Pink scales and giant talon prints.
The wagon was untouched, and besides the indentions in the ground leading to the forest, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Night had settled and Tatsuo had begun to roast what remained of the aptonoth.
As far as Dawn could tell; the hunter had returned to their world, but a monster had come through and took the Yian Kut-Ku with it. And based on the foot prints it was large enough to carry the bird-wyvern in its mouth.
"What do you think?", Ace whispered. He started scooping up the soil to sniff, and recoiled in disgust.
"I think we got a Jho," Dawn's gaze followed the trail, "am I right?"
"Smells like one," Ace wiped his hand on unsoiled ground, "should we tell the others?"
"No," Dawn stood up and made his way to the canteen, "we'll head out after everyone falls asleep. Shizuka and Mia aren't ready for a Deviljho."
"I'll get Tatsuo to cook up a Hunter's meal."
The mamono crowded around the canteen's table, while talking amongst themselves. Mia seemed to be leading the conversation, with Shizuka sat back and scrutinized Estrid, while the minotaur herself uncomfortably answered the werecat's invasive questions.
Tatsuo seemed to be in his own little world as he slowly turned an aptonoth thigh on the spit. Licking his lips all the while. Ace shook the chef from his stupor and cautiously whispered into his ear. Only Estrid seemed to catch the interaction.
"So… how does a minotaur like yourself deal with having red eyes?", Mia was leaning so far over the table it was as if she was laying on it.
"I would rather not answer that.", Estrid looked away from the male werecats and unintentionally glared at Mia.
"Oh, I didn't mean to offe…"
"You didn't," Estrid sighed, "I just have a resting glare."
"How'd you develop that?", Shizuka added before looking Dawn's way, "What were you two looking at?"
Dawn sat down at the table and took off his helmet, "Just noticed that the Yian Kut-Ku left some scales behind."
He placed the pink scale onto the table, "That hunter seemed to have a hard time getting it through based on how the badly ground indented."
Shizuka and Mia seemed to buy the lie, but the curious glare from Estrid worried him. Ace stepped down from the canteen's kitchen and sat next to Dawn. Mia immediately took her place beside him.
"Mia you're being a little… clingy.", Ace scooted an inch away from her.
The cat girl pouted before wrapping her arms around Ace's shoulders and forced him closer to her. Frustrated the palico was just about to toss the girl off of him when Estrid beat him to it.
"My glare is just natural," she placed the werecat next to her, "you should sit here. Tats still needs a seat."
"Tats?", Mia looked at her in confusion, "You mean Tatsuo, right?"
"Yes, did I say his name wron..."
"I like it," she beamed, "hey, Tatsuo, can we call you Tats?"
"I would prefer if you didn…"
"Great," Mia turned to Estrid, "we can call you Ed, and Shizuka can be Shizu."
"Absolutely NOT!", The bunyip and minotaur said in unison. Shizuka glared at Estrid and she returned it, though Estrid's wasn't necessarily by choice.
Tatsuo slammed the platter onto the table and with little bit of fan-fair threw the lid into the air. It fortunately landed back in the canteen. Before them laid a perfectly roasted aptonoth dressed in gravy with a side buttered toast, both of which he got back in Wicker. He placed mugs of amber ale before Dawn and Ace, while giving out glasses of water to the mamono.
"Bon appetite.", He bowed before he began ravaging his own slice of aptonoth.
"Are we really eating your beast of burden?", Estrid eyed the slab of meat before her.
"Yes, we are.", Dawn answered before he began to enthusiastically dig into his own meal.
She hummed before glancing at Ace who was chugging his own mug of ale. The mug almost completely engulfing his head as he poured the ale down his throat.
"Can I get some of that?"
Tatsuo momentarily paused mid bite, "It's really strong, Dawn and Ace are just used to it. Are you sure?"
She brought her glass to her mouth and swallowed all of the water in one go, "Yes.", she wiped the excess water from her mouth.
Shizuka eyes shot open in shock before doing the same, "Me as well."
"Ok?", Tatsuo looked to Mia who seem far more engrossed in picking at her food. She looked at him in confusion before taking a piece and got to chewing it. The flavor exploded in her mouth, and then she too started digging in.
Tatsuo grabbed their glasses and poured some amber ale into the glasses, 'Please be lightweights.'
Dawn and Ace watched in anticipation of what was to come. Shizuka downed the first glass before sending a glare towards Estrid, who had done the same. Shizuka already had a blush forming across her face and Estrid seemed almost completely unaffected.
"Its good," Estrid licked her lips, "can I get some more?"
