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MH:23 'Dondruma'

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  The convoy approached the gates of Dondruma, though it was still a few miles out the tension was building. It had been a while since Berren and Sigmund had fought off the triple Plesioth and the hunters were all, naturally, begging for a fight. Nerrin completely understood – most had been crammed in their coaches for the journey, where they could do nothing. Now was their chance though, they each knew the risks. Nerrin had sent scouts out the night before (only Berren and Sigmund could be trusted not to divert of their objective) and he was now determining who would face what in the days hunts so that they could move into the town by night. As planned most hunters would take out the monsters surrounding the gates while some would fight just inside and two of the groups would concentrate on the main objective. Jerrenost and Artal were to head to the main bridge, a primary objective, and take it so as to protect their position. Nerrin, Berren and Sigmund were heading to the guild and tavern by it so to get proper accommodation and food other than what they had then. The day after they could fortify their position and move out from the guild to cover the whole of Dondruma, though it would be a long campaign to finish. Most hunters would be tasked with simple hunts, Congalala's, Gypceros and the like. There was also a Rathian around which Nerrin had given responsibility of hunting to the brother and sister hunting duo; Arezzo and Lornin Shion-Sang. The hunters moved in to the gates, bit by bit the hunters separated off from the main pack to hunt down their individual targets. When they neared the gates only Arrezo, Lornin, Nerrin, Jerrenost, Artal, Berren and Sigmund remained as the pack. Knowing the Rathian was somewhere to the west of their position the brother and sister turned off wishing the others luck and began to walk. They aimed to go parallel with the walls of the town until they found it, then battle it to the death. They soon came up against the huge city walls, Dondruma was part of the Minegarde protection plan during the tribal wars of the desert clans and thus its walls were amongst the biggest in all Minegarde. They were certainly daunting enough to keep any attacker out but the reason the hunters were there was to clear out the wyverns. Wyverns didn't care about walls, they just flew straight over without noticing. To the other side of them the two hunters had about two hundred feet of empty space, usually used for harvesting crops, before Dondruma forest began and then after that the swamp. They'd walked through the swamp to get to Dondruma, they hadn't liked the experience. Some of it was because they knew their mission was about to began, nerves, but there was more than just that. It was like they were being watched by something, though no-one could say what or where it was that their watcher was. They kept moving, searching for the Rathian, all around them though was deadly quite. Not even the usual herbivorous aptonoth were around, it was, to their standards, too quiet. They kept their eyes open, watching out for any sort of movement. One hundred feet and nothing, two hundred, still nothing, not even birds singing in the air. Suddenly from the forest came a great roar of anger. The two looked to the side, fearing an ambush, they had been lucky. The Rathian had not noticed them for Rathian it was, and Lornin later swore it was the biggest Rathian she had seen in her life. Its' green scales camouflaged it perfectly as it ran through the forest undergrowth. It was aiming for a small pack of velociprey up ahead. The velociprey clearly were led by a drome who was screeching its orders out. There were no more than four in total and the Rathian charged into them full force, it had uprooted three trees on its charge and ploughed into the velociprey sending two flying, the third neatly avoiding. Arezzo and Lornin set off immediately, not to help the velociprey but to complete their hunt. One of the velociprey was wounded, the other dead. The wounded one got up and moved into attack position, only to backhanded by the Rathian's claw knocking it back, this time killing for sure. The other prey, still alive, screamed, the Rathian turned and roared its great roar right at the velociprey, it quivered, scared, and ran. Using its fiery breath to send a fireball after it the velociprey was soon a charred body unrecognisable for what it was. Arezzo and Lornin were still fifty feet away from the combat as the huge wyvern turned to face the drome. The drome, more by luck than anything else, avoided being clawed by the best and jumped in to attack, doing only enough damage to it to fell a young Kelbi the attack was more than pointless. The Rathian backhanded the drome into the forests' depths just before Arezzo and Lornin came up from behind and landed attacks onto the body. Both the hunter and huntress wore high rank Ceanataur armour, Arezzo wielding a carbalite greatsword, his sister a hard to come by a Tigrex tooth longsword. The Rathian turned, a fireball being let loose, separating the two apart. Knowing that the velocidrome