Monster Hunter: The Lost Hunter
Ch. 1: Where am I? Who am I?
When he finally woke up from his dreamless sleep, he noticed that he was not where he was supposed to be. Instead, he was in a…forest? Why was he in a forest? He wasn't in a forest or anywhere near one the last time he checked. Then again, where was he supposed to be before?
He sat up and looked around, seeing nothing but tall trees and lush vegetation on all sides. However, he was lying on what looked to be a natural pathway—a dirt road, no doubt made by animals walking through it for years and years until the ground could no longer grow plants. With no other signs of where he came from or where to go, he followed the path in one direction.
As he walked, he couldn't help but be taken in by the sights and sounds of the forest. He couldn't see any animals or birds, but he could hear them. The colors of the flowers, the scent of the winds, and the sounds of birds calling to one another were truly mesmerizing. Was the forest always this nice, or was this his first time noticing it?
Suddenly, he heard something racing down the road he was traveling on. He looked out and saw what looked like an out-of-control horse-drawn wooden cart being pulled by a dinosaur.
But before he could question that any further, the dinosaurs screamed as they ran at full speed, making him freeze up in the path and also scream! They both scream at one another, neither moving nor stopping until the dinosaur and cart run him over! As he feels the weight of the creature and the items it pulls go over his body, he lies on the ground, fighting between consciousness and unconsciousness. He's barely able to hear the sound of the cart stopping fast, and footsteps run towards him. Very small ones. But soon, his eyes and ears stop working as he feels his life slipping away. He only has a brief window of sight as he sees several figures standing above and around him. Then everything goes dark as the figures sprinkle something on him.
When he wakes up again, he first hears a voice talking to someone, but it's muffled. He turns his head and sees two blurry figures next to one another, where one suddenly leaves. The other one approached him and then began to poke and prod at him. Finally, his eyes and ears start working again, and he's finally able to see and hear properly.
"Ah, good. You're finally awake. I was worried you might've died," the voice of an older man said to him.
As he opened his eyes, they finally adjusted to see an older man standing above him. He was tall, broad, and built like a wall! He wore ornate clothing that gave the sense he was a person of high importance, but also one who wasn't afraid to get down and dirty, judging by his stained gloves and boots. His hair was short, white, and well-kept as it was slicked back. His eyes were sharp and hardened like his expression, but held years of knowledge and exhaustion in their amber color.
The older man, looking at a locket around his neck, quickly realizes the boy is staring at him and closes it up while hiding it in his coat.
After trying to sit up and feeling his whole body scream in protest, he asked, "Huh? Ow! Uhhhhhh, where am I?"
"You're in the medical wing. You were brought in by a transport team of Palicos carrying needed materials. Unfortunately, that same team lost control of their Aptonoth and ended up running you over. It's a good thing they had some dust of life. Otherwise, you might not have made it," the older man told him.
To say he was confused was an understatement as he questioned back, "What are you talking about? Palicos? Aptonoth? Dust of life? Ow!"
"You don't know what I'm referring to?" the man asked him.
He rubbed his aching body and said, "Are we speaking different languages? What are those things you said?"
The man put a hand to his chin and said, "Your injuries must be muffling your mind." The older man then pulled something from his coat, handed it to him, and said, "Drink this."
When he took the object from his hand, he noticed it was a strange cylinder made of glass, metal, and leather. Inside was a green liquid, and when he pressed down on what he thought was a button, the top flung open like the lid of a toilet.
He cautiously examines the inside of it, then takes a whiff and asks, "What is it? It smells sweet."
"It's a healing potion; it has honey in it. It should perk you right up," the older man explained.
At first, he takes a cautionary sip, but when he finds it not only pleasing but sweet, he downs the whole canister and says in delight, "Mmmm! It's super sweet and tasty. And…hey! I feel better already!"
Suddenly, he springs to his feet and exclaims, jumping around and testing his bandaged legs, "In fact, I'm feeling better than okay!"
"I'm glad to see it's done wonders for you," the older man says in relief.
When he examines himself, he notices that he is bound in bandages, gauze, and other medical supplies, including a tourniquet and braces for one of his arms and legs. Seeing that he no longer needed them, he began to remove them while turning to the older man and saying, "Thank you, Mr….um…."
The older man makes a face as if he just realized he didn't introduce himself, but he keeps his composure and says, "I am General Dedria of the 12th legion operating in the hunting and siege district of the Hunters Guild."
