Monster Hunter Conquest
Collection #1
Copyright 2012 Mandoline Creme
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, or events are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons, alive or dead, is completely coincidental.
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Far and Away
This compilation contains the first three books in the Monster Hunter Conquest series, and while they are not required to be read in sequential order, they have been arranged in a way most fitting.
The first story is Yielding to Dragons, as our hero Siena tries her best to take down a fierce, mystical beast.
Next is Yielding to the Rat Clan, where she journeys underground to once more try and prove herself, and quickly becomes the hunter caught in a trap.
Finally, Yielding to the Giant Slug is, exactly, as it sounds! Tired of the tactical abilities of her foes, the blonde Hunter heads into the murky swamps to take on what should be a simple beast. Of course, life is never so easy.
Please enjoy these tales, they were written with love, as well as a heavy does of perversion.
--Mandoline Creme
Yielding to Dragons
Book 1
The sun was just rising, a ball of yellow in an otherwise sky of washed out gray. The mists kept everything mulled, like peering through a dirty glass in a seedy tavern. A warm wind whispered past, tickling the loose strands of blonde hair from behind the girl's ear. Absently, she tucked them away, uncaring that they would no doubt drift free once more.
At that moment, she had far more pressing concerns.
Hunched in the tall grass of the wide plains of Sunhaven, a normally apt name with the lack of protection and scorching weather, she was focusing on the wafting smoke in the distance. It curled up in a graceful dance, black on the swatch of a sky that never wanted to be blue. The end of the forest of grass lay ahead, where a wall of coiling, almost angry trees waved her on ominously.
It was where she had heard the rumors had begun as of late, that the cause for the haze of ash and smoke shielding the plains from the rays of the sun lay there. If the scent of burning wood was any indication, she wanted to imagine they were right. That there, somewhere hidden in the blackness of the wild forest of Hyvar, was her prey.
A marsh dragon.
Sitting up, the girl dug around in her side bag until she brushed a hard, metallic object. Yanking the scope free, she aimed it into the sky to try and judge the distance, green eyes squinting hard. 'Yes,' she thought to herself with a flutter of excitement. 'You're on the right track, for sure. Siena, you crafty dog, you've got this in the bag.'
Preening, she tucked the tool away and rose to a half crouch, casting a paranoid glance around the area. If she was correct, and she fully believe she was, the beast she was stalking was only a few miles off. Her nervousness was not just for the arising encounter, however. There were many dangerous creatures in this land, and as a Monster Hunter, she wanted to be on her toes.
While the true goal was the hide of this rare dragon, if she was able to bag any other trophies, she wouldn't hesitate.
Slipping forward on the soft leather of her calf length boots, Siena moved silently through the field of scratchy plants, using them for cover even as she wondered what they might hide. Young, cocky, and full of the bravery often found only in fools, the blonde considered herself a true master of her craft.
Lean as a whip, her small form shined with sweat in the heat, glistening off her tan flesh and hinting at the strength beneath. It was impossible to not be in shape when one planned to tackle dangerous beasts, it made what some would call a folly of a mission suicidal.
Siena thought it was anything but.
One hand grazed the hilt of the sword by her side, a blade as thin as her, and sharp enough to slice the wind and leave no sound. While many hunters wore heavy armor, she favored the route of less burden. Padded leather and cloth wrapped her figure, tight around her thighs and the curve of her firm ass. Her rounded chest, young and pert, heaved in her tense breathing beneath the leather.
Wiping her forehead with a gauntlet of wrapped tan hide, she flicked her long hair back in its braid. The reaching shadows of the twisted woods were within a few feet, branches beckoning her on. It was a monster of its own, waiting there for her to enter its maw of mossy foliage.
