Prologue/Letters from Levin

Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. All the characters in this story are mine unless otherwise noted.

Edited by: Hoenn Master96, Thomas A. Hawk, and DinoJake

Dear Ellie,

I really hope this letter reaches you. I know I should trust the Felyne mail system by now, but given how frequently these cats are distracted by shiny things and Felvine, it's a little challenging to take them too seriously.

Anyway, we've reached the border! I have to admit I'm rather excited. This is the first time I've ever been to Gahiji, even with all the work the Guild's had me doing with Harker the last few years.

We docked at the town of Val Habar (that's where I'm sending this letter from), which is apparently one of the few cities that even allow airships to land. I wish you and the kids could have been here; it's really an amazing place to see! The city lies right at the edge of the desert, and it looks as though there's a line cutting right through the earth with desert on one side and lush grasslands on the other. I don't think I've ever seen a place where calling the sand sea what we do was quite so literal!

Harker and Leif are both glad to be on solid ground again; Harker because he's raring to set out and find his Meridian tower, and Leif because he really doesn't like flying. I warned him that's what he'd have to suffer if he came along with us on his 'pilgrimage' or whatever he calls it, but he still spent the entire flight moaning about it.

Anyway, the town itself is quite a bustling place. The paths were pretty sandy since it's right by the desert, but it didn't really bother me too much after all that time in Loc Lac. The streets were positively filled with shops, and - I think you'll like this part - they were all traveling merchants! Nearly every salesman was peddling out of these elaborate wagons with opening panels on the sides with intricate displays, and at the end of the day they'd snap everything shut, pretty as you please. I'm sure Geisel Sundries could find a place here if you were able to get permission to expand to this country. You wouldn't even need to build a proper shop, just put together a wagon like the ones here. I figure that'll spark your interest if nothing else in this letter does.

The Guild hall here is rather impressive, if a little oddly-shaped. It's like a giant sandship crashed into the city, then was just left there and converted into a Guild building. It's got a giant gong at the top of it though, and they use that like a signal when the town's under attack. I heard there was an attack a few weeks ago by some creature called the Daren Mohran, or whatever that Jhen-like monster in this area of the sandsea is called.

Anyway, we traveled straight there almost the second we landed. Harker was ecstatic to get going, though I don't exactly understand why he was in such a hurry. That Meridian tower we're going to investigate isn't going anywhere after all, so why not take a little bit of time to see the sights while we're here? It took him years for the Gahin government to allow us into their country, so we should try to take our time with this one, right?

The Guild Master of the city, Treno, was waiting for us when we got there. He sort of caught me by surprise though, since he wasn't wearing a Guild uniform, but this kind of silly-looking cowboy garb or something. He was a really sharp guy when we got talking to him, though it was a little tricky to figure out what he was saying sometimes. The Gahin have their own dialect, with this sort of wispy manner of speaking, and this guy was trying to speak with a southern drawl on top of that. Needless to say, it was tricky to listen to.

Treno seemed pretty sure we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. You know all about the stringent rules Gahiji had about people entering the country (trying to cut into the market, you sly saleswoman), and how the border restrictions have been slackening enough recently for Harker's requests to be accepted. Treno got a bit tight-lipped when I asked why the rules had been getting kinder recently. He told me it was very complicated, and he didn't want to get into all the details.

He also said to be careful about the Meridian tower we were heading off to investigate. Apparently, one of the reasons that Harker's requests have been denied for so long is because the Gahin people tend to look upon the old Meridian stuff with something between fear and reverence. We explained that we were just planning to translate the writings we could find there, but Treno still warned us to show caution when we talked to people about our expedition.

He wasn't all dire warnings though. Apparently he'd gone out of his way to find us a couple of Felyne guides who were well-versed in the terrain of Gahiji and could take us all the way to the tower, and were skilled hunters in their own rights. (They're called Palicos here. Weird title if you ask me.) Leif was positively ecstatic. I guess he really looks up to them as skilled individuals of the 'Felyne homeland' or whatever. Their accents are kind of strange, not exactly the same as the local dialect, but they're not completely unintelligible, and they seem eager to help too. Felyne or not, these guys seem really dependable, so we might be able to get to the tower and back quicker than we thought.