"The hunters what?" he asks in confusion.
"You never heard of the guild? I thought your mind was simply miffed after such a blow. Perhaps I was mistaken." Dedria asks with a puzzled look. Waving it off for now, he says, "Ah, I nearly forgot. I never got your name."
"My name?" he asks. He thinks for a moment before saying, "I'm…. uh…. " and trailing off.
"Is everything okay?" Dedria inquired.
"I…I don't know," he says in a small voice before the realization dawns on him. I don't know my own name! Who am I?! Where did I come from? What's going on? Where even am I?"
As he began to spiral into a panic attack, Dedria quickly grabbed him and calmed him down by telling him, "Calm down, son. It seems you've gotten yourself a bad case of amnesia. Perhaps with time, your memories will return." Once he calmed down, Dedria let him go and then prompted him, "Do you remember anything at all? Even the silliest thing or even a feeling."
He thought for a bit, rubbing his head to try and make anything come from the surface, but no matter how hard he strained, nothing came up. So he admitted with a defeated sigh, "No. I just remembered waking up in the woods, walking around and admiring the scenery, then a dinosaur ran me over."
"I see," Dedria replied while stroking his well-trimmed beard. After thinking to himself, he said, "I'm very sorry for asking you this, especially right after you've been through such an ordeal and don't know anything, but I must ask you for your help." He gave Dedria an inquisitive look, and the older man explained while pacing around, clearly weighing heavily, "In one week, we will be engaging in a siege of epic proportions. One that will make or break the guild. We need all able-bodied people to help in this endeavor, no matter how small. So." Dedria stopped to look at him and ask, with a slight bit of pleading in his tone, "Will you help us?"
He didn't have to think long to give Dedria a reply as he said, "Considering you saved my life, even after almost ending it, I guess I have no choice but to say yes."
"Thank you," Dedria said, relieved. He then turned to the door, opened it, and, as he walked out, told him, "Please follow me, and I'll show you what you can do to help."
He followed the older man out of the room and into an unimpressive hallway with banners along a stone wall and fine wood flooring. He had no idea where he was going and ended up walking behind Dedria to avoid getting lost. From that point on, he didn't have time to observe the building he was in. The only time he stopped was to look at his reflection in a nearby mirror.
He had no idea what he was supposed to look like, so when he saw himself for the first time, he was shocked. He was around 5'8", which wasn't a lot since Dedria was most likely 7'. His shoulders were slumped, and his body was thin and had no form. His hair was short and ebony black, his eyes were starlight blue and large, and his skin was an olive tone. It seemed he was washed up when he was unconscious, judging by the soap scum on his skin, and he was wearing what looked like very intricate…underwear.
It was a two-piece set, red and black, with no sleeves on the shirt and a mid-drift, for some reason. He also wore long underwear that went to his knees. Lastly, his socks didn't look like socks because they were open at the heels and toes. He decided to figure out his fashion statement later as he continued following Dedria.
Once they got outside, everything changed! He was so stunned by the contrast between the inside of the building and the world outside that he stopped following Dedria so closely to take it all in! Dedria, who was marching along, eventually noticed the young man no longer following him and stopped to see him, awestruck by the city before him.
A marvel of construction made from wood, stone, and metal. The machines littered around pulled things up crane lines and across conveyor belts, or across the sky as large blimps dotted the air. A large forge puffed black smoke into the air, and a massive kitchen stank with the smell of fresh food and spices. Houses dotted the land as people cluttered the streets with more of those dinosaur creatures that ran him over.
A wall was at the far end, holding and protecting the town. Flags and large banners hung from it, with symbols of what the consumer was. This place's national flag was some kind of X with little pictures in the corners. There was so much excitement all around, and he couldn't focus on one thing. Dedria walked back to him and waited for him to stop ogling.
"This is amazing! What is this place?" he finally asked the older man.
Pulling him along, Dedria explained, "This is the Guild headquarters, located in the heart of the city of Dundorma. It's the home base for everything the guild does. From research and hunting to training and study. Every and anything you could learn about the natural world is right here."
He eventually started to follow Dedria on autopilot as he looked around at the marvelous city in all its glory! Until something else caught his ear and his eye. A group of three children was playing in the streets with a ball, and he couldn't help but be stunned in frozen shock at what he saw! The children looked like children at first glance, but when he looked closely, he saw how weird they were. He was staring at the children for so long that they eventually stopped playing and stared back at him.
