1 The Hunt

My eyes were fixed on the monster. I tried to move in closer through the thick shrubberies as quiet as possible not to startle it.

"If I get this husher, I bet it could fetch about 900,000 Rens" I thought to myself. That is the standard price for an adult husher, one of the highest priced class C monsters.

"With that money I could pay off any bills or debts or buy Yui the guitar she wanted so much." An image of my cute little sister came to my mind.

"Okay, now focus. Let's see. A head on approach wouldn't be wise of course." I scan the tree line and the bushes in front of it to look for an opportunity to ambush it. "No openings, damn it". I cursed. "Alright, let's use the drone then". I said to myself.I reached for my left pocket and pull out a small scout drone. A husher, about 6 feet tall from hooves to head, with the head of a lizard and the body of a horse, were feasting on a cattle that it took from a nearby farm a few moments ago.

"Target marked. Recording target's biometric data." An A.I voice came through my communication earpiece. Then, the Husher's health bar, level gauge and some other data started to appear on the HUD.

"Got you." I internally exclaimed. I moved closer while prone not to startle the monster. It has been reported that it has trespassed several local farms to eat their live stocks. Naturally, they would avoid any contacts with humans or their livestock. Perhaps desperate to find prey due to the country's expansion and the ongoing war between Ferlios and Melios.

"Activate stun charge." I commanded the drone through the communicator.

"Stun charge activated." The drone responded.

As I leaned forward, I accidently broke a branch under my chest.

"Oh shit." The Husher cocked its head and turn towards my position. It began to sniff the air. This is not good. It got a hold of my scent. It lowered its head and began cautiously stalks towards me.

"Fire stun charge now!" I yelled through the communicator. The Husher, startled by my voice jolted up and took off into the treeline. I quickly stood up and give chase with my drone. It fired a stun charge but missed and hit a tree.

"Track it!" I commanded the drone.

"Affirmative. Tracking target." The drone responded.

A small red dot appeared on the blurry, minimalistic mini map on the glasses HUD. "Alright, you're not getting away from me." I tried to keep up with its speed. It was impossible.

Then the red dot took a sharp left turn and continued on an incredible speed. The red dot slowly faded away as it escapes the drones tracking range.

"Dammit!" I furiously exclaimed. The chase somehow lead me deeper into the forest. My head swivelled left to right trying to figure out where am I. clearly the trees, bees, and birds won't give me any clue. It's too confusing by the sound of the wind rocking the tree.

The chirping of birds slowly faded to silence signalling something else entered the forest. Something ominous and evil.

"Hey Jean, try to reacquire the target." I instructed the drone's A.I which I named her Jean.

"Affirmative. Reacquiring target." Jean replied.

"Ping! Target acquired." The red dot reappeared but somehow it's much closer to my position. It slowly moved as if it's walking. No, slower than that. Like it's stalking a prey. And it's behind me.

Saliva drooling from its mouth and drips to the ground as if it was looking a new delicious meal that ironically chased it and disturb its previous feast. A subtle but terrifying growl emanated from its throat. I slowly turned towards him and trying to backed away from it.

The Husher reared his back, ready to pounce me. I slowly reach for my sword on the left side of my hip and unsheathe it. I pushed the button on top of the handle .The blade materialized and formed a sharp, lean and shiny metal that momentarily blinded the beast. Now we are both ready. I went into a charging stance.

"Come at me with all of you might. I'll make sure it's an easy death for you." I whispered with a furious tone.

"Oh Savos God of the hunt, give me true courage to deliver this beast soul to you." I said a small prayer to Savos, god of the hunt.

With a deep exhale I reared myself and charge at the beast. The Husher did so as well but in a more beastly manner by leaping through the air and pounces like a tiger at me.

As we almost crashing into each other, a thunderous voice yelling, "Reiju!" which means blast in Ferlian. The kinetic blast threw the Husher about a few meters and hit a tree with its back producing a loud cracking noise whether it came from the impact or the beast's spine breaking. It hit the ground and lay there lifelessly.

"Took you long enough to take that thing down." A voice criticizing me came a few meters to my left. I covered my head with my arm to protect myself from the blast. I lowered my left arm and saw a figure walking closer to me while holding a sword. It's Kazuya, one of my squad mate.

"Hey, I almost got him. You interrupted my hunt." I said.

"Our hunt, okay? Look you know that a vanguard has to report back to their squad after acquiring the data?" Kaz said.

"Yes, I know. I'm not stupid. It's just that it started to run away. I got no time to report back, alright." I said. "I figured that I could take it down myself but inevitably got carried away with it." I continued.

Behind Kazuya, a small timid girl tried to make her appearance by speaking to me. It's Yukine Himejima, our medic.

"Umm… Shinji-san, are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere right?" a sweet voice with a concern tone under it came through my ear.

"I'm alright Yuki-chan. Nothing was broken or dislocated." I said to Yuki.