was still behind it swung its tail, catching it in its chest winding the raptor like creature. It sent another fireball, this one aimed at Arezzo who rolled forward and swept his blade into the beasts guts before bringing the blade back to charge it up for a more powerful attack. Lornin, taking this opportunity to attack, dived straight in and got two hits in against the wyverns overlarge claw. Before anything else could happen the Rathian hip checked into Arezzo stopping him from letting loose is devastating attack. Lornin attacked for a third on the beasts claw and cut off the biggest, most important, one making the Rathian retaliate. It swung for her hitting her straight on sending her into the grass on the floor, the Rathian's arm still went however and, in the middle of its essentially pitiful attack, with its sharp claw fragments, sliced through the velocidrome's neck. The velocidrome staggered once before its wound overwhelmed it and brought it crashing to the ground, dead. Arezzo noticed this as he was just getting up and a common thought came to his head 'It's the survival of the fittest out here' he subconsciously said before moving into a combination of attacks ripping into the other claw and steadily getting further away from Lornin so that she could flank the wyvern for greater result in combat. Though this gave her the advantage it put Arezzo in the direct line of attack from the Rathian. She planned to keep him out of trouble though and brought her longsword down on the flying wyvern's long tail. It wasn't enough to seriously damage or cut off the tail but the attack left its mark, with scales broken and a few claws hacked off she attacked it again. This attack on the wyvern left an inch deep wound in the thick skin. She wasn't however allowed to attack again as the Rathian turned on the spot swinging its poisonous claws at her. She only just had enough time to duck out of the way, but that still left her in plain view of the wyvern. The wyvern, clearly dominant in this position of combat, stood above her and roared its anger at her, it went to crush her with its huge claw. Fortunately for her she still had the strength to roll to one side but she was vulnerable to attack. The Rathian, angered that it had not killed its target went to attack again, this time to bite at her. This time Lornin couldn't move at all, she was saved by luck. Arezzo, knowing that attacking the beasts tail wouldn't help his sister he'd moved round to its front and, as it went to bite, struck it with his huge weapon. He aimed for the Rathian's neck but slightly missed, hitting the thick shell of the beast,  the concentration of pure carbalite in his weapon weakening the wyvern significantly enough to hold off its attack. Taking the opportunity Lornin immediately got up off the ground to fight the beast. The beast however was enraged, more than it had ever been, and sidestepped with all its might into Arezzo knocking him down. It went to bite him, and would've bit into his armour for a swift death, but Arezzo (with incredible strength) dropped his weapon and held off the beasts mouth with his bare hands. A risky move, but one that had to be done, it was something that hunters regularly were forced to, but they didn't expect what was to happen next. The Rathian conjured up its hottest, most deadliest fireballs that it could muster and sent it directly into Arrezo. His armour couldn't take it and he was sent flying into a tree over twenty feet away, the fire still burning he was in agony. Lornin entered a bloodlust, something only natural for her 'an eye for an eye' almost. She attacked once but her weapon bounced straight off leaving her out in the open, she attacked again but found she was too far away, the bloodlust was making her vision just slightly blurry. She was knocked to the ground and could've resigned herself to death then and there. But from somewhere a rock hit the Rathian's face. Looking over Arezzo was up, though he wouldn't last long 'always a fighter to the very end'. A single tear fell down her cheek, there was nothing that could be done now. Arezzo thrust with his greatsword into the wyverns tough torso bringing about a one foot wound taking up most of his remaining strength which was fast going. A single hit from the claw was all it took to bring him down, staggering however he got up. This stunned the huge wyvern as he pulled out his side arm and thrust it into the Rathian's guts with his left hand. Having to hold on to the blade for strength he survived another blow. Now signs of poison were beginning to show in his movements, though it changed nothing he was as good as dead anyway. Taking hold again of his greatsword with his right hand he pushed with everything he had, leaving nothing behind, to sever the Rathian's internal organs. Somewhere inside it the Rathian choked on its blood, it panicked and battered Arezzo once more at the same time loosening the blade from it. This only caused its blood to seep out from its body. It looked up once more and fell. Arezzo however did not have the pleasure of seeing this, he was already dead - the wounds being too much for him to handle. Lornin knelt over her brothers body and began to cry.
