My eyes began to feel a burning sensation. I opened my eyes to be greeted with the sunlight shining directly in my eyes. I looked away and rub the blurriness out of my eyes. After that I sat up straight on my bed and looked around the room I was in. All the memories from yesterday began flooding in my mind.
"Good thing I'm still here," I said aloud to myself. I began standing up and my legs began to wobble, I grab the edge of my bed and started to balance myself out. After that I walked towards my closet to get different clothing, exited my bedroom and began walking to the bathroom. After walking around aimlessly for a few minutes I found a door with the sign, 'Bathroom; on it. I chuckled on how they needed signs to find certain rooms. Oh, the struggles of living in a big-ass house. I entered it and turned on the water to fill in the tub. I stripped naked and began dipping me body into the warm liquid. I looked around the bathroom, it was fairly large. I was in a bathtub at the very corner of the room. There was a big circular pool and some other bathroom necessities. I began to relax myself in the tub and soon i became drowsy.
My eyes suddenly opened when I picked up sounds of hooves coming closer and closer into the bathroom door. My heart began racing and sweat dripped down my forehead. 'Oh shit Oh shit Oh shit. Please don't enter Twilight!' I thought in my head. I tried to warn Twilight but before I could, the door was encased in a lavender glow and it snapped open. An alicorn walked in with her towel while humming a song. When she caught sight of the human in the tub, our eyes locked together.
Her cheeks began to blush.
"Urr Twilight, you oka-" I was interrupted by a loud girly scream that echoed throughout the whole castle. She began running out the door flinging the bathroom door shut behind her trail.
'Well that went better than expected...'
Once I finished scrubbing my body down and brushing my teeth and washing my hair, I exited the tub and began drying myself with a towel. I unplugged the cork and soon all the water began swirling down the hole. I then wore my new fresh clothes. I grab my dirty clothes and began walking out the bathroom to find the laundry room.
I found it and placed my clothes into the washing machine and began making my way to the living room. Once I reached there, I saw Spike and Twilight eating their breakfast. I saw Twilight look at me with a crimson blush on her cheek. I saw a plate and an extra plate for me. There were pancakes as usual. I sat down and began eating.
"So...." I started.
"So...."
"....Sorry for the incident...back there..." I apologized.
"Oh, it's not your fault. It's mine. I should have heard the bathtub water. I used the other bathroom..." Twilight assured me. I saw Spike look at us with a weird look but didn't bother questioning it. The rest of the meal was silent with the occasional sip of water and chewing of food.
After eating, I insisted doing the dishes. While I was doing the dishes, Spike told us he was going to clean up the library for a bit. Twilight took out and apple from the fridge and sat on the table.
"So, Twilight, I have a job now." I told her casually. She looked at me surprised and asked me what job it was.
"Well, I was at the Town Hall and asked Mayor Mare about the billboard outside. She told me about the job of slaying monsters or whatever and earn money for it. Basically a bounty hunter but slaying monsters...a Monster Hunter?"
I heard shrieking and then a gasp of worry, "Chris! Are you serious? Those jobs are really dangerous! I think you should reconsider! If you want, I could always give a job at the library. I told you I'm a princess, I can support you too!"
I sighed, "Sorry Twi, I can't just freeload like that. If I can I would like to pay rent. And I really don't want to be given these things for free. I want to be independent." I refrained from telling her my interaction with Ethereal Star.
I heard her click her tongue in annoyance and sigh, " I understand Chris...just be careful out there alright? You're not forced to do these things." Oh you have no idea Twi. I merely nod and began drying the plates.
After cleaning the dishes, I walked back to my room and grabbed my stuff. I wore my hostler and began sheathing all my weapons. My sword, my gun and whatnot. after that, I bid Twilight goodbye and began walking towards the Town Hall. While walking there, I noticed that ponies were not gawking at me like they did before. Well, at least not all of them.
'They were beginning to ease up on me...that's good' I thought to myself. After 10 minutes of walking, I reached my destination. I enter the building and entered the Mayor's room. She saw me and smiled, motioning me to sit down.
"So Mayor, you got my permit?" I asked her.
"Well Chris, I certainly got it. She's right behind you." She told me.
I gave her a confused look before turning around. I saw a black coated unicorn mare with light brown mane and glasses. Her cutie mark was glasses overlapping a book. She wore a business suit. She had aqua green eyes as well. Kinda cute.
"Greetings, you must be Chris! I am Lawful Justice and I am going to be your lawyer!" She greeted me with a smile. I shook her hoof and turn around giving the Mayor a confused look.
