A Jagged Adventure

CHAPTER FIVE

Beanie stared, wide eyed with fright, at the Arzuros that was undoubtedly pacing back and forth behind the Arena doors. She couldn't see it, of course, but she knew it was there. She could hear it huffing in agitation. Red was already prepared; his stance showed he was ready to run full tilt the second those doors opened, his eyes blazed with a rage and anger she definitely wasn't used to, and he held his weapon so firmly between his jaws she thought she could see blood mixing with his saliva.

"Uh, Red?" She asked hesitantly, stepping up to him. "Are you alright?"

Red stared ahead and did not bother to answer. His breathing was coming in fast, shallow pants, and Beanie suddenly found herself wondering if the Elder had made a mistake in letting him train.

"You ready?" Beanie looked up to see Master Utsushi waving down at them. But before she could respond to let him know that Red was not ready, he laughed and opened the arena doors. "Course you are! Go get 'em!"

The arena doors opened, and the Arzuros charged. Time slowed down. Beanie gasped at how big it was and fumbled for her weapon. Red didn't hesitate and sprang forward. He rocketed across the arena with Beanie running after him in a panic, and began barking at the Arzuros to get its attention.

The Arzuros swung its droopy head around to stare at them with cold, red eyes, and that was when Beanie knew they were screwed.

"Red!" Beanie yowled. "Come back! We need to work together! RED!"

Red launched himself at the Arzuros, weapons ready to dig into its neck, and struck with such force that Beanie stopped in her tracks, frozen with fear.

The Arzuros stumbled back and reared up, blood spilling out of the wound. The fanged beast glanced down at Red hanging off of it, their eyes locked, and with one massive swipe it dislodged Red and flung him away. Red tried to land on his paws but ended up rolling and tumbling all the way to Beanie's feet.

"Red!" Beanie cried, skidding to a stop.

Red staggered to his paws, snarling. Beanie leapt forward, her arms spread to block Red from advancing once more.

"Red, what are you doing?" Beanie demanded. Behind her, the Arzuros slowly stalked them. "You could have been killed!"

But Red was in another world. His eyes were so dilated they looked black, and his legs trembled so badly that Beanie wondered how he even stayed standing.

"R-Red?" Beanie remembered what Elder Fugen had said about the Palamute's past. "Red! It's alright. Your safe. I mean, there is an Arzuros trying to kill us, but what you might be seeing is... not... there? Or, no, wait. Your master is-"

At the mention of his master, Red flinched vaulted himself clear over Beanie. Beanie screamed when she realized that the Arzuros was right on top of her, and the two combatants collided right above her head, showering her with both their blood.

Beanie, screeched, crawled away and watched as the Arzuros swung around, trying to swipe and bite at Red, but the Palamute was just a little too quick for it. When Red found an opening, he would jump in, slash at it a good few times, and then leap away before the Arzuros could retaliate. The fanged beast howled in frustration.

"I just want to go home!"

Beanie froze, her blood instantly turning to ice.

"Who... Who said that?" She whispered, looking around.

The only living souls within earshot were Beanie, Red, and the enemy Arzuros. Beanie shook her head vigorously. She swore she heard a female voice cry out in despair. But who did the voice belong to?

Beanie saw Red being flung around in the Arzuros jaws, and knew she had a decision to make. Suddenly, she could not believe how she was acting. This was her once in a lifetime opportunity to become a Hunter! And what was she doing? Shaking and sniveling in a corner while her partner got chewed to bits!

"Come on, Beanie," Beanie smacked herself, claws unsheathed. "You can do this! Get a hold of yourself... Ready... Go!"

Beanie sprang to her paws, unsheathed her bokken, and sprinted at the Arzuros. Red had managed to twist around and now had his jaws latched onto the right side of its face. His weapon lay at the Arzuros feet, and Beanie snatched it up before launching herself at the beast. She leapt off its leg, ran up its ever gyrating back, and swing her bokken at the Arzuros face. The metal tip entered its left eye (the one Red wasn't chewing on) and sunk hilt deep.

Red and Beanie collapsed on the ground as the Arzuros fell over with a massive thunk that shook the entire arena. Beanie, gasping and shaking from the excitement, handed Red his weapon. Wiping tears from her eyes, she glanced at the Arzuros. Her heart skipped a beat, and she blinked, confused.

The Arzuros was female.

Beanie looked again, trying to wrap her brain around the connection she had just made.

"Hey... Red?" Beanie began, but Master Utsushi wire-bugged down to the area floor and landed in-front of them, interrupting her.

"That was definitely something!" Beanie and Red were overjoyed to hear surprise and shock coating his words. "But, um... You did remember that you needed to use this opportunity to master the wyvern riding technique, right? I mean, that's amazing that you killed it. The way you did was... wow. Good job. But... You might have failed."

Red and Beanie stared. Master Utsushi shrugged and used his wirebug to fling himself out of the arena.

"Ops..." Beanie sighed.

Red shook out his pelt, looking mildly annoyed, but not as defeated as Beanie would have thought.

"We killed it." Red stated matter-of-factly. "Sure, we didn't follow the rules, but we killed it. How many Palico and Palamute partners can say the same?"

Beanie looked up, shocked.

"You mean it?" she asked.

Red flicked an ear and looked away.

"I think I remember Master Utsushi saying there are always fine meals to be had in the gathering hub when evening rolls around." Beanie didn't even mind that he'd changed the subject to food. "Come on, let's use that wirebug thingy to go get us some grub."

Red wirebugged out of the arena, and Beanie was about to follow when she remembered the Arzuros conundrum. She glanced back at the lifeless corpse and felt something stirring deep within herself. Something she, as a hunter wanna-be, never expected to feel.

Guilt.