User blog:Ikoter/Monster Hunter - Amidst Flames

AMIDST FLAMES

'''Chapter 1: '''

The hunter landed on his feet, his genetic enhancements making it possible to survive such great falls. He had arrived in what was designated on the map as, ‘area eight’ of the volcanic hollow.

His initial quest lead him there to deal with ‘an unknown thing that can spew fire’. It seems some villager was mining happily and all of a sudden his cart of ore blew up, poor bastard, he was an inch away from getting burned to death.

The man had ran away so fast that he didn’t even have time to see what was attacking him. In the end, the miner made it out alive and unharmed. Due to the fact that no one was injured or killed, the quest was classified as ‘low priority’ and postponed nearly a week.

Not many hunters displayed interest in this assignment in particular, as the ‘aggressor’ who took over the volcano is unknown. They’d much rather go hunting where they know who the monsters is in order to earn parts and forge their equipment.

People these days lack the sense of adventure! Why not take on a seemingly new threat just for the fun of it?

Reports from the Dragon Seer had indicated that the monster is incredibly fast, reason as to why it’s not yet identified via the use of monocular. But what the Seer was capable of telling is that this creature is extremely territorial.

The Seer watched as various monsters that inhabited the volcano had poured out of their homes, running for their lives. They were small monsters, large monsters, and even an Elder Dragon!

A Teostra of all things! That Dragon was running away even faster than a Volvidon rolling down a hill!

A weird thing is that it didn’t try to fly; maybe its wings were damaged…

After bearing witness to all this, this unidentified monster launched fireballs at the Seer. Thankfully none of them hit. It then propelled itself at the balloon to bring it down.

A quick work of the Seer’s cooling systems and heat injection systems managed to blow the aggressor away. He could only get a quick glance at the monster, before it vanished out of sight. The only thing that the Seer could say for certain was that this animal was small. It was certainly not as big as other monsters, even a Jaggi appeared big in comparison!

The Dragon Seer now no longer flies over the Volcano until this threat is removed.

So yes, the hunter was rethinking all of that. He was still unsettled as to why payment has not yet been assigned to this quest, since they didn’t even know what it was that needed to be killed. No, captured. This specimen… intrigued, a few people.

Something moved. The hunter had spotted a quick blurry figure passing in the distance. Drawing his weapon, he jumped further down, eyes scattered in all directions.

Unbeknownst to him, the foe hid right behind, on the wall he hopped over.

<p class="MsoNormal">A strike came that the man was not prepared for.

<p class="MsoNormal">Much of the impact was absorbed by the thick sheets of Seregios plate, causing little damage to the wearer. As response to this, the hunter immediately got a good grip on his hammer and returned fire all the way behind himself in the form of a sideways swing.

<p class="MsoNormal">His swing was met by the hot air and a blank moment of awkwardly staring at a stupid wall.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Where… Behind!’ As the giggling betrayed, the monster proved agile enough to once again escape sight. This hunter quickly realized the margin of his error coming to fight alone.

<p class="MsoNormal">Who’d have thought that such a beast exists? One who targets blind spots and is quick enough to escape the tracking eye? That’s impossible! No such monster exists!

<p class="MsoNormal">Then what is this thing?

<p class="MsoNormal">Apparently it was kind enough to give the hunter a moment to think about all these questions. It hadn’t attacked for more than ten seconds now, as the hunter felt. Was it trying to put fear into him? His eyes still scrambled to find his opponent. Then it occurred to him:

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Could it be flying?’ Raising his head up, he finally managed to spot his foe…

<p class="MsoNormal">… For only a second as it became a blur and fled.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘It does not want to be seen?’ He thought to himself, while the only thing he could recall from that quick glance was that the monster is red.

<p class="MsoNormal">That information alone proved useful. If the opponent has red skin, or red fur, or carapace, and lives in the volcanic hollow, it was good he brought a water hammer. Water quells fire, as far as normalcy goes.

<p class="MsoNormal">He heard movement, was the foe behind him?

<p class="MsoNormal">Turning not his body, but throwing a leg behind and using his hammer as support, the hunter made contact with the foe. He then turned his body around to be stunned…

<p class="MsoNormal">“What…” His opponent was a ‘her’… She had a figure akin to none he had ever seen. It alone was enough to quench his fighting spirit and make it take a break.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was beautiful… But… Why? It was an abomination! There were… Scales, red ones, covering a part of her, though they were mostly towards the back.

