Dragonhearted

by Slendy

Chp. 1 - Culture of Danger

"Is that it?" Under the covers of a black blanket dotted with purple stars, two large, amethyst eyes watched the storyteller, one fluffy, pointy ear folded down in confusion. "But, if the kingdom was wiped out then... why is there a story?"

Zen smiled, rolling his eyes to the side. "Well... often times there's always someone to pass down a story, then that becomes a myth, then a legend, and in worse cases a faded memory," He tapped the cover with a claw. "Your Mom had spent months trying to decipher anything that correlated with this story but nothing ever came up, I thought the world of Monsters only ever arrived with me but I've learned my judgment sucks."

The little filly giggled at his faux deadpan as his paw ruffled her mane. "Did you ever fight the Black Dragon?"

The Lucario's paw paused, reflecting on his memories of Equestria or further, then shrugged, rubbing his nose. "Huh, I guess I haven't! I kinda... missed out on facing one, whoops." He stuck his tongue out.

The filly sat up taller, displaying a wide smile with two little fangs poking out. "Then I'll find one and kick its butt! I'll beat one before you!"

He laughed a little, stroking her unruly mane while picking up the fallen stuffed animal of his most hated enemy, a Ratholos, and placed it in her hooves before leaning closer so that their muzzles nearly touched. Zen then gave the filly a serious look that surprised her. "Black Dragons are more than just another monster; Fatalis is nothing to joke about," Slowly, his smile returned, booping the filly's nose. "But that won't stop us, will it?"

"Never!" She squealed before yawning, slumping back onto the bed. "I'll find the kingdom *yawn*... and kick its butt..." She murmured, eyes growing heavy.

"Not alone you won't; you just gotta find who to trust," As her eyes closed with a soft snore, Zen leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You seriously scare me with those thoughts of yours... sleep well, sweetie."

"...night..." Her voice whispered, snuggling closer to the stuffed animal.

Several Years Later...

"One, two - hyah!" I felt my hooves jitter a little under the strain.

My home was the humble beginnings of many colourful ponies from across Equestria, Ponyville, though that's a given since it was the origin of the creator of the Guild that now operates around the continent. This Hunter had braved the darkest and most dangerous monsters known to the Guild, and their reputation soared into legend and continues to this day without rest. Anyone who came or grew up in Ponyville dreamt of becoming a Hunter, and some were dedicated enough to achieve that dream.

My hooves came down heavy with an axe, dividing my twentieth log in two without much effort, but my body was strained yet my muscles refused to give in to the burning sensation, perks of my... odd biology I suppose, I had come to feel accustomed to the heat like I was a Ratholos, fueled by the fire in my bones. The sun was bright and cast an emerald sheen down through the trees, and the hustle and bustle of the town down the hill only enraptured me further in the ambience.

Oh, and one more thing, this was still part of my 'punishment' after I technically snuck out for a few days to... slay a Brute Wyvern.

I sweatdropped, "Not my finest moment..." Sighing while pushing my bangs back I flicked the last split logs onto a pile. "There, all done - which means..." Drumroll as I felt my face lift a little. "I'm free~!"

Each day was the same, I'd wake up, eat, limber up then immediately stuck my nose into yardwork, either chopping logs, cleaning or collecting materials and plants others requested, it paid at times and added to my wealth of knowledge, I was sort of like a researcher though I know their level of intelligence far eclipses my own. Ever had an argument over logistics concerning a hunting party with them? Believe me, it isn't worth it.

Through blood, sweat, tears, and possible loss of feeling in my legs, I'd become an amazing Hunter just like my parents, then maybe I could fight beside them too... instead of just being some errand pony. Strolling over the pail of water. Diving headfirst into the refreshing spring water, I pulled my head back and dried my charcoal mane, staring at my lilac stripe and bemused amethyst eyes. "You sure look like you're excited that your imprisonment is over, Akira."

Trotting over to my backpack I flicked it between my wings with ease, adjusting its weight before tucking my dark brown hood over my shoulders, the hem highlighted lime green with an inverted arrow stitched into the hood down the back were it ended in a point. Lastly, I fastened the star-shaped forest green coral necklace around my neck. Checking I had everything, I knew what I had to do today, no matter what. Nodding to myself, I took off with gusto down the road.

I passed by a few homes, waving to some of my neighbours as I offered one middle-aged mare, Leafy, a pouch from my bag filled with a sweet-smelling plant from the edge of the Everfree, ensuring I only gathered the freshest bunch to last longer. The forest greenette bowed graciously. "Thank you, deary, I can always count on you like your father."

