We gathered up our supplies and headed back out. I made sure to put a few antidotes in my bag like Cal had said. He grabbed a few more coatings for his arrows. Malcom didn't need to grab anything. He didn't use the same items we did. He had a few tools, but they never seemed to run out.

The air was warm and blowing when we set back out after a short rest. With our gear restocked and our wounds mostly healed, it was time to jump back into the hunt. The paint ball smell was still in the breeze, making tracking the Rathian easy. Passing through a narrow passage, we came up on a small pond area. A large green figure stood hunched over the water, drinking and swinging a large barbed tail.

"I have a Flash Bomb. I can stun it if we get it to face me. Malcom, you're up. Ria, get to the side and wait for it to be stunned."

I started to scoot around the forest walls surrounding the area. Malcom walked up to the Rathian, standing patiently behind her. I got behind a tree and drew my blade, ready to attack. Malcom smiled and threw a rock at her leg. It bounced uselessly of the tough hide, but it got her attention. The large wyvern turned to face him, growling.

Malcom ducked down as I faced the other way. Cal pulled back and threw the Flash Bomb. It went off in midair in an explosion of light so intense that it blinded the Rathian. She roared and staggered back, trying to focus on anything. I saw my chance and rushed in, swinging for the long tail. The cuts I'd made earlier were still there, so I started in the same place, hoping to remove the spikes appendage.

Only I missed. The Rathian flew up into the air, knocking me back with the wind pressure created by the pair of massive wings. She landed shortly after, still dazed. Malcom rushed in and swiped at her legs, trying to knocked her over. The Rathian swung wildly, spinning and attacking with her heavy tail. No one was within range. Cal and I were too far back while Malcom sat beneath her, too close to hit.

Finally she shook off the blindness, back and ready to fight. Her turned to face me, but I was ready for her. I pulled my Long Sword out and moved into a spirit combo. I pulled one quick slash after another, cutting through parts of her head. Blood splattered on the grass as she recoiled in pain, but I finished with a wide ark, boosting my weapons spirit power. It glowed white as I put it away, finished with my combo.

"Nicely done, Ria! Keep that up and we'll be finished in no time!"

I turned back to face the Rathian, happy to be praised by another hunter. However, my heart sank as I saw flames boiling over the monsters mouth. She roared loudly, shaking the ground. She was enraged, understandably after the hefty amount of damage I just threw on her face. I barely had time to react to the next attack. She moved quickly, breathing three fire balls in quick succession. The first two exploded on the ground beside me. I was trapped, unable to escape from the final shot. I covered my face, bracing myself for the hit.

"Ria!"

The attack never hit. I felt the heat blow across me, but the fireball didn't reach me. It was blocked. I opened my eyes and sat Malcom in the ground beside me, limb. Smoke rose from his body as Cal raced up, putting his bow away.

"Malcom! Damn it!"

The Rathian wasn't done attacking. I rushed and picked Malcom up, holding him close. He was hurt badly and barely breathing. Parts of his fur and armor were burnt off. I turned to get us both out of there, not realizing how quickly she was moving now. She ran up to me, flinging her head back and spinning up into the air. My eyes went wide as I was thrown forward. Her tail smashed against my back. I could feel the barbs poke through the folds in my armor, digging into my skin. It started to feel hot and cold at the same time. My vision grew blurry as I struggled to stand.

"P-Poison..."

I fell to one knee, still holding Malcom. I couldn't reach into by pouch for an antidote, and even if I had my hands free, the Rathian was too close for me to safely drink it. She moved up behind me, getting ready for the kill shot, when she suddenly stumbled back and cried out, shaking. I looked over and saw Cal. He'd put a paralyzing coating on his arrows, stunning her.

"Get Malcom back to the camp! I'll cover you!"

I struggled back up to my feet and ran as fast as I could out of the area, tromping over the grass. I didn't want to leave Cal behind, but I was in no position to fight, and Malcom was in much worse shape. Once I got far enough away, I drank an antidote to cure the poison. Everything still hurt, but not as badly as before. I ran the rest of the way with the felyne in my arms. Making it back to camp, I set him in the bed and grabbed a potion. He was just barely conscious.

"Drink this..."

He opened his mouth, taking a sip. He was too badly hurt to head back out. I fell onto the ground beside the bed, drinking my own potion. Everything was going to hell.

"This is all my fault...," I muttered. "I froze up... and you..."

"No..."

I looked over at Malcom. He had turned to face me and taken off his mask.

"Couldn't be... busty ladies fault... no pawsible way..."

"Please don't comment on my breasts at a time-"

"Fire on both sides... Never hunted that kind of meownster before... Didn't know how to react... Not your fault."

"Why... why did you jump in front of me? You still didn't have to do that."

"Nya... Call that my romantic side... Couldn't have that beautiful chest damaged... so warm and soft..."

"... I think you might be delirious... just rest for now."

He nodded and closed his eyes, falling asleep pretty immediately. He closed my eyes, drinking more of the potion. My wounds were better, but I could still feel the aching. I thought about the village. If I couldn't stop the Rathian, the village might be its next target.

The sound of footsteps made me look up. Cal was walking in through the small entrance passage. I stood up and walked out of the tent, walking up to him. He'd taken off his helmet, and I could see how red and beaten he was. He was better than me, but not in good shape.

"Is he okay?" he asked.

"He'll be fine, but I don't think he'll be able to leave the camp for a while. He's in no condition to go on. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Not used to hunting alone. I'm just glad he's okay."

"It's my fault... he jumped in front of me..."

"No. He chose to defend you. I figured he would do something like that to impress you."

I smiled, wondering if I was really worthy of being protected like that. In the eyes of a breast-obsessed cat, I was. Still, I was intent on repaying the favor. I had to finish the hunt, for the sake of everyone involved. We fixed up our gear, gathered up the last of our supplies, and set back out, short one member, filled with more determination than ever.

The paint was fading, but we could still track it. It was resting back at the nesting area. We climbed back up to the cave, walking slowly in. The Rathian had fallen asleep, drained from the long fighting. There was more damage on the wings, left over from the last attacks from Cal's assault. I looked back at her tail. It was close to be severed. I knew that with one quick attack, I could cut it off.

I pulled out my sword and moved up behind it. I didn't even care if it woke up. I swung my blade overhead for a spirit combo. I still had some energy left over from the last one, so there was a slight boost in power. My first strike startled the Rathian. My second woke her fully. The several following made her struggle to her feet, but I finished my combo with another roundhouse slash. I got another boost in power, and the Rathian fell forward as the end of her tail fell into the dirt. I'd succeeded in cutting off the tail, but now I had to deal with the rest of the monster.

"I've only got a few more power coatings," Cal said, drawing back his bow string. "Let's make this short."

He fired off a shot, cutting off more scales from her side. The monster staggered but remained upright. I moved and climbed up near the nest, running along beside her. She peered over to me just in time for her to see me jump. I flew into the air and landed on her back, sitting between her wings. I started to cut into her back with my carving knife, trying to topple her. Cal assisted from the side, flying off the last of his coated arrows. I pushed my knife in one last time, shocking her and sending her to the ground.

I fell off, but quickly recovered. Cal watched as I drew Aikuchi, rushing back at her. With two levels of spirit energy to boost my power, I swung down, cleaving into the Rathians head. She shuttered for a moment and laid still. I pulled my blade out from the bone but didn't sheathe it. I just stood there, waiting for anything. Any movement or breath. For the longest while there was nothing, but I still didn't lower my guard. Only when Cal came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder did I relax.

"It's over..."