Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Deep breaths in, and out. Just let the emotions out; don’t let them overwhelm you.

I did my best to adhere to the mantras, but it was bailing water out of a sinking rowboat with a spoon. The serene quiet of the forest clearing wasn’t helping. Being surrounded by trees older than our expedition, than our base, didn’t offer me the usual comfort.

“Just, WHY?!” I shouted at the subject of my rage, who I felt was giving me a look of contempt. “I keep telling you ‘No’; you keep getting ‘caught’ in my traps. At first I thought it was funny, I’ll admit, but this is taking it too far!”

The crimson and black tyrannosaur stood still, her tail swinging side to side while focusing entirely on me. She was easily twelve- no, fifteen feet tall to the top of her hips; and a good thirty-five to forty feet from the nostrils of her snout to the spikey tip of her tail. Her piercing fiery orange eyes were bearing down on me, patient and just waiting for an opening. Around her left ankle, one of my vine traps was loosely dangling, having been cut from the actual ‘trap’ portion while the end led off into the bushes nearby.

“You destroyed ALL of the traps! Do you have any idea how difficult it was to set some of those up? Why would you even do that, why do you want to be captured?!” I dropped my Dancing Duval warhorn, using both hands to communicate in the words of my people. A dumb thing, to drop your only weapon and defense against any beast.

Her nostrils flared with what I assumed to be frustration, as she slowly took small steps toward me. It was only when she was within striking distance that my tiny, often-ignored sense of self-preservation kicked in to point out how big her jaw was, and how sharp those teeth were. Before I was able to kick my angered, righteous self out of the driver seat, she had closed the distance. Using the tip of her nose, I was knocked backwards, leaving me flat on the ground.

Then, when I tried to get up, she laid down, resting her massive head on top of me in a pinning maneuver. While I loathe to admit it, the primitive monkey noises and grunts I made while trying to get her off of me were accompanied by the reality that I lacked the arm strength to dislodge a weight that could no doubt cripple me if she wanted to.

My struggles were interrupted by a gust of hot air, straight from her nostrils to my face. She had this look in her eyes which I would later describe as ‘Give up yet?’. As you can imagine, with crossed arms and a furious scowl, I caved. “Fine, but you do know what happens if you get violent, right?”

My answer was another gust of warm air, to which I raised both arms in a show of submission. I could swear she smiled as her massive boulder of a head lifted off me and to the side. With all the enthusiasm of someone who found themselves able to walk again after their legs had been crushed beneath an immovable slab, I scrambled to stand up and dust myself off. “No idea how I’ll explain this. You’d better behave or they’ll cut my funding!” I threatened with an accusing finger, hastily plucking my chosen sleep-inducing weapon from the dirt nearby.

Clipping my horn back where it belonged on the small of my back, my inner voice decided to raise another issue I hadn’t considered; just how the hell was I going to bring her into the outpost? Typically, I could drag or carry back anything my traps caught, but that wouldn’t be the case this time. A Kelbi– the monster typically caught by one of these vine traps– was small enough I could drag it back with a small raft. For larger subjects like a Jaggi, I could carry it hanging from a log if another hunter were nearby to assist.

The giant before me would likely take dozens of hunters pulling her on a rolling sled. And that assumes an unmoving mass, and not an excitedly-wiggling energetic passenger.

“So how, exactly, did you plan on me taking you back?” I asked, further cementing my insanity. She was a monster– albeit an unusually intelligent one– and had no means of communication aside from gestures which I was taking great liberties with interpreting. “No offense, but I can’t exactly drag or carry you back. And I doubt any other hunters would be as dumb as I am to consider you are anything but a danger to the city.”

Her eyes narrowed, and I felt myself give her a voice-over, something like “And how is that my fault?” before her eyes shot wide. Pivoting to her right foot, she lifted up and folded her left foot and talons into a narrow point; sliding the vine ‘trap’ right off and tossing it at my feet. The three-inch thick braided rope I had spent hours weaving, now nothing more than organic scraps hung limp in my hands.

Holding what remained as an open loop, I stepped back in surprise as she shoved the tip of her closed snout through the opening. The green noodles hung from her face like spaghetti from the cheeks of a baby, as she positioned the dangling end near my hands. Trying not to notice just how clean the cut was on the end of the rope, I grabbed the makeshift lasso and pulled it to lock around her jaws.

The sound she made– I am calling it amusement, even though my tiny man-brain recognizes it as the same sound she was making the last time I found her in one of my traps. For a brief moment, I pictured the old granny back when I was growing up, as she loved to tease me with two simple words. “Ara, ara” echoed across time, now in the deeply unsettling voice my brain had assigned to this walking calamity.

Gently tugging the ‘lead’, I tried not to think about my current situation too hard. Yes, being able to study a larger beast while it was still alive was going to progress my research by leaps and bounds! But, I also had to get her into the outpost, make sure she followed the rules, and feed her…

Dear Gog, how was I going to feed her?!

With each pondering step she took, I could feel the earth below my feet tremble in fear, driving home the fact that my latest subject was going to eat a lot; possibly more than I could afford to pay for. “You know, we might need to bring back food for you. You’ll eat more than I can reasonably gather, and I doubt the other villagers will be as… charitable.”

I felt the line go taught for a brief moment before it slipped off her snout, further reinforcing that I had zero control of the situation. Holding the useless leash in hand, I tried to reign in my screaming inner self as she laid down beside me, her left hand hovering at knee-height off the ground and gently waving upwards. “I know a faster way” I imagined her saying, tracing straight up from her relatively-tiny arm to the tufts of her fuzzy black mane.

“I should’ve never decided to study sociology and psychology,” I groaned, securing the vine rope around my waist before placing my left foot on her hand. The limb seemed to bounce gently up and down, “One, two, three!” before lifting me up sharply towards the long hair as I timed my own jump from the ground. Speaking wonders to her haircare routine, the fibrous strands held tight as I climbed up to the base of her neck.

As if she could tell I was properly seated but not yet secured, she stood and lifted her massive head up. Pivoting her head from side to side to sniff the air, I didn’t want to test and see if she’d wait for me. I quickly began to try and tie some of the hairs around me, desperately hoping I didn’t die from falling off her back like some sort of chump. Before I felt securely locked in place, she stopped sampling the air; “Found one” her voiceover stated, before she lowered her head and sped off to our right.

I clung to her body like my life depended on it, because it did; she may have been avoiding the tree trunks, but I could feel each low-hanging branch as it whistled over me in our pursuit. I may have screamed, but I stand by my assertion that it was a battle cry and hunting call.

I heard some shouts and squeals ahead, as whatever she was chasing spotted our approach. I held on for my life, feeling every movement as the beast engaged in combat against whatever it was she had found. In hindsight, I could have jumped off at that point and tried to hide or help. However, at the time I firmly believed I had tied myself down so well that I couldn’t escape from my makeshift saddle.

Whatever she had found, it was barely a fight. Maybe two minutes later, she was standing still and panting hard; I could feel her lungs as they filled with each breath. I, meanwhile, tried to sit upright from my self-assigned seat to see what she had found.

It had been a group of Aptonoths, the herbivorous scaled monsters often used as targets for ‘blooding’ new hunters. I could see the trail of blood and violence stretching back a few hundred feet, starting from the first female she had ambushed, the second she had killed in pursuit, and a somewhat mid-sized male which she now stood over. There were signs of where the rest of the herd had been grazing on the foliage in this area, and the damage of their hurried retreat.

She turned her head back to look at me, her eye fierce with the rush of the hunt. With a quick tilt of her head, my attention was drawn towards the two slain females behind us. “Get to it” is what I later realized she was saying, but at the time I was confused and simply slid off her back and down her tail.

If you’ve never ridden down the spine of an Anjanath, you should add it to your ‘before I die’ list.

With her passenger disembarked, she tore into the male, gorging herself on its flesh. In the span of minutes, she had killed what would take a group of hunters maybe an hour or so to plan, prepare, and perform. And now I, in my infinite wisdom, had to figure out how to get these two corpses back to the village. “I could fire a flare, but then I have to explain why a giant murder machine hasn’t converted me into thigh fat. But I don’t have anything strong enough to drag an Aptonoth, let alone two of them…”

Stumped, and fearful of what would happen if I called for another hunter to help, I simply sat on the ground and waited for her to finish feasting. It was rather terrifying to watch, her teeth cutting through tough hide and jaws crushing strong bones with ease. Inspired, I whipped out my journal and sketched the scene; it wasn’t like the sight was all that novel, but I had a gut feeling this lady was going to either get me killed, or necessitate her own journal.

With the mannerisms that would earn her a hearty pat on the back from the other hunters back home, she announced the end of her meal with a hearty belch. As if by coincidence, a clump of leaves nearby shriveled up into brown husks, the entire branch dying from whatever gases had accompanied the loud noise. There wasn’t enough meat left to try and extract any more, but with my sketch complete I tucked the journal away while trying to come up with a way of admitting I couldn’t solve our problem.

Better to just be up-front, I guess. “Well, if you’re full, maybe you have an idea for how we can bring these other two back with us? I don’t exactly have anything strong enough to carry them, and a call for help is just going to make things worse.”

The look in her eyes was dismissive, “Do I need to do everything?” I didn’t get the chance to respond, as she strode over and grabbed one in her jaws by its bony crest, lifting it off the ground by the head. She wiggled it, the corpse dancing like a puppet with cut strings. Delicately– and I do mean it, she was treating her kill like it was fragile instead of this massive beast– she laid it back down before walking to a nearby tree.

“What are you-” was all I managed to say before I had to duck as her tail whipped around, cracking into the base of the tree. It cut halfway through the trunk and sent splinters everywhere, before a body slam sent it falling to the ground. I watched in amazement, before my inner scientist remembered to pull out my journal and document this never-before witnessed behavior.

She walked along the fallen trunk, watching her feet, until reaching a certain spot and slamming down on it with her foot. Each attack damaged the tree more and more, until eventually the trunk split again. “This is absolutely a dream,” I admitted to myself, as the massive dinosaur stripped several branches from the log. Then, in an act I still doubt even happened, she used her talons to dig grooves in the top of the trunk. Shallow, but still deep enough for something…

Seeming satisfied, she motioned me over, once again lying down and forcing me to recognize I needed to upgrade my personal fitness routine starting tomorrow. Signaling her I was securely seated at the base of her neck, she continued to amaze me. She nudged the two Aptonoths to lie on their backs, dragging one over to lie parallel to the other, like they were both dreaming (if you ignored the massive gashes, copious bloodstains, and looks of abject terror frozen into their faces).

And then, placing the log under their horns, simply lifted it with her arms. Each crest slid into the small groves, far enough apart for her not to trip over their loose limbs, but narrow enough to fit through most tree gaps.

With my suspension of disbelief out the window, I could only shrug and accept that this wasn’t real, as the massive deadly dinosaur– who intentionally got herself ‘captured’– carried her two kills with a makeshift yoke from a tree she felled herself. Not keen on waking up just yet, I realized the next question which I doubted she could answer. “You know the way to the village, right?”

She continued walking, the two herbivores dragging along in the dirt beside us, before I felt a subtle rumble from her core. “Of course” she implied, to which I was concerned why she did. We could see the gates just as the sun reached the final quarter of daylight, and while I could not see them, I was certain the sight of her carrying two quarries towards the walls was causing some sort of uproar. “Let me do the talking,” I offered, to which she stopped.

The way she turned her head all the way around, and bounced her nose up and down– “Oh right,” I quickly unwound the lasso from earlier, lobbing it around her snout and pulling it gently shut. I could swear she wiggled her eye ridges at me, before gently turning her head to face forward, leaving me just enough leash to hold on while she could see where she was going.

“I think I finally have a tale to best Verc’s…”

Chapter Text

As we approached the main gate, before passing through the first of the decorative giant rib bones lining the path, she slowed her pace until we stopped. I hadn’t told her to, which means she also knew the maximum range of our artillery. That, or she was just worried, which I would be. Staring down a massive wall that towered over even her, with several turret emplacements aimed at our approaching forms…

“Maybe I should walk the rest of the way?” I offered, adjusting myself to slide off. But her response was to lean forward slightly, exposing me to the watchers in the lookout towers, while keeping me in place. Which was an odd choice; did she think having me on her back would dissuade them from firing at us?

As the gates ahead of us cracked open, with a familiar face flanked by several armed hunters walking towards the two of us, I adjusted my estimates for just how well she understood us humans. The hunters spread out in an arc, a variety of deadly weapons poised and ready for a fierce fight. While the only friendly face in the crowd— my boss, Fowler— was excitedly taking in the sight.

“Yvan, I must admit, this surprise was not in the betting pool. Catching a Jaggi a few months back was a major leap for you; well above your normal fare. Any chance you can explain this?” The salt and pepper haired Head Researcher was wearing his usual brown overcoat with an additional layer of padded leather overtop. The way he sauntered up to the two of us, I swear he had a screw loose.

“I certainly can try, boss. Though…” I trailed off, trying to think of a way to word this safely. “I don’t suppose the two of us will be allowed inside, will we?” I eyed the bowgun user nervously, recognizing her as a hunter renown for an itchy trigger finger.

Fowler beamed at me with excitement. “I certainly would let you! But yea, we’re waiting on the Commander to make the call.” He confirmed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “So, why the two Aptonoths?”

“She took down three when I mentioned we might not be able to feed her; ate the male down to the bones. These two are probably for the coming days, I assume.” I felt her grunt in assent beneath me, the sound causing the nearby longsword hunter to flinch.

“Interesting means of transporting them here, clever idea to use their crests like that, Yvan.” I should have corrected him, but this wasn’t the right time. Turns out being surrounded by a bunch of weapons aimed at you changed your priorities.

I heard the clack of the boots as a large man marched from the gate, his large blue overcoat whipping in the wind while dangling from his shoulders like a cape. His hair was silver with age and wisdom, physically reflecting his experience in the way the scar just above his left eyebrow reflected his mettle. The Commander was a distinct and respected figure among the Hunters; a living legend said to have conquered some of the most fearsome beasts. And now I found myself hoping he was just curious enough to not kill us outright.

“Fowler,” the massive man intoned, spurring my boss into a rigid upright stance. “What am I looking at here?”

“I have not had enough time to answer that question yet, sir.”

“Boy?” He demanded, turning the full bear of his attention on me. I rubbed an open palm against Anjanath’s hide, trying to keep her calm.

“Sir, she is the latest subject for my studies of megafauna sociology and psychology. She, uh, volunteered.” I explained, trying to brush over the weirder parts. “Normally my subjects are small, like Kelbis. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, sir.”

I could feel him inspecting my soul, while I was doing my best impression of him to stay calm and collected. Then he locked eyes with my new subject, who seemed to match his intensity based on how quickly he turned away. “It stays outside the walls. Any signs of hostility and it will be treated as an attacker.” He declared, before spinning around with a flourish of his makeshift cape and marching back towards the main gate.

The hunters followed in his wake, some seeming upset over not getting to fight against the Anjanath. Fowler remained behind, motioning for the two of us to follow him off to the side. Tucked between the stony cliff wall and the barricade was a makeshift structure that currently sat abandoned. “Yvan, you’ve done great work in the past, but I worry you may have bitten off more than you can chew this time.” My boss sounded concerned, though his expression was lit with anticipation.

“I know,” I admitted, sliding down the back of my subject’s spine. “To be clear though, she did force this on me. Destroyed every single trap and snare I set up in the forest.”

Fowler’s hesitation turned skeptical, eyeing the giant as she set down her supplemental food sources near the fire pit and began loading it with wood from nearby. “Is she the one Quyl was talking about a few months back, with the vines?” I groaned, remembering that encounter all too well…

It was almost midday, with the sun bearing down on high and several of my traps found empty so far. Quyl, a female hunter specializing in the dual blades style, followed close behind me with her pair of Matched Slicers sheathed on her hips. Her sky blue eyes darted this way and that, itching for a fight to leap at us from the bushes. “How many more of these do we have to check?” She demanded, flipping her long black hair with impatience.

“Just a few more, then we can head back if they’re empty.” I reassured her, wishing I was capable of doing the rounds on my own. Or at least, that they’d trust me to go it alone. I almost never saw anything big or dangerous, I even went out of my way to set up these traps where only tiny critters lived!

As we passed one of my markers, I froze in fright, with Quyl bumping into my back. She clearly wasn’t paying attention, to the degree I instinctively covered her mouth with my hand before she could scold me. She’d probably cut my hand off for this, but better to lose a hand than my life! Because this trap had apparently worked a little too well. Unfortunately, my reaction at the time was more along the lines of “Oh bother, not this again…”

I had set a small vine lasso trap; a simple one which would tighten around a creature’s leg if they stepped in the center, then pull taught and hold them in the air by the captured limb. It was designed to snap if it caught anything heavier than three stones. But, to my befuddlement, tangled up in a literal web of vines and suspended between four trees, was a beast that even the top hunters of the institute rarely would tussle with.

A full-size adult Anjanath.

Quyl unsheathed her weapons, her eyes blazing with greed. “Truly, Gog has blessed us for this hunt–!” She whispered, as I used my entire body weight to try and keep her from advancing towards the black and red monster. This comically feeble attempt lasted for three steps before she turned on me in anger. “It’s trapped, why are you so frightened?”

“Because that isn’t my trap!” I pointed out, my own voice competing between a whisper for stealth and yelling to get this dumb woman to listen to me. “I put down a snare that captures Kelbis, that thing would break it without noticing. And those vines? They don’t normally hang that way, anywhere.”

“So what, we just got lucky–”

“No; for whatever reason that Anjanath is tied up like that, it did it itself .” I stressed, before recognizing that the dinosaur’s fiery eyes were locked onto me. My flight or flight instincts kicked in, but this was getting out of hand. I needed to make it clear to this stalker once and for all.

With Quyl at my back, hands gripping her weapons with vibrating desire to slash, I calmly walked towards where my ‘trapped prey’ was simply waiting, hanging upside-down with their exposed belly to the sky with their neck curved to observe us. I watched as it– no, I remembered my studies and had a clear enough view– she undulated around in the makeshift ‘trap’ like a swing or hammock. Stopping just out of range of being struck by her tail, I cleared my throat and stood up straight. “No.”

She tilted her head, making odd noises and gently moving her legs like they were firmly tied in place and spread apart. “I know you aren’t actually stuck, and I have no idea what this is about, but you’re being ridiculous.” She stopped wiggling, eyes boring into my skull with a firm look as her voice rumbled like the sounds of a rockslide. “Now stop destroying my traps!” I demanded, before power-walking off in a huff towards the next trap.

I heard the rip of vines and the rustle of tree branches behind me, and quickened my pace. Luckily, Quyl appeared beside me a moment later. “You know, Yvan, I thought you were rather boring at first,” she began, as both of us were practically sprinting to get away from the angry monster I had just denied. “But that was incredibly ballsy. Maybe we can make a hunter out of you yet!”

I groaned, as my current self recognized the movements for what they really were. “Ugh, yea. One and the same, unfortunately.” I lamented, watching as she spat a tiny burst of flames to ignite the cooking fire. “I think I’ve finally lost my sanity though, for real.”

“What makes you say that?” Fowler asked, as Anjanath used her right talons to slice off the legs from the Aptonoths, grabbing them with her mouth and holding the large drumsticks over the fire. The sight made me worried about the Felynes learning about any of this.

“I can hear a voice in my head; I think it's hers, but… it can’t be? I feel like I’m both talking to myself, and having a conversation with her. I can say something to her, and hear her response. But she doesn’t actually talk.” I tried to clarify, knowing just how far into the depths I had gone by now. “But the way she acts, it’s crystal clear she understands me.”

“I’ll ask the botanical researchers and provisions stockpile if they have a remedy for that. For now…” My boss eyed the seared meat as the scent lingered our way, before patting me on the back. “Don’t get yourself killed or eaten, Yvan. I’ll have a few of ours on standby with sleepers if things get dicey, then we can just study her the normal way.”

I watched as my boss strode back towards the main gate, my situation finally sinking in now that the adrenaline was wearing off. I had brought back a full-sized Anjanath, a deadly monster capable of wiping out entire hunter teams. And as a hunter who could barely defend himself from the small herbivores, I was way out of my league.

But a grunt from her got my attention, as she was holding a fully-cooked leg in her jaws and looking at me expectantly, eyes darting around her new ‘home’. “ Where do I put this? ” I heard in my head, as I realized we had no means of storing the meat for anything but immediate consumption. “Don’t cook the rest yet, let me ask the chefs how to keep that from going bad first.” As she nodded, the leg flopping in her jaws, I made my way towards the entrance to Astera in the hopes of salvaging both her kills and my budget.

The hunters at the gate didn’t stop me as I hurried past, but their stares were burning with a mixture of emotions I didn’t have the desire to identify. My goal was simple: ask the local Felynes how they preserved meat, get whatever I needed to do the same for two entire Aptonoths, and get back outside before my subject got into a fight with some idiots whose swords were too small for their appetites.

Astera was bustling with activity, from the hunters returning from an outing, to those preparing to set out. But the way their eyes all followed me, it felt like I was being hunted myself. Seems word travels fast when you ride a giant beast up to the main gates.

The kitchens were simple to find, you just had to follow your nose. Unless a hunt was being carved up, in which case you could also follow the heat towards the massive grill and oven. I recognized a few others who were seated and eating, but made no attempt to bother either them or the head chef. Instead, I chose to wave down one of the unoccupied waiters.

The Felyne had short white fur, with a black splotch over their left eye, and an orange coloration to both ears. “Hungry, yes?” They motioned me towards an empty seat, as I noticed the grill was in full swing as temptations carried by the winds to entice me over.

“Sorry, not right now. I actually could use some advice; how do I preserve uncooked meat, for later?” I asked, as the fuzzy waiter tilted their head in confusion. They held up two paws, about as wide apart as their shoulders. “No, like, a lot of meat.” They spread their paws out wider, now matching my shoulders. “No, I mean like a whole Aptonoth?”

They laughed and waved a paw dismissively, motioning me towards the open seat again. “Friend, it would be wasteful to try and preserve so much. It would be better to carve and eat now.” I frowned, knowing he was right, but that the situation was… 

“I’m serious. I have two entire Aptonoths which I need to preserve so they don’t go bad, and I can’t bring them inside. So, how can I keep the meat from going bad?” I crossed my arms, feeling like the smaller being just wasn’t interested in sharing ‘trade secrets’, if they were even that.

“Salt! And lots of it!” A hunter shouted from their meal, to which I waved at them in thanks before hurrying to the provisions stockpile to see how much my meager savings could afford. The answer was, not much; turns out salt in the quantities I’d need was not easy to put together. I was barely able to afford a handful, and that would barely be enough for a single thigh.

Feeling like a failure, I added a detour back to my residence to grab my research materials and journal. At the very least, I could start with the basics while having to explain to the Anjanath that she’d have to eat all the meat tonight or trade it to the other hunters. Would she even understand the concept of bartering? Or economics and trade? I mean, she seemed to understand cause and effect– or at least, I interpreted that she did. Or was I reading too much into it? Maybe everything was sheer luck so far?

I didn’t notice my feet carrying me back to our little ‘campsite’ outside the walls. It wasn’t until I smelled smoke that I was brought out of my thoughts, to see several chunks of meat hanging high over the fire, engulfed in the brownish-black fluffy clouds. I noticed the campfire seemed to have shrunk while I was gone, and someone had rigged a rope to hold the meat high over the fire and directly in the pillar of dark smoke. Several chunks had been cut from the Aptonoth, as Anjanath laid on her side while enjoying the seared thigh from earlier.

She looked at me expectantly, but I just dumped my gear to the side in frustration. “No luck; they said I need a lot of salt to preserve this, but I could barely afford any.” To console myself, I pulled out my journal and began sketching the scene. “Unless you want to get fat, you might want to trade what you don’t eat today to the guild in exchange for other stuff. We have a currency system which we use to value all goods, to enable an inequal bartering system.”

She was paying rapt attention to me, though I doubted she understood a word of what I said. “Basically, if we trade in your hunts now, we can buy food later when you get hungry.” I simplified, which I could swear made her smile. “ That sounds fine ” her voiceover said, as she took another bite from the half-eaten thigh. “Really? I mean, I’ve been just making assumptions on what you’ve been thinking so far.”

She nodded before swallowing with an audible gulp. “ Of course, but so far you’ve been quite deductive ” her voice teased, as her tail flicked towards the remains of the two herbivores. “ Just be quick will you? ”

“Sure, I’ll get some help and–”

“Yvan, what are you doing?” I heard from behind me, as a quick spin revealed Quyl standing with her hands on her hips. Her chainmail armor was polished and clean, with a pair of gleaming Chrome Cross swords on either side of her hips. “Why were you talking to yourself?”

What? “I wasn’t, I was trying to explain to Anjanath how currency works.” That was not the correct answer, going by Quyl’s body language, and her facial expression. Her eyes were narrowed like that time I told her I didn’t enjoy killing things.

“I mean the weird voice. Like just now, ‘just be quick will you’? Why are you talking like that?”

Anjanath huffed in laughter, or at least what I thought was her equivalent of it. “Why are you laughing? I wasn’t really–” She nodded, siding with Quyl. “I mean, it’s just the stress. I wasn’t talking like that this whole time.” Again, another nod, “ Yes, you have ” she said, which spurred another round of laughs as Quyl smacked me on the shoulder.

Chapter Text

The three of us sat around the fire– albeit with a certain female hunter keeping her distance– listening to the crackle of the wood as it split, Anjanath having swapped the dangling meat for some new pieces. I wanted to tell her it was unnecessary, to get someone to help bring the two carcasses in and get them stripped properly. But now I had a hunter and beast who I was certain would break into a fight as soon as I left them unattended. The anxiety hit a peak when Quyl asked me a question: “Does she have a name?”

“I haven’t asked. Been more concerned with not dying, mostly.” I glanced down at my journal, the two pages full of sketches of my new subject doing things I doubt any hunter could conceive. Tool use, food preparation, maintaining a fire, somehow having a conversation without any use of language or writing–

“That won’t do. I think she’s special enough to warrant a name.” Quyl studied the scarlet dinosaur’s face for a moment, attempting what I believe was the most difficult thing she could ever do; think. “What about, ‘Tyrant of the Fallen Sun’?” Anjanath grimaced and shook her head. “Really? But it’s so Gnarlycuga... Oh, what about ‘Crimson Decimator’?” Again, another solid no. “I got it! ‘Herald of Ashes and Flame’? That has to be the most metal name short of being an Elder!”

Anjanath’s eyes were narrowed, her expression a mixture of boredom and disbelief. “If we can prevent her from murdering everyone, a simple human name might be better.” I supplied, flipping to a new page to try and capture her current expressions. It was rather captivating, just how much emotion she could convey with such a drastically different skull and jaw. “Something short too; save the long names for the dangerous beasts that need to be slain.”