<p class="MsoNormal">At the top, a beautiful, beautiful dream like face, adorned by long smooth hair and a pair of horns at the side of her head; two long wyvern ears as well. Were those sapphire eyes he spotted? A beauty among beauties…

<p class="MsoNormal">Coming downwards, a necklace? A necklace with what appears to be a red jewel. Shoulders covered in scales, and –BADUM- boooobiiiiiiieeeeesss… a beautiful pair of giant sized breasts. These two partially hid beneath scales.

<p class="MsoNormal">There appeared to be a smaller necklace, or talisman hanging below the chest area. This talisman appeared again a little lower, at waists level, merging with scales that led to a long strong tail.

<p class="MsoNormal">The back was also adorned with a pair of wings, which would explain some of its mobility.

<p class="MsoNormal">Was this a Teostra? Or a half human, half Teostra creature? An abomination!

<p class="MsoNormal">How? When? Why? Who would do such a thing?

<p class="MsoNormal">She took a step forward and thrusted her tail at the hunter, hitting his helmet and knocking him a few feet back.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Quit loitering around!’ The damage was real. This opponent has shown that she is no mere woman who only dresses to impress. She means business and is planning to kill him, the intruder.

<p class="MsoNormal">A thought occurred to him: what if he tried to speak to her?

<p class="MsoNormal">“Can you understand me?” He said, while releasing his tension a bit.

<p class="MsoNormal">However, it was brought back up as she hissed, grabbing his attention and giving understanding that she does not speak his language.

<p class="MsoNormal">It would seem the one who took care of this ‘child’ was a Teostra mother. But the Teostra is only male! Then was the mother… human? Gods… who would stoop so low…

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Hmpf, what do I know of parents? Had I any to know of?’ One’s own history is a matter of the past. Gone. And of nobody’s concern except his own.

<p class="MsoNormal">He charged, bringing hammer to bare. She jumped up, taking flight.

<p class="MsoNormal">Raising his gaze to follow her, past the near human feet, past the obscene, he noticed one major thing: her body began glowing orange.

<p class="MsoNormal">The sign was clear, dodge!

<p class="MsoNormal">He did, as the flame poured down to engulf all the area beneath her, he had thankfully sprinted fast enough to get far enough. No longer in a danger zone, he pulled out a flash bomb.

<p class="MsoNormal">These rarely work on Teostras, but since she half human, there may be a better chance…

<p class="MsoNormal">Wasting not one moment, he threw it just as she landed, the bombs triggering right in her face.

<p class="MsoNormal">She began swinging left and right out of dizziness, a sign that the flash had effect. He sprinted at full speed, charging his blow and jumping. He would slam the hammer down on her in the form of a leap attack.

<p class="MsoNormal">And indeed his blow was met by the lava-hot terrain, causing his gaze to follow right. She evaded that blow? How?

<p class="MsoNormal">Only now he remembered something crucial. Back when he was in Val Habar, a cook master cat told him a few things about felynes, and, something that affects monsters in general.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You see these cat ears of meawn? Their puurtty good at hearing things, meaw.” Sound! She had avoided his attack because he let out a battle cry in the middle of it all!

<p class="MsoNormal">How foolish of him! This is the sort of mistake that cost many other hunters their lives. There is NO ROOM for error on a battle field. Out here, its kill or be killed.

<p class="MsoNormal">Hmm? Was he recalling what happened to his friends in the middle of the fight? No. He never considered those people to be friends.

<p class="MsoNormal">She opened her eyes. They were suddenly covered in red. Blood? Could have been as it started dripping down her face, like tears would.

<p class="MsoNormal">Her face now gathered flame around her head, her hands too being engulfed in fire. An angered expression gave him all the reason he needed.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Is this… how I die?’

<p class="MsoNormal">… No. He is not the kind to lay down and die in the face of a greater opponent.

<p class="MsoNormal">He is a warrior. He always had to put up a fight. Ever since little, ever since he had no home, ever since he opened his eyes. He was no stranger to strife. Even when hunters were to be chosen, and he was amongst them, he fought and fought and fought. Monsters, humans, everyone to stand in his path to glory…

<p class="MsoNormal">Many of them never returned even from their first hunting quest, where they chased a blasted Jaggi. It was his magnificent tenacity which allowed him to stand above others and become a prime hunter.

<p class="MsoNormal">But… Was this how he would die? Slain in battle by a beautiful mistress…

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Never!’ His hands no longer holding the hammer, the hunter received a powerful left to his helmet, becoming staggered good.