Swallowing once, the girl cracked her knuckles and buried her rising anxiety with a quick squeeze of her weapon's hilt. Despite her gall, her bravado, she was aware she was about to try and tangle with a creature far more risky than she wanted to consider. Yet, her newness to the guild of Monster Hunters made her wish to prove herself. A marsh dragon would put to silence the taunts of the older members, who felt she was far beyond her own perceived skill when she foiled catching a simple carbuncle a few weeks back.
In her defense, it had surprised her with its speed, and how was she to know they could jump so far?
Blushing at the memory, she recalled how her fellow Hunters had laughed when it dove down her shirt, between her plump breasts, and had begun to suckle on her teat while she ran about squealing. Shaking her head once, she grit her teeth and steeled herself with determination.
'This time will be different,' she convinced herself.
Carefully, she wove through the barrier of thorns and damp branches, leaving behind the golden fields of Sunhaven.
Hyvar was dank and deep as a forgotten crevice in the earth, each step she took seeming to squish under her heels. The plants were drastically large, ferns big as her whole body hiding what light there was in a coating of verdant green. In the air, insects and other creatures chirped a song that echoed and seemed to have no end in sight. It was an ancient place, and served to make her already high nerves soar ever upwards.
The skin on her neck prickled, and she rubbed at it idly to rub away more sweat; this time from her adrenaline. The air was oppressive, making her already tight clothes seem even more constraining. Soon, she was fighting the desire to remove her top, knowing only that it would leave her too exposed to her prey if she gave in.
Tugging at where it met her throat, she sighed and paused, peering around to get her bearings. She was sure the smoke she had spotted was near, but the greenery made it difficult to gauge. The sky above was hidden by leaves, and the area around her a secret behind curling twigs.
Knocking aside a large leaf, Siena saw a gigantic fallen trunk was in her path. The entire body of it was wrapped in soft, carpet like moss. Gently, she touched her hand to it, feeling the same wetness everything here seemed to hold. Without much hesitation, the girl gripped it and hoisted herself up, pulling her way over the massive thing until she was kneeling on top. It soaked through the cloth of her pants, but she ignored it. Her emerald eyes were fixed elsewhere from her new vantage.
There, in a gap of trees, she saw the wavering blackness of smoke, and the acrid scent assaulted her sensitive nose.
A rush of anticipation crawled up her spine, and the Hunter inched herself over the side of the dead tree as quietly as a mouse. Still, every small noise she made as she edged forward through the bushes made her grimace. Every muscle was tense, ready to burst at her controlled coil of slowness.
She would not rush this, not like last time.
Her fingers lifted when she came to the last wall of ferns, pushing them aside just enough to see through to the other side. Her heart was fluttering, wild as a caged bird, and her mouth was dry despite the wet air. Everything seemed so bright, so intense, her senses on the edge of a razor.
There, in the large clearing, was a small camp fire.
Her mood shifted, falling
down in defeat and disappointment. Had she been wrong, so very misinformed on this journey? Was it a goose hunt, and no dragon waited in this fetid place?
Frowning so hard her face hurt, the blonde stepped into the open area with all pretense of caution forgotten behind her heavy air of irritation. Turning her head, she observed nothing but the large circle of stones and embers, seeing no one tending it. A tinge of confusion seeped in, but Siena only moved ever closer.
Crouching down, she squinted into the crimson and orange flames, the heat waves drying the sweat on her face. “Um, hello?” The fire had no response, and the young woman sighed dramatically. “Great, so now I'm talking to myself. Fantastic.”
Shifting onto her heels, she sat back on her haunches and dug into her bag, thinking she'd take the moment to at least use the mysterious fire to warm up a snack and get something to eat.
The sudden crackle of a breaking branch snapped her back to attention, and she fell back roughly in her attempt to spin around. Behind her, wide eyed and just as confused as her, was a young man she didn't recognize. Scrambling, she jumped to her feet, stepping back cautiously out of habit.
“I'm sorry,” the stranger spoke, his voice holding an odd, deep timbre for such a young face. “I didn't mean to surprise you.”
