A man born of dragons will rise up to save the innocent and in turn, becomes a legend.
Long ago when Celestia and Luna defeated Discord,the clash of harmonious and chaotic energies created a rip to another world. As time went on the rip grew in size, allowing various monsters and other beings to wander into Equestria. Fearing for their pony's safety, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna combined their power and forever sealed the dimensional rift. Now the year is 5 A.L.R (After Luna's Return) and the monsters that had crossed dimensions are starting to make their selves known.
What was once vision of happiness and joy for the future, may very well become one of fire, death, claws...and corruption. But even so their is no need to worry. Just take a deep breath and calm down because, wherever there are monsters that threaten the safety of the innocents there will always be those who rise up to hunt them down... and this time is no different. So relax,and try to keep calm, because once gain, the hunt is on.
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony Friendship is Magic nor do I own Monster hunter or anything it comes with. A/N: Hello everypony! This is Sky Shrieker bringing you my first FiM Fiction (First fanfiction ever actually) so please be gentle with your reviews. I will accept CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ONLY! Now, I would like to apologize for any grammatical, spelling, and/or punctuation errors. (I slept through 85% of literally every English class from 1st-12th) so anyways, sit back, get a Well Done Kelbi steak or whatever and enjoy!
P.s ________means a scene change and )0( means a time skip. __________________________________________________________________________________ We swear to uphold the laws of hunting, never killing more than needed and making use of what we slay...
(Song: Jungle Battle! from Monster Hunter Freedom Unite)
An ear shattering roar echoed throughout the dense jungles quickly followed by the sounds of trees being toppled by something massive moving through the dense foliage. A man burst into a clearing, running for his very life from what followed him. Seconds later a very large, very pissed off Rathian mother exploded out from the trees, wings open in rage and fire leaking from it's mouth. The fleeing man was dressed in a combination of bone and cloth that made up his Death Stench S armor. On his back was a massive five foot long, three foot wide Great Sword with a claw like tip. Korlan, the young man, reached into his pouch that was secured to his belt, and produced a glass bottle filled with several large glowing bugs.
He placed his hand on top of the bottle and twisted before tossing it up onto the air. A mechanism popped the top off three seconds later, introducing oxygen to the poor little bugs that were sitting on a pile of what looked like dirt. The compound exploded when the oxygen touched it, killing the insects and releasing a blinding flash of light. The Rathian roared in pain as her vision was replaced with a multitude of flashing lights that prevented her from seeing her prey. She was also unable to see the dead tree that lay in her path before it was too late. The ground quaked as the Sky Queen tripped and slammed into the ground with enough force to shatter every bone in the human body thrice over.
When she had fallen, the hunter pulled his Master blaze off his back and pulled a lever on the handle. Five ten inch long razor sharp teeth flicked outward to join the one on top. With both hands he raised the sword over his head and brought it down on the Rathian's neck before pulling the blade towards him. Metal teeth ripped through muscle, bone, and hardened scales that kept the head connected to the wyverns body with a spray of blood. A dull thump announced the successful beheading as did the giant green head that rolled across the ground before coming to a stop.
The hunter pulled his blades teeth back in and placed it on his back. Kneeling on one knee he offered a silent prayer to the Queen of the Skies in apology for hat he had done. When he finished he stood again and removed his his hood wit a sigh. 'Love the armor enhancements and all, but this thing reeks of...well death.' The young man had distinctly pointed ears and a pair of stunningly bright sky blue slitted eyes. His fire colored hair was cut and styled like a Rathalos' head as was custom for his people (look up Rathalayers). Korlan, or Right Talon, pulled out his twelve inch long hunting knife and climbed on top of the corpse. He got to work cutting the left wing off to gain unimpeded access to the belly and, once removed, got to work on carving up his kill.
His efforts were reward with several large scales and even a..."By the Fatalis, TWO RUBIES!" The young hunter leaped up screaming with joy at his monumental find. The two "rubies" were actually pieces of the wyvern that had hardened due to calcium build up to form green, fist sized, gem like objects that were beyond useful. Korlan happily placed the wyvern gems into his bag and headed back to his campsite. _______________________________________________________________________________
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stared in awe at the massive tear in time and space. The Forty foot tall space before them looked as if somepony had taken hold of the very space it occupied and ripped it oen. The flaps of Equestria's reality flapped around furiously as if agitated by a very powerful wind that neither sister could feel. Between the reality lay something previously not seen by anyone in over three eternities. The space beyond was white and uninhabited by anything save for a seemingly endless amount of black holes. Each hole appeared, from one angle, to be flat as if it were a part of the endless white background; while when viewed from another angle they became black orbs that occupied...space in the white beyond. When viewed as orbs, the two sisters noticed that each hole would spit out an object that would float up to another hole and vanish into it's depths.
While captivated by the beyond, the two did not notice something stirring until it was nearly too late. A massive form of blackness opened it's one dodecahedron eye and stared up at the possible escape that had presented itself. The negative energy, black magic infused horror threw it's hand up and grabbed onto the section of open reality and began to slowly pull forward. Shocked out of their observing, the two sisters were struck by a horrible oppressive feeling that seemed to be tainting their very beings washed over them. Luna fell to the ground screaming in terror, a terror only reserved for her worst nightmares. Celestia on the other hoof who took in energy from the sun, used it's power to burn away the taint and save herself. Having cleansed herself, she flared her wings and absorbed as much sunlight as she could before firing it out of her horn and burning the hole closed.
Celestia was instantly at her sisters side and in a flash of gold, whisked her away to the palace in Everjoy. The light faded and silenced reigned over the area once again. The animals though did not return to what used to be their home as their survival instincts would not allow it. When the sun sank not a sign of life could be found in the area, however something did move. Three fingers made of magically animated dark matter negativity came to life and slowly slithered off in three different directions, each one being called to by a certain being. _______________________________________________________________________________
Korlan sat atop his pack aptanoth on his way home. The great herbivore stood at nine feet tall with a flat horn that curved back from the creatures head, while it's tail ended with four blade like bones that it used to defend it self with. The creature lumbered down a widely used hunter trail towards the guild hall when it stopped. It's ears perked up slightly indicating that it had heard something out of the ordinary. Korlan reached behind him and placed a hand upon his sword in anticipation of an attack. An eternity seemed to passed by in the span of sixty seconds as the hunter waited for an ambush of some type, only to relax when the aptanoth started moving again. He sighed with relief but did not remove his hand from the hilt of his massive blade.
)0(
Korlan rested against his pack aptanoth's side after setting up camp and a few EWS's (Early Warning System) on the off chance that a hungry velociprey got to close. Even with this peace of mind, he couldn't get to sleep because his mount was making low grunting sounds of discontentthat echoed throughout the unusually quiet forest. Growing uneasy, Korlan stood up and pulled his Death Stench armor back on. A familiar surge of power rushed through his body as the armor's magical properties, as well as a few decorations, took effect. The silence continued though, sending unease and a mild bit of panic into Kor's heart. When it became to much to bear he got his mount up and attempted to walk it out of the forest.
