"God's damnit, these stupid fucking kids."

Elaine ran her fingers through her hair, the latest bout of paperwork due to a loss of livestock.

"What team was it this time?"

Lorn asked aloud as she tossed a small ball against the far wall. It was a gift she'd recently found interest in, the small leather and cork ball giving her something to keep her engaged in her free moments.

"Take a guess."

The younger of the two elves scowled at Lorn, coaxing a smirk from the eldest.

"Those three are a handful."

Lorn chuckled as she retrieved the ball from the floor. Standing, she moved to join Elaine and the half dozen other clerks sorting through papers.

"Yeah, and another Gods damned cow to pay for. Let's go through everything once more, it's about time we up their game scope anyhow. Maybe it will keep them from getting livestock killed in the crossfire."

With a hand on her hip, she used her opposite hand to raise a sheet of statistics collected by the guild once a month. 

"I'm sure I don't need to remind any of you that this team's information is confidential just the same as our stay in teams'. None of this information leaves the room."

Lorn asked aloud, receiving a passive nod from those men and women too occupied to engage actively.

"Yes ma'am."

Elaine nodded before raising her copy of the sheet.

"Regional team number two-hundred-fifteen, guild registration time, four years, two months, thirteen days. Guild designator, 'Hollowpoint'... the name is still nonsense. Did the girl ever explain its meaning to you?"

Elaine asked, receiving a shake of the head.

"No, won't even tell me. Continue."

Elaine shrugged and continued reading from the page.

"Team constituents, Kiyomi Jormanr, female, fourteen suns of age, Va-ranian and Shinrisian descent. Vaughn Baros, male, fifteen suns of age, Morisian and Va-ranian descent. Beryl Halkias, hermaphrodite, Imperial lamia, Viper variety."

Elaine rattled off the bare information before reading off the official statistic sheets.

_______________

Name: Kiyomi Jormanr

Age: 14

Race: High Demon, unattributed

Sex: Female

Class: Adventurer, Slayer

 

Level: 15 (22)

HP: 1000

MP: 1200

Constitution: 6 (11)

Strength: 9 (18)

Dexterity: 8 (16)

Intelligence: 7 (15)

Wisdom: 7 (14)

Charisma: 8 (17)

Titles: Clan Matriarch

 

Skills: Disguise lvl5, Manapool lvl2, Violent impact lvl1, Endurance lvl1, Cleave lvl1, Evasion lvl1, Pain tolerance, Coup de grace, Rush of the hunt, Predatory instinct, Close the gap

__________________

Elaine sighed, dropping the paper as she drank from her own cup. A short yawn escaped her. 

"Ma'am, are you sure it's a good idea to have this information recorded?"

Lorn nodded.

"In the scenario that we need to accurately understand our guilds capabilities, it's recorded. What happens if I'm suddenly incapacitated?"

Lorn asked, her demeanor was that of a teacher asking a student. Granted, that was Elaine's eventual purpose. She was eighty-two suns in age, a mere teen in comparison to Lorn. 

"Next?"

Lorn nodded to the paper, prompting Elaine to continue.

________________

Name: Vaughn Baros

Age: 15

Race: Human

Sex: Male

Class: Adventurer, Knight

 Level: 15

HP: 1000

MP: 1000

Constitution: 9

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 8

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 7

Charisma: 8

Titles: Matriarch’s retainer

Skills: Shield bash lvl2, piercing thrust lvl2, parallel healing lvl1, Phalanx, Leonhart, Aggro(modified), Bulwark, Surveyor, Favor of the earth

__________________

Lorn sipped from her cup.

“The boy is progressing well, two skills in four years of regular hunting with his active construction work is good pacing.”

Elaine paused, jotting a note down.

"With that in mind ma'am, I would remind you that the teams tax percentage is lower than their contemporaries. Is that in part to his civil service?"

Lorn nodded as she looked back at the sheet.

"Aye, around a year ago the deal was struck. Instead of paying him for his work on the housing district and the new mill, their taxes are partially omitted."

