my own weight. Somehow. Even if I can't do it now.
I just hope I don't have to make a deal with the Devil to do it. Well, if it comes to that, I'll just drop out. I'd much rather live.
"Gon," a voice called out, drawing Orin from his train of thought. Turning his head, the boy saw Killua walking up to the group, skateboard wedged underneath an arm. "I was starting to think you weren't gonna make it here."
A crooked grin spread across the white-haired boy's face for a moment. "And I definitely didn't expect to still see you, Orin."
Orin pouted. "Good to see you too, Killua."
Gon walked over to Killua, explaining, "I just followed the smell of Leorio's cologne."
"You tracked his scent? That's how?" Killua, in disbelief, slouched forward. "Man, Gon. You really are a freak."
"Not much more than you, Killua," Orin interjected as he got to his feet.
Now it was Killua's turn to pout. "I am not a freak."
"And how often do twelve-year-olds take the Hunter Exam for fun?"
"'Bout as often as they get carried through it, I think."
"Point taken."
The reunion was interrupted by Satotz, calling out over the crowd of applicants. "Excellent work, everyone. The Second Phase will take place here, in the Visca Forest Reserve. So, I shall now take my leave. I wish you all the very best of luck."
With that, the Examiner returned to the depths of the swamp, his arms swinging in large arcs as he took each massive step. Is it safe for him to just walk back in there? Well, he is a Hunter…
Just after Satotz broke away from the crowd, the heavy sound of the gates sliding across the ground rang out the area. The applicants turned their attention to the now open entrance before them, as tension quickly filled the air. How's the saying go? No rest for the wicked?
From his vantage point, Orin couldn't see much of anything past the wall since he was too short to see over the crowd. He could just make out the roof of a building further within, the roofing of it matching the outer walls of the Visca Forest Reserve.
A new voice addressed the applicants from within. "Will all of the applicants that have passed the First Phase please enter."
That sounded like a woman. Huh. Now that I think about it, most of the people here seem to be men. Weird.
The crowd streamed through the gate, following the walkway up to the central building. Along the sides of the path, neat rows of counters were spaced out across the lawn. Finally close enough to see better, Orin could make out the rest of the building, which was a large mansion of sorts. Trees lined the entire area, though the atmosphere here was less foreboding compared to the swamp just on the other side of the wall.
Peeking between applicants, Orin saw two figures seated in front of the entrance to the mansion. One, a woman, was seated on a plain couch, with one leg crossed over the other and arms draped over the back of the couch. Her turquoise hair was put up in five topknots, which were spaced out across the back of her head not unlike a star. Her skin was tan, and she wore a bikini top underneath a mesh shirt paired with jean shorts that had been cut to be even shorter, just barely covering enough to be considered decent. Orin figured she was the one who called the applicants into the courtyard.
At the very least, it wasn't the other person. He was massive, and there was no other way to put it. The man sat on the ground behind the couch, and yet he still towered over the woman. He was easily wider than the couch, too. A plain long-sleeved yellow shirt covered most of his torso, with a sliver of his belly hanging out the bottom. His pants, a similarly plain dark green, reached his bare feet. His dark hair was cut short but stood up, as if he had just woken up. His skin was also considerably paler than the woman's.
So, are all of the examiners going to look this weird? Do all Hunters look this weird?
The woman spoke after the applicants crowded near. "Welcome! I'm Menchi, your Examiner for the Second Phase!" Her voice was confident and casual.
"I'm Buhara, the other Examiner," the man added. His tone was similarly casual, but in more of a laid-back way compared to Menchi. Their easygoing attitudes helped to reduce the tension Orin felt, especially after the First Phase. They seem nice. I mean, Satotz seemed so, too, but he was more… professional? Proper?
It'd be a lot easier to talk to Menchi and Buhara, at least. The boy held back a laugh. If they're so relaxed, maybe the Second Phase won't be too hard.
…I should stop before I jinx myself.
A few seconds after Buhara introduced himself, a low, loud growl echoed through the area. What the hell? The giant man rested his hands against his stomach. Was that him?
Menchi confirmed Orin's suspicions as she leaned her head back to look at Buhara. "Sounds to me like you're getting hungry."
"Not just hungry. I'm famished!" The other Examiner whined in response.
"Well, there you have it," Menchi began as she stood up, resting her hands on her hips. "The Second Phase…"
After waiting a second for dramatic effect, she pointed her finger in front of her. "…will be cooking!"