I'll cut this letter short for now. Too much more, and the Felyne courier's gonna bump up the price for weight. And don't you say anything about me being stingy; they literally double the price if you put too many papers in an envelope, and I didn't expect the price of post to be so high when I prepared my wallet for this trip. Harker's going to be regretting it if he keeps sending Kerry those small novels he writes her.

Anyway, tell the kids I love them, and I miss them. I really miss you, too, and already look forward to coming home.

With love, Levin

P.S. Let me know how Sonia and Bram are doing. Hopefully they're not getting in too far over their heads training for the exam. They don't need to go through what we did before heading off to Orage.

"Are the preparations done?"

"We have sent out the messages. It will take time to receive the responses we require, but they will come soon enough. If they come at all…"

"You doubt the loyalty of our comrades?"

"The vows are old, Mother. It has been a long time. A very, very long time… It is easy to make a promise when you feel you will not need to keep it within your lifetime."

"They will keep their promises. They have made their vows, and will be held true to them. If they do not… they will be reminded of the consequences of oath-breaking, and the rest will be all the more willing to maintain their loyalty."

"That is, if it's true that our waiting is finally over…"

"You doubt, child?"

"We have kept memory of our vows for a very long time, Mother. There is a reason we have had to sit and wait. It is… hard to believe the rumors and stories, after so long of hopeless waiting."

"You have been thorough in making certain these stories are true… haven't you?"

"Of course, Mother, of course! The tales are spoken by everyone, everywhere in Theron and beyond! They must speak of the tale even the most out of the way hole in the wall in the far reaches of Shrade! But I have checked. I have read the Guild reports, and seen the proof myself. They are true, I am certain."

"Then we have nothing to fear. Our time has come, though we are many years late in beginning our work. I wish we could have began the moment news first reached us…"

"We had to make sure, Mother! We had to be absolutely certain! To move too quickly, to be premature in our duty, especially after so long…"

"I know child, I know. But the time is now! So many years, and the days we have awaited are finally upon us! We are so nearly ready!"

"Yes, yes. Only one last thing we need, Mother."

"Yes… the gift. Our offering. And you have guaranteed-"

"The gift will be here. It took much work to ensure that, many deft maneuvers to pull it off. But our comrades are skilled, though their abilities may not be called upon frequently. They did what they were asked, and did it well. Soon, all will be ready."

"Their skills will find much more use soon. They will all be needed once we have fulfilled our duty."

"I certainly hope so."

"Worry not, child. Once our duty is fulfilled they will not need to be forced. They will aid us readily and willingly. It is in their blood. What else can they do but serve? Now go, child. Get some rest. We will be very busy soon, and you have worked very hard."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Sleep well, child. You will need your strength for the days to come."

To my dearest Eleanor, flower of my heart,

My heart aches to be away from you as long as I have. To be away from you is torture, and my dreams are filled with tantalizing visions of your beauty. I long to merely grace your presence once more, to simply allow my ears to listen to your beautiful voice, to gaze into your brilliant green eyes and have them look into my own with even half the love that I feel for you. To feel your slightest touch, the gentlest kiss, would be a greater gift than I could ever hope for, and I long for the day when I can once again bask in your presence and hold you in my arms with all the love and longing I feel in this moment.

See? I can be flowery too, pretty lady. I just choose not to do so in letters. So please don't compare my letters to those ridiculously poetic novellas that Harker enjoys sending Kerry. Besides, I prefer using such words when we're alone and the kids are otherwise occupied. Preferably somewhere with dim lighting, near a bed, with you wearing something nice and revealing, and I know I have you to myself for several hours…

I really shouldn't be having thoughts like this when I'm something like a thousand miles away from you, pleasant though they may be. I'm really looking forward to coming home.