"Are you okay, mister?" one of the kids asked.
"Your ears are so big. Why are they so big? And you have four fingers and-." He began listing the problems while looking around them before asking, "What's wrong with your feet?"
Another of the three children giggled and stated, "We're supposed to look like this."
"Haven't you ever seen Wyverian?" asked the third child.
He shakes his head and answers, "I've never even heard that word. Is that a type of food or something you take medicine to get rid of?"
The children giggled at him, and the first child said, "You're silly, mister."
"What's your name?" asked the second.
He looked embarrassed by the question but eventually answered, "I, uh, don't have one."
"Well, that's not good," said the third.
"Everyone has a name," said the first.
"Even us," said the second.
"I'm Topple," said Topple.
"I'm Ropple," said Ropple.
"I'm Lopple," said Lopple.
"I'm guessing you're related," he inquired.
"Hey! We should give you a name!" exclaimed Topple, ignoring his first question.
"Okay," he agreed, thinking he had no other idea for a name himself.
The three kids grouper up and whisper to one another with one always poking their heads up to stare at him. Eventually, they broke away, and Ropple offered, "How about…Erid."
He thought about it for a moment before deciding and saying, "Erid. It has a nice ring to it. Sure."
"Don't slack! We've no time to waste!" called the voice of Dedria from far off, causing the newly christened Erid to shudder and tense up.
"Thank you for your help, kids. I'll see you later." Erid waved to the kids as he ran off.
"Bye, Erid!" the three children called back.
When Erid caught up with Dedria, he ground him, standing by a large and intricate wooden gate. He was standing next to an adult Wyverian dressed as a researcher and writing on a clipboard.
Dedria motions to Erid and says, "This is the young man I was speaking of. I know it's late, but I'd like him enrolled in the Hunters Guild."
"Under a monster hunter, I suppose?" the Wyverian inquired as if already knowing and writing it down.
"Correct," answered Dedria.
The Wyverian then looks at Erid and, without even asking, jots down everything about him while observing it aloud: "Let's see here: height, weight, hair, eyes, skin, and…age…" He trails off at this as he's unable to figure out how old he is, so he asks, "Hmmmm…how old are you?"
"Uhhhhhhhh…17? No 18! Um, maybe 19?" Erid answered in confusion.
The Wyverian puts it down as 'to be determined' and then asks, "And what is your name?"
Before Dedria can tell him the news, Erid speaks up and answers, "Erid."
Both Dedria and the Wyverian look at him in shock. The older man asks, "Did you remember your name?"
"No, those wyven kids gave it to me. I may as well have something to call myself," Erid explained, pointing to where the kids were no longer playing.
"You mean Wyverian." Dedria corrected him.
The Wyverian narrows his eyes at him, not in suspicion but in concern as he asks, "Are you sure you want that name?"
"Yes," Erid answered.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Are you really, really sure?" The Wyverian keeps pushing.
"Yes, yes. I keep saying yes!" Erid finally gets upset with being asked constantly.
"Okay, no need to get so wound up, son," Dedria said to calm him down.
The Wyverian shrugged and said while writing the name down, "If you insist."
"Go on ahead for a moment," Dedria told Erid as the large wooden gate opened. Erid walked ahead, and Dedria turned to the Wyverian and asked, "Is there something wrong with his name?"
The Wyverian paused as he thought for a moment, then explained to the older man, "More of the meaning behind it. In the current generation, it means…something else than what my generation knows it as."
"And that would be?" Dedria prompted him.
"Erid is a slang term for what you might say, Coward," the Wyverian finally admitted, making Dedria's eyes go wide. Seeing his reaction, the Wyverian offered, "I can change it to something else."
Dedria looked at the boy who was mindlessly looking around, then put his fingers to the locket in his coat and replied, "He seems stuck on it. I don't think he'll change it even if he was told the truth."
The Wyverian shrugged and observed, "He does seem very impressionable. Like a dry sponge. Perhaps that's a good thing for what you're about to throw him into."
With that, Dedria walked through the gate and up to the boy, motioning for him to follow. The two then walked off to their next destination as the gate closed behind them.
Hello, so this is my first chapter on this story, but don't expect many or consistent chapters to pop up. This is more of a side story. I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring, see where this story goes, and try something different. I hope you enjoyed it. Please Review, and have a great day!