Dawn couldn't move.
His internal clock wakes him up at sun rise, but he couldn't move. He couldn't see the sun, due to the wagon being situated next to the town hall. But he could flex his muscles, so he wasn't paralyzed.
He looked down and saw Shizuka's fluffy head laying on his chest. He lifted his head to look further down and saw that she at some point during the night, had coiled around him. Her arms were wrapped around his waist. She was smiling like a child holding onto a stuffed animal.
"Shizuka," he whispered, and she stirred, "Shizuka," he tried again, and she groaned in annoyance, "Shizuka wake up."
Her eyes shot open and she shot up. The claws supporting her laid on his chest. Embarrassment grew across her face. She immediately uncoiled around him, and placed her face in her paws.
Sitting up, Dawn asked, "Do you do that often?"
"Only to my tail."
"I see."
Silence returned to the room. Dawn looked behind himself and saw that Tatsuo was missing, but Ace and Mia had somehow tangled themselves together in their sleep. Ace's was laying chest down and his legs were hanging off the edge of the hammock. Mia's left leg was beneath him and her right leg curled around his around the back of his neck. Both were drooling.
How they got into such a state was beyond him.
"Shizuka, if you want to go back to sleep, you can. I just tend to wake up early.", Dawn started stretching out.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "No, no, I'm awake now."
Ace stirred, wiping the spit from his mouth, he began trying to move and only ended up shocking Mia awake who then twisted herself in such a way that they both ended up falling out of the hammock. Ace was holding his head and Mia was holding her nose, both were groaning in pain.
Shaking his head, the hunter left the wagon to find Tatsuo serving meals to the town's people. A sizeable line formed from mamono and humans alike. Both species had the same look of hunger in their eyes.
"Tatsuo, we need to head out for Reinhold soon. Can you pick up the pace?", Dawn knocked on the canteen's side.
"Just a second," he jumped from the spit to the cutting board and began rapidly cutting carrots before tossed them into the boiling pot. Stirring the stew, he continued, "this is the last dish."
Pouring some of stew into a bowl he handed it to Grayson, who Dawn just now noticed.
"Oh, didn't see you there Mr. Shai. What brings you here?", Dawn said crossing his arms.
"Oh, you don't have anything to worry about. I just came back to get another taste of Tatsuo's cooking.", He smiled warmly.
"You're cooking is to die for, you have to tell me the recipe.", The older man beamed at the chef.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to follow the recipe, all of the ingredients come from back home.", Tatsuo replied as he poured another bowl for a harpy.
"That's unfortunate, Yumie couldn't stop thinking about it after we got home."
Tatsuo poured the last of the pot into four more bowls and scooted them over to Dawn, "I've already eaten."
Nodding Dawn grabbed the platter and reentered the wagon. Shizuka's embarrassment was replaced with gratitude as Dawn set the first bowl in her 'lap'. He placed the second bowl next to Ace who was still recovering. The third went to Mia who smiled in thanks.
Sitting down next to Shizuka who was trying to enjoying her own meal, while being careful not to burn herself. Dawn took his fork and started picking up the floating pieces of vegetables and meat, and began shoveling them into his mouth with gusto.
Shizuka watched in morbid fascination as the normally cool-headed hunter shoveled food into his mouth like a wild animal. Mia as well watched her 'husband' shovel food into his mouth with the same aggression.
Once finished Dawn brought the bowl to his mouth and began drinking the stew like he hadn't had water in days. Shizuka watched in awe and slight concern. The stew had been boiling mere seconds ago.
He finished his bowl and wiped his mouth, "You gonna finish that?"
Blinking, Shizuka began eating quicker, fearing that Dawn would take her bowl from her.
-0-
They left after breakfast, while making sure to bid Shizuka's parents goodbye. Now the party of five make their way to Reinhold.
Ace and Mia sat in the back of the wagon. Ace's expression was a mix of annoyance and confusion, though a hint gratification could be seen.
"Why me?", He asked.
"Cause you fit everything I'm looking for in a husband.", Mia answered.
