The Thrill is In the Chase, Never In the Capture

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Laggy Lagiacrus

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Mura Village - a quaint little settlement, but one that had made quite a name for itself. It was, after all, stuck between a forest and the sea. With an abundance of resources to gather and monsters to hunt, combined with the ease of trade and transport presented by its proximity to the see, Mura was quite successful for its size. However, for all that was going well, it was still in trouble. Monster population was getting higher every month, and it was only a matter of time before they got bold enough to move down. And, as skilled as the village's premier hunter was, he couldn't hold back a horde of ravenous beasts by himself.

The sound of sea birds squawking overhead sounded as Arthur downed another tankard. He wasn't drinking because he was thirsty, hot though the sun was. No, he was just bored. The ship with his new partner was supposed to be coming in at any moment, so he had been told, but so far, it'd been a quarter of an hour with nothing more than few fishermen and a small child. He blamed himself a little for this, however. He'd arrived early to try and at least make the impression that he was punctual, but he quickly realised that there was such a thing as arriving too early.

He shrugged and sighed, before waving one of the Felynes over, and ordering another Forest Blend. It was a little more expensive than usual, but he'd just come back from a successful string of hunts, so he felt he at least deserved to have his favourite drink on the menu. Arthur closed his eyes as the sea breeze blew at him - a stark contrast to the various aromas and stenches other hunting grounds offered. the locals had naturally gotten used tot he smell, but as he was constantly moving about, Arthur couldn't. Not that he saw it as a bad thing. It was a far more pleasant smell than Loc Lac's ever-present air of Aptonoth dung.
 
Alec sighed as he rested on the mast of the boat again. He was getting tired of waiting so long. This boat ride should not have taken this long and it was starting to get on his nerves. He was already irritated with the fact that he was being forced to go to this small town that he hadn't even heard of in order to help their hunter, but, hey, what could he do? He was at the mercy of the Guild to be sent wherever they felt he was needed. Now, the ride was taking a lot longer than what was expected and it always irked him to be late.

He glanced up as he finally saw the small village come into a little bit of a clearer view. 'Finally.' He thought as he stood up on the deck of the ship and went to retrieve the few items that he had, strapping his bow back in it's position on his back and he then went to tie his quiver around his waist. He stood there for a moment, waiting for the boat to finally dock at the small town of Mura Village. 'Well, let's get this over with.' He thought as he watched the captain of the ship weigh anchor and drop the walkway that landed on the dock.

Alec walked down the plank and stopped when he reached the dock, taking in the small and humble village and even glancing at the expansive forest behind it. 'So, to the Elder?' He thought to himself as he began walking down the dock, eyes still looking at everything. He walked up into the center of the town, expecting someone, anyone to be their to greet him and to show him what he was supposed to do.
 
With a gargantuan gulp, Arthur wiped out another glass of Forest Blend, and looked around the port once more. The place was as crowded as ever. It was no Loc Lac, he acknowledged that much, but for a village of its size, the area was bustling with a fair amount of activity. He scratched his head as his eyes flitted over every visible member of the crowd, his hunting instincts finally being useful in civilian life. If he was honest, though, he would have been content just to sit by the see with a continuous supply of drinks. Most people wouldn't have expected a hunter like him to be so laid-back, but he didn't recall anyone saying it was a bad thing.

After a little searching, his eyes fell upon a person that certainly seemed to look like a hunter. He pondered for a moment, concentrated as best he could, and suddenly remembered what the chief had said to him. A description of what his new hunting partner would look like, in other words. Arthur handed a tip to the Felyne who'd been serving him while he waited, and wandered casually over to Alec, hands in his pockets. For all intents and purposes, Arthur didn't look like Mura's finest. In fact, with his flowery t-shirt unbuttoned at the top, combined with his sandals and baggy shorts, he looked more like a tourist.

As casually as could be, Arthur walked over to Alec, and held out his hand, with a smile as warm as the weather.
"Ah, you must be my new hunting partner. I'm Arthur, by the way. It's nice to meet you."
Arthur had doe his utmost to appear friendly, but it had never occurred to him that looking professional might have been just as important. It'd been a while since he'd had to put on airs, after all. Aside from formal events, he'd never really had to.
 
