ã€ŠSky Knights (A Monster Hunter Fanfiction)ã€‹


 Prologue

    ¡°Myla! Tail!¡± Valen shouted as a gigantic limb crashed down beside him, shaking the ground beneath his feet. A quick glance at his teammate confirmed that she had managed to dodge the strike intended for her and he quickly exhaled in relief. Then he turned back to his opponents.

    A giant tail with a metal-like blade was ripped from the ground, ready to strike again. A giant oversized knife, two armored legs to support it, and a strong jaw, able to un-rust it at a moment¡¯s notice: The Glavenus, one of the most infamous monsters simply due to its deadly appendage, was trying its best to rid its territory of invaders. It had almost succeeded several times but Valen was glad they were able to keep up with it¡­ Until the problem arrived.

    Golden scales rattling like a bunch of swords being ferried on a cart, two wings powerful enough to blow them away, and a sharp horn that would cut through their armor should it hit them. However, the scales were still the most dangerous part of this second enemy, able to be thrown at a moment¡¯s notice and would tear their armor asunder should they hit their mark. It was the signature of the Seregios, a Wyvern that proved troublesome for even the most experienced of hunting teams.

    The newcomer was by far the more troublesome of the two, as for some reason it spent more time attacking the group of hunters than the brute wyvern. The flying menace dodged the tail swipes expertly and only made a token effort to attack the Glavenus. Valen shook his hair, the few visible brown locks of his hair swinging, then put himself in a defensive stance, weapon held out on the side.

    Suddenly the Seregios swept its tail at him, and Valen leapt over it. In the same motion, he pulled the trigger on his weapon while adjusting his grip, triggering the transformative mechanism inside it. The axe head slid down, while the blade pivoted at the tip to settle on the opposite side, then locked. When he scored a hit on the wyvern¡¯s head, an otherwise small cut had come to fruition as a large gash as a result of the Switch Axe¡¯s larger Sword form.

    He backflipped to dodge the retaliatory swipe from the Seregios¡¯ horn, his opponent screeching in fury. Then he released the trigger, causing his weapon to slide back to its previous, more wieldy axe form.

    ¡®That was way too close,¡¯ Valen thought. ¡®I got an opportunity here but I doubt I¡¯ll get another like that soon. Also, the strike did even less damage than I expected. If we get out of this, I¡¯ll need to upgrade my equipment¡­ Maybe even from one of these two if we¡¯re lucky.¡¯

    He took a deep breath, his opponent distracted momentarily by the other monster. The weight of his Switch Axe in his hands was reassuring, as was his armor, which looked more like a long yellow trenchcoat than typical plate. However, the residual energy of the monster it came from protected him nonetheless. The large spongy mane he harvested from this peculiar leviathan was a sturdy material, but he could clearly feel its limits now.

    A loud clanging distracted him as he glanced to the side where it came from.

    The Glavenus had attempted to bite Edwin, but the shield his teammate was wearing on his right arm prevented the beast from doing much damage. He retaliated with a sudden thrust with his opposite arm, the green lance it held biting and piercing the armor of his opponent. Purple ooze dripped from the new wound, staggering the blade-tailed monster. Valen hoped that the monster would be slowed by the poison that entered its blood, but he felt like more of the weakening substance would be needed to make a difference.

    Edwin was holding his ground, his armor protecting him from the few fireballs the wyvern attempted to spit at him. The Rathian scales it was made from absorbed the heat well, being crafted from the remains of another fire-inclined wyvern for this exact purpose. Their wearer was doing a good job of holding the attention of the Glavenus, despite their new predicament. He was undeterred and held his ground, in spite of the occasional splatter of blood that fell from his few wounds.

    ¡°Thanks for the save Valen, that tail slam would have definitely crushed me into paste!¡± Turning around, the mentioned hunter looked at his female colleague.

    ¡°No prob, Myla!¡± He nodded at her, noticing that she had her hammer ready to strike, the chunky weapon in her hands seeming like it weighed nothing at all. He knew how heavy it really was, as she¡¯d let him try lifting it, only to taunt him when he¡¯d gone red in the face after he¡¯d only raised it a meager foot. He got his revenge when she proved her clumsiness with his own weapon, the swipes more liable to hit herself than any opponent. In the end, they shared a good laugh at how they clearly were trained only in their own weapons.

    Her brown armor was paradoxically not the best at absorbing the heat from their original target, but the bulkiness compensated by helping absorb glancing blows of the giant tail. The sturdy carapace of the Barroth it was made from was tough enough that few things could slice or stab through it.

    ¡°Stickies! Go for it!¡± The shout spurred Valen to action before two barks of a bowgun sounded behind him, and two sizzling tubes struck the Seregios in the face. The monster desperately tried to unlodge them by shaking their head, but the projectiles were stuck fast, clinging on like demented, sparking geckoes.

    Valen was already moving when the explosive ammo detonated, capitalizing on the monster¡¯s flinch with an overhead cut at its head. That knocked a score of sharp scales free, allowing Myla to follow up with what would have been a brutal uppercut if it had connected. Unfortunately, the Seregios barely managed to avoid it, dodging backward, but the Hammer wielder was undeterred. She used the momentum of her weapon to roll away, putting distance between her and the wyvern before it could dash back in to strike.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Good shots Flynn, too bad he recovered in time.¡± Valen said.

    Flynn nodded, more to himself than Valen, the hood of his armor partially covering his face from the glare of the midday sun as he reloaded. He was wearing the lightest armor of the group, but the white hide of the Khezu it was made of was sturdy enough that it didn¡¯t need to be bulky. That suited its wearer fine, as it gave Flynn the crucial mobility he needed to position himself on the battlefield.

    Valen¡¯s squad was a well-oiled machine at this point, having done half a dozen hunts together, the Glavenus being the hardest to date. Taking it down was within their ability¡­ until the Seregios had decided to crash the party. At least it wasn¡¯t one of the most feared ¡®invaders¡¯, like big old Deviljho, or Rajang. Those two were truly among the leading causes of death in the hunting world, ambushing a party that totally wasn¡¯t ready for them. Seregios alone was bad enough, but fighting two apex predators at once shouldn¡¯t ever be recommended.

    Flynn threw dung pods to the sharp-scaled menace long ago, but no matter how many were thrown at its face, it simply didn¡¯t want to quit. Even the hunters were starting to pick up the horrible smell by now. Valen was the one tasked to distract it as much as he could, being the most mobile after Flynn, but it was becoming increasingly hard, what with the monster trying to go for anyone unlucky enough to come into its reach. At least he¡¯d managed to warn the others early enough for them to dodge out of range again.

    However, the winged wyvern was winding up to throw a volley of razor-sharp scales directly at Edwin. With Valen¡¯s shield already blocking a burst of flame from the Glavenus, he simply couldn¡¯t take this one for his teammate.

    ¡°WATCH OUT EDWIN!¡± he shouted, hoping his fellow hunter would be able to deal with it.

    The Sergios swung his tail, detaching a handful of scales that flew through the air like arrows let loose by the strongest of bowmen. Most of the projectiles harmlessly impacted the ground with small thwacks, but two found their mark. One hit Edwin¡¯s side, piercing his armor with the sound of shrieking metal, but jammed in the metal before managing to bite into the hunter. The other went right through a gap in his armor; a little open spot at his neck.

    With a low gurgle, Edwin toppled to the ground, lifeless.

    Everybody stopped for a second, realizing what happened. Then they all clapped their hands to their ears as the Seregios roared in victory.

    Once the ringing in her head died down, Myla quickly stowed her weapon and retrieved an extra strong dung bomb from her utility pouch, throwing it at the Glavenus, hard. Unlike the Seregios, the Glavenus clearly was bothered by the smell. It had been battered and bruised by the hunters and its opponent, and with the horrible smell coated all over its nose, it had clearly had enough.

    Valen managed to grab the Seregios¡¯ attention and distract it long enough for the Glavenus to leave. With a bit of luck, only having one monster to deal with would allow the rest of their team to deal enough damage to force it to retreat. Then they could¡­ retrieve Edwin, and head for home.

    A few more minutes of fighting ensued until the Thousand Blades Wyvern emitted a loud roar that made the hunters cover their ears followed by swinging his tail, detaching more of its sharp scales. Valen and Flynn rolled sideways to dodge them, but Myla was still recovering from her last attack. A scale lodged itself in her arm, the sharp point making her start to bleed profusely. However, while she was distracted by her new wound, she didn¡¯t hear her teammates shouting at her until it was too late. Her attention snapped back to the Seregios¡­ right before she got impaled on its horn with the horrible screams of tearing metal and agonizing pain. Blood dripped down its horn as it glared at its remaining quarry. Then it swung its head, bisecting Myla¡¯s body and throwing the two halves into the undergrowth.

    Images of another time and place flashed through Valen¡¯s head. A horrible yellow hide, heavy roars loud enough to make his head feel like it was exploding. The crash of heavy footfalls clawing into the earth for purchase and rippling flexes of corded muscle. A monster just as furious as this one, and another hunt ripped to pieces.

    It was too much for him. He dropped his weapon, turned tail, and ran, prioritizing survival over all else. Flynn shouted at him to wait¡­ but in doing so, missed the tail swipe of the Seregios. A loud crack resounded as he was flung into the air some ways away, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

    The Wyvern emitted a loud screech of victory,  having defeated all of its opponents bar one, then immediately launched into the air towards the last hunter. Valen heard it taking to the sky, felt the displaced air from its beating wings, but didn¡¯t look back. He couldn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t look at that thing again, not with his mind screaming in panicked terror.

    The wyvern flung its head, detaching some of its scales in the process. Its aim was true, piercing the armored leg of the hunter and making him tumble to the ground. Valen quickly rolled onto his back and began to backpedal as fast as his battered body would allow. Adrenaline coursed through his system. His eyes were wide and terrified, almost popping out of his head as the Wyvern landed before him with an impact that shook the ground. It advanced slowly, perhaps relishing its victory, or perhaps simply believing that exerting more effort wasn¡¯t needed.

    It screeched again, the sound piercing his eardrums and making him cringe and want to curl up like a terrified child, scared of the Jaggi under the bed. He couldn¡¯t afford to stop and block out the sound, not with the monster so close. He had to get away. He had to! He¡­ he¡­

    The Seregios reared up and spread its wings, almost as if it was showing off its prowess to its prey. Here it was, the king of its domain, destroyer of all who might try to challenge it. What was Valen to it, an artist of razor-sharp blades that flew like graceful leaves on an autumn breeze? He was a dead man walking- well, crawling. He was done for, just like the others. Whole parties going down didn¡¯t happen often, but stories of it happening weren¡¯t uncommon. Overconfidence, a lack of information, or sheer bad luck could end a hunt in seconds, what with the power of the beasts that made the world their domain. Even the most skilled hunters could be killed by the sting of the hated Vespoid or the sometimes-useful Paratoad.

    But Valen wasn¡¯t one of the elite. He wasn¡¯t even an A-lister. He was just trying to do the best he could, and his best hadn¡¯t been enough. He¡¯d panicked. He had run. He¡¯d abandoned the last of his teammates to the fate that he was surely going to meet in seconds.

    The Sergios seemed to agree. It prepared to lunge, to end it, and Valen raised an arm in front of his face in a futile attempt to shield himself. Then all he knew was an explosion in the sky, a flash of red, a burst of heat, and a piercing screech. Then darkness came for him.¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ he dazedly thought before he lapsed into unconsciousness.

 Chapter 1: Awakening

    He was back where it all began. Facing a monster. The monster, which killed his parents and a dozen other villagers in its rampage. He was alone, trembling in the middle of the street while his enemy prowled towards him; its bloodshot eyes demonstrating its sheer rage and lost reason. The drooling maw stated its intention toward the young kid. Then suddenly, as if waiting for an unseen signal, it lunged, the vibrations on the ground reverberating in his young bones. The monster was getting nearer and nearer, the giant maw making him realize how utterly powerless he was at this moment, and getting bigger and bigger and about to close on him, the teeth ever closi¡ª

    Valen woke up with a gasp, breathing quickly. His panic-induced state caused by the nightmare still clouded his mind, but he didn¡¯t dare move yet, as he was lying on his back and his whole body ached. It took several minutes for the panic to reduce, and it allowed him to close his eyes and take slow, deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. It went on for a while, even after he knew he was no longer panicking but he wanted to truly be in a calm mind, no matter how much taking deep breaths hurt.

    When he felt that he was calm enough, he finally allowed himself to open his eyes. The first thing that he noticed was that he was in a cave, and not on the grass like he thought he would be. That was only the first thing. The second was that, now that he could focus on his body, it mainly hurt in two places: First was on his right leg, where he remembered the scale sliced the muscle. Second and more importantly was on the left side of his head. ¡®This is new. Oh right, I felt that sharp pain here before falling unconscious, maybe the Seregios threw a last volley.¡¯ It felt like something was missing but he wasn¡¯t sure what, so, ever so slowly, he raised his left hand towards it, the motion not hurting like he expected, so that just meant his whole body was just sore¡­ But then raised the question of how long he spent unconscious.

    When he finally reached his left head, the first thing that he noticed was that the skin was rough, bumpy. He suspected he had a nasty scar here, it was still a bit raw so he supposed it was still healing. However, when he reached his ear¡­ There was nothing there, not even a hole where it was supposed to be. He then realized what it was that he was missing: He was hearing nothing from his left side. Sure he could hear the wind that sang outside of the cave¡­ But the sound only came from his right ear. ¡®Ugh, that will take some time to get used to.¡¯

    He sighed, at least it was something he could deal with, contrary to a missing limb or eye. But it was still going to take him some time to adjust. However, inspecting the ear a bit more made him note something was caked over¡­ But it wasn¡¯t blood, it was something that had dried over, some remnant of a mega potion? That was why the scar directly around his ear had healed more than further away. Then he noticed that the pattern the flesh healed on was irregular. First, the burn didn¡¯t make sense until he realized somebody must have tried to cauterize the flesh if that was another scale that sliced his ear off.

    The fact it was cauterized on such a wide area instead of being localized to his left ear must have meant somebody either had only a big flame to work with or was trembling so much during the procedure it bled over everything. He wasn¡¯t sure which one was the real reason. ¡®I¡¯m getting worried about the significance of this, a Felyne would normally be pretty careful and they have steady paws usually.¡¯

    Taking his mind off the ear for a moment, he examined the rest of his body. His torso had nothing to report, just his back being sore because of being on the ground, same for his arms. His back creaked a bit once he raised himself, but it was just what he expected from it being stiff. He took some long breaths to wait for the bones to settle up, then he looked at his legs, and what he saw surprised him.

    His left leg was fine, but the right leg of his pants had been completely torn off, like somebody had to remove it in a hurry and just decided to tear it off¡­ There was also a bandage where his leg had been sliced by the scale but what was more curious was that it was only wrapped around his leg once, and held firm by a couple of big stones on the sides, a couple of holes were in it as well. That was as if somebody didn¡¯t know how to wrap it around the leg and rigged a way to maintain pressure on the wound. A hint of a green stain among the dried blood also meant that somebody applied another mega potion there.

    There were a couple of smaller scars that he didn¡¯t remember were here as well, one pair that went towards the side of his leg where his armor had been torn off, and another pair above his knee that went along his leg. They were the more curious ones, as they weren¡¯t inflicted during the hunt, and were not old scars, so they more than surely came from his rescuer¡­ Maybe it was a Lynian that was so overwhelmed that they couldn¡¯t control his claws. ¡®Definitely getting weirder, was that Lynian so worried for me that his nerves got the better of him? Also, where are they, then? Haven¡¯t seen anything that denotes this as one of their nests either.¡¯

    He decided that his inspection was enough and that his first order of business was examining his leg wound, and redoing his bandage if possible, so he took a deep breath, then slowly tried to peel off his bandage, and as he expected, the dried blood stuck to it, which meant that removing the bandage directly would reopen the wound. Deciding he needed something sharp to deal with it, he looked around to see if his utility pouch was around, and indeed it was right next to him. Digging into it, he immediately noticed that a handful of the potions he carried were missing, however, the bottles were also missing, but a couple were still full, so he immediately grabbed them and applied a bit of it to his raw scar on his left ear, and drank the rest of this bottle. Immediately he felt better as his ache faded away.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡®Now, to look for my carving knife¡­¡¯  He dug further into the bag until he found it. He checked the blade¡¯s sharpness, then once he was satisfied it was good enough for what he was about to do, he took a deep breath and started cutting off the bandage from the crusted blood. It was a task that he had to focus on, else he would reopen the wound further. He almost had a couple of slip-ups but he managed to firm his grip enough and steel his nerves to not cut into the wound.

    After a tense moment, he breathed a sigh of relief, as he accepted the result as good enough. He then pulled out another bandage from his survival kit that was in his pouch, then applied the last bottle of mega potion he had on the wound and the bandage. Then he wrapped the bandage around the wound, making sure to not apply too much pressure but still make it firm enough.

    Once he was satisfied with the tending of his injuries, he finally took the time to examine his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that his bed was simply made of leaves, and some sponge that he recognized as cut off from a Ludroth¡¯s neck. ¡®Why would a Felyne make a bed from sponge? That is getting odder, and I¡¯m starting to think it wasn¡¯t one that rescued me¡­¡¯

    He took note of that fact but didn¡¯t dare stand up, even after the potion he took, as he didn¡¯t have anything to not put pressure on his injured leg anyways. So he just looked around and noticed a few more oddities. The first thing he noticed was the scratch marks that were at the entrance of the cave, being trios of irregular gouges. ¡®As if a monster took off from the entrance, so either this cave had a flying monster living in it before it abandoned it¡­ Or it¡¯s still living in, which would be more confusing as to why I¡¯m still alive then.¡¯

    The next oddity was reddish scorch marks on the walls near the entrance as if something exploded on it. ¡®Fireballs? No, it¡¯s not the usual scorch mark¡­ I¡¯ve only seen this red tint from¡­¡¯ He widened his eyes in realization. ¡®From drawings shown of the effect of a Deviljho¡¯s breath. This is getting even weirder, and worrying. I doubt it was a Jho that lived here but the number of known dragon element monsters is very small.¡¯

    There were more jagged lines in the rock, but this time they were singular lines instead of in trios or pairs. Valen didn¡¯t know what to think of these so he moved on, and that¡¯s when he noticed something glinting on the ground, a bit further away from him. He thought about a moment then decided to drag himself to it. He had to be careful with his leg, but he managed.

    While reaching the object of interest, he noticed while getting closer that it was a scale. And as he picked it up, first he noticed it was a bit sharp, which, while not that rare among monsters, wasn¡¯t a common trait. He turned it around, it was on the bigger size for a unique scale, but that also depends on the place it came off from. ¡®Hmmm, the silver coloration seems familiar¡­ I swear I heard about this specific tone but by the Sapphire Star, I can¡¯t recall where¡­¡¯ He examined it under all its angles, but after a while he gave up, shaking his head.

    Before crawling back to his bed, he figured he would at least see what the outside of the cave looked like. So after a bit more crawling, he managed to reach the mouth of the cave¡­ And what he saw legitimately surprised him. The cave wasn¡¯t on ground level. it was high up on a cliff, and he could see they were high up, the ground was barely visible from where he was. There wasn¡¯t a visible path to climb up, at least not that he could find.

    Once he examined the cliffside, he crawled back to his bed and went deep into thought. Because his situation might be much more complex than he thought. As good climbers as Felynes are, they more than surely would not bother having such a high lair. Sighing and shaking his head, Valen thought about the situation from another angle. But first thing, he wanted to try to find out which monster had occupied this lair.

    What clues did the hunter have? First, the lair was high up, so that eliminated any kind of ground-based monster. Second, the scorch marks meant that the monster was at least capable of using dragon energy¡­ The most common culprit, Deviljho, was however excluded because of the first point. And it would have been excluded by the third clue, which was the silver scale, meaning that it was most likely that the monster was of this color. But while it might also be only one of the colors of it, or the remains of one of his meals, Valen had a very strong suspicion it was in reality truly one of its shed scales.

    He sighed, he felt like he really should know which monster it was. He had it on the tip of his tongue, but it was like he was missing one crucial, obvious piece of information about it. He laid back down on his bed with a sigh, the answer would come to him soon enough at least. Besides, he felt tired after having to drag himself around and fix his wounds, so he decided to take a quick nap.

    A constant noise woke him up soon enough. It wasn¡¯t that loud, but¡­ It was a peculiar noise, like a waterfall, but higher pitched and it was getting louder. But then, this noise jogged something in his memory, and he turned and looked at the long lines he had at first dismissed, and suddenly realized just what monster lived in this cave¡­ And he was immediately afraid. ¡®It can¡¯t be, Elders are on a ¡°Do not approach¡± basis if there isn¡¯t a team ready to take them on.¡¯

    It all came into a crescendo when the noise suddenly got louder and a silver-scaled Dragon landed in the opening of the case, carrying something in its claws. The monster had trident-like wings, remnants of dragon energy dissipating from their ends, and two rows of fins on its back and tail. This was a monster well known to the guild, and Hunters were warned about it.

    This species of Elder was known as the Silver Winged Scarlet Star, the Red Comet, the Star of Disaster, and many other names. But the true name of this elder¡­ was Valstrax.

 Chapter 2: Misconceptions

    Valen was completely and utterly frozen as the Elder finished its landing, depositing his quarry on the ground. It was something yellow but he couldn¡¯t pay attention to it at the moment; so lost in his terror that he was fixating on the Elder to the exclusion of everything else. A small burst of dragon element emanated from its wings then it took deep inhalation from the chest, a loud whirring noise piercing the air as it did so.

    Only after completing this action and shaking itself a bit did it seem that the Eder noticed his presence. And he stiffened even further, expecting it to attack him on the spot for intruding into its cave, coming back to it after a long absence. The moment when the Valstrax stared at him stretched for an eternity, where he was sure he was staring death in the face. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he was shaking or not, as anything that wasn¡¯t what was in front of him just faded away. The hunter knew there was absolutely nothing he could do; he was injured and unable to move, his only weapon was a carving knife that wasn¡¯t of a good enough quality to pierce these scales, and he was in a confined space, with nowhere to run or hide.

    The tension rose when the Valstrax finally walked closer, pivoting its head on the side so it could examine him with his eye. It seemed to fixate on his biggest injuries, the one on his head and his leg. Then it did something that utterly baffled him. The Elder rumbled then turned around to pick up what it dropped and walked past him, without doing anything, even making sure it circled around the wounded man, to not jostle him.

    This turn of events was so unexpected for Valen that he immediately passed out in disbelief.

    <hr>

    The hunter woke up later, his mind feeling a bit slow. At first he couldn¡¯t remember why he felt like that, but that¡¯s when everything came back to him. Waking up in pain and panic from his nightmare, tending to his wounds, investigating the cave, the Elder landing in the cave, and it basically leaving him alone.

    The realization that the Elder left him alone made him spring up from his bed, only to groan as the sudden motion was too much for his stiff back. The pain was quickly forgotten when a noise made him look around, quickly noticing the silver-scaled dragon lying on its belly. And it was looking at him after making a small whirring rumble. He also noticed the carcass of a fresh meal next to it that was¡­ Strangely not finished.

    Something still nagged at him, but he wasn¡¯t sure why, it was like he was missing a crucial detail, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. Then his eyes wandered to his leg, his injured leg. It was at that moment that he had a wild thought. ¡®It¡­ Couldn¡¯t have been the Valstrax who carried me here and treated my injuries? That¡­ Doesn¡¯t make any sense, what would it gain wasting time on me?¡¯ He raised his hand to the scorched side of his head. ¡®Wait¡­ The burn injuries would make sense¡­ Especially if it only had its wings to work with¡­ But then, why? Why would it do this? Never has an Elder shown mercy before, so why would this Valstrax do so?¡¯

    Valen was so lost in his internal thoughts that he failed to notice the dragon push the half-finished carcass towards him. The hunter was instantly snapped out of his internal monologue when it entered his field of vision. He flinched away by reflex, still very much on edge, but after a couple of seconds of expecting a claw swipe, he tentatively looked at what the Valstrax did this time. And he stared at the carcass, looking back and forth between it and the Elder like he wasn¡¯t believing it just so casually shared its food. Valen was about to try to push it away, not wanting to engage with the shenanigans when his belly disproved him of this action by making itself known. Loudly.

    Nosing the carcass towards him, the Valstrax then made a rumbling noise, slightly higher pitched due to the whirring part of it. It was a strange noise that he didn¡¯t expect from the Elder. After staring at it for a bit, he finally sighed and relented, pulling out his carving knife so he could cut the parts away. He idly noted that the carcass was from a Ludroth, judging by the hide he could see. It was not something he hadn''t eaten before but he supposed he would take what he could get.

    Once he finished cutting off the meat from the carcass, he dug into his bag to pull out a piece of the cooking roast. He only needed the pot that generated the flame. It contained the flame sac of a fire-breathing monster. For some reason, he had been the one tasked to carry it for the team, but he figured that for once he wouldn¡¯t complain, as it saved him the trouble of having to start a fire on his own. He then pulled out a stick, as somebody else was supposed to carry the spitting roast assembly. Valen could remember who if he thought a bit more but shook his head before the thoughts carried him into something he did not want to think about right now.

    Lighting up the flame, he stabbed the meat with the stick he had and started roasting it with the fire, using the menial task to distract him from all the thoughts bouncing around his head, either about the dilemma that was the Elder, or some stray thoughts about the last minutes he remembered of the hunts that he squashed whenever possible¡­ And older, rarer thoughts that he knew would send him into a spiral of despair if he got caught in them. Thankfully, as intended, the action of cooking managed to keep him from getting trapped in all of the what-ifs.

    He idly noticed that the dragon seemed very interested in what he was doing, and a sudden thought jumped to him, one he couldn¡¯t stop this time.

    ¡®This thing is smart. What if it brought you here only to study your weaknesses, and then once it¡¯s done learning, disposes of you and uses these weaknesses against other hunters?¡¯ As wild as the thought was, it made sense to him. It would explain why the dragon was trying to keep him alive for now. He then steeled his nerves, digging deeper into the explanation. ¡®That means that I have to try to keep the things I reveal to the minimum. I¡¯ll have to maintain a routine and only a small list of things I can do while it can observe me. I doubt I¡¯ll be able to escape this situation, but I¡¯d be damned if I don¡¯t at least try.¡¯

    He continued this train of thought while turning over the roast periodically, making sure the meat was evenly cooked. Once he was satisfied with the cooking, he turned off the fire and started eating the meat out of the spit roast. It felt strange to eat in silence while the Elder was watching him, but he kept quiet nonetheless. It wasn¡¯t like it¡¯d be able to understand what he could say anyways.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Once he finished his meal, he put the fire pot and his knife back in the bag and cleaned up the stick. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he would stay here so he had to make sure it¡¯d last him as long as possible. After this was done, he exhaled a loud sigh of relief and laid back down in his bed. Noticing that the Valstrax was still watching him intensely but was tilting his head a bit now, Valen had to admit that he did look a bit innocent while being like that, albeit if you ignore all the sharp bits that it possessed.

    Some small part of the hunter was nagging him that it was a death sentence to go to sleep with an Elder nearby, but he squashed that thought away. ¡®If it didn¡¯t kill me until now, it surely won¡¯t do it until it squeezed out everything it can from me.¡¯

    He took a long time to quiet the doubts in his mind, but eventually, he managed to find sleep, ignoring the dragon sitting next to him as much as he could.

    <hr>

    Valen woke up later, feeling his mouth completely dry. He hadn¡¯t noticed his dehydration before now, what with all that was happening, but now his throat was extremely parched. He immediately dug into his bag, looking for his canteen, and immediately took a long drink from it. However, being half empty already, there was only just enough to satisfy his thirst. He grimaced. ¡®Well, if the Valstrax doesn¡¯t kill me, the dehydration will. What a shitty way to go¡­ Days of agony hoping for blessed water that¡¯ll never come. I know meat has a bit of water, right? But it can¡¯t be anywhere near enough for what I need.¡¯ He sighed, steeling himself for a painful day.

    He was broken out of his reverie once again by his jailer walking over to himValen froze once again, nowhere near used to having it be that close to him. It looked intensely at his canteen, and then the ground on which a couple of droplets had spilled upon, then it backed away. Valen remained frozen. The dragon then walked to a wall and started scratching it, producing a scritch-scritch noise that grated at Valen¡¯s remaining ear. However, he didn¡¯t want to attract attention to himself, so he just bore with it.

    The look the Valstrax had in its eyes puzzled him though, it was like it wasn¡¯t focusing on anything, and doing the scratching just out of habit. If the hunter dared suggest something, it was almost as though the Elder was thinking. But he didn¡¯t dare voice anything, lest he attract its murderous intent.

    He tried to think of anything else to block out the sound, but the noise was distracting him, and his thoughts constantly went back to his impending doom, which wasn¡¯t better¡­ But just as he was about to resign himself to bear the noise, it stopped. Valen looked back at the dragon to see what happened. And sure enough, it stopped scratching, but what surprised him is that it looked like it had stopped mid-motion¡­ And its eyes were no longer as vacant as they were before. And suddenly, as he was about to wonder what was up, it got back on all four and walked towards the entrance of the cave. It whirred up its wings and took off with a whoosh of air, so quickly that only a little breeze from its departure reached back to where Valen was sitting in the cave.

    The hunter was quite confused by the turn of events, but quickly exhaled in relief. He hadn¡¯t noticed that he was holding his breath for a while. Also deciding that it was a good opportunity to do something he wouldn¡¯t do in the Elder¡¯s presence, he grabbed his notebook from his bag and leafed through it, hoping to find some clues about the unusual behavior of this Elder¡­ He wasn¡¯t hoping for much though, he was pretty sure this was a first¡­ ¡®Unless some missing hunter cases could also be kidnappings by dragons¡­¡¯ He squashed the thought before it could progress further. It was not time to pursue insane or worrying trains of thought.

    He was fairly deep into older entries when he heard the telltale sound of his jailer coming back and scrambled to close the notebook and hide it in his bag. He had barely managed to retrieve his hands when the Valstrax landed, but he quickly noticed it was carrying something in its beak this time. Valen couldn¡¯t see what it was from the distance, but he quickly noticed it was dripping. It was dripping a clear liquid.

    ¡®Jumping Jaggis, is that what I think it is?¡¯ And once the Elder came closer, his thought was confirmed. ¡®Water? But¡­ How, and why?¡¯ Then he noticed what was containing the water¡­ And to his surprise, it was a full Royal Ludroth mane. He was completely sure of the monster it came from, having owned armor made of the same. The battle against the monster was tough at the time, what with Valen only possessing equipment made of small monsters, and afterwards the blacksmith had complained enough about how tedious the process they had to use for the mane so that it didn¡¯t absorb too much water when it rained or was submerged, so the armor was not made useless. And here was the Valstrax, just walking in with one completely filled with water. Once it was near him, it deposited the mane against the wall of the cave with a smooth motion.

    It then made that whirring rumble noise again, but it sounded more¡­ Satisfied? Valen wasn¡¯t sure why he thought that, but it was the impression that came to his mind. Still, he didn¡¯t dare move towards it, even though he knew he needed the water from it. He still knew the mane was the Elder¡¯s property, and touching it would mean retaliation.

    However, when it rumbled again and nosed the mane towards him, he tentatively reached a hand towards it, and just before he would reach the mane, he held his breath.

    A second passed two. But when the dragon still made no reaction, he let out the breath he was holding. And then, the implication of all of it hit him.

    It figured out that he was worried about the lack of water, it had then puzzled out that he was already completely out of it after drinking it. Then it literally went to think about a solution to this problem, as the Elder wouldn¡¯t be able to carry water itself, and its claws or beak weren¡¯t suited to carrying containers¡­ This also meant that it realized this fact and thought around it. Then once it figured out a solution, it carried out his plan and brought him back water¡­ In the form of a gift.

    However, the most worrying thought of all of this ¡­ That it must imply that the Valstrax was intelligent. Even more so than what Elders were commonly thought to be. There was already proof that Elder Dragons were much more intelligent than common Wyverns, but this? This was proof that not only they could figure out there was a problem, but not only that, they also could understand how to solve it. And only by thinking. Not by trial and error.

    What worried Valen the most was that he didn¡¯t know if that was something unique to this Valstrax or was something all Elders were able to do as a whole. Because¡­ That meant that if any of them had any intention to wipe out humanity, they may one day devise an intelligent plan, instead of trying to overpower them with sheer force. And the possibility chilled the hunter to the core. The thought of this being the Valstrax¡¯s motive terrified him even more.

 Chapter 3: Doubts

    The next few days were painful for Valen. He could not, would not dismiss the realization that came to him. However, that meant every waking day was spent wracking his nerves, full of what-ifs and grim thoughts that wouldn¡¯t leave his mind alone. A small mercy was that the Elder left him more alone than he thought it would, which lessened the pressure on his mind somewhat.

    The water the Valstrax brought him needed to be boiled before he could drink it, but it was a lifesaver for him nonetheless. He hasn¡¯t used all the water in it for himself but emptied it anyway before it soiled the whole mane and made it unusable for every future refilling.

    He also started to take notes of what he learned about the Elder in his notebook, in the extremely unlikely case of managing to escape from this jail. The Guild would more than surely be very thankful for the findings. So every time the Valstrax left the cave to do its own¡­ whatever it did, Valen pulled out his notebook and hurriedly wrote everything he could think of, then hid the book again when he was satisfied with the writings.

    What worried him was that he wasn¡¯t sure how long he could keep the fa?ade for. He was truly fearing the day his jailer would grow tired of not learning anything and would decide to dispose of the weight draining his resources. Small mercies were the fact that it seemed that it was still interested in keeping him alive, as the lengths it went to provide him water proved.

    However, on the fifth day, he barely saw the Elder at all. Tt only brought him his meat then¡­ Was nowhere to be found.

    ¡®If it wanted to observe me, wouldn¡¯t it want to stay here as much as it could? Leaving me alone for a whole day sounds counterproductive¡­ Then again, I¡¯m doing the same thing so it probably grew tired of not having anything new.¡¯ He reasoned. ¡®It''s trying to put me at ease so that I slip up tomorrow.¡¯

    Satisfied with this reasoning, he resolved to not change anything for the next day.

    Then the next day the same thing happened. And this time he couldn¡¯t justify it as much. ¡®It¡¯s making me confident, that¡¯s all there is to this. There must not be any other explanation.¡¯ However, this justification rang a bit more hollow than it did the day before. Even so, it still felt that it was the most logical explanation. It had to be. ¡®Ugh, all this brooding is making me cranky, I¡¯ll try to see if I can walk tomorrow. Not going to put any pressure on my healing leg though.¡¯

    He took a deep breath and then stretched himself. All of his days in the cave had been spent being bedridden, but he felt like he needed to exercise soon, or else he¡¯d be in for a painful time once he was completely healed.

    Looking outside, he noted that the sun was setting and decided to go to sleep. He didn¡¯t even realize that he didn¡¯t wait for the Elder to be asleep or even present before doing so.

    <hr>

    Valen yawned as he woke up and stretched. He had gotten a good night¡¯s sleep for once but was still worried about when his next nightmare would hit. They normally happened at a regular frequency or when he was in a period of stress. But he would take any small mercies that he got.

    He looked to his side, and sure enough, the Valstrax was there, but for once, it was asleep. Valen mentally debated making an attempt to stab his head, but shook his head. If he did, he would more than surely die of dehydration and would have to attempt to  scale down the cliff, a death sentence in and of itself in his condition.

    He then thought about how he would go about trying to get some exercise and decided that his best bet was to do some steps while using his hand to stabilize himself on the walls of the cave. With his plan set in mind, he shuffled, using his hands to support himself so as to not put pressure on his healing leg. A small mercy was that he made sure to unwrap his bandage every day and boil it to keep it clean. He knew he was lucky to not have gotten an infection with the shoddy work the Elder did while he was still unconscious, but he wouldn¡¯t push his luck any further.

    Once he reached the wall, he took a deep breath and stood up on his good leg, using the wall as a support. He took some breaths to stabilize himself and then hopped alongside the wall, making sure to exercise his leg. He preferred to overdo it than to not do enough. And the slight ache this caused helped to quiet his mind, the repetitive motion enough of a distraction against his constant stress. When he was about to reach the entrance of the cave, he turned around and hopped back, noting that the Elder had now woken up and was looking at him curiously but elected to ignore it for now.

    He did his self-imposed exercise for a dozen minutes before the pain became too great and relented, then went back to his bed and rested.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    The dragon observed for a couple more minutes before it seemed to realize he wouldn¡¯t do anything more unusual for now and flew out of the cave. Valen took this opportunity to massage his healing leg gently and do some lifting with his arms, deciding that his cooking pot filled to the brim would be good enough. He missed dearly being able to train with his Switch Axe, but he knew that wasn¡¯t something he would be able to do until he got back to the guild¡­ If he got back to the guild.

    He was idly wondering when the Elder would come back after a long time exercising that left a pleasant burn in his arms but still supportable, when he heard the usual sound. Looking towards the cave, he noted it was the daily delivery of meat. And for once it didn¡¯t bring back a Ludroth but a Bullfango this time. He was internally pleased, he much more liked the tusked beast¡¯s meat compared to the juvenile leviathan.

    Once the Valstrax ate its part and left him the remains, he tended to the meat, cutting it into chunks like usual, then started roasting it.

    But it seemed like fate decided that she had enough of the past monotony, and it was at this precise time that the stick he managed to carefully maintain until now had enough and broke midway while the meat was still cooking, making the tip fall directly into the flame pot. Valen swore and scrambled to turn off the fire, then looked at the damage, and indeed there was a gap between the meat strips that allowed the stick to char and break. He could continue with the halves he still had but it would make things harder for sure.

    He sighed, this was bad news for sure but he¡¯d just have to bear with it for now. At least the meat was done when it happened so he could get his fill.

    However, the Elder had watched the happenings and after a while, walked outside and flew away. Valen was surprised, it usually stayed with him when he ate, so he wasn¡¯t sure what prompted this unusual behavior¡­ Unless it had something to do with the fact that his stick broke? A few days ago, he¡¯d have dismissed the hypothesis, but now? He had an inkling of what was about to happen.

    He finished his meal alone and watched the entrance, waiting to see what shenanigans his jailer would get up to this time. And to his surprise, it came back far earlier than he expected. But he also immediately noticed that¡­ The Elder was carrying a few sticks in its beak, and it immediately walked up to him and dropped them next to him, letting out the now-familiar rumble after doing so.

    Valen shook his head, the actions of the dragon still confusing him. ¡®Still trying to make me comfortable¡­ But¡­ This doesn¡¯t make any sense. Or¡­ Maybe it wants to see how we craft tools? I¡¯ll have to be careful to not give too many clues then. But I still need a stick to roast my food.¡¯

    His course of action set, the hunter first checked the quality of the sticks that were brought to him. Surprisingly they were all rigid enough to use, but he guessed that the Elder picked only the ones sturdy enough to be carried in its beak. He picked one of a decent length then grabbed his knife and started whittling it down, making a point at the tip.

    The task took him a couple of hours but once he was done he was satisfied and stowed away the stick.

    He then looked at the extra few sticks that he had, and one extra-thick one gave him an idea. He would make a crutch so that he wasn¡¯t tilting awkwardly when trying to walk, but he¡¯d have to try to make it out of the sight of his minder. So he sighed and resolved himself to wait for it to go for its daily long flight.

    Surprisingly enough, it left fairly quickly, now that it noticed Valen finished his task. So, he quickly shuffled to the wall and used it as a support for his back, then he went on trying to dig a hole big enough in the stick without breaking it¡­ It was going to be tedious and delicate work, but he had nothing else to do right at the moment so he just went at it.

    It took a fair bit longer than his roasting stick had, but it was done, and he had also managed to sharpen the other stick which would form the handle of his crutch. Then once his crutch was complete, he wasted no time in testing it out. And to his satisfaction, it managed to handle his weight well enough, with no creaks either. It should last him long enough for his leg to finish healing.

    He dared even say that this gave him more hope, but his mood immediately turned sour when the realization that his situation still had no escape in sight came back. He sighed. He had explored all avenues possible this morning, but he truly did not see any way he could get out of this situation¡­ He just prayed to the Sapphire Star that some salvation would come to him, as it was the only hope he had before his jailer got tired of him.

    Speaking of which, he heard the telltale sound of it arriving, quickly debating hiding his crutch, he eventually decided to just leave it out in the open. There wasn¡¯t a place big enough where he could hide it, anyways. He wondered how long it¡¯d take it to notice the stick.

    Surprisingly enough, it did so almost immediately, tilting its head and then walking to it to nose it from the tip of its beak. The inspection lasted shorter than he expected it to, but then the Elder looked at him with a curious eye, which made Valen feel uncomfortable, but just as he was about to wonder if Valen¡¯s daring to do something while it was gone was going to finally be enough to make it snap, it relented and went back to its usual spot.

    ¡®That was close. I don¡¯t know if it was mad at me for doing something while it was away or something else, but my time is running out¡­ And quickly.¡¯

    The hunter debated trying to do something else to placate the Elder, before a yawn escaped his jaw. ¡®I guess this answers my question, it may still be day and not even sunset, but the stress these past days must be getting to me. Sleep sounds nice.¡¯ Thus he decided to just try to sleep off the night.

 Chapter 4: Upheaval

    Destroyed rubble surrounded him, the remains of a once thriving community that sheltered him his whole life. The walls that kept away predators now had a gigantic hole torn in them. Several corpses were spread around, some in a state that he tried not to think about. He was sitting just in front of his home, which was now nothing more than a pile of broken masonry. He didn¡¯t know what happened to his parents, but deep down he knew it was already too late for them, and that nothing would save him from the nightmare he could see in front of him.

    Baleful eyes that had no trace of reason in them, yellow scales tainted by countless splotches of blood, still dripping. A gigantic maw that would take no effort to swallow him whole. He was paralyzed on the spot, but he also knew there was no escape from this, as he saw the nightmare take a deep breath and roar.

    The roar was so powerful that even from the distance that separated him, the concussive force was enough to knock him on his butt. It was then that the beast decided it had enough and tensed his muscles¡­ Then it exploded in movement, its footsteps thundering the ground and he wanted to close his eyes, to not see the impending doom, but he just couldn¡¯t, he couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away from pure malice.

    The loud whistle that he hadn¡¯t noticed until now increased in pitch, but he dismissed it, staring at death incarnate, but, for once, the impossible happened.

    A blur of silver and the nightmare was stopped, knocked away from its path of annihilation. He looked towards his unexpected savior, but he couldn¡¯t see anything except an indistinct form of silver, but he knew, for once in here, that he was safe.

    Valen woke up with a gasp, breathing rapidly. His mind was racing but it took him but a moment to realize it was his usual nightmare. So he closed his eyes and did his usual breathing exercise. Deep breath in, deep breath out. He did this for a couple of minutes and then opened his eyes, though one thing bothered him. ¡®I usually wake up in a scream and with a much more pronounced panic attack¡­ And that feeling at the end, I always feel hopeless when the nightmare ends, and never have I felt safe. So¡­ Why?¡¯

    It was then that he finally looked around him and instantly froze, because around his bed, and curled up, sleeping soundly¡­ Was the Valstrax. Valen was nestled between its paws and its head, the powerful breaths the elder let out causing a deep hum in the air. The hunter dared not to move, lest he wake up the beast and be instantly torn into shreds for daring to enter its personal space. But then suddenly he realized something.

    ¡®Wait a minute¡­ I didn¡¯t move myself, since my bed is still below me and I doubt I¡¯d manage to move it while sleeping. Which means¡­¡¯ His eyes widened in realization. ¡®That it¡¯s the Valstrax who moved and not me! But¡­ Why would it do that? I can understand bringing me food and water, as I¡¯d need these to stay alive. Bringing me the stick allowed it to understand how I made tools, but trying to comfort me while I¡¯m sleeping?¡¯

    Valen was completely lost for words. He wanted to reason that it did it to comfort him yet again, but his reasoning fell flat and sounded false. Every time he thought he found a reason to pursue his previous train of thought, he found a hole in it that completely demolished it. Make itself appear vulnerable and so less hostile? It already did that, he couldn¡¯t remember one instance of the monster appearing hostile. Making sure he couldn¡¯t escape without waking it? Then why did it start only now?

    After a while, Valen stopped trying. He didn¡¯t want to descend into a spiral of despair where he made absurd jumps in logic to find something that would fit his current theory. ¡®Okay, stopping there, it¡¯ll only drive me crazy. That means I have to rethink my entire reasoning until now, but¡­ I want to see what its reaction is first. Because if it¡¯s the Valstrax that moved¡­ It shouldn¡¯t react negatively when it wakes up, right?¡¯ He was nervous about his plan, because if he was wrong¡­ Well, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to think about the consequences anymore anyway.

    The decision was taken out of his mind when he felt the dragon shift, and he held his breath, as he was sure that the wrong movement could be interpreted negatively by his jailer, so his best course of action was to¡­ Not move.

    The elder shifted a bit more, and then his breathing shifted, going back to a normal pace. It was awake. It blinked, adjusting to the ambient darkness, then looked directly at Valen with a single eye, staring at him. The hunter gulped, he knew everything rested on this single moment, on what the silver-scaled dragon would do next. The moment felt like an eternity to him, but just as he was about to abandon his hopes and resign himself to being struck down, he felt a powerful vibration as the Valstrax rumbled.

    Valene was speechless, he couldn¡¯t believe that the elder hadn¡¯t just disposed of him Then and there. Which meant¡­ It was it that curled up around him trying to ward off his nightmare. Exhaling in relief, Valen realized that death wouldn¡¯t come to him just yet. He looked at the dragon that was curled around him and then sighed. ¡®I don¡¯t know what to think anymore¡­ I¡¯ll try to observe it for the day without associating its actions with the justifications I thought previously¡­ Then probably rethink my whole stance. Yeah, I want to get it right this time, because if what I thought was true wasn¡¯t, it suggests something¡¯s wrong with what I¡¯ve been taught.¡¯

    Deciding on being open-minded, he set out to start his day by exercising, in front of the Valstrax this time. ¡®Screw this,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Even if this elder has malicious intentions and has been acting, I don¡¯t care anymore, it won¡¯t be my problem either way.¡¯ Using his crutch, he walked towards the entrance of the cave and then back, testing his injured leg cautiously a couple of times. It hurt, but not as much as he expected, which meant the injury was healing nicely. ¡®I¡¯d heal faster if I still had potions, but I used everything I had on me when I first woke up, and I¡¯m all out of herbs. Nothing I could do about that¡­ Unless?¡¯ A wild thought suddenly came up to him, and he stopped mid-step.

    ¡®This is a crazy bad idea, because if I was right about it being malicious¡­ That¡¯s the worst thing I could do. But if I¡¯m not? It could help my situation.¡¯ He paused for a minute, deliberating. ¡®I¡¯m going to wait for tomorrow just to have some relative safety though.¡¯Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    He looked at the elder, and sure enough, it was interested in what he was doing, but Valen just acknowledged it and continued walking. He continued for a while until he felt he was doing too much, then, with one last push, he walked back to his bed, sat down, and exhaled in relief. That was easier to do than when he used the wall, but he might have pushed himself a tad too far. But that just meant he knew his current limits now.

    He decided he¡¯d do the exercises for his arms after he ate and digested his meal so that he got the time to rest. It was still early in the day so he supposed it¡¯d be a while before the Valstrax would go hunting, as it usually did so around midday, which meant he had some time to kill. Valen watched as the elder stretched itself not unlike a Felyne, though he also noticed that it also did some weird motions with his wing, pulling the membrane between the trident spears taut. It also yawned, revealing small teeth¡ªrelatively speaking, compared to other monsters¡ªin its beak, which, the hunter reflected, he had never seen on any kind of bird. But he supposed that at its size it needed something to help tear apart its large meals.

    After a while, Valen got bored enough and fished his notebook from his bag, deciding that reviewing some of the entries in it would be a good enough way to occupy his day. He pulled out his pen, preparing to amend some of the entries, because most of what he wrote was from classes they did at the training school or from emergency reports when discoveries about a monster were publicized. Then he got to work.

    To his surprise, there were many more entries that he expected that had ¡°facts¡± that seemed pure speculation, most of them regarding Elders¡ªbut that was logical, barely anything was known about them. But some of the more ordinary monsters were also surrounded by mysticism. One of the most famous examples was about a superstition around Mizutsune, the water fox leviathan. As the story went, it was supposedly able to curse people who invaded its domain.

    This was false, but several monsters had such beliefs about them. Another example was about Rathalos. It rather famously had the moniker ¡°King of the Sky,¡± but the title had been given at a time when they were found everywhere, and they seemed to rule the wilds as a whole. Hunting culture also wasn¡¯t as developed then as it now is in modern times, which meant an encounter with them was often considered a death threat, as they do not take kindly to invaders to their territory.

    Thinking about it more, Valen chuckled to himself. If any monster deserved the ¡°King of the Sky¡± moniker, he would give it to Valstrax, as he didn¡¯t see any way they could be beaten in the air. Even ambushing them was close to impossible. If Rathalos had to keep their title, elevating Valstrax to ¡°Emperors of the Sky¡± would only be fair.

    Then Valen suddenly felt a small breeze in his neck, he turned around and suddenly jumped as he found the elder¡¯s head almost right next to his. Quickly calming his speeding heart, he noticed the dragon¡¯s head now tilted as if to question his surprise. The hunter shook his head, he should have expected that, but even still, the fact that a creature so large had managed to sneak up on him was surprising. But then again, he also supposed that he was so engrossed in his book that he had kind of shut out the rest of the world around him.

    After he regained his wits, he closed his book and walked up to the entrance of the cave to check out what time it was¡­ And to his surprise, midday had passed already. He hadn¡¯t the time fly by while groaning at the obvious errors in the notebook.

    He took a deep breath, to bask in the air that was at the entrance of the cave, then walked back to his bed, noticing that the elder was up and seemingly waiting for him. It walked past him, but the gaze of its stare was different this time. It was¡­ Curious and, for some strange reason, approving? Valen had no idea where those feelings came from, but it was what came to his mind for sure. He would have to figure it out at some point.

    While his host was flying for the daily meal, the hunter decided now was a good time to get a small nap, to recuperate from his exercise of the morning. He got into his bed and closed his eyes, resting himself, but still staying half-awake, his mind wandering.

    He was thinking about his days at the academy when he heard his host coming back. Valen then stretched and yawned, feeling a bit better, opening his eyes just as the dragon passed by him a side-along glance with an expression Valen couldn¡¯t decipher. Surprisingly, it was once again carrying a Bullfango, but Valen supposed he switched to another hunting ground because the Ludroth might be wary for now.

    The hunter then waited for the elder to eat its fill, noting that it started by the innards before going for the meat. Seemingly knowing how to efficiently strip the bones bare by experience. It then split the rest of the carcass in twain, getting the marrow from the remaining bones. Valen was sure it would be a gruesome sight for any civilian who had never known anything of the hunting life, but he had seen worse throughout his career, his job made sure of that.

    Once the elder ate its fill, it pushed the rest of his meal towards his guest, giving Valen his share. It was only a fraction of the original meal, but given the difference in size, it made sense, and Valen didn¡¯t complain. He was glad to be able to eat at all.

    He went along with his normal routine, scraping the pieces of meat off of the bones and spearing them on his stick. He turned on the flame and tended to it.

    The captive hunter thought at this moment that he would love being able to make a stew instead of only roasting his meat. The problem was that he was out of herbs and vegetables, he thought for an instant about trying to get the dragon to collect some for them, before shaking his head, the main problem being how would it harvest most of them. He would have to bear with simple meat until he could get down the mountain.

    The meal was quickly cooked and eaten. Then, once he stowed back his utensils, Valen just rested, digesting his meal in silence. Surprisingly enough the Valstrax did the same, laying on its side and just resting. It looked to be a somewhat awkward position but who was he to judge what a dragon found itself comfortable in?

    After resting, the wounded hunter went to exercise his arms, wanting to keep in shape, so he picked up his improvised weights and trained his arms. He spent a bit longer than the previous day, but eventually, his muscles protested enough for him to stop.

    He then spent the rest of the day thinking. He had observed the dragon¡¯s actions all day long, instead of only throwing glances when he thought it wasn¡¯t looking, and what he observed truly was something.

    It hadn¡¯t made a hostile move, at all. It had always been delicate and careful with its movement, especially when close to him. The elder made sure that Valen was left alone as much as he could, the closest it had come was this morning when he had his nightmare. It then hovered around him all day, breaking its usual pattern of being outside flying¡­ Valen realized that it was simply curious about him and his actions and when it realized he¡¯d do the same thing, went back to its usual routine. But now that he broke it again, he guessed it had stayed all day, only going outside for food, however, Valen noticed that the dragon felt¡­ Odd today, it was barely perceptible to him, but he noticed that its tail was way more agitated than usual. Was it worried for him after his nightmare?

    The man didn¡¯t think that monsters were such bloodthirsty beasts that they didn¡¯t even feel emotions, but it was truly the first time that he saw one convey any other than the most common ones being anger, fear, and impassivity. Thinking about it, the Valstrax displayed several other such emotions while he was here, the main one being curiosity, but also concern, and¡­ Once, it was fleeting, but he remembered that this morning it had seemed to feel¡­ Relieved?

    It was all very odd and new for him but, as the night started falling, he told himself. ¡®Tomorrow, I¡¯ll do a last test, a huge jump into the unknown¡­ If it goes the same way everything went today? It¡¯ll be the start of something new for me. But will I have the resolve to go through this step? I¡­ Am not sure. I hope I will.¡¯

    He had been getting sleepier and sleepier the whole while, and as soon as the thoughts had finished going through his mind, he fell asleep, a new resolve filling him.

 Chapter 5: Trust

    Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Valen yawned and stretched, noticing his leg felt better than before. He figured that it wouldn¡¯t be much longer before it was fully healed and he was able to exercise the leg back up to his usual strength. He finished stretching then glanced to the side, checking on the status of the dragon, confirming that it was still asleep. He debated mentally with himself for a moment before deciding not to bother it. ¡®I¡¯ll wait for it to be awake; it feels too risky to intrude on it while it¡¯s still asleep.¡¯

    His course of action was decided, he closed his eyes and meditated, the steady and repetitive breathing calming his nerves. The cool morning air caressed his exposed skin, the red burn scar still aching but not as violently as it had on the first day. Valen knew it would eventually heal, but it still felt strange for such a huge part of his skin to be as damaged as it was.

    The rustling of scales against stone eventually brought his attention back to the cave. He opened an eye and confirmed that the Valstrax was now awake and in the process of standing up. Finishing his exhalation, he prepared himself for the jump into the unknown he was about to take.

    Hearing the Valstrax stretching, Valen took a long breath and fully opened his eyes. He looked intensely at the elder, at that minute in the process of finishing its own stretch and yawning. He tentatively raised his hand but stopped mid-motion, his nerves failing him. A glance at his hand showed that it was indeed shaking slightly. ¡®I didn¡¯t make this decision only to turn back at the last moment!¡¯. Steeling himself, and deciding it was now or never, he clenched his fist and exhaled deeply. Then he finally, finally raised his arm in front of himself and presented the open palm towards the Valstrax.

    The Valstrax was now staring intently at him, tilting its head after a moment. This was a critical moment in his life, and it could go either way, either cast him into oblivion or be the start of a legend that would endure through history. And Valen had no idea how long it lasted, the stare-down feeling like an eternity. Like an instant and a lifetime simultaneously. He lost count of how many beats of his heart he felt, not even sure if it was beating, or if it, like him, was simply waiting for this moment to end.

    He was about to lose his nerves again when suddenly, the elder took a step. And another. When its motion started, Valen felt his muscles go completely stiff, not daring to make any sudden motion lest the Valstrax be spooked and lunge at him to punish him for the affront. He could see and feel his hand shaking, but even clenching it would feel like a fatal mistake. So he waited with bated breath as the elder approached, too tense to breathe. It was like all his senses were taking in every bit of information, from the exact patterns of its scales to the way it walked and  all the scratches and faults in the rock behind it. The click of claws every time it took a step. The underlying odor of the cave was dominated by the odd smell of metal that the Valstrax emanated. There was a slight breeze caressing every hair on his body, all of which were standing on end. All of this information processed in an instant as he waited with bated breath through that  long moment, suspended in time.

    Finally, the dragon was just in front of him. It stared at him, not at his hand, but directly into his eyes. It almost felt like it was staring into his soul itself, analyzing him, even judging him. Valen involuntarily gulped. The tension in the air was so thick that any mistake, the smallest wrong move would snap it and everything would be over.

    Suddenly, Valen blinked. Something had just happened. He wasn¡¯t sure what, but he just knew that in that moment, everything was right. And when he regained his train of thought, it took him a couple of moments to realize the Valstrax had put its beak into the palm of his hand.

    Valen¡¯s breath hitched. He could feel the hard shell of its beak, neither warm nor cool. The detail was the one that stuck out to him. Not the smooth texture, nor the fact that he was touching it, but the fact that it was the same heat as his own hand.

    His mind still felt like he was pushing his thoughts through a thick mud, slowly and ponderously, but the next thing that he knew he was looking into the dragon¡¯s eyes and feeling an overwhelming sensation of acceptance. Like it had judged him and he had passed with flying colors. In that instant where both had made contact, there was but one thing that was exchanged between them: an overwhelming sense of understanding. As if they had finally unlocked the key the pair were missing in order to comprehend the world.

    ¡°Th-thank you. For saving me.¡± It took a moment for Valen¡¯s mind to catch up to the fact that he had said the words out loud, and that then reminded him of the fact that it had been so long since he talked that his voice was rough from disuse, but at least he wasn¡¯t coughing.

    The Valstrax rumbled in response, the whirring noise sending powerful vibrations through his hand. Valen smiled, careful to not show teeth, not wanting for the Valstrax to  it as a sign of aggressiveness. He didn¡¯t want to take any chances.

    The hunter wasn¡¯t sure what to do next, not wanting to be the one to break their contact. But suddenly, a sense of overwhelming boldness overtook him and he started rubbing the spot, feeling the curves of the beak. The elder shifted, and for an instant Valen was terrified he¡¯d finally taken it too far, but instead, it leaned into the touch, moving his hand more towards the back of its head, where the scales began. The texture of the scales was radically different from the beak ¡ª sleek, a bit rough on the edges, but he could sense the grooves that he suspected aided in the aerodynamics of the fastest known monster. Feeling the scales just showed more than anything else that Valstrax were built for speed, it was present in every aspect of themselves.

    He continued petting his host for a bit longer before it pulled its head back, fixing the human with its intense gaze. Valen managed not to flinch, returning it in kind instead. He was now certain that the dragon had no intent to harm him or the guild as a whole, and he felt safer than he had in weeks.

    The stare-down lasted a while until an unspoken agreement was made between the two parties, and they broke it.

    It took a while longer for the spell to break and the realization to finally solidify in Valen¡¯s mind. He had not only been saved by an Elder, as ridiculous as the premise may seemed, but he, who all his life had thought that they were all bloodthirsty monsters, hell-bent on venting their aggressiveness on humanity with only the intelligence to know how to wield their powers effectively, had touched it. He had petted it. And it wasn¡¯t at the Elder¡¯s initiative, it was at his own. That one fact above all was what stuck with him. Because now he had the suspicion that the Valstrax would have long ago initiated the contact¡­ If not for it somehow realizing that Valen would have shied away and not interpreted it the same way. Thus it waited for him to make the first move.

    ¡°I was so wrong about you¡­ Blinded by my prejudices.¡±

    It was only after he finished the sentence that Valen realized he said it out loud. His head swiveled towards his host, but it had only tilted its head in confusion. ¡®Eh, I shouldn¡¯t be afraid of everything anymore, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s intelligent to the point of understanding my language. I wonder though...¡¯ Valen scratched his chin in thought as he let his mind wander. A realization hit him a moment later.

    ¡®Have I¡­ Only used ¡®it¡¯ to designate it this whole time? Scratch that, I¡¯ve been using ¡®it¡¯ for any monster, even those with an established sex. It doesn¡¯t feel right for the Valstrax anymore, gonna peg him as a he unless proven otherwise.¡¯ Now feeling better with his decision, Valen now looked towards the elder, ¡ª he was still looking at the hunter, but no longer with a confused look in his eyes. He was now looking at Valen curiously, as if observing his guest in a new light.

    Struck by another sudden idea, Valen pulled out his hunting notes and started flipping through the pages, skipping through the more common monsters until he arrived at the apex section. Then, glancing at the Rathalos¡¯ drawing that he had glued to the page, he picked up the journal and turned it around,showing it to the elder. He could immediately see the dragon¡¯s eye widening ever so slightly, almost certainly recognizing the depiction. The Valstrax huffed and looked at him as if Valen was crazy to dare imply a Rathalos was his match. Valen smiled and showed the next entry, a Rathian, which caused the same reaction, a flat look daring Valen to imply that an elder dragon such as his host could even be bothered by such a creature.

    The next monster in the book was a Brachydios. It was drawn mid-roar, detailing every bit of the slime dripping from its forehead and arms. It was a very menacing monster for sure, and dangerous. It didn¡¯t stop the Elder from immediately turning to face Valen, the incredulity on his face clear. Valen chuckled. Any flightless monster really couldn¡¯t ever be considered a threat to a Valstrax.

    The demonstration went on for a while, all wyverns, beasts, or otherwise apex monsters being only dismissed by his host, land-bound ones causing bigger reactions. But then, Valen ran out of wyverns and turned the page to expose Teostra¡¯s drawing. The sharp intake of breath was unmistakable, and he could immediately see that the Valstrax was more wary. But after a moment, the Valstrax just tilted his head and huffed. It seemed that not even a Teostra was enough to dull his confidence much.

    Turning the page, Valen flinched hard as the Valstrax growled. He had never heard his host growl, and the sound was setting off all sorts of warnings deep in the most primal part of his mind.  Each and every single one of his instincts were screaming about the exceedingly deadly apex predator so close to him. But soon enough, Valen had recovered his wits, and refocused on the notebook, glancing down at the page to see what monster could have elicited  such a reaction.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    It was a Kushala Daora, the Steel Dragon, depicted on the page preparing to expel a violent ball of concentrated air at its opponents. Valen was mildly surprised by the intensity of the reaction. But then again, after thinking about it a bit more, he realized that the Valstrax taking care of him was not full-grown He was close to it, but Valen figured he was still young for his species. So, the elder probably encountered one when he was younger, and had been bested. Or at least, that was the explanation that made the most sense to him from what little information he had. Assuming Valen¡¯s guess was accurate, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising to see that the Valstrax still felt some animosity towards the species even when he should be able to best one easily nowadays.

    He continued browsing through the book, and throughout the entire remaining pages there was no other elder that the Valstrax expressed outright animosity towards¡­ With the sole exception of the Magalas. The Elder outright snarled at the dual picture, and it took a couple of minutes for Valen to calm his racing heart. The Valstrax seemed abashed by his actions and offered his head in apology. Yet another piece of evidence that his host did not have any ill intentions towards him, and that he cared.

    Thinking about it though, Valen couldn¡¯t fault the Elder for his reaction. The tales of the frenzy virus crisis were spread far and wide. If you were to believe them, a single Magala, either the purple, blind, and juvenile form, Gore, or its adult, golden-scaled form, Shagaru, were implied to be able to cripple entire ecosystems by themselves if left unchecked. The official reports were inaccessible to any hunters not cleared for Elder hunts, though. A category that Valen wasn¡¯t in, so he could only rely on hearsay and the very few public records.. But the drawing of both Magalas, with their secondary claws on their wings, despite having four legs, gave chills on Valen¡¯s neck.

    He remembered the emergency lesson about them, a couple of months ago, once the threat had been deemed resolved by the guild. That lesson was mandatory for any hunter, no matter the rank. The lecturers insisted that any sighting had to be reported immediately to the guild¡­ Even if the Magala had been spotted in the middle of an urgent quest that meant the life or death of entire villages. Magalas were that serious of a threat. Sacrificing a village was an infinitely small price to pay when compared to the result of allowing a Magala to spread unchecked.

    Valen shook his head to clear his mind and continued browsing through the notes, of which no other monster caused a vivid reaction¡­ Besides the very last one. That one reaction surprised Valen the most because it wasn¡¯t one he expected to see.

    The Valstrax was fearful. It wasn¡¯t outright cowering, but Valen could clearly see that he was scared of this monster. Looking again at the page confirmed his suspicions. It was Amatsu depicted on the page. However, thinking about it more, Valen had a suspicion that Amatsu was one of the few monsters, if not the only one, that could challenge a Valstrax in its own domain: The skies themselves.

    As much as a Valstrax might have been able to ignore nasty weather, even they had limits¡­ Limits that Amatsu, the storm serpent, floating in the skies by their lonesome without any effort, white membranes gracefully catching the wind, did not have. Amatsu were the inherent nemesis of the Valstrax, their fierce winds proving too much even for the mighty Sky Comet Dragon.

    Having reached the last entry, Valen closed the notebook and offered his hand to the elder, who was still staring at where the drawing had been. He immediately shook himself slightly and looked at the human, seeming to hesitate for a moment, before rubbing the side of his head into Valen¡¯s offered hand. The small displays of trust still continued to amaze Valen, who not even a couple of days before had believed with all his soul that the Valstrax was using him to glean information on his peers. But not even the most stubborn of hunters could deny that the Valstrax truly cared, after seeing what Valen had seen. Scratching the elder under his chin, he was rewarded with a rumble that displayed his pleasure. Valen smiled, he did not regret throwing all caution to the wind in the slightest. He would never have seen this sight otherwise ¡ª an Elder simply enjoying the companionship of a human, and a hunter, at that.

    After scratching him for a bit more, Valen sighed. Then a rumble, not from his host but from his own stomach reminded him that he had yet to eat and that a great deal of time had elapsed while he showed his notebook to his host. He was about to remove his hand to allow the Valstrax to go hunting when he had another realization. ¡®He demonstrated quite a bit of intelligence before, and proved to be concerned about my welfare, what if¡­¡¯

    Unable to dismiss the crazy thought, he opened his notebook yet again, flipping to the part concerning medicinal plants. When he found the page he was looking for, he turned the journal  around to show it to the Elder. A drawing of a rare medicinal plant was clear on the page. Most hunters didn¡¯t bother with the real name of the plant (a fact that researchers always complained about) and just generally referred to it as ¡°Herb¡±, but any sightings of it were important, as it was the main ingredient to craft the potions that saved countless hunters from tough spots, allowing them to recover from fresh injuries in a fraction of the time it would have taken to heal naturally.

    Hunters had to be careful about their consumption, as repeated uses could generate growths that most often spelled the end of a hunting career. Too many famous hunters suffered from that fate for anyone to be able to ignore the danger.

    Valen knew he had to be careful for a while, having consumed a significant amount in order to speed the healing of his leg wound, but the danger was ameliorated somewhat if a hunter simply used the herb to accelerate the natural recovery of a wound that would otherwise take weeks if not months.

    The Valstrax studied the drawing for a moment before seeming to understand. Then, after he walked to the entrance of the cave, he took off in a blast of wind and energy. This left Valen alone on his bed, quickly making him decide to use that time to get some exercise done, using his crutch.

    The Elder returned a short time later, and Valen could clearly see it was carrying something in his beak and a Bullfango in his claws. It only took Valen a split second to confirm that indeed, the Valstrax had brought back herbs. He dropped them on the foot of Valen¡¯s bed and then went on to tear into his own meal.

    The hunter completed the walk back to his bed, and after sitting down on it, examined the plants the Valstrax dropped. There was no doubt that the plant was what he asked for¡­ Looking at how much his host still had left to eat, Valen knew that he had a bit of time before he would be able to cook his own part. Taking advantage of the time, he grabbed a couple of flat rocks, one bigger than the other. Placing a portion of the herbs on the rock, he folded them in a small ball on the flat top of the bigger rock, then, adjusting his grip, started mashing the herbs, dull thuds resounding in the cavern.

    He went at it until he had reduced the herbs to a paste, absently noticing that the Valstrax was watching  his actions between bites. Valen ignored him for the moment and stretched out his leg, checking on the bandage. Noticing it was due for a cleaning, he retrieved his cooking pot and squeezed the remaining water out of the sponge, filling the pot nicely, then he turned on the fire pot and placed the water-filled container above it.

    While the water was heating up, he unraveled the bandages on his leg and threw them into the water, aiming to sanitize them in the boiling liquid. He then waited, his host was finishing his meal and was dragging the carcass to him.

    Valen could cut his meal off of the carcass as he waited for the water to boil, glancing at the pot every so often to check on the temperature of the water. Once his meal was ready to be cooked, he turned his attention to his leg.

    The wound was well on its way to being healed, but Valen could clearly see that he would have a big scar on it, though nothing else looked terribly wrong. His hope was that the only lasting damage would be  a slight limp, and that he would be able to put pressure on his leg in times of need.

    Valen sighed. He had been extremely lucky, all things considered, having only lost an ear and gained a big scar on his calf from the fight with the Seregios. Most other hunters would have lost whole limbs and thus, their hunting career.

    Focusing back on the water, he confirmed that it was boiling. He waited a minute more just to be thorough, then turned off the fire and fished out the bandages with his stick. He spread them on a rag and waited a bit for them to cool down, then picked up the rock smeared with  the pulped herb and pressed the rock against his leg injury, gritting his teeth in pain. Pushing through the discomfort, he made sure that he was thorough in his application, spreading the paste over the entire wound until only a negligible amount was left on the flat rock.

    He then quickly redressed his wound, binding the pulp to his leg with the bandages, ensuring that it would stay where it would be effective rather than washing off and wasting all of his efforts. With his leg taken care of for the moment, he laid his back on his bed, sighing in relief. The herb would cut his remaining recovery time by a few days. Then, once he was satisfied he could walk normally, he would be able to leave the cave¡­

    The realization made him freeze. It hadn¡¯t sunk in until that moment, but he was reluctant to leave the Valstrax behind. Valen had grown fond of the elder dragon¡­ And it only took a few days. But he had never felt such a close companionship with any other being. He somehow knew that his bond with the Valstrax went deeper than the bond he had with his now-late hunting companions, ashamed as he was to admit it. He was ashamed that he felt closer to an Elder, a creature never spoken of without a hush of fear by civilians, than to any other human being. He felt like he had rescinded his oath as a hunter somehow¡­ But did he want to change anything? Did he want to never meet the Valstrax again once he was free to move by himself? No, he didn¡¯t.

    ¡®If anybody knew¡­ I would be shunned at best. In that case¡­ I will have to make sure nobody knows. I¡¯ll keep this a secret between myself and the Valstrax.¡¯

    Valen nodded to himself. ¡®I better prepare a story to tell the guild to explain my absence, then¡­¡¯

    Creating that story would occupy his entire afternoon. After he had fed himself, he set about crafting a tale he could give to the guild. He dismissed explanations that were too full of holes or too close to reality, but he still made it as close as he could, his opinion being that if his story was close enough, he could narrate it more convincingly.

    Late in the evening, when he could see the stars starting to shine on the horizon, Valen still had trouble believing what happened that day. The morning, and the connection with the Valstrax,  felt like they had happened an eternity ago. But he still wished he could convey his desires better to his host. As it was now, it felt¡­ Not enough.

    ¡®I wish I could just show him what I want¡­ But I can¡¯t just rely on pictures. I¡¯d need a huge book that I¡¯d need to carry everywhere, and besides, I¡¯m not fond of the idea of us having a pointing match at everything around us¡­¡¯ Valen sighed, then frowned. ¡®Wait, what if I just¡­ It¡¯s crazy enough but it just might work. I hope I¡¯m not overestimating his intelligence¡­ He¡¯s amazed me so far, but is it good enough for this? Well, I¡¯ve nothing to lose anyways, and I want to be able to convey suggestions to him.¡¯

    He mulled over his idea for a while more the day¡¯s emotions finally caught up to him. They crashed into him like a tidal wave, and he fell asleep immediately.

 Chapter 6: Communication

    Valen yawned as he woke up, stretching his arms until they met unexpected resistance. Now properly woken up, he opened his eyes¡­ And chuckled at the sight. The Valstrax had curled up around him once again.

    Probably woken up by his accidental touch, the Elder soon yawned as well, revealing the two rows of teeth that lined his beak. It then blinked a couple of times, and then turned to look at Valen, emitting a rumble of appreciation. Valen petted him for a bit before retrieving his hand. If he wanted to carry on his outlandish idea of the previous evening, he had to act quickly.

    Waiting for the Valstrax to uncurl and walk a bit, he then picked up a rock and started smacking the ground, emitting a loud thud, making the Elder¡¯s attention snap to him. Then he repeated the action two more times. Thud thud. Then, with his free hand, he drew an X in the air and smacked the ground two more times. Thud thud. Finally, he drew two parallel lines in the air, one above the other, and smacked the ground once more. Thud thud thud thud thud thud.

    The Valstrax was now tilting his head to him, clearly confused by the turn of events. Valen smiled and smacked the ground once more, five thuds resounding in the chamber. He repeated the X in the air and smacked four more times. And drew the parallel lines once again¡­ But then placed the rock on the ground, being careful not to cause any noises, and gestured to the Valstrax with a hand, inviting him to complete the sequence.

    The elder was clearly tilting his head, his gaze unfocused, and Valen was sure that he was deep in thought, either trying to understand his action or, Valen hoped, trying to complete the sequence. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a mistake trying to start with multiplication instead of basic addition¡­ However he couldn¡¯t explain why, but he was confident his host would be able to complete the challenge.

    Then suddenly the Valstrax raised a claw and clacked it on the ground, creating a loud Tick. Then he did it again. Tick. Valen held his breath. Tick, tick, tick. He mentally counted in his head. ¡®Six, seven, eight¡¯ tick, tick, tick ¡®Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen¡¯ tick, tick, tick. ¡®Nineteen...¡¯ and with a final Tick, the Valstrax went still, just as Valen counted. ¡®Twenty.¡¯ He raised his head and looked at the Elder, who seemed to be expecting something. And then Valen nodded, smiling while clapping his hands. He couldn¡¯t believe it, that the Elder was able to understand what he was expecting him to do, and answer correctly at the same time! He truly surpassed his expectations. The Elder rumbled in pleasure in the praise.

    ¡®Maybe¡­ Maybe this has a chance of working after all¡­ I better get on with it now, else I won¡¯t have the time to finish before I have to leave.¡¯ Then a thought occurred to him. ¡®Do I even want to leave? Do I want to carry on hunting as I have before, knowing that everything hunters hold as true may be wrong?¡¯ Then a flash of a memory appeared in his head. Yellow scales. Valen immediately shook his head to dismiss the memory before he descended into a panic attack. ¡®Yes, because it is also our last resort to save civilians. As much as I hate to admit it, we don¡¯t really have an alternative¡­ But  I won¡¯t kill only to get better equipment and will only accept missions where the monster proves that it will wipe out everything in its path if not dealt with. That is my resolve.¡¯ Satisfied with his resolution, he looked at the Valstrax and took a deep breath. ¡®Time to start an idea that¡¯s as crazy as a Jho.¡¯

    Then, looking at the elder, he pointed to himself and said ¡°Valen,¡± then pointed to his host, saying ¡°Valstrax.¡± He waited for a bit, but the Valstrax only tilted his head to the side. The non-reaction didn¡¯t discourage Valen at all. He just continued. He picked up the dried-up sponge and then mimed drinking something. He then pointed to the rest of yesterday¡¯s meal and made the action of picking it up and eating it. Valen then repeated the action for several other things in the vicinity, turning on the fire and doing a wave towards the top with his hand, picking up a rock with his left hand, and then making a fist with the other.

    After Valen pointed to his notebook and mimed opening the book, he was forced to stop for a moment as he searched for a new item to match a sign to when the Valstrax emitted a rumble that made Valen snap to attention. The Elder poked the book with his beak, seemed to think for a bit, then it backed off and shifted the position of his wings so that they faced forwards, then pressed the membrane of them together, and opened them¡­ Almost exactly as Valen did just a moment ago.

    Valen gaped at the Elder for a long time, until the reality of what the Valstrax did sank in and he broke into a huge grin before mentally smacking himself for slipping up. What if the Elder took it as a sign of aggression? His worries proved to be unfounded a second later, as the elder made a weird noise in response. Several quick rumbles in succession. It took a moment for Valen to realize that the Valstrax was laughing. He was laughing at Valen for thinking that he would be offended by the human¡¯s teeth. Valen couldn¡¯t stop himself from joining the Valstrax in laughter, the act releasing tension that had been steadily built up over the last few days. It was so freeing for Valen that it took several minutes before the giggles stopped and he could breathe normally. Once he had calmed himself down with a big breath, he looked back at his host. The dragon was approaching. He then nosed Valen¡¯s cheek delicately, who took the opportunity to rub the Valstrax¡¯s in response. They continued the contact for a bit before the elder disengaged, a strange look in his eyes, that Valen would describe as ¡®determined¡¯ if he had to put an emotion in it.

    Then the elder nosed the rock, curled the claws on his right foreleg, and lightly tapped the limb against the ground. Valen immediately understood it was his own sign for ¡°rock¡±, and engraved the gesture into his memory. He figured he would have to note them down in a book eventually, but he would do his best with memory alone for these first few until he could grab his journal. The Valstrax continued by nosing the pot and gave his best attempt at reproducing Valen¡¯s gesture for fire. Then he made the act of tearing out a strip of meat from a carcass with his beak, an action Valen had become intimately familiar with over the days he¡¯d stayed in the cave. And finally, the Valstrax put his head close to the ground and then made a strange motion, like a single wave that left his head pointing upwards, but Valen quickly guessed what it was for, a mirror of his own gesture for drinking.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Quickly taking a moment to scribble the gestures in his notebook, Valen then paused to think about what the most important things to define right now between them were. The answer was immediately obvious: The concepts of ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯ should absolutely be the first thing he tried to explain to his host. The issue that arose, however, was that defining those two concepts next to no available context was very, very tricky.

    Valen tried to think for a while, long enough that the Valstrax eventually tilted his head in question at him. At that point, he decided to just go with the flow.

    Picking up the sponge, seemingly replenished by the Valstrax after Valen had gone to sleep, he poured some water in his mouth, then looked at the Elder, and nodded his head. Then he squeezed out some on the ground and shook it. Then he picked up one of the sticks still lying around. He feigned sharpening the tip and nodded, then suddenly, without any prompting, broke it, the SNAP of it breaking feeling way louder than it should. And repeated the ¡®no¡¯ gesture.

    He was thinking about what to demonstrate next when suddenly the Elder moved with purpose clear in his eyes and picked up a rock with his beak, then he put it back down and did a sharp nod, the sudden motion looking very bird-like. Then he raised his right forelimb and smashed it on the rock, splintering it, accompanied by the sharp shake motion of his head.

    Valen beamed. Having a way to communicate agreement or disagreement between them would definitely help him in the future, or even aid in learning new words. The Valstrax crooned in agreement in response, he seemed happy to have gotten a new way of communicating too.

    The joy that Valen felt was so much he felt the rest of the day passed as a blur. He mostly remembered it when looking at the countless notes he took in his manual, detailing which motion the Elder did for each word, and it became quickly apparent that he preferred to use his wings whenever possible, the dexterity of them being far superior to his front paws. Several words used them exclusively, from ¡®stick¡¯ being him wiggling the outside spear of his right-wing, to ¡®flying¡¯ which involved the Valstrax pointing down with them and doing a quick burst of dragon energy (the equivalent being Valen doing a ridiculous flap motion with his arms, which caused another episode of laughter from the Elder).

    The next few days passed quite similarly, with the Valstrax going to hunt, harvesting some herbs if Valen ran out, and returning  to eat, the hunter also tending to his leg. Once both were sated, they spent the rest of the day deciding on new words, each was taking more and more time as they had already run out of easy descriptions and actions, and Valen was trying to use their limited vocabulary to explain concepts. The one he was the most proud of that he managed to explain to him was the idea of currency, basically using an agreed-upon object to exchange. He wasn¡¯t sure the Valstrax got all of the intricacies, but he was satisfied with what he managed to do nonetheless. (Valen''s motion was mimicking dropping coins in his hand, while the Valstrax choice in response had been¡­ to tap his right paw with the tip of his left wing.)

    However, nothing beat the shame Valen felt when he finally summoned the courage to finally attempt to assign gestures for genders. Even though he knew that monsters had no concept of shame, especially considering their lack of clothing, the act left him flustered and embarrassed. Still, by the end of it, the two of them had finally agreed on a gesture for ¡®male,¡¯ and building off of that, agreed on another for ¡®female¡¯¡­ And the Valstrax immediately shattered the assumption Valen had  made a few days earlier by referencing as female. It took a while for Valen to finally make the mental shift of designating him as her instead, but still, it didn¡¯t stop the embarrassment Valen felt when he managed to explain his pickle to the Elder, which immediately started another episode of hilarity from her.

    The days passed so quickly that it was only when he was chatting with the Elder that Valen realized he had barely used his crutch in the past few days, and that the only pain left in his leg was a dull ache from his leg. He still had a slight limp, but he expected that he would always keep it. At least he could push himself through when he wanted to. And that it was minor enough that it wouldn¡¯t hamper his hunting. In his condition, Valen guessed he could even go back that day without trouble if he wanted to.

    The realization hit him hard. Valen could get back if he desired so¡­ But did he? Did he want to go back to hunting, with the new friendship that he nurtured with an Elder? He was sure he would immediately lose his hunting license, at least, should his relationship come to light¡­

    However, the thoughts of his home also made Valen remember that not every monster was capable of such coherent thought or compassion as she was. Most of them were simple wyverns, more intelligent than a common bird, but still animals who defended their territory. Then¡­ There was the fact that some of them got mad, either from an illness, or territorial dispute, or something else, and they became uncontrollable, expressing their fury and pain on anything living around, no longer killing for food or protecting territory, but killing for the act itself¡­

    And should an elder reach that state, as intelligent as he now knew they were¡­ They could wipe out entire communities. So Valen raised his chin and spoke to the air, a firm resolve filling his spirit. ¡°I probably won¡¯t hunt for the sake of hunting anymore¡­ But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll not hunt to protect. And this I swear: I¡¯ll make sure any quarry I seek will not be unjustified. Because¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be worthy of her anymore¡­¡±

    Clenching his fist in resolve, he looked to the Valstrax, who was tilting her head in confusion and smiled. Then he signed to her, ¡®Tomorrow I leave.¡¯

    He almost expected her to protest, however, she just nodded and replied. ¡®Me carry you near village.¡¯

    Looking at her now, graceful, with her scales reflecting the sunset¡¯s sun, Valen finally had a revelation. He now knew how to make sure he never forgot his savior, his companion, his friend.

    ¡®Thank you, everything¡­¡¯ ¡°Nikki.¡± The last word he said out loud while making a motion that was like scratching a wall with two fingers¡­ It was the greatest gift he could currently give to the Valstrax, a gift that would cement their friendship, making sure neither would disrespect the other. A name.

 Chapter 7: Return

    The following morning, Valen was ready to leave the cave.

    He had spent the remainder of the daylight packing up everything he could carry, leaving the rest for Nikki, which were either replaceable items or tools he crafted during his stay. He kept the crutch with him though, as he wasn¡¯t sure how far she would drop him from the nearest village, and he hadn¡¯t done any strenuous exercise for a few days, so busy had he been making their language. He wasn¡¯t going to risk straining himself in a foolish mistake that he could have easily prevented by using his crutch.

    Thus, under the instructions of Nikki, Valen was waiting near the edge of the cave, looking at the spectacular landscape spread out before his eyes. He couldn¡¯t see any villages or towns from this viewpoint though, but he trusted that she knew where the nearest ones were. Turning away from the view with no small amount of difficulty, he finally looked at Nikki, who had walked over to stand next to him in the meantime. They had discussed the plan already: she would carry him in her claws while flying at low speed because he was clearly not physically able to withstand the high speed or sudden accelerations her species was able to.

    They looked at each other for a moment, before Nikki motioned to him to get ready. Valen took a deep breath and tried to relax as much as he could. Then, he heard Nikki shuffle behind him and looked back at her. He nodded to indicate he was ready, and she nodded in response, the motion now smoother but still a bit bird-like.

    Suddenly, without any warning, Nikki carefully grabbed him with her claws and rested her wight on her wings, which had their tips planted in the ground. Valen relaxed himself as much as he could, even though the claws that were holding him were gentle, they still pressed on him, and years of being a hunter had left him with an ingrained instinct telling him to get away from the sharp claws that he had to forcibly suppress. She awkwardly shuffled towards the ledge, clearly not used to standing up like this, then stood for a couple of moments at the edge of the huge drop that would certainly result in his death should he fall.

    A loud whirring noise built up in the air around him, and hearing it every day had made it a familiar one. Valen knew what it meant. Nikki was gathering air to start up the strange phenomena that allowed her to fly. And this time he felt the air being swallowed through her chest, an unnatural breeze caressing his face. Then, without any warning, he felt her bunch her rear leg muscles¡­ And she jumped.

    Weightlessness gripped him for an instant, then he started to fall. A fall that wasn¡¯t controlled by him, but by the owner of the claws that were holding him tight against the scales he could feel through the back of his shirt. The wind rushing by his face rapidly became a roar, whistling past  his one good ear. Then, before he could start to get worried, he felt something shift and the pressure from the claws intensified a bit but not enough to be uncomfortable. Craning his neck to look behind himself, he saw that Nikki¡¯s wings were now spewing out dragon energy, the flame-like tongues of red energy quickly dissipating in the air. They were no longer accelerating toward the ground but had started to pick up momentum forward.

    Looking towards the ground again, Valen could see that it was definitely much closer than before. He could now glimpse individual trees, and could see the rivers coursing through the land. He could clearly feel their rate of descent was slowing down though, the realization melting away the last of his apprehension, and he didn¡¯t stop the huge grin from breaking out on his face. Being able to see the world like this was freeing like nothing had ever been before for him, it was something that exhilarated him. He restrained himself from whooping though, given that they were picking up speed. If nothing else he was afraid of taking in too much air.

    They were now very close to the ground and had leveled out, and he could even see that Nikki was slowing down, her wings pointing almost fully down, expelling just enough force to keep them going and counteract gravity, but no more. They were still powerful enough to burn the leaves that were caught by the jets. They flew in this fashion above the forest until they reached a clearing, where Nikki finally touched down, though not before hovering just above the ground for a moment to gently release Valen from her claws. He fell the few remaining feetdown, rolling to absorb the impact, then immediately rushed out of the open area, clearing Nikki¡¯s landing spot.She cut off her wings and impacted the ground with a dull thump that sent vibrations through the ground, strong enough that Valen felt the shocks reverberating on the soles of his feet.

    The two of them looked at each other in silence for a while, neither daring to make the first move to break the spell. Until finally Nikki nodded and she pointed in a direction before signing, ¡®Town there. Not far.¡¯ The last word was made by putting her wings level with the ground and spreading them out as they got further and further from each other.

    Valen nodded and signed ¡®thank you¡¯ in response. He wanted to add something like ¡®stay safe¡¯ but he wasn¡¯t sure how she would take it, and besides, he was pretty sure that she was the safest of the both of them. Adjusting his backpack, he checked the direction she had indicated using both the sun¡¯s progress and his compass (A tool he had been happy to find hidden in the depths of his bag), and set out, waving to Nikki. It wasn¡¯t a definite goodbye, because if Valen had his way, he would definitely see her again. And she was sure of it too.

    The first miles were the strangest for Valen, the lush greenery jarring and unfamiliar to him after being stuck for so long in a cave. Thus he took a deep breath to enjoy the myriad of odors the forest brought to him; the scent of dirt, of the first fallen leaves, the smell of the river he heard gurgling nearby¡­ He had missed this. All of it was part of the experience of hunting, and it was only now that he realized how much he truly appreciated it.

    He soon settled into a rhythm,and he was able to make good progress, though he often caught himself looking behind, hoping¡­ Hoping to catch a glimpse of silver. Every time he acknowledged what he did, he shook his head, but it was hard for him to not brood in the absence of Nikki after having spent so much time in her presence. And still, he pressed on, as he wanted to reach the town before the night fell. The wilderness was much more dangerous at night¡­ Especially if you were alone or without a weapon to defend yourself. And Valen met both of those criteria at the moment.

    Periodically checking on the sun¡¯s progress, and verifying his bearing using the compass, he grew more and more restless as the day progressed. Doubts and fears started jumping into his mind. What if he had deviated from his heading? What if Nikki was wrong and it wasn¡¯t a town she spotted? He shook his head and banished the negative thoughts from his head. He had noted down the heading on a piece of paper, and he trusted Nikki¡¯s sight much more than his own. So he marched on.

    <hr>

    Finally, as the sun was starting to get low in the sky, Valen spotted smoke on the horizon. He had left the forest behind a couple of hours ago and was now navigating wild plains. The sight of the town reinvigorated him and lifted his spirits. He had long since started using his crutch as a walking stick to relieve the strain on his aching leg, but it felt much more inconsequential when faced with the sight before him. He was returning to civilization, and he just needed to press on for a little further. So he continued, walking at a brisk pace towards the road he could now see.

    It still took him a couple more hours to finally arrive in the town, and the sun was painting the sky in bright yellows and reds instead of blue, the clouds appearing pink rather than their usual white. Valen walked towards the gate, closed in preparation for the night, but he could see the slit the sentry would be using to keep watch, and he definitely saw movement. Walking up to the opening, ke knocked on it. .

    He heard shuffling for a bit until a voice asked out loud. ¡°Who¡¯s here? It is way too late for any visitors!¡±

    Valen took a deep breath and uttered the response he was supposed to do in this situation. ¡°Hunter Valen, returning from a hunt.¡±

    There was silence for a couple of seconds ¡ª likely due to the sentry definitely not expecting the answer Valen had given. Still, he answered. ¡°Hunter? I haven¡¯t heard of any recent hunts in this area.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have,¡± Valen replied. ¡°The hunt was¡­ Not here. Due to some circumstances that elude even me, I found myself displaced, and my team missing. I have been recovering from my injuries for a while, and only now managed to find a town on my route.¡±

    The sentry was silent for a moment.

    ¡°Tell you what. I¡¯m willing to overlook the holes in that for now, but you need to prove you¡¯re not some poacher. Show me your license and I¡¯ll let you in.¡±

    Valen pulled out his license, and he had to admit that he was very lucky that it had survived his mishap. Getting a new one was a lengthy process he did not wish to go through, beyond the trouble he would have faced here without it. He flipped it around and showed it to the slit in the door, and after a moment¡¯s pause, the sentry answered. ¡°That looks like in order, you can come through. I¡¯m assuming the, ah¡­ new ear piercing¡¯s something you picked up in your most recent hunt?¡± He said after having opened the small door instead of the whole gate.

    Valen hurried through, and, not wanting to leave the question unanswered, said. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure you can guess what happened from that.¡± The guard simply nodded in response and did not comment on anything else.

    The town he had just entered was not one he was familiar with. Even so, he could instantly see that it was at least equipped with the basic necessities of a hunting outpost. There was a smithy and a guild hall. He also saw the markings of an airship dock, though it seemed to have fallen slightly into disrepair due to a lack of use. The rest of the houses were just ordinary shops, taverns, and living homes. Valen headed straight towards the guild hall. He knew what trials awaited him, and he was not looking forward to them, but he knew he had no choice but to square his shoulders and press onwards..Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    So he walked into the building through the open archway, no door barring his path. His entrance attracted the attention of the guild receptionist, who was clearly surprised by his presence, having not expected a hunter at this hour. Valen nodded to her and went to the counter. There he presented his license once again and she took it and looked it over before doing a double-take. ¡°I had no messages about you being anywhere near this area, Hunter Valen¡­ ¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°The hunt I return from was not successful¡­ Worse, it was a wipe.¡± She gasped. ¡°As far as I know, I was the only survivor.¡±

    A wipe was the result of one or several deaths during a failed hunt, it was rare, but not that uncommon. More often it was a death during a successful hunt (a casualty then), or simply a failed hunt. And there were procedures when a hunter came back from one.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡± She had now pulled out a paper and was writing on it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not certain, I lost track of the days while recovering from my injury¡­ But I believe it was two weeks at least.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°Could you add that I lost my weapon and that my armor is not repairable?¡±

    ¡°Already noted.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to send a message to the nearest main city for this, which would be Harth. Then I¡¯ll have to ask you for a full report detailing what happened in the hunt. You know the procedure.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I expected nothing less¡­ Do you have a spare room? The road back has not been kind to me and I haven¡¯t slept on a real bed since before I left with the hunt.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°There¡¯s one open, yes. I¡¯ll wait for you for the full report, come when you are ready, but it must be done by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t shirk my duty.¡± Then he gratefully accepted the keys she presented him and lumbered up the stairs to the rooms situated on the second floor, nodding a goodnight at the receptionist as he walked to the stairs. He looked quickly at the room number on the key¡¯s tag and went into the corresponding door.

    The room was a simple one, with a drawer, a bedroom with its accompanying table, and a window. The exhaustion of the day finally catching up to him, he quickly put down his backpack and disrobed, and immediately went to sleep, entering the realm of dreams instantly.

    <hr>

    When Valen woke up the following day, the sun was already high in the sky and it took him a long moment to blink at his surroundings until he remembered the day¡¯s events, and why they felt so unfamiliar. And when his mind finally caught up with those, he let out a huge yawn while stretching, then shook himself and got out of bed.

    Before anything else, he went to the bathroom, deciding that a good cleaning was the most important thing he needed. His plan was put on hold the moment he entered it, though, something immediately catching his gaze¡­ Hanging on the wall was a mirror. And it was reflecting the face of a stranger.

    The last time he had seen himself, his head was unblemished. And while he had known, intellectually, that he was missing an ear, seeing it himself finally made the reality of his injuries crash over him all over again. The entire left side of his head was now a gigantic burn, still a bit red from healing. No hair grew from it, and the space where there should have been an ear was just a simple patch of skin. The burn stopped at his cheekbone, but it was unmissable. He stared at his reflection for a while longer, but eventually slumped and let out a sigh. He would just have to live with it.

    However, something else seemed different to him. He didn¡¯t have the same look in his eyes, he felt¡­ Wilder. Experienced. Like the world could throw anything it wanted at him and he would find a way out somehow. Which was, he thought, an accurate representation of what happened to him. He should have died. He had no business being alive, but because of sheer luck and moxie, he had gotten out.

    He then examined his leg, a thick scar drawing a line through the muscle. Touching it, the flesh felt hard and didn¡¯t give much. Again, the outcome lined up with what he had expected. He could manage, and that was all that mattered to him.

    Valen shook his head. He had lingered enough on his new scars, and he still needed a quick scrub. He would certainly ask for a full bath in the afternoon, but for now, cleaning the grime on himself would be enough of a start, along with a shave.

    A while later, he emerged from the bathroom feeling cleaner than he had in weeks. Back in his bedroom, he was happy to discover that a pile of fresh clothes was waiting for him on his bed, alongside a note which said: ¡®These aren¡¯t free of charge, but I¡¯m sure you would appreciate receiving them early.¡¯

    He chuckled. He didn¡¯t intend to abuse the generosity of the receptionist, but he was grateful for the forethought. He quickly put on the clothes, left the room, locking his door behind him. He walked down the stairs, nodding to the guild receptionist when she noticed him.

    She motioned to the backroom behind the counter, beckoning him over. Valen went into it, the receptionist following right behind him, locking the door behind her. He looked around the room. Definitely a piece used for meetings ¡ª- it had a couple of candle lamps, a table, and some chairs. There were other doors leading out of the room, however, which he guessed led to the archives and the personal quarters of the receptionist.

    The receptionist sat down on a chair, spread a piece of parchment out in front of her, then pulled out a quill and a bottle of ink. She unstoppered it and inked the quill with the ease borne of years of practice, readying herself to write. He sat down on the chair directly in front of her. She looked up at him and said, ¡°Recording the after-hunt report of Hunter Valen, who has returned declaring a wipe and being the sole survivor. Hunt target was?¡±

    ¡°A Glavenus, we were supposed to capture it for relocation.¡± He sighed. ¡°It was going alright until we got invaded by a Seregios, then we lost control of the hunt and everything degenerated from here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask you to start from the beginning Hunter Valen. When did you leave for the hunt?¡±

    And thus he recited how the hunt had happened. They had left the city at an early hour, dawn yet a hint of rose in the sky. He recounted how they spent a while tracking their target, taking several hours to find its tracks. How they located the monster prowling a plain. The ambush they prepared. The way it was foiled due to nothing but bad luck, a shift of the wind allowing the Glavenus to sniff them out. The struggle at the beginning but the way they managed to wear it down. How everybody, even their target, looked at the sky when the Seregios screeched and dived at them. He told her how the hunt had immediately descended into chaos once the invader joined the fray. How they had managed to hold on for a while, throwing dung bombs that ultimately proved to be ineffective. The stalemate that ensued, because nobody wanted to give in. The hunters not wanting to let all of their progress go to waste, the Glavenus which, while tired, was still dangerous enough to be a threat, and the Seregios which, even coated with dung, didn¡¯t want to retreat.

    How everything suddenly went from bad to worse once their first team member died. The fact that they finally gave in and dung bombed the Glavenus instead, which left promptly. Then suddenly, their second team member died.

    Valen took a deep breath. ¡°I am ashamed to say once our second member died¡­ I had a panic attack. It all reminded me of¡­ a dark part of my past. And so I ran off, which led to our remaining team member, Flynn, trying to call me, distracting him at the worst moment and causing him to get thrown off the cliff¡­ My running amounted to nothing anyway since the Seregios caught up to me instantly, wounded my leg, and was about to finish me off¡­ Then all I remember was an explosion, a screech, and falling unconscious.¡±

    He waited a while longer in silence as the receptionist finished noting down his story, until she looked up and asked a question. ¡°So you don¡¯t know what caused the explosion and the screech? You¡¯re implying a third party ambushed the Seregios and ignored you?¡±

    ¡°I truly don¡¯t know¡­ I just remember waking up in a cave, my armor ruined and my weapon missing, my bag missing half of its contents, and a pile of salted meat and some rations next to me. Throughout my entire recovery, I found no trace of anyone. I can only guess it was wild Felynes that found me unconscious in the aftermath of the battle. It¡¯s probably also them who cauterized the wound on my ear, and what a shoddy job they did¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°At least it more than surely saved my life so I can¡¯t be too mad.¡±

    She nodded and wrote on her parchment, which was the second one, the first having been written to the brim on both sides. ¡°So you waited for your leg to recover, and then traveled around for a few days, hoping to find a town until you found a road leading to ours?¡±

    Valen just nodded.

    She scribbled a bit more before putting away her quill. ¡°That should do it¡­ I¡¯ll need your signature here, take the time to read through it so you can confirm the details,¡± she said while pointing to the bottom of the parchment.

    Valen nodded and quickly scanned the parchment. It was a re-transcription of the account he just told, and nothing was out of place. He dipped his quill in the inkwell and applied his signature. The receptionist added hers and waited for a bit for the ink to dry, then rolled the parchment back up and motioned him to go out. Once back in the main room, she went back to the counter and started capping the roll of parchment into a cylindrical container.

    ¡°I will send this to the guild. I¡¯ll have to use a delivery bird, it¡¯s an important one¡­ But before I do that, may I officially welcome you back into civilization, Hunter Valen? You¡¯ve had a harrowing trial, but you survived.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ It¡¯s nice to finally be back. Do you know when I can expect replacement gear?¡±

    ¡°I believe you¡¯ll be asked to train yourself to get back into shape first using a steel weapon and chain-mail armor. And then we¡¯ll assign a hunter to accompany you in a hunt so that you can get new gear.¡±

    ¡°Do you have an estimate on that second part?¡±

    ¡°Not within a month, I can tell you that much. You¡¯ll have to wait for the guild knights to arrive for a more accurate estimate.¡±

    Valen nodded, the timeframe was about what he had expected as well. ¡°I will wait for their arrival then.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m happy that this wipe hasn¡¯t diminished your dedication to hunting, Valen.¡±

    ¡°I would only be ashamed of myself if I did.¡± ¡®Though was a possibility I considered¡­ But in the end, I dismissed it.¡¯

    ¡°Then¡­ Enjoy your impromptu holidays!¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± he replied, finally returning her smile.

 Chapter 8: Reequiping

    The guild knights arrived two days later, in an airship. Valen couldn¡¯t have missed their arrival ¡ª the airship was the talk of the town, and from what he heard, it had been years since an airship came to dock. This news made Valen worry a bit, because airships weren¡¯t cheap to rent. If they were going that far as to use one just to get to him, the guild itself was worried about Valen.

    He was right to be apprehensive, because the moment the knights found him, they ¡°requested¡± that he follow them to take care of some ¡°guild matters¡±. Knowing how foolish it would be to refuse orders from a guild knight, he obeyed them and was led back to the guild hall. This time, though, instead of going into the room behind the counter, they went into a room sealed behind a heavy door that took them almost a full minute to unlock. Valen now definitely had reasons to be worried. This kind of room was used only for the most serious matters, and he had only seen it used a total of two times in his entire career. And in both of those cases, the hunters brought in were demoted in rank a few days later.

    Taking a deep breath, he took the seat offered by the guild knights. One stayed in front of the door while the other sat in front of him, lit up a lamp and pulled out a notebook.

    Valen didn¡¯t remember much of the actual interrogation, all the questions blurring together in his mind. But ultimately, the interrogation ended up being just a formality, and clarification on why he fled the hunt, abandoning his last teammate. When Valen described, albeit not without difficulty, what had happened in his youth, and how the deaths made him recall that part of the past, they had been understanding.

    That didn¡¯t stop them from asking a lot of questions with the goal of determining if it would happen again. To which Valen assured them that it couldn¡¯t¡­ Because he would no longer hunt with a team. The proclamation and certainty in his voice visibly surprised both of the knights for a moment, but they understood, and it wasn¡¯t the first time that disaster had made a hunter go solo. Solo hunters were rare, but they nonetheless still happened, and a few of them were legendary hunters who saved whole regions from a calamity.

    Then Valen further assured them that unless he was faced with the same species again, he was certain he would not panic. He owed it to his fallen companions at least.

    They asked him several more questions, this time more related to his period of recovery. They were satisfied at the end. One asked to see his hunting notebook. To which Valen had replied that he hadn¡¯t found it among his items when he woke up so it was either lost or stolen by his rescuers, as with a lot of the other contents of his bag. They didn¡¯t press the point.

    Once the interrogation was over, the Guild Knights gave him a permit to receive a new weapon from the local blacksmith and informed him that he would be cleared to take on a hunt for new gear in two dark moon¡¯s time. As the full moon was just the day before, Valen had more than a month to train. He intended to make full use of his time.

    ¡°Am I allowed to train in the wilderness? No hunting of anything but game, but I usually prefer the wild environment to diversify my training,¡± Valen eventually asked as the knights prepared to go back to the city.

    ¡°You are, just be careful, since anything larger than a Yian Kut-Ku will be a match for you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Valen reassured them. ¡°I found a good spot on my way back. It has plenty of nooks and crannies I can take shelter in if I need to.¡±

    The Knight just nodded in response, then he embarked on the airship. But before the ship took off, he turned back to Valen. ¡°Come to the city once you are geared up, there are matters that need to be completed there¡­¡± He seemed to hesitate. ¡°And your new assignment.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow at that last part, it wasn¡¯t something that boded well. He still nodded. ¡°I will come as soon as I finish.¡±

    The knight didn¡¯t say anything more as the airship undocked and started to rise into the air. Then it floated away from the town. Valen observed it for a few minutes before heading to the blacksmith to get the temporary gear he¡¯d be training with.

    His workshop was the only building in the town made entirely of stone and bone, the gigantic ribs being the support for the roof¡¯s tiles. Valen could already hear the clang of hammer against an anvil ringing from the inside. He waited for a lapse in the strikes, then entered the open-air workshop.

    The heat that should have been filling the whole room was only noticeable near the gigantic stone furnace kept hot by a pair of Felynes working its bellows. The smith had a mane of the reddest hair Valen had ever seen, accompanied by a thick mustache of the same color. As Valen entered, the man raised his eyes from the Longsword he was working on to appraise Valen. He nodded and spoke in a deep voice.

    ¡°I was warned by the knights that I would need to provide you with a new weapon and set of armor. You¡¯re in luck, I¡¯ve almost finished with a new set of all the weapons, unless you wield a Longsword, in which case you would need to wait a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°I favor the Switch Axe,¡± Valen replied.

    ¡°Oh? Then it¡¯s your lucky day, I just finished it yesterday, so it will be as new as you could get! Give me a minute, I¡¯ll go get it, then give you your armor.¡±

    The smith left the workshop to go to the backroom, and returned carrying a weapon as tall as he was, seemingly effortlessly, and placed it down on a table, making room for it by brushing aside several tools with the scraping of steel against stone. ¡°Here it is! What do you think of it?¡±

    Valen approached the table and made to pick up the weapon but stopped before grabbing it, wordlessly asking for permission. Only when the blacksmith nodded his consent did Valen pick up the bulky weapon.

    He looked at the edges, testing them and finding them sharp enough for his liking. Then he looked at the inside machinery along the central line, finding no obvious faults in it. Nodding in satisfaction, he then removed the safety and squeezed the morphing lever halfway through, engaging the Axe mode. The weapon seamlessly shifted its parts, the axe head moving to the top.

    He looked again at the machinery and confirmed that there were no stuck or otherwise out-of-place parts. Then, backing away a bit from anything valuable, he did a couple of practice swings in the air and was satisfied with the balance. It was where he was used to, about halfway through, just above the shaft. He nodded to himself, then squeezed the lever fully through, and with a grinding of gears, the weapon shifted into Sword mode, the axe head lowering towards the handle while the sword head pivoted at the top to rest above it. After a third check of the machinery, he looked at the place where the phial was usually slotted, and finding it empty, just decided on a couple of swings. Using the Sword mode usually required both hands, but allowed for deeper cuts on the monster. Releasing explosions while it was cutting allowed the hunter to damage the internal parts.

    Once again the balance was met with Valen¡¯s approval, and he was satisfied with the weapon overall. He would be able to train using it with no issue. Pushing the lever all the way back to the top, the weapon shifted back into carrying mode and he turned the safety back on. Then he turned to the smith and spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯mm satisfied. This will be a good base to upgrade to a better weapon once I¡¯m done with the target the guild will assign me.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Oh hoh?¡± The man replied, now interested. ¡°I would be happy to be the one that reforges this magnificent weapon!¡±

    ¡°You probably will, I don¡¯t really have a personal smith, and this is quality work.¡± Valen paused and then spoke up again. ¡°Could I have the armor as well, so I have time to prepare my gear before I leave for training tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°All right lad! I would usually give you the whole talk about taking care of your weapon, sharpening it regularly, and making sure you know how to disassemble and reassemble it so you can clean the internals, but I know I don¡¯t need to, given the way you examined it!¡± Then he went back to the back room, and this time he returned with a whole set of armor, grunting not because of the weight, but because he was trying to not let anything fall from his arms. Then he placed the pieces of armor on the table. ¡°I trust you know how to put each piece on as well?¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I do.¡± He eyed the pile of armor. ¡°Could you help me carry them to my room? If it¡¯s not asking for too much?¡±

    A booming laugh answered him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry lad, that Longsword can wait for a bit more, I¡¯m not at a critical phase of its smithing. Here, you take the legs and arms, I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Oh wait, do you have a harness for the Axe first? I almost forgot.¡±

    The smith paused. ¡°You¡¯re right, good idea you reminded me, lad, I forgot to pick it up when grabbing the weapon.¡± He once again went to the backroom, returning with a harness made of leather which was made to carry a heavy weapon on the back. Not all weapons required one ¡ª most Longswords were paired with a sheath to carry it which was also used while fighting, and others like the Sword and Shield or the Dual Blades also carried ones for convenience.

    But for weapons too big or heavy for a sheath, they used a harness that allowed the user to carry it on their back while traveling. Then the Greatsword was a special case, using a giant electromagnet on the back to affix it, created using cheap parts of a thunder element monster, allowing the user to turn it on and off at will.

    Thus Valen put on the harness made for a Switch Axe and slid the weapon into it. He did a few small jumps and jostled it after it was on to make sure it was secured, then he picked up the armor the smith designated for him to carry and they both headed to his room.

    Once everything had been transported, and with a final goodbye, the smith departed and Valen was left alone in his room. He removed the harness still carrying the weapon and put it on the corner of the room. Then he exited the room, locking the door behind him, and headed to the storeroom of the guild, intending to buy a couple of items he needed.

    He left the store with several whetstones, a flask of oil, and spare leather bands to repair his armor if needed. He also bought a tool kit that allowed him to dismantle and repair his Switch Axe more easily, along with a couple of new notebooks. Then once he was satisfied that he had everything he needed, he finally went to prepare his bag for the journey tomorrow, double and even triple-checking everything, packing it all nicely into his bag. He would also usually at this point take care of his weapon, sharpening and oiling it, but given it was brand new, he didn¡¯t see the need.

