A time of darkness shrouded in mystery that hides behind the falling ash of a once fluent kingdom, Castle Schrade. None who recall the unspeakable events that occurred upon these very tarnished grounds will ever truly forget what happened before the eyes of an entire civilization: The End Times. A thousand years ago to this day, a prosperous and hopeful city of heritage and memory was sent up in flames in the span of a single day by the Legendary Black Dragon. There was no warning, no foresight, no prediction and no time to avoid the thousands of casualties that would lay a thick cloud of human ash into the skies of Castle Schrade. A single day in the continuous life of Minegarde that would become the one memory to be carried in every bloodline, yet desired to be forgotten in spite of howling nightmares true to the event. In one fell swoop an enormous, black dragon with the fury to make the heavens tremble sent a fiery wake through the lively city of Castle Schrade. As if all signs of life were torn from the face of the earth a thick cloud of ash rose from the ground, and it continues to dwell in the dark skies of the long forgotten city. The wrath of the falling darkness through evil wings of the end times disappeared for a thousand years and left no more than black skies and scorched earth….
"Where did you find that…?" Leon said with a sincerely baffled expression.
"It was in the basement of the gathering hall with all of the scrolls and books. You know; the place where the village chief keeps telling us not to go?" Shade said with a grin.
Leon stood up from where he was sitting. He and Shade had been sitting on the small dock in the center of the village where the hot spring was. The gentle current of the hot water created by the waterwheel against their feet was soothing in the cold mountain temperature of the village. Pokke was a peaceful home. But, like other places in the world, it has a legacy.
"You really shouldn't go down there if he tells you not to." Leon mumbled while slipping his shoes back on.
Shade chuckled, "Well you have to admit. It's a bit boring around here at times. Don't you ever have a thirst for action, Leon?"
"Well, yeah, of course!" Leon said with obvious doubt behind his words.
The distinct sound of swords and armor clanking together echoed past them as they walked past the training school near the gathering hall. Shade and Leon had both longed to become brave Monster Hunters since they were very young boys. Now at the age of seventeen, they were both searching for what they truly wanted. But only after a rash change of heart would it present itself to them.
The two of them made their way into the gathering hall to eat. Naturally like friends, they covered the expenses for each other every other visit. It was Shade's turn to pay for grub and drinks. Food was very affordable to them because of their day jobs.
"I'll have two Kelbi legs and two spiced Mosswine milks, please; extra mountain herbs in one, please!" Shade said to the lady that served hunters in the hall. She smiled and walked away.
It wasn't typical for two young boys to be eating and spending time in the gathering hall, but it made them feel more like hunters by spending time there. Shade and Leon would sometimes pester the hunters and ask them about monsters and equipment. They wanted to become Monster Hunters more than anything else in the world, but at the same time they hesitated to do so.
Leon had been saving all of his earnings from working his day job because he was thinking about buying a set of equipment from the blacksmith. His job only earned him about 50z each day, and the set of armor he desired started at 900z per piece. Luckily he had been saving for the past year now and was closing in on his goal. But Leon didn't know what he truly wanted to do. Perhaps buying hunter equipment was a waste of money. Shade had also been saving his earnings for the same reason, but he too did not quite know what he was going to do. A specific item at the blacksmith was tempting Shade to buy hunting gear. A hunter had recently sold a novice light bowgun called Valkyrie Fire and it was stronger than anything Shade could hope to buy from the shop. The blacksmith only wanted 1,500z for it.
Although Leon did not have parents, Shade had a mother. His father, now dead for many years, was an expeditionary traveler who died shortly after returning from his last expedition into Minegarde. He was struck with an illness that they could not cure with all of their ailments in Pokke. He passed away proud of his family and his achievements. Although his real name isn't Shade, he always felt as though he was forever in the shadow of his father; destined to adventure. His real name is Nicholas. Leon's mother and father had both died while on their way back to Pokke with trading supplies. It's a dangerous business to be a merchant of Pokke. The road into the mountains is full of beasts that hunt in packs and attack humans without hesitation; and as such conditions apply, Leon's mother and father were slaughtered by monsters while returning home. Not having a mother or father pushed Leon to question his existence. He often wondered if he would be better off being a hunter. But neither Shade nor Leon knew what would become of them if they became Monster Hunters. It was hard work indeed. Being a hunter involved throwing your life on the line every day in order to protect your village and family. In a sense, all of Pokke was a big family. Everyone knew and cared for each other. Well…. Almost everyone.
Shade and Leon had both finished their plates and drank their mugs clean after a satisfying meal. The woman came back and Shade handed her 120z to pay for their food and beverages. Shade folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair stuffed full of Kelbi meat and spiced Mosswine milk with extra mountain herbs. He let out a long, content sigh. But Leon's mind was someplace else.
"Man, I'm not fond of those cats but they sure can cook!" Shade said with a grin almost losing balance in his chair.
Leon smirked, "Definitely."
"You look like you have a lot on your mind right now. Don't tell me that story has you freaked out still. It was just a story!" Shade said while patting Leon's shoulder. But Leon didn't have the legend of Castle Schrade on his mind.
Monster Hunter Theme Stars Playing watch?v=ssYwqeDwhcQ
After hearing the sound of equipment entering the gathering hall from outside the village, three proud hunters came walking through the double doors that lead out into Minegarde. The hunter in the center was clad in red armor that made him look like a Rathalos. He wore an enormous iron greatsword on his back with red stains painted down the edge of the blade. The hunter on the right was a gunner. She was wearing Rathian armor with unique headgear that appeared to have goggles for increased precision. The bowgun on her back was red like a Rathalos. The hunter on the left was wearing black belt gear with a sword and shield that resembled a Velocidrome. The blade looked just as sharp as the monster's claws. Leon watched them proudly collect their reward and it suddenly snapped into his brain.
