Water splashing and wood creaking filled my ears as I woke up. My vision hazy, I could barely make out my surroundings. Some kind of dark room?

My body felt heavy, like something was coiled around it. I moved, at least tried to. The stuff on me clinked and I was stuck. What?

I moved again with the same result; some clinks. I turned my head to look, the bits of white light falling down helping me see in the darkness.

It looks like some vines? Why are they so heavy?

I bit on them. Ow, those vines are super strong! My teeth hurt, the vines too solid to cut.

I glanced around the room, making out some wooden walls. What is this place? I remember chasing one of those funny preys in the forest. Something really hurt then everything went black. How did I get here?

Ah, it doesn’t matter. I must get out of this place and go back before Father notices. I pushed on the vines, testing their resilience. This won’t be easy.

I flung myself to the side, the vines clinking. Again! The vines pressed on my scales with each strike, a searing pain growing. Again, and again, no matter how many times or how strong I striked, the vines would not budge.

Pain washed over my back and arms. How can vines be so hard? I pushed harder, yelps escaping my mouth. The loud clinking of the vines echoed in the room as I struggled.

Let me go! I pushed with all my strength, wincing at the pain.

‘Tonk, tonk, tonk’. Uh? I stopped to listen at the sound. That came from somewhere in front. The sound stopped behind the wall.

Then the wall cracked open slowly, a warm light spilling into the room. The prey I had chased in the forest stepped inside, one hand holding a stick with super bright stuff; fire.

What? I stared at it with large eyes. What is it doing here and how can it use Father’s power? The light shone on the multiple scars covering its face.

“Oh oh oh, the little monster is awake?”, the creature spoke. I had no idea what it meant, but it could not be good. I don’t like where this is going.

I striked at the vines again, even more motivated to get out.

“Hehe, you won’t break those machalite chains like that.”, the creature said with a toothy grin. This bad feeling in my gut grew. It took a step.

I roared at it. Don’t come closer!

The creature reeled back, its face crunching in anger, “You little piece of shit, let me teach you some manners.” With its other hand it took out a spike.

My eyes enlarged at the sight. It’s going to hit me! I desperately flung myself against the vines ignoring all pain. Break! Break! Break!

I slipped and scraped the floor as I striked, but the vines held strong.

“Hehehehehe, are you scared little monster?”, the creature walked closer and ignored my roars. I bit at the air, hoping it would scare it away somehow, but it stopped in front of me, brandishing the spike.

“Have a taste of my pain!”, the creature screamed. The spike bashed on my head. Before I could register the hit it hit me again. And again.

Go away! I screamed and flung myself around.

“This is for my daughter!”

But the monster hit me again and again, the pain piercing through my head.

“This is for my daughter!”

I felt blood flow on my face as the monster howlered. Stop it! I screamed myself hoarse but it would not stop.

My vision hazed and my senses numbed. The monster will kill me. I am going to die. All the sounds blended into each other, each hit sending jolts of pain through my body and forcing a scream out.

I thought I was gonna die when another monster ran into the room. It held back the first one before they both screamed at each other. I could not make out anything they said.

I held by a shred onto my consciousness, a ringing in my head obscuring all the noises around. I felt like I was floating on a cloud, about to fall at any moment, my breathing the only proof I was still alive.

Father, Mother... I remembered their faces, the joy I felt seeing them for the first time. They taught me everything from flying to hunting, yet I was wary of them and even betrayed them. Spiky, Friendly… We were born together, always stayed together, always played together. We did everything together. Until I learned how to hunt and wanted to do my own things. How despicable. I never deserved any of them. I had the best family under the sky, yet I still betrayed them. I’m sorry everyone. Only now of all times, do I realize it...

Then water splashed on my face, a pain worse than a million ants biting me inside out invading my mind.

I screamed out one last time, before everything went dark.

***

I woke up thirsty, hungry and my face itching. Water splashed and wood creaked. The room was dim, sunlight flowing through the roof, with no traces of the monsters.

I’m still alive? I thought I was dead for sure!

Thank the sky, I live to fly another day. I moved, the vines clinking.

If only I could fly…

A smell entered my nose. I looked down to see a wooden object. What is that thing? It was circular and hollow, a white liquid filling it, some stuff floating at the top. It looks edible.

I risked a lick. Ugh! I reeled back at the taste. It’s like water mixed with grass, but worse. I stared at the bucket. I did not want to eat this disgusting thing, but my hunger and thirst were too strong. After all, there was nothing else I could eat.

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I barfed the pasty substance with my eyes closed, hoping I would grow used to the taste. I didn’t. It was the worst food I ever ate, but I would die sooner than later if I did not eat it. In a few moments I finished the food, leaving the bucket empty.

I wish I never have to eat this thing again. Did the monsters give me this food? Why would they do that after trying to kill me?

I glanced at the empty room. What do I do now? There’s nothing here, and those vines are unbreakable. I tried to think of something to get out, but I could not do anything.

It took a long moment for me to accept reality. I was the monsters’ prey, and I could not escape.

***

All this time passed with nothing happening. Eventually I had to relieve myself, I couldn’t hold it anymore. The smell of poop and pee filled the room, worsening this already terrible situation.

The only thing to distract me was listening. So listened I did.

First were the noise of water splashing and wood creaking. Focusing further on listening, I could hear monsters above. Sometimes they spoke, some sounds coming up frequently like “last night” and “rathalos”.

What did they mean? It seems important, since they keep repeating it. More importantly, what will they do to me?

The sound of steps coming down cut my thoughts short. I struggled against the vines, by instinct more than reason. A monster is coming! As much as I hoped for something to happen, when it came to it I was not ready.

The wall creaked open, the dim light revealing a monster I had never seen. I yelped in fear, slipping as I pushed against the vines. But the monster did not say anything, it just entered holding another bucket.