He did not get far though. While Celestia had sealed up the hole in her universe, she was unable to seal the others that opened in various other universes in. As such, Korlan stepped right through one of the ones in his own reality and fell into the beyond. Sense of self, weight, and time left the two beings as they hurtled and yet crept towards one of the looming disk/orbs. A force like nothing that could be described crushed the tow down to an impossibly thin tube and sucked them through a distance both unfathomably long and yet so short at the same time. The two were spat out completely reformed and unharmed on the other side in an unfamiliar night sky _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
1005 after the banishment of Princess Luna
Two bright lights plummeted through the skies of Equestria towards Froggy Bottom Bog. Two explosions shattered the peacefulness of the night and sent many animals fleeing from their homes. Silence took over again soon after though and peace was restored. At least until the sun rose.
Korlan slowly opened his eyes and groaned. Pain assaulted his entire body along with a pressure that was building in his head. His eyes slowly peeled open and gave him the answer as to why he was hurting. Rather than up being up and down being down, the world had inverted with the sky being below and earth being above. Needless to say this was a symptom of being upside down or, or more specifically, being suspended from a tree by ones legs. Letting out another groan he slowly started swing his body back and forward to build up momentum. When he was satisfied, Korlan threw himself backwards, using his weight and momentum to dislodge himself from the large tree branch he was hanging from. He plummeted to the ground, connecting with a squishy splat.
"Ugh, I landed in a bog...again.", Korlan complained to no one. He picked himself up and gasped in shock at the sight of him standing there wearing only his Kokoto coat, a thin green vest with matching shorts and foot wraps, and weaponless. 'My gear!', he frantically thought while looking around quickly,'Oh nononono, this can't be happening!' Korlan dropped to his knees to search through the murky water in hopes of finding his equipment. Needless to say that he did not find his precious equipment, but he did find his carving knife.
The blade was twelve inches in length with a rounded tip to avoid puncturing a monsters internal organs when harvesting materials. A sigh escaped his lips at the thought of having some kind of weapon even if it was small. After tucking the blade into his belt, Korlan began his trek through the murky, knee high waters. As he walked, he took in his surroundings with the mentality of Monster Hunter. "Hmm, item gathering spots... That looks like a good spot for a camp site... Oh lookie a game trail.", he mumbled as he walked.
Several minutes went by before the ground started to become more compact and easier to move over. "Well would you look at that." Standing in a small clearing on a patch of dry land and eating away at the grass was Korlan's aptanoth. Once in the animal's sight though it quit eating and happily lumbered to it's master. "Well, it's nice to see you too.", the hunter said while petting the herbivorous monster. He soon stopped and walked around his beast in hopes that any of his gear would be left. It turned out that there in fact was. He hurriedly took the saddle bags off and rummaged through them, crying out happily when he produced both his belt bag, and a five foot long claymore in a Rathalos scale sheath.
The blade was only six inches in width and had rust in various places on the metal but it was still sharp. "Thank goodness for small miracles.", he sighed while putting the blade across his back. "Alright! It is not much but it's something. Now where in the name of the Fatalis am I?" Finally taking the time to take in his new surroundings he noticed that things were...very wrong. The colour of this world was extremely different from his, being brighter with a more distinct variation than the blending of his world. Even weirder was that the trees off in the distance were perceived as smudges rather than a defined shape.
"Well buddy", he spoke to the aptanoth, "I do not know many things outside of hunting, but one thing I am certain about is that we are no longer home." He received a low rumbling of agreement. "The first thing we need to do is find a way out of this bog, then to a nearby settlement. Hopefully there will be someone that can tell me where I am?" Lost in his thoughts, Korlan did not notice the massive five headed beast slowly raising up out of the water until it roared.
(Song: MHFO - HR 100 Swamp Theme - Extended)
(As a reference, the hydra's heads will be numbered left to right starting with 1)
Instinct kicked in, prompting him to dodge out of the way of a huge triangular head that smashed into the dirt. This was followed by two heads coming at him like a scorpion's pincers. Korlan back flipped out of the way just before the two heads smashed into each other with an echoing crack. Dazed by the blow the two heads fell to the ground, leaving themselves defense. Korlan dashed forward and unsheathed his blade in a mighty over hand swing aimed at the third head. The long sword cut through the scales with a little bit of difficulty but pierced through none the less.
The hydra roared in pain and confusion only to bull rush the smaller being. Korlan easily rolled out of the way and used his momentum to get back up before charging. Upon reaching the monster he let loose a flurry of quick sword strikes, slicing through the beasts side in a spray of hot blood. The hydra roared in pain again and lashed out with its tail. Korlan let out a grunt of pain as he was flung away by the large muscled appendage. He sailed through the air and landed with a squishy thump.
"Okay", he growled while picking himself up, "I need to get smarter about this...Ah, that will work." He sheathed his sword and turned tail to a cliff with a wrap around path leading to a group of stone columns and going into a panicked run when the hydra followed. When he got close enough to the columns he reached into his belt bag and produced a flash bomb. With a twist and flick, he tossed the bottle up into the air where it exploded in a blinding flash of light. The satisfying sound of a pained roar echoed throughout the bog and surrounding forest, sending what was left of the local fauna running for safety.
Knowing he only had a matter of seconds, Korlan jumped at the cliff face and began to climb his way up. He quickly reached the top and leaned against the cliff wall to catch his breath, wrong move. By now the hydra could see again, and all it saw was red. It let out five VERY angry roars before burying it's heads in the water. Large bulges could be seen running as each head drank deeply from the water. They rose up out the murky depths and each head took in a breath. "Oh come on!" Five intense streams of water came flying towards the unlucky hunter. He leaped away to the side but took a glancing hit across the side.
Blood sprayed out from the cut accompanied by a loud, pained yell. Korlan reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of green liquid. He pulled the cork off and downed the thick substance, making sure to get eery drop while he could. The cut quickly healed it self leaving nothing but untouched skin. During this short few seconds, the hydra had charged forward and snapped at it's prey in hopes of killing it quickly. This proved to be both futile AND very stupid. Korlan dove forward into a roll under the first head, and jumped into a dive over the wounded third head. The fourth and second heads rushed forward attempting to smash the little pest with about the same luck as the other two. The fifth head though was smarter than the rest an launched forward with an open maw. A set of jaws snapped shut and a large bulge slowly moved down the beast's throat.
Satisfied the hydra slowly tromped through the water of the bog it called home. As the hydra lowered it's body into the mud, a sensation it hadn't felt before stopped it. The first and second head looked over at the fifth who was trembling slightly. The third and fourth looked at the bulge that, to their surprise, had stopped it's decent into doom. Now, it was quaking and moving, then thrashing and turning until...
Not too far away from Froggy Bottom Bog and about ten minutes earlier.
A lone Diamond Dog trudged through the muddy waters of Froggy Bottom bog at an almost snail like pace. He stood at six foot five with a grey black color coat and was wrapped in a tattered brown cloak. The cloak did little good to hide him as his muscular physique made him into a mountain of a dog. Slung across his back was a large cylindrical lump of iron attached to a dragon femur that served as a war hammer. The dog, or Howl as he was known to his ex pack, stopped for a rest on a blessedly dry patch of ground when the roars broke the white noise of insects and water. "Sounds like the Death Serpent," Howl grunted in a deep gravely voice. "It must have found some poor Sting Cat too feast upon this day."