I hummed a chuckle bashful. "Don't let him hear that when he's in town, he'll get all pouty again - it's actually really cute." My Dad had a peculiar personality, to say the least, and that's coming from me. She and I chuckled at that, herself waving back to me as I continued on my merry way

Not long after making a few stops to deliver more assorted herbs I gathered, I arrived near the centre of the Ponyville, stretching my wings as I entered a merchant shop. Stepping through a thick cover, I came to be greeted by a bazaar of items, provisional tools, and even a few hunting knives and tinderboxes. It was dimly lit due to the only window stretching the morning light through the pane.

"Ah, there ye' are lass! Be'n expectin' ya." The thick accent of the rounded earth pony came before the counter belonging to Broker. His bushy black beard with a curly mane matched his onyx eyes with quite the intimidating presence at first, plus he does have the tendency to lose his inside voice. Despite his towering figure he was a kind-hearted merchant, and with quite the stories under his hooves.

"Got your order, took the better part of a day but it's the best quality I could find." I broke into the agreement we had. Taking in my appearance with a nod I sat my bag onto the counter, using my wings to pull a heavy bound collection of silver bark. He took one in his hoof to inspect its quality first-hoof. "Ran into a few Jaggis too, lizards nearly nicked my axe!" I hadn't an issue with small monsters, in fact, it's how I trained some days when Mom and Dad weren't around.

"Aye lass, some fine skill ye' hav', always is," Broker chuckle boisterously, pulling out with a gloved hoof a large sack of Bits. "Be 'bout 150 Bits?"

I held an inquisitive brow, "That was more than the contract..." "You sure?" He raised his hoof to me, shaking his head sternly while passing over the large sack that clanked similarly to metal.

"Take it, lass, you've more t'an earned 'em - need all the coin for tha' hunter job, eh?" Patting my back heartily he made his way around the back and started to sort his new stock with a smile.

Deciding best not to argue, my wings tossed my bag over one another, smiling happily as I made my way out and across the square. Like every day, locale hunters gathered by the Guild Postmaster, taking on quests at a notice board outside the Postmaster, the same place I needed to go if I wanted to sign up for the initiation in a week. Outside, some of the hunters appeared to be new, judging by the bronze crest on their breastplates.

As I approached the thick oak doors, they burst open with a roar of laughter from the hunting party that stepped between me, spinning me around slightly from the sudden shock as I stumbled in backwards, shaking my head until my eyes stopped spinning. "Everything is wobbly, hehe-"

*Bam*

"Ah!" Like an idiot, I bumped right into someone else, my track record is as stellar as always. "Oh, you..." Oh, just got worse.

Swivelling around, my nervous smile met an equally bemused glare of blue eyes. The unicorn's coat was a pale white with an amethyst cutie mark to boot; her mane was dark brown and chin-length with a ponytail - pun - pulling the front bangs out of her face. Of all ponies in Equestria, the universe had me confront one of the handfuls that hated me. "Universe, why do you forsake me?" Waving a wing I slurred my words. "Heeey, Myst... lovely day to sign up for the hunter's trial, huh? Hehehe..."

Her frown never once shifted, tucking away a book into her saddlebags. "It's just paperwork, don't get your wings in a twist," She didn't hesitate to push past me, tail flicking sharply in distaste.

I tapped her lower back to stop her, rubbing my nape awkwardly. "Look, I, um, about the whole 'training incident', a-and the 'paint incident' before that, I-" Her magic lit dark purple, clenching my lips shut with a fire in her eyes while lowering her voice to a hiss so no one heard us.

"That. Never. Happened," She released her magic, "All you ever do is cause trouble, and so far, I'm on the receiving end, so for everyponies' sake, don't bother showing up," Like all days we met eye to eye, her words stung like a needle to my chest. I really didn't mean to always cause chaos around her, heck, I think I'm cursed around everyone that hates me to do something stupid. But that... that hurt.

"I..." Before I could get a word in, she had already left me high and dry, my hoof falling to the floorboards. Sighing slowly, I shook off that aura of woe and turned to continue with why I was here. A few hurtful words won't stop me.

At the counter decorated with colourful banners marking the various sectors of the Guild, mainly blue and silver, red and gold, green and gold, lastly yellow and silver. A Guild Mare sat there with a pleasant smile on her muzzle, eyes behind glasses scanning her tome as I tapped the desk lightly to draw her eyes up. She brushed her bangs back, setting the book down. "Oh, hello, may I help - ah," Her smile widened gleefully. "Finally set free, are we, miss Amadeus?"