Also, I really hope you're not reading these aloud to the kids.

Such thoughts aside, we entered the forests after the last letter, and have started on a northwestern path. Mercy, there are a lot of hills here! I always considered Theron to be rather rugged terrain, but now that I'm in Gahiji, oh man our country is flat as a pancake in comparison! Most of the paths that our guides are taking are dangerous, with sharp inclines and steep hills on all sides. Seems like you can't go twenty yards without some crazy rock protrusion jutting up from the ground, or a ledge dropping down ten yards. The only place we've seen that's really flat are the plains next to the sandsea, but beyond that the terrain is just insane. Harker's been going on about wild tectonics and other such stuff, but I can't follow half of what he says.

At least the Felynes are good at what they do; they keep taking us down these narrow paths and secret caves that we never would have found otherwise, and shaving days off our journey by leading us through mountains rather than around them.

We haven't run across any monsters on the roads yet, or at least nothing that's really that bad. A lot of little things like Jaggis, and some of their distant cousins called Velociprey. They're quick, but nothing worth getting worried about. I've also seen some big gorilla-looking things that our guides said were called Congas, and some Neopterons called Konchu. The Konchu kind of surprised me, since their shells were hard enough to deflect my switch axe blade, despite it being made from Deviljho materials! They're easy enough to kill once you flip them over though. Our guides have told us that we shouldn't need to fear anything more dangerous on the journey, as they're taking us through some of the safer paths. That's fine by me.

Leif is really enjoying himself. Despite being a 'city' Felyne, he having fun with his 'pilgrimage' in his 'ancestral homeland'. Our guides have started acting a little sour around him, though, despite the efforts he's gone to trying to make friends with them. I guess there's just some cultural difference that he's just not picking up. The other Felynes spend most of their time prattling on in their own language, and though Leif tries to get in on their conversation, their accent is too thick for him to understand that well. He says they're using some really archaic tongue that he doesn't know.

At least it hasn't affected their work as guides. We're making great time, as far as I can tell.

That being said, we are out of the forest for now. I'm actually sending this letter from a large Gahin city called Dundorma Town. We needed to stop for supplies, and what better place than one of the most prominent hunting cities in the region? But man, if I thought the surrounding area was hilly, Dundorma is a testament to the geography. Maybe I've been spoiled by places like Loc Lac, Orage, and Tanzia, where all the roads and paths are nice and flat, but this place is a different beast altogether. Hell, even that vacation we took in Yukumo wasn't as rough as this place is, and that's in the middle of the Misty Peaks.

Dundorma is pretty much built on the tallest hill in the area, right next to a massive lake to the south. The city itself is made up of about a dozen or so tiers going up the sides of the hill, with a lot of ramps and stairs that climb up and down the city's cardinal directions. The locals seem pretty used to it, but me and Harker had to stop and catch our breaths after climbing up a few tiers. It's even worse when you're getting passed on the stairs by pregnant women and doddering old codgers.

Even with that, the city's beautiful. From a distance it looks like an old, worn-out stone fortress, but inside they've really put in a lot of effort to color the place with grass, trees, and vines, as well as bright banners and the like. For its cold, lifeless exterior, the locals have really livened the place up.

Oh, yeah, and to answer your question from the last letter: no, I'm not going to try and buy some rare materials from this country to sell back in Theron. I don't care how much the going price for Yian Garuga beaks and Khezu steaks are back in Orage Dell, I'm not going to weigh myself down. I urge you to remember: I am not good at business. I am a frugal man, but you're liable to lose profit if you trust me to barter. And besides, it's unethical to tell your customers that powdered Rajang horns do what you're saying they do.

They don't do what you say they do, right? You haven't tested this or anything? Do I need to start checking my food when you cook? I mean, I'm not really complaining if they do have that effect, but it's the principle of the thing.