That theory was chucked out the window with the finesse of a plastered person wearing beer goggles when a yell of pain soon followed. Howl's eyes narrowed in determination as he took off, his heavily muscled legs propelling him through the murky water and muddy ground. Within minutes he burst into a clearing the hydra called home just in time to watch the beast's fifth head fall with a loud splash and a smaller figure with the same basic shape of a diamond dog fall from it's throat with an audible splash. Howl threw off his cloak and drew his hammer in one fluid motion before charging into battle.
Korlan exploded from the beast's throat in a spinning motion, removing the entire neck of the beast's fifth head. The now dead appendage fell into the water where it lay motionless. The remaining heads screeched in pain and flailed around while the body retreated. Korlan picked himself up out of the water, Rusty Claymore in hand. He gagged and spat a glob of monster blood into the water. A shadow passed over him followed shortly by a roar of pain. His head shot up in time to see a hugely muscled biped wielding a large Hunting Hammer smash the weapon into the hydra's chest. Howl back flipped away from a rogue swipe, landing next to Korlan in a crouch with his hammer held at the ready.
Howl looked to his left at Kor but, rather than being startled, simply nodded at him. Kor hesitated but nodded back and hefted his blade. The hydra, having regained some of its senses let out a harmonious roar of rage that promised a very painful death. It brought it's fore legs up to it's body before kicking forward in a pounce. Howl and Kor rolled out of the way as the hydra landed in the water with a tidal wave of brown water that soaked the two. Howl leaped forward with his hammer held high above him and brought it crashing down with a loud slapping sound wit a snapping undertone. Kor followed up with a spinning aerial slash, slicing open the Hydra's side with a spray of blood. Four sets of yellow eyes turned red in rage followed by four roars and a shock wave that blew the water away from the hydra. Kor and Howl almost dropped their weapons as they clapped their hands over their ears. The din died down only to be replaced by splashing and thumping. Korlan looked up just in time to see a wall of muscle and brown scales crash into him with enough force to launch the poor wyverian through the air and into dry land with a loud thump and snap. He leaned forward out of the indentation and pitched over, landing on his back and unconscious.
Howl raised his hammer and charged forward, letting loose his name sake in fury. The Iron Lump descended heavily onto the hydra with less effect than before, earning Howl a large paw to the chest. He flew threw through the air, skipped across the water and landed in the muck with his vision spinning. His vision cleared up in seconds and, upon noticing his hammer was gone, began to frantically search the water. His fear was unfounded however, fore the Hydra's adrenaline had begun to wear off already, bringing only pain with it. Defeated the four headed serpent limped away to the safety of the deeper water and sank below the brown surface with just a ripple.
Howl's hand finally grasped the Iron Lump's handle and he pulled it from the muck with a loud "SQUELCH". He tooka ready stance, legs slightly apart with the hammer held inverted so the head was pointing back. He waited for a minute, then two, then five. Satisfied that he was relatively safe, Howl slowly trudged to the strange creature and looked it over. Korlan's front and back had already begun to heavily bruise, turning a sickly purple with a hint of yellow around the edges. His breathing was coming in ragged gasps, indicating internal injury. In short, he didn't look good, especially if the sunken and protruding skin around his ribs said anything.
"Where to take it though? The pack has cast me out and he may die soon...", Howl grunted to himself in thought. One idea popped into his head. It was a long shot by far, but it was the only plan he had to work with. Carefully so as not to cause further harm, Howl lifted Korlan into his arms after replacing his hammer, and set off to a small castle that rested on mountain in the distance.
Ash filled skys wavered and scorched, cracked earth trembled before the might of three blood lust filled, triumphant roars. A thunderous "WHUMP" followed by the quaking of the earth soon followed the deranged blood thirsty roaring. A massive black dragon lay bleeding and broken on the burned ground of the Bad Lands. On the Dragons sides, neck, flank, legs, and wings were deep ragged gashes with the scales either broken or completely removed. The beast was seventy feet in length and forty feet in height with jet black scales and spines running along it's back and neck. The wicked looking horns that should have curved back from the skull were snapped off at varying lengths and lay scattered upon the unforgiving earth.
The beings responsible moved in and began to feed on the corpse. The sound of flesh being torn from body, and bones snapping free of their homes filled the air as the three monsters fed upon their kill. A massive crimson and black head with four straight horns pointing away from the skull rose up from the belly of the black dragon and stared north. It's cruel silver eyes narrowed in confusion only to be replaced by fury when at the sight of it's white scaled brother digging into the fire sac. Letting out a shriek of anger, Crimson attacked.
Howl sprinted up the winding mountain trail that lead to Canterlot with a sense of urgency. The life in his arms was fading, and fast. Halfway through the journey the naked monkey (which is what it looked like to him) had begun to spasm and cry out in pain. His breathing was now erratic and labored, a sure sign that time was not on his side. Howl had picked up the pace then, cutting the four hour walk by three hours. Howl leaped into the air, landing on a merchants wagon and pushed off of it. He sailed through the air and over the Royak Guards stationed at the gates, ignoring their angry yells. He landed, bending his knees to absorb the shock and shot off again, heading for the castle that towered over the city. More shouts came from behind and on either side of him as the guards descended upon him. Annoyed, Howl lashed out with his legs whenever anypony got to close.
Having had enough the earth ponies backed off to make way for the unicorns and pegasi. Bright lights rained down on Howl from the rooftops and balconies the guards had set themselves up on. Howl effortlessly dodged between each spell and rolled out of the way of kamikaze pegasi. All around him civilian ponies were running from him and screaming in panic. This served to annoy Howl to the point where he snarled at anypony who got in his way. Suddenly the spell fire and dive bombing pegasi ceased, worrying the Diamond dog a bit but not enough to deter him. As he rounded one last corner, the castle came into view as well as two VERY unhappy alicorns. Howl came to a stop, sliding across the cobblestone streets. Silence filled the air wwith the exception of two magical hums that came from both princess.
Thinking of nothing else, Howl fell to one knee and showed them the dieing wyverian. "Please", he said in a gravely voice, "Help him." Celestia looked at the creature held by the Diamond Dog and gasped in surprise and horror. Korlan's bruises were now covering his entire torso and most of his back. The ugly purple skin was warped in several different place indicating broken bones. His breathing was gradually slowing along with his heart. His body was quickly surrounded by a golden aura and whisked into the castle along with Celestia herself, leaving only Princess Luna and a panting Howl. Luna's magic died down and she walked up to the canine before her. "Come, follow me and we shall attend to thee, but know that we do have questions for you.", she said in an authoritative, yet gentle voice. Howl nodded in gratitude and followed her, ignoring the guards that had flanked them.
Three days past with Princess Celestia and a group of medical unicorns working non stop on the dieing wyverian. Many times during their operation Kor's heart had stopped, scaring everyone around him multiple times. By night three though, he finally stabilized and was currently resting in one of the any guest rooms in the castle. Exhausted, Celestia slowly made her way to the grand dining hall. She arrived to see her sister conversing with the Diamond dog that had brought her the creature of myth that lay sleeping in her castle. Luna looked up at the sound of metal on marble to see her sister walk in. Curious as to what caught Luna's attention, Howl looked up as well. Upon seeing the princess of the sun he rose from his seat and walked to her before dropping to one knee.
