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Midnight Stalker

The forest was dense and muggy like always and I made my armor feel like an oven, but I persisted and continued to creep through the vines. I needed to finish this one job, it was what was going to either make or break my hunting career, in mind. Everyone had scoffed and criticized my decisions for years, but I was going to prove them wrong.

I was a monster hunter and by god, I was going to become the best or die trying. That was the issue, many did die trying. They would go out into the wilderness with nothing but their armors, weapons and a quest to go out and slay some beast. I was on one such quest. I had been contacted by a merchant who had lost a caravan of supplies in the old jungle. The survivors of the attack had described a jet black beast with glowing red eyes, a Nargacuga. They wanted its head and were willing to offer a pretty penny for it.

Normally this kind of quest was way out of my league, but I had recently finished a new set of armor made from the scales of an Azure Rathalos. It had taken me nearly an entire year to get the necessary items to make it, but now that it was finished and I was wearing it, it was worth it. The Hunter's Guild had taken notice of me and given me the honor of taking this quest to prove myself. If I got this one done, I would become of G-Rank hunter, the best of the best.

A G-Rank hunter was the go to guy for anything and everything. All of the legendary hunters had initially made their way up to G-Rank to get to those quests that turned people into legends. Stories of people going out and returning with the eye of a Fatalis or the massive horn of a Gold Ceadeus had filled my head ever since I was a small child. I had seen hunters go out in their shining armor and return battered, but victorious. I did notice when they didn't return, but I knew the risks and they were high.

A Nargacuga was hardly something that would get many heads turned, but it would be enough for me, it was a start. I had never hunted one, nor seen one. They were a rare creature that kept to the shadows and only came out at night. Few ever saw one in person due to their elusive nature, and even fewer returned to tell the tale. Even some of the best hunters never saw one. They would go out in parties of four, but return empty handed and frustrated. I prayed that I would be luckier and at least see it, that way I could say I had done more than most. The merchant wouldn't be happy with that, but it wouldn't hurt my standings. The Guild had told me that they didn't expect me to succeed and that if I could prove that I had at least laid my eyes on it to confirm where it was, they would save another quest for me to get me up to G-Rank.

I didn't want to wait, but I didn't have a say in the matter. Fate was either with me, or against me.

So here I was mucking through the mud in my armor with my Dios Axe+ strapped to my back. Boy was that a tough one to get. Word to the wise, only hunt a Brachydios if you absolutely need to and bring friends. Nothing like being chased through the heart of a volcano by something that literally causes you to go up in a brilliant explosion with a single punch. Though the slime aspect it gave was invaluable in hunts which more than justified the near death experiences; I would need it for today.

The jungle was a haunting place, especially at night. I would have preferred to have come during the day. I could see during the day and it would have been good if the damn Guild transport dropped me off at the base camp instead of the middle of nowhere. I was hopelessly lost, I admit that. This was the first time I had been to the Old Jungle and it was all so alien to me. Every time I left one area, I didn't know if I was any closer to the base camp or something more sinister. There were also reports of a Red Khezu in the area. Khezu were hardly that difficult to deal with, they were pretty much sacks of fat, and gristle with an oddly phallic head. The lightning they produced was annoying as hell and I had no interest in wasting valuable time with it. The Guild Transport would be back for me in the morning and I would have to take it, with the Nargacuga or not. The guild was like that, full of regulations that had to be followed, there was no chance for staying a second day.

I found myself in an open area with gorgeous waterfalls. It was nice and cool, a place to rest up after trudging through the mud for so long. I reached into my pouch and pulled out an energy drink. All of the exercise had left me famished. It a small drink that provided some quick energy that wore off after a short time. I could see some fish in the deeper side since the entire floor of the area was submerged under a thin layer of water than took a deep dive into some pools around the edges near the waterfalls.

I looked up into the sky and saw one of the guild's many observation balloons. Those things were everywhere, constantly on the alert in case an Elder Dragon decided to move into the area. If that happened, I would simply give up right then and there, I was in no position to handle one of those. They were the most powerful monsters in existence and could easily defeat any hunter who went up against it unprepared. I had done that once.

The Kushala Daora, Tempest of the Winds. A majestic dragon with gleaming metal scales and wide expansive wings. One had set up in the mountains and was causing all kinds of havoc. The thing was, it had the ability to control the weather. Wherever it went, massive storms of snow, hail, and rain followed, driving off all of the indigenous wildlife. I was called upon to drive it off, I had no false hope of killing it. I had been a mere Low Rank hunter at the time, what I was thinking at the time, I still don't know.