Siena didn't respond at first, her fingers clutching the hilt of her sword as she eyed the man up and down, trying to assess his intent. He was taller than her, which was no surprise, as she was rather short. The angular turn of his jaw gave him a sharp visage, which his high forehead and tightly wound back hair didn't help. The strands were hanging over one shoulder in a ponytail, the length extending down to his hip, the color a rich ebony. Dressed in loose robes of opal, she could see no obvious weapons, and his long fingered hands were extended palm up as if to further that assumption.
“...Who are you, is this your fire?” She finally asked, hard eyes narrowed, though she let her grip fall from her blade.
He stepped closer, moving with an odd grace she had seen in no one before. “Ah, you can call me Vylanthe. That is, indeed, my fire. Who are you, though?” His head tilted, hair shifting gently.
While she was still uneasy, she untensed her shoulders and relaxed her hands, trying to offer a small smile to the dark haired man. She noted there was something about his eyes that was throwing her off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. “Sorry, I should have introduced myself first. I'm Siena Rovan, a member of the Monster Hunters Guild.”
Her last words were spoken with pride, and her smile became genuine.
Vylanthe seemed to hold still a moment, before he drew forward until he was only a few feet way. “Oh, Monster Hunters? Interesting, and what were you doing out here, then?”
The girl adjusted her stance, rocking her hip to the side and clasping her waist, shoulders rising in a shrug as she released a dramatic huff of air. “Well, to be honest, I was stalking something that I was told was in this area. I stumbled on your fire it seems instead, though.”
The tall man inclined his head, a curl of a grin inching along his face. For a moment, she thought his lips were oddly wide. His voice burned low as an ember. “I see. What were you hunting, sweet girl?”
The way he referred to her made her flinch, and she didn't hide her scowl as she folded her arms in displeasure. “I'm no 'girl,' thanks. I'm a Hunter, and you should respect that. There are dangerous things around, and it's my job to get rid of them.”
He clicked his tongue and chuckled, but his postured seemed to relax as he drawled his words. “Your job, well, that's an interesting way to view it. I'll be honest, I don't think you look too dangerous, and you never answered me. What are you hunting?”
Siena furrowed her brow, turning on a heel to face away from the man. He was clearly rude, she felt, and wasting her time now. “I'm very dangerous, all have you know. I'm brave enough to hunt a dragon, after all. If it was here, well, it'd be dead by now, and you'd be thanking me for saving your life.” Smirking, she closed her eyes to let that hang in the air, feeling she must have impressed him now with her obvious arrogance.
When he responded, his voice was low and hot, whispers of ash and steamy air.
“Oh, child, but 'it' is here.”
The blonde felt the foreboding tone, the heavy air, even before she could make herself turn enough to flash a stare full of shock and anxiety over her shoulder. The sight before her took the voice from her throat.
The man who had called himself Vylanthe was gone, and in his place was a beast as large as a barn, and black as pitch. Its scales caught the light of the fire, reflecting red and gold on their shiny surface. Hulking, reptilian, the slim snout was leveled at her, its gaze intense and petrifying as it focused on her. The orbs were acid yellow, and when she was faintly surprised she couldn't see herself in their wide surfaces, she realized what it was about the man's eyes she had found odd.
They didn't catch the light, they absorbed it, almost flat as stone.
When it spread its wings, the sky was blocked by double walls of veined shadow.
In that moment, she suspected her death.
On reflex, she grabbed for her sword, yanking it from its sheath and swinging blindly at the huge head of the creature. It dodged, smooth as silk, and Siena had the luck to roll out of the way of its swiping claws. Stumbling in the dirt, knowing she had scraped her cheek, the Hunter spun around with her blade lifted high.
She never saw the serpentine tail.