“Pretty sure she counts as dangerous…” Quyl grumbled, rolling her head around her neck before focusing on the red dino once more. “Rapid fire then, grunt if you like one. Peggy, Cathy, Dorothy, Wendy, Louise, Bella, Rhys, Yvonne, Ophelia, Qiu, Monica, Tally, Sue, Vel–” Anjanath grunted, triggering Quyl and I to focus on her. “Velma?” She shook her scaly head, then tilted it to the left once. “What does that mean?” Quyl asked me, as if I was some expert in monster body language.

“Do you mean Sue?” She nodded, grinning to reveal her array of knife-like teeth. “Guess that head tilt meant ‘go back one’. But, Sue… didn’t we have someone named Sue?” I asked, quickly counting how many teeth I could see from the blood-chilling ‘smile’. Realizing I made a mistake, I erased the sketch of her smile, drawing the correct number of teeth this time.

“Yeah, I think she used a switch axe. Always was running towards a challenge.” Quyl answered, as I caught the past-tense of her statement. “She lost to a Naracuga several months back, went out swinging.”

“Hear that, Sue? Don’t go challenging any ‘cugas.” I chided, as I interpreted her response to be an eye roll. “ As if that could threaten me. I’ve killed stronger ” she claimed, earning a nervous laugh from Quyl. I took notice that Sue made no attempt to correct my interpretation. Just what had she fought before to be that confident..?

“I think that’s enough for me today, Yvan. I’ll send some help on my way in. There should be a set of hands available to fetch the meat and pay you for it. Don’t get yourself eaten, got it?” Quyl announced, as she stood and dusted herself off. It was late, with the sun going down and painting the skies a bright orange with purple clouds. The crazy woman then struck a pose, pointing directly at Sue. “And if you ever feel like fighting a real hunter, I call first dibs!” I could feel Sue rumble with mirth before nodding, as Quyl leaned slightly towards me. “Was that a yes?”

“I think that was her saying something like, ‘ You may try ’. Definitely a yes, just with context and amusement at the idea.” I rattled off, closing the journal as I could barely see the pages in the fading light. Quyl scoffed, posing again before walking backwards away from us, unwilling to show her back to the massive predator that was Sue.

As promised, later several hunters came out and dragged the remaining carcasses away into the fort via a large cart, providing me with a bag of coins and a slew of new reactions as they witnessed a sight I officially labeled as ‘Relaxed Anjanath’. Though, as they ferried away their purchase on a palette, I came to recognize an issue that I probably should have addressed earlier.

Do I try to sleep inside the walls, leaving Sue out here unattended to do Gog knows what?

Or do I stay here and hope she doesn’t roll over and crush me in her sleep?

A cold gust blew up from the ocean beneath the cliffs, teasing me just how cold it would be tonight. By the time I stopped shivering, I noticed that it wasn’t quite as cold anymore. For reasons unknown, Sue had shifted around to place her body between the ocean and the fire, eyeing me with concern. “ I don’t like my food frozen, ” I jested for her, before she nudged me with her arm and pursed lips.

“I know, it just felt like something you’d say.” She growled at me, upset at my use of corpse humor. “Fine, I get it; you don’t see me as food. Maybe you should respect your master more—“ A much louder snarl interrupted me. “Got it, so I’m the servant?” Another rumble, less than before but definitely still a ‘no’.

“So not food, master, or servant. What’s left? Dad?” No sooner than the word left my lips did she bat her eyes at me, wiggling her eye ridges with a sultry rumble. “Nope, definitely not that either.” I pondered for a moment, with no sounds beyond the crackle of the fire or the blocked whistles of the ocean breeze.

“How about just ‘friend’?” I asked, as she seemed to think it over. She grumbled, before rolling her head side to side before lowering it to rest on the ground.“Is that a yes?” I found myself grabbed by her arm and swiftly pulled into her fuzzy mane. The limb may have been tiny for her, but it was still strong enough to manhandle me, apparently.

Leaning back as I slid down to a seated position, I stared at the dancing flames, seeking answers or inspiration. “I still haven’t explained anything to you, though I have a gut feeling that most of the tests will be pointless, based on what I’ve seen today.” My head found a comfy spot, her dense hair offering a soft cushion.

Through my back, I could feel each breath. Being this close to a giant monster— especially a living one— should have me shaking in my boots, reciting my final prayer even.

But…

Seeing her eye, as she watched me, I began to feel like this was the second-safest place I could be right now.

And somehow, despite falling asleep in the crook of the neck of a beast that had likely killed more hunters than I would ever know…

I felt like maybe this could be the start of something historic.

“Now, where is the rock?”

Sue was lying down, giving me a rather upset glare, as I motioned to the three overturned cups on the ground before me. “ You joke, right? ” She grumbled, which had me hanging my head in embarrassment. “No, I am not joking. I have no idea how to evaluate you beyond the tests I have previously established.”

Her eyes said it all, as she lightly blew the middle cup over to reveal the rock. “Great, confirmed ability to track a rock through a confusing shell game.” I wrote a success on the line for the test, scanning over the other lines on the paper. “Reacts to assigned name? You’ve covered that already. Understands basic commands? Way beyond that…”

As I continued to mark tests as a success, or write a few observations, I began to question just how far and above Sue was compared to my normal research subjects. Pursing my lips, I realized I might need to draft a whole new test regimen for this. Maybe… I quickly flip to a new page, drawing the symbol for ‘fire’ before turning to show her the page. “What does this mean?”

I watch her left eye ridge climb up, eyes darting between me and the symbol. A firm shake of her head and I let go of the breath I had been holding. “Good, if you could read I would give up on being a researcher and join the meat heads in the field.”

I saw her shake with a chuckle, moving on to the next extreme test I was worried about. “OK, how about this?” I asked, revealing a simple addition equation. This time, rather than confusion, I got a different impression, like I wasn’t paying attention.

Checking the symbols, they looked right— “ I can’t read ” she reminded me. “Right; it’s a basic addition problem we learn as children. If I have two apples, and you gave me two more apples, how many apples would I have?”

She seemed excited by the idea, as her tail thumped the ground a few times. “No, I don’t have any real apples, it’s just a rhetorical situation. Just a way to visualize two plus two.” She nodded, tapping the ground with one of her claws.

Seeing that she hadn’t answered the question, I moved on. “That’s fine, we can try other things. How about we try some pattern recognition?” I suggested, pulling up the display boards I had retrieved earlier that morning. Usually, I didn’t bring these out, since the venn diagram of monsters and ‘beings who can understand this task’ was just two circles. Remarkably, the diagram for hunters only had a partial overlap as well.

At least, until now… I hoped.

I held up the first challenge; a four part image. The top left had two triangles pointing up, the top right image had two triangles pointing down. The bottom left image was three triangles pointing up, and the bottom right image was blank.

Below that, there were four images with letters over them. Image A was four circles, image B was four triangles pointing up, image C was three triangles pointing down, and image D was two triangles pointing down.

She immediately prodded image C with one of her claws (it was a weird arrangement, where I had to be far enough away she could see it, but close enough she didn’t have to use her tongue, because that lesson had been very immediate). “I didn’t even get to explain the problem!” I complained, debating whether her quick response was more impressive, or the fact she didn’t even need instructions to interpret the problem. “I mean, it is the right answer, but still…” I think she did the Anjanath equivalent of a snicker, bemused by my frustrations at impeding her progress towards an unbeatable record.

I grabbed the next one, “I think you get it, but to be clear, the question is which symbol fits in the blank square.” This one was a three by three grid of different shapes, with the bottom right square being blank. There were several different shapes, with the top left and dead-center ones being filled in while the others were just outlines—

And she immediately tapped the one possible answer that was a filled-in shape; the correct answer.

Frustrated, I tossed the placard atop the ‘completed’ pile, looking through the remaining ones to try and find anything resembling a challenge. I picked one that was a little less obvious, holding up another three by three. “What comes next?”

There were eight symbols, all of them unique. The five possible answers had four of the same symbols from the grid, and one unique one. It was a trick question, where the pattern was a lack of one. And after a few tense seconds…

She picked the correct answer, again. Another placard for the pile. “It feels like the only thing you can’t do is read, write, or count.” I admitted, worried that I didn’t have a single question Sue would fail. “ You could teach me, ” she teased, her eyes pleading with me.

“Hah, teach you how to read? You’re already smarter than most hunters; I don’t need to make it worse.” I held up another question, this one another three by three, random symbols but the key was their colors. The top was blue-red-green, and the middle row was green-blue-red. The bottom was red-green-blank and the correct answer was—

The blue symbol, which she was touching. “This feels increasingly pointless.” There was nothing left which could conceivably challenge her. “ Oh ho ho, giving up already? ” I flipped through my notes, struggling to come up with an answer. It was only day one, and she was plowing through these challenges like a hunter would clean out a buffet!

“I need to get a second opinion. Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Grabbing my placards, I made my way towards the front gate. Bug it, if I’m crazy might as well lean into it. The path to Fowler’s office was unobstructed, and thankfully he was inside. “I need help.”

His office was small, and packed with stacks of papers, books, and random monster parts. A horn here, a claw there, some scales over yonder, and his prized Mizutsune fin mounted on the wall. His desk was a basic wooden rectangular box, covered in papers, with an ‘in’ stack piled a foot high, and an ‘out’ stack equally towering. I counted myself lucky his guest chair was unoccupied by boxes or random things, and claimed it.

He smirked, putting down the compass atop the map he was working on to give me an appreciative smile. “I am glad you recognize just how insane your idea was. Thankfully, you appear unhurt. I’ll arrange for our advance team to—“

“No! Uh, no I don’t mean like that.” I stuttered in shock, recognizing I had been too vague. “I need help with my studies. I can’t think of how to test Sue properly. She’s blown through everything I had; the only things she can’t do is read, write, or do math.” I explained, offering him my journal and the placards. He accepted the journal, flipping through my notes and most recent entries.

There was a silence as my request sunk in. Fowler’s smile went from acceptance, to skepticism, and finally pity. I bet he didn’t believe me. I didn’t believe me. “I see,” he eventually responded, handing back my research before leaning back in his chair. “Yvan, you are in a unique position. And unfortunately, that position may yield results that are unverifiable.”

“Unverifiable? Sir, if you just—“

“Yvan, nobody else here is insane enough to get that close to a living Anjanath. Your studies have been novel thus far, and when you worked with the smaller critters we even humored you. But that thing is going to kill you.”

I… What more could I say? He wasn’t entirely wrong, and without any witnesses my research would be unsubstantiated. I was completely stuck, and the greatest find of my career was going to be relegated to the ramblings of a madman. “I understand, Fowler.” I felt the energy evaporate from my body, my excitement fading as the cold weight of reality pressed down.

But before he could say anything more, I wasn’t leaving anything to chance. “I’ll be continuing my study with Sue, but at this point transitioning from cognitive tests to lesson plans. Maybe someday my work will have value to the guild.”

I could see it in his face, the disappointment in me, the resignation. “Very well. I must inform you that the guild will not be subsidizing this research endeavor. Thus, if you desire to continue drawing a stipend you will need to work on it in your free time. Should you decline, your guild membership will be suspended with an interview process if you seek to return.”

“Can you inform me of what the assignment would be before I decide?” I asked, weighing just how badly this would impact everything. There weren’t many glorious jobs on assignment, most of them were the less desired projects which nobody wanted to work on. They were the types of jobs you started out doing, until someone pitied you enough to listen to your own ideas.

“The only opening I have right now would be the postponed fecal study.” Fowler was frowning, likely since he knew exactly how hard of a decision I was facing. The assignment jobs never got recognition, and it would mean a pay cut compared to my current stipend (which was already fairly low, relative to my fellow academics).

Either suck it up and work with poop during the day and sideline my efforts with Sue, or go all-in with Sue and try to find a new means of earning enough funds to feed myself.

Chapter Text

Packing up the last of my clothes, I paused to take one final look at my (now former) room. It had been small, packed to the brim with my sketches and findings, but now it was barren save for the large rucksack sitting on my bed. No stipend meant I couldn’t afford to have a room I wasn’t sleeping in. I was just thankful the guild was willing to archive my previous research papers, it meant I wouldn’t need to pay for storage.

Slipping the shoulder straps on with my knees struggling to hold up the increased weight (I get it, tomorrow morning is leg day) I walked out of what had been my home for years. The landlady was waiting nearby, her somber frown reminding me of how little we knew each other. Closing the door and handing her the key, I had an intrusive thought this could be the last time I slept in a proper shelter.

“Are you sure about this, Yvan?” She turned the key over in her fingers, doubting my decision to move out. “It might not be too late to change your mind.” She fidgets nervously, as the three foot tall grandmother tries to convince me to ‘be a good lad’.

“Baba, every time a hunter goes beyond the wall, they take a risk in the pursuit of a reward. Every hunter knows it could very well be their final hunt.” I explain, gently cupping her hands with my own. “But this is too big of a reward for me to pass up. And luckily, the biggest danger seems fairly keen on keeping me alive.” I smirked, trying to think of a way to explain the absolute insanity of my plans.

“I was hoping to see little ones eventually; you’d make for a great father.” She resigned, pocketing the key and giving me a soft smile. “Shame you never settled down with Quyl, for all the time you spend together.”

“Baba, if Sue heard you say that, she’d probably try to give you little ones to look after!” I joked, as the old woman perked up with a rise of energy.

“Oh, Sue? The name sounds familiar; have I met her? Does she have good hips? How long have you two been together?!” She pressed, as I quickly realized the main downside of giving a monster a human name.

“No, I don’t know, and about a day?” I responded, trying to be cheeky as the old woman’s face warped in confusion. “Sue is, well, the one outside the walls; the Anjanath.”

Baba’s expression was pure disgust, revulsion; like I had said the most disgusting thing she had ever heard. “Don’t you joke like that, boy! You know well enough that we don’t tolerate folk like that here!” She swatted me on the arm repeatedly, her own version of disciplining a foul-mouthed child. I laughed, enjoying the moment for what it was until she stopped with a huff. “Watch out for yourself, you hear?”

“Yes, Baba. Maybe next time you see me, the guild will accept my findings. And maybe I can bring Sue inside the walls.”

“And maybe I’ll turn twenty years old again and go steal the hearts of the young studs of the city, hah!” She barked, smiling at the absurdity. That was the end of the conversation, as I waved goodbye and descended down the staircase built into the side of the building. On my way down, a silly image burst into my head, of Sue swinging a switch-axe around with her tiny arms. Then another, with a much larger weapon held in her jaws.

“Nah, there’s no way she’d know how to use a weapon like that…” As I strode towards the front gate, it felt like half the city was watching me. Some with pity, others with amusement, and a rare few with raw excitement. I made sure to stop by and pick up some last minute supplies, like a mess kit, an extra waterskin, and lots of paper and ink. I was likely overlooking some things, or forgetting necessities outright, but various plans and approaches were flowing through my head to distract me.

“Do I start with numbers, or focus on important words she’ll use frequently?” I mumbled, pondering the merits of both. I was partially through an internal debate of starting with communication or counting when I felt a firm hand grip my shoulder, holding me in place. I was forcibly spun around to face Quyl, who…

Whose face I couldn’t really read right now. It was like several emotions were fighting for dominance, as she might not be certain which she was feeling. Anger, frustration, sadness, excitement, compassion, understanding, and a myriad more I couldn’t name. I waited, as we both stood there in the middle of the walkway, trying to puzzle out what was on her mind. In the end, she held out a flare, which I accepted with a soft smile and ‘thanks’.

She held up a fist, the universal hand sign between two hunters which stood for dozens of phrases, like ‘welcome back’, or ‘good luck’. “Some of us will try to keep tabs on you when we venture out, but if you’re ever in real trouble… don’t hesitate to use it.” I met my fist with hers, accepting the gesture for what it was: recognition, both of my brazen idiocy and the bravery found in every hunter willing to venture into the great unknown.

“Thanks, Quyl. I hope for both of our sakes I never need to.” Tucking the flare in my rucksack’s side pocket, easily accessible in a hurry. I was worried to say much more, concerned that anything further would make it seem like I wasn’t coming back.

Which, if things went wrong, I might not be.

Banishing the thought, I turned and continued my trek towards the start of my new adventure. On the plus side, I wouldn’t be alone. But on the downside, I’d be the one doing all the talking. Sue was waiting for me at the makeshift camp site, extinguishing the fire with a kick of dirt. Guess my backpack and armor were a clear signal. “Ready to go?” I asked, getting a solid nod in response. “Then let’s be off, hopefully to find a new home before sundown.”

I noticed her lying down, beckoning with her arm, to which I shook my head. “Thanks, but I need the exercise. I need to be able to outrun anything that gets past you.” I think she rolled her eyes at that, a new display further cementing my decision. “ As if anything could get past me ,” I judged from the accompanying grumble.

It was an odd feeling, walking beside her, needing to move at a hurried ten paces to keep up with a single stride of hers. She was faster than me, stronger, bigger, and more durable. If her personality had been different, it would’ve evoked memories of walking beside my mom as a child. But instead, it felt like having someone I could depend on to keep me safe, not out of blood bonds or financial obligation, but because she wanted to.

“You know, when I told my landlady I was setting out with a woman, she asked if I could bring my future children back to visit her.” I laughed, getting an inquisitive eye from Sue. “She changed her mind when I clarified it was you, thankfully. I couldn’t handle the pressure from her.”

Sue turned her gaze forward, not giving me much of a response to go off. We walked along the cliffside in silence for a moment, as a devilish idea took root in my head. “I wonder what our kids would look like anyway.”

The simple statement was innocuous, an intrusive thought. But Sue immediately lost her footing and face planted into the dirt with a thud. I tried very hard to hold in a laugh. And by very hard, I mean not at all. My prank probably earned me the stink eye she was throwing my way.

“ Friends don’t raise kids together, ” she grumbled, standing up and shaking off the dirt. “Not really, but they do like to joke around and prank one another. That and I want to get my fun now before either I die, or you learn to coordinate your own pranks with Quyl.” My mention of that hunter led to a slight hint of suspicion from the large beast.

“ Why Quyl, specifically? ” I paused to mull it over, wondering why her name came to mind. “I guess it’s because she’s the only hunter who really believes you’re different?” I thought back on all the other hunters, who had seen Sue or clearly heard about her. None of them seemed ready to entertain the fantastical.

“That might— hopefully, will change in time. But for now… I guess that’ll be another long term goal.” We were crossing into the start of the forest, as I absentmindedly followed beside her. “That aside, know a good place to set up camp?”

A soft snort ‘Yes’, followed by some other sounds and movements I couldn’t interpret. “I didn’t catch that, but I’ll trust you on this.” A flash of worry creased the corner of her mouth, but vanished just as quickly.

Wherever we were heading, it wasn’t going to be simple.

When we actually arrived, it turned out to be a sizable cave, big enough for her to walk in. There were signs it had been occupied long ago, but nothing recent enough to force us to move on. “Did you used to live here?” I asked, as Sue continued to dig out a fire pit in the clearing outside the mouth of the cave. Every so often, the trees would rustle and she’d immediately stop, scanning the surrounding forest.

Something was up; not only was she ignoring me, but I hadn’t seen her this alert even when surrounded by tons of hunters. “Sue?” I gently placed my palm against her leg, which was the wrong move based on how quickly she snarled at me with the most feral eyes I had ever seen. I froze, as did she, until her irises dilated and her head drooped in apology. “What worries you?”

I could see a pain in her eyes, as she stomped on the ground to leave a footprint in the dirt. My first thought was some sort of coping mechanism; at least until she used one of her talons to trace around the outside, in the same shape as the foot. Going by proportions, the thing that worried her was almost twenty percent bigger. I had no words, no response, just one burning question; “If it finds us, are we in danger?”

Her solemn nod drove home just how dangerous this whole endeavor was. Sue was terrified of whatever this thing was, giving rise to a tiny voice in the back of my mind berating me for leaving the safety of Astera. She returned to digging the small pit, while I went into the cave to place my bag against one of the walls. There was still plenty of light left, and we wouldn’t need to hunt for food today, so instead we would be covering some of the basics.

Originally I had planned to use paper, but the survivalist budding in me pointed out the abundance of loose dirt and fresh sticks in the area. Why waste expensive materials, when nature’s chalkboard was ready and waiting? Once I had her attention, the two of us stood outside the cave and I embarked on the endeavor that would change everything. The stick cut rough lines in the dirt, but they were clear enough to handle simple characters. In this case, I started with something I knew she’d be eager to learn; my name.

“Ee-Van,” I sounded out, moving my stick from the first character to the second. “This is how I write my name. Why don’t you try?” I offered the stick, completely forgetting her talons and previously-demonstrated dexterous capabilities of her tail. More surprisingly, she accepted the stick with an arm, and proceeded to contort in the most uncomfortable pose I’d seen in order to see what she was doing.

By the end of her effort, there were two squiggles in the dirt, both of which were amazingly close to correct for– well, let's not forget what we’re dealing with here– a giant monster who just started literacy a minute ago. “Very good, I’m astonished you managed to do so well for your first attempt.” Smug pride, but before she handed the stick back I posed a challenge. “Can you guess how to write your name?”

Her head vibrated in excitement, as she steadily began to trace three shapes in the dirt next to my name. The first looked like a lazy river sweeping from left to right, the second seemed like some sort of valley or cooking pot, and the third reminded me of a childlike sketch of a stylized Dodogama head. She seemed incredibly proud, the way her tail was wagging, I couldn’t– no, I had to be honest with her. “Interesting, very close, but…” I extended my hand, signaling her to pass the stick.

Her excitement faded, meaning she understood I was trying to be gentle in telling her the answer was wrong. Accepting the writing implement, I began to cut the symbol for ‘Tsu’, which was remarkably simple compared to my own two; just a basic arc from the top left, across to the right, drop down via a semi-circle, then cut back to the lower left at a slight angle. “Easy right?”

I saw her eye twitch, as she steadily lifted her right foot, and drew the same symbol with one of her talons. “See, you got it already!” She visibly deflated, likely misunderstanding the value of having a simple name. “Now we can move on to other, common words.” Wiping away my name with the swipe of a boot, I began to carve out the same symbol I had first tested her on. “This means ‘Fire’, give it a try.”

Reluctantly, she accepts the stick, and with her odd contortion is able to draw the symbol on her first try. “Great! I’ll have to work on figuring out which ones to cover next, but I think for now we can transition into numbers.” As the sun sped towards the horizon, we traded turns with the stick, as she struggled to remember the correct symbols for each number. As much as I wanted to leap into math right away, we needed a solid base of numbers for her to work with.

While her progress so far was nothing short of astounding, it seems the numerals were a bit harder than I anticipated. Starting with zero through three went fine, almost effortless on my part. However, four presented something of a problem. She tried drawing four horizontal lines, which would make sense normally, but after I drew the correct symbol she seemed frustrated. It was a departure from the established pattern, and not difficult to draw, but the concept of the shift seemed to bother her.

But with each progressing number, she grew more frustrated. We got as far as eight, before she lost her temper and started slamming a foot into the dirt to crush the offensive symbols. As it was nearly sundown, I didn’t feel like intervening to keep her focused on the lessons. “I think that’s enough for today, don’t you?” She grunted in affirmation, giving the dirt one final kick. “It can be tricky to start with, but I’m confident a smart girl like you can pick it up.”

Dinner tonight was less of a meal, and more of me eating some packed rations while Sue kept watch (despite my insistence she could relax a bit). But, just as I predicted, nothing happened. We didn’t even bother to light a fire this time, instead choosing to call it a night early. Sue trod just inside the cave, lying down in a straight line with her back and neck pressed against the wall, her head aimed to watch the opening by simply cracking open an eye.

I had planned to give her space and sleep on my own originally, but a shortage of funds meant no sleeping accommodations, which meant a horrible night in this cold. As I laid down in her fluffy mane, she gently grabbed and held me close with her human-sized arms. I was going to smell like her before too long if this kept up, but on the bright side it meant any smaller beasts would recognize us as a pack, and less likely to make an attempt on me.

Warm.

Last night I had thought it was just the cold winds that made her embrace feel so comfortable, but now without the windchill it felt just as welcoming. I didn’t need to worry about our food situation, I needn’t get flustered that she may never achieve the capability to fully communicate with others. The concept of whatever scared her felt like some old story passed down by the elders to keep kids from misbehaving.

“Yvan…” A woman’s voice echoed through my head.

I felt the fog push away, my eyes fluttering open to see her watching me, smiling. “Sue..?”

“Yvan, don’t worry, I’ll protect you…” Sue said, the edges of her lips pulling up in a soft smile, her eyes reflecting both her kind offer and deep-seated pain.

“Sue?!” I was fully awake, but my body wouldn’t respond. Only my head would move, the rest of me betraying my demands to remain in her comfortable embrace.

“I won’t let it take you too…” She promised, as behind her a massive shadow walked into the opening of the cave. It towered over me, over her, as a pair of piercing yellow eyes bore into my own. I was paralyzed in fear, as its nightmarish maw opened to reveal jaws filled with an armorer’s assortment of blades and daggers. The shapes shifted, the number of sharp points kept changing, with the only static being those two yellow eyes of pure malice and hunger, as the shadow beast’s head slammed down on me.

Chapter Text

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 2

After completing the task of writing numbers zero through ten, subject has shown a strong conceptual grasp of advanced concepts, but resistance towards our written counting system. This resistance has currently taken the form of her using multiples of our ‘one’ symbol in groups of four, with a fifth diagonal mark. When asked to count five rocks, she drew one of these such clusters, which confused me as it originally appeared she felt it was the incorrect answer.

When presented with problems which involve an answer of zero, one, two, three or ten, she can and will offer the correct response. Answers involving numbers between four and nine (inclusive) will default to these strange collections of ones. While the number of strokes appears to match the correct answer, it baffles me that she seems unwilling to learn our numerical symbols.

One problem was mistakenly presented, in which the answer was not possible. Subject was asked what one minus four was, to which she drew a one and a three next to each other. I apologized for my error, explaining that you cannot subtract a larger number from a smaller one, an explanation which seemed to shock her based on the subject’s body language.

Today has proven wildly successful, with the subject successfully completing both addition and subtraction of single-symbol numbers with ease. Tomorrow we will expand into double-symbol addition and subtraction. I expect things will either go very well, or I will meet frustration once again.

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 3

I was half-right, and half-wrong; subject has shown remarkable ability to comprehend larger numbers without visual representation. Regrettably, when asked for the sum of five and six, she drew two ‘one’ symbols side by side, almost a single unbroken horizontal line. Her initial reaction to my correction was understandable, but then things took a turn for the strange.

She drew two ‘ten’ symbols side by side, pointing at it inquisitively. I interpreted this gesture as her inquiry to the value shown, for which I once again had to correct her on the proper way to denote ‘twenty’, replacing the ‘ten’ on the left with a ‘two’. I noticed increasing frustration in her expression, as she then drew an addition symbol next to a ‘one’, before pointing at the pair and the ‘twenty’.