"Ohh… Then thank goodness. I was so worried when you were disconnected with us. I feared that you might be seriously wounded… hehe…" she honestly stated her concern for my well-being.

"I appreciate your concern. But don't worry about me, Yuki-chan. This beast needs to do more to even scratch my skin so try to keep your healing powers for everyone else okay." I said. She looked at me with great concern and somewhat a little admiration for my resolve and also drew a smile across he face. But perhaps Kazuya only saw me boasting my ego at her.

"So that's the Husher huh? It looks scary. Are you sure it's dead?" Yuki questioned us.

"Well, it's unconscious for now." Kazuya replied while checking the Husher.

"Don't worry, Yuki-chan. I will protect you if it tries to attack you. I promise." I reassure her.

"Umm… umm… o-oh o-okay then. I-I will be in your care." She replied while fumbling with her finger. I can see her face turned red for being flustered by my promise.

"Alright, enough romantic drama. Shin, come here. I got something to show you." Kazuya interrupted our thoughtful conversation. I then approach Kazuya that stood beside the beast.

"What is it?" I asked Kazuya.

"Take a look at this x-ray." Kazuya said. "You see that over there." He said while pointing at a chamber near the beast's stomach. It appears that the chamber contains something.

"Look. Something is moving in there." I said to Kazuya.

"Is that a pup?" Kazuya said in shock.

"So that means it's pregnant?" I questioned.

"I think so." Kazuya replied.

We both look at the Husher. Feeling both guilty and despair for interrupting this beast feast a few moments that was clearly for its unborn pup. Female beasts like the Husher requires a lot of nutrients for itself and their babies during pregnancy, so it's hard to blame it for trespassing the farms and killing the livestock there.

"No wonder why it's aggressive." I said. Husher usually avoid any contacts with humans and would likely to run away when they sense human presence near them.

"So what are we going to do now?" I asked Kazuya.

"Standard procedure Shin. Regardless if it's pregnant or not, this beast has to die." Kazuya replied in a calm manner.

"Seriously Kaz? Standard procedure?! That beast did no harm to any humans okay. It might try to attack me, but that was just to protect its pup!" I said to Kazuya.

"I respect your compassion Shin. But if this beast still alive, it will kept on killing those farmers' livestock and it might inevitably attack humans after all of the cattle ran out. So we must end it here and now.' Kazuya said.

"At least it died in our hand and not the farmers which I would say is much worst. They were angry with it killing off their source of food and income so what would you think they would've done if they got their hand on that beast?" He continued.

What Kazuya said is true, but I can't just kill it over some farmers' cattle. But I could use the money to buy Yui the guitar. I was divided. After a long stare at the beast, I gave in. if it's for my sister's happiness it is okay. I justified my cause.

"I'm sorry for this." I said to the beast while readying my sword to stab its heart. As I was about to do so it moved and tries to get up. When it stood up, it roared loudly and stunned me and Kazuya that stood near it.

It tried to escape and charge towards Yuki. I quickly recovered from the roar and conjure a shield dome around the Husher. Kazuya then shoot a lightning bolt inside the dome filling the dome with lightning that jumped from all angle in side it and shocked the beast.

I released the dome and the beast was dazed temporarily before shaking it off. It roared and started charging towards me and Kazuya. Both of us entered a striking stance. I slashed across its belly and Kazuya hit its front left leg crippling it.

The Husher hit the ground hard. It tried to pull itself up but was in so much pain that makes me felt pity for it. It limped itself towards me thinking it could attack us again. I looked at its eye and saw some tear trickled down from it. I couldn't bear to look at it in this pitying condition. So with a boost of air from my shoes, I thrust my sword straight to its chest impaling its heart and ending its misery right there and then.

"Savos help me." I said to myself. "I pray that you will grant this beast an everlasting peace with its pup in the fields of Redza." I continued praying to Savos. Blood gushes out of its chest and stained both my hand and my sword handle.

I slowly lay the beast down and carefully pull my sword out from its chest. I took a while to gather my thoughts. I stood up and turn towards Kazuya and Yuki.

"The job is done." I said to Kazuya.

"Well done Shin, you put it out of its misery." Kazuya said. "Savos will bless this hunt and the beast's soul." He continued.

"Okay, you have any water I could borrow? I want to wash these blood?" I asked Kazuya. Looking at my bloodstained hands, I started to question my decision of killing the beast with its pup. Drowned by guilt, I muted all the noise coming from outside.

"Wouldn't it be better if I just let it escape? But she was charging at Yuki so I'm only protecting her." I justify my actions. Just before I was about to cover face with my hand I said "What have I done. Mother Ishvaal help me." Praying for guidance for the Goddess Ishvaal.

"Shin… Shin!" Kazuya yelled, snapping me back to reality. "Here's the water. Don't lose your head in this ok? Like I said before sometimes we have to choose the lesser evil over the other." Kazuya tries to console me.