"Wait, cooking?" A man repeated from somewhere in the crowd.
Cooking. Orin blinked. Easier than running, I guess. Of all the things he was expecting to encounter during the Hunter Exam, a cooking contest was probably near the bottom of the list.
"What do you mean, we're cooking?" Another man asked in a tone that indicated he was rapidly losing his patience. "We came here to take the Hunter Exam!"
Menchi was unfazed. "That's right. Your challenge for the Second Phase of the Exam will be to make a dish that'll satisfy both of our palettes."
"…Why do we have to cook?" A third voice called out. This one, to his credit, seemed genuinely confused.
"That's because the two of us are Gourmet Hunters!" Menchi replied, pride showing on her face.
Gourmet Hunters? Oh, right. Hunters usually specialize in a certain field so that they can focus on something they care about. If Menchi and Buhara are Gourmet Hunters, then… I guess they travel the world to make the best food possible? Or do they just try food from different countries?
The second man—Todo, the boy recalled—burst out in laughter. "This must be a joke."
Laughs began to ripple through the crowd. Orin frowned. If you all laugh at her, she might disqualify you… if she's allowed to do that. Eh, it's the Hunter Exam. She probably can.
The prideful expression on Menchi's face quickly melted into a scowl.
After the laughter died down, Todo feigned politeness as he asked, "So, Ms. Gourmet Hunter. What exactly do you want us to make?"
Menchi crossed her arms in frustration. "Buhara."
The man got to his feet, the ground shaking as he did so. "The main ingredient will be pork."
"Pork?" A man echoed.
"You mean, like, pig meat?" At the very least, it seemed to Orin that most of the other applicants weren't disrespectful like Todo. Instead, they were just suddenly and utterly out of their element.
"Any species of pig you find here in the Visca Forest Reserve will do," Buhara clarified. "Use the cooking facilities here to prepare us a dish using the pig. To pass the test, you must create a dish that satisfies our discriminating palettes."
"But we won't be evaluating taste alone," Menchi warned. "So take this seriously. Is that clear? When we've both eaten our fill, the Second Phase will be over."
Orin swallowed. She sounds pissed now. Todo, I hope you're happy with this. You probably just made this harder for everyone.
Todo dismissively waved a hand. "Alright, enough talk. Let's just get on with it."
"Well then, let the Exam's Second Phase," Buhara said as he raised a hand in front of him. He swung his arm back, his hand slapping against his stomach. The impact sounded almost like a gong. "Begin!"
/\/\/\
Tenulan kept his eyes low as he followed the group, searching for any tracks that could have been made by a pig. While pigs are not commonly found in Aljanin, he had seen some in other places as he wandered the world. I do not recall having eaten pig before. How is it usually prepared, I wonder? The group, consisting of Tenulan, Leorio, Kurapika, and the three boys, had split from the main crowd to search in a quieter area of the forest.
"Catch a pig and cook it, huh?" Leorio mused as the group of applicants crested a small hill. "This'll be way easier than the First Phase."
"I just hope it's that simple," Kurapika replied.
"Especially when the Examiner looked so angry," Orin added. "I mean, what if there aren't any pigs here at all?"
"That's unlikely," Kurapika reassured the boy. "If that were the case, then all of the applicants would fail the Exam."
"Well, there has to have been years in the past where no one passed," Orin countered.
Kurapika stopped for a moment. "Maybe. But those incidents were not because no one could catch a pig."
Years where none were deemed worthy? Just how difficult will this Exam become?
The discussion was cut short when Gon suddenly hopped and began to slide down the side of the hill. The slope was just steep enough, and the grass was just slick enough to allow for the boy to quickly reach the bottom.
Killua quickly followed with a grin plastered on his face. Orin, not wanting to be left out, muttered, "Might as well," before following suit. The three older applicants exchanged glances before Leorio shrugged as he sat down, pushing himself off to start sliding. Soon enough, all five applicants were sliding down after Gon.
Killua's cries of joy quickly melted into panic, though, as Gon sat at the very bottom of the slope, unmoving. The white-haired boy crashed into the other's back. A second later, Orin did the same to Killua, followed by Leorio, Kurapika, and lastly Tenulan. The situation would've been amusing if it didn't hurt as much for the applicants further down the stack.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Gon?" Killua half-shouted into the dark-haired boy's ear.