Shizuka rising to the nonexistent challenge slammed her glass onto the table, "I aaa-as well."
And so, another round of ale was served and still Estrid seemed almost completely unaffected, though a smile did grace her face as she savored the flavor. Shizuka on the other hand was hammered out of her mind. She half glared, half dozed at the minotaur, "Anooo-thh-er!"
Tatsuo merely grimaced at the bunyip collapsed at the table. Dawn stood up and hooked his arms around hers and started dragging her to the wagon. Mia glanced at Shizuka half full glass of ale and out of curiosity took a sip. She too fell asleep at the table, an immediate blush coming across her face. Ace got up as well and scooped the werecat into his arms. She, much to his displeasure, curled into his neck and purred.
Laying Shizuka on to the bed caused her to stir and grab onto Dawn. She half succeeded at pulling him closer to her, but she failed to coil around him. Her drowsy, drunken eyes stared up at the hunter as he did his best to steady himself.
"Please stay.", She weakly asked. She tried pulling him closer, but he had undone her grip and gently placed her claws beside her. He was in the perfect position to take her.
He was temped, by the gods of this world was he temped, but he stilled himself and sat himself down at wagon's driver seat. Ace followed after, though Mia seemed to be friskier than Shizuka, as he had small bite marks running along his neck. The both of them rubbed the temples in exasperation. Estrid joined them with another mug of ale in hand, no drowsier than before.
"You have good taste," she took a sip, "this stuff's better than what they got in Reinhold."
"You're welcome," Dawn's calm nature returned, "you can sleep in the bed tonight. I'll be doing some research."
He removed the Monster Girl Encyclopedia from his belt, "I'll sleep in the morning."
"Are you sure?", She gave him a curious glare, "I don't mind sleeping out here, and that, Shizuka, girl seems pretty interested in sharing a bed with you."
"You need rest," Dawn cracked open the book, "we have quite a journey ahead of us tomorrow."
The minotaur still suspicious of the hunter, nodded and entered the wagon. The bunyip was passed out in the hunter's bed, and the only female werecat was curled up in a hammock. She gave Shizuka a careful nudge before laying down beside her when she didn't respond.
The hunter and palico quietly listened to the minotaurs movements. Ace nodded at Dawn and left to grab his halberd when Estrid settled.
Dawn, now by himself, began flipping through pages in the encyclopedia. He stopped at the table of contents. He slowly translated each word until he came to the title 'Demonic Energy', his gaze rested on the page number, and he began to flip through pages.
Demonic Energy, or monsters mana as he came to learn, is a monster's life force. It was essentially the equivalent to a human's spirit energy; he looked back at the mamono sleeping in the wagon, making sure they were asleep before turning back.
Demonic Energy is a corruptive force, it can cause a variety of changes, but most of them lead to a perversion of body and mind. This energy can be stored and released by mamono innately. He had yet to see Shizuka or Mia release or use Demonic Energy so far, 'Perhaps it's not a strictly offensive power.'
He continued to read; mamono naturally expend energy quicker than humans, and that human women suffer from a similar disadvantage. Female hunters from his world didn't seem to have much issue with expending energy, at least not any worse than male hunters.
Monsters can only restore their energy through consumption of spirit energy. Considering how this 'spirit energy' comes from all living things, that means they survive off of the life force of their food, and not the nutrients. He didn't feel any weaker after spending time with the mamono, so that means they had to actively consume it.
Due to Demonic Energy being intrinsically connected to the Demon Lord, and that the current Demon Lord is a succubus or at least used to be. Monsters had been changed, now they seek humans for sex instead of a strict need for sustenance. Mamono, in fact, take in more spirit energy through sex than through devouring humans.
He stopped reading when he felt Ace nudge his shoulder. Dawn closed the encyclopedia and took up his Great Sword. Ace handed him his potions, poisoned meat, and whetstone. Ace then place a pair of earplugs into his ears, and checked his Coral Orchestral before silently nodding to Dawn.
-0-
The hunter and the orange werecat were quiet. Quiet enough to not wake anyone, but Estrid never fell asleep in the first place. She knew they were hiding something as soon as she saw Ace whispering to the chef. Dawn had lied at dinner, and both he and Ace were served an energizing drink. One that would give those with a weak constitution a buzz with a sip. They were lucky that the other mamono were tired from a days' worth of running across a city.
Estrid followed after the two from a distance. The both of them were silent until they reached the perimeter of the forest. She had taken her hammer with her when she saw that the hunter had taken his weapon with him.