I waved my hoof anxiously, "A-Akira's fine, Miss Lily, ahem, but yeah, home free... or just free I guess," Clearing my throat, I quickly pulled out both a small fee of 100 Bits and a scroll with my personal details. "I'm ready to sign up for the trial," In my head, I was practically praying this would work, the minimum age was sixteen, surprise, I only turned that age just recently after my expedition against the Jade Barroth, so I was skating on thin ice.

She studied the scroll and sack of Bits before dragging them closer, and her friendly expression became a little more serious, "Okay... fee is paid, personal information..." She tapped the desk, brow raised. "And signatures from your parents' due to-"

"-my age, yep, written here," I plopped another folded page onto the desk with my wing, rolling my eyes. "Imprisonment in one's house can offer many opportunities for persuasive conversations,"

"I see," She tried to hide her mirth, taking the items to the left side of her desk behind the post for later. "Now, read this furrowly before signing," She shuffled a clipboard and quill toward me.

It was filled with your standard protocol, safety warnings, etc. etc. Dad said it usually wouldn't be this tedious but when you have someone like Princess Twilight funding a significant portion of the Guild it meant a few alterations were needed to paperwork. "Done," I just skimmed it, pushing the signed document back with glee. "Soooo?"

Lily smiled, nodding, "You have a week to prepare, in a few days somepony will send you a letter with all the conditions required to attend the trial, okay?" Then she leaned forward to whisper. "Go show those snobby brats how it's done," Her encouraging wink made me blush a little, saluting in turn.

"Will do, thanks so much!" I spun around, leaving with haste with a hoof thrown to the sky as I glided forward. "Hahaha, I'm gonna be a Hunter, and ain't nothing gonna stop me! Woohoo~!" The stares I received were brushed aside, my body was all abuzz. I spent years dreaming of this and now I had my real chance to make it official. I got a date, and his/her name is 'Monster Hunter'! Pretty weird name but then there's mine.

*Bam!*

"Ngh," I don't what or where, only that something struck my nape alongside a laugh in the background. Shrugging I continued on my stroll, I had a good idea but best not to dig into that wasp nest.

This happened regularly back in school, when the topic of our future lifestyles, mine had never once faltered, primarily because no one ever cared, with my background... things weren't easy. So I was left behind by those seeking the dream of a Hunter, and when I ever brought it up it was met with a harsh backlash that left me well isolated from others, mockery and tricks were all pinned to me, and I just grit and bared it.

Two, in particular, came to the forefront of those times. "Hey there, Aki, how's it been?"

I hate that nickname; I didn't speak, keeping a poker face and my head forward. "Maybe if I ignore him, he'll magically disappear? Nah, not even a Kushla Daora can carry his ego."

My body swung round to face the two, very green, wannabe hunters, around the age of eighteen. The large ego front and centre belonged to Silver Ash. He was like his father, only that man was quite the comedian for a hunter, so Silver followed down that same path, though the jokes... aren't hereditary. Silver was also pretty handsome, I can't recount the number of whispers I hear from girls in our old class, into our teens the whispers were... less than desirable to hear. If he wasn't such an ass...

His coat was an aforementioned silver colour with jet black hair spiked backwards to reveal a red streak down the middle, same for his tail. A cutie mark depicting a flame atop a pile of ash. Those sardonic red eyes were leeching at my body like always, ugh. Being an earth pony he was bigger than me too, about a three-inch height difference. If there was an Elder Dragon that used ego as a weapon, Silver would trample it.

Behind him with a mocking sneer was his... friend? Puppet? Lackey... I'm gonna say lackey, Blue Moon. Unlike Silver, Blue was a little less muscular but not fat, surprisingly. Sporting a long, aquamarine mane with silver eyes, Blue's greatest weapon by far was his thick head, I mean seriously you could weld that forehead of his with a stick and claim it was a hammer. A unicorn with blue fur and a cutie mark of a pale moon crescent.

With a casual smile and wave, Silver waited for my response, but I could tell immediately he wasn't here to chat, not even his aura could hide from my dull gaze. "What do you want now, Silver?" Keep it casual Akira, you can do it, you feel great, You. Can. Do. This!

Silver shrugged as he paced slowly in circles around me. "Heard you're trying for the examination in a week, I hear right?" Oh no, I can't do this.

I replied, "Sure, I am, nothing's really changed in terms of my goals."