<p class="MsoNormal">She too staggered. Looking down, and through her senses, she spotted the fist of a man well embedded into her side, causing her breath to leave her as she backed away, grasping for air.

<p class="MsoNormal">The burning on his helmet woke him up. He still stood standing while she coughed and clawed for air on the ground. His armor did its job, even though it was not completely fire proof.

<p class="MsoNormal">His helmet was still aflame as he approached, neglecting his hammer. The hand he used to leave her breathless was now holding the beast up by its horn, right fist preparing to swing.

<p class="MsoNormal">She too responded; the two of them exchanging powerful blows, each hitting the other’s face. This time his helmet flew off, breaking apart. He was stumbled back, but he quickly planted a foot behind so that he would not fall.

<p class="MsoNormal">Very tiny flames had found the right side of his face, and he stomped these out before they were able to do any serious damage, though they left some aching sensations.

<p class="MsoNormal">She stood down on her knees, breathing heavily and looking at him. Her previous speed now left her, it seems, as her legs shaken heavily when she started getting up. With great difficulty, she managed it, but could not take a single step forward.

<p class="MsoNormal">This was why he was chosen to undertake such dangerous and mysterious quests. Anyone who can send a Teostra running scared is a high level threat. And he proved to surpass all kinds of horrors in the past. There were few hunters as ruthless and savage in battle as he was.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Never give any ground to the enemy! Never back away! You are strong! In combat, even if it costs you a limb or two, you press onward and kill!’ The hunter always went forward because he knew the consequence of losing, is death…

<p class="MsoNormal">They held in stark view of themselves for uncounted time, till he bursted forward, starting a fist battle. His fist was met by hers, still aflame. The two fists proving to be nearly as powerful.

<p class="MsoNormal">He gave in. Taking two steps back and putting out the flame on his right hand, being proven that she is superior in strength. A thing that annoyed him.

<p class="MsoNormal">His genetic enhancements could only do this much, huh?

<p class="MsoNormal">She flapped her wings to take flight. Seeing this event, he rushed and jumped, successfully grabbing onto her leg and pulling her down.

<p class="MsoNormal">Surprised at this turn of events, the monster used her other leg to kick him off, succeeding.

<p class="MsoNormal">She then began to channel flame, a thing he saw as he fell to the ground. Landed on his back, the hunter only brought his hands to cover the most vital area, the face, as the Teostra child engulfed him, and everything else in a few feet radius, in flame…

<p class="MsoNormal"> 

<p class="MsoNormal">'''Chapter 2: '''

<p class="MsoNormal">“There, there, good hunter. The flames have not swallowed you yet.” These words sounded like an echo… but most importantly, like a caring mother speaking to her child. Blessed words of care.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Mother? What mother?’ His eyes slowly sliding open, they took a good minute of staring up until they could clearly see. The hunter began assessing the situation.

<p class="MsoNormal">The first thing he felt was how he could not move his right hand. Raising head slightly permitted his eyes to travel where they needed to.

<p class="MsoNormal">He looked for ten seconds, before allowing his head to just fall back down.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Am I in hell?’ There was a leech on his right arm. More like, his right side of the body. A red hot beauty stood engulfing him in an invisible flame.

<p class="MsoNormal">If that was not enough, the temperature was rising, quickly. His chest armor had been mauled at, ripped apart even. It was no longer present.

<p class="MsoNormal">He needed a cool drink. The environment seems to have changed too. Was he in a nest? A seemingly cramped space with furs and animal pelts littered just about everywhere. It would appear they stabilized the temperature, yet why did it feel like it was rising?

<p class="MsoNormal">He hoped his backpack was nearby, there! Reaching past the lump of flesh, his hand entered the potions pouch and retrieved a cool drink. But now something else occurred. He could feel ‘it’ staring at him.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he stood over the marvelous sculpture of a monster he not too long ago did battle with, his little man woke up.

<p class="MsoNormal">This scenario was wrong in every possible way.

<p class="MsoNormal">Why? Why consider this wrong? Because some bastards before did something unearthly to create such an opportunity?

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Why would this be good in any way?’ Because from the beast, a beauty was born? Is that why?

<p class="MsoNormal">There were few female hunters he had seen whose beauty shined close to this monstrosity. Still, her radiance appeared to surpass them in every single way… except... one.

<p class="MsoNormal">One single huntress ever managed to capture his loyalty, and, his heart. She would no doubt be the right choice…

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Ah, she died.’ A thought so seemingly thrown into the wind, with little care for consequence.

