Monster Hunter World: Monsters and Magic

by Blackdrag-rose

Getting Used to Things

After telling Erica that he would take up the position of the missing Hunter that was supposed to be on the ship, despite the fact that the wording of the letter was just to make him like Aiden and the rest of the Hunters that were with the Fifth Fleet, Grogar spent an hour reading the book he had picked up so he could learn more about this world, the monsters that called it home, and, more importantly, finish it so he could move on to the next one that was on the pile. One of the more interesting things he ended up learning was that there were fourteen different weapons the Guild had developed over the years and they were what the various Hunters used when they were fighting monsters, like how Aiden carried a sword and shield into battle. In addition to that some of the others told him what they wielded, such as the massive greatsword, a set of swords known as the dual blades, something called a gunlance, and the other weapons that a Hunter carried into battle, with each one mentioning one of the adventures they had been on, giving him an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. He had to admit that this was very interesting, but at the same time he considered the fact that he used magic and none of these weapons really seemed like his style, despite the fact that he didn't have a style like the other Hunters, though he did take a moment to think of what he could do to make a weapon that fit him, where he was considering making a staff that was wooden and metallic and seeing if he could modify it so it increased the damage that his spells did, provided he could still cast spells like a unicorn did.

It seemed like the most reasonable solution for him, since he didn't have all that much time to learn one of the other weapons and he was sure that some of the heavier ones would be too much for him, so figuring out the staff was the best move he could make, which he'd do over the next couple of days since he had other things to think about, or at least that was his hope for the time being.

One other thing he thought about, before he went to bed, was what he saw when he passed by Sherry's room, as she had forgotten to close the door behind her and that revealed something interesting, all of the odd bits that were different from everyone else he had met, and she definitely moved like she was worried about being discovered. He wondered if she was a changeling, or this world's equivalent to the shape shifting species of his home world, though there was also the chance that she was cursed and was always hiding her true nature from those that were around her, out of fear of being rejected or treated like she was nothing more than a monster, before he sighed as he leaned against the end of his bed. Sherry was an odd one, that much he was certain of, which came from only being near her for a short period of time, and his decision earlier meant that the two of them and Patches would be a team, something that would likely freak her out whenever she heard the news. He also considered the fact that teaming up with her meant that he would possibly see more of her odd additions, something no one else has seen so far, given her reaction, though that was something he would deal with later, like when morning arrived or after they arrived in the New World, since he had other things to think about and would deal with everything in due time.

In the end he finished the book he had been reading and placed it back on the pile of finished books, which was when he decided to turn in and go to sleep, as he knew there was no reason to work himself to the point where he would be overly exhausted when morning arrived, something that was followed by him falling asleep not a few seconds later, so he could be ready for what the future held for them.

When morning arrived it came with the cawing of the Barnos that were on the deck of the ship, to which Grogar got up and removed himself from the bed that he had been sleeping in, where he stretched for a moment and walked over to the door so he could head outside and see what he could do before he started learning the rules about Hunters and what changes he would make for the future, since he wouldn't be the same as the Hunters that came before him. One thing he did was head over to the dining room and found that the Felynes were in the middle of finishing clearing off the tables and making sure everything was ready for when the rest of the people that were on the ship entered the area and breakfast was ready, though he did find a table that was near the other side of the room and would allow him to see everything that happened in the room. Of course, even as he thought about that, he discovered a few of the exciteshrooms on some of the plates from the previous night, which were likely going to be tossed by the Felynes in the near future, so what he did was call one of them over and asked if he could study them for a time. To his surprise they actually gave him the cluster of mushrooms that would have been thrown away, no doubt expecting that they would end up in the trash at some point in the near future, allowing the Felynes to return to what they had been doing before he called one over, causing a faint smile to appear on his face as he sat down.