That brought a laugh out of him, with Blue joining in the condescending mockery after a sharp look from his boss. Pinching my nose for a second, just as he came to stop before me I had to ask. "Alright, what's the joke here?"

"Nothing! Nothing, jeez you're tense about the subject," He huffed, looking directly at me. "Considering Ponyville has a lot of promising candidates lately I was certain you'd have just set aside this goal, or at the very least, they'd decline your request." He frowned a little. "I'd be disheartened if a newbie were to choke and die to something as simple as a Great Jaggi."

His mocked grin tore across his face again. "I'd feel worse if I had to be the one to tell, Miss Yui about losing her daughter due to another one of her 'accidents'."

Inhale... Exhale. My wings quivered against my sides. I had to resist showing any sign of weakness for Silver to exploit. Think of Mom and Dad, how they persevered through stuff like this, you can do the same, just bury it and move on.

Breathing heavily out my nose I kept my grin. "Well, if that's all you have to say then I suppose I'll be off then, got requests to fulfil and all that, something you'd surely understand the importance of, right, Master Hunter?" I gave a wink and took my leave.

Regrettably, I heard Silver laugh. "Oh hoho! Didcha hear that, Blue, the widdle vampire that froze up in front of a wyvern is trying to be big and strong!" My hooves froze, everything came to a sudden halt. "Face it, don't bother showing your face at that examination, you're better off jumping off a cliff, At least then you'll be useful to the world as compost!" That sneer of his, how those contracted pupils held no shred of dignity at all...!

"Where does he get off saying things like that? What right mind would tell someone to... off themselves?" My heart raced, boiling my blood with a fury I had built out of all the years of ridicule I had to grit and bear as to not stress Mom and Dad, this wasn't their problem to worry over.

I buried it with a trembling hitch in my throat, "I don't care what you think of me or my goals," I glanced back for an instance to send a deathly glare at the pair. "But don't ever insult my Mom again," Snapping my head forward, I left with increasing haste, unfurling my wings.

"Here it comes-" In that instance, everything went fuzzy and spun without a moment to think or breathe. I heard laughter explode from above as I coughed, shaking my head as I noted my body was on the ground from how Silver threw me. Right now, I didn't so much as wince at the fall. A tiny grin split my lips, I've taken worse before, courtesy of training and a scary wyvern tossing ice at me.

"Check it out, Silver, I think you struck a nerve!" Blue bellowed.

The pretty stallion sneered at me, beckoning me to try again. I did, keeping low this time as I curved my right hoof for that chiselled jawline, a dark purple aura swirling around my fur. "Night Sla-"

No... this wasn't the right time to settle this.

"You've always been pathetic, this is just sad." He stepped away from my hoof, kicking up with his back legs as it connected with my forelegs, the metal boots dug into my legs, knocking me onto my side. "You still think you're better than me?"

I winced, feeling weight press my lower body as a solid punch slapped across my face, followed by another fist to my left cheek, the feeling of blood dripping from my mouth made my nose twitch. "Don't ever forget what you are, runt!" His hoof slammed into my chest, pulling me to my hooves to throw me up against the wall of a house, my cough caught in my throat. "You're a weakling!"

Another sharp kick to my chest and I was left hunched against the wall, spitting up blood that I accurately spat against his plated boot. With a weak smile, I closed one eye and locked the other. "S-Says... th-the horse wearing a-a skirt." His armour was so tacky for plate mail.

*ROOOOAR!*

He was reeling back for another punch to the head until something pierced our eardrums.

"Uh, Silver, what was that?" Blue blinked, rubbing his ears as I felt Silver's leg loosen for me to used Quick Attack and zip straight out of that confrontation, spreading my wings to fly over the rooftops, sliding onto the thatch with a heavy pant.

"A Monster?" I wheezed, cleaning the blood off my cheek to focus on the source of the roar and the distant commotion. My bruises could wait. Closing my eyes, I felt the world blacken with strange, firey silhouettes of life permeating the dark obstructions surrounding my aura. "There," Opening my eyes toward the east, I felt the largest concentration of aura pooling around there. Stretching my wings, I sniffed once. "Gotta admit, acting is a lot harder under pressure," Not that Silver would know. With that, I took flight.

When I finally found the sight of the commotion, following the dust kicked up in the panic, a sudden wave of sickness washed over my chest, a fit of indirect anger spilling from an open wound. Flying down to the edge of the rooftops facing the dust cloud, I saw something long and scaly sweep the dust, tossing everything from carts to vases through the street in its rage. I didn't have my weapons but I could improvise until a local Hunter got here. But what was causing this havoc?