His eyes narrowed, "How so?"
A smirk made its way across her face, "I want two things in a man. The first is that he is a warrior, and the second is that he and I are of like mind," she leaned into his ear, "and you fit both purrfectly."
He would have sworn to have seen hearts in her eyes, as if lust had taken over every figment of her mind and body. Her right claw rested on his thigh, her breath in his face, and her own demonic energy didn't make it any easier for Ace. The once confident palico, the felyne who played a part in slaying the world threatening Shagaru Magala, now cowered before the mamono.
"So, this is what Shizuka was talking about.", He crawling back, and started panicking as his back hit the wagon wall.
"What?", The once lustful gaze switched to one of confusion as Mia voiced her concern.
"Aren't you going to attack me or something?", Ace's fear evident as he reached for his polearm.
"Why would I do that? You're my husband?", Mia pouted.
"But… but don't monsters attack and rape men?", Ace leaned forward in shock.
"Oh, heavens no, I'm no wild werecat. I would never do such a thing.", She almost looked offended.
"But you keep invading my space, and you keep looking at me with those 'Fuck Me Eyes'.", Ace accused.
"I thought I was being romantic."
"Romantic? You're acting like an old cougar trying to land some young boy meat."
"Huh?"
"I mean, you're acting like a whore with tunnel vision."
"Whore? We're engaged and you're calling me, your soon to be wife, a whore?", Anger began to rise in the mamono.
"No, and stop saying that, I'm saying your being overly," He inched back as her expression grew dangerous, "sexual."
"Why do you keep saying that you're not my husband. We've already been over this, you agreed to marry me back at Wicker."
"That was a misunderstanding!", Ace stood up and took a step forward, his own frustration coming to the surface.
'They sure sound like an old married couple', Dawn thought to himself, "Hey! You two better calm down back there, or you're both sleeping outside tonight!"
Considering they were currently traveling through a forest that had recently received heavy rain that was actually considered a threat to the two. Both of them quieted down, but continued in angry whispers.
Sighing the hunter looked to Shizuka, who watched the two of them fight with glee, "You're enjoying Ace's torment a little too much."
She shied away when he said that, probably still thinking about what happened that morning, if he had to guess.
"I just find it funny," She said, "He was teasing me for attacking you, and now that he's the one getting attacked, he's all flustered." She giggled.
"I wouldn't be so quick to start laughing at others Shizuka?", Tatsuo voiced his opinion, "Karma can be a bitch."
He was currently trying to figure out how to work a tobacco pipe.
"Where did you get that?", Dawn asked.
"Payment for a meal.", He flipped it over and looked back at the directions he was given.
"Need help with that?", Shizuka asked.
"Oh yeah, can you read this for me?", Tatsuo handed her the directions, "I was trying to figure it out with the pictures."
As she helped Tatsuo, the hunter was looking over Shizuka's shoulder to get a better look at the writing. He saw symbols, but he didn't know their meaning. He saw patterns, but he didn't how they were formed. The writing back home was made up of symbols as well, but each symbol had a specific meaning, the symbols on this paper, to him at least, appeared to be randomly placed with no rhyme or rhythm.
Once Shizuka finished helping Tatsuo she noticed the hunter staring at her. She didn't know what brought this attention, but it didn't help that blood was rushing to her face.
"Do you need something, Dawn?", She asked.
"I was just trying to figure out your people's language.", The hunter pointed to the piece of paper in her claw.
"I could," she was getting excited at the thought, "teach you how to read, you know."
"I would appreciate it", he paused, "I'll be teaching you how to fight, seems like a fair trade."
'More than fair.', Her thoughts were getting lewder by the second, but shook herself out of it, 'Control yourself.'
"What weapon do you want to learn?", Tatsuo asked before taking a draw and blowing a smoke circle. He chuckled, "Always wanted to do that."
"I don't know," she looked to Dawn, "What do you have in mind?"
"I was thinking we start with the Sword and Shield.", He shrugged.