Before I had completed the symbols for twenty-one, she had broken her writing stick and made to leave our camp site. Lessons for math will be on hold until I can determine the source of confusion and frustration.

Making our way through the forest, I kept a lookout for potential signs of other beasts travelling through the area. We needed to secure some food, and potentially some materials I could sell back at Astera for more research materials, or tools. Though, internally, I was really hoping for materials I could trade for better armor, and a real weapon. My warhorn was fine for rendering smaller threats unconscious, but it wouldn’t do any good against anything that could threaten both of us.

And I still had yet to bring up the shadow monster from my dream that first night out here. How would I even explain that? ‘By the way, Sue, last night you spoke to me in a dream right before a giant shadow ate us; can you clarify what that was?’ I was already doing a lot of the heavy lifting for our communication barrier; no way I could get a clear answer to a question so vague!

I barely noticed when Sue’s arm reached out to grab and stop me, as I had missed her massive bulk freezing in place. Looking up at her, I followed her line of sight to spot some bushes moving up ahead. I could barely make out what it was, but a firm shove to my back forced me to take two steps forward and flail for balance.

Glancing back at my ‘protector’, she flicked her head, silently gesturing for me to approach whatever it was. Her insistence clued me into the notion she felt I could handle whatever this was. I crept closer, careful not to step on anything that could alert my quarry to my approach. I was just about to touch the bush when two black eyes under a white dome swung up and locked with my own.

Both my own eyes and this new set blinked, before the creature went back to digging around in the bush. Once the shock wore off, I recognized the snout and bone plate as those of a Mosswine’s, an herbivore standing one to one and a half meters tall, which often was found foraging for mushrooms in the forest. Knowing I wasn’t in any danger, I turned around to try and figure out why Sue had sent me forward.

She hadn’t moved, and I wouldn’t have even seen her in the shadows if she hadn’t shot a brief shot of flame to let me know. I was uncertain what she expected of me, so I took the opportunity to sketch which mushrooms the harmless quadrupeds were eating, and which they avoided. I could leverage that for foraging later– and a guidebook on safe things to eat would be a must-have next time I visited the town.

After a moment, the foragers moved on in search of more mushrooms, and I returned to Sue. Her expression was raw disappointment, but unclear as to why. “It was just a few Mosswine, what did you expect me to do?” I asked, to which she held up a claw and made a horizontal motion across her throat. The gesture had only one meaning. “I’ve… never actually killed anything before.”

“ You will need to, ” I answered for her, my own mind filling in the blanks. She didn’t make any other gestures, sounds, or movements; I had been avoiding the subject, but it was pretty clear now. “ You will need to defend yourself, ” I continued, as she nodded in agreement.

The Mosswine, they were her way of adjusting me to my new reality– to her world. And as I approached them a second time, I found my hands searching for the grip of my carving dagger, and the handle of the warhorn strapped to my back. My moves were gradual, slow, attempting to present myself as non-threatening to the herbivores. They frightened easily, likely why Sue was so far away. I could put a few to sleep with my horn, but that was only half the job.

This herd had no little ones, but several females and a few males. With a soft melody from my horn, the group steadily fell to the ground asleep, giving me an opportunity to achieve the goal Sue had set for me. I chose one of the males, the one furthest from the rest of the herd, and palmed my dagger. I had seen this done several times, albeit on already-dead ones, which was a cut used to drain the body of any remaining blood.

In a single motion, I fell forward with my knee pressing my bodyweight down on its shoulder and chest, driving the dagger deep into the soft flesh around the bottom of the neck. I pushed hard, slicing the small blade across its throat as it awoke with a startle. The blood-laden screams awoke the rest of the herd, who quickly fled off into the forest in random directions. But I couldn’t let this one go, and used all of my weight to keep the thrashing beast pinned to the ground as it fought to escape its fate.

An eternity of screams and anguish later, the Mosswine stopped fighting, its heart giving up. I hated it, hated that I had to do this, that I had no choice but to end its life just to eat. And my body agreed, as the remains of my breakfast were spilled on the ground, mixing with the lifeblood of my first-ever kill. I could still hear it screaming in my head, wailing and pleading for its life. Sounds I doubted I would ever forget.

The gentle thuds notified me of Sue’s approach, and when my stomach finally was done punishing me for my actions, I sought her reaction. Was I too brutal? Was I too merciful? Had she expected me to cull the whole herd? I immediately looked into her eyes, searching for what she wanted from me now.

But all I found was pity; not pity at my weakness, nor for my lack of skills, but that I would have to do this over and over again.

As I stood, unsteady on my feet, she cradled my kill in her jaws, carrying it and motioning for me to follow. Could I do that again? I’d have to, to eat; to survive. Couldn’t I cut my ears off so I wouldn’t hear the screaming? No, then I wouldn’t hear the danger that might be creeping up on me.

The visage of a large monster sneaking up on me, killing me just like I had slain the Mosswine, flashed through my head.

Sue had been remarkably intelligent, unbelievably so, practically human!

So, what if there were others? Other beasts which could be taught, who could interact with humans to such a degree?

“Sue, have you ever wondered if… if the thing you killed was as intelligent as yourself?” I asked, shakily sheathing the dagger I had forgotten I was still wielding. I fumbled with clipping the warhorn on my back, needing a few attempts for it to latch in place. Watching her, I was dismayed when she lacked any sort of response to my question. Which in itself was worrying, because either she hadn’t thought about it… or she had, and decided to continue killing and eating anyway.

I followed her mindlessly back to our camp, where she gently placed my kill close to the fire pit before ‘gathering’ some branches and wood to start cooking. I watched the corpse, questioning whether we could’ve had some sort of exchange about different mushrooms in the forest. Could it have understood me like Sue does? Was there a way to determine which beasts were intelligent and which weren’t? What if it came to light that all beasts had a level of intelligence, that we had been hunting and killing others which were just one chance away from being members of our society? What if humans weren’t the only species which could–?!

I felt a thunk on the back of my head, knocking me out of the downward spiral; “ Start cooking, if you want to eat ” her rumble suggested, as she sat down by the stacked cone of wood before lighting it with a spat of her flame breath. My stomach sided with her, crying out for a filling meal as I pulled my dagger once more to cut off a leg at the shoulder. Holding the dripping limb over the fire, I returned my attention to her. “Are you certain you’re one of a kind? That no other monster out here is as smart as you?”

She didn’t answer me, didn’t respond, just watched the fire flicker and dance away atop the wooden pyre. I had a gut feeling she knew what I was saying, that she had pondered the question herself. Maybe she had even tried to go vegetarian one time. Maybe–

There were two scratches, as I found the ‘two’ symbol in the dirt between us with her claw hovering over it. “There’s another?” I asked with building excitement, only to deflate when I finally recognized what was going on. “There was another… you knew them.”

She held out her claw, open and waiting for something, her eyes darted to the leg to signal her intent. Passing over my still-cooking meal, she kept it held above the flames, turning it slightly. She continued watching the fire, huffing and jerking her head back towards the cave behind us. Brushing myself off, I walked over to inspect the opening, confused as to what she was trying to say. Until a grunt caught my attention; she watched me from her spot, waiting for me to look at her before spouting a puff of fire.

“Oh, you want me to see something in there?” She nodded, before looking away and rotating the leg again. I was feeling increasingly hungry, the temptation of the searing meat calling my name. But this was important to her, so I grabbed a stick to shove into the fire, creating a makeshift torch.

I could not see much inside the cave, the firelight barely helped with illumination other than to show how deep it went. I had almost walked Sue’s full body length before I noticed something at the edge of the flickering light, something that was definitely not stone. A few steps later and I recognized it was an arrangement of branches, leaves, foliage– a nest. Within the circular bowl were the remains of egg shells, some shards small, some large. There were also a few small animal bones scattered around as well.

But my breath caught when I looked up from the nest, at the wall that was the back of the cave. I hadn’t seen it– couldn’t have seen it– normally. But on the wall were two blobs, two shapes, one of which seemed like a rough caricature of an Anjanath head. The other was another elongated head, of a species that wasn’t readily apparent to me. These seemed rough, like they were drawn by individuals with zero artistic talent. But a lot of love and patience clearly went into these two paintings.

On my way out, I noticed what I had missed on the way in; the cave walls were covered in similar rough imagery. How she had done this was of less importance to me than the fact she had been creating cave art, either to share a story or document her life. I was unable to discern what the shapes meant, other than two which seemed a lot like a pair of Anjanaths. Albeit, one having odd horns or spikes or something. Maybe it was a different species, there were plenty of known monsters with her body type and shape.

The walls seemed to document a whole life together, as a pair. These were behaviors well and beyond any simple monster, but something wasn’t adding up. Why weren’t they together anymore? Was there a fight, or did the male leave? What about the eggs, were they hers or leftover from the previous tenant? Was her mate the other smart one? My gut said yes, as I noticed there were two distinct styles on the wall, clearly two separate artists contributing to the mural.

As I emerged from the cave, I noticed she had torn off another leg and started to cook it, holding the first leg steaming and waiting for me. I caught her eyes glancing my way just long enough to pass me the cooked leg before refocusing on the partially raw one over the flame. My stomach was urging me to take a bite, to sate its vocal desires. But first…

“If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll help you find the words to express what happened.” I offered, biting into the tender meat as the juices coated my lips. A flash of the dying Mosswine crossed my mind, a pang of guilt as I bit into what used to be a living being like myself. If Sue heard my offer, she made no sign of acknowledging it, which was all the confirmation I needed.

When she would be ready to tell me, to share, I doubted I was in for a happy story.

Chapter Text

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 5

Subject has been utilizing the past two days to train me and build my physical endurance, strength, and agility. My baselines were below average for a beginner hunter, and are likely the driving reason we are trading on training roles. I spent two days teaching her about reading, writing, and math. And now she has two days to push my body to the limit.

In addition, a ‘break’ day will separate the segments, with a focus on both securing food for us and to train me in the art of the hunt.

I still cannot get the death screams of that Mosswine out of my mind.

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 7

I had planned to move into single-symbol multiplication and division today, but a surprise visit from hunter Quyl has delayed those plans. She is surprised by our progress, and has offered her expertise to train me in fighting techniques for her dual blades. While I was personally not interested in the fighting style, I agreed to try it for the day as a favor.

The results were as I expected; while the blades were light enough for me to handle, I lacked the strength to cut through even a thin branch. Further, I accidentally cut myself while working through one of the dual blade kata. We both agreed that I was not currently cut out for a melee role, and that I should experiment with ranged weapons next time I return to Astera.

I will note that Quyl still keeps her distance from Sue, with both hands resting on the pommel of her weapons at all times. If I consider Quyl to be the most accepting hunter of Sue’s intelligence, then I worry for what it may take to convince the others.

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 8

Following the agreed plan, I have introduced the subject to the basics of multiplication and division. She continues to have difficulty remembering some of the symbols and how to handle multi-symbol numbers. While long term I seek to help her memorize them, for now I have decided to take a more lenient approach and confirm her answers verbally.

Thankfully, these two mathematical operations appear to slow her down, requiring extra time and focus to solve. At least, at first they were. While I tried to encourage her to write out the problems the correct way, and show her work per Guild guidelines, she continues to write in an odd arrangement which defies logical sense.

That being said, I will admit that this study has quickly taken a turn for the fantastical. If you asked me a month ago whether I believed an Anjanath could read, write, and count, I would laugh and offer to escort you to the medical tent.

Now, finding myself on the opposite side of such a proposal, I struggle to think of a way to prove any of this. To validate her efforts, her existence, I need an undeniable acknowledgement of her capabilities by those who question my sanity.

I wonder if having her write her entire life story in front of them would be enough?

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 14

These physical training sessions and hunting days have been soul crushing, but I can already feel the benefits. For this section, I have chosen to teach the subject about nouns, verbs, adjectives, and sentence structure. Whether or not she understands these concepts will not be visible until further along, but for now I shall endeavor to try.

After a few hours, we stopped for the day– no, for the entire section. While she appeared to be struggling to remember the proper order for nouns and verbs, Sue attempted to pose a question I was not prepared to answer. Admittedly, it took a few symbols, and I had to read them out loud in an order she specified for it to make sense. But the question is one I can’t recall ever hearing being asked before in my time at the Guild.

While her version was more rough and broken, at its core her question was: “Why do we write sentences in a different structure than we speak them?”

I offered no answer, but promised to request one (if such an answer exists) on our return to Astera.

Hunt day, which meant fresh meat and mushrooms for me, and fresh meat for Sue. As we crept along the shady forest floor, I was proud to note it now only took me 9 strides to keep up with one of hers, a whole ten percent improvement from when we first set out on this adventure. While I may not have bulging biceps or defined abs yet, I was happy with my personal progress.

On the other hand, I still struggled to deal with killing things. I had tried asking Sue how she handled it, how she dealt with the haunting screams. It took us a few attempts to convey her answer in a way I understood; “ I don’t .”

I was still trying to wrap my head around that idea, even a few hunts later. The whole tracking thing was fine, sneaking up on something was also fine. But those final moments were still eating at me slowly, and I was worried that some day, when I absolutely could not afford to spare a beast’s life, it may result in the death of myself or someone important to me.

I paused, hearing the tell-tale sound that was her extra-sensitive nose deploying. The first time I had seen it, I had freaked out and scared off our quarry (and gotten a light scolding about proper behavior when hunting). After that, she took the extra time to show me her extendable nose and the sails on her back. Rather fascinating stuff, and while she had been sunbathing one afternoon I managed to get a very pleasant rendition of yet another new expression.

All that is to say, I understood it meant she smelled something, but couldn’t see it yet. With the nostrils deployed, she crept forward at half her normal pace. I did my best to remain quietly by her side, until I began to hear sounds from up ahead. Sounds of a fight, shouts, and screeching. As we got closer, the sounds shifted, and the shouting turned into… profanity.

A Hunter.

I quickened my pace, disregarding Sue or her insistence on quiet. If a hunter was in trouble, I had an obligation to try and help them. As I closed in on the source of the noises, an image of the situation began to take shape through the gaps in the trees. Up ahead was a clearing, where a solo hunter was encircled by a pack of Jagras, as he used his shield and lance to fend them off. One Jagras I might’ve been able to handle, two we could share and work together.

There were over ten of them that I could see, with possibly more hidden in the shadows beyond the opposite tree line.

I froze, taking immediate cover behind a tree. It was my duty as a hunter to help him, to rush in and rescue him. But I wasn’t capable of taking down a pack of Jagras even with help. Maybe with Sue’s help, the three of us could scare them off!

But Sue was even further back, refusing to approach. If anything, I saw her gently motioning with her hands, a small grabby motion. We hadn’t set up hand signals or anything, but combined with the frill still being fully deployed, she was clearly on high alert. And to my dismay, I was guessing she was signaling for me to come back to her.

I heard a scream from behind me, from the clearing, and spun back to see that one of the Jagras had managed to get past the hunter’s guard and bite into the elbow of his shield-wearing arm. Which created enough of an opening for another to latch on to his lance arm and force him to drop the weapon. At that point, any hope I had of saving him was gone.

As the pack descended on their prey, I used my fellow man’s screams to cover my retreat. I didn’t look back, I couldn’t look back, I just had to regroup with Sue and the two of us would leave to continue our own hunt. But just as I was about to pass her, she stopped me, keeping us both hidden in the shadows to listen to the pack of carnivores rip and tear apart what had been a human being barely a minute ago.

I looked up, trying to get some sort of answer why she wouldn’t let us leave. She spared me a brief glance before fully focusing on the clearing up ahead, as her claw began to wiggle about. The movements were jerky, but after a few motions I was able to recognize what they were; she was tracing a symbol in the air. Or, two symbols rather, given she moved slightly to the left between strokes.

“ Learn ”.

What was there to learn? That there were dangerous beasts in the forest? How easily a solo hunter could get pinned and taken down by a group? That humans weren’t at the top of the food chain? It could be any one of those, or something I hadn’t even thought of!

We waited in silence, until she began to creep forward towards the clearing. The sounds of feasting had since faded, and as we got closer, I noticed the pack had moved on. She kept her nostril flared, eyes darting around us on alert, but allowed me to approach the hunter’s remains.

His armor had been torn open, and there was no chance I could identify him. I began to feel nauseous, as the sight was unlike anything I had seen. After emptying my belly, I felt around his armor to see if he– there! Pulling free the metal token, I verified that (despite being coated in blood) it was still intact. “Hugh,” I recited, reading his name from the tag. “I’m sorry, Hugh.”

He was missing any sort of carrying bag, likely having lost it earlier while being pursued. His lance and shield were still intact, and while I may not be able to use them I could do right by this fallen hunter by returning them to his family. The two were incredibly heavy, reinforcing just how strong his man had been to swing them around.

Sue’s crest had lowered, indicating the danger was gone for now, giving me her full attention. “What was I supposed to learn from this? That I’m not invincible?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “Why couldn’t we have helped him?” She shifted in place, finally looking upon the corpse of the fallen warrior.

Her claw pointed at me, then traced another symbol, “ Question ”. “You had a question for me?” A shake of the head, and a repeat of the gestures. “My question?” She nodded, which was unhelpful because I had asked so many questions of her I lost track. “I don’t understand,” I responded, trying to parse through all of my as-of-yet unanswered questions.

She pointed down at the ground, then herself, before tracing a very rough version of “ Answer ”. “I don’t– which question does this answer? Why did I have to watch someone we could’ve saved die to answer a question?” My voice trembled, as I fought back tears from the sheer callous approach she had to life. What point did this serve?!

“ ...have you ever wondered if… if the thing you killed was as intelligent as yourself? ”

The memory arose unbidden, the question I had asked her after my very first kill. And with that, the pieces fell into place. “You don’t think about it, because you can’t.” As her eyes met mine, I finally understood what she meant. “Because even hesitating could be the difference whether or not you survive.”

Whether or not the Jagras counted as intelligent was irrelevant; they needed to eat. Whether or not you consider a human intelligent, they need to eat. Whether a being is able to craft great machines, or unable to understand cause and effect, everything needs to eat to survive.

A carnivore which selectively avoided eating other intelligent beings was at risk of starving, of becoming food themselves to one which had no such reservations.

I walked along in a daze, carrying the fallen hunter’s weapons with me as I let the concepts settle in. We were back at camp before I even recognized the hunt was over, as a fallen Aptonoth lay near the fire and waiting to be processed. Sue, having been responsible while I wallowed in emotional anguish, had prepared the fire pit and gotten a cooking flame started. She seemed to be waiting, for me, concern etched on her features (which was fair, I had basically been worthless since the shock in the clearing).

Guided by my stomach, I laid the shield down on the ground beside the lance, pulling my now-worn carving dagger to take a chunk of meat for myself from the neck. I was too emotionally drained to care when Sue picked up the lance, slicing off large chunks of meat and impaling them on the weapon of death. She held the makeshift oversized skewer over the flames, steadily rotating and shifting it for as even a sear as possible over the pieces.

“Have you ever had to kill a human?” I asked, not looking up from the fire, too afraid of her answer. Waiting with bated breath, I prayed for a simple, clear answer, to which I was rewarded with a familiar grumble of “ No ”. A piece of wood cracked in the pit, releasing more energy to fuel the flames. “Could you? If it was you or them?”

No simple short answer came, so I gave in and faced her, seeing that she was waiting for my visual attention with her head cocked to the side; a question was coming, as I had come to learn from that small detail. But it took me longer than she was expecting before I gave words to her meaning.

“ Could you? ”

“I… I don’t know,” I admitted, as she immediately began to say… something? The motions were quick, the grunts, grumbles, roars, and all matter of unknown sounds. Whatever she was trying to tell me, it was important to her. But this was beyond my ability to even guess. “I’m sorry, I can’t– I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

With her tail– a dexterous appendage of which her skill at manipulating continued to amaze, considering how rigid and inflexible it was for her species– cut a rough stick figure of a human in the dirt, before pointing at me. She then drew another stick figure beside it with two circles in the chest area. “Uh, is that supposed to represent you?” Sue groaned, wiping away the two circles and drawing two bigger ones. “Oh, you mean Quyl?” I caught an eye roll as the large Anjanath made several other motions, in a sequence, pointing between the characters of Quyl and myself in between.

“I still don’t– you need to simplify this.” I requested, gaining her full attention. First her tail pointed at the stick me, then she made a cutting motion across her own neck, before pointing back at stick Quyl. “You want me to kill her?” A shake no, but what else did she mean?

Sue then did the reverse, pointing to Quyl, then the ‘kill’ motion, then me. “You think she’ll kill me?!” Again, a no, increasing my frustration with our communication barrier. “This isn’t making sense, I can’t interpret what you’re trying to convey!” With a sweep of her tail, the icons were gone.

She pointed to me again, then mimicked ‘kill’, then pointed at herself. “Why would I kill you?” I demanded, as she leaned down placing my head within barely an arm’s length of her jaws, flashing her array of dagger-sized teeth. “ Because I would kill you ,” I translated, as her extremely frightening display pushed me over the hurdle. “You were asking if I could kill Quyl, knowing she would kill me if I didn’t.” A nod, as she pulled back and bit into a piece of meat on the tip of the lance. Her previous spiel, I began to form a guess at what she had said.

“ Could you? If it meant your own death otherwise, could you kill another human in order to survive? ”

I hastily pulled my own chunk of meat away from the fire, having mistakenly let it cook a little too long due to our discussion. Biting in, it felt dry and tough; definitely overcooked. “Is that why you wanted to be captured? To be brought into Astera?” She nodded, a piece of meat flopping about at the end of her snout before she tossed it into the air and caught it with a ‘snap’. “For safety? Or–” I glance back at the cave behind us, “because you didn’t want to be alone anymore?”

With her free claw, she made two quick horizontal motions, and shrugged. “As a fair warning then, just because you’re surrounded by others, doesn’t mean you can’t feel alone at times. Take it from an expert.” I felt her tail snake up my back, with the tip curling down to rest on my shoulder. “ Except you aren’t alone anymore, ” I vocalized, bringing a smile to my face because she was right.

“AHEM!”

I was startled by the sudden outburst, finding an intimidating armored woman standing at the edge of the firelight. Her arms were crossed, with a wide stance, and an aura of rage. “Yvan, is this what it looks like?” Her familiar stern voice immediately corrected my posture to a firm upright seated position.

“Uh, if you mean Sue and I having dinner together after a long day, then yes?” I replied with a smile, well aware of what Quyl was actually implying. Admittedly, with nobody else around I had felt my guard falling bit by bit. But it totally wasn’t like that, at all.

Quyl’s response was unfamiliar, with a quirked eyebrow, but she moved towards us at a measured pace. I couldn’t read what she was feeling, or thinking, right up until she sat down beside me, positioning myself between her and Sue. I watched as she plucked Sue’s tail from my shoulder and slid it off.

I could feel her leaning against me. “Mind cooking me a bite? It’s been a rough day.” She asked, offering one of her swords to stab a chunk. Thinking nothing of it, I complied and cut off a piece, stabbing it and holding it over the fire.

“So what brings you out here? It’s rather late to still be beyond the walls.” I inquired, eyeing her with suspicion. The sun hadn’t yet set, but she wouldn’t make it back to Astera before the gates closed.

“I was part of a search team, a hunter shot up a flare near here but we couldn’t find him. And the only reason I know it wasn’t you was the color.” She eyed Sue’s kebab, and the nearby shield. “Where’d you find the gear?”

“We came across a dead hunter while out on our own hunt today.” I responded, pulling the tag from my pocket. “His name was Hugh, by the looks of it. We figured we’d return his tag and weapons to Astera tomorrow.”

Quyl was unconvinced by my statement, but I couldn’t exactly blame her. Sue was using the dead guy’s weapon as a cooking utensil and I just ‘happened’ across him already dead. “I guess we can travel back together then.” She made grabby hands towards her sword, which I passed over with the steaming barely-cooked juicy prize on its tip.

“Oh ya—“ she started, interrupting her train of thought to take a bite, chew, and swallow. “The Felynes are probably going to ambush you when we arrive, something about the meat you sold them.” Oh no, was the meat rotten? Did they want a refund?! “Calm down, dummy. They said it was incredibly tasty and well-seasoned. Probably just want to know what you did.”

“You mean what Sue did?” I corrected, as Quyl bit her lip. Sue was, of course, roasting another towering kebab of meat, but something was off. The way she was looking at Quyl made me nervous. She was attentive, but highly focused, almost like Quyl was the only thing that mattered in the moment.

The hunter rolled her eyes, “Yea… but you try explaining to them that an Anjanath did that. I watched her, and still have trouble accepting it.” I carved myself another helping, holding it over the fire with my own stick. “How is she doing, by the way? Manage to teach her anything?”

“Enough to pass the hunter trials, at least.” I joked, earning an elbow to the ribs as Quyl understood my light-hearted prod. “But uh, yea, we’ve covered a lot in the past… fifteen days? Wow, I haven’t had time fly by like this in a long while.” Finished searing my new portion, I leaned back to take a bite, gazing upon the steadily darkening sky. As the temperature started to drop, and we depleted all of the meat from Sue’s kill, I stood and stretched.

Quyl, who had taken the initiative of moving her stuff towards the cave, waved for my attention with a lit stick. “I don’t see your sleeping bag, is it still packed?” She asked, as I now had to explain that I neither owned nor needed a sleeping bag.

“I, uh, haven’t been using one…” I admitted sheepishly, as Sue wandered in and laid down in her favored sleeping spot. Quyl watched in horror as I laid down, settling into Sue’s soft mane. “It’s remarkably comfy and warm.” I defended, as she stood there with a sour face, her frown barely illuminated by the flickering fire light, her eyes darted between me and Sue. While not upset about it, I did lament that Quyl would never know the bliss that was an Anjanath hug.

At least, that was what I thought, until I watched the hunter remove her weapons and gear, eyeing Sue before slowly joining me– Sue even held out an arm for her?! “Just for tonight, and no funny business.” Quyl huffed, as the larger woman’s arm pulled her in close right next to me. Her face melted instantly from indignity to relaxed, rubbing her fingers through the soft black fur. “...Fine, I admit, this is better than a sleeping bag.”

Victory!

Chapter Text

Sue was, kindly, carrying both the shield and lance on our trek to Astera. Per Quyl’s suggestion, we did not leave any gear behind. Sue and I planned to return to that spot after this trip, but Quyl made a good point about attracting unwanted visitors or surprises when we returned. Another suggestion (which I quickly agreed to) was to bring some of the larger Aptonoth bones and the hide, to trade for new weapons or armor. I didn’t want to reveal that I didn’t feel any armor would keep me safe from the Jagras pack.