A high-pitched cry and a sweep of the tail dispelled the plume for me to see the bipedal creature hunch over in a threatening stance. Its distinctive feature is its frill and the lavender scales with the crimson and tangerine overrides on the frills and the abdomen part, but also the furs that grow on its neck and along the back down to the middle tip of the tail. The muzzle, in particular, was tin and wrinkled, the tail sporting barbs on the sides. A Great Jaggi.

"How did it get this far into town?" I murmured.

Suddenly, I yelped as my wings flung me toward the ground as I hovered, the shattered vase clattering off the roof as the bird wyvern met my eyes, snarling as it smacked the ground with its tail. I felt my muscles tense briefly, this feeling of dread in my chest, and that shiver, a part of me felt like I was back in the snow, facing the impending, rime-coated skull seconds from crushing my body. I shook my head, that was behind me, I had to focus on what was in front of... where did he go?

"Yah!" Diving again, the Jaggi's claws scratched the dirt until my back right hoof smacked it across the snout only for the tail to wrap around in an attempt to swat me so I did a backflip, tapping my back legs off the ground with a large span of my wings to lift me backwards. "Wanna play rough? Fine by me - Dark Pulse!" Condensing my anger from those jerks into my attack, a purple cloud smothered the wyvern's head, inflicting a sharp knockback as it clawed at the ground to steady itself for my hooves to smash a vase off its face, the Jaggi growling as I flew by.

It shook its head, and if not for aura I'd have nearly been gutted for all of Ponyville to see, not a great way to go. Gliding back, the Great Jaggi stalked me constantly down the street, attempting to dive and tackle me from the sky as I kept on the defensive. I can do this! "Focus..." Closing my eyes I flew over its jaws, pressing my hooves against the scalp and over the tail, drawing my right hoof back as warmth flooded the limb. "Night Slash!" The magenta blade stuck out of my hoof as I spun down for a vertical thrust.

*Ching!*

My eyes widened when it... blocked it with a claw!? The large wyvern growled before it spun around, smacking me across the side and into a nearby wall, my body slumping to the dirt with a whine. Again, my backpack took the hit for me but that still stung. Rubbing my flank, I gasped as the talons sunk into the wall, effectively pinning me in place. Not to be outdone, I tried to do what my Dad would, focusing my aura around my hooves. I had an aura, I can do this! Just one spark!

The Great Jaggi brought its jaws low, stretching them until something metallic caught in its teeth, making it flinch. "Alright, I think you've toyed with her long enough, whaddya say?" I couldn't believe it! Staring up at the arm caught in its maw, it simply dragged and yanked the Jaggi's face away from me, greeting with by a solid left cross to the cheek that split a fang from its gums, knocking the beast down. "Tch-Tch-Tch, you're just as reckless as Wolfboy."

Still processing all of this. A beautiful woman, what's called a 'human' stood between me and the Great Jaggi. Her armour was midnight black, crafted with care and consideration with Nargacuga materials say for the whitish-pink bow tied around her waist, the same fabric wrapped around the gauntlets. The light breeze drawing back her snow-white hair with two ponytails under a raven helmet, but her scarlet eyes burned with jubilation and focus. "Godmother Ren?" Processing...

The woman smiled back at me, drawing out her matching longsword to her side. "Long time no see, kid, you've gotten half an inch taller!" Wow, she is really sharp. Then the monster howled at us, forcing Ren to raise a finger. "Erm, pin to that - by the by, good work on keeping it busy, I'll take care of the rest." Giving a little salute, she widened her stance, keeping her large weapon close to her right hip.

Just by her aura, the serious tranquillity billowing around Ren was unlike the previous chaos roaming the streets, her very attitude changed in the blink of an eye. Her legs bent forward the second the Great Jaggi rushed her, claws flailing. In a silver crescent, the blade carved through the side of the wyvern, dropping it onto its knees while it scrambled to turn and rush the hunter. "Sorry," Ren smiled, twisting to hold her weapon in its sheave, moving it down toward her hip. "You're too slow."

Her longsword released a flash of cherry light, leaving a red afterimage of the blade's path through the air, piercing the Jaggi while her heels caught the dirt beside my slack-jawed expression. When the red glint faded, the recoil struck the wyvern, forcing out a final cry as it shivered and collapsed into a curled state. Still as a mouse. "In only two hits!?" How... can anyone be this freakin' cool!?