I met a few hunters while we were here that I could understand through that wispy dialect. They seemed rather impressed with my Golden Lune mail, so we started swapping stories. However, when I told them that I was a Therian hunter, they got this really sour look on their faces. For some reason, Therian hunters really aren't that well-respected here in Gahiji. I tried asking about it, but after hearing that I was Therian, a lot of them lost interest in me or straight up walked away. I didn't understand what was going on until this old guy I met at the inn explained it to me.

Apparently there's a really big disconnect between what Therians consider hunting and what the Gahin consider hunting. The old guy (I didn't catch his name, sorry) was a civilian, so he couldn't exactly explain properly, but from what I understand, the Gahin consider Therian hunters to be - and I quote - 'brutish, noisy, and lacking in tact or wit'. Too much 'hit it until it dies' and not enough 'hunting', whatever that means. I tried to ask for more, but the old guy just shrugged and couldn't give me anything else.

Now that he's told me, I've gotten a bit more receptive to the looks I'm getting from other hunters when I tell them I'm from Theron. Rolled eyes, scoffs of disdain, and just this general look of superiority. Maybe this is why Leif's having such trouble bonding with our guides. If nothing else, it's encouraging me to try and get this mission done as quickly as I can so I can come home. I mean, I could tell them about the Alatreon, but I've never really liked the attention that gets me, and in this country I'm not even sure if that would make them think more or less of me.

Either way, I guess it doesn't matter too much. We've gathered up everything we need for the rest of the journey, so we'll be leaving Dundorma in the morning. The next letter I send might be a while. The Meridian tower we're investigating is pretty far northeast of here, and we'll have to travel through pretty thick countryside to get there. There aren't many towns off in that direction, and I'm not sure how many villages will have Felyne postal service, but hopefully we'll be able to find a place where they're still sending and receiving. At the very least, I suppose I'll have to take one for the team and pay extra for a longer letter.

Anyway, tell Sonia to be careful hunting. It doesn't matter if she and Bram have taken down two Gobul together, the next one might prove to be really nasty. Or worse, it might end up being Goliath. I know he doesn't usually kill any hunters he meets, but any hunter that does get the short end of his attacks usually don't come home in very good condition. He's G-Rank these days for good reason. Also, what's Van been up to? Anything new with him?

I miss you all. With luck we'll get through this forest quickly, and I'll be back home soon.

With love, Levin

"Hmm… You're sure about this?"

"Hmph. You're asking if I'm sure? You? You don't believe anything that comes out of my mouth."

"Oh, that's not true. I believe it. I'm just not as confident in the inevitability of all your divining nonsense as you seem to be. Mercy knows I've tweaked your precious predictions into being inaccurate once or twice."

"They were not inaccurate."

"Ha, of course not, they were just vague and you horribly misinterpreted them. But you're certain that there's not much time left?"

"Positive. There is some… uncertainty-"

"How surprising."

"Do you want this information or not?"

"Oh, do forgive me. I apologize profusely, and prostrate myself before you. How much time do we have?"

"Hmph. Five years at the most. If we're very lucky."

"And if we're not lucky?"

"A few months… Maybe a year and a half. The fact that we've had twenty-five years already is more than I could have dreamed."

"A few months? Damn… Does she know yet?"

"No. That's why I came to you. You can get to her faster than I can."

"I'm not your messenger, old man. A few months is plenty of time for you to inform her before-"

"No! I cannot leave this country! Not yet. There are other dangers that I must seek out and try to prevent here."

"Dangers? What kind of dangers?"

"I'm not… sure. Even more so than usual, the visions are unclear. Something is coming, something dangerous, something different. It is a shadow of the past that lingers, looming in the distance. I don't know if it is related to our current threat, but I must try and unearth the truth and stop it if I can. Or at least minimize the casualties."

"Hmm… I don't like the sound of that."

"You must not focus on that. I will focus my attention on it, and you must travel and tell her what I have told you. She must know of this, and prepare for it!"

"Calm down, calm down! I'll tell her. She'll certainly want to know of this. However…"

"No! Damn you! I know that tone! You're planning on ignoring this and doing something completely different!"

