FicWad

The boy was not human. A human could not run like the boy could, when the hunter taught him to use his legs. A person didn't have the strength that the boy did, when the hunter taught him to use his arms. A man couldn't see like the boy could when the hunter taught him to use his eyes. The boy was not human, and the world hated him for it. He was shunned from others, attacked, beaten, treated like an animal. Like a monster. Then the hunter came. The boy was not human, and the hunter loved him anyway.

Things started out smoothly. The two hunters reached the pick-up point on time, had a short chat with the caraveener, and off they went. The caravan had to cut through the Primal Forest to reach it's destination, which is why Isaac and Cassandra were hired for the job. The Primal Forest at that time of year was normally devoid of monsters, as the temperature was either too hot for the glacial monsters, too cold for the volcanic monsters, or too humid for non-temperamental monsters. Which was why Cassandra was so wary about the mission. What sort of large monster would live in the forest this late in the year, and why?

"You thinking about what kind of monster it is?" Isaac asked, ripping her from her thoughts as though he could read her mind.

"What do you think it could be? It can't be too big or people would've noticed it by now." Cassandra asked as she shifted her weight in order to keep up with the rapidly changing speed of the Popo in front.

"I have my theories. I do know one thing for sure, though."

"What?"

"There's not enough prey for a large monster to survive this time of year. Not even a Great Jaggi could live long here. But, a ton of caravans and weaker monster hunters come through this area. Enough to feed a Jhen Mohran, I'd say." he said with a grim expression, looking down at his rifle.

"You don't think..."

"It's got to be a human eater, Cass. You saw the bones at the entrance, right? Nothing we can't handle, I don't think. Probably wouldn't attack a caravan this size, but we should stay on our guard. It knows how to hunt peo..."

Suddenly, the caraveener came running into their cart, face damp with perspiration, "Hunters, we have a situation up front. Something's spooking the Popo!"

"Speak of the the devil. Sir, stay in the cart while we find the problem." Isaac commanded, jumping up to his feet with his bowgun in hand, "Cass, get your hammer out. Just in case."

"Gotcha." she conceded, following her childhood friend outside, "Where did all this fog come from?"

"Have no idea. I can clear it out for a little while so that the caravan can navigate, though." Isaac said as they continued down the line of cars. "What I want to know is why are there are so many cars on one caravan? They can't all be full, cause even if it's just hay it would be too heavy for the Popo to pull. This whole mission is weird."

"We can ask the caravaneer when we get..." Cassandra said, only to be cut off by her own horrified gasp.

"What?" Isaac asked, running to his friend who had already reached the front of the line. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. The Popo were trembling and covered in blood, squealing like puppies at the three still bodies laying haphazardly on the ground. Two were covered in deep cuts, and the other was ripped to pieces. Isaac could barely hold back the urge to heave when he took a step closer and realized that the mutilated body belonged to a child, and the other bodies were it's parents. "Oh my god."

They stood in avid horror for several seconds, until finally they took off in a dead sprint towards their car. They found the caraveener sitting against the corner of the small space, counting a large bag of zenny. He looked up from the money and flashed the hunters a lazy smile, "So, did you find the problem?"

Isaac immediately stormed across the car and lifted the man up by his collar till they were eye to eye, "You're goddamn right we found the problem, you greedy bastard!"

"Isaac, what the hell are you doing! He had nothing to do with that!" Cassandra screamed, trying to pry her friend away from the man who was frozen in horror. Isaac turned towards her and shot a look of anger that caused her to recoil.

"Like hell he doesn't! What would a family with a child be doing alone in the Primal Forest? Why are there so many cars on one caravan? Why does he have so much money?" he turned back to the caravaneer, "Easy answer. He's a human trafficker! He tricked the guild into posting his contract, doped his Popo with demon drug so that they can handle the weight, and filled the cars with illegals!"

"T-that's absurd! I would never..." the caravaneer pleaded, his gaze rapidly shifting between Cassandra and Isaac pleadingly.

"Then what's that sound?" Isaac asked. At first, the car was dead silent, and then they heard it. Thousands of whispers flittered through the air, each one with it's own language and accent, as the two hunters turned their venomous gazes towards the corrupted caravaneer.

"So what if I did, kid? Who cares if a few people get to live in a better country?" the caraveener sneered, only to receive a swift punch to the gut by Isaac.

"Like you actually care about them! All you care about is money, but you're gonna have to cash it in hell."

"Why?" he asked, his mocking tone now swapped with shocked intrigue.

"Cause the monster we're dealing with eats humans, and you just served it a fucking feast!" Isaac threw him down and turned towards the door, storming out angrily.

"What do you mean? I hired you to take care of it!"

"No, you hired us to protect a caravan full of hay and farm tools, not people. We don't know what's out there, and it's extremely dangerous." Cassandra said, kneeling down to be face to face with him, "Your greed and misinformation just killed a family. A child is dead because of you!"

"But, I...I couldn't have known..."