While he was interested in the mushrooms, and the odd aroma that they were giving off, he had asked for them for one reason, so he could experiment with something he had seen the previous night, which was why he kept the pile near him and picked one up as he opened a book, as he figured he could read it and maybe learn a few things about the strange mushroom he had discovered. As he did that, however, he spotted Sherry out of the corner of his eye, not a few moments after he started his studies, where it was clear that all of the monster parts he had seen the previous night were no longer present and she seemed to be seeking something out, reminding him of everything he had witnessed as he made sure to hide the mushrooms. When her back was turned, distracted by her search, he carefully moved a couple of exciteshrooms over to the table that was next to her, with his magic to be exact, before raising the book enough to make it look like he wasn't paying much attention to what was going on in the area around him. Not a few seconds later he noticed the look of excitement that appeared in Sherry's eyes when she found the exciteshrooms, which she seemed to sniff out in a matter of moments, and Grogar discovered something interesting that he felt was worth adding to what he had seen so far, her teeth took on a more fang-like appearance, almost like a dragon's.

In the following seconds she devoured the mushrooms that were near her, like they were her favorite food or something, giving Grogar more information on her as he witnessed her strange behavior, and it wasn't long before the mushrooms were gone, allowing her to calm down and caused her teeth to return to normal in no time, meaning he was the only one who knew part of her secret.

"Oh, hello Sherry. Sorry, I was engrossed in my reading and didn't notice you enter the dining room," Grogar said, as he did want to talk to her for a few moments, though at the same time he didn't want her to know he knew part of her secret, as odd as it was, before he lowered the book for a moment and focused on her, where he noticed something interesting, she looked like she was tired, "You look tired. Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Yeah, I got some sleep." Sherry replied, where she rubbed the back of her head for a moment as she turned to face him and put a smile on her face, like nothing was wrong and that what he had seen last night hadn't happened, though as she did that it was clear that she was thinking of some sort of excuse for the fact that it looked like she was tired, before an idea came to her, "I was, um... studying the monsters that are supposed to be in the New World, the ones we've been told about ahead of time, and didn't realize how much time had passed since I started reading the books, so much so that I probably only got two or three hours of sleep."

"Well, its good to hear that your... monster play, or cosplay as you called it... worked out for you." Grogar stated, as he was going with what she had told him last night and making it seem like he had no idea what the truth of the matter was, even though he could see that Sherry was both nervous and thankful right now, which he wasn't planning on following up on right now, leaving his questions for later.

That, alone, confirmed his suspicions that there was more to her than what she was showing the rest of the Hunters and the crew, as she was totally nervous of the fact that he could rat her out to Erica and the others and reveal the secret she was trying to hide, though before either of them could say anything else that was when the rest of the crew opened the doors and entered the dining room. A few seconds after that the Felynes started to carry the platters of food out to the various tables, where Grogar found that the breakfast platters differed from what he had seen the previous night, as there were a few dishes that looked like they had been made from eggs, potatoes, meat, and a few other pieces of food that he wasn't able to identify right off the bat. It was interesting to see more of this world's food, especially since he was used to what was back in Equus, and as he watched the Felynes he noticed that the other members of the crew were happy to see the cats as well, no doubt because they enjoyed everything that they made, making him wonder what might be waiting in the New World. Since it was the morning now, and not close to the time everyone went to bed, everyone drank water, milk, and juices that likely came from the Old World, since they didn't want anyone to be staggering around the ship or anything like that, though he was just fine with what they were offering and, as he suspected, Erica, Aiden, and Patches joined them not a few moments later.

From what he could tell it appeared that Erica hadn't told anyone about his decision and that Sherry had no idea that they would be the last Hunter and Handler pair on this ship, which meant that he would have to tell her at some point before the fleet reached the New World and the area that the Commander and the rest of the Commission were located in.

"So, have you told her the news yet?" Erica asked, because while she was still a little surprised by Grogar's quick decision to become a Hunter, while having next to no idea what they were supposed to do and what they would be doing when they reached the New World, she had the feeling that having him join the ranks of the Hunters, after seeing what he was able to do with one of the Barnos earlier, was a good thing and that he might be able to help them discover the truth behind the Elder Crossing.