    Then once everything was ready for him to leave the following morning, he ate dinner, spent the evening reading a book on the local plants, and went to bed.

    <hr>

    Valen left early the following morning, so early that the guard told him he had just started his shift and was allowed to leave people out. Dawn hadn¡¯t even started yet, but the guard just shook his head and opened the door for him. Once out, he walked at a steady pace, not as worried about being caught in the night as before, and also less concerned about keeping the correct heading too, since he had a way to signal his presence to Nikki once she went looking for him.

    He planned to take two days of travel this time, for several reasons, the first being that he wasn¡¯t under the deadline of trying to arrive before night, the second being that he also was carrying a much heavier load, so he needed to save his strength. Carrying the heavy load was comforting for Valen though, as it was as it should be: trekking through the wilderness to reach his goal, by foot.

    Looking around, he paid attention to the plants that were growing around him, collecting the ones that held a use for him, such as a couple of parashrooms, some ivy, and even a godbug that he saw crawling through a thick trunk. Hunting was more than just tracking a monster and exhausting it until it made a mistake. You also had to collect the means to make sure you covered your own mistakes as well.

    Most plants were rare, and hunters were always encouraged to never fully collect a plant, so as to allow it to regrow. Uprooting plants was almost completely forbidden unless it was one of the plants that could be cultivated in specialized farms. Mushrooms were another exception to the rule, as most of their mass was underground anyway. And even then, it was considered a good habit to disperse their spores when able to.

    Once the sun started dipping below the horizon, Valen decided it was a good point to stop. He was still in the forest, so he looked for a tree with a thick trunk and started climbing it. He had been drilled so much about how to find a safe spot for the night while traveling solo, as well as the means of keeping monsters away. Thus he unrolled his bag, deployed the alarm system that would wake him up if a large monster wandered too close, and, after a quick meal out of his rations, managed to find sleep, alone in the wilderness.

    <hr>

    Valen woke up early the next morning, cracking open an eye and listening while keeping his breathing as even as possible. Once he was certain no creature was stalking near, he had a good look around, paying attention to footprints in the mossy ground. After he was satisfied no monster had passed nearby in the night, he packed everything up and carefully clambered down the tree. Then, he went back on the road, confident in the fact that he would arrive at his destination later in the day.

    It took until the middle of the afternoon, but finally, Valen was certain he had found the clearing Nikki had dropped him in. Taking a deep breath, he dropped his bag on the ground and put his weapon against a tree. Once he rested from his journey, he walked for a while in the forest, looking for deadwood, an easy enough task. Once he had collected enough, he built a campfire, serving both as warmth and a signal to Nikki that he was there, something they¡¯d agreed on before he left. With the fire lit, he sat down and waited.

    A while later, while he was snoozing in front of the fire, he was broken out of his light slumber by a rumbling noise. Properly woken up, he searched the skies, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to break into a grin.

    Nikki was coming in towards the clearing, definitely slower than the speed a Valstrax usually traveled at, but he had expected something like that. She didn¡¯t want to risk injuring him with a heavy landing or a shockwave.

    Valen waited for her to cut off her wings and drop the last few feet separating her from the ground before walking towards her. Once he reached her head, he stopped and opened his arms wide, like he expected a hug. Nikki responded in kind, butting her head in his chest. Valen embraced her, scratching the underside of her beak, drawing out a rumble of pleasure from the happy dragon. Both of them stood there for a while, enjoying the reunion after being separated for several days for the first time.

    Our hunter might have found it strange how close their bond became in a scant few days, but he just embraced it. He had a suspicion that Nikki had never known this kind of comfort and thus she embraced it wholly.

    It took several long minutes before the two of them finally broke the hug, looking at each other, and then nodding.

    Finally, Valen walked towards the tree upon which he put his Switch Axe and recovered it, keeping the safety locked. Then he walked towards Nikki and signed. ¡®Tomorrow, me fight you¡­ No blood.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t got a sign for training yet, but it would be his objective soon, she seemed to get the meaning still, nodding once, then walked towards him, inspecting the weapon.

    Suddenly, she raised a paw, and before Valen could react, ran it along the edge of the blade, testing its edge. The move was so fast he couldn¡¯t react¡­ But to his surprise, she showed him that she was completely unharmed, without a scratch on her scales. She then mimed.

    ¡®No¡­ Element. Weapon weak.¡¯

    Element was a weird term they had agreed on, prompted by Nikki, which was rare enough. However, he wasn¡¯t sure he got the meaning right, as Nikki brought him a large number of items to describe this word, which were plants with elemental power infused¡­ But also scales of monsters, and several other things that he wasn¡¯t sure of. The only thing in common he could think of was the elemental powers monsters could wield, which were concentrated in these plants¡­ Yet he still felt that he was missing something in his own explanation.

    Clearing his errant thoughts, Valen returned to the matter at hand. So Nikki thought this weapon, a basic iron weapon, wasn¡¯t sharp and sturdy enough to hurt her? That¡­ Worried Valen, because if he had to do a hunt to upgrade it¡­ He probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to hurt the monster. Then he remembered that even monsters like Rathalos had tales of being felled by simple iron weapons.

    This meant that the Elders were definitely out of his league though. Still, he knew he had nowhere near the skill required to face one anyway. So he looked at Nikki and, staring at her eye, nodded. Starting tomorrow¡­ He would do what he was pretty sure no Hunter had done before. Train with an Elder itself, and not in a dance to the death. A dance both of them agreed on.

 Chapter 9: Training

    Valen rolled to the left, making sure his weapon was parallel to the ground during the motion, the whistling of the air to his right telling him he had dodged correctly. Then he immediately rolled to the right, avoiding the follow-up. Once his feet were back on the ground, he pushed with all of his might, converting his momentum into a forward motion, and started running, his weapon held behind him.

    In front of him was Nikki, who was in the middle of retracting her right wing, however, he immediately noticed she was starting to crouch, which meant she was about to rear up for a bite. Judging the distance between them, and the time she would need to pounce, he continued his run for a couple more steps and then immediately pushed his right foot to the side, adjusting his momentum to the left.

    Even though Nikki was holding herself back on her attacks, she completed the motions when she was sure he would not get hit, which still meant that Valen could feel all the energy that was put into the bite she did when her beak snapped closed with an audible clack.

    The instant he started sidestepping, his arm was in motion, swiping the axe head low to the grass and then upwards, and he was rewarded with a meaty thwack when it collided with Nikki¡¯s forearm. He didn¡¯t stop there, instead pulling the axe towards him and squeezing the outside trigger of the weapon as he rotated it, the weapon smoothly shifting as he completed his strike with a unified blade that simply slid over the scales without damaging them.

    Using the momentum of the strike, Valen backstepped, avoiding the retaliatory swipe from Nikki. He paused a split second, and, noticing that she overcommitted and was off-balance, pushed up the trigger he was holding, and struck again with his axe, using the extra reach that shifting the weapon had given him.

    It was only when his weapon connected with her forearm again that he saw Nikki was ready to swipe with her wing. She didn¡¯t commit to the motion but he dropped his weapon immediately.

    They both stared at each other for a while, neither moving, gauging each other, and then Valen nodded. He knew he had lost this bout. ¡®I yield¡¯ he signed.

    Nikki nodded and backed away, Valen then picked up his weapon and switched it back into carrying mode.

    They had started doing this sort of training the day after he met her back at the clearing. They first had to agree on how they would make it safe though. That went by using two words that were used a lot while they were adapting: ¡®Faster¡¯ and ¡®Slower¡¯ the first being a horizontal swipe of the hand/claw that started slowly then sharply picked up speed. Slower was the opposite.

    The training started slowly, with Nikki showing him some attack patterns she could do, just aiming at the air. The most common one was a simple stab with her wings, which was the true proof of how versatile the membrane between them was. She had initially started at full speed, but Valen had quickly realized he couldn¡¯t yet keep up, and asked her to do it more slowly until they found a speed he was comfortable with. A speed where he could dodge them, but still fast enough that he had to keep his guard up if he didn¡¯t want to get hit. It also allowed Nikki to abort the attack if he couldn¡¯t dodge them in time, thus reducing the risk of accidentally injuring him.

    They didn¡¯t stop with just wing stabs though, and quickly added more and more complex attack patterns. Claw swipes, bites, and sweeps with the wing. The range of attacks Nikki was able to demonstrate was staggering. They did agree on something though, that Nikki would never go through with charges that necessitated her propelling herself with her wings. Instead, Nikki would go through the charging motions but aborted every time, and if Valen couldn¡¯t get from the expected path in time, he was considered as being ¡®hit¡¯.

    What they could practice safely, however, was the wide array of projectile attacks the Valstrax was capable of. She could tone down the power of it while still keeping the speed. So if Valen got hit by one, it was considered a loss for him.

    The end result was that it looked like Nikki was trying to hit Valen but with exaggeratedly slowed attacks while Valen sidestepped, rolled, or moved away from the attacks.

    Valen, on the other hand, had no such limitations. No matter the force he put into his strikes, he couldn¡¯t even dent Nikki¡¯s scales, so he was free to put as much power into his attacks as he could. It did dull his weapon though, and he had to spend time sharpening it at the end of every session. Even so, he avoided slashes at Nikki¡¯s head, because while her body was tougher than a human¡¯s there was still a weak point, and he didn¡¯t want to accidentally blind her, given how reliant a Valstrax was on their vision.

    Their training was also an occasion to considerably expand their vocabulary, assigning words to items, plants, or animals they found in the forest around them.

    Valen remembered though when Nikki came back one day with not a dead catch¡­ But very much an alive one. He didn¡¯t understand the reason until when she was sure he was watching, she slashed out the throat of the struggling Jaggi with her claws, killing it on the spot. Then she mimed slashing her throat with her claw.

    Valen looked at the bleeding monster, the long tail laying completely flat on the ground, still, the frills that were adorning his face partially covering its muzzle and its pink scales that were starting to get stained by the rapidly spreading blood. He nodded and looked at Nikki, then repeated her motion with his thumb. There was no mistaking what word she just demonstrated. It was ¡®Kill¡¯.

    <hr>

    Nikki and Valen were both lying on the grass, the human on his back while the Valstrax was sitting on her haunches. The pair were looking at the stars, night having fallen several hours ago. Their immediate surroundings were illuminated by the flickering light of a campfire, Valen tending to it every so often to keep it alive. Neither were moving and they were simply enjoying each other¡¯s presence.

    The wind was rustling the leaves of the trees surrounding them, and had their training not trampled down or shortened considerably, the grass would be swaying around the campfire. Only the sound of Nikki''s powerful, regular breathing could be heard over the ambient noises of the forest.

    The stars in the sky were all burning bright, only the full moon shining pure enough to dim the stars around it. They were all of various intensity, some were barely visible next to their sisters. Others were simply indiscernible from their neighbors.

    One, however, stood out from all of them. One whose light was not diminished when the moon passed near. This one shined a pure blue, a blue so intense none of any other stars could hope to be as grand as her. She shined so brightly she had no neighbors, sitting alone in her corner of the sky.

    The star was called the Sapphire Star, a symbol of hope in the darkest times. A silent vigil that guided sailors and hunters in the wilderness. Hunters sent their prayers to her when they needed comfort and when they needed to be brave. Legends were told about her, about her birth, and what she meant, now part of the folklore of the world.

    Both Valen and Nikki were fixated on the light in the sky, simply sharing the moment together. Valen was motionless, while only the tip of Nikki¡¯s tail occasionally twitched.

    It had been almost a month since Valen came back to the clearing, training daily with his companion. When he compared his result to the first day¡­ The difference was staggering.

    He may have had a slight limp while he was walking long distances, but it vanished the moment he entered a fight. All of his muscles responded as they should, moving exactly as his thoughts directed them. He was faster than he was before for sure, but the limits of the human body meant that while the difference was noticable, it wasn¡¯t that big of a difference. His awareness, on the other hand, had improved drastically.

    He now knew how to pay attention to every part of a monster, or at least Nikki¡¯s body, but he expected to be able to adapt to other monsters without much trouble. He had quickly realized that what mattered in hunting wasn¡¯t how hard he could strike, nor how fast he could be. Striking hard didn¡¯t matter if you never landed a hit on your quarry. Moving fast didn¡¯t matter if you jumped into the next attack of your opponent. One rule was simply needed above anything else, at least for his weapon.

    Do not get hit.

    Not getting hit¡­ Meant that his opponent expended much more energy to try to hit him than he did. The stamina he spent moving out of the area of an attack was more than the stamina a monster spent trying to hit him. A tired monster couldn¡¯t attack as often, had slower attacks¡­ Couldn¡¯t react as fast. A tired monster would die quickly.

    This was a golden rule of hunting. The reason why hunts were often done in teams was so that they could all split the attention of a target monster and tire it faster. With the sole exception of great-shield users, who were protected by a wall of steel, all hunters avoided being hit as much as they could.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    But Valen had quickly realized something crucial about Nikki during his training.

    Elders didn¡¯t tire.

    No matter how much he trained in a day, and how hard the training was¡­ Nikki never showed any signs of tiring, even long past the point where he knew regular wyverns would be panting. This, more than anything, showed why Elders were so dangerous. They could fight for hours and not suffer exhaustion. Even if a hunter could dodge their attacks for hours on end, everyone would eventually make a mistake, and then it¡¯d all be over.

    Valen knew he was still missing one major part of the equation, and that it was the only way some hunters were able to successfully hunt Elders themselves. The equipment made out of monsters, somehow, allowed its wearer to take more hits.

    He knew that his now-destroyed Royal Ludroth gear was leagues above the simple steel gear he currently wore. Even such a lower-rank monster gear allowed him to tank a couple of claw swipes from wyverns that he knew would have pierced through his current armor and torn him apart. He also knew that his old weapon would have bit through Nikki¡¯s scales at least a bit¡­ Though he had no idea why. He only knew there was a reason that hunters were encouraged to upgrade their equipment with materials carved from monsters instead of all wielding the sharpest weapons made of the purest steel.

    Why? Because doing so simply allowed hunters to survive longer and kill faster. But how? That was what eluded Valen. He knew something was missing in all of this. But he simply didn¡¯t know why.

    He sighed. He had started the subject with Nikki a couple of times but every time it fell flat because they missed words to convey the meaning¡­ She often tried to use the word ¡®Element¡¯, but he had his suspicions that the sense she meant when they decided on it, and the sense he could understand was not the same¡­ They tried to discuss the word itself more but he was still as confused as before, so they abandoned the subject.

    Nikki looked at him, breaking out of the trance that she was under while watching the stars, and rumbled inquisitively. Valen looked at her and just shrugged, and he tapped his index finger on his head, which meant ¡®Thinking¡¯. She just hummed for an instant and rubbed him on his cheek. Valen chuckled then rubbed the side of her head in response. Then he sighed again.

    Pushing Nikki away, he waved to get her attention. Then said: ¡®Tomorrow, me back. Needs¡­ Hunt.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to leave Nikki at all, having never felt so at peace since¡­ Ever. His time training with her was simply amazing, full of companionship and kinship. Even though he knew he had no way he could ever hurt her, and several ways she could kill him accidentally, they managed to find a way to safely train. He trusted her to be careful, more than anybody else he ever was with, the scant memories he had of his parents (and he didn¡¯t want to think about it, lest he thought of the reason he lost them), his training instructor, or even his late hunting group.

    So he just stayed with Nikki, enjoying this last night with her. But then she let out a low growl, grabbing Valen¡¯s attention. And what she said made him smile.

    ¡®You¡­ Get stronger. Need hunt. Come back.¡¯

    And he answered her, pointing at himself, then clasped his hands together, like in a handshake. ¡®I promise.¡¯

    They agreed to go to sleep after, and Valen fell asleep with a smile on his face.

    <hr>

    Two days later, Valen arrived back at the village, and went directly to the guild once the guard allowed him past the gate. The receptionist looked up from a book she was writing in, and smiled once she recognized him. ¡°Hunter Valen! How has your training been?¡±

    ¡°It went very well, I¡¯m back to top form and even beyond!¡±

    ¡°Very good, I received several quests you were cleared to do to get new gear. Pick one and I¡¯ll be able to send it back.¡± She then started to spread them out, a half-dozen pages in total. She read out the first one. ¡°Rathian, she has been noted to have lost her mate and is brooding, hasn¡¯t shown signs of aggressiveness but the guild is worried about the possibility of her lashing out.¡±

    Valen didn¡¯t even need to think. ¡°Pass, I want to hunt only monsters that are genuine threats.¡±

    The receptionist nodded. Valen¡¯s request wasn¡¯t a sentiment held by the majority of hunters, but a moral code was a common enough thing on the whole. She removed three other leaves, only leaving two options for him. ¡°A Yian Kut-Ku has been attacking convoys and seems to be in a frenzy, the guild is sure there is no way to calm this one down.¡±

    ¡°What about the other? I¡¯d prefer something bigger profile if I could.¡±

    She seemed to hesitate for a moment before sighing. ¡°If you pick this one, you will NOT be alone. Another hunter has already signed up for it, he¡¯s just waiting for a partner to start. Don¡¯t worry, he isn¡¯t interested in the materials and you¡¯ll have the full share regardless.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t bother me, what¡¯s the target?¡±

    ¡°A Plesioth.¡±

    Valen groaned. The Piscine Wyvern had an infamous reputation, and for good reason. The receptionist chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s sunk a fishing ship already, eating all of the sailors in it. The guild has even listed it as an urgent quest and the monetary reward has been increased. But if you take this one you¡¯ll need to be careful. You only have basic gear, and this one¡¯s a particularly strong specimen.¡±

    Valen took a bit of time to think it over. There would be no shame in him choosing to hunt the Yian Kut-Ku, especially as a solo hunt. But Plesioth had a reputation for a reason, even if he wouldn¡¯t be alone. He was confident after the training with Nikki though, so he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. Who am I going to be partnered with?¡±

    She pointed towards one corner of the room where Valen could see a rough-looking man sitting alone at a table, sipping at a tankard with a scowl on his face. ¡°Over there, his name is Austin. I¡¯d suggest you get introductions out of the way. I will send the confirmation of the hunt you took to the guild in the meantime.¡±

    Valen nodded and walked towards the hunter. As he approached he could quickly see that the distance hadn¡¯t played any tricks on his eyes. The man was the most burly hunter he had ever met, with thick muscles covering his arms and broad shoulders. Valen had more of a slender build, and he favored a more agile style. If nothing else, the appearance of the man before him told him that the other hunter favored a style centered around brute force.

    The hunter was wearing Tetsucabra armor, the distinctive bulky shoulders and the orange-blue plates covering them making identifying the set easy.  As though that wasn¡¯t enough, the golden coil with a purple rope was also another feature unique to the armor. He didn¡¯t see a weapon holstered at the hunter¡¯s back, but he supposed that the man had just left it back in his room.

    Valen sat opposite him at the table, at which the burly hunter raised an eyebrow and studied Valen for a moment before snorting. ¡°What do you want, pipsqueak? If it¡¯s help for your Velociprey hunt then scamper, I¡¯m already booked for a real hunt.¡±

    Valen frowned. He didn¡¯t like the casual dismissal, nor the attitude of the hunter, but he only needed to work with him for one hunt. Shoving his irritation down, he replied. ¡°I¡¯m not a newbie despite what this chain-mail armor might imply. My previous set got trashed on my last hunt, and I signed up for the Plesioth bounty to replace it.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± the hunter drawled. ¡°You¡¯ll just let me do all the work and use the opportunity to get the gear you totally don¡¯t deserve. And all of that only to die to an Arzuros once you go on a real solo hunt. Or you¡¯ll just keep hijacking hunts of other, real hunters.¡±

    Valen tried. He really did. But he wasn¡¯t going to sit there and let some random, arrogant asshole throw abuse at him based on assumptions. In one smooth move, he knocked the tankard out of Austin¡¯s hand, pinned it to the table using a textbook armlock, and speared his carving knife into the table less than an inch from his wrist. Valen¡¯s message was clear. I could have removed your hand and ended your career as a hunter in less than a second. The clattering of the tankard attracted eyes, and silence swiftly fell when everyone in the room noticed the scene.

    ¡°Shut,¡± Valen hissed, glaring into Austin¡¯s eyes, ¡°The. Fuck. UP!¡± Valen punctuated every word, and shouted the last one. Austin still hadn¡¯t reacted, stunned by the turn of events. ¡°I did not survive several weeks, alone in the deep wilderness after losing my entire party to an invader just to be berated by some two-bit hunter that thinks he¡¯s the stars¡¯ gift to humanity! I watched my entire party die, and have done nothing but train for a month straight now just to make sure it won¡¯t happen again, and I will not let that effort be dismissed. Apologize. Now.¡±

    Valen released the lock and shoved the hand back, glaring at the hunter. Austin stared back at him unflinchingly, rolling his wrist but otherwise remaining motionless. Murmurs broke out all around them, but neither of the two hunters reacted. It lasted long enough that the receptionist was starting to head towards them to break the argument when the burly hunter finally spoke, his lip curling as he tried to reclaim his bravado.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got guts I will admit. Meet me tomorrow, we leave at first light and don¡¯t be late. The airship waits for no one.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be there,¡± Valen replied, with steel in his voice.

    Austin nodded, picked up his bag, and started heading towards the stairs, but paused at the bottom of them and turned to Valen. ¡°Just to be clear, I¡¯ll not foul you out of the hunt, but don¡¯t get in my way once it properly starts.¡± Then he walked up the stairs, ending the discussion.

    Valen waited for a while longer to allow him to go in his room, then he stalked up the stairs and hurriedly entered his own room, locking the bolt behind him. One he was sure it was secure, he released the breath that he had been holding in a long, drawn-out sigh.

    ¡°I never had my temper rise up like that,¡± he idly murmured. ¡°I¡¯m not usually that bothered by personal insults. What changed?¡± Taking deep breaths for a couple of minutes, he then went to get his belongings in order. He needed to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s hunt¡­ Where he would face off against a Plesioth.

 Chapter 10: Hipcheck

    Valen completed a last check of his equipment. His backpack was full of everything he might need during the hunt ¡ª several potions, a couple of them mega even, courtesy of a hive Nikki found for him. He had nullberries, rations, a few whetstones, and a lot of items to cure specific ailments should anything unplanned happen during the hunt.

    His backpack was given a once-over, and he focused on his armor, flexing every limb, and rolling his shoulders to make sure he had a good range of motion. He did a couple of jumps in place to test the stability, and decided that it was to his satisfaction. Finally, he checked his Switch Axe one last time to ensure that there were no faults in the mechanism that he might have missed earlier. He had already dismantled it to clean every internal part the past evening. Switching modes a couple of times and finding no faults, he hung it on his harness and nodded. Everything was ready.

    Descending the stairs, Valen looked at the empty hall. Not even the receptionist was up and about, which wasn¡¯t much of a surprise, the sun hadn¡¯t even risen yet. Thus he exited the building and wandered through the empty roads of the town. Only a few rays of sunshine of dawn gave him enough visibility to navigate through, and he kept as a marker the airship currently docked at the station.

    Even the blacksmith was silent, only embers powering the forge. Anybody else who wasn¡¯t a hunter would be troubled by the eerie air, but for Valen, it was how he knew what a hunt¡¯s day was like. You had to depart early so that you could have as much of the first day available to track your target. Because the more time between the posting of the hunt and its start, the harder it wass to find your target. The only exceptions were for urgent quests, which had dedicated trackers that provided regular updates on the status and position of the rampaging monster.

    Valen climbed the tower, which dominated the town¡¯s skyline and allowed a safe docking place for airships as long as its buoyancy was maintained. It didn¡¯t stop disasters from occurring, notably when a rampaging wyvern took it as a target when attacking a town or during violent storms, but it was why most towers had a clear space around them with no buildings that gave a buffer in case a rupture occurred.

    Once at the top, he was greeted by the captain of the airship, a man who had pepper hair and a well-trimmed beard, which was proof of his years of experience. He had kind eyes and was smiling at him. Behind the captain, there was a green colored balloon, instead of the usual white. He took note that it was due to the skin being dyed instead of being an unusual monster skin.

    ¡°Hunter Valen I presume? Welcome to my ship, the Green Wing! Your companion is yet to be here but after all, you are early. I have been given an update on the area where your target was driven into right before I left, so you should not have too much difficulty tracking it down.¡±

    Valen nodded, it was good luck, he had to work with days-old information before, and it always increased the duration of the hunt, but having a fresh update was good. ¡°I remember that a few dragonships were tasked to drive it off the sea and keep it off the shore?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, three dragonships were assigned to the task. They couldn¡¯t finish the hunt themselves, the bugger was faster than them, but at least they were keeping it off the shore. They pelt it with ballistae and cannons when they catch sight of it, which has been enough to dissuade it for now.¡± He retrieved a scroll from his pocket, checking something then continued. ¡°They are worried it may try to either cross further east and escape the blockade or go further inland and disturb the ecosystem.¡±

    Valen scratched his chin in thought, pondering, then nodded. ¡°I guess that¡¯s the best we can hope for. We shouldn¡¯t have much difficulty tracking it at least, a Piscine Wyvern that is landlocked leaves a lot of tracks, given they usually stay in the water. Thank you for informing me.¡±

    The captain nodded and was about to reply before both of them heard the footsteps coming from the stairs, the sound of somebody climbing up. They waited until Austin came into sight, fully geared out, his Greatsword immediately noticeable, given that it looked like an oversized kitchen knife. He nodded towards the captain and only looked at Valen for a split second, grudgingly grunting in approval at him being already here.

    The captain repeated the information he had already given to Valen, and Austin nodded, evidently not having any comments on the situation. Then the captain said that they would be leaving in a couple dozen minutes, with only the final preparations to complete.

    Valen volunteered his help and they were able to leave a bit sooner. Once the last tasks were done, the captain undid the knot anchoring the ship to the tower, and he started the propellers.

    The technology used to make the propeller function in the airship was something that was not widespread, but from what Valen could glean, it used the supernatural properties of monster sacs ¡ª the source of their power, able to function long after their death. It was the same kind of technology that powered a spit-roast burner, for example, just scaled up to make an airship propeller function.

    Regardless, they quickly picked up speed and altitude, the town first occupying a large part of their sight at the bottom, then rapidly shrinking until it was only a dot on the ground. It was also at this moment that dawn properly started, the sun peeking beyond the horizon and spreading golden rays of sunshine over the land. The sight mesmerized Valen, the only other time he ever took an airship having been already in the middle of the day.

    ¡°Amazing sight eh? I never get tired of it, and it¡¯s why I prefer taking passengers only at the first light when possible. The sheer marvel on their faces is what allows me to wake up so early in the day.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ can understand. I won¡¯t say it''s the most beautiful sight I¡¯ve seen, but it comes close.¡±

    ¡°Ohoh? Not often somebody admits they have seen something better before. I won¡¯t pry but can¡¯t deny I¡¯m curious.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll share only with a few¡­ If ever.¡± Valen said while the memory of the light of dawn illuminating Nikki¡¯s sleeping form flashed through his mind. She had looked at peace and yet it put in focus just how much she was different from the surrounding nature¡­ It truly showed what she represented to him. A reminder that while they had a precious friendship, she was something completely outside the normal ecosystem, something that could be destructive if she wished so, but she took great lengths to keep the disturbances to the minimum.

    Shaking his head to clear the memory, he noticed the captain smiling at him, while Austin just grunted, looking away. Then the captain looked ahead.

    ¡°We have reached cruise speed, at this rate we should be where you need to be at midday.¡±

    Valen nodded, that would give them enough time to try to track their target and maybe even engage it before nightfall. Then he tilted his head, a question coming to his lips. ¡°I¡¯m curious though, I didn¡¯t know there were airships that only needed a single person to operate, the other ones I¡¯ve seen I¡¯ve always seen a crew of a few people on it, same when I used one with¡­ My old team.¡±

    The captain nodded. ¡°It¡¯s something you can apply for once you have been captaining for a few years. However, the tests to make sure you have got what you need to handle it are really tough¡­ Maybe even harder than the Guild Knights tests.¡± Valen was surprised by this fact, to which the captain chuckled. ¡°Airships are vulnerable to anything in the air above the size of a Remobra, most of my test was to make sure I could use routes that would let me stay safe and that I could fend off the smaller flying pests. I don¡¯t regret it, it allowed me to get one of the fastest airships available and the guild pays me well since I mostly handle transport for urgent quests.¡±

    Valen nodded. The captain¡¯s arguments made sense, even if he hadn¡¯t given it much thought before. He looked down at the ground, slowly passing by down below. It also made him realize that an airship would never match a Valstrax no matter what. They were flying at a snail¡¯s pace compared to the short flight he did when Nikki got him down the mountain. But at least he was somewhere he could walk on instead of being carried in her claws.

    ¡°Go do something, I don¡¯t care what so long as you don¡¯t run around my ship. I¡¯ll warn you once we are getting close to your destination. You¡¯ll have to be prepared to go down by rope then because taking off after landing on the ground is a pain.¡±

    Valen nodded, about to go sit down and meditate before he frowned his eyes and asked one last question. ¡°Why the green balloon?¡±

    ¡°Because I like it!¡±

    <hr>

    The sun was at its zenith when Valen was sliding down the rope the captain threw overboard, hovering on the top of a cliff that faced the sea. A dragonship could be seen patrolling a bit away from the shore, its sails filled with wind. Valen could faintly see the white bones reinforcing its hull. Then it disappeared, out of sight now that he was on the ground.

    Looking up, he shouted. ¡°I¡¯m safely down! You can remove the rope!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, lad! And happy hunting!¡± The captain shouted back in response, beginning to drag the rope back up. It only took a short minute, and then the airship started pulling away, helped by the winds and its propellers.

    Once the airship was safely away, Austin grunted to attract Valen¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Some ground rules before we start the hunt. First of all, do you know the callouts?¡±

    ¡°Contrary to what you may think Austin, I¡¯m not a novice. This is just a hunt I picked to get new gear after my previous set was destroyed.¡±

    The antagonistic hunter gave him a stink eye for this rebuttal, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes, but I¡¯ll not be responsible if you don¡¯t listen to my warnings. The second rule is that you let me do the damage and just do your job and act as a distraction.¡± He raised a hand to stall Valen¡¯s protests. ¡°That is a fact, your crude weapon can¡¯t do fuck-all damage to our target. You can try to take some potshots, but the reality of the matter is that I¡¯ll be the one that will split the scales apart and dig through the soft parts.¡±

    Valen grumbled he didn¡¯t like it, but his companion was right. With his current gear, he would be hard-pressed to deal damage to a monster of the Plesioth¡¯s caliber.

    ¡°Also, is that limp going to be an issue in combat? I need to know before you overextend yourself.¡±

    ¡°Never was in my training after I recovered, and I did several sessions that lasted a whole day.¡±

    Ausrin seemed a bit dubious but accepted this statement. ¡°Let''s start tracking then, we¡¯re burning daylight.¡±

    Valen nodded, then pulled out a piece of parchment. ¡°Here¡¯s the report of the last sighting that the captain was given. We should be able to get a track from here.¡± He handed the parchment to his companion, which Austin snatched away immediately.

    After studying the report for a moment, and comparing the notes with his map, they both checked their positions with their compass, then they set out in the direction of the last known position of the monster.

    <hr>

    A couple of hours later, they found footprints that matched their target. The hunt was on. They followed the tracks, the soft ground making the task easier for them, and the fact they could confirm it was fresh meant that the Piscine Wyvern was not that far ahead of them.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Both had already eaten the large takeout meal they were handed out for the hunt, giving them enough energy for the strenuous activity that would soon take place. And soon enough, Valen noticed something.

    ¡°Austin, look at my Right Wing. That looks like a deceased Ludroth." His companion turned to look and nodded, that was a Ludroth cadaver indeed. Valen approached it and inspected it. ¡°Shattered spine. Looks like a tail swipe from our target. It hit that tree back-first, the tracks seem to confirm the motion. Its mane is also still damp¡­ We¡¯re close.This isn¡¯t even one hour old.¡±

    The Greatsword wielder grunted, he acknowledged the inspection Valen did and they both went on guard, the presence of the Ludroth meant that they might be ambushed as well.

    Their suspicions were confirmed when they arrived at the top of a cove a while later. It was a large one, and there was also a deep pool of water at the bottom, however, the cliff was steep and didn¡¯t look scalable. The tracks seemed to go around it. Valen inspected them, then immediately put a hand on his weapon, ready to draw it at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Very fresh, it¡¯s nearby. I suspect it wants to go to the bottom to reach the water, but doesn''t want to be trapped.¡±

    He then turned around and immediately shouted. ¡°AUSTIN, LEFT REAR!¡±

    Even as he called out Valen had already rolled to the side, drawing his Switch Axe in the same motion. Instinct seemed to take over Austin, who rolled perpendicular to the direction Valen indicated and narrowly avoided a blast of water expelled by the Plesioth in his direction. The Plesioth looked like a giant fish with legs. Blue scales swept towards its tail, each as big as one of Valen¡¯s fists, and they looked sharp enough to cut his hand should he even brush up against them the wrong way. The tail finished with a fan of webbed spikes, powerful enough to propel the monster underwater. Its head was hideous, the eyes larger than Velen felt they should have been. It swiftly cut the pressure jet of water that it was expelling, and immediately drew itself up and roared, challenging them both.

    Austin looked back, and immediately, Valen could see his whole stance shift. He went into a crouch, Austin¡¯s hand gripped tightly his weapon¡¯s handle¡­ And what he said next gave Valen chills.

    ¡°Finally¡­ The hunt begins! I will claim your heart!¡± The bestial, wild tone of the hunter immediately told Valen that something was not right with his companion. He shook his head to clear the distraction away.He could worry about that once the hunt was done.

    Austin exploded into motion, running up towards the Plesioth, who had started to lunge to try to bite through the Greatsword wielder in one swift move, but he deftly sidestepped and drew his weapon with one smooth motion. The attack wasn¡¯t very swift, but possessed a great deal of momentum. It crashed into the Plesioth¡¯s scales, cracking a couple of them on impact. Reeling from the blow, it recovered swiftly and tried to bash Austin with his head, who was recovering his weapon from the ground and barely had the time to interpose it between himself and the giant fish.

    A loud CLANG resounded through the air, and Austin was sent skidding back a few meters, bracing himself so that he wasn¡¯t sent flat on his back.

    While all of this happened, Valen had crossed the distance between him and the Plesioth, and once he reached his opponent, he struck at the fin on its flank, deciding to leave the head for his companion. Valen¡¯s overhead axe attack connected with the Plesioth, but almost no effect was visible. The Plesioth flinched a bit before dismissing him as a threat and decided to focus back on the one that struck its head.

    Valen sighed. He probably was in over his head when he decided to pick this hunt, it¡¯d take a lot of strikes to tear through the scales¡­ But he wouldn¡¯t let it discourage him. He would carry his own weight on this hunt, and wouldn¡¯t leave all the work to his rude companion.

    Continuing his assault, Valen struck again at the fins, aiming for the point where they were connected to his body this time, hoping that he would distract it at a crucial moment by severing the softer tendons.

    While doing a rising slash, he noticed that the monster had paused his assault and was rearing back his tail. Knowing what it meant, he immediately shouted: ¡°TAIL SWEEP!¡± Before preparing to duck through it should the monster do a complete circle.

    The Greatsword wielder paused and refrained from committing through an overhead slash aimed at the cracked scales. He held his Greatsword with both hands, one hand on the handle, the other on the blunt side of the blade, and dove forwards, the tail passing above him while he was close to the ground, rolled forwards using his heavy weapon as a pivot, then once he was back to his feet, he planted his feet steady on the ground and used what remained of his momentum to transfer it to the gigantic blade, holding both hands on the handle this time and did a powerful rising slash with a grunt of effort.

    The slash connected with the bottom of the tail, finding a gap between two tails and digging an inch inside the soft flesh.

    A high-pitched roar of pain was what the monster emitted in response, causing Valen to clasp both his hands on his ears, while Austin just withstood the pain.

    Once the ringing in his ears stopped, Valen turned to look and blanched. Bubbles started leaking from his mouth, and he could feel the anger in its eyes, he knew what it meant. ¡°ENRAGED!¡± Valen shouted as loud as he could.

    A monster being enraged was both good and very bad news. Good because it meant it tired out faster. Very bad¡­ Because it meant that now it wanted you dead and would no longer fight for territory or just to make you go away. It would chase you until your body was completely broken. Not all monsters went into a rage state, and rare were those that did it so early in a hunt. Most of the time they were already very tired from the prolonged fighting and only could sustain it for a couple minutes since it was a last resort for them.

    This early though? It meant that it had been irritated enough by being driven from its natural habitat and no longer cared about its future health as long as they ended up a bloody puddle.

    Valen was worried about his companion though, because of the way he started the hunt. If his hunch was right, and he hoped it was wrong, Austin would probably try to power through the rage because he thought he could take it.

    And as he saw him stare defiantly at the Plesioth, his Greatsword held in a guard stance, he knew what Austin was trying.

    ¡°COME AT ME FISH! SHOW ME HOW PUNY YOU ARE!¡±

    Then the Plesioth threw his head forward and sent a big jet of pressurized water at him.

    Austin tilted his Greatsword upwards, deflecting the water above him, though it still was drenching the top of his helmet. He used the tilt to redirect the force downwards, allowing him to dig his heels on the ground¡­ Which was rapidly turning into mud due to the great amount of water that was pouring into it.

    Recovering his spirits, Valen ran towards the side of the head where Austin had scored his first blow, and, smoothly shifting into sword mode, put all of his force on the cracked scales, managing to damage them just a bit further. The damage was better than what he tried before, but it was enough, making the giant monster flinch and diverting the pressure jet from the other hunter. Not deterred, Valen followed with an upswing in the same place, actually drawing blood this time.

    It was then that the Plesioth decided to close his mouth with a loud CLACK, stopping his breath attack. Valen didn¡¯t need to wait for it to start looking at him to know it now was about to only focus on him. And by the time its gaze was turned on him, Valen had sheathed his weapon on his back and was bolting, running as fast as he could, glancing behind after making sure he was not running towards a rock.

    His initiative was the right one, as the Plesioth immediately started running towards him, shooting a quick blast of water occasionally, trying to trip him. But it had to build up momentum before it could catch up to him.

    Valen ran for a few seconds then immediately turned left, having heard his opponent getting closer. He felt the SNAP of the jaws trying to bite him, but only closing on empty air, and a glance behind him made him note that the Plesioth was skidding, losing traction when trying to turn the corner. It immediately picked his speed back up, now screeching in fury. Valen knew it would be a long while and a test of his endurance¡­ To outlast the wyvern.

    The next minutes were a blur for the hunter, dodging trees, and water blasts, changing direction occasionally once it was catching up. But Valen could see it was getting closer with each attempt, managing to turn the corners better, to not bleed all of its speed at once. He had to rely on using natural obstacles like trees or rocks to slow it down more and more. And he didn¡¯t know how much energy it still had in it.

    It was when he looked behind him he saw the first sign, suddenly the Plesioth tripped a bit but managed to catch himself back up, but a tad slower than before. Slowing down a bit to catch his breath, he noticed that ahead of him was the cove. If he could make it fall down, it would make their task easier he thought.

    It was when he was thinking about a plan that he turned around and his eyes widened in horror.

    The Plesioth finally had enough and with open space around him¡­ It was finally able to perform the move that his species was most famous for. It was pivoted sideways to Valen, his gigantic legs reared back, and thrust his whole hips forward.

    The Plesioth hipcheck was among the hunters the move that had the most speculation about it¡­ Not because of how powerful it is or the awkward way it looked while doing it¡­ But as to how such a move could create a shockwave able to send hunter tumbling or break bones at close range.

    Some hunters were outright killed just because of standing in front of it, taking the full brunt of it. And standing behind the Plesioth while it was performing didn¡¯t make you safe either, as for some reason there was still enough overpressure to knock somebody on their ass if they were not bracing.

    The only saving grace was that it seemed to be a move that was exhausting for the monster as well, only doing it a couple of times per hunt at most, but it was the move all hunters watched for while hunting this monster.

    Thankfully for Valen, he was far enough away that all of it did was send him rolling in the dirt. It still knocked the air out of him though and he had to take a couple deep breaths before being able to look back to his opponent.

    Which was now panting heavily, but walking towards him slowly, its whitish eyes glaring at him with sheer anger. And it managed to start trotting towards him only a moment later¡­ Before lunging at him.

    Due to not being back on his feet properly and not braced correctly to dodge sideways, but with his legs still under him, Valen jumped in the only direction he could.

    Up.

    Suddenly the jaw snapped at loose dirt, and he was astride the gigantic fish¡­ It only took a split second before he reacted and unsheathed his weapon, unfolding it into axe mode and slamming it on the wounded side of its face, behind his leg, which had only dried blood now.

    That had more effect than before this time and the Plesioth reared back, jostling Valen around, and throwing him on his back. But he managed to hold on, and with desperation, unholstered his carving knife and stabbed it between two scales, stopping him from sliding away further. It didn¡¯t make him safe now, as the Plesioth was now bucking around, trying to throw him off, but Valen held on, left hand with his knife, right hand with his Switch Axe that was using one fin to stabilize.

    The wyvern flailed around for several seconds before it stopped, trying to catch its breath. And Valen would not let the opening go to waste. He ran up its spine while pressing both triggers on his weapon, transitioning it into sword mode and making a glow build up in the axe part¡­ And when he slammed it into the wound, he slid his hand down a bit, making the inside trigger pop back up, and release the built-up pressure, making an explosion detonate inside its flesh. Some bits of muscle were thrown around, however, the effect that he looked for the most happened. The Plesioth ran away instinctively from where it got wounded¡­

    Directly into the cliff and the drop below.

    Knowing what was about to happen, Valen pulled back the other trigger, morphing his weapon back into Axe mode, wincing about what he was about to do.

    He slammed the axe head into the cliff, digging deep into it but his weight and momentum were still dragging him down, and the result was that he was carving a deep scar into the cliff, which thankfully wasn¡¯t a compact rock, so he was going down at a reasonable speed.

    The side effect was that it produced a high-pitched sound that hurt Valen¡¯s ear but he just grit his teeth and pursued his descent.

    Several seconds later, he wrenched violently his weapon out of the cliff dropped the last feet down, and got himself back into stance, noting immediately that the axe edge of his weapon was ruined, so he idly morphed it back into Sword mode.

    The Plesioth was thrashing around, having definitely been impacted by the fall it just suffered. However, Valen knew it would only last a moment, and that he had to finish it off before it could get back on its feet.

    It was just as when Valen was about to trot as fast as he could that he realized that he was hearing a loud shout of rage, and just because he could puzzle it out, a blur impacted the flailing head of the Plesioth, and a loud CRUNCH and CRACK of bones splintering resounded loudly into the cove. An explosion of gore was projected on the opposite side of it¡­ And the monster immediately went still.

    It only took a moment for Valen to realize what just happened, as he saw the form of Austin next to the decapitated neck of the monster, holding his Greatsword with two hands¡­ The Greatsword that he could see was now missing a chunk in the middle.

    Only the sound of panting could be heard for a while, before Austin turned towards Valen and said: ¡°I retract what I said, you ain¡¯t bad.¡±

    Valen was stunned for a moment before a chuckle escaped him, then full-out laughed, joined by his partner. The tension that had mounted on him over the beginning of the hunt finally faded away. Their task was complete.

 Chapter 11: Revelations

    It took a couple more minutes before the adrenaline that was coursing through Valen''s veins finally ran out. And he noticed that Austin was already cleaning up his weapon¡­ But also inspecting it, as it didn''t escape the high-pressure jet from the monster unscathed. An impressive gash now marred the blade''s flat, not that deep but still something that would be expensive to repair.

    "Ugh, it did a murder on my blade, explosive burst attacks I can deal with it fine by blocking the brunt of it, but a prolonged focused attack like that? It''ll even damage a Lance shield." He sighed and stowed away the weapon on his back. "I''ll have to go to the smithy once I''m back at Hart, thankfully I have some spare materials that''ll be able to help fix."

    Valen nodded, he had inspected the axe part of his weapon more thoroughly and he had to admit he was lucky, a bit more damage and the internal mechanisms would have been impacted as well. "My weapon is wrecked as well, but since I was here for an upgrade anyway, it''s not a big deal since it would have been reforged." He motioned towards the Plesioth carcass with his head. "I''m gonna start carving it up, can you flare the Felyne carriers in the meantime?"

    "I''ll take care of it, take your cuts." He paused for a second. "I''m gonna accompany you back, then it''s back to our ways. Nothing against you and I thank you for the save but¡­ I just work better solo. Less distractions that way." He grunted. "Monsters ain''t gonna die out themselves, and the more that can hunt solo, the more hunts can be done."

    Valen frowned, he didn''t quite like the direction this conversation was going. Taking a moment carving up one of the Plesioth''s fins to think about his reply, he answered. "Yeah, the more hunters that can hunt solo, the more settlements we can protect."

    Austin grunted, but stayed silent, probably having said everything he wanted to.

    It took a while for Valen to carve everything he needed, mostly the skin with the Plesioth''s scales, but also the organs that were elementally infused, like the flood sac that was how it was able to store so much water relative to his body size. Cutting the claws out also took a while, and he had to take a few ribs and bones that would be the base of his new weapons. But in the end, what was left was a carcass that contained mostly muscle. They wouldn''t be able to carry everything back to the town, so Valen took only what they could carry with a cart. The rest would be left to the scavengers to be reclaimed by the ecosystem.

    The Felynes arrived a while later at the top of the cliff and swiftly installed a pulley system so they could haul the materials and the hunters back up. Then they piled everything on the cart, and after a quick exchange, they set off back towards the town they left. The journey would take a few days but they would have to be careful while camping and journeying, the materials they were carrying would surely attract scavengers. For this reason, they had to take watches when they camped to sleep as well.

    Several days later, at midday, they found themselves at the gates of the town. After a quick chat with the guards manning it, the gates opened and they pulled the cart out, the Felynes helping them having scampered once they came in view of the town.

    Some people were walking in the street and offered congratulations to the pair of hunters bringing back their spoils. Valen responded with thanks, nodding his head, while Austin simply stayed silent and stoic.

    There weren''t that many villagers about, but the few that they crossed were enough to improve Valen''s mood and make him realize that Hunters were respected in general for the dangerous but crucial work of protecting the village. They arrived at the guild hall though and Valen stayed with the cart while Austin went to make the necessary steps to confirm the success of the hunt, as well as the report of the hunt. The guildmarm checked the cart, to confirm that it was indeed real Plesioth materials and not fakes or a mix of lower-ranked monsters. Then Valen filled out his part of the documents, and she thus gave both of them their prize, a lump sum of money to Austin, and the right to craft new gear along with the needed cash for it to Valen.

    Valen thanked the guildmarm for the money and the document she gave to him, and headed towards the local smith so he could deliver the required materials so he could get to work.

    It took a few minutes for the hunter to reach the blacksmith''s workshop, but once he stopped in front of him, the man immediately stopped his hammering and looked at what disturbed his work, then he grinned.

    "Lad! So your hunt was a success eh?"

    Valen nodded. "Wasn''t a solo hunt but I''m happy with how much I contributed to it. Kinda totaled my brand new weapon, but it was an emergency."

    The blacksmith frowned, especially when he saw the state of Valen''s weapon once he handed it to him. "What kind of emergency caused this? Did you scrape it on a rock for a mile, that axe head is completely dull and scraped."

    "That¡­ Is kinda what happened, I kinda used it to slow my fall after riding the Plesioth down the cliff." He embarrassingly said while rubbing his neck.

    "You youngsters and you crazy schemes¡­ At least you knew you''d give it to me for reforge after this." He appraised it critically. "Sword part is fine though, so will reduce the work. And once it''s upgraded, the same kind of maneuver would only barely dull it." Nodding to himself, he looked at Valen. "It''s the full set right, both armor and weapon?"

    He nodded. "It is, give me some time to take it off. Oh, here is the document for the use of the materials."

    The blacksmith studied the document. "Hmm, looks like I have to push back my other work, yours is deemed a priority. Not sure why, but I ain''t gonna be the one to complain to the guild. Gonna still take a couple of days, but I''ll give it all into it!"

    "Don''t you need my help for some parts of it though?"

    The blacksmith waved him away. "Bah, only talk for apprentice smiths, true professionals can do all the work themselves, and I am a professional damn it! Been doing that for twenty years!"

    Something nagged at him, but he dismissed it, he only remembered a few words from this part of his training, and his other weapons and armor were made the same way. So he nodded and left the smith to his work, going to look for something to do while waiting, a couple of days of patience not enough to allow him to visit Nikki. He couldn''t wait for him to show her his new gear though, she seemed impatient for him to receive it for some reason.

    He however found a pair of hunters that were staying while waiting for their partners and offered to celebrate his hunt in the wait. Valen accepted, deciding that a bit of relaxation after his ordeal was welcome.

    <hr>

    A couple of days later, Valen went to the blacksmith, who had sent a runner to him that the work was complete. Said blacksmith immediately greeted him once he was inside. "Lad! Or should I say, Hunter Valen! It is complete, and I''m proud of it, it is definitely one of my better works!"

    Valen raised an eyebrow at this proclamation but followed the smith inside at his beckoning. They entered the workshop properly, and Valen immediately gasped.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Propped on an armor stand, was the full suite of equipment made from the Plesioth materials he brought back. He examined the armor first, which was the same sea blue as the monster, some more specific parts of the monster could be seen, such as the fins or a couple of its teeth. Testing the strength, Valen was satisfied, it was definitely sturdier than the Royal Ludroth armor he was wearing before.

    Pulling out the helmet from the whole assemblage, he put it on his head and was satisfied that it didn''t restrict his field of vision too much, the slits in it large enough. He placed back the helmet on the stand, he would do a full mobility test later.

    Turning his attention towards the Switch Axe this time, he gingerly took it in his hands, gone were the scars created by him slowing himself down, now the weapon looked brand new once again, and even more dangerous for his foes. Valen picked it up and immediately went into his stance, the triggers and levers in the correct place. He could also definitely see that the Axe head had been fully reforged from up close, now having more in common with the Plesioth than steel.

    A couple of swings and he was satisfied. He would test the phial functions later, when in a less cramped environment. Placing the weapon back in place he turned towards the smithy and said. "Thank you, it is masterful work indeed."

    He waved Valen away. "Just doing my job. Now, assure that you don''t have to come back after ruining it, it is much less fun to repair weapons than it is to forge them!"

    Valen chuckled and looked towards his new equipment. Then he picked up both of them, removing the armor from its stand and placing the weapon on the harness. But before he could leave the workshop, the smithy hailed him.

    "Oh right, I had some extra material in the end, but I still treated them so it won''t rot, you should probably pick it up and store it in the hall. You may never know, you might need it later!"

    The hunter nodded, it made sense. Then he walked away, shuffling awkwardly with his hands full and heavy. Still, he managed, and not long later he was inside the guild hall, which immediately became quieter once they noticed him, knowing that a hunter equipping a new gear was a solemn moment. The receptionist smiled and motioned him towards the back room so that he could be allowed to change.

    Once he was inside the room, he put down his load and placed his new weapon against the wall. Then he started to fully gear up, which took him a few minutes to work out the new buckles, but he managed, he did study plans of Plesioth armor while he was waiting for it to be forged.

    When he had finally everything equipped, and his weapon hanging on his back, he examined himself in the mirror, and nodded, he definitely looked fearsome in that armor. Rotating his limbs, and his waist, he was satisfied, the armor did not impede his movement more than the basic one did, which was good enough.

    Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and exited the room, to a hush. Then finally applause resounded throughout the hall, the few hunters present congratulating him on his new gear. One, who even had a Rathalos armor shouted to him: "Now you''re in the big boy court! YES, Plesioth qualifies as far as I am concerned." He said when one of his friends protested next to him. "Have you ever been the target of a hipcheck? He fucking have! That is enough for me."

    The cheers continued for a while, everybody seeming to want to offer him congratulations or wishes of good luck in future hunts. But eventually, it died down, hunters finally had to leave for their tasks while others were just here in passing and returned on the road. Valen decided to have a quiet afternoon before he would get into bed, but that was before Austin finally exited the shadowy corner he was in and motioned Valen to follow him.

    Surprised, he followed him still, and once inside Austin''s room, the latter locked the door up and said. "I have been informed by the guild that you have to go to Harth as soon as you are able. They only told me it was to give you your new assignment. The tone of the message I received didn''t leave anything up for discussion. How soon are you able to leave?"

    Taken aback, Valen took a moment to think before answering: "Tomorrow morning, should that be enough?"

    "Good enough, I don''t need to accompany you, and I know you can take care of yourself anyway. Don''t disappoint me and get yourself killed. Now get out."

    Kind of surprised by the abrupt end, he took a couple of moments before exiting the room, but then headed towards his own room, he started packing everything up, everything that he didn''t really need in a hunt, he had left in the room, but now he made sure he left the room as clean as he found it when he arrived. And several minutes later, he had his backpack full to the brim, that he equipped over his weapon. It made him carry a heavy load on his back, but he also had way worse during training.

    Then he did a quick final trip to the blacksmith, to grab the spare materials in a bag the smith prepared for him, and after consulting his map, headed towards Harth, which was a journey of several days¡­ But not before a quick visit to see Nikki.

    <hr>

    Nikki was indeed happy to see him, however he managed to convey to her that he couldn''t stay. "Me, required, guild." He told her. She huffed at that, then studied the armor he was now donned in. She turned around him, studying him in every detail, then nosed at the weapon stowed on his back but mostly hidden by the backpack, so Valen put down the bulky bag and unsheathed the weapon, touching it with her nose, she seemed to close her eyes and enter a small trance, before she pulled away sharply. Then she looked at him, a calculating look in her eyes, and huffed. Then she signed:

    "Good, strong." She said while tapping the weapon with a claw. "You, worthy."

    Then she pulled away and after a last look at Valen, took off. The hunter was puzzled by the end of the interaction, he didn''t know what Nikki did, and the fact she left immediately meant at least that she didn''t want to delay him further¡­ He shrugged though, he was sure he''d never completely understand her mindset, she wasn''t human after all. So he put back the Switch Axe on the harness, picked up the backpack, and set off towards Hart, for real this time.

    <hr>

    Harth was for sure a mining village, populated mostly by Troverians, being that Valen would qualify as "Workaholics", that always tried to find ways to do more mining than they should. But the important part was that a guild headquarters was located in the city, the defensible place and access to mining making it a trade center.

    Most of the trade caravans that existed on the continent passed by Harth at one point of their route, as the quality of mined ore sold in Harth was without equal, the active volcano nearby expelling quality minerals constantly. It was also heavily suggested to drink a cold drink while in the city, due to the proximity of lava flow. Troverians withstood the heat without issues but passing or living Wyverians, Humans, or Felyne need to drink a special version of cold drinks sold at the city''s entrance. Or to wear appropriate equipment that cooled the wearer down.

    Valen had of course purchased and drank the necessary cold drink, and upon presenting his ID, was immediately directed towards the headquarters, as the guards received special instructions about Valen.

    This worried a bit the hunter, as it showed something was odd with the whole situation, but he complied still and headed towards the headquarters.

    The headquarters were the biggest building in the town, towering above the rest of them and reinforced with monster bone. Valen could see several Felyne carrying missives in and out of the building, and also what seemed to be an airship platform at the top. It was a symbol of how powerful the guild''s influence was in the big towns. Thus he took a deep breath and entered the building.

    When entering the building, he was immediately hailed by the guildmarm, who asked to see his ID. Upon producing him, she nodded and said. "I had been asked to look out for you, give me a moment before I inform the relevant parties." Then she wrote a quick note and passed it to a Felyne, who excitedly took it and dashed upstairs.

    Not long after, a Guild Knight commander descended the stairs with the note, and upon seeing Valen, nodded to the guildmarm and motioned Valen to follow him. Knowing not to disobey a commander''s order, he obliged.

    They walked several floors up until they reached the office of the commander, which was comfortable but not in excess. Taking the seat that was offered to him, he also removed his helmet to be polite, and then the Commander explained to him:

    "Before you had even returned¡­ We have received a report of the possible desertion of your post. However, given the circumstances, we were willing not to take harsh action should you return and your reasons were valid. Once you gave your full report, we classified the matter as a panic decision made in a moment of great pressure."

    "I do assure you, that should you know the full reason I panicked, you''d be hard pressed to not do the same. It is still the biggest regret of mine¡­ Letting Flynn die like he did by causing him to focus on me instead of the real threat¡­"

    "Then¡­ You should tell him that. Yourself." The Commander said while nodding at the door.

    Valen immediately looked behind himself, and there, at the doorstep, in a wheelchair, was Flynn.

 Chapter 12: Punishment

    Valen immediately froze when he recognized Flynn. He stared at Flynn like he saw a ghost, which was technically the case. He tried to talk several times, to ask how he survived, why he was here until he simply only could say: ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I had forgiven you long ago, Valen. However¡­ Know that several times I almost would have reported you as unfit for hunting. It¡­ Was my right. But every time I would, I reminded myself of what I know of you, and that you would never willingly do such a thing. Willingly. That¡¯s the key word isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Flynn, I never should have fled without helping you. I should have helped you try to distract it.¡±

    Flynn raised a hand, stopping Valen from further developing what he was saying. ¡°Would¡¯ve, should¡¯ve, could¡¯ve will not help us here, what matters now is what happened. Let me make it clear what happened once this damned Seregios threw me out of the cliff. Trees managed to slow my fall down, but in the end, I broke my lower back on the fall, and as you can guess, I lost the use of my legs. I am stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life Valen. That is the price I must pay for our overconfidence. For our errors.¡±

    Valen protested, but he was at the edge of tears: ¡°But¡­ It¡¯s all MY fault, you cannot simply pin it all on yourself, I have my part of the blame too¡­¡±

    ¡°You do. But it¡¯s not your full fault too. The biggest mistake was made when we did not call the fight once the Seregios arrived and vacated the terrain to let the two of them duke it out until the Glavenus was isolated once more. I should have made the call. But I didn¡¯t. I let the situation worsen until fatalities happened.¡±

    Valen was now tearing up. ¡°I¡­ Flynn, why are you so forgiving still, it¡¯s because of me that your hunting career is over.¡±

    Flynn nodded. ¡°Valen. Know that I almost hated you for what you¡¯ve done, for abandoning me. I almost did. But reason triumphed in the end when I remembered what you told me about your past, about your reason for hunting, and how the situation would have looked like for you. I do not blame you, Valen. But know this: I have one request of you now.¡±

    Valen looked Flynn in the eyes, wiping the tears from his eyes. ¡°What it is?¡±

    ¡°Be the best you can be. Never give up, And protect all of those who cannot defend themselves. Maybe you¡¯ll become a legend one day. I¡¯ve read the report of your latest hunt you know, and the sheer guts and determination you showed is seen in all the legendary hunters we talk in admiration of. Maybe you¡¯ll become one. But do not let what happened stop you, and simply become better. You¡¯ll also surely conquer the demons of your past this way.¡±

    The Switch Axe wielder looked at Flynn for a while, then he nodded, a resolute look now in him. ¡°I will be. I¡¯ll be the best I can be. For Myla, for Edwin. For you.¡±

    ¡°Then go and may the world soon know your name¡­¡±

    ¡°When did you become so wise, Flynn? I only remember as the stoic Bowgun user.¡±

    Flynn laughed and patted Valen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s what staying in this chair all day and reading books transform you into. Maybe you¡¯ll become wise too, once your career is over and you grow old.¡±

    Valen chuckled in response. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Then Flynn''s face immediately turned serious. ¡°You may not have been stripped of your rights to hunt, but the guild still requires a punishment for what you have done. I agreed with it, it seemed a fair one given the circumstances, I know you already learned your lesson, and given you are now a solo hunter, may not repeat the same mistakes, but rules are rules.¡±

    The Commander finally reminded Valen he was still in his office, making him jump. ¡°Indeed, what we decided is that you¡¯ll be posted in an isolated village in the Jurassic Frontier, with no city in miles around. The village is quite secure and has a hundred souls but has no dedicated hunter for now. We¡¯ll post you there and you¡¯ll stay in it until we decide we can recall you. You are to take care of the threats to the village, only dissuade if you can, and use lethal force only if the village is directly threatened. Do you agree to these terms?¡±

    Valen took a moment to think about what he said. These terms meant that he was effectively put in the corner as a hunter, not allowed to take quests, or take patrols around but not allowed to truly hunt unless the direct safety of the village was at risk¡­ Or it would have if Valen were a normal hunter. His relationship with Nikki meant that he could still train with her, if she agreed to, which isn¡¯t sure as the new post was quite far from what they currently were. Would she move her nest for him? Did she care for him that much? He hoped so. However, he had no choice still, he just had to hope she would help him.

    With his mindset, he gave his answer. ¡°I agree. When does this start?¡±

    ¡°You have an airship that departs in three weeks, what you do in the meantime is your business, as long as it is not hunting.¡±

    That suited Valen fine, three weeks gave him enough time to inform Nikki of the new development. ¡°Understood Commander.¡±

    ¡°You are dismissed.¡±

    Valen nodded and exited the room, putting his helmet back on, Flynn maneuvering his chair to allow him to pass. Then once he closed the door, Flynn talked to him. ¡°Myla and Edwin are buried in the local cemetery. If you wish to pay your respects before you leave, you can go visit them.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Valen paused for a moment. ¡°I think I will, I haven¡¯t said goodbye properly to them yet. Their death may not be my fault, but I still regret it happened. Yours was the one I blamed myself the most Flynn. In time maybe I will forgive myself, but not just yet.¡±

    ¡°Just make sure you do one day, and grow past it, and that is all I ask of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for still believing in me. I¡¯ll go now¡­¡±

    However before he could leave, Flynn snatched his hand and pulled him back, then he leaned forward and said, with barely a whisper. ¡°Valen, I did not fall unconscious immediately once I broke my back, I stayed conscious long enough to see a Valstrax leave, carrying something, do you know anything about it?¡±

    Valen managed to suppress the flinch that threatened to appear once he learned that information, and he was glad he had already put his helmet back on. Thinking quickly he said: ¡°I don¡¯t remember, I do remember falling unconscious after a flash of red and an explosion¡­ So maybe it killed the Seregios and tried to carry me, but dropped me, I remember being a bit wet when I recovered my spirits but assigned it to the dampness of the cave.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s strange but at least that means you weren¡¯t eaten by it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Probably lucky in that regard.¡± He said with a faraway look, before snapping himself back to attention. ¡°I¡¯ll go now, I want to see Myla and Edwin. Thank you again.¡±

    ¡°You are welcome. May the Sapphire Star guide you.¡±

    ¡°And you.¡±

    Valen then descended the stairs with a final wave and exited the whole, building, weaving through the passersby, some dragging carts of ore, others being Felynes scurrying around holding papers between their fangs. He followed the directions Flynn gave him toward the cemetery, and after several minutes, he reached it.

    For such an important city, the cemetery seemed smaller than it should be, but that was before he realized that hunters were usually buried in their hometown when possible, and then Edwin and Myla just asked that they be buried in the town where their bodies were recovered. Valen had done the same, since being buried in the village he was born is was¡­ A complicated affair anyway.

    He walked between the tombstones, the inscriptions on them having only the names of the people buried underneath, as well as the weapon they wielded and the year of death. Some, more richly decorated also contained the name of the biggest threat they managed to participate to slay. He halted when he saw one figuring a Kushalah Daora until he realized he was in a party of four.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    The cemetery humbled Valen and reminded him that no matter what happened, they were all mortal. That only one accident, bad decision, or just plain bad luck was enough to snuff one¡¯s life out, and that at the end, unless you were among the great that had songs sung about them, you just faded from memory. That was a fact that may have disturbed many, but Valen just knew that was the cycle of life. He had accepted it and preferred just to enjoy the moments he had together with Nikki.

    It was a few more rows later than he stopped, having spotted the names he looked for.

    ¡®Myla, Hammer, slain by Seregios, Vanquisher of Barroth.¡¯

    ¡®Edwin, Lance, slain by Seregios, Conqueror of Rathian.¡¯

    The years were the current one, and Valen crouched to be able to see the tombs at eye level. Then he spoke. ¡°I hope you are doing great, no matter where you are. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do anything about your deaths, but I swear to you both that I won¡¯t waste the rest of my life away, and make sure that I use my skills to continue our work. May the Sapphire Star guide you forevermore.¡±

    Then he stood up and after a final nod to the tombs, he walked away.

    <hr>

    Valen spent the night in a room in the headquarters and the following morning, left the city. More than anything this time, he needed to see Nikki. She needed to be informed of where he would reside now, and he barely had enough time to reach their usual meeting point and back before the airship left.

    So he spent ten days traveling back to where they met with the Valstrax. Musing over Flynn¡¯s survival. Internally he was overjoyed, he thought he was the sole survivor of his hunting party. But¡­ He also was ashamed of the life-changing injury he caused to him, even if he had been forgiven.

    It was no wonder then that he was still ruminating on this when Nikki made herself known by landing at the center of the clearing. Valen finally looked up and smiled, she was becoming, no, a constant in his life that he wouldn¡¯t trade for anything. Her special mindset on things, being something powerful and that knew it meant that she had less to worry about being not powerful enough for some things. Though sometimes he wondered if she had been ever helpless¡­ She seemed a bit less arrogant than she should be as an elder.

    Mentally shifting gears to focus on what he wanted to say to her. He signed: ¡°Me, moving.¡±

    That caught her attention immediately, and she immediately turned her head to her side, puzzling about what she would say, then she simply asked: ¡°Where.¡±

    Valen unrolled the large map he was carrying, he pointed where they were situated, then shifted his finger towards the opposite side of the continent they were on, in the middle of a large forest called the Jurassic Frontier, on which the closest Headquarters were located at Berna village. It wasn¡¯t this village Valen was going to however, but another, smaller and more isolated one deep in the forest, but defensible thanks to the small hill it was located on, making ground-bound monsters have to fight threats from above and the tall trees protecting it mostly from aerial attacks.

    Nikki examined the map, and the new location he pointed at, studying it intensely, then she nodded and simply signed: ¡°You go. I follow.¡±

    Valen couldn¡¯t stop the grin that spread on his face when she said that, he had hoped he wouldn¡¯t be alone, but he was relieved to have the confirmation from her. It truly meant that she cared for him deeply too, that she was willing to move her lair to stay close to him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    A slow blink was his answer, and Valen hugged her head before separating. He decided to stay the night, but he would have to leave as soon as he could the next morning. In the meantime, he simply decided to enjoy his time together with Nikki.

    <hr>

    Three weeks after his meeting at Harth, Valen returned to the city, waiting next to the main dock for the airships. Harth being a center of trade for everything that was ore, several airships made their stop there to stock up before going to deliver their cargo to a faraway place on the continent.

    He had seen a couple of them already dock and load up on cargo before departing. But none of them was the one he was waiting for, having been told only its name: The Reliant. The quartermaster simply told him that it was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon but that trying to keep an hourly schedule was wistful thinking, since airships depended on a lot of wind conditions, exact schedules were simply impossible to keep up. It was why Valen was waiting though, half of the afternoon having passed by already, and the sun starting to engage its final approach to the horizon and then sunset.

    However just as Valen resigned that it would arrive only at sunset, he noticed a little speck in the horizon, that seemed to descend towards them. He pointed this out to the quartermaster, who, after pulling out his binoculars, confirmed it was the ship he was waiting for. He guessed its arrival in not more than half an hour and told him to make sure he was ready by the time it docked.

    Valen nodded, checked one last time his backpack just to be sure, and climbed the stairs towards the proper docks, the exercise making his leg ache but not overly so.

    Once the Reliant arrived proper, the captain of the ship ordered his crew to start pulling in the cargo, then he looked at Valen and said. ¡°I was told to drop you off at Hurora on my way to Bherna, am I right?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m supposed to be posted there for several years.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, not a lot of activity in that area, you¡¯d think so with the dense forest, but it simply means that large monsters don¡¯t have the space to maneuver and simply go to grounds where they can. And flying monster can¡¯t do anything with the tall cover.¡±

    ¡°That is what I have been told, but I know not to complain, I could have received worse punishments.¡±

    The Captain studied him intensely and then nodded. ¡°Worse that can be dished out indeed. At least it¡¯ll teach you restraint boy!¡±

    Valen smiled, then looked at the horizon. ¡°How long can we expect before we are there?¡±

    ¡°Given it¡¯s on the far side of the continent? Two days. I¡¯d suggest you cover yourself thickly too, we¡¯re going to fly high to avoid the majority of the flying beasties, only the serpents and Valstrax dare fly that high.¡±

    ¡°I understand, do you need my help for preparing for departure?¡±

    ¡°Nah, better you don¡¯t, you ain¡¯t as experienced knowing how to balance the thing as we are. Just pick a spot and try not to move around too much. We should be away before the sun has started setting.¡±

    Valen nodded and simply placed himself at the edge of the railing, simply observing the giant green balloon that floated above him.

    <hr>

    The captain of the airship had been right in his prediction, two days later, they were descending towards the huge forest spanning miles around them, and the captain pointed him towards a small rise in the trees. ¡°This is where the village is located, I¡¯d suggest you start climbing down the ladder, we¡¯re going to slow down to allow you to drop down to a tree, but we¡¯re not going to stop, I trust you have been taught how to climb down trees I hope?¡±

    Valen chuckled. ¡°Do not worry, I still know how to, you have to sleep in them while traveling in the wilderness.¡±

    The captain nodded. ¡°Then don¡¯t miss your jump, and if you do, try catching yourself with that axe of yours. You won¡¯t have a second try and it would be bad luck to break a leg on your first day here!¡±

    Nodding firmly, Valen gauged the distance they needed to cover still, then climbed down the ladder. The airship slowed down, but still moved, at a walking pace above the trees top, and suddenly Valen was able to glimpse a village through the cover. He then waited before he was above a tree and its thick trunk, then jumped, his body plunging through the leaves and frail branches until he managed to catch one of the thickest ones and stopped his fall.

    Looking down below and seeing the height he was at, he pulled out some ropes from his backpack and started installing a crude pulley system. Once he tested it to be sure it would hold, he rappelled down the trees, doing small jumps each time, and finally having a clear view of the village, which was built mostly of wood and a thick outer wall. He could see the sharp incline that surrounded it and knew that it was the perfect location to defend it. Only a single path allowed easy entry into it, and he knew for sure it was the location that had the most ballistae that covered the arc.

    Valen finally reached the floor and after unhooking himself from the cord, pulled on it until the other end reached the top and the whole thing fell. He then took a deep breath. He was where he would stay for the foreseeable future, so he should introduce himself and know what he would deal with.

    It only took him a bit to ask for directions towards the village¡¯s chief house, but once he was there, he was welcomed, and they had a quick discussion of what he would do as duties, which was to simply patrol around and ward off dangerous monsters. There was an accommodation waiting for him, though it had been unused for a while since the last hunter was stationed. Valen thanked him and headed towards it, intending to drop his backpack and have a long rest after the exhausting journey in the clouds.

    <hr>

    Valen grumbled while kicking a stone away, these villagers constantly asked him to go deeper than they could in the forest to try to find the rarest mushrooms that grew around. ¡®Just patrolling around my ass.¡¯ No matter that they could find them themselves, now that they had a hunter in the village, they would give the most dangerous tasks to him, no matter if they could do it without issues beforehand. He sighed, it would help if he found a place where he could meet Nikki, but he had yet to find a break in the cover¡­

    He stopped, looking ahead of him, and grinned, because right in front of him was exactly what he looked for, a huge clearing in the forest, and an entrance wide enough that would surely allow Nikki to get through. He checked the ground and while it was covered in tree leaves, it wasn¡¯t muddy at all, and probably had good drainage, so it would dry quickly after rain.

    Satisfied, he pulled out the flare gun he was required to keep on him for emergencies, but, swapping the red flare for a blue one, he aimed it towards the canopy, on the only place that had a hole in it, and fired, his aim was true and the flare hovered just below the hole.

    He had seen Nikki flying around between clouds the few times he climbed on top of a tree, and he hoped that she was around, if not he would come at another time the following day.

    Not even a minute later, he could hear a rumble, that put a large smile on his face, currently hidden by his helmet, and right after, Nikki emerged from the tree cover, roaring in joy.

    Valen only signed: ¡°Welcome back!¡± And she roared louder.

 Chapter 13: Discovery

    However much he complained at the beginning of his station, Valen soon found himself in a rhythm. Once he was reunited with Nikki, he was able to meet her frequently, so he was able to spend a couple of hours training against her. And that was also when he realized the huge difference with his new armor. The armor seemed to make him faster and tougher.

    The second time he went to meet her, their reunion being mostly about discussing how they would proceed forward, Valen was worried about the sentries looking out at the village¡¯s treetop spotting her but she assured him that she had ways to make herself less inconspicuous, and she could use the same tree cover to hide herself.

    He wasn¡¯t completely reassured but decided to trust her judgment on that.

    However, their first training session since Valen got his new gear was a surprise for both. Whereas Valen was able to be tagged sometimes by her attacks, now he seemed to dodge them easily, and even when Nikki did a glancing blow to a reflex hit, the claws only barely pierced the armor while they would have been able to tear through with ease. Nikki stopped their spar right there and they spent the rest of their meeting testing Valen¡¯s new limits, and he could confirm he was a bit faster, but only just. Nikki going full out would still catch him if she wanted to.

    Valen wasn¡¯t at the end of his surprises, however, at the very next training session, she did something that startled him, touching his chest with her nose for several long seconds. Nikki didn¡¯t shy away from contact, as did Valen, but he could feel that what she just did was different. Something changed with his armor, he could feel it, but he didn¡¯t know what. Then immediately after, and being too fast for him to react, she snagged his weapon out of his back with surprising speed and dexterity, then closed her eyes in concentration once again.

    Caught off-guard, Valen took a bit to recover but then she seemed to have finished what she was looking to do and allowed him to pick it back up.

    Upon reaching his handle, he frowned. His Switch Axe felt different, off. Did she do the same kind of thing that she did on his armor he wondered. Valen didn¡¯t know what to think, it was novel ground for him.

    He was broken out of his wondering when Nikki caught his attention and immediately asked for him to spar. Valen was about to protest but she had already placed herself at the other side of the field and was only waiting for his signal. The hunter finally relented and decided he would reserve his questions after this training bout.

    They stared at each other for several long seconds before some unknown signal passed between them and Valen sprang into action, intending to close the distance between the two of them quickly.

    He was looking at Nikki intently, looking for any twitch that would betray with what limb she would strike at him. Then he noticed she crouched slightly and focused, she was about to leap backward. And when he had crossed half of the distance between them, Nikki did indeed leap back, however, she also reared back her left wing in the same motion and Valen¡¯s eyes widened, she meant to thrust her wing at him, but the motion was too fast, too smooth, he immediately pushed sideways with his next step, trying to dodge the spearing thrust, but he was too slow.

    The tip of Nikki¡¯s wing smashed at him with the force of a crashing Rathian, and Valen tumbled around and rolled for a while. He managed to spring back up on his legs and shook his head to clear the dizziness that started to come to him, and then the realization of what just happened crashed into him. Nikki struck him at full power. And he immediately felt around him, fearing the worst, a puncture wound or something¡­ But nothing. The only sign of him having been struck was the dirt that had accumulated on his armor and a slight dent on his breastplate.

    A slight motion startled him and he looked up to face Nikki who had approached, her posture a bit worried, slightly guilty but yet¡­ Happy? His hand twitched because of the monumental hit he had just taken¡­ But they couldn¡¯t deny the truth. He should have died. And yet¡­ Nikki did something that caused the armor to absorb the entire hit and keep him alive. Battered, bruised, but alive.

    Adrenaline still running high, he was wary to let the elder approach¡­ But¡­ he had to get answers. As risky as what Nikki did, he couldn¡¯t deny that what she did was life-saving¡­ And could change so many things for him. So he just signed. ¡°How?¡±

    To which she answered with a single word, that same word that troubled him: ¡°Element.¡±

    Later, Valen would realize that it was when things truly started to change for him when things started to become obvious. But that wasn¡¯t something he realized at the moment. At the moment he simply had the revelation that he had stumbled on what seemed to be a secret of the world. Something that Elders knew about¡­ Something that may just be the source of their powers.

    It was only when Valen left the clearing that he noticed they hadn¡¯t done any training besides him getting walloped by her wing. The rest of the time was spent asking questions to Nikki and receiving answers that confused him even more. Nikki said that what she did was imbue his armor with a bit of her element, which baffled him because he didn¡¯t think that was something she was able to do. She hadn¡¯t done it before because his previous gear couldn¡¯t hold it. She also apologized for being overeager and being more forceful than she intended to.

    Still, he realized that Element wasn¡¯t the correct word for what she intended to convey¡­ He tentatively reassigned it to ¡®energy¡¯, but he also suspected that there wasn¡¯t any word in his language that perfectly described what Nikki tried to explain. Valen wasn¡¯t sure if that was a property unique to Elders, though she implied they at least were able to manipulate it.

    It explained some things to Valen, as it was probably what truly separated Elders from regular monsters¡­

    Her explanations became even more confusing after this, though he noted the conversation in his notebook hoping to make sense of it later¡­

    Thus it was with a distracted mind that he came back to the Village, still trying to make sense of what he discovered today. He had barely noticed he had no idea what he did the whole evening before he realized he was in his bed, but sleep was hard to come, his mind whirling with ideas.

    <hr>

    Outside of this monumental world shift, upon which he skipped visiting Nikki for a few days, trying to make sense of the whole thing, and because his wariness of her came back strong for a time, he eventually gave up on it, and at their next meeting, they came back to training¡­ Only this time Nikki was more forceful¡­ but Valen was still shocked by what it meant.

    What Nikki was doing to his armor allowed him to survive at least one hit of Nikki at full power. It didn¡¯t seem much but it was a world of difference. No more they had to be extremely careful with their training sessions¡­ Now Nikki was able to use more of her true speed and strength, which also meant that while Valen was occasionally winning bouts before, he was now on a huge losing streak.

    It would have demoralized others, but not him, as he also knew there was a huge difference and huge progress compared to his previous armor¡­ He was able to take riskier maneuvers. The first few times he was punished by an instant defeat as they still worked on the rules that the first hit on him was a loss.

    Valen also came to deduct that while she improved her armor, she seemed to have made his weapon worse than it should have been, the strikes having the same effect on her as the basic steel gear. It also meant that he could put his full strength while striking her without risking wounding the dragon. He had to spend every evening sharpening and cleaning his weapon though.

    Nikki was relentless in their sessions, but Valen knew she was also fair, no other monster would hold their might back so as not to kill him. It was also the greatest benefit he gained from her: the ability to constantly train like real hunts without the constant risk of death.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    It was only a few months later that Nikki granted the first victory to Valen, him having landed a few strikes on vital areas. And it was then that Valen truly knew he was improving. He went right back into a losing streak but the sole win renewed his determination.

    <hr>

    Not all this time was spent sparring however, there were also times when the two of them forewent the training and simply enjoyed each other¡¯s time, usually napping or chatting¡­

    It was also during one of these times that what Valen feared the most, happened: Somebody discovered them.

    Valen had currently his weapon disassembled and in the process of cleaning it and maintaining it. He had once spent a hunt with it being jammed before he met Nikki and knew how dangerous it was, so he made sure it was something that wouldn¡¯t happen once again.

    However, the tinkering noises he caused thus prevented the both of them from hearing the faint rustling of leaves around¡­ They could not detect the intruder until they heard a soft gasp coming out from the entrance of the clearing, which now had a woman paused mid-stride, a large basket in her arm.

    There was a very long and tense moment, where Valen was in the middle of a sharpening pass on the edge, Nikki had very clearly tensed up and was obviously about to pounce on the intruder if needed to, and the stranger was staring at them both of them, very clearly have realized that she was in a very tricky situation.

    The one to break the tension was surprisingly the woman, as she visibly forced herself to react and simply said. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve intruded on a private moment, I¡¯ll leave the both of you to it then.¡± And she started walking away.

    It took a split second for Valen to digest what she just said, but immediately seeing Nikki being thrown off by her reaction, he signed to her. ¡°I manage that.¡± And left his disassembled weapon on the ground while he ran to catch up to her.

    Strangely the woman wasn¡¯t running away and seemed unconcerned by what just happened. Once Valen caught up to her, she just looked at him and smiled. ¡°Do not worry, I do not intend to speak about what happened to anybody else.¡±

    This threw Valen out for a loop and he paused for a slight moment in confusion before asking. ¡°I¡­ I thought you would warn the guild of that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, it¡¯s not the most scandalous or outlandish thing I¡¯ve witnessed. Heck, it doesn¡¯t even enter the top five. Besides I take the confidentiality of my clients seriously, and I already knew not all Elders were bloodthirsty beasts, so it just is a logical possibility for me.¡±

    ¡°Clients? Who are you?¡±

    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t the villagers tell you about an itinerant smith and merchant? That¡¯s me, I¡¯m Aki. I usually come here to restock in mushrooms and herbs, but I also did repairs for the occasional hunter who got punished there. I arrived yesterday, and I didn¡¯t expect to be greeted by such a surprise! A peaceful Elder, that is a first for me still!¡±

    ¡°Yeah we have gotten close recently though I was worried about her reaction, it IS the first time somebody discovered us¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare betray the little trust I gave you, you won¡¯t like Nikki¡¯s reaction if you do.¡±

    She nodded seriously. ¡°I won¡¯t, as I said, I¡¯ve seen worse, and even then never revealed it. You have noooo idea what hunters born from well-off families can do!¡± She giggled. ¡°Eh. Please bring back your weapon with you, I¡¯d like to do a check so I can confirm you¡¯re taking care of it. Switch Axe right?¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, hunted a Plesioth for the full set.¡±

    ¡°Not bad, it would be strong enough to pierce the scales of an Elder if need to be.¡± She looked above. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the village, be here the next few weeks, then I need to continue my rotation. Don¡¯t you dare get mauled by that Valstrax!¡±

    And with a last wave, so quickly Valen barely realized it, she vanished through the overgrowth. He looked around but there was no rustling betraying her presence, he shrugged and returned to Nikki, confirming to her that Aki wouldn¡¯t be an issue, at least he thought. He hastened to maintain his weapon, put back his armor, and returned towards the village as soon as he could though, cutting short the time he had with the Valstrax for once.

    However, he was relieved to see that when he came back, no horde of villagers nor the village chief were waiting for him, ready for blood. He dropped his supplies pack at his abode and then headed towards the forge, hearing the sound of the hammer against metal, which told him that Aki was at work.

    The forge being open to the air, she immediately noticed his approach, and she did a couple more swings before putting the blade she was forging back in the fire, pulling the bellows a couple of times. Without the long sleeves that she had in the forest, Valen could see that Aki had toned muscles on her arms, developed after years in the forge he supposed.

    Though it was only in there that he immediately noticed something off about her: two of her fingers on her right arm weren¡¯t made of flesh, but of metal, a sort of gauntlet covering the back of her hand with an embedded gem that seemed familiar to Valen, but he couldn¡¯t recall where from.

    Aki noticed his stare and she smiled. ¡°Lost these fingers to an accident a while ago, but I managed to craft this prosthesis to recover their function. Almost feels like the original even!¡±

    ¡°That is impressive indeed, it¡¯s all your work you said?¡±

    ¡°Yep! It took me a while to figure out how I would do it but I¡¯m satisfied with the result! Though I¡¯m not sure I could recreate what I¡¯ve done for others since it¡¯s so finely tuned to myself.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± He then unsheathed his weapon from his back. ¡°I understood you wanted to check out my gear right?¡±

    He barely finished his question before she snatched his weapon out of his grasp with surprising strength and dexterity, there she simply turned the weapon in all angles, testing the morphing functionality and the phials. She then placed it on her work table and dismantled it partially, to check on the internals, then suddenly asked. ¡°Did you help forge it?¡±

    That question took aback Valen, and he took a split second to answer. ¡°No? Was I supposed to?¡±

    The facepalm that followed than answer along with the accompanying groan told the answer to Valen. ¡°Ugh, those guild rules I swear¡­ Yeah, past a point in the food chain, you should assist the Smith on some critical parts of the forging or upgrading process, it¡¯s to tune the weapon and armor with yourself more. I had my suspicions because despite your armor being good quality, something felt off, I guess I have my answer.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I remember asking that question to the smith since I remember something like that in my training and he simply said it was only for lower-skilled smiths.¡±

    ¡°HE SAID WHAT?¡± The unexpected outburst from Aki startled Valen. ¡°THIS ARROGANT, PUMPED UP FOOL! I SWEAR ON GOG, I¡¯LL HAVE HIS HIDE! ¡®LOWER SKILLED SMITHS¡¯, THAT¡¯S JUST HIMSELF!¡±

    Then she visibly calmed down and sighed. ¡°Sorry for the outburst. But as an itinerant smith, I pride myself on making sure my clients have the best quality of gear they can get, and doing something like he did is simply negligent, what if one of my clients died in a hunt because they didn¡¯t get that small edge they needed? I make sure that I do everything I am able, and that means making sure the armor and weapons simply are the best they can be with their clients.¡±

    Valen took a moment to digest what she just said, then a detail puzzled him. ¡°But how does that work then? Why is it so important armors can bond with their owners?¡±

    Aki frowned then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Valen but I can¡¯t tell, it¡¯s a guild secret, I would tell you if I could but I was honor bound to not divulge it unless the hunter is G-Rank.¡±

    This made Valen immediately suspicious, as G-Rank is the highest attainable rank a hunter may achieve. It¡¯s most notably automatically discerned if a hunter can slay a rampaging Elder Dragon solo, a feat that has been rarely achieved.

    ¡°¡­ I guess it has some link with the energy Nikki can manipulate.¡±

    Aki, who was in the process of reassembling Valen¡¯s weapon, snapped her head back up. ¡°Nikki? Oh, I see. And she can manipulate it? That explains so much about Elders¡­¡± Then she grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t report that to the guild due to it coming from an unverified source.¡±

    Valen sighed in relief, he realized after he shouldn¡¯t have talked about it. ¡°I guess I should be more careful about what I say in the future.¡±

    The smith finished reassembling the weapon and handed it back to Valen, then she walked several circles around him then nodded. ¡°Alright craftsmanship for this armor, though it¡¯s shoddy to me just for what he did, not making you participate. I¡¯ve nothing to say about the state of it though, you¡¯re maintaining it well already.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for that¡­ How long will you stay here, since you are an itinerary smith.¡±

    ¡°Normally? Not more than one week. But you¡¯re too interesting to me, so I¡¯ll stay the full month.¡± She grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get rid of me that easily!¡±

    Valen shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll head myself out then. See you tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Bye Valen, don¡¯t trip on a tail while you¡¯re gone!¡±

    Surprised by the wording of this sentence, he looked back to see if she would explain, but she simply grinned and went to remove the kitchen knife she was working on from the fire.

    Shaking his head, he came to realize that Aki had an¡­ Unusual but cheerful personality and she was bound to have her quirks. But still, he went to spend the evening in his accommodations, and hopefully, nothing would happen during his stay here.

 Chapter 14: Troubles

    The next time he met Nikki, Valen explained to her that she wasn¡¯t an enemy, and he tentatively called her an ally, but he thought that it was a complicated situation to explain to her. She still got the gist of it though and soon Aki came to meet them on a couple of occasions. The first time Nikki stared her down until Aki chuckled and she joked that a staring contest was a better alternative to a fight to the death or to escape, which were what usually happened when you met an Elder.

    Once she witnessed the sign language the two of them developed to communicate she seemed intrigued and wanted to learn it. However, because she did not have a lot of free time, she could only learn the most important words.

    Still, her greatest surprise was when she witnessed the first sparring match the two of them got into, and she was visibly impressed by the skills and agility Valen displayed against Nikki, knowing how to position himself, and simply dodging the majority of Nikki¡¯s attacks.

    She did gasp when he took a big hit from a claw swipe he misjudged but was amazed when he simply got back up without any issues. And she seemed to be genuinely amazed by the fact that it is a regular occurrence for him. She was curious about how this happened and when he revealed it was thanks to Nikki, Aki got a pensive look on her face, then simply said that it was new stuff for her.

    Apart from this revelation, nothing more happened with Aki before she had to leave to continue her tour. She did say that she would come back more often than she did here. Because Valen was ¡°Interesting enough to be worth it.¡± It was then with good spirits that Aki picked up her backpack and went back on the road. It was also there that he discovered that she was trained to use a weapon and had an Insect Glaive that she carried while on the road, along with the obligatory Kinsect. He had never seen it before because in Aki¡¯s words. It was a ¡°lazy ass¡± and slept all day in her room. But she wouldn¡¯t raise another one as it rose to the occasion when needed.

    <hr>

    The next year, nothing much happened¡­ until one day Nikki broke one of her front claws while the two of them were training by accidentally striking a rock. Valen got worried for a bit before Nikki reassured him it would regrow. She did encourage him to take it and use it for whatever he wanted to.

    Which happened once Aki came back and was overjoyed when he showed her the broken claw. She immediately lit her forge and told him they would have to pull an all-nighter, and she didn¡¯t care if he had things to do the following day, though luck.

    Thus they spent all night in the forge, the smith retrieving chunks of rare ore that she kept on herself for occasions like that, which surprised Valen that she would use something as rare and tough as Carbalite ore.

    Valen was tasked to help sharpen the claw so that it had a uniform edge, while Aki did the task of melting down the ore and shaping the handle of what she told him was a new carving knife. ¡°You¡¯ll need it if you manage to take on Elders.¡±

    Once she had the handle done, she inspected Valen¡¯s work, said it was perfect for what she needed to do, and proceeded to finish trimming it down, using a huge grate for the work, then polished it, before fitting it all with the handle she forged, until she added a few bits for practicality or aesthetics like a red leather handle or a trinket.

    Dawn was starting to come over the horizon when she proudly declared their work as finished, and presented it to Valen, which truly surprised him, the craftsmanship of the knife was leagues above his armor. It truly showed the skill Aki possessed that she was able to craft something as complicated in a single night. He thanked her and, noticing they still had a bit of night left before the morning started, both went to grab some sleep.

    When Valen showed the knife to Nikki the following day, she seemed happy with the result, though for Valen it also felt like he was carrying a piece of her with him wherever he went. She didn¡¯t ask him to train with it though, continuing to use the Axe as usual. Valen redoubled intensity this day, making Nikki work to tag him.

    <hr>

    Half a dozen years passed in the blink of an eye for Valen, having received no further orders from the guild to change assignments or emergencies. He spotted only a few large monsters that ventured deep into the forest before giving up on cutting a way through. The only worry he got was when a persistent Nargacuga came alarmingly close to the village, he was sure it was a young one, by the colors of its scales that didn¡¯t quite look black, and its bladed wings looked too sharp. But after a short fight with Valen, it decided it wasn¡¯t worth it and turned tail. Valen did not pursue, his standing orders simply to repel possible threats if possible.

    Valen and Nikki continued their secret meetings, joined by Aki when she was in the village. Valen also was winning a sizable amount of their spars now, even though Nikki was pushing herself to be quite fast. But he knew all her tells now, and his smaller size meant that it for harder for her to predict him. She didn¡¯t seem upset, but he was still blindsided occasionally when she pulled out attacks that she never demonstrated before.

    But every time, he adapted. He learned and fighting her was now second nature. Though he was kind of worried about when he would have to fight another monster, he was worried that he was too used to fighting Nikki and would struggle to adapt. The small fight he had with the Nargacuga helped alleviate those doubts though.

    However, all of this was in the past, and in the present, Valen was worried. Nikki hadn¡¯t shown herself for a couple of weeks now, and her absence was starting to greatly worry him. He feared the worst but internally knew that if she was to face hunters, she would simply fly away, knowing that some of their members were dangerous enough, even for her.

    Today was supposed to be one of the days they were meeting, but even though Valen was waiting for an hour, she was still not showing up. He would wait until their usual time they separated though, as he did since she started not showing up.

    Another half an hour and Valen started to think it would be yet another day of no show, and was starting to pack up his belongings¡­ When a faint noise made him perk up. After a bit it grew louder and he knew that it was her coming here, at last.

    However, when he looked up, something felt off. Instead of Nikki skimming the treetops to avoid detection, she was coming down directly from the skies. Valen was instantly on edge, Nikki taking such a big risk meant something was wrong.

    When she finally landed and cut off her flying, he could see she was¡­ Off. Her scales were not shiny as they usually were, she was heavily breathing while normally she was fine after flying and some of her scales on her back were flat out and heavily scratched.

    It took her a bit for her breathing to calm down, but once she recovered a bit, she looked at Valen, and after staring at him for a bit. She started signing.

    She pointed at him, the simple sign that meant. ¡°You.¡±

    But the second sign¡­ She approached her claw from her throat, then mimicked slashing it. This sent chills down his spine. Nikki had demonstrated the meaning of this sign years ago, brutally. But they never used it until now. Because it meant ¡°Kill¡±. They usually used ¡°slay¡± when talking about hunts. Her using it meant something must be dire.

    Valen was still stunned by her use of the kill sign that he almost missed the last one, which was ¡°him¡±.

    ¡°You kill him¡±. She wanted him to hunt a monster, maybe even another elder. But¡­ He was scared to ask why. But he did still.

    ¡°You need. Prove yourself. Become stronger.¡±

    This was cryptic from her, but he guessed that she thought he was ready to face that monster¡­ Or an emergency happened or something else prevented her from taking care of it. But she also trusted him to emerge victorious.

    So Valen simply nodded and signed. ¡°I will.¡±

    However, Nikki surprised him by immediately leaning and touching his breastplate with the tip of her nose, in what he recognized as her way of powering up his armor. Then she looked at his weapon, and without prompting, Valen unsheathed it and held it out for her. She delicately took it in her beak then did the same thing¡­ Literally the same as he was surprised once he took it back. He could feel that instead of making it weaker, Nikki made his weapon stronger. He looked back up in surprise, waiting for an explanation.

    Then Nikki made him jump backward by immediately turning around and taking off, which reinforced the idea that something was wrong. He expected her to explain her state and actions but the fact she just came to him to ask for this task and then immediately left again, meant that she was busy doing something important.

    Knowing for sure that she would not come back, he simply finished packing up his belongings and returned to the town.

    The chief noted his worried state when doing his report, however, what he just said did not alleviate his worries.

    ¡°You as well? We have several members in the village, mostly the Wyverians that are on edge. Like they are expecting something. Knowing how in tune with nature they are, and with you being a hunter, this something big is coming¡­ I would expect a guild report any day now.¡±

    Valen frowned, the fact that others were on edge meant something was wrong, and maybe Nikki was dealing with it. He shook his head, he was tired due to being stressed out by Nikki¡¯s absence, but he also knew that sleep would be hard to come tonight, as it had been for several days.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start packing up my belongings, in case the guild recalls me.¡±

    ¡°Do so, I would have asked you that as well.¡±

    After being dismissed, Valen returned to his accommodations and started packing up everything that he possessed and that he had brought. He checked and double-checked his bag, armor, and weapons so that they were ready to be used in an emergency.

    A few hours later he was satisfied and knew he was ready to leave in a hurry. So he just went to bed, sleeping hard to come with thoughts and worries whirling around in his head.

    <hr>

    The following morning, the chief requested his presence, so Valen obliged, going to his house. There he was invited to take a seat. So Valen made himself comfortable. But a long pause passed between the two before the chief sighed and said:Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I have received a message during the night, sent by a Hawk. It says that you are immediately recalled.¡±

    Valen nodded, it was what he expected as well. ¡°Where do I need to go.¡±

    ¡°To the treetops.¡± Valen recoiled in surprise. ¡°A Guild airship is coming, one of the big ones. They¡¯re collecting hunters and it will be the base of operations for the coming mission. And that is all of the details I have. I only know that the airship will be there by midday so you should be already up there by then.¡± Valen glanced outside, the sun was barely visible through the tree covers, but he still had a couple of hours before its zenith so he nodded.

    ¡°I will be there. My pack is ready, so I just need to leave.¡±

    The chief scratched his chin and closed his eyes in thought before standing up and firming his stance. ¡°Hunter Valen.¡± Valen automatically stood up in attention as well. ¡°This might be the goodbye for us, but as far as my authority reaches, you have paid the debt you have towards the guild. I will write a letter saying that I have no opposition against you being cleared for hunting again. And I hope the coming crisis will not be your undoing, as it might be a big one.¡±

    ¡°I hope as well. Thank you for your hospitality.¡±

    ¡°Now go, and may the Sapphire Star guide you.¡±

    ¡°May it guide you as well.¡±

    Valen then went to grab his bag and decided he would just wait at the top of the canopy. He only took the time to send a letter to Aki informing her of the change of posting, and that he would update her once he knew where he would go.

    It was then a fully geared-up Valen that was waiting at the top of a tree, on a concealed platform that the village¡¯s sentries used to look out for sky threats. It was also occasionally used as a fortune docking point for airships, but that was rarely used. Valen was glad that his helmet blocked out the sun from blinding his eyes. And it was indeed soon that he was able to spot in the horizon a large airship coming towards the village, descending from high altitudes.

    This airship was massive indeed, the guild using them as mobile bases of operations, and armed out with ballistae and even a Dragonator, a massive steam-powered Drill that was enough to ward off even elders. It didn¡¯t mean this airship was the biggest threat to the skies, far from that, the guild occasionally lost them to elder dragons or even some apex wyverns. However two threats stood out the most, the first being Valstrax, due to their ridiculous speed that nothing could match. One was taking out airship regularly and the elite team stationed on the famous Soaratorium was the one to take it down, managing to exhaust it during the few landings it made, and finishing it at the top of the Ruined Pinnacle, a massive lone peak that was brimming with dragon energy.

    The second threat was Amatsu, their great control of storms able to simply tear an airship apart with tornadoes. Thankfully most of them were passive and only defended their territories. One had been hunted in the recent decades though, being slain at the top of the Misty Peak, due to it maintaining a storm that was destabilizing the ecosystem.

    Over the next hour, the airship descended progressively towards the forest, and when he was certain they could spot him with binoculars, he pulled out his flare gun and fired the red flare loaded in it to signal his position.

    Another red flare was sent in response and the airship corrected its course to head directly towards him.

    It deployed a rope when approaching him, that was skimming the treetops, and the airship slowed down until it stopped right above him. Valen grabbed the rope dangling above him and firmed his grip around the knots. Soon enough they started pulling him up through the pulley used to lower the rope.

    Once he was level with the deck, somebody offered him a hand and Valen clasped it and jumped the small gap separating him from it. He landed smoothly and somebody said. ¡°Good. You are the last one we need to collect. The big shots that called the operations are waiting for you to start the meeting below.¡±

    Valen nodded and followed the guild officer towards the lower deck, until he opened a door that led to a big room where a dozen hunters were waiting, though he noted that most of them had armor from rather weak monsters, the biggest he got was a guy wearing a Rathian armor. He then removed his helmet, seeing as everybody in the room did, which got him some stares and double-takes as they saw the burned half of his face.

    Then he looked at the scene, which had a full team of hunters wearing high-quality armor, he recognized one wearing Lagiacrus armor, and another with a Rathalos full set, but couldn¡¯t recognize what the last two were wearing.

    This team of hunters was standing to the side, while a guild commander was in the middle of the scene. He nodded at Valen¡¯s arrival, who had found a spot to watch and listen to. ¡°Good, we now have everybody there. You may be wondering why so many hunters have been gathered, and the answer is simple: we have a rampaging elder on the loose.¡±

    Valen frowned, rampaging elders were rare, as they mostly stayed by themselves, and the guild mostly lived by the rule that if they weren¡¯t causing problems they left them alone. But he also knew that the team standing near the commander would be enough to deal with it.

    Somebody else had the same thought. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this team be enough to deal with it then? Why so many of us are needed?¡±

    ¡°That is because of the nature of the Elder. It is a Valstrax.¡±

    This sent chills down Valen¡¯s spine. He immediately thought about it being Nikki who was the one rampaging. His mind jumped to the worst conclusions immediately, of the thought of Nikki having used him in the end and only waiting so long to enact her plan, before realizing that something did not make sense. If that was her end goal, why did she train him? Or at least dispose of him before starting rampaging. She could probably do it, though he believed he still had a chance of winning, if she didn¡¯t nullify his weapon and he targeted the weak spots, along with a bit of luck. He shook his head, something else was at play.

    ¡°This Valstrax has razed one village, with only a few survivors. It didn¡¯t have to spend a lot of effort even, most of the town died in the initial strike. So that¡¯s why the guild has called for all of you. You aren¡¯t the ones supposed to finish it, but at least to ground it or keep it on the ground long enough for our team next to me.¡± He nodded to the full team. ¡°To come and finish the job.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? Forget regular elders, none of us are equipped enough to deal with, let alone survive a Valstrax!¡±

    Valen would have thought the same¡­ Before all of his training with Nikki. And he knew that she learned just as much as he did. If he put his chances against another? He wouldn¡¯t say he was guaranteed the victor, but he knew he had his chances if he pulled out all the stops.

    ¡°The guild will give a huge monetary reward for the hunter that will be able to restrain the Valstrax long enough for the team to take it down, as well as full rights of the body among all members that manage to get in a fight against it.¡±

    Valen¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Usually, it was the one that dealt the killing blow, or the team decided a member needed it more. But it also meant nobody would have enough for a full set, one of the light weapons probably. Unless the elite team was the one that took it down and one member of theirs took it all¡­

    ¡°Jumping Jaggis, that¡¯s unprecedented!¡± One hunter exclaimed.

    ¡°That is not all¡­ Along with the body rights¡­ There would be also an automatic promotion to G-Rank. Know that this is a crisis, and a big one, we need this Valstrax dealt with as soon as possible, and you¡¯re all we could gather. We consider you managing to distract it long enough being above and beyond your current skill level, and thus it should be an appropriate reward.¡±

    Valen¡¯s eyes narrowed a bit at this, the body rights were already exceptional, but the automatic promotion? That sounded like the guild was desperate for something. He decided to watch his back for the next few days.

    ¡°That sounds great and all, and don¡¯t get me wrong, I do not mind, but how do you think we stand even a chance to catch the Valstrax landing?¡±

    ¡°Because it is having an opponent.¡± He pulled out a picture showing two red trails in the sky that looked like they would go on a collision course. ¡°Another Valstrax, this one¡¯s origin unknown but it is confirmed it hasn¡¯t attacked any settlements, has been fighting with our target in the skies. The fights happen frequently, and often one of them has to land to safety to recover. We hope our target has to land near one of you so that you can do your duty. The airship will be ready to take off once a flare is sent, but we expect you need to keep it ground-bound bound at least half an hour for the team to arrive.¡±

    Valen heart¡¯s soared at this. Did that mean the other Valstrax was¡­ Nikki? It seemed logical, it would explain her absence if she was the one trying to down the rogue Valstrax and had been for several days.

    Another thought jumped to his mind¡­ If she¡¯s keeping it in the relatively same area, that also probably meant she knew the guild intended to try finishing it. Did she intend for him to finish the job? It¡­ Would make sense, as she probably knew that he alone, stood the most chance to emerge the victor among all of them.

    He was now certain the rogue Valstrax was who she asked him to kill. He wasn¡¯t sure why but¡­ It probably meant she knew something wrong with it, and that they had no other choice lest a disaster occur. He firmed his stance, he would do his best to fulfill Nikki¡¯s request.

    ¡°We are currently climbing as fast as we can so we can be high enough to start the operation. We¡¯ll drop you from high up, and all of you have received the required training with hand gliders right?¡± Valen nodded, it was a required skill in case of aerial insertion like this. ¡°Then we¡¯ll drop you from above and you¡¯ll reach your designated area and be ready to fight if you¡¯re the lucky one.¡±

    ¡°How will we know that we will fight the right one? Because it looks like if we kill our benefactor we have no way to catch our target?¡±

    ¡°Our target has been reported to display unusual properties such as dragon element permanently leaking from its wings and chest, contrary to a regular Valstrax, so confirm that property before engaging.¡±

    This specific detail told Valen more than anything that this Valstrax had something wrong, as he had never seen Nikki leaking dragon energy in that manner.

    ¡°Any more questions?¡± None ensued. ¡°Then drop your packs in the rooms and join us back up. It is going to be a rough day. Dismissed.¡±

    Valen nodded and he was led out of the room by the same officer that brought him in, followed by some of the hunters, but also, to his surprise, the elite team.

    He dropped his bag on one of the beds in the corner, making sure his carving knife was stashed in it, but then he was interrupted by a grunt.

    ¡°So you are the only one High Rank among this rabble? Hmmm, Plesioth, at least you ain¡¯t a wimp that hunted something like a Barroth. Plesioth is a menace.¡±

    Valen looked behind him, and it was the Lagiacrus-clad hunter that just said that. Valen narrowed his eyes and retorted. ¡°Yeah, was a tricky hunt, almost didn¡¯t make it out, but that¡¯s what doing such a hunt with Iron gear gets you.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll believe it once Poogies flies! Still, we have something important to discuss with you.¡±

    It was there that Valen noticed that one of the hunters had closed the door and was standing in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and said. ¡°So, what do you want? You are not doing this idle chatting just for the sake of it.¡±

    Another voice sprang up, one of those that was wearing armor that Valen wasn¡¯t sure what it was. It was mostly covered in blue plates, with some green here and there, but he was sure that it was a Gunlance strapped to his back. ¡°In the event, you are the one to fight the Valstrax. We need¡­ No, we require that you give up your share of the body.¡±

    Alarm bells rang in Valen¡¯s mind. ¡°And why would you do that, what reason is there for it?¡±

    ¡°Because I have been waiting for so long for an armor made from an elder! And can you imagine what a Gunlance made of a Valstrax would be? Nothing could top it!¡± The hunter said with a slightly manic voice.

    ¡°So simply due to you feeling like you deserve it.¡±

    ¡°That is because I do!¡± He retorted, his tone now more menacing. ¡°So, do we have a deal?¡±

    Valen knew it was a bad idea to argue with them or to deny their request, they probably couldn¡¯t harm him here but they could sabotage his gear. So he decided to go with the flow. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I need to once the time comes.¡± He said while nodding.

    ¡°Good! I guess we have an agreement! And once we got that threat taken down, maybe we¡¯ll hunt that second one too! Two of us wearing Valstrax armor¡­ Now that¡¯s a dream!¡±

    This almost made Valen lose his control and explode at the hunter. But he simply took a deep breath and thought about the situation. Something about the way the mission worked struck him. If he was able to slay that Valstrax solo¡­ That also meant he would have the sole rights to the body. He looked at the hunters who were now laughing and making crass jokes, and resolved he would do his best to do so.

    Because he knew that they would just make a mockery of it all.

 Chapter 15: Resolve

    Once Valen had secured his pack, and discreetly retrieved his carving knife, he headed up for the upper deck, where all of the Low Rank hunters were already ready.

    A pile of hand gliders sat in the middle, and the commander nodded at Valen once he saw him. So he joined the group of hunters and waited for the instruction.

    It was getting a bit hard to breathe, due to the airship being so far up the air was thinner. But Valen didn¡¯t complain, he would just have to bear with it.

    A large map was then spread out on the ground, with weights on the corners pinning it down. It was a scaled up map of the surroundings they were in, and several X dotted it around, with numbers accompanying them. There was also a pile of flare guns next to it, with cartridges of ammunition among it, and they handed them up while the Commander started talking.

    ¡°Here is how you will all be spread out. Those that have a better score with the gliders are further away. You all will reach your designated position, we are distributing your assigned number on the map right now, so once you receive it, locate your position and prepare yourself to jump, we are on a tight schedule, and the airship needs to land back down before our target starts flying around.¡±

    Valen was handed a flare gun, which had red and green flares, along with his number, which he noted was one of the higher ones, and he frowned, as the position seemed to be the farthest out of the map. He glanced at the commander who walked next to him and said. ¡°You, Hunter Valen, are a special case, you are the only High Rank hunter we got for this mission besides our elite team. And your score in the test is also the highest, so we assigned you the furthest spot we could assign. That also means that you would have to fight longer before the reinforcements arrive. Do you think you are up to the task?¡±

    Valen didn¡¯t even need to think about it. ¡°I am.¡± He then grinned behind his helmet. ¡°Though the team should not tarry if I¡¯m the unlucky chosen, who knows, maybe I¡¯ll take it down by myself.¡±

    The commander frowned. ¡°Careful with arrogance, only a few hunters were known to take down an Elder solo, and only two who did so while High Rank.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, that was just in jest, I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill my task.¡±

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re the first one to leave. Good luck and may the Sapphire Star guide you.¡±

    Nodding in response, Valen, checked his destination and their headings on a compass then picked up one of the hand gliders and braced himself around it. They were quite large, being designed to carry armored hunters. The assemblage was made out of metal, and thick wyvern leather was what made out the cloth. Inspecting it for holes, he found none, and after taking a deep breath, he jumped off the airship, from the side that would lead him towards his destination.

    Hand glider training was difficult, and had the highest occurrence of injuries out of all the segments hunters go through. But Valen had aced it, finding himself to be in his natural element. He first picked up speed and once he was sure that was enough, leveled himself out and headed towards the direction he knew he was supposed to go.

