[<u>The Port City of Val Habar - Dust</u>]<br/><br/>"Honor?  You're a Mercenary."  The Investant replied to Dust's retreating back.  "Until you prove yourself worth as much as a Hunter, I'll tr-..."  Her words faded away as Dust strode down the stairs and out of earshot.  She hadn't taken the note, so he could presume perhaps that she would still keep him on for the job if he showed up on time, but that hadn't been the best start to a working relationship...<br/><br/>Then again, hunters were a proud lot (and many considered their pride fair given the things they faced) so it might be less startling in hindsight to discover that a researcher for their guild had a similar mentality...  Having lived as a mercenary thus far, Dust would have run across hunters who did not like kindly on his work in the past.  Mercenaries were considered for the most part a lower class of fighter, killing humans rather than monsters, causing disruption and chaos where their bloody work took them...<br/><br/>If anything, Vianna's words were tame compared to some of the insults Dust had received in the past.<br/><br/>The guildspeople treated with him cordially enough though, and an hour later when Dust made venture towards the guild's wagonlot, he found  the Investant waiting for him impatiently, with a cart ready to go.  "Load your stuff up and lets go, I want to make the Everwood camp before sundown."  She instructed, as though nothing had happened before...<br/><br/><br/>[<u>The Ancestral Steppes - Sonya</u>]<br/><br/>Satisfied that it had done as nature demanded, the Seltas finally pulled out, leaving a steady drip of cum leaking from Sonya's overfilled pussy as he chittered in what sounded like satisfaction.  Seed spent, the monster's cock withdrew back into its body, and with a hum of wings the Seltas took to the air again.  After all, the next queen could be stronger, so he needed to grow still greater before they arrived.<br/><br/><br/>[<u>The Primal Forests - Kaze</u>]<br/><br/>Kaze had never fought a Rathian before, but just as he had enough learning to recognize one, he was sufficient to the task of recollection as he fought.  Both Rathalos and Rathian, while neither were above toying with humans for sport, both were known to be clever -some would even say intelligent- monsters.<br/><br/>While a combination of the sheer ferocity and a difference on power, equipment, and skill kept Kaze from exploiting them, he could see that this Rathian was fighting in a manner that was neither clever nor intelligent.  Her assault was reckless, and she either did not notice or did not care about the arrow held point first towards her, as her charge drove her straight into it shoulder-first, though the only thing that seemed to register of the injury was a grunt that could just as easily have come from the impact as she struck him an instant later.  Monster girl and hunter vanished in an explosion of spray as they met and tumbled through the shallow pool until the Rathian's wings caught the air, landing her on top of Kaze as they finally rolled to a halt, her claws scything down on his armour, scoring deep marks in the hardened material.<br/><br/>In fact, as she drew back again, she didn't seem to be going for Kaze' face at all, and her frenzied assault seemed more focused on his armor than anything.  There were stories of monster girls mating with humans or hunters having their way with monster girls they had captured or subdued but none of them sent like this, especially not the whole glowing red eyes or aura of purple light bit this Rathian had going.  And while she was focused on his armor, she didn't seem to care if she nicked him here and there, and her claws were more than sharp enough to open little cuts...