"Let's do it." He muttered.
"Hm?" Shade said with a puzzled expression.
"What are we waiting for! Let's do it!" Leon shouted as he slammed his hands down onto the table.
Shade's expression didn't change. First he looked over at the hunters, then back at Leon.
"You mean them?" Shade said in confusion.
Leon stood up violently, "Yeah! Why can't we be great like them? There's nothing holding us back in this world. I mean, just look at them! That could be you and me, right? Let's do it!"
Shade didn't know what to say. Leon's arms remained pressed against the table as he continued watching the hunters. Shade's eyes kept wandering over to the three heroes in all of their proudness. They were sitting at a table on the other side of the hall bashing their mugs together in excitement from a successful hunt. The smiles on their faces told him that they truly were great.
Shade's eyes went back down to the table. He was staring into his empty mug. His eyes wandered over to the hunters, then back into his mug, then at Leon, then back to the table. Shade didn't know what to think. The first thing that came to his mind was how much money he had saved up to this point. He knew that he and Leon had been saving for a solid, difficult year. But for some reason he could not disagree with Leon's unexpected enthusiasm. Thoughts of his father wisped in and out of his head. Was he truly destined for adventure?
Leon's eyes were locked onto the three hunters. Even though he lived his life telling himself that he was unsure of his destiny, he knew that this was his true calling. Watching them enter the gathering hall completely expunged the doubt from his heart and cleaned him of hesitation. Leon was ready to step up and become a Monster Hunter. Now he only needed to be sure that Shade would follow him into their destiny.
The relatively subtle atmosphere was shattered as Shade slammed his mug onto the wooden table, causing heads to turn.
"You're right! What the hell are we doing here! Let's get out there and become what we were always meant to be!" He shouted as both of them balled up their fists tightly and slammed their forearms together in a friendly solute.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" An unfamiliar voice laughed as Shade and Leon turned their head towards it.
To their surprise it was the hunter clad in Rathalos armor with the greatsword. They hadn't noticed that he and his crew were standing just 10 feet away. They heard the whole thing.
"What's so funny?" Leon said with a serious expression.
He and Shade couldn't see the man's face through his helmet. They could only hear his laughter and it angered them.
"I admire your bravery, but where's your equipment?" The man said tauntingly.
Shade stepped forward aggressively. The hunter in black belt gear attempted to step forward as well but the hunter in Rathalos armor simply raised his arm to signal that there was no need. Shade stood right before the man.
"As a matter of fact, we're about to go buy it. What's it to you?" Shade said with an attitude.
The man laughed again, "So you aim to go buy equipment and then just wander out into Minegarde hoping to win your first battle?"
"Well…. No!" Shade defended himself.
The hunter raised his arms, grabbed a firm hold of his helmet and removed it gently to reveal his face. He had short, blond hair and heroic, blue eyes with an honest smile. He had an x-shaped scar on his left cheek and a single scar on his right cheek that looked similar.
"You're both brave" He said with assurance, "But what about your families? Wouldn't they worry?"
"I don't have a family to worry about me." Leon spoke up. His eyes were fixed on the hunter.
The female hunter suddenly spoke, "You mean you're all alone?" She said while removing her headgear.
Despite being a fearsome hunter, her voice was soft and graceful and she was beautiful. Her short, silver hair was spiked backwards and her eyes were a fiery green. You could tell how strong she was just by looking into them.
"Well, not entirely." Leon said while looking over at Shade.
"And what of you, hot shot?" The hunter in black belt snapped at Shade.
His smile said told us that he was unafraid of all. He fought fiercely with his sword and shield alongside the other two. He had dark hair and equally dark eyes that were full of confidence and truth.
Shade smirked at him, "I have a mother, and…." He paused.
"And?" The hunter continued.
"And my brother!" Shade said while grinning at Leon.
The three hunters looked confused amongst themselves.
Leon stepped forward and Shade threw his arm over his shoulder.
"This guy right here? He's my brother, even if he came from somewhere else."
The hunter in Rathalos armor smiled at them and stepped forward. He was standing directly over them now. He raised a hand and placed it firmly on Leon's shoulder.
"Well," He said, "Then you must understand that being a Monster Hunter is more than just wearing a sword and slaying anything you can find running around."
Shade and Leon nodded their heads in confirmation.
The hunter continued, "Being a Monster Hunter is about honor and pride. It's about protecting those you hold close in here." He said with a smile as he placed his finger on Leon's chest above his heart.
Leon looked at his hand and then looked back up at his face. His smile was encouraging and honest.
"Who are you….?" Shade said, baffled.
"The name's Odysseus!" He called out while raising his other arm and balling up his fist towards the ceiling.
"Odysseus?" Leon mumbled in confusion.
"Means 'he who gives and receives pain unto himself' and it was my grandfather's name." He said proudly.
The gunner stepped forward, "I'm Adria!" she called out with a smile.
The hunter in black belt armor removed his helmet and smiled, "The name's Teo."
Shade's eyes lit up, "Odysseus, Adria and Teo…. We're going to be just like you guys in no time!"
The three of them started laughing to themselves.
"Well then," Odysseus spoke out, "If you're going to be Monster Hunters by tomorrow then I guess I have no choice."
Shade and Leon looked at him puzzled.
"I'll just have to train you myself then." Odysseus said with a large grin.
"You mean you'll train us to be Monster Hunters just like you!" Leon shouted.
Odysseus said nothing. He nodded his head and smiled before balling up his fist and raising his forearm towards them. Shade and Leon looked at each other, then at Odysseus. Sparks were flying in the moment as they both bashed their forearms against his and cheered. The sound of their arms colliding with his armor echoed through the gathering all. It was going to be the start of something incredibly.