    It took him several dozen minutes for him to reach the spot he was designated to, identifying the couple hills he noted on the map as landmarks, one of them being his target destination. So he angled for a landing approach, it being the most tricky part of the flying, but he knew that the most important was killing all of his speed at the last moment. He flew close to the ground and aimed for the uphill, then once he deemed he was close enough, he flared up as much as he could and touched down, running a bit to not faceplant.

    Taking several deep breaths of air that wasn¡¯t rushing his face, he examined his surroundings and carried the glider on his back, making sure it couldn¡¯t catch the wind and climbed to the top of the flat hill. He had to keep his hand glider nearby in case the Valstrax landed in an area down below so he could reach it as soon as he could.

    Now that he had reached his destination, he took the time to pondering on the small exchange he had with the elite team not long ago, he knew he shouldn¡¯t base his opinion of people on a first impression, but they felt so¡­ Wrong and self-centered he didn¡¯t know how they were hunters.

    He had already decided that he would attempt to complete the hunt by his lonesome. He just hoped that his experience with Nikki was strong enough.

    Scanning the skies, he noted that it was barely the start of the afternoon, but his experience in Nikki¡¯s cave told him that it was also the perfect time for a Valstrax to start hunting or flying around. For some reason Nikki flew less often on the morning than at the early afternoon. He sighed and made himself comfortable on the grass, he knew that the time would soon come, but would Nikki know where he is? And how would she make sure that the rampaging Valstrax landed near him? She would find a way, he was sure, he trusted her.

    However, not long after he landed, he spotted a red dot flying in the clear skies, he narrowed his eye, he didn¡¯t know which one it was, but in a hunch, he stood up and waved at it, if it was their target, drawing it towards him would do the job regardless, and if it was Nikki? It would confirm his location to her.

    For a few second he pursued the motion, until he noticed the dot turning around soon after. Valen let a smile appear on his face, it looked like his gut feeling was right, and it was indeed Nikki. Now, all he had to do was to trust her and be ready for action. So he started scanning the skies periodically, daring not to sit down, and walked around, so that his muscles didn¡¯t cool down.

    <hr>

    Valen didn¡¯t know for how long he had been waiting but judging by the progress of the sun, it couldn¡¯t be more than a couple hours, and he was tempted to sit down but he resisted the temptation. He looked around in the skies then immediately, movement caught his attention. And he focused more, then when he realized that it was not one but two red dots he was seeing, he tensed.

    One red dot was ahead of the other, and he noted that the direction they came from was the one he saw Nikki leave for once she noticed him. They were still both far away, but he knew how fast Valstrax were, so he did not let his guard down and prepared himself to jump into action at any moment.

    And indeed, they were closing fast, and not even a couple minutes later, they were both almost directly above him. Then, suddenly, the front dot changed directions, seemingly to the surprise of the other, which took a split second later to follow suit.

    They started circling, like a pair of Great Jaggis judging each other for the dominance of a pack. But Valen kept his eyes trained on the both of them, keeping track of which he thought was Nikki and the other.

    Suddenly Nikki jerked and headed directly towards the other, and Valen winced because the collision between the two could be seen, they merged for a bit until they separated again, but he could see that one of them was flying more erratically, and more strained. He hoped it was the one that had been collided upon.

    The other dot seemed to realized that aswell, and immediately headed towards the other again, however¡­ This time they didn¡¯t separate. And they were heading directly towards Valen.

    Realizing the danger, he ran directly perpendicular to the direction they were headed towards, keeping his eyes on the both of them. It only took a dozen seconds, but when both of them were about to impact the ground, he saw one of them separate from the other and was starting to pull up, and the other didn¡¯t pull up.

    Valen immediately dove for the ground, then a shockwave passed through him right after, and his ears rang, but he could feel that he was completely fine, which meant his armor protected him. He did not delay though and immediately got back up on his feet, one hand on the handle of his weapon.

    The scene that greeted him was of great devastation. A deep trench now marred the grass that covered the hilltop, which continued for several dozen meters, but he couldn¡¯t see clearly what was at the end of it, a cloud of dust having been kicked up by the crash landing. He drew his weapon, engaging the first level of the lever to disengage the safety mode.

    However the dust fell quickly, being mostly composed of dirt and grass and it soon revealed a dragon of silver scales, trident shaped wings, that were however even now leaking dragon energy, but also a lot of scars present on his back, which also had a bleeding wound that almost seemed to have been dented. It was shaking its head, its eyes closed but when they opened, Valen saw that they were completely bloodshot, with no trace of the usual blue iris that he saw present on Nikki. And his chest, now visible was leaking a huge quantity of dragon element. For such a violent crash, it seemed to have barely any wounds, but he noticed that a bleeding gash was present right below the chest vent, which probably meant a sharp rock pierced through there.

    Focusing on the claw, he counted the ones on his right legs, and seeing that all three of them were intact other than being scratched, he sighed in relief, he now was sure that it wasn¡¯t Nikki, her broken claw was still regrowing.

    He immediately started running towards the Elder, holding his weapon to the side, he knew he had to take the opportunity that was presented to him before it could recover its spirits. And he knew his priority: prevent it from being able to fly away, as he wasn¡¯t sure Nikki could repeat her feat. So he winded up and slashed the axe head towards the weakpoint that he knew it possessed: his chest vents.

    The weapon dug deeply, and before he could push further in, the Valstrax recoiled back and shrieked in pain, a shriek so intense Valen had to try to block the sound with his hands, even though he had taken care of plugging his ears with earbuds before leaving. Shaking his head, he rolled towards the right then looked at his opponent.

    It was now looking murderous and stared at him with sheer rage, knowing that it had been dealt a wound that stopped it from flying away. And Valen also immediately noticed his left wing was already reared back, so he reacted automatically, rolling to the left, avoiding the thrust that was aimed his way. It was fast, but he had dodged faster ones from Nikki.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    On a gut feeling, he immediately rolled to the right instantly after, avoiding the second thrust that had been aimed his way, which seemed to catch the elder by surprise. Valen did not let the opportunity go to waste, doing a rising slash with his axe on the leathery tissue connecting the tube-like wings, and was rewarded with a spray of blood and a tear starting to form.

    Valen knew that it now couldn¡¯t use that wing for thrusts again, lest it completely rip it apart. It didn¡¯t stop it from using it to shoot projectiles at him though.

    Once the Valstrax recovered from the pain, that is exactly what it seemed to realize, shifting orientation on his wing so that the open ends were aimed towards him. It took a moment to gather energy, blood bubbling on his chest while it inhaled air through it, then shot at him.

    The hunter was already running when the projectiles headed toward him. But they were simply carpet bombing him, the Valstrax too incoherent to aim properly at him. So he ducked one, and sidestepped another, and the rest simply missed widely. However before Valen could swing his weapon, the Valstrax seemed to realize the danger it was in and hopped sideways, raising his left wing, intending to squash the hunter with it, like a giant fly swatter.

    Nikki however had used this tactic before, and he already knew the way to deal with it, and so he jumped left, as the Valstrax instinctively did not let the wing go past their face, so it mostly would slam its left side, but left the right side clear. Nikki corrected this error after a while, but she rarely did this attack, as the goal of their training was still to let Valen improve, not beat him senseless.

    The Valstrax seemed to have realized its mistake immediately and attempted to swat him with a paw while it raised its wing. But Valen would not let it. He jumped on the wing and slashed on it again, on the membrane connecting the first digit to the second, and a large tear appeared on it once again, then he jumped off it, and using the moment the monster was recoiling from the pain to smoothly morph into Sword mode and scoring on its right leg. However he immediately saw its power through this pain and was about to try biting him, so he sidestepped the motion and got clear of his whole body.

    The Valstrax finally seemed to have realized it was a bad idea to let Valen get in close quarters, so it backstepped several times and slowly walked sideways. Valen followed, walking in the same direction, the two of them circling each other. The hunter knew he had partially disabled the most dangerous weapon the Valstrax had, and negated its mobility advantage, but he knew the battle was far from over, though time was in his favor, the elder bleeding profusely from several deep wounds and it would only be a matter of time before it would be weakened enough by it.

    This seemed to also be the conclusion the Valstrax reached. As it stopped circling, and examined his wounds. Then he stared at Valen, who stared back, holding his stance with his weapon on the side. A long moment passed through them, however for a split second he thought he saw clarity come back into the Valstrax¡¯s eyes, its eyes gaining a tinge of blue, however, Valen blinked and they returned to bloodshot red immediately after. It then screeched, the distance allowing Valen to power through it this time, but he heard a distinct rumbling through it, and immediately noticed his wings powering up, but since they faced behind him¡­ He knew it meant to charge him, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he could dodge it in time.

    Then he realized he also could use the opportunity. So he braced himself, and squeezed fully both the lever and the trigger, his weapon morphing into Sword mode¡­ And energy starting to gather up in it.

    The Valstrax charged for an instant longer, then immediately released the energy it has converted and blasted towards Valen. It was arriving at him at high speed, but not as fast as it dived from the air.

    However right when it was about to reach him, Valen faced his weapon downwards toward the Valstrax, and released the trigger, releasing a modest-sized explosion¡­ That he did not brace against, so he was blasted backward a bit into the air¡­ And its wing-arm where it was connected to its back, caught him on his chest. Since he had reduced the speed difference, it didn¡¯t impact him with the full force of the charge, but it still knocked the wind out of him.

    The Valstrax did not expect this and had flown through the shockwave front face-first, disorienting him and almost losing control of its dash, but it also immediately realized its opponent was on its back. And immediately dug its claws in the ground to stop its charge.

    However, Valen would not let it attempt to buckle him off. He reacted immediately by grabbing firmly on the wing with his right elbow which was also holding his weapon, and, pulling out his carving knife with his left hand, stabbed through its back to have a grip. He was surprised at how easily the knife plunged through the scales but did not let this fact distract him. Releasing his grip on the wing-arm, he raised his weapon and baring his teeth, he screamed a shout of rage and plunged the sword downwards. Towards the back of its head, where its nostrils were.

    The Switch Axe dug deeply, and the Valstrax immediately reared up and screeched, flailing wildly, dislodging Valen from its back, and his breathing still labored, releasing his grip from his knife and weapon. He rolled when he reached the ground and prepared himself to dodge the follow-up attack that he thought would come¡­ But was surprised when he laid his eyes on his opponent.

    The Valstrax was still flailing around wildly, and Valen could see that the sword had pushed deeper than he though¡­ He realized he must have hit the brain. He was witnessing the death throes of an Elder.

    The flailing continued for a couple more seconds before it stopped, collapsing on the ground, its eyes were trained on Valen, but instead of being bloodshot like before, its eyes were back to being blue. And it seemed to study him for a moment¡­ before Valen thought he saw a spark of respect and gratitude in its eyes, and it collapsed, going limp.

    It later that Valen realized that when it had collapsed, its wings and chest had stopped leaking energy. But on the moment he was still tense, ready for it to be a trick and coming back to life to strike him.

    One minute passed. Two, and it was only half a dozen minutes later that Valen realized that yes, the Valstrax was dead, and he was the one that dealt the killing blow. It only just now sunk in for Valen, and he immediately fell to his knees, his legs growing weak. He panted long and hard taking deep breaths to calm his raging heart. It was the shortest hunt he had ever made¡­ But also the most intense, having to keep his full focus throughout, since he knew no mistakes were allowed.

    But it paid off¡­ He did it. He managed to slay the Valstrax solo. He pulled himself back up on his feet and walked towards the body, crouching near it. Placing a hand on its snout, he closed his eyes and did a silent prayer towards his opponent, which he knew was not fully itself. It was off but had sparks of clarity, sparks that knew it was doing something that shouldn¡¯t be done. But that part of it had retreated deep inside itself and only came back to light at the end.

    Once he had done that, he pulled back up on his feet and pulled out his weapon from where it was extricated. The blood was already coagulating when he pulled out his weapon, so it didn¡¯t flow out that much. But for now he simply stabbed it on the ground, he would have plenty of time to clean it up later. He also pulled out his carving knife while he was at it.

    A rustle immediately made him go on alert and he instinctively grabbed his weapon and turned around to try to locate the sound, his one good ear made him unable to pinpoint the location, but he almost dropped it when he saw Nikki emerging from the bushes. She was definitely battered, a lot of scales singed or scratched, but she seemed to have nothing broken, apart from a couple of gashes, but he supposed that she would heal them in time.

    He didn¡¯t know what to think as she approached¡­ He had killed a member of her species, but it was also her who told him to do so¡­ So he simply signed. ¡°Why?¡± The same question he had asked her last time.

    And to his surprise, she answered this time. ¡°Sick. Madness. Danger.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know how to respond to that, it confirmed that something was wrong with it, but still didn¡¯t explain why, but he wasn¡¯t certain Nikki would answer if he asked for clarifications.

    Then she surprised him by approaching the body and touched it with the tip of her beak, taking a deep inhale. And then she raised her wing vertically¡­ And stupefied him by starting humming through them.

    The melody was primal, full of sadness and sorrow. Regret and resignation. It touched Valen with the deep emotion it contained. The sounds he could hear were deep and made his bones vibrate. It was as if an organ touched the deepest part of yourself, and could make even your instinct understand. It was a melody that could not be misunderstood for its purpose. And it was Nikki who was emitting it, as if she was transcribing her emotions to the wide world to hear.

    Valen was starting to tear up when the tone abruptly shifted. From sadness to joy. From sorrow to hope. From regret to determination. And from sorrow to happiness. Instead of being about the past, of mistakes, of things that had been. This one was full of promises, full of wishes. It spoke about a beautiful future, of a time where peace would come. Where a great blight was vanquished, and of cooperation, it took a while for Valen to understand that Nikki was singing about them. About their future.

    And with a final note, the melody died, and the plains became silent when the last echo of the sound faded. Nikki looked at Valen and rubbed her beak to him. He hugged her and simply said. ¡°Thanks you.¡± He didn¡¯t need to sign. She understood his meaning regardless.

    However, she turned her beak into a direction and immediately became more urgent. And Valen understood immediately, they needed not to be seen, and she wished for something to be done still.

    She nosed his carving knife and made a motion with her head for him to follow. So he unsheathed it and followed it. And then she tapped a spot on the back of the head with the tip of a beak. She seemed to want him to carve a part of the body, but he didn¡¯t know why. He didn¡¯t question her motives though.

    The knife cut through the scales with surprising ease. It was even easier than for the Plesioth with his old knife. And it took him only a couple cuts before he felt resistance, so frowning, he cut around, and when he managed to extract the item, he gasped.

    A deep red stone was in his hand, looking fragile but yet strong. It was just big enough to fit in the palm of his hand but he could feel the power pulsing out of it. And some kind of¡­ Awareness.

    He faced Nikki as to question her, but she simply said. ¡°He, respect you, thanks you. Help you.¡±

    Valen was about to ask her to clarify, but she immediately turned around and ran down hill. He supposed that she would take off from a different part of the surroundings, so that it was like they never met. She even made sure to take a path where she would not let footprints on.

    So he focused back on the stone. He knew that it was important, but he suspected Aki could help him understand what it was. So he retrieved a drawstring bag from his pouch and delicately placed it inside. Then he put it back in his pouch. He noticed her taking off from a long place away and heading away, probably to go back to her nest by a roundabout way.

    He also just realized that he still hasn¡¯t sent a flare up, and that he would have to ask questions about that later¡­ But for now. He pulled out the flare gun clasped to his coil, swapped out the red flare for a green one, that meant a completed hunt instead of request for assistance¡­ And fired it up. He followed with a second one so it couldn¡¯t be thought of as a mistake. The guns were packed with extra punch and it sent the flare way higher than he expected, along with extra recoil. But he knew they would be seen.

    He took a deep breath, and sat on the ground¡­ He expected to have to shout once they arrived. But he did not regret his actions.

 Chapter 16: Aftermath

    Since he knew he had full rights to the body¡­ He knew that he didn¡¯t need to carve his parts and that they would be transported where he wished to. Then it hit him what this meant: he would have to make a full gear out of it¡­ Nikki seemed to expect this, but he still felt weird about that. But he would not disappoint her by chickening out. So he knew he would have to send a letter to Aki as soon as he could. Elder bodies did not decay for a while, but they still were on limited time.

    She had sent him instructions on what to do if he ever needed her services for more extensive work than the knife she did for him. And he knew a full set of armor, along with a weapon fitted the bill.

    One hour later, he spotted some shapes coming from the horizon, and he quickly realized that it was the full team of hunters that was coming¡­ But there were also two more hand gliders than there should. He fired his green flare once again so that they could see that there was no doubt, and rapidly saw them aiming for landing.

    A half-dozen minutes later, all of them landed on the flat top of the hill, but he could immediately see that something was wrong with the Rathalos-clad hunter. His movements felt stiff, angry.

    He immediately reacted when he started unsheathing his weapon, a huge red-scaled Gunlance with its accompanying shield, and unsheathed his weapon in turn. He held it protectively, like a shield so he could deflect the explosions the hunter could blast at him if he dared to.

    ¡°YOUUUUUUU! YOU HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING! YOU WERE SIMPLY SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT OFF UNTIL WE ARRIVED TO SAVE THE DAY! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I HAVE WAITED TO BE PERMITTED TO HUNT AN ELDER? YEAAARS! NOW YOU¡¯LL PAY!¡±

    Valen prepared himself to react, the hunter had the range and defense advantage¡­ If it came to a fight, he would have to use his mobility.

    But right before he seemed to be about to lunge at Valen, a voice immediately cut the tension.

    ¡°Hunter Kayden! Stand down right now or you¡¯ll be kicked out of the guild immediately and branded as a poacher!¡±

    The hunter immediately froze, as it seemed he had forgotten that they were accompanied by the Commander. Who harshly reminded him of his presence.

    ¡°Know right now that you¡¯ll be held in a review, and that your behavior will no longer be tolerated! This is your last warning. We have received numerous reports, but your team dismissed them¡­ So they¡¯ll also be held to the same review.¡± He said while shooting a glare at the mentioned hunters. One of them seemed shifty, but the other two seemed to grip their armored fists further.

    The Rathalos-clad hunter seemed about to disobey the orders, before sharply turning his head to the side, and sheathing his weapons, shooting a glare through the eye-holes of his armor at Valen. The Commander followed him until he was back with his team, then he looked at the corpse and nodded to the last person of this group. ¡°Guild Knight, confirm the hunt.¡±

    The aforementioned Guild Knight nodded and walked up to the body and inspected the numerous wounds on it. It said. ¡°Some wounds are the result of a turf war between another Valstrax, but the most grievous ones are caused by a Switch Axe, on this chest, the wings membranes, and the right fore paw. A killing blow seems to be a stab in the brain. The only odd wound is this long gash in the chest, but I suspect it¡¯s caused by the crash landing. The presence of blood in the trench seems to confirm this. Hunter Valen is the sole hunter of this Elder Hunt.¡±

    Valen released a breath. There had been attempts of disguising group hunts with a hunter and some poachers as solo hunts, but the guild randomly sends Guild Knights to inspect the bodies to confirm they were caused only by the weapons the hunter wielded. And it was mandatory for Elder Dragon hunts. But now they confirmed he did complete the task solo.

    The Commander nodded at this, then looked at Valen. ¡°Hunter Valen, allow me to congratulate you and express the thanks of the Guild for resolving this emergency.¡± Then he crossed his arms. ¡°Now that formalities are done, allow me to ask: How the hell?¡±

    Valen smiled behind his helmet and he answered. ¡°Lucky shot at the beginning and more luck. I managed to wound its chest vents when it was still recovering from the crash landing, which would have satisfied the condition of preventing his retreat, but I did not have the time to fire a flare as its goal immediately became to try to murder me without giving me any breathing room¡­ And I guess I managed to finish it in the struggle.¡±

    The Commander nodded. ¡°That seems a good explanation, it immediately enraged, and I expect that an enraged Elder would give no quarters. I¡¯ll wait for your detailed report, but first, do you know of a smith that can take care of this?¡± He nodded towards the body.

    Valen nodded in response. ¡°I know somebody yes. I already plan to send a letter to her as soon as I can.¡±

    ¡°If you can write it now, you¡¯ll be able to send it as soon as the airship arrives¡­ Speaking of which.¡± He picked up his flare gun and fired it up, which was yellow this time. ¡°The airship will now be able to depart to pick us up. Every other hunter will have to return to towns by their means, as they have been instructed, we simply do not have the opportunity to pick them up. Their belongings will be safely stored at Bherna village.¡±

    It seemed fair for Valen. ¡°I should wait though I guess?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, a Felyne cart is waiting in the Airship and will be able to carry your rewards where you need them. The cost of transport is paid off by the Guild.¡±

    After this, they fell silent, and the Commander seemed to be finished with him¡­ But then he immediately turned to face the hunting team. ¡°As for you four¡­ Know that disciplinary actions will be taken. What I¡¯ve seen was unacceptable, and you can expect harsh retribution from the guild.¡±

    Valen noticed that the hunter that was about to assault him was gripping firmly his weapon, likely debating assaulting the Commander, but he seemed to notice the Guild Knight who also had his hand on his weapon of choice, being a Lance, and seemed to relax. He likely realized it wasn¡¯t a battle he should fight.

    What followed was a tense half an hour while all of them were waiting, it seemed the hunter still wanted to go at Valen but the Commander and the Guild Knight were standing between the two of them, and the Knight never let him leave his sight as well. Several times Valen saw his arm twitch towards his weapon but every time he seemed to reconsider.

    Once the airship finally arrived and stopped above the group. The Commander ordered somebody to grab Valen¡¯s belongings, and a Felyne climbed down the rope, managing to not be overbalanced by the large backpack it was carrying. Valen checked them and declared everything was in order. Soon after, pulleys lowered a large cart from the airship, and several Felynes were waiting at the bottom. Valen had penned and sealed a letter and then sent a messenger Hawk who would deliver it to Aki.

    While the other hunters were climbing back up the airship, on the Commander¡¯s order, he returned to Valen¡¯s side and said. ¡°Once your new gear is crafted, you are requested to go to Dundorma. Everything that happens after will be decided there. Do not take too long!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He was about to turn around when the Commander grabbed his shoulder, then pulling closer to his ears, he whispered:

    ¡°New doors are opening for you, but you¡¯ll quickly find you did not make only allies in this endeavor, your feat will not go unnoticed, and beware the Zinogre in Moofas clothing.¡±

    ¡°I will be careful! You¡¯ll also find I¡¯m not defenseless.¡± Valen replied.

    The Commander seemed satisfied by this response and with a final nod, climbed back up the ladder dangling from the airship. Once he was up, he seemed to shout orders and the airship took off slowly. Valen watched it soar before turning around, and noticing the Felynes had already secured the body with ropes to the cart, and a dozen of them were ready to pull it. One, seemingly the leader of the group walked up to Valen.

    ¡°We are puuretty sure everything is ready! Where do we go Meowster?¡±

    Valen then pulled out his map and pointed at a destination a bit to the south of Harth. ¡°There, it¡¯ll be a journey of several days but I¡¯m sure we can manage. I¡¯ll take care of any threats that dare to take on us.¡±

    The lead Felyne checked the destination on the map then emitted some meows in the private language of the Felynes, and soon all of them were heading off, towards Aki¡¯s home.

    <hr>

    The journey lasted almost a dozen days, but finally, they stood in front of the gate of a fortress built into the mountains. The stone looked ancient like it had been built long ago, but it was still standing and sturdy. Aki told Valen it was her home, and it had been built generations ago. The area outside of the walls was barren. Countless ruins of farmhouses or barns stood, and there were a lot of acidic pools and a couple of open-flowing lava. The Felynes gave cool drinks to the whole group to help with the ambient heat.

    But finally, Valen arrived at his destination. With a nod to the leading Felyne, he walked up to the massive wooden doors and slammed the giant knocker built into it, the sounds reverberating around.

    The group waited but it only took a few minutes before he heard movement behind the door, and soon after a person came up on one of the (meurtri¨¨res) and asked. ¡°Who comes here- woah that¡¯s a large body.¡±

    Valen had a smile appear on his face but he looked back up and said. ¡°Hunter Valen, here to request the services of the Smith Aki.¡±

    A moment passed, where he could hear voices discussing, but then they turned back around. ¡°We have been told to expect your arrival indeed. Can you show me your card?¡± Valen did so, pulling it out of his bag. After a moment, they were answered. ¡°Everything looks in order, Open the gates!¡±

    Soon after a loud grinding noise started to echo in the valley, and slowly, the doors started to open. It took the better part of a minute before the opening was large enough for the cart to be rolled in, so Felyne pulled it through, Valen following them. As soon as they were clear of the opening, he heard the doors stopping opening, and a couple of seconds later, starting to close behind them.

    What he faced was a massive keep, that stood strong to the tests of time. He could see parts where it had been demolished and rebuilt by the cleaner aspect of the stone, but most of it was still made of older stone. There were several houses around, a tavern, a couple of farms with fields behind them, and others of which he could not guess the purpose of. There were however ruins that spoke of an ancient catastrophe, as he guessed outside it, there were some square shapes of stone, the foundations of long-gone buildings, but what surprised him were the stone statues that he sometimes saw around. Most of them depict people in frozen faces of fear or attempting to flee.

    That is only a while later that he realized that they had been people once, trying to flee one ancient calamity but having been caught in it. Looking at the mountain that dominated the fortress, which had lava streams flowing from it, he suspected it was an eruption that once caused the devastation.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    The convoy stopped at the doors of the keep, which immediately opened and Aki walked out of it. She saw Valen and smiled. ¡°So! I leave not even two months and you take down Elders? If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think that you were the crazy one!¡±

    Valen chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t think it is a present for you, but I¡¯d be lying if I did not think of you once the deed was done.¡± He then took a more serious tone. ¡°Hello Aki, It¡¯s great to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Likewise Valen. No other guests than your little party am I right?¡±

    ¡°You are right, should we drop our package at your forge so we can free them from their duties?¡±

    ¡°That would a-purr-eciated.¡± The lead Felyne said.

    Aki nodded in response, then said. ¡°Come, follow me.¡± And she motioned to the group of Felynes, who while they weren¡¯t dropping dead, were exhausted from the long travel they had to endure.

    Thankfully the trip to the forge was a short one. Aki led them to a cavern built into the mountain and stopped at a storage area. ¡°There, you can leave it there, I¡¯ll take care of the rest. As an official Smith, I consider your Duty complete.¡±

    The Felynes cheered in a cacophony of meows. And they all but ran out of the cave. Only the lead Felyne stayed a bit longer, thanking Valen for taking care of the dangers in their journey, and then followed them.

    Aki and Valen were now alone, but she quickly motioned him to follow her back out of the cave.

    While they were walking, Valen asked. ¡°So. You¡¯re a noble?¡±

    She made a so-so gesture. ¡°Officially, we are not, but the fortress is of such a high quality that it¡¯s almost like we are, everybody who is living here is of their own free will, and we greatly appreciate them for that. The fortress is about one thousand years old from what we could deduct. It was built by our Ancestor, who had managed to acquire a fortune due to the legendary quality of his weapons, he was the greatest smith of his age. He had built this forge, and then the fortress to dedicate his craft to the King of old.

    Eventually, he died and the fortress went generations upon generations, a lot of our family were smiths. But one day a calamity struck. We think it was a rampaging Elder Dragon that tried to build its nest in the area, we suspect a Teostra but we aren¡¯t sure at this point. What eventually happened is that his power reawakened the dormant volcano, and created an eruption. It happened so quickly not everyone was able to take cover in the fortress, which weathered the eruption. However, everything else was buried in ashes. The area outside the fortress became acidic and barren, but for some reason that didn¡¯t happen inside the walls. This is why we can get by with such a small area, the grounds inside are incredibly fertile and produce great harvests.

    Eventually, over the following centuries, we have rebuilt and we even discovered the forge, with the now awakened magma, is the perfect place to craft high-quality equipment. You¡¯ll hardly find a better place for this.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I guess the reason relates to what you cannot tell me?¡±

    Aki looked at him in the eyes and had a smug smile. ¡°Indeed, and now that you¡¯re a G-Rank hunter, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know about it. Not now though, I¡¯ll wait until we are sure the possibility of unwanted ears is null.¡±

    Valen nodded, it made sense.

    They returned to the keep, and there Aki told him to drop his bag for everything he didn¡¯t need, he also dropped his armor to her request, being given something else, which was more layers of insulating clothes than anything else. ¡°This will help you better withstand the heat of the forge, cool drinks won¡¯t cut it alone. Also, put this on your head.¡± She said while handing out some kind of mask. ¡°I know you can support the noxious gas, but since we¡¯re surely staying there for several days, it¡¯ll be more than you can handle, even if I still wear them.¡± She finished while putting on her filter mask.

    Valen followed her instructions to the letter, he knew that Aki knew the security protocols of her home the best, so obeying her simply made sense.

    Once they were all geared up, they returned towards the forge, Valen noticing the sun was starting to begin its descent, which meant they were at the beginning of the afternoon, but he already had eaten on the road so he was satiated for a while longer.

    This time in the forge they passed the storage room and went deeper into it, which didn¡¯t seem to be the forge room itself, but some kind of bedroom in it. Aki locked the door behind them and removed her mask. ¡°There, I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t be spied on while here. There¡¯s ventilation in this room, you can remove your mask.¡±

    Valen duly did so, and he asked. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s where you sleep when doing big projects?¡±

    She smiled and nodded. ¡°Indeed! So! First things first, did Nikki do anything more unusual since I have last seen her?¡±

    He frowned and then snapped his fingers. ¡°Yes, you know how she always made my weapon weaker when we sparred? This time I think she made it stronger, like she was doing with the armor, when I was fighting the Valstrax, it felt like I was cutting through the scales more easily than I should.¡±

    Aki hummed and answered. ¡°That tracks, if she could imbue the armor with her energy, and could deplete your weapons, it made sense she could also do the opposite for each.¡±

    ¡°Apart from that, there isn¡¯t anything new¡­ Oh right¡­ I wish you were here, but she did some kind of funeral when I slayed the Valstrax, it was hauntingly beautiful and I did not expect her to use music to create sound.¡±

    ¡°She did? Hmmm, yeah the way her wings work would make it able to do that¡­ Would also make a kick-ass Hunting Horn if that was your weapon too.¡± She sighed. ¡°How did she react when you slayed a member of her species?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the strange thing, it was her who encouraged me to do it in the first place, she only told me that he was sick and afflicted with some kind of madness once the deed was done.¡±

    ¡°That is strange indeed, but I believe she had a reason, and that probably meant that Valstrax was too far gone¡­ Anything else?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s everything. So, what¡¯s the deal with that energy?¡±

    There Aki took a deep breath and started boiling some water on a stove. ¡°It¡¯s called Bioenergy. Some theorize it¡¯s the energy of life itself. But from what we know, it helps monsters to function. Because some aspects of physics we know don¡¯t make sense to them. They should be slower for how massive they are, a lot of them have wings too small to be able to fly. Bioenergy helps fill out these gaps and allow them to live.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ I can see why it would be kept secret from the general public. But why aren¡¯t all hunters aware of it at least?¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s the secret to armors and weapons. When we forge equipment made of monsters, they retain the Bioenergy they had, maybe even in a more condensed form. This is why gear made of simple bones or ores is so ineffective on the higher-ranked monsters. They simply do not have the Bioenergy to go through the defense of a monster.¡±

    Valen frowned then something jumped to his mind. ¡°Wait, does that mean you need Bioenergy to go through their defenses?¡±

    Aki nodded. ¡°Indeed, the excess energy monsters have makes it that it reinforces the outer shell of, be it fur, scales, or feathers. Only excessive force, like the one produced by Dragonators, can go through it normally, or repeated strikes on the same spot.¡±

    Valen sighed. ¡°I guess I was fortunate on the Plesioth hunt, good thing I had a hunting partner else I doubt I¡¯d have managed it alone.¡±

    ¡°You still pulled your weight on that one, so don¡¯t say you did nothing! Still, this is why it¡¯s almost impossible to try hunting Elders with basic iron or bone gear, their Bioenergy is so potent that it makes conventional attacks ineffective, as I¡¯m sure you witnessed during your spars with Nikki.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Yeah, I wondered¡­ What about armor? You said weapons allow you to go through the Bioenergy of monsters, I guess armor helps you counteract theirs?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! From what we could determine, the Bioenergy of armor allows to spread the impact on the whole surface instead of only the area struck, more powerful monsters can go through this of course, but it¡­ Let¡¯s say it¡¯s like an invisible shield around your body that can tank a couple of hits. No more though, as there¡¯s a finite pool they can draw from before they are completely overwhelmed. It¡¯s why it¡¯s recommended to have breaks between hunts instead of chaining them.¡±

    ¡°That explains so much¡­ Okay, anything else?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it, there¡¯s more but it¡¯s more details and I¡¯ll explain it while we work on your equipment.¡±

    This made Valen remember the gem he carved from the Valstrax. ¡°Oh right, before I forget¡­ Nikki pushed me to carve a specific spot of the body¡­ And I extracted this.¡± He retrieved the drawstring bag from his pouch and opened it, exposing the ruby-red gemstone that he had extracted. ¡°Any idea what this is?¡±

    Aki gasped, she stared at the stone for a long while, before rubbing the back of her prosthesis hand, and then she sighed. ¡°Valen, if I needed proof that you would become a legendary hunter, this would be enough. You have no idea what this is?¡±

    ¡°I only know that Nikki felt it was important, and I can sense some sense of¡­ Awareness of it? Like it¡¯s judging me.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°That tracks. Okay, this is one of the biggest secrets of the guilds, and especially the smith, bigger even than the Bioenergy, though it relates. This is a Gem. It¡¯s the crystallized essence of a whole monster. They are incredibly rare¡­ And not because they¡¯re rare in themselves. A monster had to judge a hunter to be worthy for it to exist.¡±

    Valen almost stumbled back. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°These gems exist on every monster that is high enough in the food chain¡­ But in most cases, they dissolve on death, dispersing the Bioenergy they contain in nature. However¡­ In rare cases, a monster can respect a hunter, for being honorable in their fighting, for delivering them of pain by it, without taking joy in it. Or simply, because they can feel they deserve it. We have several recorded cases of regular wyverns¡­ But for Elders? I have enough fingers on my hand to count them all. My injured hand.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ What does it mean exactly, what does it contain, the soul of the monster?¡±

    ¡°Not really, more like¡­ Its essence. They are not sentient for sure, but¡­ Strange thing happens around them, they can make a weapon feel stronger in time of need, or you take a hit that should have broken your body. Or they can help you completely recover the function of a lost limb.¡± She said while holding up her right hand, which Valen now noticed, had a green gem embedded in it.

    ¡°When I was collecting the parts to craft my prosthesis, I needed parts of an Apex monster, so I decided that I¡¯d challenge a Rathian. The hunt was close¡­ I almost lost my life in it. However, as she was about to die, it felt like she was acknowledging me. I later learned that she was well known and a right terror when she was younger, being very protective of her nest, but she had lost her Rathalos mate recently, she probably wanted to go out with a bang.¡±

    She looked at him seriously. ¡°I know I don¡¯t need to tell you this, what with your relationship with Nikki, but respect monsters Valen, they deserve their place there as much as we deserve ours. And too many have forgotten that fact recently¡­¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°Do not worry, I will do my very best to do that.¡±

    ¡°Keep that Gem with you, and I¡¯d suggest not letting anybody touch it, if it¡¯s anything like mine, it won¡¯t react well to that. It chose you and only you. It¡¯ll be kind of the same with your armor and weapons. Past a point, only those who participated in the forging can wear or use it. Anybody else would find it defective.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± He pulled the strings tight to close the bag and replaced it in its pouch. ¡°What next? Do we start forging right now or?¡±

    ¡°First of all, we do the plans for the armor and weapon. Elder Armors are custom-made, especially if they have been slayed by a solo hunter. You¡¯ll find it¡¯ll be the very best armor you can wear, and your Plesioth¡¯s will be miserable in comparison. So, let¡¯s start drawing! Do not hesitate to tell me you want to add something, if it makes sense for you, it will work.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ let¡¯s do it then!¡±

    Thus Valen and Aki went both to design the armor that would be made out of the Valstrax¡¯s materials. They first drew up the armor, but when Aki showed it to him, something felt missing, so he asked if a certain addition was possible. She looked pensive, then grinned at him.

    ¡°Oh yes, it is, I would have said no if you didn¡¯t have the Gem, but since you do, it¡¯ll allow us to be more ambitious! Oh, since you use a Switch Axe, we can do something similar to it, we¡¯ll just have to install a second slot for a Phial!¡±

    Valen frowned and then asked. ¡°How about a third? Here¡¯s what I have in mind.¡±

    He told her and she frowned, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be a good emergency tool if you ever need it.¡±

    The night had long fallen when they finished designing.

 Chapter 17: Sky Piercer

    The following morning, once both Aki and Valen finished designing the equipment they were to forge, they started the work on it. Valen was tasked to cut out the parts needed for each step of the process. It was dirty work, but he knew he had to do it. The first step was to recover the scales, which would be the basis of everything, once properly processed.

    Aki asked for batches of materials, and she did her part for everything while Valen was butchering up the corpse. However, at certain steps, she needed extra hands to help her, and Valen duly responded, most notably by pumping fans or manipulating bowls of liquid metal and material.

    Once the process asked for it, the dull clang of metal against metal started to be a constant rhythm in the forging process. He was notably impressed by the quantities of material required during the whole process but also knew that there would still be excess.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to store part of it, so that you¡¯ll be able to perform repairs if needs be, but the rest will probably simply be sent to the Wycademy so they can study it. They do have the right to it.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me, we do find new information about monsters constantly.¡±

    This was only a small break in the forge process. But over the hours, on the Armor stand where the finished product would lay, more and more pieces were starting to be proudly displayed. Every step was a part of a whole. However what surprised Valen was the number of layers that were incorporated in each piece. He thought they would use only the outer shell of the body, but surprisingly, they also used greatly-processed muscles to form the inside of the armor.

    ¡°There needs to be something that can absorb and redistribute the strikes after all. And nothing better than to use the monster¡¯s insides.¡±

    This made sense to Valen, and he refocused on helping mix metal and scales.

    He also quickly realized that they were forging the weapon at the same time as the armor, and not separately. It simply was going slower and more care was put into it. But he could see the different elements of the finished weapon slowly coming together, ready to be assembled for the final step of the process.

    Time blurred together as they worked, and Valen wasn¡¯t sure at the moment how many hours they spent in the forge, not even leaving it for the night, simply sleeping in the bedrooms carved into it. He was thankful many times for the protective suit Aki provided to him, as it helped stave off the infernal heat they were working in.

    He only was barely aware when he finally retrieved one of the most important parts of the body: the wings, but he knew that they would become the center of the new armor and weapon.

    Finally, one evening, after managing to help Aki hammer together two pieces of the armor, she put down the hammer, placed the now-finished helmet on the stand, and nodded. ¡°It is done.¡±

    This snapped Valen out of the trance he seemed to have been working under for the past several days, and he asked, ¡°Is it? I feel like we barely progressed.¡±

    Aki giggled and pointed at the armor stand. ¡°Look at the result and dare tell me it¡¯s not complete!¡±

    So Valen looked at the armor, and he gasped.

    To him, it was a marvel of engineering, he could recognize the blueprints they had drawn together being made reality. The helmet, clearly inspired by a Valstrax¡¯s head, sat triumphantly at the top of the armor, two slits for the eyes that seemed to be red-colored glass, but that Valen knew was a trick of the light, as he could see as clearly as usual through the other side.

    The breastplate was pointed forwards, bringing to mind the chest of the Valstrax, though it was lacking the vents themselves and simply reproduced the general shape. The bracers prominently had the bulky trio of scales that protected the monster¡¯s forearms. The inside of the hands was lined with the red membrane that kept the wings together for better grip.

    The coil was reminiscent of the small fins between the wings, and finally, the pants completed the whole.

    However, the most prominent feature of it all was the set of jet engines that were attached to the back of the armor, two pairs of them upon the back. This was the modification Valen requested from Aki, and the incredible result surprised him. It completed the whole set, and he hoped, would allow him limited flight and short bursts of movements.

    However, as they have discussed, one more thing needed to be done. He first went to retrieve the drawstring bag he had stored in his bedroom and picked up the Gem from it¡­ He had named the Ruby Dragon Mindstone on prompting from Aki, who had told him that all gems had special names, and were named by the first hunter who obtained them¡­ However, it also meant they were generally named X Gem, with X being the name of the monster it came from.

    Then he slotted it into the space being made for it at the back, perfectly fitting it, and placed a clasp on it, securing it. Immediately, the armor seemed to gain a certain aura and seemed complete.

    ¡°Go on! Put it on! This is yours after all!¡±

    ¡°What about the weapon though?¡±

    ¡°Good point, you want to see it first? It¡¯s right there!¡± She exclaimed while pointing at a table, where the completed weapon sat.

    The axe head was composed of three wing tips, which pointed forwards, the Sword blade looked spectacularly sharpened, and it would cut with extreme ease. Everything was made out of gleaming silver, except for the handle, wrapped with the wing membrane. There were still the two triggers that controlled the morphing properties of the weapon¡­ But also a new one, further down where the other hand would grip. Another odd part was not the one, not two, but Three phials slots that sat at the base of the handle, two of regular size, but the last one seemed larger and was filled with a commensurately bigger vial.

    Valen smiled, he was certain he was now in possession of the most powerful set of gear ever made, tailored to him.

    Once he saw the weapon, he could not stop himself any longer and started putting every piece on, one by one, with the help of Aki. They started with the boots, the breastplate, then the coil that secured the two together, the bracers, and finally, Valen put the helmet on, a bit surprised how it didn¡¯t restrict his vision in the slightest.

    He tested it, rolling his shoulders, walking and running a bit in the large forge space, and doing some stretches. He was surprised to not find any discomfort at all. It felt even more flexible than the chain-mail armor he previously wore¡­ Even though it was far bulkier.

    He picked up the weapon and was surprised at how natural it felt now ¡ª it felt like a natural extension of his arm. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he swung it far more easily than before.

    They moved to a room with more open space so that Valen could test the jetpack. Once he was in it, he activated the controls, which were subtle presses on his fingers in sequence, immediately, it turned on and a loud whine was heard, along with him immediately hovering a couple of feet into the air. It felt easier¡­ Far easier than it should have, which surprised him. He expected to have some crashes at the beginning, but it was like¡­ The armor compensated for the gap itself?

    Aki whooped in joy, to his surprise. ¡°I knew it! The Mindstone fills in the gaps in the controls and makes the jetpack respond exactly as you wish it! Compounded by the fact it¡¯s from a Valstrax, which is made to fly like this! Oh, this works even better than I expected!¡±

    Valen nodded, it kind of made sense to him, and the result of Aki¡¯s prosthesis further demonstrated her point.

    He cut off the jetpack, then turned to the second addition they had made to the gear: the boosters on his Switch Axe.

    They had taken inspiration from a certain class of Gunlances: the Blast Dash capable ones. Those Gunlances traded their charged shelling capabilities for the ability to expel great force instead, propulsing their users in the opposite direction. Valen had the idea when he remembered the use that he made of the Switch Axe discharge to be able to mount the Valstrax to deliver the killing blow.

    Because the new Switch Axe had three wing tips, but only the top one was needed to keep the explosive phial properties, they designed the two side ones to act purely as thrusters and were fueled by a new phial type they had developed.

    So Valen held his weapon level, and squeezed the lower trigger, immediately, the two thrusters ignited and pushed Valen back, before cutting off. He bled his momentum on the ground and once he stopped he did some practice swings, adding some morphing attacks into it, and a couple of explosions. The weapon was indeed easier to wield than before.

    Satisfied with the test, he put the Switch Axe back into safety mode and placed it on the back, where it magnetized itself between the jetpack exhausts.

    ¡°Woohoo! That is what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Aki had hugged Valen, catching him by surprise, before releasing him

    ¡°I¡­ Thank you, Aki, I feel safer in this. And I believe Nikki would thank you as well if she was here. She considers my safety to be extremely important.¡±

    ¡°As I told you, I only do the best for my customers¡­ And go beyond for my friends.¡±

    Valen smiled. ¡°That you do, even I am amazed by the result, and I helped forge it!¡±

    Then Aki became serious. ¡°However, there''s a serious matter. I received a message a couple of days ago, asking you to go to Dundorma as soon as your new armor was complete. They had even said they would provide express airship transport¡­ I sent a letter yesterday because I knew I would finish everything today, it will arrive later in the afternoon. I know you wanted to see Nikki and I¡¯m sorry for that, but the tone of the letter seemed to imply no distractions were allowed.¡±

    Valen stared at her for a moment, then sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s best that I play nicely with the Guild for now. I¡¯ll have plenty of time to see Nikki later, though it¡¯ll probably be harder now that I¡¯m a G-Rank hunter. I guess I should start preparing my belongings¡­ Oh right, what should I do about my old gear?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for you if you want. It¡¯ll be a good example of what not to do for my future students.¡± Valen chuckled at the joke. ¡°Now go ready yourself, you are entering a world of politicking, that I despise but find comfort in that I must suffer it as well, due to being a highly ranked Smith!¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow, even though it couldn¡¯t be seen through the armor. ¡°Not the best?¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°Little Miss Forge and the legendary smith that departed for the new world a couple of decades ago are good enough competition for me, there is also that smith from Kamura, Hamon I believe, and I was impressed by his work. So nah, I can¡¯t claim that title. Yet.¡± She got an excited gleam in her eyes. ¡°Maybe I could once everybody learns about your armor!¡±

    ¡°If you want me to spread the word, tell me so!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, nah, I don¡¯t want the publicity, I like being an obscure smith, it keeps the workload small, keeps the mystery will you!¡±

    ¡°Alright, if that is what you want. Anything else I should know?¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s all. Get yourself ready, we have a dock at the top of the fortress.¡±

    Valen nodded and went to his room to ready everything. He was about to be thrust into the spotlight, and he would do his best to be prepared.

    <hr>

    A couple of hours later, both Valen and Aki were waiting at the top of the fortress, having spotted the small airship a while ago. It was now in the final phase of approach, and trained personnel were securing the ropes that had been thrown to them.

    Valen was surprised that it was the same airship that dropped him on the Plesioth hunt several years ago. And then what Aki said surprised him.

    ¡°Aaron you old Zinogre! It¡¯s been a while, is she still handling well?¡±

    ¡°Never better since you gave her those upgrades! The Green Wing still has a lot of time in her yet!¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you know what you¡¯re here for?¡±

    The Captain of the airship, whom he now knew was named Aaron, turned towards Valen and said. ¡°I remember you lad, Plesioth hotdrop right?¡± Valen nodded. ¡°Look at you! I barely look away and here you are, becoming a legend by fighting an Elder solo, and you even have the armor to fit the look!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t look for it, but I guess life gave me obstacles to overcome¡­ And overcome them I did.¡±

    ¡°That you did, they were only talking about you in Dundorma when I left! So I suggest you get yourself ready to be mobbed.¡±

    Valen sighed. He had expected that but he still didn''t feel ready for this. ¡°I guess I have no choice¡­ By the way, how did you and Aki meet? I¡¯m surprised you knew each other.¡±

    ¡°She gave me this brand new engine on the Green Wing a couple of years ago, and thanks to it it¡¯s even faster than before! We¡¯ll be at Dundorma in record time you¡¯ll see!¡±

    ¡°And you know that it took me weeks to gather the materials needed! So take care of it!¡±

    The Captain chuckled, then glanced at the sun and looked at Valen seriously. ¡°We should leave now, it¡¯ll take a full day to reach Dundorma, and the guild wanted you there yesterday.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± He turned around to Aki. ¡°I¡¯ll send you news when I can, and I hope we¡¯ll be able to meet soon!¡±

    ¡°Tell me how our friend reacts to this as well! I¡¯m sure even she will be impressed!¡±

    He smiled in his helmet. ¡°I sure will, thank you again for everything, Aki.¡±

    ¡°Fair winds to the both of you and may the Sapphire Star guide your way!¡±

    He nodded and then boarded up the airship. Soon after the ropes were untied and after bringing them back on board, the Captain pulled some levers and machinery activated on the deck below, which made the propellers at the rear of the airship spin up. He couldn¡¯t remember them being there the last time Valen flew on the airship, so they were probably part of the upgrades the Captain mentioned., The airship quickly gathered speed and height, with Valen staring at the Fortress shrinking rapidly down below, waving at Aki all the while. It was only when people were indistinguishable dots that he turned around and looked ahead, then whistled.

    ¡°The acceleration¡¯s faster, that¡¯s for sure!¡±

    ¡°Aki is a magician! As I¡¯m sure you can attest. We¡¯re not even at top speed yet, but we¡¯ll reach it soon enough. It makes things even safer, as fewer wyverns can catch up to us now. Haven¡¯t been attacked once since the new upgrade!¡±

    ¡°Probably would do nothing against a Valstrax though, but then, you have to be lucky to be able to ground one¡­¡±

    ¡°You would know about that for sure.¡± They remained in silence for a bit before the Captain said. ¡°Make yourself comfortable, we¡¯re in for a long trip, but Dundorma awaits!¡±

    Valen nodded, and he simply stared at the ground down below, letting his mind drift.

    <hr>

    A day passed in the blink of an eye, but it was in the middle of the afternoon when the Captain pointed at something down below.

    ¡°This is one of the outposts that are situated around Dundorma. It means we are getting close to the city. We are arriving.¡±

    Valen sighed, the fateful moment was arriving upon him. ¡°I don¡¯t feel ready to enter a world of politics.¡±

    ¡°Nobody is. Trust me, I¡¯ve transported a lot of Hunters and high-ranked Guild members in my career. And one thing was always in common: Those who were thrust into the spotlight without looking for it always hated it. It also meant that those who crave it are not people that I would recommend meeting. Those that care about the image people have of them¡­ Are usually those that do not deserve it. You are a good man Valen, and so you should take comfort in the fact that others hate it as much as you. But if you wanna change things, this is the game you¡¯re gonna need to play.¡±

    He took a while to digest what the captain just said then nodded. ¡°That makes me feel better, thanks.¡± He smiled. ¡°I would ask you as my favored Captain, but I¡¯m sure you already have this title for a lot of people.¡±

    A chuckle was his answer. ¡°You have no idea lad, the Guild trusts me, and they pay me handsomely for my services. No offense, but you don¡¯t have the coin that my service requires.¡±

    ¡°I expected that, but thank you nonetheless.¡±

    They were now losing altitude, and the magnificent city of Dundorma was sprawling in the distance. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, lad.¡±

    Sooner than Valen expected, they arrived at the fated destination, and he could see that a crowd was amassing near the castle. He took a deep breath. It was probably there that he would be introduced.

    They docked at the castle station, something that surprised Valen. He expected a lot of extravagance for his introduction, but to flat-out meet the Dundorma rulers? That went above even his wildest expectations.

    A line of Guild Knights were waiting for them at the dock, while employees were tying up the ropes the Captain threw to them, securing the airship to the platform.

    The gangplank was placed, and one of the Knights, probably the squad leader, asked. ¡°Hunter Valen I presume?¡±

    Valen nodded, pulled out his Hunter card, and said. ¡°That¡¯s me all right.¡±

    ¡°His Immenseness is waiting for you for an audience before you¡¯ll have to give a speech to the public, follow me.¡± Then he turned around, the four other guards encircling Valen and waited for him to follow.

    Valen followed the squad leader, a bit dazed by the honor he was being granted. He surely didn¡¯t become that big of a figure overnight, had he? He simply felt he had been lucky, both with the hunt and with the perfect experience Nikki provided. But he also realized there was no escaping this. He was thrown into the Jaggis¡¯ pack and he would have to fight alone.

    They navigated the maze that was the castle, and Valen knew he couldn¡¯t recall the path they took if he was asked. Eventually, they arrived at a large set of double doors, with two guards waiting in front of it. The squad leader knocked on the doors, which were pulled open from the inside not long after. Then he nodded to Valen. ¡°Your audience will start now, do not disrespect him.¡±

    Nodding in response, Valen entered, and they pulled the doors closed immediately after him. The first thing he noticed was the object of his visit: an immense Wyverian, whose age Valen could not guess, he believed it was a close secret of the guild though, was sitting on a matched throne observing his approach. The room was richly decorated, but also fairly empty, save for some papers sitting next to the Wyverian.

    Large curtains were nicely bound at the windows, letting the sunlight inside, and that was all Valen could notice before he stopped at a respectable distance from His Immenseness.

    ¡°So!¡± The Wyverian voice was the deepest voice that Valen ever heard, he even struggled to understand a couple of words. ¡°Hunter Valen, you have made quite the impression these past few days.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ Was not my intention, I simply wanted to end the threat, and an opportunity presented itself, so I took it. It paid off as you can see.¡±

    The Wyverian stared at Valen for a bit longer, then he sighed. ¡°Some of our nobles were calling for you to be removed from your Hunters right, as it was the elite team¡¯s task to put it down, and you ¡®stole¡¯ it from them. They stopped complaining once they realized the terms of the hunt were that you were in full rights to receive the entirety of the rewards. There¡¯s still some grumbling though, and beware, you didn¡¯t make only allies in that feat.¡±

    Valen was not surprised, from what he had heard, the nobles were corrupt, and he suspected some of them were the origin of some of the guild¡¯s more questionable decisions. ¡°I will keep an eye out.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea to help you with that myself though, but we¡¯ll talk about it after. First thing first, enlighten me, did you carve the body before the Knights inspected it?¡±

    Valen felt a bit ashamed, he wasn¡¯t sure he should have, but he suspected he probably would only get a slap on the wrist. ¡°I¡­ Yes, but only after I felt something near, and¡­ It felt like I needed to do it fast?¡±

    Suddenly His Immenseness leaned forward, an action that caught Valen by surprise. ¡°Did you carve a Gem?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Yes?¡± Valen was now surprised by the complete change of tone.

    ¡°Show me.¡±

    Valen only took a split second before realizing not obeying this direct order was unwise. He turned around and showed the Mindstone embedded on the back of the armor. ¡°This is where we put it with the Smith, Aki. We decided it would be the place where it would be best protected, and most efficient.¡±

    The Wyverian hummed a deep sound that almost made Valen¡¯s bones vibrate. ¡°This changes things. Because that means that Valstrax approved of you, and trusts you to keep their essence safe and respect it. It is a secret of the guild that you should be privy to now that Gems have supernatural qualities.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Oh, I got the greatest idea. You see, a lot of hunters have Titles. But what is less known is that these titles are only discerned to hunters who have gotten a Gem from a high enough ranked monster. I got the perfect idea for you, but you will have to wait a bit to know it. Especially since you¡¯re now the fourth hunter getting one from an Elder.¡±

    That made Valstrax raise his eyebrow, he truly did not know that fact. ¡°I¡­ Alright. Does this give me higher responsibilities?¡±

    ¡°Just that we know we have you in our hands as a last resort. But we prefer still letting hunters that are less ranked as it allows them to get gear to get stronger¡­ Hold one, what did you say your smith¡¯s name was?¡±

    ¡°Aki.¡±

    Then the Wyverian laughed, a deep booming noise that made his bones rattle, even through his armor. ¡°Oh, that is just perfect, the Green Terror, who forged gear for our newest prodigy, truly fate could not have arranged this better!¡±

    Valen opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head, and then he chuckled as well. ¡°Figures, she probably knew about it and wanted me to get caught off guard, that is her style.¡±

    ¡°Still, at this point, it would probably be a good idea that you have a companion¡­ I strongly suggest that you find a Palico and ask him to be your helper. It really will help you to get another pair of ears and eyes around.¡±

    ¡°Especially a whole pair of ears.¡± Valen quipped, before removing his helmet, displaying his burned left side.

    His Immenseness raised an eyebrow and then said. ¡°This recommendation just became an order, Hunter Valen.¡±

    ¡°That is fair, I was considering the possibility myself anyway¡­ Anything else I should know?¡±

    The huge Wyverian pondered for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Nay, I¡¯ve held you long enough, and you still need to be introduced to the crowd. Farewell Hunter Valen, and may the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    ¡°And you as well.¡±

    His Immenseness nodded, then thumped with a wooden hammer on a gong. Immediately the doors opened once again, and after a nod from the Wyverian, turned around and followed the Knight squad back out of the chamber. He put back on his helmet in the meantime, and they navigated the castle¡¯s corridors once again. But this time, they stopped at another giant set of double doors, even more massive than the previous one.

    ¡°This is where you¡¯ll be introduced to the population of Dundorma. You have to wait for the doors to open, then walk out, we are giving the go-ahead to start the presentation. Good luck.¡±

    And thus, the squad made a salute and walked away. Valen watched them until they turned a corner and he took a deep breath, this was it, the moment where he would start facing public representation. Did he feel ready? Not even remotely. Did he have a choice in the matter? He was completely certain that he didn¡¯t.

    Soon after though, a runner came from the direction that he came from, stopping near the doors, Valen gave her a nod and she responded in turn, but she only focused back on the doors, the faint sound of an envoy coming through it.

    Then Valen noticed the voices raised and he heard ¡°Hunter Valen!¡± coming through, and with a shuddering boom, the doors started opening. Taking it as his cue, he raised his head high and walked through, trying to impose the figure of confidence.

    He didn¡¯t pay attention to the runner, focusing on his act, but once he got through the door, he was immediately assaulted by loud cheering, coming from an impressive number of people that were gathered on the stairs of the palace. Valen nodded, and the cheers redoubled, he heard a faint chorus of ¡°Va-len! Va-len!¡± Shouted by some, but they were few.

    Then he turned to look at the envoy, to which the runner was speaking in his ear, then he nodded, and the runner left and disappeared through the crowd.

    ¡°Now, before we let our new prodigy speak for himself, I have one more thing to announce! In light of the truly incredible feat he has done, the guild has decided to award the highest honor we could bestow. Valen is the one that defeated a Valstrax alone, the Emperor of the Skies itself, majestic as they are, and untouchable unless we take great measures¡­ Thus, seeing as Hunter Valen pierced the very Skies themselves, henceforth, he is¡­ The Sky Piercer!¡±

    And the cheering redoubled.

 Chapter 18: Bequeathed

    Valen, or as he was known by most of the population, the Sky Piercer, became popular overnight in Dundorma. The day of his introduction was accompanied by a short speech from him but was so caught up in the moment he didn¡¯t remember a single word of what he had said, all of it just a blur for him.

    What he did remember, was something that happened the following day, after spending a night in the luxurious guild hall. He was walking through the streets to get to know the city better when a Palico noticed him and excitedly waved at Valen.

    ¡°Meowster! Come! We have something paw-some to suggest to you!¡±

    He frowned behind his helmet. Felynes could be mischievous beings when they wanted to be, but this one seemed to be eager to see him. Deciding there was no harm in indulging the request, he nodded and followed the excited Felyne.

    He was led into the alleys of Dundorma, passing through some dark roads, and was encouraged to enter what looked like a rundown tavern. Walking through the entrance proved all his expectations very wrong. The inside couldn¡¯t look more different than the dingy exterior; it was full of Felynes of all kinds and colors. He even saw a couple of them wearing full armor made of high-ranked monsters for their size, though most of them were wearing simple leather gear. Once he entered the room, all of them meowed in excitement and they stopped whatever they were doing to shake his hand.

    Valen was a bit overwhelmed by it all but he took it in stride, and simply nodded and shook paws until they all were satisfied. Then he simply asked. ¡°This is all fine and good¡­ But what¡¯s the occasion? I don¡¯t know what I have done to deserve such attention.¡±

    It was at that point that one particular Felyne braved through the crowd, which immediately got Valen''s attention, as while he had no particular gear, the muscle he could see on his limbs showed that this particular Felyne took great dedication to train himself up.

    ¡°We received a letter with a royal seal last night¡­ It said that you needed a Palico assistant. So meow-turally we fought among ourselves to discern who would get this honor! And I, Adem, am the winner!¡±

    Valen frowned. He remembered that His Immenseness declared him getting a Palico assistant to be an order, but he expected to have to wait a bit longer before it was done. It looked like he would get no choice in the matter though. After thinking about it for a bit, Valen said. ¡°I would love to give it a try with you but know that I now have high standards after what I¡¯ve gone through. I won¡¯t accept a slacker.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, Adem is not!¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°Good, we¡¯ll try training for a couple of days before I make my decision concerning you.¡±

    ¡°Claw-mazing! We¡¯ll do great things together, Meowster!¡±

    Thus Valen met Adem, the Felyne companion that would stick with him for the foreseeable future. After Valen spent a couple of days sparring with him only with fists, he was pleasantly surprised by the skills the Lynian displayed. Adem showed great promise, though Valen knew that he would need to get gear better made for him if he wanted Adem to be able to keep up¡­ The rest of the Valstrax materials weren¡¯t enough and would not bond with him anyway.

    It made Valen worried though, as the Palico assistant meant that he would have to bring one more person in on the secret. He¡¯d have to explain the situation to Nikki. He hoped that Adem would be understanding.

    <hr>

    It took a week before Valen was able to leave the city. His promotion had meant a lot of paperwork needed to be filled out, and it had taken up all of his time. It also meant that he had yet to truly be able to train with his new armor. But he figured it¡¯d probably be for the best if the first time he trained was actually against Nikki. However, it also caused an issue: Their old meeting spot was way too far for them to continue meeting, even worse, Valen was now sure that meeting her would be far more of an occasional thing than before, due to him now being mostly tied to Dundorma than a far out village.

    However, there was a small scare a couple of days ago when there was a Valstrax spotted flying in the view range of Dundorma. It wasn¡¯t unique, it happened sometimes, but the guild still kept track of Valstrax sightings, which was the main reason Valen thought it¡¯d be hard to meet now that he was at the heart of the guild.

    Still, as he was in an empty alley, he waved at the crimson dot visible on the horizon and did a couple of signs indicating a direction. He hoped Nikki would spot him and understand him, as he planned to go in that direction to meet.

    So that was why a couple of weeks later, Valen was on an official mission to train himself up with his new armor, accompanied by Adem. He officially had a month where he could do and go where he wanted as long as it wasn¡¯t hunting, and he would be sure to make the best of it.

    However, due to him being way more cautious, he decided to travel for two whole days before finding a spot that he deemed secure enough. He knew they were outside the view range of the observation outposts surrounding Dundorma, and he observed Nikki manage to make her final approach without the iconic crimson tail that accompanied her. He was certain that she simply used her remaining inertia to carry her to her destination, as well as reconfiguring her wings to be able to sort of glide.

    It was why, after he spotted her flying in the skies above, he pulled out his flare gun and fired it along the ground, not up in the air. The blue flare was visible only for a couple of seconds before it burned itself out in the grass. Adem was however confused, as he had already asked him why they met there, and was even more confused while Valen was simply scouting the skies.

    The red dot simply disappeared. Valen smiled behind his helmet, he was sure it was because Nikki spotted him and was heading in his direction stealthily.

    It still took several minutes before he could spot her approaching, and while he was used to a Valstrax simply heading towards him, Adem was not, and the Felyne looked like he was ready to bolt. ¡°Meowster, that¡¯s a Valstrax. An Elder Dragon. I know you fought one already, but maybe we shouldn¡¯t stand out in the open and purr-actically offer ourselves up as snacks?¡±

    Valen snorted, then gave the cat a reassuring smile. ¡°This is the secret I mentioned on our journey here,¡± he said as Nikki reignited her wings for a moment to kill the last bit of her speed and land safely. ¡°Adem, meet Nikki! Nikki meets Adem!¡± He said while signing the first two words of the second sentence.

    Adem was understandably confused by the turn of events, while Nikki simply had a smug look. Valen sighed and he turned to Adem. ¡°Adem, Nikki saved my life five years ago, when my whole group got almost wiped. She nursed me back to health and made sure I was strong enough to get back to my hunting life. I was scared of her at first, I thought she had nefarious plans for keeping me alive and I admit it took me a while to see otherwise, but now? I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. I trust her as much as she trusts me.¡±

    Then Valen turned to look at Nikki and signed to her. ¡°Sorry for wait, busy.¡±

    She simply blinked and nodded, accepting the apology. Then she started circling him, studying how he¡¯d changed in her absence. Her attention lingered on his new armor for quite a while, but Valen was eventually forced to turn away and explain things to his new companion. Adem was still confused. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯ve known her fur five years, and yet you still hunted one of her species?¡±

    ¡°I hunted that Valstrax at her request. She sensed something was wrong with that rampaging Valstrax and asked me to be the one to put it down. I suspect whatever ailment it had wasn¡¯t curable and would have become worse over time. As for the armor? I think she understands the necessity of hunters when there are some threats that even Elders don¡¯t dare oppose. She probably thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to get the best thing I could ask for¡­ And as you can see, my armor is unique, and I¡¯ll have to adjust my whole style to integrate it.¡±

    ¡°So you had plenty of paw-ractice fur that famous hunt. Five years, huh? By that point, it must have been a breeze, right?¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you might suspect. I had to think on the fly for a couple of moments, but I¡¯ll admit that it helped to know exactly where to target and what attacks a Valstrax instinctively goes for.¡± He smiled as Nikki finished pacing around his armor and nosed the thrusters on his back, then in a surprising move, she directly touched the Mindstone slotted into it and stood still. Valen immediately felt something change and gasped. A surge of energy washed over him and he immediately fell to his knees, panting. Nikki pulled away, but she seemed to be looking at him in surprise as well. It seemed she didn¡¯t expect such a reaction either.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°What in the Sapph-fur Star was that?¡± Adem seemed to be caught off guard as well.

    Valen took a deep breath and stood back up before frowning in confusion. The motion felt even more fluid than before, surprisingly easy. He looked cautiously at his armor, turning around his limbs and trying to crane his neck to see his back, but couldn¡¯t see anything different, even as he answered the Felyne. ¡°I have no idea. She does this sometimes, doing things that I cannot truly understand¡­ However, I suspect that this was Bioenergy. I have long since known that she has fine control over it, and she has been able to infuse my previous armor with it, making it able to withstand a couple of her unrestrained hits, as well as making my weapon ineffective on her scales¡­ Though probably she didn¡¯t mean to give me that much now, even I felt it clearly whereas before it was barely noticeable.¡±

    They both looked at Nikki who seemed to be lost in thought, before Adem asked, ¡°I noticed you signed with her, do you have some kind of language?¡±

    Valen smiled. ¡°Yes. We have developed a language between us. I''ve noticed that she does not react as well to some words, so I figured a visual language would do better for her, and I was right.¡± He rummaged in his pouch before extracting a notebook. ¡°Here, it¡¯s a dictionary I¡¯ve written of the words we have.¡±

    Adem snatched it so fast Valen would have missed the motion if he blinked, and he immediately started leafing through it. The Hunter shook his head before looking at Nikki, who was now interested in what the both of them were doing. ¡°Spar?¡± He signed to her as a question.

    She nodded, a sharp, oddly birdlike motion, then motioned to his weapon, indicating that she wanted to make it safe for her. Valen smoothly grabbed it, switching it into Axe mode as he did so, which would disable the magnet keeping it fixed to his back. Nikki gently bit into it, and took a moment to do her usual thing, though he noted that it took longer this time. After a while, she pushed the handle back into his hand, and he took it back.

    Drained of Bioenergy as it was, the weapon felt weaker than the Plesioth Switch Axe he had been using, though Valen noted that there seemed to still be a faint echo of its usual feeling this time. Maybe he was just connected to it better than with the Plesioth gear?

    Valen did a couple of practice swings with it and then nodded firmly. While weaker, it would not hinder him. Then he smiled, knowing that a pair of surprises awaited Nikki within it.

    Nikki jumped backward to the other side of the field, getting to the usual distance they started their spars with. Valen looked at Adem, who had raised his nose from the book he was reading, and said, ¡°You should find cover Adem. In this spar, we¡¯re going to be trying to find my new limits¡­ Which means that Nikki won¡¯t be holding back all that much.¡± Adem glanced at Nikki, slowly nodded, and then went to hide behind a tree.

    Valen crouched, holding his weapon with both hands, a posture both familiar and reassuring for him. His eyes were fixed on his opponent, searching for any hint of motion He knew that she usually started with her wing thrusts, though she had adapted and had become less and less predictable over the years. The same went for him though, and so this time he decided he would be the one to initiate combat, jumping into movement from a standstill and running towards her.

    As he expected, she immediately reacted, raising her right paw and preparing to stomp him into the ground with it. Jumping right, he narrowly dodged the strike but felt something was off, and he was proven right soon enough when he saw her left wing twitch. Valen reacted by jumping backward, narrowly avoiding the pile drive that slammed into the ground, kicking a plume of dirt up. Had that attack hit him, it would have broken through his old armor. She usually held back her strength when making that move before¡­ The fact she did it with such force meant that she was confident that he could take the hit¡­ Though not without leaving a gigantic bruise on Valen for sure. However, he quickly realized that she was not finished when she reared back her other wing to do the same thing. Out of options, Valen reacted the only way he believed he could manage, immediately squeezing the new lever on his weapon¡¯s handle and bracing for the inevitable kickback.

    The two thrusters on his weapon ignited and immediately pushed him out of the way, dodging the attack Nikki was coming at him with. She seemed completely caught off guard by the move, dropping her guard and looking at him with outright shock, and Valen did not let the opportunity slip by. He released the trigger, killing the thrusters, and stopped his momentum by digging his heels into the dirt. Staying on the offensive, he jumped forward and slashed at Nikki¡¯s exposed paw. The attack cracked a couple of scales, making Valen wince. He had put too much force into the strike, and he did not intend to injure Nikki that much.

    Now realizing the predicament she was in, Nikki ripped her wing from the ground and attempted to bite him. Still, he easily sidestepped the attack and morphed his weapon into Sword mode, slashing upwards as he did so, and rasped the blade of the weapon on Nikki¡¯s neck. He put less force into the attack and it did only scratch them this time.

    She hopped backward immediately after, putting distance between the two of them. Valen pressed the offensive, not letting her catch a break. Bending forwards, he hit the hidden triggers in his gauntlets to ignite his jetpack with a violent whoom. Rocketing forward, he closed the distance in an instant, and, still in Sword mode, he took the opportunity and let loose with a swipe at her left shoulder that made her recoil with an involuntary hiss. Valen noticed a thin trail of blood that had appeared on his weapon and frowned. It seemed that it still could break through Nikki¡¯s scales.

    Even with the injury, Nikki was more prepared for his thrusters this time, and he barely noticed he was behind Nikki¡¯s wing, before she punished him with an airburst from the aforementioned wing, detonating the dragon energy violently from it.

    Valen was sent flying by the explosion and he tumbled around for a while before he felt his thrusters activate mid-air and stabilize him. His head whipped around in shock. He had not ignited them himself.

    Nikki seemed to have sensed something was off and did not follow through with her planned attack, a spear thrust. She had her beak slightly open in her version of a smile. And signed to him. ¡°Him, respect you. Will protect you.¡±

    Valen realized that it was something that she expected. And if Nikki was not surprised¡­ That meant that it was related to the Mindstone for sure. He smiled. It seemed like Valstrax would never run out of surprises for him. It was also then that he realized that the explosion had hit him, but he barely felt bruised by it¡­ Which meant the armor was way more effective than he expected.

    Adem peeked out from the tree he was hiding behind. ¡°Meowster, anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°Just an unexpected development, Adem. But we aren¡¯t done with the sparring! We¡¯ve barely begun!¡±

    As Adem ducked back behind the tree, Nikki and Valen lunged at each other once again.

    <hr>

    Once the month of training was done, Valen returned to his duties. He had improved in great strides, beyond anything that he thought was possible. Even though he had to completely reinvent his style of fighting, he quickly realized something: The thrusters on both his armor and weapon allowed him to always have at least two vectors to dodge. One was up, and another ¡ª most of the time, at least ¡ª was away from the monsters. Which allowed him to be even more aggressive than before, knowing he had ways to get to safety if he needed to. Nikki adapted to that of course, and became more aggressive in turn, and he believed she no longer held back at all. With his new armor, even though the hits he now took hurt, they didn¡¯t break him. And he could take a couple of them before they had to stop.

    If anything it was Valen who had to hold his strength back, as his weapon was still naturally sharp enough to break Nikki¡¯s scales if he struck hard enough. Still, what this resulted in was Valen being able to come to a monster¡¯s face and dodge anything that was thrown at him. He was also now able to win about half of his spars with Nikki, whilst before it was barely one in ten. His new armor made that much of a difference.

    Valen was quite happy with the results. It meant that he was now strong enough to protect those who needed protection, and that was only a positive for him.

    Adem learned Nikki¡¯s sign language in record time and was now able to communicate with her as well. The Felyne was impressed by how aware she was, and her ability to convey her meanings through the limited shared vocabulary. They ended up talking more than Valen did with her, which amused him, but after all, he and Nikki knew each other too well now, and Adem was a novelty for her. Aki only learned the basic words so she didn¡¯t have extensive conversations with Nikki.

    Once they finished their training, they were immediately assigned an urgent mission: Mating season had started for the Mizutsune, and a male was currently rampaging around after being rejected by the females. Unfortunately, he was too deep into his anger to simply be diverted, so they needed to put him down.

    The leviathan was beautiful, the pink colored scales, the bristles that covered his underside and allowed him to slip around with ease, his distinct face bringing to mind the legends of the Kitsune told in some parts of the world.

    However, Valen was too much of a match for the Mizutsune. Valen was able to match him in mobility and the fight was short. As their foe expired, Valen kneeled to him and gave him respect for the life he endured.

    They used part of the hide to make new gear for Adem, who had helped Valen by distracting the leviathan a couple of times, and Valen had to admit that the new gear fit the Felyne well. But the biggest impact of this hunt was that it solidified Valen¡¯s opinion that he was now fighting in the big leagues, that regular wyverns or leviathans were no longer a match for him. It wasn¡¯t a realization that bothered him. In fact, he was reassured ¡ª in the event that the Guild called on him, it would be because they truly needed his services. Now he and Adem were truly a team, and always fought together!

 Chapter 19: Retaliation

    The ugly side of Valen¡¯s new position made itself known soon enough: he was regularly requested to attend meetings around nobles. It was something he despised but had to endure anyway. He knew that he would make too many enemies if he outright refused. Powerful enemies.

    So, he shoved down his complaints and attended events like balls or dinners hosted by the higher class, composed of both rich nobles from Dundorma or other well-off cities and descendants from legendary hunters¡­ Those Valen particularly despised. Sure, some of them had genuine achievements to their names, but most of them claimed to be able to fight Apex Wyverns alone but didn¡¯t bother because it would be ¡°a waste of their talents,¡± claiming that only Elders required their service.

    Valen knew they were lying and full of themselves, but he didn¡¯t simply call them out¡­ He only intervened when they harassed less well-off hunters who were invited because of impressive achievements. In those cases, Valen had no issue with taking them down a peg or two and promptly told them to shove off.

    It was in these moments that Valen didn¡¯t hesitate to use his notoriety and the respect he had garnered to ensure that the aggressors didn¡¯t bully other hunters. He knew how lucky he was, but he respected others all the same.

    These privileged hunters tried to threaten him in private, but their show of force did not phase him at all. Even when they outnumbered him, he knew he could escape easily with his jetpack if needed and they would struggle to even dent his armor. The threat made him more cautious overall, though, and thankfully the room that the guild assigned to him was guarded and he never went out without his armor.

    They had tried blackmailing him, but the only thing that they managed to dig up on him was that he had fled the Seregios hunt, causing Flynn to be crippled in the process, information that he was sure was confidential. They released this to the public, and some people criticized him for it, but he was certain it was people who already disliked him anyway. He released a public statement explaining he regretted the act and made sure it wouldn¡¯t happen again.

    Flynn helped by releasing his own statement, saying that he forgave Valen and that he understood why Valen did it at the time.

    They didn¡¯t find anything else on him, so they resorted to physical violence. They managed to corner him in an alley, but Valen defeated them easily, using the flat of his weapon to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be permanently harmed. He reported the group to the guild, which demoted them, but they weren''t the main instigators, simply lackeys hired for the act.

    The more blatant attempts to get at him stopped after that, and Valen could enjoy several years of relative peace. He was extremely careful while visiting Nikki, making sure to take roundabout ways to get to her and using Adem to check for any pursuers. Nikki even helped by flying around and simply not showing up if she spotted pursuers.

    They still managed to visit occasionally, but the days were long past the weekly or even daily spars they had while he was in the Jurassic Frontier¡¯s village. There he benefited from anonymity and the perfect environment for Nikki to travel in undetected. But now he would be questioned for extended and repeated trips, so he only visited her occasionally. She seemed to understand and reassured him that she wasn¡¯t bored, and it allowed her to travel around and watch out for incoming threats.

    He did, however, often meet up with Aki, whenever she was at her forge. Them being friends gave him an easy justification for the visits, even if they couldn¡¯t meet up as often as he would have liked due to Aki¡¯s travels. However, she did warn him that some hunters had tried to approach her for compromising information on him. Of course, she didn¡¯t budge, even when they threatened her with blackmail. She had laughed at them and simply told them to just try.

    ¡°After all. Even if they dig up dirt on me¡­ I¡¯m one of the most respected Smiths of the guild. Even if the guild is corrupted in some parts, one thing they don¡¯t tolerate is trying to threaten us¡­ They know that so they won¡¯t dare, even their privilege has limits. But hunters do not have the same protection. Watch your back Valen, you¡¯re now treading in dangerous waters.¡±

    ¡°I already knew that. Thank you, Aki, for allowing me to visit. Dundorma is great but¡­ Too many people for my liking.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same, that''s why I avoid it.¡±

    He had to return to Dundorma not long after.

    Two major events happened during that period, the first was the report of a mystery solved by the Soaratorium, where the team that slayed the other Valstrax resided. They had discovered a monster that was now called Ahtal-Ka that had managed to build a giant mechanical contraption to raid fortresses. It raised several questions in the scientific community about the true intelligence of Elders, especially since that particular monster wasn¡¯t an Elder itself,  officially classified as a Neopteron.

    The second bit of news was the fact that a crisis was happening in a distant town called Kamura. Something called a Rampage was in effect, causing hordes of monsters to try to break through it, but since it was something that already happened fifty years ago, Kamura had since fortified itself and had even built an impressive stronghold around the town. The local hunter was struggling to keep up though, so the Guild dispatched a trio of high-ranked hunters to help relieve it.

    Valen would have thought they would send him, but he suspected they kept him off the high-profile missions¡­ It seemed like he had alienated the corrupt members of the guild enough that they were using their influence to keep him idle. Valen didn¡¯t mind, he had been in a village for five years without a single hunt, after all, but it still stung.

    At least now he had Adem, who he knew would support him through anything, to share his secret with. Adem had it less rough than Valen at least, since the Felyne community loved him and Valen. His Felyne partner relayed to him all of the news his compatriots received, which, considering that the Felynes were a big part of the guild¡¯s communication system, meant that Valen had access to pretty much all of the reports.

    The majority of the public loved Valen though, and low-ranked hunters admired him. Valen took the time to give advice when people asked him. He expected to dislike dealing with the common folk, but he found out he liked it. It reminded him that most people didn¡¯t have the crazy life that he had and that theirs was simply¡­ Mundane. After his realization, he often went to see the taverns frequented by these common folk.

    <hr>

    While all of this happened, his sparring with Nikki increased in tempo. She had learned that if she wanted to catch him, she had to trick him into igniting the wrong thruster, either weapon or back, and execute attacks that would catch the resultant direction. Valen countered by starting to use both at once, and at different levels of thrusts, which meant that instead of there being only two or three directions he could dodge in, it was a whole cone.

    The result of all of this was that Nikki was winning less and less of their spars, and Valen was now too nimble and experienced that her size was finally working against her. But it also meant that a common hunter would have almost no chance of fighting her if she decided she had to win at all costs. Her range of tricks was great, and she was still good at forcing him to dodge in the direction she intended to. At one point, Valen realized that should she ever decide to try to wipe humanity out, she would have a decent chance. He was the only hunter who had any chance of being able to stop her. He didn¡¯t linger on the possibility for long. Nikki was simply too friendly for that to ever happen.

    The most memorable moment of those years though was the time when Aki was available to watch one of their spars. She was decked out in her full Rathian armor for the event and showed a couple of her special moves with her Insect Glaive. Valen was impressed ¡ª her mobility was almost comparable to his, and his armor was specially made to improve it.

    Still, when Nikki and Valen sparred that day, Aki was amazed by what the two of them were doing. Beyond a simple spar or even a fight, it was a dance between the two of them. A dance of flashing blades and swiping claws, attacks, and evasions. A dance of a furious, fast-paced tempo, neither of them holding back at all and still keeping up with each other. Valen¡¯s focus never wavered. Reacting, predicting where Nikki wanted him to go, and making sure he didn¡¯t follow through on that. Landing hits on her but takes none in return. This was what a hunter was supposed to do. A hunt was a contest of endurance, of skill. It was a battle of who could outlast their opponent.

    When Valen won their bout, having scored a hit on Nikki¡¯s head that would have been lethal had his weapon not been weakened, they stopped, and Nikki dipped her head to acknowledge his win.

    Aki was exhilarated.

    ¡°Ha! You see now? I was right! I told you that you would be a legendary hunter! No one else has such a unique style of fighting! You can fight Nikki, an elder dragon who¡¯s spent almost TEN years learning your habits and patterns, and win!¡± She grinned. ¡°And the less I have to repair your armor, the better I feel. The fact I haven¡¯t even needed to touch it up yet speaks volumes about the care you give it. Make sure that doesn¡¯t change!¡±

    Valen chuckled. Aki had a point. The hunter he¡¯d been ten years ago, still in a team of four, now seemed a distant dream. A faded memory. His team had fallen so suddenly¡­ He remembered being afraid that he would die and fade to obscurity like so many before him¡­ But he hadn¡¯t. Nikki saved him and bestowed upon him the life of an icon. A symbol. He would enter history as one of those legendary hunters who faced an elder alone¡­ And emerged victorious. His title was enough to make it so. Sky Piercer. Initially, he hadn¡¯t been sure about the title because of the connotation it meant with Nikki, but over time he grew to accept it, mostly due to being called such every day.

    It was why this moment when Nikki, Adem, and Aki were all together with him was one of the most precious memories he possessed. Because they trusted each other so much they were simply being themselves. Valen didn¡¯t have to put on a mask like when he was dealing with the guild. Aki didn¡¯t have to be as serious as she was when dealing with other hunters. Adem was always himself anyway¡­ Nikki wasn¡¯t alone like she usually was, she was with people who trusted her and knew she wouldn¡¯t simply attack them out of the blue.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    No, this moment was simply perfect for Valen.

    <hr>

    However, things grew worse. Valen managed to discover that some of the hunters who¡¯d harassed him were able to get permission to hunt restricted targets. He discovered that fact when he heard about one of them bragging about managing to win versus a Monoblos¡­ But the one-horned flying wyvern had been off limits to any hunters since several years ago when it was found that their population was declining and at risk.

    So he dug further and found out that these hunters got signed permits from some higher-ups in the guild. They would have been all but legitimate if not for the global hunting ban. Due to how publicized the ban was at the time, he knew that most people were aware of it. So he managed to make the information about the ¡°exceptions¡± leak to the public, and there was an immediate outcry and a call for the guild to explain themselves. An official report was that an investigation would be launched, but that was all that was said.

    Valen wondered if he had been too daring with this move, and to his disappointment, he was proven right when one of the hunters who tried to blackmail him cornered him and told him such. ¡°I know that it was you.¡±

    That particular hunter was named Tyndrer and was the one who led the attempted defamation campaign against him, and Valen suspected that he was also the one who managed to get the illegal hunting permission. Valen simply redoubled his vigilance and carried on, though he asked Adem to never leave his side as well, afraid that they would target the more vulnerable Felyne in retaliation.

    Several months passed by, and the public outcry faded, but a lingering discontent remained. Valen knew that the promised investigation was only a facade and that nothing would come out of it. The nefarious hunters had too many connections and too deep pockets to be threatened. But he waited nonetheless.

    He was no longer given any hunt targets, and Valen didn¡¯t dare see Nikki, too paranoid that the group would discover his relationship with Nikki. He finally caved when he saw her flying several days in a row above the city, probably worried about him. Taking all the precautions he could and traveling to a location he had never been before, he managed to lose his tail and meet her. Suffice it to say that she was furious when he managed to explain the situation, though thankfully she didn¡¯t suggest attacking Tyndrer. She knew at this point that it was a losing battle. But seeing her calmed his nerves a bit, and Valen told her that if he ever needed her, he would use their agreed-upon signal, patting at his flare gun.

    His time with Nikki was short but it helped relieve a bit of the stress that had been mounting the last months. However, he was growing restless¡­ He felt like something was coming, but he wasn¡¯t sure what. So he stayed vigilant.

    <hr>

    Valen was training with Adem in the dedicated area of Dundorma when he felt something was off. He looked around and immediately realized that he was alone with Adem. Every other hunter had left the area¡­ Along with all the observers that usually hung around. The silence set Valen on edge, this was not something that should happen for sure. The training area was open every time of the day and was always filled. He looked to Adem and saw that the Felyne was on guard too.

    After a quick motion to his Felyne companion, Adem clambered on him and Valen started running towards one of the exits. All of his unease was proven justified midway to the exit, when hunters jumped from hiding places and blocked it off Valen changed direction to another but stopped when he realized that other hunters were blocking that way too, and after looking around, he noticed all exits were blocked by hunters. Each exit had at least one hunter wielding a ranged capable weapon, which would make trying to fly above them risky¡­ And he didn¡¯t want to burn out the energy of his Mindstone in one go, though he might need to.

    One hunter wearing Teostra armor stepped forward, separating himself from the rest,  He noted the hunter was wielding a Long Sword. He spoke. ¡°It took a lot of greasing and organization but we managed to set you up alone, at last!¡±

    The voice was familiar. It was Tyndrer, the one Valen knew was spearheading all of the hostilities against Valen, even if he had no solid proof. Tyndrer¡¯s hate for him was obvious to anyone who looked.  The weapons and armor surprised him though. Valen had only ever seen him wearing Brachydios armor, wielding a Sword and Shield¡­ The sudden change was odd, to say the least.

    ¡°Surprised by my attire? It¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s! I needed to be as strong as you, and as you can see now, I¡¯m able to match you! Your Elder armor will not cut through my own!¡±

    Valen would have laughed if the situation wasn¡¯t so dire. He knew for a fact that high-powered monsters'' armor only worked for those who killed them¡­ And gear made from Elders was even more selective. The arrogant hunter just admitted to him that it wasn¡¯t his armor, which meant that even though it was still tough, it was leagues below Valen¡¯s armor, which not only had Valen helped craft, but also contained a Gem.

    ¡°You need to be taught a lesson. Everyone else knows their place and doesn¡¯t bother us once we remind them who¡¯s at the top¡­ But you? You just don¡¯t let up, do you? At least The Frenzy Vanquisher decided to fuck off with the caravaneers after saving Dundorma¡­ He was smart enough to realize that dealing with us would cost him. But you? You stay here, even though the Guild no longer assigns hunts to you, and you try to stomp on us like plebeians! No more. Today we are teaching you why we are the Elite of Dundorma!¡±

    Valen frowned. He¡¯d kept quiet through the monologue as it gave him time to analyze his surroundings, but the situation was worse than he¡¯d initially assumed. For them to be able to set up this trap and more importantly, for them to believe that they could go through with it unpunished¡­

    More pressingly, he had to be careful, lest he be injured or crippled. He could only deal with the corruption in the guild if he made it out intact. He looked around, he counted a dozen hunters that were surrounding him, a third of them wielding ranged weapons, and he knew those would be the most dangerous, as if even one of their paralysis shots hit the wrong spot¡­ He would be at their mercy.

    Two of the melee hunters were wielding shields, one had a Greatsword. There was no Hunting Horn at least, though he supposed that since the melodies affected any Human, Wyverian, or Felyne, they would have no way to prevent him from benefiting too, but there were a couple of Dual Blade users who he knew would be tricky to deal with as their cuts were faster than his swings. He knew he wielded a poor weapon to face humans¡­ The special modifications gave him an edge at least.

    The other hunters didn¡¯t feel like a threat to him. His biggest advantage would still be his mobility, and he knew he had to keep that in mind. So he tightened his grip on his weapon and waited.

    ¡°So we¡¯ll teach you a lesson, maybe put you out of hunting permanently. Everyone? Get them!¡± the upstart hunter shouted while pointing at Valen and Adem, who was still on his back, hissing.

    Valen bolted into action, side-stepping to dodge the paralysis rounds that were immediately shot at him and letting them impact various bits of masonry. A giant arrow burrowed into the ground with a plume of dirt as well, fired by the lone Bow user. He ran towards the closest ranged user, a Heavy Bowgun wielder in the process of frantically switching cartridges. The two accompanying hunters tried to block him off, one pointing a Lance at him, but Valen sidestepped at the last moment and punched him in the chest with his free hand. The Rathian breastplate caved in with a loud crunch and the hunter collapsed, wheezing. Then Valen boosted upwards, avoiding the side blow from the neighboring Hammer user in Qurupecos Armor. However, she expertly used the momentum to spin around and was about to try nailing him with a devastating uppercut.

    Or she would have if Adem hadn¡¯t jumped down and clawed at her exposed face, making her cry out in pain and lose control of her spin, releasing her hammer which landed heavily a pace away.

    Meanwhile, Valen landed behind the bowgun user. He had managed to reload and was trying to get him in his sights, but Valen simply swung his Axe down on the barrel of the gun while he was turning around, bending it with a resounding CLANG and rendering it useless. His opponent realized this and simply dropped his weapon as he fled.

    Valen did not stay idle, rolling to the left to dodge another volley sent by the remaining ranged users, the rounds whizzing by. He would have headed towards another of them if a Dual Blades user, his black armor denoting the Nargacuga scales it was made of, hadn¡¯t attempted to stab him. The blow simply glanced off his armor and Valen used the moment of surprise to whip around, smacking the off-balance hunter with the flat of his weapon, and Valen could see he had broken an arm with it, as his opponent collapsed on the ground.

    Adem stopped clawing at the female Hammer-wielder, leaving bleeding furrows on her face, then dashed between Valen''s legs and jumped at the Greatsword wielder¡¯s arm that was about to attempt to cave Valen¡¯s face in, making his opponent lose balance and the massive weapon missed by a mile.

    Valen snapped his head back but when he saw Adem had the situation in hand, he refocused on his task. Looking around, he immediately noticed that he had almost disabled half of his opponents, which meant he probably had a chance to get out of the area if he could disable one more of these ranged users. He dashed towards another, a light bowgun user this time, avoiding another group of blademasters, and smoothly morphed his weapon into sword mode, pulling both triggers. His target seemed to realize the predicament he was in and fired a shot at Valen, but he nimbly sidestepped it. He didn¡¯t notice that the missed shot hit one of his pursuers, immediately causing her to seize up.

    He swung his weapon wide, missing intentionally¡­ However, at the apex of his swing, he released the inside trigger, allowing the built-up energy to release, detonating a shockwave that blasted the bowgun user full force. He fell on his back, stunned.

    Valen immediately felt something off behind him, and turned around, raising his weapon to block¡­ Only to meet the face of his main tormentor, who was raising his weapon high and about to try bringing it down on Valen¡­ The issue was twofold: Valen had stepped backward instinctively from the blast, bringing him closer to his opponent, and his weapon was still in sword mode, the sharp edge facing toward his opponent. Towards the hand that was placed far too forward on the handle.

    Both opponents seemed to realize this at the same time, but it was far too late, and both pairs of eyes widened in realization, one in fear, the other in worry.

    The weapons hit, but not blade against blade¡­ but blade against handle. And a loud tearing noise resounded through the whole area. An object flew through the air, leaving behind a red trail, before landing on the ground with a thump. Immediately after, a scream of pain pierced everyone¡¯s ears, and the hunter clad in Teostra armor was holding his bleeding stump with his remaining hand.

    Valen looked around, still holding his weapon. ¡°Go. You have no chance against me.¡±

    Realizing the situation, and that their leader was down, they immediately went into a frenzy, picking up their injured companions and double-timing it out of the training area. Once they were out of sight, he sighed and lowered his weapon. It wasn¡¯t how he wanted it to end. He intended to only leave them with temporary injuries that they could recover from, and simply book it once he could.

    However, cutting a hand off was not an injury anyone could simply shrug off with rest, and even if it wasn¡¯t a career-ending one, since Tyndrer could still adapt with a couple of weapons, causing such an injury to another hunter was frowned upon¡­ And Valen knew this guy did not play fair. So Valen had to be worried about the inevitable retaliation. He frowned. He supposed the best course of action was to go to the guild knights and explain the situation. So after calling for Adem, he headed towards their headquarters.

    Hopefully, he¡¯d be able to defuse the gigantic bomb that he was sitting on¡­ But he was still worried.

 Chapter 20: Exiled

    Valen sat on the edge of his bed in his room, armor removed and strewn across the floor, head in his hands. Even though he had reported the incident to the guild knights immediately after it happened, and given his version of events in as detailed a report as possible, Valen was worried. There had been no news since the incident happened the day before, but he was well aware of how petty and powerful that guy was.

    He had long since known that Valen¡¯s assailant had connections to high-ranked individuals in the guild and was owed a lot of favors¡­ And he also suspected Tyndrer would call on a lot, if not all of them to avoid any repercussions.

    Adem was in the same room, also worried. At least he had informed Valen that the Felynes were on his side and that they would enact their vengeance on his behalf. The attackers did not do themselves any favors by targeting a Felyne. The news brought a weak smile to Valen¡¯s face ¡ª knowing that the cats had his back was comforting. Still, he was waiting for any development. The wait made him antsy but he didn¡¯t dare do anything. At least he had managed to send a hawk to Aki so she was aware of the new incident.

    Looking at his armor, he finally sighed and decided he should at least put it on, just in case. Adem helped him get into it, the familiar metal around his limbs helping him relax a bit. He attached his weapon on his back, as usual.

    Just in time even, as not even a couple minutes later, he heard multiple footsteps echoing from outside. He had no doubts that this was a full squad of Guild Knights, most likely coming to his home, a guess which was confirmed a moment later by a loud knock on the door.

    ¡°Hunter Valen! These are Guild Knights! Open this door!¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± he replied, making his footsteps loud when getting down the stairs, then he went to the door and unlocked it. Adem had stayed above, he would immediately go for the Felyne Tavern through the secret passage below a loose floorboard if he wasn¡¯t requested to so that he was in a safe place. They had discussed it before.

    Once he had opened the door, the Squad Leader showed him an unrolled piece of paper. ¡°You have been summoned by His Immenseness, concerning the grave matter that happened yesterday. There is no denying those summons.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet. He had expected to be summoned to the Guild itself, not by the same Wyverian that greeted him in Dundorma. ¡°I¡¯ll come quietly.¡±

    The leader nodded, and with a shouted order, the four other knights surrounded Valen and followed his march. Valen felt a bit uncomfortable being escorted by the knights, it almost felt like he was a criminal¡­ Which he probably was. Though he doubted he would see the Wyverian else¡­ So he wasn¡¯t sure what the situation was.

    It was late enough in the morning that people at the windows noticed his march, and his armor was distinctive enough that there was no mistaking him being escorted by a squad of Knights. Soon enough word had spread of the unusual occurrence and almost everybody could be watching the proceeding from their windows, and a crowd had started to gather behind them.

    By the time they were climbing the steps to the palace, a large crowd was following them, and Valen wasn¡¯t sure what they were thinking. Were they all under the impression that he was a criminal? An outlaw? He didn¡¯t know and it scared him a bit¡­

    The doors opened before them, and the crowd stopped at the top of the stairs, chatting animatedly between them, though the rumble of curiosity immediately stopped when the door slammed close, cutting all sound.

    The loud footsteps on the floor made the tension inside Valen rise, and he was afraid that it would snap on him at any moment, so he took deep breaths to try to calm down. Though once the gigantic doors where His Immenseness held court behind appeared, he found no relief. And as they stopped in front of the guards, the squad leader motioned to a gigantic safe, large enough to contain even a Greatsword, and said:

    ¡°Store your weapon there. You¡¯ll regain it only when your audience is finished, and you¡¯ll be the sole keeper of the keys until then.¡±

    Raising an eyebrow, but knowing it would be unwise to refuse, he complied, then said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to do this the last time.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t a security risk last time.¡± That was a logical answer.

    Valen sighed and locked the door, then stashed the keys in his pouch. ¡°What should I expect?¡±

    ¡°That is not our liberty to say. He is waiting.¡± Then the Leader nodded to the door guards, which opened it in tandem.

    Inhaling a deep breath, Valen entered the gigantic room once more, the doors slamming closed once he crossed their threshold. He once again met the gaze of the gigantic Wyverian, who was studying Valen intensely, and once he reached the same spot as before, stopped.

    They studied each other for a long moment before the Wyverian sighed and said. ¡°You have caused me a rough night, Hunter Valen¡­ But it also isn¡¯t truly a fault of yours I am aware.¡±

    Valen stayed silent, the reply that was on the tip of his tongue too disrespectful.

    ¡°First of all, you need to know that the council has already made their decision. I¡¯ll get to the details in a moment, but first¡­ Allow me to say that I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    This took Valen by surprise though, and he lost his stoic face. ¡°I¡­ What for?¡±

    ¡°Even though I may seem the supreme authority of the guild, I¡¯m far from it. I¡¯m only a figurehead, and they take my input for their decisions, but ultimately they have the last word. And I must say that you have made powerful enemies, Valen.¡±

    ¡°I knew that, but I don¡¯t think I could have done anything to stop that¡­ Outside verbally agreeing to actions I simply cannot stand for. I am too known, too powerful in my own right to have the benefit of anonymity.¡±

    ¡°That I do agree. I¡¯ve known that the state of the guild has been deteriorating in the last couple of decades, but it is only now that I can truly see the extent to which it¡¯s gone. It¡¯ll take a long while to try to root out the weeds¡­ Alas, there¡¯s nothing I can do for now, as they are too deeply entrenched to simply be cut off. I have become complacent lately, assured that because we survived the last few crises, especially the Frenzy Virus debacle, that I could afford to step back. I should have realized how bad the situation became.¡±

    Valen stared at him, he wanted to blame the Wyverian for his situation, but in the end¡­ He didn¡¯t have it in him to do so. Valen wasn¡¯t a spiteful man, it wasn¡¯t in his nature, so he simply exhaled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I got myself into this mess as well, I probably should simply not have stayed in Dundorma and asked for another station¡­ But I guess it¡¯s easy to see what went wrong after it happened.¡±

    His Immenseness nodded, then sat straighter. ¡°Hunter Valen.¡± Valen immediately stood straighter as well, understanding the shift in tone. ¡°In light of the events that happened yesterday, the council debated all night and has come to a resolution. Towards Hunter Tyndrer, no punishment will be enacted¡­ He had provided proof that all hunters who were present during the incident had taken reservations for the field. They claimed that you attacked them out of the blue, after almost being hit by a stray shot. They demanded your complete removal as you didn¡¯t have the mental stability to be a hunter.¡±

    ¡°What? But they¡­¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a lie, I read your statement, and while their story has holes, yours is complete and fits the observations the investigators have made in the training field.¡± He sighed. ¡°This man is too powerful though, and has let the glory of his lineage go to his head. And for the council, between a dozen hunters all saying the same thing, led by what is to them a respected hunter that has recently lost his hand¡­ Versus a rising star who, while admittedly having completed a single legendary hunt, also hasn¡¯t truly proven himself and is a more recent addition to Dundorma, the apparent culprit is clear.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Valen was about to explode, then deflated. He knew there was no point complaining about it at this point, he had been framed, and they succeeded.

    ¡°The most radical members wanted you to be executed.¡± Valen¡¯s head immediately snapped back up. ¡°However me and other more reasonable members managed to convince them that this would be an extraordinarily bad idea. You are too well-loved, and there are enough holes in the incident that the public would take your side and riot if we did execute you. So instead¡­ What I managed to get their decision instead, is to exile you.¡±

    ¡°Exile? But¡­ To where I am not aware of a place far away and isolated enough that would allow that.¡±

    The Wyverian nodded. ¡°Indeed. Also¡­ I believe it is something that I should have encouraged you to do long ago. I heard about the fact you were not getting any hunts, basically confined to Dundorma because of the meddling of Hunter Tyndrer. However. The terms of this exile are that you are to board with the Fifth Fleet, to depart for the New World.¡±

    Valen¡¯s eyes widened, the New World was a continent discovered half a decade ago, by a fleet of explorers that wanted to study the mystery of the Elder¡¯s crossing, an event where sometimes Elders seemingly cross the sea, always in the same direction. Until recently, no one had known why. The fact that the event happened more frequently in recent centuries, happening once a decade instead of once a century before, worried the scientists, so a branch of the Guild, called the Research Commission, was founded with the sole objective of solving this mystery.

    ¡°I¡­ Yeah. It sucks it had come to this, but I think I probably would have gone anyway. What stopped me was the risk I had to leave my armor behind.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll bend the rules for you. I told them the Research Commission needed a hunter to be able to take care of the highest level of threats anyway, as the one that departed on the First Fleet with them was getting old. So it¡¯s the best deal I could do for you. You are getting out of their head, in a place they know you won¡¯t bother them¡­ And you get to recover your freedom to act, which had been stifled by your rival. The one condition that they have imposed¡­ Is that you do a speech once you depart? And that you never mention the word exile.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet. ¡°So basically they exile me, but fear the reaction of the public if they learned about it?¡±

    The Wyverian chuckled. ¡°Yes, only a couple of members called for your executions. They fear you, in reality, Valen, you are too well-loved, you could have contested their power if you chose to and had the time and room to grow. But they are desperate to get rid of you, and it was the only way they found. Find joy that is a victory for you, and I don¡¯t doubt your rival will be happy with the result, he hoped for you to at least be removed from your hunting privileges, but the council also saw how bad of a decision that was.¡±

    Valen nodded, he still felt angry at Tyndrer, but he knew that at least he also had allies of his own¡­ A powerful one even. ¡°I should stay in Dundorma until the departure I guess?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ But, these restrictions only apply to you, I might point out.¡±

    Valen grinned behind his helmet. Adem was still free to act¡­ And able to warn Nikki. ¡°Thank you. I can¡¯t imagine how hard it was to fight for me.¡±

    ¡°It was necessary¡­ After all, you are our Sky Piercer, and we protect your kind, even though some in the guild may think otherwise. You are the last and greatest wall we have against our threats. Now go, Hunter Valen, and may you conquer these unknown lands. May the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Immenseness¡­ And may the Red Comet keep your skies clear.¡±

    The Wyverian raised an eyebrow at the unusual reply to the common adage, though the reference was clear enough. Valen simply chuckled and turned around, walking back towards the door.

    Once he reached the door, he realized he felt¡­ Great. The tension that had accumulated over the night was gone, now that he knew the result. It sucked because it meant that he would have to leave Aki and Flynn behind, but he also knew he got lucky. Besides, he had been playing with the idea of going with the Fifth Fleet anyway, the lack of hunts getting to him.

    Lost in his thought, he absently retrieved his weapon and was escorted back out of the palace¡­ Through a back exit this time though, the crowd still gathered at the main gates. The knights didn¡¯t escort him past that point though, wanting Valen to return home anonymously. Before he left, one warned him that there was now another squad posted at his home, and they would stop him should he attempt to leave.

    That fact managed to cut him out of his thoughts and he answered. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to anyways¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I accepted the punishment His Immenseness laid out to me, so don¡¯t worry about me trying to dodge it.¡±

    The Knight frowned at Valen, before nodding, and he was released from them and went on his way back home. Valen glanced behind him every so often and sure enough, he could glimpse one of the knights tailing him at a distance.

    At least he managed to return home without any incidents, enough of the population being gathered at the stairs of the Palace that not much was remaining. There were a few who noticed him in the streets, and they seemed to nod at him before returning to their occupations.

    Once he was safely home, Valen removed his helmet and sat down on a chair, sighing. Even though he had accepted the punishment that was imposed on him, he felt bad at the fact that he may never see Aki again, he doubted the smith would follow him to the New World, she had her forge to take care of. As for Nikki¡­ He was certain she would follow him wherever he went ¡ª she had long since abandoned her original nest to stay close to him. Valen smiled, he could not ask for a better friend.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Adem returned to the home a while later, and after Valen gave him the news, immediately and fiercely proclaimed that he would follow him. The hunter didn¡¯t expect anything less but still smiled at the Felyne, who would stay by his side at least.

    Though he didn¡¯t stay long, Nikki needed to be informed, lest she lose patience and do something drastic¡­ He worried about her reaction to the news as well. She was fiercely protective of him and he didn¡¯t doubt she would ambush Tyndrer in the city to take care of him herself if she decided it was the correct course of action.

    Valen was worried for the next few days, not knowing if Adem would manage to accomplish his mission or not. But he had faith in him regardless, he was more worried about the Valstrax¡¯s reaction though, as he expected any day to hear about a Valstrax attack on Dundorma.

    It was only when Felyne entered through the secret passage, looking a bit tired but immediately announcing to Valen that everything was fine and that Nikki wouldn¡¯t take revenge.

    Adem had to travel far to be able to meet with Nikki though, which explained the long wait and his exhaustion. However, after taking a small rest, he relayed to Valen what happened.

    Nikki was tempted to throw caution to the wind and take revenge herself¡­ Before she visibly reconsidered and shook her head, knowing that it was indeed a bad idea. Interestingly, when Adem explained to Nikki where Valen would go after he pointed the correct direction towards the New World¡­ Nikki seemed to pause, and then she simply said, ¡°The Graveyard.¡± Adem was a bit confused and asked her to clarify, but she refused to do so. She then asked when Valen would leave, to which Adem provided the timeframe of the expected departure and the travel time.

    What surprised Adem was that she seemed to be staring in the direction of the New World when he left, seemingly deep in thought.

    Valen exhaled a sigh of relief he didn¡¯t know he was holding. He knew Nikki, and when she was doing things like that, it most certainly meant that she would follow him. He thanked Adem for having taken such a big risk to pass the situation to Nikki, then stared at the sky outside¡­ He still didn¡¯t know what to think about leaving his homeland for territories that were barely explored. But he knew that he would rise to the challenge, as he always did.

    <hr>

    As the days before the departure approached, Valen was getting worried about the lack of news from Aki¡­ He expected at least a letter telling him he had the head as empty as a Khezu. But no letter came. And the time of the departure being right upon him, he was starting to accept that he would leave without a final time with Aki¡­

    Until the day right before the departure, when somebody thundered at the door loudly and Aki¡¯s voice immediately called out. ¡°Valen! Open that door right now! I know that you¡¯re here!¡±

    The hunter never sprinted downstairs as fast as he did in his life¡­ And immediately opened the door to reveal the figure of Aki who looked furious¡­ But that emotion immediately vanished to let relief appear on her face once she saw him. She immediately hugged him, a gesture that surprised him¡­ but one that he returned immediately after.

    They stayed like that for a while, before they separated and Aki whispered, ¡°I was worried for you¡­ When I received your letter while I was almost at the other end of the continent¡­ I immediately packed up my belongings and jumped up in the first airship that would get me to another going to Dundorma. I was afraid to arrive only after you left.¡±

    Taking the time to close the door behind them so they had privacy, Valen sighed and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was getting worried my letter didn¡¯t reach you too and you were unaware of the situation. Though at least I¡¯m glad that His Immenseness seems to be on my side¡­ Even if it seems the rest of the Guild isn¡¯t.¡±

    Aki crossed her arms. ¡°You know I¡¯m half a mind to slap you and berate you for such a stupid action¡­¡± She dropped them though, rubbing her metal fingers. ¡°But I believe it was also only a matter of time before something like that happened. At least I know that the New World will be a good destination for you. The Research Commission is independent. There''ll be no interference from the Guild, and I¡¯m certain the Commission isn¡¯t as corrupt as the Guild is. I know you¡¯ll have allies on-site, knowing what I heard about those that are there.¡±

    ¡°Honestly¡­ After having to think about it, I believe I probably would have gone anyway. I¡¯m glad they allowed me to keep my armor, I would have hated to leave it behind.¡±

    Aki looked pensive for a moment before smirking. ¡°I¡¯m sure I could have managed to smuggle it on board by disguising it as smithy tools. I have quite some influence after all.¡± She chuckled. ¡°But that is not needed at least¡­ What will our friend do about it?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll follow I¡¯m sure, Adem went to see her and she all but outright confirmed that she would be following me. Though one thing¡¯s been nagging me. When Adem pointed in the direction of the New World, do you know what she called it?¡±

    ¡°No, but I assume it¡¯s something special though?¡±

    ¡°The Graveyard.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Wait¡­ That would make sense, the reports of the Elder¡¯s Crossing note that it¡¯s almost always older Elders that make the journey¡­ So that would mean that those that went there did it¡­¡±

    ¡°To die. That was my thought indeed. But it wouldn¡¯t explain why the frequency increased so much over the centuries. I suspect something else is at play, especially since the ones lately spotted didn¡¯t show signs of advanced aging.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll simply have to solve that mystery yourself! And don¡¯t forget that you have our friend for that too!¡±

    Valen chuckled. ¡°Aki, you know how she is, she seems to love being cryptic. I¡¯m betting that the Research Commission will solve the mystery before I manage to get a clear answer out of her.¡±

    ¡°That is true¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I wish I could follow you Valen, I always wanted to go to the New World, but I cannot for the life of me abandon my ancestral home. I need to take care of it, so you¡¯ll have to go without me I fear.¡± She beamed though. ¡°Though¡­ Can you do something for me?¡±

    ¡°Sure, it depends on what it is.¡±

    ¡°Once you arrive there, can you find the legendary smith that went there and ask his opinion about the armor? I want to know what he thinks of this masterpiece!¡±

    Valen smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll do that Aki, I promise you.¡± He looked around and finally sat in one of the chairs, then the smith followed. ¡°Tell me about your latest trip¡­ Even though it was cut short, I¡¯ll tell you what happened to lead to the event.¡±

    She nodded and this was the start of a long chat that lasted far in the evening¡­ They only stopped when they realized that Valen needed to wake early for the departure. Aki went into the guest room, too tired to get to her quarters in Dundorma. But Valen found sleep hard to come, anxious about the monumental event that would happen the following morning.