"Sounds pretty normal.", She glanced back at the hunter's weapon, "I was expecting something more... flashy."
"Flashy huh," he chuckled, "well, there is some flash to how hunter's use Swords and Shields. They are often considered to be the hunter's first weapon: The training wheels that tell the hunter what they're good at, and what weapon they should learn to master."
"I'm guessing," she looked to the great sword leaning against the bed, "you like swinging around the biggest stick?"
He chuckled, "Could you guess?"
"So, how does it work?", She leaned closer.
"We spar, and when I start seeing a pattern in your movements, we'll switch weapons."
"How many kinds of weapons are there?"
"A couple, but I don't think you'll be able to uses some of them."
"Why's that?"
"Some weapons require certain kinds of movement that you might not be able to replicate.", He said, whipping the aptonoth to get it to walk over a branch, "Quite a few techniques require you to have," he glanced at her tail, "good footing."
"Can you give an example?", Shizuka leaned closer.
"Let's see.," Dawn cupped his chin in thought ,"The Insect Glaive is most powerful, while in the air where the monster can't touch you. The Gunlance requires you to have steady footing to use its signature attacks, and the long sword... you can still use, but I don't think you could launch yourself to use the helm-splitter."
"What weapons do you think would fit me?"
"Personally, I like the idea of you using the Hunting Horn."
"Hunting Horn?", She looked at him confused, "That's a weapon?"
"You'd be surprised," he remised, "The Hunting Horn is both a powerful and a very difficult weapon to learn."
"Really, what's it like?", She felt her excitement start to well up inside her.
"It's dumb," Ace interrupt, popping over Dawns shoulder, "You end up standing around swinging the damn thing in the air, and never hitting the monster."
"He's just saying that because it invalidates his existence.", Dawn poked at the palico's pride.
"I am very important to the hunt!", Ace pouted.
"The hunting-horn gives the wielder the power to play songs that impower the group and is only typically used by people who have already mastered it." Dawn explained.
"Why do you think I can use it?", Shizuka asked, "I've never really used a weapon before. The Hunting Horn sounds a little too complicated."
"Well, hunters are often restricted to staying in place when using the Hunting Horn. I believe your unique anatomy would make you more agile," The hunter added, "Hunting-Horn users dance as much as they hunt."
Shizuka smiled, "Well I'll make sure to try my best."
Mia appeared on Dawn's other shoulder, "Ace didn't you say something about teaching me to hunt?"
"Yeah… If you're gonna be my First Stinger you'll have to learn to hunt too.", Ace sighed, laying down on his side of Dawn.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best!", She lifted herself up on Dawn's other shoulder, pushing it down.
Annoyed, Dawn knocked them both off of him eliciting a giggle from Shizuka.
Tatsuo, oblivious to the world around him continued to blow smoke circles.
-0-
They made camp later that day. Parking the wagon beneath one of the larger trees. Based off the map, they were still a day or two away from Reinhold.
"Come here little guy," Ace said trying to coax a grasshopper into his paw, "I don't want to hurt you."
The insect seemingly understood the werecat and jumped into his paw. Ace excitedly began inspecting the bug.
"Ok, you have a green exoskeleton, small wings on your back, and ooh," he cooed, as he gently lifted the grasshoppers back legs, "you got a cuticle in your knees. That's how you jump so far, isn't it?"
Shizuka smiled at the felyne's antics and refocused her attention on Dawn, who was trying to decipher this world's written language.
"So, this is Common", she pointed to the list of symbols, "each symbol is called a letter and they are used to write words."
"I see."
"My mother had me sound it out when I started learning… So, let's try that.", She said awkwardly.
"Okay, so what does this one sound like?", He pointed to the first letter.
As Shizuka taught Dawn the alphabet. Ace continued to gather insects from all over the area. Mia watched on in interest. She counted three grasshoppers, ten beetles of varying sizes, and a single scorpion. How none of them stung or bit him, while he carried them around was a mystery.
"Hey, Ace can you move your bugs somewhere else. I'm trying to pick mushrooms here.", Tatsuo complained.