"No, we only just woke up a few minutes ago and haven't had the time to actually talk about anything," Grogar said, where he turned his gaze towards Sherry for a moment, who seemed to lose the worry that had been in her eyes, even if it was lurking in the background and would likely come back in the next few minutes, though he ate some of the food he had placed on his plate before he decided that it was time to tell Sherry and Aiden the news, "We got a message last night, one that came from Commander Shepard in the New world, and he has, with what little information was sent to him, offered to make me one of the Hunters of the Fifth Fleet, to complete the roster since you guys are one Hunter short, something I have decided to accept... both to pay everyone back for saving me and helping me out earlier, and to help you solve the Elder Crossing that the Guild has been investigating for so long."

"No way! You, a Hunter?!" Aiden exclaimed, his voice reaching the corners of the room that they were in so that everyone stopped what they were doing and turned so they could stare at the group, while at the same time Patches looked happy to have a Hunter partner at long last, Erica had to resist the urge to bring her palm to her face when she heard what her partner said, and while Sherry seemed happy Grogar knew that she was even more worried than she had been earlier, before the man raised his mug and held it out like he was toasting for some reason, "Come on guys, let's cheer our new friend on and support his decision to become a Hunter!"

Interestingly enough the rest of the dining room erupted into a cheer and raised their mugs as well, showing that all of the other Hunters, Handlers, and Felynes, be they Palicoes or those that helped the rest of the crew, were overjoyed to have a new ally working with them to solve the mystery of the Elder Crossing, not to mention relieve some of the workload for Aiden and the rest of the Hunters that were a part of the Fifth Fleet and the Commission.

"Well, its good to know that my decision is supported by nearly everyone on this ship," Grogar said, as Sherry was the only one that seemed to be remotely worried about what she and the others were hearing right now, even though she did a good job of making sure none of the others caught the look on her face and questioned her as to why she would even be worried about something, "though becoming a Hunter means that Sherry and I will be the last Handler and Hunter pair on the ship, with Patches taking the place of the Palico that will be following me into the field."

He wasn't sure if his words were heard by anyone around him, save for maybe Sherry, since it appeared that Aiden was in the middle of leading the others into a light cheer and they seemed to be having some fun after hearing that he was going to become a Hunter, to which Grogar decided not to worry about it right now and let them have their fun, since he had more pressing matters to deal with. What he meant by that was as figuring out what sort of weapon he would carry into the field, just in case the staff idea didn't work out, how to operate the slinger that all of the other Hunters and Handlers had, the odd metallic item that was resting on their right arms, and maybe work with Patches a little before they reached the New World. Once the meal was over, and the crew was done with their little party, Grogar headed outside with Erica, Aiden, Sherry, and Patches, where Erica pulled out a slinger that would have gone with his current attire, except that they pulled off the weapon in question when he first woke up so he didn't hurt himself, where he found that it was mechanical in nature, along with the fact that the ends of the weapon seemed to be made out of sturdy looking bone. There was also a third bone that was curved and seemed to be an area that would hold whatever was loaded into the weapon in one place, so it didn't move until the Hunter pressed a very specific button that would loose the item that was currently loaded into the weapon, though as all of this was explained to him Erica attached the weapon to his left arm and showed him how to put it together.

He had to admit that it was an interesting weapon, even if it seemed to be more of a tool for the Hunters and Handlers of the Guild, even though most of the Handlers only carried them for protection and never really used them, or at least that was what he was told as he studied the slinger, meaning Sherry and the other Handlers depended on their Hunters and likely used these for navigation.