The journey was short, as once again our arrival was heralded by a full complement of hunters from the gate. Thankfully we had made a plan during the trip; Sue handed the shield and lance to Quyl, who continued walking forwards with the goal of turning the fallen hunter’s remnants over to the guild. Meanwhile I waited in place with Sue, keeping an eye on the materials she was dragging behind her on a makeshift arrangement of whatever we could pry off the trees.

Looking over the four hunters arrayed around us, I recognized that I should look into a different weapon. Sue had melee combat covered, and my warhorn was barely going to make much of a difference. But Sue had no means (that I knew of) for dealing with ranged enemies, leaving me a key opportunity to contribute with a bowgun. I’d have to speak with the armorer about getting even a basic one to start practicing with.

I noticed one of the hunters shuffled nervously, likely never trained how to handle such an odd situation as the one we found ourselves in. “I take it we’re still not allowed into the city?” I asked, as the unsettled one glanced towards another– a gunlance user– who seemed calm and steady.

“The Anjanath is not, but you are free to enter.” He replied as I gave him a respectful nod.

“Unfortunately, I cannot handle our haul, so I’ll need to wait until someone comes out who can.” I vocalized, explaining why I was still standing beside her. He eyed the pile of bones and hides, before glancing towards his allies.

“If the beast would move away from the front gate, I believe we may be able to assist you with ferrying your materials to the smithy.” Sue was visibly furious at the dismissal, but remained remarkably calm and quiet. I was proud of her, this was just another reminder of what lay in store until we changed enough minds.

“Would our previous campsite be sufficient?” I offered, answered with a slight nod. “Sue, please just wait for me over there; I’ll be out soon and we can head back out.” I made sure not to word it as a command, but afterwards realized that only Sue might pick up on that distinction. It was enough, as she used her claw to cut the vine around her neck and release her from the burden. She didn’t even acknowledge the four hunters as she walked away, the gunlance user eyeing me in either suspicion or appraisal.

True to his word, the four (and myself) each grabbed a vine and began to pull the pile of materials into Astera. The fact that it took all five of us to barely crawl along spoke volumes of Sue’s raw strength, and how much she could potentially haul if given a small amount of trust.

The attendant was practically drooling as we pulled up with my haul, likely thinking of how everything could be optimally used. “Welcome! It appears you five managed to bring back quite an amazing amount of materials. Did you have anything in mind for us today?”

The four gate guards drop their lines and march back towards their posts, as my thanks for their assistance goes unacknowledged. “Nah, they were just helping me get it here. I’m interested in either having these worked into, or traded for, a light bowgun and some better armor.” The attendant nodded along as I explained, stepping around to closely inspect what I was offering.

“We can’t make that kind of weapon from these, but they should more than cover the cost of one. Not enough to make a full set of armor either. Any priorities?” He was sizing me up, probably guessing which pieces I was about to ask for.

“Helmet and gauntlets at the minimum,  and I’m open to anything beyond that.” My current ‘armor’, if it could even be called that, was barely any protection. If I was going after bigger targets, that had to change. He nodded and quickly recorded proper measurements, notifying me it may take a full week. The leftover value would be given in coins alongside the armor.

After a little back and forth, the attendant handed me a basic beginner’s light bowgun, and suggested I get some practice at the range nearby before leaving. But ammo was going to be a problem; I didn’t have any money left to buy some. Unless…

Striding up to the provision depot, I gently unclipped my trusty warhorn, and requested its equivalent value in basic ammo. They frowned at me, before handing over a small mechanism; a lever with two specifically shaped clamps, one of which was cylindrical while the other had a squishy surface that compressed under pressure. “If you’re not planning to stay here, it might be better to teach you to make your own ammo. For now, just cut small pieces of wood that fit in the cylinder, and attach sharp rocks to the end with tree sap. It won’t be as powerful as the chemical propellant rounds, but you can make it easily.”

I thanked the attendant, who also gave me four magazines of the good ammo for ‘emergencies’. Of all the things I could find out in the woods, sticks and rocks were easily among the top two, which meant I would have plenty of shots to practice with. Upon my request, I was also able to get a small mess kit, and a copy of the Guild’s guide to edible plants. With my new equipment secured, I felt a light tapping against my thigh, accompanied by a small voice. “Excuse me, mister!” Looking down, two Felynes were waiting with hopeful paws. “Are you the one who sold us the tasty meat?”

After a game of charades, questions, and unhelpful answers, I figured out they meant the Aptonoths we sold last time we were here. I promised to demonstrate for them what I did, but on two conditions. The first being they had to bring a piece of meat for me to show the technique.

The second was meant to be more of an apologetic surprise.

So, with two Felynes in tow carrying a slab of freshly cut meat, the three of us approached Sue at the familiar camp site. I must have been grinning, as she skeptically tried to puzzle out what I was up to. My two compatriots, however, refused to get any closer to her, locked in fear and possibly imagining I was serving them up as lunch.

With a smile, I took the offering from them and continued to approach. “Sue, these two were interested in learning about your special pre-cook preparation technique from last time we were here.” I could see the fire light in her head as she perked up, hopefully understanding what I was trying to do. “Do you mind showing them? And possibly explaining it?”

She nodded, firing a quick shot of flaming snot at the fire pit, immediately igniting the leftover remains from the previous campfire, quickly tossing a few new pieces of wood to feed it. She unhooked the string still dangling over the fire from last time, making grabby hands towards the meat. Complying, I watched as she punctured a hole with her claw, then managed to run the string through the hole before tying it back in place.

The slab hung in place over the fire, engulfed in smoke, as she made a silly motion with both hands. “I think she’s saying that’s all you need to do. For roughly—“ she signaled a three, “roughly three days— no, hours? Yes, roughly three hours.”

“…What?” The two onlookers seemed to be lost, or confused by our display. Maybe I missed a step, or some crucial detail?

I tried to think of a way to rephrase it, examining the process and what I remember of the end product last time. “Basically, you keep it high enough that the meat doesn’t cook, but the smoke from the burning wood adds flavor.” A happy nod from Sue confirmed my guess. “Does it do anything else?”

She pantomimed lowering the meat closer to the fire, then had her two arms expand sideways before pointing at the steak. “Lowering it closer to the heat source,” a nod, “for a longer period of time—“ a shake no, “wait, then what gets longer?”

She pointed at the meat, made some chewing motions, then a gagging one. “It makes the meat go bad… slower?” A round of applause, as I pieced it together. “She also says that moving it closer to the heat can make it last longer before going bad, but I’m guessing if you get too close it’ll start cooking instead.”

Neither of the two seemed to react, probably stunned from our little guessing game. “We know how to smoke meat, silly human. We seek the taste!” One eventually shouted, frustrated with us. Which was fair, seeing that we had to cross two communication barriers. I thought about the situation, unsure what we were doing differently–

“Maybe it’s the snot?” I motioned to the fire itself, as that was the only thing I could think of. “I mean, that’s the only thing she probably did differently that I can think of.” I motioned to borrow one of their glass jars, which the pair handed over reluctantly. Holding the receptacle open and up for her, Sue inhaled deeply before blowing an unsettling amount of orange-green goo to flood the jar nearly to the brim. The contents immediately ignited, spurring me to shut and seal the lid immediately to choke the fire. “Here, try adding this to your cooking fire.”

The pair slunk backwards, raw disgust on their faces at the idea of putting something so gross near anything edible. But, as it was their mission, they accepted the still-warm jar of mucus. Meanwhile, just as a third Felyne came bounding around the main gate, I heard Sue’s nostrils flare up, her crest likely fully deployed. The approaching delivery cat slowed their pace, probably just not used to seeing an Anjanath cooking.

Accepting the two loaves of bread from their paws, I approached my buddy with a beaming smile. “Now Sue, as thanks for your demonstration, these nice Felynes were willing to give each of us a loaf of fresh bread. I don’t think it’ll be like anything you’ve tasted before, but—“

There was a surge of movement, and suddenly the tip of Sue’s snout was right in my face. I could see every nostril in clear detail, every little spot and freckle of her membrane, each outline of the scales. I couldn’t feel my left hand, the one I had extended with her serving of bread on it. Looking down, my breath hitched.

My left arm, up to the elbow, was completely inside her mouth.

Before anyone could think to scream, she pulled back to reveal my unharmed arm and hand, now devoid of bread, but coated in a slimy drool that I didn’t think I could possibly clean off. Then, to make things worse, she laid down flat on the ground, rolling onto her side and back. As her jaw worked to chew the bread (I have no idea how, she lacks any sort of molars or grinding teeth), I heard her begin to make a slew of new sounds I had never heard before, except…

Oh. No, I had heard some of them before.

And now I was distressingly uncomfortable being this close, while her high-pitched whines, coos, and rumbles washed over our small audience. The way she writhed on the ground, how her legs kept scrambling against the air for purchase as her talons continually clenched and unfolded.

Maybe a minute later, she swallowed, relaxing on her back with the most blissful expression I had ever seen, tongue hanging out and limbs completely limp. “I, uh… I don’t think any of you should mention this. It might send the wrong message,” I suggested to the Felynes, noting that the original two had taken several steps back while the bread delivery-cat had gotten almost as close as I was.

His– I think it was a he? His eyes were dilated in pure fascination, jaw open in wonder. I overheard him say something in their native language, to which the other two promptly ran up and smacked him on the head. “Thank you, sir; we shall test this… fuel you have given us.” One of them said with a bow of the head, before the two of them picked up the third under the shoulders to carry him away. He was pleading for something in their language, which just seemed to drive them back into Astera even faster.

Shrugging at their antics, I looked back at my partner, to see she had her sights set on my loaf. “No! No, this one is mine.” My declaration fell on deaf ears, as she bore into me with the most adorable look her species could produce. Wide eyes, a trembling lip, and the high-pitched whine I had previously only heard from a Kelbi pup. “I said, no!”

The cute face vanished instantly, as she rolled over and made a leap at my non-slobbery arm. My agility, reflexes, and speed were now being put to the test, as I would now need to eat my bread while evading her attempts to steal it. I went left, then right, then a pivot to use her lunge against her–

But those kinds of moves only work against a Mosswine, not an experienced fighter.

I found myself sideways on the ground, bread rolling away in the dirt, as the gooey slobber on my legs trickled down towards my boots. Rather than risk injuring me, she had swept my legs with her tongue, it appears. It totally didn’t hurt my pride to watch that same tongue pluck my prize from the dirt and eat it in one fell swoop. No, what hurt my pride was having to watch her make the same reaction and sounds, again.

I wanted to taste it too, damn it!

Accepting my defeat, and a somewhat apologetic look from the bread-thief, we packed up and put out the fire before leaving. The Felynes had left the meat with us, and did not seem likely to return for it. With a shrug and a nod, Sue plucked the morsel from the line, eating it whole, and with that we were on our way.

I had thought to wait for Quyl, just in case, but she had been adamant that if she didn’t show up right away that she wouldn’t be able to see us off. I had wanted to joke with her about what I had seen, but it wasn’t to be. “Was it really that good?” I asked my companion, who turned away as her cheeks somehow got redder.

“ You have no idea, I take it?” The way she cringed at my voiceover, drove home how right I was. “While we have a moment, can you tell me a bit more about him or her? The other one on the cave walls?”

She brightened up at that, seeming to launch into a long story about him (I am assuming male since statistically that was the most likely, but same-sex pairings had been observed in the past). I didn’t understand a single word of it, but I could feel the emotions behind the story. It made me wonder, if he were still around, how different things might’ve been. Enough to give rise to a very rude intrusive thought. “Had he ever heard you make those noises before?”

A solid ‘thwap’ to my back from her tail was the answer I expected. Instead, I got a cheeky grin and toothy smile, as her arm traced an arc over and over again, spinning from the left, to the top, and back down to the right. “Uh huh, whatever that means. Would I have liked him?”

She appeared to ponder the question, before signaling yes then no. “Yes and no?” She pointed to her head. “Smart?” A signal for yes, then some odd mouth movements, which wasn’t quite eating but— “He talked a lot?” She held her head between her claws, all of these exaggerated expressions purely for my benefit.

“I don’t know, if he had been willing to try I would’ve loved to introduce him to Fowler. Imagine if he walked up to my boss and said ‘Hello’; the two of you would’ve been living in Astera on day one.”

She didn’t seem to comment, so I took that as a hint to let the subject go for now. Our walk back to the campsite was quiet and otherwise uneventful. Fiddling with one of the bowgun rounds in my hand, I began to try and come up with a plan. My early attempts at creating the makeshift ammo were likely to fail, and Sue was very intent on the concept of ‘eat what you catch’.

“We may need to practice hunting together, especially with that Jagras pack out there.” She nodded in agreement, before pointing at the bowgun round. “This? How many? ” She confirmed my interpretation, leaving me worried she may not understand how bad the situation was. “I only could get twenty-four of the good ones, and I have no practice with this thing. I’ll probably need to spend a good amount of time making simple bolts before I’m willing to use them.”

That was the day I learned Sue might have her own version of swear words.

Chapter Text

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 16

After finding the fallen hunter the other day, Sue and I have decided to switch things up again. Until we feel comfortable doing so, all lessons are on hold, unless they directly aid in our hunting ability or teamwork. Unluckily for me, this means the physical training is going to increase, and I will not be teaching her anything beyond other hand-signs we can make for silent communications.

Subject has been more open about her past, and the being which was drawn on the cave wall beside her. I have confirmed he was male, and appears to be of a similar species to Sue. I will add more details as I learn them, but it sounds like she does not expect for us to meet.

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 21

This entire week has been a resounding success, as the two of us are now much more adept at coordinating strikes and positioning. Regrettably, I am gaining an appreciation for those who craft hunter ammo, as I have spent an inordinate amount of time creating replacement bolts each day. My ability to provide a distraction or ranged support has allowed us to move up from Mosswines, with the successful takedown of a Jaggi.

These rounds are not quite strong enough to penetrate the hide of anything more dangerous; I will need to work on my aim and study the weak spots of larger species. I bring this up as today a large shadow swept overhead, but it was gone before I could get a good look. Sue’s sketch suggests it was a winged wyvern, but I would hope not.

We aren’t ready to defend ourselves against something like that.

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 23

Yesterday, I managed to get another piece of information from Sue; specifically that her ‘mate’ (while I was hesitant about this previously, she has confirmed it) was the one who mixed together the ‘ink’ used to draw on the cave walls. Supposedly, they drew each other, thus he was the artist behind the more articulate imagery.

I have (with her help) made rough sketches of the images, in the hopes that maybe the guild might have an idea where he went, or what happened. Tomorrow we return to Astera.

As we marched along, my seven strides to her one, I tried going over things in my head. How much ammo I’d need, whether I should pay for extra armor, whether I should upgrade my carving knife…

Whether I could find anyone who’d be willing to make something for Sue.

We had been lucky so far, managing to avoid the Jagras pack, keeping out of sight of the fliers, and not becoming the target of any larger beasts. But that was the thing about luck; it always ran out eventually. And I was starting to feel like we were running out of rope.

Once again the front palisades loomed through the symbolic ribcage. The gate was open, and our welcoming party stood ready and waiting. This time, the eight hunters waiting were among the more experienced in Astera. Unlike before, the familiar gunlance user was off to the side, meaning today I would be dealing with someone new.

Sue and I came to a stop at a respectful distance, as an insect glaive wielding hunter stepped forward. “Yvan, the Commander has concerns about your hunting activities. Especially whether they violate the herbivore protection decree that was in effect. Your presence is recommended in his office, along with the materials from any herbivore species you have hunted.”

Huh, guess they don’t respect me at all to believe I would violate the conservation efforts of my fellow researchers. “And as for the materials from the beasts my companion hunted?” The hunter eyed Sue with a suspicious glare, likely seeking weak points.

“They will remain here, with the Anjanath.” Good, that should make this easy. I began to continue forward until the same hunter raised her arm with a ‘stop’ gesture. “I said you were to bring any proof of your hunts with you.”

“You also clarified that anything from Sue’s hunting would remain here with her. Or did you honestly believe I managed to kill any of these—“ I motioned with a sweeping arm to the pile of hides and massive bones, “with only my skills as a novice bowgun user and makeshift bolts?”

They lowered their arm, allowing me to continue (though likely cross with my subverting the attempted hazing). “I do hope you have some strapping hunters available this time; that collection weighs as much as she does.” My snide remark gleams no response, these eight being exceptionally composed and calm in the situation.

I make my way through town, heading for the feared Commander’s den for the first time in my life. It would be impossible not to notice the whispers or eyes tracking me as I pass. Lost in my thoughts over how much longer I would be attempting to move this metaphorical mountain, I barely notice the following gathering behind me.

I don’t blame them; rarely does one find themselves summoned by the Commander for a good thing. A good reason, sure, but usually because they colossally botched something. Like how I had been basically working as an unlicensed hunter on an unapproved assignment. Even if I wasn’t violating the rules, or their decrees, I was going against the spirit of things. And that meant—

“Yvan, welcome back. Have a seat.”

Wait… why was he smiling? “If permitted sir, I would rather stand.” Trying to keep a lid on my anxiety, I reviewed the survival tips from when out hunting. Don’t sit down, always be ready to move. Locate all exits; one door, one window— scratch the window, I won’t fit through the opening. Determine whether any dangerous weaponry is nearby… spool; his entire wall is stacked with dozens of famous and high-power weapons.

His smile didn’t fade, as he let the gesture fall before returning to perusing several papers on his desk— my papers. “Fowler has recently appraised me of your progress, as well as your eagerness to achieve what could be considered the tall tale of a drunken hunter. Tell me, why do you believe any of this to be true? Or, more importantly, how have you managed to survive in such a close proximity to her?”

It appeared Quyl had gotten my notes to Fowler after all. And that he hadn’t burned them immediately. That was good, maybe he read them over and recognized he was wrong about her.

Wait, ‘her’?

I studied the commander, his expression was a smile but a disarming one. “Sir, seeing is believing, I would quote. Much as you know, the images and descriptions of the elder dragons barely capture a fraction of the experience of personally witnessing one. My notes are somewhat abridged and only carry my own thoughts and observations.” And there was no way he could deny her abilities with a live demonstration.

He didn’t take the bait, leafing through the pages before picking one out in particular. “And yet you claim that Anjanath is capable of arithmetic, based purely on some scratches in the dirt?” Ah, I see, this was not some sort of reprimand, he was simply forcing me to defend my work.

“Sir, I believe you may be focusing on the less substantial portion of the report.” He motioned for me to continue, leaning back in his chair waiting to have his world challenged. “The simple fact is, I have managed to coordinate with, collaborate with, hunt beside, and cohabitate with, an Anjanath. A fighting force equivalent to four well-trained hunters in raw strength, faster than any hunter I know, and with a sense of smell that could beat even our best scouts.”

Maybe I was getting too passionate, but he hadn’t stopped me yet! “I know that many people are worried, that they see her as some sort of threat or danger; and that’s fine, because they are right.” I turned to look out the lone window, seeing Sue diligently standing where I had left her. “But those people forget who they live with, who they share a meal with, who they walk by each day.”

“To me, you and every other hunter in Astera are just as big of a threat as she is. You may not have massive fangs, dagger-sized claws, or other natural weapons…” I let the pause hang, locking eyes with him. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t kill me if you decide to.”

With my argument made, I stood there waiting for his response. The Commander was a no-nonsense sort, and took the moment to stand from his desk and join me in looking out the window. Despite what appeared to be heckling from the hunters at the gate (and several onlookers moving up to see what was going on), Sue stood still and did not react to their jeers.

“In the span of barely three weeks, you’ve risen from an average researcher, to someone with the balls to try and challenge me, in my own office. You say that I ‘could’ kill you, but neglected to argue why I shouldn’t.”

Ah, spool.

“For the same reason none of us do, because we recognize that we’re stronger working together. Some of us can maintain our weapons, others go and secure food, while some defend the group while they sleep. We have sustenance, shelter from the elements, and security from the outside world; all from each of us contributing a part to the whole.”

The crowd was getting pretty big now, but none seemed to have the courage to approach my companion. “And, whether you believe it or not, Sue recognized the value of that, and sought me out to earn a place among us.” Standing tall, I gave my sternest look to the one man I absolutely should have shown more respect for over the past several minutes. “Was there anything else you required of me, sir?”

I waited, having said my piece, for his judgement. I could feel my entire life playing on repeat in the back of my mind. Had I accomplished anything with my life? Would anyone miss me? Had I missed a cue from that girl back when I was just a lowly research assistant? Was Baba still—

“Yes, for now. Holly?” He demanded, as a woman wearing a white blouse with tight tan pants, a pair of octagonal glasses overtop pale gray eyes, and her night-sky hair done up in a knot stepped out from the shadows, frightening me half to death. Or maybe a quarter to death since I was already half-dead from my rant at the Commander?

“I will brief my newest assignment, sir.” She responded with a clip, setting the tone for any of our future— wait.

“Yvan, this is Holly, she will get the two of you up to speed and serve as your handler going forward. Consider her word equal to my own; is that clear?” I nodded vigorously. “Good. I have other problems to attend to; do not become one of them again.”

Attempting to remain upright, I took measured paces towards the exit and out of the office. Holly was not far behind, scribbling a few notes in a notebook of her own. I was doing my best not to overthink the situation, but it was proving an impossible challenge. I had a handler now? We had a handler?!

“Yvan, I suggest we perform our introductions somewhere quiet, such that I can fully document your capabilities as well as clarify any questions you may pose. But first…” Holly eyed the crowd, who attempted to loiter near the entrance of the ramp up to the Commander’s lair. Clearly they weren’t fooling her. “How much do you trust this Anjanath?”

“Enough to stick my whole arm in her mouth and not get so much as a scratch.”

Holly gave me the same look a mother might when her child admits to doing something monumentally stupid. “And, in your defense, why was your arm in its— her, mouth?”

Subtle, but I caught the correction. “She forgot herself when I introduced her to fresh baked bread. It was a valuable learning experience; for both of us.” More notes on what was likely a negative opinion of me. But she’ll come around.

“Then I suppose first we should get your materials to the armorer and discuss equipment upgrades.” She declared, closing the notebook with a snap and quickly striding towards the front gate. With a shrug I followed along behind her, trying to ignore the fresh wave of rumors likely circulating on the sidelines.

The crowd of onlookers parted as we approached, everyone waiting to see what would happen next. Would we need ten hunters to pull everything? Was I going to be publicly declared as a new hunter? I watched Holly pass over a slip of paper to the lead hunter from before, who read the note and popped a quick salute.

Holly, stepping forward and clearing her throat, took the center as all eyes were drawn to her. “Everyone, while I am certain you all have questions, I request you disperse. Our newest hunter aspirant and their companion will be undergoing the three trials this week after a baseline evaluation is performed.”

There was a pause before the crowd roared in approval, as I watched dozens of individuals run off towards the betting house. The rest remained behind to cheer, before parting at Holly’s signal to allow her to pass. At least, until Holly signaled for the crowd to spread even wider, wide enough for… “Come, the Commander has approved a temporary visitation permit for you both to prepare for the trials.”

As the eight hunters spread apart to allow her passage, the sense of relief and gratitude radiating off Sue was palpable, such that even Holly must have noticed. With slow, carefully-placed steps, our little caravan entered the city proper, making our way to the armory. I couldn’t discern what people were saying, their voices an overlapping and chaotic din. My companion was looking beyond that, her eyes practically sparkling as her gaze swept across the various buildings and important locations of the outpost. I guess to someone who had been living in the forest their whole life, these sights might seem otherworldly and fascinating.

“This is quite unprecedented, Yvan.” Holly commented, as a child waved at us walking past (and Sue waved back). “There must always be a first for everything, I suppose. But I am not so easily conned into believing everything you egg-heads have to claim. If I see so much as a single step out of line, you will both be rendered down into piles of meat and flesh faster than you can apologize.”

Making what I believed was the smart choice, I opted not to respond to that threat. We arrived at the armory before Holly or I could say anything to sour the situation further, which had Sue visibly vibrating with excitement. “Sorry, she’s probably just fascinated by everything.” I apologized, as the poor attendant continued to stare in shock with his mouth agape. Guess he hadn’t seen a large beast like Sue before, at least not alive and waving at him with a toothy smile.

Holly cleared her throat, which shocked the sorry lad out of his stupor and fully to her. “We have some materials that we will need to be converted into armor, with the remainder sold for extra funds.” She motioned to the pile Sue was dragging behind her. “I believe first, Yvan is owed the proceeds from his previous transaction?” The attendant responded immediately and dashed off to fetch my order from last week, which made me ponder what reputation Holly might have that anyone would find her more fearsome than Sue.

Or maybe Sue was just adorable enough that people realized she wasn’t a threat?

Holly glared at me with barely-restrained cold fury, adjusting her glasses to catch the light. Yea, no, Holly was definitely the second scariest person I had met in Astera.

When the attendant returned, he was carrying a pair of boots, a helmet, a pair of gauntlets, and a bag of coins I supposed. While Holly and the attendant were going over our new pile of materials, I sat to the side and test-fit the boots. They were somehow more comfortable than my current pair, and provided protection for my feet and shins. The helmet was a snug fit, but it would be a relief that I had something to cover my noggin; hunting without a helmet in the top five dumbest things I’ve done. Lastly, the gauntlets slid on with little issue, as I tested my limited dexterity with them on. The impact appeared minimal, but that also meant they didn’t provide a whole lot of protection.

“Yvan, I would suggest having a breastplate and pair of greaves made next. That padded leather is not suitable for your future tasks, and appears as though it will not protect you much longer.” Holly voiced her concern, or the closest thing to it, as I stood to rejoin the conversation. I looked at the pile, there was definitely enough there for me to get both of those and have some leftover cash for more ammo. But…

“Any chance we could prioritize a helmet for Sue? I know I need better armor, but if she takes too bad of a hit, no armor would save me.” Holly did not like that, clearly still under the mistaken impression I was the important one of our duo. But that was acceptable, because the one who did matter did notice.

Her eyes were widened to the point they were almost completely black, with a trembling lip that reinforced just how human she could be.

Chapter Text

After Holly and I had our shouting match– which I lost, but also somehow won– I broke away to pay a visit to the Researcher’s Guild building while Sue had her head measured. Funnily enough, the armorer didn’t have a big enough rope, and was getting very creative with how to capture the dimensions of my companion’s massive skull.

It took almost no time to find Fowler in his office, still an organized mess like last time, though something was different. This time, I would swear I could smell the fear lingering around him. But whatever the source of that fear was, I didn’t need to utilize it; just drop off the notes and leave.

“Y-Yvan, what a pleasant—!” I cut him off by dropping the thick stack of paper on top of his cluttered desk with a solid thud. Maybe I had gone overboard with this past week, but after the wyvern and Jagras scares I wasn’t counting on always surviving each week. “Wh… what are these?”

“Notes, observations, instructions, and potential options for interspecies communication via hand or body signals.” I stated, as he shouldn’t be surprised by what we had been working on. “We’ve had solid success so far, but these next few weeks will be focused on the exam so I don’t expect to have any contributions for a while.”