"I'm flattered! To think you're so familiar with me that you can tell that much with just a word! I'm not ignoring it though; I'll get around to informing her eventually. There are simply a few other stops I need to make first."

"Damn you to hell! This is vitally important! You can get to her the fastest! What are you planning to do if not this?"

"I plan on doing the same thing I always do, oh great Veggie Elder: throw a wrench into the cogs of fate and see what breaks."

"That's what I was afraid of…"

Dear Ellie,

I have no idea how the Felynes do it. We got through the forest, and your letter was waiting for me in the village on the far side. I don't know what sort of magic the Felynes have conjured up to be so damn good at their job, but I applaud them for it.

But me and Harker have problems: I'm starting to suspect foul play. We've been going in circles, or at least, we're taking the most roundabout paths possible. I can tell, no matter how confusing this landscape is. And we've been backtracking a lot as well. Our guides keep telling us that 'the paths are blocked' and the like, though we've never seen any signs of this being true. It seems like when we reach a fork in the road, we always take every other path first, before getting on the right one last! We haven't called them out on it yet since we really are getting closer to the Meridian tower, despite everything. Harker's pretty competent at navigating, and I'm no scrub myself, so if our 'guides' are doing this intentionally, they can't keep fooling us forever.

Leif's been getting into a lot of arguments with our guides as well. I'm not sure what the issue between them is all about, but I think it's some religious dispute or something like that. Leif's stopped calling them 'helpful' and 'courageous', and started using other choice words like 'obstinate', 'archaic', and 'antediluvian'. (Actually, I'm not sure what that last word means, myself.) I'm not too sure what the guides are saying, but they certainly aren't nice. Insults tend to sound the same, even if you can't understand what the word means.

I've asked Leif what's going on, but he's not talking. Says it's a Felyne thing. I'm a little worried, but I'll leave it to Leif. We are guests in this country, so maybe we're just unintentionally stepping over some bounds that we didn't know about. I'll keep an eye on our guides though, in case this argument gets out of hand.

From what we've been able to pick up from the villages we've passed through, the tower's located somewhere deep within a place called the Blasted Lands. Mercy knows what sort of place that is, but I was getting mixed messages from people. Some of them seemed to consider it a holy land, while others considered it horribly cursed. A few of the villages we passed through seemed to view it as some sort of blasphemy that we were even entering the area. Most folks we talk to seem to think we're walking to our certain doom by heading to that area, one of those 'whoever enters never leaves' sorts of places.

Sounds about par for the course, considering my luck.

Something else I've noted is that I've seen almost no switch axes or gunlances in this country, and even bowguns are pretty sparse. It didn't really occur to me at first, not until a kid I met on the street asked me what sort of weapon I had. I guess 'kid' might not be the right word, since he was at least twenty, but he'd never seen a switch axe before! I mean, I know the weapon was created in Theron something like thirty years ago, but I remember seeing a few hunters wielding them in Dundorma. I told him what it was and gave a short rundown on how it works, and he just gives me this look like I'd admitted to rolling around in Aptonoth dung as a hobby, and walks away without another word.

Oddly enough, it was Harker that explained it to me. I didn't think he was really paying too close of attention to our surroundings, but apparently he'd picked up some information trying to figure out why he'd been barred from entering the country for so long before now. Apparently Gahin culture was formerly a very luddite country as early as twenty years ago, opposing the creation and use of certain types of technology within their borders, and only in the last couple decades has there been a surge for advancement. It seems like it split the country in two groups: the 'Progress' faction and the 'Purist' faction. The Progress faction is what it sounds like, encouraging technology and scientific study. The Purist faction favors keeping to the old ways and customs, including the use of hunting weapons that aren't too advanced and calling down the use of airships.

I was worried that it might mean we were stepping into a fight of some kind coming here, what with me having a switch axe as a weapon and Harker being himself. It seems like this whole faction dispute has split most of the cities here into two, with a lot of arguments breaking out on each side. But apparently this whole thing has actually been developing quite civilly, despite the disagreements between the locals. There are a few brawls breaking out in bars, but not much worse than that.

