#AnneAerwyna
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Anne ~ Chapter 17
Penny’s shop was a mere five minute walk from Ironman’s, which Dawn could not have been more thankful for. Roy’s stories were already getting on her last nerve, and the ridiculous routes he would have taken if the shop was further away would have put her over the edge. Penny’s was another building that didn’t fit Maerinia’s dress code; it was smallish and squat, similar to the Oceanview Cottage, but made of wood instead. Its most distinguishing feature was the wide window in front, which stretched across three-quarters of the building. On the incredibly long sill were alternating pots of pink and purple hydrangeas. The three shoppers loitered beside the flowers for a bit so Roy could brief his companions.
“So, before we head inside for your supplies, the only rule is that you’re not allowed to mention how old Penny is. If you do, she’ll get mad at you and then she’ll get mad at me. As long as you steer clear of that, you’ll get your discount. That’s a Gilderoy Guarantee!”
Dawn folded her arms. “You shouldn’t have told me that. Now I’m tempted to say something just to see you get in trouble. You’d best hope I’m feeling unsardonic this morning.”
“Ha ha, that dry wit will never get old!” Roy replied with a grin, thankful his armor hid his nervous sweating. “I know you wouldn’t actually do that to me! I trust you!”
Anne interrupted Dawn before she could deliver another blow to Roy’s self esteem. “L-let’s head in! It’s still early, so if we hurry we might be able to take a job today. I’d really like to start earning some zenny to make up for this morning.”
Roy’s gratitude made his smile glow ten times brighter. “That’s the spirit! Time waits for neither man or monster! In we go!”
Dawn couldn’t help but fire off a derisive “It’s nor” as she followed him through the door.
A small bell tinkled as they entered the store. The rising sun was streaming through the front window, giving the wooden shop a cozy feel. The sweet smell of flowers permeated the air thanks to the baskets of hydrangeas hanging on the walls. The interior layout of Penny’s was rather surprising; the majority of the space was devoted to shelves filled with wares, but all the merchandise was separated from customers by a long counter, leaning on which was the shop’s namesake herself.
“Welcome to Penny’s! What can I help you with toda- oh, it’s Roy! Back so soon? I appreciate the business, but coming around three days in a row is pretty b-” She stopped when she saw Dawn and Anne enter behind him. The two roommates stopped in their tracks too; Penny was a surprising sight even after Roy’s warning. Anne expected an old lady, but smiling at her from across the counter was a fiery red-headed girl no older than fourteen or fifteen, with a pair of sparkling emerald eyes and countless small freckles dashed across her face.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get caught up in small talk! Welcome to Penny’s, number one hunting supply shop in Maerinia! How can I help you?”
Roy answered for them. “This is Dawn and Anne!They’re some new hunters, so they’re gonna need the works. You know, mega potions, a whetstone, some antid-”
“I’m the one who puts the starter package together, I know what’s in it. Let them speak for themselves anyway! Unless you’re the leader for once?”
“Thankfully not,” Dawn said, “but he likes to pretend he is.”
Penny’s shoulder-length waves bobbed in agreement. “That he does. Which one are you, Dawn or Anne?”
“I’m Dawn. It’s nice to meet you. We just registered in the Guild yesterday, so before we hunt we require supplies. Do you have a Guild Gal package? I won’t be hunting the monster directly, but I will be giving support close by.”
“Of course, of course! That style of Guild Gal has gained a little popularity recently, so I make sure to stock combo books and stuff. They’re a little expensive though, is that ok?”
“It’s perfectly fine. I’ll take all of them.” Dawn noticed the 10% discount she was given off the marked price as she handed over her zenny.
“Thanks for your business!” Penny chirped, with a very Abigail-like smile. “Next up is Anne, right?”
Anne approached the counter, trying to wipe the disbelief from her face. “Hello! I just need the uh... regular... hunting supplies. I’m not a little gir- mmm Guild Gal or anything like that.”
Penny raised an eyebrow. “Alright, that includes all the stuff on this list.” She pointed at a piece of paper nailed to the counter.
“Wow, this price is pretty youn- I mean good! This price is pretty good! Much... smaller than I thought.”
“I pride myself on good service! In fact, I’ll take 10% off of that price. How many of this item set do you want?”
“Four...teen... NO, sorry, I mean four.”
“Uh huh. Well, here you go.” Penny handed over the supplies as she received her zenny, glad to be done with that interaction.
“Thank you.” Anne’s reply was quiet and regretful. “You’re doing a great job.”
“I appreciate that.” Penny turned her attention to the man in the golden gear. “Hey, are you buying any supplies today, Roy? For the amount of times you come in here you don’t do an awful lot of spending.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, Penny! We have to hurry or we won’t be able to hunt today!”
Dawn’s eyes narrowed. ‘He said “we” again.’
“Hmph.” The shopkeeper folded her arms. “I guess you bring in enough customers for me to forgive you. Kinda weird how it’s always different people though. Are you a tour guide on the side or something?”
“Unfortunately, I’m just a kind-hearted and handsome young man.”
“Sure you are. See you later, I guess.”
“Later! The hydrangeas look great, by the way. Your mom would’ve loved ‘em.”
The door bell tinkled once more as the party of three left the shop and returned to the Guild Hall through the steadily filling streets.
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Anne ~ Chapter 16
Roy lead Anne and Dawn through Maerinia in quite a similar fashion to the way they first explored it. He managed to avoid going through back alleys, but any other street was fair game. The three went down main roads, side roads, narrow hidden roads that anyone else would easily mistake for dead ends; Roy took them anywhere and everywhere that wasn’t where they wanted to be. Anne, who was just happy to be out and about in the city, was grinning while walking behind him, listening to the Maerinia facts that he was constantly spouting off any time they passed by a building. She couldn’t tell that they were completely made up, so Roy enraptured her with tales along the lines of ‘one time a Lagiacrus destroyed this very cafe’ or ‘some of the stones in this street are actually Gravios scales!’. Dawn, bringing up the rear, futilely tried to tell Anne that there was no way any of those things could be true.
“How can you stand to listen to this stranger’s unbelievable lies? You know that none of these things ever happened, don’t you? He’s just speaking to be heard, nothing more.” Dawn chided as they crossed a stone bridge ‘that a Gobul jumped all the way over, almost eating a passerby’. Anne, who was walking heel-to-toe along the parapet, spun around and started walking backwards, arms outstretched to keep her balance.
“I just love a good story. My village is full of retired hunters, so when I was growing up I heard amazing things about weapons and monsters. Those stories are what inspired me to be here today, so even if something is a little crazy or different, I can’t help but want to believe it.” Even while scolding her, Dawn was surprised that Anne could hold a conversation while moving the way she was.
‘I thought she was supposed to be a clumsy girl with social problems. “Sometimes people can do unexpected things,” huh?’ she thought, as Anne’s words took root in her head. Even still, Dawn wouldn’t be backing down without sharing her important wisdom. “You will only be fooled and taken advantage of if you believe everything you hear.”
“Well,” came Anne’s thoughtful reply as she hopped off the parapet, still walking backwards. “I think that’s why I met you! I can believe anything and you need facts, which makes us a great pair, don’t you think? One of us is optimistic, the other is calculating; one of us i-”
“Alright, that’s enough idealism for one conversation. I believe it’s time to get back to reality. I don’t feel like shouting ahead to that man, so can you go ask him if he’s ever going to take us to the shops?” Anne’s smile faltered for a moment.
“Y-you want me to do it? Yelling really isn’t something I want to do... I don’t have a choice here, do I? Well, just know th-” She was abruptly cut off when her back collided with Roy’s, nearly sending both of them to the floor.
“Woah!” he exclaimed, staying upright thanks to the weight of his armor. “I knew you’d fall for me eventually, Dawn!... oh, it’s Anne. You alright?” Anne nodded quickly, using all of her willpower to not cover her face with her hands.
“How could you let that happen?!” She hissed sideways at Dawn, completely flustered. “I know you saw him stop!”
“Oops.”
“What do you mean ‘Oops’?!”
Dawn looked like she was having fun. “Anyway,” she said, changing the topic, “why did you stop, Gilderoy? Surely you aren’t lost in your own city?”
He looked down at her with a wide grin. Dawn only noticed now that he was a good six or so inches taller than she was. “Of course not! Come on, how could you think so little of me?”
“Easily.”
“Well then, feast your pretty green eyes on this!”