It only had one arm, its head devoid of any fur. What is it going to do to me? It put the bucket down before picking a long stick from outside the room. I jumped at the sight. The monster will hit me again!

It reached to me with the stick. I closed my eyes and braced for the hit, but it never came. The monster only pulled back the empty bucket. Uh? I froze for a second, the monster pushing the other bucket in front of me. What?

The monster put back the stick before picking up the empty bucket and leaving, the wall closing. Soon the sound of steps going up reached my ears.

For long moments I did not dare move or make a sound. Did the monster just come, give me food, and leave? I looked at the bucket and sure enough it was the disgusting white, thick substance.

Why are the monsters keeping me here? What is the point? I can not make sense of this situation. My thoughts jumbled in my head, unable to come up with any reason for the monsters’ behavior.

I closed my eyes and breathed slowly. What would Father do in my place? Away from home, unable to break free or use fire, surrounded by monsters and with no one to rescue me. What would he do? Think, think, think.

In moments I found the answer, a grin creeping on my face.

As clear as the light of day.

I opened my eyes, gaze falling to the bucket. I wolfed it down with a newfound determination, ignoring the taste and pasty texture.

What would Father do? He would survive.

***

Days and nights passed. The only monster that came was the one-armed food monster. I never saw the one that hit me again, or any other monster.

When the food monster came, it never said anything.

At first, I was on my toes when the monster opened the wall, always struggling in those clinking black vines. But after many instances of this, with no harm done to me, I relaxed a little.

Sometimes it stayed a while to watch me, my gaze never leaving it even as I ate. To say it was weird would be an understatement. It just… Stood there. A few times I even saw some droplets falling from its eyes.

Is it sick or something? The smell in the room was also getting worse, my poop and pee piling up. I could not use my nose anymore, only breathing through my mouth.

How long will this last? I also have this feeling recently…

I looked somewhere on my left. Like I’m moving farther and farther from home every moment.

I wondered how long I could bear this situation, when my ears twitched, a new noise entering them. I focused, and the noise became clearer. Something deep and very far, like a ‘dong’. It stopped. What was that?

I thought it was my imagination when I heard it again some moments later, clearer and closer. The monsters above all started running and shouting “Land! Land!”.

What’s going on? The sound repeated a few times, each time a little closer.

Is it getting closer, or are we getting closer?

The sound did not repeat again but the monsters still ran and shouted, the sounds too confusing for me to make out anything they said.

Did something bad happen? Moments passed while I anguished over what could be happening, shifting in the vines. Then, I heard faint sounds from far away.

Those were very hard to describe. The closest I could think of was a large group of big greys running. Then a loud ‘Bwooooh’ came from above, blasting my ears.

What on sky was that? My ears soon recovered, the faint sounds now a lot louder and closer. A few monsters shouted on the left, before I heard the clinking of vines going down and something splashing in the water.

What? The whole wooden structure shook to a stop. We were moving all along! But where are we now? The sound of large objects moving came from above, rustling on the floor. The monsters ran and shouted.

From outside came a wide variety of noises, most of which I had no idea what they could be. I was only sure of one thing; a lot of monsters were there.

Noise came from straight above me. The roof opened, the sun’s light filling the room and blinding me. My eyes had barely adjusted when I felt myself being lifted and heard a rhythmic clinking.

I screamed and struggled against the vines, shaking left and right in the air while I looked around to get a grasp on things.

As I came out the room I saw a huge, long structure made of wood, with massive white wings reaching for the sky, monsters scrambling about.

About 6 monsters pushed on a round stump with sticks, hauling me higher and higher. What is going on? What are they doing?

While I struggled, a cacophony of foreign noises filled my ears. It overwhelmed me. The monsters raised me higher in the air, and I saw an incredible scene…

So many monsters!

By the endless sky! Hundreds upon hundreds of monsters walked in a massive nest of stone and wood, with some big greys pulling large wooden boxes filled with various weird objects, everything combining into an ocean of colors and sounds, the smells all blending into each other.

Only when I heard a big ‘thud!’ followed by a ‘clank!’ did I look down, to see the monsters had closed the roof’s opening and the clinking sound had stopped.

Another box pulled by two big greys approached the long wooden structure. The monsters stopped it in front of me, some distance below.

Everything confused me, happening too fast for me to comprehend; I had no idea what to do except struggle. A group of monsters holding buckets approached and splashed me with water. I cried out, recalling that terrible night, only it did not sting this time. Why did they do that?

Some monsters gathered wood, cut into long, flat parts or rods. They put planks against the wooden structure, forming a path into the box. The rods were placed below me in a line, planks put on top. What are they doing with all this wood?

Another ‘clank!’ rang out and the 6 monsters pushed again, this time not pulling me up but lowering me onto the planks. I touched down, and a monster threw a long black vine to the ones below. They pulled on it, dragging me towards the box.

Are they trying to put me in that box? I tried to resist but I could not stop them in this position, and fell into the box. The monsters put more black vines on my body while I shifted back and forth. What is going on!

I struggled but only hurt myself. The monsters pulled out some kind of whitish cover, pulling it over the box and blocking my vision. They pulled it tight before the big greys moved, the box moving forwards. Just what on sky is going on! What are they going to do to me?

Even if I could not see, I could still hear and smell. We passed by swarms of monsters, turning left or right. The smells were inumerable, but many had to come from delicious food, my belly rumbling just imagining how they could taste like. Sometimes I heard the odd sounds of creatures, or monsters walking in sync.

The box moved slowly, reaching a less crowded area. The light above dimmed, as if something huge blocked the sun’s light. Where are they taking me?

A few moments later, the atmosphere changed. I had this ominous feeling, sending a chill down my spine. Like I had entered another world.

A world full of danger.