It's not as though there's no technology at all. You know some of those trade wagons I told you about? I've seen a few where if you hit a switch, the entire thing folds up in on itself using steam-powered gizmos, and those don't seem to bother the Purists that much. It's just that certain things like airships or certain weapons. I think there's some sort of technology cap, or maybe it's just certain types of technology? It's really strange, in my opinion, and I can't figure out why they do it.

I suppose it's just a different culture here. It looks as though most of the people in the larger cities seem to be primarily Progressive, but most of the smaller villages we pass through out in the mountains are still Purist. We get a lot of really dirty looks from the locals out in the wilderness. I'm just glad I keep my Dark Metal limbs covered most of the time. I'm not sure how the locals would react to that, considering the looks I already get in Theron.

Let it be said that I don't think less of these people for their Purist mentality though. Most of the people we've met are nice and generous to us, and though they turn their noses up at my weapon and what we're in Gahiji to do, they've all been pretty cordial. Maybe that's why they finally let Harker go on this expedition. With people in this country pushing towards advancement and trying to leave behind a lot of the old superstitions, they really don't have a reason to keep men like Harker from coming to study old Meridian artifacts anymore.

I'll be honest, all this political nonsense is making my head hurt. I'm not made for stuff like this. My skill set consists mainly of controlled applications of violence. I am pretty damn good at it, but not much else. That and keeping Harker from becoming a full-fledged, world-dominating mad scientist.

About what you said about Sonia, I'm honestly glad she and Bram have that extra six months before the next exam rolls around, no matter how eager they are to get their licenses. I know the Guild allows young men and women to try out at eighteen, but doing it the very second they're old enough just bothers me. Maybe it's just my overprotectiveness as a father speaking, but I wish my little girl would take some more time before throwing herself into such a dangerous profession. I mean, we didn't really get into the hunting game until we were in our early twenties, though admittedly there were unique circumstances for the two of us. I guess we probably would have taken the exam at eighteen too, if we'd been brought here a few years younger.

I guess I don't really have room to talk either way. All I can do is hope for the best and trust that she'll be smart enough not to play things too risky. She's learning from a good teacher after all, and she's got Bram around to keep her level-headed.

Anyway, tell her the usual: love, caution, all that jazz. Oh, and congratulate Van on doing so well in school. It's nice to see your children doing well in something other than professional killing.

With love, Levin

Deep within a lush green forest, two shapes rushed through the foliage. Panting and gasping with wheezing, fearful breaths, the two armored individuals dodged and leapt through the tall trunks and rugged roots, until they came upon a sudden drop, a shallow trench at the base of which trickled a shallow stream of water. Neither of the runners paused as the leapt down the drop, dropping to a crouch as they hit the ground. Rather than continuing to run, however, both individuals pulled back, pressing their backs against the dirt wall of the trench, gasping to catch their breath.

One of them, a hunter wearing solid grey plating, armor made from a Gravios, calmed himself quickly, leveling his breathing and tilting his head to listen. The other, a huntress in dull Monoblos armor, however, had yet to calm herself, gasping frantically for air and jolting in terror at the slightest sound. The hunter reached over, planting a hand on her shoulder and whispering sharply.

"Get down! Get down. Hold still and be quiet. I think… I think we've lost it."

"Oh, mercy… Oh, mercy, they're dead! It killed them like it was nothing! Geoff… he didn't stand a chance!"

"Hush now, Harriet. You must calm down-"

"Freida… oh, Freida! We left her to die! We left her behind!"

"She stayed behind so we could escape! Now please, be quiet, or it will-"

"What the hell is that thing?! It was… it was dead! I watched it die! It's not… It's not…"

"Calm down! Please. Please, my love, calm down. Freida is… she is a skilled huntress. She will not die to the beast so easily. She has killed Tigrex before on her own, and she will do it again. It's not even a Brute! She will be fine, I… I am certain."