Alec glanced over at the person who had just begun speaking to him. He looked at Arthur for a moment, then looked at the hand that was offered to him. "Oh. Hey." He said simply as he tentatively took the other male's hand. "Alec." He said as he pulled his hand back after a brief shake, going back to taking a good look at his new hunting partner. He took in the overly casual look of the other. From the sandals up to the t-shirt. Sure, he wasn't dressed up in his armor, but he certainly wasn't wearing clothing this casual.

'Just must be how they do things off the job here.' He thought with a light shake of his head. "So, uh, where's the Elder? I'd like to tell them that I've arrived and I'd like to know where I'd be staying." He said. He readjusted the bow on his back as it grew uncomfortable without his armor. He scratched the back of his head, figuring that if they were to work efficiently together that they would need to become friends. "How long have you been the hunter here?" He asked.

He was pretty crappy with all of this small talk. He wasn't the most friendly person, but he figured that he should since he was going to be here for a while.
 
"The Elder...? Oh, yes, just follow me. Don't worry, we won't be going far."
Arthur set off, his airy and carefree demeanour only contrasting him further with Alec. He didn't seem to pick up on Alec's tone or his mannerisms, but even if he did, it probably wouldn't have mattered much. That was just how he seemed to be - unable to take things seriously, taking things at the pace he found the most comfortable. Strangely enough, while he did not seem to be the stereotypical hunter, he seemed to fit perfectly with Mura's laid-back atmosphere. Arthur turned to Alec when he heard a question, and answered in his usual breezy manner.

"How long have I been the hunter here...? Um, let's see... About nine months, I guess, if you count the first month. That was mostly just me bumbling around, trying to get a feel for this whole 'hunting' thing. You should have seen me trying to gather mushrooms. Apparently, I'm the first person the Elder's seen that can come back looking like he lost an argument with a Barroth on a mushroom-hunting mission."
Arthur chuckled, remembering more embarrassing memories he seemed worryingly un-embarrassed about. He was snapped out of this trance, however, by a building in the near distance.
"Oh, that's the Elder's place, just over there. It's the one with the statues out front. Can't miss it."
 
"Sounds like most first months for hunters." Alec said as he followed behind Arthur, looking around at the quaint village, trying to take in where everything was. He began walking towards the Elder's house. He walked a little way down the path before he stopped and turned back to Arthur. "Are you coming? Do you think the Elder would like to speak with you as well?" He asked. "I'm seriously asking. I've not had to go through this before." he said, scratching the back of his head lightly. "Might as well, right? Better safe than sorry?" He asked. "If your Elder is anything likee the Guild Master, I'd rather be there and not be needed than to not be there and needed." He said.

He closed his eyes and exhaled calmly as a nice and gentle breeze blew out from the forest. 'I'd better get used to these nice breezes. I'm gonna be here for a while.' He thought to himself, running a hand throug his lightly wind dishevled hair.
 
Arthur shrugged, evidently impartial as to whether he came in with Alec or not. He supposed that he would, having nothing better to do, but there was nothing present in his expression that showed such thoughts.
"Honestly, I'm not too sure. Can't say I've ever teamed up with a hunter for more than a single hunt, to be honest. I'll go in anyway. Can't hurt."
The door to the Elder's house creaked open, and Arthur ambled in, completely nonchalant. It seemed as though he'd been there before - he knew straight where to go, after all. he knocked on the door to the left of the living room they'd entered, and waited for a reply.

"Come in!"
A voice like thunder sounded, making what it said seem more like a command than an invitation. Undaunted, Arthur opened it, only to be clapped on the shoulder by what seemed like the colossal hand of a god.
"Sir, I brought the new guy."
"So you have! Welcome to Mura, hunter. I know the place doesn't look like much, but believe me, you won't want to live anywhere else you're done here!"
The Elder laughed heartily and grinned widely. He certainly looked healthy for someone who was supposed to be old - in fact, he resembled a silver-haired bear more than he did a man.
 