    <hr>

    Valen had a short night of sleep, but he could not delay any longer. He needed to embark on one of the ships leaving for the New World. Most of his belongings were already onboard, but he kept the armor at his house¡­ He was asked to give one last speech to the city of Dundorma before he embarked. He was half a mind to not give it, but he also knew that they told him it was required, and they might decide to punish him should he not do it.

    So there it was¡­ The day when he left for unknown territories. Aki helped him to put on his armor and then she told him that she would see him being sent off as well.

    Once Valen was all ready and suited up, they all walked together to the docks, Adem to the right of Valen and Aki on the left, there were a couple of Guild Knights following a fair distance behind but he ignored them. The Hunter smiled, he had most of the people he cared about around him¡­ The only ones missing were Flynn and, obviously, Nikki, who for sure couldn¡¯t be here today, no matter how much Valen wished for it.

    The walk felt far longer to Valen than it actually was¡­ Because it was the very last walk that he would make in the city of Dundorma. The very last walk in the Old World, and for a long time. So it was a very important moment for Valen, and he knew that fact. He knew that after this, everything would never change, almost nothing would be the same as before. But at least he had one friend that would encourage him on¡­ And two that would stay with him. It was only that fact that made him carry on and gave him the strength to do more steps.

    And at last, after what felt like hours for Valen, but in reality was only a short few-minute walk, the docks were in sight, as were the half-dozen ships that would all depart to the New World. Most of them were already full of hunters from every part of the Old World, brought all together to Dundorma for a last send-off towards territories unknown. Towards an uncertain future.

    Valen¡­ Was the one that would give the last words, the ones everybody would keep in mind when the ships departed. The ones that would symbolize all of them, all of the Fifth fleet, that would represent them. He was anxious. He didn¡¯t know what everybody that was gathered here at last would think of it. But he didn¡¯t care. He wouldn¡¯t be here for the aftermath, so he knew what he would say.

    Once a Guild official spotted him, he motioned to follow him, not discreetly as his armor was distinctive enough that people had spotted him already and were calling others about his presence. Valen knew he was liked by the general public¡­ And that was all that mattered to him.

    So he was rushed right behind the esplanade as a general murmur started to grow in the crowd about his presence. The fact that he would go with the Fifth Fleet hadn¡¯t been revealed to the general populace yet, but that would change soon.

    Another hunter was already on the esplanade, finishing up his speech. Valen recognized him, he made quite a bit of a word of himself half a decade ago when a Rusted Kushalah Daora attacked this very city. He was part of the group of hunters called the Ace Hunters, and they were the ones who had managed to repel it. His name was Aiden and his distinctive red hair was all Valen needed to recognize him. Valen smiled, he had met him a couple of times and liked his character, and he knew he had a good head on his shoulders. He was glad to at least have one familiar face on his journey.

    Once Aiden had finished his speech, a Guild official took the stage and spoke.

    ¡°Before we send everybody on¡­ Even though the Guild already knows there is a legendary hunter already in the New World¡­ He had confessed he was getting on his years and worried about not being enough for the threats that may arise. Which is why we have decided to send another hunter that has proved himself against an Elder.¡± Murmurs rose in the crowd as people started to realize who he was talking about. ¡°A rising star that all of you may know about. He has made himself quite known in recent years and you all love him! I give you the Guardian of the Fifth Fleet, our very own Sky Piercer, Hunter Valen!¡± The crowd erupted into cheers all together Valen stepped onto the stage.

    He was almost taken aback by the sheer excitement that was directed at him. They knew that as long as he was with the Fifth Fleet, there would be a huge threat to wipe everybody and that he could be the last line of defense of the whole operation. He raised a hand and almost immediately the crowd quieted. Valen smiled and he removed his helmet, as he felt like he needed to show his face for this.

    Then, keeping it under his arm, he started.

    ¡°I know you all may be surprised by the fact that I decided to go to the New World. But I felt like I needed it. I¡¯ve been contemplating the idea for a while, but it was only when the Guild proposed this role to me, with the caveat I would keep my armor, that I made my decision. So yes, I¡¯ll safeguard the Fifth Fleet and make sure the Research Commission achieves its goal at last!¡±

    Cheers rose and fell for a moment. ¡°You may not be a stranger to the fact I had struggled to adapt to the high-ranked status I had ever since I received the title of Sky Piercer¡­ I felt like I had been put into the backroom even though I was one of the most popular hunters of this age¡­ I wish it didn¡¯t make me feel like a glorified figurehead. But I suppose it was inevitable. We need as many good hunters as we can get, and I suppose that I couldn¡¯t deny them that.¡± Everybody chuckled at that.

    ¡°Anyhow, recent events finalized my decision¡­ I know that while I may be welcome and loved by all of you, the same isn¡¯t true for my peers. There are some who envy the feats I¡¯ve accomplished through skill and luck and wish I didn¡¯t take their spotlight. Well, I guess I¡¯ll no longer be here to be at the center of the stage!¡±

    Valen sighed, looking at the ground then looked back up. ¡°Respect those that will risk their life to protect all of you. Because they give so much of themselves to make sure those who are vulnerable are safe. Those are our real heroes because they¡¯ll go into a hunt even though they know they may not return from it. It¡¯s something so easily forgotten when you see giants like me, but make sure of that will you? Celebrate those that haven¡¯t climbed the popularity ladder, and still give their all! Because they are our real hunters!¡±

    Resounding cheers came from the whole assembly of people in front of him, though it quickly became gasps when people started pointing up, upon which he followed the direction, and immediately noticed the red comet that I was so familiar with. ¡®You have a knack for choosing your moments Nikki.¡¯

    Valen turned around with a calm face and raised his voice, to be heard above the starting panic.

    ¡°And most of all¡­ Never forget that monsters in general can and do simply leave us alone. Take this one for example¡­ I know you¡¯ve all seen it happen ¡ª how many times has this Valstrax passed by? You may think that I would give death to all of them because that is what I¡¯m known for¡­ But keep in mind that the one I hunted¡­ I could feel was hurting and was not in his correct state of mind.

    ¡°I have analyzed all reports about them since, and as it turns out? Valstrax are actually rather passive Elders. They generally avoid us and keep to their territories. I believe this Valstrax above is a curious one that seems intrigued by us. It¡¯s had plenty of opportunities to attack us, but seems content with just passing above us like a Red Comet in the skies, here to remind us that while we may be at home on the land¡­ Its home is the skies above, where it is unmatched.¡± Nikki now was well into her overhead pass and was going away from the city.

    ¡°Never forget that monsters simply are, and that it isn¡¯t our responsibility to decide their extermination, bar the most extreme cases¡­ They simply are what make our ecosystem and we have to live with them. Most of us that are departing may be Hunters, there are Handlers too, and Palicos, but we are one thing above all else ¡ª united. And this is what the Fifth Fleet is all about! Together we¡¯ll solve the Mystery of the Elder¡¯s Crossing once and for all! And I say we¡¯ll do it, upon the light of the Sapphire Star!¡±

    Valen raised his fist and a resounding cheer followed these last words, Valen smiled and bowed, then finally turned around and walked down from the Esplanade, putting back on his helmet. Adem rejoined him and climbed on his shoulder, giving a thumbs up.

    Aki embraced him. ¡°That was great, Valen¡­ And now good luck. May the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ May the Red Comet keep your skies clear.¡±

    Aki stared at him at the unusual response, then chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m the only one to get that.¡±

    ¡°That you are¡­ That you are. Thank you, for everything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You should head off, I believe they are waiting for you.¡±

    Valen nodded and he turned around to see Aiden waving at him on the desk of the ship, Valen nodded and crossed the gangplank, which they removed once he was on board. He joined the spot the red-haired hunter showed with his right hand.

    ¡°Gnarlycuga speech Valen! They¡¯ll remember that one for ages.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. But I hope they¡¯ll remember the intent of it.¡±

    Aiden was about to answer before a deep sound resounded in the whole port. A glance towards the noise revealed that somebody had blown into a giant horn. Immediately he saw the sailors unraveling the knots tying the ships to their docks. And once the last cord was unfastened for Valen¡¯s ship¡­ It started to pick up speed and drift away. The sails were unfurled with orders shouted by the captains.

    Immediately, the wind caught the sails and the ship accelerated. Valen spotted Aki waving at him, and he waved in return. The motion was not made by only them though, it looked like everybody at the port and the ships were waving at each other, looking like a giant tide of hands creating a sea of their own.

    Valen was lost in the moment and it was only after what felt like a short while that he could no longer distinguish Aki and barely see the whole port. It was then that he realized¡­ This was it. He had left for the New World and was going to lands unknown, and to be honest? He was looking forward to it. Because he knew that no matter what, he never would be alone.

 Sky Render Chapter 1: Departure

    The first couple of days of travel were the hardest.

    It was when they had to follow the coast and keep in sight of the land, albeit at a great distance, and it likely could be the last they saw from the Old World for the unluckiest of them. But for Valen? It was then that he realized that he was truly leaving everything behind. But on the other hand¡­ What reasons did he have to stay? Nikki was coming with him and would go wherever he went. He was an orphan, his family all but gone since a very young age. The only hunting team he was a part of was reduced to a crippled member that could only do paperwork¡­ Aki was the only one left that Valen truly cared for. He also had some modicum of respect for His Immenseness but it wasn¡¯t enough to make him try to come back. No, he was right, going to the New World was the best decision and one that he would have taken himself even if it hadn¡¯t been forced on him.

    It was why the first couple days Valen simply stayed at the railing, the sailors busy around him, in his civilian clothing, and simply stared at the faraway land. He ignored any attempts the other hunters made to chat with him, however rude it may have seemed¡­ Valen didn¡¯t care at the moment, and eventually, after a few hours on the first day, they finally understood that they simply needed to leave him alone and did so. He only exchanged a couple of words with Adem when the Felyne asked if he could mingle with his kind, which Valen had no objections with.

    However, Valen was also not only staring at the distant land¡­ He occasionally glanced at the sky above, hoping to see a red trail, a sign that a friend was above and that he would not be left to continue alone. But as he also suspected, no signs were visible on these first couple of days.

    So it continued¡­ At least until the morning of the third day, when one of the sailors announced that they finally were leaving the coast for good and going into open seas. At that announcement, there was a large rush as seemingly the whole contingent of hunters onboard accumulated on the railing, and all of them looked at the disappearing land¡­ Some had tears in their eyes, others smiles at the last sight of their homeland, and a multitude of other emotions. But one expression prevailed, visible on almost every face: hope. The hope for a better future and the excitement of the lands to come.

    Everybody stayed until the land finally disappeared in the waves, and a resounding cheer erupted throughout the ship. Valen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it, now there would be nothing but an open ocean around them¡­ And it was the true start to a journey that would last weeks. The captain couldn¡¯t give them an estimated date, as they might have to hold station on the ocean until the one Elder they were following showed itself. The Elder was the reason the Guild decided to send five ships full of hunters to the New World: Zorah Magdaros.

    This Elder looked like a gigantic mountainous turtle, carrying a large shell of rock on its back, with lava occasionally flowing from openings on its back called magma cores. The Guild was keeping an eye on it since it was known to be non-hostile and didn¡¯t attack ships or hunters unless provoked. However, its wandering patterns shifted recently and it was soon confirmed that this Elder would make the Elder¡¯s Crossing.

    So the goal of the Fifth Fleet was to follow Zorah Magdaros to the New World, recording all unusual behavior, and trying to understand the reason it was going through with it. The phenomenon was still shrouded in mystery even after centuries of it occurring, so the Research Commission wanted to solve it once and for all, and they knew that this occurrence might be it, as the means granted for it were nothing short of staggering. Never has there been so many hunters sent all in one place before, and a large part of them were hunters that had proven themselves on the fields, having hunted monsters such as Rathalos, Lagiacrus, and other kinds of Apex-tier wyverns¡­

    The only caveat that was asked from all of them? That they left their armor and weapons back in the old world¡­ The stated reason was that it was to better understand the differences between an Old World monster and the New World version of that same monster, as some differences had been reported, that went through different feelings in the armors. However, Valen was granted an exception¡­ The simplest reason given was that there was nothing that he could craft there that would match his current armor and weapon, and that he had a different role, he would still help in the investigation certainly¡­ But he was mostly here as a safeguard against any threat to the whole colony that may arise.

    It was while reminiscing about this that Valen noticed that the number of people that were remaining on the upper deck had dwindled to almost nothing. Somebody coughed to his side, and Valen saw Aiden leaning on the railing near him.

    ¡°Having lingering doubts? Thinking about what you¡¯re leaving behind?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes at first, but now? No, I¡¯m simply enjoying the moment¡­ As much as I mingled with them, I don¡¯t enjoy crowds. I prefer to be in the wilderness, accompanied by only Adem.¡±

    Aiden hummed then replied. ¡°Yeah, I can understand¡­ The Frenzy Vanquisher was kind of the same. You may know that the Ace Hunters traveled with him for a while on that fateful Caravan. He tended to keep to himself, though when we truly needed him to debrief or to solve the traveling patterns of the Magala, he did not hesitate to help us. I kind of miss him though, he was a Gnarlycuga hunter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard his feats while I was still learning things¡­ He truly rose to the occasion when we needed him. His rise was meteoric.¡±

    ¡°Like yours Valen. Believe it or not, you came out of nowhere and managed a feat few hunters ever did. And I knew one of them. People love you too, you¡¯re a down-to-earth guy and do not lord over us the rest of us.¡±

    Valen scratched the left side of his face, the flesh still itching him from time to time. ¡°I¡¯m glad then. I¡¯ve been trying so hard to not be like some of what I met at Dundorma that I guess I knew what not to do.¡±

    ¡°I can understand, I¡¯ve met the type a couple of times while I was with Julius. I could see they were trying to bother me but didn¡¯t dare with my master nearby. In a sense I was lucky Julius found me, he made sure that I was not trampled by the ugly part of the Guild¡­ It was also why I insisted over him that I leave the Ace Hunters to go with this ship. I want to make sure the Research Commission does not become like the current-day Guild. I want to make sure we are keeping it to our objective. Julius supported me in that endeavor.¡±

    ¡°And I will support you in that. I feel like things have become¡­ bad¡­ in the Guild recently, and I needed to leave it all behind. Though I sometimes wonder if that¡¯s also admitting they have won..¡±

    ¡°That might be true. But also remind yourself that they will all fade into obscurity one day in the future. You are already immortalized among the great Legends of the Guild. So in essence you have already won, they simply were throwing tantrums and raging at your success.¡±

    Valen looked at Aiden for a moment, then he nodded. ¡°You are right. Thank you Aiden, I needed to hear that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Valen! Should we get to the amazing party down below?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Am not sure, I don¡¯t like crowds. Always avoided these kinds of parties.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Are you telling me you have never participated in a Hunter party?¡±

    The silence from Valen following this question was enough of an answer.

    ¡°Okay, that won''t do, now you¡¯re coming with me!¡± Aiden immediately said and started dragging Valen by his sleeve.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Aiden, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Making sure you¡¯re going to have a good time!¡± He said with a huge grin.

    Valen tried to resist, before giving up, Aiden¡¯s grip was strong and he wasn¡¯t wearing his armor to overpower him with sheer mass. Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

    <hr>

    A splitting headache was what greeted Valen the following morning, and he tried to open his eyes, only to close them immediately later with a groan. This light was coming from the window almost feeling like it would blind him. And even when he had his eyes closed, the light that he could perceive through his eyelids felt like it was too much already.

    So he suffered in silence, still with the headache pounding on his head, until he felt good enough to have his eyes open without everything hurting.

    Adem was looking at him from the bottom of his bed, looking smug. ¡°There you are Meowster! You sure made yourself meown yesterday!¡±

    His mind still working like it was coated in honey, Valen did not understand the Felyne¡¯s remark, as the memories of what happened the previous evening seemed like a blur going too fast for him to process it. It was getting clearer by the second though, and he dreaded what he would realize once his mind was good enough to remember.

    ¡°Ugh, remind me to never drink that much at Hunter parties again¡­ not an enjoyable experience.¡± The spots that were dancing around the bedroom finally disappeared and he was able to get up from the bed, not without groans though.

    ¡°A bath is ready for you to clean yourself, and the Captain requested your presence.¡±

    His mind was good enough to process subconsciously, and Valen nodded automatically to the cat, his body leading him to the bathroom to clean himself.

    Half an hour later, Valen no longer felt like he was wading through Honey, and with a fresh set of clothes, he went to the upper deck. He still didn¡¯t know what happened the previous night, and only one thing: he drank way too much beer¡­ And it felt like a dare? He wasn¡¯t certain what happened and that scared him. He had never been drunk before and he feared that he had already revealed something about Nikki. Though since Adem didn¡¯t seem panicked he hoped that it was simply that he embarrassed himself. The Felyne felt way too smug for nothing to have happened.

    So he joined the Captain at the ship¡¯s stern, who was looking ahead with binoculars. The sails were furled on all the ships, as they were now waiting for a sign of the Elder they would follow.

    Once Valen approached the Captain enough, he turned around, clipping his binoculars on his belt. ¡°Hunter Valen.¡±

    ¡°Captain. You called for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard of your¡­ Escapade the previous night, and wanted to ask if that will be a regular occurrence?¡±

    Valen stared at the captain in surprise, which was noticed, and he simply shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d first need to know what in the name of the Sapphire Star I did, my memory of the night is¡­ nonexistent.¡±

    The Captain smiled, which scared Valen. ¡°I guess you already paid the price of your foolishness then? For your information, you challenged our resident toughest sailor to a drinking contest, after already having way too many beers in your system.¡±

    Valen blanched. ¡°¡­ Tell me I lost.¡±

    A booming laugh erupted from the Captain, which still grated on his ears. ¡°No! That¡¯s the thing! You won! You outdrank the one we thought could never lose a drinking contest, you passed out right after he did, but you still won! The crew is in awe at your tenacity and respect for you. They collectively asked me to demand you reveal your secret.¡±

    ¡°You want the truth? I never went to a party like this. And never was drunk in my life before¡­ I don¡¯t plan to ever do it again, to be frank¡­ Anything else I said that will follow me to the end of my days?¡±

    ¡°Nah, the tale of your Valstrax hunt that people know you for attracted the whole ship''s attention though. I believe nobody here heard it before, so they were glued to your lips throughout, for having heard part of it, you are a great storyteller. Ya kept me on my toes the whole time, though I could feel some parts were exaggerated, I mean, who would be crazy enough to cling to a Valstrax while it tried to fly in the sky? But that¡¯s how all Hunter stories go, they never tell it twice the same, and some details change, heck I¡¯ve often heard them retell a hunt with them using the wrong weapon, in the wrong place, or even that they ended up knocked out or failing it while they overcame their opponent.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You Hunters are all crazy, but the rest of us folk simply need to get used to your antics¡­ And do you think you¡¯ll repeat your show?¡±

    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t, and I¡¯ll make sure somebody gets this message,¡± Valen said while sending a very pointed look at the Felyne who was smirking on his shoulder. ¡°Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°How good is your sight? Because we need somebody that can help at the vulture nest, and given your experience, I¡¯m sure you are used to scanning your surroundings, skies included.¡±

    ¡°Pretty good I¡¯d say, my old companions were always surprised that I was able to spot something from far away¡­ I wouldn¡¯t mind that actually, that¡¯d give me something to do in my days.¡±

    The Captain nodded. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll send your schedule once we determine it with the others in the rotation. Also, Aiden wants to talk with you, and that¡¯s not about your antics he assured me.¡±

    Valen tilted his head ¡°Oh? I¡¯ll go see him then, not often do people want to talk with me, with how intimidating I am.¡± He lightly tapped on the scarred side of his face. ¡°But I guess Aiden also is hard to impress with what he is known for. Thank you, captain, I¡¯ll see what Aiden wants.¡± The Captain nodded in response.

    Valen went to one of the rooms below deck, where Aiden was supposedly waiting. He found the red-haired hunter perusing his hunting book when he entered and immediately put a bookmark on it before closing it and placing it on the table. ¡°Valen! Have you recovered from yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Could be better but I¡¯ll be fine. You wanted to see me for something?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Yes. As we all know, we may as well be the most experienced hunters in this whole fleet. Even though everyone else was deemed an ¡®A-Lister¡¯, that only means that they all faced most apex-tier monsters¡­ None of them faced Elders besides the two of us. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I want to be the leader of the whole fleet.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow ¡°And you want to know if I do?¡±

    ¡°More like I would suggest we let them prove themselves. One of them will surely rise above the rest and prove the natural skill they possess. After all, we shouldn¡¯t make it too easy for them!¡±

    A chuckle was the answer for Valen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not planning on stealing their thunder. I mostly would have taken the place of a teacher or guide most of the time¡­ But above all, my goal is to explore the wilderness myself with Adem. Due to the low number of hunters that reside in Astera and the priority given to building a permanent outpost in it, the territories were explored only by a scant few hunters. So I¡¯ll take that role and find everything of interest I can.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea! I planned to mostly teach my tricks, as you may know, that I can wield all of the weapons! I¡¯m Gnarlycuga like that!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re known as a jack of all trades for sure. I only know the basics of the other weapons, Switch Axe is what I wield and I¡¯ll keep it until I cannot anymore.¡± He sighed. ¡°To be honest, we are kind of encouraged to stick with one weapon too, given how expensive it is to pay the smith with. How you managed to get as many sets as you did, I¡¯ll never know.¡±

    Aiden smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that Lucius helped me in that regard. Also Valen. Don¡¯t stay cooped in your room, party with us a bit, I know you are used to working alone, but you should enjoy yourself while you¡¯re here!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll try. No more drinking contests though, yesterday was enough for me.¡±

    A laugh was the response by Aiden. And Valen tipped his head before heading out of the room.

    After he went back to the upper deck, he was instructed by the Captain that while they finished the schedule for the vulture¡¯s nest, he could go up there, so that he could get used to it.

    The climb up to it took him a bit, and the ship''s rolling was actually very noticeable once up there, but Valen got his sea legs a long time ago, and he kind of enjoyed sea travel. He found a comfortable position and started scanning the surroundings. Once he confirmed nothing could be seen besides the sea and the other ships, he looked at the azure sky only dotted with a few clouds and smiled. He always loved to see the color the sky showed, the pure blue was always refreshing in his eyes.

    He missed Nikki and wondered how hard it would be to spend so many weeks without her presence¡­ The longest he had spent without meeting her was barely a month, and that was after she started showing herself above Dundorma. But now? She wouldn¡¯t be able to stay above the ocean to follow him, which means that she most likely will cross it on one single trip. He simply hoped she would do alright without him¡­ Because he knew that they cared for each other.

 Sky Render Chapter 2: Absence

    Valen looked over the horizon, scanning the endless ocean spanning all around the ship, broken only by the handful of ships escorting the one he was sailing on. Being in the revolture¡¯s nest was considered a boring job, one where you only had to look around and spot threats to the ship. But  Valen had grown fond of the job, it allowed him to distract his mind from the happenings on the ship. The other hunters mostly traded exaggerated stories of their hunts. This always gathered attention, Valen came to realize, hunting stories seemingly in high demand.

    He was encouraged to tell the story of how he fell the Valstrax once again, and Valen obliged, being sober this time around to not distort the tale too much. Both times it seemed like the whole ship was in the room, staying quiet in respect just to let the story unfold, though they booed when he described the confrontation with the elite hunters, oohed when the Valstrax crashed and the ground, and gasped when Valen managed to jump on its back while it was rocketing forwards. And he then cheered once he had dealt the finishing blow.

    Still, it was with all these evenings that Valen realized what he was missing by not going to hunter parties, that feeling of camaraderie, where other hunters respected your feats, even though they may not be as big as what they had done themselves because Hunting was not a job that could be done by one person¡­ It was a community effort, and this was what these parties represent, the collective might of the hunters.

    He smiled while reminiscing the nights. The other hunters learned to respect his distances, as he didn¡¯t want to be mobbed constantly, which is why he enjoyed being on watch duty. He had spotted a Lagiacrus looking around once, and it stared for a bit at their fleet, Valen raised the alarm this time, but it seemed like it had realized it wasn¡¯t a fight it could win and simply swam away.

    However one thing worried Valen, it was the fact that even though he wasn¡¯t officially part of the fifth fleet, he had been informed that he was still required to find a Handler. A handler¡¯s job was to fill in the paperwork for the hunter and manage their belongings while he was on the hunt. They also took charge of the research aspect of the commission, recording everything unusual and drawing the maps that would be used to navigate around.

    He had heard how much more paperwork was required for the hunters at Astera, given that they needed to learn anything they could about the new continent. He could deal with it, sure, but there were also enough Handlers for every Hunter that was on the fleet, and he did not really want to be saddled with somebody he didn¡¯t like. So he believed he would have to try to find somebody tolerable while he could.

    Adem tapped him on the shoulder breaking him of his reverie and pointed in the distance. Valen squinted. He could see something but wasn¡¯t sure what, so he pulled out his binoculars and looked through them, and he smiled. There was boiling water towards there, which meant that the target of their fleet, Zorah Magdaros, was keeping its heading.

    They never actually saw the Elder yet, only the result of its passage. The water was deep enough for him to be fully submerged while he swam towards the New World; they could only confirm his presence by the boiling water that he created as he swam.

    The scant reports that were done of it while it was still on land were that it was massive, but they yet had to see it for themselves. They knew some Elders existed that were bigger than anything else they knew, the chief example being Dalamadur, the snakelike Elder being long enough to wrap itself around a small mountain. Lao Shan Lung was the most famous example though, the Mountain Elder was able to make the earth shake with each step while it traveled around. The few individuals that were known were kept track of, as it was the Elder that was the easiest to find.

    Valen noted the direction he saw the bubbles, and started climbing down from his vantage point. He needed to report this to the captain so that they could be sure they kept the correct heading. The rope ladder was now familiar to him, and he deftly climbed down, the action not unnoticed by the Captain, who nodded to the pilot and went to wait for Valen at the bottom of it.

    ¡°Any news?¡±

    ¡°I spotted some steam bubbles, we are deviating a bit, but still keeping the correct trajectory.¡±

    ¡°Good. Your shift¡¯s over anyway, you¡¯re free to do whatever you want. Tell me the heading before you go too, a small deviation may not look like much, but after a long time, it has a huge impact, and it takes time to correct.¡±

    Valen nodded and gave the exact headings he had spotted the signs. The Captain then thanked the hunter and went to the Pilot so he could steer the boat.

    The Hunter descended to the lower deck, where some hunters were chatting animatedly. One of them, a brown-haired woman that he knew wielded an Insect Glaive, was one of the few hunters in the fleet who already had a Palico companion. Said Palico, named Flighty, was¡­ in one word? Hyper. She never sat still and always seemed to fidget, and even Adem admitted that he struggled to handle her, before shaking his head and saying that after hearing about her tales, he knew she was not to be underestimated, doing her best to make the task easier for her partner hunter.

    Said Hunter was called Rapha?lle, and though she only took down a Rathian, Valen seemed to recognize some talent in her and would not be surprised if she grew into a fine hunter. The limited ground available on the boat meant that the only way hunters kept sharp on it was a dedicated room where they could wail on dummies all they wanted. However, there were restrictions like a couple of Gunlance wielders that were ordered to not use any shelling at all. It also extended to Valen, but it wasn¡¯t like it was something that was needed for his Switch Axe. Besides he would crash into walls well before he started to decelerate.

    He passed by the table of hunters, only acknowledging them with a nod, before joining Aiden who was sitting in one of the corners of the room.

    ¡°Valen! Finished your turn at the watch?¡±

    ¡°I did, found some steam bubbles¡± Valen nodded. ¡°So I know we¡¯re in the correct direction. Haven¡¯t noticed anything else.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I still remember the Lagiacrus incident. Everybody was on edge then!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad, it shows that not all monsters are bloodthirsty beasts, and some simply live their lives¡­ Any news you got from our companions?¡±

    ¡°Just a hot-head claiming to have downed a Chameleos while only wearing Wroggi gear. Yes, it might offer protection from its poison but not¡­ From everything else. Besides, he also claimed he had tracked the Elder after finding it passing by a village in a record time.¡±

    Valen chuckled. ¡°Indeed, those quirky things are hard to track, what with their ability to simply¡­ disappear. Besides, it''s not like it wouldn¡¯t fly.¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve rarely heard about Chameleos attacks by the way. They only seem to steal from lone hunters or merchant convoys.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, they tend to keep to themselves. And are curious beasts. The only one I heard about that attacked a village was apparently in pain and had been attacked by something else. They, along the Kirin, are the most tame Elders.¡±

    ¡°We mostly hear about Kushalah and Teostra right? Doesn¡¯t surprise me, these are plenty aggressive.¡±

    ¡°You might say¡­ That they¡¯re Toasting their competition!¡± said Aiden with a wide smile.

    Valen groaned. ¡°How do you keep coming with these?¡±

    ¡°I simply do! My old party said it was an acquired taste!¡±

    Shaking his head, Valen said. ¡°I can imagine¡­¡± He looked out the window. ¡°I¡¯ve got time to kill, should we get to the training area?¡±

    ¡°Suits me! I¡¯ll find you there!¡± Aiden said while he sat up, he needed to grab his weapon, keeping it in his room as he didn¡¯t need to carry it with him while on the boat.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Valen and Aiden spent the rest of the afternoon training together, fluidly alternating between motions on the training dummies. Aiden having chosen to use a Sword and Shield this time, the light weapon allowing him to stay nimble and partially deflect attacks. Valen proved he was almost able to keep up with him however, his mastery of the Switch Axe built over the years showcased by the fluid motions he displayed, to the awe of the other hunters.

    The two hunters gathered quite a crowd, as they usually did when training, which cheered on the two of them, though Valen did use the occasion to give some tips about his weapon for the other Switch Axe users, and some general tips. Aiden however, due to his jack-of-all-trades status, gladly helped everybody who had some trouble with some part of a weapon. Both hunters had long since gained the respect of the whole ship for their willingness to share their experience.

    They parted after the meal shared with every other hunter, tired but satisfied from a good day.

    <hr>

    Thunderous steps, terrified screaming, and trailing saliva filled Valen¡¯s senses. Everything he felt, heard, and saw was focused on one thing. The Yellow-Scaled beast. The Enemy. He knew this was what led him to a pitiful childhood, knowing they were gone¡­ Gone before he was able to remember them.

    He only knew that they cared for him, that they would love and shelter him until he was ready, but they were taken before it was time. As well as everybody he then knew. He saw houses crumble, splinter, and tear. Fire, a force that was normally tamed in the village, now growing rampant and uncontrolled everywhere, its great hunger devouring everything in its path. Blood, the crimson red liquid that was the lifeforce of beings, now spilled everywhere, its meaning unquestionable. Smoke emitted by the rampant fire now collected near the ground, giving the whole scene a hazy appearance, as if it wasn¡¯t the normal proceeding of Life, as if it didn¡¯t belong.

    Then suddenly a gigantic form shifted. It looked around and immediately seemed to zero on the observer, who simply couldn¡¯t move, fear stopping him utterly, as if his mind refused to acknowledge the reality. Yellow, dirtied scales were what he could see, with some glint of blue. A gigantic maw lined of razor-sharp teeth as long as his forearm, and a thickly built tail, that would break every bone in his body should it smash him. The Enemy had now spotted him and seemed to enjoy his fear. It raised its head high, and after taking a deep breath, roared, a concussive force that smashed into him and knocked him on his ass. It saw him helpless, and it delighted into it, savoring the moment.

    Taking deliberate steps, it approached slowly, small thumps shaking the ground with every footstep, betraying the sheer mass of the creature. The observer tried to back away, but the fear paralyzed his legs too much to stand up, causing him to backpedal away on the ground, shuffling away. Even then, the terror didn¡¯t increase its pace, still deliberately approaching. This action betrayed its intelligence¡­ And the sheer joy it took into the act, it knew it had obliterated every life in the village, save the observer. It knew it had destroyed every building, rendering the attempts to rebuild too costly to be attempted. And now it was about to extinguish the final soul of the settlement, rendering it void of its inhabitants.

    Now the observer could not back away anymore, a wall blocking the only path away from his nightmare. And it was close now, and in attack range.

    And thus it stopped, and simply stared at him, from malevolent eyes that only spoke of a wish to harm, to destroy, because its internal pain was too great, that others had to suffer the same. It opened its maw, glistening drool coming out of it into drops that splashed next to him. He was so close he could smell its breath, a mix of rot, smoke, and blood that made him gag. But he couldn¡¯t retch, every muscle of his body now frozen in fear that a twitch would cause the other to react¡­ Save one. His heart, so important to his life, now thundered stronger than ever. Every beat reverberated through his bones.

    Thump, and the enemy growled a deep sound that made his skeleton shake.

    Thump, it approached one more step, the head now directly above him.

    Thump, a deep exhale washed over him, making the potent smell even stronger.

    Thump, it reared back, like a serpent coiling back to strike, and he knew it the moment he dreaded most was coming.

    Thump, a flash of movement, a blur, and the empty void that was its maw encompassed his being, and a scream built up into his being, and he released it, as he knew it was now over. The sound reverberated back from the surroundings to him.

    He knew it was over, he knew it was only his wounded mind that could not go over the fear, the event, but the panic that had settled into him refused to acknowledge that fact, gripping him like a vice that refused to release him, that did not allow to move on. He had lost everything to that event, and he would remember it forever more, now that it realized that the one that would protect him was no longer here to guard him, it came back with a vengeance, paying him back for all the years where he was sheltered.

    He panted, drawing in quick, shallow breaths, ineffective in calming his raging heart, breaths that would not allow his rational mind to come back. His surroundings moved, regularly, like he wasn¡¯t in a natural place, like he wasn¡¯t in a safe place. There was a weight on his belly, at first he was scared that it was his enemy, but then it was anything but. It wasn¡¯t oppressive¡­ But gentle, comforting, it wanted him to return, to know that it was over. At first, his panicked mind glossed over this fact, but then a flash of memory came to him, of instructions drilled into him. His subconscious latched on to it and his body reacted.

    The quick breaths stopped and he filled his lungs in their entirety, one long breath as deep as he could¡­ And released it all in an instant, the air rushing out. The panic lessened a bit, and he was now aware of wood, though it was hard to perceive with the surrounding darkness.

    Another deep inhalation, as far as he could draw, and he released it again, the explosive exhale steadying his heart the panic was now far less present, but it still latched on it, still clang on him, like it wanted him to know there was still danger, that it was inescapable, but the details around him sharpened, he now felt that he wasn¡¯t on hard ground, but covered by soft material, two orbs was staring at him, and not with anger and hostility¡­ They were full of concern, of safety.

    Finally, a third, final intake of air, that while it was filled, seemed to lighten his head, finally making it realize everything was in his mind, that it wasn¡¯t real, that it was only his imagination, and the panic almost desperately clung on, it didn¡¯t want to come back.

    He blew all his air out, in a sharp moment, and with it, all of the trauma that had bubbled up washed away, Valen finally knowing that it was over. That he was no longer young, that he was no longer defenseless. The blurry image he had before now had sharpened, and he could see Adem resting his head on his belly, his eyes betraying the wariness they had for him, but they also told him that there was no danger there.

    He took a couple more breaths that washed away the remnants of his panic attack, then once he was certain it would not come back, he gazed into those green eyes and said: ¡°Thank you Adem.¡±

    ¡°Are you well Master? You never had such a panic attack before.¡±

    ¡°I was having them regularly at one point¡­ But I haven¡¯t gotten one since a decade ago¡­ Since I met Nikki.¡± He stroked Adem on his head, the motion comforting them both. ¡°I remember it well¡­ I had one panic attack back then when I was still wary of her when I refused to acknowledge she would not do me harm. And the fact she comforted me then, even defeating my demon for me, it was there that I knew she cared for me, and it was from there that I took the first step toward her, and our friendship started.

    Valen frowned. ¡°I have not gotten a single more panic attack since, so I believed I went over it.¡± He sighed. ¡°It looks like Nikki had a greater impact on me than I expected. Though the fact that it happened only now while I had bigger periods where I didn¡¯t see her is strange¡­ Maybe it¡¯s the fact I¡¯m in a completely unfamiliar environment.¡± Shaking his head he finished. ¡°I never had a nightmare and by extension, a panic attack that bad since then, so I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll return.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to be at your side if it happens again!¡±

    A smile graced Valen¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you Adem, you can''t imagine how much that means to me.¡± He then stretched and started getting out of the bed. ¡°I need to take some air, I¡¯ll go to the nest, don¡¯t think I can go back to sleep anyways.¡±

    Adem answered with an affirmative and helped Valen to put on his clothes. Then they both went up the deck and climbed the mast, surprising the person currently on duty on the nest. ¡°Valen? You don¡¯t get to your turn until morning normally.¡±

    ¡°Nightmare, I need to get fresh air anyways, so I figured I may as well take my turn.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I understand.¡± He gave a hand to Valen, hauling him into the large wooden basket. ¡°I¡¯ll warn the others then, so they can relieve you earlier. Don¡¯t argue, you don¡¯t need to pull double duty.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Then the other person started climbing down, and Valen focused on the surroundings, Adem by his side. Dawn was barely visible on the horizon, the sun hadn¡¯t peeked over yet. But Valen wasn¡¯t looking at the endless sea around him. He was looking at the sky above, hoping to see a sign, to see something only he could understand. But the clouds above were only reflecting the light of the rising sun on the horizon.

    ¡°I hope I can see you soon¡­ Nikki.¡±

 Sky Render Chapter 3: Turbulences

    The days continued to pass by for Valen, and a monotony settled into him as he progressed along the journey. A big chunk of each day was occupied by his time at the revolture¡¯s nest. The rest of the time he spent either with Aiden, or by drawing in his notebook, which contained only illustrations of Nikki, as for some reason Valen was unable to properly draw any other monster. He supposed that since he saw Nikki that often and that he had so many memories of her, she became very lifelike on these.

    Valen sighed and closed the notebook, satisfied with the result of his idle scribbling, depicting Nikki in the middle of a jump.

    The nightmares haven¡¯t stopped, far from it, they kept at him, and they were taking their toll. Valen felt tired, and only his morning beverage allowed him to go through the day. He shook his head. There was also one task that he still hadn¡¯t dared to complete yet: to find a partnered Handler, as the Research Commission encouraged Hunters to pair with a Handler so that they could study any discoveries on the field without needing a dedicated scientist. If he couldn¡¯t find one, it would be up to Valen to do the Handler¡¯s job on top of his own, and while he would do it if he had no choice, he would prefer to have somebody trained into that instead of having to wing it.

    However, one aspect also made him think he should forgo a Handler anyway: Nikki. Adem was in on the secret, but could he share it with a total unknown? Would he take the risk that they blew his secret wide open? He would have to get a measure of their personality before doing it. Aki was a complete accident, Adem he knew he could trust once he got to know him, but such an unknown? This was something that worried Valen but he guessed he would go with the flow of things, as he always did.

    A collision knocked him out of his thoughts and he was sent sprawling to the ground, swearing, while another voice did the same in front of him, but the mirrored voice also dropped a stack of papers that went sprawling on the floor. Valen shook his head but regained his bearings first, and, realizing that he walked into somebody, he looked around, after seeing the dazed person who was knocked on the floor, he said.

    ¡°Sorry! I wasn¡¯t looking in front of me.¡±

    One of the aforementioned Handlers, judging by the stack of papers and the reading glasses clipped on his belt, was sprawled in front of him, and Valen noted his brown hair, though he had slanted eyes, showcasing his origins from Yukumo or Kamura villages. His hair was neatly brushed though, but that was all he could note before the stranger muttered. ¡°And I had ordered them¡­¡± Valen winced, he felt like it was his fault.

    ¡°Sorry, that was my fault, I wasn¡¯t looking in front of me. Here, let me help you.¡± Then, I started picking up the scattered papers.

    The other looked at him and gasped, he then shyly said. ¡°I¡­ No, that was my fault, mister Valen, I shouldn¡¯t have hurried that much.¡± He scrambled to grab all the papers as quickly as possible.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, and I do feel guilty.¡±

    Quickly enough, they managed to pick up all of the scattered paper, and Valen handed his pile to the other. ¡°Here you go, mister¡­¡±

    ¡°I-Ikari.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°Ikari¡­ You are a Handler I believe?¡± A nod? ¡°Who¡¯s your partner Hunter?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any¡­¡± Ikari whispered. ¡°Almost everybody is taken.¡±

    The Hunter frowned. He knew that not many Hunters had found their Handlers yet, so he suspected the real reason was something else, as most were waiting to see the Handlers on the other ships to make their choice, which would be possible only when they arrived at Astera. However, something in the guy in front of him caught his attention. He wasn¡¯t sure what¡­ But he felt like he should trust him. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was the shyness or the disappointment on his face, as something stood out.

    Nodding to himself he answered. ¡°I don¡¯t have a Handler myself as well, and you sound like you have faced your fair share of disappointments¡­¡±

    Ikari immediately stared into the eyes of Valen. ¡°You, the Sky Piercer, you haven¡¯t been swamped with offers from the other Handlers?¡±

    Valen shrugged. ¡°To be honest I was surprised as well, but I guess they didn¡¯t want to impose on me¡­ Or they found me too intimidating.¡± He scratched his neck. ¡°To be honest, I was considering not having a Handler as well, given that I have more of a special role in this fleet anyway.¡±

    Ikari opened his mouth, then paused, then seemed to steel himself and said. ¡°It would be my honor if you accepted me as your official Handler.¡±

    Valen was taken aback by the suddenness of the request. However, after considering the request, he found out that the proposition made sense to him, and no red flags appeared from the person in front of him, he even thought that he quite liked his character, even with the apparent shyness he displayed. So he nodded. ¡°You know what, I like you, so let¡¯s give it a try, Ikari!¡±

    Ikari''s mouth gaped open, seemingly surprised his forwardness worked. ¡°I¡­ Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Just like that, you¡¯ll find out that I tend to go with the flow, and maybe our meeting was just the result of chance, but I tend to grab good occasions. So let¡¯s start working together, Ikari!¡±

    Ikari seemed to find himself again and smile, and they both went to the office of the Captain so they could register their partnership.

    <hr>

    Thus the next few days were spent with both Ikari and Valen sharing information and Ikari meeting Adem, who hadn¡¯t been present when Valen crashed into the Handler. Ikari shook his head when he saw the poor drawings of monsters in his notebook¡­ However, he was surprised when he saw the quality of the few Valstrax drawings that were present in it, as Valen kept his current notebook secret. He did explain that his hunt against the Valstrax truly marked him, and he could almost imagine that he would be fighting it again if he just closed his eyes¡­

    Valen felt bad for lying to Ikari, but he just needed to get a measure of the man and decide if he was safe to introduce to Nikki. Valen was afraid of what would happen should his relationship with Nikki be revealed to the wide public, or even to other hunters. He didn¡¯t know if he would be labeled as a pariah, a team of hunters would be dispatched to hunt her, or if he would be put into chains¡­ He knew he had been very lucky with Aki, who simply took it into stride, and lucked out on Adem being understanding, but how far could he push his luck? He wasn¡¯t sure. So he was playing it safe.

    But at least a fair amount of his time was spent discussing with Ikari, and the man did admit that he had a phobia of the monsters, so he would prefer to get on the field only when he was sure the hunt was complete. This fact especially made him realize that introducing Nikki to him would probably be a bad idea if he panicked. So he decided that he would have to meet her in secret from him¡­

    At least when Ikari showed his drawings, Valen realized that the man had a real talent for the craft, as they were superbly detailed and clean, which was the complete opposite of the Hunter when it wasn¡¯t Nikki.

    When trying to talk about the past, Ikari said that he wasn¡¯t ready to talk about it for now though, maybe later, but he said he needed to work himself up for it. Knowing his past and his trauma, Valen understood that he wouldn¡¯t want to reveal what initially pushed him to hunt monsters, even though he grew past it.

    Thus they started to get to know each other, through the discussion of their activities, and Valen believed he made a good choice with a Handler and had now a new confirmation that he should trust his gut feelings.

    <hr>

    Valen sighed, he was once again basking in the fresh air at the top of the revolture¡¯s nest after his nightly nightmare¡­ They were now a constant of his journey, as much as he hated it. He wanted to get past it¡­ But he knew that the scars of his past ran too deep, and there was a fair chance that they would never be healed if he didn¡¯t take drastic action concerning them. Adem did not join him this time, as Valen managed to not wake him when he stood up drenched in sweat. He did not blame him, given that his sleep was interrupted due to him, so he decided that he would let the Felyne have a full night¡¯s rest for once.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    This did mean that Valen was alone in his spot, contrary to what usually happened. But he didn¡¯t mind, the cool air that he basked in at his spot helped him relax and calm down. Looking around, he could only see the faint reflection of the few stars that peeked through the cloud cover, the sky having clouded over the last couple of days¡­ There was talk about the possibility of their destination being close, but nobody knew by how much.

    Valen sighed and let his gaze drift to the sky above, still looking for something, a sign that he wasn¡¯t alone. Because he believed that it was due to this fact that he had the nightmares, that deep down he believed he would be once more alone. Even though Adem was still with him¡­ He felt he wasn¡¯t enough, that he wasn¡¯t the one he truly longed for.

    Suddenly he saw something from the corner of his eyes. It happened so fast he thought it was a trick of his eyes, however¡­ He focused on the place, staring at it for several long seconds, and when he thought it was truly his eyes playing tricks on him, he saw it¡­ No, her, through a large gap between two clouds, twin trails of red, so close together that you would believe they were a single one. But Valen knew better, he knew what it was, and a warmth that he didn¡¯t realize that he had missed since so long ago.

    A smile grew on his face and he waved at the far-off comet, and he almost believed it spun on itself in response.

    ¡°Thank you, Nikki.¡± He whispered. ¡°You do not realize how much you helped me.¡±

    He looked at the comet until it disappeared behind another cloud, and stayed a couple dozen minutes more, before suddenly feeling tired, and he climbed down and went back to sleep, a weight now absent from his shoulders.

    <hr>

    A few days later, Valen was spending the evening in the huge room at the center of the ship. Knowing that their journey was soon over, as every day might be the last on the sea, the hunters started celebrating it every evening. The ambiance was festive, with alcohol being poured into every cup (though Valen has been careful not to drink into excess, he did NOT want a repeat of what happened at the beginning of the journey.)

    Still, since Valen did not have many stories to tell outside his famed hunt, he mostly spent the time there listening to the tales of the other hunters, and especially Aiden, who had launched himself into a retelling of the adventures that led him to become a hunter. The tale surprised Valen, as he did not expect Aiden to have managed to repel a Lunastra that early in his career, the female counterpart to Teostra being famed for her aggressiveness¡­ And the fact he saw a couple of hunters die that early on did not help either.

    Still, he listened to the tale he spun, that had enraptured the whole room, being magnetized to the words that were coming out of his lips. Valen noted that Lea, the Handler that Aiden accepted to partner with, seemed to be captivated by the story too. He shook his head, he felt like the two of them would make a good pair.

    Once Aiden finished his tale, with the Lunastra having being swept away by the inundation from the destruction of the barrage, everybody cheered and applauded Aiden for the tale and the good ending, though they also paid their respect to the hunters that gave their lives for the success of this hunt, at the prompting of Valen, who raised his mug for the fallen, followed immediately by everybody else in the room.

    Once the somber mood dissipated, Aiden seemed to have spotted something that he noticed, and sat next to Rapha?lle, engaging in discussion with her, and it seemed that Lea followed his lead soon after.

    He watched them a bit before noticing that one of the Handlers, having become infamous for her bottomless stomach, Sophie, was currently looking outside the ship from one of the windows. She had impressed everybody else with the sheer efficiency that she displayed in filing paperwork, though surprisingly, despite numerous propositions, she hadn¡¯t partnered with a Hunter yet. Even though she was jokingly called ¡°Voracious Handler¡± for her appetite being on par with a Deviljho, she was respected still, Valen was sure that she would not have trouble finding a Hunter that would be her partner.

    Hearing footsteps approaching him, he noticed Ikari coming close. His Handler was quite timid and had difficulties engaging in a conversation at first, so Valen saved him the trouble.

    ¡°Ikari. How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, Sk-Valen.¡± The man had the habit of calling Valen by his title at first, but he encouraged him to use his name instead, it was still a work in progress though. ¡°I believe we¡¯ll make landfall either tonight or early tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, not that I¡¯m seasick, but I was getting tired of seeing the same landscape all around me. And I believe I¡¯m not the only one, it¡¯ll raise the morale of the whole fleet once the journey is finally over.¡±

    ¡°I do agree¡­ There are only so many things you can observe while on the sea.¡±

    Valen was distracted for a moment by Rapha?lle who seemed to have noticed Sophie and was in a discussion with her. ¡°I also miss using my armor, it¡¯s no use putting it on in such a confined space, so I¡¯ll be glad when I can finally get some real training done.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to be here when you do!¡± Ikari excitement rarely showed, but when it was about hunter training or showing their skills, he never failed to show it. ¡°What kind of species do you think we¡¯ll meet in the New World?¡±

    ¡°I think we-¡± Valen couldn¡¯t stop his sentence as suddenly the whole ship rocked, as if they hit a rock. Fearing the worst, he immediately leaned out of the window to see what happened. At first, he couldn¡¯t see anything, but when the shaking did not abate, he looked below and gasped.

    A mountain was rising right from below them. No, not any mountain, Zorah Magdaros itself was rising right below them. A giant black rock was visible and it seemed they had been caught by sheer bad luck at the worst place possible.

    To add to that, the ship was no longer flat and was tilting, rising vertically from the prow up.

    Knowing what was about to happen, Valen shouted. ¡°WE ARE GOING TO BE VERTICAL! GRAB ANYTHING THAT IS FIXED!¡± Using his authoritative voice, people finally snapped out of their surprise and promptly followed his instructions.

    Scanning the room, Valen noticed most hunters and handlers were present¡­ Until he realized one pair was missing, Rapha?lle and Sophie were nowhere in sight.

    Valen was about to ask where the duo was when finally the ship lost equilibrium and with a loud drag, fell back to the horizontal. The Hunter was glad that the superstructure was built from massive monster bones, else he was sure the ship would have splintered already.

    He kept a tight grip on the window he was holding on to for a bit longer, to see if the ship would move again, then once he believed everything was stable, he turned to the room and said. ¡°I¡¯ll check the situation outside. Nobody move! I don¡¯t want to lose our current equilibrium with a large movement.¡± A large wave of agreements responded to this.

    Valen then ran upstairs, and once he was outside, he gasped.

    The whole ship was stuck in a very large groove, and almost half of it was hanging upon nothing, though he believed that should it tilt in that direction, it would simply slide back into the sea. He filed that for later, focusing more on the general situation. A panicked cry made him snap around, looking frantically for the source, and by looking upwards, he found the source.

    Flighty was currently holding to the ropes above, dangling from them, and it looked like her grip was starting to fail. Without thinking, Valen ran right below her and shouted. ¡°I got you! You can release!¡±

    The Felyne trusted him and released her grip on the ropes, and Valen deftly caught her in his arms. He then looked around then said to her. ¡°I would suggest you stay on my shoulder, the ship is still unstable, and I believe you wouldn¡¯t want to take a surprise bath.¡±

    She just nodded and clambered over him so that she could get a firmer grip on Valen. Once he was certain she was secure, he ran to the edge of the ship, on the railing, and looked around, the other ships of the fleet had cleared the way out of the path of the Elder, and he saw a couple of men waving at him from the closest ship. Valen waved in return, however, he was distracted when he saw movement around the shell of the Elder, and he gasped.

    Sophie and Rapha?lle were both on it, and they looked like they were trying to find a way back up the ship. They were pointing at it and he decided to shout: ¡°FIND ANOTHER PATH, I DON¡¯T THINK THIS SHIP WILL STAY HERE ANY LONGER!¡±

    And he was right, as suddenly the ship lurched, and it was only the iron grip Valen had on the railing that kept him stable, he felt Flighty dig her claws on his shoulder but barely noticed the pain. Immediately after, the ship started to tilt¡­ Back towards the ocean, thankfully the pair of stranded women were out of the direct path, but they started running nonetheless so that they were fully out of the danger zone.

    A loud grating sound resounded as the bone skeleton of the ship grated against the rock of the Zorah Magdaros, and over several long seconds, the ship plunged back into the ocean, salty water spraying everywhere, and missing colliding with another ship of the fleet by only a few meters. A few more moments and the ship stabilized, and Valen breathed out, the chaotic moment finally over.

    The door opening from the Captain''s cabin finally opened. And the man looked at Valen, and he nodded. ¡°Good, nice handling of the situation, the initial impact knocked me out and I only just woke up, but I¡¯m glad you took over for me, you managed to avoid a panic.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Captain¡­¡± He looked over at the railing, finally noticing something he should have before: Land, covered by healthy green trees and numerous monsters fleeing the path the Elder was taking. It was his first sight of the new world, and he smiled. ¡°At least it looks like our journey is over.¡±

    ¡°It is¡­ Excuse me, now I have to make sure this ship safely arrives at Astera!¡±

    Valen simply nodded, and he looked back at the shore, not seeing anything beyond the trees for now, but knowing that untamed wilderness lay just beyond.

 Sky Render Chapter 4: Arrival

    Once the danger was confirmed to have passed, Valen descended back down the stairs, after which somebody asked. ¡°It¡¯s over, right?¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°It is over. We are currently heading towards Astera, and I believe one of the ships will stay to observe Zorah until they lose sight of him, after which they¡¯ll rejoin us at our port. I¡¯d suggest everybody start preparing, we¡¯ll arrive in a few hours.¡±

    Aiden then posted himself next to Valen. ¡°Our journey is coming to an end, and we¡¯ll soon be able to start our true mission.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll however warn that a couple of us, Hunter Rapha?lle and Handler Sophie, are missing. The last I saw them was when they were climbing Zorah¡¯s shell to try to rejoin us. I think they¡¯ll still get to the mainland, but I¡¯ll go with the search party to make sure they arrive safely at Astera once we are there.¡± Valen said.

    Aiden remarked ¡°I believe they were one of the few that received one of the slingers of the ship. So if they¡¯re smart, they¡¯ll hitch a ride on one of those Wingdrakes.¡±

    ¡°Good point. And if anybody wonders, I don¡¯t have one because I have some spare materials from my hunt so that I can have a specialized one crafted for me once we arrive.¡± He scanned the room, looking at the various expressions visible on each member, some were relieved the danger had passed, others were happy the journey was at an end, and some were anxious about what would come next. ¡°I wanna conclude by the fact that I¡¯m happy that you all kept your cool while the crisis happened. Keep that same level-headedness during your hunts and you¡¯ll climb quickly!¡±

    Everybody cheered and agreed with him. Then everybody dispersed towards their rooms so they could suit up, Valen followed their example and headed towards his to suit up his armor. Adem had joined him on the walk and told him he was sorry to not be with him during the crisis. Valen simply told him that it was fine and it allowed him to not have to worry about the Felyne.

    Once in the room, Adem helped the Hunter put on his armor, as it was a task more easily done with one more pair of hands, as short as they were, and thus only a few minutes later, Valen was suited up and ready. Valen helped Felyne get into his armor, his trusty Mizutsune set.

    This task done, they grabbed their weapons, climbed back up to the upper decks, and joined the captain at the steering wheel, who was giving directions to the pilot. Once he finished he turned around and looked at Valen. ¡°We should be there in less than a couple hours. I see you are already suited up.¡± He smiled. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready for a long night since it¡¯s always better to have some help emptying the ship.¡±

    ¡°Actually about that captain, I believe the urgency of our missing pair takes precedence¡­ I¡¯ll try to join the search party for them to make sure they make a safe arrival at Astera.¡±

    The Captain hummed. ¡°You are right indeed. Making sure all of our A-Listers arrive safely at our destination takes precedence. I¡¯ll help you explain the situation to Commander Arcos once we arrive¡­ Get yourself comfortable, and let¡¯s finish this last stretch home!¡±

    Valen nodded and he went to find a spot to wait on until they arrived. Inside him, tension¡­ Yet excitement rose, how would Astera look like once they arrived, would the leaders there accept him? And most important of all¡­ Would he manage to meet with Nikki without rousing suspicions? All of these questions were at the forefront of Valen¡¯s mind during this journey.

    However, with his mind thus busy, a couple of hours passed in a flash for Valen, who was only snapped out of his internal monologue when Adem thumped on his leg. When the Hunter looked questionably at the Felyne, he only pointed out a direction to him. Valen looked in that direction and gasped.

    Astera was now visible, in all its glory, as an outpost made out from what remained of the ships of the previous fleet, and would also be the fate of the entire fifth fleet: they would be cannibalized so that they could serve to expand Astera. It was one of the decisions of the Research Commission for Astera: They would build only from what they brought so that they could leave the local ecosystem as untouched as they could so that they could learn the most from it. This tradition started in an accident when the lone ship of the first fleet got caught in a typhoon, which left wedged at the top of a rock outcropping. Said ship was now clearly visible to Valen, being illuminated with multiple lanterns, giving it a majestic appearance, dominating the rest of the outpost with its massive frame.

    Valen whistled at the sight, he had for sure never seen anything like that, and even though he had not been at Port Tanzia, he knew that due to the way it had been built, there was nothing quite like Astera.

    He could see the light of the forge, being the only building made out of something other than wood, which was logical given its use. There was also the other, fainter light of the canteen, which seemed to be in high activity. Valen supposed they were currently preparing a feast for their arrival.

    Since the ship Valen was in was the one leading the expedition, it was for this reason that it ended up being the first to dock at the outpost, which triggered a lot of cheering from the port, as every resident of the outpost seemed to be out there to welcome them in.

    Valen smiled, if that was how they were greeted, he hoped that they would stay as cheery and friendly during his stay there¡­ Which probably would be for a long time.

    Right before they started the docking procedure, the Captain said to Valen, ¡°You should be the first outside. You are after all considered the leader of our ship, no matter what you think.¡±

    Valen stared a bit at him, then sighed. ¡°I wanted to avoid that¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll do this, but I¡¯ll step down once one of the Hunters rises through the ranks so that they are the leader of this Fleet. I¡¯m just the backup if anything world-changing happens.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d suggest you give in and accept that you''ll be important no matter what. But I also believe that you are not the kind of guy that loves attention, so just do what you think is right¡­¡±

    Valen nodded, then headed toward the spot where they would install the ramp once the docking procedure was complete. Hunters parted before him to give him the way, with most of them dipping their heads in respect, and even a couple bowing at him. Valen nodded in return to everyone, and stood vigil at the exit of the ship, making his best effort to look impressive.

    The sailors at the ship threw ropes at their counterparts at the dock, who secured these ropes to metallic pillars spread around. They worked in pairs to help drag in the ship, and once it was close enough, tied up the ropes to the pillars, securing the ship and preventing it from drifting away. Then finally, the ship sailors brought in the gangplank and secured it at the dock. One sailor nodded to Valen, who immediately started walking out of it, to the cheers of everybody present, both ship-side and port-side. He even believed he heard the other ships cheering him on. A glance behind confirmed him that nobody was following him, aside from Valen riding on his shoulder, which confirmed his suspicion that the leader wanted to welcome him personally and that he had the responsibility of representing the whole fleet.

    This was the reason that everybody at the dock made way to let a single, middle-aged, and tanned man pass. His hair was graying but was still whole. He had his hands put behind his back and was looking at Valen with a smile.

    Once Valen had descended and was face to face with the man, they stared at each other, and then the man spoke. ¡°I was not aware that the Sky Piercer was sent with the Fifth fleet. I will not complain though, we have heard of your feats even there.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I am not surprised. My tales spread farther than I imagined.¡±

    ¡°In other news, welcome to Astera, Fifth Fleet!¡± He said with a booming voice. ¡°I¡¯m the Commander here, and you¡¯ll refer to me as such!¡± Then with a lower tone, he said to Valen. ¡°I hope you had a safe journey?¡±

    ¡°Something¡­ Came up right before we arrived, but we should allow them to start disembarking before we discuss this.¡±

    The Commander frowned. ¡°How serious was it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important, we have a missing pair due to this, and we should render assistance as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this in detail then, but first let me finish.¡± He now faced the whole fleet. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll find yourself at home in Astera, and may the Sapphire Star light your way!¡±

    Resounding cheers came from the whole fleet in response to this, and Valen smiled. While the cheers were going on, the Commander gestured for him to follow, so Valen did so.

    As they exited the main crowd, his leader exchanged a few words with a young hunter, given the Greatsword stowed on his back, who nodded and seemed to head towards the gangplank.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Valen was led through the large dock towards the prow of an old ship, now converted as a meeting location it seemed. It was open to the elements, but he supposed they kept it as such due to an old tradition.

    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to call me Arcos, I know you deserve the respect to call me as such.¡±

    ¡°Only if you call me Valen. It is only fair.¡±

    Arcos smiled for a moment then his face became serious. ¡°Tell me what happened, it seemed important.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that when we arrived at the shore¡­ Zorah Magdaros emerged from the ocean¡­ Right below my ship.¡± Arcos¡¯s eyes widened at this revelation. ¡°Everybody that is on the ship is fine, but a Hunter and Handler pair got thrown off the ship while this happened, and they ended up on the Elder¡¯s back. They attempted to rejoin the ship that was at the time wedged on the shell, but it was dislodged and slid down back to the ocean before they could do so. I hope that they managed to hook on one of the wingdrakes and land back to shore that way, they would have the ability as luck permitted they were among those that received the slingers that were stashed on the ship.¡±

    ¡°This is a priority indeed. I¡¯ll send a rescue party. I assume you want to be part of it?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I know I should have been part of the welcoming feast, but I believe this takes precedence.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, I know who to ask for help. Give me a bit, I¡¯ll look for him.¡±

    ¡°No need, I am here, Arcos.¡±

    Both of them turned to the side and Valen could see somebody that he would describe as a ¡®Veteran¡¯, this man screamed of having a lot of experience fighting, the worn-down state of his armor, the large gash on top of the helmet, the old but well-cared for Longsword sheathed on his back. He also¡­ Jogged a memory for Valen, as if he knew who that was.

    ¡°Blue Flare. I was not aware you were nearby.¡± This made Valen¡¯s eyes widen, this was the legendary hunter that had departed with the First fleet. This was the man that Valen was supposed to help in his role.

    ¡°I noticed you getting away from the main event while I knew you usually attend them, I knew then something was amiss. And it seems I was right, we have a wayward pair of hunters right?¡±

    Valen regained his composure and nodded. ¡°Indeed, as they don¡¯t have any weapons and only have their slingers to defend themselves, I think trying to escort them back to Astera would be appreciated.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s head out now then. The more time we waste, the less in danger they will be.¡±

    Valen raised his hands. ¡°I believe that figuring out on the map where Zorah Magdaros landed would be a necessity before we head out blindly.¡±

    ¡°Good point. Let us ask the question to your captain and head off, we have no time to waste.¡±

    ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll go back to organizing the unloading of the ships. Good luck to the both of you, I trust that you will carry out this task.¡± the Commander said.

    Both Valen and the Blue Flare nodded to the Commander, and having no time to waste, they both went back to the boat so that they could carry out their new task.

    They would ordinarily have waited for a moment where the Captain was free, but due to the time-sensitive nature of the mission, they got him to show on the map where the encounter with Zorah happened, and with cross references with the maps that the Blue Flare had drawn, they managed to pinpoint the area where they could start their search. So they said their thanks to the Captain and headed out the gate of Astera, which led to the wilderness beyond the outpost, accompanied only by Adem.

    The Blue Flare looked at Valen. ¡°Ordinarily we would have taken wingdrakes to the location, but given the recent passage of Zorah, I imagine they are quite agitated right now, and I see you don¡¯t have a Slinger yet anyways.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right Blue Flare, it¡¯s a delay but I¡¯m used to walking.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to call me by my title, Valen, everybody in Astera knows me as The Huntsman. But you, you deserve the right to call me Jake.¡±

    Valen snapped his head to the right, staring at the slit in Jake¡¯s helmet. The stare was returned in kind, and then Valen smiled behind his helmet. ¡°Eh, I''m still getting used to the fact I¡¯m still technically your peer. Even though it has been more than half a decade, it still hasn¡¯t fully sunk in¡­ I haven¡¯t met many of the Named either¡­¡±

    Jake nodded. ¡°Yeah, we tend to keep to our chosen hunting grounds. It is only for the true threats that we are called up. I had to step up a couple of times here in Astera, but surprisingly it has been calm for now. Maybe it is also because we don¡¯t actively hunt and mostly study our immediate surroundings. But as you know, it is going to change soon, as the Fifth Fleet''s task is to finally unravel the mystery of the Elder¡¯s Crossing completely.¡±

    Valen hummed in response, and they fell into silence, keeping an eye on their surroundings, making sure nothing would ambush them. Though the fact it was a night meant that they relied more on their hearing than their sight¡­ Adem especially, since Valen¡¯s disability meant that he was at a disadvantage.

    Looking above, Valen could see the night sky that stretched all around them, it was a bit different from what he was used though¡­ With one exception: the Sapphire Star seemed to be even more prominent among its pairs for some reason, shining even more than what he was used to. He didn¡¯t know if that was simply a trick of the eyes or if something made it do so. It held a certain beauty to it though, reminding us that it was a guide to all hunters should they get lost in the night, never faltering in its position and beauty, but with the single drawback that its shine made it so that she didn¡¯t have neighbors, rendering her alone in her corner of the sky.

    Valen looked at it for a moment more before he focused back down to the earth, keeping his ear and eyes peeled for any disturbances, as they had a mission.

    <hr>

    The sun had already risen from the horizon when they finally reached the shore where the fleet met Zorah Magdaros. Immediately Valen and Jake looked around for signs of their wayward Hunters, though they were distracted for a while by the still smoldering vegetation around the large gap in the forest that denoted the journey of the Elder.

    It was only when they reached one of the base camps of the Ancient Forest, which by sheer coincidence was nearby that Jake hailed Valen. ¡°Look, some items are missing, including one of the maps, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the two of them. This is the best-case scenario, as they¡¯ll know where to go toward Astera. And there¡¯s some faint footprints, looks like they are being careful about the signs they are leaving behind.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s follow them, with a bit of luck we can catch up to them and make sure they arrive safely.¡±

    Jake nodded and they resumed their journey, following them through the territory of the Jagras, yellow-scaled fanged wyverns that were led by an impressive member of their species, though thankfully no recent signs of its presence were visible.

    However they heard shouts in the distance, and they didn¡¯t even need to glance at each other so they both started running. They barreled through the thick vegetation in front of them, offering no resistance to their frames, and branches snapping from their sheer momentum and jumping above thick roots or fallen trunks.

    They saw movement beyond the trees, and as they exited, they saw two figures running away from what he was sure was a Great Jagras, its yellow scales, lined up with green, the scaly tendrils giving it the impression of a mane covering his shoulders, and it was pursuing the two lone Hunters that were trying to escape it.

    Valen pushed himself and ran faster, bending forward as much as he could, and activated the booster on his back, which propelled him through the air at a rapid pace, however, his aim was true, and he landed on the back of the Great Jagras, who immediately tried to roll over so to dislodge him.

    So the Hunter dropped from the monster¡¯s back and jumped back in once it completed the rotation. Now that the monster knew it wouldn¡¯t dislodge him by rolling over, Valen looked at the Hunter and Handler pair and shouted. ¡°Go! Get through this path, I¡¯ll distract it!¡±

    They didn¡¯t let him repeat himself and dashed through the road, Jake on their heels to cover them. Adem though stayed around, occasionally throwing his boomerang at the Fanged Wyvern¡¯s face to get its attention when it looked like it was about to roll again.

    Valen held on the back of the Great Jagras for several minutes, until he heard a roar coming from the direction where the group ran, he swore and dropped off the back of the wyvern, grabbing a canister from his pouch and shouted: ¡°FLASH!¡± then threw it at the ground, closing his eyes.

    Extremely powerful bright light emerged from it, which was visible through his eyelids but the pained roar that he heard told him that it had the effect he desired. And the Great Jagras began to thrash widely around, blind to its surroundings, then he nodded to Adem and they ran towards where the group headed.

    He ran for a couple of minutes and spotted Jake fending off a large brute wyvern, whose back was covered in dark fur, but its head was covered in pink scales and which had a large bony nose extended from its muzzle. It was roaring occasionally trying to scare the Hunter off, and to reach the two unarmed women that were running away, but was held at bay by quick cuts on its face.

    Valen ran the distance separating him from the Brute Wyvern, that he wasn¡¯t sure what it was called, and drew his weapon in Sword mode, scoring a large gash on its leg.

    The wyvern immediately turned around to face Valen and tried to kick him, but he dodged the hit.

    Then Valen saw the Huntsman rummaging around in his pouch while the Wyvern was distracted and retrieved a brown canister from it, loading it on his slinger. Valen immediately guessed what it was and made to run towards the other side of him, dodging the bite the Wyvern made at him, and it tried to follow him, however exposing its nose to Jake, who lined up his slinger and fired it.

    Brown goop exploded on the pink face of the wyvern, and a foul smell started emanating from it, which didn¡¯t bother Valen that much, his armor blocking most of it, but it was very effective on the monster, who immediately tried to shake its head to dislodge the Dung Bomb that splashed at him, to no avail, the stuff being sticky enough that it stayed.

    The Wyvern was disturbed so much by the smell it roared weakly at them and turned to leave, most likely to find a stream to wash its face off.

    Valen released the breath he was holding and sheathed his weapon, nodding at Jake. ¡°Let¡¯s go catch up to them.¡±

    ¡°Good job with the Jagras, we should hunt them only when no other solution is available, so it¡¯s good that you only made it run away.¡±

    Valen nodded ¡°That is what I suspected, let¡¯s catch up to the girls and make sure they get safely to the outpost.¡±

    And thus they ran until they reached the pair, and they all traveled together back to Astera, the danger passed.

 Sky Render Chapter 5: Reunion

    Several days of celebration and building followed Valen¡¯s return to Astera, as the Fifth Fleet hunters were happy to finally be out of their ships, and the rest of the Research Commission always made sure that their new arrivals felt welcome to their outpost.

    Beer flowed out merrily, and a stream of large meaty dishes streamed out of the kitchen, the Meowscular Chef a flurry of activity with his Felyne crew, pulling out all the stops to satisfy his current customers: the whole of Astera with the newly arrived Fifth Fleet.

    Valen enjoyed himself, simply content to be with peers, and that most of those peers respected him, given how the situation deteriorated at Dundorma in the last months before his departure. So he had found a spot outside the main party and simply enjoyed the festive ambiance, though at one point Jake found him and sat next to him. Though he didn¡¯t carry a beer with him, which internally made Valen chuckle, it seemed the legendary hunter was one of those that never revealed his face to people. He didn¡¯t doubt that the number of people that knew it was a very limited number, but he wouldn¡¯t pry.

    They chatted together, the Huntsman told him the hunts that he experienced in the Old World, and the few that he had to participate in in the New World. Though, the one that amazed Valen the most was the tale of how the Huntsman felled a Lunastra. It was a hunt that took the man several days of tracking, exhausting the Elder and finally felling it in an arduous fight where neither side refused to back off. At the end of it Valen nodded his head in respect. He knew that the deeds the Huntsman was known for were ones that proved his skills.

    He however followed up with the story of the fight that he had with a Teostra which was undoubtedly the mate of the Lunastra he felled. This fight ended without victor in the end, because Jake managed to escape, but not without injuring the Elder severely, and it seemed that it had realized it found its match and fled to survive. It was where the large gash on his helmet came from, as he had not quite dodged a claw swipe from the Teostra.

    They would have chatted more, undoubtedly would have been followed by Valen retelling his adventures if the Commander didn¡¯t interrupt the both of them.

    ¡°Jake, Valen, I need the both of you at the Conference table, we have to discuss the specifics of the role you¡¯ll take on, Valen.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way then, we¡¯re following.¡± Jake answered.

    Arcos nodded and they walked towards the conference table, which was where the important decisions of the outpost were discussed and taken.

    They spread around the table and the Commander unrolled a map, which was visibly very incomplete, the area surrounding Astera being very detailed, but beyond that, only landmarks visible in the horizon and the general climate were described. Arcos said. ¡°This is what we have managed to survey of the New World so far. As you can see¡­ It¡¯s very bare bones. The Third Fleet would have been the one tasked to fill it up with their airship, but we lost contact with their airship not long after it sailed off. We believe they have either gone down or found themselves in a spot where they¡¯re unable to contact us, given that we hadn¡¯t tamed wingdrakes then, and we have no idea where they are. And the Fourth Fleet, being mostly traders and people of artisan backgrounds, didn¡¯t allow us to send our few hunters exploring.¡±

    ¡°And I guess with the Fifth Fleet¡¯s arrival and me having proven my skill, you now are able to have at least a few people you can spare?¡± Valen guessed.

    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ll at least ask you to spar with Jake so he can better ascertain your skill and get a Slinger crafted before you go, but then you should head out towards there at least.¡± He tapped a spot on the map, simply named ¡®Wildspire Wastes¡¯. ¡°Hunters of the Fifth will mostly be assigned to the Ancient Forest at first, but I want to map out the Wastes as soon as we can so we can better understand the ecosystem. Further hunting grounds will necessitate us to breach the Great Ravine.

    ¡°I understand. When should I leave, ideally?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow. That should give you enough time to get your Slinger crafted. I know it¡¯s short notice, but I want this done as soon as we can. We have been confined to the Ancient Forest for too long, and even I can tell that Jake is growing tired of it.¡± He looked at the Huntsman with a less serious face.

    ¡°You know me well, Arcos. The Ancient Forest is nice, but we haven¡¯t moved from there in the past forty years¡­ Though you also know we do have some explorers roaming around.¡±

    ¡°We do have them¡­ But they all came from the First, and one should have been here in Astera.¡±

    ¡°You know the Admiral can take care of himself. Besides, even I admit he is more than qualified enough to search for clues about the Crossing, and I¡¯ll be the first to say that you have done a great job taking over his role. About the Seeker and Tracker¡­ They both know how to conceal themselves. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find them eventually and we¡¯ll have detailed maps of the grounds they have explored.¡± The Huntsman argued.

    The Commander looked at Jake for a moment before nodding. ¡°You are right. I don¡¯t doubt their skills, all of the first fleet were the best of the time in their roles. I am just worried for them.¡± He shook his head. ¡°This aside, do you have any questions Valen?¡±

    Valen frowned for a moment before snapping his fingers. ¡°I have a couple, what about my Handler, Ikari?¡±

    ¡°Good point, he would normally accompany you, but he¡¯ll need to stay here for the first week, all Handlers need to, so they are filled in with the state of the affairs and the few discoveries we have made, as well as learn our way of doing paperwork. But after that he would be able to accompany you should he desire to.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Also I¡¯m not that great at drawing, but I know that Adem is at least better than me, will that be okay?¡±

    ¡°Do you at least know the basics of how to draw a map?¡± Valen nodded. ¡°That¡¯ll be all I require, we have nothing of our surrounding, having the basics, even if they¡¯re crude, would help better than you imagine. All the better if you find spots where we can set up camps.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± He turned towards the Blue Flare. ¡°Jake, do you mind if we do our spar now?¡±

    ¡°Give me half an hour to prepare and I¡¯ll join you on the training grounds. You know where they are at least?¡±

    ¡°I do, I¡¯ll warm up and wait for you there then.¡±

    The Huntsman then took his leave and headed out towards his personal room so he could prepare. Valen turned towards the Commander. ¡°I¡¯ll wait at the grounds, enjoy the rest of the festivities.¡±

    ¡°They should come to a close tomorrow, then the real work can begin. Good luck in your endeavours. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see each other until you return, though I¡¯d ask that it¡¯s in less than a month.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, I¡¯ll not be gone that long.¡±

    ¡°Then may the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    ¡°And may the Red Comet keep your skies clear.¡±

    The Commander was taken aback for a moment before he smirked and laughed. ¡°Of course you would. I cannot wait to see what wonders you will uncover for us Valen. I have a good feeling about you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to solve this mystery.¡±

    ¡°That I do not doubt. Now go, you are dismissed.¡±

    Valen nodded and headed towards the training grounds so that he could warm up for the incoming spar with the Huntsman, though he did a ¡®detour¡¯ to grab Adem and explain the situation to the Felyne, who immediately became excited as well for their first real assignment in the New World, and dashed towards their room so the cat could suit up. Valen chuckled at the excited Felyne, but at least he already was armored up and thus didn¡¯t need to put on his armor and pick up his weapon. His armor was what made him recognizable, as there was no peer to it. The materials it was made of, as well as the unique additions of the thrusters were also completely unique. But he knew that Nikki was the one that made sure he had the best protections possible, so he kept it on as much as he was able.

    Valen reached the training grounds, which were surprisingly empty, but he guessed that since everybody was at the feast it shouldn¡¯t surprise him. Still, he appreciated the privacy, no doubt that the field would be swarmed with onlookers if news of the spar spread.

    He sat up at one of the benches and pulled out his weapon and a whetstone, before frowning and shaking his head and putting back the whetstone in the pouch. It wouldn¡¯t do to sharpen his weapon right before a friendly spar, he didn¡¯t want to murder his training partner after all, so instead he checked the internal mechanisms, so he could be sure they worked correctly and not jam during the spar. It had happened a couple times and so he took precautions so that the risk of it happening was as low as it could get. So he removed the axe head and started inspecting the internals¡­

    It was only a tap on his shoulder that jolted Valen out of the cleaning he was making, and his hand had half traveled towards his carving knife before realizing it was simply Jake that had surprised him.

    ¡°Kinda scared me for a bit there.¡±

    Jake chuckled. ¡°You were engrossed deeply into that¡­ Which I can understand, I haven¡¯t seen Switch Axe internals often, but I¡¯m sure these are different from what the norm is.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°Indeed, due to the nature of Valstrax wings, we were able to experiment with a couple more additions. The benefits I gained are definitely worth the extra cleaning I have to do after and before a hunt.¡±

    ¡°I see. Eh, this is too complicated for me anyways. I¡¯m a simple Longsword user, though I was a Greatsword master in my prime, but as you can see age caught up to me and I had to trade weapons.¡± He looked in the distance, remembering some memories fondly Valen supposed. ¡°How long do you need to be ready?¡±

    ¡°Give me a couple of minutes, I am almost done anyways.¡± He replied, starting to put the Switch Axe together, deftly slotting every part together with an ease demonstrating practice, and it was only a short after that his weapon was whole once more. He made the mechanism work a couple times to make sure of the correct working, then satisfied, he put back his cleaning equipment into his pouch and looked at Jake. ¡°How do you want to handle this? Given how sharp our weapons are, we will have to be careful not to cut ourselves to ribbons.¡±

    Jake nodded and threw something to Valen, who caught it expertly. Looking at it, it was pieces of rubber, adapted for a Switch Axe. ¡°These won¡¯t hold for long, but enough for a couple hits. They shouldn¡¯t hinder the mechanisms of your weapon, but it¡¯s all we can use at our level.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Valen nodded and carefully covered the edges of his weapon with the material, and as promised it didn¡¯t hinder the working of his weapon in the slightest, after Valen tested with a couple swings. He looked at the Huntsman who had put himself into position at the opposite side of the training ground, then asked. ¡°What are the rules?¡±

    ¡°First touch loses the bout, best of five. Are you ready?¡± He asked, one hand wrapped around the hilt of his weapon.

    Valen sheathed his own weapon on his back and did the same. ¡°I am.¡± He entered a combat stance, bending forwards slightly, increasing the distance between his feet and looking at his opponent intensely across the few dozen feet separating them.

    Neither of them moved for a moment that seemed to last an eternity, both seemingly waiting for some sort of unknown signal to start. This signal could be anything, a twitch in the other¡¯s posture, a sound, a movement.

    Suddenly a fruit fell from one of the trees surrounding the training area, the quiet thump normally barely noticeable now seemingly filling the whole area, a disturbance in the trance that had overtaken the two fighters.

    Both hunters exploded into action, Valen drawing his weapon into Axe mode and holding it to the side as he began running towards his opponent, who had also drawn his weapon and was starting to do a lateral slash on Valen. Instead of avoiding the wide slash, Valen countered it by striking with the Axe head from above, producing a quiet thump sound instead of the expected clang of metal against metal. He then would have pivoted his weapon and attempted to rip the Longsword out of his opponent¡¯s grip, if Jake hadn¡¯t managed to back-step and free his weapon that way.

    Valen pressed his advantage, rotating his Axe so that the sharp Axe head pointed upwards and attempted to strike Jake from below.

    Jake, however, countered with a thrust which would have hit his shoulder, had he not countered the move by releasing one hand from his weapon and slapping aside the attack with the back of his gauntlet, making it miss the intended target. The continued momentum of his own weapon made it impact Jake¡¯s Longsword. Noticing it was placed into the hook of the Axe, Valen immediately exploited the opportunity that was given to him and pulled.

    A quiet tching was heard as Valen witnessed the longsword flying free from Jake¡¯s grip towards him. Valen caught the weapon by the blunt edge and threw it behind him, then immediately morphed his weapon into Sword mode and pointed it at his opponent. ¡°Do you yield?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Jake seemed to stare intensely at Valen, seemingly looking at him in a new light. He nodded at Valen and said. ¡°I do, first bout goes to you.¡±

    Valen smiled behind his helmet and morphed his weapon back.

    Jake picked up his weapon and went in stance closer to Valen this time. He barely had time to assume his stance when Jake shouted ¡°Begin!¡± and immediately jumped at his opponent, aiming for the head.

    Valen was caught by surprise, but his reflexes immediately took over and he barely managed to duck below the swing. He immediately tried to thrust, hoping to destabilize his opponent with the tip of his weapon.

    It wasn¡¯t to be as Jake sidestepped the clumsy thrust and swung at Valen in the same motion, his blade seemingly alight with an aura of bloodlust. Valen¡¯s eyes widened, but then he immediately pulled the trigger controlling the thrusters of his weapon, which immediately made them ignite with explosive force, creating distance between him and his opponent and making the dangerous swing miss its mark.

    The unexpected capability of his weapon seemed to have taken his opponent by surprise. Valen decided to not let the opening be wasted, so as soon as he killed his momentum, he dashed forwards and attempted a downswing on Jake.

    It seemed that the Huntsman either recovered from his surprise faster than expected or he faked it, as he dodged the incoming swing as soon as Valen had fully committed. Valen immediately realized it was a trap, but it was too late to escape as Jake executed a rising diagonal slash with lightning speed, striking him on the side.

    Both of them stayed in their positions, not even winded as they stared at each other¡¯s helmets. Then Valen nodded. ¡°You got me.¡±

    ¡°You committed too early. But I suppose that with a weapon as massive as yours, it¡¯s hard to deal with the nimbler weapons.¡±

    ¡°This is true¡­ but it is a good thing my task is to fight with monsters and not fellow humans, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Correct, but it''s still a skill you should practice nonetheless. You never know when you may have to fight a renegade hunter or poachers.¡±

    ¡°Good point¡­ Next one?¡±

    ¡°Next one indeed.¡±

    And so they resumed their positions once more.

    <hr>

    Valen was currently heading towards the large workshop of Astera, being the only building made of metal so it could withstand the high temperatures produced inside.

    He reminisced about the spar that had just happened, Jake having won it, the advantages of a nimbler and almost equal reach weapon too great for Valen to overcome. At least Dual Blades or Sword and Shield users had poor reach which allowed him to maintain his distance. But he had also expected the result, and he believed he had made a good enough showing of his skills to satisfy Jake.

    He was going into the Smithy, as he had one thing that he needed made here in the New World: a Slinger.

    The contraption was an invention from the resident smith, and from what Valen had seen during the fight with the Anjanath, the abilities it provided outweighed the bulk of the tool that occupied the left hand. However Valen also knew that he couldn¡¯t simply pick up one from the armory and attach it to his left gauntlet. No, he needed one custom-made with the rest of the materials he had from the Valstrax he had slain, which explained the large box containing said materials that he was carrying in his hands.

    Loud noises came from the Smithy, most of it being the strikes of metal against metal The multiple smithies seemed to be in intense activity, probably forging new weapons for the newcomers in preparation for the few that would inevitably break during a hunt.

    However, after he entered and placed the box on the counter with a loud slam, all activity immediately ceased as all heads turned to the newcomer.

    One of the workers placed down his hammer and walked up to the counter. He had dark skin, seemingly almost browned by the intense heat of the forge he was working in, an eye-patch that demonstrated the loss of one of his eyes, and dense, bulging muscles that could only be acquired by a life into the forge. He seemed to examine Valen critically, noting every detail of his armor and the bits of the weapon he could see on his back. A quiet hum of approval reverberated from the man, who seemed to appreciate the work.

    ¡°Now, that is a Masterpiece if I have ever seen one¡­¡± The man said with a loud booming voice. ¡°This is incredible quality of smithing, and I can feel the power contained in it. A couple of kinks, but I believe that they do not matter at this quality of forging. Should your smith have been here, I would definitely have taken them as my apprentice. And it demonstrates your own talent as well, as you undoubtedly had a hand in this creation!¡±

    Valen smiled behind his helmet. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Aki of the compliments you had then, she asked that I get your opinion on it.¡±

    ¡°She has talent I can see. And as long as it is not completely wrecked, I should be able to repair it without many issues as well. There is only one piece missing on it, but I also suppose this is why you are here?¡± Valen was about to answer, but the man overrode him. ¡°Before we get to it, let me examine this in its entirety. I already see something that I¡¯ve never seen before and I¡¯m curious as to how it functions. You won¡¯t need to remove it, seeing it on you is easier even.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Valen answered. The Smith walked around the counter, and started circling the Hunter, tapping some pieces with the back of his knuckles, to gauge the quality Valen mused.

    The Smith was paying even more attention to the thrusters adorning the armor¡¯s back, seemingly impressed by the craftsmanship that they made. Then the hunter drew his weapon to the smith¡¯s prompt so he could get a clear view of the back, to which he quickly gasped. ¡°This is an impressive Gem¡­ I¡¯m guessing it is the power source of the thrusters?¡±

    ¡°It is, else it would require so many Switch Axe phials to fuel that it would be impractical. I can get away with the thruster system I put on the weapon since I can only use it in short bursts, but to hover, you need way more sustained power. I decided to call it the Ruby Dragon Mindstone if you are curious¡±

    ¡°Good name, more innovative than simply using the name of the monster at least. I now know what to do for your slinger, and we can get it done by this evening. Are you ready to forge?¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I am ready to follow your instructions, Second Fleet Master.¡±

    The Smith chuckled. ¡°Then let¡¯s get ready to go!¡±

    The other Smith cheered in the forge and Valen followed the Master, so he could finally complete his armor to the standards of the New World. They selected the right materials from the box, and Valen treated them while the Master molded them. It was a tedious and delicate task, as the internals of the slingers were precise, but they were all motivated to see it to completion, to make a Masterpiece.

    <hr>

    Valen fiddled with his Slinger, which was exploiting some of the properties of the Valstrax wing membranes so its stopping power was increased, thus boosting the range at which Valen could sling stuff with it. The extra weight on his left hand was noticeable but he was sure he could get used to it and include the tool in his fighting style. Just the ability to load a flash bomb in it and throw it at a moment¡¯s notice would be a lifesaver. So he adjusted it so that it was properly aligned and fitted, then made sure that it wouldn¡¯t bother him while swinging his weapon around.

    Satisfied with the tool, he had already made his thanks to the Second Fleet Master for the work. Valen was already seeing why he was so respected back in the Old World, that man was able to craft such a delicate and complicated piece in only an afternoon, and he could see no faults in it.

    Adem was sitting next to him, making a tongue bath on the few parts of his body he could reach while covered in his armor. Valen smiled at the Felyne¡¯s habits. He tended to do this right before they departed for a hunt. He supposed it was the way the Felyne had to deal with his nervousness, so he wouldn¡¯t comment on it.

    He however saw the Commander approaching him, accompanied by, surprisingly, Aiden. Valen was surprised at the presence of the Ace Cadet, but he supposed that given his reputation and his proven skill, it would make sense he had a leading role in the Fifth Fleet.

    ¡°Sky Piercer.¡± The Commander began. ¡°Good, you haven¡¯t departed yet, I needed to give you something before you went.¡± And then he opened his right hand, revealed a circular item that looked like a small cage, where some tiny green insects were fluttering inside. ¡°This is your Scoutfly cage, it is what we need to track monsters here in the world. You simply need to give them a couple samples from footprints or discarded shedding and they will lead you to your target. We give one to every hunter here, so you should have your own as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Commander. I know how to track myself, but I can already see how this would help.¡± He nodded his head in thanks, and attached the cage at his waist, where he noticed the Commander was wearing his own. Once done, he looked again at the Commander. ¡°Any other information before I leave?¡±

    ¡°Simply that you do not take that long. We already got a sample of your clothes, and we will train a Wingdrake to respond to you, but it¡¯ll take time, so you¡¯ll have to come yourself to transmit any information.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll inform you of any unusual monster should I meet one¡­ What about you Aiden? I¡¯m sure you are not here for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I have the right to say goodbye to the buddy that I spent a lot of time with on the ship?¡± Grinning, he turned to Valen. ¡°If I didn¡¯t say goodbye, I¡¯d miz-u-soon-e!¡±

    Valen groaned while the Commander and other onlookers chuckled. ¡°I should have known¡­ Thank you anyway, Aiden. I¡¯ll be sure to tell you what I discover once I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°Good luck Sky Piercer, and may the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    Valen didn¡¯t answer with his own response this time, simply nodding and turning around, leaving through the gate of Astera that led towards the desert surrounding one side. While the Ancient Forest was explored, the Wildspire Wastes were not, due to the more dangerous monsters that roamed it, and the lack of cover that would have allowed a Hunter to hide. This didn¡¯t deter Valen though, as after roaming the Sandy Plains and their harsh heat, this was simply a walk in the park. He had been through worse, and he also had a personal goal to reach¡­ That he hoped would go without issues. And thus it was with that mindset he ventured into the unknown.

    <hr>

    It had been more than a week since Valen had left Astera. Already he knew that he was far from any civilization, and it would take the same time at least for him to come back. He had more and less walked into a straight line from the outpost, only circling around natural obstacles like valleys or rivers, all of which were now detailed in the crude map he was carrying and filling. The Wildspire Wastes were named appropriately, as not much life survived the harsh and rocky environment. But it also made the life that thrived there all the more dangerous, especially the Monsters. Valen even spotted what he believed was some red fur that was familiar, though it was an especially old sample. But the signs were clear: this was a dangerous environment, and he was alone, far from any help.

    At least that''s what most would think. Valen had spotted something recently, something that warmed his heart. Because laying into the sand, partially covered, was a burned scale. The silver color had faded with some strange heat and the environment, but he knew more than anybody else what it meant.

    He nodded to Adem, a determined expression set in his face, and the Felyne nodded in return. They both knew what Valen needed and hoped. Now that he had no need to hide it in his backpack, Valen carried a custom flare gun clipped to his hip, one that Aki had crafted for him as a gift. It was much bulkier than a regular one, and had an elongated barrel. Loaded into it was a special kind of ammunition. Part flare, part something else, this ammunition was one Valen needed to craft himself. Even though it was complicated, he realized the need for something like this and strove to learn the recipe.

    Now that he was far from Astera, he decided that it was time to fire it, he unclipped the flare gun, unlatched the safety, and, while aiming straight up with both hands, he fired it.

    The recoil from the custom-made weapon and ammunition was comparable to a Heavy Bowgun firing heavy-duty ammunition. Even when bracing with both hands, Valen barely controlled the kickback from the shot. He then followed the bright shot with his eyes, glowing blue.

    The propellant that was contained in the projectile catapulted it to height far beyond what any normal flare gun would achieve. It climbed higher, and higher, and higher, still burning, until Valen could barely see it, but he was certain that it was higher than the few clouds drifting around. And just as anybody would expect the projectile to simply burn out with a whisper, it blossomed.

    A gigantic firework expanded high above, blue and yellow lights expanding from each other, burning bright in the morning sky. They burned for a dozen seconds, clearly visible from far away on the ground, but from even further beyond for anything flying. Valen knew that should Nikki be flying even remotely close to his location, she would see it, and instantly know what it meant. It was why Aki crafted this gift for him after all, so she could know his location no matter where he was, as long as they were not absurdly far away from each other. He had fired it only once before, so Nikki knew what it looked like. They had agreed that should he fire it, no matter what, that meant he needed her, even if it was close enough to a city for her to be seen.

    Valen lowered his weapon as he saw the last remnants of the firework flare burning out. Now he only had to wait, if she saw it, she would be rushing towards his position as fast as she could manage.

    So he and Valen waited. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he would have to wait, but he at least knew that Nikki was fast.

    But it was only a bit more than five minutes later that he could spot a red dot that appeared over the horizon. He smiled, it meant that Nikki pushed herself as much as she could to reach him that much faster. He did notice the red comet slow down quickly though, he pulled out a regular blue flare and scratched it on a rough part of his armor, loaded it into his Slinger, raised his left arm up, and fired it.

    Immediately the red comet almost disappeared, leaving only a silver glint in the sky, which made Valen realize that she was effectively slowing down. He rarely saw her executing this maneuver, which spoke of the speed at which she was traveling.

    It was only a couple more minutes before Valen could see her clearly, and she was heading directly towards them. Anybody else would have dove to the side for cover, but Valen did not, he had a huge smile on his face and was staring at her unflinchingly. And not long after, when it looked like she would inevitably collide with them, she reared up and pointed her wings straight down and immediately shed the remainder of her speed, bringing her to a halt.

    She hovered down lightly before dropping to the ground with grace only an Elder could muster. Valen then dropped all pretenses and ran towards her, embracing her head wholly whispering, ¡°I missed you.¡± Even though she didn¡¯t learn his spoken language, his intention was clear enough for her, and she rumbled in response, leaning into him.

    Valen felt like they stayed like this forever, as they needed this in the several months where they weren¡¯t able to see each other. But eventually he reluctantly separated from her and repeated, ¡°I missed you,¡± in their sign language.

    Nikki did the same, repeating his words as Valen removed his helmet, smiling at her.

    They looked at each other in the eye before they simply nodded and Valen signed, ¡°No problem Journey?¡±

    ¡°No, see you boat. You me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you¡­ You help.¡±

    Nikki then tilted her head questionably. So Valen explained. ¡°Bad dreams return. Stopp after.¡±

    To that she simply rumbled in worry and leaned into him. Valen smiled, He wasn¡¯t surprised she would worry about him.

    ¡°Where Nest?¡± He finally said, pulling out the map he was drawing. He had instructed her on how to read a map, and it had been a lifesaver for the both of them, allowing them to meet when normally it would be hard to set it up. She examined it for a couple minutes before placing a claw outside the drawn area, about twice as far from Astera as they currently were.

    Valen nodded. It was about what he had expected, and would allow her to fly around without many issues.

    Finally Nikki looked at him and signed. ¡°I stay you¡­ Then you leave.¡±

    The hunter smiledHe would be able to catch up with her for a while, until he had to come back to Astera, and he was glad of that fact as he finally reunited with someone he so dearly missed.

 Sky Render Chapter 6: Reports

    Nikki stayed with Valen for several weeks. They traveled together, the Elder only leaving them to go hunt. Valen appreciated that she sacrificed so much of her flying time to stay on the ground, but he knew that they would eventually have to separate again, though he knew that there would no longer be such long gaps between their visits like before the ¡°Elites¡± tried to assault him. They now would be able to meet more often, and Valen¡¯s special flare allowed her to find him in the case of an emergency. However, it could only be used in true emergencies, as it was too visible and unique to not attract questions. He dared fire it as he knew they were far away enough from Astera that nobody would even be able to spot it, but he wouldn¡¯t repeat it if possible.

    Nikki stayed with Valen as he traveled around the Wildspire Wastes, filling up the map of their region as they did, with some helpful additions from Nikki, who could spot landmarks from further away. He did not note which landmarks were impossible to view from their routes, as it would no doubt attract questions as to how he spotted them. Valen left most of the drawing to Adem though, who had more talent in that field than him. The Felyne rode on Valen¡¯s shoulder as they did.

    One thing that Valen tried to do in their travels was try to extract from Nikki what she meant by calling the New World ¡°The Graveyard.¡± But she refused to tell, saying that it was something that she couldn¡¯t explain and that they had to see for themselves. She did say though that the land was full of energy, much more than she expected and expected for the place. Valen could tell that she was quite unnerved. She hid it well, but he knew some of her lies. It was mostly visible on her tail, which was twitchy at times.

    Nikki even slept with them, which also had the added benefit of making every large monster leave them alone, as they instinctively knew that an Elder was very dangerous. Until they met Nikki, they had to avoid them, though they took notes on what they were - he spotted a few Barroth, some Bird Wyverns that had an inclination to steal Eggs, a couple of Rathians, one Piscine Wyvern that seemed to swim into a large mud pool they found. But most importantly, they found a Diablos, the horned Wyvern known for its short temperament seemingly at home in the harsh environment, but Valen knew it was extremely rich in the monster¡¯s diet: Cacti. So he took note of all of them, drawing as best as he could those he was unfamiliar with, and continued to roam around.

    Eventually¡­ All things must come to an end, and as they started to get too close to Astera, Nikki returned towards the nest she had found in the New World, and Valen made almost a straight beeline to Astera, though they came from a slightly different direction, which would help them fill in the map a bit more.

    Finally, after about a month in the wilderness, they could see the gates of Astera in the distance. Reinvigorated, they crossed the last of the distance and arrived in front of the large gates early into the afternoon. The two hunters that were at the guard rotation only needed to see him before raising the large door made of wood to let them inside. One of them seemed to have run to warn the Commander about his return.

    Valen then walked back inside Astera, the few hunters on the way welcoming him back and greeting him. He nodded back to most of them, but they stopped when he finally arrived in front of Arcos. ¡°I¡¯m back Commander, and my travels have been productive. Do you want my report immediately?¡±

    ¡°That would be ideal, Hunter. I¡¯ll assemble the relevant members, you know where to go.¡±

    Valen nodded and walked towards the conference table, noting the massive changes there have been on Astera on the way, the most visible was on the Tradeyard and the housing. The ships that the whole fleet traveled on had been almost completely dismantled, leaving only one intact, and the rest now was built into the Tradeyard, which had been greatly expanded over the sea, and the housing, where the cabins in which the Hunters and Handlers traveled in had been dug out and incorporated into Astera as a whole. Valen knew that it did not look the same from the sea, giving it a massively expanded appearance contrary to what it had when they had come in. It didn¡¯t have that much of a homely feel, but it looked much more unique.

    He finally arrived at the meeting point and pulled out the notebook and the large map that he had drawn. A few people started coming in, he recognized first the Second Fleet master, who had so graciously forged the Slinger for him, who settled himself to the right of him. Next to him was the Chief Engineer, a tiny Wyverian who was responsible for the innovations in Astera, he was the original creator of the Slinger, and wore a powerful lamp on his helmet. The Chief Ecologist was on the opposite side of the table, he was the one responsible for recording all discoveries made in the New World and was a wyverian as diminutive as the Chief Engineer. He mostly wore blue-dyed garb and a scholarly hat.

    Next to him was the Provisions Manager, a woman with darker skin than other people around the table, with braided hair and was holding a notebook. She was the one responsible for the Logistic side of the New World, making sure everything at Astera was running smoothly and that the camps in the hunting ground were in working order and stocked up with supplies.

    Another Wyverian stopped next to her, but he was as tall as the humans this time, though he still had the pointed ears and the distinctive digitigrade feet as well as only four fingers on his hand. He was the one studying any changes in the environment and, along with the Provisions Manager and the Chief Engineer, was also responsible for the logistics of Astera. They worked together to make sure no hiccups happened. He was the one who would warn or even forbid  Hunters from going to a hunting ground if he knew there was a dangerous monster roaming.

    The most notable person present, at least in appearance, was the large Felyne, almost as tall as the other humans present. The Meowscular Chef, as he was called, was once The Admiral¡¯s Palico. Now he was the one responsible for the Canteen, spending his days preparing the meals for everybody at Astera - but especially for the Hunters who were about to leave for a hunt. He wore a bandana and had one of his eyes closed permanently due to the scar running over it, likely earned during his time hunting with Arcos.

    Finally, facing Valen were the Commander and the Field Team Leader. He was the one who directed the groups of hunters on the terrain and greenlit regular hunts, only vetoed by the Commander for emergencies. He was carrying a very large Greatsword made primarily of bone. A light vest was all he was wearing, which revealed the powerful muscles that made his frame.

    Once everybody was gathered up, Arcos started the meeting. ¡°As you all know, I sent the Sky Piercer on exploration duty a few days after the Fifth Fleet arrived. You are all aware that we have been unable to map out the Wildspire Waste since we first arrived at Astera. As we cannot send any more hunters into the Ancient Forest for the moment, I believe now is the time to start the preparations to establish a presence in the Wildspire Wastes: first as a research zone, then as a hunting ground once we know what we can and cannot afford to hunt.¡± Everybody nodded, now aware of the Commander¡¯s goal. ¡°So tell us your findings, Valen.¡±

    The Hunter nodded. ¡°First of all, we¡¯ll need to make sure everybody brings in enough water. The heat can be quite harsh during the day, though not at the levels of the fabled Sandy Plains.¡± Some people nodded, they were familiar with the desert. ¡°As for the monsters, I found some I am not familiar with and some we know from the Old World. I could confirm Barroth, Rathian, and, more importantly, a Diablos.¡±

    ¡°A Diablos you say?¡± The Chief Ecologist asked.

    ¡°Indeed, I saw one feeding on Cacti. Its food is abundant in the Wastes, so it¡¯s no surprise that they thrive there.¡±

    ¡°We will have to figure out their territories then.¡± The Commander interjected,¡± Not all hunters are certified to hunt a Diablos, so it would be good to avoid a bloodbath.¡±

    Valen noted as Aiden struggled to suppress a chuckle. He made a note to ask Aiden what had amused him later, then continued his report. ¡°As to what I saw I was unfamiliar with, I saw one unknown Bird Wyvern. It was cream colored, had a large beak, and it seemed to eat eggs as its main diet.¡±

    The Chief Ecologist nodded in recognition. ¡°Sounds like a Kulu-Ya-Ku. They are common near Astera as well.¡±

    ¡°I also saw a Piscine Wyvern that seemed to thrive in mud much like a Barroth. I would not be surprised if those disputed the same territories.¡± Valen finished.

    ¡°This one will need to be named then, once we figure out more about it.¡±

    ¡°Did you find any safe campsites?¡± The Provisions Manager asked.

    ¡°A few, they are marked on the map,¡± Valen said, pointing to some crudely drawn tents on the map. The Provisions Manager checked, then nodded.

    ¡°Hunter Valen, what are your general feelings about the Wildspire Wastes then?¡± The Commander asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the Ancient Forest as I haven¡¯t traveled into it yet, but it seemed like there weren¡¯t as many monsters in the Wastes. Given the rarity of plant life other than cacti, the carnivores in the area seem to predominantly hunt ApcerosI did spott some Kelbi herds grazing around though, so they may hunt those as well. I would say that the monsters have toughened up a bit due to competition, but without hunting one I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell for sure. For now, I¡¯d say to make sure everybody who goes there has at least a few hunts worth of experience, preferably into the Ancient Forest.¡±

    ¡°Those were my thoughts on that matter anyway. Now that we know the rough basics, let¡¯s discuss how we will proceed to set up in the Wastes.¡± The Commander concluded Valen¡¯s report.

    Everybody agreed, and the second part of the meeting began.

    <hr>

    Valen exhaled, removing his armor after having worn it for almost one month. He would need to clean it before he wore it again.

    The meeting lasted several hours, every detail needing to be decided on, and everybody grilled Valen about every detail he remembered about his travels, which information would be passed on to the Handlers so they could start discussing the workings of the region.

    It was the boring part of meetings, but Valen knew about their importance, so he just powered through it. He knew the more details he could give, the less the Hunters sent into the region would be surprised, which reduced the risks of accidents happening in the field.

    At least he was able to say that he was proud of what he had done, of being part of something as important as exploring unknown territories. Though he felt a bit guilty that he had to hide Nikki¡¯s contribution or even existence¡­ But he had no idea how they would react should they learn about her. He was venturing into grounds unknown, and he wasn¡¯t sure if they would praise him or immediately throw him into prison. So for now, he simply kept her a secret. He was aware that he probably would have to reveal her to Ikari at some point, but he hoped that he could make him promise to keep quiet about her.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Valen spotted that Adem was already curled up in his bed and smiled, then decided to follow his example and got into bed. Exhausted by the month, he fell asleep quickly.

    <hr>

    The next several days then weeks passed quickly without much fanfare. There was now a lot of activity in Astera, though it was notably emptier than when Valen departed for his mission, which made sense since a lot of Hunters and Handlers were now spread around the Ancient Forest to hunt or research monsters.

    Valen also had reunited with Ikari, who had finished the basic training he was due for upon his arrival. The Hunter would have given him the notes he had recorded if the whole research team wasn¡¯t already working on them so that they could copy them and spread the discoveries to the other Handlers. He at least gave them a verbal recap of what he told the conference members the previous day, which Ikari scribbled on his notebook. He completed them when the report was made public to the Handlers.

    Adem spent his spare time assisting at the kitchen with the large meals the Meowscular Chef needed to prepare. Ikari simply was taking care of the paperwork for Valen, while Valen himself simply rested after a long time on the field. News trickled into Astera, and several hunters came back with their prizes, which mostly consisted of Great Jagras and Kulu Ya Ku, and sometimes a colorful Bird Wyvern with large wings and a striped tail. Named Pukei-Pukei, this wyvern was a bully over small monsters and was notable for the large tongue he could spit, as well as the poisonous glob he could spit out and the toxic gas he could spread from its tail.

    Valen heard about the exploits of Sophie, who was the only one until now who had managed to hunt all three of these common monsters in the Forest. She was currently proudly wearing an armor set made of the bright feathers of her latest prey, a very large Pukei Pukei. It had been known to the current residents in Astera for being a nuisance, but they had lacked the spare resources to take care of it until now. He had seen the quarry brought back to Astera, and even he could not stop himself from whistling at the sheer size of the wyvern, compared to the other ones that were brought in.

    He had heard that she was selected to be the one protecting the next expedition in the Wildspire Wastes. The next expedition had two goals: to establish the first camps and to look for signs of Zorah since they had lost track of it a few days after the Fifth arrived in Astera due to the forest regrowing extremely quickly after his passage. The researchers weren''t sure what caused this phenomenon, but they suspected it was the large concentration of Bioenergy around the humongous tree at the center of the Forest. Valen also suspected that it was the Elder¡¯s gigantic pool of Bioenergy assisting the regrowth. A cutting of the tree had already been brought back and planted in Astera, and its growth was nothing short of explosive, already as tall as a regular tree and showing no signs of stopping, though it had slowed down since.

    Shortly after Sophie left for the Wildspire Wastes, Valen was called by the Commander. He had heard reports of an Anjanath causing troubles in the Forest, and they wanted him to observe it. Due to its aggressive nature, they needed to know if it would calm down or if it needed to be put down. Valen nodded and thus he, Adem, and Ikari departed from Astera, carried by a duo of Wingdrakes.

    The blue and yellow-scaled small monsters were docile, able to be trained to carry Hunters. While this would seem to be impossible due to the weight of a fully geared hunter, the wingdrakes were found to be rich in Bioenergy which they used to aid their flight, allowing them to carry the Hunters with deceptive ease.

    Thus the Trio traveled to the Ancient Forest, the journey only taking a couple of days due to the speed of the small monsters. When they arrived close to their destination, Valen gasped.

    The Ancient Forest had at its heart a gigantic tree. It was so tall that the canopy of the forest was only a fraction of its size. Valen could glimpse the sea to his left but he was certain that the roots of the tree spread far enough to reach it, which would give it access to the nutrients that filtered through the bed. Several Wyverns were flying around it, circling it and perched on it, looking like a bird nesting in a tree, but it gave an idea for Valen to the sheer scale of the tree. He was certain there was nothing like it and it was as ancient as the New World, being born at the same time as the landmass. It was also what had given the Ancient Forest its name, as the sheer age of the tree could not be contested.

