Life of a Monster Hunter

7 - Return of a Hero

"You... remember my name..."

"Of course I do. I remember everyone's name. I couldn't forget this place."

Tusk swung his bag to the ground as the cart slowly pulled away. The crowd of villagers around us started to disperse, letting us talk uninterrupted.

"I don't remember you though," he said, taking Cal's hand and shaking it.

"Cal. This is Malcom. Just arrived a couple days ago. It's nice to meet you."

"It's a purrleasure, sir," Malcom meowed.

Tusk grabbed his things as we walked back to the guest hut. Cal looked at his armor, sizing him up.

"Is that a Teostra build?"

"Sure is. It was a struggle to get the parts."

"What's a Teostra?"

"An Elder Dragon. Mainly down in the volcano areas. Likes explosions and fire. Took a while to bring it down, but I had a good crew with me to help."

I was stunned, and partially relieved. To hear that Tusk had hunted an Elder Dragon left me speechless. Although, if there really was a Kirin around, then he would be a good person to have around. We walked into the house and he set his things near the second bed. He sat down on the grass mattress, looking down at the blankets. He looked comfortable, like he was really home. Cal stood next to me before turning off for the door.

"I've got some stuff to buy from the market. See you later."

He left us alone, taking Malcom with him. Tusk pulled his Duel Blades off his back, setting them to the side. Their rainbow edges caught my eye.

"What monster are those from?"

"No monster. The Master Sabers. The best ore went into forging these. They're the same ones I used back before."

"Yeah, I remember."

He started to pull off his armor. I saw his muscles beneath his grey under suit and blushed. I sat in the chair beside the bed, averting my eyes a little.

"So, you're the new hunter in town? I figured you would turn out to be," he said.

"You did?"

"Yeah. I noticed you working with the Long Sword, building that bone armor, paying close attention as I talked about the quests I'd been on. You're really dedicated."

"T-Thank you. I wanted to... protect the village. To be strong enough to help everyone... Like you."

He paused for a moment, looking over at my red face. He smiled and continued, sliding off his gauntlets.

"I'm glad I had that effect on you."

He finished removing his gear, letting out a heavy sigh. His short black hair rested matter on his head. He must have been wearing his helmet during the trip.

"So... is there really a Kirin out there?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah, it's a Kirin. The guild thinks it went this way. The first time I went out to fight it, the rest of my party wasn't as prepared as they had thought. They didn't know it's attack patterns and weaknesses. They were taken out pretty quickly. I was off to the side, watching it. I got a good feel for its movements and have a good idea on how to beat it, but I can't do it alone."

"You want us to go too... Me, Cal, Malcom."

"I know you guys aren't high ranking hunters. You haven't hunted any Elder Dragons before, but you look like you've had you fair share of scrapes. I'm not as familiar with the landscape as I was, so you'll have to lead. I know you can help me protect everyone."

I blushed a darker red. Having my idol ask for my help almost made me faint. I was filled with such pride and joy. Protecting the village along with Tusk. Working with him in the field. It really was like a dream.

"Tusk... Why did you become a hunter?"

He fell silent again. His face started to go cold. His soft features hardened. I didn't know what I'd done, but that question apparently didn't sit well with him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, it's alright. My parents were killed by a monster when I was younger."

"Oh..."

"I was only a child. I lived up in the mountains back then. I barely knew what had happened until the monster had already left. My older sister took care of me after. I decided to become a hunter soon after... so that no child had to go through what I went through."

"I see..."

"In a way, we both fight for the same reason. To protect others. That's really what hunting is all about."

I smiled and nodded. I had no idea. Tusk had never shown any hints of his past before. He either had come to terms with it or hid his true feelings well. Knowing that he had gone through something so terrible only made me feel for him more. He was a fighter. A hunter, through and through. He wasn't going to let anyone down. The village would be protected with him around.

The next morning, we set off for the hills. Cal had stocked up on plenty of coatings. Malcom was mostly healed and eager to get back to fighting, waving goodbye to Mira as we left. Tusk looked as strong as ever, dressed in his full Teostra armor. I stood in my new green armor, forged from Rathian, along with a new Long Sword, Wyvern Blade "Verde," filled with poison. The villagers waved us off as we set out on the dangerous quest to hunt an Elder Dragon.