He stepped out of the way, allowing Dawn to see beyond. The relatively narrow street they were on opened up into a large perpendicular avenue, on the other side of which was a monstrously out of place building. Breaking the normal white and brown dress code, this building was an iron nightmare complete with smoke and flames. It could hardly even be called a building; two of the ominously black walls were missing entirely, with a twisted wrought iron bar supporting the roof where their intersection would be. The floor was covered in sand, and in the middle of the building, as the centerpiece of it all, was a remarkable forge that rose through the ceiling, constantly releasing a sooty haze into the air. Roy gestured towards the building, smiling as proudly as if he had built it himself.
“Welcome to Ironman’s!”
The smell of coal and steel caught Anne surprisingly off guard. She had short flashbacks to the armory back home, and to her blacksmith father who was probably hard at work on some piece of equipment right now. She shook her head, once again clearing away thoughts of her village.
“And look,” Roy continued, making his way across the wide road ahead with Dawn in tow, “I got you here so quick that hardly anybody is around! Can I get a ‘Roy is the best’, team?”
“No.” Dawn’s negative replies were becoming shockingly fast.
“That trip was quick?” Anne asked herself, following the two across. Roy ignored the abuse.
“Let me introduce you to my good friend Ironman. I’ll tell you now though; he’s not too hard to understand, but nobody knows where he’s from. He’s a big town mystery, but he does his job really well and hey, what more can you ask for?”
“A competent guide.”
“Oh, there’s my man! Ironman, it’s me, Roy Gilderoy!” The person Roy was referring to was sitting behind a counter, chair leaned back with his feet crossed on the tabletop. He had shoulder length grey hair, the entirety of which was flecked with coal dust and soot. Upon hearing his name, Ironman slowly put his chair in its proper position and stood up. To the girls’ surprise, he was an absolute giant of a man; at least seven feet tall with broad shoulders and the muscles to match.
“Oh,” he said in a deep gravelly voice, looking the three shoppers up and down. “If it isn’ Gilderoy. D’you fin’lly have someth’n’ else y’ need smithed?”
“We won’t be doing any smithing today, Ironman. I brought these two lovely ladies here to take a look at the fine selection of beginner armors you have. They need to get equipped before we head out, you know?”
‘Did he say “we”?’ Dawn looked towards Anne to see if she heard the same thing Dawn did, but Anne was already lost to the sets of armor hanging on the wall.
Ironman headed to that same wall and pointed at the first four sets of armor hanging there.
“These four ‘r’ th’ cheapest. Made ‘f good Kelbi leather. Supple ‘n’ tough.”
Every movement he made was slow and heavy, as if gravity was affecting him a hundred times more than normal people. Even the way he spoke was drawn out and tired. Dawn couldn’t tell if it was because Ironman was old or if that was how he always was, but the slowness annoyed her a little. Anne was totally unbothered; she was too busy examining the first of the four sets, which was the one that caught her eye the most.
“Blue isn’t really my color,” she pondered, looking over each piece carefully, “but this one looks like it has the best mobility. No loose fabric, tight and comfortable material... I think this is the one!”
“This black one is suitable for me.” Dawn had picked out a set similar to Anne’s, except it was jet black and had an interesting little cloak that terminated at the elbows. “It’s a shame that most of this is tight leather; I prefer having some flow to my clothes.”
“I’m sure the black will look great on you! I’m just glad we could pick something out quickly, we have so much more to do today.”
Ironman took the two sets in question and put them in cloth sacks, one for each girl. Surprisingly, being with Roy actually earned them a decent discount. Dawn knew better than to question savings, but as soon as Roy was distracted she just couldn’t resist asking Ironman why he of all people got a discount.
“Well,” said Ironman with unbearable slowness, “I’ve only forged th’n’s f’r ’m one time, but he brings ‘n so m’ny cust’mers that he d’serves ‘n’ anyway.”
“Just once? He doesn’t come here to repair that gaudy armor of his?”
“Ev’rytime he goes out ‘n’ comes back, ‘s arm’r’s ‘n’ perfect c’ndition. Very strange. Same w’th that lance.”
“Thank you for the information, Ironman. I’ll have to keep a closer eye on Gilderoy.”
Having heard his name, Roy turned around and called out. “Come on, Dawn, we need to get going to the next store! Just like an Uragaan, we don’t stop rolling!”
‘That was surprisingly decent,’ she thought, slightly horrified that she didn’t have anything bad to say to him. Reluctantly, she followed Roy and Anne out of Ironman’s and into the steadily-brightening gaze of the sun.
“Next stop, Penny’s!”
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Anne ~ Chapter 14
That night, Anne dreamed of wild places. She dreamed of forested hills, of craggy peaks piercing the moonlight, and of an incredible hunger. As she slept she caught flashes of fields and a gentle sea, but she never saw any location for long enough to understand what it could mean. She kept seeing place after place, each looking familiar but not, until thr light of the rising sun washed out the images and woke her. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, cleaned her face, and toyed with the horrifying idea of waking Dawn up. Anne recalled Dawn’s dislike of mornings from their night at The Cave Crossing, and she would hate to make Dawn angry at the start of their first full day in the city. She decided to wait a while to see if Dawn would get up by herself and went searching for a broom instead. The utility closet by her room seemed like a promising place to start, though it was cluttered like a Melynx’s nest and Anne was deathly afraid of making noise. She slowly began to sort through the various odds and ends stuffed in there, softly putting aside wooden buckets, rags, and, at one point, a very hard, very dead yellow fish, the likes of which she could have sworn she’d seen before. Finally, after a few minutes of organizing, she found a broom laying against the furthest wall. She crept out of the closet as quietly as the silent Khezu she’d heard about in stories and headed outside to procrastinate.
The Oceanview Cottage’s porch wasn’t nearly as clean as Anne’s porch back home, but she was sure that would change soon enough. The broom, monotonously swinging back and forth, gave Anne a little comfort as she took in the early morning sights and sounds that were so different from those she was used to. Here, the street was cobble, not dirt. Here, all she could see when she looked out was the ocean instead of trees. Here, an unfamiliar hunter passed by every few minutes instead of every few years. Surprisingly, the more she thought about home the more she missed it. Anne shook her head, trying to clear those sentimental thoughts.
‘I’m a hunter now. I don’t have time to be homesick, or to stutter, or to be afraid. I have to be like Dawn, like Henry, ...like Mom.’
She felt quite silly when she realized that she was getting these brave notions while hiding out on the porch, too afraid to wake up a human being of all things. Against her better judgment, she decided to go back inside and tackle her first unofficial quest as a hunter.
Dawn’s room was on the opposite side of the cottage from Anne’s, with the bathroom in between. Anne knocked twice on the door, not loud enough to be annoying but not so soft that Dawn couldn’t hear it. Unfortunately, there was no response. Anne braced herself and carefully opened the door. It creaked, which made Anne wince, but she still heard no response from inside the room. Anne poked her head in, and what she saw was beyond unexpected. Dawn was lying face-down on her bed, messy hair spread out like a starfish on her pillow. She had kicked her blanket down to the foot of the bed, and there were at least five stuffed animals (in the shape of monsters, no less) strewn around the room; three on the bed, two that seemed to have fallen from the bed to the floor, and who knows how many more were lying in the shadows. Anne could not believe her eyes; her housemate’s persona clashed with this child-like style of decoration so greatly that it felt like a living doll had broken in and replaced all of Dawn’s stuff while she was sleeping. Anne carefully picked her way across the floor, trying to avoid stepping on anything valuable. She could hear Dawn gently snoring into the pillow that her face was buried in.
“Dawn...” Anne whispered, trying to ease her awake. “Dawn... Dawn... Dawn.” Each ‘Dawn’ was louder than the last, but she would not budge an inch. As a last resort, Anne tried shaking her awake. She started with just a nudge, and when that didn’t work she tried slightly more vigorous shaking. After a few seconds, Dawn was slowly starting to wake up. She stirred, stretched out a little, and turned her head, eyes still closed. Anne reached out to give her one last push... when suddenly, Dawn’s green eyes snapped open. Her face was contorted into the most terrifying expression Anne could imagine, so it took her understandably no time at all to backpedal out of the room and close the door in utter fright.
‘I’m so dead.’
She hurried into the kitchen, hoping that a nice breakfast would atone for her sins. She cracked eggs, fried bacon, sliced bread, and prayed for forgiveness.
‘What a brave hunter I am!’ Why is my dad the only person I’m not afraid to make angry?’ She smiled in spite of her sarcastic thoughts. ‘I guess it’s all just practice in the end. Somehow I think monsters will be less scary than people!’