    Furthermore, as they got closer to the tree, even Valen could start to feel the Bioenergy radiating from it. It permeated the very air itself and gave chills all over his body. He also could feel how his armor guzzled it all up like a Hunter in the Sandy Plains under the mid-afternoon sun. It also made him wary too, because if it powered up his armor¡­ What about the monsters? At least he knew that nobody other than him had permission to hunt right next to the Tree, as the Commission quickly discovered that the monsters that even traveled through were much more durable and dangerous than those further away from it. It was another reason they were worried about the Anjanath. Its territory wasn¡¯t next to the tree, but since it had moved near it recently, they feared it would quickly grow more powerful than its peers.

    Valen sent a worried glance at Ikari. The Handler knew that he had to hide himself as much as he could, but Valen worried about him freezing in a time of crisis while he should escape. After all, he would not fight as effectively if he had to protect the Handler.

    At least most of the Handlers that wanted to follow their Hunter on the field had been given what was called Ghillie Mantles, which were long coats that one could put over their clothes to conceal themselves from monsters. Different ones depending on which region you would go to, but they were primarily made of leaves for the Ancient Forest. It essentially masked one¡¯s odor and muffled their sounds, though they should still be careful where they walk. It wasn¡¯t deemed practical for hunters unless in particular cases, they were fragile and would break too easily under the acrobatic maneuvers that hunters needed to be able to perform. There was research being done on making other mantles, but it wouldn¡¯t be concluded unless more monster materials were made accessible. So it was something that would have results only later and may benefit all hunters as a whole. Ikari''s Ghillie Mantle was folded and put into his backpack and he would put it on once they arrived at their destination. As for Valen, they would render his jetpack unusable, so he already knew that he would not be using them often.

    The Wingdrakes landed right in the middle of the base camp at the foot of the Tree. It was off-limits for any hunters besides Valen, Jake, and the Field Team Leader, though Valen supposed that Aiden would probably be the first to gain access to it once he forged armor from a tough monster in the New World.

    Valen dropped his backpack and stored it in the tent, only keeping his hunter¡¯s pouch on, which contained several potions and other utilities like flash or dung pods that he would use in emergencies.

    Once he exited the tent, Ikari was already draped into the Ghillie Mantle, which was the same color as the bushes and moss everywhere. He could not contest that when somebody wearing it stayed still, they would be indistinguishable from the environment. It reassured him that it would lessen the risks of Ikari being targeted, even though his fear of monsters would make things harder.

    ¡°Are you alright, Ikari?¡±

    ¡°I-I have a bit of jitter, but I think I can manage, as long as I am far enough¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying, b-b-by approaching the captured monsters to get as close as I could. It¡¯s a bit better, but I still want to do better.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry then, I¡¯ll make sure you are not in danger on my watch. I don¡¯t need to engage the Anjanath, we just need to observe for a few days and make our report to the Commander.¡±

    Ikari nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go while my nerves are steeled enough.¡±

    Valen nodded then turned to Adem. ¡°You are my ears as always, tell me if you hear anything unusual.¡±

    ¡°No worries Meowster! I¡¯ll be sharp like paw-lways!¡±

    Valen shook his head at the Felyne¡¯s familiar antics and they entered the small trail leading into the heart of the forest.

    <hr>

    They found their quarry quickly, as it was not trying to be stealthy. It even left all kinds of marks around, spraying its mucus on tree trunks where his territory was delineated. He had frowned when observing that. From what he had heard, Anjanath was not quite the Apex of the forest - that title was reserved for the Rathalos that had made his nest at the top of the tree. It and his mate were the monsters that dominated the area, having no equal among the other forest-dwellers.

    The Anjanath didn¡¯t even seem to be that old, looking barely out of the juvenile period, but it had a few scars on his legs. After conferring with Ikari, they surmised it was an individual that had won all of its fights for territories and that, after establishing itself as the top predator in his original home, had tried to make a bid for the top territory of the Forest.

    They could see that the residents around did not like it, but the Pukei-Pukei that tried to challenge the Anjanath lost the fight and had to retreat to lick its wounds, though it almost could have won, the Anjanath not having gotten out of the fight unscathed. But its victory also seemed to bolster it, and its aggressiveness only increased as a result.

    A Tobi-Kadachi, a Fanged Wyvern with light blue scales and a gliding membrane between his legs, and all of its coat were made of scales that could be easily electrically charged by it shaking them around, then shocking its adversary by slapping them with its tail, also contested the Anjanath. It had managed to ambush it by dropping from above on its back. And it seemed that it would win until the Brute Wyvern managed to roll over, and with a devastating bite, used its superior mass to puncture its hide and even spewed a stream of fire at it. The Tobi-Kadachi bolted immediately after it, but the damage on the Anjanath sails was done, where one was torn, and it looked like it would take a while to heal.

    Ikari was scared when they found the Brute Wyvern, but he had progressively managed to regain his composure over the few days of observation¡­ Until the Rathalos decided enough was enough.

    The Rathalos made himself known by immediately snatching the Anjanath by its back, and after it flailed around, but only causing the venomous talons to sink deeper into its flesh, he slammed the monster back down in the ground, making the Anjanath topple on his side, then breathed out a fireball at the Brute Wyvern. He hovered around, then let out a powerful roar that made even Valen cover his ears.

    After the injuries sustained by the last two challenges, which it hadn¡¯t recovered entirely yet, and the brutal beat down, once it got itself back on its feet, it threw a fearful glance, and bolted into the forest, in a direct path away from the tree. It finally seemed to have gotten the message that it wasn¡¯t welcome and not tough enough to survive the hardened monsters of the Tree.

    Ikari was curled in a ball near Valen, but thankfully it only made him harder to see. The Rathalos did not miss the Hunter, however, and looked sharply at him while growling.

    Valen knew that if it came to a fight, he would be the victor, but this was not why they were here, and he did not want to disrupt the established order of the forest, which eliminating the top monster definitely would. So he assumed a nonthreatening posture and holding his hands in front of him, slowly walked backwards.

    The Rathalos seemed to have gotten the message that Valen wasn¡¯t here to challenge him, and after a last snort, he flew away.

    Once he was out of sight. He immediately came to Ikari''s side and whispered. ¡°The Rathalos flew away, all is clear.¡±

    It took a while for Ikari to calm down, however, and only after several minutes when Valen instructed him to take deep breaths, he said in a hushed voice. ¡°Sorry. It was too big of a surprise for me. I hope I didn¡¯t disappoint you.¡±

    Valen shook his head. ¡°You did not. You were doing wonderfully until the Rath arrived. Take a bit to calm down and we¡¯ll head back to the camp. You¡¯ll stay a couple more days so that I can check where the Anjanath is headed and then we¡¯ll go back to Astera to make our report.¡±

    ¡°T-t-that sounds alright for me.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go, I do not want to be here when the Rathalos return to check if we are still intruding in his territory.¡±

    So they walked back to the camp together, at as quick of a pace as they could without making too much noise. Valen knew that even though the Anjanath was trounced, it would only take its frustration somewhere else¡­ Which might mean he would have to take care of it after all.

 Sky Render Chapter 7: Tremors

    Valen tailed the Anjanath for a couple of days before he confirmed that it was going to establish a new territory close to Astera¡­ Too close for anybody¡¯s comfort. He made a note of it, then the group flew back to the outpost. The return flight had a heavy mood, as Valen knew that the appearance of the Rathalos would not help matters for Ikari¡¯s phobia, and the hunter would have to bring back the grave news to Astera.

    Thankfully the return flight did not last long before they landed at the gate of Astera, freeing the Wingdrakes from their burden. They saw the Commander once he had a free moment, and he agreed with Valen¡¯s assessment that the Anjanath might become an issue, but he would prefer to assign the hunt to a hunter that wasn¡¯t him, Aiden or Jake if possible.

    ¡°We will monitor it for several weeks and if nobody else is ready by then, I¡¯ll give the hunt to Aiden.¡± The Commander explained.

    ¡°Makes sense. Except for Aiden, we already have the best gear we can ask for, so the materials would be wasted on one of us.¡±

    ¡°I already have an idea of who might take it. You heard about Rapha?lle''s latest exploits?¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow. ¡°No, what happened?¡±

    ¡°A Barroth ambushed the caravan that carried the supplies to set up the new camp and she managed to slay it without issues. There was also a close call with a Rathian but it was routed. One of the scientists that was with it panicked and fled into the wilderness though. She¡¯s currently trying to find him and bring him back.¡±

    Valen rubbed his chin. ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to keep an eye on her then.¡±

    ¡°We also managed to find Zorah¡¯s tracks again. And if it keeps the same heading, we might have an opportunity to study it more. I¡¯ll tell you the details once we know for sure.¡±

    ¡°Oh? That is good news indeed.¡±

    ¡°Jake is the one tasked to follow it. Once he returns I¡¯ll fill you in. I want you on standby until then.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be around if you need me then.¡±

    With that, The Commander walked away to relay the news Valen brought to the researchers. Valen decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in the Gathering Hub. The place was on the ship the First Fleet originally arrived on. But when they arrived at the New World, they had met an aquatic Elder that created a huge storm and the waves crested high enough that it wedged the ship at the top of a rocky hill. In the end, they left the ship as it was, becoming the home where the First lived until the other fleets arrived. It was also how the tradition of building Astera mainly with the ships they traveled on started.

    Nowadays the ship had been converted into a meeting place for Hunters, to party, bring important news to all of them, or to organize large-scale operations. Valen believed it would soon be used for this purpose if he read the intent of the Commander regarding Zorah correctly.

    He shook his head, it probably looked like a crazy scheme for him, but yet it also might work. So he simply dismissed the thought and went to enjoy a relaxing time at the Hub, listening to the stories of increasingly inebriated Hunters. His favorite was the one that believed he managed to slay a Rathalos with a whole squad of Heavy Bowgun users in under one minute, after drinking what felt like a barrel of beer. However, tradition called for nobody to call out another hunter on it, so he kept quiet, and spent the rest of the night having a good time.

    <hr>

    A couple of weeks later, a lot of developments had happened. The main one was that Zorah Magdaros had been found, and his current trajectory was determined¡­ And it was headed right toward the Great Ravine, which gave them an opportunity that the Commander would not let go to waste.

    The full council had been assembled, consisting of all the members that were present last time, but with the addition of the Argosy Captain, who commanded the ship managing the liaison with Dundorma. The ship that Valen was on had been dismantled and incorporated into Astera, as the damage Zorah caused was deemed too extensive to keep it seaworthy. Now he was doing the journey back and forth, able to make the trip faster than the Fifth had, but he also was no longer limited by the speed Zorah was traveling at. He was sitting on a stool behind the Commander.

    Jake was next to him on another stool, wearing his full armor as usual.

    Next to Valen was Ikari, who was acting shy but Valen believed that he was intimidated by the number of important people present. Aiden and his handler, Lea, were next to him. Aiden was currently wearing a set of armor made of a Tobi-Kadachi that had terrorized a group of scientists. The lightweight armor meshed well with the weapon he was currently carrying, a gigantic Bow where some of the Tobi quills made the curves.

    Finally on Valen¡¯s other side were Rapha?lle and Sophie, the Hunter still wearing her Pukei Pukei armor, as she found the armor made from the Barroth and Jyuratodus¡ªthe name of the giant mudfish Valen found on the Wastes¡ªtoo bulky to be used with her Insect Glaive and made her too much of a target.

    The Commander looked around and nodded. ¡°Now that the Blue Flare has confirmed the heading of Zorah, we can put the plan we made into action. Our goal is to try to restrain the Elder for a few hours so that our scientists can study it before we release it. To that effect, we sent the entire Second and Fourth Fleet ahead so they could set up. I¡¯m here to discuss the details.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow and asked the first question. ¡°Are you sure you can manage to restrain such a large Elder long enough?¡±

    ¡°If everything goes well, it should be restrained for a long enough time. We don¡¯t usually attempt something like this, but the physiology of Zorah, and the location it¡¯s about to enter provides a unique opportunity.

    ¡°As you may know, the other large Elders we know the existence of, Lao Shan Lung, Dalamadur, Gogmazios, and Shen Gaoran, are covered in scales too thick for anything but a weapon made of Apex Materials or a Dragonator to pierce. The binders we use against them mostly loops around their limbs and they free themselves quickly. In Shen Gaoran¡¯s case, it is too tall to restrain safely, and its shell is made of bone.

    ¡°Zorah, however, is made of Volcanic Rock, which means that with harpoons, we can shoot them deep enough in its shell that they are harder to dislodge. It also allows us to shoot more of them. So eventually if we restrain his movements enough, it will not be able to exert his strength to free itself. Then once we have conducted our research, We will free it and let it continue on its way. Ideally, we¡¯ll try not to restrain it for more than two hours..¡±

    Valen looked at the sky. The plan seemed ambitious¡­ But with enough luck and preparation, it might work. Though he still wasn¡¯t sure that restraining an Elder that way was a good idea, it might anger it and provoke it to rampage and wipe Astera off the map. But before he was able to voice his concerns, somebody else, Rapha?lle, beat him to it.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about the risk of angering the Elder due to restraining it.¡± Valen nodded to show his concern, and he noted Aiden and a couple of others around the table did so as well.

    ¡°Ordinarily I would not have gone for it too. But we received information that confirmed for us that this road is an option.¡±

    He retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

    ¡°Here is what this letter says: ¡®We have received confirmation that Zorah encountered a Lao-Shan Lung on his way, and even though the other Elder battled with it and restrained it for a while, Zorah simply retreated into its shell and waited it out until the Lao seemed to realize it couldn¡¯t bother the Elder and pursued his way after a last intimidation roar.¡¯ So it confirmed to us that Zorah is more of a passive Elder, it may eventually wait out an inconvenience but eventually, it¡¯ll go back on its path. We are almost certain it would do the same on our objective.¡±

    Rapha?lle and the other seemed to be reassured by this but Valen still frowned under his helmet. However, realizing that he was alone in this, he simply shared a look with the Commander and shrugged.

    ¡°Is everybody in agreement with the plan on Zorah then?¡±

    One by one everybody agreed, then the Field Team leader said. ¡°We do have one matter to take care of though: The Anjanath. Zorah will be all hands on deck and I am afraid that it would realize Astera is understaffed and use the opportunity to try to rampage through it. It has already attempted probing attacks, I suspect it wants to extend its territory there. So we need to make sure it won¡¯t be a problem before we depart for the operation.¡±

    Valen looked at Aiden, who simply smiled and shook his head. He was about to ask why when a voice on his other side said: ¡°I will take care of it if you allow me.¡±

    Turning around, he was surprised by the fact that Rapha?lle was the one who forwarded herself to hunt the Brute Wyvern. So he asked. ¡°Are you certain? It is not a weak one, for having managed to survive right below the tree for a bit.¡±

    ¡°I should manage. Flighty and I will be careful but we will manage. Besides, I believe I was invited here for a reason.¡± She raised an eyebrow at the Commander, who chuckled.

    ¡°Indeed. I intended to give that task to you from the start, and you did not disappoint me by forwarding it yourself. Succeed at this hunt, and you will be granted permission to be a solo explorer, which only a few were allowed. The only two others from the Fifth are both here.¡±

    She firmed her stance. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make sure I do not fail.¡±

    ¡°Take the evening to prepare and go tomorrow. We leave in one week for the operation on Zorah. Everybody knows what they need to do?¡±

    A chorus of agreement was the response. ¡°Then may the Sapphire Star light your way. Dismissed!¡±

    This put an end to the briefing, and Valen took his leave. There would be more meetings to discuss and refine the details, but the general information was done. The announcement would be made soon to the whole of Astera, and Valen had to prepare for his part in the operation. He glanced at Rapha?lle, who was headed towards her cabin to prepare for her hunt and nodded. He believed she would succeed in it, she had a talent he recognized only within a few hunters.

    <hr>

    What looked like the whole of Astera had been spread out across the ledges of a gigantic pass between a mountain chain. The Great Ravine bore its name well, the pass looking like it had been created by the coming and going of gigantic monsters, and it probably was. But they had no way to know at the moment.

    Valen had climbed to the top of the ridge, observing the proceedings from his position. Adem was perched on his shoulder, a familiar weight for the hunter.

    He still thought the operation was far too risky for his liking, but by this point, he had been overruled, so he participated to make sure any threats that arose were dealt with.

    A gigantic barrier of wood had been hastily constructed, blocking the path forward, though Valen had no doubts that the Elder would simply make it crumble by the sheer power of mass. Had they gotten more time and warning, they would have reinforced it with metal, but they had to make do. The goal was to make Zorah waste his energy breaking through it anyways, the most important barrier was further along the ravine, not visible from their position due to the twists and turns.

    Countless ballistae had been erected, loaded, and ready to fire, with ammunition stockpiled near each of them. A fair amount of cannons also stood ready, just as well loaded with explosive ordinance. They would both serve well to exhaust Zorah and slow it down.

    What looked like an army of hunters was also running around, manning the heavy weaponry or preparing to reload them once they were fired. All of them were decked out in their full armor, carrying their preferred weapon on their backs. There had been a last rush to upgrade weapons and armor before the operation, and it showed, with a fair amount of them proudly displaying their shiny new equipment.

    However, Valen spotted Rapha?lle running around, shouting orders. She had been assigned as the lead of a squadron of hunters, after she had returned successfully from the Anjanath hunt, battered but alive, a team of Felynes pulling the body of the brute Wyvern behind her.

    She had made new gear out of it, though she was using her Juyratodus weapon since using a fire-infused weapon against a fire Elder was simply asking for trouble.

    Her tale of the Anjanath hunt had regaled the evenings before the departure, she had narrated how she had taken a more patient approach, using the environment to weaken it and injure it, even dropped a gigantic boulder only suspended by vines for some reason, before using its anger to lead it to an environment where it had difficulties maneuvering and fighting it to the death, the blood loss and the concussions from the boulder finally having gotten the better of it.

    She had been promoted at the issue of the events and was now able to depart on exploratory expeditions alone. Valen however expected her to take the lead at one point. She had a knack for it, and the only thing that could be spoken against her was her inability to craft items on the field, only managing what could be considered ¡°Very dubious potions, I would not drink that unless I had no other choice,¡± by Aiden.

    He shook his head. There were whispers of her becoming the official leader of the Fifth Fleet eventually, but that would be seen in time.

    Movement from the corner of his eye attracted his attention however and he looked up, and immediately his heart clenched.

    A Valstrax could be seen flying overhead, which probably was Nikki, and he knew there was no way she would be unnoticed. The skies were clear of any clouds and the bright red dot was perfectly visible among the azure background.

    Just as he was about to whistle for the Wingdrake that was perched next to him and fly down to the Commander, a plume of fire further along the Ravine distracted him, and after frowning, he saw their target, Zorah Magdaros that was incoming on their position, lumbering at its slow pace. He grimaced, which meant what they were preparing for was about to happen, and he wasted no time whistling for the Wingdrake, which immediately perked up and took flight. Valen grabbed the length of rope that was dangling from its harness and rode it down to the Commander.

    The flight was quick and he jumped down from the rope once he was close enough to the ground, and after a quick burst from his thrusters to kill his momentum, he immediately said. ¡°I spotted Zorah incoming from the ravine, it is about to start.¡±

    ¡°What about the Valstrax, will it be an issue? Our worker reports they have occasionally seen it flying above them while they were building up the defenses.¡±

    ¡°It is probably just curious, but I¡¯ll be ready to repel it should it try to be aggressive.¡±

    Arcos scratched his chin and said. ¡°Think it is one from the Old World?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? There was one that was flying around Dundorma before I left. Could be the same one, could be another. We never know with them, we can¡¯t keep track of them.¡±

    ¡°Strange then¡­ Keep an eye on it, I want you to man one of those ballistae and relay to me anything unusual you notice.¡±

    ¡°I will Arcos.¡±

    ¡°May the Sapphire Star light your way then. Dismissed!¡±

    Valen nodded and posted himself at the closest available ballista that he could see. The siege weapons were gigantic upscaled crossbows that shot bolts as long as he was tall. For peak efficiency, two people were needed to man it: one person to shoot it and one to help pull back the string and reload. The draw weight was immense enough to warrant it.

    Adem would be the one that would help him. Even though the Felyne didn¡¯t look like it, when he had a proper grip and leverage he packed surprising strength in his smaller frame. He had piled the bolts they would use next to the ballista, ready to pick them up and replace one that had just fired.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Further along, the Ravine was another barrier and concentration of ballistae, but there they were loaded with binder harpoons so that once the Elder was in position, they could use their concerted strength to restrain the mountainous Elder. Every hunter would ride on Wingdrakes once Zorah broke through the first barrier.

    But that was only in the future, and Valen focused on the moment, glancing at Nikki flying in circles above, almost like a revolture waiting for its meal, but he knew that she was just maintaining the speed she was at the most comfortable flying at. Zorah was finally visible at the bend, lumbering its huge mass towards them, one step at a time. He estimated that the Elder would be in range in a couple dozen minutes and that until then they could only wait for it.

    Strangely it didn¡¯t seem to react to their presence at all, Valen had no doubts the Elder noticed them, but he guessed that it simply didn¡¯t register them as a threat.

    The wait for the Elder to approach was a tense moment, every step he took echoing through the valley. The Valstrax circling above that some took as an omen of doom. The sun is hammering on them from above, causing the heat to rise and creating distortions in the air, painting the whole ensemble into an eerie scene.

    Finally, Zorah entered the effective range of the ballista and there seemed to be a hush coming over every hunter, hearts beating strongly into each of them. Valen glanced around and could see everyone that was manning the siege weapons pointing them at the lumbering giant, one finger on the trigger.

    Zorah took one more step, the low boom reverberating all around, and he could feel the weight of the step by the vibrations that it sent through the ground. He took another step, getting closer and everything seemed a bit louder. ¡®How will it feel when he¡¯ll be walking right next to us? I hope we¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡¯

    Then just as it was about to do its third step. One voice resounded clear and wide through the improvised fortress. A voice that Valen had talked with not that long ago. The Commander shouted through a voice amplifier and said. ¡°BALLISTAE, FIIIIIIRE!!¡±

    Valen immediately depressed the trigger of the ballista. The twaaang of the string releasing all of the tension it was holding since he had armed it made the whole of the wood jerk. He watched the bolt already streaking towards the carapace of the Elder as he had aimed it, surrounded by countless others as everybody manning a ballista followed the Commander¡¯s order..

    It took a couple of moments for the rods to streak through the air and impact the black shell of the Elder. The impact seemed negligible, but Valen could spot some fragments of black shell exploding from the bolts impacting them. Though the overall effect on the Elder was minimal, it didn¡¯t even react at all and continued his leisurely stride.

    Valen helped Adem pull on the string, reloading the weapon, and then he corrected the aim that had shifted during the reload and fired again.

    The first volley of shots became more of a constant barrage after that, every pair reloading at their rhythm, depending on their strength or their comfort with using the weapon.

    Even still, Zorah Magdaros continued uninterrupted, and it came closer and closer to the barricade. Then suddenly the Commander shouted again. ¡°CANNONS, FIRE!¡±

    Countless detonations occurred in the valley at once, the noise deafening due to the echo, and he could see countless cannonballs, all filled with explosives, arc toward the Elder. And this time the explosions that covered its frame had more of an impact than the ballistae. Small craters now covered its shell, though they weren¡¯t that deep, and he could see that Zorah flinched a bit from the huge assault. It seemed to pause for a bit but resumed its walk still, barely affected by the barrage, walking closer to the barrier, and now surrounded from, side and back by siege weapons.

    But it did eventually grow irritated by the barrage, especially as one cannon shell impacted directly next to its eye, making it flinch. Zorah side-eyed the offending cannon, and raised himself completely, shifting from four to two legs, a gigantic paw raising with calculated but deliberate slowness. The hunters manning the siege weapon did not wait, and fled it immediately, which was wise, as the paw immediately slammed on it, completely wrecking it.

    Seemingly satisfied, Zorah resumed walking towards the barrier on two legs. Everybody seemed to understand what was its intention: to crush the barrier with its immense weight. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that every hunter that posted on it immediately started to book it, not wanting to be on the construct when Zorah decided to flatten it.

    After firing another ballista bolt, Valen was about to help Adem reload a new one when the Felyne spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re all meow-t of ammo, Meowster!¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s prepare for step two. The Commander wants us, along with Rapha?lle and Aiden on its shell to target the magma cores.¡±

    They had discovered that if they could break these, it would render Zorah lethargic while it repaired itself, and was the real reason it had waited the Lao-Shan Lung out: the Mountain Elder had broken one of them during their tussle.

    Valen glanced above, Nikki seemed to still be circling the area, a curious observer above all of them. He looked back at Zorah, it had now reached the barrier, and he could see it starting to brace its front paws for the action it was about to accomplish.

    Valen watched as slowly, eerily, Zorah crushed the barrier with a resounding cacophony of splintering wood and snapping ropes grinding against its shell. The barrier crumbled before its weight and showered Zorah with debris, some of which caught fire as they landed near its magma cores. Now back on all fours, it resumed its walk.

    ¡°GREAT JOB HUNTERS! PHASE ONE IS DONE, ALL ABOARD YOUR WINGDRAKES FOR PHASE TWO!¡±

    Everybody reacted, and a huge flock of Wingdrakes, with hunters hanging below them, started to fly ahead of the Ravine, towards the second barrier, and all of the Ballistae loaded with Binders.

    Valen whistled for his own Wingdrake, which swooped above him soon after and he caught the rope dangling below it. Adem grabbed his foot, hitching a ride on it, and they both flew to catch up with Zorah.

    He spotted Rapha?lle flying a bit away from him, and Aiden not far from her. They nodded at him. They all had their target Magma Core and would try to assist the others once they took care of it.

    Valen dropped to the top of the huge volcano-like shell, releasing the rope and cushioning his fall with a burst of his thrusters, barely a thought needed to activate them as if they read his thoughts. The behavior weirded him out at first, as they had integrated controls for them in his fingers but he eventually did not need them. He and Aki decided to keep them anyway for redundancy.

    Adem had dropped next to him and followed his steps. The heat around was high, but there was a reason his armor was well insulated, and it was to allow him to operate in the harshest environments, either hot or cold.

    He leaned forward and looked through the hole at the top, and as it has been reported, there was indeed a magma core at the bottom, pulsing with energy and occasionally releasing hot magma.

    Valen offered an arm to Adem and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to drop down. Hold on tight, I¡¯ll need to do a controlled descent.¡±

    The Felyne jumped on his arm and after a deep breath, Valen jumped.

    They accelerated only for a moment before his thrusters ignited, in a low but constant burn that allowed Valen to dodge the jutting imperfections in the tube that occasionally cropped. It became darker, the only light coming from the hole at the top, and the pulsing core below.

    Eventually, they got close to the ground and his thrusters made a last burst to slow him down before he landed with a crouch. He straightened up and immediately drew his weapon. The gigantic Magma Core, several times bigger than him, loomed over him, the red hue betraying the intense heat it was radiating, that Valen could even feel through his insulated armor. He worried about Adem before the Felyne reassured him that he had drunk a cold drink before coming.

    So with a nod, he immediately swung his weapon at the spire, chipping it and causing some cracks to drop down. He inspected his hit and judged it would take a while to make a sizable enough dent, so after enough wind-up, he struck again, more forcefully.

    Adem followed his strikes, hitting it with his small sword between Valen¡¯s swings. Eventually, the chips grew in size, becoming bigger, and bigger, but suddenly a bright glow started to emerge from them and Valen widened his eyes.

    ¡°TAKE COVER!¡± was all he had time to say before diving out of the spot he was striking.

    Both of them narrowly managed to dodge the intense jet of magma that erupted from the spot they were hitting, intense heat radiating from the liquid magma.

    Valen exhaled, that had been too close for comfort. But he steadied himself, they still had a job to do.

    They did not stay in the same spot this time, deciding to weaken the structure all around, Valen started to strike higher up after, while Adem took care of the ground level. And they worked tirelessly at it, until.

    CRACK.

    With a resounding sound, a spiderweb of cracks suddenly appeared on the magma core, all of them slowly brightening up.

    Valen immediately reacted, picking up Adem with his free hand, and ignited his thrusters right after, followed by his weapon that he pointed down once they were airborne. He aimed for a ledge higher up and managed to throw Adem at it then grab it with his now free hand, holding himself up with only that hand. He hoisted himself up immediately after, putting the ledge between him and the core below.

    A resounding boom occurred below him, followed by a geyser of magma that filled the whole chamber. Said magma pulsed around and slowly started to solidify.

    The whole tube started rocking, and it was only Valen¡¯s honed reflexes that allowed him to hold on by digging with his weapon and using it as an anchor. They heard a roar, and they had no doubts about its origin. They steadied themselves for several long seconds before the shaking stopped. Valen waited a bit more before he peered below.

    The core surprisingly was still intact¡­ But while it was pulsing with energy and heat before, now it was dimmed, almost like the same appearance as the rock around save for the less rough aspect of it.

    He nodded at Adem. ¡°Our job is done here, let¡¯s head back up¡­¡± Then looked above. ¡°This is going to take a while.¡±

    Thus they started climbing up, the numerous handholds present in the rock at least helped him in his task. He made frequent stops at ledges and always made sure there was one below him, because he had no doubts his partners would eventually complete their task, and Zorah would react just as violently as it had done before.

    Which it eventually did. And thankfully Valen was at a stop at this time, though this time they almost got thrown off before they managed to steady themselves. Once the shaking stopped, it made them go faster in their ascent, they did not want to be in the same position for the third time¡­

    And as luck would have it, right after they finished their ascent and they were on solid ground, Zorah roared again, for a third time and the shaking was even more violent this time. It abated, however, and they straightened up once they were sure all was clear.

    What they did had an impact however, Zorah¡¯s movements were visibly more sluggish and it seemed to falter in its steps. It was right at the perfect time even, as Valen could see they almost reached the second barrier and were about to enter the area where they would attempt to bind it.

    He looked around, every hunter that was manning cannons or ballistae at the first barrier was now manning a Ballistae, without a partner to reload. The entire operation had been extremely expensive and cost a large portion of their resources, but should it succeed, even partially, they would gain extremely valuable insight into Elders and the Crossing.

    Every step by Zorah was now extremely slow, calculated, and laborious. It seemed it was about to collapse from exhaustion. Which, given their goal, was good news.

    Valen prepared to brace himself. Once the Elder was restrained, it was certain to try to free itself. He looked around and managed to spot the Commander standing upon one of the ledges, holding a voice amplifier in his hand. Their eyes met and both knew that what was about to happen might make history.

    He raised the amplifier and shouted: ¡°BINDERS! FIIIIIIRE!¡±

    Suddenly, every ballistae shot bone harpoons with a rope trailing behind them, that was connected to the foundation of the ballistae, and it was the task of the shooter to secure the rope once it connected to the target.

    Quickly enough, every harpoon connected to the shell of the Elder, and they immediately reeled the rope in, tensing it and reducing the range of motion of Zorah.

    Zorah tried to thrash around, but he could only manage one sideways lurch before every rope had tensed enough that it couldn¡¯t wind itself far enough to budge the harpoons. A few had failed to penetrate or dislodged when tensing, but it was a simple affair for the shooter to reel it back in an attempt to shoot again.

    A few tense moments happened, where they waited in bated breath to see what the Elder would do, before it seemed to slump, too lethargic to put in an effort.

    Valen was about to release the breath he was holding before somebody shouted, somebody that he recognized. ¡°HOLD! ELDER INCOMING!¡± The voice of Jake resounded in the valley, and Valen looked up, fearing that Nikki was involving herself and that he made a mistake, but she was still circling above¡­ Then movement in the corner of his vision directed his focus to it, and he narrowed his eyes.

    Another Elder, but which seemed this time to be fully covered in spikes on his back, front paws, and wings, was diving towards them. His reflex was to unsheathe his weapon so he was battle-ready¡­ Before he realized that it was aiming for the back of the Elder shell, towards where Rapha?lle¡¯s assigned core was.

    If everything was going to plan, Aiden should already have been going to join her, as it was where they would be taken back into the air by their Wingdrakes. But Valen needed to get down from the highest point of the Elder¡­ But it was also a good thing that he had a way to get down quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to jump, climb on Adem!¡±

    The Felyne did not question the order and grabbed his leg. Valen ran up and jumped from the volcano, splaying out his limbs¡­ And with only a thought, the thrusters powered on at low power, pushing him towards his goal.

    He could see that Rapha?lle was already engaged in combat with the unknown Elder. She was dancing in the air, carefully applying bursts of compressed air to redirect herself mid-flight.

    Even with his boost, Valen landed still a way away from the fight. He lost no time however and ran the remaining distance.

    It was only when he circled a jutting rock that he could see the two fighting again. Though he was relieved to see that the huntress seemed to have received no injuries yet. And on the other side of the field, he saw Aiden arriving as well, and he shouted: ¡°I¡¯M BAAAAAACK, MISSED ME?¡±

    The shout had the effect Aiden wanted, as it immediately attracted the attention of the Elder. Valen now had a clearer view of it, and it was truly the most intimidating he had ever seen. Two giant, hulking horns emerged from its head, and white spikes sprouted from the back of its head until halfway through its back, giving it the appearance of a mane. Its underside was covered in orange scales, while the rest of its body besides its wing had brown scales.

    Its paws were tipped with sharp claws, and the back of its wings were covered by scales as well, giving it a tougher appearance than most. Finally, a tail covered by spikes that lashed behind it completed the armament it possessed.

    Valen never had heard about this Elder, because it was undoubtedly one, so he had no idea what its capabilities were. Though he would say it favored close-quarter combats as he didn¡¯t see any indication it was able to use a breath attack or something similar. So he started approaching carefully, holding his weapon on the side, and Rapha?lle finally landed next to him from her latest aerial acrobatics.

    ¡°Anything you noticed while fighting?¡± Valen asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fly that much, more like jumps with the assistance of its wings. No breath attack and only physical attacks¡­ Though I don¡¯t know if it can throw these spikes at us, given these weren¡¯t grown on its head when I started fighting.¡± She answered while panting, catching her breath. ¡°Also it is fast, really fast.¡±

    ¡°I see. So we keep our distance ideally.¡±

    The Elder did not pursue its assault, seemingly observing the four, then five of them as Aiden joined them as well, along with Flighty.

    An awkward standoff ensued, and just as it seemed the Elder was about to jump at them to resume the fight, hugging a tall wall of the shell, the Commander''s voice shouted. ¡°FIRE!¡±

    All of them, even the Elder, looked at the source, and they saw a huge volley of ballista bolts streaking towards the Elder, only from one side of the valley, as the other side was blocked by the shell.

    Valen gripped his weapon tighter, as he didn¡¯t know how it would react, but the Elder surprised him by simply extending his wing and covering his flank with it, then countless amount of bolts struck it, most of them bounced from it through a few had the tip stuck a bit into it¡­ Until the elder shook its wing and they all fell off.

    The group firmed their stance. The fact that even on its wing, the powerful ballista bolts barely bothered it spoke about the resilience of its scales.

    However, just as it was about to jump at them, a figure dropped from the air from a Wingdrake and immediately unsheathed its weapon, which Valen immediately recognized as a Longsword which only meant that the one fighting the unknown Elder was Jake.

    Jake seemed to dance with the Elder, smoothly stepping away from the strikes, sneaking a couple of hits back though they didn¡¯t pierce its scales. It didn¡¯t seem to discourage the hunter, as he continued his fight.

    Rapha?lle and Aiden looked like they wanted to help but Valen stopped them. ¡°Wait, he needs a lot of room to swing his Longsword. We go if he starts having difficulties, we¡¯ll only be a hindrance at this stage.¡±

    And it was a truth, most Longsword users paired poorly with non-ranged hunters, which was why most of them formed pairs with them. It was the main reason not as many hunters used the Longsword, as it was a difficult weapon to work as a team.

    It also displayed the experience of Jake, who even though it was the first time he was fighting such an Elder, seemed to understand its capabilities and expertly dodged its attacks.

    Then suddenly the Elder reared up and attempted to slam his paw on Jake, but he had managed to sidestep it, and he used his momentum to spin around and unleash a devastating slice that cut through all the spikes on that paw. His opponent flinched away, not expecting this outcome. Jake returned to his neutral stance, waiting for the Elder to make its next move. But instead, it simply observed him, seemingly looking at the hunter with a calculating look. He then looked at the three of them waiting to engage, all of them tensed so they could jump at the moment Jake was struggling or there was a safe opportunity to do so.

    The Elder seemed to reconsider its chances and then looked above. Valen followed his sight, and he could recognize the signs that Nikki was preparing herself to dive-bomb at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Then it concluded, unleashed a powerful roar that rattled their eardrums, and spreading its wings wide, flew away, unbothered.

    Valen only relaxed when it had disappeared, then immediately joined Jake who had sheathed his Longsword. ¡°Do you know this Elder?¡±

    ¡°We have gotten sightings of it before. We call it Nergigante, I sighted it once as well, but no altercations were issued out of it. For some reason, it seems to exclusively target Elders. I think it wanted to make a meal out of Zorah, but realized we were too big of an opposition to face, and it was uncertain of the outcome.¡±

    ¡°That was my suspicion as well¡­ I have a feeling we¡¯ll see it again.¡±

    ¡°Given our goal of studying Elders? I have no doubts. The question will be who will be tasked to fill it. I¡¯m sure it would be an opportunity for our new rising stars to reach our level.¡±

    Valen hummed. ¡°Good point. Still. It looks like the operation was a success, to my surprise.¡±

    ¡°I will admit I had my doubts in the operation too, but we managed in the end. Now to exploit the opportunity before it stops.¡±

    And indeed, right after he said that the Commander shouted. ¡°GOOD JOB HUNTERS, RESEARCHERS, NOW IS YOUR TIME, GET DOWN HERE AND DO YOUR TASK, REMEMBER, WE ARE ON A TIME LIMIT!¡±

    Valen looked at the Commander and nodded. The operation to temporarily capture Zorah was a success¡­ And now they could start studying it. Nikki seemed to have stopped circling above and flew away, Valen no longer at risk

 Sky Render Chapter 8: Passage

    Although they were certain that Zorah was lethargic, everybody was still tense as the researchers crawled all around the mountainous Elder. Most of them retrieved samples from its shell, but they also conducted a few experiments by testing the reactions of items around it.

    Valen was himself accompanying Ikari, his handler admitting that he wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on his work if he wasn¡¯t near. It didn¡¯t bother Valen though, as he knew the difficulties he had regarding monsters. However, he did see that he was progressing on that front, as he was able to accompany them on this critical and unprecedented operation.

    ¡°I think the fact that Zorah is so big helps. I don¡¯t see its face, so it helps me distance my fear. I don¡¯t think I would be as calm next to a more regular-sized Elder though.¡± Ikari admitted when Valen asked him about that.

    Still, every Handler was doing their task, having split into small groups to make everything faster. Ikari was tasked to examine the magma cores so as to discern their workings.

    Eventually, the time limit was up, and everybody was asked to depart from Zorah¡¯s shell. The Elder was still out of it, but the Commander did not want to take any chances, and it would allow them to dislodge the harpoons so that the Elder would not destroy the ballistae as it tried to free itself.

    One thing somebody was worried about was that several earthquakes occurred during Zorah¡¯s immobilization. What was even more cause for concern, however, was the fact that they became more violent and frequent as time went by, which was another reason they did not want to push their luck.

    Eventually, they freed Zorah from its bindings and caused the barrier to collapse, as they knew it would plow through it anyway if they left it up.

    Then, suddenly, when the volcanic Elder stirred, a powerful earthquake rocked the area, making everybody unsteady on their feet. It was so powerful that some outcroppings collapsed, and Valen saw one barely miss a group of Hunters before it tumbled down the ravine.

    One last powerful shake caused everybody to lose balance and fall, Valen included before a loud, gigantic crack echoed through the whole ravine. Zorah roared, finally awake, and then the shaking stopped. Valen only waited for a split second to confirm that the shaking had stopped before straightening up on his feet. He looked at Zorah, who seemed to be studying them all intensely, looking around, before it grunted, and started to walk, resuming its journey through the Ravine.

    Valen unclenched the hand that was gripping his weapon tightly, exhaling in relief. He had been worried about the reaction that Zorah would have when it woke up, but it seemed to dismiss them and resume its journey. He looked around, noticing that more of the rock at the top of the ravine had fallen, and he hoped that not too many people had gotten hurt.

    The gigantic crack was what worried him, that sound was powerful, and the fact it happened right after the last shake meant something happened, but he had no idea what.

    He spotted the Commander as he approached a ledge and shouted orders. ¡°PACK EVERYTHING NOT TIED DOWN! HUNTERS, WE¡¯RE HEADING BACK TO ASTERA!¡±

    This was a change of plan, as the original schedule was to disassemble all the siege weapons, but it seemed that this new development worried the Commander. It worried Valen too, so he understood.

    Looking at Zorah who was walking leisurely, every step heard by them, he hoped they did not underestimate the power the Elder wielded.

    <hr>

    After everybody was back at Astera an Emergency council was called into session. Everybody was tense, which was a logical conclusion to the event, as the only two major happenings were the appearance of Nergigante and that last earthquake. So if you counted these two events out, the operation was a resounding success.

    ¡°Now that everybody has had time to calm down and file up everything we discovered, we need to discuss our two events.¡± The Commander began the session, then nodded at the Huntsman.

    ¡°That Elder that attacked us? We call it Nergigante. We encountered it before, but it was only from a distance. This was the first time we fought it. Rapha?lle, you told me of your own experience while trying to survive it. I¡¯ll add that it was fighting more like a Rajang than anything else¡­ But I also want to warn you that it seemed to be clever, it seemed to anticipate my movements, and I was on the defensive the whole time.¡±

    ¡°I noticed that indeed. I think it is only thanks to Cara that I managed to survive that long. My Kinsect seemed to be a good distraction for it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that into note under its file.¡± The Chief Ecologist said.

    ¡°Now, about the earthquake¡­ I tasked the Field Team leader to figure out if something happened¡­ And he has indeed found out what.¡± The Commander went to the other subject.

    ¡°I sent a couple of hunters on their Wingdrakes both ways along the Valley to scout. The one that went where Zorah came from found nothing. The one that went the other way, however¡­¡± He unrolled a crudely drawn map on the table. ¡°Here is what we know of how the Great Ravine looks like, as it is a single continuous valley through this mountain chain¡­ And here is what my scout found out.¡±

    He unrolled a new map, that was a drawing of a divergent path in the single ravine. Everybody seemed to freeze at this discovery.

    ¡°A new passage was formed in the ravine, one that led to a different area. The scout did not go down the path, as he did not know how treacherous the path was. But he managed to confirm something: Zorah continued its journey through this new path.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ Are you implying that it was Zorah''s goal to go through this path all along?¡± Sophie asked, wide-eyed.

    ¡°We have no idea at this point¡­ But I would not be surprised if that was Zorah¡¯s goal indeed, to use his immense bulk to bore a new path from the great Ravine through a weakness already present. But by immobilizing him we caused something from him to lash out, and the earthquake caused the weakness to crumble and create the new path.¡± The Chief Ecologist said, flipping through his book. ¡°We know very few things about Elders¡­ But we do know they are capable of changing the environment around them. We were now able to see this ability in action.¡±

    Valen sighed. ¡°I know that Valstrax tends to nest in or on tall mountains and that their continued presence causes the area to become infused in dragon energy, but it is a long process, and for an Elder to be able to alter its environment so suddenly¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I wonder where it is going.¡±

    ¡°More likely wherever it is that Elders go after the Crossing. And we have yet to find out exactly where or why. But as you all know, that is the goal of this Commission.¡± The Commander reminded them. ¡°Hunters Rapha?lle and Valen, I want the both of you to explore this new passageway Zorah took. Find out what is on the other side and explore as much as you can before reporting back. I give you one month for this task. The Field Team Leader will accompany you to the location of the new path, but from then you will be on your own. I want Sophie and Ikari to join you because while we had an idea of what the Wildspire Waste looked like, we have no idea what is beyond the Great Ravine. Normally the Third Fleet would have been the ones to take care of that, but since they went missing...¡±

    Valen nodded, it was a task similar to the one he received not long after he arrived in Astera. ¡°I will ready my belongings after this, then.¡±

    ¡°So will I,¡± Rapha?lle added.

    ¡°A long-term expedition? This is exciting!¡± Sophie said. ¡°Let''s not disappoint, then!¡±

    Ikari only nodded.

    ¡°Then may the Sapphire Star light your way. Dismissed!¡±

    Valen left the council table, which had started talking about all the discoveries they had made about Zorah. Valen knew that he would be informed of them once they had time to compile them all, but he knew that they would have a lot to catch up to once he and Rapha?lle returned.

    <hr>

    The Wingdrake dropped him at a natural outcropping that formed at the fork of the now two paths that composed the Great Ravine, then went to perch itself above him. Rapha?lle, Sophie, and Ikari dropped next to him, along with both Felynes and the Field Team Leader, who nodded at the group. ¡°Good, you are here. As you can see, we don¡¯t know if the path is safe. So I suggest you be careful in your travels ¡ª some of those outcroppings look fragile and might drop from any disturbance.¡±

    Valen looked above him, and he knew that was the truth, some of these outcroppings were on a precarious balance on the edge. ¡°It does seem that way, Field Team Leader¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, all of you call me Lukas, you have earned that right several times over.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lukas.¡± Valen frowned. ¡°We are going to have to be careful. Shouldn¡¯t we use the Wingdrakes for this?¡±

    ¡°We would still have to fly in the ravine. They don¡¯t want to fly above these mountains, for some reason. We still don¡¯t know why but we suspect they have a natural predator patrolling these mountains. And flying in this ravine is risky when we don¡¯t know the layout. Maybe on the return trip?¡± Sophie pointed out and suggested.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s make haste, if we have to travel on foot, that¡¯ll cut into the time we have before we return,¡± Rapha?lle said.

    ¡°I will leave you to it then, good luck to all of you,¡± Lukas concluded. He then whistled, and his own Wingdrake came to carry him away.

    They watched him fly in the Ravine before they focused on their path ahead and Valen spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll lead, if something crumbles before my feet, I¡¯ll be able to get to safety,¡± He said while pointing at the thrusters on his back.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be closing the group,¡± Rapha?lle said, who was currently wearing the full set of armor as well as the weapon she made from the Anjanath.

    None of their handlers protested against this arrangement, and they went on their way, walking carefully on the treacherous path, which was full of jagged rocks. Thankfully, Valen¡¯s boots protected him from harm. Still, he advanced carefully, testing the stability of the ground at every step before progressing. It was slow progress, but a necessity because of the danger of their surroundings.

    ¡°So, Sky Piercer, do you have any ideas about what we are going to find on the other side?¡± The voice directly behind him asked, which was Sophie.

    He finished testing a new section of ground before answering. ¡°I really can¡¯t say. We know nothing about the biomes of the New World, so it could be anything. Might even be something we have never seen before. Also, call me Valen, you don¡¯t need to call me by my title every time, especially since we¡¯ll see a lot of each other over the next few weeks.¡±

    She hummed. ¡°Good point.¡±

    Valen asked his own question. ¡°What do you think of Rapha?lle? I have heard about her feats, but I don¡¯t know what you think about her, being at the forefront of the Fifth Fleet.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°The only thing that stops them from naming her the leader of the Fifth is that you and Aiden exist, but maybe once she hunts an Elder that won¡¯t stop them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Definitely won¡¯t. Won¡¯t be for a bit though I believe, even though she proved she can stand her ground against the Nergigante, she just lacks good enough gear to go a full hunt. I may have hunted a Valstrax in only Plesioth gear, but to be honest, that was just because of sheer luck.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, you ARE good, you just are too modest to flaunt it. And it is also why people like you, they like how relatable you are.¡±

    He nodded, this was something he had realized and made sense for him. ¡°You make good points¡­ Also, I think the current path we are on is ending. We will have to rappel down to the ground level to continue.¡± And he was right, the outcropping they were on had ended.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Rapha?lle said from behind them. ¡°I will prepare the rope, you find a good place to descend.¡±

    So they set up ropes so that they could pursue their mission.

    <hr>

    Their group had been traveling for a couple of days, and they thought there would be no end in sight¡­ Sleeping in the ravine also was a tense moment, they had to take turns on watch as they felt exposed, but they did not give up. They had a mission to achieve, and they would achieve it. A couple of close calls happened with rocks that suddenly fell from above, but they were careful for just that reason, after all. Their Wingdrakes followed them, lagging a bit behind, staying on the rock outcroppings but never flying higher than the top of the Ravine.

    Then, after crossing one last bend, they saw something different in the distance.

    ¡°Is it¡­ Looks like we are finally coming to the other side!¡± Sophie said as she put on her mask, which served as a long-view. ¡°Though¡­ I cannot recognize the type of environment that I can see.¡±

    Valen frowned. ¡°Then let''s continue. I¡¯ll be glad to be out of the Ravine, at the very least.¡±

    The group was reinvigorated by this new development, and they walked at a brisk pace, observing more details about the familiar environment, until they finally emerged from the ravine¡­ And all of them gasped.

    What greeted them was unlike anything they had ever seen before. It wasn¡¯t a forest, it wasn¡¯t a desert, it wasn¡¯t cold and icy plains or tundra. It was something that felt like the coast around tropical waters. There were gigantic structures that had shapes not dissimilar to coral, tree-like plants that were of an unnatural pink above the surface, and white motes that felt like pollen floated all around, drifting gently with the wind.

    Countless pillars that became larger at the top, not unlike some mushrooms, but made of stone were before them, and there were also plants looking like algae but which were simply above ground. The whole ensemble felt eerie and unexpected. It was something unique, that most assuredly wouldn¡¯t be found anywhere else. It was¡­ Different.

    ¡°It looks like we are in the sea¡­¡± Sophie marveled.

    ¡°I¡­ This is truly different, I have never seen anything like this before,¡± Valen murmured.

    Rapha?lle continued, ¡°What could have caused the environment to morph like this, I wonder?¡±

    ¡°I would not exclude Elder influence¡­ It is too unusual to dismiss it. But what kind of Elder would be able to do this? That''s what worries me.¡± Valen said, then turned to Adem. ¡°Smell anything unusual?¡±

    ¡°Smells like the sea¡­ It is indeed quite un-mew-sual.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. What do you think, Ikari?¡±

    ¡°It is breathtaking¡­ And I¡¯m interested to see how the local ecosystem functions. I would not be surprised if it is a mix of land-bound monsters, and others that are more at home at the sea.¡±

    ¡°Let''s explore, then. We should be able to find more clues by looking around.¡±

    Everybody nodded and they moved as a group. Sophie and Ikari were both writing and drawing furiously in their notebooks, recording everything they could manage.

    They took frequent stops so that their handlers could collect and store samples in their bags. Several large monsters could be seen flying in the distance, but they were indistinct, blurred by the pollen flying in the air everywhere. They could identify a couple of monsters though, one being a Royal Ludroth, with its harem of Ludroth, the yellow-scaled leviathan having its spongy mane gorged with water.

    They were more surprised by the Ivory Lagiacrus that they managed to see roaming around, keeping close to the numerous sources of water that were present everywhere. The Leviathan¡¯s presence was unusual so far from the sea, but given that the Subspecies preferred the land to the open ocean, it made sense.

    The group spent around a week walking around, discovering new facets of the environment that they realized was treacherous to cross, and they made liberal use of the grappling hooks incorporated into their slingers to navigate. They discovered new species, one being a Flying Wyvern covered in white fur and with a flat, sturdy tail, but which had the strange ability of being able to inflate its throat to hover around instead of flapping its wings.

    They also found what they believed was the Apex Wyvern of the area, a large Flying wyvern that seemed to control ice. It had a great ability to maneuver in the air and hunt the local Wingdrakes. The Handlers noted that they nested in places that were high in the Highlands.

    A blue-scaled Bird Wyvern that was able to create an intense flash from tendrils that emerged on the sides of its head was another new species, though it was nowhere near the top of its food chain.

    Several small monsters were also spotted, but they were not as intensely observed as the large Wyverns.

    The flora was mainly what attracted their attention as it was the most unusual part of the new biome, being so completely different and strange that it would busy the researchers of Astera for months or even years to come.

    So the group was traveling around at the top of mushroom-like coral, carefully jumping to the next one¡­ Until Adem straightened up, ears perked up.

    ¡°Wait Meowsters, I hear something.¡±

    Valen stopped and looked back at the Felyne. ¡°Something dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Wings flapping. I think a Wyvern is coming, but I¡¯m not paw-sitive. I¡¯ll try and figure it out fur sure..¡±

    Flighty had her own ears perked up too, trying to figure out where the noise came from. Everybody stopped, looking around, Valen had a hand on his weapon while Rapha?lle sent Cara, her Kinsect, flying around and got her Glaive in hand.

    ¡°Adem, cover our Left Wing, Flighty, do so for our Right Wing, Rapha?lle, you¡¯re in charge of the Tail of our group, I¡¯ll take the Head. Sophie, Ikari, you look around wherever attracts your attention and signal us if you see anything.¡± Valen said, taking charge and giving them a basic plan.

    Everybody was now tense, ready for anything. They looked above and below them, the mist that was present down below obscuring most of their sight.

    They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, keeping their senses sharp¡­ And were about to relax when suddenly Flighty shouted. ¡°BELOW!¡±

    Valen reacted, getting away from the ledge, Rapha?lle and Ikari did the same, but Sophie was slow to react¡­ And when the ice-wielding Flying Wyvern suddenly appeared from the mist below, she lost balance and fell.

    Rapha?lle was about to dive after her, but she was stopped by Flighty, who simply pointed to Valen doing the same, and she understood that he had a better chance of stopping their fall. Instead, she saw the Wyvern that was about to attack them.

    It was all Valen was able to glimpse before the edge obstructed his sight. Sophie had panicked for an instant before her training kicked in and she splayed out her limbs, increasing her air resistance. Valen lined up his arms with his body in comparison, increasing his speed and the whistling of the air around him. But he caught up quickly with her, and after maneuvering, he managed to hold onto her with one harm, and she held him with both in response.

    Seeing the ground coming close, he flipped the both of them so that their feet pointed down, unsheathed his weapon, and ignited all thrusters. The sudden deceleration almost threw off his grip on Sophie but he held strong, and they landed on the ground with only a jarring on Valen¡¯s knees, though the Handler cried in pain.

    Valen immediately dropped his weapon and held onto her. ¡°Are you fine?¡±

    ¡°Feet hurts¡­ Might be sprained.¡± She said with a grimace.

    He nodded and helped her get out of her shoes. She hissed as he pulled it out, and Valen frowned, the skin around her ankle was red and swollen. ¡°It is indeed. Let me treat it. It should be able to heal by tonight, but we¡¯ll have to be careful with it until then.¡±

    Valen rummaged in his pouch and retrieved a Potion from it. The medicinal drink tasted bitter, but it kicked the body recovery process into high gear. Potions are to be used sparingly though, as overusing it makes the body make mistakes during the healing process¡­ And causes a certain type of illness that was incurable and marked the end of a Hunter¡¯s career.

    The anesthetic properties of the Potion also helped Sophie to ignore the pain. ¡°Better¡­¡± She still grimaced for moments but wasn¡¯t in as bad of a state as before.

    The emergency over, Valen finally took the time to study their surroundings. They would use the Wingdrakes to get back to the top if needed, even if it exhausted them, but Valen first looked for alternatives. The first thing he noticed¡­ There were bones everywhere, the ground was littered with them, some of them protruded from the walls, and they were all in varying states of decomposition. They created a crunching sound when he made a step, though the ground was more stable than he expected.

    He then noticed something he hadn¡¯t until now, mainly because his armor was partially sealed when he put on his helmet: the stench of rot was permeating everything. It was everywhere and almost overbearing for him, but he bore through it.

    He glanced at Sophie and was relieved when she was already pulling out a mask to put over her face.

    Valen, however, felt like something was missing, like he was missing an important element that he just couldn¡¯t recall¡­ Before it hit him. This whole area was a graveyard.

    ¡°This is a graveyard.¡± He whispered. ¡°Do you think¡­ This is where Elders are heading towards?¡±

    Sophie immediately went to attention, studying the environment before answering excitedly. ¡°Maybe¡­ Though I don¡¯t see any signs that Elders came through here. We will have to make a more extensive search and study of the area before we can conclude.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t looked hard enough for Elder signs.¡±

    Valen and Sophie whirled around, facing the voice that sneaked on the both of them. The Hunter was taken aback, however, when he realized that it was a woman with white hair, a bulky backpack, and a large mask that covered her entire face.

    ¡°My excuses, I did not intend to surprise you, I¡¯m the Tracker, from the First Fleet¡­ Would I be correct that you are from the Fifth?¡± She removed her mask, revealing an aged yet kind face to Valen and Sophie.

    ¡°We are. You studied this environment a lot?¡±

    ¡°I did. I call it the Rotten Vale.¡± She smiled. ¡°It has amazing properties, but we should discuss that later. Do you need a safe place to rest?¡± The both of them nodded. ¡°Follow me, I know a place.¡±

    Valen raised a hand. ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t all of us, we got separated from our companions, do you know a way up top first?¡± She nodded. ¡°Let me signal them to wait then.¡± He then retrieved a yellow flare, lit it up, and fired it up. Soon after, a matching flare came from the top. Yellow was used for hunting parties that got separated, and it allowed them to reunite.

    ¡°Good, we aren¡¯t that far from them.¡± The Tracker then walked up to Sophie and allowed her to put an arm behind her shoulders. ¡°You keep your arm free Hunter, so that you can take care of monsters jumping us. We shouldn¡¯t meet any in our way, but better be cautious.¡±

    ¡°Good idea, and call me Valen.¡±

    ¡°Call me Kora then.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m Sophie!¡±

    Then WWW showed the way, allowing the wayward couple to ascend back to the top. They learned that she had given the region at the top the name of ¡®Coral Highlands¡¯, which was a name that described well the two main characteristics of the unusual region.

    <hr>

    They managed to meet back up with Ikari and Rapha?lle, who were both relieved that they were now safe. Rapha?lle also took over helping Sophie to walk, despite the handler¡¯s protests. After some reassurances from both sides that everything was okay, the Tracker then led them through the Highlands, going in a path that she assured was safe.

    They took several hours of travel, and the sun was finishing its descent into the horizon when Kora cryptically said. ¡°We are approaching. I¡¯m certain you will be happy with what you will find here.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet but continued to follow her.

    So they crossed a last turn¡­ And then all of them gasped.

    What was undoubtedly an airship was docked on the ground before them, the balloons void of air laying flat next to it were nested into a small hole that protected it from every direction besides the air. It looked relatively intact at first before Valen realized that part of it showed signs of intensive repairs.

    The significance of this was not lost on Valen: they had found the lost Third Fleet, which disappeared more than a decade ago when their Airship did not return from their expedition.

    Rapha?lle, Sophie, and Ikari realized that as well, and Sophie immediately showed her enthusiasm: ¡°The Third Fleet is alive!? This is amazing news! Rapha?lle, you know what this does mean right?¡± She nodded at that. Sophie would have jumped in joy if her ankle was not troubling her.

    ¡°You will be able to find a safe place here and a base of operations. The Third Fleet will also be able to assist you in your mission.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°Indeed, they will be a great help.¡±

    ¡°Let me introduce you to the Third Fleet Master. Follow me.¡±

    Several members of the Third Fleet soon noticed them and pointed at them. One immediately ran inside the ship, possibly to warn the members inside, and soon enough, a lot of people came out of it, and cheered for them.

    Several researchers and members of the Third greeted them and welcomed them to their airship, and though Valen was appreciative of the enthusiasm, this worried him a bit. They did not look desperate, but it was clear they had gotten a rough time from being cut off from Astera.

    Finally, the crowd cleared in front of a figure that emerged from the Airship, Valen immediately recognized her as a Wyverian, which only meant one thing: This was the Third Fleet Master, that was leading them.

    They stopped at a reasonable distance from her. She examined their group while Valen did so in return. She wore traditional clothing that was a bit worn, showing signs of heavy use, her long black hair was well cared for, and she was smoking from some sort of strange metallic pipe she held in her hand.

    ¡°Tracker, I assume you are bringing us some members of the Fifth Fleet if my timeline is right?¡±

    ¡°Indeed Masani, they had an accident, one of them is injured, and I¡¯m certain they will appreciate a safe place to rest, as well as a base of operation for their mission.¡±

    ¡°Mission which I assume is to survey the Highlands and the Vale?¡±

    ¡°It is indeed.¡±

    She studied them intensely, then raised an eyebrow when she saw Valen''s armor. ¡°Hmmm, did the Commission relax the restrictions on bringing gear here or are you a special case?¡±

    Valen answered. ¡°Special case, I am to assist Jake as another able to take care of emergencies while the Fifth completes their mission and strengthens up.¡±

    ¡°Jake would start to be old¡­ I can understand that decision from the Guild, especially if you were available. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a regular A-lister, I just am the best performing of all of us.¡± Valen almost wanted to chuckle, it was an understatement in his opinion.

    ¡°Then I welcome you at our airship. Take the evening off to rest, there are some duties that I would like to ask you, but that will be reserved for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for your hospitality!¡± Sophie said with her chipper tone.

    Valen nodded, and the group was led towards one of the free bedrooms in the airship, they spent the evening resting and sharing the parts of the map they had drawn. Valen was, however confident that they had received a huge boon for their mission.

 Sky Render Chapter 9: Catharsis

    Valen woke up early the next morning, still in the mindset of being in the wilderness and having to keep watch with Rapha?lle. It took him a moment to remember that they were in a safe location and they did not have to worry about a monster jumping them.

    He was still completely awake though, so he got up from his bed and started his morning routine.

    Once he felt properly awake and ready to take on whatever the day might throw at him, he quietly exited the room they all shared and went out into the ship proper. It was mainly a huge space where everything was somewhat chaotically organized. Most of the space was taken up by winding stairs leading up towards the back of the ship, which Valen followed towards where the Third Fleet Master conducted her business.

    The Third Fleet Master was consulting with some of her subordinates when Valen arrived. They seemed to be discussing their plans, and he did not doubt that he would be informed of the details once they were finalized. She noticed him quickly and put an end to the conversation herself by dismissing the researchers. She then beckoned Valen to approach.

    ¡°Hunter Valen¡­ Or Sky Piercer, as it seems you are.¡± Valen raised an eyebrow. Maybe one of their Handlers told her that title. ¡°I do not believe I ever introduced myself properly. You already know I am the Master of the Third Fleet, but you may call me Masani. We have some tasks we would require of you and Hunter Rapha?lle, but I will wait for her.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Indeed, it would be better if you did not have to repeat yourself.¡±

    ¡°While we wait, may I ask some personal questions? Just out of personal curiosity, but you are an unknown to us, and it seems that you are respected by your peers.¡±

    ¡°I don''t mind¡­ To preempt some of the more common questions, I received my title for being able to slay a Valstrax alone without assistance. I know it was necessary, but I did not take joy in the act. Since then, I had my new armor made and was kept as a hunter taking care of emergencies. Eventually, I signed up for the Fifth Fleet, and to my surprise they elevated my role to that of the guardian of Astera, a role that I now share with the Blue Flare.¡±

    The Fleet Master took a long puff from her metal pipe, taking her time to ponder what he just said before replying. ¡°If I remember the scope of the Huntsman¡¯s role well, we should assign Rapha?lle to most tasks to allow her to prove her worth and can craft better equipment, yes?¡±

    ¡°That is how we have done it in Astera so far, yes. Mostly I am with her in case we meet an unknown hostile Elder.¡±

    ¡°We did confirm the presence of a Kirin here, but apart from that the Elders are making themselves scarce, which we are finding odd. It kind of puzzles me, I expected the New World to be a hotbed for Elder Dragons, but so far we have seen nothing like it¡­ There have been sightings of a Valstrax flying around for several months though.¡±

    ¡°It is strange indeed. And we made the same Valstrax sighting. It seemed to even have taken a more active part during a large-scale operation a while ago, but we should wait to talk about that until everybody is awake.¡±

    ¡°And we won¡¯t have to wait any longer, I believe the rest of your group is coming.¡± She said while looking behind Valen, who turned around. Sure enough, the rest of their group was there, having seemingly decided to move out of their room together.

    He nodded at them and stepped to the side so that they could speak face-to-face with the Third Fleet Master, who greeted them. ¡°I welcome you to our Airship, which is also our Research Base. You may excuse us for the unusual layout, but we are almost entirely composed of Scholars, and the few Hunters that were with us are only able to defend us against the few Monsters that find this place. We had no opportunity to send them out in the field for extended periods¡­ Until now.¡±

    ¡°So you need our help for something, right?¡± Sophie asked.

    ¡°We do. You may have noticed our Airship is land-bound. It was in a worse state when we crashed, but we managed to repair it over the years of our seclusion. However, there is still one thing to repair if we are to take it back to the air: the Balloon. Unfortunately, it requires materials from a local monster, and we did not dare risk being without defense for long enough to accomplish the Hunts needed. Besides, even though they have gained experience over the years, our Hunters aren¡¯t qualified for such a task. They are not A-Listers.¡±

    Ikari nodded. ¡°I can understand, they are not cleared to be the first hunters to slay a brand new Monster. It requires special training or the ability to prove yourself against monsters you never encountered. Valen did not go through that training himself, or so he told me, but given his accomplishments, he did not need to.¡±

    Masani then turned towards Rapha?lle. ¡°So I wanted to send you, Hunter Rapha?lle, on a hunt for the Paolumu. I am certain you would have encountered on your travels, they are the flying Wyverns who can inflate their throat.¡±

    ¡°You want me to hunt one then?¡± Rapha?lle asked.

    ¡°It will be challenging, and it would be best if you manage to not damage the sacs as much as you can. Can you work with these constraints?¡±

    She only took a split second to nod. ¡°I will do it. I think I can manage it with my weapon.¡±

    ¡°Then you may prepare yourself and depart.¡± The Third Fleet Master concluded. She then looked at Valen. ¡°Would you assist in the patrolling of our home in the meantime? If it isn¡¯t too much to ask from you?¡±

    ¡°This is fine for me. At least I should be able to go further away than your hunters¡­ Ikari, do you feel okay accompanying me, or want to stay here?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± He stammered, before taking a deep breath and said with a more confident voice. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you for the first couple of days at least. I¡¯ll just discuss it with the researchers another time.¡± Valen smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Then I wish you good luck in your endeavors. May the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    ¡°And may it light yours.¡±

    Taking the dismissal as it was, the group nodded and walked back toward their room together. They put on their gear, Valen and Rapha?lle doing it in turns as they each desired their privacy while doing so.

    Once this was done, they headed out. At the exit of the hollow where the Airship was located, they had a last couple of words with each other. ¡°Good luck Rapha?lle. Expect an air blast from the Paolumu, think about what a Kushala can do and I would say you may expect some similar tricks from it.¡±

    ¡°Good point! I wish you good luck too Valen.¡±

    And each of them went their way, having their critical tasks to complete.

    <hr>

    A few days had passed since they arrived at the Research Base of the Third Fleet, and several things had happened.

    Rapha?lle¡¯s hunt went very well, and the Researchers were impressed with the care she took not to harm the throat sacs. Their pristine condition meant that they would not require another hunt, so they managed to fix the balloon in one go. Then they were all tasked to explore the Rotten Vale, as up until now only the Tracker had been able to explore it, as she had the experience of avoiding monsters.

    If they had to describe the Rotten Vale in one word, it would certainly be ¡°Decayed¡±. Everything that was in it was either decomposed or seemed meant to assist in that task. The biggest surprise was when they discovered a huge skeleton that was confirmed to be of a Dalamadur¡­ But it was far bigger than the only living specimen that had been discovered until now. Their Handlers also confirmed it was extremely old, and that they couldn¡¯t even give a precise estimation of its age.

    They also spotted a couple of the local monsters, one being a Fanged Wyvern that led a pack of its own like a Great Jagras or Great Jaggi. They had to be wary about it though, as it demonstrated the ability to inject paralytic venom from its bite, or even spit a glob at it at short range. Valen¡¯s armor would partially protect him, but Rapha?lle¡¯s lighter armor meant she was at risk of it. The Researchers of the Third had named it Great Girros from the reports the Tracker made.

    The other monster they discovered, they all agreed, was almost certainly a cousin of a monster they knew about in the Old World: they shared the same main method of locomotion, which was to curl up in a wheel and roll on their spine. They also shared the same body physiology of a giant head with a strong jaw, two massive, sturdy feet, a tail as thick as their body, and stubby arms.

    What set them apart was that while one was covered with minerals, had a diet consisting of rocks, and had a flame sac inside it, the one they encountered was instead covered in a sticky tar-like substance which it used to cover itself in numerous bones to protect its skin.

    They had a couple of close calls with it, but its way of locomotion was noisy, so they could hear it approaching from a far enough distance. The name given to it was Radobaan, which was most assuredly chosen to reinforce the link with its rockier cousin, the Uragaan.

    One Radobaan, however, was very aggressive, and the group needed to fight it off and wound it before it finally backed off and left them alone. Valen was glad that Ikari was not as shaken by the encounter as he had been by the appearance of the Rathalos during their last expedition together. He seemed to have made a real effort to work through his issues.

    They only spent a couple of days on the expedition, however, and then made their report back to the Research Base¡­ Where they were met with an unexpected surprise.

    <hr>

    ¡°Hey, my favorite Hunters! The Commander decided that I should try to join you after the latest feat I have accomplished!¡± Aiden and Lea had also managed to find the Research base. However, what also surprised Valen was that he was wearing a brand-new set of armor. The look and parts were familiar to him but he couldn¡¯t place what monster it was.

    ¡°Aiden? This is a surprise indeed. And what is that new armor? It looks familiar¡­¡±

    ¡°Surprised? This is from an Astalos!¡± Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet. ¡°Shocked? So were we! Me most of all though¡­¡± Valen barely had time to groan before Aiden continued, ¡°It had attacked one of the expeditions in the Ancient Forest. It was only a juvenile, but it did not want to retreat, so I ended up having to take it down. We suspect it may have been riled up by Zorah¡¯s Earthquakes¡­ The gear is not as good as it would be from an adult one, but I¡¯m satisfied with it. It also allows me to take this for a spin.¡± Aiden pointed to the weapon that was sheathed on his back, a Gunlance made from the same parts as his armor.

    Valen chuckled. ¡°Ever the jack of all trades are you, Aiden?¡±

    ¡°At least I can fit in any team! You know that it is better than being a single master of one!¡±

    During Valen and Aiden¡¯s banter, Lea explained more in detail what they had done during their absence. They had just arrived at the Research Base, but she gave some of the progress the Researchers back in Astera made on Zorah Magdaros.

    ¡°Oh, we should go in, Masani asked that we bring you to her once you arrived. She has some tasks to give you.¡± Aiden finally said.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go, we should not make her wait.¡±

    They all entered inside the Airship, where the Third Fleet Master was waiting for them. She waved for them to approach with her free hand and when they were close enough, she said. ¡°I see you are back from your expedition. I suspect you made some of the same discoveries as the Tracker?¡±

    ¡°We did.¡± Sophie said. ¡°We met two of the Large Monsters she documented, though we did not encounter the third one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised, the Odogaron are relatively scarce, and they roam deeper in the Vale. Also, I suggest you be more careful on future expeditions. Since the Earthquakes a month ago, there have been some shifts reported in the usual movements of the monsters in the surroundings, so expect anything.¡±

    ¡°We will be careful, don''t worry!¡± Sophie proclaimed.

    ¡°But this was not why I required your presence. I called you here because we are finally ready.¡± She had a smile on her face.

    Sophie gasped. ¡°Do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, the repair crew confirmed that the Airship is now ready to get back into the air. We were waiting for you so that we could finally do the test flights. All pre-flight tests have been done and cleared. They are all waiting for my word.¡±

    Everybody from the small group looked at each other, smiles on their faces, for those that didn¡¯t have their helmet on. It truly showed that their work had results.

    They all followed Masani to the prow of the ship, which had a space so they could see outside on a balcony. She then explained some of the difficulties they had dealt with during their stranding.

    The main difficulty of the airship¡¯s repair was that due to the way it crashed, the researchers had been forced to remodel the internal layout early on so that they could have a stable environment to work on. But doing so created problems in the repairs later on, as it meant that the ship would now be permanently tilted backward when in flight instead of being horizontal, which was the main delay in repair. It would also mean the ship wouldn¡¯t be able to dock at Astera until they built a special deck that allowed it to land in its tilted position, or else everything would lose equilibrium inside.

    It was a good thing Airships were designed to be able to fly for weeks straight, which would give enough time for the Engineers in Astera to accomplish their job when they got back there.

    Once they were all settled on the balcony, she shouted: ¡°All aboard!¡±

    A researcher, who had training in manning an airship replied. ¡°All hands are aboard, ready to leave at your command!¡±

    ¡°Then we leave!¡± Masani replied.

    The ropes tying the Airship to the ground were undone, and immediately, it visibly started to move, no longer tightly bound to the earth. And slowly, almost imperceptibly, it started to rise. Then it picked up speed, and smoothly rose, as the pilot was certainly trying to make sure the ship stayed level at all times.

    Taking off in an airship was always an amazing moment for Valen. And given that this time it was basically on the airship¡¯s first flight, it just made the moment more impactful.

    Once they were high enough in the air and they were certain there were no issues, Masani looked at the group.

    ¡°We are now back in action, thanks to you. We won¡¯t head back to Astera immediately, however. We need to make absolutely sure there aren¡¯t any issues, so we¡¯ll make several flights around the zone, but in a week we should be able to get back to Astera. This ties into the next thing I wanted to talk to you about. Hunter Rapha?lle and Handler Sophie, the Tracker wants you to join her in the Rotten Vale tomorrow, she has found out something and wants you to help her with it. Hunter Valen and Aiden, you should probably stay with us so that you can make sure nothing attacks the ship.¡±

    ¡°That seems wise. The last thing you need is a Legiana attacking, especially right after you just got airborne again.¡± Legiana was the name the Third Fleet had given to the agile Flying Wyverns of the Highlands. Their unique wing structure gave them unmatched maneuverability and speed among the coral towers that made up the Highlands, although Valen privately thought that Nikki could easily beat them in the open sky.

    ¡°Indeed, which is why I was waiting for all of you to be available to protect the ship should we be attacked. So far it looks like everything is fine.¡±

    A bit of silence followed that remark, as everybody looked around. Then Masani continued. ¡°We have discovered many things over the years in the Coral Highlands, but what the Tracker has discovered in the Rotten Vale outweighs all of what we studied. It is truly one of the keys to the mystery behind the Elder¡¯s Crossing. I am certain you will agree once you have heard what she has to tell you.¡±

    Sophie nodded. ¡°I am writing the report of the expeditions we have made in the Vale, but my early conclusions are leading to that as well.¡±

    ¡°Then I believe we-¡± Masani¡¯s reply was cut short by a violent rocking that wracked the ship as if something had violently impacted it.

    Valen managed to grip the railing to stop himself from losing his balance, then immediately looked around and pointed to a blue shape winging nearby. ¡°Legiana! You were right. It seems like it has been attracted to our ship somehow.¡±

    ¡°Then go! Valen, Aiden, you need to go deal with it before it manages to damage the balloon!¡±

    Before Valen could agree, a voice cut through them. ¡°No.¡± To their surprise, it came from Rapha?lle. ¡°Valen, stay here. Me and Aiden can deal with it, but somebody needs to stay with the ship so that it can land safely.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    The tension rose as everybody realized what Rapha?lle had just done; she had given an order to a hunter who was technically her superior in rank. But before Valen could chastise her, he looked at her face, uncovered by her helmet, which held a look of determination and certainty, echoed by her stance and creating an effect like she had a natural aura of confidence. He then knew for certain that she was a natural leader. She could rally people to her and lead them in times of trouble.

    So he made his decision and nodded, to the surprise of everybody else. ¡°Go, I¡¯ll stay here as our last backup, but do not overexert yourself. Remember, you need to be in top shape for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That was my intention.¡±

    ¡°Masani.¡± Valen looked at the Third Fleet Master, who flinched when the Flying Wyvern emitted a piercing shriek. ¡°Do you still have gliders in good shape?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°At the top deck, we have kept them ready before taking off.¡±

    ¡°Then go, the both of you. Once you launch yourselves I¡¯ll throw a Flash Pod. Good luck.¡±

    The duo did not waste time, given the wyvern was still trying to break through the wood with its sharp talons, as they dashed out of the prow of the ship. Valen immediately loaded his Slinger with a Flash Pod, which was a fragile container with a bug inside. He waited a bit until he finally heard Aiden and Rapha?lle shout: ¡°WE LAUNCHED!¡±

    With that, he aimed at the Wyvern and pulled the trigger. The container traveled the short distance in an instant and he knew his aim struck true. He averted his sight and closed his eyes before the container broke upon the Wyvern¡¯s head, shielding himself from the blinding flash of light emitting from it.

    The Legiana shrieked in pain and plummeted downwards, but when Valen unshielded his eyes it had already caught itself. It looked at Valen and shrieked again as rime crystals began to form on its chest, a sure sign that it was preparing to unleash a volley of ice crystals at the airship in retaliation. It surged upwards and threw its wings wide, but before it could send its frozen needles flying a battle cry rang out with ferocity matching the Legiana¡¯s own.

    Valen looked to the sky to see Rapha?lle diving towards the wyvern with her glaive drawn and a fury that reminded Valen of Nikki¡¯s duel with the maddened Valstrax. The Legiana rolled to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid Rapha?lle¡¯s strike, but she quickly adjusted with a flourish of her glaive and the hiss of a compressed air blast. A shriek of pain rang out from the Legiana as Rapha?lle struck true, slicing the Legiana¡¯s delicate wingtips to ribbons with a vicious flurry of blows.

    The Legiana staggered and began to flee, much of its aerial maneuverability lost without the use of its smaller wingtips to make adjustments mid-maneuver, while Valen leaned forward in shock as Rapha?lle continued to plummet towards the ground below.

    However, he quickly came to realize that his concern was unnecessary as Rapha?lle sent her Kinsect out with a whistle and fired a grapple line to latch onto its carapace. Proving remarkably strong for its size, the Kinsect hovered in place while Rapha?lle swung herself in pursuit of the wyvern, using the speed of her descent to help her cover the distance. Hobbled as it was, the Legiana hadn¡¯t managed to make it very far, and Rapha?lle was able to cover the distance with only one more air blast.

    While she had less speed this time, she was far better positioned to land upon the wyvern¡¯s back, at which point she drew her hunting knife and began trying to sever the Legiana¡¯s wing tendons. The Legiana screamed once more as it continued to flee, diving into the coral and carrying Rapha?lle out of sight, quickly followed by Aiden¡¯s glider. Valen sighed as he watched Rapha?lle¡¯s abandoned glider flutter away in the wind. Now there was nothing to do but wait.

    <hr>

    Valen was waiting at the railing of the airship¡¯s deck again. Aiden was next to him, and both of them were wearing their full armor. The Legiana hunt had gone smoothly, and Aiden had returned to the ship the night before. He had guided a team to pick up the body of the Legiana earlier that morning after Rapha?lle had guarded it from scavengers all night. Its body was currently secured on the deck, waiting to be processed by the Smithy once they were back in Astera. With the aggressive Legiana now taken care of, the ship was now back in the air. .. The Third Fleet master confirmed that they would start the journey back to Astera in a few days now that they were more confident in the state of the Airship. In the meantime, Rapha?lle had departed for the Rotten Vale to meet with the Tracker.

    It was not that long ago that she departed, but Valen and Aiden were currently on standby to be able to assist her in short order should she need it. They believed that she should be able to take care of herself, but anything could happen, especially with the perturbations Zorah caused during its trip through the Great Ravine.

    They were staring at the spot towards which Rapha?lle departed and were waiting for a sign of either her return or her requesting assistance. If she did, they would both go help, as they knew that she could judge pretty well if something was out of her league.

    The duo thus stayed still, looking at the ground from their position, until Aiden broke the silence. ¡°So¡­ You think she¡¯ll be the one to lead the Fifth Fleet?¡±

    Valen hummed, then nodded. ¡°She¡¯s talented, and she learns quickly. I believe she will fit the role well. And as much as people tell me I should, I do not like leading, so I prefer leaving that role to others. People also like her, and she has the charisma needed to make people rally behind her. That¡¯s why I did not protest her taking charge like that yesterday. I¡¯m more surprised you didn¡¯t since you are the other candidate for this role.¡±

    ¡°I do not like leading that much anyway, I¡¯m more of a follower. I tried a couple of times and I spend too much time worrying about every aspect that it worsens my fighting abilities too much. She does it so naturally that she¡¯ll do a much better job than me.¡±

    Valen shifted his position on the railing to face Aiden. ¡°I can understand. I have been thrust into the position to lead myself, and while I manage, I do not believe that is where my strength lies. I can work with full teams, but I¡¯ve been working with Adem solo for so long that it¡¯ll take a bit for me to get used to doing so.¡±

    Aiden nodded. ¡°Yeah, I gathered that about you after all the time we¡¯ve spent together. You are a good man, Valen, do not forget that.¡±

    Valen was about to thank Aiden when a light coming from the ground attracted his attention. It was a red flare. Which could only mean that Rapha?lle was calling for aid.

    ¡°Jaggi¡¯s Ball, she¡¯s in danger! We need to go!¡± Aiden exclaimed.

    Valen did not waste the time to answer and immediately whistled for his Wingdrake, then put on his helmet. Adem took the time to climb on his shoulder and the small monster was already beating its wings furiously to reach them as soon as it could. Valen heard Aiden whistling to his own Wingdrake before he shot the grappling hook incorporated in his Slinger to the Wingdrake, which secured him to the harness and then jumped over the railing. The monster was a bit destabilized by suddenly taking his weight, but it recovered quickly enough. Adem was clutching tightly to him, making sure he wouldn¡¯t fall from such a great height.

    Shortly after, Aiden¡¯s Wingdrake caught up to them, and they looked at each other and nodded. It was either Rapha?lle or Sophie who fired the flare, more likely Sophie since the Rotten Vale¡¯s geography made it so that a lot of the area was covered by a ceiling. If the Huntress needed to focus on surviving, she couldn¡¯t just run to open air to fire it.

    The Wingdrakes plunged towards the valleys visible down below, where all they could see were bones.

    One of the peculiarities of the Rotten Vale was that it was directly below the Coral Highlands. While the Highlands occupied the surface level of the region, the Rotten Vale made the ¡°bed¡± of it, and was comprised of several levels itself. So they had to dive through the Highlands before they could reach the Vale.

    They flew through the different layers, passing through the giant coral rocks that had a flat top, before the pink trees that looked at home, but unnatural compared to regular trees, before they finally reached the transition zone, where the coral started to morph into decomposing bones.

    Valen had thankfully noted where the flare came from, so he had steered the Wingdrake towards that direction, and they came into view of Sophie, who looked quite panicked.

    ¡°There you are¡­ Thank you! I do not know why Rapha?lle fired the flare, I just relayed it as soon as I could. We were chatting with Kora before we were jumped on by an Odogaron. We retreated while she took care of it, and I lost the Tracker in the process, but not long after she fired that flare. I do not know why, but it only means that something else came, I do not believe the Odogaron would be enough to cause her trouble.¡±

    Valen looked at Aiden, who nodded in response. ¡°We¡¯ll go help her. Do you know which direction the flare came from?¡± Sophie pointed in the direction that went deeper into the bowels of the Vale. Valen barely took the time to thank her before he started running in that direction, followed by Aiden and Adem.

    The trio ran, as they had no time to waste since they were not sure of the level of danger that Rapha?lle was facing. Valen did not know for how long they ran before a roar sounded in the distance, that for some reason evoked a memory buried deep into him. They knew it was a sign that they were getting closer, so they redoubled their efforts and continued to head in the direction of the roar.

    Another roar resounded through the valley, much closer this time, and this time, Valen knew that he had heard such a roar like this before¡­ But he could not place where or when, and this worried him. He felt like he had to know where it came from, but his memories came up empty. Valen shook his head and focused back on running. Adem was galloping on all fours to keep up with him, and Aiden was tailing him. The miasma that permeated the deeper layers of the Rotten Vale was denser here, and they barely could see in the distance.

    Their determination to not let their companion fall to a threat she wasn¡¯t equipped to deal with kept the three of them on their pace, but Valen knew that they would have to slow down soon if they did not reach their target fast, lest they be too tired to even render aid.

    Finally, they could see a massive shape moving through the miasma, seemingly chasing something. They couldn¡¯t see her yet but Valen was quite certain it was chasing Rapha?lle. It now meant they were pretty close so they pushed themselves to cross the remaining distance between them.

    Finally, the miasma seemed to clear before them and revealed an open area where Rapha?lle was running away from the monster that was chasing her¡­ A yellow hulking shape, striped blue, with a gigantic maw that could emit roars that were able to pulverize bones should they make the mistake of being close enough¡­

    A shape that Valen knew all too well, because the moment he spotted it, he froze to the spot, and the Rotten Vale melted away¡­ Replaced by a burning village all around him.

    Valen knew that place, he knew it too well. It was the place of his nightmares. It was where everything began for him¡­ For the worst. It was when his life crashed down. It was when he lost everything.

    The shape in front of him was hulking, bigger than what it was a moment ago. It prowled in front of him, as it knew that it could play, since it was the only other living thing, all other life having been snuffed by its claws and teeth. It stared at him, the yellow scales baleful in the morning light, a sickly yellow with the smoke and dust permeating the air. Its blue stripes are devoid of all majesty, being only a travesty of its former glory.

    Valen wasn¡¯t a seasoned, respected, admired hunter. He was only a child, a child that lost all that he knew that day. A child who was petrified in terror. A child who knew that his time was about to end.

    That giant maw licked its teeth, it knew it could savor this instant, that it had all the time it wanted. Glistening drool dropped on the ground, reflecting the light, tainted red. It paced towards him, doing one step at a time. It took a deep breath and enjoyed the odor of his fear that for sure permeated the air. Then it held its breath and roared.

    A split second after Valen saw the motion, a wave of concussive air slammed into him, and even though weakened by the distance, it was still enough to knock him to the ground. He whimpered, he knew that there was nothing he could do against this beast, this monster. Nothing in this village could. He was faintly aware of something that tried to push him to the side but he didn¡¯t know what.

    Then suddenly something in its demeanor shifted. And it seemed to be no longer willing to play with him. It reared back, anchored its clawed wings on the ground, tensing its whole body¡­ Then exploded in motion.

    The footsteps made the ground shake, the ground cracking under the sheer mass of the monster as it barreled towards him. Valen wanted to close his eyes, to not see his death coming towards him, to not see that dark, cavernous maw engulf him whole. He could not avert his gaze, transfixed as he was by his certain end.

    It came closer and closer, and Valen still stood, knowing everything was about to end for him¡­ And just when the monster was a couple of lengths away, it prepared itself to jump. Then unexpectedly something slammed into it, fouling him, and causing it to lose its stride, and it rolled away once, then regained its balance. However, instead of turning towards Valen this time, it faced a shadowy shape, much smaller than the monster, but it wasn¡¯t afraid of it.

    Suddenly a memory, buried deep within him flashed, and he remembered.

    He remembered how this day ended in the same manner. When a colossal Hammer slammed into that monster and diverted it as well. A figure clad in red had challenged his demise and made sure it could not inflict terror anymore. That figure gave its life, to make sure Valen was safe. But¡­ He had forgotten that and only remembered the terror of that day.

    Distant voices called to him, both from the figure and from next to him. And suddenly, with a sharp slap that turned his head aside, the village melted away, and he was back in the Rotten Vale¡­ The monster resolved itself into a Tigrex, which Aiden was trying to distract as much as he could, using his shield to repel its attacks.

    ¡°-wster, WAKE UP!¡± a voice shouted from next to him, and Valen could see Adem shouting to him, looking completely panicked.

    Valen looked into the Felyne¡¯s eyes, who immediately exhaled in relief, but was still panicked. ¡°This isn¡¯t the past you Meownster, you are the Sky Piercer, and we need you! Aiden is holding on, but he cannot do his best if he has to protect you. Rapha?lle went to chase the Odogaron which is trying to pursue the Tracker, we need you meow!¡±

    Taking a deep breath, trying to calm his raging heart, Valen held it for a bit, before exhaling and opening his eyes. His gaze sharpened, and he focused on the monster. ¡°Thank you, Adem¡­ You are right, I am needed.¡± And he stood up, unsheathing his weapon, holding it at its side.

    He stared at the Tigrex, whose oh-so-familiar form still threatened to plunge him back into his past, to detach him from the present moment. But he could see the difference now. While the monster of his nightmares had a gaze full of anger, of hate, this one only had hunger, but was still outside reason. It was desperate, but it wasn¡¯t malicious. It simply tried to live.

    Their preferred course of action would have been to leave it alone while it hunted to satiate its hunger¡­ But it was too desperate, too deep into that starvation-induced madness that it would chase them over an easier meal. They could only grant it mercy. Both to stop its pain and to protect themselves.

    Valen¡¯s childhood was cut short by a Tigrex, only saved by the nick of time by a Hunter that saw the fires from far, away and was only able to save him¡­ That hunter fought fiercely, and felled the foe¡­ But not without receiving a grievous injury himself. His final words to Valen were to remind him that most monsters were not as full of hate and that he shouldn¡¯t pursue a road to hate¡­ However, this memory had been buried by the nightmares.

    ¡°Find your path, live.¡± Were the final words of that Hunter, whose name he never was able to find out.

    Valen now remembered¡­ And he knew he found his path, but first, he needed to do one more thing. He needed to vanquish the monster of his nightmares.

    The Tigrex slammed its paw into Aiden¡¯s shield, who dug his heel in and was pushed back but held. The wyvern was laser-focused on his current foe, and was not aware of Valen¡­ Who now saw an opening.

    Valen dashed forward, his pounding steps shattering decayed bones under his feet. His armor seemed to glow with intensity, sharing his newfound determination, and aiding him in his purpose. He held his weapon with both hands and prepared himself to do something reckless¡­ But he was certain of the outcome. He was certain he would prevail.

    The distance to the wyvern was close, but it still did not notice him, it was attempting to bite Aiden, to overpower his defenses. And it was its mistake.

    After it failed to bite through Aiden''s shield, which had angled it to deflect the attack, Valen jumped, igniting the thrusters on his back to increase the distance. He soared through the air, the rumbling sound of the machinery echoing through the area.

    That was finally what snapped the Tigrex out of its tunnel vision, it turned its head to figure out the strange sound. But it was already too late.

    Gravity found him again after he cut his thrusters off, having depleted the whole store of energy at once. And his weight slammed on the Tigrex¡¯s head, who was not expecting it. He immediately unsheathed his carving knife and stabbed it in his throat, giving him a solid grip on the monster. With his other hand, he squeezed both the lever and the trigger on the weapon, morphing it into the sharpened and pointy Sword mode, while a glow started to build up from the top thrusters.

    Valen then plunged the weapon through the throat of the monster, though only the tip penetrated through for now. Then he started speaking. ¡°I have made mistakes in my life. One that I regret above all. I also know that my past is not the greatest, having suffered tragedy from young¡­ But I''m tired of it. I¡¯m tired of my nightmares being plagued by you. I¡¯m tired of freezing because a monster reminds me of your species.¡± His weapon sank deeper into the flesh, the blade starting to glow crimson through the energy building up in it, a whistling now audible. ¡°I say, no more! My past shaped me, but it needs to stop haunting me. I want to protect, to make sure we can protect this New World.¡±

    The Tigrex was now panicking, trying to swing its head side to side to try to throw Valen off¡­ But his grip was steel-clad. ¡°And for me to achieve that goal¡­ I need to vanquish my nightmare. I am the Sky Piercer, and I tell you this: BE.¡± The whistling rose to a pitch, and the weapon looked like it could take no more. ¡°GONE!¡± Valen pulled out his knife and released the trigger controlling the energy buildup, and it released all at once, the full energy of the Dragon phial, made of distilled Valstrax blood, exploded out of the weapon. The force big enough to catapult him away from the monster, a cloud of gore expelled everywhere. He looked behind him and controlled his flight, morphing his weapon back to Axe mode while doing so, and then once he touched down on the ground, slammed the axe tip into the ground, the increased resistance helping kill the momentum caused by the shockwave.

    Once he stopped, he exhaled the breath he had been holding, and looked at the result¡­ Which was not pretty.

    The Tigrex¡¯s head had been completely separated from its neck, the explosion powerful enough that it was catapulted into Aiden¡¯s shield, who was now recovering. The stump on the body was completely exploded, which would make any monster or hunter scared of what could cause such a thing. The body convulsed once, then became still, blood starting to rain all around the arena, with a bit of mist permeating the air.

    Everybody was silent, Valen, Aiden, and Adem, Rapha?lle having long since left the arena once the trio arrived. Valen was breathing hard, and tried to wipe his helmet, blood having splattered on it and covering part of his vision. He could still see the shocked face of Aiden. He took a deep breath and then exhaled.

    A loud hiss distracted his attention, which reminded him that he had pushed his weapon to the limits, and it was venting the fumes remaining in the phial while it glowed ominously. He thus immediately removed the spent phial, and threw it away while it cooled down. Then he looked at Aiden.

    His companion seemed to have finally recovered his spirits and said. ¡°Gog, Valen.¡±

    Valen chuckled, then laughed, he laughed hard, because he felt that a tension that had been present in him since a long time ago finally dissipated. A shadow that plagued him for years finally lifted, and he could truly feel free. Aiden chuckled nervously at first, but eventually joined him, while Adem simply shook his head and sat on the ground.

    ¡°Thank you Aiden, I needed that¡­ I think I might have gone overboard though.¡±

    ¡°I think it was understandable¡­ You have been messed up by a Tigrex when you were young?¡±

    Valen shook his head. ¡°You have no idea¡­ I¡¯ll explain the tale when we have some time, I need to collect my thoughts about this¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand, we should make sure Rapha?lle and the Tracker are safe.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then, then I¡¯ll need a long rest.¡±

    They nodded and followed Adem who could smell Rapha?lle, though barely through the omnipresent fetid odor of the Vale. But Valen walked with a newfound lightness, as he was finally free from his trauma, having achieved the perfect form of catharsis.

 Sky Render Chapter 10: Consequences

    They left most of the Tigrex''s body in the Vale. As Valen stated that he didn¡¯t need them, Aiden had carved the important parts from them. After that, they waited for Rapha?lle, who thanked them for being able to take care of the Tigrex, as it allowed her to complete her hunt with the Odogaron. She also told them that she had made some discoveries in her discussion with the Tracker and that they should return to Astera immediately: something was wrong with Zorah.

    The group returned to the Airship with haste, though when they got there Valen, contrary to his habits, immediately went to rest and have some time alone. This was encouraged by Aiden and Adem since they knew he needed to make his peace with his past, but it didn¡¯t stop him from feeling guilty about leaving them all to do the boring work¡­ but he admitted he needed it.

    His past had plagued him for most of his life, and there had only been improvements after he met Nikki. But now? Now he felt free, lighter than he had ever been, and he was grateful for that fact. He smiled. He had probably almost broken the Guild¡¯s rules on poaching, but they would also decide that it was justified, given the circumstances, and besides, the Research Commission rules were more lax on this, given the nature of the uncharted territory.

    Valen laid down to rest with a lightened heart, falling asleep instantly.

    <hr>

    He was back in the nightmare, but this time it was different. The village was still in ruins and burning, but it wasn¡¯t the hellish landscape that he had grown to be afraid of. It was simply the result of a tragedy, of bad luck.

    He also was not a frail kid, somebody who could do nothing. He was clad in his armor, holding his weapon to the side, and he noted the presence of blood.

    Movement to his side drew his attention and he knew immediately that it was Nikki coming to his side, her silver scales gleaming in the sunlight, scattering the light everywhere. She looked at him and rumbled, then looked in front of her, drawing Valen''s gaze.

    The bloodied form of the creature of his nightmares lay there, no longer a demon of evil, but simply a Tigrex that descended into madness caused by starvation, unleashing its rage on the first thing it found. It was full of cuts and bruises, and still alive, but only barely. It was clear that it would not survive.

    Next to it was a figure clad in Rathalos Armor, wielding a Hammer made of what looked like the whole of the monster¡¯s head. He was using the weapon for support, panting hard. It was clear that he had suffered his share of injuries, one leg was broken and a large gash was visible on his side, blood pouring out of it. He did not have long to live either. He looked at Valen and beckoned him to come closer.

    Warily, Valen complied, keeping his weapon in hand. He stared at the Tigrex, which no longer had the energy to move and was simply breathing hard. Once he came close, the Hunter spoke.

    ¡°It would be easy for you to hate every monster for what this one has inflicted on you, kid¡­ to swear vengeance upon all of them. But I implore you, do not. A Hunter¡¯s role is to preserve the balance, and such a thing would be anathema to this cause. So find the will within yourself to understand, to accept it. Do not forget, however, and be aware that such a thing may happen again, but next time you may be able to be quick enough to prevent disaster¡­ Unlike me.¡±

    They looked at the Tigrex, which had finally expired, and then the Hunter finished. ¡°Fair winds, and may the Sapphire Star light your way in life.¡± And with that, the Hunter exhaled his last breath, his eyes closing. Then the dream faded away.

    Valen woke up early in the morning, but not drenched in sweat as he usually was with those nightmares. No, instead he felt amazing, and well-rested, which was the real difference. He looked outside, the sun had already started to rise. He had an early night, so that made sense, but was probably also helped by the strange dream¡­ No, this wasn¡¯t a dream. Valen was certain most of it was a real memory, with some outside elements added in. The ship was quiet, which was different from the usual movement of researchers walking around to consult books and the like. Valen quietly left his bed and put on his armor, feeling more comfortable in it. He then discretely exited the ship, wanting to bask in the cool morning air, which felt amazing.

    After a whole night to calm down and allow his emotions to rest, he was now sure that the way the events happened the day before was a great boon to him. It completed the work Nikki had started long ago by making him face his nightmares, and he was certain they would no longer plague him. He knew it.

    Sitting on a rock, he took a deep breath and simply enjoyed the moment, taking the time to truly understand how much he loved his life¡­ though he also felt like something was missing. He missed something to truly make sure what happened would stick, that it would not revert to the previous state.

    And he had an inkling as to what he needed for that, so he looked up, and sure enough¡­ He could see Nikki flying above. She frequently passed through the area in the morning, knowing he was there, closer than he usually was.

    Valen hesitated only a split second before making a decision. He waved at Nikki, and got the confirmation that she saw him by seeing a faint explosion behind her, then said to her ¡®Meet, land nearby.¡¯ Immediately she changed her current course and headed in a new direction¡­ And he knew she would hold it.

    He felt guilty about disappearing without bringing Adem, but he needed it, so he simply scribbled on a piece of paper an arrow followed by the first letter of Nikki¡¯s name. He knew that Adem would understand the meaning. He gave the paper to the guard hunter who was about to finish his turn on the watch, instructing him to give the paper to Adem, then whistled softly to his Wingdrake, which swooped down to allow him to grapple on and fly towards where he saw Nikki go. He was carried up past the cliff¡¯s top then towards the red comet only just visible in the distance.

    <hr>

    He had flown for most of the morning, and his Wingdrake was starting to get tired. The Wingdrakes domesticated by Astera had incredible endurance, but even they had limits. They usually needed to rest a couple of times throughout the day when they ferried Hunters across long distances. But Valen also knew that he was getting close. The Scoutflies, which he rarely used as he preferred using the traditional methods of tracking, had changed from their usual green glow towards blue. They did this only when they sensed nearby Elders or their tracks, as it had been observed when they were studying Zorah¡¯s paths or the signs left by Nergigante. However, he didn¡¯t need them to guide him as he knew Nikki¡¯s habits, and there were signs of one of her preferred clearings ahead.

    And sure enough, as he crested one of the flat gigantic coral structures Nikki was there, sitting down and now looking at him. The Wingdrake noticed her and became visibly anxious, so Valen simply led it to drop down immediately and unhooked himself from it, which caused it to immediately refuge in a crevice in the cliff where it could hide safely. It was in no real danger from Nikki, but the domesticated Wingdrake couldn¡¯t know that.

    He waited a bit to confirm that the small monster would not simply fly away, as much as it seemed to want to, then started going down the cliff. Nikki was now observing him but not going to lend him assistance. She knew he could manage fine, so she simply let him be.

    He took a bit to climb down the cliff, but eventually, he dropped the last few lengths into the clearing¡­ then, he looked at Nikki.

    She was watching him with a bit of a worried look. She had already noticed something changed in him, but she did not know what it was.

    Valen removed his helmet, allowing her to see his face, and then she tilted her head, rumbling inquisitively. Valen sighed, then started to sign.

    ¡®Yesterday¡­ Danger for companion. Tigrex.¡¯

    Nikki froze when he signed that last word, she was aware of his trauma and how she had helped him in that regard. She immediately stood up and walked closer to him, rubbing her head on his shoulder, a gaze full of compassion in her visible eye.

    Valen smiled and continued. ¡®I¡­ froze. I remembered, I was back there. Companions woke me. I full resolve. Killed Tigrex. Now? Free.¡¯

    Nikki rumbled, it was joyful, happy. She was happy for him, she knew that he had been plagued by the nightmares before she saved his life, and she knew just as much as him that he would only benefit by being delivered from them.

    He rubbed her face, enjoying this moment that they had together. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for months by this point, Valen having been too busy to be able to visit her. He thus got her up to speed as to what he had been doing. He explained that they had lost the path of Zorah Magdaros, and were surprised they hadn¡¯t found him either in the Highlands or the Vale, and were starting to be worried.

    Though when he looked at Nikki, he felt like something was amiss indeed, but that she wouldn¡¯t tell him what. He was used to it by then, Nikki always had been mysterious to him and she was usually reluctant to reveal facts that Elders seemed to know naturally.

    They enjoyed their time together. Valen knew that it was limited, as he would have to go back to the ship eventually, or else they would get worried for him. He believed Adem would reassure them that he would be fine. He still felt guilty to have left without his companion, but he needed this time with Nikki.

    The sun above was still rising, which meant it was still the morning. Looking above, Valen noticed that his Wingdrake finally got the courage to escape its hiding hole and was preening itself at the top of the cliff, though always keeping an eye on Nikki.

    However, not that long after he saw that the Wingdrake seemed to look behind itself, and then emitted a calling cry, one that they emitted only to alert others of their kind to their presence. Valen felt a chill on his back. It could only mean that another Wingdrake was nearby, and given that they weren¡¯t native to this zone¡­ another hunter was coming close. It would in no way miss the presence of Valen¡¯s Wingdrake, not after it attracted attention to itself.

    Nikki seemed to sense his alarm and immediately went into alert, standing up and ready for action if the need arose. Valen, however, tried to calm her down. He knew that should they be discovered, seeing Nikki in a combat posture next to him would send the wrong message. So he repressed the instinct that he had to grip his weapon and prepared himself for a confrontation, to reveal his secret to somebody else. Although the fact that they were even found at all was suspicious, Valen believed that he had been careless when leaving the airship.

    They looked at the sky in tense silence, waiting for another Wingdrake to appear at any time. The one Valen rode on was looking again at Nikki, only periodically glancing behind itself. Valen noticed that it looked somewhere closer to the ground, which meant that the unknown Wingdrake had landed on the ground, which seemed a bit odd to Valen.

    Then suddenly, Adem appeared at the top of the cliff, and Valen exhaled in relief. ¡°There you are Meowster! You woke me up when you got out of your bed. You always forget that I have more sensitive hearing than you!¡±

    ¡°Adem! You scared me, I thought somebody else followed me.¡± Then Felyne immediately became shifty, which worried Valen.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Meowster, but I was really worried for you.¡± Then Adem looked behind himself and said something to somebody else that Valen couldn¡¯t understand, the distance being too far.

    Valen waited for a tense moment, and then Aiden appeared at the top of the crater, seeing Valen first, then spotting the Gammoth in the room. He recoiled back in surprise, instinctively reaching for his weapon before Adem stopped him. Nikki was watching him impassively, making no threatening gestures, but her posture clearly showed that she would not stay idle in case of a hostile action.

    Then as if to make it worse, Ikari appeared at the top of the cliff as well. This time he noticed Nikki first and backpedaled, his instinctive reaction being to get away from a monster, though he still stayed at the top of the cliff.

    There was a tense moment as Aiden was rapidly looking between Valen and Nikki with an air of bewilderment, Ikari seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack, and Nikki simply looked at the two of them impassively.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Valen knew he had to do something to defuse the situation, so he took a deep breath and scratched Nikki¡¯s head, then said. ¡°Aiden, Ikari, meet Nikki. Without her, I would not be here, so please give her the respect she deserves.¡±

    Aiden finally seemed like he found his voice, and grinned. ¡°So, it seems like you have been holding out on us Valen! She won¡¯t attack, right?¡±

    ¡°As long as you do not. You can come, she¡¯s friendly,¡± Valen said, and then he turned to Ikari. ¡°You don¡¯t need to come close if you don¡¯t want to Ikari, I know it¡¯s already a big enough shock for you.¡±

    Aiden seemed to debate the matter before shrugging and starting to climb down. Adem stayed at the top though, to give reassurance to Ikari. There was still a bit of tension in the air, but the worst of it had been defused. Valen was relieved internally, he did not intend to be found at all, and if he had to, he would have preferred to introduce them to Nikki in a safer manner, especially Ikari.

    Once Aiden finally finished climbing down, he examined Nikki, who stared at him in return, neither making any movements. After a bit, he nodded. ¡°It feels different to be in the presence of an Elder that doesn¡¯t want to simply murder you.¡±

    ¡°You were part of the team that repelled the Kushala in Dundorma right?¡±

    ¡°I was, and there was the Lunastra I helped repel when I was young too.¡± He shook his head. ¡°How did it happen?¡±

    Valen sighed. ¡°It was a¡­ harsh time for me, but wait a moment.¡± He looked up and spoke louder. ¡°Ikari, do you feel better now?¡±

    His Handler did not reply immediately, but eventually, he answered, somewhat shakily. ¡°A-a bit¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll c-c-come down anytime soon though. Adem is he-helping, but¡­ Valen, t-that¡¯s an Elder.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m gonna explain how it happened, if you don¡¯t understand, ask Adem to relay.¡±

    ¡°I-I will try.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead Meowster, I¡¯ll keep him claw-pany!¡±

    Valen nodded, then took a deep breath. ¡°You remember that hunt I did where my whole team got wiped by a Seregios? Well, I should have died there too, if not for Nikki.¡±

    ¡°She saved you right?¡±

    ¡°She killed the Seregios as it was pouncing to finish me, and then she brought me back to her nest so that I could heal. She even cauterized my face, because the ear was cut off by a Seregios scale. I will admit that when I woke up and I realized I was in her nest I panicked. Thankfully, she kept her distance and proved to me that she simply wanted to save me.¡±

    ¡°Wait a Gog-damn moment, how intelligent is she?¡±

    At this, Valen simply smiled and turned towards Nikki. ¡®How intelligent are you?¡¯ he signed to her.

    She replied, and Valen heard a gasp coming from Aiden as she signed back. ¡®Very, me smart.¡¯

    He looked at Ikari and believed that his eyes were wide, though it was hard to tell at this distance. Aiden seemed taken aback before he answered. ¡°You can talk with her?¡±

    ¡°More like we can communicate very well. I think she cannot hear all of the registers that we talk at, I think she doesn¡¯t hear the lower-pitched sounds. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t be able to talk back either. It¡¯s a bit rough, but signing allows proper communication between the two of us. Also, she¡¯s crazy good at geometry, it¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ changes things. Are all Elders as intelligent as her? Because if so, the implications are frightening.¡±

    Valen shook his head. ¡°I asked her this question once, and she explained that she¡¯s smarter than most of them, but also that she is different in other ways. I think most of them simply view the world differently than us. The main thing, however, is that she is empathetic. ¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Kind of makes sense.¡± Then he frowned. ¡°Wait, the Valstrax you hunted? It was after you met her?¡±

    ¡°Believe me, it was her who wanted me to hunt him. I probably wouldn¡¯t have gone for him, but she asked me to kill him, and I believe that is because he was afflicted with something. After spending so much time with her, it was pretty clear that there was certainly something wrong with him. She never told me what though, even after pressing the issue multiple times.¡±

    ¡°That is worrying, but understandable. She probably has some secrets she wants to keep.¡±

    They stayed in silence for a moment before Aiden asked, ¡°Do the both of you spar? I¡¯m certain having a reliable training monster would be invaluable for any hunter.¡±

    Valen smiled. ¡°Oh, you have no idea. Hey, let us give you a demonstration.¡± He turned to Nikki and signed. ¡®Spar?¡¯

    She simply nodded, and thus they started their pre-spar routine, her bolstering the defenses of his armor first before draining his weapon. Aiden seemed to have noticed it was something unusual, but Valen simply said. ¡°I¡¯ll explain after.¡±

    The area they were in had limited space, which would restrict Nikki¡¯s movements, but not overly so, and they posted each other at opposite ends. The world around them became insignificant, Valen now focused only on Nikki. He drew his weapon in Axe form and they stared at each other, waiting for the other to make their first move. Valen was the one to do so this time, starting to run immediately. Nikki shifted only slightly in response, having learned to hide her tells over time, though Valen could still discern them if he focused. And so he was able to dodge the wing spear she threw at him with a quick sidestep, then jumped over the sweeping motion she did with it, having pivoted her whole body.