My old boss looked stunned, which was a reasonable reaction to have. It wasn’t like this field of study was remotely popular right now. Nor replicable based on my experiences out in the wild. “Yvan…”

“If you have any particular requests, please submit them to my handler, Holly. She’ll let me know and formalize a response with any details or insights we can offer.”

“Holly?!” If his eyes could bulge out of his head, it surely seemed like they were trying to. But that was not my concern anymore.

“Thanks, for not burning the last set. I’ll see you around, Fowler!” I waved behind me while quickly making an exit. The whole scene reminded me of back when, as a young boy, I would enter a room and engage in conversation with the occupant, only to let rip a stinky puff of gas and flee the scene of the crime.

One stack of papers lighter, the next stop was the provisions pile, for more paper, more ammo, and some emergency rations. And a new notebook for sketches. I may or may not have been liberally filling the pages with art of Sue, including a full spread one where she posed for me. I was unsure what the context of it was, but the level of detail I had been able to imbue the piece with was nothing short of my best.

And, I imagine, it was something I would never be able to show anyone. Ever.

With my necessary refills obtained, I was shocked by the sudden appearance of a nervous Felyne standing right behind me. “Can I help you..?”

The little cat was kneading his own paws, about as short on confidence as he was in stature. “H-hi, my name is Yeast; I, uh, brought you the bread last week..?” Ah, I thought he was familiar, and I was totally not mistaking him for another Felyne like some sort of racist. With my nod, he brightened up. “I wanted to show her— you, both a new bread I’ve been working on.”

Oh that sounded nice, seems like Sue inspired someone to push themselves? “Sure, she’s over getting fitted for a helmet, why don’t we walk over and you can show us together?” His excited and violently nodding head brought a smile to my face, just happy that someone else seemed to value her as a possible person.

Out of respect, on the journey over I did not try to peek under the cloth covering Yeast’s surprise, the covered bundle cradled as a proud parent would their newborn babe. He did not deign to inform me of the special project, but how harmful could bread be? Especially since Sue had yet to do anything that would warrant a planned-out grudge or revenge. As we arrived at the armorer’s, it was readily apparent that two of the four individuals were having a bad time. Thankfully, the smith was not one of them, nor was Sue. “Did you have any trouble with the measurements?” Two smiles, one sigh, and one frown; looks like a mixed bag. I wanted to feel bad for the attendant, but if this was enough to make them quit the job, they wouldn’t have lasted long otherwise.

“Sue was very accommodating, and even helped when I asked. It may be a rough fit at first, but I’m certain we can make adjustments to fix any inconsistencies.”  The smith was beaming, as he gently rubbed Sue on the snout. Aww, finally someone else was open-minded enough to appreciate her. “But it may take two weeks or more, this isn’t exactly a standard order.”

“That should be fine, I doubt Holly will want us out doing anything exceptionally dangerous immediately. Which reminds me…” Holly removes an open palm from her forehead, understanding I was addressing her. “If I remember correctly, isn’t the first part of the hunter exam a weapons test?” There was a sudden rush of air into Sue’s nostrils, as her eyes dilated and burned into Holly, the big girl’s key tells for restrained excitement.

“Yes, you may select a weapon to attempt the test with.” Her dismissive tone cut deep, before the handler’s pursed lips and narrowed eyes took aim at Sue. “You, however, are exempt from this requirement, for exceptionally obvious reasons.” Holly’s lone bang went flying as Sue blasted her with a gust of air, her signature method of expressing frustration.

Hefting my light bowgun over my shoulder, I tried to keep things from escalating. “Well, I just got more ammo, so why don’t we get this out of the way? We can have that discussion you wanted as well.” A light tap from my side reminded me of the sixth member of this little crowd. “Ah, but before that, Yeast here would like to show us his latest creation.”

The Felyne cautiously stepped forward, at which point Sue’s crest flared up to its maximum height, as she lost herself to the aroma that likely radiated from the covered bundle. “I, uh, wanted to show you this, a–and get your opinion, of course!” Delicately, he removed each layer of cloth to unfurl and reveal the special offering.

It was plump and round, with two triangular extrusions on one side, and a multitude of small bumps on the top. The golden-brown crust was enticing, but as I got a better look, I noticed something peculiar about the design. “Is that meant to be a Felyne head?”

“Y–Yes! I worked hard to make the design just right! It's a curry-seasoned meat bun with some tubers and greens, and a mildly spicy thick sauce.” He responded, a sense of pride in his voice as Sue was frozen in place. Her second– no, fourth– serving of bread, and she had already been upgraded to a personalized meat bun. Lucky girl.

“It looks… cute.” Holly supplied, looking away and adjusting her glasses.

Following her gaze, I could only see the crowd of onlookers, uncertain what caught her eye. But that wasn’t important; praise was deserved for this effort. “This could be a popular new item, Yeast; great job!” He blushed, as much as a fur-covered being could at least. “Sue, I’m not very hungry at the moment, so you’ll have to tell me about how it tastes later.”

In a trance, she stuck out her tongue, letting the small baker place his masterpiece upon it before backing away. Returning my gaze to Holly, she seemed to have rejoined our little group. “Back to the test, what do I need to accomplish for your approval?” I asked, as Sue worked her tongue to massage the meat bun around in her mouth. For some reason, she kept staring at Yeast, while keeping her mouth open. Maybe she was taunting him?

“We will start with basic stationary target practice, check your accuracy at various standard distances. Then we will transition into moving targets and shooting while moving.” Sue pushed the meat bun to the front of her mouth, holding it with the curvature of her teeth before slowly rotating it in place with her tongue. Weird to have the face details aimed outward, it made the display creepy.

“Good thing I brought extra ammo then, I didn’t get much practice with moving anything.” Done with whatever it was she was up to, Sue pulled the morsel deeper into her maw before fully closing it, as I heard a wet squish from beneath her lips, and the slight bulge of her neck as she swallowed.

It was at that point Yeast collapsed backwards, fainting and unresponsive to the smith’s calls.

Lining up the sights, I took aim at the target, getting a feel for how the end of the weapon moved in my hands. No time limit, but taking too long per shot would work against me in the long run. Once the first shot was fired, both myself and the target would be on the move. As the little tip bobbed up and down, I pulled the trigger when it held at the center of the circle. A loud ‘bwang’ assaulted my ears as the weapon kicked back against my shoulder. The force didn’t overwhelm me, not like it had over the past week, but it was still enough that I noticed my shot had gone high, landing in the outermost ring.

With five rounds remaining, I adjusted my aim to compensate for the kick, lowering the little piece of metal to be just below the center. This time, the shot landed in the second-most outer circle. “If you think aiming at the ground to land a hit in the center means a good score, you might as well give up now.” Holly’s warning flares her administrative teeth, and leads me to lowering the weapon to safely face her.

“You still haven’t told me what a passing score is, either.” She doesn’t look up, scratching some notes on what I expect is likely a scathing review of my capabilities. After a minute, she glances up, with an easily understandable face that asks if I’m giving up on the test.

So insulting!

Sue wouldn’t be this cold to me, ‘ bwang ’.

She’d just make a joke about my shitty aim, or how my posture was wrong, ‘ bwang ’.

Meanwhile Holly was probably going to compare me to someone like Stalker, where anything short of a perfect score would be a fail, ‘ bwang ’.

Before I could loose my final shot, I felt a claw on my left shoulder. A reassuring claw, as I could spot her out of the corner of my vision. “ You can do this, ” she was saying, to which Holly began scratching the paper like she was attempting to engrave stone. With my best friend’s calming presence, I took aim and waited for my breathing to calm down. It was my last shot at this range, and I wanted to make it count.

‘ Bwang! ’

Lowering my bowgun, I felt an indescribable joy at seeing the hole in the second innermost circle, a full four circle improvement over my previous-best shot. Safe-ing the weapon and placing it on the bench, I used the foot pedals to wheel in the target, driving a mechanism which allowed the shooter to set their own custom distances without entering the range. Seeing it up close, I was proud of how far I’d come in just a week.

That pride lasted up until Holly removed the target and replaced it with a fresh one. “That was only twenty meters, do not get overconfident. Next is forty meters.”

Operating the mechanical wheel, the target slowly slid backwards until it clicked once, forcing me to pull the release lever to keep going backwards. With a second click, the target was locked in place forty meters away. Ejecting the spent ammo block, I replaced it with my second one, once again relieved I had enough funds to buy a ton of ammo. But, as I lined up the sights, it was made apparent just how poor my eyesight was for long-distance shots. I was shooting at a target of ten concentric circles of alternating colors, but right now I could barely make out three or four.

No panic, no rage, no emotions would get in my way this time; not so long as Sue was there to keep my spirit calm. With a solid rhythm, I fired all six rounds in sequence, accepting whatever the results may be. Safing the weapon again, I pedaled the recall mechanism to bring forth the results of the second half of this practical exam. As it closed in, I could see the approaching rings get clearer and more distinct with each moment, until it was right before us and clear as day what the results were.

On it, I counted five holes, of which three were outside the scoring circle, one was in the outermost circle, and one… was dead-center. “Impressive, Yvan. It seems Gog has thought to give you a stroke of luck today.” Holly pulled the sheaf of paper and placed it in her notes. “The second half of your weapons exam will be at twenty meters.” Replacing the target sheet, I pedaled it back out onto the range after replacing yet another ammo block.

Once there was a click, Holly pulled another lever, which sent the target immediately moving left and right with an arrhythmic lack of pattern. This would be my worst yet– “After each shot, you will move to an adjacent station per my command.” She informed me, as I tried to track the target with the sights.

After a few seconds, I recognized there was a maximum travel to the left and right, meaning it would always be between two points. Taking aim, I followed the circles as they jerked left, then right, then ‘bwang’ ! “Go left,” she demanded, as I complied and hustled to the next station over.

I took aim again, but as I pulled the trigger the target juked left, ‘ bwang’ . “Right!”

Moving back to my original lane, taking aim, ‘ bwang ’, “Right again!”

Guess there was no pattern, taking up a stance in the new lane, waiting just as the target approached the far right, ‘ bwang ’, “Two spots to the left!”

Two lanes? Guess she really had it in for me, as I took aim, waited out the juke, and then ‘ bwang ’! “Go all the way to the right!”

Spool! I was getting tested on my agility too?! I sprinted to the right-most lane of the ten-lane setup, gasping for breath as I took my stance and aimed at the target which was likely now more than twenty meters away. The sights bobbed up and down due to my hard breathing, forcing me to hold my breath as long as I could, line up the shot… ‘ bwang! ’

I let the stale air go, walking back towards the original spot as Holly triggered an end to the sideways movements, blessing me with the honor of recalling the target once more. Six holes, all on the outer ring, but still on-target. I felt a slimmer of pride at that, all things considered. My new handler took the target, adding it to her pile of notes. “Your physical weapons test is complete. For the next portion, you will be undergoing a written and oral examination on standard survival knowledge. As your… companion, cannot communicate sufficiently, she will be excluded from this test as well.”

I glared at the uptight woman, unsure if it was my outrage at her ridiculous expectations, or the casual dismissal of my best friend. “You know, she understands every word you say, right?” This ice queen gave no reaction, either out of apathy or disbelief. “She can still take a test if you frame the question and answer in a way suitable to her capabilities. At the very least give her a chance to try?”

“Yvan, we do not cater the test towards the disabilities of those attempting it. Would you have us make concessions for a blind man? For someone with no arms? That would simply result in more dead hunters, something I doubt you want on your conscience. No, your associate will remain outside of the building during the exam.”

Sue’s whine was probably the cutest noise I’d heard from her yet, and who could blame her? “Don’t worry, it should only be a few more minutes. Since we can’t stay the night, we’ll need to leave here before sundown.” I mean really, I bet the questions would be so hard I’d fail immediately.

I did not fail immediately; nor at all.

Instead, Holly grilled me on over a hundred questions, most of which were easy, and the rest just required me to explain my thought process. What herb can be used to create a clotting agent for a wound? Where can it be found, what does it look like, and what alternatives are there when it isn’t available?

Then there was an outline of a footprint, with three toes and soft talons. She asked whether it was an herbivore or carnivore, then how to check the age of the print, and a slew of other follow-ons.

If this was truly the same test they gave other aspiring hunters, it was no wonder we had so few. Heck, I wonder if every member of the Research Guild could pass this (I doubt it)!

But then it was over, with the sun hanging low in the sky. Sue had curled up right outside the door to wait, making her displeasure at my absence known by rubbing me with her forehead. “Hey, sorry, I thought I would have failed sooner. Guess I was just too smart to kick out so easily!” Now that I thought about it, did Sue even have a forehead? Technically it was the top of her skull, rather than a front-facing portion connecting to the top. I guess the black fur meant it was her scalp?

“Unfortunately for you, that would be correct, Yvan.” Holly was right behind me, with a single sheet of paper in her hands, and an expression halfway between discontent and acceptance. “As you have demonstrated sufficient capabilities to continue the trials, we will be announcing your second task at the front gate. Please follow me.” Our little parade procession seemed to be garnering excitement in the crowds, which was normal as these hunter evaluations were always a special moment. And now, it was going to be mine.

“Attention! Our hunter aspirant has passed the first trial, that of mind and power!” Holly decreed, as everyone threw out a hearty cheer in support. “Thus, today we send our aspirant out on their second trial. Due to their overwhelming scores, the council has selected an appropriately challenging task.”

The second task was always the ‘go find this’ challenge. Dumber hunters had easier targets, smarter ones had harder targets. We’d probably have to find a flower that only grew in direct moonlight or something crazy like that. “For their second trial, our aspirant has been tasked with securing a single sample of a Mandragora!”

…Wait. “Uh, a Mandragora?” I pulled my handy field guide to flora from my pack, skimming the pages up until a deft hand plucked it from my grasp.

“Sorry Yvan, you’ll need to accomplish this without the survival handbook,” she ‘apologized’ while stowing the pilfered saving grace in her bag. “The council has full confidence in our aspirant’s abilities. We expect a sample to be returned here within one week’s time. Good hunting!”

“GOOD HUNTING!” The crowd was completely caught up in the excitement. But I saw it, that look of smug malice that Holly quickly hid back under her dispassionate mask. I took the paper with a grumble, leading Sue out of the city as she excitedly waved at the crowd behind us. Meanwhile, I examined the basic sketch and description of the target on the piece of paper. The image looked like it was drawn by a child, and the description barely covered the colors. Nothing about odor, or what conditions it grew in, or even if it was edible.

With the cheers fading in the distance, my companion was giving me an eager expression. “At least they gave us a week. This description matches almost half the mushrooms we’ve seen so far, so I have no idea how we’re supposed to find the right one.” She was undaunted by the task, maybe oblivious to the imposed difficulty. “You know, other hunters typically only have to bring back a collection of basic intact herbs.”

I could start to see it, the way she walked was unusual, almost with excess energy as she bounced on her toes. I could practically see her tail swinging in a larger arc with each step. And, as I listened, I could hear an odd sound hidden behind her lips, a small buzzing sound which cut in and out almost at random. “You know where we can find some, don’t you?”

Sue duplicated Holly’s previous expression, forgiving the inclusion of the super sharp teeth, as I began to understand what our actual situation was. “Well, in that case, what do you want to do for a week?” Her nearby claw extended, pointing at the bowgun strapped to my back. “Good idea, but I meant for you.” Sue thought about it, before the big girl pantomimed writing symbols in the air. “We can do that, I’ll even teach you how to call someone a ‘barnacle’.”

Sue laughed with a slight twinge of something I was hoping she’d never unleash upon me.

Chapter Text

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 25

A lot happened yesterday, to the point I forgot to ask about several things. But hopefully Fowler finds them in the stack of notes I gave him. Anyway, we’ve been tasked with finding a Mandragora, with practically no actionable information to go off of. And only a week to do so.

If I ever find out who decided to try and intentionally fail us, I’m going to wrap up a mixture of Sue’s and Aptonoth spool, keep it moist and smelly, and then decorate their home with it.

Sue is not as angry as I am, and on our exercise run today had me stop to grab some mushrooms. She wouldn’t let me eat them, but I’m uncertain why she had us grab them? I can’t tell if they’re the Mandragora or just some random fungi. But I’ve learned to have faith in her, every action seemingly has meaning behind it.

I still wish Holly had given her a chance; I bet Sue knows even more than I do about the flora and fauna of the forest.

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 28

We have been working on our teamwork, and I can confirm Sue both understands and can replicate signals for ‘Hold’, ‘Move in’, ‘Follow Me’, ‘Flank’, and ‘Danger’. We were able to successfully put them in practice with a few simulated hunts and one real one.

While traveling, we came across a river of Jagras tracks, likely from the group roaming the forest. They were interwoven with the river, making it difficult to get a remotely accurate count of their size. I noticed several sets were bigger than the others, hinting at the possibility of a Greater Jagras.

If we spot them, we’re bolting for Astera.

Subject “Sue”, Anjanath Female Adult - Day 34

Tomorrow we return to Astera, with six potential samples of Mandragora in hand, one picked on each day of the test. I still can’t get a good read on how confident Sue is in her fungal identification. But at this point, I’m going to tie my fate to hers. Succeed or fail, I go where she goes.

I worry about the final stage, which is typically to hunt a specific species and bring it back. For most, a simple Mosswine or Jaggi will work. I have an unsettling belief they may ask us to bring back a Rathalos. Possibly even alive just to rub dirt in the wound.

The second stage is typically some form of either research or scouting or a test of a particular survival skill, but I haven’t the faintest clue what it could end up being. Maybe something dumb, like “Go figure out why Nergigante’s been so quiet up in the desert”. Sue’s face went rather pink at that joke, as the pigmentation in her scales managed to lose their saturation for a brief moment.

By my understanding, scales can’t just lose pigmentation the same way a human can blush or go white from blood drain. But it happened, thus demonstrating she has a healthy amount of fear towards the Elder Dragon.

Then again, if they do tell me to go seek out an Elder Dragon, I bet even The Commander would be willing to back me up… I hope…

The walk along the coastal cliffs was always peaceful, with long enough sight lines that we didn’t need to worry about an ambush, and the caress of the salty sea breeze to remind us we weren’t in the forest anymore. I mean, the lack of trees gave the same impression, but it’s the little things that put a person on-edge. Sue had us take a detour on the way back, asking me to grab another plant (not a mushroom) along the way, as yet another trophy of our week-long sojourn.

I still have doubts we managed to pick six of the Mandragoras, but if we did I’m going to enjoy the shocked reactions. Sue’s confidence was getting infections; that or her help training was rubbing off on me, as I counted roughly six strides to her one now. It could never be one to one, such a thing was just not physically possible, but it was a relief to not get winded simply from a light hike these days.

As the towering palisades of the front gate loomed in the distance, it appeared there was no welcoming party of hunters at the front gate this time. A positive sign, if there was one, though instead something else was waiting to ambush us just pass the wooden walls.

Holly.

And a crowd of practically everyone in the outpost. I even saw Baba standing at the front of the throng, with her trademark disciplining walking stick. Note to self, do not introduce Sue to her as ‘my girlfriend’.

But there was no waiting for later, this was a proud ceremonial moment for every young hunter; their first successful mission. And as Sue and I pulled up to our assumed spots, I reached into my bag and pulled out the six mushrooms we had gathered through the week.

I held them up high, victorious, as the crowd held their breath. Holly simply waited dispassionately, her eyes firmly fixed on my own, before taking the samples as I offered them to her. With a keen eye, she studied the details of each fungal cap, examining them to try and disprove our success, likely.

After looking at all six, she glanced back at me with a nod, before turning to the crowd. “One week has passed since our hunter aspirant was sent out into the woods to retrieve their target; a Mandragora mushroom.” Her announcement was met with silence, having quieted the muffled side conversations among the crowd. “The aspirant has successfully brought back not just one, but six!” She shouted, holding them high to a burst of cheers, which was not what I had expected.

She hid them inside a bag, oddly happy considering I thought for sure she wanted us to fail. She even offered me back my survival handbook on the spot. “Now, you may rest and resupply before your next challenge, which the council has determined shall be to seek out and disperse the Jagras pack in the woods!” The crowd was clapping and sharing their encouragement, and as much as I appreciated it, this farce had gone on long enough.

“Hell no!” My declaration silenced everyone, some with shock, others with confusion, especially Holly. Oh, thought I’d go along with your plan and get utterly eviscerated? No thanks! “There’s no way Sue and I can tackle a Jagras pack that big, especially with at least one Greater leading them.

“What?” She asked weakly, confusion giving way to… maybe fear? Either way, it seems she wasn’t quite as informed as I had thought. The crowd seemed to murmur their own aide conversation.

“Yeah, we came across their tracks a few days ago. If that’s the council’s appropriate challenge for a ‘hunter aspirant’ then maybe I should just stick with being a researcher.” I rubbed Sue’s leg, unsure whether she was disappointed with this reveal or if she realized today might be her last day inside the walls. I could’ve said more, just unloaded on this woman, but I just wasn’t feeling up for it. The crowd parted for us as Sue and I made our way towards the smithery with the faint hope of being able to pick up her helmet.

Luckily for us, the same armorsmith was waiting, bouncing with unrestrained glee besides a large tarp-covered object. “Welcome back! This ended up bein’ a bigger challenge than I thought. BUT! Feast yer eyes on this!” He exclaims with enthusiasm as he pulls the tarp from the object, revealing a Sue-sized protective head casing. The contours matched her head, with a structure made from large white bones reinforcing tanned leather coverage, seemingly sized to protect the top half of her noggin while allowing free use of her mighty jaws. There appear to be a few buckles and straps near the back, along with an odd one near the front.

I could feel the ground vibrate as Sue’s feet did the same tippy-tap dance as an overexcited child; thankfully she was cognizant enough of her bulk to keep them slight and only mildly noticeable. And just like a child who wanted to immediately play with their new toy, she gently stepped around to place her snout just behind the base of the helmet. With some help, and a delicate weaving of the front strap between her sharp teeth, she was able to slide it on. “Well? How is it? Can you see well? Does it pinch anywhere?” The smith seemed keen on getting positive feedback, as my partner swung her head left and right.

She rotated back and forth, then all the way forward as the helmet shifted just slightly before the straps around the back of her skull pulled taught. Shaking her head didn’t seem to shift it drastically either. Lastly, she deployed her nasal fin, which neatly fit between the small opening along the top of the snout. “Looks like everything works as intended?” She nodded, before giving the smith a slow bow, some odd way of demonstrating respect maybe? “Though I thought you said this would take two weeks?”

“Aye, that was when I figured I’d be tackling it alone. Seems a few of the lads were interested in helping out; likely just for the novelty of it.” With a gentle touch, he rubbed the small opening for Sue’s nose, grinning like a mad man. “If you get the goods for other pieces, I bet I could get every armorer in Astera involved.”

“We’ll work on that; we didn't really have much time to dedicate towards gathering this time due to the trials. But thanks for the offer!” He also kindly handed over a sizable bag of coins, enough for a complete restock on ammo and other goodies. With our next destination set for the provision stockpile, I noticed that there weren’t very many people around, as the crowd near the front was still there. Odd, but occasionally I did see one or two people sprint off somewhere, probably had to get back to work or who left a fire going unattended.

Getting more ammo was easy, and I had enough leftover funds to get more emergency rations, and a medical kit. We had been lucky so far, but I didn’t want to risk either of us getting sick from disease or infection. We still had plenty left over, so I attempted to interpret whether Sue wanted anything for herself. It took some gentle nudges, but she seemed to want an Antidote for whatever reason, which I obliged (as it took a good chunk of our remaining funds) and tucked the glass cork-stopped vial into my satchel.

“What do you say to a quick bite before we leave?” I offered, practically stumbling as I tripped over her tail. By the time I regained my balance, she was halfway to the kitchen, with a chorus of adoring Felynes to welcome her. I didn’t even need to ask what she wanted to eat; I simply gave our waiter the bag of remaining coins, asking for the daily special for myself, and one of everything for her.

By my rough math, it should be enough to fill her up for the rest of the day. Though, owing to her size, we had to eat at the edge of the area, both seated on the floor. I mean, I could’ve grabbed a chair and table, but that wouldn’t have the same feeling. Plus, we were served loaves and salads almost immediately (this time, I did not have to fend off a ferocious Anjanath, and was permitted to enjoy the soft warm bread). It was silly, to watch as she literally ate each with a single bite. But then again, I was able to witness something I doubt anyone ever would:

Someone who actually enjoyed eating salad.

A carnivore, no less, though I realized that this was a grand opportunity to learn more. “So, I take it you eat things other than meat?” My question was met with narrow eyes and raised ridges, “ Duh? ” I noticed her eyeing my salad, and used my left leg to sweep it protectively closer to my body. “It’s just, your teeth would categorize you as a pure carnivore. Typically, omnivores would have a set of flat molars towards the back of their jaws.”

She used her small arms to point at her stomach, then made a light hissing noise. “True, I guess having strong stomach acid negates the need to grind down plant matter. But do you get anything from it? Would a giant pile of vegetables give you the same energy as a chunk of flesh?” She shrugged, instead forming a flat plane with her arms as they tilted left and right before leveling out flat. “I guess having a balanced diet would be advantageous; meat for your primary nutrition, and plants to supplement the gaps.”

Their waiter arrived not long after with Sue’s first course; a bowl of soup with some noodles. The dainty spoon provided with it would’ve been fine in my hands, but for her it was even smaller than a tooth. Sympathetic to her plight, I stood up while holding the bowl, motioning for her to open up. Her lower jaw had a deep enough indentation from her guns that I simply dumped the entire contents of the bowl behind her front teeth, watching as the tip of her tongue sloshed the broth around.

She closed her mouth and tried to savor it, but her lips leaked a bit forcing her to swallow it all in a single gulp. “We may need to rethink proper portion sizes for you, especially for anything that isn’t just meat.” She bobbled her head for “ Maybe, ” as her eyes swept over the rest of the building. A rather muscular Felyne was hard at work massaging a large rack of ribs, pushing spices into each little cranny of space he could find.

When he had first moved into town, I had thought the use of space was poorly thought out, with not enough seating for the hungry people who came through. It wasn’t until later that I was informed that the setup was meant to make eating here an experience; less about just eating, but also being able to enjoy a performance as you could watch your dinner being seared right before your eyes.

“Still ogling the buff Felyne? No wonder you turned Sue down.” The snarky but friendly voice broke me from the trance, as Quyl sat down with us, holding a half-eaten wrap in her hands. “Congrats on passing the Forager trial; a handful of people made a killing betting on you.” Punctuating the statement with a grin, she ravenously bit down to tear off a mouthful of meat and veggies.

“You know that isn’t what I was doing… but thanks. I still can’t believe they had to make it so difficult. If it weren’t for Sue, I think I’d have failed.” I admitted as I rubbed the side of her head, rewarded with a light purr and vibration for my kindness. “So… How much did you win?”

