Hunter's Notes: Fate Looms

The night air was thick with tension. Deep in the bush, smaller creatures scuttled away from the drama unfolding in the nearby palms. A lone hunter, blade drawn, stood motionless, awaiting his prey's next move. He'd been tracking it for hours on end, the large brute just staying ever so slightly out of his reach. But here, there was a sheer cliff face with the monster trapped inside an alcove in the mountains that dotted the island jungle. There would be no escape for it.

As lightning flashed and the rain poured steadily, the two adversaries gauged one another, staring each other down in a deadlock so tight, that the next motion would mean the battle. Having depleted his entire supply of medical items and rations over the past two days on the hunt, the hunter was exhausted and near breaking, but so was the beast. It bore quite a few deep gashes in it's hide from where the metal had cleft into scale and bone. Sinew showed underneath protective outer layers of tough skin. The wings had been damaged beyond flight capability, and there was no where left for it to run.

In a heartbeat, the monster made it's move. A sharp beak pounded down just inches from where the hunter had been standing seconds before, having rolled away to safety. With a harsh scream like that of grating metal, the fire breathing monster belched out three massive fire bursts in succession at its foe, none connecting. With the battle having drawn on so long, it was weak and tired, its vision faltering in the dim light.

There was a quick motion, and the hunter rolled away from underneath the monster, a small metal post stuck into the ground. In a brilliant flash, a single bolt of lightning crashed down towards it, connecting with the monster. It's mineral-enriched shell absorbed the lightning, electricity coursing through its body as it fell into it's death throes, twitching in a spasmodic seizure. Finally, it lay dead.

Sheathing his blade, the hunter walked towards the outer edge of the treeline to a rock wall that dropped down out of sight into the fog. Looking up, he spied the Guild's Research Balloon, and gave it a signal flare. They flashed their lantern in acknowledgment.

The four day mission to hunt the lone wolf Garuga was finally at an end.

Returning to the fresh carcass, he severed off it's remaining ear, carving through bone and scales to remove the tail as well. With a practiced steady hand, he outlined the beak with his carving knife, removing the beak from the head expertly. Though damaged in the fight, these pieces would do just fine for the next weapon in his collection. Any other useable parts would be given to the shop owner for study, while the edible parts would go to the kitchen.

"Ahoe Down there! Still Alive?" A call rang out from the nearing balloon.

"Indeed! Quite the beast, but no match for my katana!" The hunter replied.

A rope ladder was thrown out of the craft to the ground, a Guild Sanctioned Scientist climbing down to meet the hunter.

"Good work on this beast. He's been terrorizing the local villages for ages now. It's about time someone came along who could take him down." The man spoke.

"Aye. But you know...there be times when I just can't help but feel sorry for them. They're just tryin' to live out their lives, just as we are."

"Keep that mindset and the next one'll have you for supper for sure laddie."

The hunter shrugged.

"How long's it been now we know each other, eh? Two, three years? Ah've seen you personally slaughter beasts the likes of which no man could ever dream to be able to face alone. Ya can't be telling me you've always had that thought in yer head now, can ye?"

"Remember that we too ourselves can be no more than monsters in our worst hours." The hunter waved dismissively, heading back towards the beach where he'd landed his pontoon skiff. "I've got things to do, I'll see ya on the next hunt."

"Be Careful Boyo! Hope tae see yeh alive again before the month's out!" The scientist called out before motioning up for a transport net to be thrown down.

===LDL===

"I hear tell it's taller than the fortress itself when it stands up to full height."

"My friend knows a guy who seen one once. Said it wears the skull of a Lao Shan Lung on it's back, it's that big."

"When did word arrive?"

"Only about an hour ago. Everyone's been up in arms since. Seven or eight hunter's have passed through already."

"Rumors must be true if that many came through here."

"Look, there's the village hunter."

"Who, Goldbane?"

"No...the Tigrex Knight himself. If HE's going out, this must be a big deal."