    Valen was now in striking range after this quick probe, but Nikki was already preparing her next attack, and she lunged forward, attempting to bite him.

    He shifted to the side, dodging the bite, but instead of exploiting the presumed opening, he tensed to dodge another attack. His gut feelings proved to be right as Nikki attempted to swat him away with her paw, which he dodged by jumping. But now that he knew she had to recover, he immediately struck with his weapon, striking Nikki¡¯s chin with it, snapping her mouth shut.

    He did not have enough room to do a follow-up strike, but he wouldn¡¯t have had time to anyway. He heard a whistling that filled the air, which could only mean that Nikki was about to rocket forward. He would ordinarily dodge to the side when she did it, but he decided to attempt something different for once.

    He jumped again, twisting to the side in the air and repositioning his weapon behind him¡­ then he ignited the thrusters on both his weapon and armor at full power.

    The strange nature of the Bioenergy contained in the armor protected him from the great acceleration that his body withstood, and he was rewarded by achieving something that he had never done before.

    He kept up with Nikki on her short dash powered by her wings. Even better, he was slightly above her when she dug her claws into the ground to stop herself before she crashed into the wall. Valen was only keeping up with his momentum, his thrusters having depleted the safe amount of power available. He twisted in the air and managed to stop his dash by hooking one of her wing arms at the base with his weapon, though the sudden deceleration felt like his arms almost were wrenched out of his sockets. Nikki seemed surprised by the maneuver, so he did not waste the opportunity. Before she could recover, he gripped her shoulder, morphed his weapon into sword mode, and pressed the point of it at the base of the wing.

    Nikki stiffened, then relaxed and admitted defeat by striking her tail on the ground three times. Valen was a bit winded but less than usual. He was surprised by how quickly the spar had ended, they usually went on for longer, but he guessed he managed to pull out a reckless enough move that she was surprised.

    Valen sheathed his weapon now that he had achieved victory, and Nikki crouched low to allow him to get off her back. They nodded to each other, then looked at Aiden.

    He had a gigantic smile on his face, and then he said, ¡°Well I must say, Valen, that Blast Dash Valst-rocked!¡±

    The first urge of Valen was to facepalm, but instead, he laughed. He laughed hard until he had to catch his breath, which made Nikki seem a bit worried about him but she stayed where she was. Aiden had followed him in his laughter until Valen had caught his breath and recovered. ¡°That was awful, but I understand why. Nice one.¡±

    Aiden pumped his fist in the air in victory, then he asked, ¡°Do all of your spars go that way?¡±

    Valen shook his head. ¡°They usually last longer, and she wins half of them. And when we started¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say that she had a gigantic win streak. I just pulled something new and she wasn¡¯t prepared for it. Doubtless that next time I do that she¡¯ll react differently.¡±

    Aiden looked at Nikki and examined her closely. ¡°I wonder if it would be too much to ask for a spar myself.¡±

    Valen chuckled. ¡°She probably would accept, but I think you¡¯d have to wait for another time¡­ Besides, I think you¡¯d need the training shells for Gunlance.¡±

    ¡°Good point. I wouldn¡¯t want to injure her.¡±

    Valen was about to say something else when Adem caught their attention. ¡°Meowster, Ikari asks what Nikki did to your armor and weapon before the spar started.¡±

    He understood that was something crucial to know for a handler. He faced Ikari and answered. ¡°Bioenergy. Nikki showed me early on that Elders can manipulate Bioenergy directly. She drains what is contained in my weapon so that I can¡¯t injure her and boosts my armor so that her attacks can¡¯t just break me. It allows us to go all out in our spars and not worry about hurting each other.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°She confirmed Elders are all able to at least manipulate it to that scale, some at an even grander one.¡±

    Ikari was furiously writing in his notebook while Aiden looked at Valen. ¡°All? That is worrying. If something the scale of Zorah can do it in a large area¡­¡±

    ¡°Indeed, and it is even full of it. I did not realize it at the time, but I now realize I could feel it. The concentration he has of it is nothing short of mind-boggling. And we still don¡¯t know why he came to the New World, so the fact we aren¡¯t seeing signs of it is worrying.¡±

    ¡°We will get to the bottom of it Valen, do not worry.¡±

    They stayed in silence before Valen sighed. ¡°We should go soon. You came to make sure I made it back to the airship, right?¡±

    Aiden nodded. ¡°They leave tomorrow, so we should make certain we are there when they do.¡±

    ¡°The moment we get some time, we¡¯ll see Nikki again, and you¡¯ll be able to see how you measure against her.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m certain I¡¯m the only one that has a chance against her at this point. She has learned so much from me that nobody else would be a match.¡±

    Aiden grinned. ¡°I look forward to it. Also, I¡¯ll keep quiet about her until you decide to share the secret yourself. I understand why you did not reveal her, though I believe Arcos would understand. You would have to worry about the swarm of researchers battling to see her once they find out though.¡±

    ¡°Which is the main reason I probably won¡¯t. Ikari should be enough, though I¡¯ll have to ask him to keep his findings in his notes, and only share them when I reveal her.¡±

    He turned to face Nikki. ¡®We leave, thank you for help.¡¯

    She rumbled and nuzzled Valen with her beak.

    Aiden and Valen climbed back up the cliff to rejoin Ikari. Once they reached the top, Valen looked at Nikki and waved at her before they called for their Wingdrakes and flew back towards the ship.

    The journey was made in silence, each of them having their thoughts to ponder. Valen was mostly relieved that somebody stumbling on his secret ended up going well in the end. Though he definitely would get back at Adem for having put him in this situation.

    They arrived at the airship and were welcomed back by the researchers. But what was surprising was that the Third Fleet master immediately called for a meeting, which Valen obliged. Once all of them were reunited, she turned towards Rapha?lle. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one to call this meeting, but her. She has discovered something with the Tracker, but waited for now to share their findings so that we could rest from the ordeal.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded as she started to speak. ¡°After my journeys, me and Sophie confirmed the Vale is a graveyard. It is where most monsters end up when they die¡­ But most importantly, it¡¯s where Elders go when they die. We didn¡¯t find Elder bones on the surface because they were buried deeper, closer to the pools of acid that we found. But one worrying thing was that all of them were old, very old. The most recent ones we could find¡­¡±

    ¡°Were more than a century old.¡± Sophie completed.

    Valen raised an eyebrow. ¡°So before the Elder¡¯s crossing started increasing in frequency.¡±

    Sophie nodded. ¡°Kora confirmed it to me, the Bioenergy monsters and Elders contain is purified in the Vale and spread out through the New World, allowing the insane amount of growth of the Forest, sustaining the Highlands, and more. It is the equivalent of the digestive system of the New World. But that begs the question¡­ ¡±

    Rapha?lle followed up, ¡°Where is Zorah Magdaros? Where are all the Elders that did the crossing recently? By all logic, Zorah should have ended his path here and waited for his death, but he is yet to be seen.¡±

    ¡°This is worrying indeed.¡± Valen answered. ¡°My own wanderings also showed me that Zorah traveled near, But that he was diverted somewhere else. The question is where.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the reason I¡¯ll go look for the First Wyverians once we are back in Astera, as the Third Fleet Master suggested. They have been living here even before the First Fleet arrived, so they are certainly more knowledgeable about the land than us, so they might have the answer.¡±

    Aiden nodded. ¡°I am worried about what would be powerful enough to lure Elders away from their place of final rest.¡±

    ¡°So we have no objections then? We set a course for Astera?¡±

    Valen raised his hand. ¡°Will Kora be okay without the support of the Third Fleet airship?¡±

    ¡°I already asked her this question and she said that she could pursue her job while we are gone,¡± Masani replied. ¡°And we have nothing preventing us from coming back. Besides, as good of a job we did repairing the ship, I want to have the Airship Engineer with us to work on the Airship so we do not have a repeat of the event that grounded us. It almost happened again with that despicable Legiana attack, and I do not wish to have a third repeat. The airship should hold until we arrive back at Astera for sure.¡±

    ¡°Then I have no objections.¡± Valen nodded.

    Nobody else had any objections either, so the meeting was called to an end and everybody was free to do their own business until the following day. Valen decided to have some time in his room so he could get out of his armor and relax. To his surprise, Aiden joined him. While they avoided the obvious topic, they still chatted about the events that happened in the New World so far, and what they thought would happen next¡­ Because Valen had the feeling something major would happen soon.

 Sky Render Chapter 11: Duty

    The journey back to Astera happened without any hiccups, to the relief of everybody present. The trip above the Great Ravine was the tensest moment, one where everybody expected whatever scared the Wingdrakes to appear at any moment from above, but either they were lucky or they were too big for it, it did not appear, which once the mountain chain was behind them, allowed them to relax. The trio of hunters had to be on guard at all times, ready to react at a moment¡¯s notice.

    The landscape then shifted to the desert hilltops of the Wildspire Wastes, the dangers of which they at least knew and were able to avoid. Their main concern was the lone Rathians that occasionally wandered around, the mated pairs preferring the lush greens of the Ancient Forest, but fortunately none made an appearance.

    It only took a couple of days for them to finally spot Astera on the horizon to the cheers of everyone present, especially the researchers, who hadn¡¯t seen the outpost for over a decade. A flare was quickly launched from the airship to signal their presence, though it was certain that they had already been spotted, and indeed a response was quick to appear. So Masani ordered them to maintain their heading, as they should arrive at it sooner rather than later.

    Almost everybody but the critical crew was perched on the railings or windows to look at the outpost. Valen stayed on alert though, just in case a Wyvern decided to make an appearance at the last moment.

    But to his relief, this did not happen, and they flew over the walls of Astera, without resounding cheers that came from below, quickly mirrored by quieter but more enthusiastic cheers from the researchers of the Airship.

    They only stopped once they managed a hover over the docks, no place being available for it to land, due to the now-tilted nature of the ship. So they simply dropped the anchor in the sea and threw ropes to the sailors on duty at the dock to secure the airship. Finally, a rather long gangplank was retrieved to allow them to exit the ship on firm ground.

    Masani was the first out, as was proper, with her being the leader of the whole Fleet. Arcos was waiting on the dock, and she stopped in front of him. There was a small staring contest before they simply embraced each other.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you are okay. We have been worrying over you over these years. We hoped that you were okay but without any guarantees¡­¡± Arcos trailed off.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ The beginning was rough but we got used to our situation over time.¡± She released him from the embrace. ¡°I¡¯m certain the Chief Ecologist will be giddy over all the data we have accumulated.¡±

    Arcos chuckled. ¡°I am sure he will.¡±

    She now took a more serious air. ¡°We have some new findings about Zorah, the situation is worrying. I¡¯ll let our Hunters and Handlers share them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll assemble the council then.¡±

    Both of them then left the dock, thus allowing Valen and the rest of his companions to exit the airship. They followed their superiors, knowing that they would immediately have to prepare.

    Once at the meeting table, they waited for everybody else to arrive, Sophie, Ikari, and Lea organizing their notes in the meantime, as one by one, the fleet leaders and other important persons arrived at the table. The Meownster chef was the last to arrive as Arcos called for the meeting to start.

    ¡°First, we welcome Masani back to Astera, as I am certain the ordeal in the territories past the Great Ravine was not easy.¡± She nodded. ¡°But that will come later, she informed me that our team made worrying discoveries while they were there.¡±

    Sophie took over.

    ¡°Indeed. We discovered two new regions past the Great Ravine: the Coral Highlands, where the airship was stranded, and the Rotten Vale.¡± The Chief Ecologist was furiously writing in his notebook by then. ¡°Just know that we have discovered that the Rotten Vale is the digestive system of the New World, allowing it to spread Bioenergy and become as abundant as it is. It is also where Elders go to die here.¡±

    Everybody inhaled. What she just said implied that the goal of the Research Commission might soon arrive at its conclusion, which is to figure out the Elder¡¯s Crossing. Ikari then took over.

    ¡°However¡­ it did highlight a new irregularity: we found no recent Elder bones. We could confirm there were no new bones since the Crossing started increasing in regularity, which implies that we still have no idea what causes it.¡±

    Then Rapha?lle followed. ¡°However, we confirmed one thing. Zorah was originally heading for the Vale. But it has diverged from its path since.¡±

    ¡°So Zorah followed the pattern of disruption and we still do not know what causes it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it, Commander. And try as we might, we couldn¡¯t find its trail anywhere. The New World regenerates too quickly for it.¡± Rapha?lle finished.

    Masani nodded.

    ¡°I suggested that they go look for the First Wyverians. They have been living in this land for longer than us, they might know where Zorah is heading.¡±

    ¡°Then this is now your task Rapha?lle. Go look for the First Wyverians and try to get answers from them. A lot is relying on us finding Zorah, so try to do your best so that we do. There have been rumors of one at the top of the Ancient Tree itself, so I suggest you start there.¡±

    ¡°I will, Commander.¡±

    Then he turned towards Valen and Aiden.

    ¡°The both of you should stay on alert, I have a bad feeling about what is happening with Zorah, so I suggest you get ready for anything.¡±

    They nodded in response.

    ¡°The rest of you, we need to help the Third Fleet upgrade their Airship and allow them to resume their duty. I¡¯m certain the Airship Engineer is already drawing up plans, so we just need to make sure they are executed quickly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll put my fleet on the construction of a proper dock for their airship.¡± The Second Fleet master said. ¡°We should be done quickly enough.¡±

    ¡°I am also anticipating the boost to our research that sharing their findings will give us. Oh yes, I¡¯m giddy with excitement!¡± The Chief Ecologist exclaimed in an excited voice.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure our logistics handle the new arrival smoothly.¡± The Provision Manager concluded.

    ¡°That will be all then, may the Sapphire Star light your way. Dismissed!¡± The Commander said to conclude the reunion.

    Everybody immediately started to return to their posts, the cheerful mood having invigorated everybody with the return of the lost fleet. Valen glanced from the corner of his eye and saw one of the Wyverians who handled the logistics of Astera approaching Masani. Valen remembered that he was her sister and smiled. They would have much to share with their reunion indeed, so he would leave them to it.

    Valen decided to follow Aiden, who went to the main gate leading to the Ancient Forest. They were quickly joined by Lea and Ikari who had to pick up their notes at the meeting table. Rapha?lle had already gone to her room to prepare.

    ¡°So, now that we are back, what are you going to do Valen?¡± Aiden asked.

    ¡°First, I¡¯m going to relax a bit. We have been running ragged for this last month, so I¡¯ll enjoy the time when we aren¡¯t crucially needed to defend something or are on a time limit. Then I¡¯ll probably help around Astera until Rapha?lle comes back.¡± Valen answered.

    ¡°Good idea. I don¡¯t need to rest as much since I joined you later, but I do need to see what the Second Fleet Master can do with the Tigrex materials we brought back. There are also the Legiana materials, though I believe that Rapha?lle asked that we try using them to make something else than a set of armor. I think you have seen the Ghillie Mantles the Handlers use? She had a couple of ideas about using the wings for something similar, but she wanted to present them to the smithy first.¡±

    ¡°That sounds interesting indeed.¡± Valen turned to Lea and Ikari. ¡°I guess the both of you are going to share your findings with the researchers?¡±

    Lea nodded.

    ¡°Indeed. We have a lot that we need to show and we have to do it properly.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡± Valen then chuckled. ¡°I hope reigning in their excitement will not be too hard.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, I have learned some tricks over time.¡± He looked at the sun. ¡°I¡¯m gonna rest for a bit, I¡¯ll come help you later.¡±

    The other sent goodbyes while Valen went to his room with Adem following him. There he removed his armor and stretched. He hadn¡¯t truly relaxed in a while, always having been on alert subconsciously because of either being in the wilderness or because even though the Airship had been safe for years, subconsciously he still believed it was at risk of attack in the unfamiliar region.

    But at last, he was able to take a bath to decompress and enjoy what he now knew was his new home.

    <hr>

    Surprisingly, Rapha?lle was back the next day with good news: she had already found a first Wyverian. However, instead of telling her the answers immediately, it instead asked her to prove her strength, by hunting both a Rathalos and a Diablos, by herself. The Commander gave her the go-ahead once she brought the news and gave the locations of two targets that could be hunted without disrupting the ecosystem, though she answered that she intended to attempt capture anyway, to the delight of the researchers.

    She had made a new weapon out of the Odogaron she hunted while in the Vale, which would help her against the Rathalos since she did not have to worry about the ineffective fire element.

    Valen and Adem helped the researchers around the outpost in the meantime, especially the Chief Botanist, who had been nurturing an ancient tree cutting. It had grown tremendously in their absence, so much so that it almost reached the top level of Astera, which was staggering. However, what was most impressive was the discovery that plants grew faster near it, which was an incredible boon since it made Potions a more available commodity instead of requiring constant gathering trips.

    However, Valen instead offered something else for cultivation: Dragonfell berries. He always looked out for them while in the field, and had now acquired a sizable stock. His official reason was that he used them to distill phials for his weapon, but the real reason was that Nikki was an absolute glutton for them. Oddly, this was the complete opposite of what any other Elder did: to stay clear of them. He believed that since Valstrax was so chock full of Dragon energy, it gave them the equivalent of a small energizer instead of disrupting their powers like it did other Elders.

    Still, since he had a feeling they might encounter Elders sooner or later, he believed helping to farm them would only benefit them, and he could collect the extra as gifts for his secret friend.

    <hr>

    A few days later, Rapha?lle and Sophie came back with their task complete, but their grim faces and the fact she immediately asked to call for a meeting raised alarm bells for Valen. He exchanged a worried glance with Adem, and they followed them. Once everybody had been gathered, the Commander started the meeting.

    ¡°Judging by your face, you do not bring good news.¡±

    ¡°I bring the worst: We¡¯re facing an ecological cataclysm.¡±

    Everybody paused. This was the worst-case scenario for the Guild; when an Elder caused a threat so great to the ecosystem that it had to be stopped lest it be damaged irreparably. The last time it had been called had been for the Magala crisis. Valen was too low ranked at the time to be called, but he had heard stories of hunters who had been required to help.

    ¡°Are you absolutely certain?¡± The Commander asked.

    ¡°We are.¡± Sophie nodded as well. ¡°The First Wyverian confirmed that Zorah should have ended its journey at the bottom of the Vale, but that something distracted it from its path. And should it continue on its current course, the New World would be bathed in a fiery inferno from the massive release of Bioenergy that would occur. The location he is currently headed for? The Everstream.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Valen frowned, he was certain he hadn¡¯t heard about this location. He looked at Ikari, who looked pensive.

    Sophie again took the lead.

    ¡°The First Wyverian told us the Everstream is where the Bioenergy is channeled through the New World. You could say it is the main artery of the continent. But it also wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the instant release that Zorah would produce should it die there, while the Vale would diffuse it over time. Here, I drew on the map the location.¡± She placed the map on the table.

    Everybody leaned forward to study the map. Valen immediately noticed that it looked like a spiral, coming through the heart of the Vale. He also noticed one edge of it touched the sea.

    But before he could point out that fact, the Provision Manager interjected.

    ¡°We still have a problem, the operation we conducted in the Great Ravine may have been a success, but we haven¡¯t quite recovered the supplies expanded for its completion. Wood isn¡¯t an issue, but ammunition is.¡±

    ¡°I may have a solution to this issue, but first let¡¯s determine the course of action.¡± The Commander said. Valen took the opening to speak.

    ¡°That place, where it barely touches the sea¡­ Do you think it is open to it? Because if so, that sounds like the perfect place to conduct the operation.¡±

    ¡°That is what I thought as well. Though we used almost all ships to expand Astera upon the Fifth Fleet''s arrival.¡± The Field Team leader pointed out.

    ¡°I forgot to ask, do you have an idea of the time we have Rapha?lle?¡± Valen asked.

    ¡°More than we had to prepare for the Great Ravine, I am certain.¡± She answered. ¡°But I am not sure of the exact time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll assist how we can,¡± Masani said. ¡°The airship should greatly help with logistics.¡±

    ¡°That will be a great help indeed.¡± The Manager said. ¡°I¡¯ll conduct an inventory so I can report how much we have at our disposal for this task.¡±

    ¡°We need to divert Zorah. Stopping him would not solve the issue as he still would be in the Everstream. If that spot you pointed out does have access to the ocean Valen, it would be the only place we could even attempt this.¡± Rapha?lle said.

    Valen was about to answer before one of the sentries shouted.

    ¡°Ships on the horizon!¡±

    Everybody looked confused for a moment except for the Commander, who grinned while still having his arms crossed.

    ¡°Well, well, well, looks like my intel was right.¡±

    Sophie gasped.

    ¡°Is it the Argosy¡­ And another ship?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. You were already on your mission then, but soon after you crossed the Ravine I sent it back with all the research we had compiled at the time, but also to request assistance. Apparently, it kicked a Vespoid¡¯s nest back home given how little time it took to come back. I suspect our Captain got more than he thought. I received a messenger bird yesterday warning me of his impending arrival.¡±

    Valen shook his head.

    ¡°He has guts, isn¡¯t the sea still violent right now?¡±

    ¡°They are, but he became familiar enough with them over the years, and now I trust him to brave them.¡± The Commander concluded.

    ¡°Should we wait for him to see what we have to work with before starting to draw plans? We also should check if there even is a possible location to stage our operation.¡±

    The Commander nodded, then turned to Jake.

    ¡°Huntsman, if you may?¡±

    ¡°I will do what is needed.¡± He answered with a gruff voice, then stood up to hitch a ride on his Wingdrake.

    ¡°This emergency council is done, we will go into further detail once we have the information we need. Dismissed!¡± The Commander concluded.

    Valen nodded and went to the docks to wait for the Argosy, Aiden, and Adem joining him. The situation was dire, and the word spread quickly, which could be seen on the serious faces of other hunters and members. But as long as they had a way to prevail, they would be alright, Valen knew it.

    <hr>

    What looked like the whole of Astera had now assembled in a gigantic cavern that seemed to glow from the intensity inside. They had prepared for this hurriedly but with resolve. A gigantic barrier of wood barred the way further inside the cavern, though reinforcements made of metal could be seen, bolstering its structural integrity.

    Jake had returned quickly with the news that the plan was possible, and the added fact that the Captain had returned with a ship full of ammunition and supplies made it certain. One of them was even equipped with a Dragonator, a gigantic, dragon element-infused drill that was able to pierce even the Bioenergy-reinforced defenses of an Elder. It was the key for their whole operation, hedging everything on a single strike with it that would convince Zorah that it would not be wise to continue further in.

    Valen, Rapha?lle, and Aiden were waiting further inside the cavern since they had another task like last time. They were the ones that would take care of triggering the traps the engineers had set up: stalactites and stalagmites ringed with explosives that would drop them or topple them once triggered. They would hopefully weaken Zorah''s armor for when they would shell it at the barrier. They were discouraged from targeting Magma cores, however, since it would only plunge the Elder into lethargy, thus hindering their goal. They needed him to actively decide to go into the sea.

    All of them were waiting for the signal to proceed, which would be given once Zorah was spotted. Adem and Flighty were both on their hunter¡¯s shoulder, ready to assist them when the time came. Everybody was tense, the fate of the New World depended on the success of their endeavor. They had to succeed, otherwise the whole reason they came here would fail, along with a calamity.

    The Commander had even offered anybody who wanted to go back to the Old World the ability to board the Argosy, but to their surprise, nobody did so. They all were united in their goal to see this operation through, which elicited cheers once everybody realized that fact.

    At last, the signal they were waiting for echoed through the cavern. The three hunters looked at each other and nodded before whistling to their respective Wingdrakes, which immediately flew to them and carried them toward Zorah¡¯s shell.

    They each had their locations they would stay near: Rapha?lle would be at the head, Valen at the shell, and Aiden to the back. Each of them carried special ammunition for their slinger that would make it easier to trigger the explosives.

    It was debated if they could use the location the hunters were waiting at as a platform to man cannons and ballistae while Zorah approached, but in the end, it was agreed to carry too great a risk of friendly fire for the hunters, so they would have no supportive fire during their task.

    Valen was dropped off at his designated point and stabilized his footing on the shifting shell. Zorah was constantly moving, and he also could stand up on his hind legs if he needed to free his front paws at the cost of his mobility. That did not deter Valen however, and he looked around, paying attention to the ceiling of the cavern above him. He would have the Teostra¡¯s share of dropping the traps on Zorah, being nearest to the cave¡¯s ceiling. It was a risky endeavor, but there was too much of a gain for it to be dismissed, as weakening Zorah further would greatly aid them in their task.

    He looked around until he spotted the first stalactite that came into range. Given it was off to the side, he believed he had the best chance to drop it since Rapha?lle hadn''t targeted it yet. So he brought his left arm up, aimed with the slinger, then fired.

    The brown ball, unassuming at first sight, sailed through the air and then cracked open on contact with the rock, freeing the explosive dust that was contained inside. It immediately ignited due to a spark created on impact, which started a chain reaction triggering all of the explosives wrapped around the natural spear.

    The explosion was strong enough that it cracked the upper part of the rock and hurled the massive spear downwards, directly toward Zorah¡¯s shell.

    Valen had already found a place to brace himself, as a violent rocking immediately shook the whole shell of Zorah. Whether it was from pain or discomfort, he couldn¡¯t know, but it affected the Elder.

    Once the shaking subsided Zorah continued walking, but it seemed a bit more hesitant, a bit more careful. He didn¡¯t notice anything else unusual though, so he dismissed it and prepared to wait for the next rock he could drop.

    Which wasn¡¯t long to come, but instead of him it was Rapha?lle who detonated it this time, a stalagmite that jutted out over the Elder''s path. The spire of rock was engulfed in an explosion before tipping over towards Zorah¡¯s flank. It did not bite as deeply as the one Valen had dropped, but it still had an effect.

    However this time Zorah knew something was wrong and seemed to start trying to avoid the biggest stalactites that were on the road. It proved that the Elder recognized something was wrong and was trying to adapt to avoid the danger. It was able to dodge a couple of them, but not all, and over its entire journey towards the erected barrier, the group dropped as many of the improvised traps over the Elder¡¯s shell as they were able.

    But eventually, they ran out, and in the area before the barrier they seemed to no longer be big enough to be worth it, so the group of hunters whistled for their Wingdrakes. Their part was over and they would need to get to the next one, which was to shell Zorah with cannonballs until he decided that pursuing this path was not worth it. Valen believed that it was already considering it, given the cautious steps it was taking.

    Their flight was short, and they were dropped off at the top of the barrier, where several cannons were placed, as well as their supply of cannonballs. All cannons were ready to fire and filled to the brim, they just had to wait for Zorah to enter their range, which would happen soon.

    Valen knew roughly what range the cannons had, but that initial volley was important, they had to truly show that pursuing forwards would not be a worthwhile adventure for Zorah. So they had to strike as hard as they could.

    Zorah was wading through the water, as it had been for most of its journey in the Everstream. It was only after the barrier that the water subsided, revealing the jagged terrain of the long cave that spanned the entire continent.

    And suddenly, cutting through the stomping sounds Zorah was creating, the Commander¡¯s voice boomed out loud and clear.

    ¡°FIIIIIIRE!¡±

    Valen immediately slammed closed the storage for the cannonballs and pulled the lever that triggered the firing mechanism. Immediately after, the cannon started firing a volley of shots, the strange mechanism allowing each to be fired independently. The booming noise reverberated through the cave, echoed by the other dozen cannons that fired at the same time. Thankfully Valen¡¯s sealed helmet dampened the infernal noise, but Adem wasn¡¯t as lucky, and the Palico groaned as he covered his ears to protect them.

    A massive volley of cannonballs arced through the air, visible through the ambient light of the cave, and everybody stared at them, waiting for their impact. And then they reached Zorah.

    The Elder was immediately bathed in explosive fire, hidden for several seconds as the rolling barrage ensued, and it shrieked in pain, a sound which grated on everyone¡¯s ears. Then the barrage ended and the smoke dispersed, revealing the aftermath.

    Large portions of its shell were cracked, creating new flows of the internal magma that coursed through it and lighting it up with renewed light. Its ¡°beard¡± had been completely obliterated, and it seemed that the magma core on its head was cracked, but still functioning. Zorah seemed stunned for a moment, but it did not last long, as it roared in pure rage, a roar so intense that echoed through the cavern, chilling Valen¡¯s bones. They made it angry¡­ But would that work for or against them? They all hoped for the former.

    ¡°GOOD JOB HUNTERS, NOW RELOAD AND FIRE AT WILL!¡±

    The Commander¡¯s voice snapped them all of the trance that seemed to have taken everybody, and they rushed to reload the cannons from the nearby piles of cannonballs. Valen carried them the short distance that separated them, assisted by his Felyne companion, who had to heft them above himself to get the leverage to move them. He knew Adem could handle himself though and would only be insulted by an offer of help.

    Once they reloaded the siege engine, they fired it again, and soon enough a constant barrage was impacting Zorah, who braved it nonetheless and walked purposefully towards the barricade. The cacophony of the first strike became a loud background noise, a staccato of percussion that never stopped, and increased in frequency over time.

    While each cannonball did not do much, the sheer quantity that was pelted at the Elder certainly had an effect. The side that was exposed to the most volume of fire, that being from the ship and half of the barricade was simply being eroded, being dug into slowly by the explosive ammunition.

    Zorah still pushed through and eventually came to face the barricade. Then it did something that it hadn''t done before: it started charging an attack in its gigantic maw. Valen¡¯s eyes widened. There was no doubt what kind of attack he was charging, given the observable qualities of the monster¡­ and while it probably wouldn¡¯t destroy the barricade in a single blow, it would severely weaken it, possibly enough to let Zorah smash through.

    He was about to attempt to do something that was most likely extremely reckless when the Commander¡¯s voice boomed again.

    ¡°HUNTERS! WHERE IS MY DRAGONATOR!?¡±

    A faint reply came, from the Field Team Leader.

    ¡°Ready where you are, Sir!¡±

    ¡°THEN FIRE!¡±

    Immediately Valen noticed a figure pulling the lever that released the Dragonator, which immediately started spinning before extending at incredible speed. It immediately started drilling into the rear side of Zorah, and it was drilling deeper, going through the sturdy rock layer¡­ and eventually, a gigantic spray of blood erupted from it.

    Zorah screeched in pain, the sound finally loud enough to even overcome the protections of Valen¡¯s helmet, who reflectively attempted to clamp his hands over his ear and gritted his teeth. The sound was amplified by the cavern, making it much worse than it usually would.

    Eventually, Valen¡¯s ear stopped hurting and he immediately looked at Adem. The Felyne had a pained look on his face, but there was nothing Valen could do for him at the moment. He looked at Zorah, expecting it to be angry¡­ only for it to have a look of fear in its eye, as it was staring at the now bloodied Dragonator. It seemed to be completely surprised to see the result. Valen could almost see it starting to think and hoped that they hadn''t made it angrier than it was before.

    Then, suddenly it seemed to have a clearer look in its eyes, looked towards the sea that was visible from the large entrance, and immediately dove into the water, where it got deep quickly and began to swim away, out of the Everstream.

    There was a pause, then everybody cheered as loud as they could. They had done it, they had managed to divert Zorah from its course, saving the New World. Valen smiled and exhaled in relief. The previous weeks where they had been preparing for the operation had been extremely tense, as everyone knew the stakes and that there would be no do-overs.

    To his surprise, Rapha?lle and Aiden came to him and immediately did a group hug. He was surprised for a split second, before returning it.

    ¡°We did it¡­ I was afraid we would fail and have to suffer the consequences of our failure, but that¡¯s no longer a worry.¡± Rapha?lle confided. ¡°So much rested on our shoulders.¡±

    ¡°We kicked its Lun-ass-tra!¡° Aiden joyfully said.

    Everybody chuckled at Aiden¡¯s joke, as it helped reduce the tension.

    Valen was about to say something when Jake dropped next to them, the Wingdrake that was carrying him now going to perch on the ship. ¡°Good job. I was not with you as the Commander asked me to keep an eye out for any surprises we might have. I thought we would see the return of our spiky menace, but strangely it was absent. At least it meant we did not have any distractions during our operation.¡±

    Valen nodded, but internally he agreed with Jake, something was off. Nergigante was interested in Zorah the last time, and it recognized the opportunity for what it was. But the fact it wasn¡¯t present this time meant something had to be off.

    He pondered on that as the celebrations continued and everybody rejoiced in their victory. And for some reason, he believed something had happened.

 Sky Render Chapter 12: Recess

    Even though Zorah had swam towards the sea, they stayed a few more days just in case it decided to change its mind. But when a vast explosion of Bioenergy happened a couple days later, they knew that Zorah had drawn its last breath, releasing the gigantic quantity of Bioenergy to the world. This showed that it was a close call in reality, as if Zorah was still in the Everstream¡­

    After they confirmed Zorah¡¯s death, they finally started packing everything up and returned to Astera, which only had a skeleton crew to keep things running.

    A gigantic party was thrown when the operation was confirmed to be fully complete and over, which lasted a couple of days. Everybody needed that time to relax and Valen mingled with his companions, only drinking the beer sparingly, his experience on the ship still fresh in mind. The atmosphere was joyous and even the Commander joined in, though he avoided alcohol, as he was required to keep a clear mind throughout.

    Eventually the festivities abated and they returned to their task. The two biggest pieces of news were that the Captain had announced that he would start a Trade route with his new ship, the Argosy, and that they should expect other ships to start coming, as he was certain that the seas would calm down. The news was accompanied by cheers from everybody, as having a regular link with the Old World was a great milestone, much better than the sporadic exchanges and the decennial Fleet.

    However, anomalies started to appear around the New World, most notably that it became quickly apparent that the Bioenergy released by Zorah had strengthened some of the monsters, making them tougher to deal with. Not by much, but enough to make it risky to send an inexperienced hunter to deal with them. It was confirmed after a Pukei wiped the floor with a hunter that was clearly able to handle one.

    There were also tracks of an unusual Rathian wandering around that had been spotted, the distinctive pink scales instead of green showing that it was the subspecies roaming around. Rapha?lle was thus tasked to track it down and make sure it wouldn¡¯t be a danger, it was also the perfect occasion for her to try her Odogaron armor and weapon, since she used Anjanath¡¯s for Zorah. Aiden was tasked to deal with an Anjanath that had been empowered by Zorah¡¯s Bioenergy and was much more aggressive as a result.

    Valen thought he¡¯d be needed to protect the other hunters from these more dangerous ones, but in the end, most of them did not change their habits and only a few had increased aggression, which suited him just fine.

    In the end, Rapha?lle confirmed that the Pink Rathian decided to make her nest in the Coral Highlands, and found her own place in the ecosystem, so they decided to capture it to figure out what caused its appearance; she would be released back into the Highlands once they had done the necessary research. Aiden had also returned from his hunt, having managed to track the aggressive Anjanath in the Wildspire Wastes and capture it as well. The researchers were overjoyed to get a living specimen that absorbed part of Zorah¡¯s Bioenergy.

    However, something was worrying Valen, he usually heard reports of Nikki¡¯s roaming through the skies occasionally, but since the news about Zorah being a danger, none of them happened, and that disturbed him. He hoped nothing happened to his friend.

    <hr>

    A few weeks after Zorah¡¯s death, and after Rapha?lle completed her task and had also managed to capture her target, something happened.

    The researchers were all over the captured Pink Rathian, attempting to figure out the conditions that led to the subspecies in the first place. The trio of Hunters, along with their Handlers, were observing the proceedings from the main entrance of Astera, Arcos and Lukas both had a pensive look on their faces.

    Everybody was staying in silence when a new voice, that Valen did not know called them¡­ From the entrance.

    ¡°Great! Looks like I¡¯m coming at a perfect time!¡±

    Valen looked to the side and saw what could only be described as a hulking character. He was the tallest human he had ever seen, with bulging muscles that could almost put a Rajang to shame. He didn¡¯t wear a Slinger but had a looped rope with a grappling hook over one of his forearms. Even his haircut could be compared to a Rajang, the golden hair the same color as the fur when it was enraged.

    He glanced to the side, noticing that the Commander and Lukas definitely recognized the newcomer, a wide smile on their face.

    ¡°Admiral.¡± Arcos said. ¡°You¡¯re finally deigning to join us.¡±

    ¡°You know me, can¡¯t stay in one place. But I come with findings you must be interested in.¡± And at that he threw the bag he was carrying over his shoulder on the ground. Which caused a bunch of crystals to spill out, crystals that were completely unfamiliar to Valen.

    Sophie rushed forwards to pick a couple of them while Valen picked up the one that ended at his feet. He turned it around, frowning, something was definitely familiar with them, it almost felt like they were¡­

    ¡°They¡¯re radiating some kind of energy!¡± Sophie exclaimed.

    ¡°Bioenergy.¡± Valen whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it in a non-living being¡­¡± And it raised many questions.

    ¡°It is indeed.¡± The Admiral said. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of these near where you drove off big ugly.¡±

    ¡°Then we need to research it! This could greatly improve our understanding of Bioenergy!¡± One scientist exclaimed.

    ¡°Hold.¡± The Admiral said. ¡°We first need to make sure the area is secure. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re having some troubles with souped up monsters due to Zorah. What do you think an area full of them will mean.¡±

    Valen nodded. Only a few hunters were able to overcome these for now¡­ All assembled here, since he noticed Jake had come.

    ¡°Good thing we have enough Hunters and Handlers that can hold themselves.¡± Arcos said with a smirk. ¡°Rapha?lle, Aiden and Valen, as well as Sophie, Lea and Ikari, you¡¯re up to the task.¡±

    Valen nodded, and Aiden immediately responded with a ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Rapha?lle said.

    ¡°Our skills are needed, and I¡¯ll help however I can.¡± Lea replied.

    Sophie was a bit taken back to receive this task, and Ikari had a bit of hesitation on his face before he straightened himself and nodded.

    ¡°We won¡¯t disappoint you sir!¡± Sophie exclaimed. Finally the two Felynes Adem and Flighty simply purred in agreement.

    ¡°Then prepare and depart once you are ready. Jake can hold the fort.¡± The Huntsman grunted at that. ¡°The reminder of our hunters will train up and gear up so they can handle the powered monsters in the meantime. May the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    The chosen group nodded, and did not waste time to head to their rooms to start preparing their backpacks. They had a new task and they would make sure to succeed on it. They were, after all, the spearhead of the Fifth Fleet, their figureheads, and their key to their current successes. So he prepared accordingly, new location meant unknown dangers, and he only could bring a limited volume.

    However he took more items for a hot location than a cold one. The Everstream was volcanic and if they were going near, Valen supposed that it should be near, so he made sure that he had cold drinks at the ready, the beverages helping boost the temperature regulation of the body and allowed it to survive into harsh environments, as several hunting grounds were located in. He only brought general supplies besides that, but he was ready to depart for the unknown once more.

    <hr>

    The group of nine flew through Wingdrakes, following the coast of the Wildspire Waste and traveling further north. This way they also avoided having to cross the Great Ravine which would have been a damper on their travels.

    They stayed in a group, but once the Everstream was visible, the Admiral started flying in front, leading them all to the destination he wanted to reach. They flew through the massive cavern that radiated heat from further inside. The barrier erected to divert Zorah still stood, though it would probably be dismantled later.

    After a while, the Admiral deviated from the path to lead them towards an opening that Valen was certain was not present before. He believed it had been created by Zorah walking through the cavern, the localized earthquakes periodically happening around him shifting the environment.

    The Admiral dropped from his flying carrier and looped his grappling hook on his arm. The rest of the group thus dropped down from their Wingdrakes as well. He scanned around before starting his explanations.

    ¡°I was watching the operation from afar when you diverted Zorah. I noticed too late to participate but came after you once you were done. Good thing I did because I doubt you would have noticed this anomaly once you were gone, I almost missed it.¡±

    Valen looked around, the opening was a tunnel that was only illuminated by the dull glow of the magma coursing in the Everstream. The tunnel must have already existed but was joined to the main Everstream channel only by the wall collapsing. Rubble was even visible where they flew in, which confirmed his suspicions.

    ¡°We will take a while to travel however, the exit is far away, but you¡¯ll see, it¡¯s like nothing you have ever seen before.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet. He was about to contest that before Aiden beat The Admiral to the punch.

    ¡°Even compared to the Coral Highlands?¡±

    ¡°Even then.¡± The Admiral nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you see it. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll need torches further in, there is bio-luminescence from some of the native flora and fauna here but some sections are still plunged into darkness. None of the usual cave dwelling monsters though, so that won¡¯t be an issue.¡±

    The Hunters looked at each other before following the Admiral, while the Handlers were all taking notes about their environment, excited about what they were discovering. Still, Valen remained vigilant. The Admiral affirmed there were no dangers to them inside but he still was wary about this uncharted territory.

    <hr>

    They traveled for the remainder of the day before resting for the night, the Hunters and Admiral taking watches, their only light being the campfire they had set up in the cave. The only way they could keep track of their time was by the mechanical watch Sophie was carrying. They packed up and resumed their journey once they were rested and had a few more hours of travel.

    Then eventually the tunnel led to what was more of a gigantic fissure that only had enough of an opening to let in light. They could already notice that everything was covered in crystal formations¡­ The same crystals that the Admiral brought back.

    ¡°I did not exaggerate when I said that the stuff is everywhere. I have no idea how it formed, that¡¯ll be your job to figure it out. However this is only the beginning.¡±

    Valen looked around, being so attuned to his armor and the way Nikki manipulated its inherent Bioenergy, he could feel it surrounding everywhere. It permeated the very air around them and as he touched a rock, he could feel the warm feeling emanating from it.

    ¡°You are right, I can feel the Bioenergy everywhere. But how is such a thing possible?¡±

    ¡°This is what I am about to show you, we are almost there.¡± And then the Admiral led them through a series of openings barely big enough to let them through.

    They followed him through the twists and turns of the cavern until at last they emerged from the cave¡­ Valen was the first through after the Admiral, and once he was out, he gasped.

    Gigantic crystal spires were visible everywhere, a huge one visible in the distance that even seemed to glow internally. There were Wingdrakes flying around, the ones that followed Zorah around called Barnos. He did not see monsters around but it was clear that there was a whole ecosystem present there.

    Valen quickly cleared the way for the others to emerge and started examining the ground. Some fur clumps attracted his attention, but when he approached it, he raised an eyebrow. These were red strands, but also seemed to glow internally, he attempted to pick one up but he accidentally rubbed them together as he did so, causing them to spark and create a small explosion as they were consumed. But it was enough to confirm his suspicions.

    These were bits of Teostra fur, which was known to have explosive properties for reasons poorly understood, but the fact that there was fur laying around clearly meant that they were in his territory.

    He studied them more, as the others came closer and made the same discovery as he did. Then the Admiral talked to them.

    ¡°You may think this Teostra is the only Elder laying around¡­ And you would be wrong. I¡¯ve seen several living here. There were Kushalah, Teostra and Lunastra couples, I believe that I spotted a Chameleos and the Valstrax flying around probably also roosts there. There are regular wyverns of course, but the sheer amount of Elders present is unusual.¡±

    ¡°It is like¡­ They are tolerating each other. But¡­¡± Sophie mused.

    ¡°Elders are notoriously territorial to other species.¡± Valen said. ¡°Some exceptions happen for sure, but it was a consistent fact we noticed about them. For so many of them to be living close, there would be enough resources to sustain them all.¡±

    ¡°Bioenergy!¡± Sophie exclaimed. ¡°The amount of Bioenergy present must be so great that they do not have to compete for it, and so they do not need to fight.¡±

    ¡°You may be right¡­¡± Ikari said. ¡°Though they still need to feed regularly.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn''t a high amount of Bioenergy also help sustain a greater population of regular Wyverns?¡± Aiden suggested. ¡°After all, even if they do not need it as much as the Elders, they still need a bit of it.¡±

    ¡°That must be it! And thus it would also provide a greater food source for Elders, at least the carnivorous ones.¡± Sophie concluded.

    ¡°I already thought about a name for this place.¡± The Admiral said, attracting the attention of everybody. ¡°The Elder Recess.¡±

    ¡°I like it!¡± Sophie said. ¡°It gives the most important information for those that aren¡¯t familiar with it.¡±

    Valen was about to comment before the Admiral said.

    ¡°However¡­ We have an issue. A large portion of the Elders have recently fled the place, because of one newcomer. I¡¯m certain you already are familiar with it.¡±

    ¡°Nergigante?¡± Rapha?lle questioned.

    ¡°Nergigante. He has stirred a Vespoid¡¯s nest and is trying to ambush Elders that are living here. For what reason I cannot tell, but he is undoubtedly disturbing the local ecosystem.¡±

    ¡°Then we must track it down and deal with it.¡± Rapha?lle said. ¡°Lest Elders that are fleeing may cause a major shift in other ecosystems.¡±

    Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet. He knew Elders were able to tone down the effects they had on the environment thanks to Nikki¡­ But also they would be distressed after fleeing what might be a predator to them so they would attempt to make the environment more favorable to them.

    ¡°That is the issue indeed.¡± The Admiral said. ¡°So that is the task I ask of you all: study the regular monsters that live here and most importantly, track down Nergigante. It must be dealt with if we want the situation to come back to normal.¡±

    Everybody present nodded, and after a short discussion, they agreed that they would split up to bolster their chances. They would need to cover as much ground as they could, so each Hunter and Handler pair would travel independently. Valen would head towards the looming mountains as he was more adept at climbing, Aiden would go towards the more volcanic regions, as he had a supply of Cold Drinks while Rapha?lle would explore the many crystalline formations that were spread everywhere.

    So the group spread, with the Admiral also going his own way, and with their tasks decided, they now focused on their goal.

    <hr>

    The main reason Valen asked to explore the mountain besides that he was the one that fit it the best, was that he believed Nikki nested there, it followed her preferences in nests, being in high locations in the air which allowed them to be able to spot intruders more easily and were more defensive positions for her. He did not share these facts with Ikari yet, but he would warn him if he found signs of her presence. At least they all had several days to accomplish their tasks.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Valen thus started to climb up the mountain range, helping Ikari who wasn¡¯t as fit as him, though he was physical enough to follow him, since it was necessary in the field. They climbed up for the whole day, occasionally spotting Wyverns roaming around, the main one being a flying one that seemed to grow literal bombs under its chin and bulbous tail. There weren¡¯t records of this species yet so Ikari took all the notes he could. They noted it seemed to be aggressive and an opportunistic predator, engaging monsters when they were fighting against them in an attempt to feast on both.

    However on the second day, at midday, was when Valen started to worry, he hadn¡¯t seen Nikki since a while, and since they were so close to her nest, he believed that they would at least see her when she was taking off or landing nearby, the fact he did not see her was worrying him, had something happened to her? He hoped that it wasn¡¯t something irrecoverable.

    However they soon found the silver scales he knew were associated with her, so he was certain she was nearby. What worried him was that they also found the spikes associated with Nergigante¡­ Which also meant it was probably nearby.

    This was confirmed when the next day they found definite proof there had been a fight between Nikki and the spiky Elder, due to the blood sprays that were present in the area. There were traces of dragon energy explosions that she could create, but from what he could tell, he believed the Nergigante managed to ambush her and wound her, but she managed to retaliate and escape. The signs were old too, which would also place them¡­ Around the time they were repelling Zorah.

    Valen was now certain, Nikki was injured and recovering. He shared these findings with Adem and Ikari.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m worried for her, she means so much to me.¡± Valen whispered.

    ¡°Then let''s be quick!¡± Adem said. ¡°Do you think she could nest nearby?¡± (Punmaster)

    ¡°Maybe? The best location we should check is at the top of the mountain. But I¡¯m worried because nothing would have stopped the Nergigante¡¯s attempt to pursue her, especially if she is wounded¡­¡±

    ¡°Unless he managed to find an easier target? I¡¯m certain you know how hard Valstrax are to catch.¡± Ikari pointed out.

    ¡°Then there is no time to waste, who knows if the Nergigante comes back to finish the job.¡±

    Now that they were all in agreement, they set out for the mountain, climbing it. Valen had his worries rising during the trek. He wanted Nikki to be fine, above all else, but there was nothing he could do until they found her.

    The mountain was steep but at least had a large amount of handholds for them to hold on, They used a rope and spikes that he hammered into the rock as safeties so that they had a safety should one fall, though it was more for the benefit of Ikari, as Valen still had his thrusters should it happen, and Adem being a Felyne was more adept to long falls.

    They stopped in a cave once the sun started setting, setting up camp. Valen struggled to sleep that night, too worried by Nikki, but he still managed to grab enough sleep to be functional.

    The following morning, as they continued their ascension, he kept looking at the sky, hoping to see her, as the morning was the usual time she flew around¡­ But she didn¡¯t appear. Midday came and went without any more signs.

    They were well in the middle of the afternoon and now scaling the mountain on the side as they were already far enough up. Every time they found a cave they inspected it but no signs of occupancy were present.

    He was too focused on hammering a spike to loop the rope into it when Adem gasped and shouted:

    ¡°Meowster! Look!¡±

    So he did and gasped. There she was, flying above them¡­ But at a much lower altitude than she usually did, which was worrying, she also seemed much slower than usual, which clearly meant something was wrong with her. He had his hand busy with securing their lifeline, but thankfully Adem seemed to know what to do and pulled out a mirror out of his bag. He then flashed the sun back towards the crimson ball up.

    Immediately it seemed to react and changed directions, heading towards their direction. Valen¡¯s heart soared at that, it confirmed that it was indeed her. He looked around then looked towards the nearest ledge that had enough space to welcome all four of them. However, looking below them, and notably at Ikari, he noticed that he seemed to struggle to know how to react, being on the verge of a panic attack. Valen was about to speak at him to calm him down before Ikari closed his eyes and took deep breaths, visibly steadying himself.

    And then he looked back up at the sky, and now Nikki was there, slowing down her descent towards them¡­ Though as she stopped to hover next to them, he noticed immediately some things that were wrong. The most noticeable was the large gash on her left shoulder that seemed to still be healing. She also seemed visibly tired and lost weight. This confirmed Valen¡¯s fears and that she survived the Nergigante¡¯s ambush, but didn¡¯t get out of it uninjured.

    He was about to ask her to wait for them on the ledge above when suddenly she hovered closer, being careful to maneuver so that her wings didn''t spray on them, and then, delicately, took hold of the rope with her beak, between Adem and Valen. The noise of her wings was loud but Valen immediately realized what she was about to do and shouted at Ikari:

    ¡°Prepare to release the rock, she¡¯s going to carry us!¡±

    His Handler still seemed to struggle with his panic attack, but he nodded still, and looked warily at Nikki. The Valstrax then flew directly away from the cliff, with deliberate slowness, Adem had already dropped from the rock and was dangling from the rope, and then with noises similar to tearing, the spikes that secured the rope on the rock were forced out by Nikki. Once the rope started tugging at him, Valen dropped from the rock, but since he was above them all, he started to fall, so his thrusters quickly activated to slow his fall so that it didn¡¯t jerk Nikki too much.

    With a final burst to cancel his momentum, the rope stopped his fall suddenly, but it was bearable. Nikki had paused when he was falling, but now that he was secured, she finished tugging at the rope, unhooking the last spike, and that was the signal Ikari waited to release the rock himself, where he started on a pendulum motion in the air. He shouted a bit in fright, but quickly steadied himself.

    The Valstrax then did not waste time and slowly gained height, her package in tow. Then she flew up to the ledge and started descending with deliberate slowness, depositing first Ikari, then Valen on the ground, and once he was directly below her, she opened the beak to drop the rope, releasing Adem, who got caught by Valen. Then finally she landed a bit away from them, panting heavily.

    The Felyne climbed on Valen¡¯s shoulder, who ran towards Nikki, and hugged her on the beak. She leaned into him back, as the both of them were happy to be together and fine, though not completely in the case of Nikki. He extended the contact for a bit before he released her and asked.

    ¡®When you hurt?¡¯

    To which she responded first by tapping on the ground a certain number of times, their way to communicate numbers:

    ¡®Ten days. Spiky elder attacked. Escaped but careful. Hungry.¡¯

    Valen expected that¡­ It was what he supposed happened. He put down his bag and dug into it, looking for something then extracted a carefully closed pouch out of it. Opening it, it contained dark red berries that every hunter knew about. Dragonfell berries, they were precious for the guild and rare to find, though the Ancient Tree in Astera allowed them to cultivate them, which was a boon as their main use were into fueling Dragonators, which was what allowed them to function correctly on Elder Dragons.

    He grabbed a handful of them and presented them to Nikki, who carefully plucked them and swallowed them. Valen smiled, she loved them, to the complete opposite of other Elders, to which it was found out they disrupted their powers. They spent a moment together where he fed them to the Elder, then once the bag was empty, he started approaching her wound, and paused, waiting for her confirmation, that she gave to him by presenting her shoulder to him.

    He inspected the wound. It was a bit swollen, but the infection was only minor, as he guessed the sheer concentration of dragon energy made any infection almost ineffective on her. But there was one still. So he pulled out a Mega Potion out of his bag and poured the drug on the wound, cleaning it and allowing it to be absorbed by the flesh. He believed it would heal in time. Once his ministrations were done, he turned back to face her.

    ¡®Any others?¡¯

    To which she backed up a bit and presented her other wing, but as he saw, there was only a scratch on one of the wings, some scales were missing but it did not penetrate through. However when he inspected the wings, he noticed some dragon energy was leaking through the end, as if her organ was overproducing it¡­ Though he believed it was only because of the amount of berries he fed her, so he dismissed the oddity. Nodding to her, he backed off. He looked behind at Ikari, which while he was still staying a distance away, had pulled out his notebook and was furiously scribbling into it. Adem was staying with him, as reassurance. Valen smiled, that was good progress for Ikari.

    Looking back towards Nikki, she started walking towards the edge and said.

    ¡®Hunting, hungry, back.¡¯

    ¡®Careful, Elder around.¡¯

    ¡®I am.¡¯

    Then she powered up her wings and took off, not as violently as she usually does, probably because of her injury and of their proximity, but she headed towards the ocean visible in the distance. He looked at her getting away before he turned and headed to Ikari.

    ¡°Are you doing alright? I am sorry to have sprung that on you¡­¡±

    ¡°I struggled a bit, but the fact you showed to me she means no harm, and the relationship you have¡­ It helped. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the last time.¡±

    Valen smiled.

    ¡°She¡¯s hunting, she should be back in a bit. And my suspicions were right, she had been ambushed by Nergigante. It seems she managed to hide from it and it gave up the chase and went for an easier target.¡±

    ¡°I am not surprised, Valstrax are elusive and cautious. And I¡¯m sure you know most of all how we have to hunt one if we ever need to.¡±

    He nodded, the only way to slay a Valstrax was to ambush it and ground it in the opening strike, else it would just fly away to heal. The only other way¡­ Required another Valstrax.

    ¡°We will probably camp here, I¡¯m just waiting for her to return. But still, there is something odd with the Recess¡­ I¡¯m going to see if she¡¯s more willing to give information or at least confirm suspicions, she rarely does, but I¡¯m more confident this time.¡±

    ¡°It is strange behavior indeed. Do you have any ideas why?¡±

    ¡°Only some kind of honors among Elders. She still has some mysteries around her, but I don¡¯t push too much, she trusts me, so I¡¯ll respect that.¡±

    He was about to continue when he spotted her making the trip back, her fireball having plunged into the ocean and was coming back. This reminded Valen about something and he chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain Valstrax have some talent for geometry. You know how water distorts light when you try to look at something inside the water unless you are directly above it? Well she is able to spot Ludroth swimming from a high enough height and dive at the real location that they are at. It is impressive to see and something I¡¯m certain nobody else knows about. They are damn good fishers.¡±

    Ikari wrote into his notebook, the scratches of his pen the only sound audible for a moment before he commented.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard tales of Rathalos fishing occasionally too, though it seems more often when they are desperate for food and are not successful often. I think Astalos would find better success due to their lightning, but no reports of one doing so have been made.¡±

    Valen nodded, but did not reply, Nikki now being visible to them and slowing down to land besides them. She was carrying a pair of speartuna in her claws that she dropped on the ground and started eating them ravenously. Ikari returned to his meek self, trying to make himself as small as possible in her presence. So Valen went to him and sat next to him.

    Ikari seemed to try to ignore Nikki eating next to them, so he looked at what he was writing. It was indeed notes about what Valen just said about Nikki but also some small details he seemed to have noticed himself, mostly about the workings of her wings, which did not surprise Valen. He decided to help him by telling other facts about her that he noticed over the years.

    Then Nikki finished her meal and put what remained of her meal aside. Valen looked at her and stood up, he wanted to see if she would give some information this time.

    ¡®This place¡­ Bioenergy?¡¯

    Nikki looked at him for a bit before she nodded.

    ¡®Full. Unusual. I attracted. Others attracted. Exact location unknown.¡¯

    ¡®Spikes Elder attracted?¡¯ Valen asked.

    She growled a bit at the mention of the Nergigante before she answered.

    ¡®Drawn to us. Predator, scavenger of Elder.¡¯

    Valen recoiled. A predator of Elder Dragons? He was certain that it was the first time something was confirmed. Most Elders simply fought for territory or domination, not for predation.

    ¡®Hunts you?¡¯ Valen wanted to confirm if she was in danger.

    ¡®He try. Evade long. He abandoned. I hard catch and cautious now.¡¯

    So it confirms that Nergigante tried to chase her for a while but gave up after she proved too elusive. Valen breathed in relief.

    ¡®Other Elders?¡¯

    ¡®Vulnerable. Most strong and repel, but spikes hunt young, weak. Elder flee now. Come back when he gone.¡¯

    This was important information, because it meant that once the threat of Nergigante was gone, other Elders should come back to the Recess. They just needed to be able to take care of it. Still, Valen was surprised she had been so forward with information¡­ She always gave the bare minimum, but he supposed that Nergigante had made her realize she needed his help to put it down. So he nodded to her and replied.

    ¡®I relay information to companions. They hunt spikes.¡¯

    She nodded. However she raised a paw, seemingly about to say something, before she engaged in another motion and said.

    ¡®I rest and heal, stay here.¡¯ To which Valen simply nodded, but he could not dismiss the feeling that she was about to say something important before dismissing the conversation.

    He did not push the matter however and left her alone, she already revealed enough information¡­ So he simply decided that they would stay here until she healed as a deterrent to hostile Elders then rendez-vous with the others once the time was up. He relayed the information that she told him to Ikari, who agreed that it made taking care of Nergigante a priority task. Though he also raised a good point.

    ¡°How will you justify getting this information Valen? Sure you can use the site where Nikki was ambushed as a good point, but it will still be suspicious.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll simply say it¡¯s my theory from those examinations. I don¡¯t need to say we confirmed this information. I believe a lot of our research is simply theories anyways¡­¡±

    ¡°Good point. I¡¯ll be the one to put forward this theory then, you¡¯ll just make the observations.¡±

    Valen nodded. Ikari had a good idea, so he will follow him on this¡­ It seemed he was getting used to Nikki, but still was wary of her, but he was happy about that at least.

    So they went to sleep that night, Valen and Adem trading watch turns, more as a reassurance to Ikari than anything else.

    <hr>

    They spent a couple days together with Nikki, who had healed remarkably well, though she would keep that scar on her shoulder. But then came the time they had to get down if they wanted to be back in time. So after saying his farewells to the Valstrax, she informed him that she would move her nest closer to Astera, since she did not trust the one she picked in the Recess, and believed it was too crowded anyways. She did not inform him where she would go though.

    So after a last hug between the two, they climbed down the mountain and Nikki flew away. The two days with Nikki had done wonders for Ikari and he even worked up the courage to scratch her once, a fact to which Valen and Adem smiled.

    They returned on time to where the group split, the Admiral, Lea and Aiden were already there, though Rapha?lle and Sophie weren¡¯t back yet. Still, the Admiral welcomed them.

    ¡°Valen, Ikari, Adem. I hope your findings were significant?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I found important information. But let wait for Rapha?lle first.¡±

    ¡°I would not expect anything less.¡± He replied with a grin.

    Valen nodded, and settled to wait for Rapha?lle. He chatted occasionally with Aiden, about the life in Astera and the challenges the outpost was currently facing. The Admiral seemed interested by their facts, since he had been away for long.

    However when the afternoon went by and the sun started setting, they started to get worried, and were about to try looking for her when they finally appeared from away¡­ And they gasped. Rapha?lle clearly showed signs she fought, limping a bit and her armor torn in some places, and Sophie and Flighty were dragging a sled that was full of monsters materials¡­ That Valen recognized.

    The Admiral ran towards them, and helped support Rapha?lle, who appreciated the gesture. Valen followed him, and together helped Rapha?lle to sit down. The Admiral then immediately asked.

    ¡°I have a guess, but can you tell us what happened.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded and said.

    ¡°We found Nergigante tracks where we want, and even a tribe of Felynes, though they were different from the Grymalkyne found everywhere¡­ They were hostile at first, but Flighty managed to communicate with them and inform them we did not have any intention to fight, then when she mentioned that we were looking for Nergigante¡­ They pleaded us to help them. Apparently it had settled its nest just next to their base and caused them to abandon it.¡±

    Sophie took over.

    ¡°So we said that we would try to repel it and force it to resettle. I kept near the arena under my mantle while she and Flighty tracked it down and fought it¡­¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ When I started to injure it and wear it down. It did that weird roar and¡­ became extremely aggressive and frenzied.¡± She exhaled. ¡°I barely managed to keep up with it, and had a few near misses.¡±

    ¡°The Felynes helped her then, throwing explosives and knives at the Elder, which helped, at least to divert its attention for a bit, but it was still mostly focused on Rapha?lle.¡± Sophie said.

    ¡°However, I managed to lure it below one of those crystals that jut out of a wall, whose tip was eroded¡­ Then my Kinsect rammed it as hard at it could, causing it to fall on the Elder, which broke its wing and pinned it down. I did not waste time exploiting the opening, and cut open large gashes on its belly, it bled out soon and laid still, I waited a few minutes to make sure.¡±

    ¡°I joined her after, and after she carved the parts she wanted, we had to leave the body behind. Scavengers must already be on it.¡± Sophie concluded.

    Valen approached the pile of materials that were carved, they were a sizable amount, enough for a weapon for sure, but would be limited to a couple pieces of armor. He noted the lack of a peculiar item, so he asked.

    ¡°That is everything you carved here right?¡±

    ¡°It is. I hoped for the whole body, but I did not have the means to bring it back¡­¡±

    ¡°And should you not have slain it already, I planned that we report our findings to Astera and task you with the hunt.¡± He grinned. ¡°It seems you were way ahead of us this time however.¡±

    Valen smiled, then nodded.

    ¡°We made some discoveries on our own, but it seems the root of the problem has now been taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s walk team, we¡¯ll share everything on the road!¡±

    Everybody replied on the affirmative, and Valen started, explaining the signs of an ambush they found, which were followed by Ikari¡¯s hypothesis.

    Aiden however did not find much of its tracks, however they did make detailed reports of three monsters they encountered in the volcanic area, two already familiar to the guild, being the volcanic cousin of Jyuratodus: Laviasoth, and what was thought to be the only wyvern to move around by rolling before the discovery of Radobaan: Uragaan. The new species was some kind of rock eater that shared some similarities with Jagras.

    With Rapha?lle already having told their tales, they only could elaborate on the finer details they have seen. But Valen was relieved, she may not have been prepared for it, but she proved what he suspected she had the ability of: to overcome the highest challenge a Hunter could face: Hunting an Elder.

 Sky Render Chapter 13: Understanding

    They flew back to Astera right after they distributed Rapha?lle¡¯s carves, since her Wingdrake would not be able to carry it all at once. The journey was spent in silence at first, everybody coming to terms with the magnitude of Rapha?lle¡¯s exploits. Then the ice broke, and they chatted about their hopes of the situation returning to normal now that Nergigante had been taken care of. The Elders that escaped the Recess to evade the predator should come back to it soon.

    They rested in the wilderness for the night, allowing their fliers and themselves to rest, on a cliff that dropped into the sea. It was a beautiful place, the reflection of the moonlight rising out to the horizon giving an eerie aspect to the scene. They enjoyed the view together for a bit, before going to sleep, taking turns to watch for monsters.

    Finally, after a couple more days of journey, they arrived at Astera. It had not changed since their departure, and its homey feeling was still present for Valen, who truly believed it to be his new home.

    They landed at the Tradeyard, a few people noticing their arrival. Valen spotted one of them that started running, he supposed to inform the Commander of their return. He made sure the bag containing Rapha?lle¡¯s materials was still on his shoulder and they headed towards the council table, and upon reaching it they all piled the materials near her. Her leg was still injured, but it had started healing, aided by the careful application of Potions.

    When the Commander arrived and saw them, he nodded and seemed to inspect them, spotting the bags of materials and raising an eyebrow. But he did not question them, as it was best that they made their reports once the whole council was there. This did not take much time as all members started coming not long after the Commander arrived.

    Once everybody was here, Arcos started the meeting. ¡°Now that we are gathered, I will leave our Fifth hunters to their explanations.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°We have indeed found a new locale. Unlike anything else before, either in the Old or New World. It was full of crystals like those the Admiral brought back, some at gigantic proportions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all though!¡± Sophie said. ¡°There was a mountainous area that seemed to be made out of basalt and a volcanic area close to the Everstream. However, one thing was clear¡­ The place was where a lot of Elders lived.¡±

    That revelation caused everybody at the table to gasp, Elders were feared and respected for a reason, and usually lived far from each other. That so many lived in one place¡­

    ¡°Thus, I named the place Elder¡¯s Recess,¡± the Admiral continued. ¡°It seemed fitting.¡±

    ¡°I have also confirmed that the place had an unnatural density of Bioenergy,¡± Ikari said. ¡°It is truly everywhere, and even regular Wyverns were full of it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it is in our record then! Ohohohoh!¡± The Chief Ecologist said. ¡°This is truly exciting, we rarely ever had the chance to truly study Elders in their own environments!¡±

    Valen and Aiden exchanged a glance before the scarred hunter spoke up. ¡°I believe there should be restrictions on who is allowed to go to the Recess though¡­ Even trying to escape from an Elder is not something any Hunter is able to do,¡± Valen pointed out.

    ¡°And I agree,¡± the Commander said. ¡°A Hunter will need to at least have Apex equipment before being allowed to go to the Recess. Researchers need to be accompanied by one such hunter at all times, and keep their mantle on.¡±

    Everybody at this table agreed on that point. Then Rapha?lle stepped forward. ¡°Once we were led into the place by the Admiral, we split up to explore the area and look up signs of Nergigante, as we clearly noticed from the get-go that he was destabilising the balance between the Elders.¡±

    Valen took over. ¡°I headed for the mountains and Aiden for the volcanic area. I saw signs of Nergigante managing to ambush a Valstrax, most likely the one we see flying around sometimes. The Valstrax survived, even though it was injured.¡±

    ¡°I suspect that Nergigante is unique among Elders¡­ that they prey on other Elders themselves,¡± Ikari said, to the gasps of everybody present. ¡°The fact that it targeted the Valstrax seemed more like an opportunistic strike than anything else, but it is the reaction of some of the other Elders that is more telling. Since they fled from the Recess, it seems to imply that they were afraid of Nergigante.¡±

    ¡°We did receive reports of Elders showing up in a couple of regions nearby¡± the Admiral spoke up. ¡°I was waiting for you to decide how to deal with them.¡±

    Aiden then chimed in. ¡°For my side, I mostly saw a new species and a couple we are familiar with: Uragaan and Laviasoth. I¡¯m certain Lea will show you the sketches of the new species later.¡±

    The aforementioned Lea nodded, then Rapha?lle spoke up. ¡°I headed deeper into the crystal forest with Sophie and Flighty. We found a lot of tracks from Nergigante and a carcass of a Chameleos, which supports Ikari¡¯s suspicion. It was also relatively fresh. After that we surveyed with more caution, now that we had confirmation Nergigante was around. And then we found a Grimalkyne Village, and a plea for help.¡±

    Rapha?lle went on to narrate once again the demand to repel the Elder, the ensuing fight where the tribe helped, and Nergigante¡¯s complete refusal to retreat, which resulted in a battle to the death instead. She then retold the frenzy it worked itself into at that point and how she was hard-pressed to avoid its attacks, then finally the climatic end to it.

    ¡°I carved what I could, and Sophie helped make a makeshift sled that she could drag while supporting me. I think the tribe thanked us but I wasn¡¯t able to stay much longer.¡±

    Flighty interrupted. ¡°They did thank you, and said they would repay you in the future.¡±

    At that moment, Sophie put the several bags containing the Nergigante materials on the table, which contained pieces of the wing membrane, spikes, the tip of the tail, a horn, and several parts of its hide.

    The Second Fleet Master inspected them and nodded. ¡°I could make you some new gear with this! Not quite a full set but a weapon for sure!¡±

    Rapha?lle smiled, then the Commander interrupted. ¡°Fantastic work, Hunter Sophie! I suggest you go rest after this ordeal, we will convene the council in two days, once we have gotten a better idea of the situation with the Elders.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded, but she waited until the end of the council before she went to her room to rest, as they discussed the specifics of the Elder Recess, the immense quantities of Bioenergy present there and what it meant for their mission. They knew that they still had not solved the mystery of the crossing, Nergigante not being the reason for it and only being an opportunistic predator taking advantage of it. Eventually they decided they would study it after the current issue with the Elders was solved.

    Valen went to his room with a yawn. The council had lasted hours and it only just finished. Thankfully they would allow him to recover before needing to go for his new task. So he went to sleep so that he was fully ready for this task.

    <hr>

    Two days later, there were reports that most Elders had flown back to the Recess except for two. There was also another report from the Third Fleet, which had flown their airship back into the Corals, where they confirmed the sightings of an unknown Elder that was more active recently.

    Hence the second council was started.

    ¡°We know that most of the Elders that preferred to flee against Nergigante are no longer to be found, they are presumed to have returned to the Recess. However, we still have two that are still around.¡± He threw a few piles of papers on the table. ¡°One was confirmed to be in the Ancient Forest, the other in the Wildspire Waste. We have an idea of what each is¡­ and that leaves me with a conundrum.¡±

    ¡°We suspect the one in the Ancient Forest is a Kushalah Daora, while the one in the Wildspire is a Teostra.¡± The Chief Ecologist took over. ¡°However, there are also reports of an Elder that is now roaming the Rotten Vale, somehow increasing the density of the Effluvium there. It is one that the Third Fleet is somewhat familiar with, however, and they have previously found traces of its presence but never a full sighting. The Tracker never dared investigate them as it was out of her league.¡±

    Arcos thanked him and resumed. ¡°So I have a plan. The issue is that we have four Hunters capable of hunting Elders, but only three of you have Elder gear. So I have made a decision.¡±

    ¡°Valen, you showed us time and time again you are a formidable Hunter, and that few things can stand before you, so you have no issue hunting solo. The same goes for you, Rapha?lle, and now you''re going to be busy helping make your new gear with the Second Fleet Master. You won¡¯t go before it is done.

    ¡°However Blue Flare, you told me that you are not at the level you once were, and are worried about your diminishing skills. And you, Aiden, you do have the skills, but while your current armor is respectable, it is not Elder gear. Which is why I have decided to partner you together.¡±

    The two of them nodded. Aiden broke out in an exuberant grin. ¡°I will not disappoint you Commander!¡±

    ¡°The issue is thus: We all know that Jake earned his title by slaying a Lunastra, and we know his history with Teostra. However, Aiden also has experience fighting against a Kushalah Daora, which is why I decided you will both go against this foe. It might seem a waste of Jake''s expertise, but I believe Aiden is the priority. He would have an easier time against a familiar foe, and this will allow him to craft an armor out of it. That would leave Valen to go against the Teostra, and Rapha?lle to investigate the sightings of this new Elder.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I should have no issues against a Teostra, though I will prioritize repelling over slaying. I do not need new gear, and it would just be a waste if I did so.¡±

    ¡°It is a good point, you are probably the one that would never need to upgrade your gear. Maybe a new weapon, but not new armor,¡± Arcos said.

    Jake stood up, using his Longsword to do so. ¡°Even though my old nemesis is there, I recognize the value of helping the new generation. I will help Hunter Aiden with the Dragon of Steel,¡± he said with a gruff voice.

    "Don''t worry, I trust you not to ''steel'' all the glory!" Aiden jokingly cut in, which made everybody chuckle and the Commander show a smile.

    ¡°And we will help the Third Fleet and the Tracker with their task once I am able,¡± Rapha?lle said, smiling at Sophie.

    The Commander was about to conclude the meeting before the Admiral cut in, drawing their attention. ¡°As for myself¡­ I need to leave, the Seeker has sent a summons for me requesting my presence urgently. He has found something and I need to assess what it is. I will return once I know more.¡±

    ¡°I have held down the fort without you, and will continue to do so,¡± Arcos said. ¡°Good luck to all of your endeavors, and may the Sapphire Star light your way!¡±

    Everybody cheered at that and they left the council table, Rapha?lle to return to the smithing of her armor, and the other three Hunters to depart for their respective tasks. Valen stocked up much more than he usually did, taking the highest quality supplies he possessed, as he knew Elders did not joke around, and now wasn¡¯t the time to be under-geared. He would need to pull out all the stops, so he picked up the phials that were made out of Nikki¡¯s distilled blood. He picked up the few Max Potions that he ever crafted, with unparalleled healing potency limited by the fact that a Hunter could only use a few before risking an incurable malady.

    Ikari joined him in his preparations, though he would stay out of the fight and only observe from a distance under his Ghillie suit. After their preparations were complete, they spoke with those that had made the reports of seeing the Teostra, and so had a starting point from where they could start their investigation.

    The sun was setting by the time their preparations were over, and since they did not wish to travel in the dark, they decided they would depart the following day, so they both went to sleep.

    <hr>

    They were in the air, their Wingdrakes carrying them as soon as the first rays of dawn were visible. The Wildspire being the neighboring region, they did not have to travel as far as for the Recess or Highlands. But the reports were made from an area far from Astera as well.

    It was well in the afternoon when they reached where the sightings had been made. So they dropped out of their ride and started examining the surroundings, and it did not take long for him to spot what they had seen. There were numerous footprints in the area that had literally scorched the rock, so it left no doubts about what monster was at the origin. The red, almost pinkish fur that he could see confirmed it too.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Ikari confirmed it. ¡°It looks like he had patrolled this area for a while, but it seems he moved on since these are at least a week old.¡±

    ¡°Given the date of the report, they were fresh when the hunter saw them. Maybe he noticed the Hunter¡¯s presence, and that made him wary and move on?¡± Valen suggested.

    ¡°Possible. You undoubtedly know more about how an Elder would think than me.¡±

    ¡°Nikki is really unusual I would say, but yeah.¡± He turned to Adem. ¡°You think you could sniff it out, Adem?¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t Adem who answered him. ¡°Use your Scoutflies instead.¡± Ikari cut off Adem¡¯s answer. ¡°They were trained for that after all, and they seem especially proficient at tracking Elders.Might be because of Bioenergy actually.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I never really had a use for them so I always forget about them.¡± Valen defended himself. ¡°But yeah, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    So he bent over and picked a few strands of fur, then brought them to the Scoutflies cage that rested on his hip. They gathered around it, then changed their red glow to blue, and started flying in one direction, over which Valen noticed was only one set of footprints. He nodded to Ikari, who started to follow him a ways away, as they now knew they shouldn¡¯t stay too close together.

    Ikari still wasn¡¯t comfortable with the presence of monsters, but it seemed that the two meetings with Nikki really helped him, as he was way less skittish than he was when they did that Anjanath hunt. Valen was proud of him, and he truly appreciated the efforts that he made for him, taking care of all the paperwork and research he would ordinarily need to do himself back in the Old World.

    They followed the trail the glowing Scoutflies laid out for them. It had numerous twists and turns, the Teostra undoubtedly covering every inch of his claimed territory. For some reason, it seemed that he had traveled it more by foot than using his wings. Valen suspected that it was because flying was too tiring for the Elder. That, or he wanted to make himself known.

    Still, they followed the trail for a full day and camped in a place they were certain was secure. The group then went to sleep, Valen and Adem trading watches in the night.

    <hr>

    Nikki started flying above them after a couple of days, but she seemed to have decided not to land to accompany them, and simply flew around, like a guardian watching from the skies. He smiled at her, but focused on his task to find the Teostra¡¯s trail.

    It was only after a few more days that they finally found truly fresh tracks of the Elder. They were certain it was only days old, so Ikari only kept to places that had cover nearby from that point onwards. Valen followed the trail of the Teostra, the Elder still keeping to the ground most of the time for some reason, but the fact that no signs of blood were present meant that it probably wasn¡¯t because he was injured. He did not complain, however, as it made his job easier.

    They followed the trail for most of the day, when suddenly the Scoutflies started to glow more intensely, not red, but a brighter blue. Valen knew that they did so when their target was in the area but not hostile. He nodded to Adem, who had immediately started to walk on all fours, and from the corner of his eye, he could glimpse that Ikari had checked on his mantle to make sure it was secured.

    The Scoutflies then flew in a direction, guiding him toward the current location of the Elder. He looked around, they were in the middle of the Wastes, though he wouldn¡¯t be able to say exactly where. There were some large cliffs around, with numerous caves that he believed would be a good place for a monster to nest in. Some footprints were visible in the sand, their shape molded with scorched glass. There were numerous as well, clearly showing that the Elder frequented this place.

    Looking above, he confirmed that Nikki was still flying, as she had been since some time that morning. However, he noticed that she was more¡­ guarded. She did not fly in as wide a loop as she normally did. Most likely she knew what their goal was and was putting on some kind of display to other Elders. With some luck, he believed it would help them figure out a peaceful solution to the issue.

    The Scoutflies led them into the cliffs, following a path that seemed to have been worn by numerous monsters, until they stopped at the mouth of a cave, and did not fly further inside. They even flew back to the cage once Valen reached the spot they were hovering at. He understood immediately why, as there was something in the air now, akin to a pressure and a feeling to not go any further.

    Deciding it would be wise to not pursue, he backed away and forced himself to release the grip he had on his weapon, having instinctively reached for it. Glancing at his side, he saw that Adem¡¯s fur was puffed up, but he seemed to be regaining control over his instincts. Valen backed up a bit further until he was standing a fair bit away from the entrance of the cave. Going inside would be a foolish decision to make, and he wasn¡¯t sure how the Elder would respond to him calling for it. Instead, he simply decided that he would wait until the Teostra came out.

    Crouching down, he released his weapon from the magnet securing it to his back then stabbed it in the ground after switching it to Sword mode. Close enough for him to be able to grab it should he need it, but not so that it conveyed an intent of hostility. He learned how much was needed from the time he spent with Nikki, though he set the weapon a bit further away than usual, since he knew the trust Nikki granted him was something that the Teostra would lack.

    Pulling out his notebook, he started writing in it, recording how he found the trail and what he observed on the journey. He traced the path that he made on the map, surprisingly direct thanks to the Scoutflies that led him. Then again, that was why they were used after all, as they drastically helped Hunters to find their targets.

    So he continued writing, periodically checking the mouth of the cave for any signs of the Elder. He barely managed to spot Ikari, the researcher having found a safe place where he could observe. He was currently taking notes in his own notebook.

    Time seemed to pass both fast and slow, fast because of the fact Valen managed to distract himself and slow because of the tension that seemed to hang in the air, simply by being in the same area as an Elder unfamiliar with Valen.

    Valen was snapped out of his reverie when Adem pushed him with one of his paws, pointing towards the cave. He immediately closed his notebook and stashed it back on his hip, then stood up. He still did not pick up his weapon, but kept close to it. He took a stance that would project his confidence and show that he was not intimidated by the possible foe that would come to him.

    He studied the darkness, but did not see anything, when suddenly a red glow appeared further in, from behind a corner. It intensified slowly, shifting as the origin moved constantly, and Valen could feel its presence intensifying. It was an aura that commanded respect, that spoke to the primal part of himself, that would almost command any lesser being to flee or bow. Valen did neither¡­ and even felt almost the same aura that seemed to originate from his armor, but more focused. His armor''s aura wanted to simply be given the respect it demanded.

    Then suddenly the Elder appeared. A fiery mane, regal horna that seemed to keep it controlled, great wings that seemed to glitter occasionally, though one seemed to be healing after a recent injury, scaled paws tipped with dangerous claws, huge fangs that left no doubts as to their ability to tear. And deep blue eyes that seemed to study him intensely as he approached.

    The Teostra approached slowly, not changing his pace but projecting a feeling of indifference, though Valen glimpsed a tiny glimmer of interest in him. The fact he wasn¡¯t immediately hostile was a good start, and he would make sure the Elder did not get any reason to become so.

    Finally, the Teostra stopped just outside his cave and simply stared at Valen, to which the hunter returned the gaze. Just peering into those orbs, he could feel the wisdom of the Elder, he could feel that he had lived decades, if not more.He knew what the Hunter was capable of, but seemed to understand he did not have hostile intentions, so the Elder did not as well. He did seem to be disapproving of the intrusion into his territory, however.

    This was the feelings that Valen got, both thanks to his experience with Nikki, and because they almost emanated from the Elder. So he did the only thing that he believed would clarify things to the being in front of him. He slowly dug into his pouch and removed something that Rapha?lle agreed to give before they left, once he explained to her what he wanted to attempt: a single spike from Nergigante.

    He presented it to the Teostra, and immediately could feel its whole demeanor shift. He seemed to understand what it meant, that hunters managed to triumph over the Elder that preyed upon other Elders. A short growl and a subtle downward movement with his head indicated that he wanted to study it closer. So Valen threw the spike gently forwards, closer to the Elder, which immediately bent down and sniffed the spike, then placed a paw on it. He seemed to focus for a moment before looking at Valen.

    The Elder¡¯s stance seemed to shift, and while he still seemed disapproving of their presence, he now felt thankful for ridding the Recess of the threat that had invaded it. Valen simply relaxed a bit in return, and they stared at each other for a bit before the Teostra suddenly seemed to change his focus and looked skywards. It looked straight at Nikki flying above and immediately roared, a sound that Valen truly felt in his bones. It conveyed dissatisfaction, a bit of anger, and a desire for explanation. He barely managed to suppress the reflex to pick up his weapon and stood his ground.

    However, the result was immediate. Nikki immediately changed her flight pattern and started heading towards their location. The Teostra was now on guard, and seemed to be ready to fight with the Valstrax if she proved hostile towards him. However, once she was visible by herself and not as a crimson ball, she immediately slowed down and controlled her descent to land behind Valen, immediately shifting her wings so they did not aim toward the Teostra from either end.

    The fiery Elder growled this time, but conveying the same feelings. Nikki, however, seemed to project feelings of reassurance, but also a hint of fierceness and¡­ Valen almost thought he did not get it right, but he was certain he did: protection. And she was looking at Valen when she did so.

    He almost gasped, he was certain she was telling the Teostra that she would side with him if he proved hostile. The Teostra seemed to be in disbelief as well, but immediately looked at Valen in a new way: judging him.

    Valen really did not want to risk doing anything that could anger the Elder, but he had a spark of inspiration. And so he pointed at one of the pawprints that had been charred due to his aura, as well as some of the glass that was around, and did a wide gesture to designate the whole surrounding. He also did his best to convey the feeling of protection, of respect.

    The Teostra seemed to be confused for a bit, but Nikki managed to understand what Valen meant, and she was able to clarify to the Elder what Valen meant exactly: to protect the ecosystem, to not simply exploit it or destroy it. He seemed to understand, though immediately challenged Valen, to dare him that he would not be able to stop him anyway. His aura intensified, fire curling around him and glittering fur starting to shed from his mane.

    Immediately Valen reached for his weapon and gripped the handle, though he did not pick it up, merely answering the challenge with pure determination. He barely flinched when he got hit, and stared down the Teostra. The pressure that was inflicted by the Teostra was staggering, but Valen held firm. He ignored everything else in the world and only focused on the Elder attempting to cow him. And thus, he held on.

    Seconds trickled by, but they felt like hours as the moment stretched into eternity, the result of the sheer focus Valen was pouring into his effort not to back down. He wasn¡¯t sure where he was finding the strength to sustain it, but did not question it.

    Then suddenly, the Teostra stopped, his stance shifting in an instant and the low growl that he was emitting, finally realizing the Elder was emitting it in its absence. The feeling he was getting now was of respect and approval, of Valen being able to endure his aura, which he noticed immediately dimmed, no more fire curling around the Elder.

    Valen took a deep breath and saw Nikki¡¯s head in his peripheral vision. She had a smug look on her face, and projected the feeling of pride, as if she knew that he would be able to pass the Teostra¡¯s test. Then she looked back at the Teostra and rumbled, giving the feeling of agreement to the Teostra, who responded in kind. He then looked at Valen for a long while, then quickly looked at Adem, who was hiding behind Valen¡¯s leg, and simply seemed ambivalent towards them.

    Then, the Teostra turned around and walked back into his cave, though not before growling one last time at the group, the dismissal clear before he ventured further inside.

    Valen watched the Elder until he turned the corner, then exhaled in relief. He had no idea that his crazy idea would work, and that he had obtained a promise of a sort from the Teostra that he would preserve as much of the environment as he was able. It definitely meant that his goal of making sure the Teostra did not upset the balance of the Waste was accomplished. He looked at Nikki and smiled, finally pulling his weapon out of the ground and sheathing it back on his back.

    ¡®Thanks,¡¯ he signed to Nikki.

    ¡®You good, all you. You showed I made right choice.¡¯

    ¡®What choice?¡¯ Valen frowned at that answer from Nikki.

    ¡®Saving you.¡¯

    Valen was taken aback, he did not expect this answer from Nikki. She rumbled and rubbed his side with her head, then pulled back and continued.

    ¡®He respect you. You proved you strong. You no retreat. You win challenge.¡¯

    Valen paused to think on what she just said. If he understood right, it revealed that Elders could challenge each other to force a concession from the other, and it was more of a battle of will and show of force than a fight. The fact the Teostra agreed to do it this way instead of just trying to attack him proved that he saw Valen as being as strong as an Elder.he did not really know what to think about it.

    ¡®I understand.¡¯ He glanced at the cave where the Teostra retreated to. ¡®We go, task is done.¡¯ Nikki nodded. She then glanced at him and rumbled in approval before she fired up her wings and took off.

    Once Nikki was at her usual high altitude, Adem finally knocked on Valen¡¯s leg to attract his attention. ¡°Meowster¡­ I do not know how you withstood that Teostra aura, but I¡¯m claw-mazed!¡± Valen smiled and answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how either, but I¡¯m happy that I managed to do it.¡± Then they started to walk away towards where he knew Ikari was waiting, picking up the Nergigante spike on the way.

    Then they finally reached Ikari, who was curled in a ball, shaking. Valen¡¯s eyes widened and he rushed to him. ¡°Ikari! I¡¯m here!¡±

    The Handler looked up and exhaled in relief. He then spoke with a shaking voice. ¡°I¡­ I now understand wh-why Elders are t-truly forces of nature. When t-that Teostra let his wh-whole aura out¡­ I could not stand it. I thought it-t was an exaggeration after meeting Nikki, but sh-she reigns it in, constantly, because of you Valen.¡± He let out a long exhale, then smiled, his shaking subsiding a bit. ¡°You are something else Valen, I¡¯m not sure even Jake would be able to take it like you did.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry though, I did not expect that it would happen. To be fair, I think the Valstrax I slayed was too mad to use his aura effectively.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry about it, I¡¯m mostly better already. I think your presence is actually what is calming me down. You may actually have your own aura, and it might be why you were able to challenge the Teostra so assuredly,¡± the researcher hypothesized.

    Valen frowned,then tilted his head.

    ¡°You might be right. We¡¯ll continue this on the road, we have to be gone before the Teostra decides to come back out of his cave.¡±

    ¡°Then let''s not tarry,¡± Ikari answered, shouldering his backpack.

 Sky Render Chapter 14: Equals

    Nikki no longer flew above them, but given that they now were walking in a straight path towards Astera that was understandable. The main reason for their haste was simply a desire to exit the Teostra¡¯s territory as soon as possible.

    Valen and Ikari spoke on the way, with the occasional comment from Adem, discussing the feelings that he got from being so close to an Elder that was clearly not used to or normally friendly with Valen. Adem commented that he managed to make himself as unnoticeable as possible, though when the Teostra pulled out his aura full force he was overwhelmed, albeit not as much as Ikari was.

    One thing they were all in agreement with, however, was that they would not reveal the involvement of Nikki once they made their report. They did not need to edit the events that much though, as Nikki¡¯s contribution was minimal enough to not change the events drastically.

    Finally, they settled on something they decided would hold against scrutiny, and Ikari made sure that the real version of the events was noted on his private notebook, like Valen did.

    Then after a few days of walking at a rapid pace, they arrived at Astera. The sentries announced their return to the Commander, and thus he was already waiting for them once they entered the city, to which Valen smiled as they nodded in greeting.

    ¡°Valen, Ikari, I trust that your quick return means that the mission went well?¡±

    ¡°It has, I think everybody will be surprised by what happened there, but I will wait until the council has been assembled.¡±

    Thus Valen¡¯s group headed for the council table, so they could deliver their report to the scientists and leaders. Ikari started organizing the notes he had taken over the course of their supposed hunt so they could explain what happened more in detail.

    Adem jumped on Valen¡¯s shoulder so he could observe the proceedings, and then the various leaders started to arrive, the researchers first as they seemed to know something unusual was about to happen and didn¡¯t want to miss the action.

    Once everybody was finally assembled, Arcos motioned for them to start their report.

    ¡°We had first reached the zone where the sightings have been made,¡± Valen began, ¡°and indeed found traces of the Teostra¡¯s presence. One thing that we quickly noticed was that he seemed to stay on the ground more than usual, so we suspected an injury. The Scoutflies managed to find the trail soon enough at least. However, it took us several days to finally reach his lair.¡±

    Ikari took over. ¡°Once we were certain it was the lair, Valen wanted to attempt something. We all know the stories about Elders being intelligent enough to rival us, and Valen thought he was attuned enough with his armor so that he could convey to the Elder that he would be left alone so long as it preserved the ecosystem. He was successful.¡±

    Gasps echoed all around them, the scientists were furiously writing notes, others looking at Valen under a new light, but the Commander¡­ he was grinning.

    ¡°This is definitely huge news! This is the kind of discovery we wanted to make here, given that Hunters have seldom been active there. Most Elders attack hunters on sight back in the Old World, but here? It seems like they are more passive than they normally are. This new discovery will help us understand what made the Old World¡¯s Elders so¡­ tempermental.¡±

    ¡°How did you manage to convey your attention to the Teostra, Sky Piercer? This is not something that would be easy to interpret I imagine.¡±

    Valen nodded. ¡°It isn¡¯t, but¡­ I think you all know about the armor, and weapons of Hunters feeling somewhat ¡®Alive¡¯ at this point, especially those made out of Elders?¡± The whole table nodded. ¡°This is something that is especially true for mine.¡± He turned around, presenting the thrusters to them. ¡°One thing I haven¡¯t shared with anybody but my smith, Adem, and Ikari until now is that I actually do not use the controls integrated into my armor for these thrusters. They simply respond to my wishes, and sometimes even seem to react to threats I did not detect.¡±

    The scientists were taking notes furiously, truly delighted by the new information. The Commander frowned for a bit, seemingly debating something internally before nodding.

    ¡°Valen, everybody here is aware of the true meaning of Named Hunters, with the exception of Ikari, but I¡¯ll clear him now for the information.¡± Arcos said, surprising everybody, and especially Ikari, who became confused by the meaning.

    The Hunter nodded, then tapped the spot on his back where the Mindstone was secured on the armor. ¡°The gem that I called the Ruby Dragon Mindstone seems to be at the heart of the phenomenon. I haven¡¯t asked this question to Jake, but I¡¯m certain he would share my feelings. However, I can confirm something similar happened for my smith, who is actually the Green Devil.¡±

    Suddenly the Second Fleet Master let out a booming laugh, the sound resounding through the room they were all gathered in. ¡°Figures,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Even I¡¯ve heard about her, though I didn¡¯t expect that it was her you were talking about when you talked about who forged your armor. Now I really want to meet her.¡± He finished with a chuckle.

    Valen nodded. ¡°So I believe this helped me for the Teostra. The way we communicated was primal, it was a bit of body language, but most importantly, I felt like I could project my intentions in a pure, raw form, like it was unmistakable what I desired. And the Teostra did the same thing back, but it was amplified, powerful.¡±

    He shared a glance with Ikari, who nodded.

    ¡°Ikari couldn¡¯t stand it, and he was a fair bit away. Adem couldn¡¯t as well, but as for myself? I was able to withstand it, even if barely. I do not know how long it lasted, but then he stopped, and then seemed to look at me with a new feeling of respect. My theory is that he was testing me, and I passed.¡±

    Everybody seemed to be thinking about his words, but then Lukas remarked. ¡°This will change things. If we are able to come to an understanding with Elders, it would help our duty.¡±

    ¡°Not all Elders are hostile, some seem to just want to be left alone¡­ Though we do have some anomalies. That Valstrax that seems to fly around but never attack is the main one. The most unusual occurrence was at the Great Canyon. You think the Valstrax could be friendly?¡±

    Valen was thankful that he did not remove his helmet, else his smile would have been visible to everybody. ¡°Possibly. S-It hasn¡¯t shown any hostile intentions so far.¡± Valen cursed internally, he almost slipped Nikki¡¯s gender, which would have raised some questions. Even then he noticed the Commander raised an eyebrow. He firmed himself ¡°I have studied the patterns of the Valstrax that the Soaratorium chased, and it did not have the same patterns that the one we see around has. I¡¯ll keep an eye on it as much as I can though.¡±

    ¡°Make sure you do.¡± Arcos said, then looked at his handler. ¡°Ikari, share your findings with the researchers so they can record them. Chief Ecologist, inform him what the Named Hunters actually mean. Valen, you can go rest.You have successfully accomplished your task, so standby here on Astera as you are our only elite hunter right now.¡± Valen nodded. ¡°That is everything, council dismissed!¡±

    Valen and Ikari shared a nod and they separated, Ikari going to the researchers while Valen went to his quarters so he could relax. He sighed, doffing his armor with the help of Adem, storing it on his armor stand and after Valen dressed in casual clothes, the both of them simply wandered around Astera, enjoying the flurry of activity and the respect everybody had for them. Valen was content to simply enjoy it, satisfied with a job accomplished.

    <hr>

    Several days later however, Rapha?lle had come back to Astera as well, and the lack of a body gave him a hint that there was a positive outcome as well.

    ¡°Now that we are all here, we can start. By the lack of a body, I am guessing that there is no cause for concern?¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded. ¡°We managed to track down the unknown Elder in the deepest parts of the Vale, where sunlight is scarce and bioluminescent plants and fauna are far more common, and it took us a while to find it.¡±

    Sophie nodded enthusiastically, then placed some sketches on the table. The drawings depicted an Elder covered in rotting flesh and membranes. Its most notable feature however was the two jaws that were visible on the head.

    ¡°We managed to glimpse parts of his real hide, which seems to be covered in shiny scales.¡± Sophie continued. ¡°The Third Fleet Leader took upon herself to name it ¡®Vaal Hazak¡¯. The name is fitting given the appearance of the Elder. However, that isn¡¯t the most important part. We confirmed that it is critical to the stability of the Rotten Vale.¡±

    The scientists were writing in a background of scratches after that, then the Commander asked. ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded. ¡°We followed it for several days and we are certain it has some kind of symbiosis with the effluvium of the Vale, and seems to be able to regulate it. We are uncertain as to how it would upset the balance should it perish, so we decided that the best path is simply to observe it and leave it alone as much as possible. It clearly was aware of us, but did not seem interested in protecting his territory as much as we expected.¡±

    Valen then asked. ¡°So you are certain the increased activity is not cause for concern?¡±

    ¡°No, it seems to simply be a reaction to the Elder deaths that happened due to Nergigante recently. It is like he was making sure the Vale stayed stable. It is just my personal theory though.¡± Rapha?lle suggested warily.

    ¡°Personal theories are all we have at the moment. We will note it as such, but not outright dismiss it!¡± The Chief Ecologist said. ¡°We are tasked to solve the mystery of the Elder¡¯s Crossing, and every theory is a piece to the edifice!¡±

    Rapha?lle seemed to think for a bit before she agreed. ¡°Alright, thanks. So once we made sure the Elder wasn¡¯t aggressive, we collected samples then left and came back. The Third Fleet decided to stay, so they could observe the changes it was making on the surface layers of the Vale.¡±

    ¡°Good Job Huntress Rapha?lle.¡± He turned to Valen then said. ¡°I suggest you fill her in on what happened on your side, then wait for the return of Jake and Aiden and do a final briefing on the whole situation. The rest of you, go back to your usual tasks, dismissed!¡±

    Sophie picked up her papers and followed the scientist so she could share her more in-depth analysis, Ikari following her, while Valen motioned for Rapha?lle to follow him.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He discussed with her the details of what happened during his mission, how he tracked the Teostra, but especially the encounter with it, and how it ended somewhat peacefully. She seemed shocked at some points, then was pensive for a while before she said. ¡°That¡¯s unprecedented. I don¡¯t remember if there was ever such a peaceful resolution with an Elder. This is something we should keep in mind in the future.¡±

    ¡°That was my feeling as well. The fact yours also seemed to be peaceful or at least disinterested shows that they aren¡¯t all aggressive towards us like many seem to think.¡± His lips quirked up a smile. ¡°Heck, one day maybe somebody will manage to befriend one!¡±

    Rapha?lle smiled, before she tilted her head and looked mischievously at Valen. ¡°You know, I am kind of surprised it hasn¡¯t happened already. That sounds like the kind of thing that would be heard about if it were known. It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to relate a certain Elder sighting with the same movements of a Hunter¡­¡±

    Valen chuckled. ¡°That is true.¡± Internally though he was being careful, he did not want to appear suspicious of that very fact to Rapha?lle. ¡°Something to hope for in the future.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Rapha?lle then asked. ¡°By the way, you told me earlier what your armor is able to do. I don¡¯t think I feel the same with mine, though my weapon seems to act that way at times¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. Your weapon is complete, but your armor is only partly made, given that you weren¡¯t able to use the whole body of the Nergigante.¡±

    She seemed thoughtful for a bit, then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡± Then she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t sleep well. Should probably call it off for today.¡±

    ¡°Go for it. I¡¯m the one that is on standby on Astera anyways, since Jake is currently with Aiden.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, and good luck.¡±

    He then accompanied her out of his room, after which she headed for her own. He then went to patrol just outside of Astera so that he could make sure no threats were around, though he felt like something was nagging him at the back of his mind. Something important was happening outside, but he did not know what. Adem told him that he had the same feeling, but had no idea as well. They finally decided to dismiss the feeling and went on to their task.

    <hr>

    The unusual feeling did not disappear, however, it only grew over the following days. It was a feeling of foreboding, of a coming confrontation, of fate itself being at play. Surprisingly, even Rapha?lle ended up confiding with him that she was having the same sensation.

    They were worried because the most logical thing was that it had to do with Aiden and that something was going on with his own investigation. There was nothing they could do but wait at this point though, so wait they did.

    And then it came to a crescendo and shifted into what could be described as victory and triumph. Valen was surprisingly feeling relieved, as if what was supposed to happen did, and it reached the logical conclusion. He did not share this fact with others besides Rapha?lle though, as they decided it was a better idea to wait.

    Then a couple days later, the Third Fleet Airship was finally spotted on the horizon on a direct course towards Astera. It seemed to fly faster than usual, as if the wind''s current spurred it on, as if their return was encouraged to be prompt. Over the course of a few hours, everybody started to gather on the walls of Astera, as if they knew they shouldn¡¯t miss this, unconsciously realizing something big was about to happen.

    Finally, the airship moored at the specially constructed dock for it. Valen was waiting near the exit for the dock, next to the Commander. Then the gangplank was lowered and surprisingly, instead of the Third Fleet Master or Jake, it was Aiden who was waiting to debark the airship first. His usual cheery face was not as pronounced, and he definitely felt more serious, but also more¡­ Present, as if his own aura had intensified.

    Valen gasped, he had a suspicion as to what happened.

    Aiden walked the length of the gangplank, then faced Arcos. Then he smiled and spoke, ¡°Hunt complete, Commander.¡±

    Everybody took a split second to react, then people started to gasp as they realized the implication, the true meaning of the words. Valen smiled, and the Commander did as well¡­ and finally, people started to cheer.

    Then a large movement caught everybody¡¯s eyes as people on the airship removed a large blanket that had been covering the body of the Kushala, which only made the cheering redouble in intensity now that they were able to see the body. Aiden smiled at this and went to Valen, at which point they both nodded to each other and embraced into a hug. He then headed towards the crowd to receive all the congratulations and cheering from everybody in Astera. Valen''s defeat of the Valstrax was not as public as this one so he couldn¡¯t really empathize, but he knew that from now on Aiden would be regarded differently, and everybody would respect him in a new way. Valen smiled and promised that he would help him settle into his newfound fame.

    <hr>

    It took a few hours for the celebrations to abate, but now everybody was once again united around the council table. Rapha?lle was missing though, as she was currently busy with making sure the party would not go out of control, as the spirits were still high in the background. The Commander smiled at this before starting the meeting.

    ¡°I know we will have celebrations all night long, but we still need to do this debrief. We all know the result, but could you fill us with what happened that led to this?¡±

    Aiden¡¯s handler, Lea stepped forward and looked at her hunter, who nodded in agreement.

    ¡°We started the investigation at the spot where the Kushala Daora had been sighted at. And we quickly found signs of its presence. A lot of signs, and it worried us, it was like it did not care about its environment and was trying to make it more suitable to its needs. Several trees had been destroyed, and we confirmed it employed its powers to remove vegetation, leaving only bare rock in places.¡±

    She pulled out her notebook and showed some very rough sketches of the destruction that had been observed on the environment.

    ¡°Once I took enough notes to confirm that we needed to do something about it, I gave the authorization for them to fulfill the hunt to end the threat. So Hunters Jake and Aiden started tracking down the Elder.¡±

    At this point, Jake took over, ¡°We were able to find the trail rapidly and easily, which isn¡¯t surprising as it wasn¡¯t making any attempts at stealth whatsoever. The trail led us deep into the heart of the forest. I took the lead and Aiden followed. However, it took us several days to catch up to the Elder, as it seemed to be constantly changing locations. We aren¡¯t sure as to why, but it delayed our task by several days. But finally, we were able to catch up.¡± Then he looked at Aiden.

    ¡°We observed the Elder for a while at first to figure out a reason for its aggressive behavior. We noticed that it seemed to be injured on the flank, but the wound had healed already. But when it simply did not stop thrashing around, we decided that putting it down was the only option.¡±

    Then the two of them went into narrating the grueling fight they led against the Elder. From Jake opening the fight with a well-timed ambush to Aiden keeping it distracted once he joined in and making good use of the power of his Gunlance against the armored hide of the Kushala Daora, his shield protecting him from retaliatory attacks.

    The fight was long and arduous, with no room for error as they went about their assigned task and wore down the Elder. Jake and Aiden proved to be a great duo and they did not hinder each other. Aiden¡¯s Gunlance was able to expose the Elder¡¯s softer flesh and Jake thus used those weakpoints to get at the softer internals of the monster.

    However, the fight could not go smoothly forever, and eventually the Kushala managed to catch Jake off guard with a gust of wind, which put the experienced hunter off-balance, and a powerful ball of wind managed to eject him out of the area they were fighting in.

    At first, Aiden was shocked by the turn of events, but he managed to keep his focus in the fight and continued it alone.

    ¡°However, I did not realize it at first, but I will say that something shifted with me. I suddenly became more aware of my movements and of the Kushala. It was like I knew what it was going to do every time, and what motions I should do in response. And as a result, instead of losing ground against the constant onslaught it was throwing at me? I was winning. I was pushing the Kushala back.

    ¡°I was able to reload my shells in a smoother motion, using them more often than before, blasting more and more gaps in its armor. Nothing the Kushala did was able to go through my defenses. However, it quickly became desperate and started to be more reckless with its attacks, putting everything it could into them. I barely could block this renewed onslaught, and I remember my shoulder hurting a lot at this point.¡± He chuckled. ¡°But in return, it overextended a lot more during its attacks, and after a particularly vicious bite, I even managed to stick my one Wyrsmstake into its left shoulder, which seemed to seriously reduce the mobility of the leg.¡±

    He took a deep breath. ¡°At this point, the Kushala seemed to realize that it needed to escape. It seemed to be unable to jump back, however, and so couldn¡¯t create distance between us. And then I had a crazy idea. I pushed forward with my shield and bashed it with it, dazing it. And I started the charge-up sequence for Wyvernfire.¡±

    Everybody gasped at this, Valen included. Wyvernfire was a risky move, even for the most experienced Gunlance users. It consumed all of the weapon¡¯s ammunition in one concentrated burst and locked up the reloading mechanism, making the weapon completely unusable until it cooled down to a safer level. It was something only used as a last resort.

    ¡°As I expected, the Kushala realized the power of the attack once it recovered and attempted to protect its head, exposing its wing in the process. I managed to break off the main bone of its left wing, which now meant it was grounded and could not flee. This combined with the blood loss it had been suffering from since the start seemed to be enough to weaken it completely, and suddenly it collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.¡±

    Jake finally took over. ¡°I managed to climb back in at that point, and that was indeed the sight I was greeted with, a Kushala Daora laying on the ground, wings spread on the ground with one of them broken, and Aiden warily walking up to him with his shield in front of him, but his Gunlance red hot and smoking. However, it was the way the Kushala looked at Aiden that made me pause. It was a look that I know, a look that I received once.¡±

    Valen inhaled sharply. He knew what this meant. After all, he was the subject of such a look before.

    Aiden nodded at the more experienced hunter and then asked. ¡°Should I¡­¡±

    ¡°I believe everybody is cleared for the knowledge here Aiden, show them.¡±

    Once he got his answer he opened his bag and pulled out a drawstring pouch, then placed it on the table. Opening it revealed, as Valen expected, a glittering gem, to which everybody gasped, except the Second Fleet Master, who simply whistled at it.

    ¡°It has been a long time since I have last seen one.¡±

    Valen patted Aiden¡¯s back. ¡°I remember the time when I got mine. Crazy to think it¡¯s been more than five years already.¡± He then smirked. ¡°That now means we are equals Aiden!¡±

    Then the Commander stopped the conversation with his authoritative voice.

    ¡°Hunter Aiden! Do you truly realize what this means?¡±

    ¡°I think I have an idea. Does it have to do with Named Hunters?¡± Everybody on the table nodded. ¡°I had my suspicions, which is not hard to do when you have traveled far and wide with a hunter that became one!¡±

    ¡°That is not surprising. The ceremony traditionally takes place after the Hunter has his armor finished and at Dundorma. But given our situation, we will make do with what we have here.¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to work on this fine specimen of a Kushala Daora!¡± The Second Fleet Master exclaimed. ¡°We will make an armor set and weapon befitting of your status, you can be sure of that! We will hammer it together!¡±

    ¡°You will both start working on it tomorrow,¡± The Commander said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that missing the celebration that is currently being prepared by your colleagues is not something I would recommend.¡±

    ¡°Then let all return to it! Let''s make a feast that is befitting of the name! After that, I''m as hungry as a Deviljho!¡± Aiden proclaimed.

    Everybody did a hurrah in response to that, and the Commander did not need to notify them that the Council was dismissed for them to start dispersing.

    The Meowscular chef sprinted towards his kitchen so that he could make sure to cook enough meal for the feast that was sure to happen that night, while Valen joined the steady stream of Hunters that were heading to the Celestial Pursuit, which due to the amount of people feasting, would be closed to all non-Hunters.

    That night was a night of celebration, full of ale and beer, though Valen made sure to drink with moderation this time, as he did not wish to repeat the experience he had during the journey on the ship. But he still competed in arm-wrestling tournaments, ate meals with fellow Hunters, and sang songs to celebrate Aiden¡¯s achievement. He was certainly happy for his friend, and was internally relieved that he would now have the equipment that would keep him alive should he need to assist Valen against a dangerous foe.

 Sky Render Chapter 15: Devourer

    Valen woke up with a jaw-cracking yawn and stretched. He blinked open his eyes, the memories of the happenings of the recent days coming back to him.

    He had been surprised to learn the festivities did not end the night Aiden came back with the Kushala body, but rather lasted for several days, and the reason why was because it was the actual tradition.

