Before a month ago Astra had never even seen a horse never mind ridden one. But, after many gruelling hours of endless travelling, she finally felt like she was getting good at it. Her lower body no longer ached, nor did it feel raw from the constant days of riding and her dark-chocolate horse, Coco, finally began listening to her. In fact Astra even believed the stallion was beginning to like her, she hadn’t been kicked or bit in over a week.

From the change in the sun’s position, Astra estimated they had been travelling for a couple of hours. The three hunters rode up front in a triangular formation. They kept an eye out for any potential threats as well as leading the party through the easiest pathway, sometimes dismounting to clear away any overgrown vegetation that the horses wouldn’t be able to traverse through.

They continued through the Great forest Mori and Astra tried keep her focus on the path ahead, doing her best to not react to any strange noises or moving shadows she saw in the dark abyss around them. She would constantly glance at Amara and if she didn’t react Astra wouldn’t either. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, Amara had told Astra they should be coming to the end of their journey across the Great forest very soon, possibly by the end of the day.

They entered a narrow pathway where tall, steep rocky walls arose to the sides of them. After around an hour of twisting rock walls, the three hunters in front slowly came to a stop and dismounted and Amara quickly done the same. She handed Astra her reins and commanded her to stay there before joining the hunters up ahead. Gris, Amara’s massive, strong, dark grey stallion was reluctant to be left alone with Astra, but he would never disobey his master. Which Astra was thankful for because the massive horse could easily overpower both her and Coco if he desired.

Amara spoke with the hunters for a brief moment before nodding and then heading back over to her.

“Dismount and follow me” Amara said. Astra handed her Gris’s reins and hopped off Coco. She followed Amara over to the hunters and could instantly see the problem. The titan of a tree she’d been seeing for the last hour had grown into the stone crevice they travelled through. Forged from dark wood and emerald leaves it was thicker than the Silva guild hall and was so tall it vanished into the sky. Its base and roots covered the entire trail and spread up the rocky hills. There was no easy way round. However, near the base of the tree between thick tendrils of wood and roots was a gap. It could easily fit her, Amara, and the hunters but Astra didn’t know if the horses would get through, especially Gris.

“Will we fit?” she asked Amara.

“It’ll be a squeeze, but the hunters say it should be fine” Amara responded, “But we’ll definitely have to transport our supplies and lead the horses ourselves”.

They all lined up their horses and carefully unpacked their supplies from their horse’s backs to their own.

“Here take this” Amara said as she passed Astra two bags before taking the rest herself. The bags rested heavily over Astra’s shoulders, but she could manage. Just about.

In a single file line the hunters led the way, slowly and carefully guiding the horses into the tree’s undergrowth. As the third hunter disappeared into the darkness it was Astra’s turn. Holding both the supplies and Coco’s reins tightly she followed the others under the tree.

Pebbles shifted and slid from underneath her as she tread forward. Light struggled to reach down here, and Astra could just about make out their surroundings. She walked through an ever-changing passage of huge, thick twisting roots and slippery moss. The pathway would constantly change. From spacious and tight gaps to high and low ceilings. However, luckily with all their supplies on Astra’s and Amara’s backs and Coco keeping his head low they comfortably made it through. Light crept from around corner, and she soon emerged back into open forest.

Astra led Coco further from tree to give Amara plenty of space. After a few minutes Amara emerged, carefully guiding Gris around the final corner, even crouching the big stallion’s sides scraped against the passage’s walls.

‘How did she get him through the entire passage?’ Astra wondered. She remembered that pitch black, absolutely enormous horse she’d seen back at the Silva stables, it would’ve had no chance.

Astra wandered over to them and Amara removed the baggage from her back and placed it back onto Gris.

“Is there anymore passages like that?” Amara asked the hunters as she secured their supplies to Gris..

“No. It should be an easy trail from now on. As we’re getting closer to the forest edge to grows less dense as it turns to grassland” the blue armour hunter told them.

They all once again saddled up and rode off into the abyss. However, Astra noticed the forest’s darkness was beginning to lighten and she could see further and further away.

‘We’re getting close’ she thought happily.

The environment continued to change and lighten as they travelled further and further. Trees grew shorter and further apart and the overgrown vegetation became sparse with even new species of plants emerging.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

They travelled easily and uninterrupted for miles, and Astra finally began to relax when the hunters abruptly stopped. Astra went to ask what was happening but suddenly an ear-piercing roar tore through the forest and shook Astra to the core.

“Get down!” Amara told her before taking hold of her reins and dragging them both off to the side. Astra done as commanded and kept her body low. Glancing back she could see the hunters had leapt from the horses, weapons ready. With a quick whistle all their horses galloped off to the sides.

Suddenly there was a rapid flash of red and something huge pounced from the darkness forcing the hunters to dodge to the side.

The monster came into view in the light. Before them already preparing to strike again was a gigantic dark navy panther like wyvern, with massive, bladed wings on its front arms and a thick pointed tail.