<p class="MsoNormal">That huntress was a beauty whom had the people’s respect, and who was his one true ally in that world. The ruckus he received once he returned to Val Habar alone… The hunters there accused him of abandoning her against impossible odds.

<p class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t until he beat every single one of them into submission and enlightened them to the situation at hand, that they understood the woman’s one flaw. She was obsessive by nature.

<p class="MsoNormal">Obsessed by gear, obsessed by diamonds, parts, fashion, fame, attention…

<p class="MsoNormal">This hunter understands people the best. The huntress proved to be his ally, but he knew that deep inside, she was doing this merely for the sake of her own personal gain.

<p class="MsoNormal">He is a very renowned hunter, known for his skill in combat and unusual survivability. Getting close to him would prove very resourceful for a female hunter.

<p class="MsoNormal">Many times he cursed his destiny, what he lacked since birth and what he had to do to become what he is now: that people would flock behind him, as crows to a fresh corpse, to feed off of it and leave its remains in the dust…

<p class="MsoNormal">Disgusting. Utterly disgusting!

<p class="MsoNormal">These thoughts parsed through his mind, being only interrupted when he had seen the monster twitch. She slept soundly near him, his eyes not taking in any signs of danger at all.

<p class="MsoNormal">In fact he felt almost at home… Home? Weird… His messy room did not feel like that right there at all. Standing in a monster nest composed of animal fur and carapace, felt… peaceful. Peaceful? Yes…

<p class="MsoNormal">This sensation, he liked.

<p class="MsoNormal">The hunter’s eyes ran along her body, absorbing her definitive shape and memorizing it thoroughly. But they stopped. One nuisance had been spotted. A slightly purple injury mark to the side of her waist.

<p class="MsoNormal">Bringing his left hand to bare, he touched the purple mark, but jolted his hand back as the slightest touch of that spot appeared to make her body shiver. It appears to have sent a shock throughout her body.

<p class="MsoNormal">He had then realized that was the spot he hit when they first exchanged blows. Such a strong and beautiful woman… shivering from a wound? He nearly felt wrong to have inflicted a crack into this perfect ruby crystal.

<p class="MsoNormal">But the hunter did not feel wrong. He knew exactly why he had to put a dent in her. Nature’s first law: kill or be killed.

<p class="MsoNormal">Everything nature taught him, he learned, becoming the embodiment of un-adulterated strength, survivability, and combat prowess. Human society and civilization proved no obstacle in his way, he adapted.

<p class="MsoNormal">But now… this situation was different. Nature did not teach him this step. What he would know about reproduction, was what he sometimes happened to see in Val Habar and Dundorma. ‘Kisses’ as they would be called.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Don’t worry lass, you’ll find your half someday.” A merchant jokingly told the man who stared blankly at couples.

<p class="MsoNormal">Such small acts of love did not cause his little man to rise. The sight of such a wild beauty this close however…

<p class="MsoNormal">She awoke. Eyes opening slowly to see her prey, staring back at her, no sensation of fear in his eyes. She sensed no desire to escape. Almost no emotion…

<p class="MsoNormal">Her right hand rushed at his left shoulder, grasping well and slightly shaking him, to see if he would shudder in determination, as there was no language through which they could understand one another.

<p class="MsoNormal">Such a thing had not happened.

<p class="MsoNormal">What had happened however, was him bringing his arms together behind her waists and drawing her in close. This was a motion she did not fully understand. She merely stared back into his eyes; no ill will was sensed.

<p class="MsoNormal">They would have been sitting there as such for quite a while, wouldn’t they? His mind perceived this development, and sought to bring an end to it.

<p class="MsoNormal">He began drawing her even closer in, until their faces met, and shared a kiss.

<p class="MsoNormal">She became baffled by this event, as her monster brain did not seem to comprehend such a gesture. But her body told her otherwise. Half human as she may be, it recognized this signature, and prepared for the unavoidable mating.

<p class="MsoNormal">She finally came to the conclusion: he was what she had been searching for all this time...

<p class="MsoNormal">Putting up no more resistance, she embraced his touch, becoming nearly addicted. Her tail began wiggling back and forth against the fur covered ground.

<p class="MsoNormal">Breaking apart momentarily, there was a clear glimmer in her eyes that she wanted more.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Managed to turn you on have I?’ Would he stoop so low?

<p class="MsoNormal">He would. The hunters head bearing lower into her pumped chest, kissing and touching gently just about every visible part.

<p class="MsoNormal">She brought her hands behind his head, hugging it and letting out small moans of joy. She was finally feeling what it meant to be with someone. Someone to love.