    Valen had been an outlier for deciding to go with Aki, an isolated smith, as normally when somebody managed to slay an Elder or Apex level monster and brought back the body, the festivities lasted for as long as the hunter took to forge their new equipment. Something that Valen had missed due to choosing Aki as his smith.

    Once he learned this, it made more sense to him and they explained the reason this tradition was borne: it was believed it helped the prevailing hunter to focus spiritually on their task, and that the support of everybody would result in it being stronger.

    It was the fifth day of the current surprise festival, though, and the late nights were starting to take their toll on Valen. He plodded through his morning routine and put on his armor, Adem waking up partway through the process and helping Valen finish before putting on his own armor.

    ¡°Hmmm, the furr-stivities seem to be ending. It¡¯s quiet,¡± Adem remarked.

    Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet.

    ¡°You are certain?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Aiden might have finished,¡± the Felyne suggested.

    Valen smiled. ¡°Then let''s not waste time, I¡¯m certain they will want us to be present for the ceremony of his title.¡±

    They exited his room and immediately noticed the crowd that was starting to gather on the main plaza of Astera, everybody seeming to be buzzing with anticipation. Valen looked around then noticed somebody waving at him, which he immediately realized was Ikari, so he nodded in answer and went to join him.

    He thought he would have to push through the assembled hunters, but they noticed him and made way for him. Valen thanked them for their kindness, then joined Ikari on the side of the impromptu stage.

    ¡°Aiden has finished, I presume?¡±

    Ikari nodded. ¡°He finished just last night, we are waiting for everybody to finish waking up then they will announce his title. Arcos is with him in the back for now, but they want you to stay here.¡±

    Valen chuckled. ¡°I cannot wait to see what the result of his hard work will be. I cannot think of somebody more deserving of wearing Kushala attire than Aiden, given his history with it. I have heard the stories of what happened in Dundorma, and he was brave to be part of the fight that day.¡±

    ¡°I am certain his old leader will be proud of him. Julius is respected by a lot of people and we were sad when we learned he retired from being a hunter, but he was getting on in his years. It is impressive that Jake is still going.¡± Ikari replied with a smile.

    ¡°I believe he may be retiring soon, now that he knows the next generation can take up the reins though. He was already relieved when I was able to take up on some of his duties, now that Aiden will be able to as well¡­¡± Valen tilted his head, then shook it. ¡°Only a good thing, he deserves to retire.¡±

    Ikari was about to answer to this before a hush fell on the public as a whole and, turning around, they both noticed that Arcos had finally came out on the stage, a sure sign that the announcement was about to begin, the handler came to the side of Valen and they stayed at the edge of the platform, their focus now fully on the Commander.

    He cleared his throat to get the attention of the few people still distracted then started his speech.

    ¡°A hunter¡¯s mission is first of all to maintain the ecosystem, and keep it stable. This is the reason that you are required to obtain the permit to pursue the hunt, lest we over-hunt a key species and create a collapse of the ecosystem. This has stayed true since the foundation of the Guild.

    ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t prevent you from defending yourself should a monster decide to attack you indiscriminately while you are out of the field. In case you have no choice but to kill your attacker, an investigation is launched to determine if you truly had no other options. This is the main reason that the Hunter-Handler system has been started and imposed here in the New World, as due to the wilderness, it is much more critical that we attempt to not accidentally collapse the ecosystem by our presence.

    ¡°But a category of Monsters sits outside such rules: Elders. By their mere presence, they are able to destabilize the environment if they so desire. It had once been believed they always did so and as such any sighting had to be followed by a dedicated team that put an end to the threat, but over time we learned that not all Elders destabilized the environment. Some made the effort to restrain their effect on it, and others even were helping it thrive.

    ¡°I am certain you all know where I am going. We had to ascertain whether or not some of these supposed threats were actual threats recently. Two of them proved to have no issues to worry about¡­ The last one however¡­ An act of bravery and steadfastness was required to overcome it. To overcome the rogue Dragon of Steel. So today, we are celebrating the ascension among the Named Hunters of one of our peers. One that has already been known for his acts during the Frenzy Crisis and Dundorma¡¯s Storm. But when he had to deal with the threat alone, when separated from his teammate, he rose to the challenge, faced an unyielding obstacle¡­ and broke it!

    ¡°So today, I am proud to present to you all¡­ Hunter Aiden! The Gale Breaker!¡± The Commander turned around, revealing Aiden entering the stage.

    Thunderous applause and cheers resounded in the plaza, as everybody was excited by both Aiden¡¯s appearance and his Title. Aiden¡¯s armor looked like plate armor with more ¡®rusted steel¡¯ lines running through. On his shoulders were bulky plates that would offer additional protection. A cape trailed behind him, but only went down to the knees. His helmet had decorative ¡®wings¡¯ that emerged from its sides.

    Finally a shield was strapped to his right arm, and its paired blade was sheathed on his back. Aiden had once admitted to Valen that even though he knew how to wield all weapons, he preferred to use the Sword and Shield if possible. And it seemed that he had chosen to use it as his dedicated weapon now.

    Valen applauded, making sure to be part of the cacophony that resounded throughout Astera. Though once Aiden raised his hand, the applause died gradually until it stopped.

    ¡°Well, here I am, among the legends that are respected far and wide¡­ I will admit that I did not expect this result when I set out for the New World, even less when I started my career. But being here now, with my own title, is kind of scary for me, but also exciting!

    ¡°This is also proof that I actually am good enough for this job!¡± Some laughs emerged at this quip. ¡°I got to admit that it was kind of a thought of mine, that I wasn¡¯t ¡®good enough¡¯ and that I felt like an impostor being considered a great hunter, compared to others. But I know now that it is mostly due to the great luck that I had to have always worked among legends ever since the beginning. Hunter Julius, the Ace Hunters leader, the Frenzy Vanquisher, and now the Blue Flare and Sky Piercer, I always was among greats, but I think it is time that I accept I am part of them too!¡±

    The crowd applauded at this, supporting Aiden¡¯s words.

    ¡°However I think it is time to put your fears to rest, because even though I might be acknowledged as a better hunter now¡­ "I will not let this change what I am, right? A gnarlycuga hunter!"

    The laugh and groans of the assembled audience comforted Valen that indeed, things wouldn¡¯t change. Aiden would still stay the same as he ever was, quipping puns every occasion he could get away with it. Adem however tapped Valen¡¯s shoulder and pointed behind him, so he found himself faced with Rapha?lle and Sophie, who seemed to have decided to join him.

    ¡°He needed the confidence boost, this should help him be more effective in the future.¡± Rapha?lle remarked.

    ¡°I agree, and this time what happened to me shouldn¡¯t happen to him. Not here.¡±

    Rapha?lle looked at him, her head tilted in an unasked question.

    Valen sighed as he answered. ¡°Let''s just say that I made myself the enemy of some people, and that I was kind of sidelined for a while. I had a lot more action here in the New World than I¡¯ve had in years. I¡¯ll tell you the whole story if you want later.¡±

    She nodded in acknowledgment, and they focused back on the event, as it seemed Aiden finished his speech and was walking towards them under applause, Arcos walking on his side.

    The now named Gale Breaker raised a hand towards Valen, and he could almost feel him grinning in his helmet. Still, Valen smiled as well and clasped his hand with him. ¡°Now we are equals Valen! I am certain we will work much more together since you won¡¯t have to worry about myself as much!¡±

    ¡°I am certain, Gale Breaker,¡± Valen said in a teasing tone.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t you start Sky Piercer! You called me by my name before and you will keep that courtesy up!¡±

    They stared at each other with their helmets then laughed for a solid while, then once they calmed down a bit, Aiden sighed then looked at Rapha?lle.

    ¡°The Admiral is back, he is waiting for you at the Celestial Pursuit, it didn¡¯t seem to be urgent but he looked a bit worried, I would go join him.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded. ¡°I will go join him then. Do you have any details?¡±

    ¡°Seems to be about a discovery the Seeker made, but he wants to have a Hunter join him to assess the situation.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. Good luck to both of you. May the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    Valen smiled. ¡°And may the Red Comet keep your skies clear.¡±

    Rapha?lle did not react to this, as by that point everybody was used to Valen¡¯s unusual addition to the traditional farewell. The two hunters then left and headed towards their rooms to prepare. Once they were out of hearing range, Aiden chuckled.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m kind of impressed how much you manage to sneak references like that, but I¡¯m guessing people just think you are keeping a theme.¡±

    Valen chuckled as well. ¡°It¡¯s easier to treat it as a game. Besides, you know how much respect I hold for her¡­ And I would not have it any other way.¡± He said the last part as a whisper.

    The two of them separated once they were getting close to their rooms, and Valen sighed and started fiddling with his weapon, making sure to safeguard it with the dedicated protective covers he had stocked up. He smiled as he went through the motions of the menial task, as he knew it meant that Aiden was now fully the same as him, and that he had the best way that would allow him to grow: the same way that he was able to keep his skills sharp. He resolved to find a way that would allow him to share in it.

    <hr>

    Valen found himself relaxing several days later, chatting with other hunters at the Celestial Pursuit, and sharing drinks with them. Those were the kind of moments that he treasured, as it showed the companionship that every hunter shared, the more quiet side of hunting.

    Rapha?lle had left with the Admiral towards the Elder¡¯s Recess to investigate whatever it was that the Seeker had found. The goal was just for them to investigate then come back for reinforcements if there was indeed a threat.

    The training session with Aiden had gone well, the first few spars had shown his rustiness since the last time he used the Sword and Shield, but he found his marks quick enough and soon was able, if not overpower Valen, at least hold his ground against him. He gave tips occasionally, though only those he knew could help him, as Valen was not familiar at all as to how his weapon was wielded.

    The session stopped after a few hours, but they still sparred every day, and the improvement on Aiden¡¯s side was visible as he was getting familiar with his new equipment. They were both happy with his progress, though Valen knew that he needed experience against a real monster, as it was the best way he would be able to progress.

    So that is what Valen was thinking about while he was at the Gathering Hub, when suddenly a horn resounded in the whole of Astera. A horn that had never sounded until now¡­ But of which the meaning was unquestionable: a threat had appeared and all top-ranked hunters were called to action, which meant him and Aiden.

    Valen immediately stood up, putting down his beer chop in a hurry, he excused himself but the other hunters were understanding: he was needed and there was little time to lose. He rushed to the elevator powered by the waterwheels, the Felyne that was about to use it giving up her place due to the emergency.

    The ride down was not long but soon enough he was down and he spotted Adem that was running on all fours towards him. His Palico was spending time with his kind when the horn sounded. He jumped on his shoulder while he ran towards the council table. Once he was here, the Commander was already here, as well as Aiden.

    ¡°Hunter Valen reporting!¡±

    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be quick: a Deviljho has been spotted in the Ancient Forest, and you know that your Handlers were doing an expedition to study the local flora, you need to go there and at least warn them of the danger, putting down the Deviljho is your second priority.¡± He looked on his side, where Lukas was for once fully geared out, wearing his Tobi Kadachi armor. ¡°Lukas will accompany you, he will have more of a supportive role in the hunt, but you know how monster materials work, and he is the only one I know can stand his ground against it. Given you both have the best gear you could ask for, having only them for research would be a waste. Are you alright with that?¡±

    It was a common practice: when an emergency hunt appeared and all hunters responding to it had no use of the materials, they sent a lesser equipped but still qualified hunters so that the materials would still have a use. Valen himself benefited from this policy once with his old team, but it seemed that this time he would at last be on the other side of this tradition. He thus nodded.

    ¡°We will make sure it is a worthwhile effort.¡±

    ¡°Then leave immediately, the more you tarry, the more danger there is for your Handlers.¡±

    The trio then headed towards the gate and whistled for their personal Wingdrakes. They hooked up on them and followed the direction of Lukas, who knew where the reports had been made.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    It still took a couple hours for them to reach the spot, flying over what clearly looked like a trail of destruction, broken trees, torn-up grass and ruined earth clearly indicating that the World Eater had gone through this area. So they landed and Valen examined the tracks.

    ¡°Fresh, not more than an hour.¡± He stood up. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be heading directly towards where our handlers are located, but we should still go warn them.¡± They all nodded and whistled for their rides again. They quickly grabbed on and resumed their flight on top of the trees.

    They were all tense, as the news of the emergency had made them worry about their Handlers, but they did not want to push their rides too far lest they collapse in exhaustion, hence they moderated their pace, knowing that they would be faster than their foe nonetheless.

    Soon enough, they reached the area they were staying at and Aiden spotted them from above, and they dropped next to them. The two handlers perked up, looking up from the colony of mushrooms they were studying.

    ¡°Valen?¡± Ikari was surprised by his presence. ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°A Deviljho has been spotted, you need to leave,¡± Valen answered, which made his handler immediately freeze, before he relaxed, then nodded. Lea had nodded as well and immediately started packing their equipment, the two novice hunters that had been assigned as their guard now on guard.

    Ikari accepted his backpack from Lea, and he looked at Valen.

    ¡°Good luck, I know that you can take care of it.¡±

    Valen was about to answer when a roar resounded through the clearing, and a large tremor could be felt by them all.

    ¡°VALEN! RIGHT REAR!¡±

    The Hunter dove by instinct, barely avoiding being stomped by the gigantic leg that appeared where he was standing not an instant ago. He rolled on impact and unsheathed his weapon with the same motion.

    Valen looked up and towering above them was the living spawn of hell. Green hide that hid it in the forest, rippling muscles all around that were covered in scars, a thick, pickle-like tail that swished dangerously, and a jaw overcrowded with teeth that even were still stuck due to constant growth. This was the World Eater itself, the most feared Wyvern by them all, only beaten by Elders. And it was looking at him with primal hunger, as if he was only a meal.

    He entered a defensive stance, ready to dodge anything that it would throw at him, when suddenly Aiden ran up to the Wyvern and uppercutted it with his shield, immediately eliciting a roar of pain, but achieving his goal, as its attention was now focused on the hunter. The beast immediately attempted to lunge at him.

    Valen risked glancing at his side, and immediately saw that Ikari was frozen stiff, panicking. He reached on his shoulder and shook him, snapping him out of his state, then he shouted.

    ¡°GO, IKARI!¡±

    That did it, and his Handler immediately bolted, running towards Lea and the other two hunters that were waiting for him. Now certain that he was out of danger, Valen focused back on their foe. The Brute Wyvern was currently trying to stomp Aiden, but he was too nimble for it to be caught by the Wyvern.

    Lukas was circling around, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Valen thus narrowed his eyes, making sure that he kept their foe in sight. When the Deviljho raised its leg to attempt a destabilizing stomp on Aiden, he braced himself and bent forwards. Immediately as the foot impacted the ground, he ignited his armor¡¯s thrusters and rocketed forwards, raising his weapon to the side. Aiden had reacted correctly by jumping over the tremors, but Valen only focused on his current goal. And once he was close enough, he cut diagonally with his weapon, managing to strike the knee of the monster, cutting deep into it and making it roar in pain.

    Valen did not relent his assault and pursued his movement, morphing into Sword mode by squeezing partially on the trigger, then stabbed forwards, piercing the tough skin that covered the Deviljho¡¯s calf. He only managed to get the tip inside, as the hide was too tough to go further. He then activated his weapon¡¯s thruster, propelling him backwards, which was the correct decision to make as he narrowly avoided a kick in return.

    The injury was still minor, and it spoke of the strength of their foes that Valen¡¯s weapon barely pierced it. Valen bled off his momentum once his feet touched the ground again, digging deep furrows into it. He was hunched forwards once he slid at a stop, and used his current distance to assess the situation.

    The two handlers and their guards were no longer visible, having vacated as quickly as they could on his orders. Aiden was currently the sole focus of their foe, using his nimbleness to dodge the numerous attacks it was attempting, using his shield to deflect if he could not dodge. Lukas was still keeping his distance, he could not afford to be hit compared to his two partners so he was simply waiting for an opportunity and supporting the two of them from a distance.

    Valen took note that Aiden¡¯s strike also barely pierced the hide of the Deviljho, something that he knew would mean that the best way to triumph over their foe was to wear it to exhaustion. So he took a deep breath, and ran back towards their foe.

    From that point, all Valen was focused on was simply inflicting as many wounds as he could on the World Eater, tiny compared to its gigantic frame. He could not remember what happened, or how long he fought, all he remembered was the numerous impacts that he felt through his hands as his weapon pierced through the skin, the jarring sensation as he blasted himself forwards, backwards or sideways once a strike proved dangerous to him. He sometimes glimpsed Aiden doing the same, finding an opportunity to sink his weapon into their foe, then perform a combination strike on it until he back-flipped away from a retaliation strike.

    Lukas contributions were few, but always significant, and everytime he managed a strike, they were able to use the fury of the Deviljho to capitalize on its surprise.

    This was how the fight continued, until something happened that completely shifted the dynamics. Finally, the Deviljho howled and its scarred hide on his torso burst, exposing the muscles that swelled beneath.

    ¡°It is enraged! That must mean it is desperate!¡± Aiden shouted.

    ¡°Then we are close to the end, a couple well placed strikes and we should be done.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on you! Watch your Left Wing!¡± Aiden warned him back.

    And indeed, the Deviljho almost managed to fall a tree on top of Valen, while he was preoccupied watching the head. Avoiding the falling timber was easy, but it also meant that Valen had to be extremely careful following that.

    Then Lukas said. ¡°I think I got an idea, Aiden, I am gonna need you, Valen, can you distract it a little while longer?¡±

    Valen nodded, and he had the perfect idea to be sure to grab their foe¡¯s attention: he squeezed the trigger on his weapon, building up charge inside it, and then, right after the World Eater lunged to bite at him, he released the trigger, unleashing a big dragon element infused explosion right in its face. Since he unleashed it from a bit of a distance, but not point blank, the damage was less than what it could be, but the effect was enough: the Deviljho immediately turned to him with a hateful glint in its eyes. It definitely meant that Valen now had its full attention for a bit.

    He had to be careful weaving through the attacks though, as he realized something he overlooked: his phials were starting to run dry, the one powering the amped explosions now dry after the last attack he did, while the one powering the thrusters on the sword was running low. Thankfully the thrusters on his back were powered by the Gem, so he did not have to worry about running out of fuel, he just had to make sure to not have prolonged intense use.

    For a few minutes though, all he did was to weather the sole minded rage the Deviljho unleashed on him, flinging the ground at him, uncountable attempts to stomp him, bites and tail slaps were everything it tried at him, it even attempted to breathe dragon energy at him twice, once he managed to dodge it, but got caught by surprise the second time, but surprisingly he got out of that with only cosmetic damage on his armor.

    Then suddenly at last, the Deviljho paused, as it needed to catch its breath after the intense energy it just spent attempting to squash its foe.

    Lukas shouted: ¡°Now Aiden! Valen, Rear Right!¡±

    Looking behind him, he saw that Aiden was right behind him, holding his shield with both hands, Lukas running towards them. And by looking at the position Aiden was in, preparing to act as a springboard for Lukas, Valen immediately understood their intention. So he dropped his weapon and held Aiden on the waist, bracing himself.

    With one last step and when he had almost reached them, Lukas jumped, carried forwards by his momentum, and raised both his legs up, then landed on Aiden¡¯s shield, who immediately lifted it with a yell of exertion, at the same time Valen also lifted Aiden as much as he could, increasing the boost the two of them were providing to Lukas.

    And it was enough, with the boost the two of them provided, he managed to land on the Deviljho¡¯s neck, and immediately pulled out his carving knife to stab it in one of the bulging muscles to provide a handhold.

    The Deviljho reacted immediately however, trying to buck him out of his neck, and managed to keep up for several seconds before it had to stop to catch his breath. Valen guessed that it did not recover enough from its frenzy from Valen. And Lukas also knew it, so he did not let the moment go to waste, he pulled out his Greatsword, raised it high above the air, then stabbed down as hard as he could, adding all of his weight to the weapon.

    His aim was true, a resounding crack echoed, and like a puppet whose string was cut, the legs of the Deviljho immediately stopped functioning and it dropped to the ground with a gigantic slam that sent tremors all around the area.

    Valen froze for a moment, before the lack of any movement from their foe made him relax and he released the breath he just realized he was holding. He looked to his side at Aiden, who was doing the same, and he was certain he was grinning behind his helmet.

    They both nodded to each other and joined Lukas who was panting since the adrenaline was finally wearing off for the group.

    ¡°That was not how I expected the hunt to end for sure. But I guess that will suit me fine!¡± Lukas said.

    ¡°Good job Lukas, you may think that you did little, but thinking of a plan of action on the fly is no easy feat, most hunters just react on honed reflexes and instinct as we do not have much time thinking while fighting a monster. So be glad that it was what allowed us to see this through!¡± Valen congratulated his partner.

    ¡°Yep! Do not worry, especially with a weapon as slow as yours, this is the usual thing, trust me, I know.¡± Aiden chimed in.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fire the all clear then return to Astera then.¡±

    Valen nodded, and he pulled out a green flare, lit it up and fired it up in the air. Thankfully, at least in the Ancient forest, they did not need to build sentinel outposts, as the local Felyne tribe, called Grymalkyne, volunteered to look out and relay the flare signals to the camps the Hunters set up. So once Valen fired it up, he knew that it would take a few hours before their Handlers would be here to confirm the kill. However it¡¯d take a couple days before the transportation of the body could be managed, due to the quest being an emergency one.

    So, with the group knowing that it¡¯d be a few days before they were back in Astera, they started setting up a camp for this night at least and started chatting to distract themselves.

    <hr>

    A few days later, they were all arriving back into Astera, the body of the Deviljho being wheeled in on a cart with the cheers of everybody accompanying them. Valen smiled, he would always appreciate that his work would be recognized, something that he sorely lacked in Dundorma from his other hunters. The general populace did, but it was more due to adoration than of true respect, so he was enjoying it much more here in the New World.

    Lukas did a short speech, then excused himself to go to the smithy so that they could plan crafting his new gear. In the meantime, Valen simply decided to take a bit of time being a vigil at the watchtower. Aiden joked about it being a boring pastime after their walk back, but he simply said that he wanted to relax for a bit before they were once again on call.

    So he simply looked out on the horizon, Adem being another pair of eyes, while he simply took in the natural beauty of the Ancient forest that surrounded that side of Astera.

    He did not even need to fiddle with something to help pass time, just admiring the landscape surrounding it was enough. He periodically scanned the surroundings, focusing more in the air than in the ground, since that was where the biggest threats came from.

    Valen did not know how long it had been since he started his vigil, but he suddenly noticed a speck on the horizon, and given that it was more of a static shape than a moving one, he guessed it was the Third Fleet¡¯s airship, so he pulled out the telescope to check, and it was indeed confirmed. Given that the airship wasn¡¯t planned to be back in Astera for a while, that meant something must have happened.

    He did not need to ring the bell, as it was reserved in case of a hostile monster approaching, but he left his post and headed towards the Commander, who needed to be informed of the unusual circumstances.

    ¡°This is odd indeed. I will make sure the dock is ready for them, get ready for anything though.¡± Was his answer.

    It did not take that long before word spread of the sighting of the airship however, and a crowd was starting to gather in the main place, and even more when it fired an orange flare that meant ¡®Assistance Required¡¯.

    Speculations were high as to the reason for the unexpected return, but Valen had a suspicion it had to do with what Raphaelle and the Admiral went to do. He hoped it was not the worst case scenario, but he guessed they¡¯d have used a red flare for emergencies.

    Then suddenly, the airship had to rotate to be able to dock properly and Valen heard many gasps, including his own.

    Secured on the main deck by numerous ropes was the gigantic body of an Elder Dragon, that had surprisingly not scales, but some kind of thick bluish skin. Its wings were clearly shredded, and numerous wounds covered it. Valen couldn¡¯t see much more than that due to the airship frame covering it, but it clearly was the biggest Elder that he has seen, barring Zorah.

    The Admiral did not wait for the Airship to finish docking before jumping out, and headed towards the Commander.

    ¡°You can guess what happened, and I am certain we found the real cause of the Crossing anomaly. But we first need to make sure Hunter Raphaelle is tended to, she has no injuries, do not worry, but she is exhausted, had been sleeping for a couple days.¡± He sighed. ¡°If I had any suspicion as to what we¡¯d find, I¡¯d have asked for at least one of you to come, Valen, Aiden and Jake. But we were all caught by surprise and bad timing. I am proud to say however that Hunter Raphaelle rose to the challenge and proved herself several times over. I¡¯ll explain all I know at the council once we are all settled.¡±

    Nobody asked any other questions as their most pressing concerns had been addressed, and right as he finished, the airship had finished docking, and two healers were carrying Raphaelle on a stretcher, Flighty staying by her side, out of the ship. They were heading towards her room, and he looked at them until they turned a corner and went out of their sight.

    Masani and Kora stepped out of the airship after, followed by another Wyverian that seemed tired, and had a few scratches but other than that looked fine. He was carrying a staff that looked like an Insect Glaive though he did not see a kinsect anywhere on him. They looked at each other, though when he saw Valen, he thought he saw recognition in his eyes but it went away quickly that he wasn¡¯t sure.

    They all assembled at the council table while the entirety of Astera seemed to want to look at the unknown Elder that had been brought back by the Airship. Finally the Admiral started the meeting, which was a reminder that he technically outranked the Commander but did not use that power often.

    ¡°As you saw, something happened when we were investigating an anomaly in the Elder¡¯s Recess. The Tracker that had called me found more of the strange crystals that I brought back, but were unusual by their unmatched purity. He found their origin point, and so he called me and I brought Raphaelle and Sophie with me so we could investigate¡­

    ¡°And we found it, though when we saw it, it was only a chrysalis, and we were about to pull out and call for you¡­ When the Elder inside hatched. The Seeker got caught by one of the beams that it used to cut a way out, and I had to pull out with him, leaving Raphaelle alone to deal with the threat¡­ But she did. She did marvellously.

    ¡°She fought for hours, accumulating injuries and fatigue, and pushed through, Flighty always to her side, always saving her at critical moments. Her original goal was to make sure that the Elder did not leave the area, to cripple it and call for reinforcement. But she never could find a moment to retreat. And eventually she triumphed¡­

    The Admiral then smiled. ¡°She did one last thing before exhaustion caught up to her. She walked up to the Elder as if possessed¡­¡± Valen¡¯s eyes widened and he was sure Aiden¡¯s too. ¡°And carved a gem out of it, she barely had time to store it in her pouch before she collapsed of exhaustion on top of it. I tended to her immediately after and the Third Fleet Airship came to rescue us, we decided that we had to bring back the body though, we could not leave it there like we did the Nergigante¡¯s.

    He nodded. ¡°I already know what her Name will be. It is only appropriate, given what she has faced.¡±

    Valen then interrupted:

    ¡°This is a surprise though¡­ Two Named from Elders in such quick succession? I am certain this is the first time, it is usually once per generation, and if you count me, we have three in such a quick frame of time¡­¡±

    The Admiral chuckled. ¡°Indeed, it shows how amazing you three are though.¡±

    Finally the Wyverian talked, the first time he did since he arrived.

    ¡°One last thing needs to be pointed out, but I know the researchers need to know this: I am certain our Elder was the cause of the Crossing Anomaly¡­¡± Gasps echoed from all of them. ¡°Which means¡­ The Research Commission¡¯s purpose may be at an end, once we finish studying the body.¡±

    Valen did not know what to think of this¡­ He had come to love the New World, and having to leave it¡­ He hoped it did not come to that, as it was where he knew he should be¡­

    ¡°We will report to the Guild on the Mainland once we know all the details.And at the very least, we have a few months before we get an answer, so we will stay here at least that much longer. Besides, we¡¯d need a lot of ships to all go back to the Old World,¡± The Commander interjected. ¡°So rest assured it won¡¯t be right now that we return.¡±

    Valen nodded, as did everybody else on the council.

    ¡°This is all we had to share, Council dismissed,¡± The Admiral concluded, freeing everybody from the meeting, though Valen smiled when he saw all the scientists all but rush out to the Airship the instant the Admiral finished his sentence.

    Aiden grabbed Valen and led him to a private space, then he asked.

    ¡°You are alright Valen? I know what you feel about returning¡­¡±

    Valen sighed.

    ¡°You know that technically I am exiled. But I hope a solution will be found, I don¡¯t believe the Guild will want to abandon all of this though, too much investment has been made for it to be completely abandoned. So I believe we¡¯ll find an alternate solution.¡±

    Aiden nodded.

    ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ll have to make sure to see Raphaelle once she wakes up, for now¡­ I believe a celebration will be made, so let''s make sure we are among the first to be served, by reserving our seats!¡±

    Valen smiled, and followed Aiden to the lifts to the Celestial Pursuit. Indeed, spirits would be at an all time high tonight.

 Sky Render Chapter 16: Home

    He did not celebrate as late in the night as he did for Aiden¡¯s celebration, mostly because doing it without Rapha?lle didn¡¯t feel the same, though it has been decided that it was in Lukas¡¯ honor instead since he also needed to craft new gear as well, and so he preferred that she woke up first so they could properly do it.

    Which is exactly what happened the following day in the afternoon, she woke up from her slumber, but still was weak from her ordeal so she was still stuck in bed rest. However, he still took the time to congratulate her, and also asked to see the Gem that she carved out of the Elder. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she pulled out the pouch that she kept on her and showed him the rough, glittering blue gem. It shone even brighter than the Mindstone he carved out of the Valstrax, drawing a whistle from Valen.

    ¡°It¡¯s very bright! I don¡¯t think even mine was as bright the moment I carved it out.¡±

    ¡°It was even brighter when I did¡­ Do you think it is because it is so concentrated in Bioenergy since the Elder was the cause of the increased frequency of the Crossing?¡±

    ¡°It might be¡­¡± Valen paused, thinking a bit. He debated with himself for a moment before he made a decision ¡°I know an expert on this, I¡¯ll lead you to her once your armor is forged.¡±

    Rapha?lle narrowed her eyes for a moment before she nodded.

    ¡°I will hold you to that. Why don¡¯t you enjoy the festivities in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the guest of honor to be present,¡± He chuckled. ¡°Though I did not miss when you gave the scientists permission to study the body while you waited for your gear to be forged. You¡¯d have thought a Khezu was in the outpost.¡±

    She smiled at this, and Valen took his leave, exiting her bedroom. He then returned to the festivities though only decided to partake in them lightly.

    <hr>

    Once Rapha?lle was discharged the next day, the celebrations took a new height, and since the Airship of the Third Fleet was at Astera, it also meant that a few more people were able to join in. Rapha?lle only joined briefly before she had to go to the Smithy to start working on her armor. Lukas had thankfully managed to already finish his own gear made out of the Deviljho he hunted with Valen and Aiden.

    Lukas proudly showed up in a terrifying-looking set of armor that evening, and it was definitely the day where the celebrations were the most intense, being both for Lukas having finished his new armor and Rapha?lle that started on hers.

    The days blurred together for Valen however, and the celebrations only stopped when it was announced Rapha?lle was done smithing, and that her title would be announced later in the day. The anticipation thus grew high, as it was definitely unprecedented that two Named would be announced in such a quick succession.

    They once again gathered on the main plaza, and both Valen and Aiden were standing on the side, looking almost like Guild Knights to the amusement of the both of them. They were there because they would make an announcement that involved the both of them. And also, instead of being the Commander that announced the new Name, it would be the Admiral this time. He had decided that it would only be fitting that it was him that proceeded to announce her new position, since he was with her when the crisis happened, and he had suggested the name.

    So he was standing, arms crossed, which showed off his bulging muscles, one being covered by a thick rope with a grappling hook tied at the end. The assembly immediately quieted down at his arrival, and he waited for a moment before starting his speech.

    ¡°You all know why we are all here. After all, you had been celebrating it for several days already.¡± Chuckles and cheers were made in response. ¡°Today, we celebrate another of our numbers joining the Named. And what an amazing feat that led to it! She managed to face, with the assistance of only her Palico, Flighty, a completely unknown Elder that dwarfed any currently known one but the one known as Giants. She did it because she knew that should it be left unimpeded, the entire New World may have known a threat that might have doomed it. Our researchers have confirmed that after they had examined the body. We do not have a Name for the Elder yet, but the Guild will decide on one once we send them the data.

    ¡°She fought for hours, unheeding of her own exhaustion and only being able to recover a few times from her injuries with the Potions she had brought. She had fought with valor and cunning. She had made sure our injured were safe. She went above and beyond her duties¡­

    ¡°In the end. She made sure that our duty was done. She has led us to the end. She has guided us to our need, to our path.¡± He paused for a moment, to build up tension. ¡°She became the light that guided us. Our guiding Star. So I must present to you all, the SAPPHIRE STAR!¡±

    Valen gasped. He clearly did not expect her Name to be that. The Sapphire Star was known to all hunters, to be their light of hope, that they prayed to when all was lost. So, naming a hunter after this went above and beyond what he thought was possible, and he was certain the Admiral would be chewed out for that by the Guild of the Old World¡­ But he also knew that by the time they learned of it, it would already be too late to change it.

    When thinking on it a bit more, he also realized it perfectly fit. He remembered the Tale of the Five that was the myth surrounding the New World.

    ¡®One dragon sank into the sea and became the land.¡¯¡­ Suspected to refer to Zorah

    ¡®One dragon lifted its gaze to the sky and became the mountains.¡¯ No monster fit it.

    ¡®One dragon stooped low and became the lakes, and scattered its scales to create the rain.¡¯ Same as before.

    ¡®One dragon fell into a slumber and became the forests.¡¯ Some may have power that fit this description, but they were from far off lands.

    And finally¡­ ¡®The last dragon climbed far into the sky to become a star of sapphire blue, shining brightly above the island.¡¯ While the Sapphire Star itself did not lead them to the New World, it was theorized that it referred to the Elder¡¯s Crossing, and if the Elder Rapha?lle fought was the reason for the crossing anomaly, that¡¯d make it that last dragon in the tale, the Sapphire Star, and thus Rapha?lle have slain it, and became it in turn¡­

    He smiled, and realized that was the angle the Admiral was going for, and when you were aware of that fact, the name made perfect sense.

    While he was thinking, he realized that the cheers had only started to die down, and finally was able to have his first look on Rapha?lle¡¯s armor. He whistled.

    They had used a lot of the tattered wings in the making, and large drapes of it danced in the air by some unseen force. The rest of the armor was made out of the thick skin of the monster, with several black spikes inlaid in them, mostly at the joints.

    The most notable feature was her helmet though, it was a full hood made of the wings, and was glowing softly, there was some sort of tiara at the top, but it gave her an eerie appearance. It seemed the crowd appreciated the armor however, as thunderous applause immediately broke when people got time to take in her appearance.

    One thing Valen noticed though, was that she still used the Insect Glaive made out of Nergigante materials, instead of a new one. That fact surprised him, but he wondered if there was a reason behind it. He also noticed that Flighty had walked in behind her, and was wearing an armor of his own made out of the same materials.

    Due to her different helmet, Valen could see her expression, and it was apparent that while she was smiling, she still looked nervous. She raised a hand, and the applause died down.

    ¡°Thank you Admiral, though I am certain you¡¯ll come to regret that decision once they learn about it.¡± Laughter erupted from the crowd. ¡°But I will make sure to bear this Name with the honor it requires¡­

    ¡°When I set out for the New World, first I am certain you remember that we had to set sail late because I kind of barely finished my last hunt in time, you haven¡¯t stopped ribbing me about it!¡± More laughter, Valen did not tease her about it, he knew she already got enough of it from everybody else. ¡°And Sophie and I were the first thrown into the fire once we arrived¡­ Literally!¡± She took a breath. ¡°But while we might have been selected for our talent and not our rank, we all still were new to the field of hunting. We only had the Sky Piercer to rally behind, and it never was meant for him to be the permanent leader, he was a last minute addition, and was thrust into his role.

    ¡°Role that he fulfilled admirably I will admit, but the Admiral revealed to me that now is the time that I officially take my place as the leader of the Fifth Fleet, along with the Gale Breaker.¡±

    Gasps echoed in the crowd, and Valen stood straighter. It was the reason he was on the scene, because he would officially give the ¡®reins¡¯ of leadership to Aiden and Rapha?lle. The Admiral asked him if he wanted to do so, and he immediately agreed. He always planned to transfer them to a more promising and suitable hunter. While his influence would not diminish, it would make it clearer to all who any fledgling hunter should turn to for official matters.

    Even though the Commission might not exist in the New World for much longer, it would still be a good show of Rapha?lle competences back in the Old World.

    So Valen squared up, and walked next to Rapha?lle, with Aiden on his other side. He then faced the public and said:

    ¡°You may admire me and respect me, but remember that I am just a Hunter like you. I am not some sort of hero or god, but simply somebody who got extremely lucky and made the correct decisions at critical moments of my life¡­ The decision that I would temporarily lead the Fifth Fleet was made at the last minute, but was necessary given the role I would naturally have. But it was always intended that I would pass the torch to somebody who would have managed considerable respect from all of you. So it is with honor that I give the reins of leadership to the Sapphire Star and Gale Breaker!¡± He finished while holding his hands towards Rapha?lle and Aiden. They clasped them and he raised them high into the air. Then he released their hands, and they kept them in the air, while he walked away.

    Valen smiled behind his helmet, he knew that Rapha?lle would truly be an exemplary leader, she had the natural leadership and charisma needed for the role. He may have some, but it simply was not as innate as hers. And so it was how he felt, as he walked out of the stage, now free of his responsibilities.

    <hr>

    The next few days went by without much happening, the ambiance at Astera having finally calmed down after the two recent celebrations. Valen ended up helping Ikari study the Elder body, as he was still the most knowledgeable about Bioenergy. What was surprising to him was how much the body still held, even several days after it expired. He knew it should have dissipated since they made an armor out of it, but the fact it still contained some was strange, and spoke of the devastation it could have caused should it had been able to escape. There was also the fact that while it seemed to protect Rapha?lle correctly, it did not seem to have any other effects, which was something very unusual, even armors made out of something like a Great Jaggi had some minor effects.

    Still, this reinforced the idea that he should go meet Nikki, she probably witnessed the event herself given it happened near the Elder¡¯s Recess. He was waiting for some factors first however.

    Then the opportunity came a few days later, when they were discussing what happened in the Recess more in detail.

    ¡°I almost forgot though, before I met with the Admiral, I went to check on the Nergigante body, cause it was the first opportunity I had since I slain him¡­ And you know what I found? Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Nothing? Wait, not even bones or decayed meat?¡± Valen pressed.

    ¡°Nothing, there weren''t even traces of another monster dragging the body somewhere else, it is just like it went up and vanished¡­ The Galajaka confirmed to me that the body flat out disappeared not long after I left.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think?¡±

    ¡°That it was still alive and faked its death, even when I carved out pieces of it? That is my suspicion, we don¡¯t know much of its biology anyways, so it may actually be able to stop its heart temporarily.¡±

    Valen frowned, and thought, if the Nergigante was actually alive and faked its death to Rapha?lle¡­ That meant that it actually let her carve it up, unless it had no control while it faked its death. But still, the fact it decided to do so, especially knowing how intelligent Elders actually were, he had no suspicion that it knew that Rapha?lle would carve parts out of it.

    That fact decided it, he knew what needed to be done.

    ¡°I think we need to meet my specialist. When are you and Sophie able to leave?¡±

    She frowned.

    ¡°A couple days, we have done most of the work and should be able to leave Astera running for a while.¡±

    ¡°Then I will go ahead.¡± He pulled out his notebook and opened the detailed map of the Wildspire, then pointed at a spot. ¡°Meet me there, I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±

    She nodded and they ended their chat here. Valen did not immediately leave however, he first went to see Aiden to explain the situation and ask him if he wanted to come with Lea, and he accepted readily, though he first asked him if he was sure that he wanted to go through the risk of introducing Nikki to more people. Valen only had to think for a moment before replying he was certain. Nikki once told him that he didn¡¯t need her permission to reveal her to others, and that she trusted his judgment on that.

    Once Aiden was reassured, he told him that he would be here with Lea, so Valen thanked him and after informing the Commander that he¡¯d be gone for a few days, he picked up Adem, and once they were riding on the Wingdrake, he explained what he had decided to do. Adem was fully supportive of Valen, and said he¡¯d help make them comfortable with her. The Hunter smiled, glad to have such an understandable companion in Adem.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Valen arrived at the correct spot only in the evening, having left in the morning and only stopped to allow his Wingdrake to rest a bit and have lunch with Adem. But finally he was where he wanted to be.

    However there was a certain reason that he had asked the others to meet him at this spot, being that last time he met Nikki, they had decided upon a way that he could contact her without needing the specialized flares that Aki made him, so she would fly near a few different spots at differing days and check for his presence.

    It was already too late though, as she only liked to fly until the evening, and given that the night was already falling, they simply set up camp and went to sleep early.

    To Valen¡¯s luck, Nikki passed by in the morning, and she immediately landed next to them once she spotted Valen.

    Once Valen got to hug her, she surprised him by asking him a question directly:

    ¡®Female¡­ Killed Gatherer?¡¯

    It took a moment to puzzle her meaning, but he immediately understood that she was asking about the dragon Rapha?lle killed.

    ¡®Yes. Origin Crossing.¡¯

    She rumbled appreciatively at that, she seemed to have known that there was a reason for the anomaly, but she never was able to tell Valen what exactly.

    ¡®Call. Gone¡­ Crossing back was.¡¯

    This let Valen exhale in relief, it was good to have confirmation that the Elder¡¯s Crossing would go back to its previous rhythm of once per century from now on, with the slaying of the Elder.

    Valen used the rest of the day to fill Nikki up with what had happened, both the fact that Aiden had slain a Kushalah and even got its Gem, which made the Elder incredibly pleased for some reason, but he also shared the fact that the body of Nergigante was missing. She was pensive for a moment before she also concluded that it meant that it was still alive, though she also suggested that it would go elsewhere now that it knew that the Recess was too risky.

    The discussion lasted until the night started to fall, and Valen suggested that Nikki should go back to her nest, and that they were about to introduce her to new people the following day. She readily agreed and said that she would wait for his signal to approach them. Then after one last hug, she took off and flew back towards her nest. Then once she disappeared over the horizon, Valen started preparing his camp to go sleep with Adem.

    <hr>

    Valen had to only wait until midday when he caught the shape of five wingdrakes in the distance heading directly towards his position. Once he was certain they were close enough to see him, he waved at them so that they could land nearby.

    Once they were all safely down, he nodded to Aiden then went to Ikari.

    ¡°Did you all figure anything else about the Elder?¡±

    ¡°Not much.¡± Ikari shook his head. ¡°We decided it was time to send the report back to the Guild. The Argosy left this morning with everything we could send, drawings, some leftover materials and a copy of our notes. They will decide on a name and give their final decision on the future of the Commission after.¡±

    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± He then turned to the other Handlers, then asked. ¡°Did Rapha?lle or Aiden brief you as to why we are here?¡±

    ¡°We are supposed to meet that expert on Bioenergy of yours right?¡± Sophie exclaimed excitedly.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Valen nodded. ¡°She has firsthand experience about its workings, and I have known her for almost a decade now¡­ And I believe she can help Rapha?lle figure out the particularities of her new armor.¡±

    Sophie was writing furiously in her notebook, but Lea frowned, then shot an accusing look at Valen.

    ¡°If you have known her for years, how did she come to the new World? I would have known if she was anybody apart from the Fifth fleet.¡±

    Valen smiled in his helmet, and then he pulled out a firework out of his pocket, but before lighting it, he answered her question.

    ¡°That is her secret, she is not a part of the Fifth¡­¡± Then he lit the firework, slotted it in his Slinger, then fired it upwards, which exploded into blue and yellow trails. ¡°Or like any of us.¡±

    He did not miss Rapha?lle¡¯s eyes widening in recognition once the firework exploded, but decided not to comment and to instead look at the skies.

    The red comet that had been flying far since then, and had become such a frequent view that most people only took a few cautious glances at it every so often, suddenly shifted direction, to head directly towards them. Behind him Valen heard Lea swear, though she was quickly calmed down by Aiden putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

    He saw Rapha?lle hand going for her weapon by force of habit, but while she gripped it, she did not draw it. Sophie¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor, unbelieving of what was happening. Flighty also looked tense, not sure of what she should do, given it was such an unexpected turn of event, but Adem talked to her in their Felyne language, calming her down.

    Valen only kept an eye on Nikki approaching to make sure nobody was taking any aggressive actions in their surprise. Rapha?lle risked a glance at Valen, and when she saw him still completely relaxed and looking at her, she managed to force herself to relax and released her grip, though she was still tense.

    Finally, Nikki arrived, and she flared up to kill her remaining speed with the roar of her wings, then dropped to the ground. She shook her wings a bit then rested them at their idle stance. Then she observed the gathered assembly one by one, surprisingly rumbling in happiness when she saw Aiden, then she looked at Rapha?lle, staring at her the longest, though she did not approach. Valen then approached her, and he heard the other hold their breath until Valen scratched her under her beak and she rumbled in pleasure.

    ¡°Everyone, meet Nikki, the secret I kept with me for a decade! Do not worry, she is friendly, she will only retaliate if provoked.¡± He said that last part while staring at Rapha?lle.

    Then he saw Sophie mumbling then exclaim:

    ¡°A decade? Then that means that the Seregios hunt¡­¡±

    Valen smiled and answered.

    ¡°She saved my life back then, I wouldn¡¯t be here if she wasn¡¯t here, I wouldn¡¯t be what I am without her.¡±

    Then Ikari approached, surprising the others greatly, given what they knew of his phobia.

    ¡°I can attest to this, each time I met her, she never laid a claw nor wing against me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Only against Valen or Aiden when they were sparring.¡±

    Lea threw an accusing glare at her partner.

    ¡°You knew! And never told me!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Valen told me to not tell anybody, and I only respected his wishes! Do you want me to break his trust, the guy who has an Elder protecting him?¡±

    ¡°Good points¡­¡± Lea deflated.

    Valen then looked at Rapha?lle, then he simply tilted his head, and said.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you knew about her? Or at least suspected?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Suspected something was off, but I did not know any specifics. How you were so familiar with the Elder mindset, how much more familiar you were with Bioenergy than our scientists¡­ However the main reason for my suspicion was months ago. Do you remember the Juyratodus hunt?¡± He nodded. ¡°I met the Seeker after, and he told me he witnessed a gigantic firework exploding in the sky, with blue and yellow trails. He did not see anything else after, but he was suspicious of the intent. I only knew about you being in the Waste at that time, so I thought you had illegal intentions. I am happy to be wrong about that though.¡±

    Valen chuckled.

    ¡°Yeah, we had to find a way to meet each other again at the New World, she had told me she would follow me¡­ And I am grateful to her for that.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded, but then Sophie¡¯s eyes widened and she exclaimed:

    ¡°Wait, told!? She can talk?¡±

    Valen chuckled, then signed to Nikki.

    ¡®You, talk?¡¯

    She huffed in response, then signed back, inciting gasps from the others.

    ¡®I no talk, I communicate, you stupid.¡¯ Which made Valen chuckle, as it was a callback to what he had said to Aiden when he asked the same question.

    ¡°She reminded me that we do not talk, but we communicate pretty well.¡± Which also made Aiden laugh. ¡°But yeah, we developed this sign language, as she cannot hear part of the register we talk at normally, notably the lower pitched sounds. Also made it so it required an effort of the both of us instead of just her.¡±

    ¡°How did you meet exactly then? Must have been extraordinary circumstances for your bond to be that strong.¡± Sophie asked.

    Valen nodded then sat down.

    ¡°It is a long tale, make yourself comfortable, it¡¯ll take a while.¡± He noticed Sophie and Lea had pulled out a notebook and were ready to write, and smiled, some things never change, and among that is Handlers obsession for accurate record-keeping. He took a deep breath then launched in a retelling of his adventures from where it all started.

    <hr>

    It took a couple hours until Valen was done and had answered clarifying questions from Sophie, Lea and Rapha?lle. Nikki had long since laid down and was only watching them with a distracted eye. Valen thought it was amazing that the others got comfortable with her so quickly, but he supposed that it was her complete lack of any threatening moves that helped that.

    There were a few minutes of silence filled only with the scratching of pen on paper, as the Handlers were finishing writing notes on the story Valen had just told. Rapha?lle was pensive, while Flighty was playing with Adem.

    Finally, Rapha?lle looked at Valen and said:

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a reason you brought us here though? You said you think she could figure out the particularities of my armor?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, being an Elder, she has the innate ability to be able to shape Bioenergy. The main example is when we spar, she depletes the one contained in my weapon, while overcharging the armor, so that I am able to take a couple hits, and deal minor wounds on her. It has allowed us to go all out while sparring instead of being cautious.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you are good then.¡± Rapha?lle chuckled. ¡°You had the best teacher possible.¡±

    Valen nodded, then turned towards Nikki.

    ¡®You, can examine her?¡¯

    Nikki simply nodded in response, and stood up, walking towards Rapha?lle, who had flinched at first, but forced herself to relax. Then, once they were in touching distance, the Elder closed her eyes and poked Rapha?lle with the tip of her beak. She was in intense concentration, but they could sense that she was feeling Rapha?lle¡¯s armor. Then finally, after what felt like an eternity, she opened her eyes and pulled back. She walked a few steps back then looked at Valen.

    ¡®Bioenergy strong. But rough, not shaped. Raw.¡¯

    Valen relayed those words then Sophie gasped and said.

    ¡°It makes sense! From all we know, when it emerged from that chrysalis, it had been decades since the Elder was last roaming the world. And since Rapha?lle killed it basically immediately in the grand scheme of things, it didn¡¯t have time to refine its internal Bioenergy¡­ So that means that while yours is extremely potent, it is mostly a power source instead of something more specialized like the specialization on the thrusters for Valen. We don¡¯t know much yet about Aiden¡¯s, but that is because he is still also inexperienced with his armor, he may figure out its oddities soon enough.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded, and Valen translated the gist of what was said to Nikki, then Lea asked a question.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Nikki help Rapha?lle shape it then?¡±

    Valen relayed the question to the Elder, who shook his head and replied.

    ¡®Shaping Bioenergy other kind¡­ Mistake. Able add remove. Not shaping.¡¯

    Sophie frowned then emitted.

    ¡°So that means that if that was the Gem of another¡¯s Valstrax that was flawed, you could help, but not for another species?¡± Nikki nodded at that. ¡°That¡­ Makes sense, they are attuned for the Bioenergy of their own species, so shaping another may have consequences that we aren¡¯t aware about¡­¡±

    ¡°What about consuming it, like Nergigante does?¡± Lea asked.

    ¡®Possible, only way assimilate. Few does, own enough.¡¯

    ¡°That¡­ Makes sense. Thank you for your answers, Nikki!¡± Sophie said.

    She rumbled in appreciation once Valen relayed the thanks. Then she turned to Valen and said.

    ¡®Late, need leave.¡¯

    ¡®Fly safe.¡¯ Valen answered back, then she turned around and took off, flying back towards her nest. Then he turned towards Rapha?lle and said.

    ¡°If you ever want to spar with her, tell me and I¡¯ll lead you to one of our meeting spots, though I wouldn¡¯t recommend any of you meet her without me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind Valen, I first need to get used to this armor first¡­¡± Rapha?lle answered.

    Sophie and Lea were writing furiously, as well as Ikari, as he had learned new facts from the chat they just had with Nikki. Valen looked at the sky then said to everyone.

    ¡°It is probably too late to return to Astera now, and besides, I think our Handlers would protest about not being able to write their notes.¡± Aiden and Rapha?lle chuckled at that, while the Handlers simply ignored the barb.

    Rapha?lle then approached Valen and said.

    ¡°While we didn¡¯t really find a solution for my armor, we had answers as to why¡­ I might have to live with it, but it isn¡¯t really an issue. Just the increased protection will change things greatly.¡±

    ¡°Good point¡­ We shall see what the future holds.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded, and they all went to make a camp to spend the night.

    <hr>

    It had been several weeks since Valen brought the others to meet Nikki, and not much happened since.

    They were still waiting for a response from the Guild, and they were expecting the Argosy back any day, which was making everybody a bit tense in anticipation.

    Rapha?lle has taken Valen on his offer to spar with Nikki once she had gotten used to the way her new armor moved. They had started lightly, with Nikki going easy on her, but Rapha?lle quickly got into her groove and they ramped up quickly. Aiden also did the same with her, which allowed him to figure out that his armor allowed him to flat out ignore any blasts of wind thrown at him, which he said was a huge boon.

    Valen himself also enjoyed his new free time to spend it with Nikki however he could. She also relayed to him that the Elders at the Recess were more calm, as it seemed the death of the Elder had clearly an effect. So he was glad to learn about that.

    Then suddenly one morning somebody shouted that the Argosy had been spotted at the horizon¡­ And Astera became a kicked ant¡¯s nest.

    <hr>

    That evening, everybody was assembled at the main plaza once again, Valen was part of the public this time, along with Rapha?lle and Aiden. The Commander and Admiral were the only ones on stage. Arcos was holding a rolled-up scroll. Everybody was quiet in anticipation at the news that was about to be unveiled.

    ¡°Thank you all for being here.¡± Arcos started. ¡°I will not make you wait any longer and will read the response of the Guild.¡±

    He cleared his throat and unrolled the message.

    ¡°The Guild commands you for your dedicated research of the Elders Crossing. In light of your findings, we have confirmed the monster you discovered as a brand new species of Elder Dragon. An official name has been chosen: Xeno¡¯Jiiva.¡± Whisperings emerged all around as they discussed the meaning of the name. ¡°We also acknowledge the promotion of the Gale Breaker and Sapphire Star among the Named, they have been officially entered into the list.¡±

    Cheers resounded all around, as everybody clapped for Valen¡¯s partners, and he had a smile at their enthusiasm. It took a while for them to die down, and then Arcos resumed.

    ¡°This concludes your duties with the Research Commission. We thank you for your service. You are free to return home at your discretion.¡± The mood became a bit more muted there, as they all hoped the contrary, but Valen paid more attention, and he saw that the Commander had a smile on his face.

    ¡°However¡­¡± Then everybody perked back up. ¡°We acknowledge that the outpost of Astera has grown far beyond its original duty and that it is no longer a simple, small research base. And this is why we officially recognise Astera as a fully-fledged Colony, and that its status has become permanent, and will be the foothold on the New World for any future expansions. So you may stay as you wish, and make it your new home.¡±

    It took a split second for the words to sink in. Then an explosion of cheers resounded, far louder than for Aiden and Rapha?lle announcements, and even Valen was stunned, but he joined them a moment later.

    Valen already knew what his choice would be. He knew more than anything that Astera and the New World were where he wanted to be, they were definitely his Home now, and nothing would change that fact¡­ So he was happy because he could make it a true fact forevermore.

 Sky Render Chapter 17: Knighted

    The repercussions of Astera being recognised as an official and independent Colony were immediately visible. The main thing it meant was that Astera was now open to trade instead of just being a research outpost supplied by the Argosy. It would take a while to come in, but they expected the trade to settle once a safe route to the New World was established.

    For Astera residents however, that meant that now it could be their permanent residence if they so desired. There was a real call to build permanent houses so that everybody would feel comfortable. That would however mean that they would need to cut down trees in the forest, given they could no longer rely on disassembling the ships they came with. They had a couple carpenters in the second fleet, though, so a solution would be found.

    Still, the excitement took a while to wear off, and life returned to a stable normal after a while¡­ Until the first real merchant ship arrived, escorted by the Argosy. It was a first, as it brought commodities that haven¡¯t been seen since a long time in the New World, the Argosy focusing on the essentials.

    They weren¡¯t sure what Astera could provide back to the Old World, though the most obvious thing were herbs, as there were several local plants that did not exist back there that had incredible medicinal properties. So there was quickly a push to focus the grown Ancient Tree on cultivating those, as its properties in accelerating plant growth would be invaluable there.

    When the ship left port back to the Old World, it was as if the whole of Astera waved it goodbye, but it reassured everyone that their first trade went well. They knew that they had the ability to provide unique resources, so they just needed to make sure they expanded reasonably to meet demand.

    Once this happened, daily life returned to more or less normal, though hunts still continued, prioritizing monsters that were deemed a threat to their local ecosystem. Still, there was nothing that called for any of their Named attention. So it was just a quiet time for Valen.

    <hr>

    The first notable event happened a couple months later, when a Lunastra had been spotted in the Waste. Though normally known for their aggressiveness, this one was surprisingly tamer than the other members of her species. There was a short investigation, and it was found out that she more than likely became the mate of the Teostra that Valen had visited in the Wildspire.

    Valen believed that the Teostra was making sure to reign her in, as to honour his agreement of not being a disturbance to the ecosystem. This suited the Commission just fine, and they simply monitored them from afar just in case there was a shift in the dynamics.

    But the second biggest event happened not long after, and this time it did not come from their local continent, but from one of the Old World trading ships¡­

    ¡°Sky Piercer!¡± One of the hunters shouted at him, catching his attention. ¡°You might wanna hear about this!¡±

    Now interested, he followed the hunter until he found himself facing the captain of the trading ship currently docked at the Tradeyard. Commerce was starting to pick up and the Argosy no longer needed to escort all ships, as a safe route was found that avoided the territories of the aquatic Monsters and the turbulent waters.

    The Captain noticed Valen and exclaimed:

    ¡°Sky Piercer, you might be interested in the news I have to share¡­ Just so you understand, before coming here from Dundorma, I came from receiving commodities from Kamura Village, and you know what I have been told?¡±

    Valen shook his head.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t kept abreast of any news since I came to the New World¡­ Much like the whole of the Fifth Fleet actually, we only got sporadic updates from the Argosy captain, but nothing major seemed to have happened.¡±

    ¡°Well then, allow me to cut to the chase, a Valstrax has been slain near Kamura Village¡­¡± Valen immediately stood straight, now fully focused. ¡°And the strangest news? It has been confirmed it was a brand new Variant. Here, I got a copy of the official drawings.¡± He pulled out a folded paper out of one of his pockets and gave it to Valen.

    Valen unfolded it then studied it. The drawing looked like a regular Valstrax, however the differences immediately jumped to him. He first saw it at the shoulders, where right below the wing-joints and a bit to the sides of the chest vents, there seemed to be glowing red dragon energy. The second difference was on the wings, where they seemed to also have the same glow. He glanced at the top of the paper, where a name was written: ¡®Crimson Glow Valstrax¡¯.

    ¡°Indeed, they told me that this Valstrax differed mostly in behavior, as it was extremely aggressive and landed frequently on the ground instead of merely flying around its territory. It took a while for the hunter team at Kamura to nail it down and slay it.¡±

    Valen offered the paper back but the captain shook his head.

    ¡°Keep it, I think you are the one most suited to receive it. Also, another fact: the glowing spots you see, while the one around the wing joints were constantly visible, the one on the wings only glowed when it sucked in a lot of air and powered them up. We don¡¯t know what made it so able to do this, but they were worried about the circumstances that led it to become a variant¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, might be extreme stress due to environmental factors. Deviljho is also known to do something similar with his Savage variant¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find. thank you Captain, for relaying this information.¡±

    ¡°You are welcome, you are technically the one that knows most about the species, what with the armor and all!¡±

    Valen smiled, and waved goodbye to the captain, then took his leave. He studied the drawing a bit more, as something nagged at him, then headed to see Aiden, to which he showed him the same drawing.

    ¡°You are worried about something? I can feel that about you Valen.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°I need to see Nikki. I have a suspicion that needs to be confirmed now. Do you want to come?¡±

    Aiden shook his head.

    ¡°I have things to do sadly, and maybe it is something you need to do alone with her. That sounds pretty important.¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡± Valen nodded, then checked the sun. ¡°I need to leave now if I want to catch her at today¡¯s meeting point.

    ¡°Good luck Valen!¡±

    Valen smiled in his helmet and left, he found Adem and informed Ikari that he needed to see his ¡®friend¡¯ then whistled to his Wingdrake and flew away from Astera.

    <hr>

    To Valen¡¯s luck, Nikki was flying around when he approached the meeting spot, and evidently she also spotted him coming in and landed in the clearing. He removed his helmet and then approached her, though she tilted her head.

    ¡®You, troubled.¡¯

    Valen sighed and nodded.

    ¡®I¡­ Learn something.¡¯ He unfolded the paper in front of her and after a split second, she flinched. Then she did something he never expected to see from her. She bowed her head in¡­ Shame.

    ¡®You know now. Species secret¡­ And fear.¡¯

    ¡®Fear?¡¯ Valen asked.

    She sat down and paused for a bit, probably thinking of how she could explain to him.

    ¡®When Valstrax danger, being killed, body core¡­ Works more. Too much. Painful. Lose mind.¡¯

    Valen froze, that means that Crimson Glow Valstrax were those that lost their mind, that had little or no rational thought like normal Elders¡­ It must be a terrible fate to become one. Then suddenly he remembered something: the Valstrax he had hunted years ago had the same signs on its wing joints.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡®One I felled. Was he this?¡¯

    Nikki shook her head.

    ¡®Not yet. Changing, not finished. You freed mind. He grateful.¡¯ She said as she nosed the gem that rested on the back of his armor. Valen almost thought he felt a pulse from it in response¡­

    Valen hugged her beak in return and they kept the contact for a while, until Valen frowned, and remembered a critical detail.

    ¡®You¡­ Turning mad? Nergigante.¡¯

    Nikki shook her head.

    ¡®Almost did. Stopped process.¡¯ She seemed uncomfortable with the subject, so Valen did not push it. And besides, he did not see any signs that anything was wrong with her. He hasn¡¯t seen her leaking dragon energy since that time on the Elder¡¯s Recess, and he also believed it was more caused by the Dragonfell berries he gave her.

    Having no more questions, Valen wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon with her, but Nikki said that she needed to come back to her nest, so he simply hugged her one last time before she took off. Valen quickly called his Wingdrake, which had now grown used to Nikki and simply stayed around, and flew back to Astera.

    <hr>

    Nothing else happened for several weeks, Valen relayed the information he received to Aiden, Rapha?lle and their handlers, but they agreed that there were nothing they could act on, it simply meant that now that they knew this was a possibility, it explained the legends that Valstrax had, as most of their rampages were from those that became or were becoming Crimson Glow.

    The majority of the efforts were then focused on developing Astera. There would no longer be restrictions of having new people moving to it every decade, though the immigration would still be limited.

    The colony was a hive of activity, the most active of them being by far the Second Fleet, who do specialize in engineering and building.

    Then, suddenly, something happened: tracks of a new Elder had been found, though this one had been spotted before, albeit only briefly. But it still led to an investigation, and eventually, they found where it originally nested, and what they found blew everyone away.

    ¡°There is a subterranean network that spans for miles! It is completely separate from the Everstream and from what we suspect, has been created by that Elder we spotted!¡± Sophie exclaimed, as it was her and Rapha?lle that investigated the sightings of this Elder.

    ¡°We have confirmed that it seems essential to maintain the stability of that network¡­ So passive observation is what I suggest, I do not want to find out what could happen should we anger it.¡± Rapha?lle followed.

    The Commander nodded and then answered.

    ¡°Then that is what we will do, Hunter Rapha?lle and Aiden, as well as Handlers Sophie, Ikari and Lea, you may follow it for however long you need. From what I remember, sightings of this Elder had been made a couple decades ago, and the name Kulve Taroth had been assigned since. Do not anger it and simply study its behavior. That should be your mission.¡±

    The two hunters nodded, and they went to make preparations to leave for the investigation. Valen was not surprised he had not been chosen for this task, given he had given the reigns to Rapha?lle and Aiden. That meant they would be prioritized over him for any critical tasks.

    Ikari was however surprised he was ordered to go with them, but Valen simply said that it meant that he had proved himself to be invaluable for his insights. And besides, Valen didn¡¯t really need a Handler anymore and it was better that Ikari¡¯s talents were put to use.

    Once the group left, he simply resumed what he was doing: helping the engineers building new houses, as with his armor, he was able to lift heavier weights. The engineers were grateful and appreciated his assistance.

    <hr>

    There was nothing much that happened for several months, the group had returned from their investigation after a couple weeks and confirmed that Kulve Taroth was passive, and only was curious of them, but that she had a vital work maintaining the subterranean network, now called the Caverns of Eldorado due to the sheer amount of gold present. They agreed on keeping the entrances to this as a need to know basis, due to the potential of greedy individuals trying to extract the gold and angering the Elder.

    Outside of that, the life at Astera entered a monotonous rhythm, and Valen only rarely went out hunting, this suited him fine, as at least he was allowed hunting instead of completely barred from doing it as it was back in Dundorma. His frequent visits to Nikki also allowed him to keep his skills sharp and not neglected. Aiden and Rapha?lle also benefited greatly from it and started winning spars against her.

    They even fought as a group against her in some occasion, which allowed the Elder to go all-out, which showed that even though they were able to apply pressure on her, they weren¡¯t the only ones that gained experience from their spars, they still won most of these, but each of them was a hard-earned victory.

    Still, life was great for Valen, and he wished that it could go on like this forever¡­

    <hr>

    Valen had been called into the Commander¡¯s office, only bringing Adem and Ikari with him. This was something that happened rarely, as Arcos usually gave his missions at the council table, the fact that he was called privately was odd.

    He knocked at the door, which opened and the Commander nodded, allowing him to enter. There was only the Admiral inside, which immediately put Valen on edge. That only the two most important officials were here meant that a high level of secrecy was required. Ikari was similarly put on edge, and they stiffened.

    ¡°Good, you already have a good idea of what we are about to ask of you three¡­¡± Arcos started. ¡°To put it bluntly, we had the recent confirmation that Poachers are now present in the New World.¡±

    Valen stiffened. Poachers were outlaws that practiced illegal hunting, without any consideration for the ecological balance. They also always used overwhelming power instead of the teams of Hunters to slay their targets. A fair number of them were ex-hunters that were dissatisfied with the Guild¡¯s strict restrictions on hunting.

    ¡°We believe they managed to get their hands on the trade route maps that are given to merchant ships and sneaked a ship or two that have now established a base somewhere on the coastline¡­¡± The Admiral continued. ¡°We only now have confirmation because one of our Hunters have found definite signs of an Anjanath that had been slain this week but no Anjanath hunt had been issued for a couple months.¡±

    ¡°Everybody knows that you are prone to disappear for long periods of times, and this often without your Handler, so this makes you the perfect candidate for this.¡± Arcos finished. ¡°So your goal will be to scour the continent for any signs of the Poachers¡­ And put an end to their activities. You¡¯re to call for assistance once you find their headquarters.¡±

    Ikari then interjected:

    ¡°What about me, then?¡±

    ¡°You had to be in on the secret, else you probably would have realized something was wrong about Valen''s greater absence.¡± The commander responded. ¡°Besides, your help explaining his absences would make things easier on the whole. This is not some easy mission however. It is known that Poachers will not hesitate engaging Hunters with overwhelming odds and will steal their gear once done¡­ So you being a Handler would put you at risk, and if Valen had to focus on protecting you if ambushed¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Valen interjected. ¡°Isn¡¯t what I have been assigned normally the mission of Guild Knights?¡±

    Then the Admiral chuckled.

    ¡°It is¡­ And I have the authority to do what I am about to do then.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Hunter Valen, you have proved yourself time and time again that you are a skilled hunter, that values upholding the Guild¡¯s tenets highly. You have proved that you will rise up when you are needed, and do what must be done. And thus, to make sure you have the authority to be able to accomplish the task that you have been assigned¡­¡± There, he picked up a badge from one of his pockets, then presented it to Valen. ¡°By the Authority that has been assigned to me as the representative of the Research Commission of the New World, I hereby promote you as the first Guild Knight of this continent!¡±

    Ikari gasped and Valen could only stare at the badge that sat in the Admiral¡¯s palm. He never guessed that it would come to this, that he would one day be promoted as a Guild Knight, those who were responsible for upholding one of the most important duties of the guild: making sure those that did not respect the balance were appropriately punished.

    The Hunter¡¯s Oath forbade Hunters to bear their weapon against another human in the exception of self defense. Valen believed that those that ambushed him on the training ground what felt like so long ago called in numerous favors to be affected by the repercussions.

    However¡­ The Guild Knight Oath overrode this fact. It allowed one to be able to kill those that did not respect the Guild tenets should they prove to be a danger to the ecosystem¡­ He hesitated, but then firmed himself, he already knew what decision must be done. He already knew all too well what may happen should the New World ecosystem be disturbed. So he looked into the Admiral¡¯s eyes, then nodded.

    ¡°I will do it. I, Hunter Valen of the Research Commission, hereby swear now that I will do whatever it takes to safeguard the Ecosystem, and strike down anybody that has the goal to upend it. By the Red Comet, I swear.¡± His ending was not the traditional one, but he didn¡¯t care, Nikki was the one he respected above all, and he believed swearing by her was required of him in this case, as she was the embodiment of this new task that had been fostered on him.

    ¡°Then go, Guild Knight Valen. Keep your new station a secret for now, and only reveal it when you need the authority. We suspect the poachers have managed to plant moles in Astera, so treat this task with the greatest discretion you can manage,¡± the Admiral reminded.

    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll visit Astera as much as I can manage, though. Being absent for too long of periods may prove contrary to our goals of secrecy.¡±

    ¡°That is reasonable, we will simply say that you have been sent on expeditions to monitor the ecosystem. Go, Sky Piercer, and may you accomplish your task.¡±

    Valen nodded, he had only accepted this because he highly respected both the Commander and the Admiral, who he knew valued highly the stability of the New World¡¯s ecosystem. Now that Astera would become a permanent fixture, that task has become that much more important, and so making sure no outside elements could put a damper on that was a priority.

    That is thus what Valen thought as he prepared a large backpack full of supplies and necessities for long trips in the wilderness. He went to see Aiden and Rapha?lle to give them his cover up mission, but also said that he trusted them to be able to handle anything in his absence. They wished him good luck, then Valen whistled to his Wingdrake and he flew out of Astera hanging on it.

 Sky Render Chapter 18: Investigation

    Several hours later, he dropped off from his Wingdrake at the location on the map that the Admiral had shown him where they found the signs of the Anjanath that had been slain. It would be a good start for his investigation, and with a bit of luck there would be a trail to find, though he didn¡¯t hold out much hope. While Poachers used overwhelming power for a reason, they took great care to hide their trails. They had to, else Guild Knights would follow them easily, so that was the one thing they had going for them, their ability to cover their tracks.

    Valen dropped down on the ground and started looking around. He found some signs of fighting indeed: damaged trees, dried blood, even some chipped metal, presumably a Poacher that had to desperately guard.

    There were not even scales that remained on the ground, and Valen believed it was only by pure luck that this Hunter even managed to spot the signs. Still, they had no idea how long it had been since the Poachers had managed to settle on the New World, so depending on that fact, the difficulty in uprooting them would vary.

    He looked around more, but he did not find any more clues that could lead to them. Even Adem said that there was barely a scent of their presence, but no trail that led anywhere. So Valen gave up and decided that just pushing on a dead end would just make them frustrated.

    In his opinion, finding any leads would normally take a while, it frequently took years for Guild Knights to find bases of operations given how careful the Poachers were in not leaving any leads. They used makeship airships that flew low and in formation to reduce their profile and transport the bodies.

    Still, Valen knew that he had one massive advantage over anybody else: Nikki. She would have the ability to spot them from afar and relay their headings to Valen. But even then it might take a while, and he did not want to require her to constantly patrol even though it might be barely a hindrance to her. Besides, they also might only be active during the night, which was when Nikki slept.

    After noting down everything he had found that pointed to Poacher presence, he decided that the best thing he could do for now was to figure out which areas he could patrol, those that were rarely monitored by Hunters and thus would allow them to stay under the radar.

    But for now, he needed to find a good place to spend the night, so he walked until he found a tree that looked secure enough, then he and Adem climbed it and set up their camp. Once he felt safe enough, he pulled out the large map that was contained in his notebook and started listing down the regular hunting grounds, as well as the areas that were patrolled to monitor dangerous monsters that might move into the grounds.

    Which led him to only have the seldom patrolled areas, that if the Poachers had a mole, would know to be active in. He figured that the best thing he could do for now was to wander in those and hope to find clues that would at least lead to which areas the Poachers were active most, so he knew where to keep an eye on.

    The sun was already setting when he was done with this task, so he simply called it for the day and after a quick meal with Adem, they went to sleep.

    <hr>

    Valen decided that the first thing he needed to do the following day however, was to inform Nikki of the newfound issue, so that she could inform him of any irregularity, most notably a large group of people in an unusual area.

    So once she landed after passing by the nearest meeting point he could go, he explained the problem.

    ¡®Bad Hunters around. Need finding them.¡¯

    Valen had already explained the idea of Poachers to her, and she had already expressed her distaste of them to him, so when he explained that they were now active in the New World, she released a loud growl that was out of character for her, being normally gentle.

    ¡®I help. I want destroy them.¡¯

    ¡®Night active only. Normal routine.¡¯

    She nodded, and she wanted them to stay together the whole day instead of simply flying away immediately this time, so Valen obliged. Valen used her sides as a backrest while she snoozed.

    He did not stay idle though, and continued to take notes about what he knew about Poachers and what he should expect from them should he find their trail¡­ And he knew that he had to be on guard. Several Guild Knights had been found murdered in ambushes when they started getting too close to finding them out, and Valen knew he would be at a bigger risk given he only had Adem as a backup. But at least he had a trump card that he could use should he be caught unaware.

    Once the night started to fall, Nikki said her goodbyes to Valen and flew back to her nest, while the Hunter simply made camp there.

    <hr>

    Valen knew the average chances of finding Poacher activities, he had heard several stories from Guild Knights at Dundorma, but it was another thing hearing about it, and being confronted about the reality of the situation.

    It had been several weeks since he had been given his task by the Admiral and Commander, and in that time, besides the places where he had been led to by them, he only managed to find only one spot of activities, a spot where he believed a Tobi Kadachi had been slain and carried off. Once again clues were sparse, but they were still more proof of their activities.

    When Poachers started to appear decades ago, they were at the time inexperienced and easy to find out, but over the years, they had become far better at hiding their activities from the Guild and its Knights, by necessity, due to how harsh the punishment was.

    He also believed that they also had managed to find sponsors among the influential nobles who helped cover their activities, by either diverting the Knights from their investigations or leading them to false leads.

    However, given no such nobles were present in the New World, it seemed that those that had settled there were being exceedingly careful to leave no signs of their presence¡­ They could probably have not been aware of the problem for far longer.

    For the moment though, Valen was flying back towards Astera, having been absent for so long that he wondered what changed since. He was on its final approach to the colony, and something seemed off to him though¡­ It felt emptier than the last time he had visited, which was when he departed to start his new mission.

    He landed near the council table and spotted the Commander, who waved him over.

    ¡°Hunter Valen. It has been a while.¡±

    ¡°It has been Commander¡­ I¡¯m certain I missed something?¡±

    ¡°That you did! We started building a new outpost, far in the north!¡±

    That definitely caught Valen¡¯s attention and he asked for clarification. To which the Commander explained that a few weeks ago, there had been a massive Legiana migration towards the north, which had prompted sending the Third Fleet Airship to follow them.

    Then they found a new island, an arctic biome, and after exploring it a bit, found a wealth of natural resources. So the decision had been made to create a new outpost there, called Seliana, and approximately a third of Astera departed there to build it up. Arcos also had designed his Grandson, Lukas, to be the leader of this new outpost. Rapha?lle and Aiden had left for it so they could investigate the new region as well as keep it secure until the defenses were finished.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°The Airship is departing today with a new shipment of materials, so if you want to do a short visit to Seliana, you can do so.¡± Arcos suggested. ¡°I¡¯m certain you could take a small break.¡±

    Valen thought for a bit before nodding.

    ¡°I probably should¡­ Besides I am curious to see what Aiden and Rapha?lle have been up to.¡±

    ¡°Then do not let me stop you, Sky Piercer.¡±

    Valen nodded and thanked the Commander for this information. He went to see Masani to check the time of departure, and once she confirmed to him it was later in the afternoon, since he did not have anything to do, he simply waited onboard the ship.

    Eventually the airship was finally loaded up and took off from its dock. Valen was observing from the prow, as it was the place that, in his opinion, had the best view, and besides, being on the main deck required that he wear special equipment to deal with its tilted nature.

    Once the only thing he could see was the ocean stretching into the horizon, he decided to pass time by chatting with Masani while the ship quietly glided over the waters.

    <hr>

    The next morning, he could finally see the new island, and he whistled in amazement. While it was covered in snow, it did not mean a lack of life. Numerous pines dotted the land, and he could see mountains in the distance where what he supposed were Legianas flying around. Several herds of Popos were roaming from its vantage point, a couple running away from the airship, mistaking it for one of their flying predators.

    Then suddenly Masani pointed out Seliana in the distance, and Valen gasped.

    He had visited Pokke Village once, and always remembered the homey and comfy feelings the village gave to him. This new outpost gave him these same feelings, and he smiled. It was even more impressive when you realized that a few months ago, it did not even exist. The work the Second Fleet had been able to produce in such a quick timeframe was impressive.

    Valen basked in the view until they started the proper docking procedure. Then he simply waited until the ship was fully secured before he disembarked.

    The workers that were about to help unload the ship were immediately surprised by his presence, but quickly regained their composure, simply acknowledging his presence with a nod. The only true interaction Valen had was when he asked for directions to Lukas¡¯ office, which he received.

    He did not go straight to it though, but spent a bit of time wandering around, simply admiring the craftsmanship that went into the village. He definitely could see that it was built to last, and not a rushed job.

    Adem started complaining about the cold though, so he decided that he would not let his partner be more uncomfortable, and headed towards Lukas¡¯ office. Knocking at the door, he only had to wait for a moment before the Field Team Leader opened the door, momentarily surprised but then let a wide smile appear on his face.

    ¡°Valen! I was sure you would come to visit once you learned about the news! Enter, do not simply stay outside.¡±

    He nodded in thanks, and was greeted into a cozy interior. A fire was crackling in the chimney, warming the space, there was a door that presumably led to sleeping chambers. Though it felt like there should be couches in the space and the only things he could see were sturdy chairs. That made sense to him, functionality came first, comfort would come later.

    Lukas invited him to sit at one of the chairs and Valen took it. Once they were installed, the new outpost leader talked.

    ¡°I have been informed of the details of your current task by Arcos. The more secret details.¡±

    Valen nodded, he figured that since he was now a leader, he was privy to these.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really need assistance though, I can manage well enough at the moment. Besides, the priority right now is secrecy, as long as they don¡¯t know we are aware of them, they will start to become overconfident, and that is what we need.¡±

    ¡°Yep! But for now I guess you are only here to see our shiny new settlement?¡±

    Valen chuckled.

    ¡°I am. And are Aiden and Rapha?lle here or are they on a mission at the moment?¡±

    ¡°Sadly, they are away. They are currently exploring the Winter Hinterlands for some signs of the new anomaly we are investigating.¡±

    Valen perked up.

    ¡°Anomaly?¡±

    ¡°We heard some kind of song. It was powerful and had some¡­ effects we could not determine. We suspect it is an Elder, probably another new one, but there have been no leads so far, so in the meantime we are simply exploring the Hinterlands.¡± Lukas explained.

    ¡°I see¡­ I guess I will see them later, then. I won¡¯t stay long, I still need to return to my investigation.¡±

    ¡°Then enjoy your visit and I hope to see you another time!¡±

    Valen smiled and nodded. Then he stood up, and after exchanging goodbyes with Lukas, he exited the room.

    He explored the rest of the town, Adem having decided to hang into the kitchen in the meantime to stay warm. Valen checked the new forge, which was still close to the original, but had some differences, notably that it was now steam-powered in parts. The Second Fleet Master gave him a visit that he was clearly enthusiastic about. Apparently Valen was lucky and he arrived the day after the forge was fully finished, so he was the first to be given a tour. He took it in stride however, and enjoyed it.

    He then went to see what was called the Steamworks, which was what powered up the forge and provided the warmth that repelled the cold in the village. The Chief Engineer was apparently responsible for it and deemed it a masterpiece that showcased everything that he has learned since coming to the New World. He as well was enthusiastic in showing him the workings but also warned that he was also currently still working on something that would benefit the whole community of hunters and that he wasn¡¯t finished yet, but he encouraged Valen to come back in a couple weeks.

    The only thing left for Valen to visit after that was the ongoing construction of the Gathering Hub, that was evidently simply the frame. More critical parts of the settlement needed to be built first and it was only now that they were able to start on this new building, which was where all stationed and visiting Hunters would be able to gather and prepare group operations.

    Still, once he had visited everything, and since the Airship wouldn¡¯t go back to Astera until the following day, Valen simply lounged at the Canteen and chatted a bit with the hunters there. He was impressed by Seliana and wondered how different it would look in another few months.

    <hr>

    It had been several weeks since Valen visited Seliana, and has been patrolling in the wilderness since in hope of finding more clues as to the Poachers¡¯ activities. He found a couple more spots where a monster was illegally hunted, but besides that nothing that would lead to them.

    Nikki had been informed of the status of the new settlement and she promised she would keep an eye on it. She hadn¡¯t seen any signs of the Poachers as well, which confirmed Valen¡¯s suspicions that they acted under the cover of the night. He wished that he could do something about it, but at this point there was nothing Valen could do but continue roaming around and figuring out the exact area they operated within.

    He sighed. They were being a major nuisance for him and he hoped that it did not take too long for him to figure them out, but given that Knights¡¯ investigations often lasted years, and given he was alone, he knew he was there for the long haul.

    At least he was certain of the area they did not operate in, and believed he had narrowed down the spot they probably were active into.

    One of his main hopes as well was that they grossly overestimated their abilities and went for an Elder, as it would be much harder to clean up the signs of a failure for them.

    But for now, Valen was stuck. Adem attempted to find scent trails but Felynes were not the best at following them. And Wingdrakes had to be trained to recognize only a few scents as signals. Nikki also explained to him that her species had a bad sense of smells, first because of the odd positioning of their nostrils and second because they relied much more on their hearing and especially sight, so he could not ask for her help either.

    This was what Valen was ruminating on when something glinted at the edge of his vision. Raising his hand to Adem, he wrapped the other around the handle of his weapon as a precaution and approached the direction carefully. Adem immediately tensed up as well, his ears rotating around attempting to pick up sounds. When he shook his head to signal that he did not hear anything odd, Valen approached.

    With cautious steps, he approached the glint, until he could clearly recognize it as a large piece of metal¡­ And not any piece of metal, a carving knife. He smiled, it was the biggest clue he had found since he started his investigation. Bending down, he picked it up and inspected it. It was definitely customized, and seemed to have been taken care of by its owner; some engraving was made on the blade, but carefully to not worsen its function.

    However the biggest hint that he could hope for was that on the handle, at the edge of it, there was the letter ¡®T.¡¯ that had been etched in. Valen smiled, it was a lucky find, but he was hopeful that thanks to it he could at least find the perpetrators of the poaching, as he was certain it was a Hunter¡¯s knife.

 Sky Render Chapter 19: Companion

    ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t know who it could come from, but that confirms that at least one of the Poachers is a Hunter, maybe a former one,¡± the Admiral commented once he had studied the knife.

    ¡°That was my feeling as well¡­¡± Valen sighed. ¡°It was a lucky find, but in the end it doesn¡¯t really help me that much in figuring out where their headquarters are. I only just narrowed down which area they preferred acting in.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Valen, as you know, what you have already found can take even longer than other Knights. They are always more counting on chance and lucky deduction to further their investigations,¡± Arcos pointed out.

    Valen took a moment to digest these words then nodded.

    ¡°You are right¡­ I am here for the long haul, so I just should keep what I am doing. Thanks for the help. How is Seliana going?¡± Valen asked, deciding to change the subject.

    ¡°Amazingly well,¡± the Commander replied with pride in his voice. ¡°Lukas is proving to be a great leader. The confidence boost he gained from that Deviljho hunt was invaluable and I thank you for that. The settlement is developing well and they are almost finished with the defense. They also believe the Gathering Hub should be finished soon.¡±

    ¡°And about Rapha?lle and Aiden - She is currently investigating the Ancient Forest, they believe a Nargacuga is roaming around so she¡¯s confirming that. Aiden is on-call for Seliana right now.¡± The Admiral finished.

    ¡°I see they are doing wonderfully.¡± He paused for a bit. ¡°Anything from the Old World?¡±

    ¡°Remember Kamura Village?¡± The Admiral asked, and Valen nodded. How couldn¡¯t he? It was where the Valstrax variant had been slain. ¡°They finally resolved the Rampage, there was a pair of Elders frolicking called Narwa and Ibushi that did not care about the consequences, they had to be slain. One of them is being called the Hero of Kamura, but they are not an official Named. They announced the Rampage officially resolved, but the team of hunters in charge of it did not have long to celebrate. They have now been called at Elgado outpost as anomalies in the area had been spotted, and since they were the most experienced team available, they were assigned the task.¡±

    Valen nodded.

    ¡°I see. Thank you for the information. I think I will spend the night here then I''ll be back on the field tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You do that Valen.¡± Arcos turned to the Admiral. ¡°Admiral, you probably should hold on to that knife, maybe you¡¯ll be able to figure out who it came from.¡±

    The Admiral chuckled.

    ¡°I will. And good luck Valen, keep up the good work!¡±

    Valen took his leave and exited the office, then he spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with other hunters, catching up on the news and doing a few arm-wrestling rounds. Once the night had properly fallen, he called it a night and went to sleep.

    <hr>

    After more weeks in the wilderness, Valen was once again riding back to Astera. He was no closer to finding the headquarters, but had at least found more clues regarding the Poachers¡¯ activity. What he was certain of though, was that their illegal hunting was having results for them, he could confirm that their equipment was increasing in quality, which also meant that there was a smith working for them.

    That made him worried, as he knew that it would make fighting them that much more risky if he ever found their trail. He made certain that he always had his flare gun at his hip. Other hunters questioned why he had such a gun while their Slinger did the same job. He had always replied that since he was often so deep in wilderness, a regular flare would be seen by nobody. So he had brought it with him so he had a chance to signal at least an imminent danger should he fail at it. Rapha?lle and Aiden knew the truth though, that this gun was to signal Nikki instead of the hunters.

    Valen unhooked the hook that was attached to his Wingdrake and landed in Astera proper. A couple Hunters waved at him, and he waved back, though he saw one of the port¡¯s hands that made the motion for him to come, so he followed.

    ¡°Valen! Good thing you came when you did! Somebody came on the ship to the New World, they were looking for you, but when we explained that you were on long trips in the wilderness, she decided to go to Seliana.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow. He had a suspicion as to who that ¡®she¡¯ was¡­

    ¡°Alright then, thanks for the information, I will go there as soon as I can then.¡±

    The hand gave him a thumbs up and Valen headed towards the Commander¡¯s office so he could make his report. He did not have much to relay, but he was surprised when the Commander also suggested to him that he go to Seliana.

    Thankfully there was now a ship that was tasked to deliver shipments to Seliana now, to free up the Third Fleet¡¯s Airship. So Valen hopped into it, then the ship departed not long after.

    <hr>

    The following day, they arrived at Seliana. Valen disembarked, thanking the ship¡¯s sailors for the smooth ride. Then he headed to the forge¡­ And indeed he found there the one person he was friends with in the Old World, chatting with the Second Fleet Master: Aki.

    The two of them paused their conversation to see the newcomer in their forge, then Aki scrambled to put down her hammer and ran at Valen.

    ¡°Valen! Finally back from your escapade?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± He chuckled, then looked at Aki. ¡°I only came back yesterday to Astera, but was promptly informed that somebody was waiting for me here. I had no doubts as to who it was! Though I was surprised that you decided to still come.¡±

    ¡°It is the slow period back in the Old World, and since Astera was now open to trade, I decided that would be the perfect occasion to visit an old friend and meet a legend,¡± she said while smiling at the Master.

    Valen chuckled.

    ¡°I am an old friend now? Still, it is really good to meet you.¡± He opened his arms and the both of them hugged, Adem joining the two of them from Valen¡¯s shoulder. They enjoyed each other''s company for a while until they separated. ¡°Anything new back there?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Nothing, besides that stuff that happened at Kamura Village, but they already have their own master smith back there, so it is not like they needed my help. Same thing for Elgado, they have another respectable smith there.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t count yourself out, lass! You are in the same class as us, why, that armor of yours that Valen is wearing is a Masterpiece, I don¡¯t think even I could replicate that feat!¡± The Second Fleet Master interjected. ¡°And I had a week to get to know you too, you know your stuff for sure, and your ingenuity is impressive, just look at these fingers you crafted!¡±

    ¡°Ugh don¡¯t remind me, the blueprints I made had been stolen one day and I have no idea of the culprit! I know I don¡¯t really need them anymore, but that is the principle of the thing! Somebody touched my stuff!¡±

    Valen tilted his head at that.

    ¡°Your blueprints were stolen?¡±

    ¡°Only those for my hand.¡± She showed the mechanical fingers that worked flawlessly thanks to the Gem powering them. ¡°I had made a couple more for injured Hunters, but they never worked as well as mine. They were slow and prone to malfunctions, which confirms our suspicions that Gems have some properties that help whatever they are integrated with. There has never been better proof than your armor, given how smoothly your thrusters work.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± The older smith said. ¡°I had the opportunity to forge no less than two armors for Named recently, and both had significant increases made in durability on their armor once the Gems was slotted in, and the Gale Breaker even had additional effects factored in, though the Sapphire Star did not have any, but we suspect it is because of how powerful but young the Elder she had slain was.¡±

    ¡°Which is a shame, but there¡¯s nothing we can do any more once the armor is forged, besides repairs. Which it seems I don¡¯t need to do for you Aiden, I see you took my warnings to heart.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Valen chuckled.

    ¡°I also have a friend that helps me take care of it.¡± Aki¡¯s eyes then glinted at that.

    ¡°How is she doing by the way? It has been a while since I saw her.¡±

    ¡°Wonderfully, she has taken well to her new environment.¡± Valen smiled. ¡°She has been a great support for me.¡±

    Aki seemed to pause for a moment, then looked at the Second Fleet Master, who seemed interested in their conversation.

    ¡°Excuse-me Zyges, I need to catch up with my wonderful friend right there, I¡¯ll find you again later.¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°Fine for me lass! It¡¯ll allow me to take care of some forging this village needs!¡±

    Aki waved at him, then led Valen towards a bedroom she had been given for her stay in Seliana.

    ¡°Valen, I have heard what happened at Kamura before I left, would I be right to believe our mutual friend had more information to convey.¡±

    ¡°She did¡­¡± Valen then shook his head and sighed. ¡°And she confirmed to me that the Valstrax I slain was in the process of becoming a Crimson Glow. For all she knows the process is irreversible, and apparently she almost started it, but managed to stop it, though I worry it still had lingering effects for her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Valen¡­ I know how important Nikki is to you. She has recovered though?¡±

    ¡°She did, thank the Sapphire Star. She is currently helping me on my new mission.¡± He looked around and asked. ¡°How secure and soundproofed this room is?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly, you need to if you want to sleep here while other smiths work during the night.¡± Aki chuckled.

    ¡°We found signs of Poachers active here, I am tasked to root them out¡­ Even have been promoted to a Guild Knight for it, though only in private. But they have been careful so far, I have found no signs of them at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That is infuriating that they managed to settle there, and I hear enough about them in the Old World when Knights come for repair and resupplies, so I know how difficult they are to track down¡­¡±

    Valen nodded.

    ¡°It is not all bad at least, I have been able to enjoy a lot of time with her since I have to worry less about being followed. Besides, I think I at least found the location where they act in, I just need to either be lucky and catch them in the act, or wait until they become overconfident and slip up¡­ Either they go after an Elder and fail, or they aren¡¯t as careful on the cleanup. One way or another I will prevail.¡±

    Aki smiled then asked.

    ¡°Did you get the chance to try the flare gun?¡± She asked while pointing at his hip.

    ¡°Only once,¡± Valen chuckled. ¡°It was enough for Nikki to spot it and find me when I arrived. I think that she could see it from anywhere in the New World, save the Hinterlands¡­ I am keeping it as a precaution, because you know how cowardly Poachers can be.¡±

    ¡°Good idea, you have the luck to probably be the only one that has backup that could come quick enough in case you are in danger.¡± She paused then said. ¡°It feels like she has become a bit more involved with you recently, at least regarding giving you information.¡±

    ¡°That is because she has. She doesn¡¯t give information outright, but she does confirm or explain in more detail how things work once we have figured out the basic gist of it. She also helped explain Rapha?lle¡¯s irregularity regarding her armor.¡±

    ¡°This is a great thing for you! It shows that she trusts you, if she¡¯s being more forthcoming with this kind of information!¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Valen nodded. ¡°It is great¡­¡± Then he rolled his shoulders and looked at her. ¡°Anything new happening at Seliana? I just know that some new monsters appeared around.¡±

    ¡°Well, Rapha?lle and Aiden are investigating rumors of a new Anjanath subspecies that is roaming around Seliana, and making sure it won¡¯t be a threat to the settlement, besides that I believe they are no closer to figuring out the origin of the song that had been heard.¡±

    Valen frowned.

    ¡°I should ask Nikki about it, but I am not certain she can hear it, since it is quite low pitched.¡±

    ¡°And they are also monitoring the Velkhana that had appeared at the Elder Recess but has since moved back to the Hinterlands. They think something is off with it, and are ready to intervene.¡±

    ¡°It would be something to get another Named at this point,¡± Valen joked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me! How you got TWO of them in such a short span of time still eludes me! It has never happened before in recorded history and yet now it is what happened for you! If you count Jake, you now have four of them in close proximity, which is not something that happened before either. Even though Jake is technically going to retire soon.¡±

    ¡°And do not forget you also are one, Green Devil,¡± he teased.

    ¡°Eh, at least it has been years since I earned it, and people tend to forget I am one due to my main profession.¡±

    Valen laughed softly at this, enjoying their banter. He then took a deep breath and relaxed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed this, our conversations.¡±

    ¡°Same Valen¡­ But sadly I cannot stay here forever, eventually I need to go back to the Old World at my forge. Things have been quiet back there, most of the action is at Kamura, Elgado and here¡­ Though some are worried, when it got this quiet, usually it was because a great disaster was about to strike¡­ People never forgot that mess with Dire Miralis.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, when a large part of that sea evaporated and it took years before the weather patterns stabilized back to normal? I wasn¡¯t born then¡­ Then there is also the Frenzy Virus epidemic.¡±

    ¡°That too, things had been really quiet before that, then it started suddenly.¡±

    ¡°I know that no matter what happens though, I will be the first in line to defend our world. This is our task as Hunters, and it is one I will make sure I can accomplish until my dying breath.¡±

    Aki nodded.

    ¡°And us smiths are always right behind you to make sure that you got what you require to accomplish it!

    They both paused for a moment before Valen stood up, and sighed.

    ¡°It was great to be able to see you, and chat again¡­ But I have to go back now.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± She smiled. ¡°Stay safe, Valen, and may the Sapphire Star light your way.¡±

    ¡°And may the Red Comet keep your skies clear!¡± He finished enthusiastically.

    They clasped hands and held them together for a moment before separating, then they headed towards the door and descended the stairs to go back to the main forge area.

    ¡°Finished, you two lovebirds?¡± Zyges teased.

    ¡°Oh shut up! You know that we aren¡¯t interested like that, and I have the right to catch up with my old friend!¡±

    The older smith chuckled.

    ¡°Still fiery spirited¡­¡± He turned towards Valen. ¡°And you Sky Piercer, it was great to be able to see you again, come here more often will you? I know you have an important mission, but don¡¯t forget that resting is still important.¡±

    ¡°I will, do not worry,¡± Valen replied with a nod.

    ¡°Good lad. Now good luck to your endeavors, it must be a hard task if you are taking so long to fulfill it.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea¡­¡± Valen replied. Then he sighed. ¡°I will see you later Aki, I¡¯m leaving with tomorrow¡¯s ship.¡±

    ¡°See ya Valen!¡± Aki replied cheerfully.

    They waved at each other and Valen went to the Gathering Hub, which was now finished, to spend some time and eventually hear what news hunters from the field came back with.

    <hr>

    Eventually, he went back into the Ancient Forest, still attempting to catch the Poachers in the act. His goodbyes with Aki felt exceptionally solemn and he lost count of the time their goodbye hug lasted.

    He did not know how long it had been since he returned from Seliana this time, but he was certain it was the longest period of time he was out in the fields by far, he was certain it had been months by now¡­ He was living off the wilderness, hunting herbivores to feed himself as well as foraging. Adem was a great help in tracking down prey animals for him.

    Still Valen was worried about the fact that he did not find any sign of the Poachers for a long time. He believed that they were currently being extremely careful for some reason, and he guessed either they were preparing for a large operation, or they suspected they were being investigated. There was also the fact that there had been a small earthquake recently, but since it was a one-off, he did not worry about it any further.

    He was currently going through the forest, patrolling the area of a sort, as he had started to establish a routine, though he was careful of not going through the same route everyday¡­

    However he was snapped out of his musing by Adem slapping his leg, and Valen looked behind him at his partner.

    ¡°Meowster, I hear nothing.¡±

    Valen was confused for a bit, before he immediately realized the implications, for Adem to hear nothing, not even the usual noises of the small animals¡­ Meant that there were predators around, dangerous predators, or an outside element.

    He immediately went into a guarded stance and drew his weapon. Adem did the same for his own, and they stood back to back, scanning the environment, looking for anything suspicious.

    Above there was only clear skies, as they were in a large clearing in the forest, there were not many of them¡­ But it also meant that there was nowhere for them to cover behind.

    Then suddenly Valen heard a loud twang, of a bowstring being released, and he immediately dove to the ground, rolled and stood back up, Adem doing the same but staying by his side.

    A split second later, a large arrow, one that could only come from a Hunter¡¯s Bow, impacted the spot where he was only a moment ago.

    Then he heard slow clapping, and looked around, until he noticed somebody emerge from the undergrowth. The man, as he believed he was, was smacking his right hand against his shield, strapped on his left hand, which seemed off for some reason, producing the clapping sound. He was wearing what was definitely Odogaron armor, which gave him the hint that they managed to operate in other regions of the New World¡­ Once he noticed that Valen had spotted him and was looking at him, he stopped clapping.

    ¡°Impressive, but you aren¡¯t the Sky Piercer for nothing, are you. Too bad that this time, you are outmatched!¡±

    And then suddenly, from all edges of the clearing, emerged a couple dozens of poachers, a large number of them wielding ranged weapons, and they surrounded Valen, leaving him no way to escape.

 Sky Render Chapter 20: Ambush

    Valen only had a moment to take in the dangerous situation he now found himself in, and he also heard Adem hiss in anger, before the Hunter that had stepped out chuckled.

    ¡°So now you know¡­ And we¡¯ll get rid of the main thorn in our side! You have caused us a lot of issues. We realized not long ago that we were being investigated and it was irritating to need to be even more careful than we already were. Though when I learned that it was you in particular that was doing the investigation, it took a while to finally convince them to get rid of you.¡±

    The poacher¡¯s voice was strangely familiar to Valen, though he wasn¡¯t sure from where, he just knew that he had heard it before.

    ¡°And why would you be so obsessed with me then? I don¡¯t believe I have caused any real disruption to your activities yet,¡± Valen asked. He needed to stall for time until he found the right opportunity.

    ¡°Oh you have everything to do with me¡­ After all, it is because of your actions that I now find myself with this.¡± And at that, the poacher rotated the shield strapped to his left arm¡­ Revealing a mechanical hand that had replaced his real hand. ¡°I managed to acquire the blueprints from that stupid friend smith of yours¡­ But it has only been a disappointment! Being so slow that it is impossible to fight like I did before! I had to relearn how to fight with the opposite hands due to you!¡±

    And now Valen realized who the Poacher was¡­ And that fact did not surprise him in the end.

    ¡°Tyndrer¡­ So that is why you have joined the Poachers, just to spite me?¡±

    ¡°You would be right at that¡­ But I¡¯m not the only one that has a bone to pick with you.¡± And at that, he looked behind him, and another hunter joined him at his side, a hunter wearing Rathalos armor and wielding a Gunlance.

    Valen stared at the newcomer, trying to jog his memory until he spoke with a deep voice.

    ¡°After you denied me my glory and my right, the Guild investigated me and dared to ban me from hunting! When they attempted to steal my armor and weapon, I managed to escape and had to join the Poachers to pursue my duty! And it is because of you that everything went wrong! If you didn¡¯t meddle that day, everything would have been great for me! But you stole the glory and the kill that were mine!¡±

    Valen remembered now, it was the hunter that almost assaulted him when he had slain his Valstrax so long ago. At the very least, he was glad to learn that the officer did follow through on his threat and investigated that hunter¡­ Which was found wanting.

    ¡°That is enough, Kayden,¡± Tyndrer said, cutting off the other hunter¡¯s rant, then looked at Valen. ¡°A couple others also have a personal grudge with you, but we are the main ones¡­ The main difficulty in convincing so many to join today is that most of them believed that you were unbeatable¡­ Pah! There¡¯s only one of you, and so many of us! We will crush you like the insect you are!¡±

    It was the moment Valen was looking for. As Tyndrer looked around and behind him, basking in his assured victory, and knowing that the Poacher would give the order to attack him soon enough, Valen immediately grabbed the flare gun at his hip, drew it out of its holder, and pointed it at the sky, bracing for the recoil, then pulled the trigger.

    Aki had warned that she intended him to use both hands to contain the recoil, even with his armor. But Valen could not afford to drop his Switch Axe, the lost time to recover it could cost him his life, so he took a risk¡­

    The flare gun fired, and Valen almost shouted in pain as the recoil almost wrenched his arm out of his socket. He almost staggered, but he managed to contain it, and a split second after the flare left the barrel, he dropped the gun, no longer needing it. Focusing on the poachers around him, he took in their surprise at his sudden action, and so took advantage of the instant of respite to grab a Mega Potion flask, lifted the face plate that covered his mouth and downed it straight. The restorative dulled the pain of his arm, and would help him start healing it, but that was all Valen needed.

    The projectile climbed through the air at an astonishing pace, helped by the initial blast but now sustained by the Valstrax dragon fluid reacting with the air, leaving a red trail behind it as it flew. Nikki had allowed Valen to collect some of that fluid, the key to her method of flight. They only needed a few drops condensed inside the projectile, where it would wait, inert, until the initial blast activated it.a The sight drew the gazes of all of the poachers to it.

    Valen knew that it would be a fight for his life, and he could not afford to show mercy. All these Poachers had come here with the intention to kill him, so he had to respond in kind¡­ His decision  was helped by the fact that the Guild Knight oath he had sworn months ago now gave him the legitimacy of the act. He knew that he had Adem to support him, and the Palico was now sprinting alongside him.

    Valen rushed towards two of the ranged users, one wielding a Bow, the other a Light Bowgun. They were initially still staring at the rocket soaring through the skies but then noticed the Hunter heading towards their position. The Bow user shouted and attempted to aim his bow and draw an arrow, but it was already too late.

    Valen smashed his axe head through the weapon, shattering it on impact, but it did not stop there, as the weapon retained its momentum and sank into the side of the female poacher, breaking through the armor. Valen did not know what armor she was wearing, just that it was pinkish, but at the time he did not really care. She howled in pain and toppled backwards, blood flowing from her wound as it fell away from the axe head.

    The poacher group stared at them, completely stunned by the entire sequence of events. Valen himself paused, processing what he just had done. He had intentionally harmed another human being, potentially fatally. When he had cut off Tyndrer¡¯s arm, it was an accident. But now, he had done it for real, and as experienced as Valen was in hunting monsters, they were not the same as another human.

    He snapped himself out of his stupor, reminding himself he still was in a life or death fight. The bowgun-wielding hunter seemed to have also recovered from his surprise and started aiming his weapon at Valen, while starting to back off, but he did not get the occasion to complete his action, as Valen kicked his elbow, shattering it instantly and causing him to drop his weapon.

    Adem had exploited the general confusion to jump at the face of another hunter and clawed him. Valen did not know what exactly he was doing, but the howls of pain from that hunter were all he needed to know that it was effective enough.

    This was finally what caused all poachers to react, and Tyndrer shouted at them, drawing his sword.

    ¡°Get him!¡±

    The shout galvanized the Poachers, causing all of the ranged users to unleash a volley of projectiles at him, not really bothering to be accurate, just hoping to get a hit at him. Valen pulled the trigger on his own weapon, propelling him out of the danger zone, and towards another of the poachers. His target used a Lance, but he seemed to be prepared for Valen¡¯s mobility and took cover behind his shield while raising his lance towards Valen. In response, Valen bled off his momentum with a controlled slide and slapped the sharp weapon with the flat of his blade, directing it towards the ground. With the distance closed and Valen within the Lance user¡¯s guard, he stomped on the weapon, wrenching it out of the poacher¡¯s grip.

    The poacher seemed to panic and attempted to bash Valen with his shield, who just took the hit, barely feeling it. Then he grasped it with his left hand, only holding his weapon with his right, and headbutted the poacher, who was wearing a hood, knocking him into unconsciousness.

    Glancing towards the other side of the clearing, he idly noticed that the firework had finally detonated far above in the air, the red and blue trails appearing at the very top edge of his vision.

    ¡°No one¡¯s coming to help you, Valen! We made sure of it!¡± Tyndrer taunted.

    The Hunter did not respond, as another volley of projectiles was flying towards him. Valen covered himself with the shield of the poacher he just defeated, the bullets and arrows pinging on it. Out of the corner of his eye, noticed that another poacher was approaching from the side, holding a hammer, and left no doubts regarding her intentions of smashing Valen with it.

    Since she was still a fair distance away, he used the moment of respite he had to grab a small capsule on his belt, and slotted it on his slinger, arming it. He wanted to have options should he need them, and to be able to use them at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Just as he did so, the poacher entered attack range, raised her hammer with a warcry, and attempted to smash him.

    Valen simply sidestepped the attack, which caused the hammer to slam into the ground with a earth-shaking thud, morphed his weapon into sword mode now that he had both hands on it, and ran her through, impaling it in her chest. She gurgled and the weapon dropped out of her grasp, the Hammer¡¯s head still embedded in the ground.

    The Hunter pulled back out his weapon, though he had to push her with his foot to do so, which elicited a grimace from him. He hated to have to do this, but he needed to in order to see the next day.

    Her body dropped to the ground with another, slightly quieter thud, and Valen tore his gaze away from her. He looked around, only to duck again behind the shield as numerous bullets and arrows whizzed past and pinged off the metal slab. One bullet impacted the unconscious hunter on his arm, making Valen glance at it, then realized it was paralysis ammo. He knew then that he had to make sure to treat these as lethal.

    Looking around, he also noticed that numerous poachers were circling around to try and flank him, including a couple of bowgunners, which would have an unimpeded line of sight on him. That was what made him realize that now was the time for him to move if he wanted to not be boxed in.

    Valen knew since the beginning that if he could reach the forest with Adem, they would be able to outrun their ambushers¡­ But also that this ambush provided an opportunity. If he could capture at least one of them alive, he had a chance of finding their base of operations. He just needed to survive long enough¡­

    He wanted to look around to figure out how Adem was doing, but he also was running out of time, so he addressed the immediate threat. Jumping over the shield, he bent over low to the ground and activated his armor, rocketing towards the ranged Poachers. His sudden move obviously caught them off guard, startling most of the group. A few however managed to keep their cool, but due to Valen¡¯s speed, their aim was off and these few bullets went wide.

    He swung his weapon, impacting one of the poacher¡¯s heads with the flat of his weapon. A sharp crack resounded through the air as his weapon impacted, making Valen wince. He had put a lot of strength in that attack. The poacher collapsed, its strings cut.

    Their partner roared in rage, aimed his Heavy Bowgun towards Valen and fired, blasing out a storm of pellets that began pinging off his armor. It was spread ammo, dangerous at close range but it showed that the weapon of the poacher was not powerful enough to pierce through his defense. Valen still did not want to risk another volley, so he pulled out his carving knife and slashed at his opponent¡¯s hand. He howled in pain and dropped his weapon, clutching his mangled appendage.

    Sheathing back his knife, he prepared to move again until he heard a loud explosion behind him. Snapping his neck around, Valen¡¯s eyes widened as he witnessed Kayden rocket towards him, having fired a large explosion from his Gunlance and riding the immense recoil to get to him. He couldn¡¯t react in time.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Kayden collided with Valen, the two of them tumbling on the ground, but the impact definitely was the worst he¡¯d taken in the fight so far. Valen winced, as though he had taken stronger hits from Nikki, they usually ended the match and crowned her as the victor.

    However Valen knew that he was in a precarious position. Kayden had dropped his weapon¡ªless than useless at such close range¡ªand was now attempting to punch Valen into the ground.

    Valen wrestled with the renegade hunter, attempting to break free from the grapple, but Kayden did not let his grip falter, and the repeated punches disoriented Valen. His right hand was still holding his weapon though, and he knew what he could do to save himself, but he was certain it was going to hurt.

    He changed his grip for a reverse one then squeezed both triggers on the handle, morphing it into Sword mode before a faint whine started building up. Kayden¡¯s head snapped towards the weapon, which was pointed at him¡­ Specifically, the part that expelled the powerful explosions from his weapon. Valen imagined that Kayden¡¯s eyes were now as wide as plates, and before he could react, he released the trigger.