"Yes… yes, of course. It's just… just a Tigrex. We've fought them before, haven't we? Together. This one's just… just a little stronger. And it… it breathes poison. Freida was coughing when she inhaled it, that black miasma… She… Oh, mercy, that thing wasn't natural! And that shadow in the trees, the dark creature…"

"Hush Harriet! Be quiet! I thought I heard…"

There was a sharp crash, followed by the ripping of wood. Thundering footsteps echoed through the trees, and a twisted howl accompanied them. It was a familiar cry, one the hunters had heard before… but unnaturals and warped in a way that defied description.

"It's coming! It's killed her! Freida! We left her to die, and now it's coming for us!"

"No! It will not kill us, my love! We can't… we cannot die here. We cannot… both die here."

"...What? Alistair, what are you-"

"Get back to the city. I will hold back the beast. If you run, it should only be an hour back to Dundorma from here…"

"No… no, Alastair! No! I… I am afraid, but I will not leave you behind! I will not run away leave you here to-"

"You must, Harriet! The Guild will need to hear of this immediately! Whatever sort of… thing this creature is, and whatever caused it, someone needs to be told! This is greater than the two of us, my love, whatever this is, and we have to do what we can to warn people… whatever the cost."

"Please, Alistair… Don't ask me to do this…"

"I must, Harriet. Don't… don't worry about me. Why, I'll… perhaps I'll kill the beast before you even get to Dundorma. I've fought my fair share of Tigrex. I can hold my own against this beast, I'm sure."

"Like Freida did? Like Geoff did?"

"I can't… Nonetheless, it must be done. I have my lance. I have my shield. I can outlast a Tigrex in a war of attrition."

"What of the creature? The dark shadow we saw?"

"If it challenges me, my love… I will make sure it does not leave unscathed."

"Oh, Alistair, please…"

"Go, Harriet. Quickly, before it gets here. I can hear it breaking through the trees already."

"Damn you, Alistair. Damn you! Don't… Don't die! Don't you dare die! If you do… if you do, I'll drag your sorry backside out of hell and kill you again!"

"I'd expect nothing less, my love. Now go! It's almost here."

The huntress hesitated, but leaned forward and kissed the hunter gently before turning and fleeing through the underbrush. The hunter sighed, stepping away from the dirt wall and walking towards the other side of the creek, unsheathing his lance and swinging it around to point towards the oncoming monster that continued to storm through the forest. A moment later he caught sight of it, tearing through the trees and charging directly towards him: a Tigrex, but with blackened skin, glowing red eyes… and a wave of black miasma steaming from its mouth with every breath it took. The hunter braced himself, bellowing loudly at the creature.

"Hold it right there, beast! If you think I'm going to let you take another step, you've got another thing coming! You've chased us far, but this is where your rampage ends! Come get me, Tigrex! Come kill me if you can! I've killed a thousand of your species, and I'll kill you too! You and that black beast that that created you! Roar all you want, beast, it won't save you when my lance pierces your - hurk. Damn it…"

Dear Ellie,

We enter the Blasted Lands tomorrow. I can see the tower just over the next few hills, and I've got to admit, it looks a lot more intimidating than I remember the Compound looking when we saw it for the first time. Though I suppose that one was mostly buried in a mountain. This one looks like it's freestanding in the middle of a valley. I don't know, it's just got this eerie presence about it.

I'm sending this letter from the only village close to the Blasted Lands that still has postal service. It's a small place with a lot of quiet, peaceful folks. There are a few farms where they grow crops, a small town smithy, and a general store. Seems really out of the way, but I kind of like it. It reminds me a lot of Boma, and I really miss that simplicity. There was some dispute among the villagers when they realized what we were here for and where we were going, but it was more of a plea for us to reconsider. I suppose these men and women are the kind of people who consider it a cursed place, not a holy one.