"Well Chris. Many hunters often get in trouble with the law while trying to do their job. Some of the residence will often call the guards on them and they were arrested. Their lawyers would help defend them and continue their job. This is basically your legal consultant. She will gain 10% of what you earn." Mayor Mare told me. So the job is more complicated than I thought...shit...I turned around and looked at Lawful's eyes with a hint of worry in my eyes.
She smiled at me, "Don't worry Chris! It's not that hard. As long as you don't murder anypony I should be okay to defend you!" Thanks for the reassurance...
I smiled back, "Alright...so where's my permit?"
"Well...hold on Chris this may sting a little bit..." Lawful laughed nervously. I was confused but then her horn started glowing in a blackish aura. She then aim it on my chest and before I knew it, struck me with a bolt of magic.
I gripped my chest in pain as a burning sensation began to wash over my body. I fell to my knees and just groan in agony. What was happening to me!? Was this an assassination? I wallowed in pain as the burning sensation began to burn my body even further.
"AURGHH!" I screamed in pain. My head began throbbing. After a while, the heating sensation began dying down and after a few more minutes it stopped. I panted heavily while sweat drenched my body. After regaining my composure back, I saw that my left hand was glowing in a bright yellow and blue light. Once the light died down, I saw that my left hand had two long chain-like blackish marks that stretched and swirled all around my whole left arm from my elbow up to my wrist. I saw that the chains stopped at the back of my hand with the equestrian logo on it. Half of the circle was the sun with a white alicorn on it while the other half was the moon with a bluish alicorn on it.
I stared up at the two ponies looking at me with worry.
"Can ANYPONY TELL ME WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?" I yelled at their faces. Needless to say I was not happy.
Both of them shared an uncomfortable look before Lawful spoke up, "I placed a rune signature on you as a bounty hunter so you would be locked in the contract. That is the Equestrian Symbol right there as you got your contract from Equestria. There are other hunters with different symbols. It varies from where you come from. So...congrats...you're officially a bounty hunter now!"
I looked at them in disbelief before saying, "So why didn't you tell me that I was gonna feel like my body just dipped in alcohol and lit on fire?!" They both lowered their heads in shame. I sighed and rubbed my temple, "It's fine...as long as I'm not hurt. Does this mean I can start work now?"
Both of them perked up and nodded. Mayor Mare spoke up, "Oh yes! We just need some last paperwork before you can start!"
After signing the paperwork Mayor Mare bid me farewell and good luck on my job. I left the building with my new legal consultant and started to head for the billboard.
While on the way there we started some small talk, "So, how did you find me?"
She chuckled before smiling, "Well, the Mayor called my office in Manehattan and told me about you. I was a little weary at first about accepting the job but when she told me everypony else had turned her down when they heard you were not native, I accepted the job. I told my boss and he agreed to find me a place to stay and pay my salary while I work here!"
"Wow. Thanks for accepting I guess..." I told her bashfully.
Once we reach the billboard, I could see all the different abominations. They honestly creeped me out. As my eyes scan over on which one to pick, I heard Lawful speak up, "Maybe you wanna go for an easier one? All of them have their level of difficulty and the amount of reward you will get. The harder it is, the more bits you'll get of course. To get you into the job, you may want to pick an easier one?"
I nodded and settled on a poster that showed illustrations of timberwolves. I clipped the poster off the billboard and turned it around. There was a mini description on it,
There were sightings of Timberwolves around Sweet Apple Acres. Recently, their livestocks were attacked and if this continues our supply of milk and eggs will slowly diminish. It is your job to go there and hunt the pack that was attacking the livestocks.
It even showed what their weakness was and what abilities they possessed which includes being able to see in the dark, nimble and fast, and the fact that they hunt in packs. It seems that they are weak with fire huh? Figures, my first battle with them was obvious enough.
I flipped the paper back and saw some other writing. Difficulty, easy. Reward, 70 bits. Hmm, easy enough.
I looked over at Lawful who smiled back and nodded. Guess I got my first mission.
"So how do you accept it?" I asked her when suddenly, the mark on my hand began glowing and the poster began glowing as well. It began flashing different colours before it flashed green.
"That means that you're free to do this mission and no one has claimed it yet!" Lawful told me. I nodded in agreement. Honestly, this shit was trippy but did I question it? No, because magic is fucking weird.
I folded the poster and stuffed it in my pocket, looks like we're going to Sweet Apple Acres.
As I began walking there with Lawful, we began making small talk as usual. She was curious as to how I got here and what my species accomplished. I wished I had took a picture when I told her we had brought a man to the moon. It was priceless.
