The ridge was shrouded in pale mist, the kind that clung to skin and muffled every sound. The forest below was silent, as though even the birds dared not break the tension. Each crunch of boots on the stone path echoed louder than it should have.
Hunnt led the way, fists encased in his newly-forged gauntlets, the Ravagerak's scales woven into metal so dense yet flexible that they gleamed faintly in the muted sunlight. He flexed his hands, feeling the reassuring resistance in the grip. These gauntlets were built for more than just striking—they were meant to endure the punishment of apex predators.
Corwin walked just behind him, the massive hammer balanced across his shoulder. Reinforced with Ravagerak's hardened plates, the weapon carried a new weight, heavier yet steadier, built to crush through rock or the toughest hides. Every step he took felt grounded, as if the earth itself recognized his strength.
Elara trailed slightly further back, her bow strung and ready. The new grip, wrapped with scale-infused leather, fit her hand perfectly. The string hummed with taut resilience when she tested it, a subtle vibration that promised devastating power when loosed. She drew in a steadying breath, her eyes darting through the fog for movement.
Pyro darted ahead, paws soft on the rock, golden eyes sharp. His SnS gleamed with careful polish, smaller compared to the others' weapons but deadly in his nimble hands. The Palico moved as though the weighted clothing didn't exist anymore, his tail swishing in anticipation.
The ridge fell silent. Even the wind, once whistling through the rocks, seemed to die. Hunnt froze, one hand rising to halt the group. His eyes scanned the fog—his Observation wasn't strong enough yet to feel its exact intent, but something was out there.
A blur cut across the mist.
A sleek shadow, long and sinuous, streaked overhead before vanishing into the veil of white. Then, with a sudden hiss of air, it emerged—wings shimmering like liquid silver, scales reflecting what little light reached the ridge. Its claws gleamed like daggers, its spade-shaped tail slicing through the air with terrifying speed. The Mistwing Drake.
Its yellow eyes locked on the hunters with predatory intensity.
The creature shrieked, the sound splitting the fog like glass shattering, and swooped.
Hunnt reacted on instinct. His body blurred with Soru, vanishing just as the drake's claws raked the stone where he had stood. He reappeared a step away, slamming his gauntlets up to meet its second strike. The impact rang out, sparks flying as claw met scale-forged metal. His bones rattled, but the gauntlets held.
"Keep calm… read its movements!" Hunnt barked, forcing his arms to steady.
Corwin surged forward, hammer raised, Armament Haki rippling faintly along the weapon's surface. He didn't strike the drake directly but slammed into the rock near its claws, shattering stone and sending shards flying. The sudden rockfall forced the drake to twist mid-swoop, a frustrated shriek tearing from its throat.
Pyro was already moving, darting in from the side. His Observation Haki gave him just enough of a read to twist past the tail that lashed toward him, Kami-e carrying him low to the ground. His SnS flicked out, landing precise cuts against the softer scales of its flank. The wounds were shallow, but enough to sting.
"Nyahaha! Too slow for me, shiny wings!" Pyro taunted, tail flicking as he bounded away.
From the higher ridge, Elara's bowstring sang. She repositioned with Soru, keeping ahead of the drake's flight path, and fired arrow after arrow into its wing joints. Sparks flew as the shots glanced off its scales, but one arrow buried shallowly into the thin membrane of its wing, earning an enraged cry.
The Mistwing Drake twisted in the air with unnatural grace, banking sharply around a stone pillar before diving again. Its tail lashed like a whip, striking so fast it cut through the mist itself.
Hunnt darted in front of the others, gauntlets raised. He absorbed the blow with a grunt, sliding back a full meter as his boots scraped against the stone. The ground cracked under the force. "Stay together!" he ordered, fists rising again.
The drake's wings beat furiously, stirring the mist into a whirling storm that blinded sight and warped sound. Shadows danced in every direction, its true position difficult to track.
"Elara, use your Observation!" Hunnt shouted.
Her eyes widened, heart pounding. She exhaled, forcing herself to feel beyond the blur. A flicker in the mist—its intent, its focus. She pivoted before she even saw it, loosing an arrow into the white veil. The shot struck the drake's shoulder as it burst forth, drawing another screech of fury.
Corwin seized the opening, hammer swinging down like a thunderbolt. Armament reinforced the strike, and the weapon crashed into the stone at the drake's feet. The ground quaked, throwing the creature off balance for a heartbeat. Hunnt was already there, fists swinging in rapid succession. His gauntlets sparked as they cracked against its forelimb, leaving faint fractures in the hardened scales.
The Mistwing roared, tail sweeping wide. Pyro twisted past it, claws flashing as he struck at its leg joint, then leapt away before the wings could clip him.
The fog whipped violently around them, each wingbeat turning the battlefield into chaos.
Hunnt's jaw tightened. This wasn't just another hunt—it was a test of everything they'd gained. Their Observation, their Armament, their new weapons, their bond as a team.
"Stay sharp!" he roared, fists glowing faintly with haki. "Mistwing doesn't fight like anything we've faced before!"
The drake shrieked in answer, its body coiling midair before diving once more, claws and tail aimed to tear the hunters apart.
Pyro crouched low, tail twitching eagerly. "Nyahaha… then let's show it what we've got, Master! Nyaah!"
And with an explosive beat of silver wings, the Mistwing Drake plunged into the fray, the deadly first clash of the hunt beginning in full force.