The male werecat leaned down to scoop up some of the dirt from an indent in the ground. He sniffed it, recoiled, and pointed further into the forest. The hunter nodded, and they continued their march.
"You really shouldn't follow them."
She turned to the terrified chef behind her. Tatsuo had warned her to not follow them when she left their camp. He had continued to follow her, pleading for her to go back.
"Then tell me what they're doing.", She glared down at the shorter felyne.
"I told you already," he looked past her to make sure Dawn and Ace were out of earshot, "they're hunting. A monster came through the rift and they're going to take care of it."
"And why should I go back?", She leaned down to the point that she was practically standing over him.
"Because its… its dangerous.", Tatsuo moved his pan to hide behind it.
Noticing the chef's fear, she took a step back. She didn't intend to scare him, and she definitely didn't want this party to kick her out before she even started. She barely gets work to begin with.
"I'm sorry."
Tatsuo peeked over his pan. He gave her a cautious look before putting his pan back on his back, "Will you please just go back to camp."
She glared down at him, and shook her head, "If I'm going to be traveling with you lot. I should know what we'll be dealing with."
Tatsuo stared back at her and sighed, "Just don't let Dawn or Ace see you," he turned his back to her, "they didn't want Shizuka and Mia coming for a reason."
The felyne chef walked back to the wagon alone. She watched him leave for only a second before following after the hunter and palico.
-0-
The Deviljho tracks led to a clearing. It was ominously similar to his last confrontation with a monster. Night and the smell of blood in the air. Scales of the Kut-Ku littered the ground, and what remained of the beak lay shattered in front of him.
A mass of green and red pulsating muscle stood at the other side of the clearing. Its long, thick tail swung from side to side as it tore at a tree, looking for its next meal. Its jagged teeth: both on the outside and inside of its mouth ripped and wrench the tree from the ground before tossing it aside. Whatever creature behind had fled further into the forest.
The Deviljho now enraged, roared into the sky, the guttural thunder rocked the trees around it. It reared back its head and began ravaging the tree line that dared to block its way. Its muscles expanded from its back, with dragon energy metaphorically foaming at its mouth.
Dawn heard a feminine gasp from far behind him, but ignored it. He scooped up one of the larger Kut-Ku scales and shot it at the brute wyvern's tail. The monster stopped mid-swing of its maw, and turned to the hunter and palico sprinting towards it. It let out another roar before it made its own mad rush at the pair. Each step was like a small earthquake that raddled the world around it.
The hunter leaped through the air, while unsheathing his Wyvernator. The weapon colliding with the Jho's maw, and Dawn rolled beneath the impact. Ace leaping from Dawn's back mid swing and onto the monster's neck. He barely hooked his halberd around one of the jagged spines that ran along the monster's back as the beast reared back in retaliation.
The beast stomped the ground with the force of a god's wrath. Dawn had thankfully avoided the brunt of the force, but he was staggered long enough for the monster to sweep him with its tail. Ace clung to the Jho's back for dear life, and only started swiping with his halberd when the shockwave finished.
Dawn flew through the air, and landed in a shameful heap on the ground. He pulled himself back up and dived to the side to avoid the maw of the beast. He stood back up and began summoning his strength into his Great Sword. The Deviljho would have capitalized, but the sting of the palico on its back drew its attention.
Dawn swung, his Great Sword cleaved through the air, and struck with the force of cannon fire. His cleave drew a long slice across its maw. It roared in pain, and in its shock knocked the palico from its back. The hunting partners stood side by side as the Deviljho recovered.
-0-
She couldn't believe her eyes. A beast the size of a barn furiously tore through the air as it failed to sink its horrible jaws into the hunter. She hadn't expected them to charge this monster head on either. In fact, they had one the initial trade, and would have continued to win if it hadn't caused the shockwave.
Estrid hid behind a tree, trying her best not to sound her surprise every time one of the combatants struck. She was halfway between aroused and halfway from pissing herself in fear. The red veins that coated its expanded muscle gave her instinctual sexual desire, but the sheer horror of the beast killed whatever arousal that came to her.
Dawn's mighty swing had surprised her as well. Watching someone stand completely still to store power into a single swing was by far the strangest thing she had seen from a swordsman. But the strength and power that the attack delivered seemed to be, by far, worth whatever effort he had to put into it.
Ace, the cowardly werecat, had impressed her to no end when she saw him leap a top the beast's back. He wasn't even close to strong enough to wound the monster, but he served as the perfect distraction for the hunter.