    The resulting explosion engulfed the renegade hunter for an instant, bleeding over Valen a bit, but he knew it would be much less effective, as dragon-typed attacks, like the explosion he just released, did next to nothing to his armor. However it once again wrenched on his arm, renewing the pain that had dulled, but he pushed through it. Once the flames of the explosion died down, Valen stared at its result.

    Kayden¡¯s armor was now completely darkened, and did nothing to stop the blast¡­ It had even been peeled away in places, exposing his skin underneath, which was also severely burned. The renegade hunter seemed to stare at Valen through his helmet, but he felt his grip weakening, and then he dropped on top of him.

    It took a split second for the Hunter to realize that he was likely dead, and pushed away the body from him¡­ But the fallen poacher had still accomplished something critical: Valen was now an easy target for his ranged foes. And right as he was standing up, he felt a sharp pain on his forearm.

    He rolled to dodge the volley of shots and brought his arm up¡­ Which allowed him to spot the dart that was now embedded in it, having delivered its payload of sleep tranquilizer. He was already feeling the effects, his mind started to go sluggish. Behind him he heard Tyndrer shout:

    ¡°He¡¯s been hit, get him!¡±

    Valen did not simply give up and let himself be restrained, but he only recalled a blur for what happened after. He recalled the crunch of bones giving way under his feet, resistance from strikes with his weapon, somebody desperately shouting.

    ¡°How can he still fight!?¡±

    But eventually, the tranquilizer had invaded enough of his system and he blacked out.

    <hr>

    He was snapped back awake by a harsh slap on his head, and he blinked his eyes open, seeing a pair of feet walking away, then another entered his field of vision and wrenched his head upwards, making him stare at Tyndrer, who now had a manic grin on his face.

    ¡°Well well well, look who bit off more that he could chew. Too bad your stupid cat managed to get away in the confusion, but we didn¡¯t really care about it anyways. I would really love to strip you completely of this armor to show how powerless you are, but I know what happens if you attempt to remove a Named armor¡­ There is a story about that among poachers, and I will not tempt Fate. Too bad I will have to leave your weapon here too. At least I got your carving knife as a souvenir!¡±

    Valen was still blinking, trying to get awake, and he tried to move his arms, but a resistance kept them behind his back, and he now realized that he had been forced on his knees.

    ¡°It was hard to convince the poachers'' network to settle in the New World, you know? But I promised them the rewards would be worth it, and the risk minimal since there were no Guild Knights at all here! And it has been indeed!¡± Tyndrer grinned. ¡°It was easy to copy the sea charts from one of the trade ships inbound from the New World, and to find a route that dodged them. Opening your continent to trade was the biggest mistake you have made, you know? Without that, we would probably still be struggling to find a way to come¡­¡±

    Valen gritted his teeth but did not respond, the more he kept Tyndrer gloating, the better his chances.

    ¡°Once we settled in, we had to build up our base from a sea cavern, and we ruled that we would only operate at night, to reduce the chances of being discovered. Building the small airship platforms to bring the bodies back was also necessary. But once we could start¡­ The thrill! So many new monsters, so many glorious fights! Yes, I absolutely loved coming here! It is just too bad that I lost my carving knife one day, but I got a better one in return!¡±

    He pulled out his knife, that Valen recognized had been made out of an Odogaron claw, and raised it towards Valen. Tyndrer took hold of his helmet and forced him to look at the Renegade in his eyes, however that wasn¡¯t what Valen was focused on¡­ Instead he stared at the red ball in the sky that was visible in the sky, and rapidly approaching.

    ¡°You may think that the flare was your salvation, but Astera is hours away from Wingdrakes, and at least one hour for the nearest Hunter! We will be long gone by the time anybody arrives to investigate! You are going to die by my hand! Any last words?¡±

    Valen smiled.

    ¡°That flare¡­ It was not for Astera. It was not for any hunter. And you should look at your Back Tail.¡±

    Tyndrer appeared confused at his choice of words. And the same for any poachers nearby, then suddenly somebody shouted a warning and pointed at the sky. Tyndrer turned around, and Valen knew that he was completely stunned by the red comet that was Nikki diving on the clearing.

    She impacted the ground on the opposite end of where Valen was, but the shockwave of her arrival still knocked everyone to the ground, including Valen and his captors¡­ And he did not hesitate, he stood up immediately, walked to them, and slammed their heads together, knocking them unconscious. Nikki shrieked behind him, and he saw every poacher cover their ears, but Valen did not, as instead of being a shrill noise for him, it bolstered his morale instead.

    Immediately after her scream, Nikki stabbed with her right wing, the tip impaling through one poacher, and she then swiped it in a quarter-circle, bisecting a few poachers, and knocking back those that had sturdy enough armor, and threw away the body of the poacher she impaled.

    This cleared a path for Valen, and he bolted towards Nikki, knowing where the safest place for him would be. Most of the poachers seemed to be panicked, clearly they did not expect a full-on Elder to come to Valen¡¯s rescue. A few ranged wielders wildly fired their weapon towards her, but she just blocked the shots with the sturdy scales on her left wing, grouping the fingers together to protect the muscle connecting them.

    Valen had finally reached Nikki, and he signed to her.

    ¡®Keep some Alive.¡¯

    She nodded in response then rotated her right wing around, directing the exhausts towards a group of poachers that were still trying to get over their shock, then she fired three balls of dragon energy that exploded on impact. Several bodies were thrown in the air, covered in intense burns, and when they fell back down, a few were completely still.

    A movement from the corner of his eye caught Valen¡¯s attention, and something bumped on his feet. It was his weapon. The Hunter then realized that Nikki used her tail to slide it back to him, so he picked it back up and nodded in thanks. Not long after, Adem joined him by his side, having left the hiding spot he probably went to after Valen had been captured. The Palico purred and Valen would have petted him to reassure him, but it wasn¡¯t yet the right time.

    Then suddenly silence settled on the clearing, the poachers not daring to move an inch, as they knew they were now utterly outmatched by Nikki, and Valen waiting to see their next action. Nikki remained in a poised stance, ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°Surrender now, and I promise your sentence will be more lenient. Because I swear that your operation ends now.¡±

    He saw a few of them hesitating, some looking around for an escape, but one was defiant, and seemed only enraged.

    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re a traitor to the human race! Look at you, cowering behind that Elder, without a care for the world and lording all above us. Is that how you did it then, did you manage to usurp your feats by constantly crying for it every time you faced a foe? Because this only proves your weakness, and that I was right all along!¡± Tyndrer raved.

    ¡°This couldn¡¯t be further from the truth¡­ In all of our time together, she only helped me once until today. I respect her and she respects me in return. You just are too far into your delusions to see the truth, Tyndrer.¡±

    ¡°THEN I WILL PROVE THESE LIES!¡± Tyndrer shouted, then charged towards Valen with a battlecry.

    Valen felt Nikki tense and about to react, but he raised a hand, stopping her from impaling the foolish poacher. She immediately understood his intent, and backed off a couple steps, Adem did so as well, knowing that the Hunter wanted to prove to the rest of the poachers it was foolish to go after him. Valen raised his weapon and held it in a guarded stance.

    Tyndrer leaped and attempted to stab the hunter with his sword, but he simply sidestepped it and attempted to bury his axe into his side, much like he did with the first poacher during the fight. The renegade hunter blocked with his shield however, and now that he was close to Valen, believed he had the advantage as he had negated Valen¡¯s reach advantage. But he was proven wrong.

    Right after attempting a slash at his neck, Valen ducked the strike then kicked Tyndrer in his ribs, hard. It knocked the poacher back a couple of steps, but he recovered, raising his shield in defense, ready to block Valen¡¯s next attack.

    Valen wouldn¡¯t give him the chance. He jumped, activating his armor¡¯s thrusters at the same time, soaring above Tyndrer, who was so surprised by the move that he took a split second to react¡­ And that was all Valen needed.

    At the apex of his jump, he made a second, smaller burst from his armor, which spun him into a frontflip, and swung with his Axe at the same time, burying it into Tyndrer¡¯s back. He released his grip on his weapon after, so as to not unbalance himself, then landed on a crouch behind the renegade hunter, who had dropped on his knees.

    It was a grisly scene, with Valen¡¯s weapon still stuck in his back, and the Hunter knew that it was a fatal wound. Looking around, he saw that all other poachers hadn¡¯t been foolish enough to attempt to interfere, not with Nikki watching them intensely. Then he focused back on Tyndrer, who had dropped his weapon and was breathing laboriously. The Hunter walked around and crouched down in front of him, because as much as he was a renegade, Valen believed he should still hear his final words. He however first said what he believed he needed to tell Tyndrer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we should have mastery over the ecosystem. Live in harmony with it? Yes. But mastery¡­ Who would keep us in check? Who would be able to tell us that we have gone too far? Hunters are already powerful, especially those of us that are Named. But Nikki always reminds me that the balance is crucial. And my belief is that the next step should be to understand how the Elders fit into this, because they have as much a part to play in this as us, with the power they are able to wield. But it seems that all of you poachers have forgotten all of this for your greed.¡±

    ¡°If¡­ It wasn¡¯t for you¡­ How do you think we would have been stopped? We are powerful.¡±

    ¡°I am certain an Elder would have taken notice of your act and acted to correct the imbalance. This is still an unexplored continent, and I am certain there are a lot of monsters that still lay undiscovered.¡±

    Tyndrer looked up at Valen, he seemed to try to form an angry expression, but did not have the strength to do so. Then, like a chain reaction, his body seemed to give up completely.

    ¡°May you find the peace in death that you never had in life¡­¡± Valen whispered, before Tyndrer succumbed to his injury, falling forwards on the ground.

    Valen stared at the lifeless body of his nemesis for a long while, then stood up and turned around, still leaving his weapon buried in the corpse¡¯s back. Facing the surviving Poachers, he put as much authority in his voice as he could muster and shouted a command.

    ¡°All of you, throw your weapons away. If you refuse to comply or flee, this will be interpreted as resistance and we will react accordingly.¡± Suddenly compliant, all of the poachers obeyed his order. They knew they were outmatched, and decided that living to see another day was their goal. Once Valen was sure they were all properly disarmed, he gave his second order. ¡°Now, all group there and sit down with your hands behind your head,¡± He ordered while pointing at a spot near the center of the clearing.

    The poachers complied, and the dozen of them that were alive gathered. There were a couple that were still alive but unconscious, but Valen would take care of them later. Once he was certain they were all settled, Valen walked back to Nikki and sighed. He then signed.

    ¡®Cannot hide you¡­ Need kill all. Need alive. Find nest.¡¯

    Nikki understood what Valen meant. Even though Tyndrer gloated that hunters from Astera would come too late to save him, they would come nonetheless. And while Nikki could fly away before they came, there were too many signs of her involvement, and besides, he was certain that the poachers would in no way hide her involvement once they were interrogated.

    ¡®I stay.¡¯ She did not need to say anything else, because it cemented what she would do¡­ She would be here once the Hunters from Astera would arrive.

    Looking around, Valen now understood the sheer scale of the fight that had taken place. Several bodies lay around in differing states of wholeness, scorched grass from Nikki¡¯s explosions and crash landing, red-stained grass painted by the blood that had been spilled¡­ He was certain that this scene would haunt his nights to come. And now that the adrenaline had fully worn off, he had the massive realization that he had borne his weapon against another human being¡­ That he had killed using that same weapon. Something that was forbidden by the oath that he had taken as a Hunter so many years ago. He now had the authority to do so with his Knight oath, but it still felt that he had broken a promise. That he had gone too far. And it was with these thoughts swirling through his mind that Valen settled to wait for the arrival of the Hunters from Astera.

 Sky Render Chapter 21: Revelation

    Nikki watched the gathered Poachers without faltering, clearly making them nervous and jittery, but that suited Valen just fine. They had gathered all of their weapons near them, and should they attempt to regain them, they¡¯d have to approach Nikki. So they had clearly realized early-on that it was a foolish hope and simply stayed put, obeying Valen¡¯s order.

    That did not stop him from being nervous however, as he waited in anticipation for the arrival of the hunters from Astera. Because he knew that it would mean that Nikki would be revealed, and that he would have a lot to explain.

    However he was broken out of the meditation he had settled into to wait when Nikki nudged him with her beak, prompting him to open his eyes, and inhale sharply once he saw what she had spotted.

    There was an airship incoming towards them, but not the Third Fleet Airship, a new one, one that clearly wasn¡¯t tilted backwards. It clearly came from the direction of Astera, however it did make Valen nervous, as it clearly meant a lot had happened during his absence.

    He debated using a flare to signal his position, but decided that they would clearly see him given their current heading. So he settled to wait, petting Nikki in the meantime.

    Once the airship clearly spotted Nikki, it seemed to go to a sudden stop, and not long after a few figures flew out on wingdrakes, heading towards them. Valen tensed, but he knew that as long as they did not attack on sight, he would be fine. Especially when it turned out to be Rapha?lle and Aiden that were approaching.

    They dropped off towards the side of the clearing, roughly the same distance away from both the poachers and Nikki. Once they landed they seemed to realize the extent of the devastation in the clearing, and pieced together what happened.

    ¡°Valen¡­ Did what I think happened happen?¡±

    Valen sighed, then gestured towards the group of poachers.

    ¡°They ambushed me. I am pretty sure that you saw the flare I sent up in response. I managed to stand my ground but they overwhelmed me at one point¡­ Thankfully it was at this point that the real recipient of my flare showed up.¡± He said, looking at Nikki, smiling at her for a bit, before resuming. ¡°They were led by him, Tryndrer, who I have a¡­ history with.¡±

    Aiden nodded, and Rapha?lle spoke up.

    ¡°That confirms we have the all-clear¡­ You could not have timed your distress signal better, we were about to go on an expedition with that new airship to investigate the origins of the disturbances that cropped up everywhere recently. The Commander immediately ordered that we go to your rescue instead, on the way he explained what mission you really were tasked with and the danger you might be in¡­ Though he said that the chances of us helping you were low. As you can imagine, we knew you¡¯d actually have the assistance you needed. However, that also means that he is on board.¡±

    ¡°That is perfect, I don¡¯t think Nikki would have stayed a secret any longer anyways¡­ They definitely would not have kept their mouths shut.¡± He said, waving towards the captured Poachers.

    ¡°Still, I believe that you should be the one to explain, they are quite confused on board.¡± Rapha?lle said, then lit up a flare before sending it up¡­ It was the green flare that signaled the all clear.

    Not long after, several more Wingdrakes flew out of the airship, rapidly approaching, and Valen quickly recognised Arcos, Lukas and even Kora as they came closer, but there was also Sophie, Lea and Ikari among them. The former three did not look as relaxed when they came closer, definitely unnerved by Nikki¡¯s presence, contrary to the Handlers.

    Valen looked at Nikki, and he could tell that she was also a bit nervous, but more because of the number of people that were present, if the poachers were included.

    Once they landed at the other side of the clearing, Valen nodded at Nikki, and went to meet the Commander, who looked at him, then at the poacher, though he seemed reluctant to look away from Nikki.

    ¡°Sky Piercer¡­ Would I be right if I guess there is an explanation for this unusual scene?¡±

    Valen nodded then gestured to Nikki.

    ¡°This is Nikki, she¡¯s definitely the reason for my skills and knowledge. And before you express your concerns, as long as you are not aggressive, she won¡¯t be. She trusts me and those I allow to come near¡­¡±

    Arcos scratched his chin in thought, then nodded.

    ¡°So this is the real reason¡­ When you came here to the New World, I received a report detailing your history. However they always pointed out the irregularities in it. The biggest anomaly was how you survived the Seregios attack. Because their investigators arrived at the scene hours after it happened, which was how Flynn survived, they were perplexed at the lack of your body, and were even more surprised when you came back, as you had been written off as dead. There was also the fact that they noticed that your skills had considerably grown after your stay at the isolated village, which given that it was a safe location with few monsters, meant that you would not have many opportunities to test your skills besides repeating moves.¡±

    ¡°And let me guess, the Valstrax hunt was an anomaly because they didn¡¯t really understand the reason Nikki would strike down that other Valstrax.¡± Valen finished.

    ¡°You are right.¡±

    Then Kora approached, seemingly in awe of Nikki.

    ¡°She feels¡­ Powerful, and wise. You say that she has been helping you all this time?¡±

    ¡°Nikki did¡­ She was proof to me that Elders are much more intelligent than we believed. Did you know that she managed to wrap around a bandage on my leg, drenched in Mega Potion, when I was sleeping off the Seregios attack? As for why the left side of my face looks like this¡­ She cauterized it after my ear had been sliced off by a scale. Without that, I¡¯d have undoubtedly bled to death.¡±

    ¡°Is she also the reason you are so knowledgeable about Bioenergy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Most of my knowledge stems from observing her¡­ Or from what she had told me.¡±

    ¡°Told?¡± Lukas said, clearly not expecting that word.

    At this, Valen could see the grins that the Handlers had on their faces, as they were about to enjoy what the Hunter was about to do. He could see the same on Rapha?lle¡¯s face and was certain that Aiden had a matching one.

    ¡®Say clever words.¡¯ Valen signed to Nikki.

    ¡®Clever? Flying amazing. You amazing.¡¯ She replied, lightly teasing Valen.

    A laugh made Valen turn around, to which he realized it was Kora that did so, and startled Valen a bit. She continued for a bit, until she managed to get it in control.

    ¡°No wonder you were so insightful, you literally are able to talk with an Elder!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry if I never told you until now, but well¡­ Let say that I was reluctant to let the secret out, especially given what our entire society is based around. I only had one other in the secret when I departed for the New World.¡±

    At this Lukas snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Aki right? Zyges reported your interaction to me, you seemed especially close.¡±

    ¡°She is indeed.¡± Valen nodded. ¡°She has been a great help for me¡­¡±

    Then Arcos raised a hand.

    ¡°If it was when you all arrived at the New World, I definitely would have been wary, and suspicious. However, after having so much evidence that most Elders seem to be peaceful, and are even essential in the ecosystem, well¡­ Let¡¯s just say that I had to reconsider some of our legends and warnings. The entire existence of the Elder Recess, the Teostra that you visited, that I now presume was with her help?¡± Valen nodded in confirmation. ¡°The Vaal Hazak. Kulve Taroth and Lunastra, and more recently, Velkhana, Namielle and Blackveil Vaal Hazak. The first and latter especially.¡±

    Rapha?lle nodded.

    ¡°A Variant of Vaal Hazak was roaming the Ancient Forest recently, and starting to unbalance the ecosystem. Aiden and I fought him, with the assistance of two hunters, and surprisingly, it seemed to realize that it wasn¡¯t welcome and retreated, we tracked it going back to the Rotten Vale, where it found another home. What was interesting was that the areas that he roamed in the Forest seemed to thrive after its departure.¡±

    ¡°As for Velkhana¡­¡± Aiden continued. ¡°It did assault Seliana, and we had to mount a defense to repel it, but it did not pursue the assault long. We thought we would have to employ the Anti-Elder weapon we recently finished against it, but it seemed to have realized something and retreated by itself. We did give chase, to attempt to understand the reason for the assault, but it was too guarded for us to understand. As it was only defensive and did not attack us on sight, we believe something spooked it and that it thought we were the reason but it realized we weren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°So, as you can see I had too many examples of Elders not being aggressive on sight to humans and living in harmony with their environment to change my views.¡± Arcos continued. ¡°Our scientists are loving all of this, and the implications for the future.¡± He then chuckled. ¡°Doubtless they will be clamoring to see Nikki once they learn about the news. Because I am certain that this will not stay a secret, since everybody on the Airship saw the scene.¡±

    Valen sighed.

    ¡°I am certain, and I was prepared for it¡­ Though it will be up to Nikki to decide if she wants to submit to the scientists¡¯ wishes, she is her own being and has her own life. Besides, our handlers already have a large collection of notes from their discussion and observations of her, as well as what I have compiled over the years. It will take them a while to parse through that.¡± Valen smiled.

    ¡°I will make sure they do not go overboard,¡± Arcos assured.

    ¡°So¡­ What now?¡± Valen asked.

    Then Lukas spoke up.

    ¡°Before you sent your flare, we were about to go on an expedition with the airship¡­ But I guess it will have to wait now, ending the threat the poachers represent will take priority, and we have a chance to strike their base of operation before they move it thanks to them.¡± He gestured to the captured poachers.

    ¡°Indeed, and this is why we must leave now. Time is now ticking, and the faster we depart, the less time they have to react once they realize their ambush on Valen failed.¡± The Commander said.

    Valen nodded, then looked at Nikki.

    ¡®We solve problem. You able leave.¡¯

    Nikki simply nodded, then backed off a bit, then inhaled a large amount of air through her chest vents, making everyone else retreat a couple steps, then she ignited her wings and took off, immediately turning around to head towards the Recess. In moments, she had become the comet her species was known for.

    At this, the Commander seemed to realize something and chuckled.

    ¡°You truly respect her, Valen. No wonder you employ your unorthodox greeting.¡±

    Valen smiled.

    ¡°Indeed, after all, the Red Comet truly kept my future skies clear today.¡±

    Agreements echoed this answer, then the Commander faced towards the airship still floating a fair distance away, then he waved at them to come closer. The fight and explanations were finished¡­ Now was the time for cleaning up.

    Once the airship was hovering above the clearing, they threw down ropes, which allowed the group of hunters to tie the captured poachers to them so that they could be lifted in the airship without much risk. It was an endeavor that was a tense moment, and a couple of them attempted to resist, but were eventually subdued. They also lifted all bodies that were spread around, which was a grisly task that Valen hoped he would not have to repeat, but it needed to be done. Once the clearing was clear of all poachers and bodies, and the poachers secured in the airship with restraints tying them down, they lifted the group that was still down there, and the airship set sail back to Astera.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    <hr>

    Once they arrived at Astera, the Poachers were sent into closely guarded rooms since there were no cells in the colony to await interrogation. In the meantime the Admiral asked for Valen and Arcos to make their report.

    ¡°Well done lad! Even though it was more of them coming to you than the opposite, you still did a good job frustrating them enough that they attempted to take you out!¡± He exclaimed, smacking Valen¡¯s back.

    ¡°I got lucky, that is all¡­ It also helped that their leader had a personal grudge against me¡­¡±

    ¡°Though, what¡¯s this I hear about a secret of yours that got revealed?¡±

    Valen took a deep breath and exhaled.

    ¡°It is the secret of my success sir¡­ I believe you read my files?¡± The Admiral nodded at that. ¡°At the end of the Glavenus hunt¡­ The Valstrax did not only kill the Seregios, she also saved my life.¡±

    The Admiral jolted, clearly surprised¡­ Then a huge grin split his face and he laughed, the sound reverberating through the office and definitely was heard outside, probably surprising a few passerby.

    ¡°So you''re telling me that all of this time, you had a secret Elder in your pocket that more than surely allowed you to train to your current skill, and followed you on your trip here? No wonder you adjusted so well here!¡± He commented. ¡°And if I guess right, she helped you on the ambush because otherwise we would not have this conversation! Good going lad!¡±

    ¡°Erm, thank you sir,¡± Valen replied, surprised by the exuberant personality of the Admiral.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, remember I went to the Recess with you, and I had front row seats to see Elders that lived in harmony within the ecosystem¡­ Honestly, I believe the warnings we had about Elders are poorly worded. In the end it was only a few individuals that caused issues, and not all of them. But something may change, though it also probably needs something major.¡±

    ¡°That is what I believe as well,¡± Arcos commented. ¡°Though the guild will be reluctant to change only because of the report we made here in the New World. I would not report it to the Guild if I could¡­ I fear that they may overreact if it becomes known, and you would become a target, but I am also certain that the Poachers will reveal that piece of information at the first opportunity once we ship them back to the Old World.¡±

    Valen frowned, then had an idea.

    ¡°Do we have to ship them back? Technically they are under my jurisdiction as a Knight, and I am allowed to determine their punishment, being the one that captured them.¡±

    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± The Admiral asked.

    ¡°The old tradition¡­ The Proof of Might.¡±

    Both of them considered it before they nodded.

    ¡°Dropping them off in the wilderness without any weapon or armor¡­ That could work. Most Poachers are simply executed once they get trialed back in the Old World. The Proof of Might was for Hunters that broke their Oath, but I believe we could get away with it here. What would you do, should any of them overcome it?¡±

    ¡°Well, the traditional reward for it is that they get accepted back into society, but I believe in that case we sent them to Seliana, but under surveillance.¡±

    ¡°This could work¡­ It would solve the information leak, since no trade is allowed in Seliana yet.¡±

    ¡°Then it is decided. Once we get the information we need, we will apply their punishment.¡±

    ¡°I doubt any of them would survive, given how harsh the New World is,¡± Valen said.

    ¡°How do you feel about this then, Valen?¡± Arcos asked.

    The Hunter paused for a moment before he answered.

    ¡°I do not like it, but you are right that we aren¡¯t ready to share this information with the Guild. A lot of them would consider it a threat to the status quo. It puts the responsibility of their fate on me, and I dislike that, but I also recognize that the other option carries too much of a risk.¡±

    ¡°Then we are decided,¡± the Admiral concluded. ¡°We need to carry out their punishment before we assault their Headquarters, else they would be able to share the information between them.¡±

    ¡°I will prepare for the interrogations. I believe only pressing them and threatening them will be enough,¡± the Commander said. ¡°I will inform you once we obtain it.¡±

    Valen agreed and the three of them left the room, heading in different directions. He had no more obligations now, and after spending so much time in the field, he simply desired a warm bath and a real bed.

    <hr>

    The Commander had been right. While most of the Poachers resisted, a couple of them almost immediately cracked, spilling the information they needed. The rank and file Poachers did not know who their benefactors were, only Tryndrer was privy to this information, but they did point out the location of their headquarters, which, as Valen suspected, was located in a sea level cave far down on the coast. They also added that they had crafted a rudimentary airship which was why they managed to not leave any tracks to follow when they moved the bodies back.

    Armed with this information, the planning for the assault on the Headquarters could move swiftly, and they took an entire day doing so. Time was of the essence, if they delayed any further, the poachers would be able to move out and settle up somewhere else.

    Which was why the following day, the Argosy and the Airship had been fully stocked for a war. They had decided on assaulting by the sea entrance, and would drop hunter squads at their hidden exits to catch the stragglers that would attempt to escape the raid.

    Jake had been assigned to the Argosy, while Valen, Aiden and Rapha?lle were all on board the Airship, because while the seaship would travel to their planned location, they had another task to perform¡­ And this was why they found themselves in the middle of nowhere, with one captured poacher currently blindfolded.

    Valen removed the blindfold, then pulled out his knife to cut through the ropes that bound the hands of the poacher.

    ¡°You have been condemned to the Proof of Might. Should you survive the wilderness and reach a settlement, your crimes may be absolved, but know that you will never be granted the right to hunt ever again,¡± Valen recited, the poacher''s eyes widening as he realized the real reason he had been carried out in the middle of nowhere.

    He seemed to want to rage, to insult, but instead, he deflated in front of them and seemed to resign himself to his fate.

    Valen simply took hold of the rope, and was pulled back on the airship, while making sure that the Poacher did not attempt to grab the rope. It was hard, watching all hope leave a man¡¯s eyes and realize that he may as well have been sentenced to death. But he pushed forwards. They had made their choice, and now were simply receiving the consequences for it. Still, he made sure that he did not forget that they were still human beings that he had sentenced. These thoughts stayed with him even after he climbed back on the airship.

    <hr>

    It took a while to drop off all poachers in spread out locations, and a couple attempted to assault him. Valen was forced to subdue them, worsening their chances of survival even more, but he stayed unmoved, even when others pleaded for forgiveness and swore to not reveal his secret. Valen had to remind himself that if they did not suffer the consequences of their choice, they wouldn¡¯t change their ways, and thus he did his grisly task, not accepting the offered help of Aiden or Rapha?lle, as he reminded them that it was his sword duty as a Guild Knight. They were surprised to learn of the promotion, but did not comment on it, they knew that it simply made sense given the task that he had been assigned.

    Eventually the last poacher had been dropped off, and the airship was setting sail towards the rendezvous point with the Argosy. It was there that Valen transferred ships, because due to his status, he would lead the main assault. Rapha?lle and Aiden would instead make sure that no poacher would escape.

    The atmosphere was tense, they were close to their destination, and they knew that it was a crucial fight for the future of the New World. If they could completely root out the Poacher presence, it would be harder for them to settle in again since they would be more knowledgeable of the territory.

    Valen spent the time meditating. They were soon arriving at their destination, and he wanted to be as ready mentally as he could manage. He would be expected to lead the assault, given that he was the only one authorized to use lethal force, and even hunting weapons at all. All others that would participate in the raid would wield basic steel swords and wooden shields. They did not have the ability to bear hunting weapons against another human being barring in self defense, due to the Hunter¡¯s oath. Even Jake, Rapha?lle and Aiden had to comply with the rules, it did not have any exceptions for Named.

    Though while weapons were not authorized, the oath did not say anything about armor, so they were still wearing their respective armors, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t be completely defenseless.

    Adem poked Valen¡¯s side, breaking him out of his meditation.

    ¡°Meowster, it is time.¡±

    He thanked his companion, and stood up, looking around. Every Hunter that had been recruited for the assault was tense. The great majority of them never participated in such an operation, and only faced monsters, but so it was for Valen too, and he had the responsibility to lead it as well.

    He took a deep breath to calm his nerves then firmed his stance.

    ¡°Attention everybody!¡± he called, causing every Hunter to look at him. ¡°I know that it is an important task that you have been assigned to. And that some of you may have to take drastic measures to ensure the success of the operation¡­ But remember that they are truly our enemies. Those we are about to face do not care about making sure that we do not upset the ecosystem. They simply hunt for joy or greed. They would not care if the environment collapsed around them as long as they got a benefit out of it, as fleeting as it may be¡­ So to that effect we must ensure that we do not reach this stage, and that comes with striking them down so hard that every future poacher becomes scared of the potential consequences if they ever come back! Remember this¡­ And you will find the will to fulfill your oath, which states before anything else, to safeguard the ecosystem!¡±

    A split second passed, before a huge roar of approval resounded in response to Valen¡¯s speech, and he could visibly see the effects of it. They were no longer as tense, and were more confident in their abilities. Valen felt a bit disgusted though, he knew that some people would die today, this was a fact, some people would rather make a suicidal attempt at escape than submit the consequences of capture, and even if only one hunter did not hesitate at such a moment, he knew he would be responsible for it. But then he remembered that he would rather that a poacher die than one of the Hunters accompanying them does, so he figured that it balanced out.

    Jake came to Valen, and patted his shoulder.

    ¡°Good speech, rest assured that you probably made our goal just a bit easier thanks to that¡­ I joined in on a couple of these raids a long time ago¡­ They are messy, but necessary.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ Doesn¡¯t stop me from feeling dirty because of this,¡± Valen replied softly.

    ¡°Take solace that it might be the only one you will do if we succeed properly. The New World¡¯s future is at stake, remember.¡±

    Valen closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I am surprised you aren¡¯t a Knight actually.¡±

    ¡°I did not want the extra paperwork. I was offered the position once but refused it. Be glad that you have such few responsibilities, undoubtedly you would regret your decision before long back in the Old World.¡±

    Valen nodded. Then a holler from the ship¡¯s captain put an end to their conversation. They had spotted the cave entrance, and that only meant that the time for the raid to start was at hand. Everybody immediately went into their designated position, lower ranked hunters would man the siege weapons on board of the ship and keep it safe from attacks, while the higher ranked ones would be the one that would participate in the raid proper, following Valen in his attack.

    They entered the cave in silence, an eerie moment that stretched, the anticipation only building up as they progressed further in¡­ Valen observed several Hunters being antsy, having nervous ticks or shuffling on their feet. Adem himself seemed to be apprehensive, but Valen knew that his palico would make sure to guard his back every step on their way, covering his weak angles.

    Eventually, they saw a light further inside, and not long after, they could recognize what was definitely a makeshift dock, which had a ship already moored. There was a lot of activity as they seemed to be loading everything they could on the ship¡­ Which confirmed their suspicions that they were packing everything up to move their headquarters. And meant that they caught them in the middle of it.

    It did not take long for one of them to spot the Argosy and shout to raise the alarm. Frantically, they all scrambled out, dropping whatever they were carrying, more than surely to go gather their weapons.

    ¡°Now!¡± Valen shouted and whistled for his Wingdrake. They only brought a handful of them, but if they could stop them from being able to form an organized defense, it would be enough.

    He latched on the winged monster, who carried him the short distance to the dock. Behind him Jake and a couple of the most experienced hunters followed. While they were flying, he heard explosions and whistling coming from the Argosy, which was firing their siege weapons to destroy the ones situated around the poacher¡¯s dock. By some incredible timing or negligence, none of these were manned, and quickly enough, they were all reduced to scrap. He dropped off in front of the only exit out of the cave he could see, drawing his weapon and standing menacingly, soon enough joined by Jake, who covered his back.

    ¡°Surrender and you will not be harmed!¡± Valen shouted, as a couple poachers were blocked off by him, no weapons in hand.

    They seemed to be panicking, but after a quick look around and realizing that they had no chance, they put their hands in the air and laid down. Soon enough, all of those that were busy loading the ship realized this as well, and a good part of them followed suit.

    However some did not want to accept that, and charged recklessly towards Valen, without anything in hand, but the hunters accompanying him subdued them and knocked them out.

    Once the few resisting were taken care of, they knew the docks were secured. Valen turned around and faced his group.

    ¡°We push on, let''s try to secure the armory.¡± The others nodded, and they started running through the tunnel, meeting nobody on their way¡­ Until they reached the next room.

    The poachers seemed to be starting to gather up in this room, which seemed to be a storage area, with clear signs that it was being emptied. Half a dozen poachers faced them, raising their weapons in defiance. Though Valen could clearly see that they weren¡¯t confident in fighting the Hunters, a couple were even shaking.

    The group did not waste time, and with coordination borne of experience, rushed them. Valen managed to stun the first one of them with a side blow on her head, making her collapse on the ground. He backed off to avoid the retaliatory strikes by the others, and soon enough his companions joined him, presenting a united front against the poachers.

    A quick skirmish ensued, however the poachers were starting to manage a proper response, as a few reinforcements quickly ran in, replacing those that fell. Valen knew that if his group made too many mistakes, disaster would strike.

    And eventually, one of them did, he did not realize that he had been separated from them, and a Poacher took the opportunity, attempting to backstab him with his Dual Blades.

    Valen was too busy with his opponent, a Lance user that was refusing to offer a window of opportunity.

    However, before he could attempt to disengage, another of his partnered hunters kicked his opponent down with a warcry, then rushed towards the poacher, who got surprised by the reckless move, and managed to stab him in the back. He gurgled, then dropped on the ground, dead from his heart having been pierced.

    And this was the scene that the reinforcements coming from the ship came to, immediately rushing to support Valen¡¯s group, which now presented a solid front. The hunter that had stabbed his opponent in defense of his partner seemed to be completely shocked and was staring at the poacher he had just killed.

    Once Valen finally managed to knock out his opponent by an attack made in desperation once the poachers realized the tide had turned, he walked up to the hunter and put a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Do not focus on the life you have just taken. Remember the life that you have just saved. You have this luxury, I did not, I only had myself to save.¡±

    This seemed to snap the hunter out of his stupor, and he looked at Valen, before nodding.

    ¡°Thank you Sky Piercer¡­ You are right, but I don¡¯t think I can fight anymore.¡±

    ¡°It has been enough. I believe it will be a quick affair now.¡±

    And he was right, soon enough, the rest of the poachers surrendered, all of their fighting forces having been disabled, and those that remained were non combatants¡­ Which meant that their base was fully secure and controlled by the hunters from the Fifth Fleet. And that, Valen believed, meant the end of the poachers¡¯ operations in the New World.

 Sky Render Chapter 22: Everwyrm

    All of the poachers had been gathered on the Argosy and the captured ship that was docked in their base had been secured. They would be led back to Astera until they could progressively be shipped back to the Old World to stand trial by the Guild. Jake had decided he would stay for now to oversee the operations, as a Named needed to stay. Valen wanted to volunteer at first but Jake made a convincing argument.

    ¡°We still have to investigate the source of the disturbances that were observed on the Everstream, and I believe you are more suited to the task that I am. It has to be a powerful Elder, and you know that I¡¯m not as young as I used to be¡­¡±

    Valen could not argue against that and relented. Jake was right, Rapha?lle and Aiden needed Valen more than he was needed here, even though he was a Guild Knight. So after saying his goodbyes to Jake, who would have the duty of combing through the documents that had been recovered and trying to trace them back to the sponsors of the poachers, Valen made his preparations to leave.

    They did not depart until the following morning though, so that they did not have to travel by night, and a rotating watch had to be made to guard the poachers. They might have been disarmed but they were still numerous and could overwhelm them by sheer numbers if they were desperate enough to free themselves.

    It was a tense journey back, as nobody wanted to take any risks of escape with those poachers¡­ Aiden had joined him on the Argosy, while Rapha?lle was on board the other ship, where some of the poachers were detained. The Argosy sailors had to be split to be able to man the new ship, but thankfully Hunters could replace them temporarily, as all Hunters were trained in seamanship as part of their mandatory training.

    Eventually, Astera was in sight, but not the end of their troubles. There were cells on Astera, but they were not large enough to handle such a large influx of outlaws. Instead, a temporary solution had been found: to use the holding pens for captured monsters. These were located in the Great Ravine, and were used as a training ground for when a monster was too aggressive or old to be released in the wild. These allowed novice hunters to gain experience in a controlled fight, and would be perfect to detain the poachers before they were sent to the Old World.

    Before Valen could ask to be on board the Airship to be the guard, the Commander called for a council with Rapha?lle and Aiden. The Admiral, Tracker and Field Team leader were also here, for once away from Seliana.

    ¡°I know you want to see your duty to its completion Valen, but we have a more pressing matter.¡±

    He unrolled a large map of the New World that included Seliana, but more strangely, had numerous marks on it. Marks that when linked together, made a spiral. Valen was confused as to what it was until he noticed where it led to, and especially around the Elder¡¯s Recess.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Everstream?¡±

    The Commander nodded.

    ¡°We have been getting reports of disturbances and earthquakes all around it, one mountain even collapsed in the Hinterlands¡­ So we have been putting a lot of effort in tracking down what could cause these. As you can see, we have checked every spot that we could reach here in the New World and the Hinterlands¡­ We know that the Elder causing this must be right above the Everstream so that it can channel its power through it.¡±

    ¡°And since we checked everything here, that leaves us only one possibility!¡± Sophie said, then pointed out in the sea, where the spiral continued. ¡°That somewhere in the ocean, there is somewhere that could host that Elder¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you certain that it is not an Aquatic Elder? I recall Caedeus can cause earthquakes,¡± Valen suggested.

    ¡°While it is a possibility, it has never shown the ability to collapse a mountain. So our leading theory is that it is a new Elder.¡±

    Valen paused for a moment then nodded.

    ¡°I am ready to follow.¡±

    ¡°Good, you depart as soon as the new Airship is ready. The Third Fleet Airship will be the one that ships our prisoners, under as much of a guard that I can muster.¡±

    ¡°Before you sent your fancy fireworks, we were getting ready to depart, but as you can imagine, your emergency took precedence.¡± The Admiral boomed. ¡°Now that the situation has been completely dealt with, we are finally able to investigate! Kora will join you, as she has been invaluable in this, so it is only right that she is there to see it to its conclusion!¡±

    ¡°And I would not have it any other way!¡± Sophie exclaimed. ¡°Do not protest, we wish to have you with us Kora!¡±

    Kora seemed to be about to protest until Sophie talked to her, then she relented.

    ¡°If all of you are this determined¡­ I will not object.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great, because after all, this was not a work that has been done only by the Fifth fleet, it is thanks to all of our efforts that we managed to go this far!¡± Aiden cheerily replied.

    ¡°Well said, Aiden!¡± the Admiral boomed. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that all that we have been able to accomplish here in the New World is thanks to the efforts that all of you here have provided, as well as all of us that are on Astera and Seliana! So indeed leading this to conclusion is not the work of one man or one fleet, it is thanks to everybody that has decided to join us here in the New World, no matter whether they decided to stay here or not!¡±

    Some people whooped at the Admiral¡¯s speech, and everybody clapped for it. It lasted a bit, before Arcos interrupted.

    ¡°Now that we are in agreement, the Airship will depart this afternoon. It will sail through the night, and you should be able to start looking for your goal starting tomorrow. Make sure you have everything you need for the task at hand, we don¡¯t know what we are about to find and chances are that there is a powerful Elder that we will find at our destination.¡±

    Everybody nodded at this, which allowed the Commander to have his closing words.

    ¡°Then may the Sapphire Star light your way!¡±

    ¡°And may the Red Comet keep your skies clear!¡± Valen continued, half-shouting it, which made everybody pause for a moment before they all laughed at the response.

    ¡°Now that I know the context behind this, it is suitable indeed,¡± Arcos commented, then firmly said in a tone that left no room for antics. ¡°Dismissed!¡±

    Everybody nodded in response, and they all headed towards their respective rooms so that they could prepare for the imminent mission that they knew was critical, due to the disturbances that it was currently creating in the environment of the New World. Valen, with the help of Adem, made sure that he was ready for any surprise that could happen. He swapped the partially used phials made out of distilled Dragonfell berry juice for the ones made out of Nikki¡¯s blood. He did not use these on the poacher raid as it would be overkill, but he believed that it was a precaution he needed to take this time.

    He also spent the time performing maintenance on his armor, to preserve the smooth working of the joints and the delicate engineering of his thrusters. He had been careful so far since receiving it, and had gotten no troubles with it thus far, though he also believed that the Gem embedded in the back also helped prevent malfunctions. He did not have time to ponder on it though, and once he finished his routine, he put it back on and prepared his pouches, filling it with Mega Potions bottles, Nullberry pills and even a couple Max Potion pills for emergencies. He also stocked it with spare phials in case he exhausted one of his, which has never happened yet, but he believed it was better to be prepared.

    Once he was satisfied with his pouch, he helped Adem prepare his own gear, and together they left their room and headed towards the Airship that was currently docked at a brand new pier next to the one specially built for the Third Fleet Airship.

    He seemed to be the last of the group to arrive, as Aiden and Rapha?lle were already waiting, right alongside Kora. The Commander and Admiral were waiting for them. But there was also a large portion of Astera that seemed to have assembled down below to cheer them on their departure.

    ¡°Good, it seems that everybody is here and ready¡­¡± Arcos said to them, raising his voice so that everybody down below could hear. ¡°You all know your mission, and what is at risk if we leave it unchecked. So I will just wish you good luck!¡±

    At that, the assembled crowd cheered and clapped for all of them, and the trio of hunters looked at each other before they nodded and embarked, followed by Kora and then their Handlers. Once they were all safely on board, a horn resounded over the whole of Astera, and the ship started ascending, its tethers to the ground undone. Then it picked up speed, being carried by a small breeze until the engines were started, which allowed the large fan-like propellers at the rear of the ship to start spinning.

    Soon enough they were quickly heading away from Astera, which was becoming a speck on the horizon until it disappeared beneath the waves of the ocean.

    ¡°We are heading towards the furthest place from the Hinterlands that crosses with the Everstream,¡± Sophie exclaimed. ¡°Then we will follow it until we find what should be our anomaly.¡±

    Once the ship was safely on its course, the Captain left his post at the rudder, leaving the experienced pilot at it and joined the group.

    ¡°Aki was gracious enough to help the Second Fleet Master as well as the Chief Engineer build the engine on this ship, given that she had some experience on it. But we were only able to install it today¡­ But now thanks to it, we will be able to reach our location tomorrow morning instead of late in the evening¡­ Next time you see Aki, would you share my thanks to her? It will definitely help our operations once we finish this real maiden voyage!¡±

    ¡°I will make sure of it if I ever get the chance!¡± Valen replied.

    The others nodded in agreement, then Sophie broke out of the group and excitedly invited them to join her at the helm of the ship, pulling out her magnifying glasses.

    ¡°This is amazing, we normally cross the ocean on board a ship, being able to do it on an Airship¡­¡±

    ¡°It is quite an experience indeed,¡± Kora replied. ¡°I had the chance to be able to do so before I joined the Commission, and it is different from a regular ship. You do not have the rolling of the waves, and you simply drift through the air, above the uncaring waters.¡±

    They did not reply to that comment, only looking at the churning waters ahead. And they did so until night fell, simply sticking together, as they all knew that there was a real possibility that the next day¡­ Would be a day where they would have to fight for the stability of the New World. And it was with that mindset that they headed to the decks below to sleep in hammocks, not caring that they did not have private rooms. Valen himself fell asleep quickly, he was anxious, but he also was used to it, and it did not have as much of an impact anymore.

    <hr>

    He was woken up by Adem shaking him, and the Felyne quickly explained that the others were already up¡­ Valen thanked his companion then let out a huge yawn. He realized that he had underestimated his state of tiredness, after having two intense fights so close together¡­ And today he probably would have a third one to add to the list. But he felt well rested now, so he did not worry too much about his state, and believed that he would be fine.

    He washed up quickly with the bucket of water that was left for him, then put on his armor and gear. Once he was prepared, he ascended the stairs to the upper deck. All the others were already waiting for him at the helm, and once he joined them, Rapha?lle relayed information to him.

    ¡°We departed from the southern coast of the Hinterland not long ago. Now we are following the Everstream until we find what we came for.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Valen sighed. ¡°I probably could have asked Nikki to scout ahead for us, but that would have added a delay to our journey.¡±

    ¡°Probably for the best, the earthquakes were intensifying those last few days, which is why the Commander was so adamant that we depart as soon as possible. He wanted us to solve this as quickly as possible before a catastrophe happens.¡±

    ¡°I agree. I have reloaded my Flare gun since, but it also would be a bad idea to fire it while on the Airship.¡±

    ¡°Keep it for an emergency, because Astera would also be informed something had gone wrong as well,¡± Rapha?lle replied.

    Valen nodded, and there was a pause for a moment before he spoke up with a question.

    ¡°I heard you figured more things about the Velkhana, as well as found new Elders. It¡¯s been a long time since I left Astera on my mission, and due to the hurried raid, I did not have the opportunity to ask or listen to conversations.¡±

    ¡°Oh right!¡± Sophie exclaimed, becoming much more interested now that they were talking about their research. ¡°After we repelled Velkhana from Seliana, we expected to have to slay it in its home in the Hoarfrost¡­ However it surprised us by not attacking Rapha?lle and Aiden immediately. They both decided that they would not draw their weapon as long as it did not engage them¡­ We noticed that it had been injured by the hit of the Dragonator we did on it, but it seemed to have understood that we were just defending our territory of a sort. Once we confirmed that it wasn¡¯t hostile, we simply left its nest and have been monitoring it since. So far it seems to only be healing from its injury.¡±

    ¡°The earthquakes of the Everstream also agitated a couple Elders as well, you probably heard about Blackveil, which went back to the Rotten Vale after we fought it. But there was also Namielle ¡ª we had to slay that one ¡ª but since we were with a couple other hunters, they were able to craft new gear out of it. No Gem, but if we have any more, I would start to believe something is different with the New World,¡± Rapha?lle said.

    ¡°Speaking of which, we had several new monsters that were slain by groups other than us two,¡± Lea pointed out. ¡°Lukas and Arcos are happy about that since that means the general experience of our hunters is increasing. They probably won¡¯t ever catch up to the level of you three, but that would be fine.¡±

    ¡°Then you have the scientists¡­¡± Ikari said. ¡°They are definitely those that are the happiest in the Research Commission, these last few months have given them a lot of discoveries.¡± He paused for a bit. ¡°You know that you will be hounded once Arcos reveals Nikki to them?¡±

    Valen smiled.

    ¡°I know¡­ But they will have to respect Nikki¡¯s boundaries, so if they get too pushy, she can remind them what she is. I don¡¯t think they won¡¯t go overboard.¡±

    ¡°Good point. Things will change for you for sure though,¡± Ikari commented.

    ¡°They will. I hope for the better. My hope is that we get a better future, maybe I will have this impact, I want to believe.¡±

    ¡°Then let us all work for it! We will support you however you can Valen!¡± Aiden exclaimed.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    They sat in comfortable silence and changed subjects, chatting about the finer details of their hunts, and the discoveries that had been made since the Everstream disturbances happened. They kept an eye on the horizon, so that they did not miss any anomalies that would be their goal.

    <hr>

    It was Valen that spotted it first, as a break in the horizon, but once he pointed it out, the others agreed that it was definitely something they should investigate. As they got closer, they realized it was a rocky island, surrounded by sharp rocks that broke the waves and kept it safe from the wrath of the sea¡­ However it was truly unnatural, and something that couldn¡¯t have formed by natural geological movements, and so they were certain that it was where their destination was. The fact it was right in the middle of the predicted path the Everstream spiral took was another point.

    The three hunters looked at each other, then nodded, they knew that there was no doubt about their destination and that more than likely a hard fight was what awaited them.

    The captain of the airship quickly adjusted course so that they were heading directly towards the center of the island. They flew reasonably high above the rocky spires and scanned the area for a place where they could land¡­ But it was only when they reached the center of the island that they saw a large enough area where the Airship could fit in¡­ But there was already an inhabitant.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Rapha?lle gasped.

    ¡°That¡¯s Nergigante! It is different though¡­¡±

    ¡°It is looking at us,¡± Valen commented. ¡°I think it is gauging us, but I can see it is about to try to take flight¡­ See how its wings are tense. We need to disembark now.¡±

    Aiden took the lead and whistled, which caused his Wingdrake to take off and he launched his grappling hook at its harness, which made him fly out of the Airship. Valen and Rapha?lle followed right behind him, their Palicos holding on to them.

    Valen could see that his Wingdrake was tense, which made sense due to the Elder present not far from them. Once they were flying right above the flat area, which almost looked like a fighting ring, he unhooked himself and dropped down on a crouch. He placed one hand on his weapon, ready to draw it out at a moment¡¯s notice. Aiden and Rapha?lle followed him right after, then Adem and Flighty stayed next to them. With the corner of his eyes, he could see the Airship flying away, probably to go to a safe area.

    None of them had drawn their weapon yet, they wanted to see how the Nergigante would react first.

    ¡°It is darker than the one I fought¡­ Look, his horns are almost completely black, the one I fought only were black at the tips.¡±

    ¡°It seems vicious too,¡± Valen commented.

    The Elder was pacing at the other side of the area, studying them, a low growl rolling over the stone ground towards them all the while. It quickly studied Valen and Aiden, and the Palicos¡­ However then it seemed to focus on Rapha?lle, and not only on her weapon, but on her. Something shifted in its gaze. Valen almost believed it was¡­ Respect?

    Then suddenly Rapha?lle gasped.

    ¡°These scars¡­ This is exactly where I had wounded the Nergigante, as well as where I carved some of its parts! How? I am certain it was dead at the end of our fight¡­¡±

    Valen suddenly was more guarded, ready for anything.

    ¡°Could it be able to fake its death? We know Gypceros is able to, though at this point all Hunters are aware of it so they don¡¯t immediately harvest the body¡­¡± Aiden suggested.

    ¡°I am certain its heart was no longer beating, I checked.¡±

    ¡°Then we have to assume it is able to temporarily stop its heart,¡± Valen said. ¡°The fact that you had to leave the area quickly is another point¡­ The better question at this point is what is it doing here, do you think it is the cause of the Earthquakes?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Rapha?lle answered. ¡°It never demonstrated such an ability¡­¡±

    Valen was about to ask another question when suddenly the Nergigante roared, flaring his wings wide to make itself more impressive. They suddenly all were on alert, it seemed it had grown tired of their presence¡­ And they were proven right when immediately after, it jumped towards them, aiming for the center of their group.

    They all scattered, jumping in different directions as the Nergigante crashed on their previous location, but it did not pause in its attack, the spiky Elder immediately raised a paw and turned towards Valen, attempting to slam it down on him. He smoothly sidestepped the attack, though the shockwave of the impact forced him to pause for a moment to not lose his balance.

    It probably would have followed up on its attack had Rapha?lle not started her attack, tearing a gash in its left wing, her kinsect buzzing around her, following her action. Immediately, the Nergigante responded, spreading his wing wide to attempt to slap her out of the air, but she anticipated the move and had released a burst of compressed air from her weapon, and was well out of the area of danger.

    That distraction allowed Valen to draw out his weapon and he counterattacked, wounding the Elder on the paw that it had attempted to attack him with. He was not alone on his assault however, as Aiden had jumped forwards at the same time and bashed its head with his shield. It recoiled a bit, but once it recovered, it only drew its ire on Aiden, and attempted to headbutt charge the shield user.

    Aiden was far from being a slouch however, and while he could not dodge such a large object at such a close distance, he knew how to wield his weapon intimately. So instead of dodging the attack, he simply let a horn collide his shield at an angle, which pushed him back out of the rest of the body.

    That allowed Valen to slash at its side, morphing his weapon into Sword mode, minding the wing that could throw him back if the Nergigante unfurled it suddenly. His attack paled in comparison to what Rapha?lle did however. Since the Elder committed such a big attack on Aiden, and was in the process of trying to regain its bearing¡­ She had come from behind, doing controlled bursts of air with her weapon, and then immediately let herself fall, the bladed part of her Glaive below her, and let gravity do the rest.

    She stabbed deep in the Nergigante¡¯s thick neck which immediately attempted to roar, before suddenly collapsing. Rapha?lle pulled her weapon out, a spray of blood erupting from it. However she did not let her guard down.

    ¡°That was not the spine¡­ It¡¯s faking its death again!¡±

    Valen did not relax his grip on his weapon as well then. And the three hunters waited, on guard for anything that it would do.

    ¡°Why would it do that, we barely started the fight!¡± Valen said.

    ¡°It is strange indeed¡­ But we won¡¯t fall into its trap.¡± Rapha?lle replied.

    Aiden seemed to be about to answer before a humming filled the air, surprising them all, but before Valen could ask what it was, the ground started to shake, a localized earthquake happening right below them. All of them had their balance thrown off, and before they could regain their bearings, suddenly something erupted next to the Nergigante¡¯s body, it looked like giant stone fingers, they seemed to wrap around it, then pulled back down in the ground.

    However this was not the end of their troubles¡­ The ground started collapsing. It started from the area the fingers emerged from, and giant chunks of stone fell behind, into a star pattern.

    Valen knew what he had to do.

    ¡°AIDEN, GRAB MY HAND!¡± he shouted, he did not have the time to sheathe his weapon, and he knew that Rapha?lle could manage the fall thanks to her weapon.

    Aiden did not hesitate to grab his outstretched hand, then Adem jumped on his leg, holding on tightly to it, he saw Flighty do the same with Rapha?lle.

    It was not a moment too soon, as the ground collapsed below them. It was not a long fall, but with the falling rocks all around them, it was dangerous. So before they could fall too fast, he activated his thrusters, at a high power level, and so instead of a sudden drop, the three of them were doing a controlled descent, avoiding the falling debris around them.

    Rapha?lle had pole vaulted when the rock below them started to fall, and she had released a burst of compressed air, aiming for the center of the area, where the debris had already settled. For some strange reason they had all sank into the ground, which was made out of finely packed sand. She landed carefully, but when she did not sink immediately, she stood up.

    Valen joined her, releasing Aiden from his grip once they were close enough from the ground, and cut his thrusters immediately after. The humming was still present and all around them, the pieces of rock debris sank into the ground.

    The dust started clearing up¡­ Revealing the fingers that had brought down the Nergigante and the arena. It did not stop to that however, because it also revealed the body that they were attached to.

    Four sturdy legs, a massive body, especially thick around the forepaws, and a face were all revealed, but it was the eyes that were the most unusual¡­ They seemed to pierce straight into their souls¡­ And all of its body was covered in slabs of rocks that were almost golden but with a tint of blue on some parts.

    Valen had no doubts that they were facing the Elder that was causing the earthquakes¡­ The ability it just demonstrated to collapse the inside of that stone island proved as much. The absence of the Nergigante was strange, but it was more than surely buried inside the ground¡­ Which made Valen believe that it would now suffocate to death.

    ¡°The song¡­ So that Elder was behind it all along,¡± Rapha?lle said.

    ¡°Song?¡± Valen questioned. That was new information for him.

    ¡°Every time we had the earthquakes, there was this humming in the air, that sounded like a song¡­ This proves that it is the Elder that caused them.¡± Rapha?lle explained.

    ¡°That shell of rock looks tough, but ¡° (find a pun)

    ¡°Nice one,¡± Valen chuckled. ¡°And good idea, we need to remove that shell to access its real body.¡±

    ¡°Then we are decided. Be careful,¡± Rapha?lle replied.

    The rock-covered Elder finally seemed to realize that they were a threat and roared, causing them to brace against the deep noise, which sounded like a huge gong.

    Once it ended, they all rushed to action, Rapha?lle pole-vaulting into the air and commanding her kinsect to attack with her, Aiden going in the monster¡¯s face to pulverize the rock with his shield, while Valen decided that he would strip the legs out. The two Palicos started pelting the monster with their boomerangs, and would hack at it with their swords once they figured out some weak points.

    One thing was immediately clear: while the rock took the brunt of their attacks, it also made the Elder extremely slow. Though it had the size advantage and could cover huge areas with its attacks, they had more than enough time to get out of the way.

    Valen and Rapha?lle especially, thanks to their armor and weapon, respectively. Aiden had to be more careful, but he still was nimble enough to not have issues.

    The group hacked and slashed at the monster, Valen releasing frequent explosions, as he quickly realized that it was more effective than his simple sword attacks, as well as not wearing the edge down too much. Aiden had a similar realization, using more shield attacks than his blade. Only Rapha?lle had to stick with them, due to having no alternative, though her kinsect seemed to be not as affected, so she favored it more.

    Their opponent had a couple of surprises for them though, at one point it managed to just sink itself in the sand, an event that was accompanied by the same song they heard, made them believe it was a byproduct of its ability to mold the earth. It also was quite dexterous with its rocky appendages, and they realized quickly that the rocks seemed to stick to its body by some sort of natural compound behaving similarly to bee wax. It did offer just as much protection though, so they had to get rid of it as well.

    However they still had no issues stripping its rock armor out¡­ And suddenly it slammed one of its wings down, causing a tremor that unbalanced them. Then suddenly the reminder of its rock armor started to peel off.

    ¡°It seems it has decided it was a hindrance!¡± Valen commented, as the dust was obscuring the Elder¡¯s form.

    ¡°Be ready for anything¡­¡± Rapha?lle replied.

    More and more rocks fell off its form, and they could see glimpses of its true body peeking out of the dust cloud. It looked like creamy and rosy gnarled tree branches¡­ Then suddenly a blast of air hit them, and they almost fell on their asses, but that blast also instantly cleared all of the dust.

    It revealed a monster covered mostly in creamy thick skin, clearly not scales, with splashes of yellow, purplish blue and pink around, the pink mostly appearing on the extremities. But what they immediately noticed was its wing-like appendages that it possessed. Like giant, twisted branches but also looking like unnaturally long hands. It had a short, stubby tail, however it also did not look at them, its eyes strangely closed for some reason. One thing was certain: this was an Elder.

    However they barely had time to take in its form, before it suddenly put its wing forwards, all of the slender fingers converging on a single point¡­ And then they could feel the air itself starting to move.

    Valen¡¯s eyes widened, and he immediately ran sideways, out of the danger zone, flanked by Rapha?lle, while Aiden ran to the other side.

    Good thing they did cause not long after, a gigantic tunnel of air erupted where they were before, it dug into the rock surrounding the area, causing gigantic spiderwebbing in it. Dust and sand was kicked up and channeled into the fast moving compressed air. Such was the power that they could see that the entire Elder was moved backwards by the recoil of the attack, even though it had dug its claws in the ground.

    It held the move for a few seconds before stopping, the torrent of air stopping quickly. But now it turned towards them and stared at them unnaturally. Valen realized that the attack was a warning, a warning to not attack the Elder lest that is what would happen to them¡­ However he just needed to look at his companions before they simply nodded in response, they would not back down. The threat this Elder posed was too great, and thus they had to make sure to put it down. So he decided he would go all out, they needed to finish this as fast as they could, so it had the least risks possible to them.

    With some unseen signal, they all ran towards the Elder, from different angles, Valen going towards its left side, Rapha?lle heading towards its back while Aiden was heading to its other side. Spreading themselves out, they made sure to not offer themselves an easy target to this Elder.

    However it then held its wings above its head, splaying them out, and it only took a moment for Valen to realize that each tip of the fingers aimed to a different one of them, with the reminder on the general area. Then suddenly the air started to warp in these small tunnels aimed at them, and he immediately realized it was the same attack but at a smaller scale¡­ But definitely no less dangerous. He sidestepped the blast of air that aimed at him, Rapha?lle doing the same, though he noticed that Aiden wasn¡¯t this lucky and got caught on the edge of the blast¡­ Until it seemed to bend around him instead of impacting his side. It looked like his armor would offer him protection, the control over the winds the Kushalah once possessed now aiding Aiden.

    Soon enough they reached the Elder, and started hacking and slashing at it. Rapha?lle went airborne and aimed to wound the wings. Valen decided he would attempt to injure its paw enough so that it would be unbalanced.

    The Elder soon changed tactics, attempting to swipe them aside with its claws and maw, though it also used its dexterous wings to stab them or slash them, but they were all aware of them at all times and effortlessly dodged the clumsy attacks.

    As he dodged another blast of air, he suddenly had a realization.

    ¡°It is like Valstrax! Its wings work exactly the same!¡± He shouted to the others then focused his gaze on the Elder¡¯s chest¡­ And sure enough, there were tubes leading inside. ¡°Cover me! I will attempt to damage its chest!¡±

    Valen was very familiar with the fact that the intake vents of a Valstrax were delicate. Nikki had said that they were sensitive. While she could still operate them even if they were wounded, it would severely reduce their effectiveness¡­ So he hoped that damaging them would allow them to finish the Elder without issues.

    It did not take long for the Elder to focus its attention on Rapha?lle, upon which Valen immediately rushed in and put all of his strength into a rising slash, releasing the biggest burst of explosion he could at the same time. A large gash immediately appeared in its chest.

    The monster screeched and immediately backed away, but Valen knew the damage was done already. However¡­ He could immediately sense that something had shifted¡­ Because the Elder¡¯s eyes were open. And it felt like they were staring straight into his soul, piercing all metaphysical barriers and judging him for what he had done, condemning for the act he had just done, which was to wound a god.

    Once he realized that the Elder was exerting its pressure on him, a warmth rose from his back, where the Gem of his armor was located, and helped him sustain the pressure, opposing it with his own. A clash of will thus happened, the immense will of a probably centuries old Elder versus the one of the much younger but experienced Valen¡­ And he knew he was winning. As much as the pressure increased, he stood headstrong against it, not bulging at all. Nikki had helped him train after their meeting with the Teostra¡­ And he was glad they did as he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it if she didn¡¯t.

    Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the Elder gave up and Valen heard gasps of relief near him¡­ Evidently Rapha?lle and Aiden were also impacted but they did not withstand it as well¡­ And Valen was certain they were just getting the wide area effect that was not as powerful.

    He stared at the Elder, which after a split second seemed to have decided to change tactics and plunged its wings in the ground. The song immediately could be heard and quicksand pits rapidly started to form in the area. When he felt the ground becoming unstable below him he jumped and activated his thrusters to find stable ground.

    He expected his new location to become quicksand as well, but instead the pit seemed to form nearby but not quite. Which made Valen suspect that normally the Elder would be able to be precise enough but that the wound he had dealt to him impeded it.

    Finally the tremors stopped and he was reassured by the fact Rapha?lle and Aiden also managed to stay on solid ground¡­ However that was not the end of their problems as right after the Elder raised its wings above him, looking like it was clutching something big. Large currents of air started streaming towards it, and the quicksand pits around them seemed to become extremely unstable, pockets of air projecting sand around.

    A translucent sphere of air started to appear in the wings of the Elder, and immediately Valen started to realize the implications¡­ It seemed it was done playing around with them and was about to unleash its ultimate attack at them.

    ¡°RUN!¡± Valen shouted, and after a split second, he decided the best decision would be to run towards the Elder, which probably would not want to detonate its attack so close to itself.

    Thus as he ran, he could see the sphere of air growing, and becoming more dense and defined. He did not know how powerful that attack was, he simply was just certain that they probably would not survive it should they get hit by it.

    He was halfway on his way when suddenly something burst out of the ground, in the middle of a group of quicksand pits. It only took Valen a split second to realize that it was the Nergigante that they were fighting earlier. The new Elder hovered for a second before diving on the one that was preparing its huge attack¡­ Which incidentally disrupted its carefully positioned wings and unraveled the ball of air that was spinning.

    One tendril impacted the Nergigante¡¯s wing, tearing a small hole in it, but it simply shrugged it off and put all of its weight on the Elder, forcing it to collapse on the ground. It attempted to struggle, to dislodge the Nergigante with its wings, but the spiky Elder simply shrugged it off¡­ It tore into its back, causing it to shriek in pain and panic. The sound grated on Valen¡¯s ears but he did not let his gaze waver, and still stared down at the scene, prepared to have to face the Nergigante if it decided to turn against them after.

    Finally, after a large gash on its back, the Nergigante managed to bite down on the exposed neck and pulled.

    There was a sickening crunch and the sound of tearing, and suddenly the unknown Elder¡¯s head was flying, flung away by the Nergigante, and finally, the rest of its body stopped moving, its head no more. The Nergigante seemed to absorb the energy that remained of the Elder, its claw firmly sunk into its back. This lasted for a dozen of seconds before it was done and Valen noticed immediately that the wounds it had were now healed.

    A second passed, before the spiky Elder looked at the five of them, its bloody face and claw painting a grim picture of what it was able of. Valen was tense, anticipating it going after them next¡­ It spread its wings wide then roared, and Valen braced for the incoming attack until it jumped up and started flying away.

    It was only when the Nergigante was far away enough they could barely see its shape that Valen relaxed, and exhaled. He looked at his companions and said.

    ¡°I doubt any of us expected that¡­¡±

    ¡°We did not,¡± Rapha?lle nodded. ¡°I think this Nergigante was a Variant, and it was the same one I fought. And it clearly showed that it had a greater ability than even Gypceros to fake death.¡±

    ¡°At least that means our mission is complete¡­ The scientists will definitely love tearing into these remains¡­ I don¡¯t think that we can make anything out of it, if what the Nergigante did at the end is what I think,¡± Valen remarked.

    ¡°You are right. Let''s go back and report what happened.¡± Then she fired up a green flare that signaled the completion of the hunt.

    Rapidly enough a responding one came from the airship they came with. And while they waited for the Airship to pick them up, as well as the body, Valen knew that there would be as many new questions as there would be answers to old ones.

 Sky Render Chapter 23: Calm

    The following day, the group arrived back at Astera, their arrival heralded by a chorus of cheers rising from the settlement below as the airship came into view. They had fired a green flare, after all, signalling their hunt had been a success. Once the group descended from the airship, the Commander, Admiral, and Field Team Leader were waiting for them for the debrief. Valen knew that it was going to be a long one, and the three hunters took turns to explain exactly what happened. Finding Nergigante, its odd behavior, its apparent death and then the reveal of their unknown Elder. The fight to strip it of its armor, and finally the reveal that it had the same vulnerability as Valstrax and the finish by the Nergigante that they were certain was the one Rapha?lle had supposedly slain.

    The handlers also shared what they could figure out of the body of the Elder during their trip, and confirmed Valen''s observation that it had similar workings to Valstrax. They also confirmed that it had been completely stripped bare of Bioenergy and that it couldn¡¯t be used to make equipment.

    That fact worried them, as it was a never-before-seen ability, and thus, the fact that  Nergigante was capable of it¡­ They were worried. However, they also knew that it was part of the natural order, and the fact that it was on what was now dubbed as Origin Isle, meant that Nergigante had already been hunting the Elder. Sophie suggested that Nergigante was maybe Nature¡¯s means to take care of Elders that had become an issue. The fact that it had left immediately after devouring the other Elder and only offered a token fight against them seemed to be a point towards her theory.

    They couldn¡¯t overlook  the fact that it was clearly a Variant, though. They did notice that it seemed to have grown some sort of metal spikes after bursting out of the ground, and only could suggest ideas as to their origin¡­ But in the end they decided to name it Ruiner Nergigante.

    Lukas suggested they should go slay it, but Valen overruled him, reminding him that it did not fight them in the end, and that it also was here for the same reason they were: to end the threat that the Everwyrm caused to the New World. So it was better to leave it alone.

    Then Sophie had a realization, and she explained to them that the Elder they found might very well have been another from the Tale of the Five. ¡®One dragon lifted its gaze to the sky and became the mountains,¡¯ she said, and given the reports of it having an uncanny gaze that seemed to be able to see their very souls, they suspected that it fit the description, and its ability to destroy and supposedly create mountains using the Everstream only reinforced that.

    They ended the meeting on that, and the Handlers started compiling a report on the abilities that they witnessed from the Elder. The report would be sent back to the Old World and a name would be decided for it. They did a separate one on Ruiner Nergigante. In the meantime, a large party was hosted to celebrate the success of the first hunt with the three Named hunters together, as well as the end of the year-long investigation that they did on the earthquakes.

    Valen participated in the festivities, though he did not stay until the end of night and went to sleep early. Nevertheless he vividly remembered the fact that Rapha?lle and Aiden had said that while they would not slay Nergigante, they would follow it to see where it roosted. The Elder had not made an appearance since Rapha?lle had supposedly slain it so they believed it was somewhere other than the current areas they investigated. The Tracker had noted its bearing when it flew away, so they at the very least had a direction to get their search started. They would have to leave the following morning on the Airship if they wanted to have a chance to keep up with it. Valen wished them good luck as he wanted to have a rest first.

    <hr>

    He saw Nikki a few days later, and explained what had happened. She was understandably worried when he explained that they found and fought Nergigante, though she did not seem to be surprised when he explained how it faked death. She had heard the tale from another of the Elders that almost got killed by it.

    When he reached the part about the Everwyrm and its abilities however, she was noticeably interested, doubly so when he said that it seemed to work the same as her by being able to inhale air through its chest. She seemed extremely interested when he described how it created a pure beam of air after it shed its rock armor. He did not miss the gleam in her eyes when she asked for details, the position of its wing fingers, how it braced against the recoil and the way it charged it up.

    ¡®You copy?¡¯ he asked, teasing her.

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ she answered shamelessly. He was certain that there would be numerous rocks that would be blasted by dragon energy in the future.

    He resumed his tale after, and when he explained how he wounded the Elder by injuring its chest, she winced in sympathy. She was probably the only one that could understand how debilitating of an injury that was. Though she was impressed that it was still able to do as complex of a move as it did afterwards. Then he arrived at the part where the Nergigante arrived¡­

    She was not really surprised until he explained how it seemed to have drained all the Bioenergy that was contained in the Everwyrm. She immediately was afraid, more so than he expected.

    ¡®Eater¡­ Strong. Hungry. Worry future.¡¯

    He petted her to sooth her as best he could.

    ¡®I kill if threat,¡¯ he assured her.

    She seemed to be reassured by his words and nodded in response. He finished his tale by explaining how it simply flew away once it was done with the Everwyrm and that Rapha?lle and Aiden were investigating in the direction it flew away to check out its roost. She paused for a moment before asking where they were headed towards. So he unfolded the map and pointed out the rough heading.

    ¡®Mixed Island!¡¯ she immediately answered. ¡®Bioenergy lots. Strong Monsters. It here,¡¯ she explained, then pointed with a claw where exactly the island was, which interestingly enough was further north than the Elder¡¯s Recess, in the middle of the ocean.

    Though Valen thus asked for clarification about what she meant by ¡°Mixed Island.¡±

    ¡®Not Natural. Shaped. All environments small space. Forest, Desert, Ice, Fire, Decay and Land-Sea. Bioenergy lots, monsters lots. Permanent fight survival, all strong.¡¯

    He nodded, that made sense if there were so many resources in such a small space. He thanked her for the explanation, and would make sure to share the information with Rapha?lle and Aiden once he saw them again. For the moment, he spent the rest of the day with her, simply reveling in the fact that he had no dangers to worry about.

    <hr>

    However, he would not have to stay away from Nikki for long, because soon after he came back to Astera, the Commander had finally decided to ask him if he could reveal her existence to the research team. Valen had agreed, though this had the understandable result of the entire research team collectively asking him if they could see her immediately.

    He had to put his foot down and set conditions in place. Firstly there were to be no more than five researchers allowed to see her at the same time. They were not allowed to bring weapons, as he would take care of their defense, in conjunction with Nikki herself. They would also have to respect her boundaries, not pushing her for answers if she did not decide to elaborate. He, Adem and Ikari would act as translators, though he shared the spare notebook that he had written of the sign language he developed with her for those more determined to learn.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Eventually, he simply departed the following day with a small group of researchers that had brought a lot of paper to take their notes on. They were understandably anxious about the meeting, which he did not fault them for, though he did listen to them speculating during the entire journey about what they would learn. He chuckled at the wildest theories that they had about the whole thing, but did not deign to correct them, he knew they would learn soon enough.

    Once they were all dropped at the meeting place, they settled in to wait, Valen scanning the skies periodically. The scientists were taking notes about the definite signs of Nikki¡¯s presence in the area, with the spots of charred grass from her takeoffs and landings, the depression that had been made on her favorite spot of lounging, the countless footprints, all mixed with the signs of Valen¡¯s and Adem¡¯s frequent visits.

    Surprisingly, it did not take long for Nikki to appear on the horizon, and once he fired up the flare, she was here only a couple of minutes later, leaving the scientists scrambling to start taking notes. The noise of her wings overpowered the scratching of their pens, and once she had landed, she immediately asked him what was up.

    ¡®Researchers. Outpost now know. They questions,¡¯ he explained to her.

    ¡®I choose answers,¡¯ Sshe immediately answered, setting into place her conditions. The scientists gasped at the definite sign of intelligence from her answer.

    Valen invited them to settle themselves comfortably as it would take a while. They were hesitant for a moment before they complied. And soon enough, the round of questions started, with Adem, Ikari and Valen taking turns to relay the questions and answers from Nikki. There were definitely the obvious ones, about her behavior, what she did on a given day, and how she hunted or what she ate. However there were some interesting questions that she did accept to answer, to his surprise. Mostly those pertaining to the role of some other Elders in the ecosystem.

    She did not go into deep details, but it confirmed some suspicions that the scientist had. Though she did categorically refuse to answer questions about Kushala Daora. Given that Valen suspected that she had a history and grudge with one, it did not surprise him.

    The questions that she refused to answer were more pertaining to ancient history and what happened in old times. First because she did not know most of it herself, and also because some of it required secrets that she was not at liberty to divulge.

    One of them dared to ask if she believed she was the strongest Elder. She immediately answered that she wasn¡¯t, that some of the Elders were huge forces of nature that she had no hope to ever beat. She mentioned Zorah as an example, being so huge that it would take too much effort from her to take down. The giant ones and aquatic ones were most notably the ones she knew could not beat.

    Eventually the round of questions ended, as she still wanted to hunt while it was still day. Valen did promise that they would come back for more questions, though with another group, as he wished to let others have the chance to meet her. Though he agreed that the Chief Ecologist would always have a reserved place for himself.

    They said their goodbyes to her and after she took off, they signaled the airship to come pick them up and went back to Astera.

    <hr>

    Valen fell into a steady routine, where every few days he would pick up a group of scientists so that they could ask Nikki questions. They were able to decide on the days they would meet, which meant Valen did not require to wait for her and fire a flare every time.

    This had the side effect that the knowledge of Nikki''s existence and her relation to Valen spread among Astera. There were some hesitant looks from some Hunters, others that teased him about it. However he also caught the looks of a rare few that felt like loathing. They quickly attempted to hide it afterwards, but it was unmistakable. He did take note of those and discretely reported them to the Commander. It felt like an abuse of power, but given that they had just dismantled a poaching operation and with their suspicions that they were moles in their outpost, they preferred being prudent.

    Eventually it was kind of an open secret in Astera what Valen¡¯s relation to Nikki was, and he was certain it also had spread to Seliana as well. However his favorite reaction was none other than from Jake, who teased him a lot for it, but also respected him for it.

    Then Rapha?lle and Aiden came back, along as their Handlers. What they revealed was impressive.

    <hr>

    ¡°It took a few days of navigating, but eventually we found a large island away from the shore,¡± Rapha?lle narrated. ¡°What we found was crazy. There is a massive island that seems to have all of the different terrains of the New World combined. Each has a dedicated corner and there are a lot, and I mean a lot of Monsters roaming around, including Elders.¡±

    ¡°Turf Wars are frequent, and while we did not attempt to fight them, we are certain that the monsters there are much stronger than normal as a result¡­¡± Lea explained.

    ¡°I did find signs of a land passage to it!¡± Sophie exclaimed. ¡°It seems to mostly be submerged in water, but I suspect that it is barely below water level at the lowest tides of the year! Which would allow for land bound monsters to cross then.¡±

    ¡°How the island became that way still remains a mystery but I am certain we will manage to figure it out¡­ We haven¡¯t managed to explore it all!¡± Aiden said.

    ¡°We have, however, already decided on a name for it¡­ Since we were guided towards it by Nergigante, we agreed to call it The Guiding Lands.¡±

    Valen nodded, that sounded like a good name for the new area. The rest of the group seemed to agree.

    ¡°Good job, though from what I understood, you only managed to explore part of the environment?¡± the Admiral asked, to which they nodded. ¡°Then you may go back to it and explore it as much as you can. I will join you and I will also send the Seeker, he has a good sense for spotting large irregularities, so he may figure out how it has been created exactly. Do not forget to give your report to the researchers before you leave! Dismissed!¡±

    Once the meeting had ended, Valen took the rest of the day off to just chat with Aiden, who explained in more detail what the Guiding Lands looked like. He wanted to join them, but he also knew that he would have to continue doing translations for the scientists with Nikki.

    <hr>

    The next piece of news came when they finally received the response from the Old World regarding the investigation about the Everwyrm, finally letting the Research Commission put a name to the massive Elder: Shara Ishvalda. There was a lot of speculation about that name, but they agreed that it fit.

    Some reports came from Aiden and Rapha?lle, they had apparently encountered an aggressive Rajang and had to slay it. Even the Admiral helped them, and Aiden slipped in a joke about him having to put down a rowdy cousin. Still, the exploration of the Guiding Lands progressed at a normal pace.

    The situation in the New World also calmed down after the death of Shara Ishvalda. While numerous monsters were agitated before, they mostly seemed to have calmed down. There were less and less hunts sent out to put down monsters who were disrupting the ecosystem. All in all, there was not much excitement to be had.

    That changed when the next report came from the Guiding Lands.

    ¡°The Seeker is requesting my presence in particular?¡± Valen asked.

    ¡°Yes, he said he believes he found the source of whatever it is that makes the region look like that,¡± the Commander reported. ¡°Also, he is asking if there is a possibility that Nikki could come as a mediator. Apparently it may be due to an Elder, but since we haven¡¯t found any signs of activity, he believes it may be a more passive one.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. I will have to see her, but that sounds like something she will accept. I believe she is getting bored of the questions that the scientists are asking, so a bit of change would help her.¡± He smiled. ¡°You know, it still feels odd that anybody is asking me about her? There has been only Adem and Aki that knew about her for so long¡­¡±

    ¡°Good thing that you did, it seems that people are starting to get less wary of her now. As long as she shows she has no hostile intentions, that should be enough to make most people come around.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ But I am also hopeful for the future. My hope is that we show that some level of cooperation is possible, at least with Elders. Most of them simply want to live their life, and it is actually a very small proportion of them that attack settlements or disturb the ecosystem.¡±

    ¡°Keep making those waves and maybe this will be reality one day Valen!¡± the Commander encouraged. ¡°I suggest you leave as soon as you are able, the Seeker seemed to indicate it was quite urgent. Dismissed!¡±

    Valen nodded, and headed towards his room so that he could gear up and prepare his supplies to leave. It would be an important trip but there was no way to know what would actually happen¡­ But he still made sure he was as prepared for whatever might come at him.

 Sky Render Chapter 25: Emperor

    The sheer distance to the Guiding Lands meant that Valen would need to take the Airship to get there. While Wingdrakes had tremendous endurance, they still had their limits. Ikari had boarded the Airship not long after him. He hadn¡¯t wanted to join at first, but changed his mind after admitting he was wary of meeting a new Elder. Even though he had gotten better, Ikari still had the meeting with the Teostra in mind. But before they could go to the Guiding Lands, Valen had to meet with Nikki, so he had instructed them to drop him off at their meeting point, and was currently waiting for her.

    Their schedule was more refined now with the frequent visits by the scientists, so it did not take long before she arrived, and after their customary hug, he explained his newfound task to her.

    ¡®New task. Found Elder Mixed Island. Passive, I meet,¡¯ Valen explained to her.

    She took a bit to ponder what he said before she responded.

    ¡®I met him. He important. Will understand.¡¯

    Valen raised an eyebrow at the partial response, but he did not begrudge Nikki for the vagueness. She preferred he understood the intricacies of the world by himself instead of being given all of the answers. And honestly, Valen preferred it that way too, it made him appreciate the world that much more.

    They did not have much more to say, and after scratching her under her beak, she took a few steps before taking off. Her ridiculous speed meant that matching the Airship¡¯s speed would just waste her time, and she simply would join them once they arrived at their destination.

    Valen called the Airship that was hovering nearby. While their pilots were wary of Nikki at first, due to Valstrax''s reputation of ramming into them, they quickly understood that she took great care to not do so. She had explained to the scientists that the eyelids that she had for high speed flying blurred her vision greatly, but she rarely accelerated to those speeds, so she would always be able to spot them from afar.

    Once he was back in the airship, they turned North and headed towards the fantastical island of the Guiding Lands.

    <hr>

    Valen was waiting at the prow of the ship the following morning. They had flown through the day and the night, and the captain said that they would soon arrive, prompting Valen to decide that he wanted to see how the island looked. Ikari soon joined him, for much the same reason. They were curious to see if it looked as fantastical as the reports from Sophie claimed.

    It was dawn, but the sun hadn¡¯t started to rise yet. But yet he could see the solitary landmass on the ocean.

    The island was much larger than he expected¡­ Somehow he kind of believed it would be comparable to the size of Zorah Magdaros, but what he was seeing was far larger. He was certain that the Capital of the Guild, Dundorma, could fit several times over inside the island. Which made it that much more fantastical and unusual.

    He could also immediately see the anomaly. From the ship alone, he could see no less than four different environments close together. One side of the island was home to a dense forest similar to the Ancient Forest, another was a miniature copy of the Wildspire Wastes. At the exact opposite was the most mountainous part of the island, large peaks, entirely covered in snow and ice¡­ The last part was the unique environment of the Coral Highlands. In the spaces between the biomes were transitional zones that were a blend of the surrounding areas. And finally¡­ At the center of it, there was a collection of small but thin mountains, obscuring what was inside. It was there that they found the Elder¡¯s nest.

    It was eerie for Valen to see an arctic environment so close to what was essentially a desert. And this more than anything was the proof of the involvement of an Elder¡­ And for it to be that big and unusual, showed that it had tremendous power and control.

    If they were to have to fight it? He wasn¡¯t sure he would be able to come out of it unscathed.

    He also knew from the reports that it was not the end of it. On the inside were also an environment composed of the Volcanic parts of the Elder¡¯s Recess, as well as the decayed graveyard of the Rotten Vale.

    What was also quickly visible for Valen as well, was the sheer number of monsters in this island. From the reports that he read from Aiden and Rapha?lle, it was the densest amount of monsters ever recorded, and even then, the previous records were mostly made of a singular, social species that lived in groups. So the fact that it is extremely diverse added to the uniqueness.

    All of this, Valen took note of while they soared towards the island. They would drop off Valen by Wingdrake however, as after some of the local flying monsters attempted to assault the ship, only repelled by Aiden and Rapha?lle, it was decided to not let any airship get too close to it.

    It was the reason the mapping of the Guiding Lands was moving at such a slow pace, since aerial reconnaissance by the Airship was impossible, they relied on the hunter and handler pair to draw the maps which was limited by their traversal ability. However the Seeker had also been exploring on his own, and had reported having found the new Elder¡¯s nest, which was the reason Valen had been sent out to figure out its status.

    The ship finally slowed down and came to a stop, at a reasonable distance from the island. The Captain then talked to them.

    ¡°This is as close as we can get. You all know where the Camp is?¡± Valen and Ikari nodded. Rapha?lle and Aiden had established a safe camp in the Guiding Lands since it was extremely risky sleeping outside due to the sheer density of monsters. ¡°There has been a change of plans, you have to go in the mountains at the center, they assured me they would be able to spot you¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I wish you good luck, and hope that you bring back good news. We will stay at the shore, fire the special flares if you need a pickup.¡±

    Due to the isolated nature of the Guiding Lands, Valen had gladly given the blueprints for the special flares that Aki crafted for him, though they changed the colors it burned into, so that they aren¡¯t confused with the ones he used for signaling Nikki.

    Valen checked his gear one last time before nodding to Ikari, then he lifted his faceplate and whistled for his Wingdrake. Ikari followed right after him while Adem jumped on his shoulder. He fired his grappling hook at the attachment point and thus they headed towards the mysterious island.

    <hr>

    Flying on a Wingdrake allowed Valen to simply see the sheer density of monsters that inhabited the island. But it also allowed him to realize that it did not stop at the monsters¡­ The plant and animal life was also teeming everywhere, providing a food source for the bigger fauna. There were entire colonies of rodents, huge herds of Kelbis¡­ It was like every single corner of the island was populated.

    And the monsters were not inactive. There were constant turf wars, monsters establishing their territories and defending it from invaders. Giving ground to stronger foes, bullying weaker ones. It was a constant struggle for survival, but it was undeniable that they were all stronger than those at the mainland.

    Some monsters noticed them, but they all backed off when they sensed the power that Valen constantly exuded. He made sure that his ¡®aura¡¯ was constantly on, silently thanking Nikki for teaching him how to do so. That allowed the monsters to realize that he was a powerful foe for them and that it was an impossible fight for them.

    He even noticed a Kushala that definitely sensed his aura, looking at Valen directly. But even when it realized that he was just a Human, it did not attack, realizing that he had the right to be an equal. So it resumed its patrol of its territory.

    Finally they exited the forested part of the Island and reached the center mountains at the center of it. It did not take long for them to fly in it before a flare was fired in the distance, in a valley between two of the spires. It was not a request for help, since it was a blue one, and simply was there to help two Hunter groups to reunite.

    The Wingdrakes had immediately corrected their path, having been trained to seek out these flares. Then finally they saw the group of six waiting for them, Aiden waving at them. Once they landed, Rapha?lle nodded.

    ¡°Glad to see you three. We really needed you for this, Valen.¡±

    ¡°That is what I have heard¡­ What more have you found since you sent your report?¡±

    Rapha?lle looked at the Seeker, who nodded and started explaining.

    ¡°We confirmed that no monster approached the Elder¡¯s nest at all. It clearly showed that they knew that this area was completely off limits to them¡­ And that includes Ruiner Nergigante.¡±

    ¡°Ruiner as well?¡± Valen exclaimed. ¡°Given we know it attempted to take on Shara Ishvalda¡­ That speaks of the strength of this Elder if even it knew it was completely outmatched.¡±

    ¡°So you understand why we are wary. We needed you to make sure we had a strong enough team to at least retreat should it prove hostile,¡± Rapha?lle said.

    ¡°Are you certain it is not hostile at least?¡± Ikari questioned. ¡°Do you believe it is a threat to the Guiding Lands?¡±

    ¡°This is where it becomes complicated¡­ Ejam has a theory.¡±

    ¡°I believe this Elder is the reason the Guiding Lands themselves exist¡­ While the nest may look barren¡­ It is also where the Bioenergy is at its highest concentration. It is from this nest that the power of the Everstream diffuses throughout the Island.

    ¡°You have to understand, the Everstream normally spreads its energy evenly throughout the whole of the New World and the Hinterlands. But here? It is channeled through a well¡­ I also believe that it is where the spiral ends.¡±

    ¡°Which would mean all of the leftover energy that the New World did not use¡­ Is directed here,¡± Valen realized.

    ¡°Exactly¡­ And since we have slain Xeno¡¯Jiiva, who had diverted a large portion of the Bioenergy for itself¡­ All of that stolen energy has now been added to here. I have been able to confirm this, since there is a noticeable amount of young growth¡­ Which would confirm that it had been accelerated since a few months ago. And even more in recent weeks, which correlates with Shara Ishvalda¡¯s slaying.¡±

    ¡°And given it originates from the Elder¡¯s nest¡­ There is a reasonable assumption that it has a major role in the Guiding Lands'' existence.¡±

    ¡°Which brings us to this!¡± Sophie exclaimed. ¡°Since there is a major risk that this Elder may be responsible for the whole existence of the Guiding Lands¡­ Slaying it may upend the entire stability of the island.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± Valen said. ¡°Good thing that Nikki is somebody we can ask help from then, that gives us the option of communicating.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, when do you think she will be here? We can¡¯t start our task without her,¡± Rapha?lle asked.

    Valen checked the position of the sun, then nodded.

    ¡°Not long. She told me that she would circle the island, and have a good enough view of the sky.¡±

    ¡°Most clearings have monsters occupying them,¡± Lea pointed out. ¡°However, there are strangely fewer monsters in these mountains¡­ And the few that are there are the most powerful that we have seen, so we should stay alert.¡±

    ¡°Another point towards the Elder here being powerful if he can scare most of them off,¡± Ikari mused.

    ¡°I have some suggestions as to how we proceed while we wait for Nikki,¡± Rapha?lle interrupted.

    She started to detail to them as they waited for the rest. She first said that it was a better idea if they entered the nest without Nikki at first, and with Valen leading them, since he had the most experience with manipulating his aura. Then, once they made sure that the Elder would not attack, he would signal to Nikki to land so that they could start the discussion proper. From there they hoped to understand what the Elder¡¯s relation to the Guiding Lands was.

    Just as she finished explaining the course of action, Valen spotted Nikki flying by in the sky. He immediately lit up a flare, but did not send it skywards, keeping it in his hand. His armor was strong enough that the damage was negligible. Nikki made a ball of dragon energy explode behind her in response, signaling that she had spotted him and was waiting for their signal.

    He dropped the burning out flare on the ground and kicked a bit of dirt over it so that it would extinguish itself.

    ¡°She is ready, lead us to the nest,¡± He said to Ejam.

    The Seeker nodded, and the group followed his direction. They would normally have used the Wingdrakes for this, but he had assured them it was not that far, and it was best to use them as little as possible, they were on edge, and they wanted to not have to worry about them panicking.

    He led them through the treacherous mountains, noting that they were heading towards what looked like the exact center of the island. The Seeker explained that it took that long for him to discover it because he had to explore carefully because of the strong monsters that roamed in the mountains.

    Ikari quickly noted that the vegetation that they saw was becoming rarer and rarer¡­ but that the few that existed were extremely healthy. He attempted to pluck a ripe Nullberry that grew from a crack in the ground, but jumped backwards when the fruit exploded the moment he touched it.

    ¡°The plants are so full of Bioenergy that most of them just cannot contain it¡­ And you can see that the few that grow barely can,¡± Ejam explained.

    ¡°That explains why it is so bare despite being the source.¡± Lea noted.

    ¡°Just as the vegetation grew in the Forest part, I confirmed that there was more vegetation a few months ago¡­ And it seems it will recede for a bit still.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that means that there might actually be too much Bioenergy coming to the Island? Do we risk a collapse of the ecosystem?¡± Valen worried.

    ¡°It looked like so at first¡­ But it seems it is starting to regulate itself.¡±

    ¡°We are about to find out how,¡± Rapha?lle assured.

    They concluded their discussion, simply following their guide through the increasingly barren environment. Valen occasionally glanced towards the skies, confirming that Nikki was still circling above them. She most likely knew where the nest was, but he knew that she was worried about them first of all.

    It was well in the day when the Seeker stopped, raising a hand in the air.

    ¡°We are here.¡±

    Valen joined him at his side, and gasped.

    There was a huge chasm right in front of them, of a depth he could not judge. All around its edge tall mountains jutted from the ground, almost making a protective ring around it. He could see Nikki lazily circling above.

    When he looked down, something immediately jumped to him. Everywhere he could see, there were what looked like big clothes waving delicately. He was puzzled by the strange occurrence until he realized that it was some kind of membrane. Then finally he realized.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Is that shed skin?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± The Seeker nodded. ¡°As you can see by its presence everywhere¡­ It seems to have accumulated here over the course of numerous sheddings. Which speaks to the age of the Elder that resides below.¡±

    ¡°That somehow looks familiar¡­¡± Rapha?lle mused, before she shook her head.

    ¡°We will have to use the Wingdrakes to continue,¡± Ejam said, then patted his hip, where several Exciteshrooms were hanging from. ¡°This is the reason I have these, you know how much they love these, and it is the only reason they are still there.¡± He retrieved one then cut it out in chunks, distributing it to the group.

    Valen took a deep breath, before looking at the rest of the group, who nodded. Rapha?lle might now have been the leader of the Fifth Fleet, but for now, they would follow his lead since he still had the most experience. He picked up the chunk of mushroom then lifted his faceplate and whistled for his Wingdrake, holding the treat high with his other hand. The Wingdrake seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon enough decided that the food was worth the foreboding feeling it was having.

    Once he hooked on it, he guided it to descend. The wyvern resisted for a bit before relenting. Behind him, the rest of the group did the same, hooking on one at a time. They seemed to have less struggle than him, as they were emboldened by the example of the one carrying Valen.

    They descended as a group, there was a platform not far down, but they knew that it was not where they needed to go, so they went a bit deeper. Valen was worried that Nikki would not be able to see them, but he could still use one of their special flares if he needed.

    A second platform was present a bit deeper in the chasm, and he noticed that there was far more of the shed skin there¡­ And that the shed was present in larger pieces as well. One caught his attention and he directed his Wingdrake to land nearby. Behind him the rest of the group did the same. The moment they landed, the Wingdrakes immediately flew away, not wanting to stay down in the chasm longer than they needed.

    ¡°Wait¡­ This is¡­¡± Rapha?lle said from next to him, and Valen looked at her, she was staring at what caught his attention: a single whole piece of shed skin¡­ That included the head of the monster.

    ¡°Xeno¡¯Jiiva!¡± Sophie exclaimed. ¡°So there was another after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± Valen asked.

    ¡°I am, there is no mistaking this shape¡­ However, this skin looks quite old.¡±

    ¡°It has shed countless times¡­¡± Ejam remarked. ¡°Maybe it has reached its mature form. You did say that Xeno¡¯Jiiva was a newborn.¡±

    ¡°And it would fit its ability¡­ It had been able to divert part of the Everstream flow for itself while in its cocoon form,¡± Ikari remarked. ¡°So it would stand that its adult form would have a more developed ability.¡±

    Valen was about to answer, speculating on what their mystery Elder was capable of, when he heard the beat of a pair of wings. Immediately on alert mode, he looked around, trying to locate their mystery Elder, Aiden and Rapha?lle doing the same, though it was Adem that pointed out where the sound came from, pointing towards where the chasm went deeper.

    The Handlers and the Seeker backed off a bit, making sure that they had a way to retreat should the situation turn sour. They all clutched Farcasters in hand, that would hopefully call their Wingdrakes to them should the Elder turn hostile towards them.

    Another beat of wings resounded through the chasm, louder. Then another. And on the fourth, something large soared from the chasm and hovered a bit over the platform.

    Valen immediately saw one thing: it was huge, quite a bit bigger than Shara Ishvalda, though still nothing compared to Zorah Magdaros. His second impression was red. The Elder was almost entirely covered in those scales, with the exception of its belly and the underside of its wings. It had the same body plan as of a Kushala Daora, with four legs and two wings, which was roughly standard for an Elder, for all that the word ¡°standard¡± could be applied to the Elders. Two black horns sprouted from its head, pointing straight backwards and giving it the impression of a king. Deathly black claws tipped its forelegs, which strangely looked quite dexterous to Valen. Finally, two eyes were staring at the group, not with hatred, not with gentleness, but simply to dispassionately judge, to evaluate them.

    The Elder¡¯s wings beat once more before it descended, touching down on the platform a fair bit away from them. It looked over the group, inspecting each of them, though it seemed to pause a bit more when looking at Rapha?lle, before finally its gaze settled on Valen, since he was at the forefront, guessing correctly that he would take the lead, at least for now.

    He relaxed a bit, focusing deep on himself, then made sure to project the feelings he believed were necessary right now, being of respect, non-hostility and curiosity. He also made sure to convey the certainty that they acknowledged that it was the Elder¡¯s territory, and they had no desire to take over it. It requires a lot of focus from Valen, but he knew it was necessary.

    The Elder stared intensely at him, tilting its head slightly, however he was certain that it was deciphering the meanings he was projecting. And finally, after a moment that seemed to stretch in eternity, it pulsed a feeling of acceptance¡­ A pulse whose power slammed into Valen, startling him with the sheer power behind it. He almost stumbled at the overpowering feeling, and he heard the others gasp next to him and Ikari whimpering behind.

    He exhaled a long breath before focusing once again, now he knew it would be the tricky part¡­ He focused on conveying the fact that it was not a threat, not a challenge, but a needed ally. He had no hostile intentions at all by the action that he was about to perform.

    Once he emitted this new pulse of intent, Valen waited for the Elder¡¯s response, which still looked at him. One rather telling fact was that it was still standing up, it was not even sitting on its haunches, which was the main proof of how wary it was of the group. It was not letting its guard down and still believed that they were a threat for now. However the fact that it did listen to Valen and not immediately attack them meant that it was inclined to hear them out¡­ At least for now.

    Then finally, it pulsed another feeling of agreement¡­ Though this time it was tinged with the tone of warning, that should it have been a deception, it would rescind its prior agreement. Valen simply nodded and only gave another feeling of acceptance and understanding, before he turned around, showing his back to the Elder. He knew that it was a risky move, each species tended to interpret such a gesture differently, but he hoped that it was enough of a proof of trust, to show such a vulnerability to the Elder. He also trusted Rapha?lle and Aiden to warn him of any danger.

    Picking up the flare gun on his hip, he ejected the high powered firework-like flare for a more conventional blue one. He just needed the extra reach the gun would give compared to his Slinger. He aimed at the entrance of the chasm that was a way off above, then fired, the gunpowder cartridge propelling the flare far enough that it would be seen from the entrance, the flare itself out of sight of the group, but the glow reflected on the chasm walls still.

    And then, not long after, the loud noises of Nikki¡¯s wings echoed from the cavern¡¯s entrance, her red glow mixing with the blue glow of the flare for a moment, turning it purple, before she appeared from above the platform, her sight immediately fixing on the unknown Elder. She shifted sideways then descended at a steady pace, making sure the exhaust of her wings was not directed at anybody of the group.

    Then finally, she landed, and she fixed her sights on the Elder. She showed no  signs of aggression, nor submission. She would simply respect the power the Elder wielded.

    Valen looked at the staredown. It felt like the red-scaled Elder had narrowed its eyes, studying Nikki for any signs of treachery, though it seemed also puzzled by the fact that she did answer Valen¡¯s call. Finally it emitted a quick pulse demanding of Nikki to explain herself.

    To which Nikki responded, with a rapid burst of differing intents, mixed in with some vocalizations, some of which he never heard her do. She seemed to explain something, but the speed at which she was doing was completely out of Valen¡¯s capabilities, and he was lost in the flickering intentions.

    It took her a bit, before she finished and she stared at the Elder, who simply tilted its head in response. However Valen saw something that internally made him smile. The tip of its tail was twitching, and he could see one of its front paws scratch the ground a bit. He saw some similar signs in Nikki when she was deep in thinking. Which meant that this unknown Elder was most likely doing the same.

    Finally it seemed to have come to a decision, and emitted another series of rapid-fire pulses back at Nikki. Valen expected to have a headache out of it¡­ But surprisingly, he only was slightly overwhelmed by the information overload. It seemed that the unknown Elder was still being considerate of them, and probably picked on the clue that Nikki did it so.

    Nikki thought for a bit, before finally turning towards Valen.

    ¡®Accept you. Explained role bolstering Everstream.¡¯

    Valen nodded in answer before asking.

    ¡®Not angry kin death?¡¯

    ¡®His Error. Too close heart Everstream. Not able interfere. Become threat.¡¯

    Looking at the Elder, who Valen now knew was male, he noticed that he seemed curious at what the two of them were doing, clearly intrigued by the way they were able to communicate. Valen thought for a bit before asking.

    ¡®Creator island? Goal?¡¯

    Nikki nodded before she turned towards the Elder and translated Valen¡¯s questions into a pulse. The Elder paid attention, then seemed to be surprised by the content of one, and looked sharply at Valen. He stared the hunter down before looking again at Nikki and gave his answer.

    ¡®Yes¡¯ Nikki translated. ¡®End Everstream.¡¯ Then she seemed to ponder, she usually did so when they lacked the words to convey the exact meaning. ¡®Allows stream flowing permanent. Not accumulate. Immense quantities. Dangerous if accumulating.¡¯

    Valen parsed her answer before he understood. The Guiding Lands was in essence made as a safety release. To take in the excess energy that flowed through the Everstream, so that it did not accumulate over time and kept flowing constantly.

    Adem was translating for his fellow Hunters, and he knew that Ikari was doing the same for the Handlers. And it was when they did so that Sophie immediately asked.

    ¡°But then¡­ Doesn¡¯t that mean that the increased quantities since Xeno¡¯Jiiva and Shara Ishvalda death would cause an issue?¡±

    Valen immediately agreed with her concern and translated to Nikki, who relayed to the Elder.

    Who seemed surprised once again by the accurate question. And he noticed his posture shift. While before he was still guarded, and wary of them, now? It seemed that the Elder seemed to respect them. That he did not expect such concern about the stability of the New World.

    The Elder looked at Nikki, and asked another question to the Valstrax, though he caught the connotation that held an interrogation in them. Nikki answered in kind, and there was a back and forth between them until the Elder relaxed fully and looked at the group in turn, seemingly with new eyes. However his gaze lingered the most on Rapha?lle. He studied her for a while before he seemed to be approving. Then he looked at Nikki once more, and sent a short pulse of agreement and acknowledgment.

    Nikki finally turned to Valen and explained what just happened.

    ¡®Respect concern and worry for stability. He needed keep island stable, able change flow and nature Bioenergy. Energy flow once high like now. Steadily decreased. Required changes. Recent increase fast. Too fast. Worried about high concentration. Other Elders seeking source. Strong enough fighting most. Not all. Focus needed stabilize.¡¯

    That surprised Valen. He immediately understood the danger. The slayings of Xeno¡¯Jiiva and Shara being so close together seemed to have increased the flux of Bioenergy too fast. The Elder might have been able to handle it if there was more time between them, but the surge made it so that the carefully crafted ecosystem of the Guiding Lands was at risk. He could still stabilize it back, however it seemed that the Elder was worried that the high concentration of Bioenergy that was accumulating would attract more Elders, most of which would not stand a chance against him, but a few of them might be able to overpower him. And he needed to focus on using his abilities to keep the island stable.

    The Elder tilted his head a bit before sending another pulse of information at Nikki, which she translated immediately.

    ¡®Flow decrease slowly safer levels, when continent adapts. Island adapts faster, but unsafe levels.¡¯

    So the New World would slowly intake more of the increased Bioenergy in time, but it would take time, as it was slower to change. Valen thought for a moment longer before nodding. Then suddenly, Aiden suggested something.

    ¡°What if¡­ We offer our protection? We make sure that he is protected and can focus on keeping the Guiding Lands stable while we make sure that any invader won¡¯t be able to reach him?¡±

    Valen thought it was a ridiculous idea at first¡­ Then he thought a bit more about it. Their issue was that the Elder was worried about another, possibly stronger one. But did they really have the ability to deal with it? He still relayed the suggestion to Nikki.

    Once she transmitted it, the red Elder immediately seemed to be indignant, before he seemed to catch himself, then he was pensive. He looked at the trio of Hunters, focusing mostly on Rapha?lle. Then finally, after he seemed to have reached a conclusion, he talked once more to Nikki.

    ¡®He accepts. Knows each proved themselves. He needs security.¡¯ Then strangely, she looked more directly at Rapha?lle. ¡®Emperor chooses you. You fought Everstream¡¯s Star, won. Alone. He believes worthy of this gift.¡¯

    It was then that Valen realized that the Elder had walked closer. And he was now right next to Rapha?lle. She seemed to be trying to not panic and to not draw her weapon. However the translation that Adem was making for them seemed to have tempered her fears, if only just. The massive head of the Elder came closer to her. It only highlighted the massive size difference between them. But the motion did not carry any hostility. It was gentle, and cautious.

    The Elder stopped at arm¡¯s reach of Rapha?lle. He paused and was looking directly in her eyes. However it seemed to also be waiting, encouraging. The Huntress seemed to be puzzled for a moment, before she understood, and she reached a hand to the Elder, resting the palm of it on his snout.

    The moment they made contact, Valen seemed to stop breathing, however nothing happened immediately, and it would like it would not¡­ Then everybody gasped when suddenly a brilliant flow of Bioenergy started flowing from the Elder to Rapha?lle. The Elder had an internal glow coming from him, however the most unusual thing was that its wings lit up like they contained a multitude of stars¡­ Rapha?lle¡¯s hand had started to glow, and the light soon spread to her arm, and from there, to the rest of her body.

    But that was not quite right¡­ It was not focusing on her body as much as her armor. And through the glow, Valen could see it start to change under their very eyes. The armor was morphing directly on her. It was like before it was a stunted version of it, only having a fraction of the potential it could hold¡­ And now, it was realizing all of this missed potential all at once, becoming what it should have been.

    Then finally, after what felt like an eternity but was not more than a couple minutes, the glow faded from Rapha?lle, which revealed the transformation that had just occurred.

    While before her armor was made out of Xeno¡¯Jiiva skin, which had faded into an ethereal bluish white, and was almost cloth-like, flowing around her¡­ It had completely turned into the same red as the Elder¡¯s scales. The armor had noticeably also bulked out, her shoulders being noticeably more protected, and all features that looked like Xeno¡¯Jiiva now were transformed into the equivalent of the new Elder. It incorporated spikes at the forearms, some ridges at the feet and her hood-like helmet was now a full helmet protecting her head.

    However the most noticeable part was her Gem. While it was previously slotted at the back as it usually was¡­ It was now prominently in display at her waist, emitting a steady radiance that proved the power contained within.

    Rapha?lle raised an arm to study it, then moved around, inspecting the change, and checking that her armor moved smoothly without any issues. She seemed to be satisfied with it however when she looked back at the Elder, and nodded in thanks.

    The Elder exhaled, making the few loose cloth on her armor reminiscent of the shedding around flutter. He then looked at Nikki, and emitted a final few pulses of information, before walking backwards a few steps, then took off, heading towards the depths from where he came.

    ¡®Gift. Armor fixed, shaped as should be.¡¯ Nikki translated.

    The silence continued for a bit before finally Aiden finally spoke up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of us expected coming here¡­ But it sure wasn¡¯t this.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± The Seeker replied. ¡°I think this display also proved how powerful this Elder is. However, I think this also proved its benevolent nature and its crucial role.¡±

    Rapha?lle finally was able to find her words.

    ¡°I think he is worried. He might be powerful, but he would not be able to fight at full power out of concern of not destabilizing this ecosystem. And we all know some Elders are not to be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°Then we must transmit this information to the Guild immediately¡­ However, one of us should also stay here. If he is that worried, we must be able to respond as fast as we are able to.¡±

    ¡°Then I will stay on the Guiding Lands,¡± Rapha?lle replied. ¡°He gifted me with this¡­ So it would be best that I am the one that is able to respond and hold the line.¡±

    ¡°And I will stay at your side!¡± Flighty, Rapha?lle¡¯s Palico, exclaimed. ¡°No matter what, we fight together!¡±

    Sophie seemed to hesitate for a moment before she nodded.

    ¡°You know my job, Partner! While I may not be able to fight, I would never leave you!¡± She smiled. ¡°I trust you to do what needs to be done.¡±

    Valen smiled, then he looked at Nikki.

    ¡®Thanks. Not possible without you.¡¯

    ¡®I know. Chose well.¡¯

    Then she nodded at the group and took off, carefully flying outside the cavern.

    The group then prepared to fly outside the chasm, and return to the guild¡­ Then suddenly Ikari spoke up.

    ¡°Valen! Nikki called this elder ¡®Emperor¡¯ right?¡± The Hunter nodded in response. ¡°And we all know that it is the mature form of Xeno¡¯Jiiva¡­ I believe I have the perfect name for him.¡± He paused, waiting for their reactions.

    ¡°Which is?¡± Lea asked.

    ¡°Safi¡¯Jiiva.¡±