Dying Days, chapter threegreenspun.com : LUSENET : MR2 : One Thread |
What has become of Amakai? And why has Mau'Cha'Kai Dead Eyes come to Mukri?
Dying Days By Justice
Disclaimer: Monster Rancher is ) to whoever owns it. I didn't make it up. Don't sue me, all I hope to gain from this is a few compliments or criticizm.
2nd Disclaimer: If you recognise some of the names from such books as Tailchaser's Song and from the 6 part animated series Bastard, that is because I couldn't come up with any good names myself so I ripped these. Thus, most of the names herein are not mine, they are ) to someone else.
Characters: The monster design is ) Monster Rancher. However, character design is ) Justice, 2000.
Chapter 3: Mau'Cha'Kai
For maybe the tenth time in as many minutes, Mau'Cha'Kai paused to allow the ancient monster he owned catch up. No matter, there was no hurry. While he waited for her, he sipped water from his half-full sheepskin brace.
"That ale was terrible," He commented idly to Meta-Rikana, the old Shellsaurian he kept for his own enjoyment. "Too sweet and with a fine powdery pulp to it. It should have been aged longer." Meta-Rikana didn't reply. She had been a wild monster once, and had never learned to speak or even understand words. She could recognise her own name, but that was about it. Even so, Mau'Cha'Kai was glad of a companion to speak to.
"Furthermore," he continued casually, "That awful brew was overpriced. How those stupid Mukrians manage to stomach that shit is beyond me." He watched as Meta-Rikana trudged past him. She was old, too old. He would walk a ways, and wait for her to catch up to him. In the desert-like terrain outside Mukri, it was certainly taking her quite a long time to catch up.
Mau'Cha'Kai let Meta-Rikana get a ways ahead of him before he continued, following her for a change. The pack on his back was beginning to hurt his shoulders. It was meant for the huge Zuum-like beast he kept, but she was so old that any burden would probably injure her. Thus, Mau'Cha'Kai carried it for her; she had been loyal to him for far too long for him to mistreat her now. He had trapped her with a snare as a boy, and even then she was old.
A sharp, grating screech from Meta-Rikana pulled Mau'Cha'Kai's thoughts back to the here and now. Ahead of him, the old Shellsaurian had halted, and was lashing her tail as a warning to her master. Mau'Cha'Kai ran to catch up and see what had startled his monster.
Lying on the ground before the huge bulk of Meta-Rikana was a young Celious, his chest ripped open and massive ammounts of flesh missing. Bright red blood stained the creature's blue fur, drying into a tacky brown substance around the gaping wound. Mau'Cha'Kai's eyes never changed. Nothing, no emotion ever reached his eyes, hence the title Dead Eyes. Still, he was surprised to see such a fine monster lying on an abandoned road, ripped to pieces. Meta-Rikana quietly lay down, taking it as an opportunity to rest.
Mau'Cha'Kai carefully examined the corpse, detailing certain things to his dozing Shellsaurian. "Whatever made this wound is probably shorter than the Celious the gash is low on his chest, so whatever made it was probably attacking from below as well. Hmm see that leg there? Twisted nearly off. This brute didn't get a chance to run." Squinting at the dead monster, he continued softly. "Most people train Celiouses to be quick, but see the ammount of muscle on this one's shoulders and haunches? Whoever was training this one made sure he was strong, too." Mau'Cha'Kai lay a hand on the Celious's shoulder. Even in death, the muscle tone was obvious.
Mau'Cha'Kai stood, and walked a circle around the fallen Centaur-like beast. "Young probably belongs to someone in Mukri. What he's doing way out here is anyone's guess. I'd bet that whoever owns this'un would pay to have him back, even cut up like this." He paused, noticing an old scar in the blue fur that he hadn't seen before. "See that ear? Half gone. Looks like some other monster took a nice chunk out of 'im, eh, Meta-Rikana?" The old Shellsaurian grunted, recognising her name only and not caring what came before it.
Mau'Cha'Kai chuckled and urged Meta-Rikana to stand. He delicately looped a soft rope around her neck and chest, and tied the middle of the rope around the Celious's torn body. He then took up the remaining rope and pulled untill the rope was taunt. "Pull, Meta, PULL!" Both monster and man strained to haul the heavy corpse back to town.
[That afternoon, in the town of Mukri]
Most of the people who lived in town and several of the local trainers had turned out to watch the black-haired man and his elderly Shellsaurian pull the eviscerated body of the Celious into the square. Laonas whistled through his teeth.
"That there is Amakai, Wintertime's Celious," he informed Mau'Cha'Kai with a laugh. "I don't envy you your find. She'll have your guts for garters, Dead Eyed One."
Mau'Cha'Kai halted, a monster blocking his path. It was a battered and broken Tiger, both horns shattered and one leg atrophied with lameness. She stared at him with feral amber eyes, the look on her face pure maliciousness. Mau'Cha'Kai stared back, his eyes as empty, cold, and dead as a doll's eyes. For several seconds, they regarded each other.
Finally, Wintertime spoke. "That Amakai. Mine. You kill Celious?"
"No," he replied, his voice as empty as his eyes. "I found it."
Wintertime growled and swore, sniffing at the body of her monster. "I pay many gold to any who has good monster for fight," she announced to the gathered crowd. Laonas laughed. "You can't afford to feed yourself, much less buy another monster. Face it, Wintertime, you've had it. You're ranch is as good as gone!"
Mau'Cha'Kai frowned. He recognised Laonas as the man who had insulted him last night. For the first time in over two decades, anger drove the outlander's actions. "I will offer my Shellsaurian to you, Wintertime. She will win as much money as she can. You and I will split the winnings less than fairly you need gold more than I. She is in C class now. Her name," and here his empty eyes bored into Laonas's very soul, "is Meta-Rikana!"
The old Shellsaurian threw back her head, roaring in recognition of her name. Wintertime nodded, and turned to lead them to their temporary home at her ranch.
Next Chaper SPOILER: Meta-Rikana may be experienced, but is she too old to battle? And how will two hard-hearted souls manage to get along on the Martingale Ranch?
-- Justice (DemonCougar@hotmail.com), May 14, 2000
Wow, Justice, nice story. You make it sound like a T.V. show with the Next Chapter Spoiler. Adios
-- Aaron Guest a.k.a. Magma Bird (frogmike@excite.com), May 14, 2000.
Nice, your really good.
-- Black Razor (Allanmontalvo@mindspring.com), May 14, 2000.
Yeah, good.
-- RaPtOr2157 (raptor2157@aol.com), May 14, 2000.
Thanks! :)
-- Justice (DemonCougar@hotmail.com), May 15, 2000.