*
Together the company leaders arrived at the gates of Dondruma. It had been ten minutes since they'd had any communication with the other hunters, leaving Lornin and Arezzo. Not knowing what was happening they moved forwards. As Berren and Sigmund had reported the gates to Dondruma were open, smashed open by some wyvern or another. Something wasn't right. Nerrin stopped them all so that he could go on himself, alone. He got as far three steps before he was attacked, a wolf like creature coming out of nowhere. He held it off with his side-arm, which was the first weapon he came across, and killed it. Behind them was a roar, they turned. Before them was the primitive species of wolf known as the Orugaron. Led by the pack leaders Kamu and Nono (Kamu being male and Nono female). A further twenty odd pack Orugaron were circling around their leaders waiting for the order to attack. Orugaron are territorial, highly aggressive, creatures which didn't give the hunters much time to do anything. Jerrenost however took control of the situation having fought many on his way to San Calluca when tracking the assassin. 'Nerrin, take Berren and Sigmund and get to the guild remnants, me and Artal can deal with this' Artal nodded in favour of this and though Nerrin protested had Berren and Sigmund against him, the guild was their primary objective, so what if Jerrenost got an extra fight before he got to the bridge. Jerrenost and Artal blocked the way through the destroyed gates so that the three couldn't be followed as they left for the guild. 'I'll see you there Jerrenost' Nerrin said before leaving 'You can count on it' was his answer with one of Jerrenost's childish grins. On the plain the Kamu Orugaron roared its roar sending the pack in to attack. Artal had time to count to count them before however, eighteen in total not including the Kamu and Nono. Seven charged forward with immense speed to swarm around Artal but Jerrenost was there for his friend and speared one through the body with his sword blade of the slash-axe. As was their preferred armour and weapons they were both using the same equipment as when they'd fought the shogun Ceanataur. Jerrenost in his Monodevil 'U' armour and high power Rathalos slash-axe, Artal with his wyvern blade 'maple' which had now mysteriously been upgraded to a wyvern blade 'silver' using rare silver Rathalos materials. This said Jerrenost had recalled seeing some silver Rathalos materials on sale in the winter festival though he could not for the life of him remember where. Carrying on with the battle Jerrenost switched to his axe blade and, upon hip turning into it, sliced through an oncoming Orugaron. Hip turning once again back to where he originally was he killed another attack before having to step back from an attack and switch to his blade edge to kill another Orugaron. Artal had killed three by this point also, the first a clean strike through the body, kills two and three not so clean but still just as effective, strikes severing the arteries of one and chopping the limbs of the other. Seven of the eighteen dead at this point another five were charging forward, a final wave of six Orugaron not too far behind. Of the five two were headed towards Jerrenost and the other three for Artal. both hunters were ready, Artal cutting down one of his three which had sprinted ahead, Jerrenost waiting until his attackers were both on top of him before ploughing into them with all his strength. Only being able to catch one with his axe-head he 'cloths-lined' the second with the big handle sending it to the ground where he could easily finish it off with a single bone crunching strike to the head splitting it in half with his huge weapon. Artal had speared an Orugaron through the heart before it had even reached him and was now lining up his attack to take down the second. He noticed Jerrenost sheathing his slash-axe in favour of his side arm. Wondering why he looked at the Orugaron pack, all six of the final wave were bearing down on him, the Kamu Orugaron slowly nearing the battlefield to enter combat soon, his huge weapon would be no use against that number of opponents. Jerrenost was walking out to meet the final six as Artal was dispatching his last opponent with a blow to the head, he wasn't going for accuracy with his side arm, just to get the job done. He sliced a lone attacker down before the, now five, Orugaron met him. He slashed one way, bringing an Orugaron down, then again in the other direction felling another. Turning he caught a third off guard with a perfect strike to the neck. One of the two remaining Orugaron's lunged for him, Jerrenost stepped back so he had the time to catch it in mid-air which he did, piercing its arteries with deadly precision, before chucking it in the path of the last Orugaron who avoided it and turned to run, completely forgetting about the Nono Orugaron who charged into it battering it to its death for deserting its pack. This gave Jerrenost time to equip his slash-axe, looking round he noticed that Artal had caught the Kamu Orugaron's attention by throwing a rock at it he was now engaged in combat close to the gate remnants.