__________________

Name: Beryl Halkias

Age: 15

Race: Lamia, Viper

Sex: Hermaphrodite

Class: Adventurer, Mage

 Level: 17

HP: 1000

MP: 1500

Constitution: 9

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 15

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 8

Charisma: 8

Titles: Matriarch’s retainer

Skills: Mana pool lvl3, Lighter ward, Favor of the flame, Favor of the spark, Tree of Life’s touch, Lightning overcharge lvl1, Tree dwellers coil, Natural camouflage

___________________________

Elaine squinted before looking at Lorn.

“We’ll have to widen their hunt scope anyhow. Beryl’s going to be an adult soon, three months and she turns sixteen.”

Sighing, Elaine lowered the paper, making a few notations to the side. 

“Though I would stress, some of the other rookie teams won’t be happy with that. Beryl isn't their leader, and there are whispers of one other team aiming to place ‘Hollowpoint’ in their shadow.”

Lorn placed the paper down, moving back to her desk. 

“I’ve heard, I’ve heard. ‘Vulpes’ right?”

Elaine nodded to Lorn’s question. 

“Aye, ma’am.”

"Hmph, I'd like to see them actually come to acknowledge each other at some point. Figure they'll come to a head in the regional hunt the year after next?"

"Probably, their efficiency score is within the top ten percent reported for Brenton, Varcheg, Francia, and Kraków." 

Imperial established one and all, the cities mentioned were known to be established from cultures throughout the eastern reach. Va-ren, Corinth, Marseilles, these were each the origins of said cities. Their peoples exiled from the Empires ruled territory proper after each failed to resist the closing claws of the 'Harpy'. 

Va-ren only kept its current territory through the violence of the 'The bleeding', each of the others surviving citizenry were granted the frontier of Damus to appease them. Each of these originating cities, to include Brenton, were settled by the strongest remaining populace of their homes. This is the assumed reasoning for their ability to produce progeny capable of such high efficiency for hunting monsters.

"Aye, since we are on the subject, were they not on a hunt as we speak?"

Elaine nodded to Lorns' question. 

"Yes ma'am, they're hunting an Apex gorgonopsid."

Lorn craned her neck.

"So a Drake?"

The elf asked, planting the paper back against the table.

"Well, no, but it's similar in size and temperment."

"The damned things fight like Drake's, how big is it?"

Elaine remained silent.

"How big?"

"..."

"Elaine, is it in regulation?"

"It was recorded using mana-break, who else could I send?"

______________

Faster! Faster!

My heart pounded within my ears, the smell of shattered wood and upturned soil obscured the scent of the beast on my tail.

"Kiyomi, just a little closer and I can aggro it!"

Vaughn yelled out, his deepening voice echoing through the woods.

"I can hear damn well how far! That doesn't make it easier!"

I screamed with anger, pushing off of any tree I could to boost my speed. The overwhelming crack of trees being shattered by the monster that gave chase encouraged me to push. Not minutes earlier I was stalking said creature in an attempt to land a quick blow, only for it to field mana-break.

With how God damned common that is, I can see why there's a three man minimum at all times! And the fuckin mortality rate!

One moment I was pushing off from the base of a tree, the next, the tree would be shattered inside saber toothed jaws just as I pushed away.

"That was too damned close!"

I yelled, peering around for Vaughn.

"Where the hell are you?!"

I screamed as I felt a sense of dread overcome me.

Shit, it's on my-

I twisted my body around just in time to meet the Gorgonopsid eye to eye. It's maw was large enough that it could have engulfed half my body, its ferocity suited to its size. The maw was open, rotating its head in an attempt to engulf my body.

"Not today!"

I shouted, twisting my body as I kicked my heel into its jaw. The strike lacked the typical sickening crunch I'd become accustomed to. Instead, the huge beast was flung against a set of pine. 

C-creeeeeaak-snap-crash!

The line of trees splintered and cracked under its weight. The beast must have been nearly four thousand pounds or so, it's massive size comparable to a rhinoceros. Had it been stable on the ground, and not mid air, the kick wouldn't have been nearly as effective. 