"And why did you guys go right behind us?" Orin turned to ask the three that were currently crushing his back.
"I found them," Gon replied simply.
Tenulan followed the boy's sightline across the new section of the forest they were now in, and sure enough, there were pigs, a stereotypical shade of pink, gathered a stone's throw away. I see. The pigs I have seen before must have been quite young. The creatures were roughly the size of a small car, with stubby legs and a pronounced snout. The snout also pointed upwards like a horn of sorts.
"They're… chewing on bones," Leorio noted.
"Is that not normal?" Tenulan asked.
"No," Kurapika answered. "So they must be… carnivores?"
The pig closest to the group snapped the bone it was gnawing on as it focused on its visitors. It quickly reared back with a squeal, though the noise was more akin to a roar.
The applicants wasted no time in turning around and started running away as the pig began to charge after them. The other members of the herd followed suit, and a stampede quickly formed.
"See, Orin? There was nothing to worry about after all!" Leorio yelled as he ran, arms pumping hard.
Orin groaned. "At this point? I'd rather have no pigs here than these!"
"I do not understand," Tenulan began. "Are these not pigs?"
"Pigs aren't supposed to be that big!" Orin clarified. "And they aren't supposed to be carnivores!"
"I am sorry. What is a carnivore?"
The boy put his hands against his face. "Now's not the best time for that!"
The six ran in the general direction that they came from, leading the stampede directly to the rest of the applicants. Those further away were able to prepare themselves, readying weapons or getting a head start on running. The closest weren't so lucky, as the pigs sent a handful of applicants soaring above the herd.
Tenulan sidestepped the charging herd and watched as a stocky man, Todo, hefted a boulder over his head before hurling it at a pig with a grunt. Near Todo, the bald man threw small projectiles at another one of the animals. Both attacks struck the massive noses of the pigs but failed to have any effect.
The other five members of the group stepped out of the stampede like Tenulan, except for Leorio, who was in the unfortunate position of being chased in a circle by one of the pigs. Another one was chasing down Gon, who leapt into the air to attack. As he fell back to earth, though, he was struck by the pig's snout. The impact sent the boy flying backwards, but he managed to reorient himself and land safely in a crouch in front of a tree. He quickly jumped to the side just before the pig reached him again, which caused the creature to slam nose-first into the tree.
The impact caused the pig to shudder, but it was otherwise unfazed as it slowly turned to face its target. Before it could begin to charge again, though, an apple fell out of the tree, landing square on the animal's forehead. The light impact startled the pig, but when more fruit fell onto the same spot, its legs gave out from under it as its eyes squeezed shut. One last apple, and the pig let out a cry of pain. It remained on the ground, its snout drooping forward.
Realization flashed across Gon's face before he once again jumped into the air, fishing pole ready to strike. With a cry of his own, the boy swung the pole down on the pig's forehead. The sound of bones cracking from the hit could be heard from where Tenulan was standing. The giant pig reared up on its hind legs with a final squeal before tipping back and falling onto its back, dead. The sheer weight of the creature caused the ground to shake.
"Oh, that's it. Their foreheads are their weak spot," Killua noted as Gon began to prepare to carry his kill back to the cooking area.
"I see," Kurapika mused. "They developed tough snouts in order to protect their weak crowns."
Tenulan, once more confused, asked, "Developed? How? They are animals."
"Yes, but—" Orin sighed. "You know what? I'm not going to just explain evolution. Read a book about it after the Exam."
"Evolution? Wha—"
"Nope!"
While the two squabbled, the applicants within earshot got to work with killing pigs of their own. Each one was felled with a solid hit to the forehead, and their cries filled the air. Seeing the numbers of men and pigs alike begin to dwindle, Tenulan turned abruptly. "I believe we have wasted enough time. I shall kill two pigs for us. Orin, wait here."
Orin shuffled his feet as his companion began to leave. In a small voice, he said, "No…"
"What?" Tenulan pivoted to face him.
"No." The boy's voice was a bit firmer.
"I do not understand. We must use a pig in our dishes."
"I know, but…" Orin looked away. "I can't let you do it for me."
Tenulan grew quiet.
"You helped me get this far, but I can't rely on you for everything. It isn't fair to you."
"Do not worry for me, Orin. I can kill a second pig without hardship."
"Well, it's not just that. I don't want to have you do everything for me. I don't want to feel like this. I've been useless to you so far. Please, Tenulan. I can do this myself."