The commotion was silenced as Ren sheaved her sword, adjusting the scabbard over her right shoulder again while turning to greet my face with a cheeky grin, the ponies already cheering for the hunter. I just smiled dumbly back, feeling my back slump against the wall. That was the true face of a hunter, calm and collected, but smiling through the danger.

I closed my eyes, paling a little. "Though I could do without the cheesy one-liners."

"Ow,"

"Oh, it's not that bad you big baby," Ren dabbed more rubbing alcohol onto the corner of my lip, cleaning the small wound courtesy of Silver. "How did he even break the skin, you're body's as durable as Wolfboy's?"

After moving my jaw around to stem the stinging I replied. "Hey, I had to make it seem like I was hurt, I struck my own face, wasn't pleasant either but - 'she's the dangerous one that attacked me', so I played dumb," My impression made her laugh loudly on the bench, slapping her knee, that brought back my smile.

"Don't ever change, Kira," Ren ruffled my mane, staring around at the hunters clearing the corpse of the Great Jaggi onto a cart. "Signed up for the trial next week?" There it is...

"Yeah," I kept it short, staring ahead.

Ren's presence was swaying like the tide so it made it hard to pinpoint how she was feeling beneath the surface. "And you risked it all by going after a Brute Wyvern faaar from home, why?" She trailed, seeing me slump.

"...I wanted to prove I could do this," My voice was much lower, staring at my hooves. "Not just to Mom and Dad, but to myself - I had to know I could face something so much stronger than me and come out on top, control my fear when it mattered; I get it, I worried them, and no one will know what I did aside from a few but I'm okay with that, I-I just..." It was really hard to put into words how I felt. Maybe because of my bullies? The ridicule? Selfishness? I'm not sure. "But most of all?" Her head turned to me, my hoof rubbing the coral necklace. "I wanted to help people who can't do what I can."

Ren stared at me for the longest time, never losing her earnest gaze as a small smile returned, resting her hand on my shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it; yeah, you messed up but what did you learn?"

Considering my answer, I spoke up, "...that I've got a lot more to learn, and... that it's okay to be afraid because it keeps you alive,"

She nodded, "Good, you've learned the basics of not dying, congrats," She giggled at my pout. Ren then proceeded to point at the hunter ponies discussing what to do with the wyvern body. "See those ponies, you know what they have that you don't?"

"Awesome armour and weapons?" Her fingers flicked my forehead sharply. "Ow..."

"Aside from that - I'm much sexier - what is it about them that stands out," Inspecting them as my Godmother instructed. Nothing stood out, they had excellent equipment, a few scars were visible, they seemed to be excited, chatting and laughing with one another. The energy circulating them was a mixture of excitement and tension.

"They're happy?" My head tilted, tapping off Ren's arm.

"Bingo," She agreed, "They can smile because they have each other, those that share a common dream, be it money, glory, or simply the thrill of the hunt; they work together to accomplish things a pony or creature alone can't."

"Ooooh!" Looking back at the Postmaster, a lot of the hunters there were in groups of two to four; from ponies to griffons, animal companions, even a small drake. It was a common interest that made them a team. My ears flattened with a disheartened breath. "Too bad I don't really have any friends in Ponyville then,"

Her finger flicked me again, scarlet eyes cast to the sky. "You'll find your place, believe me, this world and the Old World are teeming with unexpected discoveries."

Before I could comment, my Godmother stood up, dusting off her thighs with a knuckle against her hip. "I gotta see to this monster's tracks, ensure none of the smaller Jaggi follow, but lemme leave you with a question next time we meet, 'kay?"

Nodding eagerly, Ren again giggled and petted my head, it was really, distractingly soothing. "Hit me - not literally." I flinched as she jokingly held up a fist.

"Right, my question; What is the essence of a Hunter?" The way she phrased it made it sound as though it were a common thing she'd ask but her finger pressed to my lips. "Ah-ah, next time, kid, byyyye." With a short wave, Ren departed for the cart, effortlessly towing the monster away with one hand, slack-jawing half the hunters present at her blasé action.

Shaking my head with a giggle, I rubbed my chin, "'What is the essence of a Hunter'?" My eyes deadpanned. "Why is it always riddles?"

Looking up at the midday sun, I had seven days to prepare; both my answer and my equipment for the next hurdle. Well, no one ever said becoming a true hunter would be easy, right?

Shrouded by a dark grove, the floor of the thick jungle was swamped by a blackening mist, a large shadow shuffling through the shadows as its jaw jittered, releasing more pitch-black vapour onto the ground as it stalked the woods, growling an inhuman tone that shook the trees.

To Be Continued...