I have to admit, I'm getting nervous about this whole thing now. I try not to get pulled into this superstitious stuff like the locals do, but with the way everyone we've talked to goes on about it, I'll admit it's making me nervous. But we're still going to press on. Harker doesn't believe in this superstitious stuff, and I'm certainly not going to let him head in there on his own, no matter how uncomfortable this is all making me. I suppose on the bright side, if there is something there waiting to surprise us, Harker and I have a few surprises of our own to offer up.

Anyway, sorry this letter's so short, but Harker's rushing me. His excitement is getting the better of him, and he wants to head out as soon as possible. If I'd known he was in such a hurry, I would've written more last night. I guess I'll just have to write an extra-long letter once I manage to drag Harker away from whatever we find.

Gotta run. Harker's egging the guides to take us on, and I need to get this letter sent. I guess my suspicions I had about them in the last letter were unfounded, because we've been making a beeline for the tower for the last couple weeks. With our speed, we should be able to get to the tower in a day or two, spend a few days there so Harker can scour the area for whatever he's looking for, then returning to this village so I can send another letter. I don't know how long he'll want to stay after that though. Hopefully he'll get everything he wants after only a few days.

Tell the kids I miss them, and remind Sonia not to get too far in over her head.

With love, Levin

Author's Note: Thanks for reading this chapter about a man writing letters to his wife! Please Review!

-Greetings MH fans! This is DBG, writing this chapter from the far-flung past of July 2014! While I'm not certain when this chapter is going to be released for the world to read on FFnet, from where I sit now, 4U still has no definite release date save for 'early 2015', so I'm thinking… seven months from when I'm writing this?-

That was a pretty accurate guess by past me, since 4U released in February…

But it's been awhile since I posted on this site, hasn't it? If I'd known it would take me this long to prepare the sequel, I probably would've put together another DLC chapter or two to tide my readers over. Ah well, lesson learned.

But welcome new readers, and hello again returning readers, to Shadows of the Past! This story has been a long time coming, and I hope you all enjoy the ride!

The reason I haven't been posting anything is because I wanted a backlog of chapters built up before I started releasing them to the public. As is, there are eight chapters ready to release (mostly, since 8 is in the final stages of editing). I'm planning on putting them out once every two weeks, so I should have enough for sixteen weeks of releases, which will give me enough time to have even more chapters written up. So at the very least, I should be able to release the first ten chapters at least without missing a beat. Quick note though: for those of you who read The Lost Civilization, but never got around to reading the DLC chapters, you might want to go back and give those a look. Some of them are joke chapters, or at least not canon, but the canonical ones are a little bit more prevalent to the story. I suggest at least reading Experiment, G-Rank, Underground, Frustration, and Memory, since those have more world-building off the last story.

A couple more things before I sign off on this first chapter. Firstly, a request. I know there are a few of you out there that ask to swap friend codes so that we can play 4U together. I'm fine with that, and perfectly happy to play with all of you! That being said, PLEASE maintain basic online etiquette when you want to play with me! If you see that I'm online, and you join my room, and you see that I'm in the middle of something that is beyond your rank (i.e. you are high rank and I am doing G-rank quests), please has the courtesy to leave! Chances are the room I'm in is specifically made for that kind of thing, and we don't need someone around that cannot participate in the quests! Say hello, and if you really want to play with me, ask politely if I can join you once I've gotten what I need, and chance are I'll say yes! But in a room that's dedicated to a particular monster/task, don't expect me to cater to you! Also, even if you are the proper rank, don't rush in and ask for help with some quest that you want to do! Again, chances are the room I'm in is made for a particular monster, and trying to get three other people to help you with something that may not have anything to do with that is just rude!

Lastly, some very big news! The Lost Civilization is going to become a voice-acted series on YouTube and maybe as a podcast!

A little while before I finished After Life, I got a message from one of my readers, asking to use my story and turn it into a radio play! I admit being hesitant at first, but it seems like the project is coming together! I'm not sure when the first episode is planned to be released, but hopefully I'll be able to give you more information soon! Look forward to it!

And that's about it for now. Look forward to the next chapter!

Playing: Pokemon X, MH3U, Pokemon AS, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor