For The Living

Alright! I've spent long days and nights on this site, and now I'm trying this myself. Since I'm born and bred in germany, there might be some mistakes, so please point out any you find.

I beat Monster Hunter Freedom 2 just a few days ago, and when I saw that there are hardly any fics for the series, I decided to start with this project. I really think that this game has a lot of material for fanfictions, so here we go!

Narration "Speech" Thoughts/Emphasis

Please read&review! Rated T for language and... well, monster hunting.^^

Disclaimer: I don't own Monster Hunter. However, I do own my original characters, which are named, and the plot of this fanfiction.

Chapter One: A special request

"Congratulations for slaying the ferocious Blangonga! As a token of our sincere gratitude, let me give you this reward!" The receptionist of the Pokke Guild Hall beamed at her own words and put three small bags of coins on the desk in front of her.

Ezakiel took the suspiciously small bag and examined it's content. Exactly 1.000 Zeni. Peanuts.

Ezakiel was a tall, well trained man with long, straight black hair. Two thick braids hung from his temples down in front of his shoulders while the rest fell freely to his back. He had observing indigo eyes, a slightly hooked nose and a small mouth, embedded in a narrow, pale face. His body was clad in shining brown steel plate, an armor forged of the shell of a Kushala Daora, a fierce and mighty elder dragon with a skin of steel that commanded the powers of wind. It was surprisingly light but at the same time offered great protection. On his back he carried a long, shining claymore resting in a crimson sheath. He named it Gaelic Flame, an extraordinary weapon with a blade made of the wings of the same Kushala Daora that had to die for his armor and a handle and sheath crafted of a Rathalos, a famous, fire-breathing wyvern that is also known as the "lord of the sky".

He was a deliberate, concerning person who usually came up with the strategies in battle. He kept his cool even in heated situations, at least most of the time.

"WHAT?" bellowed a loud and deep voice to his right, belonging to Dalmin, one of Ezakiels oldest friends.

Dalmin, by all means, was a giant. More than seven feet tall and three feet wide without his armor, with muscles as hard as steel all over his body, he was quite intimidating. His tanned features added to that. Wary grey eyes rested over a long, wide nose, and his wide mouth was bearing a row of large, slightly crooked teeth. His bald scalp gleamed in the light of the torches around him. He towered over the tiny woman like a menacing mountain, an impression that was further enhanced by his armor. It was made out of the body of a Gravios, a gigantic wyvern with a skin of rock, and looked truly impressive. Huge plates of stone covered his body, offering unparalleled protection. The massive gunlance and shield crafted of the same material, strapped to his back, added to the image of power. Usually he was a gentle and humorous person, but he had a considerably short fuse and - especially in battle - tended to swear like a soldier.

"Only 1.000 Zeni for each of us? After all the trouble we went through? We fried that rotten heap of..."

The huge man stopped in mid-sentence, inhaled sharply with his eyes shut tight, as if he was biting his own tongue, shook his head and couldn't continue out of sheer bewilderment.

Please, don't throw a tantrum now... Ezakiel silently pleaded.

"Why?" asked a dark, husky but distinctly female voice to his left.

Zeshen was another childhood friend of his, a short and slender woman with skin the color of a moonless night. She had small, dark eyes, a long nose and a tiny mouth. Her jet-black hair was done in countless braids, bound together with a black hairband in a long ponytail. Her body was athletic and covered neck-to-toe in a black leather armor that seemed to emphasize her curvy figure rather than hide it. It was made of the skin of Remobras, small but deadly wyverns that spitted poison at their prey. Two long, narrow swords were fastened to her belt, her cherished Guild Knight Sabers, forged of the finest of steels. Zeshen was the direct opposite of Dalmin. Always calm and focused, she never showed much emotion and spoke not a word more than she needed to.

The receptionist's smile stayed on her lips, albeit somewhat frozen now. "Because you left it in no condition to exploit," she answered flatly.

Ezakiel tried not to wince at her statement. That's one way to put it.

Even though they defeated the Blangonga pretty easily, they made a big mistake in the end. Dalmin used the most potent function of his gunlance, the wyvern-fire, to kill the giant monkey. Unfortunately, the blast hurled it straight over the edge of the cliff they were fighting on. It dropped several thousand feet to the ground, never to be found again.

While he was reflecting on their not-so-great adventure, the receptionist continued. "Without any materials to sell or craft, the guild books a serious loss. In fact, you should consider yourselves grateful that we don't hold you responsible. This reward is solely for vanquishing a great threat to travelers, and it's more than we would have to pay, so..."

"Why you..." snarled the giant , clearly losing his composure for good now.

Ezakiel quickly raised his hands. "Please, calm down, Dalmin. She's right, you know." To the now disgruntled woman he added: "We humbly apologize for any inconvenience we made, and thank you for this relatively generous reward."

She instantly sported her fake smile again. "Thank you for your understanding. We're looking forward to your next visit!"

He hadn't missed the emphasis on "next" and supressed a frown. Dismissed.

He gave her a curt nod and turned to his friends. "Alright, let's head home."

Zeshen immediately walked toward the exit while Dalmin remained where he was for another second. That much he owed to his pride. But after a wave from Ezakiel, he too made for the door. With a sigh, Ezakiel followed his friends.

xxxxxxxxxx

Outside of the Guild Hall, the three friends stood silent for a while, digesting their frustration.

"Sorry, guys," Dalmin said with a miserable look in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it. This could happen to everyone," Ezakiel said, placing a hand on his companion's shoulder.

Zeshen took a step forward and looked up into his downcast eyes.

"You made a mistake, learned from it and will know better in the future," she calmly stated.

Dalmin looked at his friends and suddenly grinned.

"Alrighty, enough moping around! Let's go and drown this fucked up day!" he shouted with his booming voice, earning a smile from Ezakiel and a shake of the head from Zeshen.

xxxxxxxxxx

Inside the Tavern, sitting at the bar, the three hunters enjoyed a well-deserved drink. They had changed into their casual city-outfits since the only thing they could have to fight would be the urge to drink too much.

Ezakiel held a long, pointed item in his hand, eying it ponderously.

"Had I not chopped off one of it's fangs, we might not have been able to convince her," he mused, twirling the fang between his fingers.

"Had Dalmin not obliterated our prey, we wouldn't have had to convince her at all," Zeshen said bluntly with an amused expression in her eyes.

"Had I not obliterated our prey, we wouldn't have been paid at all," Dalmin said with a grin before he bellowed his deafening laugh, causing several guests at the adjacent tables to turn their heads in annoyance.

Why is he so cheerful about it all of a sudden? Ezakiel wondered.

"Since when are you satisfied with our payment?" he asked.

Dalmin calmed down a bit. "I'm not. But it doesn't help to bitch about it. We'll simply beat the shit out of the next one and earn ourselves a fortune," he stated with a smile.

"Yeah right. There's no way in hell that's gonna happen anytime soon," Ezakiel said.

"We might just find out soon enough," Zeshen said, glancing at the entrance.

The others followed her gaze and noticed a familiar figure standing in the doorway, clad in the official uniform for male employers of the Hunters Guild, a black and red suit with a blue scarf and a sash of the same colour around the waist.

The man scanned the crowd, as if he was looking for someone in particular. His eyes came to rest on the friends, and a moment later he walked over to them.

Ezakiel straightened in his stool and turned around to greet the newcomer. He was a little excited, for usually hunters approach the Guild, not the other way around.

If an employer pays you a visit, it means business. And that means money.

"Greetings, dear hunters," the man said. "May I ask if you migh want to share a moment of your time to listen to a request of the guild?"

"Certainly," Ezakiel answered after sharing a swift glance with his friends. "How can we be of assistance?"

The employer gave a short smile before he answered. "Well, the Guild wants to hire you for a ... special quest."

Ezakiel had a hard time supressing a grin. Zeshen didn't, and Dalmin never tried. YES! Riches...

"Let me explain. We await the arival of another hunter here in Pokke. She transfers here from Kokoto to complete her initiation as a hunter."

Initiation... great, a rookie. I wonder what we're in for.

The initiation is a process every hunter goes through to join the Hunters Guild. Basically, someone is a hunter when he goes out into the world and hunts monsters. However, the Hunters Guild is an association of hunters who proved themselves worthy of truly bearing that title. It was founded in a time when the population of monsters started to get out of hand in order to organize the hunters, thus standing against this menace more effectively. In the course of the initiation the hunter, or a group of hunters, has to kill a monster of at least a certain strength.

