Monster Rancher - Breeders' Beginnings (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 1A

Monster Rancher: Breeders' Beginnings

Chapter 1A

"Today's going to be busy," Atsuko muttered quietly as she looked up from the medical papers and out the open window. She pulled her shawl over her shoulders, the autumn air cooling her bare arms. From her vantage point she could smell the freshness of the ripe crops several meters away. The rising sun peeked over the eastern mountains, causing her to squint for a few moments.

It was harvest day in her home village Koroko, a devoted farming community that grew up for many generations believing that persistence and hard work will keep their families and the entire village fed for several centuries. And Monsters, just like all through out the world, were very important to them too. With their assistance, they had enough hands, paws, claws, and flippers to feed nearly the entire Kyuushigai region.

She could hear concerted sounds of creaking wooden wheels getting louder and when she looked up, wheelbarrows and wagons, pulled by humans, horses, or Monsters, rolled by the window, filled with beets, cabbages, apples, broccoli, celery, cauliflower, carrots, cranberries, grapes and more colorful fall and winter crops.

Villagers who saw her staring out her office window smiled and waved at her and she waved back. Everyone was family to her so there was not a face that Atsuko didn’t know. She saw a well-known face coming down the dirt road, last behind the harvest parade, and leaned out her window smiling brightly.

Daichi, her father and Koroko’s village leader, was an amazing spectacle; a man between his 80s and 90s with the healthy build of a 30 year old. He was nicknamed the ‘Human Golem’ by his close friends because he was so strong and fierce yet he was so gentle and kind, just like the massive rock Monsters.

Young children danced and giggled excitedly around his wheelbarrow full of crops, piled so high that Atsuko worried and wondered how her father could see while pushing it. The children’s family members shooed the children ahead when he stopped and lowered the wheelbarrow to the ground under to the window.

“Look at gods of harvest have blessed us with this season, Atsuko.” He smiled cheerfully, “These are plenty more to last us through the entire winter season.”

“That is unless Risu eats half of it,” Atsuko giggled. Risu, her beloved Momo, sat on top of the crop stockpile quickly trying to finish a cabbage leaf after being spotted. Daichi slowly shook his head, “I told him to wait until we get home.” He mumbled.

His annoyed stare was enough to frighten Risu and the Momo leaped at Atsuko. She reached out just in time to catch him.

“He couldn’t help it, Papa.” Atsuko wiped off bits of shredded cabbage from around the little Monster’s face, “He has been waiting nearly a whole year to eat cabbage again.” Risu cooed and clung onto her, hiding nuzzling in her shirt. Risu never spoke, only chitters and soft barks. Atsuko’s guessed that he either refuses to talk or never tried or learned how.

“Atsuko, keep him with you for the rest of the day.” said Daichi, “It will give me time to get the crops in food storage and keep him from sampling on every thing,” Atsuko nodded and Risu pouted. “Be home in time for dinner. We’ll hold a feast fit for royalty tonight!”

Atsuko closed the window when her father left. Risu crawled over her shoulder and down into his cushioned wicker basket by his owner’s desk. He burrowed underneath the pillow until he found the large walnut he had hidden and nuzzled into affectionately. Atsuko continued writing down today’s medical reports until there was a gentle knock on the door.

A woman, wearing the same light pink nurse gown like Atsuko’s, peeked her head in the door. “I’m sorry to bother you Atsuko, but it’s Olen,” she sighed tiredly. “He fell down and scraped his knee. He won’t let any of us near him so that we can put healing balm on his knee.”