Celestia was, to say the least, caught off by the Diamond dog's action and nodded her head gently. "Arise sir, bowing is not necessary. Come, sit and explain to me how you stumbled upon this creature.", she said in a tired yet commanding voice. Howl rose up and took his seat next to Luna, Celestia doing the same. "Your highness, I was surviving in a cave near the Bog of Frogs when I heard Five Headed Death Serpent. I would have dismissed it when yell reached my ears. I thought it was pony in trouble and rushed to aide. Instead I find hairless monkey cutting itself from the Death Serpents throat." He paused to take a drink from his cup and continued. "Took my hammer and joined the battle in case it needed help. We fought hard and enraged the beast. It charged us and hit him full on, throwing him into tree. I attacked but was thrown away. Luckily for us it retreated." Celestia listened intently to her guest, an idea beginning forming in her head.
Unknown to most ponies, small villages had begun to vanish off the face of Equestria at what was becoming an alarming rate. Her guards ponies and secret service had brought back reports of death and fire, confirming her suspicions that the dimensional rift both she and Luna had closed ferried something across. "You said that the both of you took on a fully grown hydra?", she asked. Howl nodded and moved the thick fur on his chest around to show an ugly bruise from where the hydra hit him. Celestia and Luna stared at the injury with wide eyes until it was blocked by thick fur. Forgetting her exhaustion and hunger, Celestia rose and beckoned for Howl to follow. "Howl", she said, surprising the Diamond dog, "Come with me, I have need of your aide in a very important matter." Howl nodded slowly before rising and joining her.
Korlan slowly opened his eyes but shut them again when he was assaulted by a blinding light. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes a few centimeters at a time. Once they adjusted he fully opened them. Above him was a high vaulted marble ceiling with golden leaf and vine inlays. Kor gently pushed himself up from the incredibly soft bed he had been laying on to take in his surroundings. The entire room was made of marble with golden inlays of forests decorating the walls. Several book shelves were pushed against one wall next to a table and comfortable looking arm chair. The crimson silk bed cover fell from Kor's chest as he slowly moved off of the Celestia sized bed and onto the cold floor. Once standing, he raised his arms up and stretched and was rewarded with over a dozen popping sounds. He tossed one arm over his head and leaned with it, then switched arms (Think over exaggerated anime stretching).
With a happy sigh Kor walked to a mahogany door and put his hand on it to open it. He gasped in shock sa the universe flashed through his mind, showing him everything that was, wasn't, and had been before going dark. He backed up and rubbed his temples for a few seconds before looking up and eying the door. He timidly reached out and pushed the door which swung open. Shaking his head Kor stepped in to what turned out to be a bathroom made entirely of black granite. He quickly shut the door and stripped off his shorts and hopped into the shower, letting out a yelp when a waterfall ice cold water slammed into him. He hopped out and found a knob that he turned until the water came out at the correct temperature of 115f. He soon turned the water off and dried himself with a fluffy towel that lay on the granite sink counter, and put his shorts on.
He stepped out of the bathroom into the cool bedroom and froze. Sitting on the edge of his bed was a rather large furry being that held the basic shape of a dog...or was it a small bear? Instinct took over, forcing Kor into a defensive stance. The beast before him threw off it's tattered cloak and took an offensive stance with his paws up,ready to cut him into ribbons. The tension in the air was thick enough to be cut, sold, and used to help actors nail their scenes. Howl charged in throwing a left hook at Kor's face. Kor spun to the right, catching Howl's paw and using his momentum to throw Howl into the wall. He shook the stars from his eyes and lashed out with a back kick, catching Kor in the stomach.
Kor fell onto his back with a loud grunt while his vision exploded into hundreds of bright lights. Years of hunting experience screamed for him to roll. He obeyed and nearly missed a heavy elbow drop to the face. Howl yelped in pain when his elbow connected with hard marble. The pain caused him to miss a large shape fly at him until he felt something slam into his back and two powerful arms lock around his thick neck. Howl coughed and thrashed around as his oxygen supply was cut off. He attempted to throw Kor off but was failing to succeed. Howl's vision began to darken due to lack of air. A loud boom echoed throughout the room and with it, came Howl's ability to breath. He grabbed his throat and coughed heavily before sucking in lungfuls of air.
Howl eventually looked up to see a very upset Celestia standing in the doorway, her horn glowing a bright gold. A groan prompted Howl to turn around. What he saw was Kor laying in a heap on the ground with smoke trails rising off of his body.. "Howl, explain to me exactly what is going on here", she growled with barely restrained anger. "My apologies, had to test him to see if he was alpha in this pack you wish us to form", Howl grunted out. Celestia snorted in annoyance. "Next time at least inform them of your intentions, am I clear?" Howl bowed to her in compliance.
Kor groaned again and pushed himself up into a sitting position. When he saw Princess Celestia he rubbed his eyes a few times in disbelief. Standing before him was the most beautiful possibly ever created. Her entire coat was a snow white along with her impressively large wings and her multi-colored mane and tail flowed in a non existent breeze. Celestia cut her connection to her magic and stepped up to Korlan and bowed her head. "Please, accept my apologies for assaulting you. I hadn't any idea you were defending your self." Kor blinked a few times before nodding his head. Celestia gave a thankful smile before using her magic to stand Kor up and clean him off. "Please, follow us, we have much to discuss." She turned around and headed out into the hallway quickly followed by howl then Kor.
The hallway, like the bedroom, was made from white marble with columns running along the walls. Tapestries and paintings adorned the walls, giving a sophisticated feeling to the castle. Kor noticed other, smaller, ponies in golden armor standing in between the columns, their faces set in grim expressions. "Oh silly me, I have forgotten to introduce myself, I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria." Kor sgave his attention to Celestia quickly. "I am Korlan Rathalos, Monster Hunter of Pokke Village", he replied. "It is a pleasure to meet you Korlan, though I wish it could have been under better terms." She frowned slightly while using her magic to open a door into a hallway filled with stained glass windows.
Celestia led them towards the end of the hall and stopped in front of one particular window. It showed the two sisters, Celestia and Luna, blasting a portal with their combined magics. Over one thousand years ago my sister and I sealed a dimensional portal that had been sucking creatures and objects from your world into ours and vice versa During the time this portal was open, all of the thunder unicorns vanished from our world while at the same time we gained the vicious hydra." "When my sister and I sealed used our magics on the portal we thought it to be sealed foe good. However, this kind of portal was actually a tear in...oh dear, I've lost you haven't I?" Kor had a look of pure confusion on his face, stating plainly that he hadn't a clue what she had said.
Celestia tapped her chin with her hoof for a second before smiling. "Basically, a portal is like a magical doorway that allows you to move from one point to another in an instant.", she started, " Now, the portal that brought you here connected our two worlds together. However, this portal was made using the time stream. That is basically where time meets our worlds. This allowed the portal to be in all laces at every second of time." Kor nodded in understanding. "Unfortunately the portal is closed for good and cannot be opened...meaning you are stuck here forever." This last sentence was said with regret and sorrow. Korlan put a hand on his head for a second, absorbing the life changing information he had been given. 'Well... It's not so bad, this world has monsters that I could hunt to make a living... I did always want to get out of the village and find my own place in life..maybe this could be it!', he thought.