After walking for about half an hour, I began to catch the apple trees. We're getting closer. I saw the entrance to the farm and walked in. I reached the big red house and knocked on it a couple of times. After a few seconds, a yellow filly with a red bowtie opened the door. She looked up at me and we stared at each other.
"Hi, I'm here to se-" I was cut off by a scream of fear.
'Really? That's the second time today!' I thought to myself. I sensed Lawful who was behind me flinch a little bit.
"Applebloom! What happened!" I heard a southern accented voice asked in worry before galloping hooves began coming nearer and nearer towards me.
"Applejack! There's a monster here!" Applebloom yelled. I sighed and facepalmed. Of course.
Once the galloping stopped, I turned to my left to see Applejack panting heavily looking like she was ready to fight. Once she saw me and Applebloom, she sighed.
"Applebloom, this is Chris. Ya' know, the fellar I was talkin to you about?" She told her little sister in annoyance.
"Ohhh! I'm sorry Chris!" She apologized with a cute smile. I smiled back.
"So what're you doin' ere Chris? And who's that mare behind ya'?" Applejack told me.
"Well, this is Lawful, my lawyer. And I'm here to do my job." I told her. Lawful shook her hand before I continued, "I'm here as a bounty hunter." I showed Applejack the poster.
"Oh! What didn't ya say so? I got to warn ya though Chris, be careful out there! Those nitty buggers are fast!" She told me with advice. I smiled and thanked her. After that, Applejack led me and Lawful to the corner of the farm where all the livestocks were. There was a clearing where a path was that leads into the Everfree Forest. I thanked her and she went back to buck the trees.
"So, Lawful. I guess I'm going in there alone then?" I asked her.
"What? Are you kidding me! I'm not gonna leave you alone. Most employers usually stay in their office but I'm going to help you!" Lawful told me with a determined smile.
"But you're not even armed! You're gonna be easily injured out there!" I told her. She smirked at my comment before her horn glowed. I saw her take off her suit and I blushed a little but after that, under her suit was a pair of daggers. Wow...she's starting to grow on me..hehe.
We then made way into the forest. Once we were in deep enough, it started to get dark. Luckily, Lawful had cast a light spell so we could see. We kept on walking before I heard growling and green eyes surrounding us.
"Looks like we've got company!" The unicorn said with excitement in her voice. I smiled back. The owners of the growls then made themselves known to us. There were many timberwolves surrounding us. None of us made any moves before one of the wolves jumped on me. I sidestepped his attack and the other wolves began attacking. I unsheathed my Avian and Reaper before slicing one of them. The wooden twigs fell down but I had no time to lose as I smashed my foot against one of the wolves who decided to come close to me.
I looked over at Lawful who was handling those wolves like a pro! She levitated her weapons and began slicing every wolf who surrounded her. As she was finishing one of the wolves, another one was about to pounce behind her but she teleported away from the attack and blasted a bolt at it. The wolf howled in pain as the twigs began to disassemble. I had to refocus my attention to my opponents. There were 4 surrounding me.
'This is gonna be hard...' I thought. One of the wolves began charging at me while biting everywhere trying to land a hit. Another one behind me began to do the same thing. I ran towards the one in front of me and stabbed my Avian at his jaw, not enough to completely kill him however and spun my sword around, dislodging him at his teammate behind me. The other two began changing their stance down low, ready to pounce on me. Unfortunately for them, I was not gonna wait. I began running towards one of them. It caught him by surprise as he scrambled to try and get away but I was too quick and smashed my Reaper at him. His wooden body fell and split apart. Before I could finish the other one, I felt a biting sensation on my right leg and saw the wolf biting down on it. I began shaking it off before it finally let go. I then kicked it once for it to stumble back and slammed both my weapons on it's head with a roar.
I panted heavily and looked at my now bleeding leg. It didn't hurt as much but I could feel the blood trickle down my foot. I looked over at Lawful to see her finishing off the last wolf with a quick slice. She then sheathed her weapons against her rump?
She saw me and walked over, "Jeez, did one of em got your leg?"
I nodded, "Yea, fucker got me."
Both of us then started walking towards the exit with her mainly asking if I was okay to which I replied yes. When we reached Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack started thanking us along with Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith. She then started treating my leg and got it wrapped up. I was still able to walk though. We then made our way to Town hall.
"You wanna know the best part about today Chris? Ya know, besides slaying wolves." Lawful asked me.
I chuckled, "What is it?"
"The best part is...we're gonna get paid!"
I smiled, "Fuck yea boys. I got a job!"