Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter, or any other intellectual property mentioned or referenced in this story. Monster Hunter belongs to Capcom. I own nothing…

Prologue

-Old problems-

Tell me...

When will this happen?

"...and a right. After that just keep going until you see your buddies, they should have already arrived by then," Zack watched, dumbfounded, as the burly fisherman hoisted the heavy luggage onto his shoulder and walked off, the extra weight not slowing him down a single bit.

"That one didn't even grunt... I think I might owe the first mate an apology," he admitted with a frown. The shorter man chuckled, remembering how often the hunter had shrugged off the crew's tales as 'pointless exaggerations'.

"Why did you call him a 'that'? Besides, they must think the same of us."

He's got a point... Hunters were renowned for telling the most ridiculous and overblown tales, but the worst thing is oftentimes people ate it all up. The stubborn hunter hummed reluctantly, furrowing his brows further.

"I still call bulldung! No way they caught a grown Gobul at sea! Playing us for fools! That 'spike' the captain likes to use as a cane is obviously fake," Zack assured, crossing his arms and taking a glance back at the ship, almost daring someone to show up and try to prove him wrong. His friend only offered a shake of the head, letting him have his small victory.

"Well us hunters know better, don't we? Besides, have a little faith once in a while... Now, are you lending me a hand?" Breathing a heavy sigh, Zack left his comfortable spot next to his own things to help, grabbing the Item box by its remaining handle.

The two men were able to heave the chest easily enough, although the shorter hunter definitely had to put a lot more effort into it. Having awkwardly shuffled around a few moments before finally deciding on who would take the lead, the pair made their way off the wooden boards and onto the worn cobblestone path.

Zack had to make a note of how unusually dark everything looked, the usually star-light sky was instead cloudy, which did nothing to help his visibility. He could only barely make out the closed stalls and stacked crates to his sides.

Never quite got used to the quiet evenings either... Probably cause I slept through them.

The southern edge of town is where most nightly activities occur, with shipments and people constantly arriving and leaving, it's no surprise that it's also has the highest concentration of taverns and inns.

Even with the high influx of people, the rest of the town wasn't active in the evenings. Therefore, the farther away from the ships and commerce they got, the less light filtered out the building's windows; and shortly after, nothing but their steps and breathing could be heard. Firewyvern lamps every so often where their only reprieve as the surrounding buildings became indistinguishable among the shadows.

"Wait, wait... through here." His friend urged him, pulling them to the side. Zack said nothing as he was led into the darkness, expecting to bump into a wall at any moment.

They surprisingly kept their course for a few more moments, it was only after a sharp, uncomfortable, turn and a better look around that he realized they had somehow wound up in a rather tight alley. Every so often he would brush against something or step on what he assumed was garbage, feeding into his growing discomfort.

At least it doesn't stink. He thought, sparing a glance at shorty, who didn't seem to be having his problem of bumping into things, but sounded like a beached Ceadeus.

"Hey, you need a break?"

"No...no thanks. Th-the sailors... they are waiting." Zack nodded. They must be close to getting there... He did say it was a few moments from the Guild hall after all.

You'd think he could get into a nicer neighborhood... Maybe he wasn't lying when he said he's a genuine zeni pincher.

"...I bet we look shady, carrying around boxes in the middle of the night and all," He joked, a vain attempt to lighten the mood.

"I guess... ma-maybe we should have taken the more... direct route." The shorter hunter panted.

"Heh, there was a quicker route and now you tell me," Zack laughed, "How much more to go?... And I'm curious, what brings you here anyway? I mean... isn't Dahcreed the far better choice? Especially for hunters?"

Zack didn't miss the way the box's weight shifted slightly, or the moment of hesitation in his next step. He had thought it a simple enough question, nothing too invasive. The other hunter only nodded, taking the time to consider the questions...

"This place is nice though. Heck, I lived here. It's just not the usual, y'know?" Zack added in an attempt to end the subject, though his friend responded with another nod, doing little to ease the taller hunter.

The port town of Dert rested on the feet of Mount Dert, one of the tallest peaks of the Finto mountains. The town is Araiguma's center of merchantry and the busiest of the country's maritime trade routes.

On the other hand, despite Mount Dert being part of an extensive mountain range, it isn't home to many monsters. Dert could only offer herbivores and the few raptorial bird wyverns that roamed the other side of the mountain, and the nearby forests don't offer more than the usual bird wyverns, small leviathans and the rare Rath or Lagiacrus, which isn't enough to catch the attention of most dedicated hunters.