As such Grogar spent the next hour learning how to load his new slinger, how to manipulate the bones so it could switch between being at the ready or being in the standby mode, and how to switch out the couple of rocks they had for another item, like a net that he could use to capture small critters while he was out in the field, ones that wouldn't grow to be the larger monsters they all dealt with, before he used some of the practice balls on a wooden target. Once he was done with that, for today at the very least, Erica insisted on him sparing with Aiden for a time, which was when the Hunter in question tossed a wooden blade at him, one that mimicked the one that he was carrying, though as he picked it up Aiden started to show him the basic movements he used when he used the sword and shield weapon in battle, since it would serve as the basics for him and would lead to Grogar picking which weapon style suited him the best. Of course Grogar knew that he would go for a staff, an unknown weapon type and style for the people of this world from the looks of things, but for the time being he was going to follow the movements that Aiden showed him and see if he could replicate them, since this was the first time he was using a weapon like this. While they did that Erica made sure that Patches knew what his role was, as in what he was supposed to do in the field, how he was supposed to fight and whatnot, so that way when they engaged a monster he would be able to fight and assist Grogar to the best of his ability in the future, though once Grogar noticed that he returned his attention to Aiden and what he was learning right now.

After the training session Erica showed him to the smithy, a small workshop that mostly dealt with repairing anything that might have broken on the ship, like tools and whatnot, where he found that the best the blacksmith could do was give him a metallic staff that was in the same style of the basic weapons that the other Hunters carried, which he was fine with, as it would give him time to think about ways to improve it. Other than that he spent the rest of his time reading more of the books that he had been given, even though he made sure they were returned to a room that looked like it was a miniature library, one he was positive Sherry had been to a few times, and practiced with his magic whenever he was on the deck of the ship for a good period of time, and by that he meant not being in the middle of one of Aiden's training sessions. He found that his powers were still a little weak after being dropped off in this world, meaning he was capable of the spells he used when he was studying Sherry's behavior and a number of the more basic ones, though he was sure that, in time, he would be able to tap into his true power, since it appeared he might not need his bell to do so, which was rather odd when he thought about it, though it was fine since it allowed him to focus on other things, like firing spells into the water that was some distance away from the ship. It was the only way he could practice his magic without doing any damage to the ship or the rest of the fleet, hence why he had to be careful, though Grogar also had to be careful of where he aimed, because according to Erica they were currently following an Elder Dragon, a beast that the guild called Zorah Magdaros, and he didn't want to tick the creature off with his magic.

Erica and the others did watch him from time to time, as they had never seen someone like him or the powers that he possessed, meaning the humans of this world had to rely on weapons, their allies, and whatever else they could gather to make sure the monsters didn't destroy everything, though he was perfectly fine with them watching, since they were no doubt thinking about how they could use his skills in the New World, both his magical skills and his new ability to talk with the monsters that were part of this strange world. He also noticed that Sherry was watching him from time to time, where he knew that she was worried about what he had seen and the sheer fact that he could reveal her secret at a moment's notice if he really wanted to, but he wasn't going to do that since he wanted to see what she truly was and see what she might be planning for the rest of the fleet, even though he suspected she was just curious about something. He knew it wasn't all that common for him to be interested in anything, except for conquest, but since his own plans had failed, and he was in an entirely new world, he was going to focus on the monsters and what he could learn about them, especially with the Elder Crossing that was happening while they traveled to their destination, so he turned his mind towards that and stopped worrying about his old world. Once he and the others solved the mystery of the Elder Crossing, as in why the Elder Dragons were crossing the sea and journeying to the New World, he would turn his attention to seeing if it was even remotely possible for him to head back home, though he was already starting to wonder if it had been a one way trip and that he was stuck in this world, which was fine with him.

Despite everything that was going on he smiled as he turned his head to look in the direction that they were sailing, as he knew that things were going to get interesting when they reached the New World, not to mention the fact that he was eager to see what might happen once they reached their destination and joined up with the rest of the Commission that had been sent to the island ahead of them, and he suspected that a grand adventure, one that was unlike anything he had experienced so far, was going to start in the very near future.

Comments

[Fluffy-Boi]

Let's see how Grogar handles being a hunter