A New Dawn

A thunderstorm of laughter was carried over a cacophony of clanking mail and mugs. The bird of bureaucracy flapped its paper wings with diligent efficiency, as countless quest flyers were accepted, assigned, returned, marked for completion and carefully filed away. The air in the gathering hall was heavy with the stench of victorious hunts and camaraderie.

“Excuse, me!” A tall, young, leather-clad woman with chestnut curls and fire in her azure eyes stood at the quest counter. “I'd like to see the one-star quest book please!”
“Well, aren't you just the little spitfire?” chortled the weathered questarix. “Let me see what I've got for you.” The questarix pulled out a thick volume of requests and slammed it on the counter, opening it. “To start, you'll have only the quests on this page to choose from. It's not much, but it's enough until we know what you can do.”

The young woman scrutinized each quest, finally coming to rest on...

Hunting Quest
Aptonoth Avenger
Locale: Red Desert
Fee: 300z
Reward: 3000z
Main Monsters: Great Jaggi
Client: Frustrated Farmer
Details: “A Great Jaggi's been lurkin' around the farm, an' pickin' off my livestock at night!
Please stop this thing, before it ruins my business!”

“I'll take that one!”
“A very traditional choice.” replied the questarix. As the questarix filled out the appropriate paperwork, she looked up at the bright-eyed hunter across the counter and asked “Who, may I put down is undertaking this quest?”
“Dawn. Dawn Hildeross!”
“Well, Dawn, welcome to the life of a hunter! Make sure you hit the canteen and double check your items before you leave. I know some places have the luxury of being able to deliver items to the field for you, but we don't.”
“Thanks, I will!” bubbled Dawn, but she knew she was far too nervous to eat anything.

The Red Desert is a harsh environment with jagged, plunging canyons and jutting stone edifices, creating alien looking surroundings with plenty of holes and crevices where some of the most cunning and devious monsters thrive.

Dawn arrived at the farm and was lead to where the Aptonoth were kept. It didn't take long to find where the attack occurred. Luckily for Dawn, there was a trail to follow from where the last Aptonoth was dragged off. She followed the trail into a canyon where the Great Jaggi, its violet scales shimmering almost iridescently in the moonlight, had begun building a new nest and was gathering food for its young. "Something must have forced it out of its old territory."

Dawn stayed out of sight and slowly drew her sword, her shield at the ready. She crept up the back of a rock when suddenly, she heard the yelping of a Jaggi and knew it was now or never. She leaped off the rock onto the back of the Great Jaggi, which immediately began bucking wildly. Desperate to stay on, she accidentally dropped her sword to grab hold of the great lizard's frill and mane. The Great Jaggi soon stopped its struggle to catch its breath, when suddenly the Jaggies began leaping at the hunter trying to dismount her. She used her shield to punch them away one after another, but was unable to keep up with their numbers without her weapon and was soon knocked to the dirt. As she stood, the Great Jaggi roared and struck her hard with its tail, sending her flying into a rock. Wincing in pain, she frantically searched for her sword. The Great Jaggi leaped at Dawn, and she gave a primal cry that echoed through the canyon, shield bashing the Great Jaggi in the face with all of her weight, stunning the beast, when she noticed a glint. Her sword was at its feet! She charged the Great Jaggi, who, quickly returning to its senses, snapped at Dawn narrowly missing her. She dove between the monster's legs, recovered her sword, and promptly began cutting down Jaggis in mid-air, one after another, whirling around to face a flying frill, that came down on her like a bird of prey, scarcely enough time to raise her shield, the Great Jaggi's long, sharp talon inches from her face. She drove the point of her sword into the beast's ankle, causing it to lose its balance, writhing in pain, roaring in anger.

The Great Jaggi righted itself and began to cry, calling out for any other Jaggi that may be in the area. Something came, but it wasn't more Jaggi. Something came that made Dawn's blood turn cold. Rapid, sharp steps echoed thunderously in the canyon, quickly growing louder as six small blue lights glowed in the darkness. Dawn turned and ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her ears like tribal drums. She fled the canyon, the Great Jaggi leaping after her only to be snatched out of the air and carried off into the darkness by a pair of venom drenched mandibles.

Dawn made her way back to the farm and updated the farmer on what she learned. The entire way back to the hall, she couldn't help but think how lucky she was to be alive. How thankful she was to be a hunter.