As if on cue, she heard a door open down the hall. Having already laid the table, all she could do was wait anxiously while listening to Dawn’s shuffling footsteps get closer by the second. Anne couldn’t decide where to look or how to behave, so she foolishly chose to pretend she had never heard Dawn coming and busied herself with the arrangement of plates and utensils. Frighteningly enough, Anne didn’t even need to be watching to know when Dawn came in; she could have sworn that the sunlight got dimmer when Dawn entered the room. Anne braced herself for the worst.
“Anne,” called Dawn’s tired voice, “thank you for waking me up, I certainly would have slept late if it weren’t for you. That’s my one weakness.”
“I am so s... what?.. I... um... yes. Not a problem at all whatsoever in the least. Anytime.” Anne’s knees just about buckled.
“Is this breakfast? Fantastic, there isn’t anything better for early risers than a wholesome meal.”
They both sat down to eat, discussing how they slept and what they thought the day would have in store for them. If Dawn was perturbed in the least, she didn’t show it.
“Alright,” she said, clearing her plate, “It’s time to leave. I’m going to change quickly and then we can be off.”
She headed for her room, but just before she left the kitchen she looked over her shoulder at Anne. “About what you saw in my room... not a word to anyone, understood?” She left the kitchen without waiting for a response.
‘You don’t have to tell me twice,’ Anne thought as she cleaned the rest of the food up. ‘I will take that secret to my grave.’
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Anne ~ Chapter 13
Anne tried her hardest not to look embarrassed while walking down the pier from the Guild Hall. Unfortunately, looking embarrassed in public was one of the things Anne did best. She felt so self-conscious holding the wooden Sword and Shield that they might as well have been branded with the word 'SHAME'. She kept her head lowered and hurried down to the beach. Now that she wasn’t being tugged along by Dawn, she could get a good look at the outside of the Maerinia Guild Hall. The colored banners still fluttered in the perpetual sea breeze, an inspirational sight that Anne, for the moment, did not fully understand. She was captivated, so captivated that she never noticed the lightly armored man strolling towards her across the sand.
“Hey!” he called out to her when he got close, noticing that she was spaced out. Startled, she turned around too quickly and found herself falling backwards into the sand. She closed her eyes and braced for impact, but strong arms caught her by the wrists and held her up. She carefully opened her eyes and for a moment she was eight years old again; a stranger outfitted with a Sword and Shield had caught her for the second time in her life. “Hey, miss, watch your step! If you want to be a hunter you always have to be prepared! That’s lesson one for you: stay focused.” His knowing smile seemed familiar somehow. It suddenly dawned on her that this young man was probably to be her teacher, and she snapped to attention. “The Guildmaster told me that some new blood would be waiting for me here at the beach. My name is Henry Catcher Jr., and I’ll be your trainer for the afternoon. Now,” he said, sizing her up, “you look more than fit enough to swing a weapon, so you shouldn’t be falling down like that just because you’re surprised. What’s your name?”
Anne attempted to introduce herself. “M-my name is An-”
“Wait, wait, wait. Why can’t you get a sentence out without stuttering? There something wrong?” Henry interrupted, frowning.
“I’m n-not very good at talking to n-new p-”
“Well, from now on, I don’t want to hear it. Hunters have larger things to worry about besides talking to someone new. It might sound harsh, but I won’t listen to anything you say unless it comes out clearly, alright? If you have trouble, try taking deep breaths and focusing on what matters. I only have this afternoon to train you, so I’m going to make it tough and thorough. Understood?”
Anne nodded.
“Good,” he continued, “now introduce yourself again. Properly this time.”
“My name is Anne Aerwyna.” She didn’t stutter, but the words came out a little slowly. Henry didn’t seem to mind. She took a deep breath and carried on. “I come from a small village in the woods, and my dream is to be a hunter. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Anne! Alright, we’ll get started with the basics then, and move our way up into more advanced techniques. If you work hard we can be done before it gets too dark. Ready? Let’s begin!”
They started with simple sword manoeuvres, repeating the stances and swings over and over until she had them down. Then came shield bashes, and after those came what Henry called ‘standard Sword and Shield combos’. Anne called it ‘slashing and bashing’ because those combos involved both swinging the sword and slamming with the shield. She poured all of her mental energy into learning each technique, from the basic guard stance to the complicated roundslash finisher. Once or twice she almost chopped off her long white braid, but as the afternoon wore on she learned to control where her sword was in a slash, from startup to follow through. They trained hard until the sun had fallen halfway into the ocean, taking breaks intermittently to quench their thirsts. The practice had more benefits than just learning the combos; Henry’s strict teaching style in conjunction with his firsthand experience as a hunter forced Anne to be more perceptive and made her feel a little more confident. Henry really did not respond anytime that Anne stuttered, which forced her to think about her words and to control her feelings. By the time Henry called an end to the practice, Anne was feeling strengthened, both bodily and mentally. Even so, she was still tired and sore.
“I feel like I got run over by a Rhenoplos...” she groaned, sitting heavily in the sand. “Does every hunter go through training like that?”
“All the ones that want to live, yes.” Henry responded, looking out over the sea. “I cannot stress how important it is to keep your mind and body balanced. It’s a dangerous world out there, and no amount of training will guarantee your survival. Even expert hunters can go out and not come back. They have ample training and years of experience, and yet he... they still die. That’s why I teach now. To make people as prepared as they can be.”
“I’m going to go find Dawn,” she yawned, “and then I’m going to go home. Thank you for your help, Mr. Catcher.” She slowly got up and brushed the sand off of her shorts.
“Call me Henry. My dad was Mr. Catcher.”
“Alright. Thank you, Henry. I’ll see you later!” Anne called out to him as she walked off the beach and to the pier. This time, as she walked up the pier, she looked straight ahead. It took more willpower than she thought she had, but she didn’t look down once. In doing so, she noticed something amazing. Nobody was staring at her. Nobody cared that she was holding a practice Sword and Shield. She always imagined being judged by people she didn’t know, scared of what they thought about her choices. Maybe she didn’t have to worry about them after all.
Darkness had fallen, but the light from inside the enormous boat-shaped building at the end of the pier was warm and inviting. Anne cautiously stepped inside, on the lookout for Max and Aac. She did not want to run into them again; their first meeting was far too embarrassing. Luckily they didn’t seem to be around. Anne surveyed the tables inside the spacious hall, searching for Dawn. Eventually Anne found her, but not at all where she expected - Dawn was behind Abigail the Guild Gal’s counter dressed in the Guild Hall’s signature uniform, complete with the white hibiscus nestled in her purple hair. Her head was resting in one of her hands, green eyes half closed. She was unresponsive until Anne came up to the counter and waved her hand in Dawn’s face. She shot straight up and quickly recited her line:
“Welcome to the Maerinia Guild Hall, do you have something we can attend to?” Then she saw who she was talking to, and loosened up. “Oh, hey,” she coolly greeted Anne, “its the hunter. How was practice?”
“It was great...” Anne replied, jealous of Dawn’s casual conversation skills. “I learned a lot during such a short amount of time. It makes me wonder how much I could have learned at school if all my teachers were like that! Anyway, how was your day Ms. Aurora Tymeley? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that you come from a family of hunters who know the Guildmaster!”
“Does it change anything?”
“Well... no, it doesn’t, but-”
“Then it doesn’t matter, wouldn’t you agree? It’s nothing special, just a prior connection. Is everything better now?”
“I guess so,” Anne pouted, “but you shouldn’t keep any important information like that from me if we’re going to live together!”
“It’s not important information.” Dawn began putting away the assorted papers strewn around her counter. “My day was boring but beneficial, by the way. I learned how to deal with zenny while working with quest application fees and I developed a passable fake smile after dealing with disagreeable people at the counter. More people are angry about failing a quest and losing their quest application fees than you’d think. I believe some of them deserve to lose the money though - what other outcome could you possibly expect when you fight a fire monster in a suit made of Neopterons? Honestly, people astound me.” Dawn gave Anne a small smile, and Anne felt any bad emotions she had fade away. “Why don’t we go home?” Dawn continued, “I’m unbelievably tired and we have to wake up quite early tomorrow to start working.”
“Yeah, I’m ready to sleep too,” Anne groaned as she stretched her back, “I got a killer workout.”
“Abigail, Anne’s back! Can we head out now?” Dawn called into the office behind her.
“Yeah, sure! Let me just give you guys your official guild stuff first!” came the muffled reply, followed by the sound of papers rustling and metal clanking. Abigail emerged from the office holding some documents and two badges with the crest of Maerinia on it. “Congratulations, you’re officially Maerinia Guild Hall members now! These are your official papers, I filled them in while you were working. You won’t need these very often unless your authenticity is questioned; I would recommend keeping them in a safe place and hoping that time never comes. This badge needs to be prominently displayed when you are accepting quests from anywhere. That way, when you get a reward, it will always come back here for you to pick up. Your first day starts tomorrow, but you haven’t been assigned any jobs yet. You can pick your own in the morning! That should be all for tonight! See you bright and early!” With that, she handed over the items and returned to the office.