Chewing, she frowned with the glare of someone who was trying to suppress their anger. “Barely anything; the odds of you succeeding were one and a half to one. Most people were taking more esoteric bets, but I heard one woman correctly guessed you’d bring back six of them.” It was amusing, how she tried to look away from me in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. Maybe she wishes she had gambled on a specific outcome?

“Oh ho, sounds like someone got lucky–”

“Yea, so lucky she’s banned from betting on you for a while! Do you have any idea how much money she won? Between the insane odds and her wager, I heard the house had to extend her a line of credit until they can pay up.” The three of us share a hearty laugh at the idea, as the waiter brings out Sue’s second dish, a sizzling disc of bread covered with pulped and diced tomatoes and covered with a melted ooze of solidified milk. I do my best to sneak a hand in and tear off a piece, only for Sue’s tail to whip around and smack my knuckles.

Shaking my hand with an “ow”, I watch as she uses one of her claws to cut the disc into four sections, four equal sections at that. She motions towards Quyl, miming lifting something and folding it. Before I can translate, she bites down on her wrap, holding it by her mouth as she grabs both ends of a section of the flat food, folding it up like a little hammock. This helps keep the triangular cut level on the bottom, with no drooping unsupported third point, a significance that might have blown any other researcher’s mind.

But for me, I’d gotten numb to the world-shattering surprises. I just enjoyed watching as my two friends helped each other out; or rather, as one of them made their first attempt to help feed the other, placing the savory-covered saucy bread down on the tip of Sue’s tongue before quickly withdrawing her hands. Though no worry was warranted, as Sue patiently waited to see both Quyl’s hands before closing her mouth. Like before, she didn’t chew, simply rolling the food around on her tongue.

“Good, isn’t it? We still haven’t been able to translate the name from the Felynes, but a drunk idiot started calling it ‘Piece-A’, because he was willing to do anything for another piece.” Having not heard the story before, suddenly the name made a lot more sense. I guess there are a lot of things you just miss out on if you aren’t talking to people. Oddly, Sue had dipped her claw in the piece-a, using the tomato juices to paint some symbols on the serving platter. It looked like a word, maybe? The first was a banner atop a flagpole, right next to a shorter pole or pillar. Then there were a pair of two… I guess springs would be the closest analogy? It was two horizontal lines with a diagonal going from one end to the other. The fifth symbol was a small circle with a little tail off to the bottom right.

Some day, I’m going to need to ask where she keeps coming up with these ideas.

“Hmm, Yvan, what does that say?” Oh, great. Do I lie and anger Sue, or tell the truth and risk lowering Quyl’s opinion of me? As the two predators lean in, I can feel the metaphorical cold breath of The Harvester on the back of my neck. Quyl is being serious, she expects a real answer, and not just some joke I can play off. Sue intentionally put me in the position, but how am I supposed to explain that she just makes up these symbols?!

Gog help me… “I think it may be her interpretation of how to write out ‘piece-a’, maybe? Sue has been working quite hard during our lessons.” Please buy it, please accept it, please don’t think over that sentence any harder than–

“Wow, amazing! You really do have a big brain inside that skull, don’tcha?” Sue preened under the praise, as Quyl gently reached out to place her hand on the big girl’s snout, sliding her hand between the gap in the protective helmet. I could hear the purring, as did the hunter based on how she began to rub her hand around the nostrils. The sight was a great sign of progress and trust, especially considering Quyl’s previous behaviors. And in that moment, a memory clicked into place that would’ve saved me a ton of worrying.

Quyl could barely read. She likely had no idea what Sue wrote weren’t even real symbols or characters.

As the waiters continued to bring out dish after dish (eventually including mine), Sue was given a sample of practically every great work our head chef could produce. The three of us were enjoying ourselves, even when the guild attendant (so identified by their coat and badge) walked up to us with shaking knees. “Uhm, pardon me. Yvan and Sue? Handler Holly has requested-but-without-the-optional-part your presence at the main mission table.”

I didn’t even get to identify myself. But, given Sue’s mention by name, I likely didn’t have to. Though, it didn’t escape my eyes how the attendant never actually looked at her. Just me. “Did she word it that way specifically? Or was it implied?”

“Specifically,” he responded, continuing to stand in place, maybe to ensure we showed up. “As you are not yet a full-fledged hunter, you cannot be summoned nor conscripted for any missions. Thus, why you are requested-but-without-the-optional-part.” The repetition really drove home that she did, in fact, word it that way. Standing from the remains of our meal, the three of us followed the attendant to the main meeting table, which had a massive painted hide of the nearby region, including the forest, desert, and edge of the mountains.

Sue could see the table through the doorway, bigger than the entire room and unable to even fit her head through the door with any ease. Inside, Holly was standing beside The Commander, and the insect glaive hunter from almost a week ago. Quyl attempted to enter, but the menacing gaze of the three others inspired her to take a walk, miming an apology to me with her exit. With an air of seniority, Holly adjusted her glasses such that they glared in the torchlight. “Let us begin the briefing. Earlier today, hunter aspirant Yvan mentioned the existence of a Jagras pack with no fewer than ten members, including at least one Greater to lead them. This information would explain the recent string of casualties due to a swarm of small-sized carnivores, in addition to the struggling herbivore populations.”

She pointed to three wooden flag markers standing up atop the map, each likely signifying one of the fallen. “Each one was judged as capable of handling a small Jagras pack, thus why we had dismissed that as a potential cause. Yvan, can you point out where you saw the tracks?”

Eh? On a map this conceptual? “Uh, not exactly, but we spotted them along the south side of the winding river, just east of the rainfall willow tree.” I got blank stares in return, but I was just trying to be as helpful as I could! We always traveled by landmarks, not maps! “I could lead us back there before the day’s end though, if we left soon.”

“How fast?”

“Like a normal, sedate walking pace– my walking pace.” I corrected, as Holly held up an odd implement with a pair of two wooden sticks connected by a clamp at one end. She loosened the clamp, expanding the distance between the two free ends to match a certain length on the map before tightening the clamp again. With one point on Astera, she traced a rough arc with the opposite point, the wood making a light indent on the map.

“So likely somewhere near this arc?” I looked carefully at the indentation, noting that it lined up with one of the blue squiggles, but something was off. The river wasn’t the southernmost one, while the arc suggested as such. There was one more squiggle, just a little further north and west.

“No, further,” I corrected, reaching out to place my finger at the bend where the further river turned from south to west. “I recognize that big bend, it was closer to this one.”

“That’s–”

“Commander, may I voice a suggestion?” The glaive hunter spoke up, her tone vibrating with excitement. Her request was granted, as the grey-haired man nodded in confirmation. “I suggest Yvan’s Seeker trial be to escort my team to the Jagras pack, without our help.”

“Vaerin!” Holly shouted, sounding like she was against the idea. But in my mind, not having to help fight would be a much better outcome than the original assignment.

“That is an acceptable compromise.” The Commander’s full gaze bore down on me, as I stood beside the door opening ready to bolt for the forest and abandon civilization just to avoid those eyes ever again. “Hunter aspirant, your new task will be to locate the Jagras pack and guide our Fang squad right to them. There will be no time limit; either return successful… or not at all.” His eyes swept to the glaive hunter, who stood impossibly straight under his attention. “Hunter Jaegar, you and Fang squad are to terminate the entire pack. Ignore standard preservation procedures, the population will recover with future migrations, your task is merely to rebalance the forest.”

“Sir!” The insect glaive hunter saluted, and hearing her full name gave me the context I needed. I was going to be escorting Astera’s top ranked hunter team, a group of eight said to be capable of driving off Nergigante, into the forest to find a roaming pack of Jagras.

I glanced at Holly for some kind of guidance, but she seemed to be holding back her own opinions with a face of professionalism. It gave me an odd feeling, like I had misunderstood her, that she wasn’t trying to have me fail. Maybe she just was trying to do her job, and I made that a challenge. Maybe, it was time I stood up for myself. “Sir, permission to ask a question?” Again, he nodded, with a sense of curiosity. “Why do you need Sue and I to participate in this mission?”

“Yvan, I recall a young man standing in my office, barely a week ago, who stood up to me. A man who bragged that his partner was equal to four of our best hunters, while also being among our top scouts.” Ah… damn me and my mouth. “Now, for a threat such as this, why would I not want to send a party of our ‘twelve’ top hunters and potentially new top scout, in order to eliminate the danger that is poised to take even more lives from our town?”

I thought I heard Jaegar chuckle, but swallowed any retort I might have. “Understood, sir.”

“Good hunting.”

Chapter Text

As Sue, Jaegar, and I marched for the front gate, well-armed and armored hunters fell into line beside us, each making last minute adjustments on their armor or weaponry. And here I was, still in my researcher’s outfit with a basic light bowgun, relegated to the protective core of the formation with Sue bringing up the rear.

Along the sides, we had an audience, as the onlookers cheered out for their favorite members of the Fang squad. The bulk of the cheers for the woman leading our group with her signature insect glaive, Jaegar. Her bright orange armor was a form of warning to the beasts that she was poisonous, and very dangerous to try and consume. It looked to be a balance of tough plates and gaps for mobility, emphasizing her agile fighting style.

On her immediate left flank was the gunlance hunter I had spoken with before, Ullr, whose deep sea blue armor covered almost every possible gap or opening he had. He earned the second-most amount of support, primarily from women due to his looks (I wager, though there were some men in the mix so it may have been for other reasons). If there was anyone I’d want to hide behind in the group, it was him.

On Jaegar’s immediate right flank was a switch-axe wielder in void black plating, Sugudun, whose ambush techniques were the inspiration for many of my own traps. His armor was similar to Jaegar’s, but with smaller gaps, hinting at a more rigid fighting style. Maybe I might be able to learn from him after this… if I survive.

Then there was the bow user, Artemis, in her famous camouflage green and brown leathers laced with petrified leaves. Her uncanny accuracy let her strike the vital points of any prey she pursued. She walked beside the group’s heavy bowgun user, Vosagus, whose darker shades of green worked with his strategy to strike from the bushes and shrubs. Between the two of them, anything in the air wouldn’t be for very long.

The final three were the more secretive of the group, who rarely could be bothered for guard duty, often sneaking themselves into hidden areas to train. The longsword user, Takeminakata, whose bright red banded armor gave her limited protection in exchange for maximum mobility. The dual sword fanatic, Bastet, who had been Quyl’s living idol and goal as long as I had known her, sporting a mixture of leathers and white furs. And lastly was the greatsword user, Rudra, who towered a full head over the others with an extremely broad frame and a rich purple armor similar to Sugudun’s in style.

I imagine many hunters would give anything to be in my position, walking alongside veritable titans and legends, headed out to save the land from devastation. But I knew I didn’t belong here. I was still working my way up from Mosswines; I had never faced any actual danger, merely slight risks while having a helper who could trivialize any serious threat. Meanwhile these eight had been forged by the fires of adversity, hammered into shape by trial after trial with their lives on the line.

I was just some guy who was in over his head, about to drown–

“Hey, you look awfully glum for someone getting the VIP experience,”  Bastet commented with a higher (likely younger) voice than I had expected from her. “I thought every hunter dreamed of getting to team up with the Fangs?”

“He’s an egghead, Bast. Likely scared out of his oversized skull,” Vosagus butted in with the back-handed defense. Though, he was right. I was rightfully scared of what we were up against.

“That’s what puts me on edge, Vos.” This time the speaker was Ullr, whose deep rolling thunder of a voice matched the crack of his gunlance. “The guy who’s been living with an Anjanath is afraid, that should tell you what we’re walking into.”

“Ain’t even a normal Anjanath anyway. My daughter says it waved at her last week; she’s been learnin’ everything Anjanath ever since.” The ragged tones of Rudra implied some sort of damage to his vocal chords, layered with pride when speaking of his daughter.

Walking along the cliffs, I made every attempt to emotionally center myself. There was no further use in worrying, all I could do was my best to survive. That and take advantage of the opportunity of having the top eight hunters in Astera potentially answer my questions. “Say, by any chance, has your squad taken down or fought against a theropod, one bigger than Sue?”

I couldn’t see all of their faces, but those I could seemed deep in thought. “I mean, mainly in the last–” looking back at Sue, I waved my hands to try and convey that I needed a timeframe. I saw her slash the air twice, then wave around in a flat circle parallel to the ground? “The last two cycles?” A nod, good guess there Yvan.

“We haven’t had to mobilize often, not together. But,” Artemis trailed off, glancing at Sue again. “I remember someone found a dead Glavenus, about her size, a little over a cycle and a half ago.” Glavenus? I pulled out my field guide, flipping through the pages until I hit its entry, showing it to the archer. “Yea, one of those. Big guy seemed like he went down fighting something even bigger than him. But whatever it was, left his body alone entirely. His horns are what Bastet’s blades were carved from. You can even find the skull hanging in the betting house.”

Looking back, I came to a halt, seeing that Sue had stopped a little ways back; something the rest of the group noticed after I began to walk towards her. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, eyes contracted into narrow slits as they seemed to dance around, never looking at me or the group. I stood there before her, waiting patiently. Whatever was going through her head, trying to wake her up early sounded like a poor idea in my eyes. I could hear the mumbled discussion behind me, the Fangs likely worried about a fight or worse after just starting our journey.

But barely a moment later, Sue shut her eyes, sucking in a deep breath, and letting it flow out her nose at a measured pace. Lowering her head, I reached up and under the helmet to rub the side of her snout beneath the protective covering. “I know. Maybe when this is over, we can ask to let you say goodbye.”

She pulled back and up, her eyes twinkling in the light as I wiped a moist palm against my coat. Rejoining the group, Bastet looked poised to speak before she took an elbow to the kidney from Takeminakata, the action reminiscent of a parent disciplining a child. No words were spoken, as our group continued the hike towards our destination. Upon reaching the treeline, we inverted the team formation, with Sue taking point and the Fangs spread around me in pairs. Thanks to her nose, we were able to skip a few minor landmarks, reaching the rainfall willow much faster than I had anticipated.

“From here it should roughly be due east. But the tracks are a few days older by now, so there’s no–” a glove clamped over my mouth, as I had been too lost in thought to notice Sue’s nose frill had deployed as she stood still just outside the clearing. This area was memorable because of the unique tree, and also for having a wide open area surrounding it. And in that clearing, on the eastern side of the towering tree, was a group of sleeping Jagras alongside another group simply resting and relaxing.

Among the herd, three stood out to me due to their significantly larger size; three Greater Jagras. A quick tally showed there were also twelve minor ones as well. But something felt off; why would they be sleeping during the day? Jagras weren’t known to be a nocturnal species, and even then it was only roughly one third of the group asleep. But why would only part of the gathering be sleeping?

Jaeger threw out a quick sequence of hand signals, as the other Fangs began to split up and silently move left and right, spreading out along the tree line. Takeminakata went left with Bastet. Sugudun and Vosagus crept off to the right, likely to set up an ambush point. Artemis practically leapt up a nearby tree to get a good vantage point. She then turned back to me, and held up the command I was hoping for; ‘Stay Here’. No more was said as she, Ullr, and Rudra strode forward into the clearing, abandoning the element of surprise.

Their entry was quickly noticed by one of the smaller Jagras, which squawked out an alarm before Artemis’s shot sailed out of the foliage and through its skull. The attack was too late, as the sleeping forms quickly rose to action, the fourteen on eight fight already somewhat lopsided. But that was the point when everything sprung to action. The entire group was bearing down on Jaegar and her trio, but that haste seemed to have been in her plan all along.

In their rush to attack the three invaders, the Jagras had managed to blind themselves to their sides, as the hidden four leapt forward in charge. Vosagus struck first, the thunderous clap of his heavy bowgun announcing his arrival as the shot hit a nearby Jagras, splintering its leg and sending it tumbling, creating an obstacle that tripped up a second Jagras just long enough for Sugudun to leap in and slash at it, slicing deep into the thigh.

Takeminakata and Bastet leapt into the fray (having had to cover a longer distance from their position), as the two women worked in tandem to chop whatever was in range, starting with the entire head of one unlucky Jagras as the longsword sliced cleanly through its neck. Bastet was less precise, slicing at whatever she could, be it legs or arms or necks or tails. Her fury was able to draw a group of three to focus on the two women, much like how Vosagus and Sugudun had managed to capture the attention of five near them.

The remaining two lessers and three Greaters continued on their charge at Jaegar, Ullr, and Rudra, as the three hunters spread out to give each other space. I idly wondered how many other people in Astera had been able to safely witness something like this. Maybe one or two at a time, but all eight? Their teamwork and coordination was incredible. To punctuate the idea, another shot from Artemis streaked out, landing between two of the Greaters and spooking them into slightly splitting up, repeating the action for the center and left Greaters. She could do more than just kill from afar; she clearly was separating them to try and force three independent fights.

Vosagus’ weapon thundered three more times, as it appeared his group of enemies began to stumble, one of them tumbling to the ground as something fell off of it. Sugudun only swung his weapon on a tempo, seemingly acting as a defensive shield for his partner by deterring the beasts from getting too close.

I couldn’t make out what was happening with Takeminakata and Bastet, other than a lot of slashing and a lot of cries from everyone involved. But it was working, as another Jagras fell, leaving them only two left in their area.

Up front, the three Greaters had begun their deadly dance with our own trio, as Artemis fired another shot, which buried itself in the thigh of one of the two approaching lessers, which quickly hid behind a nearby Greater. This spurred a memory from my studies, about how the lesser Jagras would only be able to form small groups without the guidance of one or more Greater Jagras. But so far, I hadn’t seen or heard any of the Greaters give anything resembling a command or order.

Those same studies also indicated that, should one of the lesser Jagras go down, the rest of the herd would splinter and run off. But instead, this group seemed intent to fight to the bitter end. What were we missing? What was causing this erratic behavior?

Rudra was simply blocking, shifting his greatsword to ward off or parry each attack, almost like he was simply buying time. Ullr was testing his foe’s defenses, using his gunlance like a normal lance as any attacks that got past it were rebuffed by his shield. And Jaegar, she was literally dancing with her two foes, not even attempting to attack. Was this what high level combat was like?

But the stalemate was broken as Artemis fired another arrow, this time forcing Ullr’s opponent backwards to dodge it. Ullr then used that gap to turn and drive his gunlance into the side of Jaegar’s Greater Jagras in the center, blasting an attack into its ribs. Jaegar then had an opening to swing her glaive across and maim Rudra’s opponent on the left, which then gave Rudra a chance to execute an overhead swing, his greatsword crashing down on the head of the injured Greater Jagras he had been parrying.

The fight resumed flowing, as Ullr returned to blocking and prodding the uninjured Greater Jagras before him, and Jeager resumed her dance with her own. Jaeger’s foe seemed to be staggering, giving her small openings to cut away at the injured lesser while she dodged the attacks from both. Lastly, Rudra continued to swing his greatsword in sweeping arcs, forcing his opponent to keep dodging and retreating lest it take another powerful blow.

I wanted to call out, to urge him not to separate from his teammates, but that was when I noticed that there were only four lesser Jagras left standing; two with Bastet and Takeminakata, one with Sugudun (and Vosagus headed for Jaegar’s battle), and one with Jaegar. Or, there had been two with Bastet’s battle, until Artemis fired another arrow, sinking into the back of one and stunning it long enough for the fuzzy hunter to slice its neck open.

The battle was clearly in the Fangs’ favor, as Vosagus began to blast at Ullr’s enemy, overwhelming the Greater with their precision strikes until it went down. Jaeger was able to get a clean slice across the belly of the lesser, allowing her to focus on its leader as the smaller Jagras bled out on the ground. Takeminakata and Bastet finished off the last of their lessers before pouncing on Rudra’s Greater from behind, the four blades making quick work of the stumbling monster.

Sugudun finished the last lesser Jagras in his area, simply walking over towards the captain. They all did, just watching as she hacked away at the Greater slice by slice, until it could no longer stand, breathing heavy.as it bled into the dirt. Ceremoniously, Jaeger twirled her glaive and then simply stabbed the dying beast in the head, ending its suffering.

It was a relief, seeing their overwhelming might, the resounding success, and potentially not a single injury on our side. But that was when my subconscious began to whisper, to worry. Had anyone gotten injured? Did we get them all? One, two, three… wait. “One’s miss–”

I was interrupted by a screech from behind, as I spun and lost my footing only to see the dangerous jaws of a Jagras leaping straight at me, the sharp teeth perfect for serrating my neck, or removing an arm. I had almost a full lifetime to take in the sight that would be my end, only to notice it wasn’t approaching anymore, having stalled in place. That was when I noticed the mass of dark red behind it, before the Jagras vanished with a scream followed by a solid thunk and the soul-crushing sound of shattering bones. There was a small cry, before something flew over me and gave another heavy thunk, with even more broken bones.

I heard a slump, accompanied by pained whimpers, as I rolled to my right. A few meters away, the Jagras was lying on the ground, bones protruding along its sides and legs, the ribcage having fully caved in as it struggled to breathe. Sue stood over it, her nostrils flaring with each huff of rage, but her eyes were towards our companions; the Fangs. Without looking down, she positioned a foot atop the weakened lesser’s head, before pressing down with a squelch and a crack, blood shooting out from between her toes and the sides of her foot.

It felt like I was floating, trying to wrap my head around how quickly I had nearly died. I couldn’t hear anything, barely noticing as I was lifted off the ground to stand up. I didn’t have to think about it, my body just working on its own. There were blurs of color and sound around me, which I realized later were Sue and Artemis checking me over.

The archer moved to join her team, as they hacked away at the corpses. My thoughts were jumbled, replaying that split second over and over. I could feel Sue’s claws around my shoulders, holding me in place, holding me up. She had a short conversation with Ullr, before he took over holding me and she walked off to do something.

It was about an hour later when I fully returned to reality, walking with the Fangs as Sue dragged a large raft of branches and leaves behind her. “I’m fine now, thanks,” I mentioned quietly, as Ullr gently let go, with a gentle pat on my back.

“You were right, that was not a task for an aspirant. But at least they won’t be killing any more hunters.” His confirmation warmed me, as I finally was able to recognize just how much our group was returning with. We probably wouldn’t get anything, but these materials would certainly help the town.

Bastet was eagerly recounting the fight to Takeminakata, furthering the image of them as a parent and child. Jaeger was hanging back, walking beside Sue, seemingly asking her a list of yes or no questions based on the head shakes. And everyone else was spread about, likely decompressing from the fight still.

“Did you enjoy this experience, Yvan?” Ullr kept his eye on me, testing my response for the trial I imagine.

“It was something, but I don’t believe I’m ready for hunts at this level yet.” I answered honestly as I knew very well how unprepared I was for anything of this level. I could ambush a lone lesser Jagras and stand a chance, but I clearly wasn’t ready for being the one ambushed.

“That’s good,” he responded with a simple finality, having removed his helmet again for the walk back. He was about ten years older than me, with a well-maintained full beard and wavy long hair, the chestnut tones catching the sunlight with a healthy reflective sheen. “If you had asked for another, I would’ve suggested failing you when we return.”

“I appreciate the honesty. For now, I’d rather keep practicing on smaller, singular beasts; at least on my own. I’m comfortable in a supporting role when Sue takes point.” I saw his moss-green eyes twinkle at the mention of my experience, with a smile that could make a young woman faint.

“What’s the biggest thing you’ve taken down yourself?”

“An Aptonoth calf, while Sue fought the parents. My aim is improving, but still lacking enough punch for anything with a tough enough hide.”

Ullr’s eyes flitted to Artemis and Vosagus briefly, the hint of scheme in his neutral expression. “Have you tried applying alchemy to your bolts? I’ve heard that is the true strength of light bowgun users; the ability to swap between a paralytic, a poison, or an explosive tip in the heat of battle.” He gave me his trademark charming smile. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

I thank him, going over the previous fight in my head. Would I have been able to make a difference? Would I have accidentally shot a teammate? How could I apply such a tactic when teaming up with Sue?

“So, how’d you do it?” The familiar voice of Vosagus spoke up from my right, having snuck up on me while I tried to think myself into being a competent team member. “The Anjanath, I mean; how’d you catch them?”

“Well, eventually, with a simple slip rope. But technically, I didn’t really ‘catch’ her. It was more like she gave me an ultimatum and threw the other end of the rope in my hand.” The heavy bowgun user had his helmet on, preventing me from seeing any kind of reaction. Instead, I was met with silence, and decided to give him the full story of how everything came about, starting with the first time the two of us had met.

As I told the tale, I noticed a few others had begun listening in. This was readily apparent when, upon mentioning Quyl’s favorite story, Ullr stumbled coughing like he’d accidentally inhaled something. He took a swig of water from his canteen, apologizing and asking me to continue. Vosagus asked a few questions about my trap designs, but that was likely due to his lack of familiarity with non-lethal trapping methods.

As the large gates of Astera came into sight, the end of the day was rapidly approaching. Our group had seemingly drifted into two groups, with Vosagus, Rudra, and Sugudun walking beside me. Everyone else had gravitated towards Sue, taking turns asking her yes and no questions. It was somehow the best part of this excursion. I admit, being one step closer to achieving a hunter certification was great, but having some of the top hunters in the guild branch treating Sue like another person… It was a relief.

Word of our approach seemed to be spreading, as the crowd to greet us was forming up over time; people were likely scarfing down their dinners to rush out and see the Fangs’ early return of victory. Maybe they’d be so worked up over the eight I could slip away and get some sleep, or at least find a place big enough for Sue to lie down without inconveniencing anyone.

Actually, the more I thought about it, the less certain I was that this could work. Sue would need something the size of four living quarters combined just to lie down. I don’t think we even had space to that degree that wasn’t just ‘outside’. That and even if such a space existed, it had to be way more expensive than my old place. Could I bet on myself for the next trial? Would that even be enough if I could?

I was broken from my spiral of panicked thoughts by a hand on each shoulder, as Vosagus and Rudra walked ahead, with Sugudun not far behind. In the back, I watched as each of the female hunters shook Sue’s ‘hand’ before moving ahead towards the crowd. With the exception of Ullr, who took her claw with both his hands and said something which caused Sue to quirk one of her eye ridges. Only for a team of Takeminakata, Bastet, Jaeger, and Artemis to physically drag him away from my partner.

She seemed as confused as I was, but simply looked at me and shrugged. We followed in behind the Fangs, who bathed in the cheers from their adoring fans. The crowd went from happy to surprised upon seeing the pile of Jagras that Sue dragged on her makeshift raft. That surprise shifted into full blown excitement, knowing that their idols had managed to take down a major threat to the outpost.

I guess I could worry about that stuff later. Tonight was going to be a party!

…How would Sue react to alcohol?