Contrary to most towns and cities, Dert didn't even have need for walls or other fortifications, the surrounding terrain warding off even the Greatest of Jaggies, and most flying wyverns knew to stay away from any human settlements.

"...I guess I... like the tranquility, a...densely populated city like Dahcreed or Araiguma city... can't offer me that. Also, I've got an acquaintance here." He finally gave his answer, through labored breaths and numerous huffs.

"You're right, but this place isn't what I would call peaceful, or underpopulated, the farming villages up north might be more of what you're looking for," Zack argued. Sure, Dert was a far cry from the big cities, but it wasn't exactly peaceful either, especially when any major events rolled by.

"Not... much to do. Nothing but artisans and farmers, any threats are little and... most likely to be handled by the appointed hunter. I don't want... to get my hands in the di-dirt for a living, a small living at that."

Zack could understand that, he had been to a few places where the only guild presence was a run-down stall, most likely manned by a kooky lady."Trust me, all those hunters are more than happy to trade places with you, but I can get behind that..."

After another turn Zack breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the familiar light cast by the streetlamps. Shorty also picked up the pace, a sure sign that we're nearly there.

"Almost there... Just to the right." The short hunter confirmed.

Soon after stepping out of the alley they spotted the crewmen waiting further down the street —some of them still carrying stuff— before joining them. They didn't appear to be the slightest annoyed at the hunter's lateness.

"Home sweet... h-home."

After gently putting the huge chest down Zack took the moment to roll his shoulder and flex his fingers, while the smaller hunter caught his breath, holding a hand up at the sailors who watcedh him expectantly. "Just up the steps, give me a moment." Zack glanced at the two-story building, the first floor made in stone, and the second one built from sturdy wooden planks.

"Alright, let's go." Shorty announces and climbs the stairs, creaks following every other step, the sailors following close behind in a melody of grating squeaks.

After opening the door the shorter hunter muttered something like 'put them anywhere' before coming back down for the last item box. The two hunters once again teamed up to carry the heavy luggage and make the uphill trek.

Inside, Zack finds himself in yet another uncomfortable position, with all seven crewmen plus themselves and the boxes stuffed in a small room. Having maneuvered into another room and put down the chest, the smaller hunter starts rummaging through his bag.

"As soon as you get your share, please exit." Shorty orders, handing one of them some zeni for his troubles, something he'd insisted on.

Maybe he's not a skinflint?

After thanking or in some way acknowledging the small man, all the fishermen started funneling out, allowing space for the cramped Zack to breath, soon enough the two hunters were also out the door and out on the street.

"Here."

"You ain't paying me, shorty," the shorter hunter recoiled at the nickname, "You might have convinced those meat-heads, but not me," Zack declared smugly at the seemingly generous hunter, who let out a sigh.

"You sure? I just made you carry a box of explosives."

"No, I— did you say explosives?" The shorter hunter nodded.

That cheeky bastard…

"By your gaping I'd say you didn't read the lid," He guessed, smiling and shaking his head in mild amusement, "Weren't you going on and on about concentrating, being aware of your surroundings, and not letting your guard down?" The taller man glared at him, ill humored, "You taking it?" He offered again, holding up the coins for Zack to see.

"No."

"Alright then, is there anything else you might want?"

The taller hunter crossed his arms, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "How about this? Next time I happen to be around, you let me crash at your place." His friend rubbed his chin, considering the arrangement.

"...Okay, you've got lodging." The taller hunter couldn't help but smile at his friend's unexpected disposition.

Definitely generous…

"When are you leaving?" Zack chuckled sheepishly at his friend's inquiry, rubbing the back of his head.

I don't remember this part of town... "Which way to the docks?" The shorter man jerked his head to the side, following his gaze Zack saw the the sea, not even fifty yards away. "Ah, the direct route..." It was now the other hunter's turn to act sheepish.

"Ye-yeah..."

"...I should get going, boat leaves at dawn." The shorter hunter nods, extending his hand, "A pleasure meeting you, Zack." He extends his own, shaking the smaller man's arm brashly.

"See ya shor-"

"Don't call me that!" He quickly rebuked. The taller hunter stifled a laugh, turned around and began walking down the street, waving back nonchalantly.

"Good day Mr. Basket!"

"It's Wache!" Zack looked back at the shrinking form of his friend, giving him a two-fingered salute before turning his attention back on the road.

What a weird guy...

Wache gave another push, the last one needed to place the Item box where it belonged, then took a step back, admiring the results of his efforts.

He had managed to move the four Item boxes into his room, two at each side of his bed —or rather, bed frame. All carves on the right, and combining materials such as herbs, bugs, and gunpowder to the left.