“Alright,” Dawn said as she turned to leave, “that’s a satisfying conclusion. Time to go home.” Anne didn’t reply; she was staring at the badge, eyes moistening a bit as she admired it.
“I did it, mom...” she whispered. “I’m a hunter!”
Anne and Dawn left the Guild Hall in high spirits and made their way home by way of beach. They were exhausted by the time they reached Oceanview Cottage and after quick baths they went to bed, excited and anxious about what tomorrow would hold.
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Anne ~ Chapter 1
“Oh, the poor thing… it’s injured.”
A pale teenage girl knelt over a whimpering black ball of fur, no more than a foot long. Its long tail was scratched and its sleek back had three large bloody gashes across them, as if something had ripped its claws or teeth through the flesh and then left the animal to die. Strangely enough, there was only a single set of small footprints around, coming from deeper in the woods; the tiny thing must have stumbled in a daze from wherever it was attacked to this forest clearing before collapsing into the leaves.
The girl, white braid shining like a beacon in the dim light of the forest, hardly hesitated before lifting the barely moving bundle into her arms. For her the matter was clear; either she tends to the young creature or it dies alone amongst the silent trees.
A whimper escaped the small black beak of the animal, and it tensed ever so slightly as the girl swaddled it in her arms and hurried back towards her village. She exited the forest and then started an internal debate with herself, her thoughts becoming clearer as she left the muffling forest behind.
‘Will people freak out if I bring a Nargacuga through the streets or will they understand?’
Deciding that it would be the former, she cut across the meadow by the village instead of following the stone path to the main entrance. As she did so, she spotted a pair of people with giant lances strapped to their backs, wickedly sharp and brightly gleaming as the cylindrical surfaces caught the sunlight.
“More hunters!”
She didn’t mean to say that aloud but her excitement filled her head and left no room for thought. Hunters lived the dream life, in her opinion. They travelled the world, seeing incredible sights and facing incredible danger, not only to help themselves but also to help people in need. To be a hunter would be a dream come true. Her father, however, thought otherwise.
“Anne, the world needs more people like them.” He would say when she brought it up. “Your mother was a hunter. She fought nearly every day of her adult life so that everyone else didn’t have to… a true hero. And you know where that landed her?” He would then point towards the general direction of the cemetery, or would look solemnly up to the sky. “I know you’re adventurous and love the feeling of excitement and danger, and I can’t stop you from doing what you want but please… think about me. Don���t put yourself at risk.” As much as she tried to think about him, the hunting life beckoned her like it was a Qurupeco’s call; irresistible and made just for her.
Anne felt a slight squirming in her arms and she looked down, snapping back into reality. The Nargacuga was glaring up at her, most likely assessing whether it should flee or be patient. Apparently deciding that Anne’s face was not the deadly sort, it closed its eyes again and relaxed. Seeing the Nargacuga’s beautiful yellow eyes sent a pang of guilt through her chest, her heart torn between the feelings of a hunter and those of a caretaker.
‘They’re dangerous.’ Anne reassured herself.
‘No matter how beautiful or amazing these monsters are, they also put people in danger… wait... then why am I going to take care of this Nargacuga?!?’
The thought hit her like a charging Bullfango and she stopped in her tracks, just a few meters from reaching the gate of her back garden. She turned around, looking back over the meadow and into the forest. The Nargacuga felt ten times heavier, like she was carrying a small boulder rather than an injured animal.
With leaded feet, she took one step forward.
Then another.
The Nargacuga opened its eyes again, possibly confused by the change in direction, or perhaps annoyed that Anne had stopped. The third step wouldn’t come. She just couldn’t bring herself to leave an injured animal alone, be it a Poogie or a Nargacuga. Turning around for the second and final time, she quickly regained the distance she lost in her doubt. The gate squeaked as she opened it, but she passed through without hesitation and closed it behind her. Someone must have been waiting for that squeak, however, because before she had even reached the back door it was pushed open from the inside. Standing in the doorway was her father, frowning slightly and looking concerned.
“Anne, you look worried, is ev-“ he stopped abruptly. His blacksmith hammer fell with a clatter at his feet, and his blue eyes became wide and fearful. He could only utter three words:
“What. Is. That.”
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Anne ~ Chapter 11
As soon as Anne got off the carriage she got her priorities in order, making a list of all of the major things that she needed to do. There at the top of the list was Operation Roommate Dawn, which needed to be set into motion. The easy three-step plan was as follows:
Step 1: Ask Dawn what type of place she is planning to stay in
Step 2: Ask Dawn if she is planning to get a roommate to split the rent
Step 3: Great success (if she said yes)
Because it was simple, the plan was airtight.
"Hey Dawn, where are you planning to stay now that we're here in the city?" she asked innocently. "I'm hoping that there are some apartments to rent, otherwise we might have to stay at the guild!" Anne tried to keep her voice calm and collected; messing up now could put a damper on her master plan.
"Like I said on the carriage: I am going to look for a small rental near to the beach, something that isn’t too small and that looks nice." Dawn responded. She didn’t need glasses to read what was written on Anne’s face, so she decided to circumvent unnecessary discussion and cut right to the chase. "Would you like to stay with me, Anne? I'm sure that with the two of us even a moderately priced beachfront apartment will be relatively easy to pay for."
Anne stiffened up, ears slightly red. "O-of course!" she stammered, cheeks slowly changing color to match her ears. "I mean, if you r-really want to that is... I wouldn't want to be a burden or anything, I know that you're going to be busy as a Guild Gal and may not... uhh..." she trailed off as Dawn nodded and gave her a smile.
"So it's settled then. Why don't we go find a place that we both like, hmm? It will be quicker if we both keep our eyes peeled." Dawn was talking while she was walking off and Anne, still tongue-tied, could only nod and follow behind. They walked past many luxurious houses and compounds on their way to the beach. One compound was open, airy and had only one or two rooms with four full walls. The other “rooms” functioned like open-air gathering areas, containing intricately carved wooden seats upon which people sat in bright clothing, sipping drinks and enjoying the breeze. Across the road from that compound was a large house that was the complete opposite - while the compound was airy and allowed the wind to blow through it, this house was sturdy as a Brute Wyvern and almost entirely closed-off. The windows were nothing but thin open slits and all of the doors were shut tightly. Nobody could be seen through the windows or in the garden. Anne couldn't help but be slightly put-off. She looked between the living places, marveling at how different the living styles between the two were.
'There must be a person of every kind living in this city!' she thought to herself. 'I wonder if there are any inland folks like me and Dawn?'
The pair reached the end of the street and turned right, and there to the left, running parallel to the path, was the beach! Dawn was walking quickly onward with no sign of interest, but Anne could hardly hold herself back. Her playground was mere feet away! It took all of her willpower to continue following Dawn instead of running straight into the sea. She was so distracted that she didn't even realize that Dawn had stopped to examine a small cottage with a "For Rent" sign posted in the front yard. It had white stone walls and was blue roofed like many other buildings in the city, but it was distinguished by being squat and having some vines growing on wooden trellises set against the front of the house.
"What do you think about this one, Anne?" Dawn asked, snapping Anne out of her daydreams as Dawn turned to look at her. "I think it looks rather cozy, and I like the proximity to the beach. Looking at the rest of the houses on this road from here, I think I can safely assume that this is the nicest we're going to get."
For Anne the choice was simple. Could she smell the salty sea air? Check. Could she feel the cool ocean breeze? Check. Could she see the beautiful blue ocean and the sandy beach? Double check. Was she going to live with Dawn? 100% check. How could any other place be better? She attempted a cool response, to make up for earlier.
"Y-yeah, this'll do just fine! I hope the price isn't too high, otherwise the search continues. Does it say how much the rent is on this sign?" Anne took a closer look at the sign in question. There was no indication of pricing on the front of it, and nothing on the back either. She turned to Dawn and shrugged. "We'll have to find the person selling it, I think. There's nothing but ‘For Sale’ anywhere on here!" Suddenly the door of the small cottage opened, and a young man in gaudy purple robes stepped out.
