Anyone who has played any Monster Hunter game will have probably noticed at some point that the ways these so called "monsters" act are strangely familiar, with their behavior being more animalistic than monstrous. This is without a doubt the thing...
It's a cloudy, moonless night above the jungle; the land is consumed in shadows, visibility is so poor, that it's nearly impossible for anything to see what's right in front of them. The canopies rattle as the wind blows through them, adding to the area's already foreboding atmosphere.
On the forest floor, terror is a constant presence for the inhabitants. Even during the clearest of days, this section of the rainforest still has quite a few dark areas, the emergent and canopy layers blocking most of the sun's rays. So in these conditions where there isn't a shred of light to work with, almost anything on the ground is rendered completely blind.
In this level of darkness, most of the species who are awake are forced to rely on their other senses to stay out of trouble. Hearing, scent, and touch guide animals through this blackout, though even then it's not always enough, with some creatures finding it particularly difficult to navigate the undergrowth in these abysmal conditions.
One of the creatures who are struggling to make it through these weather conditions is a herd of Kelbis. Despite having an excellent sense of smell and hearing, these predominantly crepuscular mammals are still finding it hard to navigate the jungle, and this can be very dangerous for them.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Most of the herd is asleep at this moment; however, there are still those who are awake, doing their best to keep watch for any potential threats, but unsurprisingly, this is practically impossible right now. Every sound causes the Kelbis to immediately freeze and look around, as they know that any noise could be caused by predators. The animals smell the air, trying to see if they can detect any sign of danger; however, with the wind blowing, they aren't able to pick up every scent. This limitation only serves to increase the Kelbis' worry.
As the Kelbis continue to scan the area, none of them are aware that they're being stalked by an unseen adversary. Moving quickly through the undergrowth, Shade, a female Nargacuga, has her eyes fixed on the oblivious herd. Without the ability to see in this darkness, the Kelbis are completely helpless, and easy prey for the Nargacuga. As she approaches the herd downwind, Shade prepares herself to pounce. This is without a doubt the best possible time for her to hunt, and she won't let this opportunity go to waste.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