Satisfied with his work, he walked out to the living room to continue his original task, the one he had been prompted to do before he was distracted by his room's untidiness. He crouched down to poke around the contents of a crate, looking for a specific object.

Having no luck, he decides it's best to get a source of light first. Walking over to the table, he stares for a moment at his only available light source, a pale wax candle upon a brass holder, before remembering what he needed. Where could that spark lighter be... Maybe?

Carefully descending down into the darkened first floor, he made his way towards the general direction he thought the oven was, reaching around blindly for a few moments before coming into contact with the smooth stone surface. Breathing a victorious 'ah-ha!', he began to feel around for the sparker. Still having no luck, he took a few steps back, sighing in defeat.

"Where did you put it Wache..." He groaned out in frustration. I remember using it on the ship, and then I-

Wache pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed disappointingly. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out what he believed to be the object he was looking for and gives it an experimental squeeze, the tool sparking momentarily.

Satisfied, the hunter made his way back up the stairs, and sat at the table. After a couple of sparks and a moderate amount of blowing he was able to light the candle. Finally some light...

Candle in hand, he pulled the crate closer to comfortably view it's contents, eventually spotting what he wanted. He reached for it, but suddenly yelped back when he felt something sharp.

Dammit, I need to stop putting random shit in there... He inspected his hand, seeing the slow trickle of blood down his palm. Just a small cut. He puts down the candle while licking at his fresh wound and using his sound hand to carefully retrieve a small ornate box from within the mess of assorted items. Pushing the crate back, he brings the candle up closer to examine the small box.

After a few moments of identifying the carvings on the sides of the box, he finally found the correct indentation, and pressed it. The box's lid flipped open with an audible click, and the hunter took a look at the contents inside.

Just the one... Wache chuckles, picking up one of the folded notes inside and snapping the little box shut. He get's up with an unenthusiastic groan, holding the paper firmly and setting the ornate artifact on his table.

After going through the trouble of unlocking the door, Wache steps outside, standing to the side of the street. The hunter unfolds the dog-eared paper, holding it up, and brings the candle up close so that the small writing is visible.

"...Somewhere very far away." He closed the remaining gap between the two objects and watched the small parchment catch fire, observing intently as the radiant flames ate away at it, then eventually let it fall to the ground.

His task complete he turned around to ascends the steps…

"Done."

Author's Note: Hello, MH fandom! And thank you for reading so far!

Well, how was it? Horrible? Pain inducing? Unworthy of it's existence? (I'm a harsh self-critic) Tell me everything! My writing style is... unique, for lack of a better term. I'm a fan of descriptions, and have a hard time knowing when to stop. I describe the smallest things, from the fine cracks on the stone walls; the dead rat stuck on that sewer pipe, it's fur wet and flesh bloating —that the character doesn't even acknowledge; the way the cloth hanging from the clothesline move in the slight breeze, rising and falling much like the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping beast, it's intricate pattern standing out because of... I got carried away again, didn't I? Well, normally people appreciate the smaller details, but when this goes on for the whole time... It gets rather dull.

Sadly, I can't hold myself back. In an effort to shorten those massive walls of text, I mostly just take out the unnecessary stuff (like the aforementioned dead rat), but this makes some parts read awkwardly or feel disjointed. I try my best to fix these issues, but I'm a horrible proof-reader so if ya'll could point these out I would be very grateful.

Darn it, This AN is already too long and the only thing I've said is: "Tell me if anything feels off" *sigh* Well, I'm not done yet. I'm going to take the moment to explain a bit more about how this story is going to play out. Originally, this epic was to be divided in three parts, a trilogy, I guess... But when I made some massive changes to the world, tone and characters, I decided to shorten the story considerably. Instead it's just one fic that's divided in three major story arcs, all three of them have a slightly different tone, drive, setting and collection of monsters. So take that into consideration when reviewing later on into the story's lifespan.

Let's talk updates... I'm not terribly busy, but I can only write when I'm in the right mindset, and when I happen to be in that mindset, I might feel like working on something else... So, in short, don't expect many updates.

Lastly, while the the main purpose of a review is to provide feedback, some people feel like they don't have something to add, and that's perfectly fine! Even if it's just to say something like: 'I enjoyed myself', 'This sucks', 'Git gud', or even just to say 'hi'. I encourage everybody that reads to review, as it motivates me greatly. I fear that, were it not for the reviews, I would most likely perish...(I'm only slightly exaggerating)

Anyhoo, Thanks for reading this terribly long Author's note, everybody!