"Welcome to Oceanview Cottage!" he exclaimed with a noticeably fake grin on his face, spreading his arms widely. "You looking to buy? If so, you've found the right man! I'll rent it out to you for cheap too, pretty ladies. How about it?" Anne's shyness came rushing back in full force, and she stared down at her feet. This guy gave off some sketchy vibes. Dawn came to Anne's rescue by walking up to the man and starting the bargaining. Anne couldn't hear what they were saying and she didn't really want to, so she turned around and gazed over the ocean, taking in the sights and smells. White birds were flying lazily above the water, squawking loudly at nothing in particular. Children played in the shallows under the watchful vigil of their parents, and at one point a group of small monsters breached the surface! They were green monsters with long bodies that terminated in small heads which had tiny crests on top. They had four fins, each of them with five spikes on the end, and their tails looked somewhat like fish tails. The funniest thing about them was that they had a pair of white plates sticking out from the sides of their jaws, giving the monsters the appearance of being mustached. The monsters gently floated on the surface of the water to sunbathe, and then dived back down into the depths. Anne stood in awe of her surroundings, lost in the intricacies of beach life. She could most certainly get used to this. However, darker thoughts began to invade her mind. 'I wonder what large monsters live in the ocean?' she questioned, casting her gaze to the deeper water on the horizon. 'I bet they're big... with lots of teeth. And sharp claws. And I'll bet that they can swim faster than any person can. How scary... fighting a monster in its home turf would be the worst. I can’t imagine going deep down in that dark blue and fighting something huge. Huge and mean. With a huge appetite too, and maybe-'
Tap tap
Anne nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt someone's finger tap her shoulder. "Hey, it's just me!" Dawn exclaimed, surprised by Anne's jitteriness. "You look so shocked it's like I inflicted you with Thunderblight! What were you thinking about?" Anne pulled herself together.
"Oh, n-nothing." she replied, voice quavering. "What happened to the tacky guy?"
Dawn smiled her signature small smile and replied, "Anne Aerwyna, congratulations. We are the new renters of Oceanview Cottage. Welcome to your new home."
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Anne ~ Chapter 6
The rest of the day went smoothly and quietly. Seph familiarized himself with his surroundings under Anne's watchful eye, and when he took naps Anne did some tidying up or another basic task such as dusting or feeding the chickens behind the house. She couldn't help herself from gazing wistfully out of the window at times; it wasn't very often that she was stuck inside for this long. Seph was too feisty to be left alone is what Anne was telling herself, but really she was afraid that something might happen to him if she wasn't nearby at all times. Her father showed up just after it got dark, immediately went into his room and shut the door, mumbling a terse "Hi" as he passed Anne. His clothes and his hammer were covered in ash and sweat, which was normal... oddly normal for such a bizarre day. Perhaps nothing had happened? She resolved to ask him tomorrow, but for now she was exhausted. She checked on Seph for the last time. He was sound asleep, breathing deeply and quietly snoring, which meant that Anne was in the clear to get some shut-eye herself. Thinking about her bed made her muscles feel weary; the achiness that was staved off by adrenaline was pressing down on her all at once. She quickly got ready for bed and was soon snuggled in her blankets, forgetting entirely about the rips and tears that Seph had put into it. She closed her eyes and relaxed, her consciousness floating away on a cloud...
A rustling beside Anne's ear gradually drew her from her sleep. She became more aware of her senses as the rustling went on, but they were dimmed and foggy. She opened her groggy eyes and found herself staring at the treetops. The wind pushed the branches to and fro, the leaves whispering secrets to each other when they met. The rustling that woke Anne up was getting closer... she could hear the soft thump of the footsteps that were causing it now. She lay completely still, but even if she wanted to move she wouldn't have been able to. A strange and uncharacteristic terror had overcome her, leaving her petrified. The rustling came closer and closer, becoming louder and louder as it inched towards her right ear. She couldn't move, she couldn't scream, she could not cry for help. The unknown creature was only a foot away now. She could see its silhouette blocking out the stars that sparkled through the trees. The rustling became deafening, unbearably deafening, horribly deafening, most certainly the loudest noise she had ever heard in her life. It came within an inch of her ear, so close that she heard the earth beneath the thing's feet scream in pain whenever it took a step... and then it stopped. The forest fell silent again. There was no breathing, no motion, no sway in the night monster's silhouette to betray that it was a living thing. It stood over her immobile body for what could've been an eternity or what could've been one second. Slowly, ever so slowly, it began to raise its arm. The tree cover parted for a moment and the light of the moon revealed the monster to be a man, but because of the deep shadows on his face she could not make who it was. This frightened her, but even more frightening was the tool that the man had in his raised hand. A polished wooden shaft inserted into a wedge of machalite metal, the razor sharp edge gleaming in the moonlight. This axe was familiar to Anne... she could have sworn that she saw it every day, but her mind was clouded with terror and she couldn't remember where she had seen it before. She looked around for an escape. There was no use. Her wings and her legs were stuck in place and her tail was limp and useless. Her black fur would've been excellent camouflage if only this man hadn't seen her already.
Wings?
Tail?
'Am I dreaming right now?! What on earth is going o-' Before she could finish her thought, the axe head fell downwards at a horribly frightening speed. Anne closed her eyes and her mind fell away, downwards into a dark abyss. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. The nothingess swallowed her up, and she spiralled into blackness.
Anne woke up shivering and sweaty. Her blankets, which she was swaddled in when she drifted off, were in a heap on the floor. She desperately clutched at her neck. It was still there, with her head firmly attached. She breathed a quick sigh of relief, but her relief didn't last more than a single second. She leapt out of bed to check on Seph. Straining her eyes in the darkness, she tried to feel her way over to where he was lying down. He wasn't there. She listened to the sounds from the darkness around her, hoping to hear his soft snoring from another area of the room. All was silent. She tried to think back to the dream she just had. Forest... unmoving... man... axe. Now that she was back in her own body she realized where she had seen that axe before. It was one of her father's prized possessions- the axe was a gift from the village elder for all of his hard work. Though it was a gift, her father put it to good use, using it to gather lumber and to behead chickens when a recipe called for some. Anne burst out of the back door, still in her nightclothes. The cool air wasn't the reason she was shivering, however. Walking back from the forest with his axe in his right hand and a lamp in his left was her father. He didn't notice her watching him until he was through the garden's gate. He saw her when the flickering light from the lamp separated her from the night. He looked at her for a few seconds, but was forced to turn his gaze to the ground. He didn't want to watch his daughter cry. She had one question.
"Where's Seph?"
He looked from the ground to his axe, and then looked down at the ground again before giving his answer.
"...he's in a better place."
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Anne ~ Chapter 3
Anne stood over her bed contemplating Seph, who had become so still he looked like he was tranqed. He had calmed down no more than two minutes ago and Anne didn't know if or when he'd start his fits again. She didn't want to leave him alone for too long but she also realized that this may be the only opportunity she would get today to do some "sweeping". She used the word loosely because it was really just an excuse to people watch - or more specifically, hunter watch. Her father disapproved of Anne admiring hunters (from up close or afar), or even glancing at the wonderful armors and weapons in his shop. He refused to take her to the smithy unless the situation was dire, and he would never bring home a project lest Anne would come drool over it like a Deviljho while he wasn't looking. Robbed of most hunter viewing opportunities, Anne "swept" almost daily in an attempt to satisfy her insatiable curiosity. Unfortunately, very few foreign hunters passed by anymore. Today, however, she was on a mission; she needed to speak with any hunters she saw to find out if there had been large monsters causing trouble nearby.
'It could be a step towards finding out what happened to Seph...'
The thought of it excited her too much; she had to go immediately. She poked her head out of the doorway to her room and scanned for signs of her father lurking nearby. Everything was calm... but for how much longer? Not wanting to find out, she grabbed her broom from the corner and hurried out of the front door.
Swish swish~
The broom went to and fro, its frayed and weary head seemingly ineffective against the near spotless porch. Anne had swept this same floor for so many years that it never looked dirty anymore, except for the occasional flecks of coal dust her dad would bring in from the smithy. Luckily for Anne, this meant that her "sweeping" time wouldn't have to be filled with trivial and boring things such as actual sweeping. Instead, as she mindlessly moved the broom, she looked at all of the interesting people walk past. Despite how outdoorsy and adventure loving she was, a calm activity like people-watching held a special place in her heart after having a meeting that would change her life.
Once, when Anne was 8 or 9, she was doing some actual sweeping (as instructed by her dad) because the porch hadn't been cleaned in a Wyverian's age. The broom had a healthy head of bristles and the porch had an unhealthy amount of dirt which, no matter how hard and fast Anne swept, would not give an inch of its territory up. She swept, brushed, and cleaned as best as she could, yet there was still an unbelievable amount of dust everywhere. After a long and terrible struggle her white hair was covered in grey flecks, her small hands were aching, and she was at her wits end. In a rage, she went and found a small boulder on a nearby hill. She raised the handle of the broom directly over her new sacrificial altar, determined to destroy.