"Oh, your fine, they won't hurt you.", Ace replied, carefully placing the insects and arachnid on the log.
Tatsuo picked the mushrooms and made a swift retreat, "I don't know how you can stand those things."
"These 'things' evolved to adapt to natural selection! They will outlast us all and will continue to live long after the world ends!", Ace proclaimed.
Mia watched as Ace started to gather insects from within the log as well. He came out holding a moth in his hand and a centipede on his nose.
Placing the moth next to the grasshopper and the centipede next to the scorpion he started to analyze the insects before him. To her surprise, the insects and arachnid seemed to get along with one another, while in Ace's presence.
"So, you like bugs, huh.", Mia said sitting next to him.
He turned to her excitedly, "Aren't they great!"
Mia nodded not really seeing the appeal, "Why do you like them, and why are they so calm?"
"Have you ever heard the phrase they're more scared of you than you are of them?", Ace gently placed a ladybug next to the grasshopper.
"No, can't say I have, but I think I get what you're saying.", She watched one of the beetles, walk across the log. It was orange and had a black carapace, it was as large as her thumb, and had long duel vertical horns. She moved to pet the beetle before Ace grabbed her hand.
"You'll scare him, and he'll pinch you.", He whispered, "You need to move really slow if you want to pet him."
She tried again slower this time and brushed her claw against the beetle's horns. It shuffled away from her touch but didn't pinch her in distress.
Smiling she turned back to Ace, who for the first time, returned it.
"Seems like he's starting to warm up to her.", Dawn commented.
"That's good, I was hoping for that.", Shizuka added.
"So, who was she in Wicker?"
"She came to Wicker when I was little. She was alone, starving, and far too young to be out on her own.", Shizuka frowned.
"So, the town took her in?"
"Yeah, she was the town's darling, Miss Wicker let her stay in the town hall's guest room."
"…"
-0-
Hours passed as Dawn learned the basics of the Common language, while Ace and Mia continued collecting insects. Daylight dwindled, and night would be upon them within the hour.
"I'd say that's enough for today.", Shizuka said as she raised her arms over her head popping the knots in her back.
"Alright," Dawn stood up and cracked his own back as he did so, "How about we start your training after we eat."
Nodding she asked, "What is Tatsuo making tonight?"
"He said that he was going to try working with some local ingredients."
"Hey, Dawn," Ace and Mia ran up to him, "have you seen Tatsuo? He said he was going to look for more mushrooms in the forest, but I haven't seen him comeback yet."
"No, no I haven't."
Dawn and Shizuka searched the wagon for any signs of the chef, while Ace and Mia combed the perimeter. No matter where they looked, they couldn't find hide nor hair of their felyne chef.
"Have you two found anything?!", Dawn yelled from the opening of the wagon.
"Yeah, we got tracks heading south!", Ace yelled back.
"Shizuka, you've been to this forest before, right?", Dawn asked.
"Yes, I-I have.", Her timid nature was getting the better of her.
"Are there any wild monsters in the area?", Dawn's usual calm voice had taken on a more urgent tone.
"Monsters in this forest don't attack men," She started panicking, "maybe he fell and, and, and he's stuck in some ravine," She start hyperventilating, "he's probably hurt or worse!"
"Shizuka, I'm sure he's just couldn't find his way ba…"
"NO! HE'S HE'S HE'S…", Shizuka's eyes were dilating now.
Dawn grabbed and held her in an attempt to calm her, "You need to calm down Shizuka." Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She grabbed onto his hands trying to bring herself back down. She could feel sweat rolling down her neck and her body trembled. Her eyes were frantic, but as she started to come down, they refocused on Dawn. He was holding her; she could feel her heart beat slow, enough for her to catch her breath.
"Are you okay, now?" He asked, releasing her.
She nodded and rose back to her normal height, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. This is normal for people unused to crisis.", He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
She nodded, steadied her breathing, and put on a strained smile, "Let's go find him."
"Let's."