Alec nodded and fell silent as he walked along the path to the Elder's house behind Arthur. He hesitantly walked in after the other just strode into the house. 'This is odd. Not used to just entering.' He thought as he followed the other to a door. He stopped behind Arthur again when the other stopped and knocked.

Alec jumped a little at the thunderous sound of the Elder's voice. He hesitantly followed the other into the room and stopped when he saw the mountain of a man that was the Elder. "O-Oh... Uh... Thanks. Glad to... uh... be here and help." He said hesitantly. It was clear that he was slightly intimidated by the mountain of a man standing before him. 'How can he be so casual?' He thought to himself, referring to Arthur.
 
The Elder frowned a little at Alec, before putting his gargantuan hand on his shoulder, and grinning broadly.
"Come on, mate, don't be so tense! We're not some stuffy old city, we're Mura!"
While the Elder let out a hearty chuckle, Arthur just shrugged at his new partner Going by his reaction - or lack thereof - one could presume that this sort of thing happened all the time. He did, however, give a small reminder to him.
"Um, sir? Our objectives?"
"Hm? Oh, yes, your hunting objectives. Well, come over here, and I'll show you. Come along, now, I don't have all day!"

Adopting a slightly more serious tone, the Elder picked up a stick, and began pointing at areas of what seemed to be a map of the forest on the opposite side of Mura.
"I'll be frank with you, the mosnters in the forest are getting restless. Carnivores have been steadily moving closer to the village, and we fear that they'll be at out doorsteps in just voer a month. Arthur's done the best he can to thin their numbers, but he can only take out so many big monsters on his own. And that's where you come in, Alec. Starting tomorrow, we're going to have you two target monster settlements here... here... and here. We'll keep striking them where it hurts, hopefully driving them back into their normal habitat. Any questions so far?"
 
Alec gasped again when he felt the massive hand on his shoulder. "Ah... Yes... Sorry." He said "Habit of the guild." He said as he watched the Elder walk over to a map that seemed to be a map of their general area. He walked over and looked at where the map was laid on the table, paying attention to what the Elder was staying. He understood th Arthur could have been having trouble by himself. Some hunts could really suck if you went on them alone. He knew... The guild forced him to do so a lot.

He looked at the Elder when he asked his question. Alec just shook his head. "Um... The only question I have is what monsters we'll find there. That's all I really need to know." He said in his soft voice. "Continue. Please.' He said politely as he loked back up to the Elder.
 
The elder stroked his chin for a moment, attempting to recall the monsters that lived in the forest. He decided not to mention the small monsters - they probably wouldn't be much of a problem anyway.
"You won't be facing anything you wouldn't have seen before. You'll find Great Jaggis roaming round pretty much everywhere, and there may be the occasional Qurupeco. Royal Ludroths sometimes travel downstream, but that's rare, so you shouldn't have too much trouble with them. And, keep this to yourselves, but some people are saying they've heard a Rathian in there. We suspect it's just a threatened Qurupeco, but please, don't tell anyone yet. We can't risk them panicking - they're already worried enough with the advancing monsters."
 
Alec nodded. "Of course. I would hate to be the cause of such panic. Besides, I'm sure that if the twp of us work together, we could takke down a Rathian. But, if it turns out to just be a Qurupeco, we'll silence it to silence the worry." Alec said, showing no signs of doubt in his voice. "The Jaggi's and the Ludroth's should pose no problem at all." He stated. "Please, continue on what you'd have us do." He said. He didn't show it, but he was pretty excited and wanted to go on a hunt. The Guild hadn't let him do anything for the last week before he left for Mura, they didn't wnat him to be useless when he got there.
 
"As I said, you and Arthur'll be targeting these areas."
The elder pointed to different parts of the map, each one close to the southern edge of it. "Monsters have managed to make a push and have steadily gained ground close to home. Arthur's been doing the best he can, but even he can't be in five places at once. While it might help, we're not going to ask you to wipe out all the small monsters. No, we need to deal with the big boys."