'One... two... three!'
Closing her eyes and violently swinging her arms, Anne slammed the broom down with all of her might!... only to receive resitance from above, stopping her destructive downwards descent. When she opened her eyes she found herself staring deep into a blue coloured pair of someone else's! Extremely startled, Anne fell backwards and lost hold of her sacrifice. The blonde haired stranger wasted no time, simultaneously catching the accursed broom and the lovely little girl.
"Hey, miss, are you sure you're not going to regret destroying this later? It seems like a pretty nice broom to let go to waste!" The man, Sword and Shield strapped to his side, gave Anne a knowing smile. She returned it with a confused one of her own. "Well, here you go." He continued, putting Anne down and handing the broom back to her. "I suspect you may have some cleaning to do?"
"It doesn't even work..." Anne quietly responded, looking down at the ground. "I tried and I tried and I tried mister, but this broom just doesn't work. I don't want to try again."
The hunter gave her his knowing smile again. "Oh? Show me how you use it! Maybe I can help you out."
Anne lead him down from the hill where she found her sacrificial altar and went straight back home, guiding him by the hand. When she saw the front porch again her eyes became tearful - it looked even dirtier than before. Nevertheless, she set to work, sweeping as hard as her little body could. After about 30 seconds the hunter stopped her.
"Let me give you some advice, little lady. It's not about how powerfully you sweep or how quickly you can move the broom. Most of the time it just comes down to good old fashioned patience and common sense. If you're having trouble, just look at the situation from another angle! Maybe there's more to your predicament than meets the eye. Patience and tenacity! Strength and speed! When you keep your mind and body balanced there isn't anything you can't do!"
With one last smile and a pat on the back, the hunter strolled off down the road. Anne had never seen him again. She had also never forgotten those words. By taking a few moments to consider her situation, she came up with the ingenious idea to use water and a mop instead of sticking to the tool her dad had given her. Ever since, she thought about the hunter’s advice whenever she faced an obstacle that seemed insurmountable, and she shouted the words to herself whenever she faced an obstacle that truly was. From that afternoon onwards Anne would sweep nearly every other day, looking forward to meeting another hunter that could teach her, or maybe even finding her wise friend again. Of course, sweeping every other day rendered the porch absolutely spotless, which may have been what that hunter was getting at when he told her about tenacity. She owed that man so much, and she didn't even know his name; thanks to him she was striving to live her life to the fullest.
C L A T T E R
An incredible racket snapped Anne out of her daydream. When her eyes focused she found herself looking at two armored people on the road right in front of her house, one picking his longsword up off of the floor and the other stooping down to help him, both of them laughing slightly at the man's clumsiness. With a start she remembered her reason for "sweeping" today. She glanced warily around, checking if her Rathalos was getting ready to swoop down on her.
‘Porch? Clear. Windows? Clear. Surrounding area? Clear.’
Anne's heart started to pound in her chest. After such a long while, it was time to talk to some hunters.
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Anne ~ Chapter 10
Anne’s Travel Journal - Day 3
Good morning, journal! At least I think it's morning. My body clock is telling me that it is, but it's not easy to tell the actual time from inside of a cave. I didn't realize it last night, because it was dark out, but natural light is almost nonexistent in here. The lamps are the only source of light until you reach the Crossing’s entry room. I slept like a rock, which is probably a side effect of sleeping in a cave. Now that I'm refreshed, I'm can be a lot more observant than I was last night. The walls of this room have lots of scratches and smooth patches in it, meaning that it was probably dug out by a burrowing monster instead of created naturally. I paced the room to measure it; it's about 18 paces long and 15 paces wide. The ceiling is domed and the walls gently curve outwards. The floor is entirely flat, but I guess that's because of Mr. and Mrs. Slater and not because of the original inhabitant. In fact, looking closer, the stone patches in the floor are a different color than the stone that makes up the walls and ceiling. Kinda neat. I'm too hungry to spend any more time in here though; I can smell breakfast from through the air slits and I'm hungrier than a Deviljho. I need to consume.
It turns out that Aptonoth is actually very good eating. Breakfast was steaming Aptonoth steak, some delicious Aptonoth cheese, and fresh brown bread with Nulberry jam. The bread reminded me a lot of Ethan and his mom. I hope they're doing okay. I ate with Dawn and the carriage driver, whose name is Adam. Dawn didn't have much to say so I'm guessing she's not much of a morning person. I'm filing that information away in the Operation Roommate Dawn drawer in my head. Adam had enough to say about today's plans, so we never had any awkward silences. Today's agenda looks like this: we get in the carriage, go down the other side of this mountain range, go through a forest, go up and down some hills, and then arrive at Maerinia. How exciting! We're only a hop, a skip, and a jump away from our goals. I wonder if that's how a Tetsucabra feels when it’s fighting a hunter. We're making a calculated jump, but even a calculated jump can turn into a blind leap if you lose sight of the ground. That means that if I keep my eyes on my goal, my leap towards my dreams won't fail!...maybe that analogy is too complicated. I still need to pack all of my things though, so I will write again after I take care of that.
I'm writing from the carriage now. After I got all of my things together there was no time to write, because Adam knocked on my door to tell me that we were leaving. We said goodbye and thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Slater, got in the carriage, and now we're headed down the mountain on a path that looks about identical to the one that we came up yesterday. There's not much to see or write about, so I'll talk to Dawn instead and come back when there's something interesting happening.
We are officially off of the mountain. It was the most boring part of this trip so far... all we saw was gray rocks and gray boulders and gray gravel. Dawn became a little more talkative as the morning went on. We are in a much more familiar area to both of us now - a forest. We're still riding downwards on a slope, but the slope is gradually becoming flatter as we roll along. It's nice to see birds again, after being stuck in those dull mountains for so long. Dawn brightened up too, and I've already learned the names of at least eight different birds since we entered this forest. We also saw a Mosswine and some Kelbi, which brings back memories of home. Luckily I'm way too excited for what's coming to be homesick. As we travel through the forest I'm getting peeks of sparkling blue through the trees - the ocean is close! I'm excited to feel the breeze on my face and smell the sea air. I would ask Dawn how she feels about the ocean but it looks like she's distracted right now... oh, apparently she saw something in the trees that she wants to investigate. What could it be?
We stopped for a second to check it out, but we're back on the trail again. Dawn claimed that she saw a small Flying Wyvern sneaking between the trees, and when we went to the spot where she saw it we found a fresh footprint! The monster was nowhere to be found, but it's still exciting. The only Flying Wyvern I've ever seen in real life is Seph, and I'm looking forward to seeing all the different body types and hunting styles! Nargacuga has a very different body structure compared to most Flying Wyverns, according to Dawn. Nargacuga has a similar build to the Tigrex, and is very different to Rathalos. I've heard stories of the fearsome Tigrex, with its blue and orange coloring and its habit of reckless charging, but I never really tried to imagine what one looks like! I'm trying to imagine a blue and orange Nargacuga right now, and I can't help laughing when I put that image in my head. I told Dawn what I was thinking about and I got her to smile, which is the most you can really get out of her as far as happiness is concerned. It looks like the trees are thinning out. I think we're near coming up to the edge of the forest! I can see a big blue expanse between the gaps in the trees. I'm going to have to stop writing as we leave the forest to take in the v
It was so breath-taking that I lost track of what I was writing. As soon as we got past the tree line, I saw the most beautiful view I've ever seen. The ocean. In all of its sparkling glory, the ocean stretched away as far as my eyes could see. The beach is still kind of far away, but from the top of this first hill we could see everything. Adam says that Maerinia will come into view soon. The last time my heart was beating this fast I was talking to Max and Aac. That city is the beginning of my new life, and Dawn's too! All we have to do is go down this hill, up and down another, enter the city, and then the next chapter of my life can officially begin! Speaking of these hills though, it's very interestingly populated. There are lots of Aptonoth, like in the fields before the mountain path, but there are also a good number of Jaggi, along with some monsters that look like thicker versions of Jaggi. I'll have to consult with Dawn about those. Because we first saw Jaggi in a rocky, mountainous area, it’s kinda weird seeing Jaggi living in this environment as well. Maybe this could just be their hunting grounds, because I don't see any dens nearby. The Aptonoth are on guard, and I'm not sure that a Jaggi can survive being rammed by that huge horn. I hope we get to watch a hunt.