"Vaughn- hah- where?"

I yelled about, catching my breath as I unsheathed Wyrmstooth. 

"Here!"

Vaughn yelled, a pillar of each shooting into a tree revealing Vaughns presence against the undergrowth. 

"About damn time!"

I began sprinting full force towards Vaughn, sure that Beryl was somewhere amongst the trees untouched.

By the time I reached him, the Gorgonopsid was fresh on my heels. I'd slid on my heels just in time for Vaughn to raise Bulwark. 

Fzshhh

Rooooaaaah!

Mana crackled outward as the monster slammed into the newly formed wall.

"Wall one, up! Kiyomi!"

With Vauhgn screaming in my ear, I knew half of our trap was complete. 

"Up you go!"

I grabbed Vauhgn, throwing him across the shield wall and over the monster. With his landing, the signature red eyes formed on his shield. The gorgonopsid turned just in time to catch him within its sites.

Let's hope this plan works!

As predictable as ever, the beast turned to face Vaughn. Snapping it's jaws at him, it never could have predicted his next move with its saber teeth clamping down on the shields.

Fzshhh

Roaaee!

The monster yelped as Vaughn's second shield wall burst from the metal ring adorning its reinforced wood structure. Teeth and spare bits of flesh went flying as the forcefield mana shot outwards. The monster was trapped, meaning it could only go one of two ways. Forward or back.

As we planned, like clockwork-

Fzh- krakooow!!!

Lightning shot outward from a small draw further within the woods. A near perfectly timed strike of mana from Beryl, coiled as if she were her bestial lookalike. With her shot made, and the Gorgonopsid weakened, now was the time for my final role. I jumped within the walls surrounding the monster as it struggled to stand. Stumbling as it tried to escape, yet too stunned to move effectively. Even it's mana-break was weakened enough to make coupe de grace all the more easy to utilize.

Let's see, where are you?

The gorgonopsid struggled to stand, yet that did not mean I had forever. The issue was, mana-shielding always seemed more concentrated around bone structure.

Come on- ah!

Within my body I could feel its pulse, its very breath entering and escaping its lungs. And with that, its heart, lungs, and brain were loosely shadowed by what looked like clouds of mana. Those of which, were also partially obscured by bone.

Let's see, so from right… here!

Crouching with my stance firmly over the beasts trembling shoulders, I brought Wyrmstooth tip line with its heart just in between its ribs.

And now-

I plunged Wyrmtooth deeply, its blade alight with mana as it heated up and my MP fell. It was but a split second that the beast continued its struggle as I pushed. All until the sword stabbed into the cloud of mana that was the heart, and our quarry collapsed under its own weight. Only its rear paws could find purchase to push against the dirt, upturned a mere few inches of soil. With its dying breath, the scent of blood flooded my nose. The sound of wildlife all around me, once tuned out, faded in aggressively as if everything were occurring next to me. Only my ragged breathing was what grounded me as I stared at its limp head from above.

"Haaah- hah- ha- mnnn- hah."

I breathed.

Another hunt down, what's that, another 500 gold? We should be able to skip out on hunts for another month with this.

Rustling could be heard to my left.

Definitely adds some room for study. Maybe spend some time training Iom?

"Kiyomi!"

"Ah."

I looked up, pulling my sword free as I did. Vaughn was waving for me to hop down.

 

"That makes what, six hunts this month? I'd say next month we're in the clear." 

Vaughn rolled his eyes, watching me as I climbed down the Gorgonopsid's head.

"Aaah, shit."

Well, not much to salvage for trophies or sale there.

I looked over the monster's mangled maw.

"Well this one isn't going on the wall, the lower jaw is split just in front of the canines."

I inspected the point where its saber teeth had also been ripped from the skull by the shield.

"Yeah, sabers are gone too. Guess this one's a write-off to the market."

I turned to face Vaughn.

"Better we gut it here, I asked around and these things bloat fast. It'll make carrying it back easier."

Vaughn winced, an odd sight for how he'd grown. 