"Her name is Reena, daughter of Head Administrator Temura. This request is asked in his name."

The hunters let out a collective gasp. Head Administrator Temura was one of the leaders of the Hunters Guild. He governed every Guild Hall on this entire continent, including Pokke. A request from him was a tremendous honour and guaranteed huge rewards.

"His Lordship specifically requested your aid, as you are known to be the most experienced hunters of Pokke. Now, here are the terms of the quest." He cleared his throat before he continued.

"You are to escort Lady Reena on a quest of her choice. She is to be kept from harm and the quest is to be completed. The reward will be presented to you after her acceptance in the ranks of the Hunters Guild is acknowledged."

"The three of us, as an escort?" Ezakiel asked a little troubled. "Isn't aid by adepted members of the Guild against the conditions of the initiation?"

In fact, such aid was considered cheating. If they helped that Reena, she wouldn't be accepted into the Guild at all, and even worse, they could get punished for this, even excommunicated.

He looked at his friends. They didn't seem to like that prospect as well, for an excommunicated hunter can never rejoin the Guild for the rest of his life.

"Do not worry about a punishment. His Lordship intends to send you out incongnito. No one will ever know about your presence at the Lady's side."

Still not fully convinced, Ezakiel asked the question that burned under each of their nails.

"What will be the reward?"

"Upon completing this quest, you will be granted a reward of 30.000 Zeni."

Ezakiel scratched his chin, wondering if this was worth the risk.

"Each," the employer added with a smile.

Ezakiel's chin dropped, Zeshen inhaled sharply and Dalmin started to cough as he choked on his drink.

What? That would be 90.000 in total!

That was far more than they ever heard of before, let alone earned themselves. Considering that this was the reward for a single quest, they were offered a fortune. Not to mention getting on the good side of one of the most powerful leaders of the Guild.

"Do you accept this request?" the employer asked, knowing he had already won.

All eyes set on Ezakiel. As the leader of the group, he had to choose. He knew that, and that knowledge didn't make it easier for him. Sure, the reward was enormous, to say the least, and he could tell that his companions were interested as well. But he also had to consider the risk they took by accepting. Sure, they would complete the quest incognito, but if they were observed and recognized by someone, and that someone were to give them away to the Guild, even His Lordship Temura wouldn't be able to save them, for betraying the principles of the Guild was one of the most severe crimes, only short of murder.

It wasn't an easy decision, but in the end, his choice was clear.

"I accept your request." He turned towards his friends. "What about you?"

"YAAHOOOO! Count me in, lad!" Dalmin roared before he started laughing like a maniac, startling the employer.

"I shall accompany you as well," Zeshen said, unable to conceal her smile.

The employer, having regained his composure, offered his hand to Ezakiel.

"Then it is settled?"

"Indeed it is," Ezakiel answered, shaking the outstretched hand.

"So, when will Lady Reena arrive in Pokke?" he asked.

"Since she is currently traveling with the regular trade caravan, she should arrive tomorrow."

"Very well, we will be there to welcome her. Is there anything else we have to know?"

"No, that is about all." The employer gave a curt bow. "I have to take my leave. I wish you a peaceful respite and the best of luck." With that, he turned around and left the three hunters to themselves.

"See? Everything can happen," Zeshen said, enjoying the numb expressions on her friend's faces.

"Shit, this is awesome," Dalmin exclaimed enthusiastically. "This calls for a celebration!"

"Don't overreach yourself, Dalmin," Zeshen chided. "If you have a hangover tomorrow, I'll have your head."

"Ain't gonna happen to me, lass!" he cheered.

She let out an exasperated sigh.

"Let's compromise then," Ezakiel said. "One more round to celebrate our next mission, and then we hit the sack. Well?"

He earned two nods, an approving one from Zeshen and a disappointed one from Dalmin.

Allright, that's it. In the next chapter, our heroes will meet their new companion and start on their quest. Will this be a cakewalk, or will they wish they had declined while they still could? You'll see soon enough, so sit tight. Updating shouldn't take too long.

Please tell me in your reviews what you think about my way of describing persons and what you think about them in general. Criticism is asked for, flames are accepted if constructive.

I need your feedback to improve my skills as a writer, so help me out here.

With all this said, see you until next time!

P.S. I haven't definitely decided what our heroes will be up against, so suggestions are welcome;)