Dawn says that the thick Jaggi are called Jaggia and that they are the female counterpart to Jaggi. They usually guard nests and dens but for some reason they are out in the field with the Jaggi today. Dawn guesses that they're moving location because they were kicked out by a rival pack. That makes sense to me, but I didn't see any signs of pack battles anywhere when we were on the mountain. The Jaggi are all in formation now, and they're circled around an Aptonoth that looks injured. It can’t walk or run, so it's just lying on the grass with its tail in a defensive position... oh no! The pack is closing in. I think this is the end for that Aptonoth.
It was over quickly. The first Jaggi jumped on the Aptonoths back, and then I had to look away. Something about watching that Aptonoth die didn't sit well with me, even after I said I wanted to watch a hunt. Now all of the Jaggi are happy and full though. It's the cruel circle of life. Adam says that in the next few minutes Maerinia should show up on our left. I can hardly wait! I can tell that Dawn is excited too - instead of reading her book she is looking for the city walls. I think I'll join her.
It's beautiful... absolutely gorgeous. We went over a hill and suddenly the Sapphire Port came into view. I caught my breath when I saw it; the seaside city is a mosaic of both white stone and tan brick houses, with roofs in every shade of blue. The roads are paved in cobbled stone ranging the same colors as the houses themselves. Seagulls float lazily on the breeze from the ocean and soar gently above the city itself, and the air smells like salt and adventure. I'm writing this as we're stopped at the city gates, waiting for entry. I’m sure none of us are carrying anything illegal, so this should be a quick and easy check. They're telling me to put away my journal though, so this paragraph is going to be cut short.
Like I said, a quick and easy check. We got inspected without trouble, and now they’re opening the heavy iron gate. Going through this gate feels like a rebirth. The carriage stop is right next to the main gate, so our ride is just about done. This is a travel journal, and the travel is over, for now, so I have to end this entry now, even though it’s the middle of the day. For now, I'm just excited to be here at my new home, with a new friend and a lot of stuff to get done.
- Anne
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Anne ~ Chapter 4
Anne calmly stepped off of the porch, walking meaningfully towards the hunters while giving off a distinct nonchalant air, as if she was only mildy interested in their presence. In actuality, her heart was beating faster than it ever had before and her breathing was irregular and quick. As she sauntered towards them the hunters looked at her in mild concern, with just a hint of what looked like amusement on their faces. The female hunter tactfully prevented an awkward silence and spoke first, a little smile playing on her lips.
"Hey there! Is something wrong?" she asked, noticing Anne's odd physical state. This hunter had pretty amber eyes and her headwear, a piece of gear Anne had never seen before, gave her two interesting brown ears and some soft white hair. The most odd thing was that her armor seemed to consist of thick white winter clothing, which sounded like torture on a hot summer day like this one. Her expression was still one of bemusement and Anne couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she had missed.
"Y-yeah, I'm just... great... doing fine!" Anne replied, still trying to maintain a level head. As soon as the female hunter made eye contact with Anne, Anne's ears turned bright red. Both of these hunters looked around the same age as Anne but the fact that they were already hunters... she was envious, amazed, flustered, and totally at a loss for words all at the same time. She busied herself by kneeling down and picking up some smaller things that the male hunter had dropped from his pouch. She had never seen some of these objects - knives coated in a yellow substance, some black powder that smelled like plants, a... very hard, very dead yellow fish? Anne could explore this bag of wonders for ages but she had to focus. There was a conversation to keep up and information to be found. "Why do you ask?" she continued, curious about why this hunter thought there was an issue.
"Well, you saw Max drop something and then ran towards us at top speed with that broom in your hand! You're sweating, your breathing is ragged, and you're holding that broom so tightly that your knuckles are white! Are you sure you're alright?" The female hunter's small smile widened into a grin as she watched Anne's expression change from one of excitement to one of horror and embarassment as she realized what had happened. Anne handed the strange items over to the hunter called Max, who responded with a kind "thank you", and she quickly stood up, brushing herself off and attempting to regain her compsure.
"W-well, I just have a couple of things that I need to know, and... I was hoping you could help me! You are hunters, right?"
"We sure are!" Max now stood up, having gotten his stuff back in order. He was wearing a white set of armor that looked rather traditional, matching the traditionality of his weapon of choice. He had light pink hair and striking magenta eyes which seemed to scan Anne up and down, assessing her as he spoke. The blood from her ears travelled to her face, and she felt her cheeks burning brightly despite her attempts to become calm. Max didn't notice, and continued speaking - "We've been travelling around for a while now, looking for a certain monster. Have you seen anything big, scaly, and extremely murderous recently?" He said this like a joke, but Anne was too flustered to even crack a smile.
'Focus, Seph is counting on you. You have an opportunity to talk to hunters while dad isn't around. Time to make the most of it!' said a small voice in her mind, and she forced words to come from her mouth.
"My name is Anne Aerwyna, and I'm a future hunter! A-actually, I'm looking for a monster myself! Well... not really looking for one... it's more like I just want to know if there is a big, angry one nearby. Earlier, I was walking in the forest to the east...” (at this both of the hunters perked up) “...by myself like I usually do when I went in a clearing that I didn’t usually visit. There was something weird in the grass so I went up to it and..." she faltered, considering the consequences of what she was about to say. "Y-you can't tell anyone in the village, okay? It's really important that nobody finds out about this. I found... an injured baby Nargacuga. It has slashes all over its back and its tail and no other Nargacuga were around, only one set of small tracks that led to the clearing. I took him in and helped him and now I really want to know what’s going on. S-so...uh.. I guess what I'm trying to ask is have you seen anything big, scaly, and extremely murderous recently?"
Max and his companion were on full alert now. "Well, we were tracking down a monster that reportedly has long claws and a longer mean streak. It shouldn't be so close to this village though; it was deep inside the forest when we were last in pursuit... what made it come this way?" Max glanced in the direction of the forest, then at the female hunter. "Hey, we don't have time to waste taking walks anymore. This village and all of the neighbouring villages could be in serious trouble if we don't make our move." He turned his attention to Anne one more time. "Well, thanks for the information Anne! Maybe next time we see you we can have a longer chat, but for right now we've got to go. See you later!" Both hunters took off jogging down the dirt road, leaving Anne standing alone, dumbfounded as to what just happened. The last thing she heard as they took off was Max saying "This is all your fault Aac. We just had to stop in the village and check out the bakery instea..." His voice faded out as they grew further away. Judging by Aac's reaction, she did not like something that he said.
Anne shook herself out of her stupor and turned back towards the house, cursing her ineptitude when it came to talking to new faces. When she was younger she could have a conversation with anyone and everyone, but as she grew older and spent more time in the forest she lost that ability, only really opening up to the village elders, villagers, and the few local hunters that she was used to. The problem never had many opportunities to manifest itself before now because she hadn't seen many foreign hunters around this village up until recently, and she hadn't gotten to talk to a single one until Max and Aac arrived. Anne decided to put "Talk to strangers" on her mental list of things to improve about herself. She dumped her broom, which she forgot she was clutching the whole time, on the porch and opened the door to her house. As soon as she did, a huge clump of feathers blew past her face and out into the dirt path behind her, scattering in the wind. She peered through the doorway and saw nothing but a whirlwind of plumage, although she could hear muffled growls and fabric ripping. She sighed, took a deep breath, and entered feather hell.
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Anne ~ Chapter 9
Anne’s Travel Journal - Day 2
I’m feeling a little more confident writing than I was yesterday because this turned out to be really fun! I think this will make a valuable memoir when I'm older, so I’m going to write in here often. I’m well rested and ready for travel! Last night was very relaxed - I slept in an inn that was next to the carriage stop. When I left the village it never occurred to me that the carriage driver would need breaks too. I kinda thought that I was going to be in that wagon for three days straight without stopping. How I believed that, I don’t know. Of course, the driver is human and needs to rest too! I know so little about traveling that even common sense failed me. At least I learned something from this experience. Breakfast was Mosswine ham and fried Gargwa eggs, cooked almost perfectly. Good for my stomach, but bad for my wallet. I need to be sure to ration zenny until I can get a job, or I won’t be able to eat. What a scary thought! It’s exciting though, being on my own like this. Worrying about everything I never had to worry about before is stressful, but at the same time it’s freeing to make every decision for myself. It’s a tradeoff that I’m willing to make. I said I was on my own just now, but that’s not exactly true. After breakfast, I set out in the carriage again, but this time a girl is riding with me. We haven’t gotten to talk much (we've only been riding for about thirty minutes) but I should get to know her better because we’re going to be in here together for a long time. Three days doesn’t seem like much but, as I learned from the first day, when you're crossing a big distance even a day feels like it lasts forever. Ok, I think I gathered enough courage to introduce myself. Good luck, me.