*
Inside the walls of Dondruma Nerrin, Berren and Sigmund had made good progress through the streets having been forced to cut down multiple bullfango's and a pack of velociprey, almost all having battle scars of some sort. Unfortunately however Dondruma was a wreck and that meant you didn't know where the next may be coming from as something may jump at you from out of a window or something. Nerrin had noticed that the Dondruma arena district was overrun and dominated by two large Rajang, presumably from the arena's holding cells. Rajang being some of the strongest pelagus in all Minegarde he planned to get Arezzo and Lornin (being the next strongest after Berren and Sigmund) to deal with it while everyone else was fighting for control of part of the city. Berren was uncomfortable in the ruins of an old clock tower, as if he seemed to think there was something else there though no-one could see anything. They moved forward, though slowly at his request. Working their way through the greatest part of the rubble they were forced to face down more velociprey than ever before. They just seemed coming, the hunters killing their attackers in all directions. Yet though they had each slain a large number of the creatures there were more dead, uncounted for, than they'd killed. No-one had seen anything but it was certainly weird to have more kills than should be. Sigmund was beginning to get tense at this not being able to see a potential enemy. He had his weapon unsheathed, a challenge to any monster to face him in combat. They continued though, yet more nervous than before, maybe it was just the mission getting to them. Swearing he heard a rock fall Sigmund, who was a fair way behind the others, turned to throw a sonic bomb and stun whatever it was behind. Nothing. The three watched intently at the buildings around hoping to see something, still nothing. They turned to carry on but before they got anywhere Sigmund roared out in pain. Turning hastily they saw roll out of an attack from what looked like a walking tree which speedily became invisible. Sigmund got to Berren and the guildmaster and turned to face whatever it was. From nowhere the creature appeared and roared, it couldn't have got that far,  they would've surely seen it do so. Within a blink of an eye it vanished again 'RUN' Berren shouted. The three hunters turned and ran, they could not see their attacker, they had to get away and plan a battle against it (and find out what it was). They turned a corner to see in front of them the great bridge of Dondruma and behind that the guild, still standing to an extent it would shield them from their pursuer who was still some unknown distance behind. Encumbered by his armour Sigmund was falling behind and was bowled over by the beast from nowhere, which seemed massive. Sigmund knew better than to fight it and got up to run. No one what it was but the creature let out a green gas which caught Sigmund and brought him down, he tried to get up but could not, the gas had sapped his strength. What he had left was leaving him now as Berren and Nerrin got to the guild and opened up the doors so as to enter. The turned to look where Sigmund was and saw him crawling to the door hope amongst hope that he would not be preyed upon by whatever it was coming after them. The creature emerged once again, right in front of him, the hunters were amazed. It was a Chameleos, an elder dragon thought only to be a legend, a myth. They were wrong and it was real, a troubling thought. In the legends of the beast it could merge into any background, becoming 'invisible' as it were. Supposed to have slain many hunters seeking it out it had no trouble putting another to rest. Nerrin knew there was nothing he could do for his friend, both he and Berren knew Sigmund would not make it. They could not bear to watch as Sigmund was killed with a clean cut through the body and thus closed the huge guild doors. He would be avenged, Nerrin swore a hunter's oath to make sure of that himself.