After a short pause, Tenulan nodded as he turned once more. I understand.
/\
"Why do I have to do it?" A much younger Tenulan whined. The sky, a clear and deep blue, seemed to stretch on forever above a grassy field. A cluster of gers stood a short walk away. Along a nearby hillside, a herd of goats wandered, grazing on what they could find.
"Because I said so," A man, crouching next to the boy, replied. The man was handling a goat that had recently been killed. "And that is what parents do."
"But I don't wanna!"
The man pressed a hand onto the boy's shoulder. "I understand, Tenulan. But, there are times we must do things we do not want to do."
"Why?"
"Because these may come a time when others are unable to help you, so you must know how to do this to survive." The man pressed the handle of a knife into the boy's hand. The blade was short, about as long as the boy's hand. "Now, do it like I showed you. I will guide you."
With a shaky nod, Tenulan slowly began the process of butchering the goat. First step: skin the animal. The man held the boy's hand as the first incision was made down the chest. The knife was wedged underneath the skin, and Tenulan slowly peeled back the skin.
After some time had passed, the skin was fully removed and draped on the ground beneath the goat. The hooves and head were also removed. One by one, the organs were removed and set aside in baskets that had been brought over. Just like the meat itself, these were edible, and Tenulan was taught to never discard something that could still be used. His people could not afford such wastefulness. Even the blood of the goat was carefully collected in a wide pan.
Cutting the meat was relatively straightforward. All that was needed was to get the meat into small enough chunks that could be easily managed, with or without a bone. With the final pieces placed in baskets, the job was done. "Here, Dad." Tenulan stretched his arm out, offering the knife.
The man looked at it for a second before smiling. "That belongs to you now. I will show you how to care for it tonight."
The two collected what they could carry before beginning the short walk back. Tenulan could smell the beginnings of a fire and smiled.
"Tenulan," His father said as they walked, "It is important for you to try all of these different jobs. You remember this, right?"
The boy's smile faltered. "Yeah…"
"I know you want to do my job, but as I said before, there are times we must do things we do not want to do. Even so, we are giving you these jobs so that you can find something else you want to do. Something that you choose to do, without worry of who your father is. When you are older, you may see this as a gift. Not many get to have this many choices."
"Right…"
"And no matter what you do, you must remember that I love you."
"No matter what?" Tenulan echoed.
"No matter what."
/\/\/\
Orin watched as Tenulan wandered a short way into the trees, losing sight of him just before a pig cried out nearby. He wasn't lying, at least.
I can't keep letting him give me an easy way out, though. As it stands, he'd sacrifice himself to keep me in the Exam. Idiot. Orin huffed as he began searching the immediate area for a pig. By this point, every other applicant that was capable enough to kill a pig had already done so, leaving the forest mostly empty. I'm only here because of him, so if only one of us can pass for any reason, it should be him.
Focus, Orin. Pig. The herd of pigs had seemed to calm down from the stampede, leaving the survivors to browse the area for food. There's still a lot of these pigs left. I guess when they're so big, there aren't many animals that can eat them. The boy spotted pink some feet away, behind a bush. Doesn't matter which pig I get, so might as well be you. He began a slow approach. If it sees me, it'll start charging again. Obviously, I should try to kill it before it can do that.
He stopped in place. But I have to hit the forehead. That's right by the eyes. I can't sneak up from behind, then. It would definitely see me before I could get close enough to hit it there. The bush rustled slightly as the pig took a small step. Of course, trying to fight head on won't work. That nose blocks the forehead. Tough enough to break a boulder, too. Orin's eyes wandered to a nearby tree. Gon kind of got lucky, since fruit fell onto his pig's forehead.
Wait. Fell onto the forehead. I could hit the forehead from above. The boy stepped up to the closest tree. His hands glided over the trunk as he tried to find handholds. How do people do this so easily? Finding none, he looked up into the tree's canopy of branches. Ugh. They're too high up. I have to climb the trunk first.
Okay, I think it goes like this? Orin raised his foot and pressed it against the trunk. He leaned in and out a few times, testing his boot's hold on the bark. When it didn't slip, he pushed himself off with his leg, at the same time trying to pull with his arms to climb the tree. As he raised his other foot to continue moving upwards, though, gravity began to take hold. The boy felt himself begin to drop, and desperately tried to claw his way further up the trunk. The sole of his boot scraped along the bark as he slid back to earth. Shit. No good.
