Life of a Monster Hunter

1 - Becoming a Hunter

His name was Tusk. I wasn't sure how he had ended up in our village. I remember him showing up one day, dressed in full blazing red armor. On his back, he carried two short blades that glowed rainbow colors. He was tall and lean. Short black hair sat just above his ears. Two green eyes like emeralds sat swirling. His features were soft, and I always wondered what had compelled him to become a hunter.

When he first arrived, it was because of the distress call the village leader put out. Kokoto had some monster problems that needed to be dealt with. The village didn't have a residential hunter, and with no one to protect us, we had to ask the Hunters Guild for help. Every once in a while, a hunter would show up for a quick job, finish and leave, and we'd be left we're we started; defenseless. That is until Tusk showed up.

After he'd beaten the monster, I figured he would have left like all the others. Only, he decided to stay behind. He made it his personal mission to protect the village from any threats that came up. He certainly had the skill to do it. I saw him using his Duel Blades once before. He moved them with such swiftness. I could barely see what was happening, but he could. He was always in control. He gained the respect of everyone in the village, myself included.

I'm Ria. I'm 19, tall, long blonde hair, fairly built, and I wanted to become a hunter. My parents weren't too thrilled with my choice, but they also weren't that surprised. My dad especially was against it.

"Girl, if you go out there and get yourself killed by some Jaggi, you'll never hear the end of it from me!"

I knew they meant well, but I couldn't stop. I wanted to become a hunter, and it was all thanks to Tusk. We were about the same age, but I looked up to him. He was strong, cool, righteous. He wasn't afraid to do the dirty work, and he was always willing to help. I wanted to be like him more than anything. To become a hunter and do my part, helping the village in my own way.

Tusk had been around the village for a while, but the Hunter's Guild called him back one day. An emergency in another part of the world. He left reluctantly, leaving us without a hunter once more. This is when I took my chance. I stepped up and presented myself to the village leader, dressed in my full bone armor. I had chosen to use the Long Sword, the Iron Katana. It was stronger than the smaller weapons, but faster than the heavy ones. I had practiced and studied for months, and I felt like I was really ready to start hunting.

"Are you sure, Ria?" the leader asked. "You have never gone on a hunt before. Are you willing to go in alone? Maybe we should call in another hunter for backup."

"You can call if you want, but until one arrives, I'm all that you have. If a problem comes up, I will deal with it, even if that means I have to do it alone."

He sighed and nodded. I was unofficially the main hunter of Kokoto village. My pride soared high in my chest as I walked back to my hut, beaming with joy. I walked into the small room and started to take off my gear when a knock came on the front. My friend since childhood, Mira, stood in the doorway. She peeked around with a smile on her face.

"Well? How'd it go?"

"... I got the job! Once I register with the guild, it'll be official!"

She hugged me close, squealing in excitement. She knew how much it all meant to me.

"That's great! You'll get to meet new people, travel around, help out like you said!"

"I may not travel though. I'm going to stay here as long as the village has no other hunter. Although... it would be fun to travel. Maybe see the jungle, or the volcano areas. I bet the monsters there are something else."

"Yeah... still, I don't know why you want to be a hunter. All the fighting, running around, getting hurt... and that," she said with disgust.

"And what?" I asked.

She walked up to me, placing her hands on her modest hips as she sized me up.

"The armor. Don't get me wrong, I know it's supposed to be functional and all... but it's just not attractive at all!"

"Well, I mean, some of it is..."

"Look! Bone armor is so thin! It looks so uncomfortable! And this!"

Mira reached out and cupped my chest. She'd always made it a point to show how well-endowed I was.

"This armor barely protects your breasts! How can you be expected to fight beasts when your worried about your chest falling out?!"

"Hey!" I yelled, pushing her back. "For your information, my chest fits just fine in it! This armor cost me a lot of money and resources to make! Plus, I think it looks very stylish," I said.

"Hmph. If you say so. I guess I'm just not cut out to be a hunter."

"You can say that again," I replied, smirking.

We chatted for a while longer, wasting the day away. Night fell, and after a quick dinner, it was time for bed, but I couldn't sleep at all. I was too excited to sleep. My dream had become reality, and everything was going just as I'd hoped it would. Soon I'd start to fight monsters, and work my way up in the ranks, and, if all goes well, go on a hunt with Tusk, my first crush. Of course, being a hunter isn't easy. There are plenty of things that can go wrong, and the world can be unpredictable. I was going to find that out firsthand.