"I guess you're right. We've got no choice." I agreed. Washing my bloodstained hand and sword, the blood drips to the ground trickling red pearl hits the hard soil moisten it and coloured it red.

I turned to the traumatized Yukine and said "You okay there Yuki? Don't worry it'll shake off." I said to her. After I finished washing the blood, I retracted my sword and sheathe it back to my side. I turned to my back and walked towards Yuki.

"Hey it's going to be ok. I promised didn't I? No harm will come to you if I'm around." I reassure her, hoping to get her out of this trauma. I then pat her head feeling her soft flowing ashen hair which is pretty rare for a Ferlian-born.

"I-I-I'm sorry for being such a burden for you both." Yuki said while blushing perhaps from my soft stroke on her head and my consoling word.

"No. you're not a burden at all. You're the most important member in this squad because if not, who would heal us? We all would be dead by now." I said, consoling her.

"So what I need you to do is try not to blame yourself for anything that happens ok? And try to keep a clear head alright?" I continue giving advice and reassurance to her.

She looked up to my eyes and I saw her eyes glitters with hope and admiration. Her cheek is red from blushing too much and probably embarrassed by my patting her head.

I lift my hand off her head trying not to embarrass her further. "Now let's get you up." I told her. I hold each of her shoulder trying to support her when she tries to get up.

"That's right, try to get use to how to deal with this kind of thing. If we lose you, we won't be able to get home in one piece." Kazuya supports my advice even though he's saying it in his usually cynical voice.

While I was still comforting Yukine, Kazuya radioed in to our squad leader through the earpiece. "Ma'am, we have finished taking down the target. Readying for transport." Kazuya confidently said. "Good work, Vanguard Kazuya and Scout Shinji. I was beginning to wonder if the three of you was actually getting eaten by the beast." She responded.

Since the communications were on open channel among squad members, I heard it. So I responded with "No ma'am. We're in a great shape, though Yuki was a bit shaken."

"What happened?" She asked

"The Husher was charging at her while trying to escape from us. But we stopped it before it reaches her." I explained to our leader.

"Thank goodness. If my sister is so much as hurt while with both of you---". She was relieved but in the same time threatens us.

"Ughh… I knew sending Yuki with you guys was a bad idea." She certainly lost a cursing word there.

"I-it's okay sis. Shin protected me from that beast." Yuki intervened our chatter with her soft, calm voice trying to defend me from her sister.

"Oh, i-is that so. T-then, thank you for defending my sister." She apologized in a cute soft voice almost identical to Yuki's in contrast to her commanding one just now.

"Ma'am, did you just apologized?" I jokingly asked her trying to further hear her response.

"Y-yes I did. S-so what? I-it's not a big of a deal." Again, she answered me in the same manner.

That's our Squad Leader, Reina Himejima, Yuki's older sister. She had an especially soft spot for her sister. But sometimes can be harsh towards her underlings especially me. It's still a mystery to this day why she's quite hard on me but can be soften in the presence of Yuki or when Yuki tries to defend me like just now.

"Whatever, wrap up the mission and get back to the guild. I meet you guys there." Rena commanded us.

"Roger that." Both I and Kazuya simultaneously answered. Soon after, a whirling sound came approaching us. The transport chopper has arrived. The winds from its two rotors shook the trees around the clearing violently that I feared it would uproot them.

"They're here. Finally." Kazuya complained. The Omni copter landed about 10 meters from us. We walked to it and climbed on. The Omni copter took off just about above the tree line and move above the beast corpse. It was hoisted and lifted with two suspended beam at the belly of the omnicopter. It ascended to the altitude for small aircraft and continued heading to the guild.

It would take about 45 minutes to get back to the hunters guild since we were dispatched to Hiraji forest which is at the north of Tiensha City, in the province of Ryu-shu.

I told Yuki to rest up. At first she refused saying "It's ok. I'm not tired." I insisted on her, saying that if she rest it would calm her mind. Seeing that I'm so concerned about her well-being, she listened and leaned her head closer and rested it on my shoulder.

Five minutes after take-off, Kazuya asked the pilot why he was late, "Why the delay?"

"The airspace here was closed for a while so I had to use another route." The pilot replied

"What happened?" Kazuya asked again.

"They said a stray bomber drone just enter the airspace over the forest." Said the pilot.

"Oh, then that means the war is nearing the border now." Kazuya replied. This close to the border? That's not good.

"No wonder why they dispatched a large squadron of knights this morning." I said.

The Royal Knights are the elite forces of the Ferlian army. They were dispatched when the main army was compromise as a last trump card. Seeing they flew overhead brought me an overwhelming sense of fear. Fear that the Melians finally crushed the border corps and crossed the border.

"Yeah, probably they were to assist in the fight." Kazuya said in a worrying tone. Well, what the army was doing is none of my business. I rest my head trying to forget the events today. All the while Yukine is dozing off on my shoulder. It's a nice change.

avataravatar