Orin was about to ready himself for another go at climbing when the nearby bush rustled again. This time, though, the noise was louder. Glancing over, he saw much more pink than he did before. The pig, having heard the boy attempt to climb the tree, decided to investigate the disturbance. Upon seeing Orin, the pig huffed and began scraping a hoof against the ground. Shit. So much for that.
The boy quickly turned heel and began running, the pig in hot pursuit. Plan B. Plan B. What's plan B? Pale green eyes darted around the forest, finding nothing. No way out this time. Any applicants that yet remained among the trees were in no state to fight a pig, let alone run away from one. In short, there was nothing that could distract the one currently chasing Orin.
He ducked around a tree, hoping to gain even a little distance between himself and the animal. He continued running in a different direction, hearing the crashing behind him as the giant pig hurtled through bushes. Shit, it's fast! Every second Orin spent not weaving around obstacles allowed for the pig to steadily close the distance. Cutting into some bushes, the boy racked his brain. How can I stop it? There has to be some way.
He once again thought of Gon's method. That pig hit a tree hard enough for apples to drop down, giving him an opening. That only happened after he got knocked away by it, though. He braced an arm against the trunk of another tree as he flung himself around it. But hitting the tree made the pig stop. It had to turn to face Gon. Orin ducked under a low hanging branch, only for it to be snapped seconds later by the creature behind him. Hitting the tree headfirst seemed to slow it down, though. If the forehead is weak, maybe just running into something fast enough can stun it?
The boy felt the hot breath of the pig as he turned yet again. Shit! There's nothing else I can do. It's either that or I get killed by a pig. Plan ready, Orin spotted a nearby tree that looked sturdy enough. A few seconds later, he stood at its base, pivoting to face down his pursuer. Time to play chicken with a pig.
The animal seemed even faster when watching it run full speed towards his face. Orin waited a beat before lurching to his left. Rolling, he just made out the pink blur of the pig as it struck the trunk with its nose. For a moment, he thought to wait, but quickly got back to his feet and ran up to the pig. Just like the other pig before, this one seemed to be a bit shaken up from its run in with the tree.
With a wild grunt, Orin swung a closed fist in a wide arc at the pig's forehead just as it began to turn. He felt the bones underneath the pig's skin give way as it cried out in pain. The boy swung again, ignoring the jolt that flew back up his arm on impact. His heart was beating fast and hard as he struck the forehead a final time. The pig fell limply to the ground, dead.
Holy shit. Holy shit.
Holy shit! Orin let out a hoarse laugh between breaths. I got it! His legs started to shake as he fell down to the ground in a sitting position. The boy inspected his right hand, the one that hit the pig, noting that it, while sore, didn't feel broken. Oh, my god. Why did that work? Why did that stupid idea work?
He hung his head forward, shaking it slightly. Who cares? It doesn't matter how I did it. All that matters is that I did. After spending a little while longer on the ground, trying to calm his heart, he stood back up. Okay. First part of the phase done. Now I have to cook this thing.
…How am I going to get this back to the cooking stations?
A hard shove revealed that pushing wasn't an option. Pulling was out of the picture as well. With a sigh, Orin remembered seeing the other applicants carried their pigs back by carrying the animals over their heads. Might as well try that. With a grunt, the boy managed to get his arms spaced out underneath the pig. Muscles straining, he slowly lifted the dead animal from the ground.
After raising it high enough, Orin used his head to support the pig as he took one shaky step after another. God, this thing is heavy. The long walk back brought a pain different from the ones he experienced in the First Phase. This was the pain of his muscles throughout his body being forced to work harder than ever before to accomplish normal movements. And oh, how it burned.
Easier than the First Phase, my ass. I'll have to have a word with you later, Leorio.
Hi, it's Glaive, the author! Thanks for reading!
And it turns out the wait for this chapter was… not even three weeks? That can't be right…
Wow. Two and a half weeks. Huh.
…Anyways, the secret behind this chapter is that I actually spent time writing it instead of just thinking about it and putting it off for months. Funny how that works. Again, though, no promises for the next one. This is not normal for me.
I could talk more about specifics in this chapter, but I don't want to keep you too long. So I'll cut myself off (but feel free to leave a review! Of course, you don't have to. I don't want you to feel pressured).
"See you next time!" – Dolce Kamiya, Yakuza 0