"Really? I mean, we've killed plenty, but I hate gutting."

Yes, really. Boy, wha- sheesh, still weak stomached.

For only being fifteen years of age, he'd grown fast. Broad shouldered similarly to Stannis, one couldn't help but wonder if Gregor himself carried a similar build once in his younger years. He still had room to grow, yet already he dwarfed his younger years in size. I missed my old body in some ways, the sight of watching Vaughn grow reminded me of my own teens. Vaughn's hair was matted from the heat, the conifer forest north of Brenton carried humid weather not unlike the Ozark mountains of Earth. Even then, his blonde hair was darkening already with his age. One would be forgiven for thinking it was brown at birth. Even with all this, his green eyes glistened with light the moment he turned to me once more.

"To hell with it. Fine, let's be quick about it."

He said, sheathing his sword and dropping his shield to the ground. Even his choice in clothing had changed. Aside from the hide pants, he wore black leather boots he'd prized a year earlier. And atop a simple cotton tunic, he wore a dark green gambison at mine and Beryl's behest.

"Aaah!"

 I raised wyrmstooth, pointing it at Vaughn.

"That thing cost me a paycheck, take it off while you help. It's hot enough as is anyway, I don't doubt you could use a break from it…"

I sheathed Wyrmstooth.

"Granted, I'm the one that did all the running."

I whispered under my breath, loosing my belt and pulling my knife from it as it fell to the ground.

 My outfit differed only in my choice of protective gear. While I wore fairly similar hide pants, I wore boots fashioned from Stalker hide. They were a russet red in coloration, matching the patch of red cloth that hung from my belt. Instead of a traditional top I wore a dark blue cotton leotard that just barely exposed the hips past the beltline of my pants. Though I disliked it at first, it was a gift from Lorn. I was nearly her size by now, and she claimed to have an excess of clothing she would part with. Her consideration was my constant position of keeping monster's at arms length. 

Ugh…

I adjusted a piece of layered leather that covered my chest, an incessant soreness ever lingering. 

Just over it, a tightly bound leather breastplate to keep undue injury at bay. 

I think I slammed myself into a tree a bit hard, fuck that hurts!

Atop it all, I wore a yellow scaled hide jacket, cropped at the elbows and just along the bottom of the ribcage. It was fashioned from one of my own trophy kills, a Purussaurus from some months prior. Aside from the unwelcomed growth that I could barely become accustomed to. I'd taken on an almost spitting image of Kiyomi's mother, the one at least recalled in dreams. My skin tanned with the touch of the sun, and the same reddish purple hair became more bold in hue. It was hip length at this point, coupled together in a single giant french braid. My amber eyes were untouched in color, Vaughn had once or twice been startled by my approaching camp at night.

"I heard that." 

Vaughn chuckled, lowering the mana shields that he still only had two of. The corpse of the gorgonopsid slumped to its side as the mana that once held its weight receded. 

"Let's just clean it and be back by evening, aye? I know you planned to join your Mother at the temple tomorrow. Would you want to disappoint her?"

If only to hear moreover my reason for being here.

Vaughn pulled free his own knife, walking to the monster's rear leg.

"Sure thing, slow ass. Let's start."

I laughed, lifting the front leg so as to turn the quarry on its side. 

"Ugh, stinks like dogshit."

Vaughn complained, pulling the guts by the esophagus. With a cut around the anus and along the throat, the only other cut that need be made was through the hip to allow clean passage. 

That's cause it is.

"You're lucky it's spilled to the ground, and not on the- "

I stomped down on the exposed hip bone, shattering it.

"The meat!"

"D- God's, Kiyomi! I know you can do that much cleaner! Every time you do that, it nearly makes me empty my belly!"

Beryl came into sight, a cart led by a pair of mules just behind her.

"Ugh, it's hard to believe the boots were originally that color. They were so nice too."

Beryl feigned a gag as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, you've no room to talk. The minute you found out I hate spiders you RELISHED-"

I forced my foot further into the hip, a wet cracking noise emphasizing the breaking of bone.