She covered her mouth to hold back any sounds of shock when Dawn rolled beneath another swing, and returned the favor by dragging his Great Sword against the ground as he quickly stored as much energy into it as possible. His weapon struck with just as much power as before as it cleaved into the beast's side. The giant staggered before losing balance and slamming into the ground.
Ace took the opportunity to blow into his oddly shaped horn. She felt an odd strength flow into her, and watched as Dawn delivered another blow to the beast's tail. The giant rocked forward as the end of its tail was severed from its body.
The beast roared once more, letting out massive plumes of black smoke and red lightning into the sky. It started sweeping its otherworldly breath into their makeshift arena. The hunter and palico leapt aside, and Estrid had to hide behind the tree when the breath flowed in her direction. The cloud spead out before her and killed whatever life that was in its way. Red lightning stuck out from the black smoke and fried the grass beneath it.
Her heart was beating faster than ever before. She peaked behind her bark shelter to see the hunter leaping through the air and slicing the monster across its maw once more. The beast toppled and the hunter landed onto its back, effectively mounting it.
From a top the Deviljho; Dawn could see Estrid hiding behind a tree, enraptured by their hunt. When she saw him staring at her she hid herself behind her nearly destroyed shelter. Pulling out his carving knife he began the process of the rodeo. Jamming and stabbing the long-curved knife into the brute wyvern's back.
The Deviljho shot back to its feet and tried shaking the hunter from its back. Its jaws snapped and clawed at the hunter on its back in fury. Dawn braced himself for the beasts rampage, and continued his stabbing when the beast tired. The giant tired from lack of any recent food, and injured from the hunting party's assault toppled to the ground once more.
Ace joined the fray and started slicing into the Jho's belly. The beast kicked its legs in pain and struck the palico in its shock. It stood back up before the hunter could strike and scooped him up into its maw. The acidic saliva in its mouth lowered his defenses and it brought him high into the air. And finally threw him to the ground.
-0-
Dawn didn't have any dung bombs with him, and Ace hadn't recovered from getting punted across the clearing yet. He braced himself for the thrashing. The Jho snapped up the hunter in its maw once more and began to violently knock him against the painful earth. He could feel his blood rushing to his mouth every time the beast slammed him. He could feel the healing effects from Ace's horn and the sprinkle of a Dust of Life, but he was still too injured to get back up after it tossed him against the tree wall.
He moved to take a potion from his belt, but stopped when the monster stomped him into the tree. They were both so close to death; Dawn could recover if he were given a moment to drink his potion, but the beast was done for even if it stood victorious after this hunt.
The behemoth of a monster glared down at him. Its teeth that layered the outside of its mouth were broken and shattered. New scars and wounds lined its side and what remained of its tail had long stopped bleeding. It reared back its head for a final blow.
But it never came.
A hammer, a very familiar hammer slammed into the wyvern's jaw forcing the beast away from the hunter. He quickly chugged the entirety of his potion and shot to his feet as its healing effect took hold. Estrid had intervened, she stood in front of him preparing her hammer for another swing. He placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her.
"How are you up?", She gaped at him, "You were…"
He merely shook the bottle before her eyes, and pointed to the monster recoiling from her strike.
"I'll tell you later," he took up his Great Sword, "it's almost dead."
She gawked at him, but turned back to face the monster anyway. It slobbering maw was directed at her, and it glare rested solely on her. It let out one last earth-shattering roar and charged her and Dawn. She felt an arm wrap around her waist as the hunter forced her to dodge with him.
They rolled to a stop and watched as the beast collide with the tree wall. The hunter jumped back into action and shot out a claw from the contraption on his wrist. He clung to the Deviljho's head and scraped the claws across its head forcing it to turn. He then fired what looked like a piece of bark into the beast's jaw. In its shock the wyvern charged and slammed itself into the tree wall, toppling onto the ground in a heap. It started to raise itself from the ground in defiance, but fell back in a slump.
The hunter calmly walked up to the Jho's mostly still form and kneeled beside it. Ace joined him, and in his exhaustion sat beside him. The monster didn't have enough energy to attack them, so it laid there glaring up at them. Estrid only joined after seeing how weak the beast actually was.
"Good hunt," Dawn laid his hand on the monster's snout, "but you being here is a problem, and I don't think you want to go back."
A strange intelligence that wasn't there before came over the monster's eyes. It stared up at him in a mix of defiance and resignation. Before exposing its neck for a quick kill. The hunter nodded and took up his weapon for the last time this hunt. He held it back and began channeling his strength into a final blow. The beast closed its eyes.