Chapter Text

Loud

Bright

Laughter

Food

Excitement

Fizzy

Movement

Joy

Elation

Curiosity

Apprehension

Focus

Resolution

Acceptance

Temptation

Doubt

Surprise

Confidence

Ecstasy

Indomitable

Unstoppable

Warm

Safe

Loved

I want to say I woke up to a bright, beautiful morning, having had a great time last night, and a restful evening afterwards.

But it was mid-day, I couldn’t remember a thing, and it felt like I had barely gotten any sleep at all.

At least Sue’s mane had been comfortable. A quick stretch and a yawn later, my eyes began to sharpen and clear up, allowing me to take stock of my situation. We were inside… somewhere, I didn’t recognize the room. Any furniture inside had been shoved against the walls to make space, and the double-doors at what I assumed was the front seemed miraculously large enough for her to have squeezed through. The floor was littered with mugs and bottles, with a barrel off towards the corner still leaking ale.

But then I felt a foot, a boot specifically. Quietly and with the patience of an experienced hunter, I took a closer look at my surroundings, or rather who else was here. There were a few people tucked into Sue’s mane, leaving a me-shaped hole until they shuffled in their sleep to close the gap. In total, I counted three– no, four people.

I recognized Quyl first, who was wearing some sort of casual wear that had been stained with what I can only imagine was a combination of beer and meat juice. Her expression was one of bliss and exhaustion, which warmed me to know she had a good time. Beside her was Ullr, also out of his armor, and with a pose so relaxed it made me doubt he was the same man I had seen stare down a Greater Jagras just yesterday.

The other two were more surprising, as one looked like Jaegar. Or, if Ullr was here, it probably was Jaegar, who had a rather revealing crop top and tight pants while she cradled an empty barrel with her entire body. But the fourth person… I was in shock.

It was Holly.

Miss no-nonsense, by the book, an enforcer of the rules; and she was sprawled out beside Jaegar, missing her glasses, lightly giggling with hiccups in her sleep. Her clothing was just as casual as Quyl’s, a well-loved blouse with loose long pants (neither of which had any stains, unsurprisingly).

Sue, to her credit, was not wearing her helmet; maybe she took it off last night. She had several decorative paintings (which to my touch felt like face-paint and should wash off easily) on her head, her snout, and even a few along her body. She was a walking mural, covered in all sorts of childish pictograms and blobs of color.

Meanwhile, I was missing all of my gear, reduced down to just my pants. And only one question was burning in my mind:

Just, what happened after we got back?

Delicately cradling the cup of dark stimulant juice known as ‘coffee’, Jaegar sat across the table from me, her own cup half empty. She had been the second to wake up, offering the warm beverages while we waited for the others. I had tried a sip but the taste was not to my liking. “So, Jaeger—“

“Vaerin; when I’m out of the armor you can just call me Vaerin.” She clarified, before pointing at the sleeping Ullr. “And that doofus is Tyberius. Try not to use our titles when we’re out of armor, we enjoy being treated like normal people.”

“Sorry. So, Vaerin, can you clarify what occurred last night? My memory is completely blank.”

“You don’t drink much, do you?” Her pointed question turned the responsibility on myself. “I could tell you, but where’s the fun in that?” Her smugness could’ve warmed up another cup of the stimulant liquid. “The important part is that I wager the rest of us do remember. It’ll be on you to infer from any hints anyone may give.”

My displeasure was made known, as none of the others had so much as stirred yet. “Can you at least explain where we are, and why we’re here?”

Finishing her cup, she simply smiled at me. “This is my home; and as for why, it was the only place I knew of that was spacious enough to get everyone inside that wasn’t the butcher’s.”

I cringed at that, recalling my previous panic yesterday over where Sue and I could stay inside the walls. This place was certainly spacious enough, but it belonged to the top hunter in Astera. Would I need to reach her level to have a place like this?

There was a clink to my left, along with the scrape of wood on wood. “Morning sunshine; did you have fun last night?” The taunting masculine voice piercing my ear, as nobody had any right being that happy this early in the day. Tyberius was all smiles as he sampled the dark drink, making noises of appreciation for the weird flavor.

“He claims to remember nothing of your charms, Ty. Guess you aren’t as impressive as you thought.” Vaerin commented with amusement, as Ty made a mocking charade of being hurt.

Eh? “Wait, what happened?”

“Oh, you really don’t remember? You wound me, Yvan. And after we had such a wonderful time together, too!”

“Oh woe is Tyberius, the man who has finally met his match! Someone who can manage to forget everything the next morning,” Vaerin pushed, playing up the exchange as Tyberius feigned his agony over being ‘forgotten’.

“Stop mocking me; and where’s my shirt? And my stuff?!”

I felt a hand grasp the top of my head, fingers interlocking with my hair. They rubbed like I was a child, using their grip to make it rough to indicate I was misbehaving in their eyes. I tilted back just far enough to see Quyl’s upset scowl, like I had offended her somehow.

“Yvan, don’t you know better than to shout loudly in the morning when people are sleeping?” She sat down, claiming the seat on my right as a cup of the liquid was placed before her. She didn’t wait, immediately grabbing it and taking a sip. “Mmm, and to think, I was so proud of you when we went all the way last night.”

Eh?! “All the way?! You mean— I mean… we didn’t..?” My mind was racing, there was only one thing she could have meant. Did we really?! It would explain my clothes, but we weren’t like that… Were we?

Tyberius snorted a laugh, as I heard Quyl kick him under the table. Vaerin continued to drink from her now-refilled cup like this was a normal situation. “Oh Yvan, so scandalous! I just wasn’t enough for you? You had to seek the comfort of a second woman? So scandalous!”

“Second?! Who was the first?!”

There was another screech of wood on wood, as a fifth chair was pulled up to the table, placed between Tyberius and Vaerin. “Of course it was just a dream. Hunters doing their own research and paperwork. People being friendly and cooperative with one another. The respect of my boss, and competent reports who can handle their own jobs. Topped off with being able to sleep in because nobody is shouting at sunrise!”

There was a terse silence as Vaerin slid a much larger mug of the dark steaming drink towards our latest participant. Holly had straightened out her clothes, located her glasses, and was exuding an aura of stern discipline. A discipline none of us seemed ready to test, which led to the four of us behaving until she gave permission for anyone to speak.

After chugging the entire mug in a manner reminiscent of how I had seen hunters empty their beer steins, Holly slammed the mug down with a satisfied exhale. She read each of us around the table before settling back on me. “Yvan?”

“Yes?”

“Last night brought to discussion the topic of where exactly Sue could stay in Astera, provided the trials are completed and the council accepts her as a resident.” She sat up straight, poised and dignified even in the most basic of clothes. “You need not fret over the issue just yet. Simply continue with faith that, should it be, it will be.”

“And you can believe her on that. After how special you made her feel, she’s been firmly in your corner.” Vaerin added, receiving a death glare from the other two women at the table.

“He did WHAT?” / “Vaerin, hush!”

“Stop, please!” I begged, cradling my forehead. “Please, I don’t remember anything. Either tell me what happened, or stop teasing me about it.” My pleas worked, as the group’s remorse was visible around the table. But beyond the table, I locked eyes with Sue, who was now awake and staring right at me. Her eyes were twinkling, until I saw a clear droplet run down the side of her– “Oh, Sue, I’m so sorry.”

There was a shared look, as the other humans around the table stood in unison. “We’ll give you two a moment.” Holly offered, helping to carry the used cups to Vaerin’s washing station. “When you’re ready for your final assignment, I’ll be waiting in the main thoroughfare.” Each one gave a silent wave goodbye, except for Quyl who lingered an extra moment longer. She was smiling, but not in a happy way.

With just the two of us left inside, I stood with another screech of wood, moving towards the woman who was currently looking away from me and towards what I assume was the opening viewport on the wall. I was barely an arm’s length away now, close enough to see how some of the paint below her eye had smudged and begun to run. The way her pupil quivered as her eye lightly darted around, seeking something outside.

Clearly a lot had happened last night; a lot of important stuff.

“Sue, please don’t be upset. I didn’t forget last night because it was unimportant, or because I wanted to. I just have no memories of anything that happened after we returned with the Fangs.” She shut her eye(s), listening to me, or just pretending to. Either way, I kept going. “It isn’t fair to you, and hopefully I can make up for it, somehow.”

Her eye opened, aimed directly at me as the tears continued to dilute and distort the colorful artwork on her cheek. She didn’t sign, or try to communicate anything. Maybe waiting for me to make the next move? “You know, I don’t think I properly thanked you for saving me yesterday. You’ve always had my back, keeping me focused on growing, never letting me fall more than I can stand up from.”

My hand slid along her snout, tracing around the contours while avoiding any of her special ‘artwork’. Her gaze followed me with a hint of anticipation, maybe she knew what I had in mind? Over the past month, I had learned exactly which spot on her nose was the most sensitive; it was just below where her nasal sail would begin. With her watching, I placed my own head close, the feelings I experienced welling up inside.

From all the time we spent together, conversing, hunting, laughing; from the many nights we spent huddled together for warmth and comfort. Not long ago I had joked that she was my new girlfriend. But, if she had been human, wouldn’t she be? We were practically inseparable, sharing our likes and interests, working together to further our goals.

Maybe I was reading too much into it.

But, in case I wasn’t…

I gently pressed my lips against her special spot, feeling the warmth as blood rushed through the area. There was a gentle woosh as I heard and felt her frill deploy just above my own nose. I held there for what I felt might be the appropriate time, my lips could feel how her blood vessels were pulsing increasingly faster. The gentle thump, thump, thump pulses sending waves of emotion through my body.

Pulling back, I locked eyes with her, the tears seeming to have slowed or stopped entirely with pupils wide open. She gently lifted her head, as a small nub of scarlet flesh poked out from between her lips, gently touching my nose before retreating.

It may not have been the same as with another human, but I guess that counted as our first kiss?

The gesture seemed to unlock a memory, a simple phrase and a rough blurry scene. One with the two of us looking out at the ocean horizon from under a starry sky with the moon up above. I was swaying side to side, the festive music behind us still in full swing. But the memory itself was centered on us, on something I said. Four simple words which changed everything.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Text

Having enjoyed the moment just a little longer, my eagerness to keep going pushed me into getting dressed and gearing up. I silently thanked my past self, or whomever had done me this favor, for keeping my gear neat and orderly together. I had seen far too many hunters’ gear and belongings strewn about at random.

I was slightly disoriented upon first stepping out of the home, before using the larger landmarks to triangulate my relative position in the city. The harder task was helping to guide Sue through the double doors. It was an ordeal which further reinforced my doubt that the two of us could find appropriate shelter here.

The walkways and buildings were still covered in leftover signatures of last night’s party, with some helpers still working to clean everything up. Making our way to the meeting spot, it was driven in just how crazy things must have been.

I probably wouldn’t get a party this crazy, but on the other hand it wouldn’t be what I’d want anyway.

People still moved to the sides to let Sue pass, more of necessity than respect. Or maybe a little of both given how some people reacted. In any case, it wasn’t long before the two of us found Holly, waiting yet still remaining busy. She looked up just as we reached a casual speaking distance, perfectly timed on her part.

“Hunter aspirant, while your participation in yesterday’s task was not needed, it will not be ignored. You have one final task ahead of you, one you must complete alone.” She announced, as I could see a few familiar faces nearby. But the emphasis on the word ‘alone’ had me concerned.

“The final task is always to seek out, slay, and bring back your first official kill. You will have a seasoned hunter watching over you, but they will provide no assistance.” She continued to explain, as I nervously fiddled with my bowgun. If Sue had an opinion on the solo part, I didn’t risk looking away to check.

“Per the council’s decision, you have been tasked to go forth and eliminate…” she stopped, pulling out a folded paper for some sort of dramatic effect. “A Ner—“ she quickly froze, her face one of visual disgust. The paper was quickly shown to Vaerin, whose own expression fell before Holly crumpled the paper.

“Sorry everyone, there appears to have been a mistake. We’ll be right back!” She explained, as the woman began to march towards the administrative building. Vaerin was close behind her, and in the corner of my eye I caught a few others peeling off the crowd to join them.

Left with no instruction , I turned to see Sue with a smug grin. “Want to have breakfast while we wait?” A quick nod, and the two of us sought a space to sit amidst the busy chatter. Like magic, Yeast appeared and took our order, while I tried to count the funds that had mysteriously appeared in my coin purse last night.

Today’s meal was more subdued, as there weren’t as many new things for her to drool over. But I still ran the numbers in my head; we couldn’t afford to eat here with any frequency. Was moving in here even the right call? We were fine outside Astera, we managed to keep on top of the food supply, and never faced any real danger other than those two instances.

Just as we finished up, I noticed Holly walking our way. More importantly, several of the individuals behind her were laughing amongst themselves while reenacting some story. I recognized Vaerin and Tyberius, based on his size the third must have been Rudra, with Vosagus tailing behind.

Unsure why I felt the need to do so, I stood from our dining spot and moved to greet them, the five having a range of different expressions from indifferent, to annoyed, with Holly beaming in delight. “My apologies, Yvan. There was a clerical mistake with your assignment.”

“They wanted me to take down Nergigante, didn’t they?” My comment earned a light laugh from Rudra and Tyberius.

“Yes, useless decrepit idiots, the lot of them. But we had a quick word and updated your task to something more suitable to your current skills.” The level and even way Holly spoke made me feel deeply uncomfortable, much like when the doctor would say ‘It's just a little pinch’.

She cleared her throat, interrupting the chuckles from the other four behind her. “No fanfare this time, but your task is relatively the same; go out and hunt down a beast. Your target is a Mosswine, just keep our herbivore protections in mind until the forest recovers.”

I nodded, as that sounded more appropriate for a novice hunter. “And who will be my shadow?”

Vosagus grunted, raising his hand. “Normally you’d never know, but I was voted as the best fit for your style. Don’t disappoint me,” he grumbled while receiving a supportive pat on the back from Tyberius.

It really was difficult to reconcile that these living legends were, beneath the armor, just quirky people. “Sounds good, ready to go Sue?”

My partner grunted, but remained on the ground when Holly held up a hand in an open palmed gesture. I was confused, was there more or..? “Yvan, this test is for just you. Every hunter needs to prove themselves capable of making it on their own. Sue will need to stay here until you return, to ensure she doesn’t affect the test.”

Right, I was so used to having her by my side I forgot that stipulation. But Sue didn’t seem to mind, going by the sight wag of the tip of her tail she seemed almost excited at the prospect. Maybe I should be too; we hadn’t exactly had any time apart for a while. Being together all the time couldn’t be the healthiest thing for either of us.

Nodding to Holly, I returned to my partner, gripping her massive snout with my best attempt at a hug. It wasn’t very successful, which was a given since she could fit my entire body in her mouth. But she leaned into it anyway, warming me up.

Vosagus, likely wanting to push me into starting, began to head for the front gate. Not wanting to anger him I quickly followed behind, comforted by the large thuds as Sue seemingly decided to see me off. I decided not to think too hard about how romantic such a gesture would be, especially since we hadn’t taken the time to discuss what we truly wanted from any sort of relationship.

What exactly did I want from her? What did she want from me? How did we envision we’d spend time together? Did she want to raise kids? If so, what kind of kids? Human? Anjanath?

My thoughts were interrupted when I noticed something out of the ordinary. A giant slate black object resting outside of the betting house. The shape was definitively organic, oblong, and somehow familiar. The figure standing next to it was less mysterious, as Artemis appeared to be waiting for us.

Her greeting wave was tiny, a minor movement which disposed of any sense of excitement. “I realized she wouldn’t fit inside, so I convinced them to bring it out, just for this one time.”

The object in question was a massive skull, easily the size of Sue’s own. Most of the teeth were intact, but there were two flat stumps where the horns had been, aligning with the previous story of Bastet’s weapons. There were also a few small scratches, with a line of three parallel gouges through the left side of the snout; the signs of a hard fight, likely the final loss of the big creature’s life.

Running a hand along the exposed bone, it felt remarkably well cared for, without so much as a mote of dust. I felt the massive thump before I heard it, as Sue plopped down on the ground in front of it, locking eyes with the barren sockets.

Sue was completely quiet, as I watched a litany of various emotions flutter by via the series of micro expressions. She didn’t say anything, and I recognized the moment of silence for what it was; mourning. Someone being reunited with the remains of a loved one. I gently placed my palm against the side of her neck, as an attempt at empathy and assurance, without trying to pull away her attention.

She stayed put, and after a moment I decided to pull away and give her some time alone to catch up. It was a very human thing, to speak with the dead, to update them on things that had occurred in their absence.

Leaving her to the private affair, I continued towards the front gate, following behind Vosagus. He hadn’t stopped for the impromptu memorial, and was several paces ahead of me, a distance which I was closing with my elongated strides. It wasn’t going to take me very long, maybe a few days at most, but I felt weaker leaving her behind. Obviously because of how physically powerful she was, but also likely due to not having been truly alone for almost a month now.

This solitude was amplified by Vosagus’ disinterest in answering my questions, or holding even a basic conversation about the weather. In fact, once we reached the edge of the forest, he slapped me on the back to push me forward on my own.

Subject “Sue” Yvan - Day ?+1

I spent the first day of the test setting up a temporary shelter and gathering some herbs and vegetables; I needed to show I was capable of surviving on longer journeys. Thankfully there was a moderately-tall tree with ample foot-holds and a branch to build a temporary shelter on. I hadn’t seen my shadow since we parted, and likely wouldn’t until we returned to town. With the spare time I had before sundown, I gathered some sturdy-looking sticks as preparation for the next day.

Subject Yvan - Day ?+2

Come sunrise after a cold night where I frequently found myself awakening in search of my familiar warmth, I had immediately set to work on my plan for the day. It wouldn’t be enough for me to take down my target with a barrage of bolts, I needed to demonstrate my other capabilities. And so, trusting in my handy knife, I shaped the sticks from yesterday along with several I foraged during the golden rays. I didn’t need anything complicated or lethal for this, just something sturdy. Luckily, the nearby trees had thick vines for my creations.

Rather than seek out a wandering herd, I began to place the snares and cages near a potent area rife with fresh fungi and other ground-based herbs. It would have been impossible for me to carry them all with me, better to slowly guide a group towards this location. Having placed enough traps to capture a whole herd before the sun even hit the apex of its journey across the sky, I needed a break to recharge as well as plan for how exactly to corral them here.

I evaluated preemptively harvesting other locations, at least enough to leave only a single route that still had food. That would bolster my own supplies as a bonus, so it was the primary plan. As a secondary, I can try and scare them in the general direction if they were too far away. Less certain but it would induce the quickest migration of the group.

I spent the rest of day two foraging, clearing out anything edible from the nearby area which wasn’t my targeted ambush zone. Still no sign of Vosagus.

Subject Yvan - Day ?+3

Day three began with a hike to seek out signs of any Mosswine in the area. Luckily, I found one of the nearby rivers to refill my waterskins, giving me enough drinking water for another two days at least. But unluckily there were no signs of their recent activity in the area. The drawback to this plan was rearing its head, but I kept the course; this would be how I dealt with bigger targets in the future, and I needed to stick with it.

I was finally rewarded for my tenacity, as I encountered a small Mosswine herd only a short distance north from the ambush point. Weighing the options for leading them to the location, I realized I had accrued a serious collection of consumables in my bag, providing a third option. With great care, I began to place the gathered herbs and mushrooms in a rough trail towards my ambush site. I did need to gather some of the other grazing targets nearby to encourage the group to follow the path, but that simply allowed me to thicken the bait trail.

There wasn’t enough wind to carry my scent very far, allowing me to keep them within visual range while following the group towards the target. It was a slow process, as I tried not to rush anything; a proper ambush predator waits for just the right moment. And Gog was with me, as the small herd continued to follow the dropped trail towards my setup.

Once they reached the prime location, I moved in from the north, aiming to close off the only escape route I hadn’t trapped. Like before, the group noticed me but seemed undisturbed by my presence, which made it all the easier to slowly guide each one into place before I made my move. One loud shout from me sent them scattering, followed with a series of squeals as my handiwork took hold.

One calm patrol around the area showed a successful capture of one babe, one boar, and three sows. Recalling the herd, I remember seeing only two boars, and thus would likely need to release this one for their stability. A quick cut of a vine later, the large male was released and ran away through the trees. Similarly, I released the babe and the two younger females, leaving me with only a single elderly female.

With still no sign of my shadow, I delicately fed some mushrooms to the porcine, specifically relaxants that would make her drowsy. It would be much easier if she were sleeping. And only a few minutes later the effects began to kick in. Reaching into the cage with my knife, a quick clean cut and she began to bleed out in her sleep, too exhausted to panic or fight back.

I didn’t want to think about what I was doing while carving up the corpse, and true to form my mind wandered. I pictured what Sue was up to back in Astera, whether she had made more friends, or was getting treated poorly.

Maybe someone recognized her scribbles? Probably be worth the time to translate them to our system over time. The characters seemed simple enough at least.

“Quite impressive, many aspirants would try to bring back the whole corpse, or forget to bring anything back at all.” I was broken from my escape by the praise, as Vosagus emerged from behind a tree nearby. He punctuated the statement with a crunch as he bit into a fruit in his hand.

”Sounds like a rather low bar,” I commented having finished with separating the hide from the carcass. “My apologies for delaying this long, I suspect you were hoping for a quick task.”

“While you took your time, you were taking the test seriously. Shelter, food, water, tracking; all important skills for a hunter. You also managed to capture several targets, which— while not large game— indicates a different type of capability from normal aspirants.”

The praise felt odd, an unfamiliar sensation which gave a sense of peace and encouragement. I hadn’t expected that. “Thank you?”

He observed in silence as I continued to harvest the important pieces of the carcass, but seemingly vanished before I finished the process. Dismantling all of the traps, I cleaned up and returned to my shelter. As with everything in life, it was short work to dismantle what had taken the better part of an afternoon to construct.

But with my bounty and belongings secured, I began the trek back to Astera. It would likely be close to sunset when I arrived, plenty more time to ponder the various situations Sue got herself into during our separation.

Maybe she had a new admirer?

Or maybe she managed to help develop some new Anjanath-sized weapon?

Maybe the head chef decided to have her help cook for the town?

Would she still want to stay in Astera, or head back to that cave in the forest?

My return was not heralded with any extravagant pomp, nor a large crowd. Instead there were only four familiar faces standing near the gate.

The stalwart Jaegar, at attention and in full armor, was somehow not the most intimidating of the group. Her glaive was in-hand, helmet on, and armor shifting in the fading light.

Quyl, my best friend, in casual clothes with a relaxed and carefree smile. Her hands were behind her back, hopefully not holding a surprise; Quyl’s surprises were scary as often as they were fun.

My handler, Holly, who sported her usual outfit while filling out some paperwork. The fact she was writing everything while looking directly at me was a power move; a reminder that she wouldn’t be distracted from her duties. She was radiating lethality as her pencil swept side to side.

Lastly was the lady who had to be the happiest to see me: Sue. Without her armor, the paintings had been scrubbed from her hide, and a slight wag of her tail. Even towering over the other three, her side-to-side bounce revealed a more childish enthusiasm for my return.

The four of them shone with a warm orange in the fading light, enhancing my feelings of longing to return. Crossing the threshold of the gate, I let my quarry fall while extending my arms wide. “I’m back!”

I wasn’t given a chance to react or a choice to decline, as the massive skull swept under and hefted me off the ground. I clung to her snout, enjoying the warmth of her scales while avoiding being thrown off. The moment lasted just long enough for me to fully enjoy the comfort, before she let me slide off back to the ground.

“Welcome back and congratulations on your hunt, Yvan.” Holly’s greeting was genuine even as she flipped to the next paper in her stack, continuing to write, menacingly. Jaegar simply nodded before walking off, probably not one for sentimental stuff with random people.

Quyl on the other hand, leapt at me while laughing in joy. “I knew you could do it! Now you’re one of us!” I hadn’t remembered her being this excited about any previous aspirants; maybe I was just that much of an underdog?

“Not yet,” Holly teased, adjusting her glasses. “We still have one final ceremony.” I heard the massive gates close with a thud behind me, following her into Astera. The moment didn’t feel real, like I hadn’t really earned this, or that they just gave me an easier test.

Which was a load of spoo; I knew they tried to fail me from the start. I hadn’t gotten any easy tests, except maybe the Mosswine, but I didn’t have an accurate means of evaluating that one.

Torches began to light up as the townspeople pushed back the darkness. There wasn’t a large crowd to gather this time; maybe the novelty of Sue had worn off?

“People of Astera, the hunter aspirant has returned from his task. His observer has concluded him resourceful, persistent, and successful with great potential in his future.” Holly recited while the crowd murmured in agreement. I hadn’t seen Vosagus, maybe he arrived earlier?

“Thus today, I am proud to introduce the guild’s newest hunter, Yvan!” A round of mild applause and smiles were sent my way. I guess after my previous two tests this was more of a freebie than an actual challenge.

But nobody left, the expected dispersion never happened. I was confused, what else were they expecting? Glancing at Holly I saw something I never expected to see.

She was genuinely smiling. Not malevolently, not like watching your best friend make a horrible mistake and punch himself in the face. But also not the raw personal joy like someone who has enough money to retire early in their life. Something was afoot…

“And,” she continued, after waiting dramatically through the short silence. “As of today the council has concluded the results of the exam were sufficient. So we will also be welcoming a second hunter to the guild— and the very first non-human hunter— Sue!”

What..?

I could hear the surge in approval from the crowd, easily eclipsing the applause I had earned. Between the clapping, the cheers, and the whistles, it was evident I had missed a lot while I was gone.

I felt a light weight on my shoulder, as Quyl whispered in my ear. “They gave her the exam after you left, managing to make it entirely multiple choice with a large set of letters for her to tap. She didn’t ace it like you did, but her score was high enough to pass.”

I was stunned in disbelief. I had barely been gone a few days, and in that time my best friend had gone from being someone barely tolerated in the town, to a full-fledged member and citizen?

I had to have eaten a poisonous mushroom, it was the only explanation.

A sharp slap on my back argued otherwise. “You know, I wonder if things would’ve been the same had you just taken her up on her offer the first time?” Quyl’s teasing wasn’t meant to be hurtful, but it had me pondering just how much I missed out on by pushing Sue away all that time.

Though in my defense, our very first meeting had me fleeting from what I assumed was a dangerous predator which I had zero chance of fighting against. I was half-certain Quyl was referring to the first time she met Sue.

“In light of this momentous occasion, we would like our two newest members to give a short statement.” Holly’s request-which-was-not-a-request threw me back to the jitters from my original thesis defense. Really? A speech? Now?!

But I guess at least mine would be intelligible, unlike whatever Sue had to say. “People of Astera, fellow hunters, I look forward to braving this wilderness and exploring every crevice and tree-top. Please be kind to your new junior as I learn the ropes.” I punctuated the request with a slight bow, to a mild half-hearted round of applause.

Then we waited, until Sue cleared her throat and began to make a cacophony of noises and grunts the likes of which even I couldn’t parse. I felt bad, because she was clearly putting effort into her speech, only to be blocked by the oldest of foes; a language barrier.