Grabbing the emergency lantern and his Great Sword, Dawn and Shizuka left the wagon to find Ace and Mia waiting for them with a trail of human sized paw prints.
"He went this way.", Ace pointed off into the darkness.
Nodding, Dawn activated the lantern and started following the tracks with Shizuka, Ace, and Mia in tow. The tracks were relatively new, so he couldn't be far. Though Dawn could hear the rattle of leaves above and around him as the wind started picking up. 'Monster don't attack men, and the ground is even here. What could have got him?'
They came to a clearing completely covered in web, a very familiar web to both Dawn and Ace. The trees and silk that made up the walls of the spider's den was littered with cocooned bodies of mamono and humans alike. It smelled rancid. Web stuck to the bottom of Dawn's boots, though the other three seemed to walk along the webbed ground just fine.
"You okay Dawn.", Ace asked, noticing the hunter's sudden stop.
"I'm fine, the web is just sticking to me.", Dawn said taking out his carving knife and cutting the web.
"Really?", Ace looked down and noticed that the rest of them were walking on it just fine.
"It's your fur, Ace." Shizuka said, "You're a monster too, your fur won't stick to anything."
The hunter and palico watched as Shizuka glided along the web floor with no issue at all.
"Maybe, Tatsuo is in one of these cocoons.", Mia spoke up.
She pointed to a strangely shaped cocoon that had a wide circular indention where the occupant's chest would be. Now that Ace looked at it, he could see a pair of bumps on the head of the cocoon.
The werecats ran over and started pulling down the cocoon, while Shizuka helped Dawn untangle himself.
Dawn handed his knife to Ace who carefully opened the silk prison. It was in fact Tatsuo, though his face was dirty, and he appeared to be unconscious.
"It's him.", Ace said, as he start dusting the cook's face of dirt.
"Let's get the others down too.", Mia made her way to another cocoon only to yelp in shock.
The monsters looked on at the newcomer, but Dawn couldn't see it. He flashed his lantern in it's direction.
Four blue eyes stared back at him, its pale exoskeleton was covered with emerald green scale hide. The usual poison spikes that would have stuck out of its back were missing. Its four legs clung to the tree, web wall. Its claws held the still form of another cocoon to its red mandibles. It crawled upwards, and Dawn's lantern followed it to the Nerscylla's sky net. Even more cocoons littered the web ceiling, but only the decaying intestines and bones remained of their occupants.
"All of you get away from there! Now!", Dawn ordered, still stuck in the web.
The werecats were already running, and Shizuka had scooped up the cocooned body of Tatsuo. The Nerscylla's mandibles let out a sicken snap as they shot out of its mouth. The venom spattered onto the ground and it readied itself like a loaded spring.
Dawn still stuck to the ground roared, "DUCK!"
Ace dived to the ground knowing what was coming, Mia followed, and Shizuka lowered herself just enough to avoid the scissor blade mandibles. She watched as a glob of venom dripped before her eyes.
Dropping the lantern and unsheathing his Great Sword, Dawn fired his clutch claw at the head of the monster. The dragging force ripped him from the web floor. Now hanging onto the Nerscylla's head, Dawn wrapped his legs around the arachnid's body and started grinding the underside of the monster's head with his Great Sword.
In shock, the Nerscylla dropped from the ceiling to the floor. The hunter jumped off mid-fall, though in doing so he was now stuck to the web floor again. Ace returned from his dive and capitalized on the monster's vulnerability. Bringing his poleaxe down on the Nerscylla's exposed abdomen. The monster spasmed in pain with each strike tearing into the monster's soft abdomen.
Mia looked behind herself to see Ace continuously slicing and stabbing at the giant arachnid. Joining in Mia scraped her claws across the Nerscylla's eyes. Injured the monster flipped itself on to its feet and struck out with its claws. Mia moved out the way in time to avoid the hooks and Ace swung his axe to greet them. Springing back the Nerscylla shot web from it thorax at the werecats sticking Mia and Ace to the ground. It's damaged eyes now red with rage.
Mia slipped out of her binding and ran to cut Ace's armor loose, while the monster readied its mandibles for a charge.
