[center] [h3] The Battle Ends...[/h3] [/center] 

[indent] The huge Malboro reeled backward from the onslaught of attacks. Its hide was thick and tough like armor, but the collected warriors were able to make a large show of force. It opened it's mouth fully now, revealing the source of its strange behavior: a large black crystal protruded from the throat of the beast. Luna's arrow seemed to hit the crystal as its mark, shattering its pieces, and causing the malboro to groan in pain. Fire, wind, spear, and fist collided into the malboro, and then something shocking happened: the ground underneath it began to collapse, sending the beast plummeting into a large hole in the ground. As the dust of combat began to settle, a peaceful silence began to fill the forest, and the mist began to dissipate. 

[color=gray]"Wow, look at this!"[/color] Edgar shouted, holding a shard of the black crystal in his hand. The moment he held it up, however, some strange shock of energy hit him, causing him to drop the shard and fall to the ground writhing in pain. He groaned as a wounded Balder ran over to him. 

"It looks like those crystals did something to him," Balder announced, helping Edgar up and having the engineer lean against him. "Come now, it looks like the beasts have been dispersed," he noted, motioning to a shriveled up Miniboros body on the ground. It looked like by removing the malboro from the area, the miniboros were beginning to die. "Let's get back to the city. It looks like several of you need some healing treatment, and I can go about grading your performance. Balder grinned at the ground. "You all performed admirably due to the circumstances. Even a veteran hunter would be impressed by your skills." 
[/indent]
[center]Time passes, and the party returns to the city.[/center] 
[indent]
The team returned to the hunters guild, where the wounded were given treatment. Luckily, Edgar's condition did not seem to worsen. After some time to rest, Balder called the group to the meeting room. 

"First, allow me to congratulate you all on an excellently performed mission. You accomplished your goal and even faced a greater threat, overcoming it. That is what true hunters are asked to do daily." He began to hand out bronze badges to the group. "From here on, you are Bronze-Ranked members of the Hunter's Guild. This badge gives you free passage through any border checkpoint. From here on, you are all regarded as agents of the Hunter's Guild." He then began to hand out coin purses to each of them. "This is your bonus for that mission. Five thousand gil for each of you, for your work in eliminating the Malboro threat." 

Edgar's eyes widened. Five thousand gil!? That could pay for a month's stay at an inn! Or...it could pay for other expenses, now that he was working as a hunter. He listened to Balder, but his eye was focused on a vial on the table. [color=gray]"Wait, isn't that-"[/color] 

"I was getting to that, but yes. Some samples of that black crystal were taken from the forest. It seems to react poorly to people, and it drives monsters berserk. We have other reports coming from different branches that more beasts like that malboro are appearing throughout the wilderness. Since you all were able to confront the beast, the Alexandria branch has decided on the missions to send you all on." 

He handed the group thick contracts, one for each of them. The rank for the mission was [color=silver]silver[/color]. "This mission promises to be as dangerous as the malboro one. Normally we would not send beginner hunters on a mission such as this, but you've proven that you're capable of handling this task. I've recommended that your group travels north, through the border to a city named [color=yellow]Belinus.[/color] There's a guild branch there who have been dealing with similar monsters." 

[color=00aeef]"Wait, my contract says-"[/color] Ianthe spoke up, with a worried look on her face. 

"Your skills are needed in transporting a sample of the crystals to a laboratory in the free cities. There's a scientist who specializes in studying forbidden magic that would like to study this sample. The rest of you, you'll travel north in the morning. Get some rest, get some supplies, and say your goodbyes around town. It may be some time before you see Alexandria again." [/indent]