"I just hope you think that money was worth their lives, and the lives of everyone else you put in danger, cause your gonna have to live with it if we get out of here." As soon as she uttered the last word, an inhuman scream pierced the air, as well as shouting, gunshots, and curses. These unnatural sounds snapped Cassandra back to attention, and soon she was bolting to the affected car, hammer out and ready. When she arrived, she saw that not only was the top of the car torn apart in long, straight gashes, but there was also a pink liquid splattered around which she recognized as paintball remnants. She entered the car and, sure enough, there were at least 20 people huddled up against the wall, shocked and afraid, with Isaac standing in the middle, his gun pointing towards the hole, "Did you mark it?" she asked quickly, still in the doorway with her hammer clutched in one hand.

"Yup. Took a couple shots but I got it. I didn't get a good look at it, though, so all we have to work with is that it's definitely not a Bird Wyvern or Elder Dragon."

"Well, that does narrows the list a bit. Let's follow it before it washes the paint off!" she ordered, exiting the car with Isaac in tow.

"Hey Cass?" Isaac asked after they had followed the trail of fluorescent pink for some time.

"Whats up?"

"Sorry for getting you caught up in this mess. I should've known it'd be too much for us."

At this, she stopped moving and placed a hand on his shoulder, flashing a reassuring grin, "Don't worry about it, man. I'm as much at fault as you are, I accepted the contract too. At least we got two hunters on this then one anyway, and if we bag this guy, we'll have saved all those people!"

"I guess so. Especially since one of those two hunters is so great, smart, and devilishly handsome."

"I consider myself more beautiful than handsome, but whatever you want to call it."

"Oh ha ha, very funny pipsqueak." Isaac said sarcastically, enlisting a tiny giggle from the girl who walked behind him.

"What do you think they'll do to the caraveener when we get back to the guild?"

"They'll probably toss him in the Dundorma dungeon. I still have nightmares of that place." Isaac remarked with a shudder.

"I remember that! Why'd you have to bring that bomb into the Assembly?"

"It wasn't a bomb, it was an electromagnetic resonator! And it wasn't my fault that it exploded. I told that idiot Fang not to put his stupid rusted Switch axe near it, but you had to dare him, didn't you?"

"Come on, is wasn't that bad." Cassandra said, brushing the accusation aside.

"I got detained for a week! And I had to pay for the damages!" he returned angrily.

"Thats your fault for bringing a bomb to a public place!"

"It wasn't a bomb!" Cassandra giggled at his rant, but was suddenly quieted by his raised finger.

"Whats up?"

"Shhhhhhhh!" he crouched, darting his eyes around the area. They were completely surrounded by thick fog, which suddenly became so thick they could barely see each other. "Cass, your hammer out?"

She waved it lightly in front of him, close enough to just barely perceive it, "Of course."

"Good, cause I think it's behi..." he started as he was suddenly knocked back by an incredibly strong force.

"Isaac!" Cassandra screamed, frantically through the fog to find her friend. Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind and then searing pain in her left arm. She let it droop to the side with a yelp, and darted around to search for the assailant. She saw red and pink out of the corner of her eyes, and after turning to look towards it, she saw two floating blobs, one of the paintballs Isaac threw and her own blood.

"What the..." she began, when suddenly she lost feeling in her hand, losing her grip on her hammer. Her legs buckled beneath her and she fell backwards against a rock wall. What the hell?! Why can't I move? she thought as the two blobs started moving closer, until they were only about a meter or two away. What...is that? The area around the blobs began to slowly become visible, like a stain slowly growing on fabric. Soon, after the colors returned to the figure and the fog dissipated, Cassandra's eyes could now make out the terrifying creature not a meter away from her crippled form.

"Lucent...Nargacuga!" she exclaimed feebly as it turned to look at her, it's red, maddened eyes send a shockwave of icy fear down her spine. She turned to look away, and saw Isaac leaning against the same wall as her, a thin trickle of blood running down the corner of his unconscious mouth. She looked him over, eyes widened in terror as she saw the spike sticking out of his still chest, "Isaac...no..." she said softly, tears filling her eyes. Are we...going to die?

The Nargacuga stood unmoving, staring at her with it's burning eyes. Is it...my god, it's grinning! Her eyes went back to Isaac's unmoving form. He can't be...he's not... The Nargacuga took a step forward, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Back...off," she mumbled. It took another step, it's grin widening. "Back off," she ordered louder this time, finding some hidden strength beneath her paralyzed form. It took another step forward, it's grin having been lowered slightly by the sound of her command as it stood just a step away from the two. "BACK OFF!" she screamed with all her might, causing the Nargacuga to jump back in surprise. It stared with burning eyes at Cassandra as it hunched down, the hairs on it's back standing up as it stretched out it's arm blade, ready to erase what had caused it such shock.

Using all her might, Cassandra focused solely on moving anyway she could. As it flexed it's arm, ready to pounce, she felt herself fall against the unconscious Isaac, shielding him with her body. I won't let him die...I won't! she thought as it flashed it's wicked grin for the last time and jumped into the air. "I...refuse!" she stared right back into it's eyes defiantly as it arced down on the two and...