I had gone out in my best gear at the time, a set of Centaur armor that sported sharp curves that you had to be careful around when putting it on. It wasn't long before I realized that I was in over my head. Every time I got close to the blasted beast, a blast of wind would knock me over where it would then ram me and send me flying. I barely came out with my head, but I did manage to drive it off. It was more likely that I had just annoyed it enough for it to leave.

The observation balloon began to blink. They had lights on them that could be used to message hunters if they found something of interest. This one was sending me a series of blinks in a message. They had spotted the Nargacuga. How? The things was as black as the night. I didn't question them though, they had never let me down. The Nargacuga was somewhere to the south of me, right where I had just come from. Somehow I had walked right past it without even seeing it. The thought of that sent shivers down my spine. Nothing like realizing that man wasn't at the top of the food chain to get your heart pounding.

Not wanting to arrive too late, I hurried off back into the muck of the jungle, dodging past some Vespoid that had come to investigate me. Never let a Vespoid get close, the giant man sized wasps would get you with paralyzing sting if you weren't watching. Damn bugs were often one of the most complained about things back at the village. People hated it when they were dragged back home on a cart carried by a pack of Felynes, but they hated it even more when it was because of a Vespoid that decided to say hello in the middle of an important fight.

To make sure that they wouldn't bug me, I threw down a poisonous smoke bomb to scatter them. The things would die and shrivel up in seconds, leaving me a clear path.

Back in the mud, I stopped running and began to sneak my way into the dense and dark shadows. I could feel it, I wasn't alone. There was something here with me and it wasn't a friendly presence.

By the time I got to the middle of the area, I could hear it. A distinct snorting noise as it breathed in heavily. I couldn't see it yet and that scared me. IT could be right behind me and I wouldn't know. I was in its domain.

Several Kelbi, deer like creature that often ran at the first sign of trouble were oblivious to the danger. I began to head over towards them, they often ignored hunters and would give me a place to watch the area from.

Before I got within thirty meters of them, a black shape leapt out of the shadows and landed right in the middle of them. The sheer impact of its landing caused them to fly off in all directions, leaving them and myself and them in a daze. I barely had time to roll away from it all before it let out an ear shattering screech. Thank god for ear plugs or I would have been caught with my hands clamped down on my ears.

Wihtout missing another beat, the monster leapt again and landed in front of one of the Kelbis that was desperately trying to flee the area. Poor little animal which was no larger than a man had no chance. With a swipe of a massive clawed arm that also had psuedowings made of what looked like massive razors, the Kebli was slain, killed instantly from the blow.

I kept ducked down, the creature hadn't seen me yet, or if it did, it was more interested in its dinner which it began to tear apart with its beak like mouth. I had never seen a monster quite like it before. Its entire body was black like the stories with only a small patch of red at its eyes which did not glow as far as I could tell. It had a very cat like body structure, sleek with a low profile that hugged the ground. Its paws had massive claws that could easily disembowel me and its tail was longer than its body and had flattened spikes on its end. This creature was built for stealth and destruction.

I had seen the creature and I was going to slay it. I had the element of surprise with me since it was now busy eating. If I could get it off guard with a sonic bomb, then I would be able to land the first hit and gain an advantage. I needed every little boost I could get.

Reaching to my belt, I hefted the ball shaped explosive that when thrown, would explode and create a sharp piercing blast that would stagger the creature for a precious few seconds.

Taking a deep breath, I charged forward and threw the sonic bomb where it exploded right in front of it. The Nargacuga recoiled back in surprise and I would have cheered if I wasn't charging in with my switch axe drawn, ready to take the first swing.

I should have studied more. If I did, I would have known that throwing a sonic bomb at a Nargacuga was a terrible mistake.

Its reaction was swift and decisive. Its eyes did begin to glow almost immediately and it leapt over and behind me, leaving a wispy red trail from its eyes. When it landed, it drew back onto its haunches and let loose another roar. Those flat spikes on the end of its tail were now sticking out, creating a spiked club out of it. I was in for the fight of my life now. I was invested and there was no backing down.

I faced off against the now enraged wyvern, staring directly into its blood red eyes that looked right into my soul. It lunged and swing a massive clawed paw at me which I barely rolled under. It was incredibly fast, this fight would test all of my skills.

It recovered from its attack almost immediately and was rearing up for another assault. I charged in and swung my mighty axe as it leapt forward again.