*
Jerrenost was working hard in his battle against the Orugaron. Beside him Artal had gotten into of rhythm with his katana and was causing as much damage as he could on his Orugaron. This said the Orugaron's themselves were fast enough that most attacks never made it to their chosen destination. Jerrenost had made one good attack with his axe edge cutting into the wolf-like beast, it had backed off then but was still a long way away from going down. All around them the two hunters had seen velociprey gather as a tribe from someplace unknown and were beginning to get in the way. As one came up behind Artal he had to divert from his battle to put a blade through its heart, annoyingly giving the Orugaron time to attack him. Jerrenost fortunately was watching his friend closely and covered his back, also retreating back to the gates. It was now clear that the velociprey were too much, alternate options had to be chosen. 'On three, run' Jerrenost said, Artal nodded. 'Three' he said immediately after, both turning and running under a jumping velociprey it gave them enough to get through the gates and safety whilst the velociprey's jumped onto the Orugaron's in a frenzy. They could've stayed for longer but to do so would be too risky for the mission.
*
The remnants of the guild had a downcast feeling that night as the hunters sat in its ruins eating rations and preparing for the next day. Seven hunters had died, seven good hunters. Arezzo and Lornin were still unaccounted for too as nobody had heard of them since the morning. Nerrin had sent off the eight hunters pre-chosen to go to the surrounding villages. This left only fourteen known hunters remaining, all were now waiting for Arezzo and Lornin, to lose them would be a great loss so the hunter's waited. They waited for what seemed like a millennia, they began to think that nothing was about to happen. When it got to midnight Jerrenost looked over to Nerrin who was the most depressed of the lot. He'd been drinking some of the alcohol taken with them and soon got up to leave, to the hunters he thought them dead, a bad sign. He got as far as three feet before the great door smashed open in a fury. Nerrin wouldn't of minded if it was the Chameleos back for him but what he saw was worse. At first there was nothing in the swirling dust and blackness outside, then there was movement of some sort though no-one knew for sure. All around the hunters were getting up off their seats to see what, or who it was. Lornin walked in very slowly, head drooped over a dead body she was carrying, one look told everyone it was Arezzo. All around the hunters dropped their heads and spoke their wishes so that he may pass on safely to the other side. Lornin looked around at t other lifeless figures on the surrounding tables before picking one out for Arezzo by itself. Walking over she was furious wit hr stride when she arrived at it she took her time laying his body down on the cold table. She withdrew a long knife from her le, the hunters knew what was about to happen. She was about to take a hunter's oath, one of the oldest most powerful of all oaths to protect Minegarde it needed a volunteer to take it up who had lost everything and she certainly had. Oath-bound hunters had no goal in their life other than to kill all wyverns to cross their path, they would kill until killed themselves, bt respected and feared they were some of the guild's greatest weapons. Yet they were also known to be reckless in their methods, as long as they killed nothing else mattered, all that satisfied the oath was to kill, it was effectively a bloodlust. Many didn't like the oath-bound because of this, it changed nothing though or Lornin. With one strike across Arezzo's body she ripped open his body. Next she stripped off so that she was completely naked, she didn't care that everyone could see her like that, the bloodlust was all that mattered now. She put her hands into Arezzo and when they were pulled out, covered in his blood, she began to paint her body with it. This continued to the point that all her body was covered in blood, even her face. The hunters began to move off respecting her need for privacy in a time like this, tomorrow she would fight and kill, Nerrin didn't like this but he had to accept it, and how else were they to hunt everything down in Dondruma with half their company dead or gone.
Part 2, Chapter 15 of the Monster Hunter story. The pinultimate chapter of part 2 it features hunts versus rathian, kamu and nono orugaron and is a backdrop for the final, extra long chapter of the part which will be out possibly tomorrow or a bit later (i am getting quite busy and don't know when I can put it on).
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ElderNargacuga's avatar
blood covered huntress = shiver down the spine. not a bad story, gruesome but good