Whip like, the appendage smacked into her ankles, sending her falling onto her back with a scream that was quickly cut off when the air exploded from her lungs. Dazed, she had a passing thought that the sky had become night, only to understand it was the body of the dragon hulking over her. Far too slowly, she moved her hands on the ground, trying to find her sword as she also tried to back peddle away.
It was not to be, her escape was ended when the wide palm of the creature arched over her, digging talons into the earth on either side of her shoulders, as well as her hips. The heavy, scaled paw pressed down, and in that second the girl thought she would be crushed.
Her eyes squeezed shut, hoping the pain would be short, her destruction painless. The roaring of blood in her ears, the drum of her heart, kept her from realizing how quiet the world was. Bit by bit, as she noticed the heat of the monster's scales, pressed onto her body but not through, her ribs in tact, her life blood not spilled, she opened her eyes. Emeralds, wide in terror and confusion, focused on the face of her captor.
“Ah, my brave little hunter, it seems that despite your claims, I still live. And you...” The snout lowered, the rumble of a voice like crumbling earth and burning stone moving within inches of her blood drained face. “Should stop calling yourself dangerous.”
Siena gawked into the dagger like fangs, the head of the beast bigger than a horse. She was sure she'd fit inside its maw, and instantly tried to forget the image. The voice, when she spoke, was dry and trembling. “You're not a marsh dragon at all, you're a shadow dragon. That's how you tricked me with your human form...”
The laugh was deep, the breath hot as it tickled her hair. “Well, you're giving yourself too much credit there. I had no intention to trick you until you so boldly declared your skill in battle, your plans to end my life. I didn't lie really, either. I told you my name, it's not my fault you are so uneducated in dragon lore.”
Its paw flexed, and she darted her eyes down to study the firm scales, surprised at how polished they seemed. Somehow, she had imagined dragon scales would be rougher. “Why haven't you killed me yet?”
Vylanthe tilted his jaw, pulling his head back on that long, muscular snake of a neck to study her from a distance. “Oh? Did you wish death, then, after all? I assumed hunters were living a suicidal life as is, but I didn't peg you to want it over with. But, if so...” Siena saw that long tongue flicker, curved teeth of pure white glinting in a smile of destruction.
Imagining it must be able to feel her heart pounding, she struggled under t
he hand pinning her and cried out in despair. “Wait! I didn't mean that, I'm not looking for death at all!”
The fan like ears on the side of the dragon's head flashed, folding back into place as if he was trying to show surprise on that reptilian visage. “Well, forgive me. I'm afraid I don't understand you at all. If you didn't come seeking me for death and pain, then perhaps I'll have to indulge my next suspicion.”
The girl was confused, and she gripped her digits into the wet earth, trying to find some hold on her situation from any means. Out of the corner of one green eye, she spotted the coiling, thick tail inching forward. It brushed over her cheek, making her flinch, before it wrapped about her throat tenderly. It made her gasp, teeth gritting as she pictured him throttling her.
“I said I didn't want to die!” Her moan was desperate, but the dragon simply rolled its large yellows and snorted.
Amazingly, the paw keeping her crushed into the ground raised, chunks of sod coming away on the blade like fingers. Strangely, like a cat might, the beast shook the dirt free and rubbed the curled hand clean on its cheek. This distracted her a moment, so that she wasn't ready when the tail traveled from her neck to her waist.
With ease of strength, she was lifted into the air, brought up to the lifted head of her former prey. He studied her, while she kicked her legs and squealed, hands holding the scales around her tightly; she hated heights.
The wide nostrils came close, inhaling the scent of her hair, and she swore she saw that dangerous mouth smirk. The tip of Vylanthe's snout rubbed her shoulder, making her lift her brows. Siena was at a loss for words, unsure if he was toying with her or not.
That slim tongue, forked at the tip, edged out to stroke her cheek, making her pull away and yelp. 'Oh no, is he tasting me, seeing if I'm fit for a meal?' She was terrified, and wondered if her adrenaline bursts would ever end. If her heart could take much more.
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