"You need not apologize your highness, I feel no anger towards you for something outside your control." Celestia looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you Korlan Rathalos, I appreciate that." "Our friend Howl here", she said while pointing at the Diamond dog, "Has informed me that you single handedly fought a hydra and even took one of it's heads. Is this correct?" Kor nodded in confirmation. "I see... Kor, I have request for you if it is not to much to ask?" "The creatures that were sucked into our world have begun to cause a serious problem and I need your help to...Handle them. You seem to be already qualified,and if i am right, you have done this before." Kor nodded again. "Yes princess, it would be an honor to hunt for you. I will put everything into keeping your people safe from the threat of monsters."
Celestia bowed her head in thanks. "Thank you, I do not know how I can repay you. I know this task will be dangerous to do so Howl here has volunteered to aide you." Howl bowed to Kor, who nodded in return. "Now, I do not know much about hunting these creatures, but I am going to guess you require armor to do so?", the princess asked with small smile. Kor looked down at himself and gave a sheepish smile. "Come,follow me too the armory where we can get the both outfitted.", Celestia said while leading the way out. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
The armory was a sweltering hot stone building in the east courtyard of the castle. The front of the building held rows of weapons and armor locked behind a gated desk and attended to by a grey unicorn. The back of the building though was a blacksmith's shop complete with three large forges which were worked by unicorns. The only exception was a massive rust colored earth pony with a steel grey mane and tail and an anvil and sledge hammer cutie mark. He stood at five foot six and was made completely out of rock hard muscle earned from years at the forge. He noticed the princess and barked out "SHOW SOME RESPECT TO YOUR PRINCESS!",prompting everypony to drop what they were doing and bow.
Celestia giggled at the display and nodded to her ponies. "Please, rise and do not worry, I am very proud to see you all take your craft seriously. Vulcan, may I speak to you for a moment please? I have a task for you." The behemoth of an earth pony quickly led the princess to a back office and closed the door before taking his seat at his desk. "How may I be of service your Highness?" Celestia gestured Howl and Kor forward. "These two are in need of armor and weapons for a task I have given them, and you are the only one I trust to see it done." Vulcan bowed his head and thanked the princess before going into work mode.
He grabbed a measuring tape in his mouth and trotted over to Kor to take his measurements. Howl was next and both hi and Kor's measurements were scribbled down in a worn notebook. "Alright lads come with me and we'll draw up some designs. I'll also need to know what you will be going up against to make sure your armor does not fail you." Vulcan led the way out of the office followed only by Howl. "Princess, may I ask a favor? In my world we used the parts of what ever we hunted to make weapons and armor. If it i not to much trouble, could you bring the head of a hydra I cut off before being injured?" The princess nodded and took her leave. "Hey! Wait...I didn't tell her where it was...oh well."
Outside the office Kor joined up with Vulcan and Howl who were gathered around an art table and drawing up armor designs using basic Diamond dog armor design. "So foal, it's dragon's and such that you're hunting is it? And I also here you have experience with these creature in the past? Any chance you can how me some new technique?",the large earth pony asked in a deep gravely voice when Kor joined them. The young hunter nodded and explained about the usage of monster parts in armor and weapon crafting. He continued by explaining how monster scales were ground up and dissolved in a boiling water before being mixed in with the metal to help strengthen it and add resistances to different elemental attacks.
He was interrupted when a bright flash of light brought a severed hydra's head. The sudden appearance didn't seem to surprise anypony who all simply continued working. "Ah it seems we can now do a demonstration, please, show me how to do this." Together, Kor and Howl dragged the head and neck out back to a concrete porch where several water hoses had been set up in case anypony needed a quick shower after work. Vulcan watched the hunter get to work skinning the appendage. He took mental notes as the teeth, vertebrae, and skull were carefully extracted and washed off.
Having been stripped of everything useful, the remains were gathered up and set ablaze. With a fresh stock of materials, Kor set about drawing up two sets of armor. Once finished he handed them over to Vulcan who made looked it over and made a few minor changes. Next he trotted off into a back storage room and returned with several metal ingots. Vulcan went on to explain the difference in each metal. Kor ended up choosing a metal that absorbed impact and even protected against piercing. (Here all our metals are magical.) Howl on the other hand chose a lighter metal meant for speed. After putting up the rest up, Vulcan began barking out names of those he needed on the project. "SONIC VELOCITY...VELOCITY!!!" Grumbling in anger, Vulcan picked up a hammer in one hoof and hurled it at a sky blue pegasus with a grey mane and tail who was dozing off in the corner.
The tool struck with a crack, drawing a yelp of pain from the pegasus. He got up while rubbing his head with the tip of his left wing. "NEXT TIME I'M UPGRADING TO MY SLEDGE, NOW GET OVER HERE!", Vulcan boomed out. Velocity trotted over to the small group and didn't give Kor nor Howl a second glance. "Alright everypony, I have a special job for all of you. These two right here-", he said while pointing at the two bipeds,"- are in need of custom made armor. Now, Smelt, Hammer, and I will set about getting the metal and molds ready. Velocity...'' Vulcan looked at the two bipeds. "What are your names?" The Diamond dog let out a chuckle and introduced himself, quickly followed by Kor."Okay, Velocity will go with thee two and follow their exact instructions on fusing the monster pieces into the metal. GET MOVING!"
The two groups split up and got to work. Kor picked up a pile of muddy brown scales and a hammer,then began beating the the chaos out of them until all that was left were tiny pies and brown dust laying on the table. "And that is how it is done.", he said with a bow. Howl snorted and copied Kor, ending up with the same results. Velocity spread his wings and grasped a hammer in one and a small pile of scales in the other. After setting the scales on the table he picked one out and rapidly slammed his hammer into it. Kor watched the sight in awe, not fully understanding how the wing was able to move in such a way.
"Velocity, how do you do that?", he asked. Said pegasi looked up at his wings and shrugged. "Don't know, I was born this way." "It seems to be very useful either way." Velocity nodded and the three continued to work. When they had a large pile of brown dust and chunks, a large stone tub was wheeled over filled with steaming water. They slowly poured all of the dust in and stirred it until it became dark brown and slightly viscus. After the tub was wheeled away, Kor began cutting the sheets of scales into various shapes and sizes. These would be used later as added protection as well as decoration. Hours passed and the sun gave way to the moon before the armor was finished and ready to be completed.
Kor carefully attached the scale pieces to each set of armor and finally set the helmets on top of the armor stand. Before them were two sets of armor. One for a Diamond dog, the other for a Wyverian. Both were a light brown that caught and reflected the light of the forge's, making them glow a dull gold. Both armor sets had a cuirass adorned with scales at the collarbone, set of shoulder guards that just barely covered the shoulders to allow better mobility, a pair of vambraces, and a helmet. Kor's armor however, had a pair of brown metal and scaled greaves, and brown metal boots. His helmet was a full helm with a sliding visor while Howl wore a spiked cap with chain mail hanging down to protect his neck. Howl's armor had metal plates hanging over his upper leg a protection and only had a pair of shin guards.
Everyone took a step back and stared at the product of their hard work. Eventually though someone let out an infectious yawn. "Alright everypony, you can all expect something extra for Hearth's Warming this year,you have all earned it.Now, everyone to bed, the night shift is waiting for us to leave." After a chorus of "Good night" everyone split up and headed off to bed. Howl bid Kor Goodnight when they made it to their rooms. Kot shut his door and hopped into bed with a loud yawn, quickly followed by snoring. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile in the mountains of Griffonia, one of the smaller mountains trembled and moved ever so lightly before falling still again.
Howl and Kor stood before Celestia in full armor and with a weapon on their back. Kor was sporting an Iron Great Sword that Vulcan had helped him make earlier that day. Celestia held a scroll in the air with her magic and used a quill to write on it. She set the quill down and hovered up a small metal bowl of hot wax and a stamp she used to put her seal on it with. "There, as of this moment you two are now Royal Monster hunters. You take orders from no one and have the ability to set up guilds around Equestria as well as recruit new hunters. Do not take advantage of these freedoms or I will banish the two of you somewhere far, far away.", she said after rolling up the scroll and teleporting it away. "Though, I do have a request of great importance."
"To the east of here is a vast forest known as Stag Haven. In the center lies a village where the only known tribe of Elk live. They are Equestria's main gold supplier due to their home being on the largest gold deposit within one hundred miles. Recently though their caravans have stopped coming and I have not heard from them in three weeks. I have sent several scouts to see what is wrong but none have returned. The two of you are to investigate Stag Haven and slay any monster that might be connected to this silence. And please, make sure everyone of them is safe.", Celestia said with a hint of worry at the end.
"We do it willingly Alpha", Howl grunted out in his deep voice while Kor nodded. "Thank you both, I'll have my cartographer Compass Charter give you both an updated map of Equestria, as well as the needed supplies to make your own local maps if you are able. I have also had a bag made for each of you with a few supplies. Now, make haste and be safe." With that Howl and Kor turned and left. They were met by two guards holding backpacks and and a parchment colored unicorn with a brown mane and a compass cutie mark. After obtaining their supplies the two left for the East gate, gaining odd looks from everypony around them.
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The vast expanse of the Graze Plains was a truly awe inspiring sight, one that was not lost upon the two bipeds that were traveling across it. "It's like an ocean of green, I feel that I might sink beneath it at any moment.", Kor said. "Is truly a sight to behold", Howl replied. The two fell into silence and continued their walk. Kor, though, couldn't help but stare at the never ending green. Eventually the sun sank beneath the horizon, plunging the land into darkness. the two hunters had stopped beforehand and had pitched a canvas lean-to. Now they sat around an orange, glowing crystal that Howl had brought out.
A warmth rolled off of the crystal that amazed Kor to no end. "Howl, what is that? I have never in all my life seen anything such as it." Howl looked up at his companion and began to explain. "Is Element Crystal. The diamond dogs make by mining gems and enchanting them using ancient magics. We have one for each element, and each effect is different." He put the enchanted ruby away and pulled out a piece of quartz the size of an apple. A small bolt of lightning was visible through the transparent surface. Howl held the stone up and muttered something, causing the crystal to light up and illuminate the area they were in.
Kor gasped in both surprise and pain while throwing up an arm to shield his eye's. The light quickly died out and was replaced by the gentle orange glow of the Hearth Stone. "Wow, those are amazing...and very useful..." Howl nodded, wondering what Kor was thinking. "Anyway, we should get to bed, want to well rested in case we run into anything. Howl nodded in agreement and lay down under the canvas, quickly falling asleep. Kor though, stayed up just a bit longer, a plan running through his head before sleep put everything on hold.
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Stag haven came into view around noon the next day, bringing with it a sense of unease to the seasoned hunter. "Howl, it would be best for us to be on guard" The Orvchaka nodded in agreement. Something on the wind was making him nervous, and something that should have never happened was making him even more uneasy. HE was being hunted. He had felt it during the night and it was enough to wake him. He was a little relieved to find Kor sitting up with his blade in hand. Now though... Now they had to move through the dark forest of pine tree's where anything could hide.
Howl took point, leading Kor through the darkness and using his nose to sniff out any threats. "Do you hear that", Kor asked in a whisper. Howl strained his ears but could hear nothing. "No...This is not good." A breeze rolled in from the west, making Howl hold up a paw. "Blood, we must hurry." They picked up their pace and soon came into a large clearing filled with wooden houses and a few blacksmith shops. The biggest feature of the village though was a massive hill that had large rocks jutting out from it. The smell of blood though was quickly becoming hard to ignore though and soon the two found the source.
Elk corpses, mostly chewed apart into red piles, lay strewn about the village square. Howl had to keep his nose covered to resist the urge to vomit and let Kor examine the corpses. "Velociprey, and Velocidrome as well... Alot of them. This is not good,come on,let's check the mine for survivors...if their are any." Kor led the way through the dead village with the only sounds being Howl and Kor's foot steps and armor. They left the log cabins behind , trading them for mine cart tracks and crates of gold ore. The one thing that remained constant though were the corpses and blood.
The cart track eventually led the two to the entrance of the mine where they stopped. Before them was a hastily erected barricade of crates and two by fours. "Hello? Is anyone there? Princess Celestia sent us, we're here to help!", Kor called out through the gaps in the barricade. He listened to his voice echo down into the earth and waited for a reply.
~hisssssss~
Howl and Kor whirled around, weapons drawn, and came face to face to face to face... you get the idea. An entire pack of twenty Velociprey stood in hunting formation, effectively cornering the two. Each Velociprey stood at around four feet in height and used their muscular hind legs to stay upright. Each foot was tipped with wickedly curved claws and a large "kill claw" that was used for disemboweling or to hold onto prey. Their front arms were clawed as well and could be used to hold onto prey as well as aide in climbing. "I think we might have problem.",
The crowd of blue scaled bird wyverns parted to allow one that stood twice as tall as the rest with a large crest on it's head. "You know Howl, I think you're right." The Velocidrome reared up on it's hind legs and pointed it's head skyward. ~KAHREE KAHREE KAHREEEEEE!~ The pack answered with their own calls and attacked. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Swift Talon, a female griffon with a black coat, steel grey feathers around her neck and on her head, a white tipped tail, and piercing blue eyes, flew over Stag haven at a lazy pace. She was dressed in a light chain-mail shirt and shin guards with an iron sword and buckler strapped to her back. She pulled a lazy barrel roll to avoid a flock of birds when a sound unlike any she had heard before rose from a clearing in the forest. Looking down she spied a sea of blue surging towards two figures, one a Diamond dog and the other...well she didn't know.
She watched the skinnier of the two cleave one of the blue things in half with his massive sword while the Diamond dog buried the entire front half of another into the ground. They were holding out okay, but she could tell that if someone didn't help soon, they would be overrun. She watched the heavily armored and even heavier armed figures swing their weapons in their slow arcs at the more agile monsters that were now dancing around the attacks. With her mind made up, Talon pulled her shield and sword out, tucked her wings in, and dove.
A dark shape hurtled towards the ground and extended it's wings. It caught the air and used it to avoid impacting the ground while swinging a sword in a deadly arc, beheading one Velociprey, then another and another. The winged beast weaved in and out of the throng of blue killing machines and came to a stop on it's hind legs in front of the slightly wounded duo. "Next time the two of you go out, make sure you have someone that is agile as well. Now, I got the ones on the right." Swift Talon took off with a war cry and swung her blade at the closest beast. Kor and Howl let out their own war cries and followed suit, acting as Swift's shield when she was flanked. Velociprey fell under the merciless onslaught of hammer, Great sword, and sword blows. Soon the pack was down to eight and one Velocidrome.
Swift, Kor, and Howl stood in a triangle formation each one sporting cuts and breathing heavily but doing alot better than the wyverns. The Velocidrome though wasn't stupid. It hissed at the remains of it's pack and they quickly turned and fled. Korlan let out a sigh of relief and strapped his Iron GS onto his back. "Thank you for helping us out their, it has been a while since I've hunted their kind. I'll admit that I forgot how dangerous they can be.", he said to the newcomer. Swift sheathed her sword and turned to face the two. "No problem, I wouldn't have been able to sleep well if I just let the two of you get eaten. Name's Swift Talon, and you two are...?" "I am Korlan\ and I am Howl.", the to said.
"Well, nice to meet the both of you. Mind telling me though what in the name of Scissor Beak are you two doing out here?" The sound of wood scraping along stone, coming from the mine entrance, interrupted the trio as the survivors of Stag Haven cautiously exited the mine. The largest of the survivors, a five foot tall, six point buck approached the three and bowed his head. "I apologize for not coming to your aid, but we were unsure if you meant us harm.", He said. "I am Pan, leader of the Elk and Son of our village Chief, Herne, may he find peace in Avalon."
Pan motioned with his head towards the mine. "Come, we can speak inside where it is safe." Pan turned and led the way into the darkness quickly followed by Kor and Howl. "Hey, wait for me!", Swift called out before hurrying after the group. Outside, a shadow passed over the mine and traveled across the ground before vanishing into the tree's.
Howl, Kor, and Swift stood before the remains of the council, a group made of the wisest members of the village. "It started not to long ago," began the wisest, "Those of us who lived closer to the forest began to slowly vanish one by one without a trace. When we sent out scouting parties, the ones that returned told us of blue lizard like monsters as tall as an Earth pony with sharp teeth and claws." Here she paused and let out a weary sigh. "We of course underestimated these creatures. They came at night, silently killing the guards and feasting upon their still living bodies." Here she stopped and bean to weep, leaving the elk to her right to continue. "A child's scream awoke us and sent us into arms. We managed to hold our own for a few days...until the big one came. It...tore through us like we were nothing and seemed to enjoy it."
Kor nodded with a frown. "Velocidrome, the alpha version of Velociprey. They are, for whatever reason, highly aggressive and cruel, choosing to torture their prey before eating." He put his hand up to his chin and rubbed it in thought. "What I don't understand is why two alpha's have paired up. That only happens when they are running from something big..." Howl put his hand on the handle of his hammer. "We fight big monster on top of these smaller ones? Sounds good to me. Maybe Vulcan can upgrade our armour with the parts." Kor nodded in agreement but had a worried look on his face.
"Pan, I have a proposition. We will take care of your monster problem in exchange for allowing us to make your village our home base for the Monster Hunters. With us established, we can guarantee protection from monsters and bring in more business and revenue." Pan's eye brows knit together as he thought it over berfore turning and speaking to the council in hushed tones. "Hey, uhhh...Kor come here."
Korlan turned to look at Swift Talon and knelt down. "I noticed that you said we, as in me and you two. What I wanna know is what's in it for me?", she asked. "Well, Money for one. Our job that we get paid to do is slay monsters. Their is also glory, fame, recognition, or enjoyment of helping people." Swift raised her eyebrow. "So what you're saying is that I get to help others, AND I get to eat? Well, sign me up then." Kor held out his hand, which Swift took in her talon. Pan turned around after the exchange ended with his answer. "He have decided to agree to your terms. Our gold makes us much money, but we are in need of expansion. Take care of these monsters and we shall build your guild hall ourselves."
Kor smiled and turned to his team. "Alright, we are going to need a few things, mainly spades and picks so we can build punji pits. Also, I want Swift to survey from the sky for any large monster, stay low though in case it can fly. We'll start tomorrow, for now get some rest." With that, he thanked Pan and left to find a sot to sleep. It turns out that he was really going to need it.
Swift Talon circled Stag haven from the safety of the sky. Her powerful eye's picked out the occasional velociprey moving through the trees and buildings. She clicked her beak in concern and headed back to the mine to report what she had seen. Quietly touching down, she snuck in through the barricade and ran down the tunnel. She emerged into the main chamber and joined Kor and Howl. "Welcome back, I am glad to see you are safe. What did you see?", Kor asked. Swift set her shield down and took a seat on an over turned barrel. "The small ones tend to hide in the buildings and in the tree's while the bigger ones stay in the deeper part of the forest. To me, it seems like they are getting ready for something." "What makes you think that?", Kor asked.
"I have hunted enough small game to know whenever an animal can sense a predator. However, I know nothing of these animals so I may be wrong." The three fell into contemplative silence for a short time before howl spoke up. "Kor, tell us about these monsters. You seem to know much about them." Swift Talon perked up at this. "Yes, I would also like to know about you and where you came from as well as about the monsters.", she said with more than a hint of curiosity. Kor nodded and pulled his thoughts together before starting.
"Well, I was born to a race known as Wyverians. It is said that we were descended from the original Wyverns and Elder dragons. Wyverns, if you don't know, are like dragons with a few exceptions. Firstly, wyverns only have two legs and usually only grow to be about sixteen feet at most though some are known to get bigger. Wyverns are also unable to use sustained flame attacks but are able to expel fire balls. These are usually made up of a type of mucus that is produced in a special area in their throats and mixed with a volatile substance produced in sacs under their stomachs. The mucus is used to produce a spherical shape and the flame substance ignites when it hits the air. Dragons on the other hand have four legs can grow up to eighty feet in height and, in the case of one from my homeland, about one hundred to one hundred fifty feet in length "
Howl and Swift Talon both shivered at the thought of such a beast. Kor noticed and chuckled at them. "Don't worry, that Elder dragon usually ignores anything smaller than it self and it's main diet consists of rocks and minerals from mountains or mines. Back to the wyverns though, their are many different species each with it's own habits and abilities. Their is one in particular that has ended many a hunter's career. It is known as the Diablos. It has two massive horns that it uses, along with the claws on the tips of it's wings to burrow under ground and then surprise it's prey from below. If that doesn't work it has a tail with two massive bones the end that they use as a hammer...and it can be very VERY painful to be hit by." Here Kor paused to rub his chest and soothe the phantom pain that rose up.
"However, what we are dealing with are known as the Hunter's Bane. Velociprey are one of three different types of wyvern in the same species. They are pack hunters that use hit and run tactics or overwhelming numbers to take down their prey. Normally they are not very hard to deal with because they very rarely form up large packs unless a Velocidrome is near. No one back home is sure why these larger, smarter versions of the velociprey come about but for now it doesn't matter. What does matter though, is that the velocidrome has the ability to form a pack of up to twenty on it's own and can give out orders that the smaller ones follow."
Kor paused once again and rubbed his chin in thought. "I have never seen, or even heard of multiple drome's banding together for...well anything really. So you may be right in your assumption Swift Talon." Kor leaned back against a crate he had been using as a support and looked to Howl who had been sitting cross legged in the dirt. "Let's put this discussion in the back for now. Right now we need to figure out a plan of attack to get rid of the monsters. As you two have experienced, these guys are hard to kill when in a pack, doubly so when headed by a drome. This situation however has three of them which increases the danger by quite a bit." "What do you suggest?", Howl asked, "You are the one with the most experience of us all."