"-Relished the fact that I needed you to come and splatter a spider tortoise before it could eat me."

Beryl shivered with the bone-cracking, shaking her head as she approached with the cart.

Least of all when you were so happy about it. Gods I was cleaning guts out of my hair for hours…

She was a sight herself, just as Vaughn. The same yellow eyes, partially obscured by her bangs. Her teal hair had gained vibrancy in its color, but was now mixed with whitened hair. It was braided multiple times and tied back into a ponytail. Her teal, black, and white scales all remained unchanged. While the color remained, she swelled in size just as myself and Vaughn. Fourty-five feet from head to tail tip, Beryl dwarfed atleast her mother, Sophia, in length. They claimed it was in part to her having a greater access to food than any of them had before, but myself and Vaughn secretly joked about her being a giant. 

"Welp, let's load it onto the cart. Kiyomi, as long as you pull I'm sure Vaughn and I can shift it around to fit properly."

Beryl removed a hide cloak rife with foliage and dirt, tossing it onto the cart. A ghillie hood and cape that I'd fashioned specifically so she could hide herself better in ambush hunts. Underneath, she wore a light blue gambison that wrapped well past her hips. A red sash similar to my own was wrapped around her waist, partially obscured by a set of leather belts and pouches. Just like myself, she held her chest firm with a leather breastplate larger in size than my own.

She's bigger than me… am I not eating enough?

"Yoo-hoo"

"Hm?"

Beryl placed her hands on her hips as she grabbed my attention. 

"Tomboy, no girl likes getting stared at."

"Ah, sorry. Still wondering how cows and snakes mixed."

Beryl sighed, passing myself and Vaughn whilst flicking our foreheads.

"Same to you Vaughn, you were looking at her. Come on."

I shot Vaughn a look.

"Sorry, Ber-ber."

I shrugged, shifting the monster's rear legs just above the cart's rear gate.

"Vaughn, same to her."

Beryl yelled from the monster's other side.

"Sorry, Kiyomi."

I shrugged the weight of the monster upwards, gaining a better purchase on its rear knee joint.

"I hope a bird poops on you."

I loosened my grip on one of the knee joints, pointing Vaughn to the front right leg.

"Grab hold."

With each of us in position, I heated the weight up. The wagon creaked and its suspension protested against the few odd short tons dragged atop it. Even without its weight of innards, the beast was still heavy as sin. Even the mule protested from the surprising weight tugging against it as the cart shook.

Fifteen minutes later and the monster was secured over the cart, its limbs hanging over the edges. The cart would for sure hold, its spokes oversized and suspension reinforced to facilitate everything short of a Bulette or a Skulker. We'd reclaimed our gear, both what we dropped to clean the monster and a stash of our camp goods some ways away. All that was left was for us to help the mule pull it back to town, three ropes secured to the frame so that the load was even.

“You two, up.”

I waved for Beryl and Vaughn to join me atop the cart. 

“My turn first, I have to walk this adrenaline out of my system.”

I held out my hand, it was shaking from the rush. 

I'd be lying if I claimed to hate it… that and I aim to make good time.

I held out my hand once more.

"You first, Beryl. Then Vaughn."

It wasn't long before Beryl was atop the cart. Both through our help, and her own body manipulating the corpse of the monster for leverage. With her atop, Vaughn was next, a simple tug nearly flinging him into the air.

"Shit, watch it! Nearly yanked my shoulder out of its socket!"

Vaughn complained, rubbing his shoulder as he dropped his weight onto the Gorgon. I hopped down, walking ahead of the mule to secure the extra ropes. 

"Beryl, how much should that make?"

I yelled over my shoulder, while pulling the rope over it.

"This hunt was five-hundred gold. As long as we don't take into account fines. Savings should be seventeen-hundred, aye?"

I nodded over my shoulder.

"Aye, even if we lose two or three hundred we should be fine to take some time. I can snatch some of the heavier commissions for us in that time. I do owe the guild a recovery commission though."

I nodded to myself.

Can't forget my slime either. Lapsha's probably been missing mama.