“Nargacuga” Amara stated before drawing her Longsword. “Stay hidden with the horses here” Amara commanded before sprinting off.

All four hunters charged at the Nargacuga, and it let out another ear-shattering roar. Astra’s hands reflexively covered her ears. She saw that two of the hunters staggered under the roar’s intensity while Amara and the blue armour, Greatsword wielder advanced with full momentum. Amara took the monster head on while the Greatsword wielder sprinted around the side. The Nargacuga growled and its eyes shone red as Amara readied her Longsword. Suddenly the bottom of the tail’s smooth surface transformed into rows of pointed, razor-sharp blades, The Nargacuga jumped in the air and spun, slamming it spiked tail down onto Amara. The tail came crashing down but just as it was about to crush Amara, a bright glow shone across her body and a sharp mystical sound radiated through the air. At a speed Astra could barely register, Amara dashed back. The spiked tail struck the ground and without losing momentum Amara leapt forward and shaved off the tails top layer of spikes. Not a moment later the Greatsword wielder was upon the monster, his humongous blade coming down upon its left arm. The Nargacuga snarled as its paw became a broken mess. It leapt back away from the two hunters however, landed straight in front of the hunters in red and green armour. Wielding a red and black scale shield and a sword that which looked as if it was forged from magma, the red armour hunter charged. His shield bashed into the monsters face dazing it while his sword then slashed across its beak-like mouth. The Nargacuga yelped and swung its bladed arm as the hunter. However, the huge blade only struck a massive golden shield. Wielding a golden Lance the green armoured hunter appeared shielding his ally. He then thrust his lance forward slashing the monster’s left eye. The Nargacuga cried out and recoiled back. It then prepared to retreat but it was too late. Amara appeared in the air high above the monster, her Longsword held overhead. She plummeted down and her blade ripped into her monster’s head. With a cry of pain the Nargacuga collapsed and did not get back up.

Relief washed over Astra as she watched all the hunters sheath their weapons. Astra then stood from her hiding place and led the two horses towards the others. At the same time the horses of the three hunters returned to them.

“I know we can’t call the guild to come collect the body, but we might as well gather what we can” the blue armoured hunter stated drawing his sharp, silver carving knife. Completely unbothered that a large apex monster had just tried to end them, but that was just hunters for you Astra guessed. The other two hunter then also unsheathed their carving knives and approached the corpse. Amara never bothered and began making her way over to Astra and their horses when she suddenly stopped.

She spun on her feet simultaneously drawing her weapon. She sprinted towards the blue armoured hunter and with a strong push launched him to the side. Suddenly something burst from out of the tree line.

‘A second monster!’. They hadn’t seen a single one all journey and now two back-to-back.

A massive, carriage sized red wyvern slammed down, shattering the ground where the blue armoured hunter had just been. Astra knew this monster, the ‘King of the Skies’ Rathalos.

Panicked, Astra retreated, ragging the startled horses back. The hunters began once again drawing their weapons. From their battle before Astra knew they were strong but hunting two apex monsters with no rest was no easy feat.

However, before any hunter could even act Amara was already moving. Flames built inside the monsters maw and launched out at rapid speeds. As the fireball advanced towards Amara a rapid glow was again shone across her body and she performed another perfect counter, her blade slashing against its leg. The Rathalos staggered struggling to hold up its own weight with only one healthy leg. Without a moments rest, Amara switched stance, pulling her weapon and body close. She then charged forward stabbing her Longsword into its injured leg. Using the monster’s huge body she leapt high into the air and Astra quickly realised what she was doing.

‘Helm breaker’. Amara had once told Astra it was one of the Longswords greatest techniques.

A red glow coated her body and blade, and she swung her Longsword across the monsters head as she fell. The monster recoiled back in pain from the initial strike and then a moment later, like it had been attacked by a group of ghosts, the Rathalos’s head was ripped apart by a dozen more slashes.

Like the Nargacuga the monster was dead before its body hit the ground. And just like that Amara had killed an apex monster in moments and proved to everyone why she was a first-rate hunter and the guild had entrusted her with Astra.

The forest was silent, all that could be heard was Astra’s and the hunter’s heavy breathing and the sound of a Longsword being sheathed.

Amara rushed over to Astra and the hunters slowly began to sheathe their own weapons still clearly stunned on what had just occurred.

“Are you okay?” Amara asked her as she comforted Gris.

Astra nodded “The back-to-back monsters just caught me off guard. Is that normal? For two apex’s to act like that?” she asked.

“No. Not like that” Amara admitted with a conflicted expression. She then turned and moved towards the other hunters.

“What just happened?” the red armoured hunter questioned.

“Saddle up! We need to get moving!” she called out to them.

“Behind!” the green armoured hunter suddenly bellowed.

With rapid movements, her hand went to her blade, and she turned. But she was too late. A sharp gasp escaped Amara’s helm. Astra watched in horror and the hunters once again drew their weapons as a sword stabbed all the way through Amara’s back, just above the right side of her pelvis.