-0-
"Was it smart?", The minotaur asked.
"All monsters have at least a low level of comprehension," he rested beside the corpse, "they are still too dangerous to let go if they decide they want to pick a fight."
Ace leaned against the hunter's back, also exhausted, "We don't hunt just because its fun," he gave a tired grin, "we hunt to keep the ecosystem from destroying itself."
Estrid sat down next to them, "You hunt these… things normally?"
"Yep.", Ace answered.
"Will I be hunting with you guys?", She leaned against the monster's back, arms crossed.
"If you want too," Dawn cracked his neck, "I wouldn't mind."
She pushed herself off of the monster, "Then I'm shortening the time between payments," she held up two fingers, "two days."
Dawn sighed, but stood up himself, "Fine, but you'll be learning to hunt with Shizuka and Mia too. Can't have you helping if you don't know how too."
For the first time sense they met, she smiled at him.
Ace groaned and stood up as well, "You'll probably get another mamono head over heels for you tomorrow, if you keep this up."
Dawn chuckled and lightly knocked the palico's shoulder, "Wanna trade places?"
"Fuck Nyoh."
-0-
They returned to the wagon to find Tatsuo pacing back and forth. His ear shot up when he saw them return.
"Oh, thank goodness," he scampered up to the trio, "how'd it go?"
"Tough, but it went well enough," Dawn placed a hand on Estrid's shoulder, "Estrid will be learning to hunt from now on."
"Oh, okay," he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "well at least everything turned out well. Shizuka and Mia are still asleep, should we tell them in the morning."
"Yes," Dawn took off his helmet, "just don't tell them it was anything too dangerous."
He coughed out some phlegm that worked its way out of his throat. Some of his blood was mixed into it. The others gave him a concerned look.
Estrid grabbed his hand and started leading him to the wagon, "You need to get some rest."
"I can rest in the…"
"No."
Ace and Tatsuo watched the two enter the wagon. Tatsuo gave the palico a questioning look, but Ace's raised brow told him everything. They nodded to each other and left to get some sleep as well. Ace stared down at girl who called him husband, and quietly got into the hammock with her. She easily moved around him, crawling half asleep over him and curled herself into his neck. He fell asleep soon after, surprisingly comfortable.
Dawn found himself in between a sleeping Shizuka, who had coil around herself, and held the end of her tail close to herself like a stuffed animal. Estrid had fallen asleep beside him, and in her sleep had wrapped her arms around him. It didn't take long for the bunyip to subconsciously wrap her tail around his legs and her arms around his waist.
'How in the world did I get here?'
-0-
The man she was sent to find had slain the beast. The beast that devoured her sisters. The werewolf would mourn them later, she had to return to Druella's captain, Ala, before he got too far. The Demon Lord's forth born had taken interest in this man from another world. Based on what she saw him do, and how he seemed to be a friend of monsters, he had to join them.
She stumbled, her injury from trying to escape that monster flared in across her body. She fell as more blood leaked from her leg, she ripped the monster tooth from her leg and swallow the only spirit energy 'potion' she had on her. It was but a vial of human semen, but it enough to get her back to her commander.
She stumbled through the Extremist Faction camp, passing mamono that moved to help her, but she waved them away and asked for directions. Ala was giving commands to the other mamono. The sylph turned to her, and her eyes widen when she saw that only a single werewolf had returned.
"Who did this?", The wind that surrounded her turned a darker shade.
"Don't worry the hunter didn't do this," she came to a stop and clumsily kneeled, "the hunter actually defeated the monster that took my sisters."
Ala calmed her wind, "Where is he?"
"Near Reinhold, he made camp there and plans to leave soon."
"Do you know where?"
"I didn't hear anything about a specific destination, but their wagon is being pulled by a minotaur."
The wind elemental nodded, and helped the werewolf to her feet, "Go rest, we'll find and bury your sisters in the morning."
The werewolf held back her tears, "There's nothing left of them."
The werewolf was taken by one of the demons to the infirmary. Careful as to not cause anymore damage to her legs. Ala watched her leave, "We need someone to follow the hunter," she turned to the gathering mamono, "do we got any takers?"
Many raised their claws, hands, appendages, but only a single figure took a step forward. A hellhound with burning eyes and an arrogant grin plastered across her face. She licked her lips, and placed a hand on her hip.
"I'll go."
AN: MHGU has been consuming my life for the past week as I wanted to at least complete G-Rank. Currently rocking (pun intended) Barroth X and the DragonSlayer with a talisman that gives Sharpness. Hope you guys enjoyed.