After a few minutes of what I can barely imagine the contents of, Sue finished her oration to a rapturous applause. There was whistling, cheers, and even someone crying. Literally crying, tears flooding down their face.

Had we listened to the same thing?!

“So powerful and brave, thank you Hunter Sue.” Even Holly somehow had understood her! “Thank you for witnessing this ascension, everyone. Let the festivities commence!” There was a burst of cheers, as the group sauntered off.

I waited though, using a gesture to ask Sue to remain behind for a moment. “We’ll be right there, I just wanted to ask something first.” Quyl and Holly nodded, leaving to follow the crowd while animatedly discussing something I couldn’t hear.

I heard the soft thud behind me, finding Sue had laid down such that her eye was level with my own. “Being apart for the past few days, it's given me time to think; about us and the future. To decide what I actually wanted to do with my life.” She regarded me with a reassuring eye, waiting for the whole tale.

“And I decided that whether it was here in Astera, or out in the woods, I wanted to be with you. I feel calmer with you around, I have the courage to push myself beyond what I could normally accomplish. So, I’ll follow you, wherever you go. If you choose to stay here, I’ll work on building us a place to stay. If you decide to go back to the cave, I’ll pack a bag of supplies and walk beside you. If you want to go somewhere completely new, I’ll bring a map to keep track of where we are.”

I was staggered as her massive head slid into me, rubbing against my whole body. Recognizing the affection, I embraced the massive skull, rubbing her scales to return the gesture. There were dozens of possible responses contained in the gesture, but I had said my piece. “But, for tonight, let’s go have some fun; together.”

I barely took a step forward before an arm swept behind me, pulling me closer to her just for her other to swing behind my legs. My reflexes weren’t fast enough, and I quickly found myself being carried towards the festivities. Not that I didn’t enjoy this! There was just something about being carried in such a manner, something I couldn’t explain.

The rest of the night blurred, rushing between drinking, dancing– if you haven’t seen a monster dance before, you’ve been missing out– and eating copious amounts of food. Though thankfully everyone’s ire was directed at Yeast when he brought out a special life-sized bread Felyne for Sue. It was at that point I– and clearly a dozen others– recognized the young man needed mental help.

As the festivities began to wind down, Vaerin offered to let the two of us crash at her place again, but we declined the offer. The sky was sparkling brightly tonight, and it wasn’t terribly cold. Finding a secluded and quiet spot, Sue curled up as I pulled a large covering over her, one we had borrowed from… someone. With her covered, I clambered up and into the crook of her neck to slide into my favorite spot. Her mane was as soft as I remembered, gently removing the kinks and discomforts that had built up on my outing. The one eye I could see was half-closed, as she waited for me to call it a night. And in that serene moment, only one thought could cross my mind; something that I was going to push from being my problem into tomorrow-Yvan’s problem.

“Baba is going to kill me.”

Chapter Text

I crept forward, avoiding the floral detritus strewn about the ground. Random twigs, dry leaves, anything that could warn my quarry of my approach. The wind was at my back; ideal as my partner was closing in from the opposite side. The herd of Mosswine were in sight, as I closed in on our targets. I couldn’t see her, but that just means they couldn’t either. Once I reached a reasonable range, I loaded the dart tipped with the payload; a sizable bag of powder to knock them stunned and asleep.

Trusting my partner to keep an eye for unwanted competition, I took aim with my light bowgun. The goal was to spread the effect on as many of them as possible. A soft twang accompanied the projectile soaring through the air, followed by a soft ‘POOF’ as the package made contact and coated the herd with an explosion of dust.

There were some squeals of alarm, grunts of confusion, but I marked it a major success for the plan that none of them ran off. Instead, they fell to the ground one by one, signaling it was clear for us to approach. Stowing my bowgun, I instead pulled out the real reason for this unusual approach to hunting; a small container with green liquid sloshing around inside.

Crouching down beside the first Mosswine, I twisted the cap off the container, dipping a small brush to get just enough of the liquid. “Lets see, I think we were on number twenty eight?” I muttered to myself, though loud enough for my partner to notice. “No, we finished at twenty eight,” she corrected with a few hand signals. I nodded, painting the symbols for twenty nine on the rump of the beast. “Thanks,” I offered, moving quickly to mark as many of the pigs as possible.

The spores should last until we were done marking all five of the adults and eight piglets, as Sue kept an eye out for stray opportunists. I had even managed to finish before the effects wore off, allowing us to wait out of sight for them to rouse. We passed the time in our normal manner, as she continued to educate me in how to play a simple children' s game. It involved a square grid in the dirt, and a collection of rocks and pieces of wood. Originally she wanted to have two sets of rocks, but seemed upset that I wouldn’t let her handle any Curse Stones. As pretty as the white rocks were, they were lethally dangerous when mishandled.

The premise was pretty simple: capture all of your opponent’s pieces to win the game. Though it took me a few tests to learn you could only move onto certain parts of the play space. The hard part was remembering which spaces were valid moves, as it was just a plain sketch in the dirt. I am proud to admit I was getting better, but it became readily apparent that the main reason Sue struggled with this game was purely physical; her hands were too big to move the pieces, and even then she couldn’t see what she was doing. Thus, I quickly became a set of hands for both of us, using her verbal cues for which piece she wanted me to move where.

The first time she introduced me to multiple captures in one turn with a single piece, I accused her of cheating. At least until she let me do it for my own turn. It sounded too weird to not be made up, but for all I know she was inventing the rules as we went. She even had me working on some special pieces on the side, some wooden tokens with specific words or characters inscribed and painted. Some words were in her vocabulary, like ‘King’, ‘Queen’, ‘Castle’. Others we had to workshop to find the appropriate one. I am curious as to the purpose of them, especially the ‘Rider’, ‘Assassin’, and ‘Peasant’ ones.

Just as I was capturing three pieces to turn the tide of the game in my favor, I heard grunts and grumbles from the herd nearby. As the pollen began to wear off, they arose and gathered together, hopefully unaware of our presence or their new tattoos. Our task for this group completed, Sue and I packed up our little tokens into two small bags. For the sake of speed, she helped me climb up to straddle her neck, thundering deeper into the wilderness once she felt I was secure. The goal was to keep marking Mosswine herds until we ran into a previously-painted group, a task which took advantage of our willingness to delve deep on long-term assignments.

Sue grumbled beneath me, “I was going to win.” With a reassuring pat to her neck, I had to agree. “Maybe, we had to end that game at my four to your three, but I could see you setting up for something big. Maybe next time we’ll get in a full match.” We had completed dozens of full games at this point, one benefit to living out here together was the abundance of free time. That and her rapid progress on the lessons meant we could dedicate time to other things.

For me, that meant learning how to make tools and other useful items from the remains of our food hunts. The practice had elevated my ability to craft bolts for my bowgun, removing my reliance on returning to Astera for the metal tips. The knockout bolts were a shining example of my ingenuity for options other than directly harming things. The stink bolts and poison bolts were less ideal solutions, but still there in case things escalated–

“Waah-OW!” My thoughts were quickly interrupted as an abrupt halt sent me flying forward, barely holding onto her mane to keep me off the ground. Kicking my legs to find purchase, I had to swing my right leg up high to hook the heel on her shoulders. With a coordinated lift, I pulled myself back up to a seated position, scanning for the reason for our immediate stop. “Hey, what happened? Why did we stop?”

Leaning to the sides, I tried to see beyond her head, but there was nothing but an empty space to the front, and no monsters anywhere in sight. Was it something she smelled? Her nasal fin was deployed as she was on full alert, eyes wide and darting everywhere. Whatever had her this hyper-attentive was extremely bad news.

And that was when I noticed it, the footprints in the dirt.

Three of them, each with three toes tipped by sharp talons. The spacing hinted at a jogging stride, the trail vanishing on either side due to the roots and more compact terrain. “Sue, are we safe? Or is it nearby?”  My question broke her out of the panic, as indicated by the short vibration as she rattled her head. A quick nod from her and I slid off to inspect the prints.

There were only a handful of species that fit this design, and even fewer at this size. The depth into the soft dirt, based on my own boot impression, implied this mammoth was at least Sue’s size. No, compared against one of her own prints, this was much bigger. Towards where the beast had been traveling from, I caught a blotch of dark red; dried blood that had seemingly fallen off while it walked past. Spurred by curiosity, I attempted to follow the trail of droplets back towards whatever had been the source.

The blood splotches grew larger as I went, eventually turning into a more frequent trail with the occasional cast-off chunk of flesh. The insects had already laid claim to these, alluding that they were barely a day old. I knew we were getting closer to the source, as the footprints themselves began to be painted with dry blood. Only a few minutes of walking later, I found the source of the trail. An entire herd of Mosswine lay strewn about, eviscerated with bits and pieces everywhere; some limbs and organs dangling from the branches of nearby trees.

The amount of meat left behind was wasteful, to the degree I questioned if anything was even consumed at all or if this was just some ritualistic massacre. The scent had me gagging enough to hold my nose while investigating. The first important thing I noticed was that none of the carcasses had any tooth marks from smaller carnivores, but the kills were too old to be simply by random chance. No, based on how far back Sue was standing, I had a hunch: whatever did this was scary enough no scavenger would dare desecrate the site.

I didn’t need hand signals to know how she felt, or what she was thinking. That footprint, the size and weight, this senseless violence; she had warned me about it all before. “It's back…”

I was unable to find a spool or urine sample (not that I was willing to stick around that location for very long), so Sue and I sped off for Astera. We wouldn’t make it before sundown, but this was an exception and time-sensitive, so we navigated towards the back entrance. Unsure whether it was determination or raw adrenaline, Sue kept pace the entire way and long after the sun had set. The forest at night was an entirely different world; with bioluminescent fungi and plants providing subtle lights to accent the soft white rays of moonlight peeking through the canopy.

We didn’t encounter another beast along the way, likely due to how loud our approach was (no point in subtlety when focusing on speed). Which was fortunate, as I could feel Sue’s thoughts were distracted (I doubt she was bashing me into the tree branches intentionally). Luckily, we arrived at the hidden entrance before I got a concussion, and I made quick work of the climb up while Sue tucked in down below. In my haste, I either neglected to offer a proper greeting to the hidden guard, or there wasn’t one on duty. Both were bad.

Astera was usually quiet after sunset, only lively for major celebrations like the certification of a new hunter, or the completion of a critically big hunt. Other than the patrols and a few stragglers, I was able to power-walk through an empty outpost and make a spear-line for the guild. Thankful to see lights inside, I knocked before promptly opening the unlocked front door–

Actually, there’s not much point to going through all the details. Long story short, I informed the guild of the threat, before Sue and I departed for our cozy home.

I twirled my fingers in the soft fibers of Sue’s mane, the flexible black hair bending about my digits like they were magnetically attracted. Sue had calmed down once we returned to the cave, as the low thrum of her heartbeat reverberated through her ribcage and into my spine. It was still deep in the night, the gentle twinkle of the stars above, and only the sound of sex-craving insects carrying on the wind. “So, want to talk about it?”

She didn’t respond, maybe weighing the choice, maybe deciding to ignore me. The two of us simply lay in silence, taking comfort in one another’s company. I had picked up a few tidbits over the past few months, some of which were unconfirmed:

1. This bipedal carnivorous beast was almost 1.5x Sue’s size and bulk
2. It killed for fun as often as for food
3. It killed her mate and (potentially) her offspring
4. It tended to roam, and it may only be in the area for a short time

It was a tough situation, not like we could just get Jaeger and her squad’s support full time around the clock. They had their own responsibilities to stay on top of.

Searching the night sky for answers, my breath hitched as a streak of light flew across the darkness. “Look, Sue; a flying light! Rumor has it if you make a wish when you see one it might come true.” The childish story got a slight grin from her, as we both waited for another to cross the great darkness.

Barely a few breaths later, another flew by as we each made a wish, mine being that I wished we could get revenge for her and end the threat. “What did you wish for?” I asked teasingly, expecting something like “Endless bread”.

She didn’t respond, possibly aware that part of the story said mentioning your wish out loud would invalidate it. Or maybe it was just something she didn’t feel like sharing. Whatever it was, I hoped the world would hear her.

We were in the middle of explaining different tenses when our small clearing was joined by a familiar face… riding atop an unfamiliar sight. Ty, not wearing his distinctive armor, was straddling the back of a bipedal theropod covered in vibrant blue and green feathers, with a prominent black beak and a physical morphology not dissimilar to Sue’s own. Aside from the beak, their similar skeletal structure spoke to me of a shared ancestor.

Ty struggled to control his mount, as it voiced displeasure and alarm over the sight of Sue. He fought with the reins to try and guide it closer to us via a series of misdirects and abrupt changes in direction. I didn’t blame the beast, Sue was scary until you got to know her, and even then her size was likely triggering the flight response fiercer than a Tigrex—

Sue was lying flat on the ground, attempting to appear non-threatening with her eyes sparkling in a mixture of raw joy and wonder. Not like it was food, this expression was a novelty to me, something utterly foreign and exciting simultaneously.

Amid a protest of squalks and trills, Ty managed to get close enough to speak, his steed quieting down as Sue spent more and more time presenting herself as non-threatening. The poor thing was a rattling bundle of nerves, supporting his decision not to dismount for our communication. “Yvan, good to see you. Sue, having fun?”

Sue rumbled in agreement, causing the feathered fourth to squawk in surprise. Ty adjusted his grip with a light laugh, reassuring them that she meant no harm. “Nice to see you Ty; and who might this be?”

The giant pseudo-avian fidgeted, placing me between itself and Sue, eyes darting for any sign she might move and attack. Sue, to her credit, followed the pair with her eye rather than her head. “Well, I haven't come up with a name for him yet; we’ve only met recently. Found him while I was on patrol, and he seemed almost drawn to me.”

I smiled with concealed teeth, noting I would need to avoid any quick movements or gestures which might spook the fleety newcomer. “If you find yourself short on ideas, Quyl would be happy to supply tons of name ideas. What about species? It looks similar to a Jaggi, but that beak would imply a very distant break in the ancestral tree…”

“His species name is Seikret.”

Weird…

“Is that so? Any reason you can’t tell me?” I didn’t want to push, some researcher likely had Ty under a non-disclosure agreement.

“No, I mean he’s a Seikret.”

“Then should you two be running around like this? I mean is it much of a secret if—“ I don’t get to finish my question, pushed forward by a warm nose from behind. A few months ago that would’ve been enough to send me face-first into the dirt. But thanks to her training I barely felt a shift in my balance.

“No it isn’t like that, I just— Holly caught me trying to sneak him into Astera. I tried to ask her to keep quiet, but uh…” Ty flushed, his lips pursed as he recalled something embarrassing. “As a ‘punishment’, she registered the species as ‘Seikret’, and assigned me remedial spelling lessons.”

I heard a cackle behind me, as Sue was rolling on her back laughing. Full-on laughing. I mean OK it was a little funny, maybe, but why was she acting like it was the craziest thing she’s ever heard?

“Uh huh. Is he the only one you’ve found, or are there others?” I tried to focus on Ty, as his steed had calmed down at the sight of the larger predator now behaving like a child.

Ty gently ruffled the head feathers of the Seikret, which cooed in pleasure at the touch. “So far he’s the only one. But given how friendly he is, I’m hoping we can find more. Sue’s just a bit too unique for anyone else to risk attempting to befriend another Anjanath.”

Taking advantage of the large snout swinging near me, I rubbed her chin with a knowing smile. “Yea, I got impossibly lucky to meet her.” Ty seemed pensive, like he was debating something, or had some bad news he didn’t want to share. “Did something happen?”

“No, not yet… Quyl got assigned to try and deal with a Nargacuga which recently relocated to the forest from the swamp. It's been quite adept at evading us so far, so she plans to try and see if she can take a non-violent approach to relocating it back to its original hunting grounds.”

Ah, it seems my success with Sue was starting to inspire others. “Does she want help?”

“No, she was very firm about attempting it alone. But…” he left the rest unsaid, including who was making this request of me.

Quyl was going to be mad at me for this, but if it meant ensuring she got home, I’d accept her ire. “Yea, we can keep her out of trouble. Where should we meet her?”

Ty leaned back slightly, eyeing our nearby cave. “Tomorrow, and I suggest simply following her from Astera. Otherwise she might give you the slip.” I nodded, as he loosened the reins, guiding Seikret away from our camp and back towards the settlement, most likely.

I took a moment to properly think about that. About the possibility of other humans exploring the potential bond between themselves and a beast. Sure, Sue may be one of a kind, but that shouldn’t discount the possibilities that other unique monsters might offer. Tyberius and Seikret could offer the fearsome hunter a new level of mobility through the forest.

Sue purred, as we studied one another’s expressions. She was inquisitive, asking what was on my mind. “You know, if anyone else partners up with a non-human, we may need to carve out our own little space of the new world. Someplace designed to accommodate beings of multiple sizes and body shapes. A place where you don’t need to be human to be part of society.”

“That sounds like a great idea, but where would it be?” She asked, as I tried to think of a suitable place. “It needs to be somewhere far enough from Astera to give us both space, but not so far we can’t cooperate and share supplies. Someplace defensible…”

She smirked, knowingly. “I know a place,” she suggested, but made no immediate moves to head there. “Would you show me after we help Quyl?” She nodded, and I considered that settled.

We spent the rest of the day planning different ways to try and convince the Nargacuga to peacefully relocate. Though I did notice Sue proposing a few suggestions which might lead to it joining the Astera community. Unlikely, but possibly spurred by the discussion of a mixed species community from earlier. Though the more I thought about it, a Nargacuga could work well with the hunting strategies most hunters used…

Chapter Text

As we sat in the early morning rays peeking through the trees, Sue and I waited for our quarry to leave for her hunt. We kept an eye on the secretive northern exit, remaining at enough distance her bright red massive self would be obscured by the foliage. And to pass the time…

“Explain to me again why paper beats rock. You can’t just hide behind the explanation of ‘balance’. There needs to be a logical reason you picked that relationship.”

Once more, with a frown, she mimed out how ‘Claw’ would slice ‘Paper’. Then how a ‘Rock’ would crush and splinter a ‘Claw’. Lastly, with her awkward pseudo-hands, she mimed wrapping up a ‘Rock’ with the ‘Paper’. “It just does.”

“Sooner or later, you’ll suggest something so outlandish I’ll know you made it up just to cheat.” My chiding was let go as we both held out a hand for another round.

“Jan—“

“Ken—“

“Pon!” There! I caught it! “You’ve been using your reflexes to change your shape mid-throw!”

She grumbled, rolling her eyes, “It isn’t cheating if you’re just that fast.” She then proceeded to move through all the symbols with her claws, shifting super fast— almost imperceptibly so. But-!

“It isn’t about fast, your hands barely have to move to shift symbols! For ‘Paper’ you barely have to spread your tiny (mini) claws, ‘Claw’ just brings them together, and ‘Rock’ simply curls them slightly!” I held up my own hand, wiggling the five jointed digits. “Meanwhile I have to make significantly bigger movements to form drastically different shapes!”

“Are you mocking my disability?”

“I am simply pointing out that this game seems biased towards your anatomy.” I huffed, letting the tirade fizzle out as Sue deployed her hunting nose. A few quick sniffs, one solid pull, and her gaze flipped from me to the village entrance. “Quyl is on the move.”

Quietly, I climbed up her mane, securing myself before giving her a pat to signal I was ready. For this mission, we didn’t want to risk losing her, or getting separated. With my light bowgun secure on my back, and a variety of special bolts in their respective bags across a bandolier, I was hoping neither Sue or I would need to get involved.

Sue didn’t move right away, likely trying to give Quyl a head start so any sudden stops wouldn’t give us up. And when she did move, it was with a level of finesse that continued to remind me why she was such a fearsome hunter. Fast through the uneven terrain, managing to avoid major sources of sound, and sliding beneath the canopy like the branches were bending away from her, the same way a queen’s guard would raise their pikes to cover her passage.

I had thought the timing was odd, but thinking back on it I did recall Nargacugas being established as nighttime hunters, meaning they could be more vulnerable in the early morning. And by attempting to engage before it went to sleep, she might avoid angering it from a sudden interruption of sleep.

I knew that danger, after waking up Sue once from a nap.

Never again.

The sun was almost fully in the sky by the time we seemed to be nearing the target (according to a few hints from Sue). My thighs were burning from the long ride, Quyl likely needed a break before she started; the perfect chance for us to take stock of the situation. That said, we didn’t want to risk getting in sight range. If we could see her, she could see us.

And thus, we lie in wait. There was a rustle of leaves, a low pitched growl, and the thud of a heavy beast landing on the ground. We were too far away to hear properly what was going on, so I began to try and guess.

Quyl likely snuck up to a massive tree, where the Nargacuga was just about to call it a night. The massive black and blue wyvern was jittery, and maybe slightly emaciated but recovering. Quyl would stare it down, presenting strength but not hostility, maybe throwing out some food as an offering.

The wyvern would slowly descend from above, eyeing the human in suspicion, until it reached the ground and left them both eye to eye. It might nibble at the food first, weary of the human’s intentions. “Speak, small one,” it would rumble between bites.

“I am Quyl of Astera, and I have come to help you go home.” The knightly woman would answer, offering a hand and heroic pose. “These woods are not suitable for you, and for your own sake it is best that you return to whence you previously roamed.”

Nargacuga guffawed, “I thank thee for thine offer, but as these woods offer ample vertical approaches I have decided to remain here. But, if your offer is indeed honest, perhaps we might discover another way you might assist me.”

Quyl would size up the beast, undaunted by the looming size and domineering presence. “Do you speak of an alliance? Of a partnership? For I have been in search of a competent ally to protect these woods beside.” She would use a small knife to prick her finger for a blood oath, offering it to the wyvern. “I would be honored to form a pact with such a skilled hunter as yourself.”

The wyvern used one of their many sharp blades to draw blood from their own talon, extending it to match hers. The blood pact would be sealed and—

Sue immediately leapt into action, charging through the trees towards what I presumed was Quyl’s position. She made some attempts to preserve the element of surprise, but as we got closer I could hear the sounds of battle.

Surveying the damage, it was a fierce fight. Quyl was shaken, applying her healing salves and bandages while Sue kept her warm. There were furrows in the earth, gashes in the trees, and several cracked boulders. And right in the middle of it was a dead Nargacuga.

“Care to explain why you two happened to be ‘foraging for herbs’ nearby?” Quyl inquired, her voice so heavy with sarcasm I could dent a sheet of armor plate with it. “Or did someone tell you to follow me?”

“Quyl, you know why we’re here. The better question should be how are you holding up?” I ran my fingers across the corpse’s beak, barely a scratch despite several clashes with her blades. “I don’t think you are incapable of hunting on your own. But I also thought you were smart enough to at least bring backup.”

She looked away, pulling the bandage in her hands tight. Most of the visible damage was to her limbs, with some blunt impacts to her chest and abdomen. “I just wanted to be like you…”

Sue rubbed the side of her muzzle against the banged up huntress, showing support. “Idiot, you don’t need or want to be like him.” I continued to check over the body, noting how good of shape it was in, though it clearly was not at full strength. This wyvern had been suffering from starvation, likely why it came here. “Which branch did it climb down from?”

Quyl looked up, indicating the specific tree. “I think that one; third from the ground on the left?” Unslinging a rope from my back, I slung a makeshift climbing assist around the trunk, taking slow steps to ascend the rough bark. “Why? Think there’s something up there?”

I grunted, as each step leveraged my own weight to keep me from sliding down. “I am hoping there might be some kind of nest to clue us in where they came from, or why they came here.”

Don’t get me wrong, this was not an easy climb for me. But given last year I wouldn’t even make it off the ground? The success was exhilarating and drove my steady ascension.

I could already spot signs of a nest before I even got past the second branch. But once I reached it, things began to make much more sense. “Sue? I need a hand, help me get this down.” My girl, perhaps smelling what I saw, tilted to raise her head up high. Not high enough to reach the nest, but high enough I could lower it to her.

And so, with a strong back and a gently tight rope knot, I lowered the item down to my girl, who gently held it within her jaws. “Is that an egg?” Quyl asked from below, recognizing the oblong shape and stiff shell.

“Yes, it appears our deceased was a mother, and not just recently if I guess right. I theorize she was forced to come here, attempting to raise her child in a safer environment.” I explained in short bursts as I descended the tree. Sue had delicately placed the egg near its slain mother, almost reverently. I should have remembered her own past, but this felt more like a cathartic moment for her than one of rage.

Quyl seemed slightly down at the reveal, like a punch to the gut of guilt. “I tried to convince her to leave, I tried to do what you do. But she just didn’t understand I only wanted to help…” She rubbed a hand along the top of the egg, pondering something I could only guess at. Maybe second-guessing herself? But it isn’t her fault—

I was wildly whipped away, as Sue literally carried me away in her jaws and quickly. The movement was so quick and jerky I had no way to respond, until she dumped me out behind some nearby bushes, watching Quyl from a distance. “Hey! What are you—?”

She silenced me with a claw, forcing me to look back into the clearing, where I could barely make out the egg wiggling. Quyl was pleading with us for help, eyes wide in horror. But even from here I could see the massive shell sprout a crack along the top. The otherwise smooth white shell now sported an arrangement of fissures in the surface.

It took me a mental jolt to quickly pull out my journal and try to record as much as I possibly could. Monsters hatching from eggs was not new, but being able to observe them was uncommon; doubly so for more predatory species like the Nargacuga.

And now my best friend was getting to witness it first hand. She looked ready to bolt, to run away, but I could hear her squeak (I bet Sue told her to stay put). Would the baby imprint on her? Or would it be able to tell Quyl killed its mother?

There was a crack, as a black point (I bet a baby beak) jutted through the top and towards the sweet air of freedom. It wiggled, managing to widen the opening with the feeble attempts. My notes were expanding rapidly, as I prayed my writing implement could survive.

All of it culminating in the moment the young chick fully exposed their head from the shell, lightly squeaking to call for help. Quyl, untrained in the rules of monster parentage, did just that; pulling aside the egg shell fragments to help the child escape. The chick was roughly the size of her torso, and in search of warmth rubbed itself against her, smelling Quyl.

The ordeal was tiring, and it quickly fell asleep in her arms. Sue led the way, signalling it was safe to approach them. Quyl looked confused, lost, and still beaming with pride. “What happens now?”

“Simple,” I responded, keeping my voice low and soft. “We’ll help you bring the mother back to Astera– because you’re going to need a matching set of armor and weapons– and then you’ll adapt to your new life as a single mother.” I could hear a ‘Clack-Clack’ sound behind me, twisting to see Sue clapping her claws together. It appears she was enthusiastic and supportive of our good friend’s new journey in life. So, I joined the light applause, warmly conveying the only word that could describe our situation.

“Congratulations!”