Now completely stuck to the floor Dawn could only barely make out where the Nerscylla was. Taking out a paralysis knife from his belt, he loaded it into his slinger and aimed for the red light.
The monster's mandibles shot from its mouth only for a blade to pierce its eye. Recoiling in pain the monster tried to rip the blade out, only to lose control of it body as shocks surged through its body.
Dawn tried to free himself again only to get his hands stuck to the web floor as well. A pair of claws wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him free. He looked to his savior and saw a pair of golden, glowing eyes staring back.
"Thanks.", He said ripping excess web from his body.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Where's Tatsuo?"
"I brought him back to camp."
'That was fast.', He looked at her and turned to the monster as the paralysis effect was wearing off.
"Do you think you can get me on top of it?", He pointed at the monster.
"What?!", She whisper yelled, "You want to get on that thing?!"
"Yes."
'You're lucky that I'm in love with you.', She shook her head, but he probably couldn't see it.
She was going to scold him to high heaven for this, "Fine."
She grabbed him by his arms and through him onto her back, "Hold on!"
Wrapping his arms around her waist, she pounced. Slithering faster than the Nerscylla could react, Shizuka shoulder charged into the face of the monster. Dawn leaped from her back to the monster's.
Taking out a poison knife in his carving knife's stead he plunged the blade repeatedly into the Nerscylla's head. The monster thrashed in agony against the tree walls, its repurposed armor protecting it. Until its strength started to fail. Slumped on the ground, the monster's death knell was the squelch of the Great Sword plunging into its head.
Dawn stepped down from the monster's corpse, his Great Sword coated in its blood. The Nerscylla was dead and they were free to rescue the rest of the people stuck to the wall.
"That was the most reckless thing I have ever seen!", Shizuka slithered up to Dawn, furious.
Dawn remained silent as the bunyip vented before him. He could only see her silhouette, but he could tell that she was far from happy with him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!", She scolded.
"I've done it before," he replied, "I've rodeoed plenty of monsters."
Though he couldn't see her face, he could tell by her breathing she might end up strangling him.
"Let's just… help these people.", She said, seeming to have calmed down.
Ace hobbled up to Dawn still covered in extra web and whispered, "That was awesome."
"I know right.", He whispered back.
-0-
They returned with the unconscious mamono and humans. The mamono awoke within an hour and took their husbands with them, but the humans that didn't remain, stayed unconscious.
"Are they going to be okay?", Mia asked as she brushed the hair of woman out of her face.
"The sleep toxin of the Nerscylla is really potent," Ace answered, "They won't wake up till morning."
"Okay.", She beamed.
"This should be the last of them.", Dawn laid the last of the humans on the ground, "Thanks for carrying most of them, Shizuka."
Shizuka had carried multiple victims at a time by placing them on her tail, and held the younger ones in her arms.
"Let's just go to bed.", She was however, still angry with Dawn.
Tatsuo who was still asleep was placed in his hammock. Ace climbed into his own hammock, but was immediately followed by Mia who curled into him. Dawn laid himself down exhausted from the "hunt".
'Never expected to run into a monster here, but I'm not surprised if we run into another one.', He thought to himself.
Shizuka laid beside him. She said nothing as she starts coiling around him.
"Um, Shizuka."
"This is your punishment for that reckless stunt."
She, now completely coiled around him, took off his helmet, "You're going to stay in bed until I wake up, got that."
She laid her head on his chest and fell asleep. Dawn, flabbergasted and immobile, sighed and fell asleep soon after.
AN: I had planned to use the Yian Kut-ku as the first monster for Shizuka and Mia to fight, but as I started to write this chapter I kept think about how they would actually get into that situation and it felt off. So, I went with Nerscylla instead as I thought it paralleled well.
I am trying to make Shizuka and Mia into actual characters, but I'm also trying to stay faithful to the source at the same time.
I just wanted to ask if you guys think Shizuka and Mia are developing well.
CHAPTER HAD BEEN REVISED.