The elder hung different map in front of the first one, this one being one that was focussed on the southern part of the forest. Red Xs were scattered around it, though most seemed to be away from the village.
"For now, clear these areas of pack leaders, and any other large monsters you can find. The smaller ones'll be easy pickings for other predators, or they'll just scatter and leave. Don't worry, even if they do wander over here, we can handle a few strays. After you're done there, we'll assess the situation and decide where to go from there."
 
Alec looked at all of the different marks on the map where the Elder said that there were packs that held some larger monsters. He listened intently as to what the Elder was saying about the possibility of two or more large monsters in those immediate area nodded before he spoke again. "Okay. Sounds good. So, uh.. when would you have us start?" Alec asked. "I'd be okay with setting off to one today, but I'd like to know where I can place my things." He said, scratching the back of his head.
 
"As much as I hate to say it, you'd be best off starting tomorrow. If you head out now, you'll have to deal with small monsters everywhere. If you strike in the morning tomorrow, the ones that rise in the morning to hunt'll be too far way to provide much help, and the ones that haven't woken up'll be disorganised and tired."
The elder set his stick down, and faced the two hunters with tired eyes. He was a big man, and as strong in spirit as he was in body - but current events were evidently taking a toll on him. "Believe me, I'd love to send you out right now, but we can't just charge in. They'll tear you apart if you go in without a plan."
 
Alec nodded in understanding, taking into account the tired and weary lok on the Elder's face. He knew how much this had to be troubling him. "Don't worry. I understand completely. I can see why you'd choose for us to go out in the morning." He said. "I probably woulndn't have done my best if I were out to hunt today, anyway. Sea travel really isn't my thing." He said with a little chuckle. He was serious. He really hated traveling by boat, it always made him feel discombobulated and nauseated. "So, you wouldn't mind if I too the rest of the day to get used to the town? And also to find where I'll be staying?" He asked the Elder.
 
The elder smiled wearily, and waved his hand casually.
"Oh, don't worry, that's fine. I wouldn't have it any other way, personally. But you'd better get used to the smell of the sea, its going to be with you for a while!"
He laughed again - not as heartily as before, but still genuine. "Anyway, I can have your things taken to your room. I've worked some things out with the local innkeeper, so you'll be staying there for a while. You won't be paying, but you're expected to bring some resources back from hunts instead. Arthur'll show you around, but for both your sakes, don't let him anywhere near the bakery."
Arthur pouted and looked away, mumbling something about pastries. It didn't look like he was willing to say anything, but it was fairly obvious that the elder was serious.
 
Alec nodded and smiled a little bit. "Okay, thank you.' He said with a light bow, stopping himself in the middle. Damn Guild habits... He looked a little confused and cocked his head to the side when he herad that he was to keep Arthur away from the bakery. "Uh... Why?" He asked. "Let me guess, does he attack it like a heard of Jaggi attacking an Aptonoth?" He chuckled a little. "No matter, I'll keep him away if you say so." He said with a small smile, looking over ot Arthur for a moment when the other pouted and mumbled before he looked back at the Elder.
 
"Excellent. I'll leave you two to your own devices, then. Have fun while you still can!"
The elder grinned and waved them goodbye, as Arthur turned tomove out. It wasn't that he was impatient, but he expected Alec to follow close behind him. he wasn't going to just grab his wrist and pull him along - that sort of thing happened in the cheesy romance novels he secretly had stashed away. Doing it now would probably lead to one of them getting a black eye, or at the very least, a tongue-lashing on personal space.
"Ready, Alec? I've got a few people you should really meet, if you want to get anywhere with these hunts."
 
Alec smiled a little at the Elder's reaction. He nodded and began to follow Arthrur out. "Yeah, I'm ready." He said as he walked after the other and back out into the open to the nice and quiet sounds of Mura Village. "I'd prefer to actually get somwhere with thse hunts. I don't want to show a worthless side to you guys." He said. "Thanks, by the way." He said to Arthur as he followed behind Arthur.
 
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