<p class="MsoNormal">The scales on her breasts released themselves, coming lose from the things they guarded for the first time in forever.

<p class="MsoNormal">He was intrigued by this motion, but continued on to fondle the preciously exposed body parts. She moaned so admirably, further increasing her hug on him.

<p class="MsoNormal">But he stopped, breaking loose of the arms in a… non-violent way. This surprised and confused her; does he no longer wish them to be together?

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Come to me, be my own. Grant me children.’ These words had went through her mind. The same way that they would reach another of her kin, so have they reached the hunter, who stood stunned.

<p class="MsoNormal">She had not used her mouth to speak, but instead he somehow heard her voice, in his head?! Did this mean communication was now possible?

<p class="MsoNormal">‘What is your name?’

<p class="MsoNormal">She formed a fist and placed it above her chest. ‘Jorielle.’

<p class="MsoNormal">There actually came a response…

<p class="MsoNormal">Repeating the same gesture, he replied: ‘Kallaren.’ These thoughts traveled at her, receiving a warm smile as response, along with the clear desire of having him continue…

<p class="MsoNormal">Straying his eyes from hers, they continued down her frame, to admire her perfection.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Your beautiful…’ These two words seemed to make her happy. It was conveyed back at him through her small gestures, such as closing her eyes and putting up a smile, tightening her hug.

<p class="MsoNormal">Now he definitely felt bad for putting a crack in this diamond. She was beautiful any way you looked at her. He felt as if he would do anything in the world to repay her for the price of injury, from the bottom of his heart.

<p class="MsoNormal">That heart, whom for the most of his wretched existence had been stone cold, now became warm, beating faster than ever. The feelings of empty and nothingness replaced with love and care, emotions that were taboo to him until then.

<p class="MsoNormal">He moved a hand down to her waists, looking at what could be described as her underwear, an almost obscene thing.

<p class="MsoNormal">Though it embarrassed her to have to expose that small part of intimacy, she understood it as a necessary act for procreation.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he pulled her garment away, she quickly covered the spot with her hand, eyes turning to look away while blushing miserably.

<p class="MsoNormal">In all honesty, he too was unsure of how things would proceed further. Nature never seemed to explain such acts. He assumed it would merely come to him, as it did.

<p class="MsoNormal">He felt a small amount of pain, further down. This emotion was transmitted on to her and she quickly turned glance in worry. It would appear they are now connected in thought and emotion.

<p class="MsoNormal">Realizing what the inconvenience was, he removed his waist guard and allowed the little man to come into stark naked view.

<p class="MsoNormal">She looked at it only for an instant, realizing what that thing is and what its purpose is, and quickly turned glance. It was to ravage her…

<p class="MsoNormal">Her embarrassment becoming all the more visible to the hunter. He gently touched her fingers with his own, extremely diligently pulling up on them. She felt this slow, careful approach; its finesse impressing her.

<p class="MsoNormal">This act alone demonstrated a calm and gentle nature, one who thought of her first before putting his own desires into consideration. It was now clear that for her, he is doing this.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Yes…’ Her voice came to him as thought, finally accepting him and moving her hands behind his neck. He placed his against the ground to stabilize the following motion.

<p class="MsoNormal">Who would have thought that on a quest to battle a horrible beast, he would instead be comforting it? This scenario had never, ever crossed his mind. Not as a child, not as an adult, and certainly not as a hunter.

<p class="MsoNormal">He knew that at some point, he should find a female hunter, or just a woman and retire from his career of killing what could be innocents. Nature certainly has not proclaimed monsters as villains, same as it has not declared mankind heroes.

<p class="MsoNormal">This trail of thoughts was interrupted when he realized her curious gaze was upon him. She was confused. Had he given up on mating with her? The monster brought its hands to the sides of his face, feeling his cheeks.

<p class="MsoNormal">Woken from his sudden thoughts, he raised arms and gently took hold of hers, somewhat unsure if he really should continue. What, was he going to have a future alongside such an abomination? A beautiful, beautiful abomination…

<p class="MsoNormal">Her eyes displayed trust he would not find anywhere else he’d look, that she won’t betray him no matter what.

<p class="MsoNormal">The hunter moved their hands downwards, past either sides of her face, having hers locked against the ground, proclaiming his dominance as the male. A dominance she gladly accepted as they locked into another kiss.

<p class="MsoNormal">And finally… The shy lioness meeting in sacred unison of man and woman, a unison which would leave the two clawing for each other’s embrace…