Her name is Dawn, and she comes from a village not too far from mine. She’s traveling down to Maerinia to join the Hunter’s Guild, just like me! That’s where the similarities between us end though. I’m more of an outdoor person, but Dawn enjoys reading and writing more than exploring. Even our appearances are near opposites. She has dark blue shoulder-length hair, and behind her oval-shaped glasses are a pair of dark green eyes. She’s wearing a frilly white buttoned shirt, a plain navy skirt with white stockings and a pair of flat black mary janes. It's a cute outfit but it's so... scholarly. I prefer something simple that I can explore in, even though for this trip I’m wearing a skirt. Dawn is a little shorter than I am, and she's really quiet. It took a little annoying small talk to get her to really talk to me, but when she stopped hiding in her book she was pretty talkative. She told me all about her village. I was surprised to hear about how different it was from mine! Her village barely had any hunters coming through, because it didn't have a smithy. Instead, it has a large library that attracted scholars and guild ladies. That library is how Dawn got into reading, and also where she met the guild girls who influenced her life goals. She used to want to work at the library, but after hearing stories from the guild girls she decided that she wants to be one herself! Maybe we can end up working together someday? I think that would be really cool. Dawn is taking a nap right now so I'm just admiring the scenery. The Aptonoth are up and about now that it’s daylight, and the way they move around in herds and take care of their young is really cute. There was one Aptonoth who looked really agitated until a bunch of other Aptonoth came to help out. It was like they were a big family! Seeing animals behave like that makes me think... emotions are pretty universal, aren't they? I can sorta understand what’s going on with these Aptonoth, and it was the same way with Seph. Everything feels and everything understands feels! That’s my take on it, anyway. Oh, Dawn is awake. I’ll be back! Why do I tell a book that I’ll be back? It just feels natural maybe.
We talked for a long time about the scenery and what we will do when we get to Maerinia. I told her that I plan on finding a place to live in that is (hopefully) nearby to the Guild and to the ocean. She said that she was going to do the same thing. I could learn a lot from her, so I have a plan... after we get off of this carriage at Maerinia I’m initiating Operation Roommate Dawn. Writing this now I realize that for some reason I didn’t have too much trouble first talking to her, unlike with Max and Aac. I don't know what it is about her, but it’s easier somehow. She’s knowledgeable about all sorts of stuff. I learned from her that Aptonoth are a staple food source around this area instead of Gargwa and Mosswine, which is what everyone in our villages usually ate. I bet Aptonoth meat would be good but it’s also sad to think about the Aptonoth in these fields as dinner. People need to eat, I guess. Oh no, Dawn just asked what I was writing about. She can never know the plan.
I panicked and stopped writing for a bit to change the subject. Then lunch time came and after lunch, I got distracted. I was eating a sandwich and talking to Dawn when all of a sudden I realized that we weren’t in the fields anymore. We left them behind and were starting up a rocky uphill path towards the mountains that were crawling closer. It’s interesting how everything can change in just a few minutes. The Aptonoth, the long waving blades of grass, and the feeling of peacefulness were all gone. This rough path felt tough and gritty. Something to be survived instead of enjoyed. Daunting. Thankfully Dawn is around to tell me about the rock formations and monster tracks on the ground otherwise I would have been a lot more intimidated. The monsters living around this area are called “Rhenoplos” and “Jaggi”. We didn’t see any Rhenoplos, which Dawn described as Bullfango but with hard shells and bad eyes. Apparently their hearing is fantastic because of their giant ears. We did see some Jaggi though. They were angry looking purple and brown creatures, with a body style known as “bird wyvern". They were clearly carnivores, I could tell by their sharp teeth and claws. They were just hanging around a den, not doing much. A few of them perked up as the wagon passed by, but I guess they decided that we weren’t worth it. The Gargwa got spooked though, and we made good time up the rocky path because they picked up the pace. Now, a few hours after starting up the ascent, we’re in a pass between the mountains and the sun is going down. It’s getting really dark really quickly because of all the cover around us. There’s no carriage stop in these mountains but there is a cave system that's frequented by travelers of this route. The carriage driver told us that someone made the cave system into an inn of sorts and that we’re going to rest there. The idea of an inn in a cave is very homey to me. Stone walls warmly lit by orange lanterns, breakfasts on rocky tables, prehistoric and modern aesthetic all rolled into one cozy place. I'm really excited now! I think I see lamplight coming from up ahead. Yes, it’s the inn. I’ll end this entry once I'm settled in.
The inn is called ‘The Cave Crossing’ and it’s run by a nice old couple called Mr. and Mrs. Slater. I bought a single room for myself, and Dawn and the carriage driver got singles for themselves as well. The room is kind of small but it feels cozy instead of claustrophobic. The beds are clean and there are thin slits above the door to allow ventilation throughout the cave. Everything is like I imagined - for example, there’s a stone desk that I'm writing on right now and there are stone alcoves to put my things in, in place of a closet and drawers. It's getting late and I want to be well rested for when we get out of these mountains tomorrow. I can't wait to see what’s on the other side! Tomorrow should be the last day of traveling. I’m more than halfway through my first journey into the unknown and I couldn’t be happier. I think that’s a nice note to end off the day with.
-Anne
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Anne ~ Chapter 2
Anne didn't stop to answer her father. Moving quickly past him she went straight for her Herb cabinet, focused solely on the treatment of her little charge. The cabinet, a roughly hewn Yukumo wood box hanging on her wall, was always neatly stocked with assorted plants and mushrooms just in case anyone around the village was injured. She had learned the art of using plants as medicine at a very early age from the elderly ladies around the village, having gotten bruises and scrapes from her "adventures" in the forest all too often as a child. Anne hurriedly grabbed a handful of Herbs and a Blue Mushroom, depositing them in a mortar that she also kept inside the cabinet. A brisk crushing of ingredients with the pestle followed by a bit of water from her hip flask yielded a lovely bright green mixture. All the while her dad was watching in shock, seemingly too stunned to move. As she poured the potion onto a cloth and applied it onto the Nargacuga's back, he mentally placed the same cloth on his brain and recovered his voice.
"What in the world do you think you're doing?!?" He tried putting on his sternest possible tone, which his gruff voice could carry extremely well. "That's a monster, not some Felyne or Poogie! It could kill you! If its mother was anywhere nearby, SHE could have killed you! Do you have any common sense left? You have to get rid of that thing immediately before it tears up this house or its parents come looking for it. Are you listening to me?!?"
She wasn't.
"Anne I swear if you don't get rid of that thing I will." He continued, acutely aware he was being ignored. "I have to look out for you, the rest of the community, and myself. I don't exactly want to die in my sleep and I'm sure none of the neighbours want to either. I'm putting my foot down."
Upon hearing this Anne turned her worried face towards her father. "I'll let it go. After it heals. There's no way I can let an injured animal out on its own and you know that."
She had heard stories from hunters about Rathalos and how they would become enraged after a while, huffing steam and fire. She had never seen a live Rathalos in her life but she was certain that when she did it would look exactly like her dad did right now. His face was nearly as red as one and she could almost imagine flames boiling in his throat, ready to consume her at any moment. However, much like the hunters who told her the stories, she stood firm for what she believed in and held his gaze.
"Don't say I didn't warn you..." He threatened ominously as he headed towards the front door. Anne's heart stopped for a second. Her father wasn't one to go against his word. Her house would become an arena, and she didn't have a fence gate to seperate this Nargacuga and her father.
'I just have to keep my eye on this little guy until he's alright. I give it a couple of days at most.'
The Nargacuga, curled up in Anne's bed, had drifted off into a fitful sleep when she wasn't paying attention. She now had some free time to herself before she had to deal with what inevitably came next - lots of conflict and grief, both from this Nargacuga and her personal Rathalos. She spent the first five minutes of what she presumed would be a short lived peace thinking of something to call the Nargacuga. She held her chin and tilted her head, struggling to come up with anything fitting.
‘Nargy? Cugy? Maybe.. Cat...bert. No, that just doesn’t sound right. What kinda name is Catbert anyway?’
While she deliberated, the Nargacuga wrinkled its nose and sneezed in its sleep. The sound was so unique that a name hit her then and there. She spent the next few minutes examing the restless behavior of her little sleeping Seph. His eyes were moving rapidly behind their eyelids, presumably reliving the recent trauma he had just been through. His tail thrashed and, although he was a young Nargacuga, small spikes were visible, tearing up the blanket. His claws, fully extended, were making little rifts in her sheets as its arms moved this way and that. The cuts almost mirrored the ones in Seph's back, an irony hiding a sad truth; even the ones being killed can be killers too.
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