"You hear about how he took down the Wolf last week?"

"The man slays Tigrex for a living, keeping this village safe. He's slain over seventy of the beasts. Hell, he has a suit of armor made out of the hide of an enraged Tigrex. It shines red. You think a Garuga is going to be a problem for him?"

"Well...it's just I've never seen the man in person."

Such banter was common to reach his ears every time he entered the village's Gathering Hall. Being something of a local legend for his mastery of hunting the region's most feared monster, it wasn't unusual to hear of new comers just learning of his feats, though it wasn't common to be unknown either.

The hunter sauntered casually over to the information board, the place where all quests by outside sources were found. He skimmed over it, looking for one request in particular. Word from the fortress told of the large carapacean, Shen Gaoren, approaching the mountain pass where the fortress rested. Pulling the notice from the board, he turned to the counter situated against the wall of the hall, greeting the clerk.

"Evenin' Rosa."

"Well there's a face I'm always glad to see." she replied in kind.

"So...the crab finally made it's rounds of the mountain, aye?" he asked.

"It's roughly twenty leagues out from the fortress, but it's path has been confirmed. You going after it, are ya, hot stuff?"

"Guild mandate. Any hunters over rank eight are urgently requested. From the mail I received, it's apparently done enough damage that they're accepting hunters from rank six on up. We both know that's rare that the Guild would accept that kind of responsibility. Normally, they are all about hunter safety."

She nodded.

"Indeed, seems like this beast is a bit tougher than your ordinary shell back."

"I haven't fought a Gaoren since my initiation to the high rank levels. I wonder what this one will be like." The hunter mused. "That one was barely into it's shell when we fought it."

"We? You normally hunt alone, who went with you?"

"Two long time friends of mine. The Demon of Jumbo, and Spiritess of Dondruma. You don't tackle something that size alone and expect to live. God, to have those two at my back this time around, I would give most of my weapons."

The clerk gave him an odd look.

"Now I know that something as big as a Gaoren isn't to be trifled with, but are you really that worried? You've slain so many monsters to save us here and a crab dinner has you jittery?" She laughed. "It's not like you'll be alone. We've seen some heavy hunter traffick through here since the word got out. I even saw Seraph come through. At least if no one else, you know she'll have your back, am I wrong?"

The hunter sighed.

"Relations with Seraph are tenuous at best ever since our last hunt together. Yes, I've no doubt she'd rescue my hide if things got out of hand...but as for being friendly about it, that I'm not sure."

"Well ya know...if she's not gunning for you anymore..." The clerk blushed a bit.

"Clever pun." The hunter laughed. "But no...any chance for anything resembling love blossoming between us died last time out."

"What ever are you going to do?" She mocked sarcastically. "A young, handsome hunter in his prime...unable to find a woman?"

"Not unable. More unwilling. I don't think I could ever put a woman through the kind of worry the wife of a hunter goes through. I save people, not destroy them."

The clerk appeared to deflate a bit.

"So what, no chance of ever finding love?"

"Not while I carry the title of hunter." He set down his license. "Can you process the papers while I go get packed?"

She nodded, a little downcast. "Sure, not a problem."

As the hunter returned to his abode, he could feel the emotional wave rolling off of the woman following him through the door. It wasn't that he wouldn't if he could...but the agony some mistresses went through while their men were out in the field, and likewise for the husbands of some female hunters, was just something he couldn't bring to bear on anyone. It had always been against his nature from the first moment he picked up a weapon.

The walk back home seemed to take forever, even if it was just up the hill. When he entered, he was greeted by his felyne companions. All seven of them met him at the door, welcoming him back. With a dutiful look, he set his hands together behind his back. They knew the drill. Immediately, five of them retreated to the rear of the house where the kitchen was. The other two stood at attention. The hunter turned to his trunk and retrieved a ruby red helmet streaked with blue, topped in the fangs of his favored adversary, the Tigrex. With a look of determination, he faced his companions.

"We've got work to do."