"Well, we already have the tunnel entrance trapped in case they try to come back so that should bag us at least a few of the beast's... But I think our best bet is going to be hit and run tactics, take a few of the smaller one's out and the big one's are sure to show up. Kill the big one, hunt carve and repeat until they are all gone. As for the finer detail's, I want Swift to attack from the sky while I hit the ground. Howl, I want you up in the houses ready to bring the pain with your hammer. When I signal you, drop down from the rooftops and flatten as many as you can. If all goes well we should be done in an hour, two tops." Kor stood up, grabbed his sword, and strapped it to his back. Howl followed his example while Swift hopped up and stretched before following the other two once they were ready.
The trio met up with Pan who stood near the entrance to the main tunnel that lead out of the mine. "Ah, Korlan, I have news.", Pan said once the three were in front of him. "Three of the beast's tried to enter the mine and have been taken care of by the traps. While it may not be a lot at least it will make your job easier. Also, we have prepared the three of you a healing salve in case of injury." Pan bent his head down and picked up a large metal tin and offered it to Kor who accepted it with a bow. "Thank you Pan, we are heading out to deal with your problem and should be back shortly." The Elk chief nodded his head and stepped aside. "Good luck you three and may the gods be with you."
Stepping out into the sunlight, the trio of hunters split up, each one taking his or her spot in the town. Kor's foot steps echoed throughout the impromptu graveyard instilling a slight nervousness in him. A shadow passed over the young wyverian from above. He looked up to catch a glimpse of his diamond dog companion moving across the rooftops. "Alright, now to gain their attention", Kor muttered. He cupped his hands around his man and let out three loud shrieks that echoed off of the wooden buildings and into the surrounding forest. The noise died down and Kor pulled his sword out and got ready.
Seconds slowly ticked by before- ~AAAAHHHHRRRR~! Kor spun around while throwing himself to the ground, bringing his great sword around in a 360 degree arc. The blade connected with scale and flesh, cleaving the body in two and sending both parts in opposite directions. Two more velociprey sprang out from the shadowed alleyways closest two him. Korlan rolled into a standing position with his blade held flat side out. When the two bodies collided with the blade he was forced back and almost lost his blade. "NOW!" Howl leaped from the roof he was standing on with his hammer held over his head.
He fell to earth with a loud thud and crunching sound, announcing that his surprise attack had been success. "Great job, now move!" Kor picked his sword up and took off in a random direction. The sound of his boots and armor echoed around him as he ran, drawing in more of the small bird wyverns. With a war cry Korlan brought his blad in an upward swing, bisecting one that tried to take him from the front. Before he could lose any more energy he spun around and swung the blade in a 180 degree spin. The velociprey he had hoped to hit dodged out of the way and charged forward.
Before it could reach though, it was dispatched by Swift who dive bombed the monster and decapitated it before returning to the sky. Korlan resumed running and was soon chased after by another three velociprey. He ignored the trio for the moment, choosing to instead lead them on a short chase. ~KAHREEEEEEE KAHREEEEE~! A very large very heavy body slammed into Kor from his left and threw him to the ground. He roled and came up on one knee with his blade held in front of him. Standing before him in was one of the three velocidrome with it's clawes and teeth ready toi tear him apart.
"HHHAAAARRROOOOOOO!!!!!" Howl's battle cry echoed throughout the village as he fell to earth with his hammer held high. HIs attack was interrupted as the second drome exploded out of a nearby house and collided with him. The pair was sent to the ground in a pile of teeth and claws with each one trying to rip out the other's throat. The first drome charge Kor with a loud shriek and smashed into his sword, the force of which threw Korlan backwards onto his ass and sent his blade spinning away into a nearby alley.
Kor quickly pulled out his carving blade and held it in a reverse grip in his right hand while he held his left in front of him. The drome charged again, intent on shredding the annoying little two legged creature. When it drew close enough Kor's left hand shot out and grabbed hold of it's throat. He then threw his body up and around while using his left hand to keep himself secured to the monster. He swung over it's back while simultaneously wrapping his arm around it's neck and, when he reached the other side, dragged it to the ground in a head lock. With a shout he raised his right hand up and brought the knife down on it's skull with a loud cracking sound, killing it instantly.
His victory was short lived however and he was forced to throw himself forward when the three velociprey from earlier attacked at once. Up above Swift Talon pulled her sword out and folded her wings against her body. She fell through the air, picking up speed as she went. As she neared the ground she opened her wings up and performed a barrel roll. Her sword flashed in the sunlight and she pulled up, leaving behind three corpses. Circling around she landed next to Kor and extended a talon which he took. With a pull he was up on his feet and running to the alley where his sword was.
Meanwhile, Howl and the velocidrome rolled through the dirt, clawing and biting at each other. Howl let out a yelp of pain when the drome bit down on his left leg. In return he sunk his three inch teeth into the dromes right arm and shook his head back and forth quickly. A sickening pop and scream of pain told him he had dislocated and possibly broke the arm. He quickly lashed out with his free leg and made contact with the bneasts head. He repeated this twice more before rolling on top of the stunned monster and bringing his powerful it's throat. Howl felt the dromes wind pipe give way but held on regardless until the monster's struggling became weaker and then stopped.
The sounds of the fight quickly gave way to silence once the second drome was finished off. The trio of hunter's regrouped inside a nearby house and barricaded the door. "Are you two alright?", Swift asked her comrades. Kor was bent over with a hand on his ribs and. was taking quick shallow breaths while Howl licked his wounded leg. "-wheeze- Y-yeah, just...some bru -cough- bruising.", the wyverian grunted. Howl simply let out a growl without looking up from his leg. Kor pulled out the tin of salve and tossed it to howl who caught it and began to apply it. "Well, I have to say....that was by... far the most....exciting drome hunt...I've been on...Thanks Howl.", Kor said and accepted the tin from Howl. He removef the lid and his cuirass before gently applying the substance to his bruised ribs. A sigh of relief escaped him once the pain faded and his breathing returned to normal.
"It isn't over yet, their is still one left that we have to take care of.", Swift reminded them while she checked her sword for any nicks or cracks it may have received. "True, we strike hard strike fast then report to the Alpha and upgrade our weapons.", howl stated while grabbing his Iron Lump. Kor nodded in agreement and picked up his Iron Great Sword. He stood headed towards the front door and opened it just a crack so he could look outside. Aside from the corpse of the recently slain all was quiet and nothing moved. "Alright get ready to-!" The third velociprey came fling through a nearby house, smashing the walls into splinters and rolling across the ground before laying still.
A shadow passed over the town and disappeared to the east. "What in the name of Stone Beak was that?!", Swift yelped. Kor shrugged and slowly stepped out of the house with his blade drawn. Je quietly made his way over to the cooling corpse and took a knee. The body had several puncture marks that were around three inches in diameter along it's side and it's head flopped around when lifted, indicating a broken neck. Howl and Swift made their way to the pair while keeping an eye out on the sky for safety. "Well, I can safely say that whatever killed it didn't come from my home so...Mission Accomplished." _________________________________________________________________________________________________